Barron's Recap: The GOP Presidential Contenders

This weekend in Barron's online: who will be 2016 GOP nominee, the top 100 women advisors, as well as the prospects for Corning, LabCorp, LendingClub, On Deck Capital, International Game Technology, the Apple Watch and more.

Cover Story

"Who Will Win the GOP Nomination?" by Jim McTague. Out of nearly 20 potential Republican presidential candidates, the field is narrowed to just the seven strongest in this week's Barron's cover story. Investors want to know where they stand on the issues important to the U.S. economy. Who is the best pick and who the dark horse? And see who Barron's thinks would make a great vice presidential choice regardless of who tops the ticket. See also: Climate Change May Have Texas Flooding More Often

Special Feature: Advisor Rankings: Top 100 Women

"The Top 100 Women Financial Advisors" by Steve Garmhausen shows the annual ranking, featuring a baker's dozen new names and a number of names climbing handily higher on the list. See how these advisors are finding clever ways to deliver growth and income for their clients. In Steve Garmhausen's "When Advisors Become Philanthropists," there is a lesson for wealthy investors about charitable giving in taking a look at how the financial advisors in the annual Barron's ranking choose to donate their own money.

Feature Stories

"Corning's Latest Magic: Turning Glass Into Cash" by Robin Goldwyn Blumenthal discusses how famed glassmaker Corning Incorporated GLW has made a bet on 4K ultrahigh-definition TVs that could reward investors with a gain of up to 40 percent. Jack Hough's "LabCorp's Results Could Lift Shares 20%" makes a case for why medical testing giant Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings LH will find positive outcomes as more people become insured and the population ages. In "Where Corporate Insiders Are Shopping," Avi Salzman points out that corporate directors have been buying shares of Chevron Corporation CVX, General Electric Company GE and other companies. Is it time to follow the insiders' money? Both LendingClub Corp LV and On Deck Capital Inc ONDK have cashed in on the boom in peer-to-peer lending, according to "Take Out a Loan, Just Don't Buy the Stocks" by Bill Alpert. However, only one is likely to provide a long-term return for shareholders. See "Swapping U.S. Assets for Germany and Japan," in which Daren Fonda profiles Vassilis Dagioglu, managing director and head of asset allocation at Mellon Capital Management. Find out why Dagioglu has been reducing his allocation to U.S. stocks and bonds and moving into Europe and Asia. In Sandra Ward's "Delivering Dazzling Returns From Denmark," portfolio manager Bo Knudsen of Carnegie Asset Management is interviewed. Knudsen shares why he is steering clear of the energy sector and reveals what he likes about Japan. A merger of U.S. and Italian gaming specialists should produce a company with strong cash flow and improved prospects, says David Englander's "The New IGT Is Worth a Bet." See why one bull predicts International Game Technology Ordinary Shares IGT could rise to $23 in two years. "Apple Watch Is Not So Smart" by Paul Boutros reveals that the smartwatch from Apple Inc. AAPL is full of bugs and not at all user-friendly. The Penta article questions how sales will fare once the novelty wears off. "The Road to Ruin" is an editorial commentary by Thomas G. Donlan that discusses the administration bragging about recovery and demanding easier lending standards. See also: Cyber Stocks On The Move With Massive Federal Government Data Breach

Columns

Columns in this weekend's Barron's discuss:

• A Nouriel Roubini warning on bond ETFs and mutual funds
• Financial wallflowers worth a look
• The approaching takeover of TV by the Net
• A star health-care fund forced to close
• Avoiding pitfalls in picking ETFs
• The past week's dividend hikes
• Signs that brighten the economic outlook

At the time of this writing, the author had no position in the mentioned equities. Keep up with all the latest breaking news and trading ideas by following Benzinga on Twitter.