Top Healthcare Technology Stocks To Invest In 2014

China kicks off its annual parliamentary meetings in Beijing Wednesday.

HONG KONG (CNNMoney) China's annual parliamentary meetings kick off Wednesday, offering Beijing a chance to gauge progress on key economic reforms outlined last year.

The National People's Congress, often criticized as mere political theater, remains an opportunity for top Communist Party brass to reveal new plans and announce economic targets. This year's meetings are of particular note -- it's the first such gathering that President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang will preside over, since assuming their top posts a year ago.

Beijing promised a slate of reforms last year at two major political meetings, broadly pledging to clean up corruption, stabilize economic growth, and open up China's financial markets. That was on top of social measures that aimed at clearing heavy pollution and easing family planning policies.

10 Best Paper Stocks To Watch For 2015: Homex Development Corp (HOMEX*)

Desarrolladora Homex SAB de CV is a Mexico-based homebuilding company. Together with its subsidiaries, the Company is mainly engaged in the promotion, design, development, construction and sale of affordable entry level and middle income residential housing. The Company has four divisions: the Mexico Division; the International Division; the Infrastructure Division, and the Tourism Division. To carry out its activities, the Company engages in land acquisition, obtaining permits and licenses, designing, constructing, marketing and selling homes, obtaining individual financing for its customers and developing communities to satisfy housing needs in Mexico. The Company participates in housing supply offers from the main housing funds in Mexico. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Julia Leite]

  Industrias CH gained 7.9 percent to 85.55 pesos today. Homex (HOMEX*) climbed 5.4 percent to 8.16 pesos, extending this week�� gains to 16 percent. Urbi gained 7.2 percent to 2.37 pesos today, advancing 16 percent in the past five days. Corp. Geo gained 1.5 percent today to 5.55 pesos, climbing 14 percent for the week.

Top Healthcare Technology Stocks To Invest In 2014: Quiksilver Inc.(ZQK)

Quiksilver, Inc. designs, develops, produces, and distributes apparel, footwear, accessories, and related products. The company offers shirts, walkshorts, T-shirts, fleece, pants, jackets, snowboard wear, footwear, hats, backpacks, wetsuits, watches, eyewear, and other accessories to men, women, boys, girls, toddlers, and infants under the brand Quiksilver. It also provides sportswear, swimwear, footwear, backpacks, snowboard wear, snowboards, bedroom furnishings, and other accessories for girls, toddlers, and infants under the brand Roxy. In addition, the company offers skateboard shoes, snowboard boots, sandals, and apparel for young men and juniors under the brand DC. Further, it provides skateboard products, and snowboards and accessories under the brands Hawk, Lib Technologies, and Gnu. The company sells its products in approximately 90 countries in the Americas, Europe, and the Asia/Pacific, through surf shops, skateboard shops, snowboard shops, select department sto res, independent specialty or active lifestyle stores, and specialty chains, as well as through its 770 owned or licensed company stores. Quiksilver, Inc. was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Huntington Beach, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  This series, brought to you by Yahoo! Finance, looks at which upgrades and downgrades make sense, and which ones investors should act on. Today, our headlines feature a big upgrade for Quiksilver (NYSE: ZQK  ) , an even bigger downgrade for Pfizer (NYSE: PFE  ) , and for Polaris Industries (NYSE: PII  ) , a new "buy" rating. Let's start with that one.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Quiksilver (ZQK) sure didn’t catch that wave.

  Mark Abramson

  Shares of Quiksilver have dropped 42% to $3.36 at 11:35 a.m. today after the Huntington Beach, Calif.-based clothing company reported an adjusted loss of 15 cents a share, missing forecasts for a loss of two cents, on sales of $408.2 million, below the Street consensus for $449 million. Even worse: Quicksilver doesn’t expect sales to get much better.

  Monness, Crespi, Hardt’s Jim Chartier explains why he downgraded Quiksilver after today’s plunge:

  We are downgrading shares of Quiksilver to Neutral (from Buy) given limited visibility into the timing of the company�� turnaround. We continue to see a meaningful margin opportunity for ZQK as the company transitions from a founder-led organization to a more efficient, global apparel and footwear company. However, the cyclical/secular industry headwinds in the wholesale channel have proven significantly more challenging that we anticipated. Accordingly, the timing of a potential turn in the wholesale channel appears to be pushed out six to twelve months and we prefer to see evidence that management�� strategies are working before recommending the stock.

  Citigroup’s Kate McShane and Corinna Van der Ghinst wonder if VFC (VFC) will buy Quiksilver:

  [We] believe VFC is the most likely apparel company in our universe to make an acquisition in 2014. Our meetings with management have indicated that with the Timberland acquisition fully integrated & growth plans on track, and having returned the balance sheet to pre-TBL debt levels, they are actively seeking their next deal…

  Following VFC�� unsuccessful bid for Billabong LY, we think Quiksilver could be a consideration, based on: 1) a strong, authentic action sports brand; 2) a solid girls��women�� brand in Roxy, which we believe still has significant potential, esp given ongoing strength in kids��action/activewear, 3) DC

• [By Wallace Witkowski]

  Shares of Quiksilver Inc. (ZQK) �declined 5.1% to $7.30 on moderate volume after the skateboarding and surfing apparel maker posted a wider-than-expected quarterly loss on revenue that fell short of estimates.

Top Healthcare Technology Stocks To Invest In 2014: Arcadis NV (ARCAD)

Arcadis NV is a Netherlands-based international engineering and consultancy firm, providing consultancy, design, engineering and management services in infrastructure, water, environment and buildings. The Company develops, designs, implements, maintains and operates projects for companies and governments. The Company divides its business into four business lines: Infrastructure, which encompasses services for transportations, land development, energy and mining; Water, focused on water planning, wastewater and water management and consulting services; Environment, focused on activities that protect the environment and enhance sustainability, and Buildings, related to homebuilding as well as commercial and industrial buildings and facilities construction. Additionally, it works in partnership with UN-HABITAT, the United Nations agency for human settlements. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

  Companies like Expedia Inc. (EXPE), which provides online travel booking services, and Arcadis NV (ARCAD), a Dutch designer of bridges and dikes, are likely to increase profit at a faster pace than larger firms during an improving economy, Duret said. Smaller companies are also less leveraged, with U.S. mid-caps holding 46 percent less debt per share than firms listed on the S&P 500, data compiled by Bloomberg show.

Top Healthcare Technology Stocks To Invest In 2014: Acuity Brands Inc (AYI)

Acuity Brands, Inc. (Acuity Brands), incorporated on September 20, 2007, is the parent company of Acuity Brands Lighting, Inc. (ABL), and other subsidiaries. Acuity Brands is a provider of lighting solutions for commercial, institutional, industrial, infrastructure, and residential applications throughout North America and select international markets. The Company's lighting solutions include devices, such as luminaires, lighting controls, power supplies, prismatic skylights, light-emitting diode (LED) lamps, and integrated lighting systems for indoor and outdoor applications utilizing a combination of light sources, including daylight, and other devices controlled by software that monitors and manages light levels while optimizing energy consumption (collectively referred to herein as lighting solutions). Effective March 14, 2013, the Company acquired eldoLED Europe BV.

The Company manufactures lighting devices primarily in North America, Europe and Asia. The Company's lighting solutions are marketed under numerous brand names, including Lithonia Lighting, Holophane, Peerless, Mark Architectural Lighting, Hydrel, American Electric Lighting, Gotham, Carandini, RELOC, Antique Street Lamps, Tersen, Winona Lighting, Synergy Lighting Controls, Sensor Switch, Lighting Control & Design, Dark to Light, ROAM, Sunoptics, acculamp, Pathway Connectivity, and Healthcare Lighting. As of August 31, 2012, the Company manufactures products in 18 facilities in North America and two facilities in Europe.

Principal customers include electrical distributors, retail home improvement centers, electric utilities, municipalities, lighting showrooms, and energy service companies located in North America and select international markets serving new construction, renovation, and facility maintenance applications. In North America, the Company's lighting solutions are sold primarily by independent sales agents, electrical wholesalers, and factory sales representatives who cover specific geographic areas! and market channels. Products are delivered directly or through a network of distribution centers, regional warehouses, and commercial warehouses using both common carriers and a company-owned truck fleet. During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2012 (fiscal 2012), North American sales accounted for approximately 98% of net sales. The Company has one operating segment serving the North American lighting market and select international markets.

The Company provides a range of lighting solutions, as well as services used in the applications, such as lighting solutions and services. Lighting solutions and services includes commercial and institutional, industrial, infrastructure, residential and services. Commercial and Institutional includes stores, hotels, offices, schools, and hospitals, as well as other government and public buildings. Lighting solutions that serve these applications include recessed, surface, and suspended lighting products, recessed down lighting, track lighting, day lighting, and lighting controls (occupancy sensors, photocontrols, relay panels, architectural dimming panels, and integrated lighting controls systems), as well as special-use lighting products. The outdoor areas associated with these applications are addressed by a range of outdoor lighting products, such as area and flood lighting, decorative site lighting, and landscape lighting. Industrial includes primarily warehouses and manufacturing facilities, which utilize a range of general purpose, day lighting, and special-use lighting solutions. Infrastructure includes highways, tunnels, airports, railway yards, and ports. Products that serve these applications include street, area, high-mast, off-set roadway, sign lighting, poles, and integrated controls systems. Residential includes a combination of decorative, utilitarian, and down lighting products. Services include monitoring and controlling of lighting systems through network technologies.

The Company competes with Cooper Industries plc, Hu! bbell Inc! orporated, Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V., OSRAM AG, Schneider Electric and General Electric Company.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Garrett Cook]

  Acuity Brands (NYSE: AYI) shares tumbled 14.44 percent to $118.25 after the company reported weaker-than-expected third-quarter results.

  WGP) was down, falling 2.81 percent to $60.94 as the company priced 5 million units at $60.19 per unit.

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Acuity Brands Inc. (NYSE: AYI) was raised to Neutral from Underperform at Sterne Agee�on better-than-expected unit growth and nonresidential construction recovery.

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  Tuesday
  Acuity Brands (NYSE: AYI  ) �reports on Tuesday. The lighting specialist is expected to post net income of $0.88 a share, just ahead of the $0.82 it posted a year earlier. Let's illuminate the situation, if you'll pardon the wordplay. It would be a gamble to assume that Acuity will please investors. It merely met Wall Street's bottom-line target a quarter ago and actually fell short in each of the two prior periods.

Top Healthcare Technology Stocks To Invest In 2014: Rosetta Genomics Ltd (ROSG)

Rosetta Genomics Ltd., incorporated on March 9, 2000, is seeking to develop and commercialize diagnostic tests based on discovered group of genes known as microRNAs. The Company has established a clinical laboratory improvement amendment (CLIA)-certified laboratory in Philadelphia, which enables it to develop, validate and commercialize its own diagnostic tests applying its microRNA technology. In July 2011, the Company launched its fifth product - miRview lung. As of December 31, 2011, the Company launched five tests based on its five microRNA technologies: miRview mets; miRview mets2; miRview squamous; miRview meso, and miRview lung.

Rimonim Consortium

In January 2011, the Company joined the Rimonim Consortium, which is supported by the Office of the Chief Scientist at the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor of the State of Israel, or the OCS. The purpose of the consortium is to develop RNA interference, or RNAi, -based therapeutics.

Rosetta Green

Rosetta Green Ltd. is an Israeli subsidiary of the Company, which was established to leverage its capabilities into the areas of cleantech and plant biotech by using its microRNA technologies to develop plants and algae more suitable for various applications, such as feedstocks for biofuels and agriculture. Research at the Rosetta Green project has been shown to develop algal strains with oil content, to discover potential novel microRNAs from commercially-important algae and to identify drought-regulated microRNAs in plants.

The Company competes with Pathwork Diagnostics, Inc., Biotheranostics, Inc., Combimatrix Corporation, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Asuragen Inc., Exiqon A/S, Life Technologies Corporation, Isis Pharmaceuticals, Merck & Co., Inc., Santaris Pharma A/S, and Regulus Therapeutics.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap genomics stocks Rosetta Genomics Ltd (NASDAQ: ROSG), Genomic Health, Inc (NASDAQ: GHDX) and CollabRx Inc (NASDAQ: CLRX) are at the forefront of genomics testing�or research. I should mention that Wikipedia defines genomics�as a�discipline in genetics that applies recombinant DNA, DNA sequencing methods and bioinformatics to sequence, assemble and analyze the function and structure of genomes (the complete set of DNA within a single cell of an organism). A 2013 Booz Allen Hamilton report on the sector noted that in�2011, the US genetic and genomic clinical testing market size was estimated to be $5.9 billion while the�number of available tests has grown substantially from 1,680 just 4 years ago to 2,886 in 2012.

• [By John Udovich]

  On Tuesday, small cap cancer diagnostic stock Myriad Genetics, Inc (NASDAQ: MYGN) jumped 11.42% in one day, meaning its worth taking a closer look at the stock along with the performance of small cap cancer diagnostic stocks like Rosetta Genomics Ltd (NASDAQ: ROSG) and�Genomic Health, Inc (NASDAQ: GHDX) plus mid cap diagnostic stock Quest Diagnostics Inc (NYSE: DGX). I should mention that we have had�Myriad Genetics in our SmallCap Network Elite Opportunity (SCN EO) portfolio since February 5th and we are already up 18.50%���a nice return in just two weeks time.

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap cancer diagnostic stock�Myriad Genetics, Inc (NASDAQ: MYGN) jumped to a five year high on Wednesday�thanks to good�news that the�government will be paying a heftier reimbursement for its main test than previously feared, meaning its worth taking a closer look at the stock along with small cap cancer diagnostic stocks like Rosetta Genomics Ltd (NASDAQ: ROSG) and�Genomic Health, Inc (NASDAQ: GHDX) plus mid cap diagnostic stock Quest Diagnostics Inc (NYSE: DGX). I should also mention that Myriad Genetics has been in our SmallCap Network Elite Opportunity (SCN EO) portfolio since early February and we are now up some 32.5% since then ��thanks in part to the shorts being put in a short squeeze.

• [By Peter Graham]

  The Q3 2014 earnings report for molecular diagnostic company Myriad Genetics, Inc (NASDAQ: MYGN) is due out after the market closes on Tuesday and things could get ugly since unlike potential diagnostic stock peers such as Rosetta Genomics Ltd (NASDAQ: ROSG) and mid cap diagnostic stock Quest Diagnostics Inc (NYSE: DGX), it�� the most shorted stock on the Nasdaq with short interest of 52.07%. Aside from the Myriad Genetics earnings report, it should be said that Rosetta Genomics Ltd last reported earnings on March 31st and those�earnings were for the full year 2013 while�Quest Diagnostics reported Q1 2014 earnings on April 24th that were a disappointment due to restructuring costs and harsh winter weather. However, Myriad Genetics has been the more interesting stock as Medicare reimbursement rate increases and the lost of a court bid to block competition while a patent-infringement case is pending have sent its shares all over the place.

Top Healthcare Technology Stocks To Invest In 2014: Verifone Systems Inc.(PAY)

Verifone Systems, Inc. designs, markets, and services electronic payment solutions in North America and internationally. It provides system solutions, including countertop electronic payment systems that accepts magnetic, smart card, contactless/ radio frequency identification(RFID) cards, and near field communication(NFC) enabled mobile phones; secure PIN pads that support credit and debit transactions; and wireless system solutions that support Internet protocol-based code division multiple access, general packet radio service, bluetooth, and wireless fidelity technologies. The company also offers products for consumer-activated functionality at the point of sale; contactless/NFC payment solutions consisting of contactless readers primarily for consumer-activated transactions with contactless cards, tokens, and NFC-enabled mobile phones; and Gemstone family of products comprising integrated electronic payment systems for petroleum companies. In addition, it provides serv er-based payment processing software and middleware; unattended and self-service payments hardware and software integration modules, such as vending machines, ATMs, ticketing kiosks, petroleum dispensers, public transportation turnstiles and buses, self-checkout, bill payment, and photo finishing kiosks; retail bank branch solutions; mass transportation solutions; and network access solutions. Further, the company offers client services, customized application development, advertising publishing, taxi payments and advertising, cardholder data security, annual software maintenance program, and repair services. It serves financial institutions, payment processors, petroleum companies, large retailers, taxi fleets, government organizations, healthcare companies, independent sales organizations, and advertisers. The company was formerly known as VeriFone Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to VeriFone Systems, Inc in May 2010. VeriFone Systems, Inc. is headquartered in San Jose, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Tuesday

  Earnings Expected From: Jabil Circuit, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSPI), Verifone Systems, Inc. (NYSE: PAY) Economic Releases Expected: Japanese trade balance, New Zealand current account, US current account, US CPI

  Wednesday

• [By Monica Gerson]

  VeriFone Systems (NYSE: PAY) is expected to report its Q3 earnings at $0.35 per share on revenue of $458.93 million.

  Joy Global (NYSE: JOY) is estimated to report its Q3 earnings at $0.84 per share on revenue of $934.25 million.

• [By Jay Jenkins]

  For the technology to really go mainstream, it needs consumer-side products to support it (cue�Square and PayPal�(subsidiary of eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY  ) ), it needs infrastructure to transmit the data (looking at you,�MasterCard (NYSE: MA  ) and Visa (NYSE: V  ) ), and it needs vendor-side hardware to close the loop (uh, hmm...�VeriFone (NYSE: PAY  ) ).