10 Best Railroad Stocks To Own For 2015

Since 2008, domestic crude oil production has soared. In fact, the U.S. pumped out more oil last year than it has in at least two decades.

Production has grown so rapidly that midstream companies, which are working tirelessly to build out the pipeline infrastructure necessary to support the domestic oil boom, just can't seem to keep up. We're simply pumping out way too much oil.

That's why railroads and other alternative transport methods have become increasingly important in recent years, giving pipelines a run for their money. And if recent developments are any indication, rail-based crude shipments should continue to grow over the next several years.

That's good news for Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, which bought out the nation's largest railroad company more than three years ago. Let's see how that bet might turn out.

Buffett's BNSF optimistic about crude shipments
Buffett's decision to take over Burlington Northern Santa Fe LLC, or BNSF, in 2009 was predicated largely upon his belief that a recovering U.S. economy would boost growth in the highly cyclical rail industry. While the bet has turned out to be a great one so far, its future success will likely be driven by further growth in crude oil shipments.

10 Best Railroad Stocks To Own For 2015: Coach Inc (COH)

Coach, Inc. (Coach), incorporated in June 2000, is a marketer of fine accessories and gifts for women and men. Coach�� product offerings include women�� and men�� bag, accessories, business cases, footwear, wearables, jewelry, sunwear, travel bags, watches and fragrance. The Company operates in two segments: Direct-to-Consumer and Indirect. Accessories include women�� and men�� small leather goods, novelty accessories and women�� and men�� belts. Women�� small leather goods, which coordinate with its handbags, include money pieces, wristlets, and cosmetic cases. Men�� small leather goods consist primarily of wallets and card cases. Novelty accessories include time management and electronic accessories. Key rings and charms are also included in this category. Men�� handbag collections include business cases, computer bags, messenger-style bags and totes. Footwear is distributed through select Coach retail stores, coach.com and about 1,000 United States department stores. Wearables category is comprised of jackets, sweaters, gloves, hats and scarves, including both cold weather and fashion.

The Company�� Jewelry category is comprised of bangle bracelets, necklaces, rings and earrings offered in both sterling silver and non-precious metals. Marchon Eyewear, Inc. (Marchon) is the Coach�� eyewear licensee. Coach sunglasses are sold in Coach retail stores and coach.com, department stores, select sunglass retailers and optical retailers in major markets. The travel collections are comprised of luggage and related accessories, such as travel kits and valet trays. Movado Group, Inc. (Movado) is the Company�� watch licensee, which develops a collection of watches.

Estee Lauder Companies Inc. (Estee Lauder), through its subsidiary, Aramis Inc., is Coach�� fragrance licensee. Fragrance is distributed through Coach retail stores, coach.com and about 4,000 United States department stores and 500 international locations. Coach offers four women�� fragrance col! lections and one men�� fragrance. The women�� fragrance collections include eau de perfume spray, eau de toilette spray, purse spray, body lotion and body splashes.

Direct-to-Consumer Segment

The Direct-to-Consumer segment consists of channels that provide the Company with immediate, controlled access to consumers: Coach-operated stores in North America; Japan; Hong Kong, Macau, and mainland China, Taiwan, Singapore and the Internet. This segment represented approximately 89% of Coach�� total net sales during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012 (fiscal 2012), with North American stores and the Internet, Coach Japan and Coach China contributing approximately 63%, 18% and 6% of total net sales, respectively. Coach stores are located in regional shopping centers and metropolitan areas throughout the United States and Canada. The retail stores carry an assortment of products. Its stores are located in locations, such as New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Toronto.

Coach�� factory stores serve as a means to sell manufactured-for-factory-store product, including factory exclusives, as well as discontinued and irregular inventory outside the retail channel. These stores operate under the Coach Factory name. Coach�� factory store design, visual presentations and customer service levels support. Coach views its Website as a key communications vehicle for the brand to promote traffic in Coach retail stores and department store locations. Its online store provides a showcase environment where consumers can browse through a selected offering of the latest styles and colors.

Coach Japan operates department store shop-in-shop locations and freestanding flagship, retail and factory stores, as well as an e-commerce Website. Flagship stores offer an assortment of Coach products that are located in select shopping districts throughout Japan. Coach China operates department store shop-in-shop locations, as well as freestanding flagship, retail and factory sto! res. Flag! ship stores, which offer an assortment of Coach products, are located in select shopping districts throughout Hong Kong and mainland China. Coach Singapore and Taiwan operate department store shop-in-shop locations as well as freestanding flagship, retail and factory stores. Flagship stores, which offer a range of assortment of Coach products, are located in select shopping districts in Singapore and Taiwan.

The Reed Krakoff brand represents New American luxury primarily for handbags, accessories and ready-to-wear. Reed Krakoff operates department store shop-in-shop locations, freestanding flagship stores, as well as an e-commerce Website at reedkrakoff.com. Flagship stores, which offer an assortment of Reed Krakoff products, are located in select shopping districts in the United States and Japan.

Indirect Segment

The Indirect segment represented approximately 11% of total net sales in fiscal 2012, with United States Wholesale and Coach International representing approximately 6% and 4% of total net sales, respectively. The Indirect segment also includes royalties earned on licensed product. U.S. Wholesale channel offers access to Coach products to consumers who prefer shopping at department stores. Coach products are also available on macys.com, dillards.com, bloomingdales.com, lordandtaylor.com, belk.com, vonmaur.com and nordstrom.com. Coach�� products are sold in approximately 990 wholesale locations in the United States and Canada. Its U.S. wholesale customers are Macy�� (including Bloomingdale��), Dillard��, Nordstrom, Lord & Taylor, Carson�� and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Coach International channel represents sales to international wholesale distributors and authorized retailers. Coach has developed relationships with a select group of distributors who sell Coach products through department stores and freestanding retail locations in over 20 countries. Coach�� network of international distributors serves various markets: South Korea, US & T! erritorie! s, Taiwan, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Japan, Australia, Singapore, UAE, France, China, Macau, Indonesia, Kuwait, Bahamas, Aruba, Vietnam, New Zealand, Bahrain, India and Brazil.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Holly LaFon]

  Over the past 12 months, only two new stocks merited inclusion in the Wedgewood portfolio: Charles Schwab (SCHW) and Coach (COH).

  Their largest holdings as of the end of the second quarter are Apple (AAPL), Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A)(BRK.B), Google (GOOG), Express Scripts (ESRX) and Qualcomm (QCOM).

• [By Caroline Bennett]

  Luxury accessory retailer Coach (NYSE: COH  ) has appointed Stuart Vevers as its new executive creative director,�responsible for leading all creative aspects of the Coach brand, including women�� and men�� design, brand imagery, and store environments, the company announced this week.

• [By Grace L. Williams]

  Luxury handbag and accessories giant Coach (COH) could be headed straight for the discount outlet��r it could get a nice boost from the world of private equity.

  Getty Images

  In a report released on Sept. 15 by Canaccord Genuity, analyst Laura Champine didn�� mince words about the headwinds Coach faces:

  The company is on track to cede more market share in fiscal 2015, and its grip on the top position is as loose as ever in our view.

  Things got substantially worse for Coach�� North American business in fiscal 2014. It generated what we believe is the company�� worst same-store sales performance on record, a decline of 15% on top of flat. Total North American sales declined 11%, versus the combined handbag and leather goods market�� growth of around 9%. Overall, Coach indicated its share of the combined premium North American men�� and women�� market was 23%, down sharply from the 30% position it reported in fiscal 2013.

  Despite that, Champine also notes that Coach might be down but it’s probably not out. ��e are sticking with a cautious Hold rating, driven by Coach�� attractive dividend yield and the potential for some private-equity funds to be put to use here,” she writes.

  Shares of Coach have gained 0.8% to $37.33 at 2:21 p.m. today.

• [By Sean Williams]

  This week, I'll show you why handbag and accessories maker Coach (NYSE: COH  ) could make for a smart play over the long run.

  An ongoing retail fail
  The retail environment over the past five years has been about as consistent as I am when I'm playing cricket while intoxicated. There have been ample reasons for consumers to go out and make purchases, including exceptionally low lending rates, which have greatly reduced the APR percentage consumers pay on their credit cards, and deep discounts from retailers that don't want to sit on unwanted inventory. Conversely, consumer spending habits are still tepid at best because of the expectation for higher taxes and a still slow-growth environment rife with high unemployment rates.

10 Best Railroad Stocks To Own For 2015: REX American Resources Corp (REX)

Rex American Resources Corporation (REX), incorporated in 1984, is a holding company to succeed to the entire ownership of three affiliated corporations, Rex Radio and Television, Inc., Stereo Town, Inc. and Kelly & Cohen Appliances, Inc. As of January 31, 2012, the Company had lease agreements, as landlord, for six owned former retail stores and had 16 vacant former retail properties. The Company also owns one former distribution center that is partially leased, partially occupied by its corporate office personnel and partially vacant. The Company is marketing these vacant properties to lease or sell. As of January 31, 2012, the Company invested in five ethanol production entities, two of which the Company has a majority ownership interest in. These properties include One Earth Energy, LLC, NuGen Energy, LLC, Patriot Renewable Fuels, LLC, Levelland Hockley County Ethanol, LLC, and one group consisting of Big River Resources, LLC-W Burlington, Big River Resources, LLC-Galva and Big River United Energy, LLC. It operates through two business segments: alternative energy and real estate.

On November 1, 2011, the Company acquired an additional 50% equity interest in NuGen Energy, LLC. In December 2011, Big River acquired a 100% interest in an ethanol production facility located in Boyceville, Wisconsin.

Alternative Energy

As of January 31, 2012, all of the entities the Company is invested in are operating except for Levelland Hockley County Ethanol, LLC (Levelland Hockley). As of January 31, 2011, the Company held a 74% interest in One Earth Energy, LLC. The plant has an annual nameplate capacity of 100 million gallons of ethanol and 320,000 tons of dried distillers grains (DDG). The Company owns a 23% interest in Patriot Renewable Fuels, LLC (Patriot). The plant is located in Annawan, Illinois and has a nameplate capacity of 100 million gallons of ethanol and 320,000 tons of DDG per year.

As of January 31, 2012, all of the entities the Company is in! vested in are operating except for Levelland Hockley County Ethanol, LLC (Levelland Hockley). As of January 31, 2011, the Company held a 74% interest in One Earth Energy, LLC. The plant has an annual nameplate capacity of 100 million gallons of ethanol and 320,000 tons of dried distillers grains (DDG). The Company owns a 23% interest in Patriot Renewable Fuels, LLC (Patriot). The plant is located in Annawan, Illinois and has a nameplate capacity of 100 million gallons of ethanol and 320,000 tons of DDG per year.

Levelland Hockley is located in Levelland, Texas. The plant has a nameplate capacity of 40 million gallons of ethanol and 135,000 tons of dried distillers grains (DDG) per year. The plant was shut down in January 2011. On January 31, 2011, the Company sold 814,000 of its membership units to Levelland Hockley, reducing its ownership interest in Levelland Hockley to 49%. As a result, it no longer has a controlling financial interest in Levelland Hockley.

Real Estate Operations

As of January 31, 2011, the Company had lease agreements, as landlord, for all or parts of eight owned former retail stores (88,000 square feet leased and 10,000 square feet vacant). It had 22 owned former retail stores (281,000 square feet) that were vacant as of January 31, 2011. The Company is marketing these vacant properties to lease or sell. In addition, one former distribution center is partially leased (266,000 square feet), partially occupied by its corporate office personnel (10,000 square feet) and partially vacant (190,000 square feet). A typical lease agreement has an initial term of five to twenty years with renewal options. Most of its lessees are responsible for a portion of maintenance, taxes and other executory costs.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tristan R. Brown]

  Three months ago I wrote that the stock performance YTD of independent ethanol producer Pacific Ethanol (PEIX) was an "aberration", especially in light of the performance of its industry peers' shares. The discrepancy between Pacific Ethanol's share price and those of its peers has only grown more pronounced since July (see figure). Green Plains Renewable Energy (GPRE) and REX American Resources (REX) have continued to greatly outperform the S&P 500. Even Biofuel Energy, which fell behind on its interest and debt payments over the summer and is facing a shareholder-ruining liquidation, has seen its share price perform significantly better than Pacific Ethanol's in 2013. The oddest part about the stock's performance over the last three months, however, is that the period has been marked by multiple positive announcements from the company. It late July it reported its first positive EPS in almost two years for Q2 (0.07). Its Q2 EBITDA of $3.8 million was its highest since Q4 2011. Its current ratio is well above its previous lows, its ratio of total assets to total liabilities is increasing, and its total shareholders' equity is at a 3-year high. Despite these improvements, the company's price/book ratio is a mere 0.77.

Top 10 Performing Stocks To Own Right Now: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.(PHG)

Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. engages in the healthcare, consumer lifestyle, and lighting product businesses worldwide. The company offers screening, diagnosis, treatment, monitoring, and health management services in cardio-pulmonary, oncology, and women?s health areas. Its healthcare products and solutions include X-rays, computed tomography, magnetic resonance, nuclear medicine, and ultrasound imaging equipment; and cardiology informatics and diagnostic electrocardiography, radiology information systems, picture archiving and communication systems, patient monitoring and clinical informatics, perinatal care, and therapeutic care systems. The company?s healthcare products and solutions also consist of sleep management and respiratory care, medical alert, remote cardiac, and remote patient management services. In addition, it offers consultancy, site planning and project management, clinical, education, equipment financing, asset management, and equipment mainten ance and repair services. The company?s consumer lifestyle products and solutions comprise mother and childcare, oral healthcare, male grooming, skincare, and beauty products; coffee, floor and garment care, kitchen, water and air, and beverage appliances; and communication and control, audio and multimedia, speech processing, headphones and accessories, and home cinema and video products. Its lighting solutions include lamps, including incandescent, halogens, fluorescent, high-intensity discharge, and LED lamps; consumer luminaires for functional, decorative, lifestyle, and scene-setting applications; professional luminaires for city beautification, and road, sports, shop/hospitality, and industry lighting applications; systems and controls, that include electronic and electromagnetic gears, controls, modules, and drivers; automotive lighting, such as car headlights, car signaling, and interior; and packaged LEDs. The company was founded in 1891 and is headquartered in Ams terdam, the Netherlands.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By MONEYMORNING.COM]

  NXP was created in 2006 as a spin-off from the European conglomerate Koninklijke Philips NV (NYSE ADR: PHG) and went public in August 2010. With a market cap of $17.72 billion, NXP shares are selling for about $70.

• [By Dividend]

  Koninklijke Philips Electronics (PHG) has a market capitalization of $29.40 billion. The company employs 115,281 people, generates revenue of $32.856 billion and has a net income of $630.94 million. Koninklijke Philips Electronics�� earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) amounts to $3,967.23 million. The EBITDA margin is 12.07 percent (the operating margin is 4.16 percent and the net profit margin 1.92 percent).

• [By Rich Smith]

  The Department of Defense awarded Philips (NYSE: PHG  ) Healthcare Informatics an $88.5 million-ceiling value, firm-fixed-price contract for the supply of a digital imaging network-picture archive�system. In so doing, it made progress on a project that's been in the works for 16 years.

• [By Rich Smith]

  Cree investors are crying
  The day has started out bleak for shareholders of LED lighting specialist Cree (NASDAQ: CREE  ) . Investment banker Sterne Agee removed its buy rating from the stock this morning, warning that although it's been successful so far, Cree will be running into "headwinds" soon, as competition from rival Philips (NYSE: PHG  ) and its lighting unit ramps up over the next two quarters.

10 Best Railroad Stocks To Own For 2015: iShares PHLX SOX Semiconductor Sector Index Fund (SOXX)

iShares S&P North American Technology-Semiconductors Index Fund (the Fund), formerly iShares S&P GSTI Semiconductor Index Fund, seeks investment results that correspond to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, as represented by the S&P North American Technology-Semiconductors Index. The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index.

The Index has been developed as an equity benchmark for United States-traded semiconductor stocks. The Index includes companies that are producers of capital equipment or manufacturers of wafers and chips.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  There appears to be light at the end of the tunnel for mid cap fabless semiconductor stock Marvell Technology Group Ltd (NASDAQ: MRVL) despite the fact that the company has lost a patent infringement battle with Carnegie Mellon University that could cost it $1.54 billion, meaning its worth taking a closer look at the stock along with the performance of semiconductor ETF benchmarks like SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (NYSEARCA: XSD), iShares PHLX SOX Semiconductor Sector (NASDAQ: SOXX) and Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3X Shares (NYSEARCA: SOXL).

• [By John Udovich]

  On Thursday after the market closed, mid cap fabless semiconductor stock Marvell Technology Group Ltd (NASDAQ: MRVL) reported earnings and was slipping in after hours trading, meaning its worth taking a closer look at those earnings along with the performance of potential semiconductor benchmarks like the SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (NYSEARCA: XSD), iShares PHLX SOX Semiconductor Sector (NASDAQ: SOXX) and Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3X Shares (NYSEARCA: SOXL). In case you aren�� familiar with the term fabless semiconductor, it�� a�business�model that involves the�outsourcing the manufacturing of silicon wafers.�Most semiconductor companies are actually fabless because of the high cost of building�a facility and manufacturing fab. Therefore, fabless semiconductor companies can�concentrate on the design and marketing of chips while outsourcing the actual production to larger foundry companies.

10 Best Railroad Stocks To Own For 2015: Pure Energy Minerals Ltd (PE)

Pure Energy Minerals Ltd manufactures biological logical products. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matt Jarzemsky var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); popups.forEach]

  A number of recent IPOs have enjoyed healthy demand, such as networking equipment maker Arista Networks Inc., which rose 28% from its June 5 debut through Monday�� close. Oil driller Parsley Energy Inc.(PE) has advanced 34% since it went public on May 22.

• [By Garrett Cook]

  Shares of Parsley Energy (NYSE: PE) were down 10.63 percent to $15.47. Goldman Sachs downgrades Parsley Energy from Neutral to Sell and lowered the price target from $25.00 to $15.50. Parsley Energy is expected to release its Q3 financial and operating results on November 11, 2014.

10 Best Railroad Stocks To Own For 2015: NovaDx Ventures Corp (NDX)

NovaDX Ventures Corp. (Novadx) is a Canada-based mining investment company, engaged in investing in the North American junior resource exploration and mining sector. In January, 2012 a higher capacity auger machine was delivered to the Rosa Mine. During August 2012, the Company sold the small auger and paid off the higher capacity auger machine. On October 16, 2012,the Company announced that it, along with Sandstorm, have entered into a Letter of Intent to acquire certain coal properties and assets located in Campbell and Scott Counties, Tennessee. The Company�� wholly owned subsidiary MCoal Corporation (MCoal) operates the Rosa mine located in Blount Count, Alabama, which produces coal for the metallurgical and activated carbon coal markets. In January 2013, Sandstorm Metals and Energy Ltd together with the Company acquired Mine 12, the Turley Rail Load-Out, and the Smokey Junction Preparation Plant located in Campbell and Scott Counties, Tennessee. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jim Jubak]

  However, in all fairness, shares of Qualcomm have indeed lagged the Nasdaq 100 (NDX) over the past year. But despite that fact, Qualcomm is still currently rated a buy by a large percentage of analysts who continue to follow the stock. As Hendershot points out, perhaps that is because ��ualcomm believes the company can generate double-digit compound average growth for revenues and earnings for, at least, the next five years.��/p>

10 Best Railroad Stocks To Own For 2015: Trovagene Inc (TROV)

TrovaGene, Inc. (TrovaGene), incorporated on April 26, 2002, is a development-stage molecular diagnostic company that focuses on the development and marketing of urine-based nucleic acid tests for patient/disease screening and monitoring. The Company's novel tests predominantly use transrenal DNA (Tr-DNA) and transrenal RNA (Tr-RNA). The Company's technology is used to all transrenal nucleic acids (Tr-NA). The Company�� urine-based test addresses market needs, such as women�� healthcare-fetal medicine-down syndrome, infectious diseases, cancer testing, transplantation, drug development and monitoring of therapeutic outcomes, ultra-sensitive analytical and detection system, technologies for the collection, shipment and storage of urine specimens, and transrenal nucleic acid extraction, and instrumentation/system platform.

On January 18, 2011, the Company entered into an asset purchase agreement pursuant to which the Company acquired a hybridoma able to produce a monoclonal antibody targeting the NPM1 biomarker. On February 8, 2011, the Company entered into a sublicense agreement with MLL Munchner Leukamielabor (MLL). In July, 2011, the Company entered into a sublicense agreement with Fairview Health Services (Fairview) for NPM1 patent rights.

In October 2011, the Company entered into a license agreement pursuant to which the Company licensed the patent rights to a specific gene mutation with respect to chronic lymphoblastic leukemia. On December 12, 2011, the Company entered into a license agreement pursuant to which the Company licensed the patent rights to hairy cell leukemia biomarkers. On February 1, 2012, the Company acquired the clinical laboratory improvement amendments (CLIA) laboratory assets of MultiGEN Diagnostics, Inc. (MultiGEN).

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Daniel Lauchheimer]

  In the past few weeks, I wrote two articles about TrovaGene (TROV) -- one detailing the history of the DNA market generally and the molecular diagnostics -- and TROV's place therein -- market specifically, and the second detailing the company's internal valuation. In this article, I will value TROV on an external, relative basis. Specifically, I will compare TROV to another molecular diagnostics company, Exact Sciences (EXAS), and try to show that while the market seems to have given EXAS a fair shake, it has not done the same for TROV. I will prove this argument by looking at both companies' addressable markets, and their respective progress at bringing the products to market. However, before we take this deep dive into both companies, I will take a moment to review each of the companies' products, so we have a strong background before turning to the deeper analysis.

• [By David Goodboy]

  Fortunately, diagnostic issues may soon be a thing of the past. Several publicly traded companies are currently making great strides in the field of medical diagnostics, and my favorite company right now in that arena is TrovaGene (Nasdaq: TROV).

10 Best Railroad Stocks To Own For 2015: iShares MSCI South Africa ETF (EZA)

iShares MSCI South Africa Index Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of publicly traded securities in the aggregate in the South African market, as measured by the MSCI South Africa Index (the Index). The Index seeks to measure the performance of the South African equity market. The Index is a capitalization-weighted index that aims to capture 85% of the (publicly available) total market capitalization. Component companies are adjusted for available float and must meet objective criteria for inclusion to the Index.

The Index is reviewed quarterly by Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. The Fund�� investment advisor is Barclays Global Fund Advisors.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jeff Reeves]

  For starters, there�� the�iShares MSCI South Africa ETF�(EZA). The fund is down about 11% in the last year, but remember that emerging markets dramatically underperformed across the board in 2013. And if you believe in value investing, this may be a good opportunity to buy.

• [By Charles Sizemore]

  Yet an interesting thing happened. While the news stories have gone from bad to worse, most emerging markets have been quietly enjoying a rally since early February. The iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (EEM) is up about 7%, and the iShares MSCI South Africa ETF (EZA) is up fully 17%.

• [By Jim Powell]

  For long-term investing, we continue to recommend Africa Funds��he iShares South Africa (EZA), the SPDR Mideast & Africa (GAF), and the TRP Africa & Mideast (LX:TRPMEAI).

10 Best Railroad Stocks To Own For 2015: Cleco Corporation (CNL)

Cleco Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in the generation, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity in Louisiana. As of December 31, 2009, it had ownership interest in 3 steam electric generating stations and 1 gas turbine with a combined name plate capacity of 1,359 megawatts, and a combined electric net generating capacity of 1,318 megawatts. The company served approximately 277,000 customers in 107 communities in the central and southeastern Louisiana. It also owns and operates a natural gas-fired merchant power plant, as well as has a 50% interest in another natural gas-fired merchant power plant located in Louisiana. Cleco Corporation was founded in 1934 and is based in Pineville, Louisiana.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Marc Bastow]

  Pineville, Louisiana-based utility holding company CLECO (CNL) raised its quarterly dividend 10.3% to 40 cents per share payable on May 15. No record or ex-dividend date for the payment was released.
  CNL Dividend Yield: 3.13%

• [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 Cleco (NYSE: CNL  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

• [By Garrett Cook]

  Utilities sector was the top gainer in the US market on Thursday. Top gainers in the sector included Cleco (NYSE: CNL), Korea Electric Power (NYSE: KEP), and Regency Energy Partners LP (NYSE: RGP).

• [By Garrett Cook]

  Utilities sector was the top gainer in the US market on Thursday. Top gainers in the sector included Cleco (NYSE: CNL), Korea Electric Power (NYSE: KEP), and Regency Energy Partners LP (NYSE: RGP).

10 Best Railroad Stocks To Own For 2015: Scholastic Corporation(SCHL)

Scholastic Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a children?s publishing, education, and media company primarily in the United States. The company?s Children?s Book Publishing and Distribution segment publishes and distributes children?s books through school-based book clubs and book fairs, ecommerce, and the trade channel in the United States. Its Educational Publishing segment publishes and distributes educational technology products and services, curriculum materials, children?s books and collections, classroom magazines, and print and online reference and non-fiction products for grades pre-K to 12 to schools and libraries in the United States. The company?s Media, Licensing, and Advertising segment creates and produces programming and digital content for various platforms, including television, DVDs, audio, movies, interactive games, applications, and Websites. This segment produces and sells a television library consisting of approximately 50 0 half-hour productions; produces television programming, including the animated series; creates audiovisual adaptations of classic children?s picture books; produces young adult and children?s audio recordings; and creates original and licensed consumer software, including handheld and console products with accessories and mobile applications for grades pre-K to 8. This segment also develops sponsored educational materials and supplementary classroom programs in partnership with government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and business organizations; and operates a direct-to-home catalog business specializing in children?s toys. Its International segment publishes and distributes products and services in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, India, China, Singapore, and other parts of Asia, as well as includes its export and foreign rights businesses. Scholastic Corporation was founded in 1920 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Mark Lin]

  What implications does this have for Amazon and peers such as Barnes & Noble (NYSE: BKS  ) and Scholastic Corporation (NASDAQ: SCHL  ) ?

• [By Sue Chang]

  Scholastic Corp. (SCHL) �is forecast to report a loss of 37 cents a share in the fiscal third quarter.

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Teradyne will replace Scholastic Corp. (NASDAQ: SCHL) in the S&P MidCap 400, and Scholastic will replace Lincoln Education Services Corp. (NASDAQ: LINC) in the S&P SmallCap 600. Lincoln Education Services currently ranks 600th in the S&P SmallCap 600 and is no longer representative of the small cap market space.

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Another potential earnings short-squeeze trade idea is children'�s publishing, education, and media company Scholastic (SCHL), which is set to release its numbers on Thursday before the market open. Wall Street analysts, on average, expect Scholastic to report revenue $299.70 million on a loss of 68 cents per share.

  The current short interest as a percentage of the float for Scholastic is very high at 13.3%. That means that out of the 27.7 million shares in the tradable float, 3.41 million shares are sold short by the bears. The bears have also been increasing their bets from the last reporting period by 12.9%, or by about 388,000 shares. If the bears get caught pressing their bets into a strong quarter, then shares of SCHL could rip sharply higher post-earnings as the bears rush to cover some of their short bets.

  From a technical perspective, SCHL is currently trending above its 200-day moving average and just below its 50-day moving average, which is neutral trendwise. This stock has been trending sideways for the last two months, with shares moving between $28.68 on the downside and $31.44 on the upside. Any high-volume move above the upper-end of its recent range could trigger a near-term breakout trade for shares of SCHL post-earnings.

  If you're in the bull camp on SCHL, then I would wait until after its report and look for long-biased trades if this manages to break out above its 50-day moving average at $30.43 a share and then once it takes out more resistance at $31.44 a share high volume. Look for volume on that move that hits near or above its three-month average action of 170,081 shares. If that breakout hits, then SCHL will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $33 to its 52-week high at $34.55 a share. Any high-volume move above those levels will then give SCHL a chance to tag $40 a share.

  I would simply avoid SCHL or look for short-biased trades if after earnings it fail