Best US Stocks To Own Right Now

DELAFIELD, Wis. (Stockpickr) -- Professional traders running mutual funds and hedge funds don't just look at a stock's price moves; they also track big changes in volume activity. Often when above-average volume moves into an equity, it precedes a large spike in volatility.

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Major moves in volume can signal unusual activity, such as insider buying or selling -- or buying or selling by "superinvestors."

Unusual volume can also be a major signal that hedge funds and momentum traders are piling into a stock ahead of a catalyst. These types of traders like to get in well before a large spike, so it's always a smart move to monitor unusual volume. That said, remember to combine trend and price action with unusual volume. Put them all together to help you decipher the next big trend for any stock.

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With that in mind, let's take a look at several stocks rising on unusual volume today.

Best Bank Companies To Watch In Right Now: SPDR S&P Emerging Middle East & Africa ETF (GAF)

SPDR S&P Emerging Middle East & Africa ETF (the Fund) seeks to replicate as closely as possible the total return performance of the S&P/Citigroup BMI Middle East & Africa Index (the Index). The Index is a market capitalization-weighted index that defines and measures the investable universe of publicly traded companies domiciled in emerging Middle Eastern and African markets. The Index is float adjusted, meaning that only those shares publicly available to investors are included in the Index calculation. The Fund uses a passive management strategy designed to track the price and yield performance of the Index. The Fund�� investment manager is SSgA Funds Management, Inc. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jim Powell]

  For long-term investing, we continue to recommend Africa Funds��he iShares South Africa (EZA), the SPDR Mideast & Africa (GAF), and the TRP Africa & Mideast (LX:TRPMEAI).

Best US Stocks To Own Right Now: Virgin Media Inc.(VMED)

Virgin Media Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides entertainment and communications services in the United Kingdom. The company offers cable broadband Internet, television, and fixed line telephone services under the Virgin Media brand to residential customers; mobile telephony services through Virgin Mobile, a mobile virtual network operator; broadband and telephone services to residential customers through third-party telecommunications networks; and video on demand services, including access to movies, television programs, music videos, and other on-demand content, as well as provides digital video recorders. It also offers voice, data, and Internet solutions to commercial customers comprising analog telephony and managed data networks and applications, as well as supplies communications services to health and emergency services providers. As of December 31, 2011, the company provided cable broadband services to approximately 4 million subscribers; cable television s ervices to approximately 3.76 million residential subscribers; cable telephony services to approximately 4.2 million residential subscribers; mobile telephony services to approximately 3 million customers; non-cable fixed line telephone services to approximately 163,300 subscribers; and voice, data, and Internet solutions to approximately 50,000 businesses and 250 public sector organizations. The company offers its products and services through telesales, customer care centers, and online, as well as through its sales force. It serves mobile and fixed-line service providers, systems integrators, and Internet service providers; and private and public sector organizations. The company was formerly known as NTL Incorporated and changed its name to Virgin Media Inc. in February 2007. The company was founded in 1993 and is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Markos Kaminis]

  Whether the stock is overvalued or not does not matter at this point, because an impact to its subscriber base due to the data sharing news would probably change market expectations for the company's operations and affect both earnings estimates and valuation multiples. It would probably drive the shares lower in my view, and I see no reason to risk that by holding the stock. Long-term holders, of course, have tax considerations to consider, and the news is still filing out. If Verizon's peers are also implicated clearly, perhaps with the aid of a Verizon PR push, this issue would be effectively mitigated. Though even in that case, there could be market share loss by all major American firms, with companies like T-Mobile US (TMUS) and Virgin Media (VMED) benefiting, whether they have also been involved or not. In any event, for new stakeholders, or those willing to deal with tax implications; or for those interested in a potential short opportunity, I would sell the stock today. I see no reason to bear risk while this issue and its implications are still unraveling, and while VZ has thus far not been significantly discounted for it.

• [By Tim Brugger]

  Upon Liberty Global's (NASDAQ: LBTYA  ) successfully closing its acquisition of Virgin Media (NASDAQ: VMED  ) , Tom Mockridge will assume CEO responsibilities of the U.K. communications firm, Liberty Global announced today.

Best US Stocks To Own Right Now: Astec Industries Inc.(ASTE)

Astec Industries, Inc. engages in the design, engineering, manufacture, and marketing of equipment and components for road building, utility, and related construction activities worldwide. The company?s Asphalt Group segment offers hot-mix asphalt plants, concrete mixing plants, and related components; heating and heat transfer processing equipment; and thermal fluid storage tanks for asphalt paving and other non-related industries. Its Aggregate and Mining Group segment provides jaw, cone, and impact crushers; vibrating feeders; inclined and horizontal screens; various crushing plants; digital crusher controllers; aggregate and ore processing equipment; mobile screening plants; screen structures; vibrating screens; stationary rockbreaker systems; articulated production and utility vehicles; hydraulic breakers; compactors; demolition attachments; and bulk material handling and minerals processing equipment primarily for the aggregate, metallic mining, and recycling market s. The company?s Mobile Asphalt Paving Group segment provides asphalt pavers, asphalt material transfer vehicles, milling machines, and asphalt reclaiming and soil stabilizing machinery; asphalt paver screeds; windrow pickup machines; asphalt rollers and screeds primarily for road construction markets; and dirt and asphalt compaction equipment. Its Underground Group segment produces heavy-duty trenchers, compact horizontal directional drills, high pressure diesel powered pump trailers; maxi drills, auger boring machines, and down-hole tooling for these units; and vertical drills, water well drills, oil and gas drilling rigs, material handling trailers, and tools for the oil and gas, geothermal, and water well industries. The company also offers whole-tree pulpwood chippers, biomass chippers, horizontal grinders, and blower trucks. Astec Industries, Inc. sells its products through sales agents, distributors, and dealers. The company was founded in 1972 and is based in Chatta nooga, Tennessee.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By GURUFOCUS]

  
  John Maynard Keyes once opined: ��uccessful Investing is anticipating the anticipation of others.��That notion applies in spades when it comes to theme investing. Typically, a stock moves upwards long before its improvement in earnings comes to fruition. Warren Buffett colorfully observed: ��f you wait for the robins, spring will be over.��Should an investor wait for an earnings confirmation to validate his/her theory, then the time to invest will have already passed. I will end today�� discussion by profiling two successful investments I made in high quality cyclical companies during the period of the mid-2000s. The companies are: Maverick Tube (formerly MVK) and Astec (ASTE).

• [By James E. Brumley]

  What do Prospect Capital Corporation (NASDAQ:PSEC), Astec Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTE), and First Financial Corp. (NASDAQ:THFF) have in common? Not much, on the surface. In fact, were it not for something very specific to one particular person (me), they'd have nothing in common at all. This week though, THFF, ASTE, and PSEC all have at least one thing in common, and that's the fact that they're all going into my mental/hypothetical portfolio.

Best US Stocks To Own Right Now: Balfour Beatty PLC (BIH)

Balfour Beatty plc is a global infrastructure company that delivers services essential to the development, creation and care of infrastructure assets; from finance and development, through design and project management to construction and maintenance. The Company operates in four segments: Professional Services segment is engaged in the provision of project management; Construction Services segment is engaged in the activities resulting in the physical construction of an asset; Support Services segment is engaged in the activities, which support existing assets or functions, and Infrastructure Investments segment is engaged in the acquisition, operation and disposal of infrastructure assets, such as PPP concessions and airports. In July 2013, it announced the disposal of its 50% interest in the Salford Hospital PFI asset. In December 2013, Balfour Beatty Plc completed the sale of its UK facilities management business to GDF Suez Energy Services. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Vanina Egea]

  A few companies excel over their market peers, granting them an unconventional competitive advantage. Everybody knows the market leaders, or the mammoth companies, but there are other particular services that can give a firm greater exposure. No other example is more relevant than the rotary rig count offered by Baker Hughes (BIH). The Baker Hughes Rig Counts provides a weekly count of U.S. and Canadian drilling activity to the industry since 1944, and has become an important business barometer for the drilling industry and its suppliers. Most importantly, the index allows industry analysts to identify industry trends, while providing valuable information to prospect investors beyond Baker Hughes itself. After experiencing a decline in performance from mid-2011 to the end of 2012, the company saw great improvement in overall performance during 2013. Can the trend be expected to continue?

Best US Stocks To Own Right Now: Ares Capital Corp (ARCC)

Ares Capital Corporation (Ares Capital), incorporated on April 16, 2004, is a specialty finance company, which is a closed-end, non-diversified management investment company. The Company�� wholly owned subsidiaries and vehicles managed or sub-managed by its wholly owned portfolio company, Ivy Hill Asset Management, L.P. (IHAM). It is externally managed by its investment adviser, Ares Capital Management LLC (Ares Capital Management or its investment adviser), a wholly owned subsidiary of Ares Management LLC (Ares Management), a global alternative asset manager. Ares Operations LLC (Ares Operations or administrator), its administrator, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ares Management, provides the administrative services. It invests in United States middle-market companies. It invests in first and second lien senior loans and mezzanine debt, which in some cases includes an equity component. It also makes preferred and/or common equity investments.

The Company�� portfolio company, IHAM, manages 10 unconsolidated credit vehicles and sub-manages or sub-advises four other unconsolidated credit vehicles (these vehicles managed or sub-managed/sub-advised by IHAM). It has also made direct investments in securities of certain of these vehicles. Ares Management�� (Ares) finance activities include the origination, acquisition and management of senior loans, bonds, mezzanine debt and special situation investments. Ares' private equity activities focus on providing flexible, junior capital to middle-market companies.

The Company has an investment portfolio of first and second lien loans, mezzanine debt and equity investments in private middle-market companies. The Company and General Electric Capital Corporation and GE Global Sponsor Finance LLC (GE) co-invest through the Senior Secured Loan Fund LLC, which operates using the name Senior Secured Loan Program. As of December 31, 2011, the Senior Secured Loan Program (SSLP) consisted of a portfolio of loans to 32 different borrowers and th! e portfolio companies in the SSLP are in industries similar to the companies in Ares Capital's portfolio. It also makes preferred and/or common equity investments. It makes senior secured loans in the form of first and/or second lien loans. Its first and second lien loans have terms of three to 10 years. The list of the industries, in which it has invested include aerospace and defense, business services, consumer products, containers and packaging, education, energy, environmental services, financial services, food and beverage, healthcare services, investment funds and vehicles, manufacturing, restaurant and food services, retail, and telecommunications. It has made investments in its portfolio company, IHAM, which manages 10 unconsolidated credit vehicles: Ivy Hill Middle Market Credit Fund, Ltd. (Ivy Hill I), Ivy Hill Middle Market Credit Fund II, Ltd. (Ivy Hill II), Ivy Hill Middle Market Credit Fund III, Ltd. (Ivy Hill III), Ivy Hill Senior Debt Fund, L.P. and related vehicles (Ivy Hill SDF and, together with Ivy Hill I, Ivy Hill II and Ivy Hill III, the Ivy Hill Funds); Knightsbridge CLO 2007-1 Limited, Emporia Preferred Funding I, Ltd., Emporia Preferred Funding II, Ltd. and Emporia Preferred Funding III, Ltd. (collectively, the Emporia Funds), and Ares Private Debt Strategies Fund II, L.P. and Ares Private Debt Strategies Fund III, L.P. (collectively, the PDS Funds). In addition, IHAM serves as the sub-adviser/sub-manager for four others: CoLTS 2005-1 Ltd., CoLTS 2005-2 Ltd. and CoLTS 2007-1 Ltd. (collectively, the CoLTS Funds), and FirstLight Funding I, Ltd. (FirstLight).

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Ares Capital (NASDAQ: ARCC  ) now has a new man in the chief executive's office. The business development company has tapped Michael Arougheti to be its CEO, in addition to a raft of other high-level appointments.

• [By Roger Nusbaum]

  ETRACS reports the yield of the underlying index to be 7.71%, which after accounting for the 0.84% "annual tracking rate" could put the fund's yield at 6.87%. DVHI will pay monthly, but the rate paid could vary. It is important to remember that with all exchange-traded products, any future yield could be more or less than what is now indicated. The individual holdings in DVHI are a combination of individual issues and exchange-traded funds. Two of the segments owned by the fund are captured with just one ETF. The PowerShares Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt Portfolio (PCY) is the sole holding for emerging-market debt. For high-yield debt, DVHI goes with iShares iBoxx High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (HYG). The two largest individual holdings in the fund are Ares Capital (ARCC), a business development company, and Energy Transfer Partners (ETP), an MLP. The composition of the fund should make it clear that the two priorities under the hood are diversification and yield. That should appeal to many investors. The fund, however, is exposed to a lot of interest rate risk. Earlier this week, markets were granted a reprieve when the Federal Reserve's Open Markets Committee announced that it wouldn't begin to reduce its bond-buying program. [Read: 5 Safest Cities in America] In late May, the committee indicated that it could reduce purchases later in the year, and as the story developed, markets participants came to believe that September was the month that a change in policy would be announced. So we know that purchases will continue as is for now, and we also know that at some point, the Fed will reduce its monthly purchases. What we don't know is when.

• [By Ron Rowland]

  The underlying index has 138 constituents, with the largest allocations going to PowerShares Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt (PCY) 10.0%, iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (HYG) 9.9%, iShares US Preferred Stock ETF (PFF) 7.0%, Market Vectors High Yield Municipal Index ETF (HYD) 4.9%, Ares Capital (ARCC) 4.2%, and Energy Transfer Partners LP (ETP) 4.0%.

• [By salamat_uri]

  For dividend investors, Prospect Capital offers a lot of reasons to get excited. But for those that are interested in the stock and are still looking for broad exposure to the BDC space as a whole, a suitable alternative can be found in the Market Vectors BDC Income ETF (BIZD) which offers well-diversified access to 28 BDCs. Prospect Capital is included in the mix, and other notable examples can be seen in names like Ares Capital (ARCC), which is one of the most stable names in the space. Ares Capital has over $8 billion in reported assets and has directed its attention at a large number of industry segments, with investment exposure in nearly 200 companies.

Best US Stocks To Own Right Now: Susser Holdings Corporation(SUSS)

Susser Holdings Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates convenience stores in Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. The company operates in two segments, Retail and Wholesale. The Retail segment operates convenience stores that offer merchandise, food service, and motor fuel, as well as provides other services, including car washes, lottery, ATM, money orders, prepaid phone cards and wireless services, and movie rentals. As of January 1, 2012, it operated 541 convenience stores under the Stripes brand name. The Wholesale segment distributes motor fuel to its retail convenience stores, contracted independent operators of convenience stores, unbranded convenience stores, unattended fueling facilities, and other end users in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. The company also offers environmental, maintenance, and construction management services to the petroleum industry; and sells and installs motor fuel dispensers and tanks, as well as provides a range of environmental consulting services, such as hydrocarbon remediation, and Phase I and II site assessments for its stores and outside customers. Susser Holdings Corporation is based in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Susser Holdings (NYSE: SUSS) shares rose 36.54% to $77.87. The volume of Susser Holdings shares traded was 1198% higher than normal. Energy Transfer Partners LP (NYSE: ETP) announced its plans to acquire Susser Holdings in a deal valued at around $1.8 billion.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Equities Trading UP
  Susser Holdings (NYSE: SUSS) shares shot up 36.36 percent to $77.76 after Energy Transfer Partners LP (NYSE: ETP) announced its plans to acquire Susser Holdings in a deal valued at around $1.8 billion.

• [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 Susser Holdings (NYSE: SUSS  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

Best US Stocks To Own Right Now: United Technologies Corporation(UTX)

United Technologies Corporation provides technology products and services to the building systems and aerospace industries worldwide. The company?s Otis segment designs, manufactures, sells, and installs passenger and freight elevators, escalators, and moving walkways, as well as provides maintenance and repair services. Its Carrier segment offers heating, ventilating, air conditioning, and refrigeration systems, controls, services, and energy-efficient products for residential, commercial, industrial, and transportation applications. The company?s UTC Fire and Security segment provides electronic security products comprising intruder alarms, and access control and video surveillance systems; fire safety products, such as specialty hazard detection and fixed suppression products, fire extinguishers, fire detection and life safety systems, and other firefighting equipment; systems integration, video surveillance, installation, maintenance, and inspection services; and mon itoring, response, and security personnel services. Its Pratt and Whitney segment supplies aircraft engines for the commercial, military, business jet, and general aviation markets; industrial gas turbines; geo thermal power systems; and space propulsion systems, as well as provides fleet management, maintenance, repair, and overhaul services. The company?s Hamilton Sundstrand segment supplies aerospace products, such as power generation, management and distribution, flight control, engine control, environmental control, auxiliary power units, and propeller systems; and industrial products, including air compressors, metering pumps, and fluid handling equipment under the Sullair, Sundyne, and Milton Roy names. Its Sikorsky segment manufactures military and commercial helicopters, as well as offers aftermarket helicopter and aircraft parts and services. United Technologies Corporation was founded in 1934 and is based in Hartford, Connecticut.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  General Electric’s earnings could also be a good sign for Actuant (ATU), United Technologies (UTX) and Honeywell International (HON), Dray says.

• [By Travis Hoium]

  The one Dow stock moving significantly lower after reporting earnings is United Technologies (NYSE: UTX  ) . The stock has fallen 0.7% today after the company reported a 16% rise in revenue to $14.39 billion. The problem is that revenue fell short of the $14.94 billion estimate, and the company said sequestration might have a $0.10 per-share impact on full-year earnings. I don't think this was a terrible report, especially when you consider that EPS of $1.39 actually beat estimates by $0.09, but investors are concerned about growth, and United Technologies didn't show nearly enough in the first quarter. �