Have a Happier Thanksgiving by Dodging These Spending Pitfalls

Getty Images/Cultura RF Even with the most careful planning, a Thanksgiving budget can fall victim to bad weather, cranky relatives, and recipes that stray a bit too far toward the avant garde. Given that this is the last weekend to prepare and shop before your holiday celebration, let's run through some of the more common budgetary traps, and how to dodge them: The "Traditional" Dinner Turkey. Potatoes. Pie. Some things just seem to belong on a Thanksgiving table. According to a survey by the American Farm Bureau Federation, the average cost to prepare the traditional Thanksgiving dinner for 10 people has fallen about 1 percent to $49.04 this year. At just $4.90 per person, that's quite a bargain. But some families go overboard on "tradition" and try to include everything that's ever appeared on a Thanksgiving table. That can get costly. "Thanksgiving dinners are notorious for being too elaborate and wasting food," says Coryanne Ettiene, a cooking show host and mother of three. "Create a menu that allows each guest to have two to four sides rather than the common six sides," she says. "Where possible, make your menu from scratch, using similar ingredients to carry the cost across the whole meal. If you have only one recipe that calls for saffron and can't use it in any other dish, maybe you skip the saffron this year." Nan Langen Steketee of Philadelphia cooks a large Thanksgiving dinner each year for more than 20 friends and family. Together, they keep the emphasis on the traditions themselves, rather than which plate they're served on. "We make our own applesauce from a family recipe," she says. "The apples are in-season and not terribly expensive, and it just tastes better." Steketee saves bread scraps in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving to make stuffing, and uses the giblets from inside the turkey for flavor. Her guests all help with the preparations, and then enjoy the meal together. A Plus-One for the Plus-One? A seating arrangement at a large family Thanksgiving dinner can be as complicated as a small wedding's, and the inclusion of last-minute plus-ones can throw off even the most carefully orchestrated meal. But according to the guide for Thanksgiving etiquette by Emily Post, simply saying "no" to those guests isn't very polite. Since getting a firm head count can be difficult with the more spontaneous family members, have a plan in place or some extra sides available to account for drop-ins. A Terminal Wait Not hosting the dinner? More than 40 percent of Americans are planning to travel this Thanksgiving, according to a survey by TripAdvisor. Inclement weather can cause travel delays and all their hidden expenses: airport restaurants, rebooking fees, hotels, and other transportation if it's available. So before heading to the airport, you should have a plan B, and a cutoff in mind for how long you'll be willing to wait until you use it. The Unrequested Wake-up Call Saving on hotel costs by staying with loved ones may seem like a good idea until it's 3 a.m. and the dogs are barking, or the springs of the fold-out are popping through the mattress or a cousin's baby is wailing away. Because so many people do opt for the fold-out couch or guest room, hotel deals actually abound during Thanksgiving weekend. But trying to find one in the middle of the night while sneaking out the back door might be a challenge. Before you arrive, be realistic about accommodations. Now would be a very good time to hunt down a hotel near your holiday gathering and book a room. Overemphasizing the Liquid Liquid refreshments are part of any Thanksgiving dinner, but they don't all need to be top-shelf brands -- or even, for that matter, alcoholic. "The second biggest expense this time of year is the booze," says Ettiene. She suggests that hosts create a specialty cocktail for their Thanksgiving guests, and keep other selections to a minimum.

Once spooky Oct. serves up Wall St. treat

NEW YORK — October, a month with spooky connotations on Wall Street is proving it isn't as scary as its reputation.

As the month nears its end, stocks are poised to deliver a profit-filled sweet surprise to investors, who don't seem scared off by market history: crashes in 1929 and 1987 shortly before Halloween.

The Standard & Poor's 500, up 5.4% this month, is on track for itsbest monthly gain since October 2011. Tuesday's 1771.95 close marked the 33rd record close of 2013, the most since 1999, says S&P Dow Jones Indices.

The S&P 500 is up 24.2% this year, on pace for its best annual gain since 1995.

Of course, Halloween isn't until Thursday, and the Federal Reserve could still throw a fright into the market if it emerges from its meeting Wednesday and announces a monetary tightening move. Absent such a shock, no one seems afraid of buying stocks.

MARKET STRATEGY: 'Sell in May' stock advice proves costly

FED MEETING: Tapering of stimulus unlikely this week

Tech stocks are enjoying a renaissance that harks back to 1999, as investors bid up shares of hot names like Google and social media darlings like LinkedIn and Yelp. They're also salivating over next week's initial public offering of Twitter, the micro-blogging site best known for its 140-character "tweets." Blue chip stocks are flying high, too, as are small stocks.

TWITTER IPO: Regular folks can afford to wait

Wall Street headed into the month worried about an array of risks. They ranged from political gridlock in Washington and the threat of a fresh fiscal crisis, to ongoing worries about the pace of corporate earnings and concerns that the Fed would soon turn off its stimulus spigot that has powered stocks higher for years.

A government shutdown did occur, lasting 16 days. But the nation didn't default on its debt, which was the market's biggest fear. The Fed's decision last month not to cut back on its bond-buying program to boost the economy also turned a possible headwind! into a tailwind. And corporate earnings for the July-through-September quarter are coming in at a growth rate of 4.9%, vs. an estimate of 3.4% on Oct. 1.

Stocks now enter what historically has been their best six-month stretch. November is the Dow's second-best performing month in the past 20 years.

EARNINGS: Corporate profit powers ahead again in Q3

If the increasingly frothy market is to keep chugging higher, it will need to start going up on more than just the cheap money flooding the market from the Fed and global central bankers, says Quincy Krosby, a market strategist at Prudential Financial.

"The market needs to climb on the backs of better earnings reports and better economic data," Krosby says. "We want to see more evidence of growth and a pick up in consumer confidence."

Edward Yardeni, chief investment strategist at Yardeni Research, says his biggest fear is "that we have nothing to fear but the notion that there is nothing to fear." A continued market "melt-up," Yardeni says, would make him more "worried about a market meltdown."

The Best Dow DRIPs

Chuck Carlson, editor of DRIP Investor, explains the benefits of dividend reinvestment plans and highlights the best DRIPs among the Dow 30.

Steve Halpern: We are here today with Chuck Carlson, a leading dividend investing expert and editor of DRIP Investor. How are you doing Chuck?

Chuck Carlson: I'm fine, how are you?

Steve Halpern: Great. First off, for listeners who aren't familiar with DRIPs, could you briefly explain what dividend reinvestment plans are and how they work?

Chuck Carlson: Sure, dividend reinvestment plans are programs offered by about 800 companies, that allow investors to buy stock directly from the company. You buy stock in two ways in these plans.

First, many companies allow you to reinvest the dividends, hence the name dividend reinvestment. Where, instead of the company sending you a dividend check, they keep that money and then go into the market to buy additional shares of stock for you, that's one way you buy in the plan.

The second way, is that, in most dividend reinvestment plans, there is what's called an optional cash investment feature, where you can also send additional money directly to the company, or an agent of the company, who in turn will take that money and buy full and fractional shares for you.

They are great plans for: a) dealing directly with companies, so you don't necessarily have to have a brokerage account; b) doing it in a very low-cost way, many DRIPs have little or no fees that they charge, and then finally, c) invest in amounts that make sense for your own pocketbook, where you can typically invest anywhere from $25 to $250, to even $250,000, if you have deep enough pockets. It allows anyone to really mold an investment program based on your own financial restraint.

Steve Halpern: So, these really aren't the kind of investments that a trader would look at, but rather, somebody who's looking to build a position over the long term.

Chuck Carlson: Exactly, the programs are not structured for really trading, for darting in and out of stocks. They are structured for buying and accumulating good stocks over a period of time.

They are typically what you would consider to be more, kind of, buy and hold investments, as opposed to investments where you're going to be flipping in and out of the stock.

Steve Halpern: In your latest newsletter you feature an article called The Best DRIPs in the Dow, and you note that, from a DRIP investor's perspective, the Dow is a fertile hunting ground in your words. How common are DRIPs among the Dow 30?

Chuck Carlson: Well, 27 of the 30 stocks in the Dow Jones Industrial Average offer some form of a dividend reinvestment plan.

The only three Dow stocks that do not are actually, interestingly, two of the newest members, Goldman Sachs (GS) and Visa (V), and the third stock is UnitedHealth Group (UNH), which is also a fairly new member to the Dow.

Every other Dow stock has some form of a plan, either a traditional dividend reinvestment plan, where you can invest directly, but you'll need to be an owner of at least one share before you can invest directly in the plan, or companies that are offering, what I call, direct purchase plans, where you can make even your initial purchase of stock directly from the company.

Indeed, 22 of the 30 stocks in the Dow allow anyone to make even their initial investments directly in those companies, so you don't need a broker to get started and the minimum initial investment to get started in most of the plans is just $250 or less.

Steve Halpern: So, let's look at some of the individual DRIPs among the Dow stocks, and one you consider an excellent buy and hold play is Exxon Mobil (XOM). Could you tell us a little about that?

Chuck Carlson: Sure, I've been a long-time owner of the stock; it's been one of my personal longest holdings. I think I've had it for over 20 years.

It's the classic kind of, what I call, Steady-Eddie stock, where it's never at the top of the leader board in a given year, but it's one that just kind of chugs along, churns out good dividend growth, you get a decent yield and reasonable capital gains potential, and over the long period of time it's really put up nice returns.

Exxon has a direct purchase plan where any investor can make even their initial purchase directly. The minimum initial investment is just $250.

Subsequent investments after you've made the initial investment (and these are strictly optional), the minimum is just $50, so, as you can see, you can invest $50 in a stock that trades for about $88, which means you can actually buy fractional shares of stock, much like kind of buying stock on the installment plan if you think of it.

Furthermore, Exxon has a very friendly plan, in a sense that, they don't charge any fees to buy stock through the plan, and they even have, as part of their plan, an IRA option where you can invest directly with Exxon and earmark those funds to go directly into an IRA that Exxon will provide custodial services on, so it's a very user-friendly plan in a stock that typically has done exceptionally well over the long-term.

Steve Halpern: You also put Disney (DIS) in this Steady-Eddie category. Could you explain the attraction there?

Chuck Carlson: Yeah. Some of my favorite sectors for long-term growth are media, and entertainment, and leisure, and Disney encapsulates really all of those sectors in one company.

They've got, obviously, their theme park business and movie business, but they have a substantial broadcasting business with their ABC Network, as well as, kind of, the crown jewel of the cable network, ESPN, which is a Disney property.

It's a company that really ticks off a lot of boxes in terms of sectors that I like. Strong consumer brand name, it's just a good solid company that I think will continue to trend higher over the long-term.

They have a plan where you can make even your initial investment directly; the minimum is just $250. Furthermore, Disney represents kind of a perfect stock if you wanted to introduce a child or a grandchild to this form of investing and get them into a stock that a child can certainly relate to.

Steve Halpern: Now, among the new entrants to the Dow, you point to Visa as a favorite, but, as you noted, they don't have a dividend reinvestment plan in place. Is that still something you'd recommend?

Chuck Carlson: I would. Again, at the end of the day, dividend reinvestment plans are really vehicles by which you buy stock, but just because a company has a dividend reinvestment plan, doesn't necessarily make it a great company or not a great investment.

There are many good companies out there that have DRIPs, but there are also many excellent investments that don't offer the plans, an investor should still consider, and one of those is Visa, which is among the newest members of the Dow.

It does not have a plan, so you would have to Visa through a broker, but nevertheless, it is a favorite of mine among the Dow stocks. It's one of those companies that's often misunderstood by investors, who think it's basically a credit card company.

The reality is, Visa does not issue credit cards, nor does it extend credit, so it's not vulnerable to bad credit from its customers. Visa is really a technology company that takes a piece of every credit and debit payment that runs across its technology network that it processes.

To kind of give you an idea—in the second quarter of this year, the company processed 15 billion transactions, making a smidgeon on each of those 15 billion. They have a very strong competitive position in their group and it's one of those stocks that I just think it going to continue to do well.

Steve Halpern: Well, we really appreciate you joining us today, and it's good to hear an advisor talk about such high-quality blue chip companies. Thank you.

Chuck Carlson: Thank you, Steve.

Subscribe to DRIP Investor here...

The expert featured in this column, Charles Carlson, may or may not own positions in any investment vehicle mentioned here. The views and opinions expressed are his or her own.

10 Best Long Term Stocks To Watch Right Now

No matter what made them enter equity market, most of them were driven by feedback that they got through different sources, regarding potential of equity market to generate quick returns. The influence of peer group behavior in this case was extremely strong. Looking at colleagues in the office who remained glued to online portal, these investors also thought of trying their luck. This was the stage when seeds of greed were sown. The greed, which later on went on to dominate the logic of investment and overwhelmed these investors. Once they had started investing they were also helped by occasional good experiences that these investors had when they got better than anticipated return on some stocks. For a first time investor in equity, the previous benchmark of return was around 8 percent to 9 percent as most of the bank deposits and investment instruments like PPF and NSC provide this kind of return only.

Now the same investor who was used to 8 to 9 percent return suddenly found himself confused as his first investment in equity gave him 6 percent return in just two days because of favourable market condition for a particular stock. However, he got good returns in some other stocks as well which were too good to be true and was based on the randomness rather than any logic or study. What will be the impact of this experience on the mind of the investor? The impact obviously will have two dimensions.  One it will make an investor feel that he is an expert and understands the pulse of the market. After all, his judgment had gone right. So the natural desire to invest more in equity market will increase. Two, this will build a mindset that equity is a route to make quick buck and it is better to be a trader than investor because if good returns can be generated in a short period of time, there is no point in remaining an investor. Who will like to wait for long term when money can be made just like that?  Actually, this is the stage when a gullible investor is most likely to get converted into trader. And practically this is what happens. Investors turn into traders only to curse equity market for the so-called evils that it has.

10 Best Long Term Stocks To Watch Right Now: Informa Group(INF.L)

Informa plc provides knowledge, up-to-the minute information, and specialist skills and services to academics, businesses, and individuals worldwide. It offers online and print publications, including books and journals primarily for academic users in the areas of science, technology, humanities, and social sciences; and organizes exhibitions, trade conferences, seminars, events, and training courses. The company also offers structured databases, subscription-based services, real-time news, research, and business-critical information to various sectors, including IT, telecoms, media, life sciences and healthcare, banking and financial services, maritime, automotive and logistics, agricultural commodities, energy, law, commerce, consumer packaged goods, and retail. Its business also covers sectors, such as utilities, construction, infrastructure, real estate, leisure, general management, and transport and logistics. The company was founded in 1734 and is headquartered in Zu g, Switzerland.

10 Best Long Term Stocks To Watch Right Now: OGE Energy Corporation(OGE)

OGE Energy Corp., together with its subsidiaries, operates as an energy and energy services provider that offers physical delivery and related services for electricity and natural gas primarily in the south central United States. The company is involved in the generation, transmission, distribution, and sale of electric energy in Oklahoma and western Arkansas; and gathering, processing, transporting, storing, and marketing of natural gas. It furnishes retail electric service in 268 communities and their contiguous rural and suburban areas. OGE Energy Corp. operates coal-fired and natural gas-fired units, as well as wind-powered units. As of December 31, 2011, the company owned and operated 12 generating stations with an aggregate capability of 6,790 megawatts; and a transmission system comprising 51 substations and 4,258 structure miles of lines in Oklahoma, and 7 substations and 279 structure miles of lines in Arkansas. Its distribution system consisted of 353 substations , 27,854 structure miles of overhead lines, 1,895 miles of underground conduit, and 10,120 miles of underground conductors in Oklahoma, as well as 37 substations, 2,250 structure miles of overhead lines, 212 miles of underground conduit, and 572 miles of underground conductors in Arkansas. The company also owned approximately 6,019 miles of intrastate natural gas gathering pipelines in Oklahoma and Texas; approximately 2,250 miles of intrastate natural gas transportation pipelines in Oklahoma; and 2 underground natural gas storage facilities and 8 operating natural gas processing plants in Oklahoma. It serves residential, commercial, industrial, oilfield, public authorities, and street light operators. OGE Energy Corp. was founded in 1995 and is based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chuck Carnevale]

  OGE Energy Corp. (OGE): Another Utility with Slightly Higher Growth

  Our second example, OGE Energy Corp., differs from our first only by virtue of the fact that its earnings growth rate since 1998 has averaged over 5% per annum. Nevertheless, we once again discover that the PE ratio of 15 represents a strong proxy for this company�� valuation. During the short time intervals when price deviates from fair value PE of 15, it doesn�� take long for price to move back into alignment with earnings.

• [By Marc Bastow]

  Energy services provider OGE Energy (OGE) raised its annual dividend 7.8% to 90 cents per share, payable on Jan. 30 to shareholders of record as of January 10.
  OGE Dividend Yield: 2.6%

• [By WWW.GURUFOCUS.COM]

  OGE Energy Corp. (OGE) operates as an energy and energy services provider that offers physical delivery and related services for electricity and natural gas primarily in the south central U.S. Dec. 4, the company increased its quarterly dividend 7.8% to $0.225 per share. The dividend is payable Jan. 30, 2014, to shareowners of record Jan. 10, 2014. The yield based on the new payout is 2.7%.

Top 5 Blue Chip Stocks To Own Right Now: Outback Metals Ltd (OUM)

Outback Metals Limited is a company engaged in the exploration for gold and other economic mineral deposits. The Company holds 100% interest in the Wingates Gold Project, which is located approximately 250 kilometers (km) south of Darwin and 120 km east of the Wadeye township. Its Mt Wells poly-metallic project (tin/copper/tungsten/gold) is located approximately 200 km south of Darwin and has both granted mining tenements (MLN 164, 165, 196 to 200, 463, 465 to 467, 658, 672, 679 and MCN 723 and 2631) and, apart from a joint venture with Australasia Gold Limited on exploration license EL22301, ELA 28549 is 100% owned by the Company. The Company also holds 100% interest in the Maranboy and Yeuralba tin field projects, which are located approximately 64 km south east of Katherine. As of June 30, 2011, the Company's wholly owned subsidiaries included Corporate Developments Pty Ltd, Softwood Plantations Pty Ltd and Victory Polymetallic Pty Ltd, among others.

10 Best Long Term Stocks To Watch Right Now: Ivrnet Inc (IVI.V)

Ivrnet Inc., an application service provider, provides eBusiness applications on an outsource basis through the Ivrnet eServices network. The company offers call monitoring and processing applications comprising Call Trak, Call Monitor, Virtual Attendants, and a collection of interactive voice response (IVR) applications; managed services consisting of IT services, email and Web hosting, application services, and spam filtering; and custom application development and hosting services. It also provides reporting and survey automation tools; booking and reservation systems; workflow and business process automation services; connectivity solutions that comprise phone trunks and IVR routing applications; and contact services/call center tools, including automated outbound calling services, digital dialers, customer outbound calling for clients, and voice activated password resets for help desks. In addition, the company offers business communications tools, such as fax to emai l, unified messaging, and email hosting; disaster recovery planning services; and tactical and short term communications systems, which consist of IP based short term solutions for temporary offices, political campaigns, and similar other needs. It develops applications to facilitate automated interaction that are accessible through voice, phone, fax, email, texting, and the Internet in North America. The company serves various industry and business categories, including airline, automotive, business center, call centers, campaigning, communications, community associations, distribution/logistics, energy and resources, financial, geomatic, golf, government, health and safety, industry associations, insurance and claim services, legal, maintenance, management consulting, marketing, medical, property development, real estate, retail, sales, sports and entertainment, staffing and human resources, telecommunications, trade unions, and utilities. Ivrnet Inc. is based in Calgary, Canada.

10 Best Long Term Stocks To Watch Right Now: Panhandle Royalty Company(PHX)

Panhandle Oil and Gas Inc. engages in the acquisition, management, and development of oil and natural gas properties. The company?s mineral and leasehold properties are located primarily in Arkansas, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Texas. As of September 30, 2011, it owned 255,857 net mineral acres; leased 17,480 net acres; held working and royalty interests in 5,107 producing oil and natural gas wells; and operated 48 wells in the process of being drilled. It serves pipeline and marketing companies. Panhandle Oil and Gas Inc. was founded in 1926 and is based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

10 Best Long Term Stocks To Watch Right Now: Mercury General Corporation (MCY)

Mercury General Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in writing personal automobile insurance products. The company also writes homeowners, commercial automobile and property, mechanical breakdown, fire, and umbrella insurance products. Its insurance products cover collision, property damage liability, bodily injury liability, comprehensive, personal injury protection, underinsured and uninsured motorist, and other hazards for automobile policy holders. The company sells its policies through a network of independent agents in California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Texas, Oklahoma, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Nevada, and Michigan. Mercury General Corporation was founded in 1960 and is headquartered in Los Angeles, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Fredrik Arnold]

  Ten Champion dogs that promised the biggest dividend yields into July included firms representing five of nine market sectors. The top stocks were three of five from the financial sector: Universal Health Realty Trust (UHT); Mercury General Corp. (MCY); Old Republic Int'l (ORI). The other two financial firms, HCP Inc., and United Bankshares Inc. (UBSI), placed sixth and eighth.

• [By Chuck Carnevale] their website:

  ��ercury General (NYSE-MCY) is the leading independent broker and agency writer of automobile insurance in California and has been one of the fastest growing automobile insurers in the nation. It is ranked as the third largest private passenger automobile insurer in California, with total assets over $4 billion. Mercury also writes automobile insurance in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia. In addition to automobile insurance, Mercury writes other lines of insurance in various states, including mechanical breakdown and homeowners insurance.��/p>

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  Performance and Dividends Impacted by Operating Stress

  It should be clear from the above graphs that the earnings records of these three Dividend Champions have been far from steady, consistent or reliable. Therefore, I cannot get comfortable either recommending them or investing in them because I cannot get comfortable predicting what their future operating results may be. Furthermore, by examining the performance results associated with the above earnings and price-correlated graphs illustrates a lot of uncertainty. A focus on the earnings growth rate column illustrates a lot of stress on each company�� ability to keep their dividend streaks alive (Blue Circles).

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  The Overvaluation Rejection

  Other reasons besides irregular earnings growth that caused a Dividend Champion to be rejected include one of my all-time favorites, valuation. Or to be more precise ��overvaluation. The following example, McCormick & Co. (MKC), represents one of my favorite Dividend Champions based on a very consistent above-average record of earnings growth that produced its impressive dividend streak. The only reason that this Dividend Champion was rejected was because of current overvaluation.

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10 Best Long Term Stocks To Watch Right Now: SBA Communications Corporation(SBAC)

SBA Communications Corporation owns and operates wireless communications towers primarily in the United States, Canada, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Panama. The company leases antenna space primarily to wireless service providers on towers and other structures that it owns, manages, or leases from others. As of December 31, 2011, it owned 10,524 tower sites. The company also manages or leases approximately 4,800 actual or potential communications sites. In addition, it provides various site development consulting services comprising network pre-design, site audits, identification of potential locations for towers and antennas, support in buying or leasing of the location, and assistance in obtaining zoning approvals and permits, as well as engages in assisting wireless service providers in developing and maintaining wireless service networks. Further, the company offers various site development construction services, including tower and related site c onstruction; antenna installation; and radio equipment installation, commissioning, and maintenance. SBA Communications Corporation was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  We just gave a fresh synopsis of which telecom and wireless players could still be up for M&A in the final round of consolidation. American Tower’s market cap is about $28 billion and shares are up more than 4.5% at $71.75. To show how hard things have been, the 52-week trading range is $67.89 to $85.26. What today’s transaction does is quite simply add value to the rest of the public companies that own and operate cell towers:

  Crown Castle International Corp. (NYSE: CCI) is up almost 2.5% at $70.90, against a 52-week range of $63.16 to $81.16. SBA Communications Corp. (NASDAQ: SBAC) is up about 1.8% at $76.70. against a 52-week range of $59.00 to $82.31.

  American Tower expects that the portfolio addition will generate about $345 million in revenues and approximately $270 million of gross margin in 2014. If you value the deal solely on the 5,400 or so owned U.S. towers, this comes up to about $611,000 per tower before calculating the debt and other rights. Suddenly, SBA Communications Corp. (NASDAQ: SBAC) is vindicated because a deal it made in 2012 was deemed pricey as it paid about $1.45 billion for 3,252 towers from TowerCo, at about $445,000 per tower. Crown Castle also has spent close to $2.4 billion to acquire T-Mobile cell tower rights in late 2012.

10 Best Long Term Stocks To Watch Right Now: W.P. Carey & Co. LLC(WPC)

W. P. Carey & Co. LLC, together with its subsidiaries, provides long-term sale-leaseback and build-to-suit transactions for companies worldwide and manages a global investment portfolio. It invests primarily in commercial properties that are each triple-net leased to single corporate tenants, which requires each tenant to pay substantially all of the costs associated with operating and maintaining the property. The company also operates as an advisor to publicly owned, non-actively traded real estate investment trusts, which are sponsored by it under the Corporate Property Associates brand name, as well as invests in similar properties. As of March 31, 2010, its portfolio comprised full or partial ownership interest in 167 properties that totaled approximately 14 million square feet. W. P. Carey & Co. LLC was founded in 1973 and is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Brad Thomas]

  Finally, here's the report card. Agree has racked up a year-over-year total return of 43.19%. That's not bad, especially when you consider the noise generated by the big boys: Realty Income (O) 32.66%; National Retail Properties (NNN) 47.44%; W.P. Carey (WPC) 57.84%; Spirit Realty (SRC) 35.44%; and American Realty Capital Properties 52.18%.

10 Best Long Term Stocks To Watch Right Now: Jiayuan.com International Ltd.(DATE)

Jiayuan.com International Ltd. operates an online dating platform in the People's Republic of China. The company, through its Website, Jiayuan.com, provides single adults with opportunities to meet, interact, and form a long-term relationship aimed towards marriage. It online dating platform allows users to post their own profiles and pictures and have those profiles and pictures viewed by other users, as well as enables users to browse the profiles and pictures of other users, save their preferences, and send messages to other users. The company also offers a range of value-added services, including purchasing virtual gifts for another user, improving one's search ranking, priority rankings for sent messages, online chatting, and premium display of their pictures and profiles, as well as advanced memberships that allow a user access to enhanced features on the Website, such as seeing the users who have reviewed their user profile, seeing the time of another user's last lo g-in, and more refined profile searches. In addition, it provides certain features of online dating services accessible through mobile browsers, such as sending and reading messages, viewing and modifying profiles, and purchasing certain value-added services. Further, the company offers traditional dating services consisting of hosting and organizing offline events; and VIP services, such as placement of targeted ads on the Website, conducting face-to-face interviews of potential companions, and hosting VIP offline events. Additionally, it sells advertising space on online dating Website. The company was founded in 2003 and is based in Beijing, the People?s Republic of China.

Schwab Adds 16 ETFs to Commission-Free Platform

Charles Schwab (SCHW) said Wednesday that its commission-free platform, OneSource, now includes 16 more ETFs than it did when first launched in February with 105 products.

The 16 new ETFs include five from Guggenheim, five from State Street SPDR and six from Charles Schwab Investment Management and focus on asset allocation, long-term corporate bond, and international asset income ETFs.

“With the most commission-free ETFs and the broadest category coverage in the industry, Schwab ETF OneSource gives investors and advisors unsurpassed choice when it comes to building diversified commission-free ETF portfolios,” said Beth Flynn, vice president of ETF platform management at Charles Schwab, in a press release. “We’re pleased to be adding to the range of funds and asset categories that we can offer commission-free, and continue to believe that this is just the beginning.”

Average flows into the ETFs featured on Schwab ETF OneSource have more than doubled over the past eight months, the company says. In addition, though the ETFs offered on OneSource represent just 8% of the total number of ETFs available through Schwab’s other platforms, they account for nearly half of all positive ETF flows at Schwab since its launch. Plus, more than 50% of ETF flows from RIAs who custody assets at Schwab are now going into OneSource ETFs.

“Costs matter to investors, and the flows we’ve seen since the debut of Schwab ETF OneSource tell us that investors place value on the ability to buy and sell ETFs commission-free without incurring short-term redemption fees,” added Flynn.

According to Schwab's yearly ETF investor study, released earlier this month, the ability to trade ETFs commission-free is most or very important to 45% of investors. Clarity about a fund’s redemption fees or other hidden fees is considered the top cost factor when making ETF buying decisions, with 71% of investors saying it is extremely important.

In August, Schwab began trading six new fundamental index ETFs, which are now included on OneSource.

Earlier this week, Schwab said its third-quarter profits rose 17% from last year and its earnings beat Wall Street estimates. Revenues jumped 15% year over year to nearly $1.4 billion.

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Check out Schwab Q3 Results Surprise Analysts; Citi Fails to Hit Estimates on ThinkAdvisor.

September Consumer Spending Tightens: Gallup

After posting a five-year high in July, consumer spending pulled back in September, according to the latest Gallup self-reporting survey on Americans’ spending habits. The August daily average of $95 fell to $84 in September. The survey asks consumers to say how much they spent, excluding major purchases like houses and cars and routine household bills, and it offers an estimate of discretionary spending.

Gallup noted that September spending typically drops from the August average, but this year’s decline of $11 is considerably larger than usual. In each of the past three years, spending has dropped $3 to $4 in September compared with August.

A spending drop of 9.3% was noted among households with annual income of $90,000 or more. The drop among households with lower annual income was an even larger at 12.1%. According to Gallup, the drop was greatest among households with incomes between $60,000 and $90,000, where August spending of $122 fell to $87, nearly 29%.

As Gallup notes, the spending pullback is connected to Americans’ worries about the overall economy and the then-pending shutdown of the federal government. The longer the shutdown continues, the greater is the chance that October spending will post another sharp decline. Add in the fast-approaching debt limit debate and the situation could turn materially worse.

Because consumer spending accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. gross domestic product (GDP), the country's economic recovery could well stall again as it did in 2011 when Republicans and Democrats did not agree until the eleventh hour on raising the federal debt ceiling.

Source: Gallup

Existing Home Sales Highest Level Since February 2007

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Existing home sales rose to the highest level in six-and-a-half years in August, even as median prices rose nearly 15% year-on-year, defying expectations for a slowdown caused by rising interest rates.

The National Association of Realtors said total existing home sales, which are completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, rose 1.7% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.48 million in August from 5.39 million in July, and are 13.2 % higher than the 4.84 million-unit level in August 2012.

Economists expected sales at the seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.25 million, according to consensus estimates polled by Bloomberg.

Sales are at the highest rate since February 2007 when they hit 5.79 million. Existing home sales have been higher from year-ago levels for 26 straight months. The latest report is the first to fully capture the impact of the interest rate hike that began in May and continued in June. The NAR's existing home sales report is based on closed transactions, which means they are based on contracts signed at least two months earlier. As a result, previous reports did not fully reflect the impact the rate hike as they reflected buyer demand in March and April. So the continuing gains in existing home sales is a surprise. But NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun said the market may be at a "temporary peak". "Rising mortgage interest rates pushed more buyers to close deals, but monthly sales are likely to be uneven in the months ahead from several market frictions," he said. "Tight inventory is limiting choices in many areas, higher mortgage interest rates mean affordability isn't as favorable as it was, and restrictive mortgage lending standards are keeping some otherwise qualified buyers from completing a purchase." Total housing inventory at the end of August increased 0.4 % to 2.25 million existing homes available for sale. But sales still lag demand. At the current sales pace, it would take only 4.9 months to exhaust all supply, compared to 5 months in July. In a balanced market, it would take 6 months normally.

In some areas, supply is still so short that there is overbidding; 17% of all homes sold above the asking price in August, although 63% sold below list price.

The median time on market for all homes was just 43 days in August, little changed from 42 days in July.

The national median price for existing homes was $212,100 in August, up 14.7% from August 2012. This is the strongest year-over-year price gain since October 2005.

Some of the price increases can be explained by the shifting mix of homes. The share of distressed homes -- foreclosures and short sales -- represented just 12% of total sales, down from 23% in August 2012. Still, a number of transactions are paid by cash, reflecting tight mortgage conditions and high demand from investors. All-cash sales comprised 32% of transactions in August, up from 31% in July and 27% in August 2012. Three out of four investors paid cash. First-time homebuyers accounted for about 28% of purchases, down from 31% a year ago. In the coming months, inventory is expected to continue expanding, which would be good news for buyers. However, if interest rates continue to rise, buyers might stay away from the market and prices could moderate. >Contact by Email. Follow @shavenk

Disclosure: TheStreet's editorial policy prohibits staff editors and reporters from holding positions in any individual stocks.

Grading Facebook as a Value Stock

There has been a lot of buzz around Facebook (FB) these past few months with some analysts encouraging you to buy and others cautioning you to sell or stay away. In order to get beneath all the mixed opinions, this article will take Piotroski's approach, looking strictly at Facebook's financials and giving the stock an F-score based on the nine criteria he identified.

Profitability:

There are four criteria used to determine how profitable a company is. Of these four criteria, Facebook satisfies three, making it appear to be a very profitable company. Those criteria are as follows:

Return on Assets (ROA): This figure is essentially the company's net income. In order to meet this criterion in Piotroski's method, the ROA must be a positive number. With an ROA of 0.40, Facebook meets this requirement and receives a 1.
  Cash Flow from Operations (CFO): This tells investors how much the company is earning from its regular business activities (production, sales, etc). It must be a positive number in order to receive a score of 1. Facebook's cash flow from operations was $1,612 meaning it definitely satisfies this requirement and receives a 1.
  Change in ROA: In order for the profitability of a company to be considered sustainable, it must show a steadily increasing return on its assets. To calculate this, we take Facebook's current ROA of 0.40 and subtract the previous year's ROA (15.80). This gives us a difference of -15.40, showing a decrease. Therefore, Facebook does not meet this requirement and receives a 0.
  Accrual: This criterion simply checks to make sure that the company's cash flow from operations is higher than its return on assets. As we can see above, Facebook's CFO of $1,612 is definitely greater than its ROA of 0.40 meaning that it receives a score of 1.

Financial Leverage and Liquidity

Piotroski uses three criteria to determine how stable a company's finances are. These criteria weed out those companies with too many liabilities or other worrisome factors. Facebook satisfies two of the three criteria, telling us that it is relatively financially stable. The three criteria are:

Change in Leverage: Every company is going to have debt and other liabilities. What is important then, is to identify those companies which are able to meet their debt obligations. To do this, Piotroski checks the company's debt to equity ratio over the past few years to make sure that it is decreasing. Facebook's current debt to equity ratio is 0.1215 which is a marked decrease from its previous ratio of 0.1269. Therefore it receives a score of 1.
  Change in Liquidity: This is another sign of a company's ability to meet its debt obligations which shows us that it is a relatively stable and secure company. In order to meet this criterion, the company's current ratio should be higher than it was in the previous year. Facebook's current ratio is 10.71 which is more than double the previous year which was 5.12. So Facebook definitely satisfies this requirement and recieves a 1.
  Equity on Offer: A common sign of distress in a company is when it attempts to offer more and more shares. This could mean that it is unable to generate enough funds from its regular business operations. Therefore, to pass this criterion, a company's outstanding shares should not be higher than in the previous year. Facebook's current shares outstanding are at 2.455 billion whereas last year, they were at 2.166 billion. This represents a slight increase, meaning that Facebook receives a score of 0.

Operating Efficiency

With this final category, Piotroski's method is trying to gauge how well a company is operating. Maintaining high profitabilty and steady growth requires efficient operations. Unfortunately, Facebook does not meet either of the criteria in this section. The two criteria are:

Change in Gross Margin Ratio: This represents a company's profits relative to its costs. The gross margin should be increasing year over year in order to receive a postive score here. Facebook's current gross margin ratio is 73% which is a decrease from the previous year which was 77%. Therefore, it receives a 0. Change in Turnover: High turnovers mean that a company has a strong ability to generate income. Therefore, its turnovers should be increasing year over year to indicate growth. Facebook's turnover of 0.34 is down from the previous year (0.59). In this case, it receives another 0.

Facebook's F-Score

Based on these criteria, Facebook receives an F-Score of 5. This is certainly not as high as it could be. The ideal stocks to purchase have scores of 8 or 9. However, it is not necessarily a cause for concern. It still scored well on many key critieria. This F-Score simply means there will be some increased risk with investing in Facebook as opposed to other higher-scoring stocks.

About the author:Muhammad BazilMuhammad Bazil is a financial journalist and editor for a variety of websites, public policy organizations, and book publishers. He has written hundreds of published articles and blog posts on topics including budgeting, credit management, real estate and investing. His articles have been featured on the homepage of Yahoo!, MSN and numerous local news websites.

Currently 2.00/512345 Rating: 2.0/5 (4 votes)

Subscribe via Email Subscribe RSS Comments FUZZY537 - 17 hours ago

i would like to see the same performance measurements for twitter. i cannot understand what is

driving twitters share price, please explain in your opinion

thank you, fred

Please leave your comment:
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5 Best Internet Stocks To Invest In 2015

This holiday, the only winners in retail may be consumers.

That's because retailers and their online rivals, concerned that a shorter shopping season this year could dent sales, have already become embroiled in a potentially profit-bruising price war to grab what market share is available.

"We've been talking to a lot of companies lately to check if this is just the usual promotional activity or if it's irrational. And things are looking kind of irrational," said Brian Sozzi, CEO of Belus Capital Advisors, a research firm focused on the retail sector.

There are 26 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, compared to 32 last year. That likely prompted Amazon.com, the world's largest Internet retailer, to launch a Black Friday deal blitz earlier than usual this year.

5 Best Internet Stocks To Invest In 2015: Symantec Corporation(SYMC)

Symantec Corporation provides security, storage, and systems management solutions internationally. The company?s Consumer segment delivers Internet security, PC tune-up, and online backup solutions and services to individual users and home offices. Its Security and Compliance segment provides solutions for endpoint security and management, compliance, messaging management, data loss prevention, encryption, and authentication services to large, medium, and small-sized businesses, as well as offers solutions through its software-as-a-service (SaaS) security offerings. This segment?s products enable customers to secure, provision, and remotely manage their laptops, PCs, mobile devices, and servers. The company?s Storage and Server Management segment provides storage and server management, backup, archiving, and data protection solutions across heterogeneous storage and server platforms, as well as solutions delivered through its SaaS offerings to large, medium, and small-s ized businesses. Symantec?s Services segment offers implementation services and solutions, including consulting, business critical services, education, and managed security services. The company also provides various enterprise support offerings, such as annual maintenance support contracts, including content, upgrades, and technical support. It sells its products through its eCommerce platform, as well as through distributors, direct marketers, Internet-based resellers, system builders, ISPs, and retail locations worldwide. Symantec markets and sells its products through distributors, retailers, direct marketers, Internet-based resellers, original equipment manufacturers, system builders, and Internet service providers; and its e-commerce channels, as well as direct sales force, value-added and large account resellers, and system integrators. The company was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Mountain View, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Michael Flannelly]

  Nomura Securities analysts initiated coverage on Symantec Corporation (SYMC) early on Wednesday, giving the stock a “Neutral” rating because its upside is already priced into its current valuation.

  The analysts see shares of SYMC reaching $29, which suggests a 14.6% upside to the stock’s Tuesday closing price of $25.30.

  Nomura Securities analyst Frederick Grieb commented, “In the early innings of a classic turnaround story, but upside largely priced In. We initiate coverage of Symantec (SYMC) with a Neutral rating and a 12-month target price of $29. Symantec is a leading vender in the security and storage markets, but has struggled to grow market share post its 2005 acquisition of VERITAS. The company has faced competitive pressures in its core markets, with ‘freemium’ antivirus software pressuring the consumer business, while the storage business has been challenged by enterprise migration to Windows and Linux from Solaris and UNIX. Despite these headwinds, we are launching coverage of Symantec with a Neutral rating, as we believe management will be able to improve the business by increasing margins (perhaps to +33%) and longer-term organic growth through a combination of simplifying management structures and a better strategy to incentivize the sales force. However, given the stock�� 33% increase YTD, due in part to multiple expansion (P/E up 18% YTD), we believe much of the upside from this turnaround is already baked in. FY14E EPS starts at $1.2; FY15E EPS starts at $2.18.”

  Symantec Corp shares were inactive during pre-market trading on Wednesday. The stock is up 34.43% year-to-date.

• [By Shauna O'Brien]

  On Thursday, Morgan Stanley reported that it has downgraded security and storage management company Symantec Corporation (SYMC).

  Morgan Stanley has cut its rating on SYMC to an “Equal Weight.” Analysts believe that the company lacks near term catalysts.

  Symantec shares were down 55 cents, or 2.18%, during pre-market trading Thursday. The stock is up 34% YTD.

5 Best Internet Stocks To Invest In 2015: Internap Network Services Corporation(INAP)

Internap Network Services Corporation provides information technology (IT) infrastructure services. The company operates through two segments, Data Center Services and IP Services. The Data Center Services segment provides colocation services, which include physical space for hosting customers? IT infrastructure network and other equipment, as well as offers associated services, such as redundant power and network connectivity, environmental controls, and security. This segment also offers managed hosting services that enable its customers to own and manage the software applications and content, as well as provides and maintains the hardware, operating system, collocation, and bandwidth. The IP services segment provides patented performance Internet protocol (IP) service; XIP acceleration-as-a-service solution; and flow control platform, a premise-based intelligent routing hardware product for customers, who run their own multiple network architectures, known as multi-homi ng. In addition, this segment offers content delivery network services that enable its customers to stream and distribute media and content, such as video, audio software, and applications to audiences through points of presence, as well as offers capacity-on-demand services to handle events and unanticipated traffic spikes. Internap Network Services Corporation provides its services and products through 76 IP service points, which include 20 CDN POPs and 1 standalone CDN POP, as well as through 37 data centers across North America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. It serves the entertainment and media, financial services, business services, software, hosting and information technology infrastructure, and telecommunications industries. The company was founded in 1996 and is based in Atlanta, Georgia.

5 Best Value Stocks To Buy Right Now: eBay Inc.(EBAY)

eBay Inc. provides online platforms, services, and tools to help individuals and merchants in online and mobile commerce and payments in the United States and internationally. Its Marketplaces segment operates ecommerce platform eBay.com; vertical shopping sites, such as StubHub, Fashion, Motors, and Half.com; and classifieds Websites, including Den Bl�Avis, BilBasen, Gumtree, Kijiji, LoQUo, Marktplaats.nl, mobile.de, Alamaula, Rent.com, eBay Anuncios, eBay Kleinanzeigen, and eBay Annunci, as well as provides advertising services. The company?s Payments segment offers payment and settlement services for consumers and merchants on and off eBay Websites and other merchant Websites. This segment operates PayPal, which enables individuals and businesses to send and receive payments online and through mobile devices; Bill Me Later that enables the United States merchants to offer, the United States consumers to obtain, credit at the point of sale for ecommerce and mobile tra nsactions; Zong, which allows users with mobile phones to purchase digital goods and have the transactions charged to their phone bill; and BillSAFE that enables customers pay for purchases upon receipt of an invoice. Its GSI segment offers an ecommerce services suite for enterprise clients that operate in general merchandise categories, including apparel, sporting goods, toys and baby, health and beauty, and home; and marketing services comprising full-service digital agency, enterprise email marketing, mobile advertising, affiliate marketing, advertisement retargeting, and in-depth analytics services. The company also offers X.commerce platform that provides software developers access to the company?s applications programming interfaces to develop functionality for various merchants; and Magento Connect, which allows developers to market and sell add-on functionality and solutions to merchants that use a Magento storefront. eBay Inc. was founded in 1995 and is headquarter ed in San Jose, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rex Crum]

  Among other leading tech stocks, gains came from Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) , eBay Inc. (EBAY) , IBM Corp. (IBM) , Netflix Inc. (NFLX) �and Facebook Inc. (FB) .

• [By Damian Illia]

  As promised in a previous article, today I will look into the E-Commerce King: Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) as an option to eBay Inc. (EBAY).

  Growing the Old-Fashioned Way

5 Best Internet Stocks To Invest In 2015: Yahoo! Inc.(YHOO)

Yahoo! Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a digital media company that delivers personalized digital content and experiences through various devices worldwide. It offers online properties and services to users; and a range of marketing services to businesses. The company?s communications and communities offerings include Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! Messenger, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, Flickr, and Connected TV, which provide a range of communication and social services to users and small businesses enabling users to organize into groups and share knowledge, common interests, and photos. Its search products comprise Yahoo! Search and Yahoo! Local, available free to users to navigate the Internet and discover content. The company?s marketplaces offerings and services include Yahoo! Shopping, Yahoo! Travel, Yahoo! Real Estate, Yahoo! Autos, and Yahoo! Small Business, which allow users to research specific topics, products, services, or areas of interest by review ing and exchanging information, obtaining contact details, or considering offers from providers of goods, services, or parties with similar interests. Its media offerings comprise Yahoo! Homepage, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Sports, Yahoo! Finance, My Yahoo!, Yahoo! Toolbar, Yahoo! Entertainment & Lifestyles, Yahoo! Contributor Network, and Yahoo! Pulse, which are designed to engage users with online content and services on the Web. The company also offers marketing services, such as display and search advertising, listing-based services, and commerce-based transactions to advertisers. In addition, it provides software and platform offerings for third-party developers, advertisers, and publishers, such as Yahoo! Developer Network, Yahoo! Open Strategy, Yahoo! Application Platform, Yahoo! Updates, Yahoo! Query Language, and Yahoo! Search BOSS. The company has strategic alliances with Nokia and ABC News, Inc. Yahoo! Inc. was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, Californi a.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Travis Hoium]

  Microsoft also agreed to extend a revenue-per-search guarantee for Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO  ) . This is part of the search partnership the companies formed in 2010, which has not yet challenged the search dominance of Google.�

5 Best Internet Stocks To Invest In 2015: IAC/InterActiveCorp (IACI)

IAC/InterActiveCorp engages in the Internet business in the United States and internationally. The company�s Search segment develops, markets, and distributes various downloadable toolbars; provides search, reference, and content services through its destination search and other Websites, including Ask.com and Dictionary.com; and aggregates and integrates local advertising and content for distribution to publishers on Web and mobile platforms, as well as markets and distributes mobile applications through which it provides search and additional services. Its Match segment offers subscription-based and advertiser-supported online personals services through its Websites comprising Match.com, Chemistry.com, OurTime.com, BlackPeopleMeet.com, and OkCupid.com, as well as through mobile applications and Meetic-branded Websites. The company�s ServiceMagic segment offers Market Match service that matches consumers with service professionals; Exact Match service, which enables con sumers to review service professional profiles and select the service professional that meets their specific needs; and 1800Contractor.com, an online directory of service professionals. This segment also offers Website design and hosting services. Its Media and Other segment operates CollegeHumor.com, an online entertainment Website that targets young males; Vimeo, a Website on which users can upload, share, and view video; and Pronto.com, a comparison search engine. This segment also engages in the creation of video content for various distribution platforms; and operates as an Internet retailer of footwear and related apparel and accessories, as well as focuses on multimedia business. The company was formerly known as InterActiveCorp and changed its name to IAC/InterActiveCorp in July 2004. IAC/InterActiveCorp was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WALLSTCHEATSHEET.COM]

  IAC/InterActiveCorp provides information and entertainment services through its wide portfolio of websites to consumers and companies across the globe. The stock has been moving higher in recent years and seems to be getting ready to test all-time high prices. Over the last four quarters, earnings have been mixed while revenues have been increasing, which has pleased investors. Relative to its peers and sector, IAC/InterActiveCorp has trailed in year-to-date performance. Look for IAC/InterActiveCorp to catch up and OUTPERFORM.

• [By Eric Volkman]

  AP/Jim Mone Is Bitcoin a slam-dunk as the currency of the future? The Sacramento Kings seem to think so. The NBA team recently became the first pro sports franchise to accept Bitcoin as a form of payment. Basketball fans will be able not only to purchase tickets and merchandise online with the digital cryptocurrency, but also to use it to buy souvenirs at the arena come game time. The team is the latest in a growing number of commercial entities finding a slot in their virtual cash registers for Bitcoin. Little by little, momentum is building for a widespread acceptance of the upstart currency. Overstocking The Kings' drive towards the Bitcoin basket comes a week after the big online retailer Overstock.com (OSTK) announced it would start accepting payments in the currency. The move was an instant hit -- the first day the company had the nifty Bitcoin button as an option in its shopping cart, its customers used it to make more than 800 transactions for total sales of around $130,000. Overstock.com was by no means the first online marketplace to accept the currency. Numerous web retailers have been doing so for some time. It's a natural fit, %VIRTUAL-article-sponsoredlinks in a way, since Bitcoin exists solely in the digital realm. Customers booking flights on discount travel operator CheapAir.com, for example, can use Bitcoin to buy their tickets, as can love seekers on dating site OkCupid, owned by IAC/InteractiveCorp (IACI). These digital players are going to have plenty of company. Earlier this month, online games purveyor Zynga (ZNGA) started to dip its toes in the water, announcing that it was testing Bitcoin payments for some of its titles in conjunction with specialist transaction facilitator BitPay. But if Overstock.com didn't get there first, it's still the largest and most prominent e-retailer to take the Bitcoin plunge thus far. This is a big win for the currency and its advocates, and Overstock.com will surely be followed by more well-known comp

5 Best Internet Stocks To Invest In 2015: Google Inc.(GOOG)

Google Inc. maintains an index of Web sites and other online content for users, advertisers, and Google network members and other content providers. It offers AdWords, an auction-based advertising program; AdSense program, which enables Web sites that are part of the Google Network to deliver ads from its AdWords advertisers; Google Display, a display advertising network that comprises the videos, text, images, and other interactive ads; DoubleClick Ad Exchange, a real-time auction marketplace for the trading of display ad space; and YouTube that provides video, interactive, and other ad formats for advertisers. The company also provides Google Mobile that optimizes Google?s applications for mobile devices in browser and downloadable form; and enables advertisers to run search ad campaigns on mobile devices, as well as Google Local that provides local information on the Web; and Google Boost for small businesses to participate in the ads auction. In addition, it offers And roid, an open source mobile software platform; Google Chrome OS, an open source operating system; Google Chrome, a Web browser; Google TV, a platform for the consumers to use the television and the Internet on a single screen; and Google Books platform to discover, search, and consume content from printed books online. Further, the company provides Google Apps, a cloud computing suite of message and collaboration tools, which includes Gmail, Google Docs, Google Calendar, and Google Sites; Google Search Appliance that offers real-time search of business and intranet applications, and public Web sites; Google Site Search, a custom search engine; Google Commerce Search for online retail enterprises; Google Checkout to make online shopping and payments streamlined and secure; Google Maps Application Programming Interface; and Google Earth Enterprise, a firewall software solution for imagery and data visualization. Google Inc. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Mountain View, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Hill]

  Google (NASDAQ: GOOG  ) reported first-quarter profits of $3.9 billion. While making money off of mobile has been a challenge for some time, analyst Ron Gross explains why Google appears to have turned a corner, and the future looks good for monetizing mobile.

• [By Morgan Housel]

  Consider:

  18% of those on the 2010 Forbes list of richest Americans made their wealth from the financial services industry. In 1985 (the earliest I could find data on), the figure was less than 1%. In 2007, the Harvard Crimson�reported�that 47% of the school's seniors were entering finance or consulting. Even after the financial crisis, more than one-third of Princeton's graduating class went to work in the financial services industry. That's four times the industry's share of the overall economy. At Harvard, the figure was 28% as recently as 2008, and 26% at Yale. Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) and Google (NASDAQ: GOOG  ) spent more on patent lawsuits in 2011 than on research and development, according to The New York Times.

  Or take these two recent headlines:

• [By Tim Beyers]

  And that's important, says Tim Beyers of Motley Fool Rule Breakers and Motley Fool Supernova. If serious business users who gravitate to the likes of BlackBerry's (NASDAQ: BBRY  ) handsets eschew Home, then there's little chance of the social network seriously disrupting Google's (NASDAQ: GOOG  ) mobile strategy.

• [By Doug Ehrman]

  Apple� (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) �has faced its share of challenges since the stock hit a record high above $700 per share last fall. Following its dramatic fall from that peak, many have wondered if the stock now represents a value... or a value trap. Particularly with�Google� (NASDAQ: GOOG  ) �continuing to trade near its highs, the comparison between these two tech behemoths is hard to escape.

5 Best Internet Stocks To Invest In 2015: Amazon.com Inc.(AMZN)

Amazon.com, Inc. operates as an online retailer in North America and internationally. It operates retail Web sites, including amazon.com and amazon.ca. The company serves consumers through its retail Web sites and focuses on selection, price, and convenience. It also offers programs that enable sellers to sell their products on its Web sites, and their own branded Web sites. In addition, the company serves developer customers through Amazon Web Services, which provides access to technology infrastructure that developers can use to enable virtually various type of business. Further, it manufactures and sells the Kindle e-reader. Additionally, the company provides fulfillment; miscellaneous marketing and promotional agreements, such as online advertising; and co-branded credit cards. Amazon.com, Inc. was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Seattle, Washington.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By GuruFocus]

  Added: Amazon.com Inc (AMZN)

  Tom Gayner added to his holdings in Amazon.com Inc by 96.36%. His purchase prices were between $248.23 and $281.76, with an estimated average price of $266.4. The impact to his portfolio due to this purchase was 0.05%. His holdings were 10,800 shares as of 06/30/2013.

5 Best Bank Stocks To Invest In Right Now

  Dow 16,000? Who cares! NEW YORK (CNNMoney) Stocks gained more than 1% last week and continue to march to record highs. Some key psychological levels are in sight. But will the market keep climbing? That may depend on more news from the Federal Reserve and how much consumers are spending.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average is closing in on 16,000, while the S&P 500 is inching toward 1,800. The tech-heavy Nasdaq is nearing 4,000, a level not seen since September 2000, just months after the tech market collapsed.

Ongoing stimulus measures from the Federal Reserve have fueled the bull market for the past several years, and investors were encouraged last week by comments from Janet Yellen, President Obama's nominee to be the next Fed chair. Yellen, who may be confirmed by the Senate as soon as this week, told the Senate Banking Committee the Fed will continue to support the economic recovery.

5 Best Bank Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Federal National Mortgage Association Fannie Mae (FNMAT)

Federal National Mortgage Association Fannie Mae is a government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) chartered by the United States Congress to support liquidity and stability in the secondary mortgage market, where mortgage-related assets are purchased and sold. The Company�� activities include providing market liquidity by securitizing mortgage loans originated by lenders in the primary mortgage market into Fannie Mae mortgage-backed securities (Fannie Mae MBS), and purchasing mortgage loans and mortgage-related securities in the secondary market for its mortgage portfolio. Fannie Mae operates in three business segments: Single-Family business, Multifamily Business (formerly Housing and Community Development (HCD)) and Capital Markets group. Its Single-Family Credit Guaranty and Multifamily businesses work with its lender customers to purchase and securitize mortgage loans customers deliver to the Company into Fannie Mae MBS.

The Company obtains funds to support its business activities by issuing a variety of debt securities in the domestic and international capital markets. Fannie Mae acquires funds to purchase mortgage-related assets for its mortgage portfolio by issuing a variety of debt securities in the domestic and international capital markets. It also makes other investments. Fannie Mae conducts its business in the United States residential mortgage market and the global securities market. It conducts business in the United States residential mortgage market and the global securities market. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company��

Single-Family Business

Single-Family business includes mortgage securitizations, mortgage acquisitions, credit risk management and credit loss management. Single-Family business works with the Company�� lender customers to provide funds to the mortgage market by securitizing single-family mortgage loans into Fannie Mae MBS. Its Single-Family business also works with its Capital Markets group to facilitate the purc! hase of single-family mortgage loans for the Company�� mortgage portfolio. Fannie Mae�� Single-Family business prices and manages the credit risk on its single-family guaranty book of business, which consists of single-family mortgage loans underlying Fannie Mae MBS and single-family loans held in its mortgage portfolio. Single-Family business and Capital Markets group securitize and purchase primarily single-family fixed-rate or adjustable-rate, first lien mortgage loans, or mortgage-related securities backed by these types of loans.

The Company securitizes or purchases loans insured by Federal Housing Administration (FHA), loans guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and loans guaranteed by the Rural Development Housing and Community Facilities Program of the Department of Agriculture, manufactured housing loans, reverse mortgage loans, multifamily mortgage loans, subordinate lien mortgage loans and other mortgage-related securities. Its Single-Family business securitizes single-family mortgage loans and issues single-class Fannie Mae MBS. Fannie Mae�� Single-Family business securitizes loans solely in lender swap transactions, in which lenders deliver pools of mortgage loans to the Company, which are placed immediately in a trust, in exchange for Fannie Mae MBS backed by these loans. Generally, the servicing of the mortgage loans held in its mortgage portfolio or that backs its Fannie Mae MBS is performed by mortgage servicers on the Company�� behalf. Lenders who sell single-family mortgage loans to Fannie Mae service these loans for the Company. For loans it owns or guarantees, the lender or servicer must obtain its approval before selling servicing rights to another servicer.

Fannie Mae�� mortgage servicers collect and deliver principal and interest payments, administer escrow accounts, monitor and report delinquencies, perform default prevention activities, evaluate transfers of ownership interests, respond to requests for partial releases of sec! urity, an! d handle proceeds from casualty and condemnation losses. Its mortgage servicers are the primary point of contact for borrowers and perform implementation of its homeownership assistance initiatives, negotiation of workouts of troubled loans, and loss mitigation activities. Mortgage servicers also inspect and preserve properties and process foreclosures and bankruptcies.

Multifamily Mortgage Business

Multifamily business works with the Company�� lender customers to provide funds to the mortgage market by securitizing multifamily mortgage loans into Fannie Mae MBS. Through its Multifamily business, Fannie Mae provides liquidity and support to the United States multifamily housing market principally by purchasing or securitizing loans that finance multifamily rental housing properties. It also provides some limited debt financing for other acquisition, development, construction and rehabilitation activity related to projects that complement this business. Fannie Mae�� Multifamily business also works with its Capital Markets group to facilitate the purchase and securitization of multifamily mortgage loans and securities for Fannie Mae�� portfolio, as well as to facilitate portfolio securitization and resecuritization activities.

The Company�� multifamily guaranty book of business consists of multifamily mortgage loans underlying Fannie Mae MBS and multifamily loans and securities held in Fannie Mae�� mortgage portfolio. Revenues for Fannie Mae�� Multifamily business are derived from a variety of sources, including guaranty fees received as compensation for assuming the credit risk on the mortgage loans underlying multifamily Fannie Mae MBS and on the multifamily mortgage loans held in its portfolio and on other mortgage-related securities; transaction fees associated with the multifamily business, and other bond credit enhancement related fees. As with the servicing of single-family mortgages, multifamily mortgage servicing is performed by the lenders who s! ell the m! ortgages to the Company. Fannie Mae�� Multifamily business is organized and operated as an integrated commercial real estate finance business.

Capital Markets

Capital Markets group's primary business activities include mortgage and other investments, mortgage securitizations, structured mortgage securitizations and other customer services, and interest rate risk management. Capital Markets group manages the Company�� investment activity in mortgage-related assets and other interest-earning, non-mortgage investments. It funds its investments primarily through proceeds the Company receives from the issuance of debt securities in the domestic and international capital markets. Its business activity is focused on making short-term use of its balance sheet rather than long-term investments. Activities Fannie Mae is undertaking to provide liquidity to the mortgage market include whole loan conduit, early funding, real estate mortgage investment conduit (REMICs) and other structured securitizations and dollar roll transactions. Whole loan conduit activities include its purchase of both single-family and multifamily loans principally for the purpose of securitizing them. During the year ended December 31, 2010, it was engaged in dollar roll activity. A dollar roll transaction is a commitment to purchase a mortgage-related security with a concurrent agreement to re-sell a similar security at a later date or vice versa.

Fannie Mae�� Capital Markets group is engaged in issuing both single-class and multi-class Fannie Mae MBS through both portfolio securitizations and structured securitizations involving third party assets. Its Capital Markets group creates single-class and multi-class Fannie Mae MBS from mortgage-related assets held in its mortgage portfolio. Fannie Mae�� Capital Markets group may sell these Fannie Mae MBS into the secondary market or may retain the Fannie Mae MBS in its investment portfolio. The Company�� Capital Markets group creates single-class ! and multi! -class structured Fannie Mae MBS, for its lender customers or securities dealer customers, in exchange for a transaction fee. The Company�� Capital Markets group provides its lender customers and their affiliates with services that include offering to purchase a range of mortgage assets, including non-standard mortgage loan products; segregating customer portfolios to obtain optimal pricing for their mortgage loans, and assisting customers with hedging their mortgage business.

Although the Company�� Capital Markets group�� business activities are focused on short-term financing and investing, revenue from its Capital Markets group is derived primarily from the difference, or spread, between the interests it earns on its mortgage and non-mortgage investments and the interest it incurs on the debt the Company issues to fund these assets. Its Capital Markets revenues are primarily derived from the Company�� mortgage asset portfolio. Capital Markets group funds its investments primarily through the issuance of a variety of debt securities in a range of maturities in the domestic and international capital markets. Investors in the Company�� debt securities include commercial bank portfolios and trust departments, investment fund managers, insurance companies, pension funds, state and local governments, and central banks.

The Company competes with Freddie Mac, FHA and Ginnie Mae.

5 Best Bank Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. (BBVA)

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. (BBVA) is a diversified international financial group, with strengths in the traditional banking businesses of retail banking, asset management, private banking and wholesale banking. The Company also has investments in some of Spain�� companies. During the year ended December 31, 2009, BBVA focused its operations on six major business areas: Spain and Portugal, Wholesale Banking and Asset Management, Mexico, The United States, South America and Corporate Activities. On August 21, 2009, through its subsidiary BBVA Compass, BBVA acquired certain assets of Guaranty from the United States Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the FDIC).

Spain and Portugal

The Spain and Portugal business area focuses on providing banking services and consumer finance to private individuals, enterprises and institutions in Spain and Portugal. The main business units included in the Spain and Portugal area Spanish Retail Network, which manages individual customers, high net-worth individuals (private banking) and small companies and retailers in the Spanish market; Corporate and Business Banking, which manages business with small and medium enterprises (SMEs), large companies, institutions and developers in the Spanish market, and Other units, which includes consumer finance, that manages renting and leasing business, credit to individual and to enterprises for consumer products and Internet banking; European Insurance that manages the insurance business in Spain and Portugal, and BBVA Portugal, that manages the banking business in Portugal. The Spanish Retail Network unit services the financial and non-financial needs of households, professional practices, retailers and small businesses. The Corporate and Business Banking unit offers a range of services and products to SMEs, large companies, institutions and developers with specialized branch networks for each segment.

The Company�� European Insurance unit�� activities are conducted through! various insurance companies that provide direct insurance, reinsurance and insurance brokering services in Spain and Portugal and market products for different types of customers (private individuals, SMEs, retailers, professional service firms and providers and self-employed individuals) through this unit�� branch offices. BBVA Portugal manages its banking business in Portugal.

Wholesale Banking and Asset Management

The Wholesale Banking and Asset Management area focuses on providing services to large international companies and investment banking, capital markets and treasury management services to clients. The business units included in the Wholesale Banking and Asset Management area are Corporate and Investment Banking, which coordinates origination, distribution and management of a complete catalogue of corporate and investment banking products (corporate finance, structured finance, syndicated loans and debt capital markets) and provides global trade finance and global transaction services with coverage of large corporate customers specialized by sector (industry bankers); Global Markets, which handles the origination, structuring, distribution and risk management of market products, which are placed through its trading rooms in Europe, Asia and the Americas; Asset Management, which designs and manages the products that are marketed through its different branch networks including traditional asset management, alternative asset management and Valanza (its private equity unit); Industrial and Other Holdings, which helps to diversify the area�� businesses with the aim of creating medium and long-term value through active management of a portfolio of industrial holdings and other Spanish and international projects, and Asia.

During the year ended December 31, 2009, it launched two products: BBVA Bonos Cash (BBVA Cash Bonds), a money market fund for retail customers, and BBVA Bonos Largo Plazo Gobiernos II (BBVA Long-Term Government Bonds), a public-debt fu! nd. In ad! dition it launched through this unit additional fixed-income long-term funds, including BBVA Bonos Corporativos 2011 and BBVA Bonos 2014, which were sold to HNWI customers.

Mexico

The business units included in the Mexico area are Retail and Corporate banking and Pensions and Insurance. BBVA Bancomer launched six new mortgage products for lending to home buyers in 2009. These products included: loans for home improvements, remodeling or additions to homes and financial discount which provides liquidity to construction companies. In Mexico, it operates its pensions business through Afore Bancomer, its insurance business through Seguros Bancomer, its annuities business through Pensiones Bancomer and its health insurance business through Preventis.

The United States

The business units included in the United States area are BBVA Compass and Other units: BBVA Puerto Rico and Bancomer Transfers Services (BTS). During 2009 this unit marketed and sold several new products, The ClearPoints credit card, Business Build-to-order Checking, Compass for your Cause and Money Market Sweep.

South America

The South America business area includes its banking, insurance and pension businesses in South America. The business units included in the South America business area are Retail and Corporate Banking, which includes banks in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela; Pension businesses, which includes pensions businesses in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru and Dominican Republic, and Insurance businesses, which includes insurance businesses in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic and Venezuela.

Corporate Activities

The Corporate Activities area handles its general management functions. These mainly consist of structural positions for interest rates associated with the euro balance sheet and exchange rates, together with liquidity management and shareholde! rs��fun! ds.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jim Woods]

  If you’re looking for an income-producing dividend stock to fill the void, consider the classic pure plays AT&T (T) and Verizon (VZ).

  Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA)
  

  When it comes to suspending dividends, the Europeans don�� want to be left out. In October, Spain�� biggest financial institution, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA), cut its annual dividend by putting a cap on payouts for 2014 (and going forward) to 40% of profits.

Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Federal National Mortgage Association Fannie Mae (FNMAT.OB)

Federal National Mortgage Association Fannie Mae is a government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) chartered by the United States Congress to support liquidity and stability in the secondary mortgage market, where mortgage-related assets are purchased and sold. The Company�� activities include providing market liquidity by securitizing mortgage loans originated by lenders in the primary mortgage market into Fannie Mae mortgage-backed securities (Fannie Mae MBS), and purchasing mortgage loans and mortgage-related securities in the secondary market for its mortgage portfolio. Fannie Mae operates in three business segments: Single-Family business, Multifamily Business (formerly Housing and Community Development (HCD)) and Capital Markets group. Its Single-Family Credit Guaranty and Multifamily businesses work with its lender customers to purchase and securitize mortgage loans customers deliver to the Company into Fannie Mae MBS.

The Company obtains funds to support its business activities by issuing a variety of debt securities in the domestic and international capital markets. Fannie Mae acquires funds to purchase mortgage-related assets for its mortgage portfolio by issuing a variety of debt securities in the domestic and international capital markets. It also makes other investments. Fannie Mae conducts its business in the United States residential mortgage market and the global securities market. It conducts business in the United States residential mortgage market and the global securities market. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company��

Single-Family Business

Single-Family business includes mortgage securitizations, mortgage acquisitions, credit risk management and credit loss management. Single-Family business works with the Company�� lender customers to provide funds to the mortgage market by securitizing single-family mortgage loans into Fannie Mae MBS. Its Single-Family business a lso works with its Capital Markets group to facilitate the ! p! urchase of single-family mortgage loans for the Company�� mortgage portfolio. Fannie Mae�� Single-Family business prices and manages the credit risk on its single-family guaranty book of business, which consists of single-family mortgage loans underlying Fannie Mae MBS and single-family loans held in its mortgage portfolio. Single-Family business and Capital Markets group securitize and purchase primarily single-family fixed-rate or adjustable-rate, first lien mortgage loans, or mortgage-related securities backed by these types of loans.

The Company securitizes or purchases loans insured by Federal Housing Administration (FHA), loans guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and loans guaranteed by the Rural Development Housing and Community Facilities Program of the Department of Agriculture, manufactured housing loans, reverse mortgage loans, multifamily mortgage loans, subordinate lien mortgage loans and other mortgage-related securities. Its Single-Family business securitizes single-family mortgage loans and issues single-class Fannie Mae MBS. Fannie Mae�� Single-Family business securitizes loans solely in lender swap transactions, in which lenders deliver pools of mortgage loans to the Company, which are placed immediately in a trust, in exchange for Fannie Mae MBS backed by these loans. Generally, the servicing of the mortgage loans held in its mortgage portfolio or that backs its Fannie Mae MBS is performed by mortgage servicers on the Company�� behalf. Lenders who sell single-family mortgage loans to Fannie Mae service these loans for the Company. For loans it owns or guarantees, the lender or servicer must obtain its approval before selling servicing rights to another servicer.

Fannie Mae�� mortgage servicers collect and deliver principal and interest payments, administer escrow accounts, monitor and report delinquencies, perform default prevention activities, evaluate transfers of owner ship interests, respond to requests for partial releases! of ! sec! urity,! and handle proceeds from casualty and condemnation losses. Its mortgage servicers are the primary point of contact for borrowers and perform implementation of its homeownership assistance initiatives, negotiation of workouts of troubled loans, and loss mitigation activities. Mortgage servicers also inspect and preserve properties and process foreclosures and bankruptcies.

Multifamily Mortgage Business

Multifamily business works with the Company�� lender customers to provide funds to the mortgage market by securitizing multifamily mortgage loans into Fannie Mae MBS. Through its Multifamily business, Fannie Mae provides liquidity and support to the United States multifamily housing market principally by purchasing or securitizing loans that finance multifamily rental housing properties. It also provides some limited debt financing for other acquisition, development, construction and rehabilitation activity related to projects that complement this b usiness. Fannie Mae�� Multifamily business also works with its Capital Markets group to facilitate the purchase and securitization of multifamily mortgage loans and securities for Fannie Mae�� portfolio, as well as to facilitate portfolio securitization and resecuritization activities.

The Company�� multifamily guaranty book of business consists of multifamily mortgage loans underlying Fannie Mae MBS and multifamily loans and securities held in Fannie Mae�� mortgage portfolio. Revenues for Fannie Mae�� Multifamily business are derived from a variety of sources, including guaranty fees received as compensation for assuming the credit risk on the mortgage loans underlying multifamily Fannie Mae MBS and on the multifamily mortgage loans held in its portfolio and on other mortgage-related securities; transaction fees associated with the multifamily business, and other bond credit enhancement related fees. As with the servicing of single-family mortgages, m ultifamily mortgage servicing is performed by the l! enders wh! ! o sell th! e mortgages to the Company. Fannie Mae�� Multifamily business is organized and operated as an integrated commercial real estate finance business.

Capital Markets

Capital Markets group's primary business activities include mortgage and other investments, mortgage securitizations, structured mortgage securitizations and other customer services, and interest rate risk management. Capital Markets group manages the Company�� investment activity in mortgage-related assets and other interest-earning, non-mortgage investments. It funds its investments primarily through proceeds the Company receives from the issuance of debt securities in the domestic and international capital markets. Its business activity is focused on making short-term use of its balance sheet rather than long-term investments. Activities Fannie Mae is undertaking to provide liquidity to the mortgage market include whole loan conduit, early funding, real estate mortgage investment con duit (REMICs) and other structured securitizations and dollar roll transactions. Whole loan conduit activities include its purchase of both single-family and multifamily loans principally for the purpose of securitizing them. During the year ended December 31, 2010, it was engaged in dollar roll activity. A dollar roll transaction is a commitment to purchase a mortgage-related security with a concurrent agreement to re-sell a similar security at a later date or vice versa.

Fannie Mae�� Capital Markets group is engaged in issuing both single-class and multi-class Fannie Mae MBS through both portfolio securitizations and structured securitizations involving third party assets. Its Capital Markets group creates single-class and multi-class Fannie Mae MBS from mortgage-related assets held in its mortgage portfolio. Fannie Mae�� Capital Markets group may sell these Fannie Mae MBS into the secondary market or may retain the Fannie Mae MBS in its investment portfol io. The Company�� Capital Markets group cre! ates sing! le-cla! ss and mu! lti-class structured Fannie Mae MBS, for its lender customers or securities dealer customers, in exchange for a transaction fee. The Company�� Capital Markets group provides its lender customers and their affiliates with services that include offering to purchase a range of mortgage assets, including non-standard mortgage loan products; segregating customer portfolios to obtain optimal pricing for their mortgage loans, and assisting customers with hedging their mortgage business.

Although the Company�� Capital Markets group�� business activities are focused on short-term financing and investing, revenue from its Capital Markets group is derived primarily from the difference, or spread, between the interests it earns on its mortgage and non-mortgage investments and the interest it incurs on the debt the Company issues to fund these assets. Its Capital Markets revenues are primarily derived from the Company�� mortgage asset portfolio. Capital Markets group funds its investments primarily through the issuance of a variety of debt securities in a range of maturities in the domestic and international capital markets. Investors in the Company�� debt securities include commercial bank portfolios and trust departments, investment fund managers, insurance companies, pension funds, state and local governments, and central banks.

The Company competes with Freddie Mac, FHA and Ginnie Mae.

5 Best Bank Stocks To Invest In Right Now: KeyCorp (KEY)

KeyCorp is a bank holding company for KeyBank National Association (KeyBank). Through KeyBank and certain other subsidiaries, the Company provides a range of retail and commercial banking, commercial leasing, investment management, consumer finance and investment banking products and services to individual, corporate and institutional clients through two business segments: Key Community Bank and Key Corporate Bank. As of December 31, 2011, these services were provided through KeyBank�� 1,058 full-service retail banking branches in 14 states, additional offices, a telephone banking call center services group and a network of 1,579 automated teller machines (ATMs) in 15 states. On January 17, 2012, the Company opened another national bank subsidiary.

In addition to the banking services of accepting deposits and making loans, the Bank and trust company subsidiaries offer personal and corporate trust services, personal financial services, access to mutual funds, cash management services, investment banking and capital markets products, and international banking services. Through its bank, trust company and investment adviser subsidiaries, the Company provides investment management services to clients that include corporate and public retirement plans, foundations and endowments, individuals and trust funds. The Company provides other financial services - both within and outside of its primary banking markets - through various nonbank subsidiaries. These services include community development financing, securities underwriting and brokerage. It is also an equity participant in a joint venture that provides merchant services to businesses.

Lending Activities

As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� Commercial, Financial and Agricultural loans, also referred to as Commercial and Industrial, represented 39% of its total loan portfolio. As of December 31, 2011, commercial real estate loans represented approximately 19% of its total loan portfolio. These loans include bo! th owner and nonowner-occupied properties and constitute approximately 27% of its commercial loan portfolio. Its commercial real estate lending business is conducted through two primary sources: its 14-state banking franchise, and Real Estate Capital and Corporate Banking Services. The Company conducts financing arrangements through its equipment finance line of business. Commercial lease financing receivables represented 17% of commercial loans at December 31, 2011. The home equity portfolio is the largest segment of its consumer loan portfolio.

Investment Activities

The Company�� securities portfolio totaled $18 billion at December 31, 2011. Available-for-sale securities were $16 billion at December 31, 2011. Held-to-maturity securities were $2.1 billion at December 31, 2011. At December 31, 2011, it had $2.1 billion in collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs) in its held-to-maturity securities portfolio. At December 31, 2011, the Company had $15.9 billion invested in CMOs and other mortgage-backed securities in the available-for-sale portfolio. Federal Agency CMOs constitute most of its held-to-maturity securities along with foreign bonds and preferred equity securities. The investments in equity and mezzanine instruments made by its principal investing unit represented 61% of other investments at December 31, 2011. They include direct investments (investments made in a particular company), as well as indirect investments (investments made through funds that include other investors).

Sources of Funds

Domestic deposits are the Company�� primary source of funding. During the year ended December 31, 2011, these deposits averaged $58.5 billion and represented 80% of the funds it used to support loans and other earning assets. Wholesale funds, consisting of deposits in its foreign office and short-term borrowings, averaged $3.4 billion during 2011. At December 31, 2011, the Company had $4.7 billion in time deposits of $100,000 or more.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  KeyCorp (NYSE: KEY) is estimated to report its Q3 earnings at $0.22 per share on revenue of $1.02 billion.

  St. Jude Medical (NYSE: STJ) is projected to report its Q3 earnings at $0.89 per share oor $1.32 billion.

• [By Amanda Alix]

  Mortgages down, but commercial loans are up
  Like its peer Huntington Bancshares� (NASDAQ: HBAN  ) , New York Community saw a slowdown in residential mortgage refinancing�activity due to higher interest rates. But, like Huntington and KeyCorp (NYSE: KEY  ) , the bank was able to improve in other areas. New York Community enjoyed higher mortgage servicing income�in the second quarter, for example -- an area in which KeyCorp is also expanding, having recently acquired $110 billion in commercial loan servicing rights�from Bank of America (NYSE: BAC  ) earlier this year.

• [By Amanda Alix]

  Large regional banks have been getting in on the act, too. KeyCorp (NYSE: KEY  ) , Huntington Bancshares (NASDAQ: HBAN  ) , and Fifth Third Bancorp (NASDAQ: FITB  ) all boosted their commercial loan portfolios last year between 18% and 20%.

5 Best Bank Stocks To Invest In Right Now: M&T Bank Corporation (MTB)

M&T Bank Corporation operates as the holding company for M&T Bank and M&T Bank, National Association that provide commercial and retail banking services to individuals, corporations and other businesses, and institutions. It offers business loans and leases; business credit cards; deposit products, such as demand, savings, and time accounts; and financial services, including cash management, payroll and direct deposit, merchant credit card, and letters of credit. The company also provides residential real estate loans; multifamily commercial real estate loans; commercial real estate loans; one-to-four family residential mortgage loans; investment and trading securities; short-term and long-term borrowed funds; brokered certificates of deposit and interest rate swap agreements related thereto; and branch deposits. In addition, it offers foreign exchange, as well as asset management services. Further, the company provides consumer loans, and commercial loans and leases; cred it life, and accident and health reinsurance; and securities brokerage, investment advisory, and insurance agency services. As of December 31, 2009, it had 738 banking offices in New York State, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia; a commercial banking office in Ontario, Canada; and an office in George Town, Cayman Islands. The company was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in Buffalo, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Amanda Alix]

  It was a long engagement, but the union between growth-oriented M&T Bank (NYSE: MTB  ) and Hudson City Bancorp (NASDAQ: HCBK  ) looks like it is definitely back on track.

• [By Amanda Alix]

  An ongoing slimming process
  So, when B of A announced a combined reduction of 411 workers in two Legacy units located in Texas, it wasn't a huge surprise. The bank has recently closed a mortgage servicing location in New York state, and both the building lease and a passel of servicing rights were snapped up by M&T Bank (NYSE: MTB  ) , a large northeastern regional anxious to get even bigger and more diverse. Prior to that, Bank of America had laid off more than 50 Legacy unit workers�in California, as well as almost 470 in New Jersey.�

• [By Matt Koppenheffer]

  At�Berkshire Hathaway� (NYSE: BRK-A  ) (NYSE: BRK-B  ) Buffett has a portfolio that's top-heavy with financial-industry exposure, and he's particularly overweight in large-cap banks.�Wells Fargo� (NYSE: WFC  ) is the conglomerate's single largest common-stock holding at close to $20 billion. The company also holds a $2 billion-plus position in�U.S. Bancorp� (NYSE: USB  ) . Combined positions in�Bank of New York Mellon� (NYSE: BK  ) and�M&T Bank� (NYSE: MTB  ) come out to more than $1 billion. Berkshire will also have a large common-stock position in�Goldman Sachs� (NYSE: GS  ) when the companies settle up Berkshire's warrants later this year. Based on today's share price for Goldman, that stake would likely be over $2 billion. Finally, the company has a $5 billion preferred-stock investment in�Bank of America� (NYSE: BAC  ) .

• [By David Hanson]

  After dominating the mortgage business throughout 2012, Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC  ) and JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM  ) both reported lower mortgage banking revenue for the first quarter of 2013. While these megabanks lost ground, smaller rival M&T Bank (NYSE: MTB  ) posted a 66% increase in mortgage banking revenue. Is this a sign of the largest banks losing their competitive advantage?