Small-cap stocks back in the investing competition

It's much like the old days before all the brand-name, blue-chip stocks started tossing their weight around
A change from major-league to small-time stocks means even more fascinating investing choices, but additionally much more research.

The stock of Whole Foods Market Inc. (WFMI), the progressively well-liked owner and operator of 135 organic and natural foods grocery stores in 25 states, has actually appreciated healthy gains in this small-cap-dominated market. Take a look at the link clear braces Melbourne. You might get some more good ideas there.

A few other beneficiaries of the recent smaller-is-better period are AtheroGenics Inc. (AGIX), a biotechnology company developing book medications to treat persistent inflamed conditions, and Dot Hill Systems Corp. (HILL), a producer of high-performance, disk-based storage space units.
That snappy triad has aided increase the eco mindful Winslow Green Growth Fund to a 58.06 percent gain in 2003. Almost like the days when Microsoft, General Electric and a handful of other Goliaths were all you needed to develop a smokin' portfolio. Little cap choices aren't almost so self-evident, however that also indicates some pleasurable surprises might be found.

Thanks to a near-30 percent gain by the Nasdaq index this year, more than double the increase of the Standard & Poor's 500, inventive stock-picking is back in vogue. This often rewards a unique selection process, such as grading companies on their environmental responsibility before considering their investment potential.

"We rate the world of possible investments into greens, cleans and dirties," explained Jackson Robinson, portfolio manager of the Boston- based Winslow Green Growth Fund, which has emphasized firms that will prosper in a no-growth economy. "We avoid the dirties to the extent we can, we seek out the greens, and we fill out the portfolio with cleans."

The small-cap market was down so far that it was bound to recover. Since 1920, it has generally moved in a five- to six-year cycle of rise and decline. It's been in a very gradual recovery mode since mid- 1999, but lately has accelerated.

The top-performing small-cap growth funds of 2003 have set a blistering pace: Oberweis Micro-Cap (OBMCX), up 60.61 percent; Winslow Green Growth (WGGFX), up 58.06 percent; Polynous Growth "A" (PAGFX), up 54.75 percent; Rockland Small Cap Growth (RKGRX), up 49.36 percent; and Kopp Emerging Growth "A" (KOPPX), up 48.88 percent.

"Speculative trades have come back in sharp fashion, with the focus returning to more aggressive firms with less earnings visibility and lower prices," said Satya Pradhuman, director of small- cap research for Merrill Lynch in New York. "This benefits the classic aggressive groups, such as technology and biotechnology."
Ah, yes, we all remember tech and biotech. Because small-cap stocks are notoriously volatile and can experience sudden drops, buy either a mutual fund that specializes in them or a basket of individual stocks to hedge your bets. Never put your entire personal portfolio into small-caps, but include them as a portion of an overall portfolio that also has large- and mid-caps.

"Small caps were lagging earlier this year, but starting mid-May they've been outperforming because investor tolerance for risk has increased," noted Mark Basham, director of small-cap research for Standard & Poor's Corp. in New York.

Smaller stocks typically outperform at the tops and bottoms of markets, Basham said, and most people in general think we're at the bottom right now and heading into an economic acceleration.
"Large-cap stocks had absorbed a disproportionately large chunk of the U.S. equity market relative to where it's always been in history," pointed out Kevin Caron, market strategist with Ryan Beck & Co. in Livingston, N.J. "There's usually a disproportionate movement by small- and mid-cap stocks early in a market cycle, followed after two or three years by better performance by some of the larger cap."

The Rockland Small Cap Growth Fund in Rockland, Del., has risen 49.36 percent this year thanks to tremendous gains by the stock of Coventry Health Care (CVH), a managed health-care company; Align Technology (ALGN), maker of clear braces used to align teeth; and Martek Biosciences (MATK), which makes nutritional oils used in infant formula and nutritional supplements.

"Coming out of recession, small caps do best because they've been beaten down, partly for liquidity reasons," said Richard Gould, portfolio manager of the Rockland fund. "These little companies tighten their belts, try to be as efficient as possible, and their earnings go through the roof when revenues kick back into gear."

Here are some small-cap stock recommendations that underscore the diverse nature of this category:
-- RehabCare Group (RHB), a provider of temporary health-care staffing and therapy program management for hospitals and skilled nursing facilities, is Basham's top pick.
-- Sovereign Bancorp Inc. (SOV), the parent of Sovereign Bank with 525 banking offices in the eastern U.S., is a Caron favorite.

-- Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. (FCS), a copper and gold mining and production company whose principal operating subsidiary is in Indonesia, is a Pradhuman selection.
-- American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc. (AXL), which supplies driveline and powertrain components for trucks and passenger cars, is another Pradhuman recommendation.

International report: Syneron cancels its investor rights plan.

Syneron Medical (Yokneam, Israel), an aesthetic gadget company, said its board has actually terminated the investor rights plan. The investor rights plan was adopted on Nov. 11, 2008 after a decline available price of Syneron's typical stock to make certain that all Syneron investors would certainly be handled fairly in case of any type of unrequested requisition of the firm. Offered the business's preserved development, economic toughness and the dissatisfaction of its shareholders to the continuation of the shareholder civil liberties plan, Syneron's board of supervisors determined that the security offered by the investor rights strategy is not warranted.

"The board takes satisfaction in properly serving the best passions of Syneron's shareholders, as well as its dedication to sturdy corporate administration policies and practices," claimed Shimon Eckhouse, chairman of the board. We brought that message back to the board and reconsidered the need for the investor civil liberties strategy. Here are some more findings on Invisible braces Melbourne .

The amendment to the shareholder rights plan will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on a Form 6-K.

Syneron says its technology enables physicians to provide advanced solutions for a broad range of medical-aesthetic applications including body contouring, hair removal, wrinkle reduction, rejuvenation of the skin's appearance through the treatment of superficial benign vascular and pigmented lesions, and the treatment of acne, leg veins and cellulite. The Company sells its products under two distinct brands, Syneron and Candela.

Dehaier to equip Hospital 301 in Beijing
Dehaier Medical Systems (Beijing, China), a maker of medical devices and homecare medical products in China, has signed a medical equipment supply agreement with Hospital 301 (also Beijing). The contract is valued at $1.32 million, and Dehaier expects to recognize all revenues from the contract in 2011.
Under the agreement Dehaier will provide the Hospital 301 with a Small Animal In-vivo Imaging System and two sets Laser Capture Microdissection Systems (LCM), both of which are manufactured by Leica, and DNA sequencers manufactured by ABI.

"Hospital 301 is one of the largest and most well renowned hospitals in China and we are honored to provide devices to the hospital. We are also pleased to have the chance to work with two well-respected medical device manufacturers such as Leica and ABI. This supply agreement demonstrates our ability to continue to make inroads with leading hospitals throughout the country and key international medical device manufacturers," said Ping Chen, CEO of Dehaier. "In over ten years of distributing medical devices in China, we have built strong relationships with over 3,000 hospitals and 2,000 dealers and distributors nationwide. Along with the solid development of medical devices business, we believe that this large, diversified growing network provides us with an ideal platform on which to expand and accelerate the growth of our homecare business."

Dehaier's product line includes respiratory and oxygen homecare medical products.
Align readies Invisalign for Chinese distribution

Align Technology (San Jose, California) said the Invisalign system is now commercially available in China. The company is training orthodontists based in the four major cities of Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou, which have a combined population of more than 70 million people. Align is offering Invisalign Full, Invisalign Teen and Vivera Retainers directly to Invisalign-trained orthodontists.

China is estimated to have nearly half a million new orthodontic case starts each year, with a higher percentage of complex Class II and III malocclusion cases than in Western countries. In October 2010, Align received regulatory approval from the Chinese State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) to market and sell the Invisalign system as a Class II medical device for the treatment of malocclusion. In conjunction with the recent international launch of Invisalign G3, Align accelerated commercial availability of Invisalign in China from the second half of 2011. The new features and functionality delivered with Invisalign G3 are engineered to make Invisalign easier to use with Class II and III patients and address the higher complexity of malocclusion among the Asian population. In anticipation of this launch Align has been building its presence in China and has established its office in Shanghai which includes country management, sales, marketing, clinical education, and support.

Align Technology makes Invisalign, a method for treating malocclusion, or the misalignment of teeth. Invisalign corrects malocclusion using a series of clear, nearly invisible, removable appliances that gently move teeth to a desired final position.

Lincolnway Dental Center safeguards your smile

Lincolnway Dental Center is situated in North Aurora on the edge of Lincolnway (Route 31) and Sullivan Road. Lincolnway Dental Center is just a terrific dental practice dedicated to your family members's oral health and health.

Just what makes Lincolnway Dental Center so unique? Each operator area has a theme, such as the recreations area, the rainfall woodland area and the Star Trek room.

Lincolnway Dental Center contains 2 experienced dental experts. Dr. Dean Park is a native of Aurora who finished from Southern Illinois University Dental School in 1986. He has been practicing in the location for over 17 years, and he just lately obtained wed. In 1990, Dr. Young Kim finished from Temple University School of Dentistry in Philadelphia, and in 1995, she signed up with the technique with Dr. Park. She has been stabilizing her technique with raising her two children for almost 10 years along with the aid of her supportive husband.

Dr. Park, Dr. Kim and their fantastic personnel provide modern dental procedure by continuously taking proceeding education courses to know brand-new oral innovation. In addition to the doctors' really gentle hands, they likewise provide laughing gas sedative system, and also the "WAND"-digital injection unit that is very comfy, particularly for small children that hesitate of needles. They can easily additionally do fillings without the drills and gos making use of the new water laser technology. Soft tissue surgery is additionally feasible along with this laser.

Lincolnway Dental Center concentrates on each person's smile along with brightening and mercury free of charge tooth colored reconstructions that match your normal teeth. A dazzling movie-star smile can be attained along with porcelain, lightening or bonding veneers. Therefore, they offer three different brightening systems.

Lincolnway Dental Center consists of 2 seasoned dental practitioners. Dr. Park, Dr. Kim and their terrific team supply progressive oral sessions by constantly taking proceeding education programs to know brand-new dental innovation. Lincolnway Dental Center concentrates on each patient's smile along with whitening and mercury free tooth colored reconstructions that match your natural teeth.

In addition to their general dentistry practice, both Dr. Park and Dr. Kim are learning and investing in the new mini-dental implant technology, which will enable patients to enjoy secure eating comfort again. With one short procedure, you can have a stable denture with no surgical sutures or the typical months of healing.

Dr. Kim is also providing interceptive orthodontic treatments for children. In Phase One of this procedure, early treatment is designed to develop the arch to avoid the extraction of permanent teeth. In Phase Two, fixed braces are utilized in the permanent dentition to close spaces and straighten the teeth. She also offers Invisalign clear braces as an option.

In order to accommodate their patients, Lincolnway Dental Center offers evening and Saturday hours, as well as emergency dental care when the office is closed.

They accept most dental insurance and most credit cards, and for those patients who may not have affordable dental insurance through their employers, Lincolnway Dental Center offers the Lincolnway Dental Plan. The membership in this plan costs $150 per year for adults and $50 per year for children under age 18, and includes twice annual cleaning and exams as well as X-rays, and all other treatment fees are reduced by 20 percent.

Lincolnway Dental Center is a dental practice dedicated to the families in this community, and they will give your family a reason to smile.

Journey to the spirit; Jane Bussmann takes on hot coals and group caress within life expert Tony Robbins

LIKE any type of completely healthy first-world person along with absolutely nothing to stress over, I worry.

I'm not claiming I'm a hypochondriac, but my physician tries to avoid me by answering the phone:' Domino's Pizza.' Take a vacation, you claim, yet they worry me, so I was interested to hear about breaks where as opposed to sightseeing and tour, you take a long quest to the facility of your soul.
These self-improvement lock-ins have frightening labels such as Date With Destiny (a vacation course in Palm Springs) and Life Mastery (in Fiji).

I need something called Stop Studying Freckle And Start Writing Screenplay (my existing fixations) yet couldn't discover it, so I scheduled Unleash The Power Within, based on the pull-your-finger-out bestseller Unleash The Giant Within, yet theoretically renamed after a person unleashed an ogre.
Tony claims his events teach you to quadruple your income, even read minds.
But in four days? I was curious, so I tracked Tony down to a roof where he was taping TV links, spreading his Take Action message on VH1.

He was disarmingly nice, but was he genuine?
Like previous messiahs, Tony might have the sandals and the absent father, but unlike previous messiahs he is a multimillionaire.

'I keep doing it because I love to see people remember who they are,' he said, which is Californian for 'cheer up', roughly. 'The first time President Clinton called, it was the middle of the night, he had the lowest ratings in decades, he was through the floor. He sent a jet to fly me to Camp David right then.' Did Tony find him naked, covered in butter and licking the Nuclear Button? 'Let's just say I taught him strategies.' Strategies that must work, because Tony bought the swish Fijian resort of Namale as Life Mastery HQ and runs courses there costing around pound sterling3,000.
Namale is open as a luxury resort between Life Mastering sessions, so guests can relax in the spa alongside the likes of Robert Redford or Martin Sheen.
And so it was that I found myself in the basement of the Hyatt Dallas Fort Worth with, deep in the heart of the self-betterment beast: 2,000 people waiting for Tony, T-shirts ironed, clear braces Melbourne on thirtysomething teeth.

DISCO thundered. The crowd pogoed. At last Tony Robbins exploded on to the stage.
Everyone lost it completely. Tony had already unleashed his giant: he was 6ft 7in, preposterously handsome, a statue of David in Gap. The lifechanging, income-quadrupling mind-reader was impressive, but I wished the stupid white people would stop clapping out of beat.

'You're thinking, I wish these stupid white people would stop clapping out of beat,' said Tony, amicably.
OK, he'd got me. I was in Texas and could have been line-dancing, but Unleash The Power - cost: pound sterling460 to pound sterling1,050 depending on where you sit - wasn't far off. 'Three hugs!' Tony bellowed. Strangers grabbed each other and squeezed. A woman in a 'Catholic Power' T-shirt gripped me like a released hostage. It was excruciating, but very touching. As the firewalk approached, I snuck to my room to rub barrier cream on my feet. Too late, I realised I was basting them. I came down to find the room dark, thousands of bodies on the floor. He'd killed them all. Oh, he was teaching us about getting In State.

Being In State would stop us getting burnt. So would going home, I thought, but as Tony cranked up the positive music and 2,000 people, aching, officetired, morbidly obese, leapt up shouting that they could do anything, I couldn't help but be moved.
And suddenly we were out of our shoes and socks, marching outside to the waiting fires. In the Hyatt's lobby, businessmen stared sadly as 2,000 barefoot people danced past high-fiving each other.
Outside in the dark I could hear the coals hissing in the damp Dallas air. I knew if I was in a Peak State I wouldn't feel pain. The trouble was, I seemed to be in an About To Walk Across Ten Feet Of Burning Coals state. And then someone pushed me. Help! But then I was on the other side and into the cooling puddle. I'd done it. I was no longer a hypochondriac. I looked at my feet, which had gone white. The whole soles were giant blisters. By the next morning I'd have feet like nachos.
'You've burnt my feet,' I mewled to a helper. 'I want to see a doctor.' Two minutes later I was in the Wellness Room, cursing myself for not wearing one of those medical bracelets with your blood type. Then I looked at my feet.

They were back to normal, they'd just been cold standing in the puddle.
Next morning I pulled my finger out.

'Start your day with 12 good morning hugs!' yelled Tony. I seized the Catholic, who jumped out of her skin. And we were off. Some of the weekend was sideshow, but a lot of it worked. We shouted our Limiting Beliefs at each other with our fingers up our noses.
Mysteriously, whenever I find a reason for not doing something now, I feel stupid.
Mind Reading was more hit-and-miss, based on mirroring people until you worked out what they were feeling. For fun, I mirrored the gestures of a grumpy man behind me. Subconsciously, his face relaxed and he leant in to chat. Not bad.

Next morning we were back in our chairs contemplating what would happen if we didn't Take Massive Action.

'Visualise that person who said 'I'll do it later!' in 20 years. Look at their house.
Their career. See the light go out in their eyes.' A strange malaise spread. 'Close your eyes,' said Tony. I took this as a cue to get a good look round. Some people were sobbing. A young man wailed histrionically and thumped his chest.

His future self had gone and landed him the lead in Queen The Musical.
AND so 2,000 people charged home to Take Action. I witnessed some of the oddest human behaviour yet, but it left people out of their minds with optimism.

I felt 70 per cent less neurotic than I'd been when I'd arrived, and knew I would never get hugged by that many people again.

On my way out I passed a stall selling 'electronic' pendants to ward off evil - sorry, radio waves. I asked a girl who'd shelled out for one if she felt silly.

'No! I had my first good night's sleep in years.' But you'd been jumping up and down for 14 hours. 'Does it matter?' I'd like to see that used in corporate law: 'New Diazepam 50-50 - half placebos, half real sleeping tablets. Who cares! You're asleep, aren't you?' But she was right. Damn, the secret of successful living really was in your mind.