Hot Cheapest Stocks To Buy Right Now

JPMorgan (JPM), once the Derek Jeter of U.S. banking, is trading more like its Andy Stankiewicz.

AFP/Getty Images

During the past 12 months, JPMorgan’s stock has gained just 19%, closer to Citigroup’s (C) 13% rise than to Bank of America’s (BAC) 38% advance or Wells Fargo’s (WFC) 31% gain.

Morgan Stanley’s Betsy Graseck and Michael Cyprys, however, are strangely bullish on JPMorgan’s shares and recommend investors scoop them up ahead of the banking giant’s Investor Day on February 25. They explain why:

[JPMorgan]�is the cheapest money center bank under our coverage at just 8.5x 2015 P/E. This is surprising given�[JPMorgan's] higher ROE vs peers. We expect [JPMorgan's] multiple to expand as it drives up its ROE from 9.0% in 2013 to 11.3% in 2015e. EPS estimates are more likely to move up than down post investor day, in our view, given the likely day-long theme of efficiency and market share opportunities.

Hot Valued Stocks For 2015: Zygo Corporation(ZIGO)

Zygo Corporation designs, develops, and manufactures ultra-high precision measurement solutions to enhance its customers? manufacturing yields, and optical sub-systems and components for original equipment manufacturer and end-user applications in the Americas, the Far East, and Europe. It operates in two segments, Metrology Solutions and Optical Systems. The Metrology Solutions segment offers 3-Dimensional surface metrology products, precision positioning systems, and custom engineered solutions that are used to measure surface characteristics and critical parameters, including topography and roughness, shape, dimension, thickness, optical characteristics, and defects. This segment primarily provides NewView Series 3D Optical Profilers for fuel injector components; ZeGage to measure and visualize various materials, including rubber, paper, metal, plastic, and ceramics; VeriFire Asphere system that provides high resolution 3-Dimensional surface metrology for aspheric shap ed surfaces; VeriFire Systems, which are optical systems; GPI and VeriFire systems for the defense/aerospace market; and semiconductor products. It serves automotive, consumer electronics, medical, aerospace, military, materials research, optics, flat panel displays, and semiconductor industries. The Optical Systems segment manufactures high precision optical components and electro-optical systems used in the semiconductor, defense, life-sciences, and research markets. It offers defense-related products comprising lenses, windows, freeform optics and assemblies, and meter class optical components; life-science products, such as laser eye correction, dental 3D imaging, and genomic analysis instruments; and custom components and assemblies used in the manufacture of semiconductor chips. The company markets its products through direct sales force, as well as through independent agents and distributors. Zygo Corporation was founded in 1970 and is headquartered in Middlefield, Co nnecticut.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Zygo (NASDAQ: ZIGO) shares gained 31.06% to touch a new 52-week high of $19.24 after Ametek (NYSE: AME) announced its plans to buy Zygo for about $364 million.

Hot Cheapest Stocks To Buy Right Now: AVEO Pharmaceuticals Inc.(AVEO)

AVEO Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the discovery and development of cancer therapeutics. The company?s lead product candidate, Tivozanib (AV-951), is a novel, highly potent and selective oral inhibitor of the vascular endothelial growth factor, or VEGF, receptors 1, 2, and 3. It is also leading the clinical development of AV-299, which includes conducting multiple Phase I clinical trials and preparing for the conduct of multiple Phase II clinical trials. The company?s product candidate in preclinical development is AV-203, a potent ErbB3 antibody that has demonstrated efficacy in vivo. It has strategic partnerships with OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Merck, and Biogen Idec, Inc. AVEO Pharmaceuticals was formerly known as GenPath Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and changed its name to AVEO Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in March 2005. The company was founded in 2001 and is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Rees]

  We have previously published two articles about Aveo Pharmaceuticals (AVEO) and its kidney cancer drug Tivozanib. This article will make more sense if you read those articles first. You can find the first one here and the second one here. We have been working on the Aveo story for over a year, and were convinced the FDA would interpret the data results the same way we did and draw the same conclusions. But it did not. We have no problem admitting we were shocked and stunned at the result -- we still are.

• [By Sean Williams]

  The ugly
  Finally, in a case of "kick 'em while they're down," AVEO Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: AVEO  ) was sucker-punched by partner Astellas Pharma on Friday. Astellas informed AVEO of its intent not to file for regulatory approval in Europe for Tivozanib and commented that it had no intentions of funding any additional studies of the drug with regard to renal cell carcinoma, or RCC. That's bad news for AVEO, which got the thumbs-down from the FDA's panel three weeks ago and recommended AVEO run another trial. I wouldn't completely discount the possibility that Tivozanib would show a statistical benefit in treating RCC, but the mounting costs of running another trial are certain to be burdensome on AVEO.

Hot Cheapest Stocks To Buy Right Now: Splunk Inc (SPLK)

Splunk Inc. (Splunk) provides a software platform. Splunk�� software collects and indexes data regardless of format or source, and enables users to search, correlate, analyze, monitor and report on this data, all in real time. Its software is designed to help users in various roles, including information technology (IT) and business professionals, analyze machine data and realize real-time visibility into and about their organization's operations. The core of its software is a machine data engine, comprised of collection, indexing, search and data management capabilities. Its software can collect and index terabytes of information daily, irrespective of format or source. As of January 31, 2012, the Company had approximately 3,700 customers.

The Company�� software enables users to identify problems, get answers and gain new business insights and intelligence from machine data across their globally distributed enterprise all through one platform. Its software contains features and functionality, such as Universally collect, index, store and archive any machine data, from any source, search and investigate, user-friendly interface, knowledge store, monitor and alert, report and analyze, custom dashboards and views, platform extensibility, role-based access and controls.

The Company competes with BMC Software, Inc., CA, Compuware, HP, IBM, Intel, Microsoft Corporation, Quest Software, Adobe Systems, Google, Webtrends, EMC, Oracle and SAP.

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 Splunk (Nasdaq: SPLK  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

• [By Eric Bleeker, CFA]

  There are two different ways to play the Internet of Things: vertically and horizontally. CalAmp (NASDAQ: CAMP  ) is the vertical strategy; Splunk (NASDAQ: SPLK  ) is horizontal.

Hot Cheapest Stocks To Buy Right Now: Euro/Swiss(RF)

Regions Financial Corporation operates as the holding company for Regions Bank that provides a range of commercial, retail, and mortgage banking services in the United States. It offers various deposit products, including savings and transaction accounts; demand deposit accounts; money market accounts; and time deposits, such as certificate of deposits and individual retirement accounts. The company?s loan portfolio comprises commercial loans, such as commercial and industrial, and owner occupied commercial real estate mortgage and construction loans; investor real estate loans, including commercial real estate mortgage and construction loans; and consumer loans, which consist of residential first mortgage, home equity, indirect, consumer credit card, and other consumer loans. Regions Financial Corporation, through other subsidiaries, also provides regional brokerage and investment banking products and services, such as securities brokerage, trust, asset management, finan cial planning, mutual funds, securities underwriting, sales and trading, and investment banking services for individual and institutional investors; and insurance brokerage services for various lines of personal and commercial insurance comprising property, casualty, life, health, and accident. In addition, the company offers credit-related insurance, including title, term life, credit life, environmental, crop, and mortgage insurance; debt cancellation products; and equipment financing products primary for commercial clients. As of December 31, 2011, it operated approximately 2,100 ATMs and 1,726 banking offices in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. The company was founded in 1970 and is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Regions Financial Corp. (NYSE: RF) is a top pick at Jefferies for 2014 in its most recent sector and themes trend report�for the year ahead. The super-regional bank is the 15th largest one in the United States, and its net interest margin keeps moving up. Regions’ consensus analyst price target is posted up about $1 from current prices, implying gains of 10% over the coming year.

Hot Cheapest Stocks To Buy Right Now: NGL Energy Partners LP (NGL)

NGL Energy Partners LP is a limited partnership company formed to own and operate a vertically-integrated propane business. The Company operates in three segments: retail propane; wholesale supply and marketing; and midstream. Its retail propane business sells propane to end users consisting of residential, agricultural, commercial and industrial customers. The Company�� wholesale supply and marketing business supplies propane and other natural gas liquids and provides related storage to retailers, wholesalers and refiners. Its midstream business, which consists of its propane terminaling business, takes delivery of propane from pipelines or trucks at its propane terminals and transfers the propane to third-party transport trucks for delivery to retailers, wholesalers or other consumers. The Company�� general partner is NGL Energy Holdings LLC (the General Partner). On October 14, 2010, it executed a series of transactions (the Combination) with NGL Supply, Inc. (NGL Supply). In February 2012, the Company acquired all of the assets comprising the propane and distillate operations of North American Propane. In May 2012, the Company acquired Downeast Energy Corporation. The assets contributed by Downeast are located in Maine and New Hampshire. In November 2012, the Company acquired limited liability company membership interests in Pecos Gathering & Marketing LLC and its affiliated companies (Pecos). In July 2013, NGL Energy Partners LP announced the acquisition of the assets of Crescent Terminals, LLC. Effective July 8, 2013, NGL Energy Partners LP acquired High Roller Wells Big Lake SWD No 1 LP. In August 2013, NGL Energy Partners LP acquired the water disposal and hauling business of Oilfield Water Lines LP. In September 2013, NGL Energy Partners LP acquired the water disposal business of Coastal Plains Disposal #1, LLC owned by WinCo Development, LLC. In November 2013, the Company announced acquisition of all of the equity interests of Gavilon, LLC.

Retail Propane

The Co! mpany�� retail propane business consists of the retail marketing, sale and distribution of propane, including the sale and lease of propane tanks, equipment and supplies, to more than 56,000 residential, agricultural, commercial and industrial customers. It markets retail propane primarily in Georgia, Illinois, Indiana and Kansas through its customer service locations. The Company owns or leases 44 customer service locations and 37 satellite distribution locations, with aggregate above-ground propane storage capacity of approximately four million gallons. It also owns a fleet of bulk delivery trucks and service vehicles.

Wholesale Supply and Marketing

The Company�� wholesale supply and marketing business provides propane procurement, storage, transportation and supply services to customers, through assets owned by it and by third parties. Its wholesale supply and marketing business also obtains the majority of the propane supply for its retail propane business. The Company procures propane from refiners, gas processing plants, producers and other resellers for delivery to leased storage, common carrier pipelines, rail car terminals and direct to certain customers. It has the right to utilize 100% of the ConocoPhillips Blue Line pipeline, which runs from Borger, Texas, to its propane terminals in East St. Louis, Illinois and Jefferson City, Missouri. The Company leases approximately 67 million gallons of propane storage space in various locations to accommodate the supply requirements and contractual needs of its retail and wholesale customers.

Midstream

The Company�� midstream business, which consists of its propane terminaling business, takes delivery of propane from a pipeline or truck at its propane terminals and transfers the propane to third party trucks for delivery to propane retailers, wholesalers or other customers. The Company�� midstream assets consist of its three propane terminals in East St. Louis, Illinois; Jefferson City, Missou! ri, and S! t. Catharines, Ontario. The Company is a service provider at each of its terminals, which have a combined annual throughput in excess of 170 million gallons of propane.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Anna Prior]

  NGL Energy Partners LP(NGL), which bought oil-storage company TransMontaigne Inc. from Morgan Stanley (MS) (MS) last week, said it is offering to buy the outstanding units of TransMontaigne Partners LP(TLP) (TLP) in a one-for-one exchange of common units.

• [By Jayson Derrick]

  NGL Energy Partners (NYSE: NGL) and Transmontaigne Partners (NYSE: TLP) said that they have ended discussions over NGL Energy's non-binding proposal to acquire the outstanding units of Transmontaigne. Shares of NGL Energy lost 0.57 percent, closing at $42.21 while shares of Transmontaigne gained 0.54 percent, closing at $43.03.

• [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 NGL Energy Partners (NYSE: NGL  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

• [By Robert Rapier]

  But because SPH is more involved in the retail end of propane instead of the production/logistical side, it has been significantly outperformed by NGL Energy Partners (NYSE: NGL) and Ferrellgas Partners (NYSE: FGP). In short, the latter two are the ways to play higher propane prices, whereas SPH will see much less benefit from higher-priced propane.

Hot Cheapest Stocks To Buy Right Now: Pure Energy Minerals Ltd (PE)

Pure Energy Minerals Ltd manufactures biological logical products. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Garrett Cook]

  Shares of Parsley Energy (NYSE: PE) were down 10.63 percent to $15.47. Goldman Sachs downgrades Parsley Energy from Neutral to Sell and lowered the price target from $25.00 to $15.50. Parsley Energy is expected to release its Q3 financial and operating results on November 11, 2014.

• [By Matt Jarzemsky var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); popups.forEach]

  Parsley Energy Inc.(PE) opened higher Friday after the Midland, Tex.-based oil driller and some of its early shareholders sold more shares than planned at a higher price than expected in an IPO. The shares jumped 19% in morning trading.

• [By Matt Jarzemsky var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); popups.forEach]

  Close second was a 29% gain by Parsley Energy Inc.(PE), the Midland, Tex.-based oil driller that oil-family scion Bryan Sheffield took public at age 36.

• [By Matt Jarzemsky var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); popups.forEach]

  A number of recent IPOs have enjoyed healthy demand, such as networking equipment maker Arista Networks Inc., which rose 28% from its June 5 debut through Monday�� close. Oil driller Parsley Energy Inc.(PE) has advanced 34% since it went public on May 22.

Hot Cheapest Stocks To Buy Right Now: Twitter (TWTR)

Instantly connect to what's most important to you. Follow your friends, experts, favorite celebrities, and breaking news. TechCrunch is a leading technology media property, dedicated to obsessively profiling startups, reviewing new Internet products, and breaking ... Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Twitter Inc. (NYSE: TWTR) is still valued at more than 50 times sales. Not earnings, sales. If things just stay as they are now, investors are buying annual revenues from now out to the year 2063. Sure, a low float has something to do with this, and we cannot make any formal directional call here, even though the math does not add up. Is it a social media hangover?

• [By Alex Dumortier, CFA]

  U.S. stocks are coming off a good week, with the benchmark S&P 500 gaining 2.3%, which puts it almost back at breakeven for the year. The narrower Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI) also gained 2.3%. Those aren't the sort of numbers to get growth investors' pulses racing, however. At the beginning of 2014, nine of my Foolish colleagues and I cited�10 companies that could be this year's Twitter (NYSE: TWTR  ) �-- growth companies that could emulate the microblogger's stock market success. Today, Reuters reported that Spotify�-- which didn't appear on our list, but certainly could have been a contender -- is signaling that it is preparing to join the public market.

• [By Mani]

  For Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR), the retention, conversion and growth of MAUs (monthly active users) remains the most critical issue in the near term. It is in a similar kind of situation that Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) faced between mid-2012 and mid-2013.

• [By MONEYMORNING]

  Icahn: He is like the crybaby in the schoolyard.
  Ackman: Carl Icahn does not have a good reputation for being a handshake guy.
  Icahn: I appreciate, Bill, that you called me a great investor. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for you.
  Ackman: I think that Carl either has a very, very bad memory or he had trouble with the truth. [After losing a lawsuit to me], he called me up and literally said, "Bill, we can be friends now." I simply said to him, "Look, Carl, you are no friend of mine."
  Icahn: That's nonsense. I never said that I want to be friends with you, Bill.
  Ackman: OK, Carl.
  Icahn: You said to me, you'd like to be friends so that we could invest together.
  Ackman: OK, Carl. You think I want to invest with you?
  Icahn: I wouldn't do business with you if you were the last man on Earth.

  Most Hyped IPO With Worst Long-Term Potential: Twitter
  Yes, Twitter (NYSE: TWTR) opened 73% above its IPO price at $45.10. Yes, it raised a huge sum of $1.8 billion. Yes, founder Ev Williams became a billionaire straight out of the IPO via his 59 million shares. But beware of Twitter. The eight-year-old company posted a third-quarter loss ($64.4 million) that tripled from the same quarter last year. Net losses surged from $71 million to $134 million in the same period. And the revenue growth rate has remained roughly the same in the last two years. All these reasons, and more, make Twitter a big, red balloon with a pin held to its side. Most Overdue CEO Departure: Steve Ballmer, Microsoft
  Under more than a decade of Steve Ballmer's leadership, Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) stock remained virtually flat. While the rest of the tech world moved on to the Mobile Revolution, Ballmer preferred to milk the cash cows of Windows and Office. In August, pressure from activist investors such as ValueAct forced Ballmer to announce his resignation, to be effective within a year. Since then MSFT has risen 21% to a 13-year high