This Web Search Company is Quickly, Quietly Becoming a Mohctp (YNDX, BIDU, GOOG)

Ever wish you could go back in time about ten years and invest in Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG)? If you could, your GOOG stock position would be up about 1000% right now... a handsome reward indeed. Trouble is, you can't invest in the Google of the past. To capitalize on currently-available search-based investments, you have to find a company that's in a situation now like the one GOOG was in a decade ago.

This is where many savvy investors would expect to hear the name Baidu Inc. (NASDAQ:BIDU)... China's web-search giant, which owns about 63% of that nation's search market in addition to a good-sized piece of its growing mobile search market. BIDU isn't the stock you're going to hear touted as the next Google today, however. No, the next Google - or as close to it - as you're going to get anyway - worth some speculative investment dollars is a company called Yandex NV (NASDAQ:YNDX).

Don't sweat it if you haven't heard of YNDX; most people haven't. That's because this particular web search giant is growing its roots in Russia.... an internet-using market that's far more developed than many outsiders might believe. More than 70 million Russian Federation citizens access the web every month, doing everything from work-related stuff to the same time-killing socializing and movie-watching that most Americans do on the internet. That's (for better or worse) when the revenue really starts to roll. And, Yandex acts as the intermediary for 60% of the nation's internet searches.

The million dollar question is, can Yandex NV hold onto that commanding market share? One only has to look at Baidu to see how easily is can be to lose ground. Rival Qihoo didn't exist at all (as a search engine anyway) in early 2012, and in less than two years garnered about 20% of China's web search market.... some of it away from Baidu.com. Couldn't another search engine do the same in Russia (like Google, which is operating there) to swipe business from Yandex NV? Theoretically, yes. In all likelihood, no.

It's not the kind of thing that most web-users see, so it's not the kind of thing that most investors think about when judging the strength of a search engine company. But, Russians don't use the same alphabet - not even the same alphabetic characters - that most Western cultures do. The United States and most of Europe use a Roman alphabet, while the Russian Federation and most of eastern Europe use a Cyrrilic alphabet... Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Belarus are the key Cyrillic countries.

It wouldn't seem like a difference that, say Google couldn't overcome - characters are characters on a keyboard. It's a nuance that's significant enough, however, that the Google algorithms don't work all that well for Russian web users. That's why Google only owns about 26% of the Russian search market (well, that and the fact that the government there keeps a tight grasp on who does what on the web in Russia).

The disparity between Yandex NV and Google could even widen now that smartphones are becoming prolific in Russia. A couple of days ago it was announced that Yandex was going to become the go-to OS on a couple of popular Android smartphones there [the risk of an open source program] that will make using the Yandex search tool much more likely.

Bottom line? Although the language barrier that prevents Google from making headway in Russia also prevents Yandex from making headway in non-Cyrillic markets, that's a trade-off the company can live with. It means any real competition to the company's search dominance would most likely come from within Russia or from eastern Europe, and there's just not any other company in a financial or political position to mount a serious attack on Yandex NV. That's the kind of monopoly-like dominance worth a shot. The fact that Russia's web market is just now hitting a mature stage means the next few years could be high-growth ones, kind of like Google being in the right place at the right time in the U.S. when broadband become the norm beginning in the early 2000's.

By the way, 'mohctp' is Russian for 'monster'.

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10 Worst “Strong Sell” Stocks This Week — DO FBP AAWW and more

Popular Posts: 8 Pharmaceutical Stocks to Buy Now15 “Triple A” Stocks to Buy8 Software Stocks to Buy Now Recent Posts: 10 Worst “Strong Sell” Stocks This Week — DO FBP AAWW and more 5 Construction and Engineering Stocks to Sell Now 5 Energy Services Stocks to Sell Now View All Posts

This week, these ten stocks have the worst year-to-date performance. Each of these also rates an “F” (“strong sell”) on Portfolio Grader.

Shares of Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc. () have fallen 15.8% since January 1. Diamond Offshore Drilling is a global offshore oil and gas drilling contractor. .

Shares of First BanCorp () have dipped 17.2% since the first of the year. First BanCorp is the holding company for FirstBank Puerto Rico. .

Since the first of the year, Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc. () has tumbled 17.5%. Atlas Air Worldwide is engaged in leasing and outsourcing services for wide-body freighter aircraft. As of Feb. 20, 2014, 11.2% of outstanding Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc. shares were held short. .

Since January 1, Elizabeth Arden, Inc. () has fallen 20.2%. Elizabeth Arden manufactures, distributes, and markets prestige fragrances and related skin treatment and cosmetic products for men and women. The stock’s trailing PE Ratio is 28.30. .

Since the first of the year, the price of Cencosud S.A. Sponsored ADR () is down 20.2%. Cencosud operates as a multi-brand retailer in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, and Colombia. The stock has a trailing PE Ratio of 56.80. .

Shares of Alpha Natural Resources, Inc. () have slipped 20.3% since January 1. Alpha Natural Resources produces, processes and sells steam and metallurgical coal. As of Feb. 20, 2014, 24.6% of outstanding Alpha Natural Resources, Inc. shares were held short. .

Since the first of the year, Clean Energy Fuels () has dipped 24.6%. Clean Energy Fuels sells natural gas fueling solutions to its customers mainly in the United States and Canada. As of Feb. 20, 2014, 20.9% of outstanding Clean Energy Fuels shares were held short. .

The price of RentACenter, Inc. () has fallen 25.4% since the first of the year. Rent-A-Center operates in the rent-to-own industry in the United States. As of Feb. 20, 2014, 15% of outstanding RentACenter, Inc. shares were held short. .

Since January 1, J. C. Penney Company, Inc. () has plunged 26.5%. J. C. Penney operates department stores in the United States and Puerto Rico. As of Feb. 20, 2014, 38.9% of outstanding J. C. Penney Company, Inc. shares were held short. .

Shares of Weight Watchers International, Inc. () have sunk 31.2% since the first of the year. Weight Watchers is a provider of weight management services, operating globally through a network of company-owned and franchise operations. As of Feb. 20, 2014, 22.8% of outstanding Weight Watchers International, Inc. shares were held short. Shares of the stock have been changing hands at an unusually rapid pace, up 225% from the week prior. .

Louis Navellier’s proprietary Portfolio Grader stock ranking system assesses roughly 5,000 companies every week based on a number of fundamental and quantitative measures. Stocks are given a letter grade based on their results — with A being “strong buy,” and F being “strong sell.” Explore the tool here.

Jackson National Alts Education Reaches 10,000 Advisors

‘This is not your father’s variable annuity,’ to paraphrase the 1970s-era Oldsmobile commercial, might fairly be said of Jackson National’s Elite Access platform, except that in some sense it is your father’s VA — with a very contemporary twist.

Variable annuities have been known for an alphabet soup of pricey guarantees but, stripped down, their core benefit is the tax-deferred wrapper that allows an investment to grow free of taxes until the income is distributed after age 59 ½.

Jackson National, one of the industry’s largest variable annuity underwriters, sells those annuities, but it is going back to basics with Elite Access, selling annuities designed mainly for their tax advantages but with subaccounts that include 20 different alternative categories and strategies.

That of course is the contemporary twist, and since alternative investments and strategies are not as widely understood as the mainstay equity-based investments typically included in VAs (including, of course, Jackson National's), the Lansing, Mich.-based firm has been taking its show on the road.

“When we launched Elite Access in 2012, advisors were still trying to understand what alternative investments are,” Jackson National’s head of sales training, Bill Burrow, tells ThinkAdvisor.

“So we explain how to break them down between alternative assets and alternative strategies. That’s the first part of our training.

“The second part of our training is helping them understand how to implement them in their practice,” for example detailing how a convertible arbitrage strategy would work in a particular market environment.

To that end, the firm has aggressively offered training across the country in different formats, saying it reached more than 10,000 advisors in 374 events in 2013, with plans to expand that reach this year.

“We’ve recognized that advisors learn in many different ways, so we have robust live in-person training sessions… we have a conference call series for a global view on how to think of alternative investments as well as more granular strategic views; and we have a virtual series as well as our Elite Access site where our managers discuss their strategies in detail. Last year 450 advisors logged on,” Burrow says, adding that the firm even has a LinkedIn Group with 213 members so far.

Just as advisors have different learning styles, they also have different investment management approaches, and Burrow says the firm offers solutions for three types of advisors it has identified:

Do-it-yourself advisors— “they’re the ones that understand how all the pieces work,” he says — can take an a la carte approach to portfolio design with a diverse set of both traditional and alternative products.

“For advisors who’d like to be involved in construction of asset-class allocations but not necessarily selecting individual managers, we offer a solution that gives them access to our due diligence process,”  including prepackaged portfolios, including funds of funds, designed to meet various risk tolerance levels.

“For those who prefer to spend their time managing client relationships and completely outsource portfolio construction, that’s where our guidance portfolios come into play,” Burrow says.

The case for a platform built around tax advantages rests on two pillars. First is what Burrow calls “the macro tax environment,” meaning today’s higher tax rates, including new taxes on high-income earners as a result of the Affordable Care Act.

“We are in a much more onerous tax environment than in the past,” he says.

While higher taxes increase the appeal of an annuity’s tax deferral feature, it is the desire to improve risk-managed return that makes alternatives a valuable investment option, Burrow says.

“Many alternative strategies have characteristics that make them tax-inefficient,” which their inclusion in a VA can ameliorate, he says.

The firm’s alternative asset categories include commodities, infrastructure, natural resources, real estate investment trusts and private equity; its alternative strategies include managed futures, risk parity, merger arbitrage and others.

While Jackson National leaves to the advisor to decide how much of a portfolio should contain alternative investments, Burrow says that “we believe that diversifying sources of return will provide better risk-adjusted return for clients in the long run.”

Burrow adds that “global leader” managers like BlackRock and AQR, as well as less well known up-and-comers like PineBridge Investments and Nicholas Investment Partners, manage the subaccounts.

---

Variable annuity providers have gone back to basics, touting the product’s tax-deferral benefits while broadening investment options. To learn about alternative asset classes and portfolio strategies, register now for our free webinar: Realizing Opportunities in the Alternative Annuity--ThinkAdvisor eds.

Top 5 Up And Coming Companies For 2015

The recent news that investors in a Chinese investment trust may now get their principal back is encouraging, but MoneyShow's Jim Jubak still has several questions.

China didn't solve its big financial problem, but it took a step toward reducing some of the big worry. On January 28, one of China's biggest banks, in fact, China's biggest lender, the Industrial Commercial Bank, said, ��ey, you know that product out there, this investment trust that we were telling you we weren't really connected with, we were selling it, but we weren't running it,��nd, you know how they're going to not be able to pay back principal when it came due on January 31��ell, we've lined up some buyers, so we're going to create rights that will enable you to get your principal back.��

Don't know who the buyers are, in fact, not going to tell you; but don't worry about it. It's all going to be fixed. It's one of those typical, let's sweep it under the rug, fix it somehow solutions. But it's an important one, because, basically, you've got two things happening. One, is that the bank, which is claiming that it doesn't have any connection to investment trusts��hich represent about $2 trillion to $3 trillion in the Chinese financial system��ave been a hugely popular thing, growing at about 60% over the last three or four years.

Top 5 Up And Coming Companies For 2015: General American Investors Inc. (GAM)

General American Investors Company, Inc. is a self management investment trust. The firm invests in the public equity markets across the globe. It employs a fundamental analysis with a bottom-up stock picking approach. General American Investors Company, Inc. was founded in 1927 and is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By GuruFocus]

  General American Investors Co. Inc. (GAM): President & CEO Jeffrey W Priest Bought 14,000 Shares

  President & CEO of General American Investors Co. Inc. (GAM) Jeffrey W Priest bought 14,000 shares on 01/29/2014 at an average price of $33.53. General American Investors Co. Inc. has a market cap of $932.500 million.

Top 5 Up And Coming Companies For 2015: Intermolecular Inc (IMI.O)

Intermolecular, Inc. (Intermolecular), incorporated on June 16, 2004, is engaged in research and development and time-to-market for the semiconductor and clean-energy industries. The Company, through paid collaborative development programs (CDPs) with its customers, develops technology and intellectual property (IP) for its customers focused on advanced materials, processes, integration and device architectures. The Company provides its customers with technology through various fee arrangements and grants them rights to associated IP, primarily through royalty-bearing licenses. Through paid CDPs and its own development, the Company has established a portfolio of greater than 1,000 patents and patent applications. Its approach is broadly applicable to high-volume integrated device markets, which include the markets for semiconductors, flat glass coatings and glass-based devices, solar cells, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), flat-panel displays, advanced batteries and other energy efficiency applications.

As of December 31, 2012, the Company targets large, high-volume semiconductor and high-growth emerging clean energy markets, including DRAM, non-volatile memory (including flash memory and embedded memory), complex logic, flat glass coatings and glass-based devices, solar cells, LEDs and other energy efficiency applications. The Company�� customers include ATMI, Inc. (ATMI), Elpida Memory, Inc. (Elpida), First Solar. Inc. (First), GLOBALFOUNDRIES Singapore Pte. Ltd (GLOBALFOUNDRIES), Guardian Industries Corp. (Guardian), SanDisk Corporation (SanDisk), Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and Toshiba Corporation (Toshiba). For the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company has received the majority of its revenue from customers in DRAM, flash memory, complex logic and energy-efficient applications in flat glass. The elements in HPC platform include Tempus HPC processing, automated characterization, and informatics an d analysis software. Tempus HPC processing are used to proc! e! ss different experiments consisting of combinations of materials, processing parameters, sequencing and device structures. Automated characterization systems are used to characterize the substrates processed by its Tempus HPC processing tools. Informatics and analysis software are used to automate experiment generation, characterization, data analysis and reporting.

The Company�� HPC platform consists of its Tempus HPC processing tools, automated characterization and informatics and analysis software. The Company�� platform is purpose-built for Research and Development (R and D) using combinatorial process systems. Combinatorial processing is a methodology for discovery and development that employs parallel and other high-throughput experimentation, which allows R and D experimentation to be performed at speeds up to 100 times faster than traditional methods. The Company�� processing tools allows performing up to 192 experiments on a single substrate.

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5 Best Industrial Conglomerate Stocks To Own Right Now: American Science and Engineering Inc.(ASEI)

American Science and Engineering, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells X-ray inspection and other detection products for detection and security screening solutions in the United States and internationally. It offers cargo inspection systems comprising non-intrusive inspection products, which are primarily used for the screening of trucks, cars, cargo containers, pallets, and air cargo at border crossings, seaports, military bases, airports, and cargo and transportation hubs. The cargo inspection systems include OmniView gantry system, a cargo and vehicle inspection system; Z Portal system, a drive-through inspection system for scanning cargo and vehicles; Z Gantry system, a Z Backscatter inspection system for scanning cars, vans, trucks, and their cargo; Sentry Portal system, a drive through transmission X-ray inspection system; and MobileSearch High-Energy, a mobile inspection system for scanning trucks, cargo containers, and ve hicles. The company also provides Z Backscatter systems, including Z Backscatter Van, a mobile X-ray screening system to produce photo-like images of plastic explosives or other anomalies; and ZBV Military Trailer, a rugged X-ray screening system built on military trailer. In addition, it offers parcel and personnel screening inspection system that comprises Gemini system, a parcel and baggage inspection system; and SmartCheck system, a personnel screening system for screening threats hidden under a person?s clothing. Further, the company provides contract research and development programs for agencies of the United States government; and maintenance, warranty, engineering, and training services. It serves authorities responsible for port and border security, customs agencies, military organizations, high threat commercial and government facilities, aviation security agencies, and law enforcement agencies. The company was founded in 1958 and is headquartered in Billerica, M assachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James E. Brumley]

  While it's tragic that it took a string of tragedies to make school safety and security a priority in the United States, it can't be denied that the topic has been put front and center - school systems everywhere are asking themselves tough questions, mainly focusing on what can be done quickly and cost-effectively to secure school buildings. Part of that discussion has put companies like OSI Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:OSIS), American Science & Engineering, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASEI), and View Systems Inc. (OTCBB:VSYM) in the limelight. The three organizations all make security screening and weapons detection systems. If you've flown from anywhere inside the United States anytime since 2003, odds are pretty good you or your luggage passed through equipment made by ASEI or OSIS.

• [By Rich Smith]

  An unidentified "government agency" has awarded American Science & Engineering (NASDAQ: ASEI  ) a $60 million contract to supply X-ray inspection systems, the company (partially) revealed Tuesday.

Top 5 Up And Coming Companies For 2015: Ho Bee Investment Limited (H13.SI)

Ho Bee Investment, Ltd. engages in the investment and development of real estate properties primarily in Singapore. The company also involves in the development, construction, and trading of residential and industrial properties. In addition, it owns and manages hotels. The company was founded in 1987 and is based in Singapore, Singapore.

Top 5 Up And Coming Companies For 2015: Australian Pharmaceutical Ind Ltd (API.AX)

Australian Pharmaceutical Industries Limited engages in the wholesale distribution of pharmaceutical and allied products in Australia. The company distributes pharmaceutical and medical consumable products to hospitals, and provides finance origination and retail services to pharmacists under the Soul Pattinson and Pharmacist brands. It sells various health, beauty, and lifestyle products in the retail industry under the Priceline brand, and operates as a franchisor with approximately 150 Priceline Pharmacy stores. The company also manufactures and owns rights of pharmaceutical medicines and consumer toiletries in New Zealand. Australian Pharmaceutical Industries Limited was founded in 1910 and is based in Camellia, Australia.

Top 5 Up And Coming Companies For 2015: Sino-Global Shipping America Ltd.(SINO)

Sino-Global Shipping America, Ltd., through its subsidiaries, provides shipping agency services for foreign ships coming to and departing from Chinese ports. Its services include preparing documents, husbanding vessels, working through customs issues, coordinating matters with port authorities, overseeing and settling cargo claims, tracking shipments, recommending trucking, warehousing, and complementary services. The company offers these services for bulk and break-bulk general cargo, and vehicle transport, as well as raw materials, such as crude oil, oil products, iron, manganese, and other metal ores in 76 ports in the People?s Republic of China. Sino-Global Shipping America, Ltd. was founded in 2001 and is based in Flushing, Virginia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James E. Brumley]

  The recent strength from Sino-Global Shipping America, Ltd. (NASDAQ:SINO) and the now-renewed strength from Safe Bulkers, Inc. (NYSE:SB) would suggest those two stocks are among the very best ways to play the rebound currently unfurling in the shipping sector. And to be fair, both are fine companies in their own right. The top play in the dry goods maritime shipping arena, however, may well be Diana Shipping Inc. (NYSE:DSX). No, DSX isn't one of the fun and exciting small caps in the maritime shipping space. But, there's a lot to be said for size and stability, which SB and SINO can't offer.

Top 5 Up And Coming Companies For 2015: Tribune Co (TRBAA.PK)

Tribune Company, incorporated on March 19, 1968, is a media and entertainment company engaged in newspaper publishing, television and radio broadcasting and entertainment through its subsidiaries. The Company�� operations are divided into two industry segments: publishing and broadcasting and entertainment. In publishing, the Company�� daily newspapers include the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The Baltimore Sun, Sun Sentinel (South Florida), Orlando Sentinel, Hartford Courant, The Morning Call and Daily Press. The company�� broadcasting group operates 23 television stations, WGN America on national cable and Chicago�� WGN-AM.

Broadcasting

The Company�� broadcasting owns and operates 23 major-market television stations and reaches more than 80% of United States television households. The group is anchored by WGN America, which can be seen in more than 70 million United States households via cable and satellite services. 13 Tribu ne stations are affiliates of The CW. Seven are FOX affiliates.

Publishing

The Company�� newspapers include the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune. Tribune Media Services specializes in entertainment listings and syndication, providing news and information for print, broadcast and interactive media.

Tribune Digital

Tribune Digital manages the operations of Tribune�� daily newspapers and their associated Websites, plus all aspects of the Company�� classified advertising operations, as well as Websites for Tribune�� TV stations. Its national classified sites include CareerBuilder.com, Cars.com and Apartments.com.

Top 5 Up And Coming Companies For 2015: Nanosonics Ltd(NAN.AX)

Nanosonics Limited engages in the research, development, and commercialization of infection control and decontamination products, and related technologies in Australia and Europe. The company manufactures and distributes Trophon EPR ultrasound probe disinfector, as well as associated consumables. It also owns intellectual properties relating to disinfection and sterilization technologies. The company offers its products and services to healthcare, food processing, room and space decontamination, and manufacturing industries. Nanosonics Limited was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Alexandria, Australia.

Top 5 Up And Coming Companies For 2015: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (SSNLF)

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. mainly engaged in the production of consumer electronic products. It operates in two divisions: DMC division, which is divided into consumer electronics (CE) and information technology & mobile communications (IM) businesses, as well as DS division, which is divided into semiconductor and liquid crystal display (LCD) businesses. Its CE business engages in the production of color televisions (CTVs), monitors, air conditioners, refrigerators and others. Its IM business engages in the production of printers, computers, handhold phones (HHPs) such as feature phones, smart phones and others, and network systems, among others. Its semiconductor business engages in the production of semiconductors, such as memories, system large scale integrated circuits (LSIs) and others. Its LCD business engages in the production of thin film transistor (TFT) LCDs and organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), among others. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jeff Reeves]

  The Korea Stock Exchange, or KOSPI, is valued at roughly $1 trillion — with heavyweight Samsung (SSNLF) representing almost 20% of that total.

• [By Ashraf Eassa]

  It is well known throughout the industry that Samsung (NASDAQOTH: SSNLF  ) , the world's second-most profitable smartphone vendor, designs its own system-on-chip products for use in its devices. Despite this, Samsung very often uses designs from other vendors depending on the requirements of a phone. In particular, Samsung uses Qualcomm (NASDAQ: QCOM  ) chips in many of its flagship devices, largely due to the fact that when it comes to cellular connectivity (and efficient, highly integrated smartphone apps processors) Qualcomm is king. However, while this certainly speaks volumes to the skill of Qualcomm's chip teams, there is a risk that I've alluded to in prior articles: Samsung's own in-house chip team(s).

• [By Roger Conrad]

  So, you know, it's a—I've called it a—you know, it's pretty much a game or a capital game, I guess, in terms of companies that are able to spend more on their networks, become more dominant, and at the same time, Apple is facing an ever greater amount of competition; is in fact, losing ground to not just to Samsung (SSNLF), but also to, you know, other smaller producers of those devices around the world.

• [By Sam Mattera]

  But this year could be difficult for Google's mobile operating system. Many of Google's hardware partners, including Sony (NYSE: SNE  ) , LG, and Samsung (NASDAQOTH: SSNLF  ) , continue to toy with alternatives -- making it possible that Google could see some defections in 2014.

Top 5 Up And Coming Companies For 2015: Enterprise Bancorp Inc(EBTC)

Enterprise Bancorp, Inc. operates as the holding company for Enterprise Bank and Trust Company that provides various banking products and services primarily in Merrimack Valley and north central regions of Massachusetts, and southern New Hampshire. The company offers deposit products, which include personal interest checking accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts, individual retirement accounts, and term certificates of deposits to the general public; and commercial checking, business and municipal savings accounts, money market and business sweep accounts, and escrow management accounts, as well as checking and simplified employee pension accounts to the employees of its business customers. Its loan portfolio comprises commercial mortgage loans, construction and land development loans, secured and unsecured commercial loans and lines of credit, and standby letters of credit, as well as equipment lease financing for businesses; and residential mortgage loans, ho me equity loans, residential construction loans on primary residences, secured and unsecured personal loans, and lines of credit to individuals. In addition, the company provides investment advisory and management services, including brokerage, trust, and management of various strategic investment portfolios to individuals, family groups, businesses, trusts, foundations, non-profit organizations, and endowments and retirement plans; insurance products comprising property and casualty, employee benefits, and risk-management solutions; and online banking and cash management services, as well as non-deposit investment products and services. April 22, 2011, it had 18 full-service branch offices located in Lowell, Acton, Andover, Billerica, Chelmsford, Dracut, Fitchburg, Leominster, Methuen, Tewksbury, and Westford, Massachusetts; and in Derry, Hudson, and Salem, New Hampshire. The company was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in Lowell, Massachusetts.

Top 5 Up And Coming Companies For 2015: Reis Inc(REIS)

Reis, Inc., through its subsidiary, Reis Services, provides commercial real estate market information and analytical tools in the United States. The company maintains a proprietary database containing information on commercial real properties, including apartment, office, retail, and industrial properties in the metropolitan markets and neighborhoods. Its data is used by real estate investors, lenders, and other professionals to make informed buying, selling, and financing decisions; and debt and equity investors to assess, quantify, and manage the risks of default and loss associated with individual mortgages, properties, portfolios, and real estate backed securities. The company?s products include Reis SE and ReisReports that provide online access to a proprietary database of commercial real estate information and analytical tools designed to facilitate debt and equity transactions, and ongoing evaluations; and trend and forecast analysis at metropolitan and neighborhoo d levels, as well as to building-specific information, such as rents, vacancy rates, lease terms, property sales, new construction listings, and property valuation estimates. It serves banks, other financial institutions, investment funds, equity owners, regulators, brokers, and appraisers, as well as property owners, developers, and builders. The company was founded in 1980 and is based in New York, New York.

Top 5 Up And Coming Companies For 2015: Shore Gold Inc Com Npv (SGF.TO)

Shore Gold Inc., an explorations stage company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties. It principally explores for diamond. The company primarily focuses on the exploration of the Star � Orion South diamond project located in the Fort � la Corne Provincial Forest, Saskatchewan, Canada. It also holds a 33% interest in the Buffalo Hills property located in northern Alberta, Canada. The company was formerly known as Shore Gold Fund Inc. and changed its name to Shore Gold Inc. in August 1994. Shore Gold Inc. was incorporated in 1985 and is headquartered in Saskatoon, Canada.

Top 5 Up And Coming Companies For 2015: Tiger Oil and Energy Inc (TGRO)

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Top 5 Up And Coming Companies For 2015: Good Times Restaurants Inc.(GTIM)

Good Times Restaurants, Inc., through its subsidiary, Good Times Drive Thru Inc., engages in developing, owning, operating, and franchising hamburger-oriented drive-through restaurants. The company operates restaurants under the Good Times Burgers & Frozen Custard name primarily in Colorado. It also has franchised restaurants in North Dakota and Wyoming. As of September 30, 2011, the company operated 25 company-owned and joint venture restaurants located in Colorado; and franchises, including 16 located in Colorado, 2 in Wyoming, and 2 in North Dakota. Good Times Restaurants, Inc. was founded in 1987 and is based in Golden, Colorado.

Top 5 Up And Coming Companies For 2015: Asiabasemetals Inc (ABZ.V)

AsiaBaseMetals Inc. engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties principally zinc and base metals in Canada. The company owns interests in the Gnome Zinc project that encompasses approximately 5,429 hectares located in British Columbia. It also focuses on identifying, acquiring, and developing copper, and other base and precious-metal properties in Asia, and North and South America. The company was incorporated in 2009 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Top 5 Up And Coming Companies For 2015: Grid Petroleum Corp (GRPR)

More people moving to Oregon

Oregon has a much greater percentage of people moving in than moving away.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) Oregon was the number one destination among people who moved from one state to another last year.

More than 61% of all interstate moves made in Oregon were for people coming to live in the state, according to United Van Lines' annual migration study, which tracked 129,000 moves in the United States in 2013.

Oregon replaced Washington, D.C., which had held the top spot for the previous five years as workers sought out government jobs. The nation's capital fell to fourth place last year, tying with South Dakota.

Other top destinations for those seeking to relocate included South Carolina, with 60% of moves made for those coming into the state, North Carolina (58%), and Nevada (56%).

"Business incentives, industrial growth and relatively lower costs of living are attracting jobs and people to the Southeastern and Western states, such as South Dakota, Colorado and Texas," said UCLA economist Michael Stoll.

Lifestyle also plays a part. "We're seeing continued migration to the Pacific Northwest as young professionals and retirees are drawn to amenities, including public transit, green space and the local arts and entertainment scene," he said.

Housing costs are an important factor, however, said Stoll. Oregon has many of the same virtues as California -- mild winters, an active lifestyle -- but home prices are much lower, he said. The median price for a single-family home in Portland, for example, is $285,000 according to Zillow. In San Francisco, it's $881,000 and in Los Angeles, $481,000.

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The steep cost of living in California has weighed on its ability to attract new residents; about as many folks moved out of the state as those who moved in, United Van lines found.

Several states with high costs of living saw more people move out than move in, including New Jersey, with 64% of movers leaving the state, Illinois and New York, each with 61%, and Connecticut, losing 59%. West Virginia was the only inexpensive place to live among the top five states that saw more people moving out.

  Detroit tries to rise again

After spending 16 straight years on the negative side of the scale, Michigan finally saw things turnaround last year.

"Despite having an unemployment rate higher than the national average home sales and home prices are up, showing an increased demand for housing, the state's per capita income is up, and automakers in Detroit are hiring," said Stoll.

Fewer people have been moving from state to state since 2008. "Most of our customers move to take advantage of job opportunities and we're seeing a slow recovery from the recession," said Melissa Sullivan, spokeswoman for United.

As the economy heats up, more people are expected to move as corporations step up hiring and look farther afield to find qualified employees.

United Van Lines has been tracking the state-by-state migration patterns of movers in the U.S. since 1977.

Top 5 Electric Utility Companies To Buy Right Now

Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) stockholders, rejoice!

On Friday, Apple's board of directors amended CEO Tim Cook's equity bonus compensation package to now be dependent on the company's stock performance. Before the revision, Tim Cook received restricted stock units after a specified period of time, regardless of how the Apple's stock performed relative to its S&P 500's constituents.

The takeaway here is that Apple investors should consider this to be the dawn of a new era for how it compensates executives. Additionally, it's officially in Cook's best interest for Apple's stock to outperform. �

The rule of thirds
Cook's original 1 million restricted stock units will still vest over a 10-year period, but now 800,000 units will be directly tied to Apple's stock performance. Of those 800,000 units, a maximum of 80,000 units can be awarded to Cook each year. For Cook to earn the entire 80,000 units allotted yearly, Apple's stock performance must rank in the in the top third of all S&P 500 companies. Ultimately, Apple's stock performance will be measured on a three-year rolling time horizon based on previous vesting dates, but in the beginning, performance will be measured on either one- or two-year time horizons until August 2016.

Top 5 Electric Utility Companies To Buy Right Now: iSoftStone Holdings Limited(ISS)

iSoftStone Holdings Limited provides various information technology (IT) services and solutions in the Greater China and internationally. It offers an integrated suite of IT services and solutions, including consulting and solution services, IT services, and business process outsourcing (BPO) services. The company provides a range of consulting services for an overall engagement or discrete consulting services in conjunction with other services. It also develops industry-specific solutions, including treasury management, cash management, property and casualty insurance core, financial holding company business analysis, trust company core, and banking risk management solutions for banking, financial services, and insurance industries; supply chain management, enterprise information portals, business intelligence, business process integration, and management and e-commerce solutions for energy, transportation, and public sectors; mobile and embedded technology, next generati on platforms, business intelligence functionality, and network security products for the communications industry. In addition, the company offers various IT services consisting of application development and maintenance, research and development, and infrastructure and software services. Further, it provides a range of BPO services, such as securities trade processing services for the investment banking industry; digitization and archiving of policyholder information, as well as account processing and customer service for insurance industry; and cross-industry BPO services comprising finance and accounting, customer care, and human resources. The company was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  iSoftStone Holdings (NYSE: ISS  ) reported earnings on May 17. Here are the numbers you need to know.

  The 10-second takeaway
  For the quarter ended March 31 (Q1), iSoftStone Holdings beat expectations on revenues and beat expectations on earnings per share.

Top 5 Electric Utility Companies To Buy Right Now: Putnam Managed Municipal Income Trust(PMM)

Putnam Managed Municipal Income Trust is a close-ended fixed income mutual fund launched and managed by Putnam Investment Management LLC. It is co-managed by Putnam Investments Limited (U.K.). The fund invests in fixed income markets of United States. It invests in a diversified portfolio of tax-exempt municipal securities which typically includes high-yield securities that are below investment grade and involve special risk considerations. The fund benchmarks the performance of its portfolio against Barclays Capital Municipal Bond Index. Putnam Managed Municipal Income Trust was formed on February 24, 1989 and is domiciled in United States.

Best Dividend Companies To Watch In Right Now: Flotek Industries Inc (FTK)

Flotek Industries, Inc. (Flotek), incorporated on May 17, 1985, is a diversified global supplier of drilling and production related products and services. Its core focus is oilfield specialty chemicals and logistics, down-hole drilling tools and down-hole production tools used in the energy and mining industries. Flotek operates in three segments: Chemicals and Logistics, Drilling Products and Artificial Lift. The Company operates using third party agents in Canada, Mexico, Central America, South America, the Middle East, and Asia. In May 2013, Flotek Industries Inc through its wholly owned subsidiary acquired the entire share capital of Florida Chemical Co Inc.

Chemicals and Logistics

The chemical business provides oil and natural gas field specialty chemicals for use in drilling, cementing, stimulation and production activities. The Company�� specialty chemicals are manufactured to withstand a range of down-hole pressures, temperatures and other well-specific conditions. Flotek operates two laboratories, a technical services laboratory and a research and development laboratory, which focus on design, development and testing of new chemical formulations and enhancement of existing products, often in cooperation with the customers. Its micro-emulsions are stable mixtures of oil, water and surface active agents, forming complex nano-fluids, in which the molecules are organized into nanostructures. The micro-emulsions are composed of renewable plant derived cleaning ingredients and oils and are biodegradable. Flotek�� logistics business designs, project manages and operates automated bulk material handling and loading facilities. These bulk facilities handle oilfield products, including sand and other materials for well-fracturing operations, dry cement and additives for oil and gas well cementing, and supply materials used in oilfield operations.

Drilling Products

Flotek is a provider of down-hole drilling tools used in the oilfield, min! ing, water-well and industrial drilling activities. It manufactures, sells, rents and inspects specialized equipment for use in drilling, completion, and production and workover activities. The rental tools include stabilizers, drill collars, reamers, wipers, jars, shock subs, wireless survey, and measurement while drilling (MWD) tools and mud-motors. Equipment sold primarily includes mining equipment, centralizers and drill bits. Flotek focuses its product marketing primarily in the Southeast, Northeast, Mid-Continent and Rocky Mountain regions of the United States, with international sales conducted through third party agents.

Artificial Lift

Flotek provides pumping system components, electric submersible pumps (ESPs), gas separators, production valves and services. The products address the needs of coal bed methane and traditional oil and gas production to move gas, oil and other fluids from the producing horizon to the surface. The Artificial Lift products employ technologies to improved performance. The Petrovalve product optimizes pumping efficiency in horizontal completions, heavy oil and wells with high liquid to gas ratios. Artificial Lift products are manufactured in China, assembled domestically and distributed globally.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By David Smith]

  Flotek Industries (NYSE: FTK  )
  I've mentioned Flotek Industries to Fools in the past. The relatively small ($940 million capitalization and growing) company provides a range of products and assistance for oil and gas operations, from well construction to production. It's also the only services company -- and one of but a handful of companies in any sector -- that's been accorded a perfect consensus of one (strong buy) by the analysts.

• [By David Smith]

  Flotek Industries (NYSE: FTK  )
  The smallest member of the trio, with a market cap of about $815 million, Flotek operates on the services side of the energy sector. As I've previously pointed out to Fools, it also constitutes a rare instance wherein the analysts who monitor the company all accord it strong buy ratings. But with Flotek's share price having risen by more than 40% year to date, it is difficult to contest that unanimous confidence.

Top 5 Electric Utility Companies To Buy Right Now: Violin Memory Inc (VMEM.N)

Violin Memory, Inc., incorporated on March 9, 2005, is pioneering a new class of flash-based storage systems that are designed to bring storage performance in-line with high-speed applications, servers and networks. The Company�� Flash Memory Arrays are specifically designed at each level of the system architecture starting with memory and optimized through the array to leverage the inherent capabilities of flash memory and meet the sustained requirements of business-critical applications, virtualized environments and Big Data solutions in enterprise data centers. The Company�� Velocity Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe), Flash Memory Cards leverage its persistent memory-based architecture in servers and are optimized for applications that require continuous access to quantities of low latency persistent memory located directly in servers.

The Company�� storage systems are based on a four-layer hardware architecture, which is integrated with its Violin Memory Operating System (vMOS), software stack to optimize the management of flash memory at each level of its system architecture. The Company�� Velocity PCIe Flash Memory Cards leverage its expertise in persistent memory-based storage and controller design, as well as its vMOS software stack, to offer a differentiated architecture in a deployable PCIe form factor.

Top 5 Electric Utility Companies To Buy Right Now: Dice Holdings Inc. (DHX)

Dice Holdings, Inc. provides specialized career Websites and career fairs for professional communities. Its career Websites serve as online marketplaces where employers and recruiters find and recruit prospective employees, and where professionals find relevant job opportunities and information. The company's Tech and Clearance segment operates Dice.com, a recruiting and career development Website for technology and engineering professionals in the United States; and ClearanceJobs.com, an Internet-based career network to matching security-cleared professionals with hiring companies searching for employees. This segment also includes Slashdot Media, which comprises Websites, such as Slashdot, a user-generated news, analysis, peer question, and professional insight community; SourceForge, an online destination for technology professionals and enthusiasts to develop, download, review, and publish Open Source software; and Freecode that indexes downloadable Linux, Unix, and cr oss-platform software for a worldwide technology audience. Its Finance segment operates eFinancialCareers.com, a recruiting and career development Website for financial market professionals and financial services industry worldwide. The company's Energy segment operates Rigzone.com, a career Website that delivers online content, data, advertising, and career services for the oil and gas industry. Its Other segment includes Targeted Job Fairs, which produce and host career fairs and open houses focused primarily on technology, energy, and security-cleared candidates; Health Callings, a recruiting and career development Website for healthcare professionals; and WorkDigital, a technology company focused on the recruitment industry. The company serves staffing companies, recruiting agencies, consulting firms, and marketing departments of companies, as well as small, mid-sized, and large direct employers. Dice Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in New York, N ew York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rick Aristotle Munarriz]

  Alamy The market may have rallied remarkably this year, but there are plenty of stocks that never got the memo. Dozens of stocks are hitting fresh 52-week lows these days, and some of them aren't as bad as their low stock prices would seem to suggest. Last week, I took a look at five stocks that didn't deserve to be hitting new 52-week highs. Now it's time to flip things around and look at five stocks that hit new 52-week lows last week that are prime candidates to bounce back. Dice Holdings (DHX) 52-Week Range: $6.83-$10.43 Dice operates several industry-specific career and employment websites, including the namesake Dice.com for tech jobs, ClearanceJobs.com for jobs that require security clearance, and Rigzone.com for jobs in the oil industry. It's a novel approach to helping folks in specific sectors network, and naturally this is magnetic to potential employers. The success of LinkedIn (LNKD) may have taken some of the shine off Dice, but the company's still finding ways to grow. Analysts see revenue climbing at a slightly better than 6 percent clip this year and again in 2014. Kinder Morgan (KMI) 52-Week Range: $32.30-$41.49 Kinder Morgan watches over the country's largest network of natural gas pipelines. Thanks to its reputation as a cleaner energy source than coal or petroleum (and the massive upsurge in U.S. production thanks to the fracking boom), natural gas is a growing source of domestic energy. Even commercial vehicles are starting to be powered by liquefied natural gas. Kinder Morgan is growing, but it has missed Wall Street's profit targets in each of the three past quarters. That's been enough to scare off some investors. However, the falling share price has also made Kinder Morgan's healthy dividend that much more compelling. The stock's yield of 4.6 percent is too rich to ignore here. Liquidity Services (LQDT) 52-Week Range: $20.37-$44.40 Liquidity Services prides itself as a problem solver. It runs a marketplace for items that need to b

Top 5 Electric Utility Companies To Buy Right Now: Thermal Energy International In (TMG.V)

Thermal Energy International Inc., a technology company, provides various proprietary and proven energy efficiency, emission reduction, water efficiency, and bioenergy products and solutions to the industrial, commercial, and institutional markets worldwide. Its energy solutions portfolio includes FLU-ACE technology that enhances the fuel efficiency of boiler operations, and captures heat from paper machines and other dryers; Dry-Rex low temperature biomass dryers; GEM steam traps and condensate return systems; THERMAL-AUD program that allows energy managers to meet corporate energy cost and emission reduction mandates; and THERMALOZOMAX ozone generation technology, which has applications in water purification, waste water treatment, and treatment of air streams and hazardous air pollutants. In addition, the company offers business and project development, and business case analyses; and engineering, construction management, installation, and project financing services. Th e company was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada.

Top 5 Electric Utility Companies To Buy Right Now: Raffaele Caruso SpA (YRC.MI)

Raffaele Caruso SpA is an Italy-based company, operating in the apparel sector. It produces tailor-made suits, coats and jackets, for men only. The Company owns three industrial facilities in Soragna and in Ponte dell��glio, Italy. The Company distributes its products worldwide through its own brands Raffaele Caruso and Fluo. The Company also acts as wholesaler for brands of other companies.

Top 5 Electric Utility Companies To Buy Right Now: Australia Oriental Minerals NL (AOM.AX)

Australia Oriental Minerals NL engages in the exploration and production of oil and gas properties. The company holds binding agreements to acquire 80% working interests in the South Kozha and Karagan oil-fields located in Kazakhstan. It also has a joint venture agreement with Silver Mines Ltd for the Kiawarra EL 6269 tenement to explore for silver, lead, zinc, tin, and gold mineralization; and a joint venture with SmartTrans for the Mount Mackenzie Prospect, which covers 3 tenements to explore for gold, copper, lead, zinc, and silver located in the in the South Connors Arch Province, Queensland. Australia Oriental Minerals NL is based in Adelaide, Australia.

Top 5 Electric Utility Companies To Buy Right Now: Zebra Technologies Corporation(ZBRA)

Zebra Technologies Corporation offers products and solutions that assist in identifying, authenticating, and tracking assets, people, and transactions. The company?s products include direct thermal and thermal transfer label and receipt printers, radio frequency identification printer/encoders, dye sublimation card printers, real-time location solutions, and related accessories and support software. It also designs, manufactures, and sells specialty printing devices that print variable information on demand at the point of issuance. The company offers its printers to print bar code labels, receipts, plastic identification cards, wristbands, and tags, as well as to encode passive RFID smart labels and cards. In addition, it provides printer management, label design, and driver solutions under the ZebraNet brand name. The company?s printer supplies consist of stock and customized thermal labels, wristbands, plastic cards, card laminates, and thermal transfer ribbons. Its p roducts have applications in inventory control, small package delivery, baggage handling, automated warehousing, just-in-time manufacturing, employee time and attendance records, file management systems, patient barcode wrist banding, medical specimen labeling, shop floor control, in-store product labeling, employee ID cards, driver?s licenses, and access control systems. The company sells its products worldwide through distributors, value-added resellers, and original equipment manufacturers. Zebra Technologies Corporation was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in Lincolnshire, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Andy Obermueller]

  I first told StreetAuthority readers about this game-changing technology in an article about another stock in this sector I like: payment processing firm Zebra (Nasdaq: ZBRA).

Top 5 Electric Utility Companies To Buy Right Now: Aedes(AEDI.MI)

Aedes SpA operates in the real estate sector in Italy and internationally. The company owns buildings; manages owner-occupied urban and suburban retail malls, and offices; develops metropolitan and industrial areas, and commercial and residential properties; and purchases and resells apartment complexes. It also provides management services for various phases of real estate projects comprising asset management, fund management, advisory, finance and administrative, treasury, corporate governance, intermediation, and shopping mall management services. The company was founded in 1905 and is headquartered in Milan, Italy.

Top 5 Electric Utility Companies To Buy Right Now: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (SSNLF.PK)

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. mainly engaged in the production of consumer electronic products. It operates in two divisions: DMC division, which is divided into consumer electronics (CE) and information technology & mobile communications (IM) businesses, as well as DS division, which is divided into semiconductor and liquid crystal display (LCD) businesses. Its CE business engages in the production of color televisions (CTVs), monitors, air conditioners, refrigerators and others. Its IM business engages in the production of printers, computers, handhold phones (HHPs) such as feature phones, smart phones and others, and network systems, among others. Its semiconductor business engages in the production of semiconductors, such as memories, system large scale integrated circuits (LSIs) and others. Its LCD business engages in the production of thin film transistor (TFT) LCDs and organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), among others.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ashraf Eassa]

  Next, it is interesting to note that Samsung (SSNLF.PK) recently announced a device called the "Galaxy Tab 3 Kids", which is an Android based competitor to the LeapPad product line in the sense that it comes layered with a UI specifically targeted for children much in the same way that the LeapPad Ultra is. Of course, LeapFrog will (rightly) argue that its application ecosystem is more robust on the education side of things, but this is the sort of disruption - particularly by general purpose hardware - that can eventually spell disaster in the long run, particularly as a player like Samsung (which often in-sources many of its own parts) can drive prices down while maintaining reasonable margins and forcing out the smaller more niche players in a given space.

• [By George Kesarios]

  With companies like Google (GOOG), Microsoft (MSFT), Samsung (SSNLF.PK) and even Dell (DELL) all working on making small wrist like devices and bracelets, at the end of the day, success will be determined by the power source and semiconductor components that use extremely low power.

• [By Esekla]

  Universal Display (OLED) is another company that is changing its ticker symbol (on 6/24, from PANL). My research indicates that this stock is trading well below fair value, which should limit risk, though the volatility figures and revenue predominantly from Samsung (SSNLF.PK) argue otherwise. The reason for the price slump is probably a scale back of sales estimates for the Galaxy S IV, but since Samsung will sell all the OLED displays it can produce, regardless of the devices they go into, this reaction seems unwarranted.

• [By Yasir Idrees]

  Nokia (NOK), one of the biggest names in the smartphones industry, has been struggling for quite some time now in getting back its position as the leader in mobile phones. The company lost out to the rapid technological changes and the shift from traditional mobile phones to touchscreen smartphones. Apple (AAPL), along with BlackBerry (BBRY) and Samsung (SSNLF.PK), did most of the damage to Nokia's position since 2007. Since then, Nokia has never looked like the company that it used to be.

Top 5 Electric Utility Companies To Buy Right Now: Bank Linth LLB AG (LINN)

Bank Linth LLB AG (the Bank) a Switzerland-based bank engaged in banking activities in the region of Linth in Switzerland. The Bank's customers are shareholders, private account holders, businesses and associations. Its product range includes account products, such as fixed savings accounts, foreign currency accounts, SparkontoPLUS, Privatkonto Ausbildung, Kapitaleinzahlungskonto and Geschenksparkonto, investment products, which covers investment trusts, trust savings and medium-term bonds and shares, and pension plan products, which are based on the Swiss three pillar concept (state, corporate and private pension) and offer a variety of schemes, such as a fixed savings product, capital life insurance and pension investment trust. In addition, the Bank offers real estate financing solutions and a variety of loans for its business customers. Bank Linth LLB AG operates a network of approximately 20 branches and is majority owned by Liechtensteinische Landesbank AG.

Top 5 Electric Utility Companies To Buy Right Now: Ria Resources Corp (RIA.V)

RIA Resources Corp., a junior oil and gas company, engages in the exploration, development, and production of oil, natural gas, and associated liquids principally in the Province of Alberta, western Canada. It holds a 98.963 % working interest in the Bonnie Glen Cardium Unit located in central Alberta. The company was formerly known as Blue Parrot Energy Inc. and changed its name to RIA Resources Corp. in May 2009. RIA Resources Corp. is based in Calgary, Canada.