This is positive news for Apple as the company should benefit from higher gross margins in the short to medium-term, especially for its flagship product the iPhone.

FORBES: Positive Input Price Trends Push Apple Stock To $430

While recovery from the Great Recession of 2008-2009 has been stymied by weak housing and high unemployment, recent economic data suggest a quickening pace of growth in gross domestic product, which should benefit small-cap equities.

FORBES: 4 Under-The-Radar Small-Cap Takeover Candidates

HighTower brokers also run their own profit-and-loss statements, so instead of keeping 30% to 40% of gross fee production in W-2 earnings, they reap the benefit of all revenue associated with their clients, including interest spreads earned by lending idle cash in cash-rich accounts to other clients buying on margin.

FORBES: OutFront