12 West Capital Management, led by Joel Ramin, has disclosed, in a new filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, increasing slightly its position in Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc. (NYSE:ANW), currently holding 2.4 million shares. The stake amasses around 5.1% of the outstanding common stock, and has a value of $25.6 million, at the current price of the company’s shares. In the latest 13F, Joel Ramin’s fund reported holding around 2.2 million shares.

The stock of Aegean Marine has grown since the beginning of the year, its YTD return reaching over 102%, trailing a P/E of 20.9. The company is engaged in supply and marketing of various marine oil products, with a fleet of over 50 vessels, and markets all over the globe. In the third quarter of the year, Aegean Marine posted sales volume of 2.5 million metric tons, and a gross profit of $70.8 million, down from $74.4 posted a year ago. The net income attributable to stockholders has also declined and totaled around $7.3 million, versus $8.0 million in the year-ago quarter.

Aside from 12 West, some other shareholders of Aegean Marine Petroleum Network are Perella Weinberg Partners, managed by Daniel Arbess, which holds around 835,400 shares, worth $9.9 million, and Andy Redleaf’s Whitebox Advisors, with a holding worth $4.2 million, which amasses 351,800 shares, among others.

12 West Capital Management is a hedge fund founded about 2 years ago by Joel Ramin, a former employee of Roberto Mignone’s Bridger Capital. The fund prefers to put its money in short positions, but also invests in long equity holdings. In the latest round of 13F filings, 12 West disclosed its largest position as a $177.8 million stake in FleetCor Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:FLT), the stake amassing 1.6 million shares. Some smaller holdings involve companies like Tripadvisor Inc (NASDAQ:TRIP), in which the fund owns around 1.2 million shares, worth $87 million; and UTi Worldwide Inc. (NASDAQ:UTIW), with ownership of over 5.0 million shares, worth $76 million.

Disclosure: none

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Daniel Och, Oz Management Open Position in Re/Max Holdings

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Daniel S. Och, the manager of Oz Management, is bullish on Re/Max Holdings Inc (NYSE:RMAX). In a recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commision, Och revealed a new passive position in Re/Max Holdings. The fund has acquired 1 million shares, the equivalent of 8.61% of the company’s common stock.

According to our database, none of the hedge funds we track has so far invested in this stock.

Re/Max Holdings went public on October 2nd. With the Initial Public Offering (IPO) priced at $22 a share, the company raised $220 million. The trading session opened at $26.25 a share and closed at $27. Following this huge success, the Chief Executive Officer Margaret Kelly said:

From just a single office in Denver, we’ve grown into a global real estate brand. And today, we’re proud to enter a new era of RE/MAX history as a publicly traded company.

On November 13th, Re/Max Holdings reported financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2013. The company registered revenues of $40.3 million, a 5% increase compared to the same period last year, and earnings per diluted share (EPS) of $0.17.

Chief Executive Officer Margaret Kelly commented:

We are extremely pleased with the continued positive momentum in our business during the third quarter. We grew agent count, revenue and our adjusted EBITDA margin from the prior year quarter.

With the completion of our initial public offering and the acquisition of two regional franchises in October 2013, we remain well-positioned to capitalize on current real estate market conditions by leveraging our deep industry knowledge and our premier market presence to grow our agent count and franchise network in the coming years.

Following the successful IPO, the share price of Re/Max Holdings has been trending sideways, currently at the value of $30.12. The company has a market cap of $304.42 million and the stock has a forward Price to Earnings (P/E) ratio of 4.62.

Disclosure: none

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Clover Partners have revealed in a new filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it has boosted its position in Alliance Bancorp Inc of Pennsylvania (NASDAQ:ALLB). The fund upped the stake to 335,690 shares, after disclosing around 155,300 shares in its latest 13F.  The new stake amasses 6.9% of the company’s common stock and its value amounts to $5.1 million, at the current share price of the company.

A couple of days ago, Richard Lashley’s PL Capital reported that it will nominate a person to the board of Alliance Bancorp of Pennsylvania. The candidature of Mr. Howard Henick will be proposed for vote to the company’s shareholders at the next-year’s shareholders meeting. PL Capital’s stake amasses 438,500 shares, or 9% of the company.

Another major shareholder of the company is Ryan Heslop and Ariel Warszawski‘s Firefly Value Partners, which according to the latest 13F, holds over 307,000 shares, worth almost $4.5 million.

In the latest 13F filing, Texas-based Clover Partners reported its equity portfolio as at the end of the third quarter. The portfolio consists mostly of financial companies, and among the largest positions, the fund mentioned: Meridian Interstate Bancorp, Inc.(NASDAQ:EBSB), with a holding of 471,900 shares, worth around $10.3 million; followed by Fox Chase Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:FXCB), and Heritage Financial Group Inc (NASDAQ:HBOS), in which Clover Partners reported holding 569,500 shares, and 539,600 shares respectively, with values of around $9.9 million, and 9.4 million.

Around a month ago, Clover disclosed increasing its stake in OBA Financial Services Inc (NASDAQ:OBAF) to 6.6%.

Disclosure: none

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Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) always has the element of surprise to it. From cool apps to smart gadgets, our favorite search engine and internet giant has it all. Some have even been caught in class saying that "Google knows more than God", but let's leave that statement for a different discussion. Currently, the news entails three new developments that will undoubtedly have fans swooning. A Google Chrome experiment that will take us through Middle Earth; rumors about Chromebooks incorporating voice command; and Youtube's special appearance on the Xbox.

So let's peek into each of these exciting items and see what this company has in store for us.

Off to Middle Earth

Tonight, after dinner and before tucking into bed, take about 20 minutes time and drop by Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG)'s latest Chrome Experiment. The "Journey through Middle Earth", as they call it, will allow users to explore the world of Lord of the Rings, by recreating the full map of Tolkien's imaginary kingdom. Recreated with HTML, JavaScript and CSS technologies, the adventure is supposed to give Google fans and newcomers an accurate idea of the browser engine's power. Also, they probably want to entertain you, since you can also play mini games while you discover the map route.

Rumor has it

We were all excited when Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) first announced that its newest version of Android would be taking our commands by saying "ok Google". But now, Chromium evangelist François Beaufort stated that the vocal feature could extend even further. Although we'll have to wait a while before the voice addition fully develops, Google could take the basic phrase and add on commands like "open Gmail", or "chat with Samantha". The soon-to-come voice function will eventually be able to receive orders for your Chromebook, so keep your ears peaked for this development.

YouTube meshes with the Xbox One

In case you were wondering whether Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)'s latest game console, the Xbox One, would still be featuring the popular YouTube app, then wonder no more. The answer is yes. As Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) announced today, the user interface of this editions YouTube app will be like the Xbox 360's version, but with better voice control and gesture navigation. Apart from displaying play, pause and skip forward controls by saying "YouTube", you'll be able to scroll through the videos using gestures. Another perky addition: the app will also provide channels, subscriptions and trending videos.

Disclosure: Melanie Erbar holds no position in any stocks mentioned

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Peter Kolchinsky‘s hedge fund, Ra Capital Management disclosed upping its position in Achillion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ACHN) some more. The fund now holds around 23.4 million shares, adding around 1.1 million shares. Over a week ago, Ra Capital, also, disclosed buying around 1.8 million shares of Achillion.

The shares have been acquired in two transactions, the average price amounting to $2.55. In this way, the total amount spent by the fund to increase its exposure in the company tops $2.8 million.

The stock of Achillion has declined by over 60% since the beginning of the year. Last week, Achillion Pharmaceuticals reported its financial results for the third quarter of the year. The company managed to narrow its net loss to $14 million, from $15.3 million posted in the same period of last year. However, for the first nine months of the year, Achillion’s net loss increased to45.6 million, from $35.9 million in the first nine months of 2012. The company hasn’t reported any revenue since the beginning of the year.

Earlier in September, Achillion stated that FDA decided to keep the clinical hold on its NS3 protease inhibitor, sovaprerir, a part of Achillion’s pipeline of therapies for treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus.

Among Achillion’s shareholders, we can mention Daniel Gold‘s Qvt Financial, which in the latest round of 13F filings disclosed holding over 11.7 million shares, worth a total of $35.4 million. Sectoral Asset Management led by Jerome Pfund and Michael Sjostrom own 384,300 shares, worth some $1.2 million. At the same time, James E. Flynn cut down its position in the company, holding previously around 1.6 million shares.

Disclosure: none

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The new Xbox One and PlayStation 4 consoles both launch this month. Is next gen gaming ready for reality?

Gamers have been eagerly anticipating the newest Xbox and PlayStation consoles. Their new features and titles have been widely reported, including some traditionally reserved for other media devices. But then, is anything really traditional in the world of technology?

Follow both consoles as they make their way through the world of next gen gaming… and try to wreak havoc on other consumer electronics.

Click on the infographic to learn more about the stocks mentioned. Created by Kapitall.

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Activision continues a busy year with Call of Duty: Ghosts and Blizzcon in the same week.

It's been an eventful year for Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATVI). After recently repurchasing a controlling share in themselves from Vivendi Universal, the company continued its momentum with the release of the highly anticipated Call of Duty: Ghosts and hosting the return of the always eventful Blizzcon fan convention.

Click the interactive chart below to see the stock price of Activision over time.

Frat houses everywhere held their breath for the November 5 release of Call of Duty: Ghosts. The tenth version of the perennial FPS blockbuster will be the first released on the upcoming PlayStation 4 (SNE) and Xbox One (MSFT)consoles, in addition to the current generation.

Despite middling critical reviews the game is already off to a strong start, shipping $1 billion in sales to retailers. However actual sales currently trail the $500 million previous installment Black Ops 2 sold on its launch date, and far short of the record-breaking $800 million reached by Rockstar's (TTWO) Grand Theft Auto V.

It is very likely however that many gamers are holding off on purchasing the game until the launch of the next console generation, which could ultimately result in another burst of sales heading into the holiday season.

On the nerdier side, this month also marked the return of Blizzcon, a weekend celebration of all things related to Activision subsidiary Blizzard Entertainment. Devotees of the Warcraft, Starcraft, and Diablo franchises got to show off their creativity in fan contests, attend panels and concerts, and preview upcoming games as well as the long-rumored World of Warcraft movie.

Blizzcon may prove to be a shot in the arm for the ailing publisher. Activision's flagship MMORPG World of Warcraft – which once proudly advertised over 10 million players – lost 700,000 subscribers over the past three months. This brings it down to 7.7 million active subscribers, and represents a 54% drop in revenue over the past seven months.

This drop may be attributed to general player fatigue as well as a general industry movement away from the subscription-based MMO model. Blizzard hopes to remedy this with the announcement of the Warlords of Draenor expansion, which will aim to lure back lapsed veterans as well as provide a more engrossing experience for new players.

Blizzard additionally announced two forays into the free-to-play market based on the Warcraft franchise. Its digital CCG Hearthstone is slated to enter open beta soon, and has already had a positive reception amongst early testers.Hearthstone will be released for the PC and Mac (AAPL) operating systems as well as Android (GOOG) and iOS systems.

Gamers also had a hands-on opportunity to play Blizzard's long-awaited free-to-play MOBA Heroes of the Storm. Heroes of the Storm will take on the massively popular League of Legends and former Warcraft modification-gone-rogue DOTA 2 in this highly popular team-based strategy genre. Also on display was Reaper of Souls, an upcoming expansion pack for the Diablo III RPG that will be released for PC, Apple OS, and PlayStation platforms.

With a new console generation rapidly approaching, Activision is doing everything it can to maintain its fervent player base with new improvements and products. As some of its most recognizable franchises struggle to achieve the same success as their predecessors, will it be enough to ward off the growing competition?

Click on the interactive chart below to see the yearly return of Activision and its competitors over time.

Do you think Activision’s busy year indicates future potential? Use the list below as a starting point to your own analysis.

1. Activision Blizzard, Inc. (ATVI, Earnings, Analysts, Financials): Activision Blizzard, Inc. publishes online, personal computer (PC), console, handheld, and mobile games of interactive entertainment worldwide. Market cap at $19.0B, most recent closing price at $16.99.

2. Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (TTWO, Earnings, Analysts, Financials): Develops, and distributes interactive entertainment software, hardware, and accessories worldwide. Market cap at $1.7B, most recent closing price at $17.95.

Everyone is aware that businesses will probably do well if in Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG)'s hands. Of course, the mega giant is aware of this too. So what has it come up with? A way to help creators advertise their apps.

Google AdMob

The mobile advertising service, that has been recently updated, allows you to make your apps a bit more successful. As Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) says, the service “is designed to help mobile app developers monetize and promote their apps. AdMob can help build your app business every step of the way.” Its recent changes provide the client with better reporting, ad filtering and a payment system that allows you to cash in your earnings in your local currency. AdMob will additionally keep you informed as to how the app is doing, allowing you to make the necessary changes for it to succeed in the market. What can go wrong?

How it works…

The client can sign up to the service for free. Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) then advertises your app on mobile devices that are able to run it, Android for example. It's pretty useful considering you won't have to worry about advertising the product, Google takes care of that.

Ad campaigns must then be created on the website containing ads that will feature on Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG)'s Play or Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)'s iTunes store. Of course, clients will need to have in mind a specific target audience for its app. The next step is to decide how much money you are willing to invest each day (for every click, you will have to pay a certain amount.) Google then publishes your ads on the mobile devices which will theoretically lead to more success. As a consequence, everyone's happy!

2 in 1: Chromecast and Netflix

Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) itself has discovered that teaming up with Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) will boost its own success. The company joined Google for the launch of Chromecast, a device that can be plugged into your TV and allows streaming and connectivity to your smart devices. Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG)'s Chromecast featured a free three month subscription to Netflix to all customers who purchased the device.

The service aside from featuring Netflix, also allows customers to use YouTube, Hulu Plus, Google Play Movies and Music, and Chrome. It's innovative because instead of being controlled by a remote, users can use any device such as a smartphone of tablet to control it.

Netflix CEO, Reed Hastings is not regretting this deal. He has recently said: ""We see great activation rates, great usage rates and very high-quality streaming on Chromecast."

Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) launched Chromecast last July and at a low price of $35, its initial inventory sold out before the first day was over.

Disclosure: Candelaria Ferrer holds no position in any stocks mentioned

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Although many dream about getting rich by betting on tech stocks, LinkedIn Corp (NYSE:LNKD) does not seem to provide this opportunity any longer. There is, however, one way of still making good money with this website: getting a job.

The Bright Side

As the dominant player in the professional networking arena-with roughly 260 million registered users, your chances of finding a job or being found for a job on LinkedIn are pretty good. The network effects generated by this large user base have and should continue to work as a strong tailwind for the company.

In addition, LinkedIn Corp (NYSE:LNKD) operates on the most efficient business model in the industry: it monetizes its user base like no other –including Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB). In addition to publicity, LinkedIn profits from Hiring Solutions and Premium Memberships, unlike its competitors, who depend on advertising revenue.

The company´s mobile segment is also flourishing and provides plenty of growth opportunities for the years to come. Also, the market in which it operates is quite nascent, so expansion is yet far from capped.

Finally, LinkedIn has a relatively decent financial standing: its cash and cash equivalents stand $676.6 million versus $617.1 million in the prior quarter, and its long-term debt is non-existent.

However…

Despite the aforementioned reasons to feel bullish about LinkedIn Corp (NYSE:LNKD), its valuation would discourage the boldest of investors. Trading at about 770 times its trailing earnings and 102.5 times its forward EPS, the market seems to have created a little distortion. Although growth rates have been great, they have been and are expected to continue to decelerate going forward and thus, do not justify such a high valuation. Also, margins and returns are razor thin, way below industry averages. This shows that the company is not optimizing resource use or reinvesting its money in profitable ways.

Furthermore, the professional networking giant has limited presence in high-growth markets, where competitors like Viadeo have larger shares. Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) might also pose a real threat someday soon.

Finally, security issues have been raised once and again regarding LinkedIn Corp (NYSE:LNKD). You might remember the case of a group of hackers who stole millions of LinkedIn user passwords.

So, although there is some upside potential on this stock, risks abound, making its sky high valuation a little bit too high.

Disclosure: Javier Hasse holds no position in any stocks mentioned

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Oh dear BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY), you don't seem to have the best track record lately, but at least you have your smartphones…or do you? As sales of the BlackBerry Z10 have sunken dramatically of late, the mobile phone company made a move by relying on its carriers to vanish the stock overload. As such, Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) and AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) has agreed to give away the Z10 for little or no money at all. However, over in London, BlackBerry broke Harrods' sales records with the Porsche Design P'9981 Device.

How will these contrasts pan out and what other news does BlackBerry have?

Giving away the goods

What to do when you sell a mobile phone for $199 through carriers, but then lose $934 million because nobody wants to buy said phone? Well, give them away for cheap and at least get rid of the stock. BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) must have thought somewhere along these lines, because AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) announced today that it would be selling the BlackBerry Z10 for merely 49 cents with standard two-year contract. Does that sound crazy? Well hold your hats, because Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) even jumped on board of giving them away for free. Also, T-Mobile US Inc. (NYSE:TMUS) declared that it would no longer carry BlackBerry phones in its retail stores.

It's all about the apps

Poor BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY), being pushed and shoved that way. But the truth is that the mobile phone company just can't catch a break when it comes to its competition. Although the Z10 is no Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone, it's still an average smartphone. However, the sales impediment deranges from Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG)'s Android system and Apple's iOS which are sweeping the BlackBerry's floor. But the mobile company is not going under without a fight and released the OnStar Remote Link app. This feisty app for Z10 and Z30 models lets you link any 2010 Cadillac, Buick, Chevrolet and GMC model in order to get real-time information and perform commands.

Porsche: a safe bet

Now, obviously a single app release isn't enough to restore BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY)'s market balance, but maybe a record breaking sales number will. The $1000 Porsche Design P'9981 phone was awarded the top product in all of London's Harrods for 2012, due to its 130,000 devices sold. BlackBerry was also awarded with the best launch of a luxury product, as the P'9981 smashed all records and is the best-selling luxury phone EVER. So here's a thought, maybe BlackBerry should focus on the luxury market in the future, and leave the commoners to Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL).

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What Now for BlackBerry?

Today, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) released an unlocked GSM iPhone 5s in its U.S. Online store. The story, originally reported by 9 to 5 Mac, indicates that the unlocked iPhone 5s will feature the same capabilities as the standard, non-unlocked models, but comes without a SIM card.

Of course, the primary benefit of any unlocked phone is that it can work with different GSM networks without a contract. The unlocked iPhone 5s can be used on both the AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) and T-Mobile US Inc (NYSE:TMUS) networks in the Unites States, thus freeing users from a contract. The 16GB SIM-free iPhone 5s costs $649, with additional memory costing additional money, as is standard.

This is the first time that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has released an unlocked 5s without a SIM card. Previously, the company has sold unlocked varieties of the iPhone 5s with a T-Mobile SIM card, which could be tied to a T-Mobile account.

An unlocked, SIM-free iPhone 5c has been on the market since September.

Pain, Misery for Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) Book Author

Cult of Mac editor Leander Kahney recently penned a bio on Apple’s creative lead, Jony Ive. The book, titled Jony Ive: The Genius Behind Apple’s Greatest Products is due to be published later this month by Penguin Press.

Writing about the process of penning the book for Wired UK the Ive bio, Kahney writes, “Writing a book about Apple is a world of pain and misery unrivaled by anything else in tech journalism. It’s an exercise in extreme masochism. It’s lonely and thankless and even when you try to do a good job, everyone hates you.”

Kahney reveals that in the profoundly secretive Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) culture, “Staffers don’t talk about their jobs with their friends, their spouses, or even their co-workers. Not even the people they sit next to! There are stories of cubicles shrouded with curtains.”

Nevertheless, Kahney persisted in the face of significant stonewalling, eventually getting some key sources to dish. The resulting work is sure to be significant for history. Not merely the history of the company, but for art, design, and cultural histories as well.

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Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) reportedly told supplier Foxconn to ease off the iPhone 5C gas pedal last week. And it seems Taiwanese multinational electronics contract manufacturing company is following the Cupertino, CA company’s orders to shift production to the iPhone 5S.

In another bout of bad news for the iPhone 5C’s desires to see its family grow and prosper, another Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) supplier, Pegatron Technology has slashed production in half, according to multiple outlets.

Because of its primacy, the Foxconn news grabbed headlines first. However, an iPhone 5C cut in production by Pegatron is more significant as the company accounts for 70 percent of the slated 2014 Apple iPhone production.

As Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is notoriously reticent to tip its hand, its no surprise that the suppliers (both Pegatron and Foxconn) have been unwilling to add credence to the rumors. In fact, Foxconn has flatly denied the rumors, which originally appeared in the Taiwanese publication DigiTimes.

As an article in Apple Insider states reflecting the general analyst sentiment that surrounded the launch of the iPhone 5C:

The iPhone 5c has generally the same parts as last year’s iPhone 5, but comes in a new plastic casing available in an array of colors.

It’s differentiated from the company’s new flagship aluminum iPhone 5s, which exclusively sports the Touch ID fingerprint sensor for secure access. Some market watchers have predicted that Apple’s iPhone 5c will find greater success in the long-term, as early adopters are more likely to opt for the high-end device featuring Touch ID and the 64-bit A7 processor.

It seems, however, that the above wisdom has not held true.

It’s unclear whether the rumored cutback/shift in production is linked to another report from Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s Taiwanese OEMs. Sources indicate that CEO Tim Cook’s company is pursuing a fundamental shift in its Original Equipment Manufacturer model. Formerly, OEMs were responsible for both procurement and production of components. Now it seems word has come from California that Apple’s makers will only be concerning themselves with production.

Obviously, such a strategy both disrupts the existing Taiwanese OEM ecosystem and takes a bite out of manufacturer’s profits.

It’s rather surprising that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), a company so fixated on its own profit margins, didn’t pursue this solution sooner to ensure that there weren’t any supply chain inefficiencies. It’s puzzling that the company would be willing to leave such a significant, and potentially costly, element of the manufacturing process in the hands of a contracted company.

Further, such an approach would have all “upstream suppliers” under Mr. Cook’s thumb, which would bring a multitude of advantages.

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Carl Icahn's New 13F Confirms What We Already Knew: He Likes Energy, Loves Apple

Kyle Bass‘ fund Hayman Advisors recently filed a 13D form with the Securities and Exchange Commission, declaring that it had added private mortgage insurance company NMI Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:NMIH) to its equity portfolio. The fund currently owns about 5.5 million shares of the company, equal 9.5% of the outstanding common stock, and as stated earlier, the position is activist by nature.

NMI Holdings recently went public. Its initial public offering (IPO) was closed last Thursday, and the company received net proceeds of approximately $29.5 million, before expenses. Since the IPO, which was priced at $13 per share, the stock is up about 7%.

As the company is on the development stage, it has not reported any revenue so far. This makes it the first U.S. insurer since 2009 to file an IPO without posting a profit. However, as interest in home-loan guarantors rebounds in the U.S., NMI Holdings decided to give it a shot and went public.

It’s hard to find a particular reason behind Bass’ investment in NMI Holdings. However, if I had to guess, I’d say he’s betting on the value: NMI trades at substantially lower price-to-book values than established private mortgage insurance companies. The stock price (and thus, valuation) is expected to remain quite flat for the next few months, so as to attract investors. However, long-term returns could definitely turn out to be interesting.

Hayman Advisors was founded in 2005, and returned about 300% in its first four years: 20% in 2006, 216% in 2007, 6% in 2008 and 9% in 2009. However, what made Kyle Bass (and the fund) really famous was the fact that he was one of the few hedge fund managers that anticipated the collapse of the US sub-prime mortgage market, and could largely profit from it: he made about a half a billion dollars betting against subprime CDOs.

About 1/4 of its current portfolio is comprised of consumer cyclical stocks. After these, its most relevant holdings are real estate and ETFs.

The fund's portion of NMI Holdings is currently valued at approximately $77 million. This makes it its second most valuable holding, slightly below the recently acquired PennyMac Mortgage Investment Trust (NYSE:PMT).

In its latest 13F form, Mr. Bass´ fund declared at least 9 new positions, started during the third quarter. Some of the most relevant in terms of impact to its portfolio are (sorted by the value of the transaction): PennyMac Mortgage Investment Trust; J.C. Penney Company, Inc. (NYSE:JCP); Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT); and Vodafone Group Plc (ADR) (NASDAQ:VOD).

Disclosure: none

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Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) is huge. And it's no news that it is getting bigger.

But keeping track of the company's everyday innovations is still mesmerizing.

Google just announced that they are working on Spark, a new Web-based development tool.  This could give us enough to talk about for a week. But novelties with Google never come alone. The company has also launched 'Project Link', an initiative to help increase global Internet access. This doesn't mean that it's leaving behind its old projects. Mozilla Firefox's incomes keep increasing, and guess where its money is coming from?

New Sparks

Until now, Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) didn't seem to be focusing on programming tools. It was one area where native software was still dominant. This Google project, Spark, is about to change this.

Spark is a Web-based IDE (integrated development environment) that runs in a browser for developers writing Chrome apps. What's a Chrome app? In short, it's a Web app that runs on Chrome. This involves the advantage of Chrome abilities, such as Native Client, and be distributed through the Chrome Web Store.

What this means, among other things, is that Chromebook coders would have a way of being productive without having to move to a Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) Windows, Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s Mac OS, or Linux box.

Google Brings Internet to Developing Areas

Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) will provide Internet to developing areas through the establishment of fiber-optic networks. Kampala and Uganda –where broadband access is still limited to pre-broadband speeds- will be the first to benefit from this initiative.

"By connecting Kampala to existing long-distance fiber lines, we can provide the city and the region with a foundation for growth as we help people get online" stated Google on the project's website.

This is not the first plan Google had on this matter. Earlier this year, Google announced Project Loon, an Internet connection scheme that aimed to provide access to those in remote areas through using high-flying balloons. First piloted in the Canterbury area of New Zealand with 30 balloons in the air and 50 testers on the ground, the project gave people access to the Internet without the need for complex infrastructure.

As always, you can take this as a solidarity movement, or just as good business.

Also, Google is Pumping Money into Firefox

Something quite extraordinary has happened to Mozilla. Firefox's maker's revenue has almost doubled.

What's so strange? Well, Mozilla is almost entirely reliant on Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) for its income, although it competes with Chrome: 90% of Mozilla's revenue comes from the income generated by Google referrals.

So why did Google's payments to Mozilla increase so significantly? We can only guess. The most logical answer would be that Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) put a much better offer on the table for Mozilla to switch its default search engine and homepage to Bing, and left the open-source browser maker in a much stronger bargaining position with Google.

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When it comes to game consoles, it's no mystery that users pick their brand and model, and stick to it as long as possible. The pioneers of this gamer dispute were Nintendo and Sega, but then Sony Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:SNE)'s Playstation hit the ring against Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)'s Xbox. Gamers voted for every new console model, and this time is no different.

So, in a standoff between the Xbox One, which will hit the markets on Friday and the PS4, who will win this year's battle of the consoles?

Dealing with issues

While Sony Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:SNE)'s Playstation 4 seems to be soaring well above expectations, we turn to the possible problem child. There was much bustle about the new Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) game console's release, but testers don't seem to be completely convinced yet. The reason for uncertainty is the complexity of the Xbox One's features. Selling at $499, $100 above the PS4 price, Microsoft made a point of integrating the 3D Kinect camera into the game console, instead of purchasing it separately. However, when trying to switch between functions, audio issues arise and the Kinect has trouble pulling through smoothly.

Social gaming ahoy!

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT)'s Xbox One is definitely the most complex gaming device, but the question is whether this will suit gamers. The Xbox's size, as well as versatile functionality places its bets on winning over users' living room, and even replacing the PC necessities to a certain extent. But Sony Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:SNE)'s Playstation 4 might win the race as the most user friendly console. As Tina Amini, deputy editor of Kutaku, recently stated, "even if you look at the interface for the ps4, it’s like Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ:FB) for gamers". So, by launching a simpler and smaller product, Sony's PS4 could take the prize for best game console home.

Everyone likes a media center… as long as it works

Now, because the Sony Corporation (ADR) (NYSE: SNE)'s newest Playstation model is easier to use, that doesn't guarantee its success. In fact, the truth is that Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) took the bigger risk by creating a console with multiple functions, but if the issues mentioned above can be salvaged, then the Xbox One could be a real winner. If certain functions become of easier use, then the console could turn into a media center, where you can watch movies on Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) or stream hours on end of music. So, for now the battle seems pretty even and only time will tell who will be the winner of the Xbox-PS4 craze.  

Disclosure: none

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Discussions about the pros and cons of Social Media are endless. Connecting is certainly a pro. Exposure can be the downside. Both get mixed continuously and the boundaries are hard to define. Many companies are working on the advantages of a higher connected media. Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) and Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)'s Bing just stated that they would be working with Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) for an easier link between the different data. These are the 'good uses' we can give to social media. We sacrifice a bit of privacy, but earn some comfort. The 'bad uses' of social media, however, are still on the rise. A group of different investigations state that the number of slurs, offensive images and mean-spirited videos in Facebook and Twitter keeps growing. 

Facebook, Amazon and Bing: Let's All Share Data!

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) says it will 'soon' give customers more product information that stems from shoppers's Facebook connections. Amazon shoppers already have the ability to voluntarily connect their Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) accounts to their Facebook accounts, but now, Amazon will pull data from Facebook and publicly use that information on its website. Customers with Facebook-connected accounts will see their friend's product reviews and Wish Lists. Wish Lists can be marked private, but Amazon's default setting for Wish Lists is public an viewable by anyone. This will certainly help us get the perfect birthday present, but once again, what about privacy?

And the same goes with Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)'s Bing. Bing Webmaster Tools is introducing Connected Pages, a new feature that lets companies link their social media data to Bing's interface. Here, Facebook won't the only source. Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR), LinkedIn Corp (NYSE:LNKD) and Instagram, among on others, are also part of the project.

"Ever wonder which keywords are sending traffic to your official Facebook page? Curious to know who's linking to your Twitter page? Well, now you'll know" Duane Forrester, senior product manager at Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)'s Bing, stated.

This is certainly very useful for companies, which will now be able to collect data on social media accounts associated with a company, and it's a boon for social marketers. But once again, it's a confirmation that it's hard to keep it private online.

Meanwhile, All Kind of Aggressions Keep Flowing

In this world of sharing, hostilities reign. Especially, amid users that have between 14 and 24 years old.  In poll from The Associated Press it was stated that the biggest target is overweight people (54 percent of young people see them targeted sometimes or often). Gay, lesbian or bisexual come next (50 percent). An the African-Americans follow (46 percent).

Of course, we can't blame this on the Internet. Discrimination's roots are elsewhere. But the lack of control, the lack of boundaries, the confusion with ethics that rule the web might have something to do with it.

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Small and micro-cap tech companies can provide great returns for those bold enough to bet on them. However, choosing one to invest in is quite a difficult task. Insider purchases can help us decide, as they can be interpreted as a strong bullish sentiment from someone who has inside information on the company´s operations, and is betting on it instead of diversifying its stakes.

Over the past weeks, two IT service providers, Carbonite Inc (NASDAQ: CARB) and PFSweb, Inc. (NASDAQ:PFSW), have been experiencing some noteworthy insider activity. Let´s take a closer look in order to elucidate if they could help you find a value investment in any of these two stocks:

A Small-Cap Option

Carbonite Inc (NASDAQ:CARB) is a developer and provider of online accessible computer backup software with a market cap of approximately $323 million. Over the last couple of weeks, following the release of its 8-K report on Nov. 12^th, its CEO and President, David Friend, and one of its Board Directors, Todd Krasnow, added stock to their portfolios.

Mr. Friend bought 58,871 shares on Nov. 12^th: 11,249 for $2.64 each, using stock options he held; 44,063 for $9.62 per share; and 3,559 for $10.26 a piece. On top of this, he used some more of his stock options on Nov. 14^th, and added 3,751 shares to his portfolio for $2.64 each. He now holds 969,762 shares, worth roughly $11.9 million.

Krasnow also acquired Carbonite Inc (NASDAQ:CARB) shares lately. On Nov 20^th, he purchased 37,000 shares in multiple transactions at prices ranging from $11.04 to $11.50, inclusive. He now owns (counting directly and indirectly owned stock) 294,771 shares of the company.

A Micro-Cap Option

PFSweb, Inc. (NASDAQ: PFSW) provides integrated eCommerce and business process outsourcing solutions to developing countries. Its market cap barely surpasses $140 million. However, insiders do not seem to care about its size. After the company reported its third quarter 2013 results, on Nov. 15^th, F James Reilly, Director of the Board, and Transcosmos Inc., large shareholder, added stock to their holdings.

Mr. Reilly bought 20,000 shares on the day that the 8-K form was filed at the SEC. He paid an average price of $7.54 per share; the stock is already trading at around $8.59. Following the reported transaction, the board director owns 40,512 shares of the company.

On the other hand, Transcosmos bought 3,578 shares on Nov. 15^th, for an average price of $7.4785 each. The shareholder continued to increase its stake in the company, and added stock again on Nov 19^th (400 shares), 20^th (16,904) and 21^st (7,274) on prices ranging from $7.50 to $8.00 per share. Transcosmos now owns 3,242,525 shares, valued at about $27.5 million.

Hedge Fund Bulls

In addition to insiders, hedge funds also seem to be quite into these IT companies. For instance, Jim Simons´ Renaissance Technologies is the largest "hedgie" bull on PFSweb, Inc. (NASDAQ:PFSW) -holding about $3 million worth of shares- and the fourth largest bull on Carbonite Inc (NASDAQ:CARB), with about $2 million in shares. Matthew Drapkin and Steven R. Becker´s Becker Drapkin Management is also placing big bets on PFSweb. Its holdings, worth about $2 million, account for almost 1.5% of its portfolio.

Back to Carbonite: amongst the hedge funds that we track, two are particularly bullish on this company. Seymour Sy Kaufman and Michael Stark´s Crosslink Capital owns about $26 million in shares, and Mark N. Diker´s Diker Management, another $15 million.

After reviewing these positions, one question emerges: if insiders and hedge funds are betting on these small-cap IT services firms, should you?

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Martin Hughes‘ hedge fund Toscafund Management has solidified its exposure at the LSE-listed Sinclair IS Pharma PLC (LON:SPH). According to a filing, Toscafund now holds over 91.7 million shares, which represent almost 21.1% of the company’s total voting rights. The position has been upped from 90.6 million held by Toscafund earlier.

According to Sinclair’s website, Toscafund is the largest shareholder of the company. Some smaller positions are held by AXA Investment Managers, and Lansdowne Partners, managed by Paul Ruddock and Steve Heinz, which holds around 50 million shares, or 11.5% of the voting rights.

Sinclair IS Pharma is engaged in production of various pharmaceutical products for dermatology. Recently the company announced about the disposal of some of its non-core products. The company sold its Effederm, for acne treatment, to Labaratoires Bailleul SA. Other three products: Xclair,
Salinum and SST have been acquired by Hexim Pharmaceuticals Inc. The total proceeds from the deals amount to over $1.7 million.

For the fiscal year 2013, ended on June 30, Sinclair reported revenues of over $89 million, which represent a 7.7% increase over the year. The gross profit of the company totaled $50.7 million, up by 7.9% in year-on-year terms. The stock of the company has gained over 9% since the beginning of the year.

Martin Hughes, the manager of Toscafund, is a former employee of Julian Roberton’s hedge fund Tiger Management. Among a wide range of investments, one of the oldest funds managed by Toscafund is the global long/short equity fund. Among the largest holdings in its equity portfolio, we can mention Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C), in which the fund owns 778,900 shares, with a value of $37.8 million; followed by Hartford Financial Services Group Inc (NYSE:HIG), and SLM Corp (NASDAQ:SLM), in which Toscafund reported holding 754,300 shares, and 817,400 shares, worth $23.5 million and $20.4 million respectively.

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J. Carlo Cannell, the founder and manager of Cannell Capital, has changed his mind about Crumbs Bake Shop Inc (NASDAQ:CRMB). After previously building a 1.5 million shares position in this stock, Cannell has now started reducing the fund’s exposure to Crumbs Bake Shop. In a recent Form 4 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Cannell reported the sale of 378,000 shares in one transaction at a price of $0.98. As a result, the fund currently holds 1,161,008 shares.

David Keidan, the manager of Buckingham Capital Management, has also been trimming his position in Crumbs Bake Shop. During the third quarter of 2013, Buckingham Capital has reduced their investment by 10%. The fund currently owns approximately 872 thousand shares reportedly worth $977 thousand. Peter A. Wright of P.A.W. Capital Partners also has a stake in Crumbs Bake Shop. The fund holds 665 thousand shares valued at about $745 thousand.

Crumbs Bake Shop engages in the production and sale of baked goods in the United states. The company’s share price has fallen 67% in 2013. In April it registered a massive fall from $3 to$ 1.1 per share and has been trending sideways since then. The stock is currently traded at a price of $0.98 and has a beta of 1.8. The company does not pay any dividends.

For the quarter ended September 30, 2013, Crumbs Bake Shop reported net sales of $11.4 million and a loss per share of $0.49. For the current quarter, analysts expect the company to improve financial performance and register revenues of $12.5 million and a loss per share of $0.4. Crumbs Bake Shop is recommended as a Strong Buy, with a price target of $2 per share.

Disclosure: none

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In a new form 4 filed recently with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Phil Frohlich and his fund Prescott Group Capital Management disclosed buying shares of China Marine Food Group Ltd (OTCMKTS:CMFO) again. This time, the fund acquired around 211,500 shares of the company paying a total of $48,900. The shares have been purchased in four transactions, following which Prescott upped its exposure to the company to almost 6.6 million shares.

Mr. Frohlich is steadily increasing his position in the company for some time now. The current position has been boosted from around 4 million shares held by the fund at the end of September. The stock of the company is declining and has already lost over 70% since the beginning of the year. The company has also recently delisted from the NYSEMKT and moved to the OTC Pink Market, as a solution to reduce its operational costs. The move to another market will also help the company to focus more on long-term growth instead of short-term issues related to the market situations.

According to Prescott’s latest 13F, some of the top holdings in its equity portfolio include Air Transport Services Group Inc. (NASDAQ:ATSG), in which  the fund holds 5.8 million shares, with a reported value of $43.3 million. It is followed by Nature’s Sunshine Prod. (NASDAQ:NATR), in which Prescott reported a $35.5 million stake. Some smaller positions are Silicon Graphics International Corp (NASDAQ:SGI), Net 1 UEPS Technologies Inc (NASDAQ:UEPS), and Bluephoenix Solutions Ltd (NASDAQ:BPHX).

Disclosure: none

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