Best US Companies To Watch For 2015

After several consecutive months of job gains near or above 200,000, the streak came to an abrupt halt with the December jobs report - reminding everyone how fragile our economy still is.

Payroll growth last month slowed to the slowest pace since January 2011. Employers added a skimpy 74,000 jobs in December, Friday's Labor Department report revealed.

That was well below even the most cautious expectations.

Surveys showed economists expected gains of 197,000 to 205,000, with the unemployment rate remaining at 7%. Many analysts raised projections after Wednesday's report from private payroll processing firm ADP showed businesses added 238,000 jobs in December, the most in 13 months.

The lackluster job creation wasn't the only "surprise" in the December jobs report. The unemployment rate unexpectedly fell to 6.7% from 7%, marking the lowest level since October 2008.

Digging into the reasons behind the drop shows just how troubling this situation is. That's because the decline was due to some 347,000 discouraged Americans simply dropping out of the work force.

Best US Companies To Watch For 2015: PowerShares WilderHill Clean Energy Portfolio (PBW)

PowerShares WilderHill Clean Energy Portfolio (the Fund) is based on the WilderHill Clean Energy Index and seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield (before the Fund�� fees and expenses) of that equity index. The sectors covered by the Fund include Energy-Alternate Sources, Semiconductors, Electrical Components and Equipment, Chemicals, Electric, Electronics, Computers, Auto Parts and Equipment, Biotechnology and Agriculture. PowerShares Capital Management LLC is the Fund's investment adviser.

PowerShares WilderHill Clean Energy Portfolio�� top 10 holdings include SunPower Corp., Class A, Echelon Corp., Cypress Semiconductor Corp., Cree, Inc., First Solar, Inc., OM Group, Inc., Universal Display Corp., KYOCERA Corp. ADR (Japan), Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. ADR (Cayman Islands) and Applied Materials, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Selena Maranjian]

  Exchange-traded funds offer a convenient way to invest in sectors or niches that interest you. If you'd like to add some clean-energy-related stocks to your portfolio, the PowerShares WilderHill Clean Energy Portfolio ETF (NYSEMKT: PBW  ) could save you a lot of trouble. Instead of trying to figure out which companies will perform best, you can use this ETF to invest in lots of them simultaneously.
  
  The basics
  ETFs often sport lower expense ratios than their mutual fund cousins. The PowerShares ETF's expense ratio -- its annual fee -- is 0.70%. The fund is fairly small, too, so if you're thinking of buying, beware of possibly large spreads between its bid and ask prices. Consider using a limit order if you want to buy in.

• [By Wall Street Sector Selector]

  Another ETF which invests in the solar sector is the PowerShares WilderHill Clean Energy ETF (PBW). Although its holdings are not limited to the solar sector, its most significant holding is SunPower Corporation at 4.96% of the weight. Its number three holding is MEMC Electronic Materials at 3.42% of the weight. PBW's average trading volume is robust at over 400,000 shares per day. Its market cap is $135 million.

• [By Aaron Levitt]

  A lack of profits and the reliance on government subsidies have made most stocks in the renewable energy category pretty poor performers over the years. Just check out the performance of the broad PowerShares WilderHill Clean Energy ETF (PBW). It has lost about 7.5% annually since its inception in 2005.

Best US Companies To Watch For 2015: PPG Industries Inc.(PPG)

PPG Industries, Inc. manufactures and supplies protective and decorative coatings. The company offers coatings products for automotive and commercial transport/fleet repair and refurbishing, specialty coatings for signs, and light industrial coatings; and sealants, coatings, and technical cleaners/transparencies for commercial, military, regional jet, general aviation aircraft, and transparent armor for military land vehicles. It also provides coatings and finishes for the protection of metals and structures to metal fabricators, heavy duty maintenance contractors, and manufacturers of ships, bridges, rail cars, and shipping containers; and coatings to painting and maintenance contractors. In addition, PPG sells industrial and automotive coatings to manufacturing companies; adhesives and sealants for the automotive industry; metal pretreatments and related chemicals; and coatings and inks for aerosol, food, and beverage containers. Further, it supplies lenses, sunlenses, a nd optical lens materials; amorphous precipitated silicas for tire and battery separator markets; and Teslin substrate used in radio frequency identification tags and labels, e-passports, drivers? licenses, and identification cards applications. Additionally, PPG offers chlor-alkali and derivative products, such as chlorine, caustic soda, vinyl chloride monomer, chlorinated solvents, calcium hypochlorite, ethylene dichloride, hydrochloric acid, and phosgene derivatives to chemical processing, rubber and plastics, paper, minerals, metals, and water treatment industries. It also produces flat glass and continuous-strand fiber glass for commercial and residential construction, wind energy, energy infrastructure, transportation, and electronics industries. PPG sells its products through company-owned stores, home centers, paint dealers, and independent distributors, as well as directly to customers worldwide. The company was founded in 1883 and is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pe nnsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sean Williams]

  Paint and coating specialist PPG Industries (NYSE: PPG  ) advanced 6.2% after following Peabody's lead, and reporting solid first-quarter earnings results. For the quarter, PPG reported what was essentially flat revenue at $3.33 billion, and a profit of $1.58 per share, versus consensus estimates calling for $3.44 billion in revenue, and $1.56 in EPS. Furthermore, PPG boosted its quarterly dividend by 3%, to $0.61, for a new forward yield of 1.7%. The quarter was influenced by a $2.19 billion sale of one of its units to Georgia Gulf, but it speaks more to the ongoing strength in the paint business from a consumer and commercial level.

• [By Lawrence Meyers]

  VAL stock trades at about 18�timesFY14 estimates of $4.08. Even accounting for the 1.4% yield, it�� a tad bit pricey at 14% long-term EPS growth. But let�� look at competitors. PPG Industries (PPG) trades at 21�times�earnings on 11% long-term growth. Sherwin-Williams (SHW) trades at 24x earnings on 14.6% long-term growth. Akzo Nobel (AKZOY) trades at 16 times earnings on 11% growth.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Privately held specialty-coatings producer Deft will be acquired by PPG Industries (NYSE: PPG  ) for an undisclosed sum.�

  Deft's primary business is supplying structural primers and military topcoats to the North American aviation industry, as well as architectural and industrial coatings, though they comprise much�smaller parts of its business.

Best Biotech Companies To Watch In Right Now: Mostostroy No6 OAO (MSTF)

Mostostroy No6 OAO (Mostostroitel��yi trest No 6 OAO or Bridge Construction Trust N 6 OJSC) is a Russia-based company engaged in the construction industry. Its services portfolio includes the design, construction, reconstruction and renovation of bridges, railways, highways, tunnels and subways, nuclear and thermal power stations, residential and industrial facilities, among others. Mostostroitel��yi trest No 6 OAO provides its services mainly to companies engaged in the transportation, hydraulic engineering, industrial, civil and nuclear construction sectors and its customers include ROSATOM and Russian Railways, among others. The Company operates through 10 branches, as well as two representative offices, located in Moscow and Sochi. In addition, it has five wholly owned subsidiaries. As of March 4, 2011, the Company�� major shareholder was Malakhit OOO with a stake of 19.85%. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tom Taulli]

  But again, the most glaring red flag is the valuation of GOOG stock. Shares of Google stock are currently trading at a P/E ratio of 30, which is certainly rich. Consider that�Apple (AAPL) and �Microsoft (MSTF) sport multiples of only about 14. These companies also have decent dividend yields.

Best US Companies To Watch For 2015: Robert Half International Inc.(RHI)

Robert Half International Inc. provides staffing and risk consulting services in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Its Accountemps division offers temporary staffing in the fields of accounting, tax, and finance. The company?s OfficeTeam division places temporary and full-time office and administrative personnel, ranging from word processors to office managers. Its Robert Half Finance & Accounting division specializes in the placement of full-time accounting, financial, tax, and banking personnel. The company?s Robert Half Technology division specializes in providing information technology contract consultants; and placing full-time employees in the areas, ranging from multiple platform systems integration to end-user support, including specialists in programming, networking, systems integration, database design, and help desk support. Its Robert Half Legal division places temporary and full-time employees in attorney, paralegal, legal administrati ve, and legal secretarial positions. The company?s Robert Half Management Resources division offers senior level project professionals in the accounting and finance fields comprising chief financial officers, controllers, and senior financial analysts for various tasks, such as financial systems conversions, expansion into new markets, business process reengineering, and post-merger financial consolidation. Its Creative Group division serves clients in the areas of advertising, marketing, and Web design; and places project consultants in various positions consisting of creative directors, graphics designers, Web content developers, Web designers, media buyers, and public relations specialists. The company?s Protiviti division provides experts specializing in risk, advisory, and transactional services. Robert Half International was founded in 1948 and is based in Menlo Park, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Investors have taken notice of the trend with shares of ManpowerGroup (NYSE: MAN  ) rising 59% over the past year, Kelly Services (NASDAQ: KELYA  ) up almost 46%, and Robert Half International (NYSE: RHI  ) some 15% higher.

• [By Keith Speights]

  Temporary staffing agencies also felt the brunt of the employer mandate push-back. Shares of�Robert Half International (NYSE: RHI  ) , for example, slipped 5% on the day after the Obamacare delay was announced. The staffing agency reported earlier this year that it was receiving lots of inquiries from employers with around 50 employees, with the implication being that companies would use temporary workers to avoid meeting the 50-employee threshold for the Obamacare mandate.

• [By Jonathan Yates]

  For those looking to invest in real estate stocks, highly recommended is the Dr. Housing Bubble blog. In a recent posting, the "Dr." pointed out that there was a "Lost Generation" when it came to household income. That has not happened for those investing in staffing industry stocks such as Paychex (NASDAQ: PAYX), Robert Half International (NYSE: RHI), TrueBlue, Inc. (NYSE: TBI), and Labor SMART (OTCBB: LTNC).

• [By Mark Hulbert]

  Apple�� profitability is in the middle of the pack among nonfinancial companies in the S&P 500 (SPX) �. The most profitable, according to AQR Capital Management, a money-management firm in Greenwich, Conn., with more than $80 billion in assets, is staffing firm Robert Half International (RHI) �, whose gross profitability is 119%. In second place is cosmetics giant Est茅e Lauder (EL) �, at 114%.

Best US Companies To Watch For 2015: Officemax Incorporated(OMX)

OfficeMax Incorporated, together with its subsidiaries, distributes business-to-business and retail office products. Its Contract segment markets and sells office supplies and paper, technology products and solutions, office furniture, and print and document services directly to large corporate and government offices, as well as to small and medium-sized offices through field salespeople, outbound telesales, catalogs, Internet, and office products stores. As of December 31, 2011, this segment operated 38 distribution centers in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand; 4 customer service and outbound telesales centers in the United States; and 47 office products stores in Canada, Hawaii, Australia, and New Zealand. The company?s Retail segment markets and sells office supplies and paper, print and document services, technology products and solutions, and office furniture to small and medium-sized businesses and consumers through a network of reta il stores. As of December 31, 2011, this segment operated 978 stores in the United States and Mexico; 3 large distribution centers in the United States; and 1 small distribution center in Mexico. The company, formerly known as Boise Cascade Corporation, was founded in 1913 and is headquartered in Naperville, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Michael Lewis]

  Office Depot (NYSE: ODP  ) scored a win in its merger with fellow big-box supply store retailer Office Max (NYSE: OMX  ) , but is the company out of the proverbial weeds? The Depot saw its shares decline more than 6% Wednesday due to an earnings report that came in under estimates and altogether left investors and analysts unimpressed. No one has any delusions as to the intense technology-fueled disruption facing Office Depot and its recently acquired competitor, but there are levers the company can pull to remain relevant in the future.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  On Tuesday, OfficeMax (NYSE: OMX  ) will release its latest quarterly results. The key to making smart investment decisions on stocks reporting earnings is to anticipate how they'll do before they announce results, leaving you fully prepared to respond quickly to whatever inevitable surprises arise. That way, you'll be less likely to make an uninformed knee-jerk reaction to news that turns out to be exactly the wrong move.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Office supplies retailer�OfficeMax (NYSE: OMX  ) announced yesterday its third-quarter dividend of $0.02 per share, the same rate it's paid for the past four quarters after slashing the payout 87% from $0.15 per share.

• [By Holly LaFon]

  The company�� primarily competitors are Office Depot (ODP), United Stationers (USTR) and Office Max (OMX). Staples has the best gross margins of its competitors, at greater than 26%, and the only one to increase its book value per share since 2001.

Best US Companies To Watch For 2015: Eaton Vance Tax-Advantaged Global Dividend Opportunities Fund (ETO)

Eaton Vance Tax-Advantaged Global Dividend Opportunities Fund (the Fund) is a closed-end management investment company. The Fund's investment objective is to provide a high level of after-tax total return. The Fund pursues its objective by investing primarily in dividend-paying common and preferred stocks.

The Fund�� top 10 equity holdings include Freeport-McMoran Copper, Veolia Environment, Southern Copper Corp., Societe Generale, Chevron Corp., Occidental Petroleum Corp., Exelon Corp., Total SA Spon ADR, Entergy Corp. and Suncor Energy Inc. Top 10 equity holdings represented 25.3% of total investments as of April 30, 2007.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By GURUFOCUS]

  Special Purpose Funds- Eaton Vance Tax-Adv. Global Dividend Oppor. Fund (ETO) | Yield: 7.3%
  - The Gabelli Global Utility & Income Trust (GLU) | Yield: 6.2%
  - Pimco Global Stocksplus Income Fund (PGP) | Yield: 9.5%
  - LMP Real Estate Income Fund Inc. (RIT) | Yield: 7.0%

Best US Companies To Watch For 2015: Essential Innovations Technology Corp (ESIV)

Essential Innovations Technology Corp., incorporated on April 4, 2001, is a development-stage company, focused towards research and development, commercialization and market entry strategies for the intellectual property that it has acquired in regards to multiple green and environmental technology applications such as fluid heating, electricity generation and water treatment/purification.

The Company will focus its activities on development and commercialization of two primary technologies. The first technology is a method for the design of equipment used in the heating of a variety of fluids such as oil, water (to steam). The second technology is a method for the combined mechanical heating and transport of fluids. As of October 31, 2011, the Company had no operations. As of October 31, 2011, the Company had no revenue.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap green stocks Essential Innovations Technology Corp (OTCBB: ESIV), Building Turbines Inc (OTCMKTS: BLDW) and Kleangas Energy Technologies Inc (OTCMKTS: KGET) have all been getting some attention lately in various investment newsletters ��either because they were sinking, because of paid promotions or a combination of both. However, there aren�� many green stocks out there that have actually produced some green for investors in the form of profits. With that in mind, here is a quick reality check about all three green small cap stocks to help you decide whether any have the potential for long-term success:

  Essential Innovations Technology Corp (OTCBB: ESIV) Announces New Distribution Agreements

  Small cap Essential Innovations Technology Corp aims to provide eco-friendly lifestyle enhancement solutions for the betterment of energy, water, air and health as the company holds the exclusive global manufacturing, distribution and applications rights to the ��ximius Technologies - Extraordinary solutions for an ever-changing World.' On Friday, Essential Innovations Technology Corp sank 22.79% to $0.0525 for a market cap of $909,953 plus ESIV is up 4,275% over the past year and up 50% over the past five years according to Google Finance.

Best US Companies To Watch For 2015: IDEX Corp (IEX)

IDEX Corporation (IDEX), incorporated on September 24, 1987, is an applied solutions business that sells an array of pumps, flow meters and other fluidics systems and components and engineered products to customers in a variety of markets worldwide. All of the Company�� business activities are carried out through wholly owned subsidiaries. IDEX operates in three business segments: Fluid & Metering Technologies, Health & Science Technologies and Fire & Safety/Diversified Products. Reporting units in the Fluid & Metering Technologies segment consist of Banjo; Energy and Fuels (Energy); Chemical, Food & Process (CFP) and Water & Waste Water (Water). Reporting units in the Health & Science Technologies segment consist of IDEX Health & Science (IH&S); IDEX Optics and Photonics (IOP); Precision Polymer Engineering (PPE); Gast; Micropump and Materials Process Technologies (MPT). Reporting units in the Fire & Safety/Diversified Products segment consist of Fire Suppression; Rescue Tools and Band-It. In July 20, 2012, it acquired Matcon Group Limited. In March 2013, it announced the acquisition of FTL Seals Technology, Ltd. On April 11, 2012, the Company acquired the stock of PPC. On April 30, 2012, the Company acquired the stock of ERC.

Fluid & Metering Technologies Segment

The Fluid & Metering Technologies Segment designs, produces and distributes displacement pumps, flow meters, injectors, and other fluid-handling pump modules and systems and provides flow monitoring and other services for the water and wastewater industries. Fluid & Metering Technologies pump and metering solutions serve a range of end markets, including industrial infrastructure (fossil fuels, refined and alternative fuels, and water and wastewater), chemical processing, agricultural, food and beverage, pulp and paper, transportation, plastics and resins, electronics and electrical, construction and mining, pharmaceutical and bio-pharmaceutical, machinery and other markets. Fluid & Metering Technologies accounte! d for 43% of IDEX�� sales and 82% of IDEX�� operating income, with approximately 46% of its sales to customers outside the United States as of December 31, 2012, with approximately 46% of its sales to customers outside the United States. Banjo is a provider of pumps, valves, fittings and systems used in liquid handling. Banjo is based in Crawfordsville, Indiana and its products are used in agricultural and industrial applications. Approximately 11% of Banjo�� sales during 2012 were to customers outside the United States.

Energy consists of the Company�� Corken, Faure Herman, Liquid Controls, S.A.M.P.I. and Toptech businesses. Energy is a supplier of flow meters, electronic registration and control products, rotary vane and turbine pumps, reciprocating piston compressors, and terminal automation control systems. Energy has facilities in Longwood, Florida and Zwijndrech, Belgium (Toptech products), Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (Corken products), La Ferte Bernard, France (Faure Herman products), Vadodara, Gujarat, India (Liquid Controls products), and Altopascio, Italy (S.A.M.P.I. products). Applications for Liquid Controls and S.A.M.P.I. positive displacement flow meters, electronic, registration and control products include mobile and stationary metering installations for wholesale and retail distribution of petroleum and liquefied petroleum gas, aviation refueling, and industrial metering and dispensing of liquids and gases. Corken products consist of rotary vane pumps, single and multistage regenerative turbine pumps, and small horsepower reciprocating piston compressors. Toptech supplies terminal automation hardware and software to control and manage inventories, as well as transactional data and invoicing, to customers in the oil, gas and refined-fuels markets. Faure Herman is a supplier of ultrasonic and helical turbine flow meters used in the custody transfer and control of fluids and gases. Approximately 53% of Energy�� sales during 2012 were to customers outside the United State! s.

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CFP consists of the Company�� Richter, Viking and Warren Rupp businesses. CFP is a producer of air-operated and motor-driven double-diaphragm pumps and replacement parts, lined pumps, valves and control equipment for the chemical, fine chemical and pharmaceutical industries, and external gear pumps. Richter�� corrosion resistant fluoroplastic lined products offer solutions for applications in the process industry. Viking�� products consist of external gear pumps, strainers and reducers, and related controls used for transferring and metering thin and viscous liquids sold under the Viking and Wright Flow brands and air-operated double-diaphragm pumps sold under the Blagdon brand. Markets served by Viking products include chemical, petroleum, pulp and paper, plastics, paints, inks, tanker trucks, compressor, construction, food and beverage, personal care, pharmaceutical and biotech. Warren Rupp products (which also include Pumper Parts and Versa-Matic products) are used for abrasive and semisolid materials, as well as for applications where product degradation is a concern or where electricity is not available or should not be used. Markets served by Warren Rupp products include chemical, paint, food processing, electronics, construction, utilities, mining and industrial maintenance. CFP maintains operations in Kampen, Germany (Richter products), Cedar Falls, Iowa (Richter and Viking products), Eastbourne, East Sussex, England, Shannon, Ireland (Viking products) and Mansfield, Ohio (Warren Rupp products). CFP primarily uses independent distributors to market and sell its products. Approximately 54% of CFP�� sales during 2012 were to customers outside the United States.

Water consists of the Company�� ADS, IETG, iPEK, Knight and Pulsafeeder businesses. Water is a provider of metering technology and flow monitoring products and underground surveillance services for water and wastewater markets, as well as a manufacturer of pumps and dispensing equipment for industrial laundries! , commerc! ial dishwashing and chemical metering, and a provider of metering pumps, special-purpose rotary pumps, peristaltic pumps, fully integrated pump and metering systems, custom chemical-feed systems, electronic controls and dispensing equipment. ADS�� products and services provide integrated solutions that enable industry, municipalities and government agencies to analyze and measure the capacity, quality and integrity of wastewater collection systems, including the maintenance and construction of such systems. IETG�� products and services enable water companies to manage their water distribution and sewerage networks, while its surveillance service specializes in underground asset detection and mapping for utilities and other private companies. iPEK supplies remote controlled systems used for infrastructure inspection. Knight is a manufacturer of pumps and dispensing equipment for industrial laundries, commercial dishwashing and chemical metering. Pulsafeeder products are used to introduce precise amounts of fluids into processes to manage water quality and chemical composition, as well as peristaltic pumps. Its markets include water and wastewater treatment, oil and gas, power generation, pulp and paper, chemical and hydrocarbon processing, and swimming pools. Water maintains operations in Huntsville, Alabama and various other locations in the United States, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia and Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (ADS products), Leeds, England (IETG products and services), Hirschegg, Austria, and Sulzberg, Germany (iPEK products), Lake Forest, California, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, Eastbourne, East Sussex, England, Unanderra, Australia, and Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico (Knight products), Rochester, New York, Punta Gorda, Florida and Milan, Italy (Pulsafeeder products). Approximately 47% of Water�� sales during 2012 were to customers outside the United States.

Water Services & Technology (WST) consists of the Company�� ADS, IETG and iPEK businesses. WST is a provi! der of me! tering technology and flow monitoring products and underground surveillance services for wastewater markets. ADS�� products and services provide integrated solutions that enable industry, municipalities and government agencies to analyze and measure the capacity, quality and integrity of wastewater collection systems, including the maintenance and construction of such systems. IETG�� products and services enable water companies to manage their water distribution and sewerage networks, while its surveillance service specializes in underground asset detection and mapping for utilities and other private companies. iPEK supplies remote controlled systems used for infrastructure inspection. WST maintains operations in Huntsville, Alabama and various other locations in the United States and Australia (ADS products and services); Leeds, England (IETG products and services); and Hirschegg, Austria, and Sulzberg, Germany (iPEK products). Approximately 40% of WST�� 2012 sales were to customers outside the United States.

The Company competes with Pump Solutions Group, Dover Corporation, Milton Roy and Tuthill Corporation.

Health & Science Technologies Segment

The Health & Science Technologies Segment designs, produces and distributes a range of precision fluidics, rotary lobe pumps, centrifugal and positive displacement pumps, roll compaction and drying systems used in beverage, food processing, pharmaceutical and cosmetics, pneumatic components and sealing solutions, including pumping solutions required in analytical instrumentation, clinical diagnostics and drug discovery, molded and extruded, biocompatible medical devices and implantables, air compressors used in medical, dental and industrial applications, optical components and coatings for applications in the fields of scientific research, defense, aerospace, telecommunications and electronics manufacturing, laboratory and commercial equipment used in the production of micro and nano scale materials, precision pho! tonic sol! utions used in life sciences, research and defense markets, and precision gear and peristaltic pump technologies. The segment accounted for 35% of IDEX�� sales and 35% of operating income in 2012, with approximately 54% of its sales to customers outside the United States.

IH&S consists of Eastern Plastics, Rheodyne, Ismatec, Sapphire Engineering, Upchurch Scientific and ERC, which was acquired in April 2012. IH&S has facilities in Rohnert Park, California (Rheodyne products); Bristol, Connecticut (Eastern Plastics products); Wertheim-Mondfeld, Germany (Ismatec products); Middleboro, Massachusetts (Sapphire Engineering products); Oak Harbor, Washington (Ismatec and Upchurch Scientific products); and Kawaguchi, Japan (ERC products). Eastern Plastics products, which consist of high- precision integrated fluidics and associated engineered plastics solutions, are used in a set of end markets including medical diagnostics, analytical instrumentation, and laboratory automation. Rheodyne products consist of injectors, valves, fittings and accessories for the analytical instrumentation market. Rheodyne products are used by manufacturers of high pressure liquid chromatography equipment servicing the pharmaceutical, biotech, life science, food & beverage, and chemical markets. Ismatec products include peristaltic metering pumps, analytical process controllers, and sample preparation systems. Sapphire Engineering and Upchurch Scientific products consist of fluidic components and systems for the analytical, biotech and diagnostic instrumentation markets, such as fittings, precision-dispensing pumps and valves, tubing and integrated tubing assemblies, filter sensors and other micro-fluidic and nano-fluidic components, as well as advanced column hardware and accessories for the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) market. Sapphire Engineering and Upchurch Scientific products primarily serve the pharmaceutical, drug discovery, chemical, biochemical processing, genomics/proteomics research, envir! onmental ! labs, food/agriculture, medical lab, personal care, and plastics/polymer/rubber production markets. ERC manufactures gas liquid separations and detection solutions for the life science, analytical instrumentation and clinical chemistry markets. ERC�� products consist of in-line membrane vacuum degassing solutions, refractive index detectors and ozone generation systems. Approximately 52% of IH&S�� 2012 sales were to customers outside the United States.

IOP consists of CVI Melles Griot (CVI MG), Semrock and AT Films (the Precision Photonics portion of the AT Films business was acquired in April 2012). CVI MG is a into design and manufacture of precision photonic solutions used in the life sciences, research, semiconductor, security and defense markets. CVI MG�� products are focused on the generation, control and productive use of light for a variety of key science and industrial applications. Products consist of specialty lasers and light sources, electro-optical components, specialty shutters, opto-mechanical assemblies and components. In addition, CVI MG produces critical components for life science research, electronics manufacturing, military and other industrial applications including lenses, mirrors, filters and polarizers. These components are utilized in a number of applications such as spectroscopy, cytometry (cell counting), guidance systems for target designation, remote sensing, menology and optical lithography.

CVI MG is headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with additional manufacturing sites located in Carlsbad, California; Rochester, New York; Isle of Man, British Isles; Leicester, England; Kyongki-Do, Korea; Tokyo, Japan; Didam, The Netherlands; and Singapore. Semrock is a provider of optical filters for biotech and analytical instrumentation in the life sciences markets. Semrock�� optical filters are produced using state-of-the-art manufacturing processes which enable it to offer its customers improvements in instrument performance and reliability.! Semrock ! is located in Rochester, New York. AT Films specializes in optical components and coatings for applications in the fields of scientific research, defense, aerospace, telecommunications and electronics manufacturing. The Precision Photonics portion of its business specializes in optical components and coatings for applications in the fields of scientific research, aerospace, telecommunications and electronics manufacturing. AT Films is headquartered in Boulder, Colorado. Approximately 57% of IOP�� 2012 sales were to customers outside the United Sates.

Containment consists of Precision Polymer Engineering (PPE). PPE, which is located in Blackburn, England, is a provider of high performance seals and advanced sealing solutions for a diverse range of global industries and applications, including hazardous duty, analytical instrumentation, semiconductor/solar, process technologies, pharmaceutical, electronics, and food applications. Approximately 79% of PPE�� 2012 sales were to customers outside the United States.

Gast consists of the Company�� Gast and Jun-Air businesses. The Gast business is a manufacturer of air-moving products, including air motors, low-range and medium-range vacuum pumps, vacuum generators, regenerative blowers and fractional horsepower compressors. Gast products are used in a variety of long-life applications requiring a quiet, clean source of moderate vacuum or pressure. Gast products primarily serve the medical equipment, environmental equipment, computers and electronics, printing machinery, paint mixing machinery, packaging machinery, graphic arts, and industrial manufacturing markets. The Jun-Air business is a provider of low-decibel, ultra-quiet vacuum compressors suitable for medical, dental and laboratory applications. Based in Benton Harbor, Michigan, Gast also has a logistics and commercial center in Redditch, England. Approximately 27% of Gast�� 2012 sales were to customers outside the United States.

Micropump, headquartered i! n Vancouv! er, Washington, produces, precision-engineered, magnetically and electromagnetically driven rotary gear, piston and centrifugal pumps. Micropump products are used in low-flow abrasive and corrosive applications. Micropump products primarily serve the printing machinery, medical equipment, paints and inks, chemical processing, pharmaceutical, refining, laboratory, electronics, pulp and paper, water treatment, textiles, peristaltic metering pumps, analytical process controllers and sample preparation systems markets. Approximately 77% of Micropump�� 2012 sales were to customers outside the United States.

MPT consists of Quadro, Fitzpatrick, Microfluidics and Matcon Group Limited (Matcon), which was acquired in July 2012. Quadro is a provider of particle control solutions for the pharmaceutical and bio-pharmaceutical markets. Based in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, Quadro�� activities include fine milling, emulsification and special handling of liquid and solid particulates for laboratory, pilot phase and production scale processing within the pharmaceutical and bio-pharmaceutical markets. Fitzpatrick is into the design and manufacture of process technologies for the pharmaceutical, food and personal care markets. Fitzpatrick designs and manufactures customized size reduction, roll compaction and drying systems to support their customers��product development and manufacturing processes. Fitzpatrick is headquartered in Elmhurst, Illinois. Microfluidics is into designing and manufacturing of laboratory and commercial equipment used in the production of micro and nano scale materials for the pharmaceutical and chemical markets. Microfluidics is the producer of the Microfluidizer family of high shear fluid processors for uniform particle size reduction, robust cell disruption and nanoparticle creation. Microfluidics has offices in Newton, Massachusetts. Matcon is into material processing solutions for high value powders used in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, food, plastics, and fine chemic! als.

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Matcon�� products consist of the original cone valve powder discharge system and filling, mixing and packaging systems, all of which support its customers��automation and process requirements. Matcon is located in Evesham, Worcestershire, England. Approximately 61% of MPT�� 2012 sales were to customers outside the United States.

The Company competes with Gardner Denver, Inc., Thermo Scientific Dionex, Gooch & Housego PLC, Parker Hannifin and Valco Instruments Co., Inc.

Fire & Safety/Diversified Products Segment

The Fire & Safety/Diversified Products segment produces firefighting pumps and controls, rescue tools, lifting bags and other components and systems for the fire and rescue industry, engineered stainless steel banding and clamping devices used in a variety of industrial and commercial applications, and precision equipment for dispensing, metering and mixing colorants and paints used in a variety of retail and commercial businesses around the world. The segment accounted for 22% of IDEX�� sales and 53% of IDEX�� operating income in 2012, with approximately 56% of its sales to customers outside the United States.

Fire Suppression consists of the Company�� Class I, Hale and Godiva businesses, which produce truck-mounted and portable fire pumps, stainless steel valves, foam and compressed air foam systems, pump modules and pump kits, electronic controls and information systems, conventional and networked electrical systems, and mechanical components for the fire, rescue and specialty vehicle markets. Fire Suppression�� customers are primarily OEMs. Fire Suppression is headquartered in Ocala, Florida (Class 1 and Hale products), with additional facilities located in Warwick, England (Godiva products). Approximately 41% of Fire Suppression�� 2012 sales were to customers outside the United States.

Rescue consists of the Company�� Dinglee, Hurst Jaws of Life, Lukas and Vetter businesses, which produce hydraulic! , battery! , gas and electric-operated rescue equipment, hydraulic re-railing equipment, hydraulic tools for industrial applications, recycling cutters, pneumatic lifting and sealing bags for vehicle and aircraft rescue, environmental protection and disaster control, and shoring equipment for vehicular or structural collapse. Rescue Tool�� customers are primarily public and private fire and rescue organizations. Rescue has facilities in Shelby, North Carolina (Hurst Jaws of Life products); Tianjin, China (Dinglee products); Erlangen, Germany (Lukas products); and Zulpich, Germany (Vetter products). Approximately 75% of Rescue�� 2012 sales were to customers outside the United States.

Band-It is a producer of stainless steel banding, buckles and clamping systems. Band-It products are used for securing exhaust system heat and sound shields, industrial hose fittings, traffic signs and signals, electrical cable shielding, identification and bundling, and in numerous other industrial and commercial applications. Band-It products primarily serve the automotive, transportation equipment, oil and gas, general industrial maintenance, electronics, electrical, communications, aerospace, utility, municipal and subsea marine markets. Band-It is based in Denver, Colorado, with additional operations in Staveley, Derbyshire, England, and a IDEX shared manufacturing facility in China. Approximately 39% of Band-It�� 2012 sales were to customers outside the United States.

Dispensing Equipment produces precision equipment for dispensing, metering and mixing colorants and paints used in a variety of retail and commercial businesses worldwide. Dispensing Equipment is a global supplier of precision-designed tinting, mixing, dispensing and measuring equipment for auto refinishing and architectural paints. Dispensing Equipment products are used in retail and commercial stores, hardware stores, home centers, department stores, automotive body shops as well as point-of-purchase dispensers. Dispensing Equipmen! t is head! quartered in Wheeling, Illinois with additional facilities in Sassenheim, The Netherlands; Unanderra, Australia; and Milan, Italy, as well as IDEX shared manufacturing facilities in India and China. Approximately 59% of Dispensing Equipment�� 2012 sales were to customers outside the United States.

The Company competes with American Cast Iron Pipe Company, Holmatro, Inc., Nordic Capital and Panduit Corporation.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Xylem’s big day has also boosted other water-infrastructure stocks. Flowserve (FLS) has gained 1.2% to $70.59, Idex Corp. (IEX) has risen 0.5% to $68.69 and Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO) has advanced 0.4% t0 $98.22.

Best US Companies To Watch For 2015: Ishares S&P 500 (IVV)

iShares Core S&P 500 ETF, formerly iShares S&P 500 Index Fund (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of United States large-cap stocks, as represented by the Standard & Poor�� 500 Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the large-capitalization sector of the United States equity market. The Index serves as the underlying index for the S&P 500/Citigroup Growth and Value Index series.

The Index is a capitalization-weighted index from a range of industries chosen for market size, liquidity and industry group representation. The component stocks are weighted according to the total float-adjusted market value of their outstanding shares. The Index is adjusted to reflect changes in capitalization resulting from mergers, acquisitions, stock rights, substitutions and other capital events. The Fund�� investment advisor is Barclays Global Fund Advisor.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Victor Selva]

  ETFs require no investment minimum beyond the price of one share. iShares Core S&P 500 (IVV) charges 0.07%, while the largest S&P 500 Index fund, SPDR S&P 500 (SPY), charges 0.09%. Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) charges 0.05% and is technically a separate share class of the Vanguard 500 Index mutual fund.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Much smaller is the iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT: IVV  ) . With about $43 billion under management, the iShares ETF comes with lower expenses of 0.07%, but much lower average daily volume of just 3.8 million shares. Like the Spiders, its share price roughly corresponds to a tenth of the value of the S&P 500 index.

Best US Companies To Watch For 2015: GP Strategies Corp (GPX)

GP Strategies Corporation (GP Strategies), incorporated in 1966, is a global performance improvement solutions provider of sales and technical training, e-learning solutions, management consulting and engineering services. The Company operates in five segments: Learning Solutions, Professional & Technical Services, Sandy Training & Marketing, RWD and Energy Services. Its clients include companies and governmental and other commercial customers in a variety of industries. It serves companies in the automotive, steel, oil and gas, power, chemical, electronics and technology, manufacturing, software, financial, retail, healthcare and food and beverage industries, as well as government agencies. On December 31, 2011, GP Strategies Corporation merged with and into its operating subsidiary, General Physics Corporation (General Physics). On August 1, 2011, the Company acquired TK Holdings Ltd and its subsidiary Beneast Training Ltd. In September 2012, the Company acquired Rovsing Dynamics. In October 2012, it acquired BlessingWhite. In June 2013, the Company announced that it has acquired Prospero Learning Solutions. In June 2013, GP Strategies Corp announced that it has acquired Lorien Engineering Solutions (LES).

On April 15, 2011, the Company acquired the consulting business of RWD Technologies, LLC (RWD). On April 1, 2011, the Company acquired Ultra Training Ltd. On February 1, 2011, through its wholly owned subsidiaries in Hong Kong and Shanghai, the Company acquired the training business and certain related assets of Cathay/Communication Consulting Limited. The Company conducts its business outside of the United States in over 40 countries primarily through its wholly owned subsidiaries located in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Singapore, China and India. As of December 31, 2011, the Company operates in five segments: Learning Solutions, Professional & Technical Services, Sandy Training & Marketing (Sandy), RWD and Energy Services. On October 1, 2011, the C! ompany made two management reporting changes, which resulted in a change to its segments. The Learning Solutions group and the Europe group, which were both formerly part of the Manufacturing & BPO segment are aggregated into a separate segment named Learning Solutions. In addition, the Manufacturing group, which was also part of the Manufacturing & BPO segment, assumed management responsibility for the former Process & Government group and this newly combined group is a separate reportable segment named Professional & Technical Services.

The Company offers a range of training business process outsourcing (BPO) services, including design, delivery and global management of comprehensive learning programs, to national and multinational businesses and government organizations and can deliver its services individually or as a complete, integrated training solution. The Company�� consulting, engineering, and technical support services range from traditional business consulting, which include lean enterprise consulting services, to specialized engineering and technical support services, such as design and evaluation services regarding facilities, processes and systems. The Company�� consulting and engineering customers typically operate in industries, such as oil and gas, power, chemical, aerospace, transportation and manufacturing industries, and include customers, such as Pratt & Whitney, General Dynamics Corporation, Rockwell Automation, Luminant Energy, NRG Energy and Ameren Energy.

Learning Solutions

The Learning Solutions segment delivers training, curriculum design and development, e-Learning services, system hosting, training business process outsourcing and consulting services primarily to companies in the electronics and semiconductors, healthcare, software, financial and other industries as well as to government agencies. This segment�� ability to deliver a range of training services on a global basis allows it to take over the entire learning function f! or the cl! ient, including their training personnel.

Professional & Technical Services

The Professional & Technical Services segment is engaged in providing training, consulting, engineering and technical services, including lean consulting, emergency preparedness, safety and regulatory compliance, chemical demilitarization and environmental services primarily to companies in the manufacturing, steel, pharmaceutical and petrochemical industries, federal and state government agencies and government contractors. This segment also provides services to users of alternative fuels, including designing and constructing liquefied natural gas (LNG) and hydrogen fueling stations, as well as supplying fuel and equipment.

Sandy Training & Marketing

The Sandy segment provides custom product sales training and serving manufacturing customers in the United States automotive industry. Sandy provides custom product sales training designed to better educate customer sales forces with respect to new vehicle features and designs, in effect rapidly increasing the sales force knowledge base and enabling them to address detailed customer queries. In addition, Sandy helps its clients assess their customer relationship marketing (CRM) strategy, measure performance against competitors and connect with their customers on a one-to-one basis. This segment also provides technical training services to automotive customers.

RWD

The RWD segment provides human capital management and information technology (IT) consulting services, end user training, change management, knowledge management and operator effectiveness management solutions. The Segment operates in industries, such as manufacturing, aerospace, healthcare, life sciences, consumer products, financial, telecommunications, services and higher education, as well as the public sector.

Energy Services

The Energy Services segment provides engineering services, products and training primarily! to elect! ric power utilities. The Company�� EtaProTM Performance Monitoring and Optimization System provides a suite of performance solutions for power generation plants and is installed at approximately 900 power generating units in over 30 countries. In addition to providing custom training solutions, this segment provides Web-based training through its GPiLearn portal to over 30,000 power plant personnel in the United States and in over 40 countries.

The Company provides custom training services and products to support existing, as well as the launch of new, plants, products, equipment, technologies and processes. The range of services includes fundamental analysis of a client�� training needs, curriculum design, instructional material development (in hard copy, electronic/software or other format), information technology service support and delivery of training. Training products include custom instructor and student training manuals, and instructional materials suitable for Web-based and blended learning solutions. The Company�� instructional delivery capabilities include traditional classroom, structured on-the-job training (OJT), just-in-time methods, computer-based, Web-based, video-based and the spectrum of e-Learning technologies.

The Company provides end-to-end business process outsourcing solutions, including the management of its customers training departments, as well as administrative processes, such as tuition assistance program management, vendor management, call center / help desk administration and learning management system (LMS) administration. The Company�� training BPO services encompass a spectrum of learning engagements from transactional multi-week assignments focused on a single aspect of a learning process to multi-year contracts where it manages the learning infrastructure of its customer. In addition, the Company automates a huge amount of its customers tuition reimbursement programs by utilizing its own software.

The consulting servi! ces inclu! de not only training-related consulting services, but also traditional business management, engineering and other disciplines. The Company also provides engineering consulting services to support regulatory and environmental compliance, modification of facilities and processes, plant performance improvement, reliability-centered maintenance practices and plant start-up activities. Consulting services also include IT consulting and enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation services, operations continuity assessment, planning, training and procedure development. Consulting products include training and reference materials.

The technical support services include procedure writing and configuration control for capital intensive facilities, plant start-up assistance, logistics support (inventory management and control), implementation and engineering assistance for facility or process modifications, facility management for high technology training environments, staff augmentation and help-desk support for standard and customized client desktop applications. Technical support products include the Company�� EtaPRO and Virtual Plant software applications that serve the power generation industry.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

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