Top Healthcare Technology Stocks To Watch For 2015

The Wall Street crowd is starting to get the picture.
 
On the cover of the most recent issue of Fortune magazine: "The Death of Cash," an article examining an impending transition that I've been telling you about for some time.
 
The article examines some large companies as the drivers in this new technological push, which hinges largely on the continued adoption of portable devices that can be used to complete financial transactions. Its winners are Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) because of its Google Wallet initiative, which I was among the first to cover; eBay's (Nasdaq: EBAY) PayPal; Visa (NYSE: V); MasterCard (NYSE: MA); Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) and Facebook (Nasdaq: FB).
 
Those are great companies that will lead the trend. But while everyone else is looking at the obvious "winners," it will take some time for this macro trend to move the needle for companies as big as these.

 

Top Healthcare Technology Stocks To Watch For 2015: TCW Strategic Income Fund Inc (TSI)

TCW Strategic Income Fund, Inc. (the Fund), formerly TCW Convertible Securities Fund, Inc., incorporated on January 13, 1987, is a diversified closed-end investment management company. The Fund's investment objective is to seek a total return consisting of current income and capital appreciation by investing in convertible securities, marketable equity securities, investment-grade debt securities, high-yield debt securities, options, and securities issued or guaranteed by the United States Government, its agencies and instrumentalities (U.S. Government Securities). The Fund also invests in repurchase agreements, mortgage-related securities, asset-backed securities, money market securities and other securities.

The Fund may invest in repurchase agreements secured by U.S. Government Securities. The Fund invests in sectors, such as financial services, aerospace and defense, airlines, automobiles, banking, commercial services, electric utilities, insurance, media, utilities, biotechnology and chemicals. The Fund�� investment advisor is TCW Investment Management Company.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dividends4Life]

  According to a Gabelli Funds report, managed distribution policies offer several advantages, including:1. Lower difference between the fund�� market price and its NAV per share.2. Provides support during periods when the stock market is in a decline.3. Provides a measurable performance target for the investment adviser.Below are several high-yield funds from CEFA that have a managed distribution policy (yields as of December 16):Aberdeen Australia Eqty (IAF)- Distribution Yield: 10.4%- Income Yield: 3.46%Bexil Advisers LLC� (DNI)- Distribution Yield: 11.1%- Income Yield: 3.56%BlackRock En Capital&Inc (CII)- Distribution Yield: 8.78%- Income Yield: 2.34%Cornerstone Strat Value (CLM)- Distribution Yield: 18.77%- Income Yield: 1.83%Cornerstone Total Return (CRF)- Distribution Yield: 19.10%- Income Yield: 0.85%Delaware Inv Div & Inc (DDF)- Distribution Yield: 6.70%- Income Yield: 5.26%Gabelli Equity Trust (GAB)- Distribution Yield: 7.58%- Income Yield: 1.54%Gabelli Utility Trust (GUT)- Distribution Yield: 9.45%- Income Yield: 2.84%MFS Special Value Trust (MFV)- Distribution Yield: 9.60%- Income Yield: 5.73%Nuveen Tx-Adv TR Strat (JTA)- Distribution Yield: 6.70%- Income Yield: 3.12%TCW Strategic Income (TSI)- Distribution Yield: 10.54%- Income Yield: 7.88%Zweig Total Return (ZTR)- Distribution Yield: 7.27%- Income Yield: 1.95%As noted in the Gabelli report, a managed distribution policy may create confusion regarding the true current yield since the reported yield includes the return of capital portion. You can see the disparity above between the income yield and the distribution (reported) yield.If you are looking for a sustainable and growing dividend, you may want to consider some blue-chip dividend stocks such as these with a Free Cash Flow Payout less than 50%, 50+ years of consecutive dividend increases and a 2%+ yield:3M Co. (MMM) is a diversified global company provides enhanced product functionality in electronics, health care, industrial, consumer

Top Healthcare Technology Stocks To Watch For 2015: Cosan Ltd (CZZ)

Cosan Limited (Cosan), incorporated on April 30, 2007, is a holding company. The Company is engaged in the production of ethanol and sugar, the marketing and distribution of fuel and lubricants in Brazil, and logistics services in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The Company imports, exports, produces and sells ethanol, sugar, sugarcane and other sugar by-products. It distributes and sells fuel and other fuel by-products. The Company produces and markets electricity, steam and other co-generation by-products. During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2011 (fiscal 2011), it operated 24 mills. On February 18, 2011, Cosan, through its subsidiary Cosan S.A. Acucar e Alcool acquired 100% of the voting corporate capital of Cosan Araraquara Acucar e Alcool Ltda., (Usina Zanin).

The Company operates in three in segments: sugar and ethanol (S&E), fuel distribution and lubricants (CCL) and sugar logistics (Rumo Logistica). The sugar and ethanol segment operates and produces a range of sugar products, including raw, organic, crystal and refined sugars and consumer products under the Da Barra and Uniao brands, which are sold to a range of customers in Brazil and abroad, as well as produces and sells hydrous, anhydrous and industrial ethanol, which are sold to the Brazilian market. The sugar and ethanol segment also includes energy co-generation activities and land development businesses. Its fuel distribution and lubricants segment includes the distribution and marketing of fuels, mainly through franchised network of service stations under the brand Esso throughout the national territory, and production, distribution and marketing of lubricants licensed from ExxonMobil International Holdings B.V.. Its sugar logistics segment provides logistics services for the transport, storage and port lifting of sugar.

Sugar and Ethanol segment

As of March 31, 2011 the Company leased 437,698 hectares, through 2,128 land lease contracts with an average term of five years. During fiscal 2011,! it harvested from owned or leased lands 27.4 million tons, of the sugarcane and purchased from third-party growers the 26.8 million tons of sugarcane. During fiscal 2011, its accumulated sugar extraction was 139.0 kilograms of total sugar recovered (TSR) per ton of sugarcane and its agricultural yield was 91.4 tons of sugarcane per hectare. It produces ethanol through a chemical process called yeasting. It produces and sells three types of ethanol: hydrous ethanol and anhydrous ethanol for fuel and industrial ethanol. It sells ethanol through gasoline distributors in Brazil mainly at the mill that sell it to retailers that then sell it at the pump to customers.

During fiscal year 2011, the Company sold 4.3 million tons of sugar. The Company produces a range of standard sugars, including raw sugar, crystal sugar and organic sugar, and refined sugars, including granulated refined white sugar, amorphous refined sugar, refined sucrose liquid sugar and refined inverted liquid sugar. Its Sao Francisco mill and the Da Barra mill produce refined sugar. It also sells industrial alcohol, which is used in the chemical and pharmaceutical sectors. It sells sugar to a range of customers in Brazil and in the international markets. Its customers in Brazil include retail supermarkets, foodservice distributors and food manufacturers, for which it sells refined and liquid sugar.

Fuel distribution and lubricants

The Company�� fuel distribution business is engaged in sourcing, storing, blending and distributing primarily gasoline, ethanol, diesel and fuel oil through its retail network of approximately 4,500 Esso and Shell-branded stations. During fiscal 2011, it sold approximately 1.03 billion liters of fuels, consisting of 96.0% diesel and 4.0% gasoline, ethanol and other fuels to its industrial and wholesale clients. During fiscal 2011, Cosan Combustiveise Lubrificantes S.A. (CCL) sold a total of 166.4 million liters of lubricants. Its lubricant operations consist of a wholly o! wned Lubr! icants Oil Blending Plant (LOBP), located in Rio de Janeiro, with annual production capacity of 1.4 million barrels of lubricants per year, including 48,000 barrels of grease per year.

Sugar Logistics

The Company owns and operates a sugar-loading terminal at the Port of Santos in the State of Sao Paulo through its subsidiary Rumo Logistica. It offers logistics solution to sugar producers located in the Center South of Brazil by transporting sugar from the mill by truck or rail to be loaded at its bulk sugar port terminal in Santos. It also offer sugar storage services.

The Company competes with Copersucar, Sudzucker AG, Petrobras, Ultrapar S.A., Shell Brasil Ltda. and AleSat Combustiveis S.A.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Cosan (NYSE: CZZ) is estimated to post its Q1 earnings at $0.16 per share.

  ViaSat (NASDAQ: VSAT) is projected to post its Q4 earnings at $0.11 per share on revenue of $348.98 million.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  ADM's renewable-fuel business grabs most of the attention from investors. The drought has also had a big impact in this segment as well, as ADM has had to idle ethanol production facilities because of low corn supplies following the drought. Moreover, with sugar-based ethanol competitors Bunge (NYSE: BG  ) and Cosan (NYSE: CZZ  ) already benefiting from pricing disparities between sugar and corn, prospects of potential tariffs on U.S. ethanol in Europe could give Brazilian sugar-based ethanol a competitive advantage, further hurting ADM.

Hot Airline Companies To Buy For 2015: Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc.(ARNA)

Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, engages in discovering, developing, and commercializing oral drugs in the therapeutic areas of cardiovascular, central nervous system, inflammatory, and metabolic diseases. The company?s clinical development programs include lorcaserin that has completed two pivotal Phase III clinical trials for the treatment of weight management, including weight loss and maintenance of weight loss; and APD811, which is under Phase I clinical trial for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension. Its preclinical development programs include APD334, for the treatment of autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. The company also researches and develops cannabinoid, receptor agonists for the treatment of osteoarthritis and pain; and GPR119 agonists for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Its other development programs, which had completed Phase I clinical trial include APD597 for th e treatment of type II diabetes; APD916 for the treatment of narcolepsy and cataplexy; and APD791 for the treatment of arterial thrombosis. In addition, the company provides manufacturing services. Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was founded in 1997 and is based in San Diego, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Luke Jacobi]

  Arena Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ARNA) closed down 8.98 percent to $5.27. Credit Suisse lowered the price target on the stock from $5 to $4.

  McEwen Mining (NYSE: MUX) closed down, falling 5.14 percent to $2.40 following a Seeking Alpha article commenting on news of an Argentinian taxation raid on mining companies.

• [By Brian Orelli]

  Observe the peaks in July 2012 after the FDA approved VIVUS'� (NASDAQ: VVUS  ) and Arena Pharmaceuticals' (NASDAQ: ARNA  ) obesity drugs. VIVUS launched Qsymia a few months later to lackluster sales. Arena's Belviq was just launched earlier this month after waiting for the DEA to sign off on the drug's scheduling. While Arena sits a little lower than its post-approval high, it still has a ways to fall if the drug also fails to meet investors' expectations.

• [By Luke Jacobi]

  Arena Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ARNA) shot up 5.3 percent to $4.57 after the company reported that Eisai will double BELVIQ sales force to 400 representatives.

• [By Brian Orelli]

  Arena Pharmaceuticals' (NASDAQ: ARNA  ) shareholders -- and those who short the stock, for that matter -- are anxiously awaiting the launch of the company's obesity drug Belviq. The Food and Drug Administration approved the drug back in June, but the biotech and its marketing partner Eisai can't launch until the Drug Enforcement Agency decides its potential for abuse.

Top Healthcare Technology Stocks To Watch For 2015: Baoye Group Co Ltd (BKG)

Baoye Group Company Limited is engaged in the provision of construction service, manufacture and distribution of building materials and development and sale of properties. The Company three segments: construction, which includes provision of construction services; property development, which includes development and sale of properties, and building materials, which includes manufacture and distribution of building materials. Its subsidiaries include Zhejiang Baoye Construction Group Co., Ltd., Zhejiang Baoye Curtain Wall Decoration Co., Ltd., Zhejiang Baoye Infrastructure Construction Co., Ltd., Zhejiang Guangyi Construction and Decoration Co., Ltd., Zhejiang Baoye Real Estate Group Co., Ltd., Shaoxing Baoye Four Seasons Garden Real Estate Co., Ltd., Zhejiang Baoye Building Materials Industrialisation Co., Ltd., Zhejiang Baoye Steel Structure Co., Ltd. and others. During the year ended 31 December 2011, the Company acquired three parcels of new land in Wuhan, Shanghai, and Henan. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Inyoung Hwang]

  Berkeley Group Holdings Plc (BKG) surged 8.3 percent after saying first-half profit rose 22 percent. London Stock Exchange Group Plc (LSE) climbed 2.4 percent after Bank of America Corp.�� Merrill Lynch unit recommended buying the stock. Givaudan SA (GIVN) lost 1.3 percent after Nestle SA said it will sell $1.27 billion of shares in the world�� largest flavorings maker.

Top Healthcare Technology Stocks To Watch For 2015: Contango Oil & Gas Co (MCF)

Contango Oil & Gas Company (Contango) is an independent natural gas and oil company. The Company�� core business is to explore, develop, produce and acquire natural gas and oil properties onshore and offshore in the Gulf of Mexico in water-depths of less than 300 feet. Contango Operators, Inc. (COI), its wholly owned subsidiary, acts as operator on its properties.

Offshore Gulf of Mexico Activities

Contango, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, COI and its partially owned affiliate, Republic Exploration LLC (REX), conducts exploration activities in the Gulf of Mexico. COI drills, and operates its wells in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as attends lease sales and acquires leasehold acreage. As of August 24, 2012, the Company's offshore production was approximately 83.5 million cubic feet equivalent per day, net to Contango, which consists of seven federal and five state of Louisiana wells in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico. These 12 operated wells produce through the four platforms: Eugene Island 24 Platform, Eugene Island 11 Platform, Ship Shoal 263 Platform, Vermilion 170 Platform and Other Activities.

This third-party owned and operated production platform at Eugene Island 24 was designed with a capacity of 100 million cubic feet per day and 3,000 barrels of oil per day. This platform services production from the Company�� Dutch #1, #2 and #3 federal wells. From this platform, the gas flows through an American Midstream pipeline into a third-party owned and operated on-shore processing facility at Burns Point, Louisiana, and the condensate flows through an ExxonMobil pipeline to on-shore markets and multiple refineries. As of August 24, 2012, it was producing approximately 22.5 million cubic feet equivalent per day, net to Contango, from this platform. The Company finished laying six inches auxiliary flowlines from the Dutch #1, #2, and #3 wells to its Eugene Island 11 Platform and is in the process of redirecting production from the Eugene Island 24! Platform to the Eugene Island 11 Platform.

The Company�� Company-owned and operated platform at Eugene Island 11 was designed with a capacity of 500 million cubic feet equivalent per day and 6,000 barrels of oil per day. These platforms service production from the Company�� five Mary Rose wells, which are all located in state of Louisiana waters, as well as its Dutch #4 and Dutch #5 wells, which are both located in federal waters. From these platforms, it can flow its gas to an American Midstream pipeline through its eight inches pipeline and from there to a third-party owned and operated on-shore processing facility at Burns Point, Louisiana. It can flow its condensate through an ExxonMobil pipeline to on-shore markets and multiple refineries.

The Company�� gas and condensate can flow to its Eugene Island 63 auxiliary platform through its 20 inches pipeline, which has been designed with a capacity of 330 million cubic feet equivalent per day and 6,000 barrels of oil per day, and from there to third-party owned and operated on-shore processing facilities near Patterson, Louisiana, through an ANR pipeline. As of August 24, 2012, it was producing approximately 44.6 million cubic feet equivalent per day, net to Contango, from this platform.

The Company�� owned and operated platform at Ship Shoal 263 was designed with a capacity of 40 million cubic feet equivalent per day and 5,000 barrels of oil per day. This platform services natural gas and condensate production from our Nautilus well, which flows through the Transcontinental Gas Pipeline to onshore processing plants. As of August 24, 2012, it was producing approximately 3.0 million cubic feet equivalent per day, net to Contango, from this platform. As of June 30, 2012, the Company owed a 100% working interest and 80% net revenue interest in this well and platform.

The Company�� owned and operated platform at Vermilion 170 was designed with a capacity of 60 million cubic feet equivalent per ! day and 2! ,000 barrels of oil per day. This platform services natural gas and condensate production from its Swimmy well, which flows through the Sea Robin Pipeline to onshore processing plants. As of August 24, 2012, it was producing approximately 13.4 million cubic feet equivalent per day, net to Contango, from this platform.

On July 10, 2012, the Company spud its South Timbalier 75 prospect (Fang) with the Spartan 303 rig. It has a 100% working interest in this wildcat exploration prospect. On July 3, 2012, the Company spud its Ship Shoal 134 prospect (Eagle) with the Hercules 205 rig. The Company purchased the deep mineral rights on Ship Shoal 134 from an independent third-party. It has a 100% working interest in this wildcat exploration prospect. On December 21, 2011, the Company purchased an additional 3.66% working interest (2.67% net revenue interest) in Mary Rose #5 (previously Eloise North). The Company has a 47.05% working interest (38.1% net revenue interest) in Dutch #5.

Offshore Properties

During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012 (fiscal 2012), State Lease 19396 expired and was returned to the state of Louisiana. As of August 24, 2012, the interests owned by Contango through its affiliated entities in the Gulf of Mexico, which were capable of producing natural gas or oil included Eugene Island 10 #D-1, Eugene Island 10 #E-1, Eugene Island 10 #F-1, Eugene Island 10 #G-1, Eugene Island 10 #I-1, S-L 18640 #1, S-L 19266 #1, S-L 19266 #2, S-L 18860 #1, S-L 19266 #3 and S-L 19261, Ship Shoal 263, Vermilion 170 and West Delta 36. As of August 24, 2012, interests owned by Contango through its related entities in leases in the Gulf of Mexico included Eugene Island 11, East Breaks 369, South Timbalier 97, Ship Shoal 121, Ship Shoal 122, Brazos Area 543, Ship Shoal 134 and South Timbalier 75.

Onshore Exploration and Properties

As of August 24, 2012, the Company had invested in Alta Energy Canada Partnership (Alta Energy) to purchase over! 60,000 a! cres in the Kaybob Duvernay. Contango has a 2% interest in Alta Energy and a 5% interest in the Kaybob Duvernay project. On April 9, 2012, the Company announced that through its wholly owned subsidiary, Contaro Company, it had entered into a Limited Liability Company Agreement (the LLC Agreement) to form Exaro Energy III LLC (Exaro). The Company owns approximately a 45% interest in Exaro. Exaro has entered into an Earning and Development Agreement (the EDA Agreement) with Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. (Encana) to provide funding to continue the development drilling program in a defined area of Encana�� Jonah field asset located in Sublette County, Wyoming.

As of June 30, 2012, the Exaro-Encana venture had three rigs drilling, has completed five wells and achieved first production. As of August 24, 2012, the Company had invested to lease approximately 25,000 acres in the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale (TMS), a shale play in central Louisiana and Mississippi.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Vera Yuan]

  ��hares of oil and gas exploration and production company Contango Oil & Gas Co. (MCF) fell, reflecting disappointing results from an exploration well in the Gulf of Mexico.

• [By John Udovich]

  Yesterday, small cap Energy XXI (Bermuda) Limited (NASDAQ: EXXI)�announced a deal to acquire�EPL Oil & Gas Inc (NYSE: EPL) to create the largest publicly held independent oil producer on the Gulf of Mexico shelf, meaning it might be a good idea to look at other small cap Gulf oil stocks like W&T Offshore, Inc (NYSE: WTI), Stone Energy Corporation (NYSE: SGY) and Contango Oil & Gas Company (NYSEMKT: MCF). Energy XXI�� CEO John Schiller has talked about the details of the acquisition�with Jim Cramer on CNBC's "Mad Money" and he noted that��EPL Oil & Gas offers areas of expertise that EXXI currently lacks. However, investors who missed out on�yesterday�� 29% surge for EPL Oil & Gas�may want to check out these other small cap Gulf Oil stocks:

• [By Peter Krauth]

  But the dynamic is suddenly changing. This is a pricing game—a global one. You see, while North Americans currently enjoy natural gas at close to $3.40 per million cubic feet (Mcf), Europeans are paying three times as much, between $10 and $11 per Mcf.

Top Healthcare Technology Stocks To Watch For 2015: General Growth Properties Inc (GGC)

General Growth Properties, Inc. (GGP), incorporated on July 1, 2010, is a real estate investment trust (REIT). The Company owns or with joint venture partners 144 regional malls (126 domestic and 18 in Brazil) consists of approximately 135 million square feet. The Company is engaged in ownership, operation, management and selective re-development of its Consolidated Properties and Unconsolidated Properties, which are primarily regional malls.

As of December 31, 2012, the Company's segment was consists of 126 regional malls in the United States and 18 malls in Brazil, eight strip centers totaling 1.6 million square feet, primarily in the Western region of the United States, as well as seven stand-alone office buildings totaling 0.9 million square feet, concentrated in Columbia, Maryland. The Company also own interests in regional malls in Brazil.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Holly LaFon]

  His largest new buys in the first quarter are: Penn Virginia Group Holdings LP (PVG), Wynn Resorts Ltd. (WYNN), Methanex Corp. (MEOH), Solutia Inc. (SOA) and Georgia Gulf (GGC). Of his top eight stocks, five are from the chemicals industry.

Top Healthcare Technology Stocks To Watch For 2015: Dendreon Corporation(DNDN)

Dendreon Corporation, a biotechnology company, engages in the discovery, development, and commercialization of therapeutics to enhance cancer treatment options for patients. The company offers active cellular immunotherapy and small molecule product candidates to treat various cancers. Its product candidates comprise Provenge (sipuleucel-T), an active cellular immunotherapy for the treatment of metastatic, castrate-resistant prostate cancer; DN24-02, an investigational active immunotherapy for the treatment of patients with bladder, breast, ovarian, and other solid tumors expressing HER2/neu; and TRPM8, a small molecule agonist to transient receptor potential ion channel, for multiple cancers. The company also has a range of products in preclinical studies, which include Carcinoembryonic antigen for the treatment of lung, colon, and breast cancer; and Carbonic AnhydraseIX for the treatment of kidney cancer. Dendreon Corporation was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in S eattle, Washington.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Brian Pacampara]

  What: Shares of drug developer Dendreon (NASDAQ: DNDN  ) climbed as high as 10% today after the European Medicines Agency endorsed its prostate cancer treatment Provenge. �

• [By Johanna Bennett]

  Four years ago, Dendreon (DNDN) was the darling of the biotech sector with a promising cancer vaccine awaiting FDA approval and a stock price sitting above $50 a share.

  Today, Dendreon sits just above $2 and CEO John Johnson is out the door after resigning for what the company calls ��ersonal reasons.��Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Maria Goldstein asks if this is �� step down or a step forward��for the financially troubled biotech firm.

  She writes:

  On the one hand, Johnson’s departure was unexpected. Yet on the other hand, the company is at a critical juncture with modest cash left, a large debt overhang and struggling commercial operations that has yet to fully gain buy-in from the clinical community that it serves. With major layoffs already occurring, and losses of the CFO and the head of commercial operations in the past year, perhaps Johnson’s departure is not so unexpected. Nonetheless, we think the only question really to be answered is whether Mr. Johnson’s exit will force a meaningful change in the sales trend for Provenge.

  Since it was approved by the FDA in 2010, Provenge, Dendreon�� cancer vaccine, has failed to live up to once lofty sales expectations.

  Johnson arrived in February following the departure of Mitch Gold promising to turn the company around. Provenge sales, however, never accelerated and the company remains crushed under the weight of enormous debt.

  Roth Capital Partners analyst Joseph Pantginiss reiterated his Sell rating, arguing that a turnaround is impossible. He writes:

  We believe the commercial hurdles, competitive landscape and behemoth debt makes this goal virtually insurmountable. Reiterate Sell and we are lowering our price target to $0.50 from $1��t is unfortunate that Dendreon’s struggles continue and we remain skeptical whether new potential leadership can overcome these hurdles in a timely manner.

• [By John Udovich]

  Aschoff�� sell rating and assertions have caused a reaction on StockTwits with someone noting a blog post from 2007 complaining about his ��aily bashing of Provenge,��a drug to help prostate cancer patients in the late stage of disease from Dendreon Corporation (NASDAQ: DNDN) which apparently works just fine (see the Wikipedia entry for�the drug�here). The blog post goes on to note that:

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  Dendreon Corp.(DNDN), maker of prostate-cancer drug Provenge, is seeking a buyer and is working with J.P. Morgan Chase(JPM) & Co. in the search for a suitor, Bloomberg News reported Saturday, citing people familiar with the matter. Spokesmen for Dendreon and J.P. Morgan declined comment to Bloomberg. Shares surged 17% to $2.95 premarket.

Top Healthcare Technology Stocks To Watch For 2015: Kronos Worldwide Inc (KRO)

Kronos Worldwide, Inc. engages in the production and marketing of titanium dioxide pigments (TiO2) primarily in Europe and North America. It produces TiO2 in two crystalline forms, rutile and anatase to impart whiteness, brightness, opacity, and durability for products, such as coatings, paints, plastics, papers fibers, and ceramics, as well as for various specialty products, including inks, food, and cosmetics. The company also offers ilmenite, a raw material used directly as a feedstock by sulfate-process TiO2 plants; iron-based chemicals, which are co-products and processed co-products of the TiO2 production process and used as treatment and conditioning agents for industrial effluents and municipal wastewater, as well as in the manufacture of iron pigments, cement, and agricultural products; and titanium oxychloride and titanyl sulfate that are side-stream products from the production of TiO2. Its titanium oxychloride is used in the formulation of pearlescent pigments, production of electroceramic capacitors for cell phones, and other electronic devices; and titanyl sulfate is used in pearlescent pigments, natural gas pipe, and other specialty applications. In addition, the company provides technical services. Kronos Worldwide, Inc. sells its products through distributors and agents to paint, plastics, decorative laminate, and paper manufacturers under the Kronos brand name. The company was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Kronos Worldwide, Inc. is a subsidiary of Valhi, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Notable earnings releases expected on Thursday include:

  Dollar General Corporation (NYSE: DG) is expected to report fourth quarter EPS of $1.02 on revenue of $4.63 billion, compared to last year�� EPS of $0.97 on revenue of $4.21 billion. Kronos Worldwide Inc (NYSE: KRO) is expected to report fourth quarter EPS of $0.01 on revenue of $371.45 million, compared to last year�� loss of $0.12 per share on revenue of $396.80 million. Christopher & Banks Corporation�(NYSE: CBK) is expected to report a fourth quarter loss of $0.03 on revenue of $106.64 million, compared to last year�� loss of $0.11 on revenue of $115.98 million.

  Economics

• [By GuruFocus]

  Kronos Worldwide Inc. (KRO): Vice Chairman of the Board and CEO Steven L. Watson Bought 14,250 Shares

  Vice Chairman of the Board and CEO of Kronos Worldwide Inc. (KRO) Steven L. Watson bought 14,250 shares during the past week at an average price of $14.81. Kronos Worldwide Inc. is a Delaware Corporation. The company is a global producer and marketer of value-added titanium dioxide pigments (TiO2). Kronos Worldwide Inc. has a market cap of $1.72 billion; its shares were traded at around $14.81 with a P/E ratio of 42.60 and P/S ratio of 0.95. The dividend yield of Kronos Worldwide Inc. stocks is 4.05%. Kronos WorldwideInc. had an annual average earnings growth of 5.4% over the past 10 years.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Typically, when the chairman of a company dies, its shares drop. That hasn’t been the case for Valhi (VHI), Kronos Worldwide (KRO) and NL Industries (NL), which have all advanced today after Harold Simmons passed away.

• [By John Udovich]

  Dallas billionaire Harold Simmons died over the weekend with investors sending shares of some of his publically traded companies like Valhi, Inc (NYSE: VHI), Kronos Worldwide, Inc (NYSE: KRO), NL Industries, Inc (NYSE: NL) and�CompX International Inc (NYSEMKT: CIX)to higher levels as they anticipate changes���such as asset sales or spin offs. Harold Simmons was the embodiment of the American dream because he was born during the depths of the Great Depression in Golden, Texas to schoolteacher parents and he spent�his early years living without indoor plumbing or electricity. However and by recognizing�underpriced assets and through the use of massive amounts of leverage (e.g. junk bonds),�he built an empire and�ranked #40 on the 2013 Forbes 400 with a fortune estimated to be worth some $10 billion.