Top 10 Long Term Companies To Invest In 2015

Look out,�SodaStream (NASDAQ: SODA  ) shareholders! Green Mountain Coffee Roasters� (NASDAQ: GMCR  ) may have your business in its sights.

On Monday, shares of Green Mountain rose more than 6% after a Bloomberg report pointed out that the company recently applied for a trademark on the word "Karbon," which they describe as a machine "for the production of cold water, soda, still, carbonated and sparkling beverages."

Of course, this doesn't exactly mean Green Mountain will be jumping into the at-home carbonation market anytime in the very near future, and Green Mountain representatives, for their part, wouldn't comment on the specific trademark. Instead, they vaguely stated, "As we continue to grow, we are likely to seek any number of trademarks."

Par for the course
So does this mean certain doom for SodaStream over the long term? Hardly.

Remember, late last year, bottled water distributor�Primo Water signed a three-year deal with Cuisinart to sell a Cuisinart-branded version of its own sparkling beverage appliances, and that hasn't stopped SodaStream from making a habit of crushing analysts' expectations each quarter since then.

Top 10 Long Term Companies To Invest In 2015: Location Based Technologies Inc (LBAS)

Location Based Technologies, Inc. (LBT), incorporated on April 20, 2006, designs, develops, and sells personal, pet, and vehicle locator devices and services including PocketFinder People, PocketFinder Pets and PocketFinder Vehicles. The Company markets and sells consumer and commercial location devices and services. Its devices utilize Assisted Global Positioning System (A-GPS) and General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) technologies in conjunction with its technologies designed to enhance the families to interact and stay connected around the world. The Company is a developer of the PocketFinder family of products and the PocketFinder Network. The PocketFinder family of products includes the PocketFinder People, PocketFinder Vehicle, PocketFinder Pets, PocketFinder Luggage, PocketFinder Mobile and PocketFinder Fleet. The PocketFinder is a small location device that enables a user to locate a device, person, or pet, at anytime from almost anywhere. PocketFinder personal locator devices are wireless.

The Company generate revenue by selling its products and charging customers an ongoing service fee, for which it offers monthly and annual subscription plans. The Company�� product, PocketFinder, is a small, waterproof and wireless location device that enables users to locate anyone or anything they care about, from a computer or Web-enabled device. Its products deliver critical information to users, such as: device location, longitude, latitude, heading speed and 60 days of location history. This information can be viewed passively through a user�� account or can be sent to a user via email or push notification if the user sets an alert. The target markets for the PocketFinder include: young children, seniors, people with special needs and people who need to track valuable assets such as luggage or sporting equipment. In addition to the PocketFinder, it also sell the PocketFinder Pet and the PocketFinder Vehicle products. The PocketFinder Pet is designed for pets weighing 15 pounds or more,! and it markets the PocketFinder Vehicle to families with new drivers, car enthusiasts, motorcycle owners, watercraft owners and business fleets. The PocketFinder Vehicle attaches directly to a battery or fuse box, so it has a constant supply of power. All PocketFinder products operate on the same user interface, which enables its customers receive the same features, functionality and user-experience, regardless of which product they own. To access their account or locate their devices, users can logon to the Company�� Website at www.pocketfinder.com or use its native iPhone, iPad or Android Apps.

The Company�� products are sold through various brick-and-mortar and online retailers and through its Website. It provides customer service and support in the United States through existing call centers owned by Affinitas. It provides wireless location based solutions for global positioning products along with its friendly user interface software system. PocketFinder and PocketFinder Vehicle devices are being sold in the United States and in Canada through the Apple Online Store and Apple Retail Stores. PocketFinder devices for Pets are available for purchase on its Website.

The Company competes with Geospatial Platform Providers, Application Developers, Garmin�� GTU-10, Qualcomm�� Tagg, Lo-Jack, SpotLight, Fleetmatics, NetworkFleet, and Qualcomm.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  Today, LBAS has shed (-7.69%) -0.010 at $.120 with 95,100 shares in play thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 12:21PM EDT August 15, 2013).

  Location Based Technologies, Inc. previously reported it has signed a distribution agreement with Beijing Lava Technology Co. Ltd., an Apple approved distributor for its online, brick and mortar stores, and authorized distributors in Asia. The agreement is one of the final steps preceding the launch of LBT�� GPS products into the Asian markets. Beijing Lava Technology Co. Ltd. serves China, Singapore, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

  LBT estimates that it will begin selling its PocketFinder devices in Singapore through Apple�� online store and authorized distributors in the near future with other Asian countries to follow thereafter.

• [By CRWE]

  Today, LBAS�remains (0.00%) +0.000 at $.132 with 9,470 shares in movement thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 9:47AM EDT June 20, 2013).

  Location Based Technologies, Inc. previously received FCC and IC certification for its versatile LBT-886 device. These certifications are necessary before devices can be sold to consumers throughout the US and Canada.

  The LBT-886 device is available for manufacture in a 2G or 3G variant. The 3G penta-band variant will enable the device to function in countries which only operate on the 3G spectrum, such as Australia, South Korea, Japan and some areas of Canada. This global tracking solution also delivers additional features such as various environmental sensors or comes with an attachment with special capability designed to meet lone-worker or personnel security requirements

• [By CRWE]

  Today, LBAS surged (+10.27%) up +0.015 at $.160 with�39,780 shares in play thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 11:41AM EDT July 5, 2013).

  Location Based Technologies, Inc. and EE, Ltd., the U.K.�� most advanced communications company, have previously entered into a purchase agreement which will allow LBT to embed EE SIM technology into LBT�� world�� best GPS products for immediate purchase throughout Europe and in additional areas around the world.

  EE�� relationship with LBT continues to grow. The companies began their relationship earlier this year when EE launched PocketFinder Personal GPS Locators in their London flagship stores (https://explore.ee.co.uk/pocket-finder). With this latest agreement, LBT now has the capability to sell devices into Europe using a local SIM, thereby greatly reducing the monthly service fee charged to customers.

Top 10 Long Term Companies To Invest In 2015: Royal Bank Of Canada(RY)

Royal Bank of Canada provides personal and commercial banking, wealth management services, insurance, corporate and investment banking, and transaction processing services under the RBC name worldwide. Its Canadian Banking segment offers personal financial services, business financial services, and cards and payment solutions. The company?s Wealth Management segment provides wealth and asset management, and estate and trust services to affluent and high net worth clients through distributors, as well as directly to institutional and individual clients in Canada, the United States, Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Its Insurance segment provides various life and health insurance, including universal life, accidental death and critical illness protection, disability, long-term care insurance, and group benefits; and property and casualty insurance comprising home, auto, and travel insurance, as well as wealth accumulation solutions; and reinsurance products through retail ins urance branches, call centers, independent insurance advisors and travel agencies, financial institutions, and career sales force. The company?s International Banking segment offers various financial products and services to individuals, business clients, and public institutions in the U.S. and Caribbean. This segment also provides global custody, fund and pension administration, securities lending, shareholder services, analytics, and other related services to institutional investors. Royal Bank of Canada?s Capital Markets segment engages in the trading and distribution of fixed income, foreign exchange, equities, commodities, and derivative products for institutional, public sector, and corporate clients; and involves in investment banking, debt and equity origination, advisory services, corporate lending, private equity, and client securitization businesses. The company was founded in 1864 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dividend]

  Here are the biggest dividend growth stocks:
  
  Royal Bank of Canada (RY) has a market capitalization of $100.81 billion. The company employs 75,376 people, generates revenue of $19.794 billion and has a net income of $7.205 billion. Royal Bank of Canada�� earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) amounts to $12.492 billion. The EBITDA margin is 63.10 percent (the operating margin is 32.55 percent and the net profit margin 25.49 percent).

Top Supermarket Companies To Invest In 2015: Bombardier Inc (BDRAF)

Bombardier, Inc. is a Canada-based aerospace and transportation company. The Company operates in two segments: aerospace and rail transportation. The aerospace segment is structured by market segment (business aircraft, commercial aircraft and services), which is reflective of its organizational structure. The transportation segment is structured by market segment (rolling stock, services, system and signalling), which is reflective of its organizational structure, and by geographic region (Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific and Rest of world). As of December 31, 2012, the Company had 80 production and engineering sites in 26 countries, and a worldwide network of service centre. In May 2012, it launched the Learjet 70 and Learjet 75 aircraft programs. In October 2013, the Company announced that it has opened Bombardier's new wing manufacturing and assembly facility in Belfast. In December 2013, the Company sold Flexjet's activities to Flexjet, LLC. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Adam Levine-Weinberg]

  Yet there is a fourth major competitor in the commercial aircraft market -- Bombardier (NASDAQOTH: BDRAF  ) -- and it has its own advanced-technology airplane. The company's CSeries plane is expected to make its first flight as early as this week. Yet the CSeries put up a goose egg at the Paris Air Show, failing to notch a single order. While Bombardier has nearly 200 firm orders for the CSeries, the company will rapidly burn through that backlog once it starts CSeries mass production.

Top 10 Long Term Companies To Invest In 2015: Mentor Graphics Corporation(MENT)

Mentor Graphics Corporation provides electronic design automation software and hardware solutions to automate the design, analysis, and testing of complex electro-mechanical systems, electronic hardware, and embedded systems software. It offers ModelSim, a hardware description language mixed-language digital simulator; Questa tool for the verification of systems and ICs; analog/mixed signal simulators, including Eldo, ADVance MS, and ADiT tools; and Veloce, a hardware emulation system. The company also provides Calibre DRC and Calibre LVS physical verification tools; Calibre xRC and xACT transistor-level extraction and device modeling tools; Calibre lithography tools; Calibre PERC tool for checking the electrical design of an IC; and Olympus-SoC place and route solution. In addition, it offers Expedition Series PCB design products; PADS, a PCB design and layout solution; I/O Designer that integrates FPGA input/output planning with PCB design tools; XtremePCB tool for simul taneous design; XtremeAR, a PCB routing product; and FloTHERM, a 3D computational fluid dynamics software. Further, the company provides software tools for the design of complex wire harness systems and automotive electronic components; and a suite of real-time operating systems, Linux and Android products, middleware, and associated development and debugging tools for developing embedded software. Additionally, it offers software support, hardware support, and customer training services; professional consulting services; and methodology development and refinement services to improve product development processes. The company sells and licenses its products through direct sales force, distributors, and sales representatives primarily to large companies in military and aerospace, communications, computer, consumer electronics, semiconductor, networking, multimedia, and transportation industries worldwide. Mentor Graphics Corporation was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Wilsonville, Oregon.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Steven Russolillo]

  WATCH FOR:�Weekly Jobless Claims (8:30 a.m. Eastern Time): seen 310K; previously 297K. May Markit “Flash” PMI (9:45). April Existing Home Sales (10:00): seen +2.0% at 2.68M; previously -0.2% at 4.59M. April Leading Index (10:00): seen +0.5%; previously +0.8%. May Kansas City Fed Manufacturing Survey (11:00): seen 8; previously 7. Aeropostale, Best Buy(BBY), Borcade, Buckle, Dollar Tree(DLTR), GameStop(GME), Gap(GPS), Hewlett-Packard(HPQ), Marvell Tech(MRVL), Mentor Graphics(MENT), Ross Stores(ROST) and TiVo are among companies scheduled to report quarterly results.

Top 10 Long Term Companies To Invest In 2015: LIN TV Corp(TVL)

LIN TV Corp., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a local television and digital media company. It operates or services 32 network-affiliates, television station Websites, and mobile products in 15 U.S. markets. The company?s television stations, which are affiliated with a national broadcast network, deliver local news and community stories, as well as sports and entertainment programming to 7.4% of U.S. television homes. It is also involved in the convergence of local broadcast television and the Internet through its television station Websites and local online technologies. In addition, LIN TV Corp. offers its content online and on mobile applications. The company was formerly known as Ranger Equity Holdings Corporation and changed its name to LIN TV Corp. in February 2002. LIN TV Corp. was founded in 1966 and is headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

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

Top 10 Long Term Companies To Invest In 2015: Greengro Technologies Inc (GRNH)

GreenGro Technologies Inc., formerly Authoriszor Inc., provides management services for the planning, construction, staffing and operation of medical marijuana dispensaries, and nurseries on behalf of non-profit patient co-operatives. Through long term contracts, the Company operates non-profit centers, returning all unused patient contributions, on a pro-rata basis to each co-op member in the form of additional product. In February 2010, Authoriszor Inc. completed the acquisition of GreenGro Technologies, Inc., and CannovaHealth, a clinic management company. In September 2011, the Company acquired Vertical Hydrogarden, Inc.

Medical marijuana (medical cannabis) is an alternative method to other forms of medication used to manage or alleviate pain without the undo side-effects caused by the prescription medication being used to treat an illness. The Company stands ready to assist in patient care co-operatives throughout the United States.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Burrows]

  But it doesn’t end there. Investors should run away from all OTC marijuana stocks, including Medical Marijuana (MJNA), Cannabis Science (CBIS), CannaVest (CANV), MediSwipe (MWIP) and GreenGro Technologies (GRNH). As the SEC warns:

• [By James E. Brumley]

  If it seems like the buzz surrounding marijuana stocks like Medical Marijuana Inc. (OTCMKTS:MJNA), Hemp, Inc. (OTCMKTS:HEMP), and GreenGro Technologies, Inc. (OTCMKTS:GRNH) has been a little louder than usual the last few days, you're not crazy - it has been louder, and particularly bullish. GRNH shares advanced 37% in December. HEMP is up 166% for the past two weeks. MJNA has jumped 47% in just the past couple of days. Well, as it turns out, it's not just mere coincidence that GreenGro Technologies, Hemp, Medical Marijuana, and a bunch of other cannabis-related names have perked up of late. And, odds are pretty good they'll all continue to do well (even of the pace slows a bit) in 2014.

Top 10 Long Term Companies To Invest In 2015: MRC Global Inc (MRC)

MRC Global Inc., formerly known as McJunkin Red Man Holding Corporation, incorporated on November 20, 2006, is a holding company. The Company is the distributor of pipe, valves and fittings (PVF) and related products and services to the energy industry. The Company offers a range of PVF and oilfield supplies encompassing a complete line of products from its global network of suppliers to its more than 12,000 customers. The Company operates in two segments: North American segment and International segment. Its North American segment includes over 180 branch locations, six distribution centers in the United States, one distribution center in Canada, 11 valve automation service centers and over 170 pipe yards located in the oil and natural gas regions in North America. Its International segment includes over 40 branch locations throughout Europe, Asia and Australasia with distribution centers in each of the United Kingdom, Singapore and Australia and 10 automation service centers in Europe and Asia. On June 9, 2011, it acquired Stainless Pipe and Fittings Australia Pty. Ltd. (MRC SPF). On July 22, 2011, it acquired Valve Systems and Controls (VSC). In January 2013, the Company's subsidiary, McJunkin Red Man Corporation,acquired operating assets of Production Specialty Services, Inc. In July 2013, MRC Global Inc announced that it has completed the previously announced acquisition of the operating assets of Dan H. Brown, Inc., D/B/A Flow Control Products (Flow Control). In December 2013, MRC Global Inc acquired Flangefitt Stainless Ltd. Effective January 6, 2014, MRC Global Inc a unit of GS Capital Partners LP subsidiary of Goldman Sachs Group Inc's Goldman Sachs & Co unit, acquired Stream AS.

The Company distributes products globally, including in PVF intensive, oil and natural gas exploration and production (E&P) areas, such as the Bakken, Barnett, Eagle Ford, Fayetteville, Haynesville, Marcellus, Niobrara and Utica shales in North America. Its Canadian subsidiary Midfield Supply ULC and its! subsidiaries (MRC Midfield), provides PVF products to oil and natural gas companies operating primarily in Western Canada, including the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin, Alberta Oil Sands and heavy oil regions. It offers more than 150,000 stock keeping units (SKUs), including a range of PVF, oilfield supply, automation, instrumentation and other general and specialty industry supply products.

The Company is the majority owned subsidiary of PVF Holdings LLC. Its wholly owned subsidiary, McJunkin Red Man Corporation and its subsidiaries (MRC), are global distributors of pipe, valves, fittings and related products and services across each of the upstream (exploration, production and extraction of underground oil and gas), midstream (gathering and transmission of oil and gas, gas utilities, and the storage and distribution of oil and gas) and downstream (crude oil refining, petrochemical processing and general industrials) markets. The Company serves the global oil and natural gas industry, generating approximately 90% of its sales from supplying products and services to customers throughout the energy industry. Of its total sales, 62% of sales are comprised of valves, fittings and flanges and other industrial supply products and 38% are tubular products, mainly line pipe and oil country tubular goods (OCTG) as of September 30, 2011.

North American Operations

The Company distributes PVF products, primarily used in applications in the energy infrastructure sector, from its global network of suppliers. The products it distributes are used in the construction, maintenance, repair and overhaul of equipments. The products include Valves and Specialty Products, Line Pipe, OCTG, Carbon Steel Fittings and Flanges and Stainless Steel and Alloy Pipe and Fittings and others. The products under valves and specialty products include ball, butterfly, gate, globe, check, needle and plug valves, which are manufactured from cast steel, stainless/alloy steel, forged steel, carbon st! eel or ca! st and ductile iron. Specialty products include lined corrosion resistant piping systems, valve automation and top work components used for regulating flow and on/off service, and a range of steam and instrumentation products used in various process applications within its refinery, petrochemical and general industrial sectors.

Carbon line pipe is used in high-yield, high-stress, abrasive applications, such as the gathering and transmission of oil, natural gas and phosphates. Line pipe is part of its tubular product category. OCTG is part of its tubular product category, includes casing (used for production and to line the well bore) and tubing pipe (used to extract oil or natural gas from wells) and is either classified as carbon or alloy depending on the grade of material. Carbon steel fittings and flanges include carbon weld fittings, flanges and piping components used primarily to connect piping and valve systems for the transmission of various liquids and gases. These products are used across all the industries in which it operates. Stainless steel and alloy pipe and fittings include stainless, alloy and corrosion resistant pipe, tubing, fittings and flanges. These are used in the chemical, refining and power generation industries, as well as across all of the sectors in which the Company operates. Alloy products are principally used in high-pressure, high-temperature and high-corrosion applications typically seen in process piping applications.

The products under other category include natural gas distribution products, oilfield supplies, and other industrial products, such as mill and safety and electrical supplies. Natural gas distribution products include risers, meters, polyethylene pipe and fittings and various other components and industrial supplies used primarily in the distribution of natural gas to residential and commercial customers. It offers a range of oilfield and industrial supplies and completion equipment, and products offered include high density polyet! hylene pi! pe and fittings, valves, well heads, pumping units and rods. In addition, it supplies a range of specialized production equipment, including meter runs, tanks and separators used in its upstream sector.

The Company provides its customers with a range of services, including multiple deliveries each day, zone store management, valve tagging and system interfaces that directly tie the customer into its information systems. Its information system, which provides for customer and supplier electronic integrations, information sharing and e-commerce applications, provides service to its customers. The Company sources the products it distributes from a global network of suppliers. The remainder of the products it distributes are sourced from manufacturer representatives, trading companies and, in some instances, other distributors.

The Company competes with Wilson Industries, Inc., National Oilwell Varco, Inc. and Ferguson Enterprises.

International Operations

The Company�� International segment represents its valve and stainless and alloy pipe, fitting and flange distribution business to the energy and general industrial sectors, across each of the downstream and upstream sectors, through its distribution operations located throughout Europe, Asia, Australasia and the Middle East. Through its over 40 branch and service facilities throughout Europe, Asia, Australasia and the Middle East, it distributes a complete line of valve and stainless and alloy pipe, fittings and flanges and specialty products. Its Valve products offered include ball, butterfly, gate, globe, check, needle and plug valves, which are manufactured from cast steel, stainless/alloy steel, forged steel, carbon steel or cast and ductile iron. Valves are used in oilfield and industrial applications to control direction, velocity and pressure of fluids and gases within transmission networks. Specialty products include lined corrosion resistant piping systems, valve automation and top work compo! nents use! d for regulating flow and on/off service and a range of steam and instrumentation products used in various process applications within its offshore, refinery, petrochemical and general industrial sectors.

Stainless steel products are used in all sectors in which it operates, including oil and gas, mining and mineral processing, water treatment and desalination, and petrochemical. It provides its customers with a range of services, including multiple daily deliveries, zone stores management, valve tagging and system interfaces that directly tie the customer into its information systems.

The Company competes with Econosto.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  MRC Global (NYSE: MRC  ) now officially has a new asset in its portfolio. The company announced it has finalized the acquisition of the operating assets of Flow Control Products. It describes the once privately held firm as "a leading provider of pneumatic, electric and electro-hydraulic valve automation packages and related field support to the Permian Basin energy industry, including production facilities, pipelines, and plant operations." According to MRC Global, the company posted $28 million in revenues last year.

Top 10 Long Term Companies To Invest In 2015: StemCells Inc (STEM)

StemCells, Inc. (StemCells), incorporated in August 1988, is engaged in the research, development, and commercialization of stem cell therapeutics and related tools and technologies for academia and industry. The Company is focused on developing and commercializing stem and progenitor cells as the basis for therapeutics and therapies, and cells and related tools and technologies to enable stem cell-based research and drug discovery and development. The Company�� primary research and development efforts are focused on identifying and developing stem and progenitor cells as potential therapeutic agents. The Company has two therapeutic product development programs, including its CNS Program, which is developing applications for HuCNS-SC cells, its human neural stem cell product candidate, and its Liver Program, which is characterizing the Company�� human liver cells as a therapeutic product.

CNS Program

The Company in its CNS Program, is in clinical development with its HuCNS-SC cells for a range of disorders of the central nervous system. The CNS includes the brain, spinal cord and eye. In February 2012, the Company had completed a Phase I clinical trial in Pelizeaus-Merzbacher Disease (PMD), a fatal myelination disorder in the brain.

The Company�� CNS Program is focused on developing clinical applications, in which transplanting HuCNS-SC cells protect or restore organ function of the patient before such function is irreversibly damaged or lost due to disease progression. The Company�� initial target indications are PMD, and more generally, diseases in which deficient myelination plays a central role, such as cerebral palsy or multiple sclerosis; spinal cord injury, disorders in which retinal degeneration plays a central role, such as age-related macular degeneration or retinitis pigmentosa. The Company�� product candidate, HuCNS-SC cells, is a purified and expanded composition of normal human neural stem cells. Its HuCNS-SC cells can be directly transp! lanted.

Liver Program

Liver stem or progenitor cells offer an alternative treatment for liver diseases. A liver cellular therapy or cell-based therapeutic provide or support liver function in patients with liver disease. The Company held a portfolio of issued and allowed patents in the liver field, which cover the isolation and use of both hLEC cells and the isolated subset, as well as the composition of the cells themselves.

The Company�� range of cell culture products, which are sold under the SC Proven brand, includes iSTEM, GS1-R, GS2-M, RHB-A, RHB-Basal, NDiff N2, and NDiff N2B27. Its iSTEM is a serum-free, feeder-free medium that maintains mouse embryonic stem cells in their pluripotent ground state by using selective small molecule inhibitors to block the pathways, which induce differentiation. RHB-A is a defined, serum-free culture medium for the selective culture of human and mouse neural stem cells and their maintenance and expansion as adherent cell populations. RHB-Basal is a defined, serum-free basal medium. When supplemented with specific growth factors, this media is formulated for the propagation and differentiation of adherent neural stem cells. RHB-Basal can also be tailored to specific-cell type requirements by the addition of customer preferred supplements.

The Company�� NDiff N2 is a defined serum-free scell culture supplement for the derivation, maintenance, expansion and/or differentiation of human and mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells and tissue-derived neural stem cells supplement. Its NDiff N2-AF is a serum-free and animal component-free version of NDiff N2. Its NDiff N2B27 is a defined, serum-free medium for the differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells to neural cell types. NDiff N27-AF is a serum-free and animal component-free version of NDiff N27. Its GS1-R is a serum-free media formulation shown to enable the derivation and long-term maintenance of true, germline competent rat embryonic stem cells without the add! ition of ! cytokines or growth factors. Its GS2-M is a defined, serum- and feeder-free medium for the derivation and long-term maintenance of true, germline competent mouse iPS cells.

The Company also markets a number of antibody reagents for use in cell detection, isolation and characterization. These reagents are also under the SC Proven brand and it includes STEM24, STEM101, STEM121 and STEM123. Its STEM24 is a human antibody that recognizes human CD24, also known as heat stable antigen (HSA), a glycoprotein expressed on the surface of many human cell types, including immature human hematopoietic cells, peripheral blood lymphocytes, erythrocytes and many human carcinomas. Its CD24 is also a marker of human neural differentiation. Its STEM101 is a human-specific mouse antibody that recognizes the Ku80 protein found in human nuclei. Its STEM121 is a human-specific mouse antibody that recognizes a cytoplasmic protein of human cells. Its STEM123 is a human-specific mouse antibody that recognizes human glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP).

The Company�� Other products marketed under SC Proven include total cell genomic DNA (gDNA), RNA and protein lysate reagents purified from homogenous stem cell populations for intra-comparative studies, such as Epigenetic fingerprinting, Southern, Western and Northern blots, PCR, RT-PCR and microarrays. This range of purified stem cell line lysates includes mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells propagated in SC Proven 2i inhibitor-based GS2-M media and mouse ES cell-derived and fetal tissue-derived neural stem (NS) cells propagated in SC Proven RHB-A media.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  The results of a recent Pew Center Poll regarding attitudes towards abortion and various forms of stem cell research could be a good sign for the stem cell industry along with small cap stem cell stocks like StemCells Inc (NASDAQ: STEM), NeoStem Inc (NASDAQ: NBS), Neuralstem, Inc (NYSEMKT: CUR),�International Stem Cell Corp (OTCMKTS: ISCO) and BioRestorative Therapies (OTCBB: BRTX). Basically, Americans think that having an abortion is a moral issue with 49% of American adults believing abortion is morally wrong, 23%�view it not as a moral issue and and 15% view it as morally acceptable. However and when Americans were asked about issues surrounding�human embryos, such as stem cell research or in vitro fertilization, as a matter of morality, their views were different.

• [By James E. Brumley]

  When an investor thinks of spinal-related stem cell stocks, usually a name like Neuralstem, Inc (NYSEMKT: CUR) or StemCells Inc (NASDAQ: STEM) comes to mind. And well they should. STEM has logged some amazing breakthroughs in the field of spinal cord repair, while CUR has done the same. Not all back problems are spinal cord related though. In fact, most back problems - and therefore the most opportunity - are bone and disc related problems. That's where a young gun like BioRestorative Therapies (OTCBB: BRTX) can step in and make stem cell waves. BRTX has developed an approach to rejuvenate and revive failing spinal discs, potentially ending pain for millions of back-pain sufferers, and circumventing expensive spinal surgeries that are in increasing burden on insurance companies.

Top 10 Long Term Companies To Invest In 2015: Alaska Air Group Inc. (ALK)

Alaska Air Group, Inc., through its subsidiaries, Alaska Airlines, Inc. and Horizon Air Industries, Inc., operates as an airline company serving destinations in the western United States, Canada, and Mexico. The company provides passenger air services; and freight and mail services primarily to and within the state of Alaska and on the West Coast. As of December 31, 2009, it operated a fleet of 110 jet aircraft; and Horizon Air Industries operated a fleet of 18 jets and 40 turboprop aircraft. The company was founded in 1932 and is based in Seattle, Washington.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jonathan Yates]

  A useful way to determine how well a company is being managed for debt and other considerations is to compare it with the "best practices" in the industry. Spirit Airlines (NASDAQ: SAVE) and Alaska Airlines (NYSE: ALK) are, by far, the best run airlines-- �with each having a profit margin of around 9.50 percent. The debt-to-equity ratio for Alaska Airlines is 0.50. Spirit Airlines has no debt.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  DeNardi also rates Alaska Air (ALK), Spirit Airlines (SAVE) and Allegiant Travel (ALGT) as Buys and Southwest, JetBlue Airways (JBLU) and Hawaiian Holdings (HA) as holds.

• [By Dan Radovsky]

  Most passengers buying tickets on Alaska Airlines (NYSE: ALK  ) on or after Oct. 30 will be paying higher fees for checked baggage and for changing or cancelling their tickets, the airline announced today.

Top 10 Long Term Companies To Invest In 2015: Legg Mason Inc (LM)

Legg Mason, Inc. (Legg Mason), incorporated in 1981, is a global asset management company. The Company, through its subsidiaries, provides investment management and related services to institutional and individual clients, company-sponsored mutual funds and other pooled investment vehicles. It offers these products and services directly and through various financial intermediaries. The Company provides its asset management services through a number of asset managers, each of which generally markets its products and services under its own brand name and, in many cases, distributes retail products and services through a centralized retail distribution network. Its investment advisory services include discretionary and non-discretionary management of separate investment accounts in a number of investment styles for institutional and individual investors. Legg Mason�� investment products include mutual funds ranging from money market and other liquidity products to fixed income and equity funds managed in a variety of investment styles, other domestic and offshore funds offered to both retail and institutional investors and funds-of-hedge funds. As of March 31, 2012, assets under management were $643.3 billion. During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2012 (fiscal 2012), the Company sold Bartlett & Co., a Cincinnati-based wealth manager.

Asset Managers

The Company conducts its business primarily through 12 asset managers. Its asset managers are individual businesses, each of which generally focuses on a portion of the asset management industry in terms of the types of assets managed (primarily equity or fixed income), the types of products and services offered, the investment styles utilized, the distribution channels used, and the types and geographic locations of its clients. The Company�� asset managers provide a range of separate account investment management services to institutional clients, including pension and other retirement plans, corporations, insurance companies, ! endowments and foundations and governments, and to high-net-worth individuals and families. In addition, its asset managers also sponsor and manage various groups of the United States mutual funds, including the Legg Mason Funds, The Royce Funds and the Western Asset Funds, funds-of-hedge funds and a number of equity, fixed income, liquidity and balanced funds that are domiciled and distributed in countries worldwide, and provide investment advisory services to a number of retail separately managed account programs. Western Asset Management Company is a global fixed income asset manager for institutional clients. Western Asset's operations include investment operations in New York City, the United Kingdom, Japan, Brazil, Australia and Singapore. Western Asset offers a range of products spanning the yield curve and encompassing the bond markets, including a suite of limited duration and core products, emerging market and high yield portfolios, municipal portfolios and a variety of sector-oriented and global products. Among the services Western Asset provides are management of separate accounts and management of mutual funds, closed-end funds, international funds and other structured investment products.

ClearBridge Advisors is an equity asset management firm. ClearBridge Advisors provides asset management services to 29 of the equity funds (including balanced funds and closed-end funds) in the Legg Mason Funds, to retail separately managed account programs, to certain of its international funds and, primarily through separate accounts, to institutional clients. ClearBridge also sub-advises domestic mutual funds that are sponsored by third parties. Royce & Associates is investment advisor to all of The Royce Funds and to certain of the Company�� international funds. In addition, Royce & Associates manages other pooled and separate accounts, primarily institutional. Brandywine Global Investment Management manages fixed income, including global and international fixed income, and equity portf! olios for! institutional and, through wrap accounts, high-net-worth individual clients.

Batterymarch Financial Management manages the United States, international and emerging markets equity portfolios for institutional clients. Permal Group Ltd. is a global funds-of-hedge funds management firm. With a headquarters in London and other offices in New York City, Boston, Dubai, Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore and Nassau, Permal manages products, which include both directional and absolute return strategies, and are available through multi-manager and single manager funds, separately managed accounts and structured products sponsored by a number of financial institutions. Legg Mason Capital Management is an equity asset management business that manages both institutional separate accounts and mutual funds. Legg Mason Capital Management manages 12 Legg Mason Funds, and also sub-advises the mutual fund managed by the joint venture described below and investment products sponsored by its other subsidiaries, including certain of the Company�� international funds.

Legg Mason Investment Counsel & Trust Company, National Association is a national banking association with authority to exercise trust powers. Legg Mason Investment Counsel & Trust Company provides services as a trustee for trusts established by its individual and employee benefit plan clients and manages fixed income and equity assets. Legg Mason Investment Counsel, LLC, a subsidiary of Legg Mason Investment Counsel & Trust, manages equity, fixed income and balanced portfolios for high-net-worth individual and institutional clients and a number of its mutual funds. Legg Mason Investment Counsel operates out of offices in New York City, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Easton, Maryland, and Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Esemplia Emerging Markets is an emerging markets equities investment manager. Esemplia offers a range of portfolio management strategies, including core long-only and alpha-extension portfolios, to institutional investors worl! dwide, in! cluding pension funds and sovereign wealth funds.

Private Capital Management manages equity assets for high-net-worth individuals and families, institutions, endowments and foundations in separate accounts and through limited partnerships. Legg Mason's business in Poland engages in portfolio management, servicing and distribution of both separate account management services and local funds in Poland. The firm provides portfolio management services primarily for equity assets to institutions, including corporate pension plans and insurance companies, and, through funds distributed through banks and insurance companies, individual investors. Legg Mason Australian Equities is an Australian asset management business that offers Australian equity products, Australian property trusts and asset allocation products. As of March 31, 2012, Legg Mason Australian Equities managed assets with a value of $1billion.

United States Mutual Funds

The Company�� United States mutual funds business primarily consists of three groups of mutual and closed-end funds, the Legg Mason Funds, The Royce Funds and the Western Asset Funds. The Legg Mason Funds invest in a range of domestic and international equity and fixed income securities. The Royce Funds invest primarily in smaller-cap company stocks using a value investment approach. The Western Asset Funds invest primarily in fixed income securities. The Legg Mason Funds consist of 113 mutual funds and 27 closed-end funds in the United States, almost all of which are sub-advised by its subsidiary asset managers. The mutual funds and closed-end funds within the Legg Mason Funds include 63 equity funds (including balanced funds) that invest in a spectrum of equity securities. The fixed income and liquidity mutual funds and closed-end funds within the Legg Mason Funds include 77 funds. As of March 31, 2012 , the Legg Mason Funds included $114.7 billion in assets, respectively, in their mutual funds and closed-end funds, of which approximate! ly 30% an! d 27%, respectively, were equity assets, approximately 24% and 18%, respectively, were fixed income assets and approximately 46% and 55%, respectively, were liquidity assets.

The Royce Funds consist of 32 mutual funds and three closed-end funds, most of which invest primarily in smaller-cap company stocks. The Royce Funds are distributed through non-affiliated fund supermarkets, its centralized funds distribution operations, non-affiliated wrap programs, and direct distribution. In addition, two of the portfolios in The Royce Funds are distributed only through insurance companies. The Company�� mutual funds business also includes the Western Asset Funds, a family of nine mutual funds and two closed-end funds. The mutual funds are marketed primarily to institutional investors and retirement plans through the Company�� institutional funds marketing group. Western Asset Management Company manages these funds. The funds primarily invest in fixed income securities.

International Funds

The Company, outside the United States, manages, supports and distributes a number of funds across an array of global fixed income, liquidity and equity investment strategies. Its international funds include a range of cross border funds that are domiciled in Ireland and Luxembourg and are sold in a number of countries across Asia, Europe and Latin America. The Company�� international funds also include local fund ranges that are available for distribution in the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, Singapore, Poland, Hong Kong and Canada. All of its international funds are distributed and serviced by Legg Mason's global distribution group. Its international funds include equity, fixed income, liquidity and balanced funds that are primarily managed or sub-advised by Batterymarch Financial Management, Brandywine Global, ClearBridge, Esemplia, Legg Mason Capital Management, Private Capital Management, Royce & Associates, Western Asset Management and its global asset allocation team. In a! ggregate,! the Company sponsors and manages more than 220 of these international funds.

Retail Separately Managed Account Programs

The Company is a provider of asset management services to retail separately managed account programs, commonly known as managed account or wrap programs. These programs typically allow securities brokers or other financial intermediaries to offer their clients the opportunity to choose from a number of asset management services. It provides investment management services to a number of retail separately managed account programs sponsored by a number of financial institutions.

Distribution

The Company�� centralized global distribution group distributes and supports its United States and international funds and retail separately managed account program business. The United States-based operations of the Company�� global distribution group support and distribute the Legg Mason Funds, The Royce Funds and the Western Asset Funds, and include its mutual fund wholesalers and its institutional funds marketing group. The Company�� mutual fund wholesalers distribute the Legg Mason Funds through a number of third-party distributors. The Company�� institutional funds marketing group distributes institutional share classes of the Legg Mason Funds and the Western Asset Funds to institutional clients and also distributes variable annuity sub-advisory services provided by its asset managers to insurance companies. Its institutional liquidity funds are primarily distributed by Western Asset's distributors. In addition to its centralized funds distribution group, Royce & Associates' distributors also distribute The Royce Funds. In addition to distributing funds, the wholesalers in the Company�� global distribution operations also support its retail separately managed account program services. These services are provided through programs sponsored by Morgan Stanley Smith Barney's retail business, as well as other financial institutions.

! The international distributors within the Company�� global distribution group offer its investment management services to individual and institutional investors across Asia, Europe and the Americas. These distributors operate out of distribution offices in 18 cities in 14 countries and are the sole distributors of its cross border funds globally and its international local funds in their respective countries. Legg Mason Investments is responsible for the distribution and servicing of cross border and local fund ranges across Europe, the Americas and Asia. Legg Mason Investments has offices in locations including London, Paris, Milan, Geneva, Frankfurt, Madrid, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taipei, Miami, Santiago and New York. In addition to Legg Mason Investments, the Company�� global distribution group includes separate distribution operations in Australia, Canada and Japan. In Australia, its distribution operations distribute local and cross border pooled investment vehicles sub-advised by the Company�� asset managers primarily to retail investors, pension plans, fund-of-funds managers, insurance companies and government funds/agencies. In Canada, its distribution operations distribute Legg Mason-managed products primarily to pension plans, endowments, foundations, banks and mutual fund companies and separately managed account programs. In Japan, the Company�� distribution operations distribute domestic investment funds, cross border funds and institutional separate accounts primarily to the retail market, which includes retail banks, private banks, asset managers, funds platforms and insurance companies.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Zacks]

  Currently, shares of T. Rowe Price carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). Among other investment managers, Invesco Ltd. (NYSE: IVZ) is scheduled to report December quarter end results on Jan 30, Legg Mason Inc. (NYSE: LM) on Jan 31 and Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (NYSE: AMP) on Feb 4.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Who wants in on the action?
  All that said, plenty of mutual fund companies have seen the writing on the wall and are eager to come to market with active ETFs. Mutual fund giants Fidelity, Franklin Templeton (NYSE: BEN  ) , Janus Capital (NYSE: JNS  ) , and Legg Mason (NYSE: LM  ) are just some of the companies looking to follow in PIMCO's footsteps with active ETFs. Each of these companies owes a huge portion of its profits to management fees on the billions in assets that it holds, and each recognizes the need to defend its turf by reaching into the ETF space. For Legg Mason and Franklin Templeton, which already offer closed-end mutual funds that trade on exchanges, moving to ETFs is an even shorter step.

• [By Jason Zweig]

  As he likes to say, “If the choice is between being first and being best, being first is better.” Mr. LeBaron founded Batterymarch Financial Management(LM) in Boston in 1969, investing mainly in small-company stocks, an opportunity almost nobody else was yet interested in. Batterymarch also pioneered quantitative investing, which uses statistical analysis–not human judgment–to pick stocks. In the 1970s, he says, every employee at the firm had three computers: “We had 90 machines when many firms didn’t have one.”