Hot Tech Stocks To Own For 2014

By and large, the S&P 500 Index (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC  ) was able to shrug off weak earnings from the technology sector and the benchmark index even posted its fourth straight week of gains and finished at an all-time high on Friday. Not bad for a day that saw tens of billions of dollars disappear in a matter of hours from today's three biggest laggards alone. By the end of the day, the S&P had added 2 points, or 0.2%, to end at 1,692. The following three companies, however, lost their proverbial shirts.�

Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD  ) leads off this ignominious list after plummeting 13.2%. The chip maker reported earnings yesterday, and despite beating analyst expectations for the quarter, the shares were promptly downgraded by two analysts today. That's Wall Street for ya. To be fair, the company did swing to a loss and gross margins fell. Analysts were mostly concerned with AMD's gaming revenues moving forward.

Hot Tech Stocks To Own For 2014: Silicom Ltd(SILC)

Silicom Ltd. engages in the design, manufacture, marketing, and support of connectivity solutions for a range of servers and server based systems in the North America, Europe, and internationally. The company primarily offers high-end server networking cards with and without bypass that are known as server adapters. Its server adapters are used in various applications that include security appliances, wide area network optimization appliances, load balancing and traffic management appliances, network-attached storage, video on demand servers, content delivery servers, Internet service providers/Web hosting, and high end computing. Silicom Ltd. also offers intelligent and programmable cards, such as encryption acceleration cards and redirector cards; intelligent stand alone bypass units; 10 Gbps products with and without bypass; and server to appliance converters. It markets its products through original equipment manufacturers, distributors, and resellers. The company was founded in 1987 and is based in Kfar Sava, Israel.

Hot Tech Stocks To Own For 2014: MEMSIC Inc.(MEMS)

MEMSIC, Inc. provides semiconductor sensor and system solutions based on integrated micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) technology and mixed signal circuit design. It offers sensor products, principally accelerometers. The company?s sensors are used for motion, direction, and pressure sensing applications; and accelerometer products are used to measure tilt, shock, vibration, and acceleration, as well as in various applications, such as mobile phones, automotive safety systems, video projectors, global positioning systems, video gaming systems, interactive toys, inclination sensing, earthquake detection, cardiac pacemakers, and image projectors. Its system solution products include wireless sensors that connect the physical environment with enterprise management and information systems to provide monitoring, automation, and control solutions for a range of industries, as well as inertial systems that provide end-users and systems integrators with MEMS-based solutions for the measurement of static and dynamic motion in a various environments, such as avionics, remotely operated vehicles, agricultural and construction vehicles, automotive test, and wind power turbines. The company also engages in the development of multi-sensor and MCU integrated system products at the integrated circuit level for the consumer and mobile market, as well as at the module level for the industrial, automotive, and general aviation markets. It sells its products directly, as well as through systems integrators, resellers, distributors, and sales representatives worldwide. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Andover, Massachusetts.

Top 10 Small Cap Companies To Buy For 2014: Marchex Inc.(MCHX)

Marchex, Inc. operates as a call advertising and small business marketing company. The company?s products, services, and technologies enable advertisers to reach consumers across mobile, online, and offline sources. It offers call advertising products and services to national advertisers, advertising agencies, and small advertiser reseller partners, which include pay-for-call through the Marchex Pay-For-Call Exchange and call analytics solutions comprising phone number and call tracking, call mining, keyword-level tracking, click-to-call, Website proxying, and other call-based products that enable customers to utilize mobile, online, and offline advertising. The company also offers small business marketing products that enable reseller partners of small business advertisers, such as Yellow Pages providers and vertical marketing service providers to sell call advertising and/or search marketing products through their existing sales channels, which are fulfilled across the c ompany?s distribution network, such as mobile sources, search engines, and traffic sources. In addition, it offers pay-per-click advertising to online users in response to their keyword search queries or on pages they visit throughout the company?s distribution network of search engines, shopping engines, third party verticals, local Websites, mobile distribution, and publishing network. Further, the company offers publishing network, which includes the company?s owned and operated Websites that help users to make decisions about the availability of local products and services. The Websites in the company?s publishing network include small business listings, as well as expert and user-generated reviews on small businesses. Marchex, Inc., through its products and services distributes advertisements from various advertisers and its reseller partners? advertisers. The company was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Seattle, Washington.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul]  

  ThinkEquity said though it is favorable on the 2011 prospects of a number of companies in the online marketing services ecosystem, it believes that Marchex has a relatively open-ended opportunity as the early leader in the emerging market for call-based advertising.

  "We are particularly favorable on the company's partnership with Skype, by which the company is selling and providing technology to enable advertiser-sponsored Skype Out calling over PCs," analysts said.

Hot Tech Stocks To Own For 2014: Telik Inc (TELK.PH)

Telik, Inc. (Telik), incorporated in 1988, is a clinical-stage drug development company focused on discovering and developing small molecule drugs to treat cancer. The Company discovers its product candidates using the Company�� drug discovery technology, Target-Related Affinity Profiling (TRAP). TELINTRA, its principal drug product candidate in clinical development, is a small molecule glutathione analog inhibitor of the enzyme glutathione S-transferase P1-1 (GST P1-1). TELCYTA, its other product candidate, is a small molecule cancer drug product candidate designed to be activated in cancer cells.

Clinical Product Development

TELINTRA is the Company�� lead small molecule product candidate in clinical development for the treatment of blood disorders, including cancer. It has a mechanism of action and acts by inhibiting GST P1-1, an enzyme that is involved in the control of cellular growth and differentiation. Inhibition of GST P1-1 results in the activation of the signaling molecule Jun kinase, a regulator of the function of blood precursor cells. Preclinical tests show that TELINTRA is capable of causing the death or apoptosis of leukemic or malignant blood cells, while stimulating the growth and development of normal blood precursor cells. TELINTRA has been studied in Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) using two formulations. A liposomal formulation was developed for intravenous administration of TELINTRA and was used in Phase I and Phase II studies in MDS patients. The results from the Phase II intravenous liposomal TELINTRA clinical trials demonstrated that TELINTRA treatment was associated with improvement in all three types of blood cell levels in patients with all types of MDS, including those in intermediate and high-risk groups. An oral dosage formulation (tablet) was subsequently developed and results from a Phase I study with TELINTRA tablets showed clinical activity and the formulation to be well tole rated. In June 2011, the Company initiated a Phase II clini! c! al trial to evaluate TELINTRA tablets. In October 2011, the Company initiated an additional Phase IIb clinical trial to evaluate TELINTRA tablets. '

The activity and safety profile of tablet formulation allowed the Company to complete a Phase II trial of TELINTRA tablets in MDS. The primary objective of the Phase II TELINTRA tablet study was to determine the efficacy of TELINTRA. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify MDS disease prognostic factors associated with erythroid improvement response rates, including prior MDS treatment, age, gender, the international prognostic scoring system (IPSS), risk, Eastern Cooperative Group performance status, years from MDS diagnosis, MDS World Health Organization subtypes, anemia only versus anemia plus other cytopenias, dose schedule and starting dose. Results from this study show that TELINTRA is the first GSTP1-1 enzyme inhibitor shown to cause clinically reductions in red blood cell transf usions, including transfusion independence in low to intermediate-1 risk MDS patients, as well as improvement in platelet count and white blood cell levels in certain patients. TELINTRA, administered orally twice daily, appeared to be convenient and flexible for chronic treatment administration.

TELCYTA is a small molecule drug product candidate that the Company is developed for the treatment of cancer. TELCYTA binds to GST. TELCYTA has been evaluated in multiple Phase II and Phase III clinical trials, including trials using TELCYTA as monotherapy and in combination regimens in ovarian, non-small cell lung, breast and colorectal cancer. Results from these clinical trials indicate that TELCYTA monotherapy was generally well-tolerated, with mostly mild to moderate side effects, particularly when compared to the side effects and toxicities of standard chemotherapeutic drugs. When TELCYTA was evaluated in combination with standard chemotherapeutic drugs, the tolera bility of the combinations was similar to that expected! of e! ac! h drug ! alone.

Clinical activity including objective tumor responses and/or disease stabilization was reported in the TELCYTA Phase II trials; however, TELCYTA did not meet its primary endpoints in the Phase III studies. Positive results from a Phase I-IIa multicenter, dose-ranging study of TELCYTA in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel as first-line therapy for patients with non-small cell lung cancer, or NSCLC, were published in a peer reviewed publication. Clinical data demonstrated positive results of TELCYTA in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel in the treatment of first-line lung cancer followed by TELCYTA maintenance therapy. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had an on-going investigator-led study at a single site of TELCYTA in patients with refractory or relapsed mantle cell lymphoma, diffuse B cell lymphoma, and multiple myeloma.

Preclinical Drug Product Development

The Company has a small molecule compound, TLK60 404, in preclinical development that inhibits both Aurora kinase and VEGFR kinase. Aurora kinase is a signaling enzyme whose function is required for cancer cell division, while VEGF plays a key role in tumor blood vessel formation, ensuring an adequate supply of nutrients to support tumor growth. These lead compounds prevented tumor growth in preclinical models of human colon cancer and human leukemia by inhibiting both Aurora kinase and VEGFR kinase. A development drug product candidate, TLK60404, has been selected.

The Company, using its TRAP technology has discovered TLK60357, a novel, potent small molecule inhibitor of cell division. TLK60357 inhibits the formation of microtubules that are necessary for cancer cell growth leading to persistent G2/M cancer cell cycle block and subsequent cell death. This compound demonstrates potent broad-spectrum anticancer activity against a number of human cancer cells. This compound also displays oral efficacy in multipl e, standard preclinical models of cancer. TLK6059! 6, a pote! nt! VGFR kin! ase inhibitor, blocks the formation of new blood vessels in tumors. Oral administration of TLK60596 to animal models of human colon cancer reduced tumor growth.

Hot Tech Stocks To Own For 2014: United States Cellular Corporation(USM)

United States Cellular Corporation operates as a wireless telecommunications service provider in the United States. The company offers wireless voice and data services to retail consumer and business customers. It provides wireless services in postpaid service plans with voice, messaging, and data services; and prepaid service plans with minutes, messaging, and data services for a monthly fee. The company also offers various additional features, including caller ID blocking, call forwarding, voicemail, call waiting, and three-way calling; and data usage features consisting of Web browsing, email services, instant messaging, text messaging, and picture and video messaging. As of December 31, 2010, it provided wireless voice and data services to 6.1 million customers in 26 states. In addition, the company operates retail stores that sell a range of wireless devices, including handsets, modems, and tablets, as well as accessories, such as carrying cases, hands-free devices, b atteries, battery chargers, memory cards, and other items to consumers and small businesses. Further, it sells wireless devices to agents and other third-party distributors for resale; operates service facilities that provide servicing and repair for wireless devices; and enables customers to activate service and purchase wireless devices online. The company?s business customers include small-to-mid-size businesses in various industries, including construction, retail, professional services, and real estate. It offers its products and services through retail sales and service centers, direct sales, and independent agents. The company was founded in 1983 and is based in Chicago, Illinois. United States Cellular Corporation is a subsidiary of Telephone and Data Systems, Inc.

Hot Tech Stocks To Own For 2014: ARIAD Pharmaceuticals Inc.(ARIA)

ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the discovery, development, and commercialization of small-molecule drugs for the treatment of cancer. The company?s lead cancer product, ridaforolimus is being studied in multiple clinical trials in patients with various types of cancers, including metastatic sarcomas, breast cancer, endometrial cancer, prostate cancer, and non-small cell lung cancer. Its product pipeline also includes ponatinib, a pan BCR-ABL inhibitor in phase 2 clinical trial for applications in various hematological cancers and solid tumors; and AP26113, an anaplastic lymphoma kinase inhibitor in preclinical studies for the treatment of various cancers, including non-small cell lung cancer, lymphoma, and neuroblastoma. In addition, the company focuses on a drug discovery program centered on small-molecule therapies that are molecularly targeted to cell-signaling pathways implicated in cancer. Further, it licenses its ARGENT cell-sign aling regulation technologies to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to develop and commercialize therapeutic products, and to conduct drug discovery research. The company has collaboration and license agreements with Merck & Co., Inc. for the development, manufacture, and commercialization of ridaforolimus; and license agreements with Medinol Ltd. and ICON Medical Corp. to develop and commercialize stents and other medical devices to deliver ridaforolimus to prevent restenosis of injured vessels. ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was founded in 1991 and is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Hilary Kramer]

  Ariad Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ARIA) is developing novel cancer treatments, and it has three promising drugs in its pipeline: ridaforolimus (which I expect to get FDA approval shortly), ponatinib (recently reported good Stage I/II results), and AP-26113 (a compound with strong potential that just started clinical testing). The stock is up nearly 50% since the early October lows, and while concerns over the possibility that Ariad will raise money could be a short-term overhang on the stock, I look for share prices to continue to climb as the company’s drugs move through the approval process.

• [By Peter Leeds]

  Based on percentages coming in from 9 battle ground states, and the number of electoral college votes from each, it appears that Obama would win if the election were held today.  I expect his lead to increase as the campaign enters full swing.

  One company that could benefit from a few more years of a Democratic president would be Ariad Pharmaceuticals (ARIA 0.00%).  It is a pharmaceutical company that earned $13.9 million in the third quarter (10 cents per share), and sits on an impressive $86 million in cash. The Bush administration fought against stem cell research, which is a big part of Ariad's approach, and the company and its shares were hammered. Now, after several years of friendlier policies, and the prospect of another four, Ariad is building momentum and gobbling up market share. I think it could trade up to $16.20.