Best Managed Healthcare Stocks To Buy For 2015

When choosing stocks it’s not often that you’re forced to pick one or the other. But let’s say you were, and, for the sake of argument, let’s say you had to choose between MetLife (MET) and Prudential (PRU), which would you pick?

Reuters

Janney’s Larry Greenberg and team made their choice today, when they raised MetLife to Buy from Neutral and cut Prudential to Neutral from Buy. They explain why:

The rationale for the switch towards [MetLife] is partly valuation and partly sentiment. With a higher percentage of market sensitive businesses, the operational environment for [Prudential] over the last year could not have been better.�[MetLife] now sells at 1.11 times ex [Accumulated other comprehensive income compared book value] to�[Prudential] at 1.51 times (adjusted for FX remeasurement). In addition, with a view that the impact of non-bank [systematically important financial institution] regulation will eventually converge for the two companies, we believe that from a capital management standpoint over the next couple of years, there is more opportunity for [MetLife], or alternatively, more risk for [Prudential]. While it is very difficult to predict when it will happen, we expect�[MetLife] to have that opportunity at some point and view this ��ption��as a potential catalyst.

Best Managed Healthcare Stocks To Buy For 2015: I.D. Systems Inc.(IDSY)

I.D. Systems, Inc. develops, markets, and sells wireless solutions for managing and securing enterprise assets, including industrial vehicles, such as forklifts, airport ground support equipment, rental vehicles, and transportation assets primarily in North America. The company offers integrated wireless solutions that enable customers to control, monitor, track, and analyze their enterprise assets. Its campus-based fleet management products include On-Asset Hardware, which provides an autonomous means of asset control and monitoring; Wireless Asset Managers that link mobile assets being monitored with customer?s computer network or to a remotely hosted server; Server Software, which manages data communications between the system?s database and either the Wireless Asset Managers or On-Asset Hardware; and Client Software, which restricts access and limits corruption of system information, as well as minimizes network bandwidth usage. The company?s remote asset management products comprise On-Asset Hardware, which addresses various remote asset types, such as dry van trailers, refrigerated trailers, domestic containers, and railcars, as well as customer-specific requirements; and VeriWise Intelligence Portal, a hosted Website that provides Internet access to client asset information. The company also offers direct feed of the data to customer through XML or Web services. In addition, it provides maintenance, customer support, and consulting services. I.D. Systems markets and sells its wireless solutions to a range of customers in the commercial and government sectors operating in various markets, such as automotive manufacturing, retailers, shippers, freight transportation companies, heavy industry, retail and wholesale distribution, aerospace and defense, homeland security, and vehicle rental directly, as well as through indirect sales channels, such as industrial equipment dealers. The company was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Wo odcliff Lake, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Yesterday, small cap identity protection stock Lifelock Inc (NYSE: LOCK) surged 15.64% after reporting better-than-expected third quarter earnings thanks in part to playing on the security fears of consumers, meaning its probably time to take a look at it along with two other security stocks, I.D. Systems, Inc (NASDAQ: IDSY) and View Systems Inc (OTCBB: VSYM), which can also play up the fear factor:�

Best Managed Healthcare Stocks To Buy For 2015: Whiting Petroleum Corporation(WLL)

Whiting Petroleum Corporation engages in the acquisition, development, exploitation, exploration, and production of oil and gas primarily in the Permian Basin, Rocky Mountains, Mid-Continent, Gulf Coast, and Michigan regions of the United States. As of December 31, 2010, its estimated proved reserves were 304.9 million barrels equivalent of oil; and had interests in 9,698 gross productive wells covering approximately 1,115,000 gross developed acres. The company sells its oil and gas to end users, marketers, and other purchasers. Whiting Petroleum Corporation was founded in 1983 and is Denver, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Whiting Petroleum (NYSE: WLL) is projected to post its Q3 earnings at $1.06 per share on revenue of $678.69 million.

  Skechers USA (NYSE: SKX) is expected to post its Q3 earnings at $0.61 per share on revenue of $518.22 million.

• [By Joel South and Taylor Muckerman]

  In the following video, Motley Fool energy analysts Joel South and Taylor Muckerman look at the bigger picture of what's happening with oil production in the Bakken today, and why Bakken oil sells for dramatically less of a discount to West Texas Intermediate than it did last year. Joel then tells us about Whiting Petroleum (NYSE: WLL  ) , and what the tailwinds are for this company that make it is his favorite player in the Bakken today.

• [By Lee Jackson]

  Whiting Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: WLL) is ranked as the third largest producer�in the Bakken shale region. Over 2013, Whiting sold off significant amounts of its assets that are not in the Bakken, including its Postle Field enhanced oil recovery assets for $817 million and its acreage in the Delaware Basin for $150 million. The company in turn is using the cash from the sales and deploying more assets into the higher-return Bakken. The Merrill Lynch price target for the stock is $79, and the consensus figure is at $77.50.�Shares�closed at $60.73 on Monday.

Top 5 Financial Companies To Watch For 2015: Memorial Production Partners LP (MEMP)

Memorial Production Partners LP incorporated on April 4, 2011, is a limited partnership formed by Memorial Resource to own, acquire and exploit oil natural gas properties in North America. As of December 31, 2012, the Company�� total estimated proved reserves were approximately 609 Billions of Cubic Feet Equivalent (Bcfe), of which approximately 62% were natural gas and 59% were classified as proved developed reserves. As of December 31, 2012, the Company produced from 1,671 gross (731 net) producing wells across its properties, with an average working interest of 44%. On April 1, 2012, it acquired oil and natural gas producing properties in East Texas from Memorial Resource Development LLC. In May 2012, it acquired oil and natural gas properties in East Texas and North Louisiana. Effective April 1, 2012, the Company acquired certain oil and natural gas properties in East Texas from Memorial Resource Development LLC. In October 2012, the Company acquired oil and natural gas properties in East Texas from Goodrich Petroleum Corporation. On December 12, 2012, the Company acquired oil and gas producing properties offshore Southern California from Rise Energy Partners, LP. In March 2013, the Company announced that it has closed its acquisition of certain oil and natural gas producing properties in East Texas and North Louisiana from its sponsor, Memorial Resource Development LLC. In September 2013, Memorial Production Partners LP closed two separate transactions to acquire certain oil and natural gas properties from third parties in East Texas and in the Rockies. In October 2013, the Company acquired oil and natural gas properties in the Permian Basin, East Texas, and the Rockies.

The Company�� properties are located in South and East Texas and consist of mature, legacy onshore oil and natural gas reservoirs. The Partnership Properties consist of operated working interests in producing and undeveloped leasehold acreage and in identified producing wells in South and East Texas, and non-ope! rated working interests in producing and undeveloped leasehold acreage. As of December 31, 2012, approximately 58% of its estimated proved reserves and approximately 53% of its average daily net production were located in the East Texas/North Louisiana region. Its East Texas/Louisiana properties include wells and properties located in Navarro, Anderson, Wood, Upshur, Gregg, Harrison, Rusk, Panola, Leon, Polk, Smith, Tyler and Shelby Counties, Texas and De Soto and Lincoln Parishes, Louisiana. Its East Texas/North Louisiana properties include properties in the Joaquin and Carthage fields in Panola and Shelby Counties, the Willow Springs field located in Gregg County, the East Henderson field located in Rusk County, and the Terryville field located in Lincoln Parish.

As of December 31, 2012, approximately 27% of its estimated proved reserves and approximately 35% of average daily net production were located in the South Texas region. Its South Texas properties include wells and properties in numerous natural gas weighted fields located in McMullen, Live Oak, Duval, Jim Hogg, Webb and Zapata Counties, Texas, including the NE Thompsonville, Laredo and East Seven Sisters fields. The Company�� South Texas properties contained 167 Bcfe of estimated net proved reserves as of December 31, 2012. The Company�� Beta properties, consist of a 51.75% working interest and a 35.03% average net revenue interest in three Pacific Outer Continental Shelf blocks (P-0300, P-0301 and P-0306); a 4.575% overriding royalty interest in the Beta unit; a 51.75% undivided interest in two wellbore production platforms with permanent drilling equipment systems and one production handling and processing platform, and a 51.75% controlling equity interest in a 17.5-mile pipeline and an onshore tankage and metering facility. The Company�� Beta properties include a 51.75% undivided interest in Ellen and Eureka platforms. The Beta properties include a controlling interest in the San Pedro Bay Pipeline Company, which owns a! nd operat! es a 16-inch diameter oil pipeline.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Robert Rapier]

  VNR is one of 14 companies/partnerships that are categorized as exploration and production, or ��pstream.��Other notable entries in this category include BreitBurn Energy Partners (Nasdaq: BBEP), Linn Energy (Nasdaq: LINE), Memorial Production Partners (Nasdaq: MEMP), QR Energy (NYSE: QRE), Legacy Reserves (Nasdaq: LGCY), EV Energy Partners (Nasdaq: EVEP), and Mid-Con Energy Partners (Nasdaq: MCEP).

Best Managed Healthcare Stocks To Buy For 2015: Calamos Asset Management Inc.(CLMS)

Calamos Asset Management Inc. is a publicly owned investment manager. The firm provides investment advisory services to individuals including high net worth individuals, and institutions. It also manages accounts for family offices and private foundations. The firm manages separate client-focused equity and fixed income for its clients. It also launches and manages equity, fixed income, and balanced mutual funds for its clients. The firm invests in the public equity and fixed income markets across the globe. It also invests in alternative investments markets. The firm primarily invests in growth stocks of large-cap, mid-cap, and small-cap companies to make its investments. For fixed income, it invests in high yield bonds. The firm employs qualitative and fundamental analysis with a top-down and bottom-up stock picking approach to make its investments. It benchmarks the performance of its equity portfolios against the MSCI Indices, Russell Indices, and S&P 500 Index and its fixed income investments against the BofA Merrill Lynch Global 300 Convertible Index, BofA Merrill Lynch All U.S. Convertibles Ex-Mandatory Index, and CS High Yield Index. Calamos Asset Management Inc. was founded in 1977 and is based in Naperville, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By GuruFocus]

  Calamos Asset Management, Inc. (CLMS): Chairman, CEO & Global Co-CIO, 10% Owner John P Sr Calamos Bought 82,233 Shares

  Chairman, CEO & Global Co-CIO, 10% Owner of Calamos Asset Management, Inc. (CLMS) John P Sr Calamos bought 82,233 shares during the past week at an average price of $11.50. Calamos Asset Management, Inc., is a global asset management firm that offers strategies to fulfill a range of asset allocation goals through a multi-team platform. Calamos Asset Management, Inc. has a market cap of $235.487 million; its shares were traded at around $11.50 with a P/E ratio of 19.20 and P/S ratio of 0.85. The dividend yield of Calamos Asset Management, Inc. stocks is 4.36%.

• [By GuruFocus]

  Director Eric Singer sold 343,410 shares of SIGM stock on 12/20/2013 at the average price of 5.5. Eric Singer owns at least 464,499 shares after this. The price of the stock has decreased by 15.45% since.

  Calamos Asset Management, Inc. (CLMS): Chairman, CEO & Global Co-CIO, 10% Owner John P Sr Calamos Bought 74,505 Shares

  Chairman, CEO & Global Co-CIO, 10% Owner of Calamos Asset Management, Inc. (CLMS) John P Sr Calamos bought 74,505 shares during the past week at an average price of $11.99. Calamos Asset Management, Inc., is a global asset management firm that offers strategies to fulfill a range of asset allocation goals through a multi-team platform. Calamos Asset Management, Inc. has a market cap of $245.547 million; its shares were traded at around $11.99 with a P/E ratio of 20.20 and P/S ratio of 0.88. The dividend yield of Calamos Asset Management, Inc. stocks is 4.18%.

• [By David Sterman]

   

  6. Calamos Asset Management (Nasdaq: CLMS) This asset manager's founder and CEO, John Calamos Sr., is a bit vexed right now. As I noted six weeks ago, he had been aggressively buying company stock. He kept doing so in late July and early August, buying more than $1 million more in stock at prices in the $10.50 to $10.75 range. Yet the market pullback has pushed this stock down below $10.

  Calamos is in the process of shifting resources away from poorly performing funds and toward higher-performing ones. Recent signs are promising, though it appears as though the firm's founder is the only believer in this turnaround thus far.

Best Managed Healthcare Stocks To Buy For 2015: CommVault Systems Inc. (CVLT)

CommVault Systems, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides data and information management software applications and related services primarily in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. The company develops, markets, and sells a suite of software applications and services under the Simpana brand. Its Simpana software suite includes solution for the backup and restoration of enterprise data for file systems, applications, databases, and virtual machine systems; integrated data archiving solution that optimizes data tiering and improves information governance; and enterprise-wide storage optimization for email and files reducing space on primary storage. The company also provides solutions for protection of critical applications and data with snapshots and real-time replication; solutions to analyze, discover, track, trend, and report on physical and virtual storage usage; and Web browser, which allows search, sort, select, and retrieval of corporate files and in formation from online, archive, and backup data copies. In addition, it offers assessment and design, implementation and post-deployment, training, consulting, and customer support services. The company markets and sells its software applications and related services directly to large enterprises, small and medium sized businesses, and government agencies, as well as indirectly through a network of value-added reseller partners, systems integrators, corporate resellers, and original equipment manufacturers. It licenses its software applications to customers in various industries, including banking, insurance and financial services, government, healthcare, pharmaceuticals and medical services, technology, legal, manufacturing, utilities, and energy. The company has strategic relationships with Dell, Inc.; Hitachi Data Systems; and NetApp. CommVault Systems, Inc. was incorporated in 1996 and is headquartered in Oceanport, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Top losers in the sector included CommVault Systems (NASDAQ: CVLT), off 28 percent, and Mellanox Technologies (NASDAQ: MLNX), down 13 percent.

  Top Headline
  Ford Motor Co (NYSE: F) reported a drop in its first-quarter profit. Ford's quarterly profit slipped to $989 million, or $0.24 per share, versus a year-ago profit of $1.61 billion, or $0.40 per share. Its revenue rose to $35.9 billion versus $35.6 billion. However, analysts were projecting earnings of $0.31 per share on revenue of $34.54 billion.

• [By Lee Jackson]

  CommVault Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CVLT) announced last week the industry’s first virtual machine (VM) intelligent archiving capability to help enterprises and service providers eliminate VM sprawl and regain control of virtual infrastructure resources. VM sprawl results from pervasive deployment and growth of virtual machines, some of which then sit unutilized long after their useful lives. The consensus price target for this intriguing mid cap name is $88.50.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Top losers in the sector included CommVault Systems (NASDAQ: CVLT), off 28 percent, and Mellanox Technologies (NASDAQ: MLNX), down 13 percent.

  Top Headline
  Ford Motor Co (NYSE: F) reported a drop in its first-quarter profit. Ford's quarterly profit slipped to $989 million, or $0.24 per share, versus a year-ago profit of $1.61 billion, or $0.40 per share. Its revenue rose to $35.9 billion versus $35.6 billion. However, analysts were projecting earnings of $0.31 per share on revenue of $34.54 billion.

• [By Alex Planes]

  What: Shares of CommVault Systems (NASDAQ: CVLT  ) were up by as much as 13% at the start of trading this morning after the company reported earnings that beat expectations. However, the stock has been sliding lower all morning, and has now returned to the same level it reached at the close of trading yesterday.

Best Managed Healthcare Stocks To Buy For 2015: Dominion Diamond Corp (DDC)

Dominion Diamond Corporation, formerly Harry Winston Diamond Corporation, incorporated on March 26, 2013, is focused on the mining and marketing of rough diamonds to the global market. The Company supplies rough diamonds to the global market from production received from its 40% ownership interest in the Diavik Diamond Mine (the Diavik Diamond Mine) and its 80% interest in the Ekati Diamond Mine (the Ekati Diamond Mine). Both mineral properties are located at Lac de Gras in Canada�� Northwest Territories. On March 26, 2013, the Company completed the sale of its Harry Winston luxury brand business to the Swatch Group Ltd.

The Diavik Joint Venture (the Joint Venture) is an unincorporated joint arrangement between Diavik Diamond Mines Inc. (DDMI - 60%) and Dominion Diamond Diavik Limited Partnership (DDDLP - 40%), where DDDLP owns an undivided 40% interest in the assets, liabilities and expenses. DDMI is the operator (the Operator) of the Diavik Diamond Mine. During 2012, production at the Diavik Diamond Mine was approximately 7.2 million carats, consisting of approximately 4.3 million carats produced from 1.2 million tons of ore from the A-418 kimberlite pipe, 1.9 million carats produced from 0.4 million tons of ore from the A-154 South kimberlite pipe, and 0.9 million carats produced from 0.5 million tons of ore from the A-154 North kimberlite pipe. The Diavik Diamond Mine has three ore bodies: A-154 South, A-154 North, and A-418. An additional body of mineralization, A-21, is classified as resource.

The Ekati Diamond Mine consists of the Core Zone, which includes the operating mine and other permitted kimberlite pipes, as well as the Buffer Zone, an adjacent area hosting kimberlite pipes having both development and exploration potential. It encompasses 176 mining leases, totaling 173,024 hectares, and hosts 111 kimberlite occurrences including the Koala, Koala North, Fox, Misery, Pigeon, and Sable kimberlite pipes. The Buffer Zone is held 58.8% by the Company. It contains! 106 mining leases covering 89,151.6 hectares, and hosts 39 known kimberlite occurrences including the Jay and Lynx kimberlite pipes. As of December 31, 2012, production from the Diavik Diamond Mine has totaled 76.6 million carats of diamonds. As of December 31, 2012, production from the Ekati Diamond Mine has totaled approximately 53.54 million carats of diamonds.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  Toronto-based diamond miner Dominion Diamond (NYSE: DDC  ) -- the company formerly known as Harry Winston Diamond -- has completed its purchase of BHP Billiton's (NYSE: BHP  ) stake in the Ekati Diamond Mine, "as well as the associated diamond sorting and sales facilities in Yellowknife, Canada, and Antwerp, Belgium," Dominion Diamond announced Wednesday.

Best Managed Healthcare Stocks To Buy For 2015: Ultra Petroleum Corp.(UPL)

Ultra Petroleum Corp., an independent oil and gas company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, production, and operation of oil and natural gas properties in the United States. It primarily focuses on developing a tight gas sand trend located in the Green River Basin of southwest Wyoming; and assessing, exploring, and developing its position in the Marcellus Shale and other horizons located in the north-central Pennsylvania area of the Appalachian Basin. As of December 31, 2011, the company owned interests in approximately 53,000 net acres in Wyoming covering approximately 190 square miles; 258,000 net acres in Pennsylvania; and 130,000 net acres in eastern Colorado?s Denver Julesburg Basin. Ultra Petroleum Corp. was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Arjun Sreekumar]

  Though drastic reductions in spending have weighed on Ultra Petroleum's (NYSE: UPL  ) production, earnings, and stock price performance in recent years, the company's future looks a lot brighter. In addition to sharply improved earnings and cash flow expectations this year thanks largely to its acquisition of oil-rich acreage in Utah's Uinta basin, there is reason to believe that the company could be significantly undervalued on an enterprise value-to-proven reserves basis. Let's take a closer look.

• [By Aaron Levitt]

  Aside from a rising share price, OII stock investors have been treated to rising dividends as well. The latest increase was a 22.73% jump to its quarterly payout. Shares of OII stock now yield 1.5%.

  Midcap Energy Stocks To Buy #5: Ultra Petroleum (UPL)

  What a difference a few years can make. After getting killed by low natural gas prices, Ultra Petroleum (UPL) has bounced back with a vengeance. Yet more good times could be in store for the midcap energy stock.

Best Managed Healthcare Stocks To Buy For 2015: Ashland Inc. (ASH)

Ashland Inc. operates as a specialty chemicals company in the United States and internationally. Its Ashland Aqualon Functional Ingredients segment produces cellulose ethers; and specialty additives and functional ingredients. Its products offer functionality, such as thickening and rheology control; water retention; adhesive strength; binding power; film formation; protective colloid, suspending, and emulsifying action; foam control; and pH stability. The company?s Ashland Hercules Water Technologies segment manufactures papermaking chemicals and supplies specialty chemicals. It offers sizing agents, wet/dry strength additives, and crepe and release additives for tissue manufacturing; and deposit control agents, defoamers, biocides, and other process additives. This segment also provides specialized chemicals and consulting services for the utility water treatment; and performance-based feed and control systems; and monitoring devices and remote system surveillance. Its A shland Performance Materials segment manufactures and supplies specialty chemicals and customized services to the building and construction, transportation, metal casting, packaging and converting, and marine markets. It also offers unsaturated polyester and vinyl ester resins, and gelcoats; adhesives and specialty resins; and metal casting consumables and design services. The company?s Ashland Consumer Markets segment produces and markets packaged automotive lubricants, chemicals, appearance products, antifreeze, and filters to the private passenger car, light truck, and heavy duty markets. It also operates a quick-lube franchise under the name of Valvoline Instant Oil Change. The company was founded in 1918 and is headquartered in Covington, Kentucky.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By GuruFocus]

  George Soros (Trades, Portfolio) just reported his first quarter portfolio. He buys Citrix Systems Inc, Baker Hughes Inc, Comcast Corp, Spansion Inc, etc during the 3-months ended 03/31/2014, according to the most recent filings of his investment company, Soros Fund Management LLC. As of 03/31/2014, Soros Fund Management LLC owns 305 stocks with a total value of $10.1 billion. These are the details of the buys and sells.New Purchases: BHI, CODE, CTRP, CLI, AVB, COMM, CNQ, AGO, AUY, ATML, ASH, BXMT, CSTM, AEM, CMA, ARE, CHKP, AUQ, BEAV, CX, ADSK, AALCP, BLK, AIG, BIIB, ADEP, AMRI, ARWR, ATHX, BALT, BCRX, BEAT, CFX, CLFD, CUR, CODE,Added Positions: CTXS, CMCSA, CNP, ALTR, BRCD, CBS, CRM, CHTR, CCJ, CIEN, BIDU, ALLE, ABT, CDNS, ACT,Reduced Positions: AAPL, CCI, AMT, ABBV, AAL, BITA, AL, ANGI, ARIA, CBST, BA, BIRT, EXAR,Sold Out: C, BAC, CRI, AMZN, AGN, CF, BRCM, COTY, BMY, AMCX, CAR, A, ADBE, AFL,For the details of George Soros (Trades, Portfolio)'s stock buys and sells, go to http://www.gurufocus.com/StockBuy.php?GuruName=George+SorosThis is the sector weightings of his portfolio:Technology18.9%Energy14%Healthcare8.3%Consumer Defensive8.2%Communication Services8.1%Consumer Cyclical5.4%Industrials5.1%Basic Materials4.9%Financial Services2.5%Real Estate1.9%Utilities0.5%These are the top 5 holdings of George Soros (Trades, Portfolio)1. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (TEVA) - 10,310,041 shares, 5.4% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 10.67%2. Herbalife Ltd (HLF) - 4,901,337 shares, 2.8% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 52.9%3. EQT Corp (EQT) - 2,573,814 shares, 2.5% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 3.27%4. Adecoagro SA (AGRO) - 25,915,076 shares, 2.1% of the total portfolio.5. Halliburton Co (HAL) - 3,596,353 shares, 2.1% of the total portfolio. Shares reduced by 20.73%New Purchase: Baker Hughes Inc (BHI)George Soros (Trades, Portfolio) initiated holdings in Baker Hughes Inc. His purchase prices were between $51.82 and $65.27, with an estimated

• [By Shauna O'Brien]

  Jefferies reported on Thursday that it has cut its rating on chemical company Ashland Inc. (ASH).

  The firm has downgraded ASH from “Buy” to “Hold,” and has lowered the company’s price target from $104 to $97. This price target suggests a 9% upside from the stock’s current price of $88.47.

  Analyst Laurence Alexander commented: “Investor confidence in the asset shuffling thesis may not withstand 2-3 more rounds of downward revisions to EPS and FCF forecasts for 2014E-2016E.”

  “Pension headwinds, incentive comp, Valvoline marketing expenses, sluggish end markets: in our view, it all adds up, and makes further multiple expansion more difficult.”

  Looking ahead, the firm has reduced estimates for the fourth quarter from $1.70 to $1.59 per share. For FY2013, earnings estimates have been lowered from $6.25 to $6.15 per share. FY2014 estimates have been cut from $7.45 to $6.75 per share.

  Ashland shares were mostly flat during pre-market trading Thursday. The stock is up 10% YTD

• [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 Ashland (NYSE: ASH  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

Best Managed Healthcare Stocks To Buy For 2015: (NWBO)

Northwest Biotherapeutics, Inc., a development stage biotechnology company, engages in the discovery, development, and commercialization of immunotherapy products that generate and enhance immune system responses to treat cancer in the United States. Its technology platforms comprise dendritic cell-based cancer vaccines (DCVax) and monoclonal antibodies for cancer therapeutics. The company?s product candidates include DCVax-Prostate for the treatment of non-metastatic hormone independent prostate cancer, which cleared Phase III clinical trial; DCVax-Brain that is in Phase II clinical trial for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme; and DCVax-LB, which cleared Phase I clinical trial for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer. Its product candidates also comprise DCVax-Direct that cleared Phase I clinical trial for the treatment of ovarian, head, and neck cancer; and DCVax-L, which completed Phase I/II clinical trials for the treatment of resectable solid tumors. In addition, the company develops CXCR4 antibodies, which are involved in various phases of disease progression, including proliferation of the primary tumor, migration of cancer cells out of the primary tumor, and establishment of distant metastatic sites for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer, breast cancer, glioblastoma multiforme, colon cancer, melanoma, prostate, pancreatic, kidney, ovarian, and certain blood cancers. Northwest Biotherapeutics, Inc. was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Smith On Stocks]

  Using my assumptions, the common of Agenus might be worth about $7.00 per share in early 2014 based on the royalties from the Glaxo vaccines and the net operating loss carry forward even if every other asset in the company were valued at zero. However, there may be substantial value in Agenus' internal vaccine programs in recurrent and newly diagnosed glioblastoma and the genital herpes vaccine. Based on a comparison to peer companies like Northwest Biotherapeutics (NWBO) and ImmunoCellular Therapeutics (IMUC), I believe that the internal programs at Agenus currently may be worth $150 million or $4.45 per share. Adding this to the value of the MAGE A-3 vaccine could produce a stock price of $11.00 in early 2014.