Top 5 Forestry Companies To Own In Right Now

LONDON -- The price of gold surged above $1,400 per ounce last week before falling back on Friday. Gold for immediate delivery ended the week 0.3% higher at $1,390 per ounce.

Of course, the only practical way for most private investors to invest in gold is through exchange-traded funds. The largest gold ETF, the $51 billion SPDR Gold Trust (NYSEMKT: GLD  ) , ended the week 0.3% lower at $133.92, while London-listed Gold Bullion Securities (LSE: GBS  ) rose 0.2% to end the week at $134.36. So far this year, shareholders of Gold Bullion Securities have seen the value of their holdings fall by 12%, while the value of SPDR Gold Trust shares has fallen by 18%.

Gold's big movers
Several miners made gains last week, outperforming the price of gold. Here are three of the biggest risers.

Petropavlovsk (LSE: POG  ) climbed 8.8% to 138 pence last week, outperforming the rising price of gold and holding onto its gains after gold slipped on Friday. On Tuesday last week, Petropavlovsk reported that its third-largest shareholder, Norges Bank, had slightly increased the size of its holding to more than 7%. Brokers Westhouse Securities also reaffirmed its buy rating on Petropavlovsk, making it one of eight brokers to have buy recommendations on the Russia-based gold-miner, whose share price has fallen by 63% so far this year.

Top 5 Forestry Companies To Own In Right Now: Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corp (IART)

Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corporation (Integra), incorporated on June 19, 1989, is an integrated medical technology company. Integra offers solutions in orthopedic extremity surgery, neurosurgery, spine surgery, and reconstructive and general surgery. The Company has developed numerous product lines for applications ranging from burn and deep tissue wounds to regeneration of dura mater in the brain and repair of nerve and tendon. It operates in five business segments: U.S. Neurosurgery, U.S. Extremities, U.S. Instruments, U.S. Spine and Other, and International. The International segment sells similar products to Europe, Middle East and Africa, and Central/South America, Asia-Pacific and Canada. On April 29, 2013, the Company launched the Integra Compact Cranial Closure System, which provides titanium implants for non-loadbearing (non-facial) operative cranial neurosurgical procedures. On April 30, 2013, it released its Hollywood VI intervertebral body fusion device (IBD) system. In January 2014, Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corp completed the acquisition of DuraSeal product lines from Covidien. In January 2014, Covidien PLC completed the sale of its Confluent Surgical product line to Integra LifeSciences Corporation.

U.S. Neurosurgery

The Company�� U.S. Neurosurgery sales organization sells a full line of products for neurosurgery and neuro critical care. It has products for each step of a cranial procedure and the care of the patient after surgery. Its key products include dural repair products, cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) management devices, tissue ablation equipment, intracranial monitoring equipment and cranial stabilization equipment. The Company sells equipment used in the neurosurgery operating room and neurosurgery intensive care unit (NICU).

U.S. Extremities

Extremity reconstruction includes the repair of soft tissue and the orthopedic reconstruction of bone in the foot, ankle and leg below the knee (Lower Extremity), and the hand, ! wrist, elbow and shoulder (Upper Extremity). Its key products include bone and joint fixation devices, implants and instruments for osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, wrist arthroplasty, carpel tunnel syndrome, and cubital tunnel syndrome. Other key products include its regenerative medicine devices for the treatment of acute and chronic wounds, peripheral nerve repair and protection and tendon repair, and bone graft substitutes.

U.S. Instruments

Integra�� U.S. Instruments business is a surgical instrument suppliers in the United States. Its portfolio includes over 60,000 instrument patterns and surgical products sold a range of users, including hospitals, surgery centers, and physician, dental and veterinary offices. In addition to selling hand-held instruments, it sells surgical headlight systems and table-mounted retractors. The Company�� brands include Jarit, Miltex, Padgett, Ruggles, Luxtec and Omni-Tract.

U.S. Spine and Other

Integra�� U.S. Spine and Other segment offer spinal fusion technologies that surgeons use along the full length of the spine, as well as a range of related orthobiologics. During the year ended December 31, 2012, its Spine business launched multiple new implants into the integrated interbody fusion device market and the deformity market. Its key spinal hardware products include integrated interbody fusion devices, minimally invasive solutions, and deformity correction. It markets and sells a complete line of orthobiologics, including demineralized bone products, collagen ceramic matrices and pure synthetic bone grafting solutions, to neurosurgeons, and spine, orthopedic, trauma, and foot and ankle surgeons. Integra sells its products through specialty distributors focused on its spine and orthopedic surgeon customers, as well as through some direct sales representatives. This segment also includes private-label sales of a set of its regenerative medicine technologies. Its customers are other large medical technology! companie! s that sell to end markets primarily in orthopedics and wound care.

The Company competes with Johnson & Johnson, Synthes, Inc., Stryker Corporation, Tornier, Inc., Wright Medical Group, Inc., Zimmer, Inc., Small Bone Innovations, Inc., Medtronic, Inc., Globus Medical Inc., NuVasive, Inc., Orthofix, Alphatec Spine, Inc., B. Braun Medical Inc., CareFusion and Symmetry Medical.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Keith Speights]

  Recall recoil
  Medical instrument maker Integra LifeSciences (NASDAQ: IART  ) shares dropped 11% this week. The stock's fall stemmed from a product recall announced on Wednesday.�

• [By Sean Williams]

  What: Shares of Integra LifeSciences (NASDAQ: IART  ) , a manufacturer of surgical instruments and medical implants, fell as much as 13% after the company announced a voluntary recall of certain products at its Anyasco manufacturing facility in Puerto Rico.

• [By John Udovich]

  On Thursday, small cap medical device stock Integra Lifesciences Holdings Corp (NASDAQ: IART) jumped 9.90% after the FDA completed its inspection of the company's manufacturing facility which led to positive comments from analysts, meaning it might be time to take a look at its performance verses that of medical device ETFs like iShares Dow Jones US Medical Device ETF (NYSEARCA: IHI) and SPDR S&P Health Care Equipment ETF (NYSEARCA: XHE).

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Basic guidelines
  In this series, I examine inventory using a simple rule of thumb: Inventory increases ought to roughly parallel revenue increases. If inventory bloats more quickly than sales grow, this might be a sign that expected sales haven't materialized. Is the current inventory situation at Integra LifeSciences Holdings (Nasdaq: IART  ) out of line? To figure that out, start by comparing the company's inventory growth to sales growth. How is Integra LifeSciences Holdings doing by this quick checkup? At first glance, OK, it seems. Trailing-12-month revenue increased 4.5%, and inventory increased 4.1%. Comparing the latest quarter to the prior-year quarter, the story looks decent. Revenue expanded 0.2%, and inventory increased 4.1%. Over the sequential quarterly period, the trend looks worrisome. Revenue dropped 8.3%, and inventory grew 4.5%.

Top 5 Forestry Companies To Own In Right Now: Banco Santiago S.A.(SAN)

Banco Santander-Chile provides commercial and retail banking services to corporate and individual customers in Chile. The company offers time and demand deposits, checking accounts, and debit card accounts, as well as savings products; and peso and foreign currency denominated loans to finance various commercial transactions, trade, foreign currency forward contracts, and credit lines. Its loan portfolio comprises consumer loans, auto loans, residential mortgage loans, mutual funds, foreign trade financing, mortgage loans, and commercial loans. The company also provides factoring, credit cards, cash management, treasury services, short?term financing and funding, interest rate and foreign currency derivatives, and securitization services. Further, it offers various financial services, including leasing, financial leasing, financial advisory, mutual fund management, securities brokerage, insurance brokerage, and investment management services. As of December 31, 2010, the company had a branch network of 504 branches. Banco Santander-Chile was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Santiago, Chile.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By fedezaldua]

  Santander�(SAN)'s dividend yield, at an expected 9%, is the highest among large banking institutions, but its payout ratio is as high as it gets at an expected 119% for 2014 ��down from 132% in 2013. As a matter of fact, I would not expect the bank to have a dividend payout ratio below 100% until 2016. Nevertheless, the bank's chairman ��Emilio Botin ��is very much committed to sustaining Santander's dividend and we should not expect this policy to change in the foreseeable future unless the Bank of Spain forbids Santander to keep on distributing cash at the current rate.

• [By rusticnomad]

  Brocade Communications (BRCD) is another company that provides solutions similar to EMC, but it is a smaller player. Brocade earns 50% of its total revenue from its core service of storage area networks (SAN). However, it faced a 7% decline in revenue in the second quarter from the prior year period. This can be concerning for investors. With major players like Cisco (CSCO), Brocade faces fierce competition for its core business and the company might be in for tough times.

• [By jaggom]

  Brocade Communications (BRCD) is another company that provides solutions similar to EMC, but it is a smaller player. Brocade earns 50% of its total revenue from its core service of storage area networks (SAN). However, it faced a 7% decline in revenue in the second quarter from the prior year period. This can be concerning for investors. With major players like Cisco (CSCO), Brocade faces fierce competition for its core business and the company might be in for tough times.

• [By Selena Maranjian]

  Among holdings in which Fisher Asset Management increased its stake were AbbVie�and PetSmart. Fisher reduced its stake in lots of companies, including Banco Santander (NYSE: SAN  ) and National Oilwell Varco (NYSE: NOV  ) . Banco Santander yields 9.4%, beaten down by Europe's woes. Unappreciated by many, though, is its heavy involvement in Latin America, where it benefits from faster growth rates. The bank's most recent quarter improved on results from the previous quarter. Its stock valuation could be more compelling, but it does offer a huge yield.

Hot Bank Stocks To Own Right Now: Urstadt Biddle Properties Inc. (UBP)

Urstadt Biddle Properties, Inc., a real estate investment trust (REIT), engages in the acquisition, ownership, and management of commercial real estate properties in the United States. Its properties primarily consist of neighborhood and community shopping centers, office buildings, and industrial properties in Fairfield County, Connecticut; Westchester and Putnam Counties, New York; and Bergen County, New Jersey. As of October 31, 2007, the company owned or had an equity interest in 39 properties containing approximately 3.7 million square feet of gross leasable area. As a REIT, it is not subject to federal income tax to the extent that it distributes at least 90% of its REIT taxable income to its stockholders. The company was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in Fairfield County, Connecticut.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  Urstadt Biddle Properties (NYSE: UBP  ) (NYSE: UBA  ) -- the real estate investment trust with two tickers -- now has two separate executives at the top of its corporate structure, as well.

Top 5 Forestry Companies To Own In Right Now: Worthington Industries Inc.(WOR)

Worthington Industries, Inc. operates as a diversified metals processing company focusing on steel processing and manufactured metal products in the United States, Canada, and Europe. It processes flat-rolled steel and stainless steel for the automotive, construction, lawn and garden, hardware, furniture, office equipment, electrical control, tubing, leisure and recreation, appliance, agricultural, HVAC, container, and aerospace markets. The company also produces low-pressure liquefied petroleum gas and refrigerant gas cylinders; high-pressure and industrial/specialty gas cylinders; seamless steel high pressure cylinders for compressed natural gas storage in motor vehicles; aluminum-lined, composite-wrapped high-pressure cylinders; airbrake tanks; and consumer products. In addition, it produces recovery tanks for refrigerant gases; air reservoirs for truck and trailer original equipment manufacturers; and Balloon Time helium kits. Further, the company designs and manufactu res reusable custom platforms, racks, and pallets made of steel for supporting, protecting, and handling products throughout the shipping process; provides framing systems and stairs for mid-rise buildings, and current and past model automotive service stampings; designs, builds, and supplies light gauge steel framed commercial structures and multi-family housing units; supplies and constructs metal framing products for single family housing with a focus on military housing; and manufactures pre-engineered steel egress stair solutions. Worthington Industries was founded in 1955 and is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Shares of Harsco have gained 4.7% to $26.43 today at 1:16 p.m., outpacing other construction & engineering companies. Dycom (DY) has advanced 0.5% to $30, KBR Inc. (KBR) has ticked up 0.1% to $33.03, Worthington Industries�(WOR) has risen 2.8% to $38.85�and Tutor Perini (TPC) has rallied 3.6% to $22.46.

• [By Yoshiaki Nohara]

  Orix Corp., which provides leasing and loans, jumped 9.2 percent in Tokyo. Mizuno (8022) Corp. surged 18 percent after the Japanese sportswear company more than doubled its net-income forecast. Singapore Airlines Ltd. dropped 4.6 percent after posting a wider operating loss. WorleyParsons (WOR) Ltd., Australia�� largest oil and gas engineering company, plunged 13 percent after forecasting weaker earnings.

Top 5 Forestry Companies To Own In Right Now: Devon Energy Corporation(DVN)

Devon Energy Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of natural gas and oil in the United States and Canada. It also involves in transporting oil, gas, and natural gas liquids (NGL); and processing natural gas. The company owns oil and gas properties in the mid-continent area of the central and southern United States; the Permian Basin in Texas and New Mexico; the Rocky Mountains area of the United States; and the onshore areas of the Gulf Coast, principally in south Texas and south Louisiana. It also owns oil and gas properties in the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan, Canada. In addition, the company offers marketing and midstream services, including marketing of gas, crude oil, and NGL, as well as constructing and operating pipelines, storage and treating facilities, and natural gas processing plants. As of December 31, 2010, it had 2,042 million barrel of oil equivalent of proved developed reserves. The company sells its gas production to various customers, such as pipelines, utilities, gas marketing firms, industrial users, and local distribution companies; crude oil production to refiners, remarketers, and other companies; and NGL production to customers in petrochemical, refining, and heavy oil blending activities. Devon Energy Corporation was founded in 1971 and is headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Arjun Sreekumar]

  Of these foreign investors, China has been the most generous. Since 2008, Chinese firms have invested some $5.5 billion in U.S. shale oil and gas projects through joint-venture agreements with U.S. companies, including Chesapeake Energy (NYSE: CHK  ) and Devon Energy (NYSE: DVN  ) .