Top Up And Coming Companies To Watch In Right Now

There’s more to an investor’s total economic worth than stock and bonds, according to a new paper by two Morningstar researchers.

“Other assets, such as human capital, real estate and pensions, often represent a significant portion of an investor’s total wealth, but are not frequently considered when building portfolios despite the fact that they share common risks with financial assets,” David Blanchett, head of retirement research, said in a statement.

Blanchett and Philip Straehl, senior research consultant and portfolio manager, coauthored the study, which shows that industry-specific human capital, region-specific housing wealth and pensions have statistically significant exposures to certain asset classes and risk factors.

Investors should consider these factors when building portfolios, the authors assert. This would, of course, also apply to their financial advisors.

Through a series of optimizations, the researchers compared the asset allocation differences between portfolios that were optimized only for financial assets versus ones that considered total wealth.

Top 5 Regional Bank Stocks To Buy Right Now: Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings Inc (CCO)

Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc., incorporated in August 1995, provides clients with advertising opportunities through billboards, street furniture displays, transit displays and other out-of-home advertising displays, such as wallscapes, spectaculars, neons and mall displays, which it owns or operates in global markets. As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned or operated more than 750,000 advertising displays globally. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company operated in two business segments: Americas outdoor advertising (Americas) and International outdoor advertising (International), which represented 44% and 56% of its revenue, respectively.

Americas Outdoor Advertising

The Company is an outdoor advertising company in the Americas, which includes the United States, Canada and Latin America. As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned or operated approximately 125,000 display structures in its Americas segment with operations in 48 markets in the United States. Its Americas assets consist of billboards, street furniture and transit displays, airport displays, mall displays, and wallscapes and other spectaculars, which it owns or operates under lease management agreements.

Americas revenue is derived from the sale of advertising copy placed on its digital displays and its traditional displays. Its display inventory consists of billboards, street furniture displays and transit displays. During 2011, billboards consisted approximately 66% of its display revenues. Its Americas segment generates revenues from local, regional and national sales. Its billboard inventory includes bulletins and posters. Digital bulletins display static messages, which resemble standard printed bulletins when viewed, but also allow advertisers to change messages throughout the course of a day. Our electronic displays are linked through centralized computer systems to instantaneously and simultaneously change advertising copy as needed.

The Company�� ! street furniture displays include advertising surfaces on bus shelters, information kiosks, freestanding units and other public structures, are available in both traditional and digital formats, and are located in metropolitan areas and along commuting routes. The Company owns the street furniture structures and are responsible for their construction and maintenance. Its transit displays are advertising surfaces on various types of vehicles or within transit systems, including on the interior and exterior sides of buses, trains, trams, and within the common areas of rail stations and airports, and are available in both traditional and digital formats. The balance of its display inventory consists of spectaculars, wallscapes and mall displays. Spectaculars are customized display structures, which often incorporate video, multidimensional lettering and figures, mechanical devices and moving parts and other embellishments to create special effects. Its spectaculars are located in Times Square in New York City, Dundas Square and the Gardiner Expressway in Toronto, Fashion Show Mall in Las Vegas, Miracle Mile Shops in Las Vegas and across from the Target Center in Minneapolis.

As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned or operated approximately 125,000 display structures in its Americas segment with operations in 48 markets in the United States. Its displays are located on owned land, leased land or land, for which it have acquired permanent easements. The Company owns the physical structures on which its clients��advertising copy is displayed.

The Company competes with CBS and Lamar Advertising Company.

International Outdoor Advertising

The Company�� International segment includes its operations in Asia, Australia and Europe. As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned or operated more than 630,000 displays across 30 countries. Its International assets consist of street furniture and transit displays, billboards, mall displays, Smartbike schemes, walls! capes and! other spectaculars, which it owns or operates under lease agreements.

International revenue is derived from the sale of traditional advertising copy placed on its display inventory and electronic displays which are part of its network of digital displays. Its International display inventory consists of street furniture displays, billboards, transit displays and other out-of-home advertising displays, such as neon displays. Its International segment generates revenues globally from local, regional and national sales. Its International street furniture displays, available in traditional and digital formats, include bus shelters, freestanding units, various types of kiosks, benches and other public structures. Its International street furniture is sold to clients as network packages of multiple street furniture displays, with contract terms ranging from one to two weeks. Client contracts are also available with terms of up to one year.

The Company�� International billboards are sold to clients as network packages with contract terms ranging from one to two weeks. Long-term client contracts are also available and typically have terms of up to one year. It leases its billboard sites from private landowners. Billboards include posters and its neon displays, and are available in traditional and digital formats. Defi Group SAS, its International neon subsidiary, is a global provider of neon signs with approximately 296 displays in 16 countries globally.

The Company�� client contracts for transit displays, either traditional or digital, have terms ranging from one week to one year, or longer. The balance of its revenue from its International segment consists of advertising revenue from mall displays, other small displays and non-advertising revenue from sales of street furniture equipment, cleaning and maintenance services and production revenue. Its contracts with mall operators have terms ranging from 5 to 10 years and client contracts for mall displays generally ha! ve terms ! ranging from one to two weeks. Its International inventory includes other small displays, which are counted as separate displays. It also has a Smartbike bicycle rental program, which provides bicycles for rent to the general public in several municipalities. In exchange for providing the bike rental program, it derives revenue from advertising rights to the bikes, bike stations, additional street furniture displays, or fees from the local municipalities. It sells equipment or provides cleaning and maintenance services as part of a billboard or street furniture contract with a municipality. As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned or operated more than 630,000 displays in its International segment, with operations across 30 countries. Its International display count includes display faces, which may include multiple faces on a single structure.

The Company competes with JCDecaux and CBS.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul Hodgson]

  Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings (NYSE: CCO  ) has just renewed CEO Robert Pittman's employment agreement. And that in itself is a little odd. The company's share price has shown no real net gain at all since his appointment in October 2011, but perhaps it's early days.

• [By Seth Jayson]

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

Top Up And Coming Companies To Watch In Right Now: Mobile Mini Inc.(MINI)

Mobile Mini, Inc. provides portable storage solutions in North America, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. It offers a range of portable storage products in varying lengths and widths with various features, such as its patented locking systems, premium doors, and electrical wiring and shelving. The company?s products include remanufactured and modified steel storage containers, steel security office/storage combination and security office units, wood mobile office units, and steel records storage containers, as well as non-core storage units consisting of van trailers and other manufactured storage products. Mobile Mini also provides its products on lease basis to its customers. Its customers use its products for a range of storage applications, including retail and manufacturing supplies, inventory and maintenance supplies, temporary offices, construction materials and equipment, documents and records, and household goods. The company serves large and small retaile rs, construction companies, medical centers, schools, utilities, manufacturers and distributors, the United States and the United Kingdom military, government agencies, hotels, restaurants, entertainment complexes, and households. As of December 31, 2011, it operated a lease fleet of approximately 237,600 portable storage units through 109 branches in the United States, 4 branches in Canada, 19 branches in the United Kingdom, and 1 branch in the Netherlands. The company was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Tempe, Arizona.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Brian Pacampara]

  What: Shares of portable storage specialist Mobile Mini (NASDAQ: MINI  ) climbed 10% today after its quarterly results topped Wall Street expectations.

Top Up And Coming Companies To Watch In Right Now: Hanger Orthopedic Group Inc.(HGR)

Hanger Orthopedic Group, Inc. engages in the ownership and operation of orthotic and prosthetic (O&P) patient care centers in the United States. The company provides orthotic and prosthetic patient care services. Its orthotics business include the design, fabrication, fitting, and maintenance of a range of standard and custom-made braces and other devices that provide external support to patients suffering from musculoskeletal disorders, such as ailments of the back, extremities or joints, and injuries from sports or other activities. The company?s prosthetics business comprise designing, fabricating, fitting, and maintaining custom-made artificial limbs for patients, who are without limbs as a result of traumatic injuries, vascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, or congenital disorders. It also distributes branded and private label O&P devices, as well as develops programs to manage various aspects of O&P patient care for insurance companies. In addition, the company manufac tures and distributes therapeutic footwear for diabetic patients in the podiatric market, as well as develops and provides specialized rehabilitation technologies and integrated clinical programs to rehabilitation providers. As of June 30, 2011, it operated approximately 675 patient-care centers in 45 states and the District of Columbia. The company, formerly known as Sequel Corporation, was founded in 1861 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  Alamy There are plenty of stocks going up -- and down -- in any given week. The gainers inspire us to keep investing. The decliners keep greed in check while reminding us about the risks of the equity markets. Let's go over some of last week's best and worst performers. Pike (PIKE) -- Up 49 percent last week The market's biggest winner of last week was Pike, a specialty construction and engineering firm that received a bid to be taken private. J. Eric Pike -- the firm's chairman and CEO -- is teaming up with private equity firm Court Square Capital Partners to buy out shareholders at $12 a share. It's a fair premium, pricing the buyout at a better than 50 percent premium to where the stock was trading when it was announced. A few attorneys are trying to smoke out investors who feel that the CEO-led privatization push isn't fair, but it's likely to stick at that kind of healthy markup. Pike shares may have traded in the low teens last summer, but that was before revenue and earnings began heading the wrong way. Most shareholders should be more than happy to take the money and run. RadNet (RDNT) -- Up 34 percent last week Operating a network of 251 facilities that perform outpatient diagnostic imaging services is looking good for RadNet. The stock moved sharply higher after a strong quarterly report. Revenue inched slighting higher as MRI and CT scan volume increased modestly during the period. However, the real star in the report was RadNet's bottom line. Its cost-cutting and debt-slashing efforts paid off with net income soaring to $0.12 a share after clocking in at a $0.07 a share a year earlier. Analysts were only holding out for $0.05 a share. RadNet also helped improve its standing by boosting its guidance for all of 2014. You don't need any of RadNet's fancy imaging equipment to see that that's a healthy sign. Trex (TREX) -- Up 25 percent last week It was a good week for a pair of home improvement specialists. Shares of CaesarStone (CSTE) moved 20

Top Up And Coming Companies To Watch In Right Now: Altair Nanotechnologies Inc.(ALTI)

Altair Nanotechnologies Inc. develops, manufactures, and sells nano-structured lithium titanate spinel, battery cells, battery packs, and multi-megawatt battery systems, as well as provides related design, installation, and test services in the United States and internationally. The company also provides contract research services to develop intellectual property and/or new products and technology. It markets its energy storage solutions to power companies and electric grid operators; and batteries to electric and hybrid-electric bus manufacturers, and other industrial markets. The company was formerly known as Altair International Inc. and changed its name to Altair Nanotechnologies Inc. in July 2002. Altair Nanotechnologies Inc. was founded in 1973 and is headquartered in Reno, Nevada. Altair Nanotechnologies, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Canon Investment Holdings Limited.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Bryan Murphy]

  Anybody who was lucky enough to be in an Altair Nanotechnologies Inc. (NASDAQ:ALTI) position anytime before October 11th, then congratulations - you're now up anywhere between 38% and 157%, depending on when you stepped in. Now get out. Instead, use that capital to step into an Amarin Corporation plc (NASDAQ:AMRN) position, which took a 20% hit on Friday. The rally from ALTI looks like it's ready to unravel, while the implosion from AMRN looks ripe for a reversal too.

Top Up And Coming Companies To Watch In Right Now: Weingarten Realty Investors(WRI)

Weingarten Realty Investors operates as a real estate investment trust (REIT). The company engages in the management, acquisition, and development of real estate. It operates in two segments, Shopping Center and Industrial. The Shopping Center segment engages in the acquisition, development, and management of real estate, primarily anchored neighborhood and community shopping centers located in Texas, California, Louisiana, Arizona, Nevada, Arkansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Kansas, Colorado, Missouri, Illinois, Florida, North Carolina, Mississippi, Georgia, Utah, Kentucky, and Maine. Its customer base includes supermarkets, discount retailers, drugstores, and other retailers. The Industrial segment engages in the acquisition, development, and management of bulk warehouses and office/service centers. Its properties are located in Texas, Nevada, Georgia, Florida, California, and Tennessee. As of June 30, 2005, Weingarten Realty Investors owned or operated under long -term leases, directly or through its interest in joint ventures or partnerships, a total of 350 developed properties and 3 properties that are in various stages of development. Its properties include 294 shopping centers and 59 industrial properties. Weingarten Realty Investors qualifies as a REIT for federal income tax purposes. As a REIT, it would not be taxed on the portion of its income, which is distributed to shareholders, provided it distributes at least 90% of its taxable income. The company was founded in 1948 and is based in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Marc Bastow]

  Shopping center real estate investment trust (REIT) Weingarten Realty (WRI) raised its quarterly dividend 6.6% to 32.5 cents per share, payable March 14 to shareholders of record as of March 6.
  WGI Dividend Yield: 4.32%

Top Up And Coming Companies To Watch In Right Now: Helvetia Holding AG (HELN)

Helvetia Holding AG is a Switzerland-based holding company of the Helvetia Group, an internationally active, all-lines insurance service group. The Company divides its activities into country markets Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Spain and Other insurance units, which include Austria, France and the global reinsurance business, as well as the Corporate segment, which includes all the Helvetia Group activities, as well as financing companies and the Company. Helvetia Holding AG classifies its activities as life business, non-life business and other activities. The life business offers life insurance, pension plans and annuities, among others. The non-life business includes property, motor vehicle, liability and transport policies, as well as health and accidental insurance coverage. The reinsurance business, among others, is included in Other activities business. The Company operates through its branch offices and subsidiaries. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tom Stoukas]

  Helvetia Holding AG (HELN) added 3.3 percent to 412 Swiss francs. Switzerland�� fourth-biggest insurer said first-half profit rose because of increased life-insurance sales and an acquisition in France. Net income climbed to 179.5 million Swiss francs ($192 million) in the six months through June, beating the average analyst estimate of 164.4 million francs.

Top Up And Coming Companies To Watch In Right Now: Cabot Corp (CBT)

Cabot Corporation (Cabot), incorporated in 1960, is a global specialty chemicals and performance materials company. The Company�� principal products are rubber and specialty grade carbon blacks, fumed metal oxides, inkjet colorants, aerogels and cesium formate drilling fluids. Cabot and its affiliates have manufacturing facilities and operations in the United States and approximately 20 other countries. The Company operates in four business segments: the Core Segment, the Performance Segment, the New Business Segment and the Specialty Fluids Segment. It is organized into three geographic regions: The Americas; Europe, Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific. On January 23, 2012, the Company sold its Supermetals Business to Global Advanced Metals Pty Ltd. On August 1, 2012, it acquired Norit.

Core Segment

Carbon black is a form of elemental carbon that is manufactured in a highly controlled process to produce particles and aggregates of varied structure and surface chemistry, resulting in many different performance characteristics for a variety of applications. Its rubber blacks products are used in tires and industrial products. The Company owns, or has a controlling interest in, and operates plants that produce rubber blacks in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, the Czech Republic, France, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, The Netherlands and the United States.

Performance Segment

The Performance Segment consists of two product lines: specialty grades of carbon black and thermoplastic concentrates; and fumed silica, fumed alumina and dispersions thereof. In each product line, it designs, manufactures and sells materials that deliver performance in a range of customer applications across the automotive, construction and infrastructure, and electronics and consumer products sectors. In addition, Cabot manufactures and sources thermoplastic concentrates and compounds that are marketed to the plastics industry. The Company owns, or has a ! controlling interest in, and operates plants that produce specialty grades of carbon black in China, The Netherlands and the United States. Its products are produced in facilities that it owns, or has a controlling interest in, located in Belgium, China and the United Arab Emirates. The Company also owns, or has a controlling interest in, manufacturing plants that produce fumed metal oxides in the United States, China, the United Kingdom and Germany. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2011 (fiscal 2011), it closed its masterbatch manufacturing facility in Grigno, Italy.

New Business Segment

The Company�� New Business Segment consists of the Inkjet Colorants, Aerogel, Cabot Superior MicroPowders and Cabot Elastomer Composites Businesses. During fiscal 2011, its Cabot Elastomer Composites Business became part of its New Business Segment. The Company produces and sells aqueous inkjet colorants primarily to the inkjet printing market. Its inkjet colorants are produced for various inkjet printing applications, including small office and home office, corporate office, and commercial and industrial printing, as well as for other applications. Its inkjet colorants are manufactured at its facility in Haverhill, Massachusetts.

Cabot�� aerogel is a hydrophobic, silica-based particle with a high surface area that is used in a variety of thermal insulation and specialty chemical applications. In the construction industry, the product is used in insulative composite building products and translucent skylight, window, wall and roof systems for insulating eco-daylighting applications. In the oil and gas industry, aerogel is used to insulate subsea pipelines. In the specialty chemicals industry, the product is used to provide matte finishing, insulating and thickening properties for use in a variety of applications. It manufactures its aerogel products at its facility in Frankfurt, Germany.

The Company manufactures its aerogel products at its facility in F! rankfurt,! Germany. Finished products for use in the oil and gas industry are fabricated at a facility in Billerica, Massachusetts. The principal area of commercial focus for Cabot Superior MicroPowders Business (CSMP) is in developing covert taggants for a range of anti-counterfeiting security applications. Development and manufacturing activities are conducted primarily at its facilities in Albuquerque, New Mexico and Mountain View, California. In addition to the carbon black the Company makes using conventional carbon black manufacturing methods, it has developed elastomer composite products that are compounds of natural latex rubber and carbon black made by a liquid phase process. Its Cabot Elastomer Composites Business (CEC) products are targeted for tire, defense, mining, automotive and aerospace applications. It manufactures CEC products at its facility in Port Dickson, Malaysia.

Specialty Fluids Segment

The Company�� Specialty Fluids Segment produces and markets cesium formate as a drilling and completion fluid for use primarily in high pressure and high temperature oil and gas well construction. It has a mine and a cesium formate manufacturing facility in Manitoba, Canada, as well as fluid blending and reclamation facilities in Aberdeen, Scotland and in Bergen and Kristiansund, Norway.

The Company competes with Aspen Aerogel, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Cabot (NYSE: CBT  ) has elected not to shift its dividend policy for the time being. The company declared its latest common stock distribution, which is to be $0.20 per share paid on September 13 to shareholders of record as of August 30.�That amount matches each of the firm's previous five distributions, the most recent of which was handed out in the middle of last month. Prior to that, Cabot paid $0.18 per share.

• [By Victor Selva]

  The company has a current ratio of 17.8% which is higher than the industry mean of 6.55%. Also, it's higher than the one registered by Akzo Nobel NV (AKZOY), Cabot Corporation (CBT) and Olin Corporation (OLN). For investors looking for a higher ROE, PPG Industries Inc. (PPG) could be the option.