Hot Tech Companies To Invest In 2014

Investors looking for a turnaround story should put MAKO Surgical Corp. (NASDAQ:MAKO) on their watchlist, if not in their portfolio. And just to be clear, I specifically mean long-term investors, as opposed to short-term traders. MAKO has dropped some long-term hints that its long-term slump is about to be reversed and turned into a long-term rally.

Just to be clear, the prompt for this bullish call on MAKO is a technical (chart) based one. While such tactics and clues are generally reserved short-term trading, they can still be useful to long-termers. The key is which clues and signals you choose to examine.

Top 5 New Stocks To Own Right Now: Benefitfocus Inc (BNFT)

Benefitfocus, Inc., incorporated on March 12, 2013, is a provider of cloud-based benefits software solutions for consumers, employers, insurance carriers, and brokers. The Benefitfocus platform provides an integrated suite of solutions that enables its employer and insurance carrier customers to more efficiently shop, enroll, manage, and exchange benefits information.

The Company�� solutions supports benefits plans, including healthcare, dental, life, and disability insurance, and voluntary benefits plans. The Company provide a multi-tenant cloud-based benefit platform to the employer and carrier markets.

The Company competes with SAP, Oracle, Infor, Aon/Hewitt, Towers Watson, ADP, Paychex, Trizetto and DST Health Solutions.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matt Jarzemsky]

  Several peers have seen huge gains after initial public offerings this year. Benefits-software firm Benefitfocus Inc.(BNFT) rallied 102% in its trading debut while cloud-based cybersecurity software maker FireEye Inc.(FEYE) jumped 80%.

• [By GURUFOCUS]

  Benefitfocus, Inc.'s (BNFT) shares soared over 80% from its IPO price during the third quarter. Benefitfocus is the leading provider of cloud-based benefits software for consumers, employers, insurance carriers, and brokers. The company offers an integrated suite of solutions to help customers more efficiently shop, enroll, manage, and exchange benefits information. We believe that the company serves an addressable market that is more than 100 times larger than its current business, which we expect will allow the company to compound revenue at more than 30% annually. (Neal Rosenberg)

Hot Tech Companies To Invest In 2014: Compucon Computer Applications SA (COMP)

Compucon Computer Applications SA is a Greek company engaged mainly in the information technology sector. The Company's activities include the manufacture and trade of electronics and software for the embroidery, telematics, laser, Web solutions and medical fields. In the embroidery field it offers album presentation or embroidery designs, lettering with a variety of fonts, frames and specialized features, and realistic three-dimensional views of embroidery designs. The Company also produces laser cutting and engraving devices for the embroidery sector. The range of telematics applications includes automotive positioning systems, fleet management and navigation systems. Its Web solutions offering includes the SiteCosmos, which is an integrated tool for on-line content management and Website design for small and medium enterprises, while the medical applications target the management of patient-oriented information, diet schedules, word processing, prescriptions and other services. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Anora Mahmudova]

  The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (COMP) �shed 11.16 points, or 0.3%, to 4,131.91 on Friday and lost 0.6% for the week.

• [By Anora Mahmudova]

  The Nasdaq Composite (COMP) �was the worst performing index on Monday. At session lows, the index fell through its 50-day moving average, but pared some of the losses in late trade. The tech-heavy index lost 44.56 points, or 1.1%, to 4,083.61. Read the recap of the stock market live blog.

• [By Wallace Witkowski]

  On the week, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) �finished up 1.5%, the S&P 500 index (SPX) �closed up 1.4%, and the Nasdaq Composite Index (COMP) �finished 0.8% higher, even though all three indexes closed lower on Friday.

Hot Tech Companies To Invest In 2014: Agios Pharmaceuticals Inc (AGIO)

Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc., incorporated on August 7, 2007, is a biopharmaceutical company. The Company is intend to apply its deep understanding of metabolism, coupled with the Company�� ability to create medicines that can inhibit or activate metabolic enzymes, to fundamentally change the way cancer and inborn errors of metabolism (IEMs) are treated. The Company has identified and validated novel and druggable targets in both cancer and IEMs. The Company�� two advanced cancer programs are targeting mutations in the enzymes isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 and 2, referred to as IDH1 and IDH2. The Company�� drug candidates are selective for the mutated forms of IDH1 and IDH2 found in cancer cells versus the normal forms of IDH1 and IDH2 found in all other cells.

The Company focused on developing medicines to address IEMs, with a novel approach to these orphan diseases for which no effective or disease-modifying therapy is available. The Company has also de-validated and terminated numerous programs, including many that have been reported in scientific journals. In the Company�� IEM portfolio, it uses an equally rigorous set of validation techniques.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Shares of Agios Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: AGIO) got a boost, shooting up 29.08 percent to $40.84 after the company reported quarterly results.

  Stage Stores (NYSE: SSI) was also up, gaining 13.47 percent to $22.41 after the company reported Q4 results and announced the sale of its Steele's off-price division to a new retail unit of Hilco Global.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Equities Trading UP
  Sangamo Biosciences (NASDAQ: SGMO) shot up 16.32 percent to $22.81 announced the publication in the NEJM of the first-in-man study of genome editing using its ZFN technology. Shares of Agios Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: AGIO) got a boost, shooting up 27.72 percent to $40.41 after the company reported quarterly results. BJ's (NASDAQ: BJRI) was also up, gaining 21.04 percent to $33.48 after the company was upgraded toa Buy rating at Buckingham research.

Hot Tech Companies To Invest In 2014: Sanofi(SNY)

sanofi-aventis engages in the discovery, development, and distribution of therapeutic solutions to improve the lives of everyone. The company offers a range of healthcare assets, including a broad-based product portfolio in prescription drugs, OTC/OTX, generics, vaccines, and animal health. It has a strategic alliance with Regulus Therapeutics Inc. to discover, develop, and commercialize micro-RNA therapeutics, initially in fibrosis. The company was founded in 1970 and is headquartered in Paris, France.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tommy Stubbington]

  Among the big movers, shares of Sanofi SA (SNY) � (FR:SAN) �fell 1% on news the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will not approve its Genzyme unit�� multiple-sclerosis treatment Lemtrada. Genzyme plans to appeal the decision. The FDA said the company didn�� submit evidence showing that the treatment�� benefits outweigh its side effects.

• [By Keith Speights]

  3. Buying businesses
  Buffett doesn't buy a stock. He buys a business. His aim is to buy a "wonderful company at a fair price." Sanofi (NYSE: SNY  ) seems to have hit that mark. Berkshire Hathaway bought shares in the French pharmaceutical company back in 2006 and added to its position each year through 2010. Even through Sanofi's share prices were declining during much of that period, Buffett kept on buying. As with Glaxo, he saw the long-term potential for the business and cared less about how the stock was performing in the shorter term.

• [By Jonas Elmerraji]

  French pharmaceutical firm Sanofi (SNY) is another stock that's been in a downtrending channel since the start of the summer. Even though health care stocks (especially biotechs) have posted standout numbers in 2013, Sanofi is only 6.8% higher than it was at the beginning of the year. Sure, that might be a decent return on a typical year, but when equity indices are seeing gains in the low 20% range, Sanofi's performance is horrific.

  Just like Coke, Sanofi is testing trendline resistance this week. That means that it makes sense to sell the bounce lower off of that price ceiling. Selling the bounce makes sense for two key reasons: First, it's the place where the risk is the least (because you'll know you're wrong soonest if SNY moves through resistance), and it's also the spot with the most downside to trendline support for short sellers.

  Buyers should stay away from SNY in October. There are plenty of better names in the healthcare space right now. Focus on relative strength winners instead.

• [By Rich Smith]

  The Securities and Exchange Commission filed civil complaints against two brothers on Tuesday, alleging that Andrew W. Jacobs and his brother Leslie J. Jacobs II traded on inside information about a tender offer made by French pharmaceutical company Sanofi (NYSE: SNY  ) to buy OTC health-care manufacturer Chattem in 2010.

Hot Tech Companies To Invest In 2014: Mercury Computer Systems(MRCY)

Mercury Computer Systems, Inc. designs, manufactures, and markets high-performance embedded, real-time digital signal and image processing systems and software for specialized defense and commercial computing markets. The company operates in two segments, Advanced Computing Solutions (ACS) and Mercury Federal Systems (MFS). The ACS segment provides high-performance computing solutions, such as single board computers, digital signal processors, and integrated subsystems to the aerospace and defense, semiconductor, and commercial computing markets. This segment also provides microwave sub-assemblies to address needs in EW, SIGINT, ELINT, and high bandwidth communications subsystems; and software and customized design services for military and commercial applications. The MFS segment focuses on services and support work with the Department of Defense and federal intelligence and homeland security agencies, including designing and engineering intelligence, surveillance, and re connaissance (ISR) capabilities to address threats to the U.S. forces. It offers a range of engineering architecture and design services that enable clients to deploy computing capabilities for ISR systems on an accelerated time cycle. The company has operations in the United States, Europe, and the Asia Pacific. The company was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Chelmsford, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  Mercury Computer Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq:MRCY), a best-of-breed provider of commercially developed, open sensor and Big Data processing systems for critical commercial, defense and intelligence applications, reported it had received a $2.2M purchase order relating to an airborne radar application for fighter aircraft.

Hot Tech Companies To Invest In 2014: Sabre Corp (SABR)

Sabre Corporation, incorporated on December 11, 2006, is a technology solutions provider to the global travel and tourism industry.The Company provides software and services to a range of travel suppliers and travel buyers. The Company through its Travel Network business, processes hundreds of millions of transactions annually, connecting travel suppliers, including airlines, hotels, car rental brands, rail carriers, cruise lines and tour operators, with travel buyers in a comprehensive travel marketplace. The Company operates through three business segments: Travel Network, Airline and Hospitality Solutions and Travelocity. The Company offers global distribution of travel content from approximately 125,000 travel suppliers to approximately 400,000 online and offline travel agents. To those agents, it offers a platform to shop, price, book and ticket comprehensive travel content in a transparent workflow.

The Company through its airline solutions business (Airline Solutions) and hospitality solutions business (Hospitality Solutions and, together with Airline Solutions, Airline and Hospitality Solutions) offer travel suppliers a suite of software solutions, ranging from airline and hotel reservations systems to high-value marketing and operations solutions, such as planning airline crew schedules, re-accommodating passengers during irregular flight operations and managing day-to-day hotel operations. These solutions allow its customers to market, distribute and sell their products more efficiently, manage their core operations, and deliver an enhanced travel experience. Through its complementary Travel Network and Airline and Hospitality Solutions businesses, it offers the broadest, end-to-end portfolio of technology solutions to the travel industry.

The Company�� portfolio of technology solutions has enabled them to become the technology provider in the travel industry. The Company is the global distribution systems (GDSs) provider in North America and also in higher growt! h markets such as Latin America and Asia Pacific (APAC). The Company has a portfolio of airline marketing and operations products across the solutions that it provides. In addition, the Company operates Travelocity, one of the recognizable brands in the online consumer travel e-commerce industry, which provides them with business insights into its broader customer base. Through its solutions, which span the breadth of the travel ecosystem, the Company has developed deep domain expertise. Its investment in Airline and Hospitality Solutions offerings has allowed to create a broad portfolio of value-added products for its travel supplier customers, ranging from reservations platforms to operations solutions typically delivered via scalable and flexible software-as-a-service (SaaS) and hosted platforms.

The Company enabled airlines to sell ancillary products like premium seats through the GDS, the first third-party provider to automate passenger reaccommodation during operational disruptions and the first GDS to launch a business-to-business (B2B) app marketplace for its travel agency customers that allows them to customize and augment its Travel Network platform. The Company�� SaaS and hosted technology platforms allows them to serve its customers primarily through a recurring, transaction-based revenue model based primarily on travel events such as air segments booked, passengers boarded (PBs) or other relevant metrics.

Travel Network

Travel Network is a global B2B travel marketplace and consists primarily of its GDS and integrates with its GDS to add value for travel suppliers and travel buyers. The Company�� GDS offers content from a broad array of travel suppliers, including approximately 400 airlines, 125,000 hotel properties, 30 car rental brands, 50 rail carriers, 16 cruise lines and 200 tour operators, to tens of thousands of travel buyers, including online and offline travel agencies, TMCs and corporate travel departments.

Airline and Hospi! tality So! lutions

The Company�� Airline and Hospitality Solutions business offers a broad portfolio of software technology products and solutions, primarily through SaaS and hosted models, to approximately 225 airlines, 17,500 hotel properties and 700 other travel suppliers. Its software and systems applications help automate and optimize its customers��business processes, including reservations systems, marketing tools, commercial planning solutions and enterprise operations tools.

Travelocity

Travelocity is the Company�� family of online consumer travel e-commerce businesses through which it provides travel content and booking functionality primarily for leisure travelers. In August 2013, Travelocity entered into an long-term strategic marketing agreement with Expedia which was recently amended and restated in March 2014 to reflect changed commercial terms (the Expedia SMA). Under the Expedia SMA, Expedia will power the technology platforms of Travelocity�� existing U.S. and Canadian Websites, as well as provide access to Expedia�� supply and customer service platforms. Additionally, Travelocity recently sold its Travelocity Partner Network (TPN) business, a B2B loyalty and private label Website offering, to Orbitz.

The Company competes with Amadeus, Hewlett-Packard, Unisys, Navitaire, Jeppesen , Lufthansa Systems, SITA, PROS, ITA Software, Datalex, Travelport, MICROS, TravelClick, Pegasus and Trust.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephen Grocer]

  High-profile offerings from boutique investment bank Moelis(MC) & Co. and travel-technology firm Sabre Corp.(SABR) sold fewer shares at a lower price than both expected lat week. On the day they debuted, shares of the two companies rose 4.6% and 3%, respectively.

Hot Tech Companies To Invest In 2014: Measurement Specialties Inc.(MEAS)

Measurement Specialties, Inc. engages in the design, development, and manufacture of sensors and sensor-based systems for original equipment manufacturers and end users. Its sensor products include pressure sensors and transducers, pressure and temperature scanning instrumentation, linear/rotary position sensors, piezoelectric polymer film sensors, custom microstructures, load cells, accelerometers, optical sensors, and hydrostatic pressure transducers, as well as humidity, temperature, and fluid property sensors. The company?s technologies comprise piezo-resistive silicon sensors, application-specific integrated circuits, micro-electromechanical systems, piezoelectric polymers, foil strain gauges, force balance systems, fluid capacitive devices, linear and rotational variable differential transformers, electromagnetic displacement sensors, hygroscopic capacitive sensors, ultrasonic sensors, optical sensors, negative thermal coefficient ceramic sensors, torque sensors, me chanical resonators, and submersible hydrostatic level sensors. Its sensors are used for engine and vehicle, medical, general industrial, consumer and home appliance, military/aerospace, water monitoring, and test and measurement applications. The company offers its products under the MEAS brand name. It sells its products through regional sales managers, distributors, and outside sales representatives in the United States, France, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland, and China. The company was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Hampton, Virginia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Measurement Specialties (Nasdaq: MEAS  ) reported earnings on June 5. Here are the numbers you need to know.

  The 10-second takeaway
  For the quarter ended March 31 (Q4), Measurement Specialties met expectations on revenues and beat expectations on earnings per share.

• [By Garrett Cook]

  Measurement Specialties (NASDAQ: MEAS) shares shot up 10.46 percent to $86.16 after the company agreed to be acquired by TE Connectivity (NYSE: TEL) for $86 cash per share.

• [By Garrett Cook]

  Measurement Specialties (NASDAQ: MEAS) shares shot up 10.50 percent to $86.19 after the company agreed to be acquired by TE Connectivity (NYSE: TEL) for $86 cash per share.