Mitchell and her mother, Jan Stewart, own The Bath Cottage, a 36-year-old bed and bath retailer in Cocoa, Fla.
COLUMN: Bookstores benefit from Small Biz Sat
STORY: Small Business Saturday is a big hit
"Small business is something that Americans are losing sight of with Internet buying and big box stores," Mitchell said. "Some people are forgetting that small businesses are very much a part of their community."
This Saturday is Small Business Saturday, a day set aside since 2010 between Black Friday and Cyber Monday to encourage shoppers to spend their holiday money at local mom-and-pop stores on clothing, jewelry, toys, accessories and other merchandise.
Top 5 Small Cap Companies To Buy Right Now: Implant Sciences Corp (IMSC.PK)
Implant Sciences Corporation (Implant Sciences), incorporated in August 31,1984, develops, manufactures and sells sensors and systems for the security, safety and defense (SS&D) industries. Its technologies are used worldwide in security and inspection applications. Implant Sciences has developed technologies used in explosives trace detection (ETD), and and narcotics trace detection (NTD) applications and market and sell handheld ETD and benchtop ETD and NTD systems that use its technologies. The systems are used by private companies and Government agencies to screen baggage, cargo, vehicles, other objects and people for the detection of trace amounts of explosives. Implant Sciences have developed explosives detection systems designed for use in aviation and transportation security, high threat facilities and infrastructure, military installations, customs and border protection, and mail and cargo screening. The systems use the Quantum Sniffer technologies, including photon-based, non-radioactive ion source in combination with ion mobility spectrometry, a detection tool sensitive to the speeds with which ions of various substances move through the air to electronically detect minute quantities of explosives vapor and particles.
Quantum Sniffer QS-H150 Portable Explosives Detector
The Quantum Sniffer QS-H150 Portable Explosives Detector employs a vortex collector for the simultaneous detection of explosives particulates and vapors with or without physical contact and in real-time. The QS-HS150 can detect vapors and nanogram quantities of explosives particulates for explosives substances considered to be threats. The substances include military and commercial explosives, improvised and homemade explosives, and propellants and taggants.
The QS-H150 has automatic and continuous self-calibration. It monitors its environment, senses changes that would affect its accuracy, and re-calibrates accordingly. The system requires no user intervention and no calibration cons! umables. The detection process begins with the collection of a sample with its vortex collector. After collection, the sample is ionized photonically and analyzed using ion mobility spectrometer (IMS) technology. The presence of a threat substance is indicated by a visible and audible alarms. The threat substance is then identified and displayed on the integrated liquid crystal display (LCD) screen. When detecting a threat substance, the QS-H150 rapidly alarms. This real-time detection limits equipment contamination and allows for fast clear-down.
Quantum Sniffer QS-B220 Benchtop Explosives and Narcotics Detector
QS-B220 Benchtop Explosives and Narcotics Detector uses dual IMS with non-radioactive ionization for the detection and identification of a range of military, commercial, and improvised explosives as well as narcotics. The QS-B220 uses a sample trap which is wiped on the surface to be interrogated for explosives or narcotics particles.
The QS-B220 has automatic and continuous self-calibration. It monitors its environment, senses changes that would affect its accuracy, and re-calibrates accordingly.
Quantum Sniffer TM QS-Hx Portable Explosives Detector
The Company is focusing in developing a next-generation handheld detector that will use dual IMS non-radioactive ionization for the detection and identification of a range of military, commercial and improvised explosives, as well as narcotics. The QS-Hx will have automatic and continuous self-calibration, multi-level password-protected data security and will include a data management interface with data export to a network for recordkeeping, providing a link with the central command centers and logistics systems used by carriers.
Miniature Mass Spectrometer
The Company�� acquisition of Ion Metrics enabled it to obtain miniaturized quadrupole mass spectrometry (QMS) detector technology. The QMS detector is roughly the size of an AA battery and has low manufactur! ing costs! . When used in conjunction with an IMS, the QMS detector senses the molecular weight of the chemical species resulting in an orthogonal detection method in which a more fundamental characteristic of a substance is measured. It is developing interfaces for integrating the QMS detector into its future products.
Hyphenated Detectors
Depending on the application and the number of interfering background chemicals, it may be necessary to incorporate additional orthogonal detection methods. The combination of multiple sensors in series is known as employing hyphenated methods. By measuring different properties of the same species, interferents are separated from target species for a deterministic detection and identification and have minimum rates of false alarms. It is developing hyphenated systems employing conventional ion mobility, differential mobility and quadrupole mass spectrometry. As of June 30, 2012, it has one patent issued in real-time trace detection by IMS and QMS and two hyphenated system patents pending.
The Company competes with Morpho Detection, Inc., NucTech Company Limited and Smiths Detection, Inc.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Daniel Lauchheimer]
Currently, three main companies supply security equipment to the TSA - Safran (SAFRY.PK), Smiths (SMGKF.PK), and Level-3 Holdings (LLL). All three of these companies sell the whole range of their products to the TSA, with an ETD offering included. Recently, however, a new company, Implant Sciences Corporation (IMSC.PK) received approval from the TSA to begin selling their ETD equipment to airport security professionals. This approval has opened the door for IMSC to begin taking some market share away from the more established players in the US and beyond.
Top 5 Gas Utility Stocks To Watch Right Now: BlackRock Floating Rate Income Strategies Fund Inc (FRA)
BlackRock Floating Rate Income Strategies Fund, Inc. is a diversified closed-end management investment company. The Fund seeks current income and preservation of capital. It utilizes leverage through borrowings.
BlackRock Floating Rate Income Strategies Fund, Inc. invests in a diversified, leveraged portfolio consisting primarily of floating-rate debt securities and instruments. BlackRock Advisors, LLC. is the manager of the Fund. The Fund invests in floating rate loans, which are generally non-investment grade, made by banks, other financial institutions, and privately and publicly offered corporations. The portfolio of the BlackRock Floating Rate Income Strategies Fund, Inc. comprises floating rate loan interests (76%), corporate bonds (22%) and common stocks (2%) as of February 29, 2008.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Dowdee]
The following 10 funds satisfied all of these conditions:
BlackRock Float Rate Strategies (FRA). This CEF sells at a discount of 3%, which is low compared to an average premium of 2% over the past year. The distribution has been managed at 6.1% and a small amount (less than 10%) has been return of capital (ROC). However, this has not negatively affected net asset value (NAV) so has not been destructive. The fund holds 447 securities, with 90% in floating rate loans. FRA utilizes 27% leverage and has an expense ratio of 1.7%, including interest payments. Eaton Vance Floating Rate (EFR). This CEF sells at a 1% premium, which is low compared to an average premium of 5% over the past year. The distribution is 6.2%, none of which was ROC. The fund holds 800 securities, with 90% in floating rate loans. About 85% of the securities are from U.S. companies. EFR utilizes 35% leverage and has an expense ratio of 1.8% including interest payments. ING Prime Rate Trust (PPR). This CEF sells for a premium of 2%, which is below the average premium of 5%. It has a distribution of 6.8%, none of which was ROC. The fund has 350 holdings, virtually all in senior loans and from US companies. PPR utilizes 29% leverage and has a high expense ratio of 2.1%, including interest payments. Invesco VK Dynamic Credit Opportunities (VTA). This CEF sells for a discount of 5%, which is below the average discount of 1%. It has a distribution of 7.1%, none of which was ROC. The fund has 495 holdings, with 76% in floating rate loans. About 25% of the loans are from non-US companies. VTA utilizes a relatively low 20% leverage but still has a high expense ratio of 2.1%, including interest payments. Invesco VK Senior Income (VVR). This CEF sells for a discount of 1%, which is below the average premium of 3%. It has a distribution of 7.1%, none of which was ROC. The fund has over 500 holdings, with 89% in floating rate loans. Almost all (95%) securities are from US companies. VVR ut
Top 5 Gas Utility Stocks To Watch Right Now: Omega Protein Corporation(OME)
Omega Protein Corporation, a nutritional ingredient company, engages in the processing, marketing, and distribution of fish meal, oil, and soluble products. The company produces and sells various protein and oil products derived from menhaden, a herring-like species of fish found in the U.S. coastal waters of the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. Its fish meal products include the Special Select, a premium grade fish meal that is targeted for monogastrics, including baby pigs, pets, shrimps, and fish; SeaLac, a premium grade fish meal that is targeted for the ruminant industry; and Fair Average Quality Meal, a commodity grade fish meal that is used in protein blends for catfish, pets, and other animals. Omega Protein Corporation?s fish oil products comprise crude unrefined fish oil, refined fish oil, and food grade oils. Its oil products are used in food production, feed production, certain industrial applications, and dietary supplements. The company?s fish solubles in clude Neptune fish concentrate that is used as the attractant in commercial baits, as well as in shrimp and finfish diets; OmegaGrow, a liquid soil or foliar-applied fertilizer for plant nutrition; and OmegaGrow Plus, a liquid foliar-applied fertilizer for plant nutrition that also helps to control insect and fungus problems. The company sells its products in the United States Mexico, Europe, Canada, Asia, and South and Central America. Omega Protein Corporation was founded in 1998 and is based in Houston, Texas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Monica Gerson]
Omega Protein (NYSE: OME) is projected to report its Q4 earnings at $0.32 per share on revenue of $69.47 million.
Douglas Dynamics (NYSE: PLOW) is estimated to post its Q4 earnings at $0.25 per share on revenue of $57.68 million.
- [By Garrett Cook]
Non-cyclical consumer goods & services shares fell 0.76 percent on Tuesday. Top losers in the sector included Diamond Foods (NASDAQ: DMND), down 4.2 percent, and Omega Protein (NYSE: OME), off 3.6 percent.
Top 5 Gas Utility Stocks To Watch Right Now: China Fund Inc (CHN)
The China Fund, Inc. (the Fund), incorporated on April 28, 1992, is a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company. The Fund�� investment objective is to achieve long-term capital appreciation through investment in companies and other entities with significant assets, investments, production activities, trading or other business interests in the People�� Republic of China, or which derive a significant part of their revenue from the People�� Republic of China.
The China Fund, Inc. may invest in equity-linked securities, such as linked participation notes, equity swaps and zero-strike options, and securities warrants collectively referred to as Access Products. The Fund invests various sectors, including industrials, consumer discretionary, energy, information technology, financials, consumer staples, materials, utilities, healthcare and telecommunications. Martin Currie Inc. serves as the investment manager for the Fund's listed assets. Asian Direct Capital Management is the investment manager for the Fund's assets allocated to direct investments.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Stephen Leeb, Founder and Research Chairman, Leeb Group]
Healthy economic data, coupled with low inflation, make Chinese stocks attractive as well. Our first choice here is the China Fund (CHN). It holds a diverse portfolio of stocks primarily focused on the Chinese domestic market.
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