Top 5 Penny Companies To Watch In Right Now

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Alcoa (NYSE: AA  ) kicked off second-quarter earnings season by announcing a year-over-year drop in sales and a big net loss.

If you're wondering what this tells us about the rest of earnings season, the answer is "not much." That's because, first, nobody truly thinks about Alcoa as an earnings bellwether anymore. That's due in part to the fact that Alcoa is struggling under issues specific to Alcoa. More importantly, the materials sector in general has been a wreck this year, and it's been tough for any mining or metals companies to overcome that drag.

But Alcoa's earnings report also provides an important reminder as we head into earnings season: Expectations are everything.

Revenue of $5.85 billion was down 2% from the second quarter of 2012, but Wall Street analysts were expecting revenue of $5.83 billion. And while earnings per share -- even on an adjusted basis -- only totaled $0.07, analysts expected just $0.06. So despite lackluster absolute second-quarter results, Alcoa's stock traded down just a penny following earnings because nobody was expecting a blow-out quarter.

Top Oil Service Stocks To Watch Right Now: Nicholas Financial Inc.(NICK)

Nicholas Financial, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates as a specialized consumer finance company. The company engages in acquiring and servicing contracts for purchases of new and used automobiles and light trucks. It also makes direct loans and sells consumer-finance related products. In addition, the company engages in developing, marketing, supporting, and updating industry-specific computer application software for small businesses located primarily in the Southeast United States. As of April 5, 2011, it operated 56 branch locations in 14 Southeastern and Midwestern states. The company was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Clearwater, Florida.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  Prospect Capital Corp.(PSEC) said it agreed to buy Nicholas Financial Inc.(NICK) in a stock deal valued at about $199 million that the investment firm expects will expand its presence in the car-loan industry. Prospect Capital is offering $16 a share for Nicholas, a 4.5% premium over Tuesday’s closing price. Nicholas Financial shares edged up 2.8% to $15.70 premarket.

Top 5 Penny Companies To Watch In Right Now: Empresas Ica Soc Contrladora (ICA)

Empresas ICA, S.A.B. de C.V., through its subsidiaries, engages in the construction and related activities in Mexico. The company?s Civil Construction segment focuses on infrastructure projects that include the construction of roads, highways, mass transit systems, bridges, dams, hydroelectric plants, tunnels, canals, and airports; and on the construction, development, and remodeling of multi-storied urban buildings, such as office buildings, hotels, multiple-dwelling housing developments, and shopping centers. This segment also engages in demolition, clearing, excavation, de-watering, drainage, embankment fill, structural concrete construction, concrete and asphalt paving, and tunneling activities. Its Industrial Construction segment focuses on the engineering, procurement, construction, design, and commissioning of manufacturing facilities comprising power plants, chemical plants, petrochemical plants, fertilizer plants, pharmaceutical plants, steel mills, paper mills, d rilling platforms, and automobile and cement factories. Empresas ICA?s Rodio Kronsa segment engages in sub-soil construction involving the construction of tunnels, underpasses, and retaining walls. The company?s Housing Development segment engages in the development, trading, ownership, sale, assistance, operation, and administration activities. Its Infrastructure segment involves in the operation and maintenance of concessioned airports, highways, bridges and tunnels, water supply systems, and waste treatment systems. The company also provides a range of services that include feasibility studies, conceptual design, engineering, procurement, project and construction management, construction, maintenance, technical site evaluation, and other consulting services. It serves public and private sector clients. Empresas ICA, S.A.B. de C.V. was founded in 1947 and is based in Mexico.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  One under-$10 name that's starting to trend within range of triggering a big breakout trade is Empresas ICA SA (ICA), which is engaged in construction and related activities, including the construction of infrastructure facilities as well as industrial, urban and housing construction. This stock is off to a decent start in 2013, with shares up 11.8%.

  If you take a look at the chart for Empresas ICA SA, you'll notice that this stock has been trending sideways inside of a consolidation chart pattern for the last two months, with shares moving between $7.94 on the downside and $9.73 on the upside. Shares of ICA are now starting to push back above its 50-day moving average of $8.75 a share, and the stock is quickly moving within range of triggering a big breakout trade. That trade will hit if ICA manages to take out the upper-end of its recent sideways trading chart pattern.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in ICA if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $9.34 to $9.73 a share and then once it clears its 200-day moving average at $9.94 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 527,965 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then ICA will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $11.50 to $12 a share. Any high-volume move above those levels could then put its 52-week high at $13.73 into focus for shares of ICA.

  Traders can look to buy ICA off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below some key near-term support levels at $8 a share, or around $7.94 a share. One can also buy ICA off strength once it clears those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

• [By Michael Lewis]

  It's been said plenty of times that our neighbor to the south is home to a burgeoning, debt-light economy that offers emerging-market growth with an element of domestic risk and valuation. China is very much "last season" when it comes to manufacturing, and Mexico offers a fantastic answer, with geographical superiority and an eager work force. One company based in Mexico, Empresas ICA (NYSE: ICA  ) , is a heavy-construction firm with a market cap of $1 billion that was as recently as April worth nearly $2 billion. The causes for the haircut includes a collapsed deal and lousy first-quarter earnings. But with a strong outlook for Mexican infrastructure spending, and an apparent case of market negligence, Empresas ICA might be an undervalued pick with substantial upside potential.

Top 5 Penny Companies To Watch In Right Now: LSI Industries Inc.(LYTS)

LSI Industries Inc. provides corporate visual image solutions primarily in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Latin America. It operates in three segments: Lighting, Graphics, and Technology. The Lighting segment manufactures and markets outdoor and indoor lighting, canopy lighting, landscape lighting, light emitting diodes (LED) lighting, light poles, and photometric layouts products, as well as lighting analysis services. The Graphics segment manufactures and sells exterior and interior visual image elements for use in visual image programs. It offers signage and canopy graphics; pump dispenser graphics; building fascia graphics; decals; interior signage and marketing graphics; aisle markers; wall mural graphics; fleet graphics; prototype program graphics; and solid state LED video screens for the sports and advertising markets, as well as installation services for graphics products. The Technology segment designs, produces, and supports light engines and large fo rmat video screens using LED technology; and specialty LED lighting. Additionally, the company offers menu board systems. It serves commercial, industrial, and multi-site retail markets; petroleum/convenience stores; sports and advertising; and entertainment markets. The company sells its products through regional sales managers, independent sales representatives, and distributors. LSI Industries was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  In Daktronics' report, be sure to look at how the company compares to results that industrial-lighting and display competitor LSI Industries (NASDAQ: LYTS  ) announced late last month. Even with a 5% gain in revenue for its March quarter, LSI posted a loss, showing the difficulty in producing high-margin business in the industry. For its part, if Daktronics can keep pushing past its operational challenges, it should be in better position to stay profitable both this quarter and well into the future.

Top 5 Penny Companies To Watch In Right Now: Rowan Companies Inc.(RDC)

Rowan Companies, Inc. provides onshore and offshore oil and gas contract drilling services in the United States and internationally. The company offers its contract drilling services through its fleet of 28 self-elevating mobile offshore drilling platforms and 30 deep-well land drilling rigs. The company was founded in 1923 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  This year started so badly for Seadrill (SDRL), Transocean (RIG) and Rowan (RDC) and other offshore drillers that it shouldn’t come as a surprise that some investors are seeing value in their beaten down shares. The folks at Raymond James, however, see conditions at offshore drillers getting worse before they get better.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  A bad year for offshore drillers is likely to get worse–and Morgan Stanley says even market favorite Rowan (RDC) could get hit. It recommends yield plays, including Seadrill (SDRL).