The 5 Best ETFs to Invest for 2013

Buying targeted dividend ETFs is easier than buying high-yield dividend stocks.
Dividend stocks were red-hot last year as the über-volatile market sent investors headlong into what has traditionally been the most stable segment of the equity universe. And while it isn’t likely we’ll see quite as much volatility in 2012 as we did in the final four months of 2011, powerful unknowns, such as Europe’s unresolved debt issues and China’s economic slowdown, could put real pressure on global economic growth — and by extension, the fate of the world’s equity markets. That means we could be in for an extended period of volatility and more capital inflows into the dividend space.
As investors, we can buy a well-thought-out group of solid, high-profile dividend stocks to gain exposure to the segment. But it’s easier to buy targeted dividend ETFs that already contain baskets of the best — and highest-yielding — dividend-paying securities.
The 5 Best ETFs to Invest for 2013 - iShares Dow Jones Select Dividend Index
The iShares Dow Jones Select Dividend (ETF) (NYSE:DVY) is an ETF pegged to the Dow Jones index bearing its name. This ETF really saw gains during the final three months of 2011, perhaps the most volatile time for stocks all last year. The fund surged 11% over that period, and that gain came with a 3.44% annual yield (as of Jan. 13). DVY counts among its top holdings such stellar corporate names as Lorillard (NYSE:LO), Chevron (NYSE:CVX), Kimberly-Clark (NYSE:KMB) and McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD), to name just a few. The fund’s expense ratio is only 0.40%, making the cost of owning these high-end performers very attractive.
SPDR S&P International Dividend
International stocks were by no means the best performers last year, but that didn’t stop the SPDR S&P International Dividend (ETF) (NYSE:DWX) from delivering a solid dividend yield of 4.02%. DWX’s expense ratio is 0.45%, just slightly higher than the domestic-equity focused DVY. For this modest cost, you get diversified exposure to international dividend stocks in income sectors such as telecommunications, utilities and financials.
The 5 Best ETFs to Invest for 2013 - WisdomTree Equity Income Fund
WisdomTree Equity Income Fund (NYSE:DHS) enjoyed a good year, and it performed particularly well in the final quarter. The fund is up almost 8% over the past three months, and that comes with an annual yield of 3.31%. Its holdings are based on WisdomTree’s Equity Income Index, which reads like a Who’s Who of dividend stalwarts. Companies such as AT&T (NYSE:T), General Electric (NYSE:GE), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) and Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) top the list of payout performers you get when you own DHS. And at an expense ratio of just 0.38%, you get these great companies on the cheap.
The 5 Best ETFs to Invest for 2013  - iShares S&P U.S. Preferred Stock Index Fund
The iShares S&P U.S. Preferred Stock Index Fund (NYSE:PFF) is an ETF that gives you exposure to preferred stocks. I like this fund primarily because of its outstanding 6.99% yield, but I also like it because it diversifies your income portfolio by owning the preferred shares of some of the world’s best companies. HSBC Holdings (NYSE:HBC), General Motors (NYSE:GM), Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC) and many others have issued high-yield preferred shares, and the easiest and cheapest way to own these equities — at an expense ratio of just 0.48% — is to have PFF in your portfolio.
The 5 Best ETFs to Invest for 2013 - Claymore/Zacks Multi-Asset Income Index
Clamymore/Zacks Multi-Asset Income Index (ETF) (NYSE:CVY) is perhaps the most eclectic fund of my five best ETFs for 2012. CVY has had a great run over the past three months, vaulting nearly 6% while offering an annual yield of 5.42%. One huge reason to love CVY is that it contains a host of different types of high-yield securities. In addition to domestic and international stocks, the fund holds real estate investment trusts, master limited partnerships, closed-end funds, Canadian royalty trusts and traditional preferred stocks. Owning CVY gives you the best of the best when it comes to income securities at a quite acceptable 0.78% expense ratio

Top 5 Emerging Growth Stocks to Buy for January in 2012

If you have cash to invest this month, I highly recommend these five below. Here they are, in no particular order:
Taiwan-based Silicon Motion Technology (NASDAQ:SIMO) has its hand in lots of hot markets and is a big player in flash memory storage — flash memory cards, USB flash drives, card readers and solid-state hard drives. In fact, most of the NAND flash and next-generation flash products on the market — whether produced by Samsung (PINK:SSNLF), SanDisk (NASDAQ:SNDK), Toshiba, Micron (NASDAQ:MU) or Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) — are supported by Silicon Motion controllers. Silicon Motion also produces multimedia chips including embedded graphics processors, image processors and TV tuners. Lastly, it has been increasingly focused on controllers for smartphones, tablets and notebook PCs, as well as wireless transceivers for 4G LTE smartphones and tablets.
In the third quarter, Silicon Motion’s sales rose 25% to $63.2 million compared with $50.5 million in the second quarter. Looking forward, the analyst community is expecting annual fourth-quarter sales growth of 51% and 88.9% earnings growth. In the past three months, the analyst community has revised their consensus earnings estimate 32% higher — a phenomenon that typically precedes blowout earnings surprises.
Top 5 Emerging Growth Stocks to Buy for January in 2012 - Questor Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:QCOR) likes a challenge. As a specialist of difficult-to-treat central nervous system disorders, the company has been particularly successful with its multiple sclerosis treatment, H.P. Acthar Gel. The company also makes Doral, which is used for the treatment of insomnia. In the massive biotechnology industry, Questcor is top-notch in terms of earnings per share growth and return on equity.
For the fourth quarter, the analyst community is expecting 127.4% annual sales growth and 265.7% earnings growth of 38 cents per share. In the past three months, the analyst community has revised their consensus earnings estimate 32.6% higher. Typically, such positive analyst earnings revisions precede future earnings surprises.
Top 5 Emerging Growth Stocks to Buy for January in 2012 -Hansen Natural (NASDAQ:HANS) is the mastermind behind Monster, a dominant energy drink in the U.S. Looking at a can of Monster Energy drink, the flashy staple of sleep-deprived college students, one wouldn’t think that the company’s humble beginnings stem back to just one father and three sons working with a juicer in Southern California. In fact, although Hansen sells supercharged drinks like Monster and Java Monster, most of its drink roster is actually very wholesome. For example, it has 30 real fruit and spice soda flavors, a number of immune system-boosting drinks, vitamin waters and an array of teas and lemonades.
In recent quarters, Hansen Natural has reported “monster” sales and profit growth. Third-quarter sales jumped 24% from $381.5 million last year to $474.7 million this quarter. Over the same period, net income also rose 24% to $82.4 million, or 88 cents per share. Plus, speculation is heating up that Monster might be an acquisition target by Red Bull or one of the major soft drink companies. With Red Bull’s recent decision to pull out of NASCAR as a sponsor, a “monster” acquisition might be just what the energy drink maker needs to capture additional U.S. market share.
Top 5 Emerging Growth Stocks to Buy for January in 2012 - Spectrum Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:SPPI) is familiar pharmaceutical company I once discussed in the Top 5 Emerging Growth Stocks for December. Spectrum specializes in oncology — the treatment of cancer — and currently has two cancer treatments on the market: Fusilev, a treatment for advanced colon cancer, and Zevalin, a treatment for a type of lymphoma.
But what really excites me about this company is what it has in its pipeline: Spectrum has more than 10 drugs in either late-stage development or development! This includes Apaziquone, a treatment for bladder cancer, Belinostat, another lymphoma treatment and Ozarelix, a treatment of prostate cancer. This is a midsize biotechnology company already at the top of the industry — in terms of return on equity — and is about to experience blowout growth.
Top 5 Emerging Growth Stocks to Buy for January in 2012 - Jazz Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:JAZZ) has two flagship drugs — Xyrem, the only narcolepsy treatment approved by the World Anti-Doping Agency, and Luvox CR, its obsessive compulsive disorder treatment. But there are a number of exciting developments on the near horizon, including Jazz’s massive buyout of Dublin-based Azur Pharma Ltd., which should close within the next couple of weeks, and the company’s subsequent moving of its headquarters to Dublin. After the move, Jazz will be able to take advantage of Ireland’s competitive tax rate.
The company’s sales climbed 63.3% and earnings surged 115.6% in the third quarter, and for the fourth quarter, the analyst community is expecting 54% annual sales growth and 70.5% earnings growth. Jazz Pharmaceuticals is flush with cash and recently prepaid $33 million in long-term debt, and I’m excited to see how developments play out in the company’s next earnings release. Also, despite those who might think that Jazz Pharma’s bullish run looks tapped out, I remain optimistic.

Financial Management Tips For Selling Your Home

If your home market has started to peak, you may be ready to sell your home. In the seller’s market, there’s a lot to research in order to keep your edge on the housing market. To walk away with the best price, you’ll have to keep tabs on priorities like where you’ll move to next; how you’ll improve your resale value; and how you can encourage buyers to accept your asking price, or even bid higher. You can’t discount solid research when entering the home market. Taking care of a few actionable items with good financial management can mean the difference between sitting on your home for eight months, and turning it around in three.
The first step to take before selling your home is to figure out where you’ll move once you’ve handed over the keys. You don’t want to be left holding your bags and boxes by the curb side, so start researching a new place — or if you plan to rent, look for apartments and make sure they’re available when the time comes.
Be as prepared as possible, since selling is no small feat. Your first step is to look into a home loan pre-approval, and examining your credit ratings to be sure you’ll get a good percentage. If you’re interested in moving up-market with your next house, too, be sure you can make a sufficient down payment so your monthly payments will be reasonable.

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While you go through this process of pre-approved finances, you’ll want to be sure that you also check the rules on your current mortgage. Does your current mortgage have pre-payment penalties? If so, how much are you looking for in penalties? You’ll want to keep these in mind as you consider a listing price for your current home.
As you look at your possible early pre-payment penalties costs, request a mortgage payoff amount as well: It’s is the amount of money you’ll need in order to pay off the loan right now. You’ll need that information — as well as the info on pre-payment penalties —to determine a good listing price for the home as well.
Quick Fixes: Home Improvement
Let’s focus on that listing price for a moment, though. Obviously when you sell your home, you’re looking for the best price possible. Often, then, that means doing small to even major renovations so that you land in a good segment of the market. If you’re skeptical, don’t worry: you’ll be surprised at your return-on-investment for these improvements. Focusing on areas like bathrooms, kitchens, and the master suite becomes especially valuable at this stage. A clean, smart-looking, and upgraded kitchen can add an enormous amount of value to your home and can also improve its general appeal to your buyers.
Other home improvements can be easier to manage, as well: You can improve the value of your bathroom, for example, by replacing its faucets, shower heads, fixtures, and lighting. It’s also a good idea to replace the toilet and to examine the floors and counter tops for wear. Last but not least, your walls could probably use a facelift: especially if your bathroom has a show! er, wall s can accumulate mold or mildew. Most people prefer painted bathroom walls over wallpaper, as well, so you may want to rip out that old floral pattern and give it a more modern look.
A few other cheap upgrades for your home include replacing its carpeting and doing minor landscaping in your yard. Clear out weeds and debris outside, power-wash your driveway, and don’t forget to repaint or re-stain those old wooden fences. A fresh coat of paint on the outside of the home — in a natural, neutral tone — will also give your home that curb appeal it desperately needs for a quick and easy sale.
Finally, The Appraisal
Your next step in the process of selling your home is to order an appraisal! This is important, because a professional will be able to assess the fair market value of your home. Appraisals are tricky, though: don’t fall under the assumption that you’re automatically going to get a buying price for the amount at which your home was appraised. A myriad of other factors come into play, and you could end up selling for more or less depending on the surrounding neighborhood’s market, the number of buyers on the market, and the current standard interest rates.
Key Costs
Since everything here in the end is about improving your personal finance situation, you need to know what the costs of selling your home will actually be. Some key factors in determining your overall costs are:

• To get your home out into the market, you’ll need to advertise — which may include costs for listings in newspapers, on websites, using signs near the home to announce your sale, and flyers for the home that potential buyers can use as a reference.
• Even though your buyer should pay for surveys and inspections, it’s good to keep these expenses in mind as your buyer will need to consider them when considering their purchase.
• If you use a real estate agency to sell your home, you’ll ne! ed to kn ow the real estate commission amount and any possible miscellaneous fees.
• Don’t forget to include prorated costs for annual expenses like property tax, propane tank rentals, home owner association fees (if applicable), or any other rental fees for the home.
• The excise tax for the sale will make a difference in your total.
• Closing costs, escrow fees, and any possible attorney or professional fees factor in, as well.

As you look for a real estate agent to sell your home, you’ll want to look for a reputable company with experience in both selling homes and in your particular area, so that they can get the most value for your home possible. Don’t forget to ask what their commission will be, right from the start. Look for a reasonable rate that is likely to both save you money and still be worth the real estate agent’s time.
Now that you’re armed and ready to sell, you’ll need to exercise patience and maintain a clean home for potential buyers to view. If you use a real estate agent, you shouldn’t have much to worry about. Simply keep your finances in order, keep in mind the costs of selling your home, pre-payment penalties, and mortgage payoff amounts when considering a potential sale, so you can leave confidently with a tidy sum at the end of the sale.
Your personal finances are important, especially when selling a home. Be smart in your choices, stay informed, and be prepared for when that real sale occurs — so that you’re not left knocking on your in-laws’ door for a place to stay!

Show Me the Love... Or Not

Chuck Ford tells his wife often how much he loves her. He likes to hold hands when they walk, cuddle when they watch TV and hug—a lot.
His wife has learned to like it. "I don't like to sit on the couch and cuddle for two hours," says Judy Ford, a 66-year-old retired high-school counselor from Carmel, Ind.

Robert Neubecker

Does your partner expect you to pick up subtle cues about whether he or she is upset? A partner who isn't great at communicating their feelings directly may hope you'll be quick to notice when they are upset and make things right. This tendency points to an Anxious attachment style.

Of all the ways that opposites attract, the thorniest may be when emotionally giving types pair up with types who are emotionally reserved.
Givers love to show affection: Hugs, kisses, flowers, skywriting—there's no such thing as too much. They crave receiving displays of love, as well.
Reserved types certainly may love deeply, but they are uncomfortable showing it. Often, they rely on their partner to initiate a display of affection. Sometimes, they don't even enjoy receiving expressions of love.
Initially, emotionally giving types are attracted to emotionally reserved types, and vice versa, because they are so different, experts say. Giving people often find reserved people intriguing; they like to elicit affection from someone who doesn't express it easily. And deep down, reserved types often like to be drawn out.

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Over time, though, the two types can bring out the worst in each other. The giver starts to seem needy. The reserved partner reacts by pulling away. This makes the giver give even more in order to elicit attention; the reserved one backs away even further.

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Early in their 20-year marriage, Mr. Ford, a 61-year-old retired social-studies teacher, began to feel his wife didn't fully reciprocate his affection. She rarely initiated hugs and kisses. And while she let him hold her hand sometimes, Mr. Ford says he could tell she didn't really enjoy it. He began to pull away. "I didn't want to waste my time," he recalls. "If the marriage isn't working so well, I can go fish or hunt or work on my studies or business relationships." He worried the relationship wouldn't last.
Then Ms. Ford asked her husband what was wrong. He told her, "I need more physical closeness, and not necessarily sex." She reminded him that she had been raised in a German-American household that wasn't "huggy-kissy." She told him she prefers to show lov! e throug h actions—making a nice home, planning vacations, setting up get-togethers with his family. "I was raised in a very bonded family that showed their love by spending time together," she says.

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Robert Neubecker

When your partner is away, are you afraid that he or she might become interested in someone else? Constant worry about the relationship points to an Anxious attachment style. But if your partner is an Avoidant type, there may be reason to worry: Research indicates Avoidants are more likely to cheat in the long run.

In the psychology field, these different ways of relating are called "attachment style," and they are partly learned and partly genetic. Attachment is believed to be a basic human need with an evolutionary basis. Many children, such as orphans, who aren't held or given physical affection fail to grow at normal rates.
Amir Levine, a psychiatrist and neuroscientist at Columbia University in New York, identifies three types of attachment styles: Secure, Anxious and Avoidant. Secure people make up more than half the population and are typically warm, caring and comfortable with intimacy, he says.

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Robert Neubecker

Does your partner act out when things go wrong in the relationship, or even threaten to leave? A partner may engage in 'protest behavior' to get the other to pay attention and later regret things they said or did. This behavior may be typical of an Anxious attachment style.

Those with an Anxious attachment style, about 20% of the population, often worry about their relationship and whether their partner loves them, says Dr. Levine, co-author of the book "Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find—and Keep—Love." They typically are emotionally giving. Those with an Avoidant attachment style, about 25% of the population, tend to think intimacy leads to loss of autonomy and try to minimize closeness, he says.
In the mid-1960s, a Johns Hopkins University psychologist, Mary Ainsworth, developed an experiment known as "the Strange Situation": A young child plays with her mother in a room. Her mother leaves, and a stranger remains. Then the mother returns. Most children were distressed when their mothers left the room, says Robert S. Marvin, director of the Mary D. Ainsworth Child-Parent Attachment Clinic, in Charlottesville, Va.

Robert Neubecker

Do you find it difficult to be emotionally supportive when your partner is feeling down? Supporting someone in times of need is a big opportunity to be close. An Avoidant attachment style makes it difficult for some people to deal with closeness, and they tend to pull back.

Dr. Ainsworth examined what took place during the mother-child reunion. Some children rushed to their mothers and were easily consoled; Dr. Ainsworth concluded they were secure. Other children were unable to be consoled by their mothers; these she called "anxious-resistant." Some didn't rush to their mothers, or they started to approach but then turned away; these she called "anxious-avoidant."
Another experiment, "the Still Face," conducted by Edward Tronick, now a developmental psychologist at the University of Massachusetts Boston, demonstrates that a child can experience a mother's emotional withdrawal at an early age. Dr. Tronick videotaped a mother engaging lovingly with her approximately 1-year-old baby. Then the mother makes her face immobile. The baby notices and tries to re-engage with her by smiling, then by pointing, then shrieking and finally crying.
The good news, Dr. Levine says, is that attachment style can change. Experts say couples need to tell each other what they need and be specific. For example, they can say, "I know it's difficult for you to be affectionate in front of my friends, but at home I really need a hug every day."

Does your partner or spouse make you feel that your well-being is your own responsibility, and not his or hers?
'You take care of your needs, I'! ll take care of mine,' is the credo of the Avoidant attachment style.
Do you often worry that your partner will stop loving you?
People who think relationships are immensely fragile and any wrong move can trigger the end tend to have an Anxious attachment style.
Do you dislike being dependent on your spouse or partner?
'Dependency' is a dirty word to Avoidants, who believe they should be self-reliant.

Displays of love don't have to be 50-50, as long as both people show something. "Each partner will need to make some slight movements in the opposite direction from which they are comfortable," says Sharon Gilchrest O'Neill, a Mount Kisco, N.Y., marriage and family therapist. She says she is more emotionally reserved than her husband, and he asked her to give him a kiss when he comes home.
The Fords worked on their differences, and now Ms. Ford gives her husband hugs when he comes home and before bed. She has become more comfortable holding hands and often initiates it. Mr. Ford has altered his expectations and doesn't take his wife's lack of verbal or physical expression personally. He also pays attention to the other ways she tells him she loves him: planning special weekends together, washing his hunting clothes, preparing and freezing meals before he goes camping. "We've moved to a mutual center," Mr. Ford says. "It comes from communication."
—Email Elizabeth Bernstein at bonds@wsj.com or follow her column at www.Facebook.com/EBernsteinWSJ.
Write to Elizabeth Bernstein at Bonds@wsj.com

Best Stocks For 2013 - Las Vegas Sands Beats on Revenue, Matches Expectations on EPS

Best Stocks For 2013 - Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS  ) reported earnings on Feb. 1. Here are the numbers you need to know.
The 10-second takeaway
For the quarter ended Dec. 31 (Q4), Las Vegas Sands beat expectations on revenues and met expectations on earnings per share.
Compared to the prior-year quarter, revenue expanded significantly and GAAP earnings per share expanded.
Gross margins dropped, operating margins improved, and net margins grew.
Revenue details
Las Vegas Sands tallied revenue of $2.54 billion. The 15 analysts polled by S&P Capital IQ predicted revenue of $2.47 billion. Sales were 26% higher than the prior-year quarter's $2.02 billion.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Dollar amounts in millions.

Best Stocks For 2013 - EPS details
Non-GAAP EPS came in at $0.57. The 19 earnings estimates compiled by S&P Capital IQ forecast $0.57 per share on the same basis. GAAP EPS of $0.39 for Q4 were 15% higher than the prior-year quarter's $0.34 per share.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Figures may be non-GAAP to maintain comparability with estimates.

Margin details
For the quarter, gross margin was 37.4%, 960 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 26.1%, 190 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was 17.1%, 90 basis points better than the prior-year quarter.
Looking ahead
Next quarter's average estimate for revenue is $2.47 billion. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is $0.56.
Next year's average estimate for revenue is $11.18 billion. The average ! EPS esti mate is $2.56.
Best Stocks For 2013 - Investor sentiment
The stock has a two-star rating (out of five) at Motley Fool CAPS, with 1,755 members out of 2,081 rating the stock outperform, and 326 members rating it underperform. Among 506 CAPS All-Star picks (recommendations by the highest-ranked CAPS members), 434 give Las Vegas Sands a green thumbs-up, and 72 give it a red thumbs-down.
Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on Las Vegas Sands is outperform, with an average price target of $59.82.

• Add Las Vegas Sands to My Watchlist.