The Dow Jones Industrial Average is trading 100 points higher, up 0.6%, just before 3 p.m. after U.S. gross domestic product was reported to have grown a healthy 4.1% in the third quarter. That was stronger than previously estimated, as data showed consumer spending accelerated over the summer. Today's figure showed GDP grew at the fastest pace since the fourth quarter of 2011 and the second-fastest since the recovery began in 2009. With that in mind, here are some industrial companies making headlines today.

Boeing F-15. Photo credit: Boeing

Inside the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Boeing got no love from Brazil for a $4.5 billion contract to build 36 fighter jets over the next decade. Brazilian defense officials announced they had selected aircraft maker Saab over Boeing for the contract. Defense Minister Celso Amorim told reporters the decision was based on Saab agreeing to share more technology with contractors and that many parts for the jet would be made in Brazil, according to The New York Times.

While this is surely a disappointment for Boeing's defense business, investors should keep in mind that the company's commercial business just secured huge orders for its 777X that have boosted its massive backlog of orders to a value of more than half a trillion dollars.

Outside the Dow, 3D Systems is trading more than 4% higher today after announcing Wednesday that it would acquire a portion of Xerox's Oregon-based solid ink engineering and development teams. The move will leverage both companies' 3-D printing capabilities to accelerate growth and cement leadership positions, according to 3D Systems. The acquisition will come at a $32.5 million cost for 3D Systems and expands on a 15-year collaboration between the companies that has produced 3D Systems' best-selling ProJet series 3-D printers.

"The stronger our marketplace leadership, the more powerful our economic model becomes," Avi Reichental, 3D Systems' president and CEO, said in a press release. "Simply put, a solidified position translates directly to higher revenue, higher profitability and greater earnings power over time and we are willing to sacrifice short term earnings to get there faster."

Ford's 2014 Fiesta. Photo credit: Ford.

Still outside the blue chips, Ford  announced that 70% of its vehicle lineup will have Auto Start-Stop technology by 2017 which could improve fuel efficiency by as much as 10% in city driving. This is part of the Blue Ova's drive to make its entire vehicle lineup more fuel efficient.

In addition to Ford's Auto Start-Stop technology spreading across its lineup, the automaker is bringing EcoBoost engines' 1.0-liter turbocharged option to the 2014 Fiesta. Its 45 mpg highway rating is the highest of any non-hybrid, gasoline-powered car in America, according to Ford. These types of technologies have helped Ford surge in global markets.

Consider that Ford's Focus is the No.1 selling vehicle nameplate in the world, while the Fiesta is the No. 1 selling subcompact vehicle nameplate in the world. That would have been laughable a decade ago, but it's now reality that Ford is producing valuable and fuel-efficient vehicles as it continues to take market share from competitors.

Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.

What: Shares of embattled smartphone maker BlackBerry Ltd  surged 11% today after Wall Street applauded its new strategic direction.

So what: BlackBerry posted a whopping Q3 loss of $4.4 billion on a revenue plunge of 56%, but new Chairman and interim CEO John Chen's plan to move away from handset sales toward software and services is fueling some turnaround hope among investors. In fact, Chen struck a five-year strategic deal with Chinese OEM Foxconn to design several low-cost devices, a particularly sharp move that capitalizes on BlackBerry's still-significant presence in emerging markets.

Now what: In Q4, management expects to maintain its recently bolstered cash position while continuing to cut operating expenses. "With the operational and organizational changes we have announced, BlackBerry has established a clear roadmap that will allow it to target a return to improved financial performance in the coming year," said Chen. "While our Enterprise Services, Messaging and QNX Embedded businesses are already well-positioned to compete in their markets, the most immediate challenge for the Company is how to transition the Devices operations to a more profitable business model." While Chen's plan looks pretty good on paper, I'd wait for more evidence that it's actually gaining traction before betting too big on it.

Retailer Fifth & Pacific has finally shed Lucky Brands, selling it to private equity firm Leonard Green & Partners for $225 million. This comes just months after losing dead weight Juicy Couture brand for $195 million cash to Authentic Brands Group. High flying, high-end Kate Spade is now the company's only major brand.  

With a newly sleek and chic Fifth & Pacific flush with cash, is it true you can never be too rich or too thin? Has all the good news been baked into this low-fat stock?

Before and after
Starting in 2006, CEO William McComb took a bloated Fifth & Pacific on a brand diet and shrunk it from 46 brands to three. Those are Kate Spade, comprising the namesake brand, Saturday, a tier-two Kate Spade line like Michael Kors' inexpensive line Michael, and Jack Spade menswear. McComb said then,"If any one of these three brands goes the way of Coach, we will have a win for our shareholders for decades." That winner has emerged in Kate Spade.

The second division is legacy Adelington Design Group, which has exclusive vendor relationships with J.C. Penney for Monet and Liz Claiborne jewelry. Adelington also licenses the Liz Claiborne New York brand to QVC. 

The Lucky and Juicy sales free the company to focus on Kate Spade. Kate Spade competes against Michael Kors Holdings , Polo Ralph Lauren, and Coach . 

Fifth & Pacific is leaner, but still has a stubborn "five pounds" that it could lose. Adelington Design Group has been a drag on earnings with first half net sales of only $27.5 million, down 29.4% year over year. Meanwhile, Kate Spade's first half net sales rose an astounding 64.3% year over year to $307.8 million.

From makeover to takeover?
With only its New York chic Kate Spade lifestyle brand, the company's new-found allure is tempting as a takeover. Even before the company sloughed off Lucky Brand there was speculation the company is attractive to private equity or a rival. Wedbush analyst Corinna Freedman told Bloomberg, "There's a large swath of potential suitors."

Interestingly, most of the speculation centers around Coach. Coach could certainly use the boost as its stock has stalled with North American sales numbers flat to down. This would allow Coach to buy the growth that it desperately needs. If not, Coach risks losing market share as Kate Spade is much further along on ready to wear and menswear, both areas that Coach is just now entering.

All dressed up and everywhere to go!
Fifth & Pacific has grand plans for Kate Spade. It plans to open 130-170 more full price stores, including five to 10 flagships by 2016. Just as its rivals have strategic outlets (Coach with 189, Ralph Lauren with 143, and Michael Kors with 77 to Kate Spade's 31), the company plans to open another 50-60 outlets by 2016. It also  plans to expand its Saturday line. Saturday attracts a younger, digitally savvy customer, said CEO McComb.

Jack Spade menswear will also get the attention it deserves. Jack Spade is an independently-run subsidiary of Fifth & Pacific with 10 brick-and-mortar stores in the U.S. located in high-end shopping districts. It also has an e-commerce site and wholesale customers that include fine department stores like Nordstrom and 197 other specialty shops.

While struggling Mens Wearhouse and Jos. A. Bank decide who buys who, Jack Spade can take up the slack.  McComb said he believes that Jack Spade "can be a $100 million mens business with very high margins."    

Too rich a multiple and too thin a margin?
Fifth & Pacific seems expensive, with a forward earnings multiple at 76 and an EV/EBITDA at 72, but analysts predict an astounding 950% EPS growth over the next year. 

The company's thin trailing net profit margin of -3.30% and several quarters of negative EPS must be noted, but with Juicy and Lucky gone the EPS should soar. Factor in the rapid expansion of the Kate Spade brands into Japan and China, and analysts may be entirely right.

Compared to Michael Kors with its forward P/E of 23.71, Fifth & Pacific is pricey. Michael Kors also has no debt and enjoys a high trailing net profit margin of 19.90%. Since Michael Kors' IPO in 2011, the company has surprised the Street time and again with double digit beats. .

Pretty as a picture
Fifth & Pacific has been fashion forward and tech savvy with its Saturday and Kate Spade brands. In June, Saturday partnered with eBay for touch-screen shoppable picture windows in Manhattan. McComb said, "We created and pioneered the concept of an inventory-less, staff-less store. It was very cool."

Source: Fifth & Pacific

E-commerce has been a strong point for Kate Spade, growing 50% in 2012. Omni-channel is strong, too; a Kate Spade brick-and-mortar associate, cradling an iPad, can access the entire line of inventory and send customers home happy with free shipping included. This year the company has a "shoppable"  holiday video on its Kate Spade website. Shoppers can buy anything Kate Spade features in the video (except for the cat). The video also features a shopping bar at the bottom for viewers who don't want to scroll through the entire video.

Source: http://www.fifthandpacific.com/web/guest/video-library#

Rumble or tumble?
From 2006 to the present, Fifth & Pacific has certainly come a long way. It is more than ready to take on Coach or Michael Kors. More stores, its omni-channel and tech innovations, and a truly hot brand are the reasons that Fifth & Pacific is a beautiful buy for the long term.

Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.

What: Shares of Tibco Software, Inc. sank 14% today after its current-quarter outlook disappointed Wall Street.

So what: Tibco's Q4 results -- EPS of $0.42 on a revenue increase of 6% -- managed to top estimates, but downbeat guidance for the current quarter reinforces concerns over decelerating growth going forward. Additionally, operating margin during the quarter fell 290 basis points from the year-ago period, suggesting that the company's competitive position is weakening, as well.

Now what: Management now expects adjusted EPS of $0.17-$0.18 on revenue of $247 million-$253 million, below the consensus of $0.21 and $255.3 million. "We are building momentum as we enter 2014, and I am very optimistic about our prospects in the year ahead," Chairman and CEO Vivek Ranadive reassured investors. More important, with the stock off more than 20% from its 52-week highs, and trading at a forward P/E of 15, now might be an opportune time to buy into that bullishness.

Red Lobster may serve 395 million Cheddar Bay Biscuits each year, but apparently that hasn't been enough for Darden Restaurants  to deem it worthy to stay under the parent company's official umbrella. At 705 restaurants across the U.S. and Canada, Red Lobster today accounts for about a third of Darden's total 2,100 restaurant base and about 30% of Darden's total sales. However, those restaurants are to be set afloat when Darden's sale or spinoff of the seafood chain is finalized.

Of all of Darden's restaurant chains, Red Lobster was the worst performer in this year's second quarter with a 5.2% decrease in sales and a 4.5% decrease in the third quarter, despite various attempts at promotions and the addition of more non-seafood options to attract more customers.

As a result of falling sales and profits, activist hedge fund Barington Capital Group, which owns over 2% of Darden shares, proposed that Darden break up its empire into as many as three separate businesses. This included the separation of both Red Lobster and Olive Garden, another of its chains.

Separation of surf and turf

Darden's other restaurants, such as LongHorn Steakhouse and Capital Grille, have been growing more quickly and thus should be sectioned off from the poor performing restaurants in the company's repertoire, according to Barington.

While Darden did not listen to all of Barington's proposal, it did take some of the hedge fund's suggestions into account. These include the sale or spinoff of Red Lobster and is in conjunction with other measures taken, such as the halting of opening new Olive Garden restaurants and the slowing of others. These measures will ultimately lower capital spending by $100 million annually and increase savings by at least $60 million annually, which is $10 million more than previously announced, according to Darden's recent statement.

Unimpressed, investors ended up contributing to Darden's 5% drop in stock value to around $50 after the announcement.

While Red Lobster may not be in the red just yet, consumers' tightening budgets plus intense and growing competition in the restaurant industry are stealing both customers and dollars from Red Lobster at an alarming rate for Darden.

Red Lobster may be the biggest full-service dining seafood specialty restaurant operator in North America, but consumers are now favoring cheaper, quick-service options such as Chipotle over full-fledged—and generally more pricey—sit-down fare. But surely there must be other reasons for the decline that's led to a sale or spinoff in Red Lobster's near future.

Could it be the seafood itself?

Besides a decline in revenue and profits, are there other underlying reasons that Darden might be considering this sale or spinoff? Let's take a look at Red Lobster's primary offering: seafood.

Statistics show that when a recession hits (such as back in 2008), consumers tend to favor less expensive meats like beef, pork, and chicken. Seeing as the job market has not increased dramatically since that recession and analysts even say that we are in the midst of dipping into another, this shift could be happening again. This could be one reason sales might be down at a primarily seafood-selling chain.

The seafood industry itself shows mixed numbers. Total retail sales increased from $13.3 billion in 2008 to $14.7 billion in 2012, but per capita consumption has fallen from 16 pounds of fish and shellfish per capita in 2009 to 15 pounds per capita in 2011. As previously noted, shrinking wallets during the recession was a primary cause of this drop.

However, the seafood industry has a few things going for it as well. In terms of health, consumers are more and more viewing fish and shellfish as a healthier source of protein than other meats. According to a Packaged Facts press release, "15% of U.S. adults strongly agree and 25% somewhat agree that, to eat healthfully, they often choose fresh fish over meat or poultry."

The seafood industry is also on the rise, according to one market research report.  The world seafood market, which encompasses fresh, canned, and frozen seafood products, is expected to exceed $370 billion by 2015, according to Global Industry Analysts. The report predicts the market will be fueled by a rising global population, increased discretionary incomes, and technological advances such as packaging and improved transportation, and that demand will be particularly strong in developing regions including Latin America and Asia-Pacific.

Not so fresh?

On the other side, though, consumers are worried about two things: (1) the possible spoilage or contamination of fish or seafood, especially since the Fukushima meltdown, and (2) that fresh fish and seafood are healthier than frozen fish.

This is another area where Red Lobster flounders. While fronting claims that they only use fresh fish, countless reports have arisen over the years that allege that Red Lobster does indeed use frozen fish, to the point that this has essentially become common knowledge.

So why would consumers want to spend more money on a sit-down meal of frozen fish when they can patronize a restaurant that does only serve fresh fish? Or when they can simply purchase fresh or frozen fish for cheaper from their local grocery stores and fish markets and cook it for themselves at home?

Exactly why Red Lobster has run into sales trouble is debatable, but what is certain is that selling or spinning off Red Lobster makes financial sense for Darden in the long run. Will Red Lobster be revamped and grow under new management? Only time will tell if Cheddar Bay Biscuits are enough to keep customers coming back for more.

On this day in business and aviation history...

December might just be Boeing's favorite month. Many December aviation milestones have helped lay the foundations for its present-day dominance of the industry, including both the first flight in history, the first flight of the legendary Douglas DC-3, Boeing's acquisition of former rival Rockwell International, and the first flight of Boeing's next-generation passenger jet, the 787 Dreamliner. It shouldn't be too surprising, then, that Boeing celebrates another major milestone in December, reached on Dec. 20, 1957 -- the first flight of the prototype 707. This was the aircraft that started the Jet Age.

An article in Time waxed optimistic about the jet's transformative potential a year after its first successful flight, and shortly afterwards, Pan Am became the first airline to put 707s into service:

The jet will fly nearly twice as fast and nearly twice as high as the present piston planes, pack 40 times the power in its turbine engines. It will shrink the world by 40%, making no spot on earth more than a day's distance from a jet airport.

Manhattan businessmen will be able to commute to San Francisco for lunch, be back home after an afternoon's work in time for bed. Weekend flights to London and Paris will be as easy -- perhaps easier -- than weekend drives to the country in jam-packed Sunday traffic. 

These are certainly true statements, although such a daily commute might quickly become exhausting to all but the hardiest of travelers. The flight time for a nonstop trip between John F. Kennedy International to San Francisco International is just more than five hours today, which allows that businessman to get to the West Coast before noon if his flight leaves at nine in the morning. A flight from JFK to Heathrow in London is barely six hours -- but you'll still have to work your way through customs.

The 707 led to rapid developments of the global airport infrastructure, including all forms of technological and comfort improvements for travelers and air traffic controllers. The first 707s were powered by four of United Technologies subsidiary Pratt and Whitney's J57 turbojets, the same design used in the legendary Boeing-built B-52 Stratofortress. Boeing built 878 commercial 707s between 1958 and 1978, with more than 100 military variants pushing the total to more than 1,000 before the line was shut down for good in 1994.

Bigger isn't always better when it comes to dividend. Investors often happily find a company that pays a huge dividend but are soon disappointed when it's cut. Instead of focusing on yield alone, find a company with the ability to not only back its dividend, but also boost it. Here are three overlooked dividend stocks to consider in 2014.

CSX's dividend yield recently hit 2.2%. The railroad operator raised its dividend 6% this year and has doubled it in the past five years. Better yet, CSX's low 31% payout ratio signals that the company has plenty of room to continue to grow its dividend. CSX is one of the largest railroads in the U.S. Even though utility coal demand remains sluggish, export coal continues to deliver strong growth for U.S. railroads. CSX has greatly benefited from this trend and has also managed to demonstrate strong pricing power. The company's renewed focus on efficiency will likely propel future earnings growth, allowing CSX the flexibility to increase its dividend.

Qualcomm pays a modest 1.9% dividend yield, but the real power in its dividend is its growth story. The tech company recently raised it by more than 40% and has nearly doubled it during the past four years. Better yet, Qualcomm's low payout ratio indicates the company has tons of room to further grow its dividend. Qualcomm develops and patents new technologies and then licenses the rights to use them. For example, networks being upgraded to fourth-generation (a.k.a. 4G) are based on a technology developed by Qualcomm. By holding the patents, Qualcomm collects royalties from the smartphone and tablet makers that use it. Also, as Android-based devices -- commonly run on Qualcomm's Snapdragon chip -- continue to snatch market share, Qualcomm will likely benefit.

While Disney pays a mere 1.2% dividend yield, its payout ratio is a healthy 22%. The company increased its dividend 15% this year and has nearly doubled its dividend in the past three years. Mickey's massive empire, which includes branded merchandise, theme parks, movies, and television, boasts a diversified stream of revenue. Disney's sometimes overlooked cable networks account for almost half of company revenue and two-thirds of operating profit. And the company's Lucasfilm, Marvel, and Pixar acquisitions should create billion-dollar movie franchises for many years to come.

By ignoring companies that pay lower yields, you may be missing out on the best dividend growth stocks of the coming decade.

Photo credit: Anadarko Petroleum

Noble Energy recently announced its 2014 capital-spending plans. The company is planning to spend $4.8 billion in 2014, which is 23% ahead of what it spent in 2013. A bulk of its spending, or about 70%, is budgeted for projects in the U.S.

Spending a bulk of its capital in the U.S. isn't a surprise as a lot energy companies are spending big bucks here at home. What is different about Noble Energy is that Colorado will be the biggest beneficiary of that capital as the company is looking to spend about $2 billion in the Centennial State. Noble Energy sees that capital funding about 320 horizontal wells, including the development of the 50,000 acres it received in a trade with Anadarko Petroleum a few months ago. Noble Energy sees this capital boosting its production in the state by 28% in 2014.

Noble Energy isn't the only company pouring additional capital into Colorado in 2014. Whiting Petroleum announced earlier this year that it is accelerating the development of its Redtail Prospect in the state. The company added a second drilling rig in July and a third this past November. It also boosted its acreage in the play as it looks to build upon its early success in the state. Whiting Petroleum sees the potential for more than 3,300 future drilling locations, meaning it will be investing a lot of money in Colorado over the next few years.

Anadarko Petroleum is another company that will be investing heavily in Colorado over the next few years. After consolidating its position by trading acres with Noble Energy it's in a much better position to pursue development in the state. Overall, the company sees 4,000 future horizontal drill sites in the state that have the potential to unlock 1.5 billion barrels of oil equivalent resource. Anadarko Petroleum sees its position in the state yielding more than $15 billion in value for its investors.

While 2014 will certainly be a much more active year in Colorado, the future could get busier. That's because some producers like ConocoPhillips are still trying to appraise Colorado's potential. The company noted that its exploration and development opportunities in the Lower 48 of the U.S. in 2014 will focus on Texas' Permian Basin as well as the Niobrara of Colorado. If the company sees similarly positive results like those of Whiting Petroleum and Noble Energy then it is very likely that the Niobrara will soon become a new development area for ConocoPhillips in the U.S.

Bottom line is that 2014 looks to be a big year as Colorado will see a flurry of oil and gas investments. Noble Energy, Whiting Petroleum, and Anadarko Petroleum have all accelerated development plans in the state and each company sees the potential for long-term-production growth. Others like ConocoPhillips have the potential to move from limited activity to full development mode in the years ahead. That puts Colorado in the position to really benefit as America's energy boom continues to expand.

The best ways to invest in America's energy boom

The economy grew even faster than we thought in the third quarter, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average is hitting new highs as a result.

This morning, the Commerce Department said third-quarter GDP growth was 4.1%, versus the previous estimate of 3.6%. Revisions are common when judging employment or GDP, but this update is notable because it's the second-highest rate of growth in seven-and-a-half years. Investors like the revision and the Dow is up 0.48% in late trading and flirting with another record high close.

Nike falls after earnings
One Dow stock that isn't enjoying a great day is Nike , which is down 1.33% and is the index's worst stock today. The athletic apparent behemoth released fiscal second-quarter earnings last night and investors were apparently underwhelmed by 8% revenue growth to $6.4 billion and a 3% increase in net income to $537 million, or $0.59 per share.  

Investors never like it when net income grows slower than sales, but Nike is investing in advertising for upcoming events like next year's Olympics and World Cup. These are events that will create value for Nike and its shareholders, so while margins may be down this quarter that investment will drive growth over the long run.

It's impressive how a company of Nike's size can continue to grow at nearly a double-digit pace despite muted economic growth and barely any benefit from China. It was actually Europe that supplied most of Nike's growth, which is shocking considering the weak economy we've seen there.

This stock isn't cheap at 22 times forward estimates, but Nike is one of those companies that seems to never go out of fashion and are consistently able to seize on new market. That's why the stock has been a big winner for investors over the long term; this quarter is a testament to that vision.

Anchorman 2 could secure the top spot at this weekend's box office. Image source: Viacom

Move over, Bilbo Baggins, because Ron Burgundy is kind of a big deal.

At least, that's what early box office estimates indicate for the weekend debut of Viacom's  Anchorman: The Legend Continues.

After nearly doubling the $26 million budget of its 2004 predecessor -- which itself earned a solid $90.6 million in gross ticket receipts in 2004 -- you can be sure Viacom is betting on a solid theatrical run with its hilarious sequel.

As it stands, Anchorman: The Legend Continues has already garnered $8.1 million from its Wednesday evening launch alone, which puts its estimated first-weekend sales conservatively in the $30 million to $35 million range. That said, polled audiences only granted Anchorman 2 a mediocre "B" CinemaScore -- indicating they were suitably entertained but not overwhelmed -- which might not do it any favors with regard to positive word of mouth.

Meanwhile, assuming Time Warner's big-budget holdover in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug follows a similar second-weekend trajectory as the first film last year, Smaug should earn a respectable $32.1 million over the next three days. I definitely wouldn't be surprised, then, if Anchorman 2 manages to pull off a solid upset over Time Warner's $220 million blockbuster.

But don't shed any tears for Time Warner; remember, going into weekend two, Smaug has already earned more than $231 million globally thanks to the franchise's characteristically strong international reception. 

A little too crowded?
However, Anchorman and Smaug certainly won't be alone in their quests for dominance. News Corp's 20th Century Fox, for one, could also strike it rich with the 3D-heavy Walking With Dinosaurs, which boasts a lofty $80 million production budget and stands alone as the sole animated newcomer to enjoy a wide weekend release.

This in mind, remember Disney's  Frozen also held up relatively well seven days ago going into its third week, falling just 29.8% week-over-week to take in around $22.2 million. If Frozen can maintain its strong box office legs once again, it would almost certainly be at the expense of News Corp's promising prehistoric effort. 

Finally, while Sony Pictures is looking forward to this weekend's launch of the star-studded, critically acclaimed American Hustle, Disney will also turn its attention to explaining how its classic Mary Poppins film came to be with the limited theatrical release of Saving Mr. Banks.

I'll be sure to touch base as the weekend progresses. But all things considered and with so many great options to choose from, it seems unlikely last week's single-film dominance will resurface this time around.

Our favorite books of 2013. Join Motley Fool analysts Matt Koppenheffer and David Hanson as they discuss the latest GDP reading, Annaly Capital Management's dividend cut, and why Die Hard is such a good movie.

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— MotleyFoolFinancials (@TMFFinancials) December 9, 2013

In the immortal words of Yoda, "begun the Clone War has." While it has not yet come to war, and actually doesn't even involve clones, several major tech firms are starting to seriously get in on robotics. Google seems to have recognized the importance of this type of technology, and has embarked on an acquisition spree over the last few months. This follows the news of Amazon's plans to deploy drones for delivery purposes. Now that Google has purchased its eighth robot engineering company, many commentators and investors are beginning to wonder what exactly the company plans to do with this technology.

Rock into the future
Many people have mixed feelings about the prospect of robots playing a big part in our lives. Some estimate that up to 45% of America's jobs could be automated in the near future, for example. Also, there are the fears of annihilation at the hands of robots, probably reinforced by works of science fiction such as The Matrix.

Indeed, anxiety surrounding Google's latest robotic acquisition may not be entirely unfounded. The Massachusetts engineering company has multi-million dollar defense contracts with the US army for the development of advanced robots capable of traversing a variety of terrains. While Google has stated it will honor these existing defense contracts, it says it does not intend to expand into this area, presumably in keep with its principle of not being evil.

The project falls under Google's "moonshot" expeditions, a term it has given to projects that have a long shot at succeeding. The moonshot division is now headed by Andy Rubin, who was formerly responsible for the incredible success story surrounding Google's Android operating system, which began as a rather obscure venture and ended up being one of the most-used pieces of software in the world. According to Mr. Ruben, "the future is looking awesome!'

Publicly traded robotics company, and maker of the well-known Roomba, iRobot , rallied in sympathy following the news. Like Boston Dynamics, iRobot does work for the US army. However, its main strength is currently in supplying consumers. Having recently caught an upgrade from JP Morgan, the stock was up over 20% on the news of Google's acquisition. Clearly, Google's interest in robots has investors excited as to the industry's prospects.

What's next?
The opinions as to what Google plans to do with these robotic acquisitions are very much divided. Many analysts believe that Google's recent purchases have something to do with its plans to create autonomous automobiles, a project which the company has been mulling over for some time. Another theory is that the company is gearing up for the time when advertising revenues will dry up, and it is looking for other avenues for growth.

Google isn't the only tech giant looking to get in on the future potential of robotics. Amazon's Jeff Bezos has made it very clear that he intends to roll out a drone delivery system within the next five years. The service, which is to be called Amazon Prime Air, has already started tests. However, the FAA has yet to approve drones for civilian use in the United States. In other robotic acquisition news, Amazon picked up Kiva Systems recently for around $775 million, which will help it automate its fulfillment centers. 

The bottom line
The future looks bright for robotics companies. Google recent announced the acquisition of Boston Dynamics, the details of which are so far undisclosed. Exactly what Google plans to do with its eight robotics companies is not yet clear, but the Internet giant clearly plans to get in on the trend before the competition starts heating up. Amazon has also expressed its interest in robotics. We certainly live in interesting times.

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Christmas came early for one of my Black Friday biotech bargain picks. Ariad Pharmaceuticals said today that the Food and Drug Administration will allow Ariad's leukemia drug Iclusig back on the market.

It's a bit astonishing how quickly the FDA and Ariad worked out the details to bring the drug back after pulling it from the market at the end of October over the potential for blood clots. Apparently, even Ariad didn't expect the drug to get back on the market this quickly; the biotech shipped free three-month supplies to some patients who had special permission from the FDA to stay on the drug while the details for Iclusig's return were being worked out. When Iclusig goes back on the market next month, those patients will still be working through their free supplies.

As expected, the new label is more restrictive than the old one. Iclusig is still recommended for patients with a mutation called T315I that makes the tumor resistant to tyrosine-kinase inhibitors, such as Novartis' Gleevec and Bristol-Myers Squibb's Sprycel. Previously, the drug could also be used as a second-line therapy after patients had failed Novartis' or Bristol-Myers' drugs, but now the drug is only recommended when all the tyrosine-kinase inhibitors are no longer an option. Essentially, Iclusig will be used as a drug of last resort.

Ariad thinks the U.S. market for the new indication is about 1,300 patients. There were about 640 patients on the drug as it was ramping up its launch before Iclusig was pulled from the market. The drug exited the third quarter with a run rate of $67 million in sales. Factor in a price increase, and the fact that those sales came from fewer than 640 patients because they were accruing for the entire quarter and a month after, and it looks like the U.S. market potential could be around $200 million.

The FDA had already granted 350 patients permission to use the drug while it's off the market, so Ariad will be working off that base of patients, plus a few more who sign up in the coming weeks when it relaunches next month. Getting up to 1,300 patients won't come quickly; Ariad plans to use half the commercial staff it had before the drug was pulled from the market.

As part of the deal with the FDA, Ariad will have to run a clinical trial to test different doses of Iclusig to see if fewer blood clots occur at lower doses. If the drug is safer, but works just as well at a lower dose, Iclusig could potentially expand beyond those 1,300 patients; but we won't have that data for a couple of years.

Is this a sign of desperation? Toys R Us will be running a shopping marathon, keeping its doors open for 87 hours straight leading up to Christmas Day.

It marks the fourth consecutive year the toy store will be offering 'round-the-clock shopping, and, like last year, when Macy's pulled a similar stunt (but limited it to just 48 consecutive hours), Toys R Us won't be alone.  It will also be joined this time by Kohl's , which announced earlier this month it was going to stay open for 100 consecutive hours. It opened its doors at 6 a.m. today and, for the first time ever, will not close them until 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve -- actually more than 100 hours. 

It seems clearer than ever that, this Christmas season, retailers aren't just worried about their results, they're flat-out terrified that the bottom will be dropping out of sales. Now they're doing everything they can to reverse the trend.

Just as a few retailers had previously dipped their toes in the waters of opening on Thanksgiving Day, only to see a pell-mell rush this year by rivals to join them -- and both Sears Holdings' Kmart division and Big Lots opened early on Thanksgiving, not shutting their doors until 41 hours later -- with less than a week left till Christmas, we might see more stores doing the 'round-the-clock routine, too.

Some retailers like Wal-Mart already operate on a 24-hour basis at some of their supercenters, so this wouldn't mean a change for them, but Macy's just said that it will reprise its role from last year and keep select stores open again for 107 straight hours.

In the context of a calendar-shortened shopping season -- there are six fewer days this year than last between Black Friday and Christmas -- it smacks of real fear, and this year, there is no novelty to anything the retailers are doing. If one says it's doing something, everyone else joins in.

Worse for them (and investors) is that they'll also continue to be just as promotional as they have been all season long. Wal-Mart, for example, tried to juice sales by offering its Black Friday sales a week before Black Friday, and running sales all week long, and then some. While there was a bit of a hubbub made about the Christmas discounts not being so significant because retailers raised prices ahead of the sales to make the discounts appear more dramatic, it's still going to impact margins.

After bitter-cold temperatures and snow hit the Midwest and Northeast this month, ShopperTrak says retail in-store shopper traffic fell 20% last week compared to the same time period in 2012. That alone may force the hands of retailers to join the fray, but also cause them to panic and offer even deeper discounts as the never-ending, everlasting Christmas shopping season draws to a close.

With all this selling, promotion, and discounting going on, I'm not sure I'd want to find a retailer in my portfolio when it comes time to report these seasonal results.

Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.

What: Shares of CarMax were getting taken to the shop today, falling as much as 10% on a disappointing earnings report.

So what: Sales were actually strong for the used-car dealership chain as overall revenues increased 13%, to $2.94 billion, topping estimates of $2.87 billion, as same-store sales improved by a brisk 10%. Perhaps the strong sales growth is not such a surprise in a year that has seen domestic auto sales jump across the board. Despite the revenue gains, earnings per share missed estimates by $0.01, coming in at $0.47, as CarMax lost out in the lucrative auto-financing market. The market seemed to be especially disappointed that the jump in sales did lead to a stronger bottom-line performance.

Now what: The customers' shift to outside financing is certainly a curious development in this business, and will continue to threaten CarMax if it proves to be structural. CarMax also said third-party lenders were becoming stricter about handing out debt. As a result, the company is planning to test its own subprime lending originations, which could reverse the misfortune. With a well-known brand, and an auto market that's continuing to recover, CarMax does seem like it's poised for long-term success. I wouldn't count them out after one bad report.

With the end of the retail earnings season, we can take a quick look back at the mixed third quarter. Heading into the holiday season a number of retailers on both the high and low ends struggled to give the Street what it was looking for in terms of guidance. High expectations were largely seen across the board--after all, you really cant have low expectations for earnings when the broad market sits 25% higher this year.

At the start of the season, we had a number of lower-end names like Wal-Mart and Target that warned of a tough environment and economic landscape report earnings. At this point, a number of analysts (including myself) pointed to the higher-end for stronger returns. While a tough employment situation coupled with stagnant wage growth may hurt lower tier spending, the upper income brackets benefited greatly from rising asset prices within the equities and real estate markets. However, over the last couple weeks a few high flying names have been shot down on the back of weak fourth quarter guidance and mixed news. 

Guidance looks sheer
Following a decent third quarter report, shares of Lululemon Athletica  tumbled by over 10%. Lululemon's revenue of $379.9 million was up 20% from $316.5 million in the comparable year-ago quarter. Comparable store sales improved by 5% on the back of a promotional environment, but consequently gross margins felt pressure. All eyes were focused on fourth quarter guidance to justify the company's lofty valuations.

The company lowered its sales forecast to range between $535 million and $540 million. Lululemon expects that weak sales trends witnessed so far will continue throughout the holiday season. This forecast is substantially below the company's previous sales expectation of $565-$570 million. On the top line the company now expects revenues in the fiscal year to come in the range of $1,605.0 to $1,610.0 million, down from $1,625 to $1,635 million forecasted earlier in the year.

Yoga pants are getting competitive
Increasing competition with the space has caused concern for investors in athletic apparel. Companies like The Gap  have made waves with very similar offerings and high product quality. Through Athleta, Gap has been actively taking market share within the yoga apparel business. Gap acquired Athleta in 2008 for only $150 million, and since t has actively expanded and integrated its brand into the entire company. 

In the most recent third quarter conference call, executives from the company seemed exceptionally positive when discussing Athleta's future. Moreover, the lower price point of Athleta may tend to pull customers away from the higher priced Lululemon offerings. Going forward, continued roll out of Athleta brick and mortar locations should be beneficial on both the top and bottom lines. Year to date, shares of Gap have done especially well, with returns of 23%.

Ultra hurt
Ulta Salon , Cosmetics & Fragrance  has been a huge winner since its initial public offer back in 2007 as the brand expanded drastically. For the last few years, Ulta has been a trader friendly stock, trading with volatility and hype. However, earlier in the month shares plummeted on weak guidance. 

Ulta announced that it expects fourth-quarter earnings to come in between $1.07 to $1.10 a share, compared to consensus estimates of $1.24 a share. Net sales during the fourth quarter are expected between $853 million and $867 million. On a year over year comparison, sales in last year's fourth quarter totaled $758.8 million, including $40 million of sales in the 53rd week of the year, the company said. On the top line analysts, on average, had expected sales of $895 million for the January-ending quarter.

A still fragile consumer is having difficulty spending on discretionary goods--perhaps expensive cosmetics are out of the middle income's medicine cabinet at least the next couple months. 

Wrap-up
When the fourth quarter reports begin rolling around it will be interesting see if retail comes in strong. Lower guidance from the higher end during the third quarter gives investors a cautious signal that the economy is still in recovery. Increasing competition within the yoga apparel space may certainly pressure Lululemon. Along the same lines, investors should remain hesitant to invest large portions of their portfolio in company's with lofty valuations like Ulta.

Exchange-traded funds offer a convenient way to invest in sectors or niches that interest you. If you'd like to add some fertilizer stocks to your portfolio, but don't have the time or expertise to hand-pick a few, the Global X Fertilizers/Potash ETF  could save you a lot of trouble. Instead of trying to figure out which fertilizer stocks will perform best, you can use this ETF to invest in lots of them simultaneously.

The basics
ETFs often sport lower expense ratios than their mutual fund cousins. This ETF, focused on fertilizer stocks, sports an expense ratio -- an annual fee -- of 0.69%. The fund is fairly small, too, so if you're thinking of buying, beware of possibly large spreads between its bid and ask prices. Consider using a limit order if you want to buy in.

This fertilizer stocks ETF has underperformed the world market over the past year, but it's too young to offer a meaningful track record for evaluation. As with most investments, of course, we can't expect outstanding performances in every quarter or year. Investors with conviction need to wait for their holdings to deliver.

Why fertilizer stocks?
It's hard to say with much certainty what many industries will look like in the future, but we can be pretty sure that our planet's growing population will continue to require food. In order to boost the productivity of crops, fertilizers will be needed, boosting the long-term fortunes of fertilizer companies and investors in fertilizer stocks.

Fertilizer stocks didn't exactly deliver strong performances over the past year. PotashCorp and Mosaic , both members of the CanPotex exporting group, dropped 20% and 19%, respectively, over the past year. Smaller fertilizer companies, such as the Chemical & Mining Co. of Chile , or "SQM," and U.S.-based Intrepid Potash , fell harder, down 58% and 30%, respectively.

Part of the problem was the collapse of the Belarusian Potash Company cartel, which led to falling potash prices and shrinking profit margins. That effect has arguably been factored into the stocks' prices now, though, and some see fertilizer stocks bottoming soon - meaning that stock prices may rebound soon.

Fertilizer giant PotashCorp offers a 4.5% dividend yield for patient believers. Its last quarter featured revenue down 29% and earnings down 45%, and the company recently announced it will cut more than 1,000 jobs. Some worry about falling profits, but there will be long-term demand for fertilizer, and PotashCorp compares favorably with key rivals, enjoying a low cost structure. It has been buying back its own stock, too. Mosaic has struggled more and offers a smaller dividend yield of 2.2%. It recently made a big investment in phosphate.

Intrepid Potash, offering no dividend, has some prominent investors bailing out of it, but the billionaire Koch brothers have snapped up more than 6% of the company. It has been posting plenty of solid and improving numbers. It has a new low-cost mine opening in North America, too.

Meanwhile, SQM fans point out that its operations are quite diverse and not solely reliant on potash. It recently yielded 4.1%. PotashCorp is interested in buying some or all of the company.

The big picture
If you're interested in adding some fertilizer stocks to your portfolio, consider doing so via an ETF. A well-chosen ETF can grant you instant diversification across any industry or group of companies and make investing in them -- and profiting from them -- that much easier.

Aside from the ethical argument, one of the things that concerns investors most about investing in tobacco is the declining number of smokers within the United States. In particular, investors are concerned that as a rising number of smokers are kicking the habit, profits of domestic tobacco companies such as Reynolds American , Altria , and Lorillard are going to evaporate.

Indeed, according to data supplied by the Wall Street Journal, 289.5 billion cigarettes were sold within the US during 2012. In comparison, back during 2003 around 400 billion cigarettes were sold annually. Clearly the decline in the volume of cigarettes sold within the country has been quite significant.

All in all, this implies that the profits of the domestic tobacco companies should be falling. However, that is not the case. Actually, during the period of 2008 to 2012, the revenues and profits of Reynolds, Altria, and Lorillard have only pushed higher.

As we can see from the table, the number of cigarettes sold within the US has declined 17.3% during the past five years. However, none of the three domestic tobacco companies have seen their revenues decline to the same degree.

Still, investors are right to express concern about the sliding volume of cigarettes sold within the United States. However, as of yet it does not seem that big tobacco is worried.

Why aren't these companies worried?
You see, big tobacco continues to increase prices to offset declining volumes. For example, Altria's most recent price hike came into effect on Dec. 1 as the company added $0.07 per pack to the price of Marlboro cigarettes. This follows a similar $0.06 increase in June.

According to data supplied by the Tobacco Atlas, the average price of a pack of Marlboro cigarettes within the United States is $6.36, which implies that the total price increase of $0.13 per pack for this year would be a 2% rise all-in-all. Note that this calculation includes taxes.

Now, we can factor this into Altria's results to see how it helps keep the company's profits rising.

Specifically, for the first nine months of this year, the volume of Marlboro cigarettes sold by Altria declined by 3.8%. However, with the company instigating price increases of 2%, this effectively means that the revenue received from the volume of cigarettes sold declined by only 1.8%. These numbers, along with price increases across the rest of the company's tobacco portfolio and an increase in the volume of discount cigarettes sold, meant that Altria's revenue from cigarettes fell only 1% during the first nine months of 2013.

What's more, lower costs and lower excise taxes helped Altria's adjusted operating income from smokeable products rise 16% year-over-year for the nine months ending in September. 

Not yet following the market leader
However, as of yet, neither Reynolds nor Lorillard have followed Altria's most recent price hike, although both companies have already increased prices earlier this year.

Nevertheless, it remains to be seen if Lorillard actually needs to push up prices as the company continues to steal market share from its peers. Specifically, at the end of the fiscal third quarter Lorillard's market share of the United States domestic retail tobacco market was 14.9%, up 0.5% year-over-year. This extra market share helped Lorillard offset falling volumes of cigarettes sold. All in all, Lorillard's volume of cigarettes sold for the nine months ending Sept. 30 only declined a minuscule 0.1%. 

Unfortunately, Reynolds' sales have not held up as well as those of Lorillard and Altria. Despite a good third quarter, the company's volume of cigarettes sold declined 6.3% during the last nine months. Still, cost cutting helped boost the company's bottom line, and operating margin expanded from 31% to 40%. 

Foolish summary
So all in all, while the volume of cigarettes sold within the US continues to decline, domestic tobacco companies are not worried. A combination of price hikes, cost cutting, and lower excise taxes are all helping to widen these companies' profit margins and push sales as well as income higher. It would appear that big tobacco is able to withstand lower volumes for now.