Top Asian Companies To Watch In Right Now

LONDON -- The FTSE 100 (FTSEINDICES: ^FTSE  ) perked up a bit yesterday to end the day on 6,558 points, but it has turned tail again today to fall 95 points, or 1.44%, to 6,464 by 9:30 a.m. EDT. Despite the apparent lessening of fears concerning the possible end of economic stimulus measures, a weak session in Asian markets led to a bearish opening in London. Until we get concrete updates on American and European monetary policies, the market looks likely to continue in this uncertain manner.

So which companies are leading the FTSE down? Here are three names that are slipping and look set to lag the index today.

Tesco
Tesco shares have fallen 4.6% after the U.K.'s biggest supermarket chain revealed a fall in like-for-like sales in its first-quarter update.�In the U.K., we saw a 1% fall, but in other markets things were worse, down 3.8% in Asia and down a scary 5.5% in Europe (all excluding petrol sales). Total group sales were actually up 2.7%, but in like-for-like terms that translated to a fall of 2.2%.

Top Asian Companies To Watch In Right Now: Waddell & Reed Financial Inc. (WDR)

Waddell & Reed Financial, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides investment management, investment product underwriting and distribution, and shareholder services administration to mutual funds, and institutional and separately managed accounts in the United States. The company acts as an investment adviser for institutional and other private investors, and provides sub advisory services to other investment companies; underwrites and distributes registered open-end mutual fund portfolios; distributes business partners� variable annuity products, and retirement and life insurance products to advisors channel customers; sells life insurance and disability products underwritten by various carriers; and offers fee-based asset allocation investment advisory products to advisors channel customers. It distributes investment products through independent financial advisors, broker/dealers, registered investment advisors, and various retirement platforms; and markets investment a dvisory services to institutional investors directly or through consultants. Waddell & Reed Financial, Inc. was founded in 1937 and is based in Overland Park, Kansas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Marc Bastow]

  Investment services and shareholder services administrator Waddell & Reed (WDR) raised its quarterly dividend 21% to 34 cents per share, payable on Feb. 3 to shareholders of record as of Jan. 13.
  WDR Dividend Yield: 2.2%

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Mutual fund complex�Waddell & Reed Financial� (NYSE: WDR  ) announced today its third-quarter dividend of $0.28 per share, the same rate it's paid for the past two quarters after raising the payout 12% from $0.25 per share.

• [By Will Ashworth]

  With the future of asset managers clearly in the hands of ETFs, iShares��formidable market share suggests that Larry Fink and company have more good years ahead. When it comes to large-cap asset managers I see BLK stock as your best bet in 2014.

  Waddell & Reed (WDR)

  One of the oldest mutual fund companies in the U.S., Waddell & Reed (WDR) is still growing quarterly revenues and earnings by double digits. With $114 billion in assets under management, analysts expect WDR to report Q4 earnings of 78 cents on Feb. 4 — 28% higher year-over-year.

Top Asian Companies To Watch In Right Now: Remy Cointreau SA (RCO)

Remy Cointreau SA is a France-based company engaged in the production and distribution of wines and spirits. The Company's activities are divided into two segments. Cognac, which offers a range of products under the Remy Martin brand and Liqueurs and Spirits, distributing liquors under the Cointreau, Izarra and Passoa brand names, as well as spirits under such brand names as Mount Gay (rum), St Remy (brandy), Ponche Kuna (rum) and Metaxa (brandy). The Company is a sole distributor of the Piper-Heidsieck and Charles Heidsieck brands, as well as Piper Sonoma (the sparkling wine brand). The Company's subsidiaries include production companies, such as E. Remy Martin & Cie, and distribution companies, such as Remy Cointreau USA Inc. In August 2013, it completed the sale of Larsen Cognac to the Finnish group Altia. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Inyoung Hwang]

  Remy Cointreau SA (RCO) jumped 6 percent, the most since January. Chinese cognac shipments increased 20.5 percent in August, rising for the first time since January, according to UBS AG, citing from BNIC, a trade association of cognac makers.

Top 10 Undervalued Companies To Own For 2015: Helios Advantage Income Fund Inc. (HAV)

Helios Advantage Income Fund, Inc. is a close ended fixed income mutual fund launched and managed by Brookfield Investment Management Inc. The fund invests in the fixed income markets of the United States. It invests a majority of its assets in below investment grade debt securities, which are bonds rated Ba1 or lower by Moody's Investors Service, Inc., BB+ or lower by Standard & Poor's Ratings Group. The fund benchmarks the performance of its portfolio against the Barclays Capital U.S. Corporate High Yield Index and the Barclays Capital Ba U.S. High Yield Index. It was formerly known as RMK Advantage Income Fund, Inc. Helios Advantage Income Fund, Inc. was formed on November 8, 2004 and is domiciled in the United States.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Namitha Jagadeesh]

  Havas SA (HAV) lost 1.6 percent to 5.78 euros. Barclays Plc downgraded the French advertising company to equal weight, similar to neutral, from overweight, citing the need to ��ause for breath��after its strong performance over the past three months. Havas climbed 28 percent from a June 24 low through yesterday�� close.

• [By Tom Stoukas]

  Havas SA (HAV) surged 6 percent to 5.82 euros, its largest rally in 14 months. The French advertising company reported first-half profit of 58 million euros ($77 million), beating the average analyst estimate of 55.9 million euros.

Top Asian Companies To Watch In Right Now: Einstein Noah Restaurant Group Inc (BAGL)

Einstein Noah Restaurant Group, Inc. (ENRGI), incorporated on October 21, 1992, is an owner/operator, franchisor and licensor of bagel specialty restaurants in the United States. ENRGI operates under the Einstein Bros. Bagels (Einstein Bros.), Noah�� New York Bagels (Noah��) and Manhattan Bagel Company (Manhattan Bagel) brands. ENRGI operates in three business segments: the Company-owned restaurants segment, the manufacturing and commissary segment, and the franchise and license segment. The Company-owned restaurants segment includes the restaurants that it owns. The manufacturing and commissary segment produces and distributes bagel dough and other products to its Company-owned restaurants, licensees and franchisees and other third parties. The franchise and license segment earns royalties and other fees from the use of trademarks and operating systems developed for the Einstein Bros., Noah�� and Manhattan Bagel brands.

During the fiscal year ended January 1, 2013 (fiscal 2012), ENRGI acquired eight restaurants and opened an additional 15 Company-owned restaurants. It closed one Company-owned restaurant during fiscal 2012. On January 31, 2012, the Company sold a Company-owned restaurant. As of January 1, 2013, it had 816 restaurants in 39 states and in the District of Columbia. In January 2013, the Company opened an Einstein Bros. franchise in Montana. Its product offerings include fresh-baked bagels and other bakery items baked onsite, ma de-to-order breakfast and lunch sandwiches on a range of bagels, breads or wraps, gourmet soups and salads, assorted pastries, premium coffees and an assortment of snacks. Its manufacturing and independent distribution network delivers ingredients that are delivered fresh to its restaurants.

Company-owned restaurants

Einstein Bros. offers a menu that provides food for breakfast and lunch, including fresh-baked bagels and hot breakfast sandwiches, freshly prepared lunch sandwiches, cream cheese and other spreads, specia! lty coffees and teas, soups, salads and other menu offerings. Noah�� is a neighborhood-based bakery/deli restaurant that serves fresh-baked bagels, hot breakfast sandwiches, made-to-order deli-style sandwiches, cream cheese and other spreads, specialty coffees and teas, soups, salads and other menu offerings. Manhattan Bagel provides a traditional New York style boil and baked bagel. Manhattan Bagel also serves a range of grilled sandwiches, freshly made deli sandwiches, freshly prepared breakfast sandwiches, soups, and a range of other fresh-baked sweets. Similar to Einstein Bros. and Noah��, Manhattan Bagel also features a line of fresh brewed coffees and specialty coffee/espresso beverages. During fiscal 2012, ENRGI generated approximately 90% of its total revenue from restaurant sales at its Company-owned restaurants.

Manufacturing and Commissaries

ENRGI operates a bagel dough manufacturing facility in Whittier, California and has contracts with two suppliers to produce bagel dough and sweets to the specifications. These facilities provide frozen dough, partially-baked frozen bagels and fully baked sweets for its Company-owned restaurants, franchisees and licensees. These operations provide the restaurants with food products, such as sliced meats, cheeses, and/or certain salad ingredients. It has recipes and production processes for the bagel dough, cream cheese and coffee. Frozen, or partially baked and frozen, bagel dough is shipped to all of its Company-owned, franchised and licensed restaurants where the dough is then baked onsite. Its purchases other ingredients used in the restaurants, such as meat, lettuce, tomatoes and condiments, from a select group of third party suppliers.

Franchise and Licensing

ENRGI offers Einstein Bros. franchises to qualified area developers. As of January 1, 2013, the Company was registered to offer Einstein Bros. franchises in 49 states and the District of Columbia. It also has a franchise base in the Manhatt! an Bagel ! brand. Its licensees are located primarily in colleges and universities, hospitals, airports and military bases. As of February 25, 2013, it had 28 development agreements in place for 136 total restaurants, 34 of which have already opened. During fiscal 2012, it opened 13 franchised locations and 27 licensed locations. During fiscal 2012, approximately 3% of its total revenue was generated by the Company�� franchise and license operations.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  The Q1 2014 Potbelly Corp (NASDAQ: PBPB) earnings report is scheduled for after the market closes on Tuesday, May 6th, with investors and traders alike who follow either the sandwich restaurant chain stock (which debuted last October and is down some 44% for retail investors)�or who are into potential small cap peers like Cosi Inc (NASDAQ: COSI), Einstein Noah Restaurant Group, Inc (NASDAQ: BAGL) and Panera Bread Co (NASDAQ: PNRA) should be paying attention. Aside from the Potbelly Corp earnings report, it should be said that the Q1 2014 Panera Bread Co earnings report was last Tuesday while the�Q1 2014 Einstein Noah Restaurant Group, Inc earnings report came last Thursday and the the Q1 2014 Cosi Inc�earnings report is likely scheduled for Monday, May 12. However, Potbelly Corp has attracted a bit of attention for its potential growth trajectory as well as its�vision to be the ��eighborhood Sandwich Shop.��/p>

Top Asian Companies To Watch In Right Now: Accretive Health Inc. (AH)

Accretive Health, Inc. provides revenue cycle management services for hospitals and healthcare providers in the United States. It offers integrated revenue cycle management services that help healthcare providers to manage their revenue cycles, which encompass patient registration, insurance and benefit verification, medical treatment documentation and coding, bill preparation, and collections; quality and total cost of care services, which enable healthcare providers to manage the health of a defined patient population by identifying those individuals who are most likely to experience an adverse health event; and physician advisory services. Accretive Health, Inc. serves multi-hospital systems, including faith-based or community healthcare systems, academic medical centers, independent ambulatory clinics, and physician practice groups. The company was formerly known as Healthcare Services, Inc. and changed its name to Accretive Health, Inc. in August 2009. Accretive Healt h, Inc. was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Wednesday

  Earnings Expected From: Accretive Health, Inc (NYSE: AH), Monsanto Company (NYSE: MON), UniTek Global Services, Inc. (NASDAQ: UNTK) Economic Releases Expected: Eurozone interest rate decision and PPI data, US National Employment Report, British construction PMI

  Thursday

Top Asian Companies To Watch In Right Now: Great American Group Inc (GAMR)

Great American Group, Inc. (Great American), incorporated on May 7, 2009, is a provider of asset disposition and valuation and appraisal services to a range of retail, wholesale and industrial customers, as well as lenders, capital providers, private equity investors and professional service firms. The Company operates its business in two segments: liquidation and auction solutions and valuation and appraisal services. Its liquidation and auction divisions assist customers in the disposition of assets. Such assets include multi-location retail inventory, wholesale inventory, trade fixtures, machinery and equipment, intellectual property and real property. Great American�� valuation and appraisal services division provides its clients with independent appraisals in connection with asset-based loans, acquisitions, divestitures and other business needs. Its valuation and appraisal services division provides valuation and appraisal services to financial institutions, lenders, private equity investors and other providers of capital. These services primarily include the valuation of assets for purposes of determining and monitoring the value of collateral securing financial transactions and loan arrangements, and in connection with potential business combinations. In October 2009, Great American formed a subsidiary, GA Capital, LLC (GA Capital).

Auction and Liquidation Solutions

The Company enables its clients to dispose of under-performing assets and generate cash from excess inventory by conducting or assisting in store closings, going out of business sales, bankruptcy sales and fixture sales. It also provides merger and acquisition due diligence, through the Company�� auction and liquidation segment and reverse logistics and appraisal services, through its valuation and appraisal services segment. It provides retail auction and liquidation services on a fee and guarantee basis. In guarantee retail liquidation engagements, it takes title to any unsold inventory. The Company ! designs and implements disposition programs for its customers seeking to convert excess wholesale and industrial inventory and operational assets into capital. Assets in an orderly liquidation are available for sale on a privately negotiated basis over a period of months. This sale method is often employed to dispose of furniture, fixtures and equipment in connection with retail liquidations, as well as wholesale inventory or industrial equipment. The Company�� live auctions can cover single sites or multiple locations, and the Company utilizes point-of-sale software to generate customized sales reports and invoices and to track assets. The Company webcasts its live auctions over the Internet. This auction format allows online bidders to compete in real time against bidders at the live auction. Bidders can log onto the auction from personal computers, view and bid on lots as they come up for sale, hear the auctioneers as the sale is being conducted and, in some cases, view live streaming video of the auctioneer calling the bids on-site. In the online auction format, the sale of assets takes place online, without a live auctioneer calling the sale.

The Company provides advisory services relating to the wind down process from beginning to end, including negotiation of early lease terminations, sale of intellectual property and sale of completed inventory through the client�� historical distribution channels. It assists clients with managing the disposition of customer returns, obsolete inventory, extraneous fixtures and dated equipment. The Company serves as a broker, providing assistance in reaching target markets and potential buyers or marketing to its database of buyers and end users. The Company performs sealed bid sales in situations where asset disposition requires anonymity of the buyer or seller or involves other confidentiality concerns. In this process, potential buyers submit bids without knowledge of the amount bid by other participants. It also provides wholesale and industr! ial servi! ces on a fee, guarantee and an outright purchase basis. The Company commenced auctions for foreclosed residential real estate properties, through its joint venture with Kelly Capital during the year ended December 31, 2009. The Company coordinates the auction process, including the venue, personnel and onsite technological requirements. It also arranges for financial institutions, title and escrow companies to be onsite at the auction to provide onsite services to potential buyers. The Company provides its home auction services on a fee basis based on a percentage of sale prices and on an outright purchase basis.

Valuation and Appraisal Services

Great American�� valuation and appraisal teams provide independent appraisals to financial institutions, lenders and other providers of capital and other professional service firms for estimated liquidation values of assets. These teams include experts specializing in particular industry and asset classes. The Company provides valuation and appraisal services across five categories: Consumer and Retail Inventory, representative types of appraisals and valuations include inventory of specialty apparel retailers, department stores, jewelry retailers, sporting goods retailers, mass and discount merchants, home furnishing retailers and footwear retailers; Wholesale and Industrial Inventory, representative types of appraisals and valuations include inventory held by manufacturers or distributors of automotive parts, chemicals, food and beverage products, wine and spirits, building and construction products, industrial products, metals, paper and packaging; Machinery and Equipment, representative types of asset appraisals and valuations include a range of equipment utilized in manufacturing, construction, transportation and healthcare; Intangible Assets, representative types of asset appraisals and valuations include intellectual property, goodwill, brands, logos, trademarks and customer lists, and Real Estate, representative types of ass! et apprai! sals and valuations include owned and leased manufacturing and distribution facilities, retail locations and corporate offices.

The Company competes with overstock.com and eBay.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  Today,�GAMR has shed (-9.46%) down -0.035 at $.335 with 160�shares in play thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 9:31AM EDT July 8, 2013), but don�� let this get you down.

  Great American Group, Inc. has been selected to handle store closing sales at eight Orchard Supply Hardware locations, offering significant product discounts in the Citrus Heights, Fairfield, Huntington Beach, Lone Tree, Long Beach, Midtown, Newark and Vacaville stores

  Orchard previously reported on June 17, 2013, that it had reached an agreement through which Lowe�� Companies, Inc. will acquire the majority of its assets but will allow Orchard to continue day-to-day operations as a separate, standalone business with its brand, strategy and management team intact. To facilitate the acquisition agreement and restructure its balance sheet, Orchard filed voluntary Chapter 11 petitions in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. The agreement with Lowe�� comprises the initial stalking horse bid in the Court-supervised auction process under Section 363 of the Bankruptcy Code.

• [By CRWE]

  Today, GAMR surged (+8.57%) up +0.030 at $.380 with 10,000 shares in play thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 10:28AM EDT July 12, 2013).

  Great American Group, Inc. has been selected to handle store closing sales at eight Orchard Supply Hardware locations, offering significant product discounts in the Citrus Heights, Fairfield, Huntington Beach, Lone Tree, Long Beach, Midtown, Newark and Vacaville stores

  Orchard previously reported on June 17, 2013, that it had reached an agreement through which Lowe�� Companies, Inc. will acquire the majority of its assets but will allow Orchard to continue day-to-day operations as a separate, standalone business with its brand, strategy and management team intact. To facilitate the acquisition agreement and restructure its balance sheet, Orchard filed voluntary Chapter 11 petitions in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. The agreement with Lowe�� comprises the initial stalking horse bid in the Court-supervised auction process under Section 363 of the Bankruptcy Code.

Top Asian Companies To Watch In Right Now: Westlake Chemical Corporation(WLK)

Westlake Chemical Corporation manufactures and markets basic chemicals, vinyls, polymers, and fabricated building products. It operates in two segments, Olefins and Vinyls. The Olefins segment provides ethylene, polyethylene, styrene monomer, and various ethylene co-products, such as chemical grade propylene, crude butadiene, pyrolysis gasoline, and hydrogen. The Vinyls segment offers polyvinyl chloride (PVC), vinyl chloride monomer, ethylene dichloride, chlorine, caustic soda, and ethylene. This segment also manufactures and sells products fabricated from PVC, including water, sewer, irrigation, and conduit pipes; window and door profiles; and fences. The company?s products are used in various applications, such as consumer and industrial markets comprising flexible and rigid packaging, automotive products, coatings, and residential and commercial construction, as well as in other durable and non-durable goods. Westlake Chemical Corporation provides its products for chem ical processors, plastics fabricators, construction contractors, municipalities, and supply warehouses in the United States, Canada, Singapore, and internationally. The company was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Westlake Chemical (NYSE: WLK) shares fell 0.25% to touch a new 52-week low of $67.41. Westlake Chemical's PEG ratio is 4.40.

  HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE: HSBC) shares declined 0.59% to reach a new 52-week low of $49.54. Analysts at Credit Suisse downgraded the stock from Outperform to Underperform.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Specialty chemicals producer�Westlake Chemical� (NYSE: WLK  ) �has acquired�the PVC pipe, fittings, profiles, and foundation business of CertainTeed now that�all the closing conditions, including a regulatory review, have been met.

• [By Neil Macneale]

  We also considered Westlake Chemical (WLK). Based in Houston, Texas, the company produces basic chemicals such as ethylene and styrene from oil and gas feed stocks.