U.S. stock futures were little changed, with only the Nasdaq edging higher after six straight days of gains.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics will release data on import and export prices at 8:30 a.m. ET Friday. The Federal Reserve publishes its monthly report on industrial production at 9:15, while the latest edition of the consumer sentiment index from the University of Michigan and Thomson Reuters is out at 9:55.
In corporate news, firms including Campbell Soup (CPB, Fortune 500) and Hyatt Hotels (H) are set to release quarterly results before the opening bell.
U.S. stocks finished higher Thursday.
Top Beverage Stocks To Buy Right Now: Garmin Ltd.(GRMN)
Garmin Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, designs, develops, manufactures, and markets global positioning system (GPS) enabled products and other navigation, communication, and information products for the automotive/mobile, outdoor, fitness, marine, and general aviation markets worldwide. The company offers a range of automotive navigation products, and various products and applications designed for the mobile GPS market; GPS enabled handheld products for hunters, hikers, geocachers, outdoors enthusiasts, cyclists, and golfers; dog tracking systems; tracker systems; and training assistants for athletes. It also provides handhelds, network products and multifunction displays, fixed-mount GPS/chartplotter products, instruments, fish finders, radars, autopilots, VHF radios, marine networking products, and sounder products. In addition, the company offers GPS-enabled navigation, VHF communications transmitters/receivers, multi-function displays, electronic flight instrumen tation systems, automatic flight control systems, traffic advisory systems and traffic collision avoidance systems, terrain awareness and warning systems, instrument landing system receivers, surveillance products, audio panels, and cockpit datalink systems. The company?s sells its products through a network of independent dealers and distributors, as well as through original equipment manufacturers. Garmin Ltd. was founded in 1990 and is based in Schaffhausen, Switzerland.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Bryan Murphy]
In 2008, the world was relatively certain that Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ:GRMN) - yes, the GPS maker - wasn't going to survive the advent of the smartphone. As this Slate article by Chadwick Matlin explained that year, "Every new iPhone sold means one fewer person needs a GPS unit in his car. Considering that the Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) 3G iPhone starts at $200 and integrates music, phone, gaming, the Web, and GPS into one unit, the thing is going to siphon serious business away from the old-line GPS manufacturers. Garmin's entry-level portable GPS models hover north of $100. Almost all of the rest retail for more than $200, which isn't looking like a great deal right about now." And, that was the consensus opinion about how disruptive Apple could be to the core business of Garmin.
- [By Rich Bieglmeier]
[Related -Garmin Ltd. (GRMN) Q4 Earnings Preview: Too Unpredictable to Trade]
Garmin is a provider of navigation, communication and information devices and applications, which are enabled by global positioning system (GPS) technology. Garmin designs, develops, manufactures and markets a diverse family of hand-held, portable and fixed-mount GPS-enabled products and other navigation, communications and information products for the automotive/mobile, outdoor, fitness, marine, and general aviation markets. Garmin has four segments: Automotive/Mobile, Aviation, Marine, Outdoor and Fitness.
Best Diversified Bank Stocks For 2015: Pioneer Floating Rate Trust(PHD)
Pioneer Floating Rate Trust is closed ended fixed income mutual fund launched and managed by Pioneer Investment Management, Inc. It invests in the fixed income markets of the United States. The fund primarily invests in senior secured floating-rate loans. It invests in fixed income securities with average credit quality of B. The fund benchmarks the performance of its portfolio against the Credit Suisse Leveraged Loan Index. Pioneer Floating Rate Trust was formed on October 6, 2004 and is domiciled in the United States.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Dowdee]
The following 10 funds satisfied all of these conditions:
BlackRock Float Rate Strategies (FRA). This CEF sells at a discount of 3%, which is low compared to an average premium of 2% over the past year. The distribution has been managed at 6.1% and a small amount (less than 10%) has been return of capital (ROC). However, this has not negatively affected net asset value (NAV) so has not been destructive. The fund holds 447 securities, with 90% in floating rate loans. FRA utilizes 27% leverage and has an expense ratio of 1.7%, including interest payments. Eaton Vance Floating Rate (EFR). This CEF sells at a 1% premium, which is low compared to an average premium of 5% over the past year. The distribution is 6.2%, none of which was ROC. The fund holds 800 securities, with 90% in floating rate loans. About 85% of the securities are from U.S. companies. EFR utilizes 35% leverage and has an expense ratio of 1.8% including interest payments. ING Prime Rate Trust (PPR). This CEF sells for a premium of 2%, which is below the average premium of 5%. It has a distribution of 6.8%, none of which was ROC. The fund has 350 holdings, virtually all in senior loans and from US companies. PPR utilizes 29% leverage and has a high expense ratio of 2.1%, including interest payments. Invesco VK Dynamic Credit Opportunities (VTA). This CEF sells for a discount of 5%, which is below the average discount of 1%. It has a distribution of 7.1%, none of which was ROC. The fund has 495 holdings, with 76% in floating rate loans. About 25% of the loans are from non-US companies. VTA utilizes a relatively low 20% leverage but still has a high expense ratio of 2.1%, including interest payments. Invesco VK Senior Income (VVR). This CEF sells for a discount of 1%, which is below the average premium of 3%. It has a distribution of 7.1%, none of which was ROC. The fund has over 500 holdings, with 89% in floating rate loans. Almost all (95%) securities are from US companies. VVR ut
Best Diversified Bank Stocks For 2015: Boingo Wireless Inc.(WIFI)
Boingo Wireless, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides mobile Wi-Fi Internet solutions. The company installs, manages, and operates wireless network infrastructure to provide Wi-Fi services at its managed and operated hotspots, such as airports, hotels, coffee shops, shopping malls, arenas, stadiums, and quick service restaurants in North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Its solution includes software for Wi-Fi enabled devices comprising smartphones, laptops, and tablet computers, as well as back-end system infrastructure that detects and enables access to Wi-Fi network. The company provides its solutions to individual users and partners consisting of telecom operators, network operators, cable companies, technology companies, enterprise software and services companies, and communications companies. In addition, it provides billing system and customer support services. Boingo Wireless, Inc. was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Los Angeles, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By CRWE]
Boingo Wireless, Inc. (NASDAQ:WIFI), the Wi-Fi industry�� leading provider of software and services worldwide, reported the launch of its managed Wi-Fi services at Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK), the second busiest airport in the world, through an agreement with Newbridge Technologies.
- [By Rich Smith]
Boingo Wireless (NASDAQ: WIFI ) has a new president.
On Monday, the provider of Wi-Fi hotspots at airports, shopping malls, restaurants, and similar locations announced that it has hired away Rubicon Project�Chief Revenue Officer Nick Hulse to become its president. Reporting to CEO Dave Hagan, Hulse will be responsible for maximizing revenue at Boingo.
Best Diversified Bank Stocks For 2015: Ishares Msci Korea (EWY)
iShares MSCI South Korea Index Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of publicly traded securities in the aggregate in the South Korean market. The Fund's performance is measured by the MSCI Korea Index (the Index).
The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities in the Index, which has a similar investment profile as the Index. iShares MSCI South Korea Index Fund's investment advisor is Barclays Global Fund Advisors.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Benjamin Shepherd]
The iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index (NYSE: EEM) seems to have halted its slide.� The index bottomed out year-to-date on February 3, when it was down 11.2 percent. Since then, it has gained 1.5 percent, but bargains in the emerging markets still abound.
As I discussed in �� Plan, Not a Panic��two weeks ago, emerging markets are in much better economic shape today than they were even just a few years ago, much less during the currency crisis that peaked in 1998. Foreign exchange reserves are generally much more robust, budget deficits are narrower if they exist at all and, so far at least, the full-blown currency war that many were predicting last year isn�� likely to breakout.
With rationality finally setting in, this is a terrific time to do a little bargain hunting in the emerging markets.
The most obvious play here is the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index itself. Covering China (18.8 percent of assets), South Korea (16 percent), Taiwan (12 percent) and Brazil (10.2 percent) with smaller positions spanning Asia and Europe, the fund is most exposed to any shift in sentiment.
The fund is currently trading at just 10.2 times forward one-year earnings, well below its average of about 18 times over the past two decades. On a price-to-sales basis it is even more attractive valued at just 1.03 times; the last time the index was this cheap on a sales basis was early 2009.
So while there are always dangers in trying to call a bottom to any market move, valuations alone are attractive enough to start pulling bargain hunters back in.
A broadly diversified play on an emerging market turnaround, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index is a great buy up to 45, which leaves plenty of room to run back to the average.
For those who can tolerate a bit more risk, you can also drill down and make more country-specific bets.
At this point my favorite would be iShares MSCI South Korea Index Fund (NYSE: EWY).
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