Top Building Product Stocks To Invest In Right Now

It's been a volatile year for the roofing industry, and over the last three months, investors have seen more downside. Roofing materials distributor Beacon Roofing Supply (NASDAQ: BECN  ) is down 11.5% in the last three months, and building products manufacturer Owens Corning (NYSE: OC  ) fell 5.5% in the same period -- all in a year when many commentators thought this sector would outperform.�

It's complicated
A resurgent housing market should lead to a marginal increase in new residential roofing demand, while the underlying reroofing demand should provide its usual support. Indeed, these conditions looked like they were in place for 2013, and analysts built a fair amount of optimism into their expectations. So what went wrong?

First, the US has had some unusual weather patterns in recent years. In previous years, hurricane Irene (and to a lesser extent Sandy) helped to generate reroofing demand, while this year's weather has been far more clement. Worse yet, according to Owens Corning, those storms pulled forward reroofing work that homeowners might otherwise have planned to do this year. And this spring's bout of wet weather further hurt roofing activity, because contractors simply couldn't work.

Top 10 Semiconductor Companies To Watch In Right Now: J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc.(JBHT)

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a surface transportation, delivery, and logistics company in North America. It operates in four segments: Intermodal (JBI), Dedicated Contract Services (DCS), Full-Load Dry-Van (JBT), and Integrated Capacity Solutions (ICS). The JBI segment provides intermodal freight solutions, including origin and destination pickup and delivery services in the continental United States, Canada, and Mexico. This segment operates 45,666 pieces of company-controlled trailing equipment; and manages a fleet of 2,592 company-owned tractors. The DCS segment involves in the design, development, and execution of supply chain solutions, which support various transportation networks. This segment offers final mile delivery, replenishment, and specialized services supporting private fleet conversion, fleet creation, and transportation system augmentation. As of December 31, 2010, it operated 4,259 company-owned trucks, 357 customer-owned trucks, and 23 independent contractor trucks. The JBT segment provides full-load, dry-van freight services by utilizing tractors operating over roads and highways. It operated 1,697 company-owned tractors. The ICS segment provides non-asset, asset-light, and transportation logistics solutions. It offers flatbed, refrigerated, expedited, and less-than-truckload, as well as various dry-van and intermodal solutions. The company transports a range of freight, including general merchandise, specialty consumer items, appliances, forest and paper products, building materials, soaps and cosmetics, automotive parts, electronics, and chemicals. J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. was founded in 1961 and is headquartered in Lowell, Arkansas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Shares of Hub have dropped 5.1% to $35.41, but the plunge doesn’t seem to be weighing on other logistic companies. CH Robinson Worldwide (CHRW), for instance, has gained 1.1% to $58.64, JB Hunt Transport Services (JBHT) has risen 1.1% to $71.61, Swift Transportation (SWFT) has advanced 0.9% to $19.56 and Ryder System (R) is up 3.1% to $59.23.

Top Building Product Stocks To Invest In Right Now: International Game Technology (IGT)

International Game Technology (IGT) designs, manufactures, and markets electronic gaming equipment and systems worldwide. The company offers casino-style slot machines that determine the game play outcome at the machine; wide area progressive jackpot systems with linked machines across various casinos; central determination system machines connected to a central server that determines the game outcome, encompassing video lottery terminals used primarily in government-sponsored applications and electronic or video bingo machines; and amusement with prize games. Its systems products include applications for casino management, customer relationship marketing (CRM), and server-based games and player management. IGT?s casino management solutions comprise integrated modules for machine accounting, patron management, cage and table accounting, ticket-in/ticket-out, bonusing (jackpots and promotions), and table game automation. The company?s CRM solutions feature integrated market ing and business intelligence modules that provide analytical, predictive, and management tools for maximizing casino operational effectiveness; and server-based solutions enable game delivery to slot machines, computers, mobile phones, tablets, and other networked devices. Its gaming markets comprise the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Mexico and South/Central America, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific, and the United Kingdom. The company was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Reno, Nevada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  International Game Technology (NYSE: IGT) shares fell 8.96% to reach a new 52-week low of $12.81 after the company reported Q1 earnings of $0.20 per share on revenue of $512.80 million.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  The online casino games are being offered by International Game Technology�� (NYSE: IGT) DoubleDown Interactive to anyone who logs-in with a Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ: FB) account. The three casinos offering the games are Dover Downs Hotel & Resort, Harrington Raceway & Casino, and Delaware Park.

Top Building Product Stocks To Invest In Right Now: FXCM Inc. (FXCM)

FXCM Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides online foreign exchange (FX) trading and related services to retail and institutional customers worldwide. It operates in two segments, Retail Trading and Institutional Trading. The company acts as an agent between retail customers and a collection of global banks and financial institutions by making foreign currency markets for customers trading in foreign exchange spot markets. It offers spot FX trading in approximately 58 currency pairs; enables non-U.S. customers to trade contract for differences that include contracts for metals, fixed income, energy and stock indices; and provides spread betting trading to the United Kingdom customers. The company also offers equity and equity option trading for customers outside of the United States to trade equity and options on the United Kingdom, continental Europe, and the United States markets. FXCM Inc. offers its customers access to over-the-counter FX markets through its propriet ary technology platform. The company was incorporated in 2010 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap stocks FXCM Inc (NYSE: FXCM), Gain Capital Holdings Inc (NYSE: GCAP) and up and coming�Indo Global Exchanges PteLtd (OTCMKTS: IGEX) all offer online trading platforms to retail or institutional traders and investors. Certainly if you have found yourself trading more lately or if markets become more volatile, trading platforms are going to be the big winners.�With that in mind, here is a close look at these three small cap trading platform stocks:�

• [By Anna Prior]

  FXCM Inc.(FXCM) said its fourth-quarter profit dropped slightly amid a muted trading environment, although results beat Wall Street expectations. FXCM makes most of its top line from customers using its software to trade currencies online.

Top Building Product Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Brandywine Realty Trust (BDN)

Brandywine Realty Trust is a publically owned real estate investment trust. The firm invests in real estate markets of the United States. It makes investments in office, mixed-use, and industrial properties. Brandywine Realty Trust was founded in 1985 and is based in Radnor, Pennsylvania with additional offices in Mount Laurel, New Jersey; Richmond, Virginia; Dallas, Texas; Falls Church, Virginia; Oakland, California; Austin, Texas, and Carlsbad, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jonas Elmerraji]

   

   

  You don't have to be an expert technical trader to figure out what's going on in shares of Brandywine Realty Trust (BDN) -- this chart pattern is about as simple as it gets. Brandywine has been bouncing higher in a well-defined uptrending channel since last summer, giving traders a high-probability range to buy the dips.

   

  More specifically, the ideal buying opportunity has come up for BDN bulls every time this stock has bounced off of trendline support along the bottom of the channel. Waiting for a meaningful bounce off of support is crucial for two big reasons: It's the spot where shares have the furthest to move up before they hit resistance, and it's also the spot where the risk is the least (because shares have the least room to move lower before you know you're wrong).

   

  Remember, all trend lines do eventually break, but by actually waiting for the bounce to happen first, you're ensuring BDN can actually still catch a bid along that line before you put your money on shares. At current levels, BDN pays out a whopping 4% dividend yield.

   

Top Building Product Stocks To Invest In Right Now: McGraw Hill Financial Inc (MHFI)

McGraw Hill Financial, Inc. incorporated on December 29, 1925, is a financial intelligence company. The Company is engaged in credit ratings, benchmarks and analytics for the global capital and commodity markets. The Company�� brands include Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, S&P Capital IQ, S&P Dow Jones Indices, Platts, CRISIL, J.D. Power & Associates, McGraw Hill Construction and Aviation Week. The Company�� credit ratings, indices, price assessments and other capabilities provide clients with the intelligence to manage risk. Standard & Poor�� Ratings Services helps investors and markets participants measure and manage credit risk through credit ratings, research and analytics. S&P Capital IQ is a provider of real-time data, research and analytics to institutional investors, investment and commercial banks, investment advisors and wealth managers, corporations and universities globally. On March 22, 2013, the Company sold McGraw-Hill Education. Effective July 18, 2013, McGraw Hill Financial Inc acquired a remaining undisclosed interest which it did not already own in Tata McGraw-Hill Education Pvt Ltd from Tata charitable trust. In August 2013, McGraw Hill Financial Inc completed the sale of Aviation Week to Penton.

The Company provides a range of capabilities designed to help track performance, generate alpha, identify new trading and investment ideas, and perform risk analysis and mitigation strategies. The Company�� S&P Dow Jones Indices is the provider of financial market indices. Its Platts is a provider of information and a source of benchmark price assessments for the energy, petrochemicals, metals and agriculture markets. J.D. Power & Associates is a global marketing information services company operating in business sectors, including customer satisfaction research, market research, social media research, and performance improvement programs. McGraw Hill Construction connects people, projects, and products across the design and construction industry. AVIATION WEEK is! the multimedia information and services provider to the global aviation, aerospace and defense industries.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  McGraw Hill Financial (NYSE: MHFI  ) is to welcome a new president and chief executive in a few months. The company announced that Terry McGraw III will no longer occupy the two positions as of November 1, although he will continue to serve as its board chairman.

Top Building Product Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Active Control Techn (ACTV)

The Active Network, Inc. provides organization-based cloud computing applications services to business customers in North America, Europe, and internationally. The company offers ActiveWorks, an organization-based cloud computing platform, which transforms the way organizers record, track, manage, and share information regarding activities and events. Its ActiveWorks back-office system pulls customers� participant management, operational reporting, volunteer management, and service and payment processing functions into one hosted system. The company also provides consulting services, which consist primarily of business mapping, project management services, and guidance on best practices in using its services; and implementation services, including system set-up and configuration, and data conversion, as well as develops customized training and education programs relating to both the use and administration of its services. It serves a range of customers, including communit y and sports organizations, large corporations, small and medium-sized businesses, educational institutions, federal and state government agencies, non-profit organizations, and other related entities. The company was formerly known as Racegate.com, Inc. and changed its name to The Active Network, Inc. in May 2001. The Active Network, Inc. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  Among the companies with shares expected to actively trade in Monday’s session are Achillion Pharmaceuticals Inc.(ACHN), Active Network Inc.(ACTV) and Harvest Natural Resources Inc.(HNR)

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Active Network (NYSE: ACTV  ) is on the hunt for a new chief executive following the resignation of Matthew Landa. His place will be taken, on an interim basis, by Jon Belmonte. The appointment is effective immediately. Belmonte is the firm's former chief media officer and COO.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Lethargic networks
  As Home Depot rose in value over the past year, Active Network (NYSE: ACTV  ) , an online event-management service, has been going in the opposite direction, suffering a yearlong decline that's resulted in the loss of 70% of the company's value. Yesterday, though, it went in the other direction, jumping more than 10% after announcing that it will soon be reporting its earnings.

• [By Luke Jacobi]

  The Active Network (NYSE: ACTV) closed up 25.53 percent to $14.31 after the company agreed to be taken private by Vista Equity Partners for $1.05 billion.