Top 5 Healthcare Technology Stocks To Own For 2015

LONDON -- The FTSE 100 (FTSEINDICES: ^FTSE  ) is tentatively creeping back up a little today after managing a rise of just 22 points yesterday. By 7:45 a.m. EDT today it has put on a further 48 points, or 0.76%, to reach 6,378. Movements are pretty erratic across the index, with no notable sector-led changes so far today, and the markets still seem to be uncertain ahead of firmer pronouncements from the U.S. Federal Reserve.

The FTSE itself might not be too exciting today, but there is plenty of drama affecting individual companies. Here are three constituents of the indexes that are falling behind.

SDL
The big fall this morning is a 32% drop in the price of SDL after the customer-management software firm issued a profit warning. We were told that "performance for the first half of 2013 has remained below management expectations, and as a result, the Board has lowered its outlook for the current financial year."

City analysts were forecasting pre-tax profit of about 拢30 million for the year to December, but SDL now says profit before tax and amortization is likely to be in the 拢15 million to 拢20 million range -- from a figure of 拢35.5 million for last year. Poor investment in sales and marketing in previous years is being blamed for the shortfall, and the firm is actively rectifying that.

Top 5 Gold Stocks For 2016: Cadiz Inc.(CDZI)

Cadiz Inc. engages in the acquisition and development of land and water resources in the United States. It focuses on water resource, agricultural, and solar energy development operations. The company owns approximately 35,000 acres of land in the Cadiz and Fenner valleys of eastern San Bernardino County; and approximately 10,800 additional acres in the eastern Mojave Desert, including the Piute and Danby Lake properties. It also engages in the cultivation of lemons, grapes/raisins, and spring and fall plantings of vegetables. Cadiz Inc. was founded in 1983 and is based in Los Angeles, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James E. Brumley]

  At first glance, today's action from Cadiz Inc. (NASDAQ:CDZI) just looks like a little bad luck, or a well-deserved break following a very strong, uninterrupted runup. The longer one looks at CDZI, however, the more red flags start to wave... red flags suggesting a substantial pullback may have just begun.

Top 5 Healthcare Technology Stocks To Own For 2015: First Cash Financial Services Inc (FCFS)

First Cash Financial Services, Inc., incorporated on April 24, 1994, is an operator of retail-based pawn and consumer finance stores in the United States and Mexico. As of February 18, 2013 , the Company had approximately 829 locations twelve states in United States and 24 states in Mexico. The Company's primary business is the operation of pawn stores, which engage in retail sales, purchasing of secondhand goods and consumer finance activities. The pawn stores generate retail sales from the merchandise acquired through collateral forfeitures and over-the-counter purchases from customers. Pawn stores are also a convenient source for small consumer loans to help customers meet their short-term cash needs. Personal property, such as jewelry, consumer electronics, tools, sporting goods and musical instruments are pledged as collateral for the loans. In addition, some of the Company's pawn stores offer consumer loans or credit services products.

In March 2012, the Company acquired three Dallas-area pawn stores. In June 2012, the Company acquired 24 pawn stores located in the states of Colorado (13), Kentucky (seven), Wyoming (three) and Nebraska (one). In June 2013, First Cash Financial Services Inc announced the acquisition of 19 format U.S. pawn stores located in Texas.

Pawn Merchandise Sales

The Company's pawn merchandise sales are primarily retail sales to the general public from its pawn stores. The items retailed are primarily used consumer electronics, jewelry, household appliances, tools, musical instruments, and sporting goods. The Company also melts down certain quantities of scrap jewelry and sells the gold, silver and diamonds in commodity markets.

The Company acquires pawn merchandise inventory primarily through forfeited pawn collateral and, to a lesser extent, through purchases of used goods directly from the general public. Merchandise acquired by the Company through forfeited pawn collateral is carried in inventory at the amount of the ! related pawn loan, exclusive of any accrued service fees. The Company does not provide financing to customers for the purchase of its merchandise, but does permit its customers to purchase merchandise on an interest-free layaway plan. Should the customer fail to make a required payment, the item is returned to inventory and previous payments are forfeited to the Company. Interim payments from customers on layaway sales are credited to deferred revenue and subsequently recorded as income in which final payment is received or when previous payments are forfeited to the Company.

Pawn Lending Activities

The Company's pawn stores make small loans to their customers in order to help them meet short-term cash needs. All pawn loans are collateralized by personal property such as jewelry, electronic equipment, household appliances, tools, sporting goods and musical instruments. Pawn loans are non-recourse loans and the pledged goods provide the only security to the Company for the repayment of the loan. At the time a pawn transaction is entered into, an agreement, commonly referred to as a pawn ticket, is delivered to the borrower for signature that sets forth, among other items, the name and address of the pawnshop, borrower's name, borrower's identification number from his/her driver's license or other identification, date, identification and description of the pledged goods, including applicable serial numbers, amount financed, pawn service fee, maturity date, total amount that must be paid to redeem the pledged goods on the maturity date, and the annual percentage rate. Pledged property is held through the term of the loan, unless the pawn is paid earlier or renewed. The typical loan term is generally one month plus an additional grace period (typically 30 to 90 days). The Company contracts for pawn loan fees and service charges as compensation for the use of the funds loaned and to cover direct operating expenses related to the transaction and holding the pledged property. These pa! wn loan f! ees and service charges accounted for approximately 26% of the Company's revenue from continuing operations during the year ended December 31, 2012 .

Credit Services and Consumer Loan Activities

The Company has significantly reduced its U.S.-based consumer loan activities, primarily from payday lending, over the past several years. In September 2012, the Company closed seven of its consumer loan stores located in the Texas cities of Austin and Dallas. The Company offers a fee-based credit services organization program (CSO Program) to assist consumers, in Texas markets, in obtaining extensions of credit. The Company's consumer loan and pawn stores in Texas offer the CSO Program, and, in Texas, credit services are also offered via an Internet platform. Under the CSO Program, the Company assists customers in applying for a short-term extension of credit from an independent, non-bank, consumer lending company (the Independent Lender) and issues the Independent Lender a letter of credit to guarantee the repayment of the extension of credit.

The Company subsequently collects a percentage of these bad debts by redepositing the customers' checks, ACH collections or subsequent cash repayments by the customers. The profitability of the Company's credit services operations is dependent upon adequate collection of these returned items. The Company also offers an automobile title lending product under the CSO Program. These credit services fees accounted for approximately 8% of the Company's revenue from continuing operations during 2012 . In Mexico, the Company also offers an installment loan product with a term of 365 days and bears weekly service fees of 7% on the loan amount. These consumer loan fees accounted for less than 1% of the Company's revenue from continuing operations during 2012 .

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Brian Pacampara]

  What: Shares of First Cash Financial Services (NASDAQ: FCFS  ) plunged as low as 14% today after the consumer finance company cut its short-term guidance outlook.

Top 5 Healthcare Technology Stocks To Own For 2015: Brown-Forman Corp (BFB)

Brown-Forman Corporation, incorporated on October 19, 1933, primarily manufactures, bottles, imports, exports, markets, and sells a variety of alcoholic beverage brands. The Company�� principal brands are Jack Daniel�� Tennessee Whiskey, Jack Daniel�� Tennessee Whiskey, Pepe Lopez Tequilas, Jack Daniel�� Single Barrel, Woodford Reserve Bourbons, Jack Daniel�� Ready-to-Drinks, Canadian Mist Blended Canadian Whiskies, Jack Daniel�� Tennessee Honey, Chambord Liqueur, Jack Daniel�� Winter Jack Chambord Vodka, Gentleman Jack, Collingwood Canadian Whisky, Southern Comfort, Early Times Bourbon, Southern Comfort Ready-to-Drinks, Early Times flavored line extensions, Southern Comfort flavored line extensions, Early Times Kentucky Whisky, Finlandia Vodkas, Korbel California Champagnes, Finlandia Ready-to-Drinks, Little Black Dress Vodkas, Antiguo Tequila, Maximus Vodkas, el Jimador Tequilas, Old Forester Bourbon, el Jimador New Mix Ready-to-Drinks, Sonoma-Cutrer Wines, Herradura Tequilas, and Tuaca Liqueur.

The Company�� products are sold in more than 150 countries around the world. The Company�� international markets include Australia, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Germany, Poland, France, Russia, Japan, Turkey, Canada, Spain, Czech Republic, South Africa, Brazil and Italy.

The Company competes with Bacardi Limited, Beam Inc., Davide Campari-Milano S.p.A., Diageo plc, LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton S.A., Pernod Ricard S.A., and Remy Cointreau S.A.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Brown-Forman (NYSE: BFB  ) reported earnings on June 5. Here are the numbers you need to know.

  The 10-second takeaway
  For the quarter ended April 30 (Q4), Brown-Forman met expectations on revenues and beat expectations on earnings per share.

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

  Brown-Forman Corp.(BFB) said its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings jumped 17% as the Jack Daniel’s whiskey maker posted higher sales and wider margins. Earnings beat expectations.

Top 5 Healthcare Technology Stocks To Own For 2015: Envision Healthcare Holdings Inc (EVHC)

Envision Healthcare Holdings, Inc., incorporated on February 28, 2011, is a provider of physician-led, outsourced medical services in the United States. The Company offers a range of clinically-based and coordinated care solutions across the patient continuum from medical transportation to hospital encounters to comprehensive care alternatives in various settings. The Company conduts its business primarily through two operating subsidiaries, EmCare Holdings, Inc. (EmCare) and American Medical Response, Inc. (AMR). The Company markets its services primarily under the EmCare and AMR brands. EmCareis a provider of integrated facility-based physician services, including emergency, anesthesiology, hospitalist/inpatient care, radiology, tele-radiology and surgery. EmCare also offers physician-led care management solutions outside the hospital. AMR is a provider and manager of community-based medical transportation services, including emergency (911), non-emergency, managed transportation, fixed-wing air ambulance and disaster response.

EmCare is a provider of integrated facility-based physician services to healthcare facilities, communities and payors in the United States. During the year ended December 31, 2012 (fiscal 2012), EmCare had approximately 10.5 million weighted patient encounters in 44 states and the District of Columbia. The Company segregates patient encounters into four categories:ED visits, hospitalist encounters, radiology reads and anesthesiology cases due to the differences in reimbursement rates for and associated costs of providing the various services. In fiscal 2012, AMR treated and transported approximately 2.8 million patients in 40 states and the District of Columbia. As of December 31, 2012, AMR had more than 3,700 contracts with communities, government agencies, healthcare providers and insurers to provide ambulance transport services. The Company segregates transports into two categories: ambulance transports (including emergency, as well as non-emergency, critical! care and other interfacility transports) and wheelchair transports to the differences in reimbursement rates for and associated costs of providing ambulance and wheelchair transports.

The Company competes with Team Health, Hospital Physician Partners, The Schumacher Group, Sheridan Healthcare, California Emergency Physicians, National Emergency Services Healthcare Group, IPC, Rural/Metro Corporation, Falck, Southwest Ambulance, Paramedics Plus and Acadian Ambulance.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By alicet236]

  According to GuruFocus Insider Data, these are the largest CEO sales during the past week: VF Corp, Infinera Corp, Eaton Vance Corp, and Envision Healthcare Holdings Inc.VF Corp (VFC): Chairman, President & CEO Eric C Wiseman sold 454,800 SharesChairman, President & CEO of VF Corp (VFC) Eric C Wiseman sold 454,800 shares during the past week at an average price of $66.76. V.F. Corporation, a Pennsylvania corporation was organized in 1899. Vf Corp has a market cap of $29.18 billion; its shares were traded at around $67.68 with a P/E ratio of 24.00 and P/S ratio of 2.56. The dividend yield of Vf Corp stocks is 1.55%. Vf Corp had an annual average earnings growth of 8.90% over the past 10 years. GuruFocus rated Vf Corp the business predictability rank of 4-star.VF Corp announced its 2014 third quarter results. The Company reported revenues of $3.5 billion and net income of $470.5 million.Chairman, President & CEO Eric C Wiseman sold 454,800 shares of VFC stock in October. CFO Robert K Shearer sold 63,407 shares of VFC stock in August and October. Sr. Vice President - Americas Steven E Rendle, VP-VF Direct/Customer Teams Michael T Gannaway, Director Bedout Juan Ernesto De, and Director Raymond G Viault sold 65,852 shares of VFC stock in October.Infinera Corp (INFN): CEO Thomas J Fallon sold 220,000 SharesCEO of Infinera Corp (INFN) Thomas J Fallon sold 220,000 shares on 10/27/2014 at an average price of $13.56. Infinera Corporation or Infinera was founded in December 2000, originally operated under the name 'Zepton Networks'. Infinera Corp has a market cap of $1.82 billion; its shares were traded at around $14.53 with and P/S ratio of 2.91.Infinera Corp. reported revenues of $165.4 million and net income of $4.8 million for its 2014 second quarter financial results.CEO Thomas J Fallon sold 440,000 shares of INFN stock from August to October. CFO Brad Feller bought 25,000 shares of INFN stock on 05/16/2014 at the average price of 8.25. President David F W

• [By John Kell]

  Envision Healthcare Holdings Inc.(EVHC) lowered its 2013 earnings outlook but also projected an adjusted profit for the recently started new year that topped expectations. The company said results improved in the latter part of the quarter, mostly the result of higher flu-related activity and seasonal volume. Shares rose 6.3% to $34.60 premarket.