Will You Regret Selling Wm. Morrison Supermarkets?

LONDON -- According to the Met Office, it's been the coldest spring for over 50 years -- since 1962, to be exact. And the fifth coldest since records began, back in 1910.

We've seen some of the obvious causalities already. Yesterday, Kingfisher -- owner of DIY and gardening chain B&Q -- reported profits down 30%, blaming weak consumer confidence and bad weather.

In April, Punch Taverns blamed bad weather for a poor set of half-year results. And at around the same time, bakery chain Greggs blamed the second-wettest year on record for falling sales and profits. Greggs' chief executive Roger Whiteside -- formerly at Punch -- must wonder what has hit him.

And next? You don't have to be Einstein to figure out that fairly soon, we're likely to hear a similar tale of woe from camping, cycling, and car-DIY chain Halfords.

Bad weather ahead
What's to blame for all this bad weather? The jet stream. And looking ahead to the summer, it's already much further south than it should be at this time of year -- just like in the last two dismal years.

In other words, we could be in for another miserable summer. And I reckon that there's a sporting chance that such a summer could adversely impact the oh-so-slow turnround at Wm. Morrison Supermarkets  (LSE: MRW  ) .

As I've written before, it's a share that I'd like to buy, as I reckon the business is undervalued. My worry: it could get even cheaper.

Underperforming
From a share price perspective, Morrison has underperformed the FTSE 100 by almost exactly 25% over the last 12 months, and now trades on a prospective price-earnings ratio (P/E) of 10.7 -- well below the 13.3 P/E of the broader FTSE 100 as a whole.

And, as my colleague David O'Hara has recently observed, that share price is currently getting considerable support from its forecast dividend yield of 4.5%.

Yes, Morrison is finally addressing some of its strategic misjudgements of recent years. It has long been criticised for not offering online sales, for instance. Well, this month we've seen that corrected, with the launch of a tie-up with Ocado.

In convenience stores, too, the business is finally playing catch-up, in a game where the market leaders have a significant head start.

Soggy shoppers
Compared to those market leaders, a prolonged cold, wet summer could show up Morrison's greatest vulnerability: until the Ocado tie-up kicks in, it is a uniquely footfall-driven U.K.-centric grocery retailing business model, dependent on physical shoppers buying physical goods.

No banking and personal finance offerings, no home furnishings catalogues, no stores in far-off sunny Asia, and no "bolt-on" telecommunication packages and other brand extensions.

As such, sales could slump if British shoppers spend summer on the sofa, rather than in the garden with Morrison-bought beer and barbecue products, sitting on Morrison-bought plastic chairs and garden loungers.

So, is it time to sell -- and buy back in later, after the summer's weather has done its worst?

Follow the money
That, of course, is something that only you can decide.

But if you are mulling selling your stake, and are interested in other high‑quality companies with growth opportunities, this exclusive wealth report reviews five particularly attractive blue chips that have been carefully compiled by the Motley Fool's expert stock pickers.

Indeed, all five opportunities offer a mix of robust prospects, illustrious histories, and dependable dividends, and have just been declared by the Motley Fool as "5 Shares You Can Retire On!"

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Should You Risk Shorting Lululemon Stock Today?

Short-sellers love to hate lululemon athletica (NASDAQ: LULU  ) . However, the Canadian company continues to prove its critics wrong despite recent product recalls and quality-control issues. In fact, Lululemon stock is up more than 18% in the past quarter. So is it ready for a pullback? Let's take a closer look and uncover whether this stock is still a good play for short-sellers today.

Sheer folly
The luxury athletic apparel company has rebounded nicely from a PR nightmare in March, in which Lululemon was forced to recall more than 17% of its signature luon pants from store shelves. At the time, quality-control issues related to the retailer's recall sent short-sellers into overdrive. In fact, the number of Lululemon shares sold short during the last two weeks of March ballooned by as much as one-fifth, according to Yahoo!

Nevertheless, the stock has made a solid comeback since then, with shares hitting a fresh 52-week high of $82 earlier this month. While some of the shorts retreated, the stock's short interest of more than 17% is still high. For comparison, Nike (NYSE: NKE  ) , one of Lululemon's biggest competitors, has a short interest below 1%, in large part because Nike trades at a much more reasonable valuation than Lululemon.

With the S&P 500 boasting a P/E ratio of 17 and Nike's price-to-earnings of 25, it's hard to justify buying Lululemon's stock at around 43 times earnings. Of course, this metric doesn't paint the whole picture. It's worth noting that Lulu commands a loyal customer following, strong revenue growth, and some of the best margins in the industry. While I don't plan on buying more shares here, I also wouldn't dare short the stock.

The short of it
Lululemon faces competitive threats from some deep-pocketed rivals, including Nike, Under Armour, and Gap. The competition could hurt Lulu's market share over the long run. However, if you were planning on betting against the company, I'd suppress those instincts for now.

The once-lofty expectations for this stock have been reined in, and the company seems to have a handle on its recent luon recall. Moreover, as the retailer's supply chain matures and quality-control issues are resolved, I suspect we'll see a stronger, more efficient Lululemon emerge.

Lululemon has the potential to grow its sales by 10 times if it can penetrate its other markets like it has in Canada, but the competitive landscape is starting to increase. Can Lululemon fight off larger retailers and ultimately deliver huge profits for savvy investors? The Motley Fool answers these questions and more in its most in-depth Lululemon research available. Thousands have already claimed their own premium ticker coverage; gain instant access to your own by clicking here now.

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Best Biotech Companies To Invest In Right Now

When it comes to biotechs, Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN  ) qualifies for the senior citizen discount. The company, founded way back in 1980, ranks as one of the pioneers of the industry.

Amgen announced its latest quarterly results after the market close on Tuesday. Investors were clearly disappointed, with shares falling 6% in after-hours trading. Should you buy stock in Amgen after this pullback -- or is this oldie no longer a goodie?

Crunching the numbers
Amgen announced adjusted earnings of $1.96 per share, a 22% increase year-over-year. This easily beat analyst estimates of $1.84 per share.

GAAP earnings per share numbers also looked solid, coming in at $1.88 per share. That reflects an increase of 27% over 2012 first quarter's GAAP earnings of $1.48 per share.

Best Biotech Companies To Invest In Right Now: Convergent Minerals Ltd(CVG.AX)

Convergent Minerals Ltd engages in the exploration and evaluation of mineral resources in Australia. It primarily explores for gold and nickel. The company holds 100% interest in the Bounty Gold Project comprising a tenement package of 42.06 square kilometers located southeast of Southern Cross, Western Australia. Convergent Minerals Ltd is based in West Perth, Australia.

Best Biotech Companies To Invest In Right Now: Ocean Park Ventures Corp (OCP.V)

Ocean Park Ventures Corp. engages in the exploration and development of base and precious metal properties in the Americas. The company holds an option to acquire a 51% interest in the Adelita copper-gold-silver project located in the southern part of Sonora, Mexico; a 50% interest in the Trapper gold project consisting of 9 contiguous mining claims located in the Atlin Mining Division of northern British Columbia, Canada; and a 100% interest in the Metla gold property located in northern British Columbia, Canada. It also holds option to acquire the Chisna copper/gold property located in the south central state of Alaska. The company was formerly known as eTV Technology Inc. and changed its name to Ocean Park Ventures Corp. in April 2009. Ocean Park Ventures Corp. was incorporated in 1987 and is based in Vancouver, Canada.

Best Diversified Bank Stocks To Invest In 2014: Rhino Resource Partners LP(RNO)

Rhino Resource Partners LP produces, processes, and sells coal of various steam and metallurgical grades in the United States. The company holds interests in various surface and underground coal mines located in Central Appalachia, Northern Appalachia, the Illinois Basin, and the Western Bituminous region. As of December 31, 2010, it operated 10 mines, including 5 underground and 5 surface mines located in Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia. The company markets its steam coal primarily to electric utility companies as fuel for their steam-powered generators; and metallurgical coal for steel and coke producers. It also engages in mining limestone from reserves located at its Sands Hill mining complex and sells it as aggregate to various construction companies and road builders. The company was founded in 2003 and is based in Lexington, Kentucky.

Consumer Confidence Hits 5-Year High

Consumer confidence is up 10% for the second month in a row, according to the Conference Board's May Consumer Confidence report released today.

After a 12.2% drop in March, the newest numbers solidify April's 10% gains. At an index rating of 76.2, analysts' expectations were exceeded by 4.7 points, but confidence still remains well below the index's 1985 100-point benchmark.

"Consumer Confidence posted another gain this month and is now at a five-year high," said Conference Board Director of Economic Indicators Lynn Franco in a statement today. "Consumers' assessment of current business and labor-market conditions was more positive and they were considerably more upbeat about future economic and job prospects. Back-to-back monthly gains suggest that consumer confidence is on the mend and may be regaining the traction it lost due to the fiscal cliff, payroll-tax hike, and sequester."

The index is comprised of responses from a random sample of consumers and, in this latest report, respondents were more optimistic on (almost) every economic indicator. 18.8% of those surveyed believe business conditions are good, up 1.3 percentage points from April. Likewise, 10.8% believe jobs are plentiful (up from 9.7%) and 19.2% (up from 17.2%) expect business conditions to improve over the next six months.

Income predictions provided a mixed picture, with fewer respondents expecting their income to rise (down 0.2 percentage points to 16.6%), although those expecting their incomes to drop also fell 0.6 points to 15.3%. 

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What Are the City's Expectations for BT Group's Profits?

LONDON -- When weighing up a potential investment, it's useful to look forward rather than backwards. If you buy a stake in a business, it's the future profits that count -- and the stock market will value your shares based on future expectations.

With that in mind, it can be helpful to review what expert City analysts are expecting a company to earn in the coming years. These expectations can be compared to the share price, to give you a better idea of how the stock market is valuing the business.

Today I'm looking at the EPS forecasts for BT  (LSE: BT-A  ) (NYSE: BT  ) , the FTSE 100 telecom giant. All my figures are courtesy of S&P Capital IQ.

Analysts expect BT to earn 26 pence per share in the next 12 months. Which means that compared to today's share price of 311 pence, the market is valuing BT's shares on a forward price-to-earnings multiple of 12.

Looking ahead, the consensus then calls for an improvement in BT's earnings to 28 pence per share for 2015, and then 30 pence in 2016. The data indicates BT's revenues meanwhile may be flat between now and 2016, at around 18 billion pounds.

These fairly muted growth expectations explain why BT trades at a relatively modest earnings multiple, with the market anticipating very little to change in BT's underlying business. But are investors failing to appreciate the potential of deals such as next season's expansion into Premier League broadcasting, or is it time to hang up on the telecoms giant?

Whether these projections and the current valuation make the shares of BT fairly priced is for you to decide.

But if you already own shares in BT Group and are looking for alternative investment opportunities, I've helped pinpoint five particularly attractive possibilities in this exclusive wealth report.

All five opportunities offer a mix of robust prospects, illustrious histories and dependable dividends, and have just been declared by the Fool as "5 Shares You Can Retire On"!

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Top 10 Industrial Conglomerate Companies For 2014

Industrial conglomerate�Valmont Industries� (NYSE: VMI  ) �will pay a�regular quarterly cash dividend�of $0.25 per share, representing an 11.1% increase in the payout to shareholders.

The payment will be made on July 15 to the holders of record at the close of business on June 28, the company announced Monday.

Valmont has paid a quarterly dividend consistently since 1992, with the just-declared quarterly dividend up from its prior distribution of $0.225. The dividend has increased every year since 2005.

Valmont designs and manufactures poles, towers, and structures for lighting and traffic, wireless communication, and utility markets, industrial access systems, and highway safety barriers. It also provides protective coating services and mechanized irrigation equipment for agriculture.

Top 10 Industrial Conglomerate Companies For 2014: Multivision Communications Corp (MTV.V)

Multivision Communications Corp., through its subsidiary, Multivision S.A., operates a wireless cable television business in Bolivia. It provides subscription television services in La Paz, Cochabamba, Santa Cruz, and Tarija cities in Bolivia. The company offers its services using multi-channel, multi-point, and distribution system (MMDS) technology, which serves households without the need to build and maintain coaxial cable networks. The company was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Top 10 Industrial Conglomerate Companies For 2014: TriQuint Semiconductor Inc.(TQNT)

TriQuint Semiconductor, Inc. provides radio frequency (RF) solutions and technology for communications, defense, and aerospace companies worldwide. The company designs, develops, and manufactures RF solutions with gallium arsenide (GaAs), gallium nitride, bipolar high electron mobility transistor, surface acoustic wave (SAW), temperature compensated surface acoustic wave, bulk acoustic wave (BAW), copper flip, and wafer level packaging technologies. The company offers an array of filtering, switching, and amplification products for RF, microwave, and millimeter-wave applications. It sells electronic components for mobile phones, including transmit modules, RF filters, power amplifiers and power amplifier modules, duplexers, switches, other RF devices, and integrated products to mobile device manufacturers. The company also offers signal amplification and filtering products, including a portfolio of GaAs microwave monolithic integrated circuits and transistors, and SAW and BAW filter components that support the transfer of voice, data, and video across wireless or wired infrastructure. Its network products comprise millimeter wave power amplifiers, frequency converters, and voltage controlled oscillators. In addition, the company provides defense and aerospace devices, including packaged products, die-level integrated circuits (ICs), microwave monolithic ICs, and multi-chip modules to military contractors serving the U.S. government for use in various communications and phased array radar programs, such as ship-based, airborne, and battlefield systems, as well as sat-com, electronic warfare, and guidance applications. Further, TriQuint Semiconductor, Inc. offers foundry services. The company sells its products through independent manufacturers? representatives, independent distributors, and direct sales staff. TriQuint Semiconductor, Inc. was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Hillsboro, Oregon.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sy_Harding]  

  Screaming buy, stock has a PEG ratio of 0.1 and is recommended by 91% of analysts.

• [By Sy_Harding]  

  Screaming buy, stock has a PEG ratio of 0.1 and is recommended by 91% of analysts.

Hot Cheap Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Spartech Corporation(SEH)

Spartech Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an intermediary processor of engineered thermoplastics, polymeric compounds, and concentrates. The company operates in three segments: Custom Sheet and Rollstock, Packaging Technologies, and Color and Specialty Compounds. The Custom Sheet and Rollstock segment primarily manufactures plastic sheets, custom rollstock, calendered films, laminates, and acrylic products. This segment?s custom sheet and rollstock is used in various markets, including material handling, transportation, building and construction, recreation and leisure, electronics and appliances, sign and advertising, and aerospace. The Packaging Technologies segment manufactures custom-designed plastic packages and custom rollstock primarily used in the food and consumer product markets. This segment?s packaging technologies products are principally used in the food, medical, and consumer packaging, as well as in graphic arts markets. The Color and Specialty Compounds segment manufactures custom-designed plastic alloys, compounds, and color concentrates for use by manufacturing customers servicing the transportation, building and construction, packaging, agriculture, lawn and garden, and electronics and appliances end markets. The company sells its products through its sales force, as well as through independent sales representatives and wholesale distributors. It serves customers primarily in the United States, Mexico, Canada, Europe, and Asia. Spartech Corporation was founded in 1947 and is headquartered in Clayton, Missouri.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Hesler]

  Spartech Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, is an intermediary processor of engineered thermoplastics, polymeric compounds and concentrates. Its EPS forecast for the current year is 0.37 and next year is 0.71. According to consensus estimates, its topline is expected to grow 5.52% current year and 5.19% next year. It is trading at a forward P/E of 10.37. Out of four analysts covering the company, one is positive and has a buy recommendation and three have hold ratings.

Top 10 Industrial Conglomerate Companies For 2014: Stereotaxis Inc.(STXS)

Stereotaxis, Inc. designs, manufactures, and markets cardiology instrument control systems for use in a hospital?s interventional surgical suite or interventional lab for the treatment of arrhythmias and coronary artery diseases in the United States and internationally. The company provides Niobe system, which includes Niobe Magnetic Navigation System that navigates catheters, guidewires, and other delivery devices through complex paths in the blood vessels and chambers of the heart to carry out treatment; Navigant, a user interface or physician control center, which physicians use to visualize and track procedures and to provide instrument control commands that govern the motion of the working tip of the catheter, guidewire, or other interventional device; Cardiodrive, a catheter advancement system to remotely advance and retract the catheter in the patient?s heart. It also offers Odyssey enterprise solutions, which provides information solutions to manage, control, rec ord, and share procedures across networks; acquires remote view of the lab capturing synchronized procedure data for review of important events during cases; and review recorded cases and create snapshots following procedures for clinical reporting, auditing, and presentation. In addition, the company provides disposable interventional devices comprising automated catheters, coronary guidewires, and navigation and ablation systems. It markets its products through its direct sales force, distributors, and sales agents. The company was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.

Top 10 Industrial Conglomerate Companies For 2014: IRISH CONTINENTAL GROUP UNITS(COMP 1 ORD EUR0.65 & 3 RED SHS)

Irish Continental Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, operates a passenger and freight shipping service between Ireland and France. It engages in the transport of passengers and cars, roll on roll off freight, and container lift on lift off freight on routes between Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Continental Europe; and operates container terminals in the ports of Dublin and Belfast. The company operates in two segments, Ferries, and Container and Terminal. The Ferries segment engages in the operation and external charter of combined RoRo passenger ferries. The Container and Terminal segment offers door-to-door and feeder LoLo freight, stevedoring, and container storage services. Irish Continental Group plc also provides ferry travel and holiday packages primarily in France, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. The company was founded in 1972 and is based in Dublin, Ireland.

Top 10 Industrial Conglomerate Companies For 2014: GLG Life Tech Corp(GLGL)

GLG Life Tech Corporation engages in the research and development, growing, refining, production, and distribution of stevia extract to the food and beverage industry worldwide. Stevia extract is a natural sweetener extracted from the stevia plant. The company has a strategic alliance with Cargill, Incorporated to supply stevia extract to Cargill for manufacturing a natural and zero-calorie sweetener brand called TRUVIA. GLG Life Tech Corporation was founded as a public company in 2005 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Top 10 Industrial Conglomerate Companies For 2014: Thompson Creek Metals Company Inc.(TC)

Thompson Creek Metals Company Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in mining, milling, processing, and marketing molybdenum products in the United States and Canada. The company?s principal properties include the Thompson Creek Mine and mill in Idaho; a metallurgical roasting facility in Langeloth, Pennsylvania; and a joint venture interest in the Endako Mine, mill, and roasting facility in British Columbia. It also holds interests in development projects comprising the Davidson molybdenum property and the Berg copper-molybdenum-silver property located in northern British Columbia; the Howard?s Pass property, a lead and zinc project situated in the Yukon territory-northwest territories border; and the Maze Lake property, a gold project located in the Kivalliq district of Nunavut. The company produces molybdenum products, primarily molybdic oxide and ferromolybdenum, as well as soluble technical oxide, pure molybdenum tri-oxide, and high purity molybdenum disulfide. As o f December 31, 2010, its consolidated recoverable proven and probable ore reserves totaled 462.2 million pounds of contained molybdenum in the Thompson Creek Mine and the Endako Mine. The company was formerly known as Blue Pearl Mining Ltd. and changed its name to Thompson Creek Metals Company Inc. in May 2007. Thompson Creek Metals Company Inc. is based in Denver, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Christopher Barker]

  My recent survey of bargain-basement stock valuations among gold miners identified Thompson Creek Metals as a glaring opportunity for value investors. The miner sports two world-class molybdenum mines with 534 million pounds of reserves between them, along with an array of attractive development projects in the pipeline. Foremost among those is the Mt. Milligan copper and gold project, where Thompson Creek expects to launch itself into the ranks of intermediate gold producers with production commencing in late 2013.

  With 6 million ounces of gold reserves, accompanied by 2.1 billion pounds of copper, Mt. Milligan will deliver about 262,100 ounces of gold per year for the first six years of a 22-year mine life, averaging 194,500 ounces annually over that entire span. Although 25% of that gold production is already spoken for through a gold stream agreement with Royal Gold (Nasdaq: RGLD  ) , Thompson Creek Metals is sure to enjoy a powerful cash-flow explosion.

Top 10 Industrial Conglomerate Companies For 2014: GSI Group Inc.(GSIG)

GSI Group Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, and sells laser-based solutions, laser scanning devices, and precision motion and optical control technologies worldwide. The company?s Laser Products segment provides lasers and laser-based systems for photonics-based applications, such as cutting, welding, marking, engraving, micro-machining, and scientific research. Its Precision Motion and Technologies segment designs, manufactures, and markets air bearing spindles, encoders, thermal printers, laser scanning devices, and light and color measurement systems to original equipment manufacturers. The company?s Semiconductor Systems segment offers laser based production systems for semiconductor, microelectronics, and electronics manufacturing. This segment?s products comprise WaferRepair for dynamic random access memory, flash memory chips, and LCDs; WaferMark for silicon suppliers and integrated circuit factories; and WaferTrim and Circuit Trim for analog and mixed signal sensor and chip resistor devices, as well as for resistor devices. The company sells its products primarily through direct sales force, resellers, distributors, and system integrators. It serves industrial, electronics, automotive, medical, packaging, aerospace, scientific, semiconductor, lighting, military, and motion picture markets. The company was formerly known as GSI Lumonics Inc. and changed its name to GSI Group Inc. in 2005. GSI Group Inc. was founded in 1970 and is based in Bedford, Massachusetts.

Top 10 Industrial Conglomerate Companies For 2014: Great Panther Silver Limited(GPL)

Great Panther Silver Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of precious and base metal properties in Mexico. The company primarily produces silver. It also produces gold, lead, and zinc properties. The company principally holds a 100% interest in the Guanajuato silver-gold mine comprising 28 claims totaling 1,107 hectares located on the Central Plateau of Mexico in the state of Guanajuato. The company was formerly known as Great Panther Resources Limited and changed its name to Great Panther Silver Limited in January 2010. Great Panther Silver Limited was founded in 1965 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Barker]

  If this stock traded on a major U.S. exchange, it would have placed substantially higher on this list. Because unsponsored pink-sheet offerings carry an unquantifiable element of risk, I have adjusted the standings accordingly. Targeting a 72% growth spurt from 2.2 million silver equivalent ounces (SEOs) in 2009, to 3.8 million ounces by 2012, Great Panther is among my very favorite growth stories in the silver space!

Top 10 Industrial Conglomerate Companies For 2014: Cummins Inc.(CMI)

Cummins Inc. designs, manufactures, distributes, and services diesel and natural gas engines, electric power generation systems, and engine-related component products worldwide. It operates in four segments: Engine, Power Generation, Components, and Distribution. The Engine segment offers a range of diesel and natural gas powered engines under the Cummins and other customer brand names for the heavy-and medium-duty truck, bus, recreational vehicle, light-duty automotive, agricultural, construction, mining, marine, oil and gas, rail, and governmental equipment markets. This segment also provides new parts and service, as well as remanufactured parts and engines. The Power Generation segment offers power generation systems, components, and services, including diesel, natural gas, gasoline, and alternative-fuel electrical generator sets for use in recreational vehicles, commercial vehicles, recreational marine applications, and home stand-by or residential applications. This segment also provides components that make up power generation systems, such as engines, controls, alternators, transfer switches, and switchgears. The Components segment supplies filtration products, turbochargers, aftertreatment systems, intake and exhaust systems, and fuel systems for commercial diesel applications. This segment offers filtration and exhaust systems for on-and off-highway heavy-duty and mid-range equipment, as well as supplies filtration products for industrial and passenger car applications. This segment also develops after treatment and exhaust systems to help customers meet emissions standards and fuel systems. The Distribution segment provides parts and services, as well as service solutions, including maintenance contracts, engineering services, and integrated products. The company sells its products to original equipment manufacturers, distributors, and other customers. Cummins Inc. was founded in 1919 and is headquartered in Columbus, Indiana.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matthew Scott]

  While trucking manufacturing Cummins (NYSE: CMI) is hardly a sexy stock, fleets of environmentally friendly trucks will be essential for many world economies to remain competitive as they slowly make their way out of the last recession. The price of Cummins’ stock has increased more than five and a half times in two years, jumping from $19.09 on March 9, 2009 to $109.62 at the end of the first quarter this year. As world economies begin to improve, transportation companies will begin replacing trucks so that they can move higher volumes of products more efficiently, and Cummins will benefit.

Should I Invest in British Sky Broadcasting Group?

LONDON -- To me, capital growth and dividend income are equally important. Together, they provide the total return from any share investment and, as you might expect, my aim is to invest in companies that can beat the total return delivered by the wider market.

To put that aim into perspective, the FTSE 100 has provided investors with a total return of around 3% per annum since January 2008.

Quality and value
If my investments are to outperform, I need to back companies that score well on several quality indicators and buy at prices that offer decent value.

So this series aims to identify appealing FTSE 100 investment opportunities, and today I'm looking at British Sky Broadcasting Group  (LSE: BSY  ) , the satellite broadcasting company.

With the shares at 779 pence, BSkyB's market cap is 12,441 million pounds.

This table summarizes the firm's recent financial record:

Metric

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

Revenue (millions of pounds)	4,952	5,359	5,709	6,597	6,791
Net cash from operations (millions of pounds)	877	1,074	1,364	1,357	1,500
Adjusted earnings per share	25.1 pence	25.9 pence	32.1 pence	41.6 pence	50.8 pence
Dividend per share	16.75 pence	17.6 pence	19.4 pence	23.28 pence	25.4 pence

Year to June.

With revenue up 6% and adjusted operating profit up 9%, the recent three-quarter results reveal that BSkyB's multi-product approach is paying off. Positive outcomes include rapid growth in subscriptions to Internet-connected HD satellite TV boxes, up 35% to 2.3 million in the last quarter alone, and a 500% increase in year on year on-demand downloads to an average of 4.5 million a week.

The subscription model leads to reliable and repeatable cash flows as customers tend to stick with the service. Churn rates are as low as an annualized 10.8%, and around 34% of consumers take a full offering of TV, broadband and telephony services, up from 31% a year ago.

Such steady growth is encouraging and makes me optimistic about the company's ability to deliver decent investor total returns from here.

BSkyB's total-return potential

Let's examine five indicators to help judge the quality of the company's total-return potential:

1. Dividend cover: adjusted earnings covered last year's dividend twice. 4/5

2. Borrowings: net debt is around 1.5 times the level of operating profit. 4/5

3. Growth: revenue, earnings and cash flow have all grown steadily over the period. 5/5

4. Price to earnings: a forward 13 looks ahead of growth and yield expectations. 2/5

5. Outlook: good recent trading and an optimistic outlook. 4/5

Overall, I score BSkyB 19 out of 25, which encourages me to believe the firm has some potential to out-pace the wider market's total return, in the long run.

Foolish Summary
With under-control borrowings, decent dividend cover, a record of steady growth and an optimistic outlook, there are many positives. However, the valuation does look a little full so I'm keeping the shares on watch for the time being.

But a growth story uncovered by one of the Fool's top investment writers tempts me. He has put his money where his mouth is by investing and believes the share to be the "Motley Fool's Top Growth Share for 2013". You can discover how the company has reenvisioned itself to allow for tremendous growth along new horizons. Right now, the report is free and tells you exactly why our expert has invested in, and expects strong growth from, this changing company with a strong pedigree. To get your copy, click here.

Best Clean Energy Stocks To Buy For 2014

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has selected Engility Holdings (NYSE: EGL  ) to be part of a $400 million contract to develop "clean energy" solutions. Most of the work will be done for foreign countries.

On Wednesday, USAID named Engility a prime contractor under a contract to support renewable energy development in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Sudan, and Yemen. The effect of this kind of indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract is to authorize Engility to bid on -- but not guarantee that it will win -- individual task orders that will be issued under the contract over the next five years.

Task orders that Engility can now compete for include providing legal, regulatory, and corporate governance advice on energy sector reform, providing training in relation to energy services, and otherwise "fostering private sector participation and investment" in the clean energy sector. Demonstration projects involving clean energy may also be commissioned, aimed at helping to transition the targeted countries to a "low carbon development trajectory."

Best Clean Energy Stocks To Buy For 2014: Toyota Motor Corp Ltd Ord(TM)

Toyota Motor Corporation engages in the design, manufacture, assembly, and sale of passenger cars, minivans, and commercial vehicles. It offers conventional engine vehicles, including subcompact and compact cars under the Corolla, Yaris, micropremium iQ, Passo, Ractis, Vitz, and Etios brand names; mini-vehicles, passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, and auto parts under Toyota brand name; mid-size cars under the Camry, REIZ, Avensis, and Mark X brand names; luxury cars under the Lexus and Crown brands; Century limousine; sports cars under the Scion tC and Lexus brands; sport-utility vehicles under the Sequoia, 4Runner, RAV4, Highlander, FJ Cruiser, and Land Cruiser brands; pickup trucks under the Tacoma and Tundra brands; minivans under the Alphard, Vellfire, Corolla Verso, Wish, Hiace, Regius Ace, Estima, Noah, Voxy, Sienta, Isis, Passo Sette, and the Sienna brands; cabwagons; large, medium, and small trucks; and large, small, and micro-buses. The company also provides hybrid cars under Prius and Crown brands. In addition, it offers a range of financial services comprising retail financing, retail leasing, wholesale financing, and insurance; and credit cards and housing loans. Further, the company designs and manufactures prefabricated housing, as well as involves in the information technology related businesses, such as an e-commerce marketplace known as GAZOO.com; and sales promotions for KDDI communication related products, primarily the au brand. It sells its vehicles in approximately 170 countries and regions, including Japan, North America, Europe, and Asia. The company was founded in 1933 and is headquartered in Toyota City, Japan.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rahemtulla]

  Although the world’s largest automaker recently reported that its fourth-quarter net income fell 77%, its full-year profits of $4.7 billion were almost double last year’s tally, which is very impressive. Furthermore, the company announced that its production levels were recovering faster than expected from the March earthquake and were now expected to be 70% of pre-earthquake levels by June instead of its earlier April 22nd estimate of 50%. Rumors have been floating that production might actually get back up to 90% by June, but Toyota officials deny this.  

  The company has more than $43 billion in cash and trades at a low valuation of 11 times forward earnings and 0.5 times sales. If the world economy continues to grow, Toyota should benefit from the same strengthening consumer demand that I discussed in my article Ford Motor is Hitting on All Cylinders.

Best Clean Energy Stocks To Buy For 2014: Fidia(FDA.MI)

Fidia S.p.A produces integrated systems for the manufacture of complex forms, such as moulds, dies, prototypes, and aeronautical components. The company?s products include numerical controls for milling systems, computer-aided manufacturing software, and high-speed milling systems. It operates in the United States, Brazil, Germany, Spain, France, Russia, and China. The company was established in 1974 by Giuseppe Morfino. Fidia S.p.A. is headquartered in Turin, Italy.

Hot Undervalued Stocks To Watch For 2014: Argosy Minerals Inc (CUFS)

Argosy Minerals Limited engages in the acquisition and exploration of precious and base metal projects primarily in Africa. It holds an exploration license for an iron ore prospect in south-east Sierra Leone; and three exploration licenses for chromite prospects in Sierra Leone. The company was incorporated in 1985 and is based in Nedlands, Australia.

Best Clean Energy Stocks To Buy For 2014: Onstream Media Corporation(ONSM)

Onstream Media Corporation provides online services of live and on-demand corporate audio and Web communications, virtual event technology, and social media marketing primarily to corporate, education, and government customers in the United States. The company operates in two segments, Digital Media Services Group, and Audio and Web Conferencing Services Group. The Digital Media Services Group segment provides corporate-oriented and Web-based media services to the corporate market, including live audio and video Webcasting, and on-demand audio and video streaming for any business, government, and educational entities; and online subscription based service that comprises access to enabling technologies and features for clients to acquire, store, index, secure, manage, distribute, and transform digital assets into saleable commodities. This segment also offers a video ingestion and flash encoder that could be used by its clients on a stand-alone basis or in conjunction with the Digital Media Services Platform; and automated and manual encoding and editorial services for processing digital media, using technologies and processes that allow online search, retrieval, and streaming of media, including photos, videos, audio, engineering specs, architectural plans, and Web pages. The Audio and Web Conferencing Services Group segment provides reservationless and operator-assisted audio and Web conferencing services; and connectivity within the entertainment and advertising industries through its managed network, which encompasses production and post-production companies, advertisers, producers, directors, and talent. Onstream Media Corporation was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Pompano Beach, Florida.

9 Things to Know About Ball Stock

When looking for promising candidates for your stock portfolio, it's easy to just think about the prominent names of the day, such as Apple, Google, or ExxonMobil. But there are plenty of other possibilities, many of which have been under our noses for quite some time.

Permit me to introduce you to Ball Corp. (NYSE: BLL  ) , for example. It used to be more of a household name than it is today, but it's worth knowing about, as you might want to add some Ball stock to your portfolio. Why? Well, check this out: Ball stock has appreciated by roughly 18% over the past year. It has gained, on average, about 13.5% annually over the past 25 years, enough to turn $10,000 into almost $240,000.

To help you get to know the Ball company and Ball stock, I offer a few more tidbits below. If you like what you see, dig into it more deeply and consider adding it to your holdings or your watchlist.

The basics: Founded in 1880, Ball has been around for more than 130 years. It was started by five brothers, who borrowed $200 from an uncle. Adjusting for inflation, that would be north of $4,600 today. 
  The company first focused on making wood-covered tin cans to hold things such as paint and fuel, and was soon making tin containers and glass jars, many used for canning. Over the years, the company has been involved in more than 45 businesses.
  Based in Broomfield, Colo., today, Ball is no longer in the canning-jar business, but is a global company specializing in metal packaging -- for the food, beverage, and household products industries, as well as even the aerospace industry. It has about 14,500 workers, in more than 90 locations globally.
  In recent years, Ball became the largest supplier of aluminum slugs in the world and the largest supplier of beverage cans in the world, as well. In 2012, it raked in $8.7 billion, 74% of which came from global beverage cans.
  A peek at some of the characteristics of Ball stock via the company's financial statements reveals some lumpiness, with revenue and earnings growing over the past decade or so, but dipping a bit recently. It has been the same with free cash flow and net margins.
  The dividend yield of Ball stock may only be around 1.1%, but the company has been hiking that aggressively in recent years. The quarterly payout was $0.05 per share between 2004 and 2010, but after that it was soon $0.07, then $0.10, and early this year surged 30% to $0.13. Better still, its payout ratio is only about 21%, reflecting a lot of room for further growth.
  The valuation of Ball stock seems a bit of a mixed bag. Its recent price-to-earnings ratio, near 18, is a bit on the steep side for a company that isn't growing by leaps and bounds, but its forward P/E is 11.2, below its five-year average as well as the S&P 500's average.
  In recent news, Ball plans to close an Illinois food-can and aerosol-can plant this year, shifting some of that production to other plants. It will reduce overall production capacity, but make better use of its plants. It's also buying back some debt.

Ball stock is worth considering if you're looking for a solid long-term performer and dividend income (though the current yield remains on the small side). You might want to add it your watchlist and review it further.

Ball is not the only interesting company around, though, and many others offer fatter dividends right now. If you're on the lookout for high-yielding stocks, The Motley Fool has compiled a special free report outlining nine dependable dividend-paying stocks. It's called "Secure Your Future With 9 Rock-Solid Dividend Stocks." You can access your copy today at no cost. Just click here.

Hot Shipping Companies To Watch In Right Now

Investors sold off shares of Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN  ) after the company announced earnings results for first quarter of the year. Is this an opportunity for long-term investors to grab a stake in this growing business or head for the exits with the rest? Read on, and I'll outline two of the best reasons to add Amazon to your portfolio and one reason to sell.�

Buy reason No. 1: Amazon's Prime service
Amazon Prime members pay Amazon $79 a year for unlimited two-day shipping on most products. And the service is a hit -- making Amazon the go-to destination for millions of new customers, with no end to the breadth of products that can be shipped to them from its growing base of warehouses.�

While the company doesn't share member numbers, independent estimates peg subscribers at 10 million -- and rising fast.�

Hot Shipping Companies To Watch In Right Now: Access National Corp (ANCX)

Access National Corporation (ANC) operates as a bank holding company. The Company has two wholly owned subsidiaries: Access National Bank (the Bank) and Access National Capital Trust II. The Bank is the operating business of the Company. The Bank provides credit, deposit, and mortgage services to middle market commercial businesses and associated professionals, primarily in the greater Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area. The Bank offers a range of financial services and products and specializes in providing customized financial services to small and medium sized businesses, professionals, and associated individuals. The Bank provides its customers with personal customized service utilizing the latest technology and delivery channels. The Bank�� business is serving the credit, depository and cash management needs of businesses and associated professionals. The products and services offered by the Bank include accounts receivable lines of credit, accounts receivable collection accounts, growth capital term loans, business acquisition financing, online banking, checking accounts, money market accounts, sweep accounts, personal checking accounts, savings /money market accounts and certificates of deposit.

The Bank�� revenues are derived from interest and fees received in connection with loans, deposits, and investments. The Bank operates from five banking centers located in Chantilly, Tysons Corner, Reston, Leesburg and Manassas, Virginia and online at www.accessnationalbank.com. The Mortgage Corporation specializes in the origination of conforming and government insured residential mortgages to individuals in the greater Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area, the surrounding areas of its branch locations, outside of its local markets through direct mail solicitation, and otherwise. The Mortgage Corporation has offices throughout Virginia, in Fairfax, Reston, Roanoke, and McLean.

Lending Activities

The Bank�� lending activities involve commercial real estate loa! ns, residential mortgage loans, commercial loans, commercial and residential real estate construction loans, home equity loans, and consumer loans. These lending activities provide access to credit to small to medium sized businesses, professionals, and consumers in the greater Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area. Loans originated by the Bank are classified as loans held for investment. At December 31, 2011 loans held for investment totaled $569.4 million. At December 31, 2011 unsecured loans were comprised of $2.9 million in commercial loans and approximately $124 thousand in consumer loans and collectively equal approximately 0.5% of the loans held for investment portfolio.

The Bank�� commercial real estate loans-wner Occupied represented 30.14% of our loan portfolio held for investment, as of December 31, 2011. Its commercial real estate loans-non-owner occupied loans represent ed18.44% of its loan portfolio held for investment, as of December 31, 2011. The Bank�� residential real estate loans represented 22.56% of the loan portfolio, as of December 31, 2011.

These loans fall into one of three situations: loans supporting an owner occupied commercial property; properties used by non-profit organizations, such as churches or schools where repayment is dependent upon the cash flow of the non-profit organizations, and loans supporting a commercial property leased to third parties for investment. Its residential real estate loans category includes loans secured by first or second mortgages on one to four family residential properties, extended to the Bank clients.

As of December 31, 2011, commercial loans represented 23.15% of the Bank�� loan portfolio held for investment. These loans are to businesses or individuals within its market for business purposes. As of December 31, 2011, real estate construction loans consisted of 5.22% of loans held for investment loan portfolio. These loans include loans to construct owner occupied commercial buildings; l! oans to i! ndividuals; loans to builders for the purpose of acquiring property and constructing homes for sale to consumers, and loans to developers for the purpose of acquiring land, which is developed into finished lots for the ultimate construction of residential or commercial buildings. As of December 31, 2011, consumer loans made up approximately 0.49% of its loan portfolio.

Investment Activities

The Company�� investment securities portfolio is consisted of the United States Treasury securities, the United States Government Agency securities, municipal securities, Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) mutual fund, and mortgage backed securities issued by the United States Government sponsored agencies and corporate bonds. At December 31, 2011, securities totaled $85.8 million. . The securities portfolio is comprised of $45.8 million in securities classified as available-for-sale and $40.0 million in securities classified as held-to-maturity.

Sources of Funds

As of December 31, 2011, deposits totaled $645.0 million. As of December 31, 2011, deposits consisted of noninterest-bearing demand deposits in the amount of $113.9 million, savings and interest-bearing deposits in the amount of $182.0 million, and time deposits in the amount of $349.1 million. The Bank also uses wholesale funding or brokered deposits to supplement traditional customer deposits for liquidity. It participates in the Certificate of Deposit Account Registry Service (CDARS). Through CDARS its depositors are able to obtain FDIC insurance of up to $50 million. As of December 31, 2011, brokered deposits totaled $223,554,000, which includes $192,326,000 in reciprocal CDARS deposits. It also maintains lines of credit with the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) and Federal Reserve Bank (FRB). At December 31, 2011 there was $284.9 million available under these lines of credit. Borrowed funds consist of advances from the FHLB, senior unsecured term note, FHLB long-term borrowings, subordinated debentures (! trust pre! ferred), securities sold under agreement to repurchase, United States Treasury demand notes, federal funds purchased, and commercial paper. As of December 31, 2011 borrowed funds totaled $123.6 million. At December 31, 2011 borrowed funds totaled $70.9 million.

Hot Shipping Companies To Watch In Right Now: Unit Corporation(UNT)

Unit Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the contract drilling, oil and natural gas, and mid-stream businesses in the United States. The company?s Contract Drilling segment engages in land contract drilling of onshore oil and natural gas wells for oil and natural gas companies in Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Montana, and North Dakota. Its Oil and Natural Gas segment is involved in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of oil and natural gas properties located primarily in Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, and North Dakota, as well as in Arkansas, New Mexico, Wyoming, Montana, Alabama, Kansas, Mississippi, Michigan, Colorado, Pennsylvania, and a small portion in Canada. As of December 31, 2011, this segment had approximately 121 gross proved undeveloped wells. The company?s Mid-Stream segment buys, sells, gathers, processes, and treats natural gas. It operates 3 natural gas treatment plants, 10 operating processing plants, 35 active gathering systems, and 934 miles of pipeline in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. The company operates a fleet of 127 drilling rigs. Unit Corporation was founded in 1963 and is based in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Hot Insurance Companies To Buy Right Now: Jeffersonville Bancorp(JFBC)

Jeffersonville Bancorp operates as the holding company for The First National Bank of Jeffersonville, a national-chartered bank that provides a range of commercial banking services to individuals, businesses, and municipalities. The company accepts various types of deposit products, including demand deposit accounts, interest-bearing transaction accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts, certificates of deposit, and individual retirement accounts. It also offers residential real estate, commercial real estate, commercial business, consumer, and agricultural loans. The company serves customers in the Sullivan County, New York, as well as in some areas of adjacent counties in New York and Pennsylvania. As of December 31, 2010, it operated 11 branch offices in Bloomingburg, Eldred, Liberty, Loch Sheldrake, Monticello, Livingston Manor, Narrowsburg, Callicoon, Wurtsboro, White Lake, and Monticello. The company was founded in 1913 and is headquartered in Jeffersonville, New York.

Apple Needs to Change the Narrative

Hot Quality Companies To Buy For 2014

LONDON -- To me, capital growth and dividend income are equally important. Together, they provide the total return from any share investment and, as you might expect, my aim is to invest in companies that can beat the total return delivered by the wider market.

To put that aim into perspective, the FTSE 100 has provided investors with a total return of around 3% per annum since January 2008.

Quality and value
If my investments are to outperform, I need to back companies that score well on several quality indicators, and buy at prices that offer decent value.

So, this series aims to identify appealing FTSE 100 investment opportunities, and today ,I'm looking at Tesco (LSE: TSCO  ) (NASDAQOTH: TSCDY  ) , the well-known supermarket chain.

With the shares at 366 pence, Tesco's market cap. is 29,520 million pounds.

Hot Quality Companies To Buy For 2014: Affirmative Insurance Holdings Inc.(AFFM)

Affirmative Insurance Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates as a distributor and producer of non-standard personal automobile insurance policies and related products and services for individual consumers in the United States. It offers liability-only policies that comprise bodily injury liability coverage, property damage liability coverage, and personal injury protection coverage and/or medical payment coverage. The company also provides full coverage policies, which include collision coverage for damage to the insured vehicle as a result of a collision with another vehicle or object; comprehensive coverage for damages to the insured vehicle as a result of theft, hail, and vandalism; and optional coverages, such as towing, rental reimbursement, and special equipment. In addition, Affirmative Insurance Holdings, Inc. sells third-party non-standard personal automobile insurance policies; and complementary insurance products underwritten by third-party insurance companies, including homeowners and renters insurance, motorcycle and recreational vehicle coverage, vehicle protection, and travel protection; and non-insurance products and services, which comprise towing, motor club memberships, hospital indemnity insurance, and bond cards. Affirmative Insurance Holdings, Inc. distributes its products through independent agencies, unaffiliated underwriting agencies, and retail agencies, as well as through premium finance companies. The company was formerly known as Instant Insurance Holdings, Inc. Affirmative Insurance Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1998 and is based in Addison, Texas.

Hot Quality Companies To Buy For 2014: China Precision Steel Inc.(CPSL)

China Precision Steel, Inc. engages in the manufacture and sale of high precision cold-rolled steel products primarily in the People?s Republic of China. Its products include high strength and ultra-thin cold-rolled precision steel coils and sheets with reduced thickness ranging from 7.5 mm to 0.03 mm comprising low carbon steel used in steel roofing, food packaging, dry batteries, electronic devices, and kitchen tools; and high carbon steel for automobile parts and components, grinding pieces, saw blades, and weaving needles, as well as for use in microelectronics. The company also provides steel processing for tailor made cold rolled steel products; and heat treatment, and cutting and slitting of medium and high-carbon hot-rolled steel strips not exceeding 7.5 mm thickness. It sells its products to components manufactures and directly to the end-users in China; and exports to Indonesia, Thailand, the Caribbean, Nigeria, and Ethiopia. China Precision Steel, Inc. is headq uartered in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong.

10 Best Recreation Stocks To Buy For 2014: Centurion Minerals Ltd (CTN.V)

Centurion Minerals Ltd., an exploration stage company, focused on the procurement, exploration, and development of mineral properties in Indonesia. The company explores for gold, copper, and other precious metals projects. Its principal properties of interest include the Halimon property, which covers an area of 10,000 hectares; the Banda Raya property that covers an area of 10,000 hectares; and the Badak property, which covers an area of approximately 10,000 hectares, located in the Aceh Province, Northern Sumatra, Indonesia. The company also holds interests in the Menawan Property that covers an area of approximately 10,000 hectares; the Jimeu Property, which covers an area of 10,000 hectares; and the Sable Property that covers an area of approximately 23,500 hectares located in Aceh, northern Sumatra, Indonesia. The company has a strategic alliance with PT Titan Metals. Centurion Minerals Ltd. was incorporated in 2005 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Hot Quality Companies To Buy For 2014: Prime Minerals Ltd(PIM.AX)

Prime Minerals Limited engages in the exploration and evaluation of mineral resources. It primarily explores for uranium. The company owns 100% interest in the Lake Mason project consisting of four exploration licenses and the Bolitho Bore uranium prospect. The company operates in Australia, Greenland, Africa, Canada, Bulgaria, and the United States. Prime Minerals Limited is based in West Perth, Australia.

Hot Quality Companies To Buy For 2014: W.P. Carey & Co. LLC(WPC)

W. P. Carey & Co. LLC, together with its subsidiaries, provides long-term sale-leaseback and build-to-suit transactions for companies worldwide and manages a global investment portfolio. It invests primarily in commercial properties that are each triple-net leased to single corporate tenants, which requires each tenant to pay substantially all of the costs associated with operating and maintaining the property. The company also operates as an advisor to publicly owned, non-actively traded real estate investment trusts, which are sponsored by it under the Corporate Property Associates brand name, as well as invests in similar properties. As of March 31, 2010, its portfolio comprised full or partial ownership interest in 167 properties that totaled approximately 14 million square feet. W. P. Carey & Co. LLC was founded in 1973 and is based in New York, New York.

Top Forestry Companies To Buy For 2014

A couple of weeks ago, up-for-sale PC purveyor Dell (NASDAQ: DELL  ) offered Carl Icahn and Icahn Enterprises (NASDAQ: IEP  ) $25 million to play nice in its bid for the company. The move was an olive branch from Dell's board, wisely trying to avoid a proxy battle involving the company's already frustrated shareholders and other potential suitors, including founder Michael Dell. Though he didn't take the bribe, Icahn and Dell reached an agreement -- a sort of Rules of Engagement for the buyout procedure. The deal should protect investors, while still enabling the board to shop the company to the best bidder. Here's what you need to know.

Say uncle
Carl Icahn is well known for pushing corporate board buttons to get what he wants -- it's kind of how he built his empire. The investor builds formidable stakes in his target companies to influence other shareholders and, ultimately, the company decision makers.

Top Forestry Companies To Buy For 2014: First Interstate BancSystem Inc.(FIBK)

First Interstate BancSystem, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for First Interstate Bank that provides commercial and consumer banking services. Its deposit products include checking, savings, time, and demand deposits; and repurchase agreements primarily for commercial and municipal depositors. The company?s loan portfolio consists of a mix of real estate, consumer, commercial, agricultural, and other loans, including fixed and variable rate loans. Its real estate loans comprise commercial real estate, construction, residential, agricultural, and other real estate loans. The company also provides a range of trust, employee benefit, investment management, insurance, agency, and custodial services to individuals, businesses, and nonprofit organizations. These services include the administration of estates and personal trusts; management of investment accounts for individuals, employee benefit plans, and charitable foundations; and insurance planning. It serves indi viduals, businesses, municipalities, and other entities in various industries, including energy, healthcare and professional services, education and governmental services, construction, mining, agriculture, retail and wholesale trade, and tourism. The company operates 72 banking offices in 42 communities located in Montana, Wyoming, and western South Dakota. First Interstate BancSystem, Inc. was incorporated in 1971 and is headquartered in Billings, Montana.

Top Forestry Companies To Buy For 2014: Dole Food Company Inc(DOLE)

Dole Food Company, Inc. engages in sourcing, growing, processing, marketing, and distributing fresh fruits and vegetables, and food products to wholesale, retail, and institutional customers worldwide. It operates in three segments: Fresh Fruit, Fresh Vegetables, and Packaged Foods. The Fresh Fruit segment involves in growing and selling bananas under the DOLE brand name primarily in North America, Europe, and Asia; ripening and distributing DOLE and non-DOLE branded fresh produce in Europe; growing, sourcing, and selling fresh pineapples under the DOLE TROPICAL GOLD label; and exporting Chilean fruits, including grapes, apples, pears, stone fruits, and kiwifruits primarily to North America, Latin America, and Europe. The Fresh Vegetables segment engages in sourcing, harvesting, cooling, distributing, and marketing various fresh and fresh-cut vegetables, including iceberg lettuce, red and green leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, butter lettuce, celery, cauliflower, broccoli, c arrots, Brussels sprouts, green onions, asparagus, snow peas, artichokes, and radishes, as well as fresh strawberries and raspberries. This segment also processes and markets value-added vegetable products, such as packaged salads and packaged fresh-cut vegetables. The Packaged Foods segment produces and markets canned pineapples, canned pineapple juice, fruit juice concentrate, fruit parfaits, snack foods, and frozen fruits, as well as fruits in plastic cups, jars, and pouches. Its principal customers include mass merchandisers and supermarkets. Dole Food Company, Inc. was founded in 1851 and is based in Westlake Village, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Portfolio Grader]

  Dole Food (NYSE:DOLE) is bettering its rating of C (“hold”) from last week to a B (“buy”) this week. Dole Food is engaged in producing, marketing and distributing of fresh fruit and fresh vegetables, including an expanding line of value-added products. In Portfolio Grader’s specific subcategory of Cash Flow, DOLE also gets an A. The stock price has risen 15.2% over the past month, better than the 3.3% increase the S&P 500 has seen over the same period of time. 

• [By Quickel]

  Dole Food(DOLE) has been downgraded by TheStreet Ratings from hold to sell. The company's weaknesses can be seen in multiple areas, such as its generally weak debt management, disappointing return on equity and poor profit margins.

  Dole Food Company, Inc. engages in sourcing, growing, processing, marketing, and distributing fresh fruits and vegetables, and food products to wholesale, retail, and institutional customers worldwide. It operates in three segments: Fresh Fruit, Fresh Vegetables, and Packaged Foods. Dole Food Co has a market cap of $889.6 million and is part of the consumer goods sector and food & beverage industry. Shares are down 27.4% year to date as of the close of trading on Wednesday.

Top Communications Equipment Companies To Watch In Right Now: Knightsbridge Tankers Limited(VLCCF)

Knightsbridge Tankers Limited, through its subsidiaries, engages in the seaborne transportation of crude oil and dry bulk cargoes worldwide. The company?s customers include oil companies, tanker companies, dry bulk companies, petroleum products traders, government agencies, and other entities. As of September 6, 2011, it owned and operated a fleet of four double-hull very large crude carriers, and four Capesize dry bulk carriers. The company was founded in 1996 and is based in Hamilton, Bermuda.

Top Forestry Companies To Buy For 2014: Reed Elsevier(REL.L)

Reed Elsevier PLC provides professional information solutions worldwide. The company?s Elsevier segment offers scientific, technical, and medical information solutions. This segment publishes science and technology research articles and book titles; and abstract and citation database of research literature, as well as offers information and workflow tools that help researchers generate insights in the advancement of scientific discovery. The Elsevier segment also provides medical journals, books, reference works, databases, and online information tools to medical researchers, doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, students, hospitals, research institutions, health insurers, managed healthcare organizations, and pharmaceutical companies. Its LexisNexis Risk Solutions segment offers data and analytics for the insurance industry; risk management, identity verification, fraud detection, credit risk management, and compliance solutions for financial institutions; invest igative solutions; and employment-related, resident and volunteer screening services. The company?s Lexisnexis Legal and Professional segment provides legal, tax, regulatory, and business information solutions. Its Reed Exhibitions segment organizes exhibitions and conferences for the broadcasting, TV, music, and entertainment; building and construction; electronics and electrical engineering; alternative energy, oil, and gas; engineering, manufacturing, and processing; gifts; interior design; IT and telecoms; jewelry; life sciences and pharmaceuticals; marketing; property and real estate; sports and recreation; and travel sectors. The company?s Reed Business Information segment provides data services, information, and marketing solutions to business professionals; produces industry critical data services, lead generation tools, and online community and job sites; and publishes business magazines. Reed Elsevier PLC was founded in 1894 and is based in London, the United Kin gdom.

Top Forestry Companies To Buy For 2014: Texas Instruments Incorporated(TXN)

Texas Instruments Incorporated engages in the design and sale of semiconductors to electronics designers and manufacturers worldwide. The company?s Analog segment offers high-performance analog products comprising standard analog semiconductors, such as amplifiers, data converters, and interface semiconductors; high-volume analog and logic products; and power management semiconductors and line-powered systems. Its Embedded Processing segment includes DSPs that perform mathematical computations to process and enhance digital data; and microcontrollers, which are designed to control a set of specific tasks for electronic equipment. The company?s Wireless segment designs, manufactures, and sells application processors and connectivity products. Its Other segment offers smaller semiconductor products, which include DLP products that are primarily used in projectors to create high-definition images; and application-specific integrated circuits. This segment also provides handhe ld graphing and scientific calculators, as well as licenses technologies to other electronic companies. The company serves the communications, computing, industrial, consumer electronics, automotive, and education sectors. Texas Instruments Incorporated sells its products through a direct sales force, distributors, and third-party sales representatives. It has collaboration agreements with PLX Technology Inc.; Neonode, Inc.; and Ubiquisys Ltd. The company was founded in 1938 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Fabian]

  Texas Instruments investment returned 46.3% during the past year. The amount of investment is $403 Million. Miller reduced his TXN holdings by 25% during the last quarter of 2010. Since then the stock returned 11.1%. David Tepper also bought TXN during the third quarter.

• [By Paul Goodwin]  

  How do they make their money? TXN makes the PA Duplexer Module and the CDMA PA that goes into every iPhone. With a PEG ratio of 0.2 reveals huge discount compared to peers. This is a cash rich company and one I feel will be a strong performer within the next year.

Top Forestry Companies To Buy For 2014: Pro-Dex Inc.(PDEX)

Pro-Dex, Inc. engages in the development and manufacture of technology-based solutions. The company designs, develops, and manufactures powered surgical devices for the medical device and dental industries. It also provides fractional horsepower motors for aerospace, medical, and military applications; and motion control software and hardware products for industrial and scientific applications. In addition, the company offers dental products primarily to original equipment manufacturers and dental product distributors; and multi-axis motion controllers. It markets its products to hospitals, dental offices, medical engineering labs, commercial and military aircraft, scientific research facilities, and high tech manufacturing operations worldwide. Pro-Dex, Inc. was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in Irvine, California.

Bank of America Case Burns JPMorgan Chase

In the swirl of lawsuits facing the big banks over mortgage-backed securities, things can change seemingly on a daily basis. A recent example can be found in the sudden settlement between Bank of America (NYSE: BAC  ) and mortgage insurer MBIA (NYSE: MBI  ) , a squabble that had been brewing for some time, with no apparent end in sight.

Now, a suit AIG (NYSE: AIG  )  is pursuing against B of A has opened up a can of worms for peer JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM  ) , as the judge in the latter case has cited the former litigation as proof that he had no jurisdiction to throw out claims by Dexia that MBSes it bought from Bear Stearns, Washington Mutual, and, on its own and as purchaser of those two entities, JPMorgan.

Venue change makes all the difference
The change stems from the fact that a New York appeals court is allowing the larger AIG v. Bank of America suit to be heard in state, rather than federal court. In the Dexia case, the judge used the Edge Act, which makes a distinction between domestic and foreign banking activities, to throw out the bulk of Dexia's case against JPMorgan.

But AIG's tenacity in its mission to recoup some of its crisis-era losses has spurred the megainsurer to push its case concerning $10 billion of crummy MBSes against B of A, despite a supposed vow to the latter by the New York Fed that the bank would not be responsible for such claims.

The decision to move the AIG case to a state rather than a federal venue was a big win for the insurer, and a blow to B of A. Now this complaint is proving to be a problem for JPMorgan, too.

Just the beginning?
Though the Dexia v. JPMorgan lititgation involves a small number of disputed securities -- 65 in all -- with a relatively small overall value of $774 million, this case is obviously important. At the time of the original ruling, the decision was hailed as a boon to big banks, which would now be considered immune from similar lawsuits.

JPMorgan apparently saw the suit as significant, as well, or it would not have put such time and effort into fighting it; given its small size, it surely would have been much cheaper to settle. Unfortunately for the big banks, this litigation news looks like the well-worn road of toxic MBS lawsuits just got a lot longer.

With big finance firms still trading at deep discounts to their historic norms, investors everywhere are wondering if this is the new normal, or if finance stocks are a screaming buy today. The answer depends on the company, so to help figure out whether JPMorgan is a buy today, check out The Motley Fool's premium research report on the company. Click here now for instant access!

A Berkshire Bear in Omaha

Shareholders at the Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-B  ) annual meeting saw a unique sight: Warren Buffett invited Doug Kass -- a certified Berkshire short-seller -- to ask tough questions throughout the day. Motley Fool analysts Joe Magyer and Rex Moore, who were in Omaha, offer their thoughts on the bear experiment.

Thanks to the savvy of investing legend Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway's book value per share has grown a mind-blowing 586,817% over the past 48 years. But with Buffett aging and Berkshire rapidly evolving, is this insurance conglomerate still a buy today? In The Motley Fool's premium report on the company, Berkshire expert Joe Magyer provides investors with key reasons to buy as well as important risks to watch out for. Click here now for instant access to Joe's take on Berkshire!

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More Expert Advice from The Motley Fool

The Motley Fool's chief investment officer has selected his No. 1 stock for the next year. Find out which stock in our brand-new free report: "The Motley Fool's Top Stock for 2013." I invite you to take a copy, free for a limited time. Just click here to access the report and find out the name of this under-the-radar company.

5 Best Cheap Stocks To Invest In 2014

In this video, history is made when both Matt Koppenheffer and David Hanson agree on an investment thesis: They agree that Markel is the superior investment for a 20-year time span rather than Bank of America. Markel, they note, is a great company that consistently grows profits and book value. Bank of America, meanwhile, is trading cheap, and it may be a good investment for five years, but for a 20-year time frame, it's not a proven great company. Matt and David say they'd like to see more tangible evidence of improved business performance�at Bank of America before recommending it as a long-term investment.

Bank of America's stock doubled in 2012. Is there more yet to come? With significant challenges still ahead, it's critical to have a solid understanding of this megabank before adding it to your portfolio. In The Motley Fool's premium research report on B of A, Matt joins analyst Anand Chokkavelu, CFA, to lift the veil on the bank's operations, including detailing three reasons to buy and three reasons to sell. Click here now to claim your copy.

5 Best Cheap Stocks To Invest In 2014: MEDIWARE Information Systems Inc.(MEDW)

Mediware Information Systems, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, development, and marketing of software solutions targeting specific processes within healthcare institutions. The company offers software systems consisting of company's proprietary application software, and third-party licensed software and hardware. It licenses, implements, and supports clinical and performance management, blood donor, and blood and biologic management products in the United States; and medication management solutions in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and South Africa. The company?s blood and biologics management solutions include HCLL Transfusion and HCLL Donor, which address blood donor recruitment, blood processing, and transfusion activities for hospitals and medical centers; BloodSafe suite of hardware and software that enable healthcare facilities to store, monitor, distribute, and track blood products; LifeTrak software for blood centers; a nd BiologiCare, a bone, tissue, and cellular product tracking software. Its medication management products comprise WORx, a pharmacy information system to manage inpatient and outpatient pharmacy operations; MediCOE, a physician order entry module; MediMAR, a nurse point-of-care administration and bedside documentation module; MediREC, which assists in achieving compliance with a Joint Commission mandate; and pharmacy management and electronic prescribing systems. The company?s performance management products include InSight software that tracks performance metrics to assist healthcare managers to manage performance. It also provides software installation and maintenance services, as well as billing and collection services to home infusion and home/durable medical equipment markets. The company markets its products primarily through its direct sales force. Mediware Information Systems, Inc. was founded in 1970 and is headquartered in Lenexa, Kansas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Stuart]

  Mediware Information Systems(MEDW), which has a market value of $88 million, sells blood- and biologics-management products and services to hospitals, surgery centers and other health-care facilities. The stock is down nearly 13% in the past three months, but the company has released little news. The stock is thinly traded, with only 17,000 shares of average daily volume, and with only 8 million shares outstanding, it doesn't take much to move the needle.

  Despite the drop in price, management reported impressive results in the most recent quarter, with revenue and earnings up 7% and 57%, respectively, from a year earlier. Mediware should continue to benefit from government stimulus money earmarked to improve health-care technology over the next few years.

  CEO Kelly Mann, formerly with 3M's(MMM) health-information division, has made great strides since his arrival nearly four years ago. Return on equity has improved to 10%, up from the low single digits three years ago.

  From a valuation standpoint, the shares look cheap, trading at just 6 times trailing EV/EBITDA and 15 times forward earnings. Plus, Mediware has no long-term debt and $30 million in cash. TheStreet Ratings has a $15 price target on Mediware.

5 Best Cheap Stocks To Invest In 2014: MetroPCS Communications Inc.(PCS)

MetroPCS Communications, Inc., a wireless telecommunications carrier, together with its subsidiaries, provides wireless broadband mobile services in the United States. Its services include voice services, such as local, domestic long distance, and international call services; and data services, including domestic and international text messaging, multimedia messaging, mobile Internet access, mobile instant messaging, location based services, social networking services, push e-mail, and multimedia streaming and downloads, as well as services provided through the binary runtime environment for wireless (BREW), Blackberry, Windows, and the Android platforms, including ringtones, ring back tones, games, and content applications. The company also offers custom calling features consisting of caller ID, call waiting, three-way calling, and voicemail services. In addition, it sells mobile handsets. The company offers its products and services under the MetroPCS brand name, directl y through the company-operated retail stores and indirectly through independent retail outlets, as well as through Internet. As of December 31, 2010, it served approximately 8.1 million subscribers, as well as operated 159 retail stores primarily in the metropolitan areas of Atlanta, Boston, Dallas/Fort Worth, Detroit, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Orlando/Jacksonville, Philadelphia, Sacramento, San Francisco, and Tampa/Sarasota. The company is headquartered in Richardson, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Larry Gellar]

  Although this company is known in some circles for its poor phone service, PCS stock has seen some serious gains in the past 12 months. In fact, look for this trend to continue when earnings are announced on August 2. Much smaller than AT&T (T) and Verizon (VZ), MetroPCS best compares with Sprint Nextel (S). With an operating margin of 16.79 compared with Sprint Nextel’s 0.15%, it’s clear that MetroPCS is better suited for future growth. Gross margin and PEG are also favorable for MetroPCS, currently 42.69% and 1.36 respectively. For another great Seeking Alpha article on cell phone companies, consider reading this. Perhaps the most important point raised is that Sprint Nextel’s purchases of Virgin Mobile and Boost Mobile pose a serious threat to MetroPCS. These companies will fight MetroPCS for the low-end cell phone market and may come out on top due to incr easing problems with MetroPCS’s call quality. Essentially, MetroPCS’s problem is that although it offers unlimited talk, text, and web, these features don’t actually work very well. The future success of this company is highly dependent on an improvement in quality as existing customers continue to get fed up. Luckily for MetroPCS, Sprint seems to be having a setback with its 4G service.

Best Trucking Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Global Payments Inc.(GPN)

Global Payments Inc. provides electronic transaction processing services for merchants, independent sales organizations (ISO), financial institutions, government agencies, and multi-national corporations located in the United States, Canada, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. It offers a comprehensive line of processing solutions for credit and debit cards; business-to-business purchasing cards; gift cards; and electronic check conversion and check guarantee, verification, and recovery, including electronic check services, as well as terminal management. The company also offers proprietary software products to establish revolving check cashing limits for the casinos? customers in the gaming industry. In addition, it sells, installs, and services automated teller machine and point of sale terminals; and provides card issuing services, including card management and card personalization. The company markets its products directly, as well as through ISOs, retail outlets, tra de associations, alliance bank relationships, and financial institutions. Global Payments Inc. has a joint venture with La Caixa Group to provide merchant acquiring services to merchants in Spain. Global Payments Inc. was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Vatalyst]

  Global Payments (GPN) common stock currently trades at a price earnings ratio of 15.9, slightly above its 10 year median of 15. The price to book ratio is 2.92. Its price to cash flow ratio sits at 10.7.

5 Best Cheap Stocks To Invest In 2014: Advance Auto Parts Inc(AAP)

Advance Auto Parts, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates as a retailer of automotive aftermarket parts, accessories, batteries, and maintenance items. It operates in two segments, Advance Auto Parts (AAP) and Autopart International (AI). The AAP segment operates stores, which primarily offer auto parts, including alternators, batteries, chassis parts, clutches, engines and engine parts, radiators, starters, transmissions, and water pumps; accessories comprising floor mats, mirrors, vent shades, MP3 and cell phone accessories, and seat and steering wheel covers; chemicals consisting of antifreeze, freon, fuel additives, and car washes and waxes; and oil and other automotive petroleum products. This segment also provides battery and wiper installation, battery charging, check engine light reading, electrical system testing, video clinics and project brochures, loaner tool programs, and oil and battery recycling services; and sells its products through online. The AI segm ent operates stores that offer replacement parts for domestic and imported cars, and light trucks to customers in northeast and mid-Atlantic regions, as well as to warehouse distributors and jobbers in North America. As of January 1, 2011, the company operated 3,369 AAP stores, including 3,343 stores located in the northeastern, southeastern, and Midwestern regions of the United States under the Advance Auto Parts and Advance Discount Auto Parts trade names; 26 stores situated in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands under the Advance Auto Parts and Western Auto trade names; and 194 stores under the Autopart International trade name in the United States. It serves do-it-yourself, do-it-for-me, or commercial customers. The company was founded in 1929 and is based in Roanoke, Virginia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Vatalyst]

  Advance Auto Parts (AAP) is the second largest parts retailer in the U.S. The common stock currently trades at a price to earnings ratio sits at 12.5, below its historical average of 16 and industry average of 15.7.

  Typical of Wall Street short term thinking, the madding crowd fled this stock in May, due to weak first quarter 2011 comparable store sales gain of 1.4% versus an 8.9% gain during December 2010. Price to book ratio is 4.57 whilst price to cash flow sits at 7.70, well below the industry average of 11.2.

5 Best Cheap Stocks To Invest In 2014: Cardero Resource Corporation(CDY)

Cardero Resource Corp., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties in Mexico, Peru, Argentina, the United States, and Canada. The company holds a 75% interest in the Carbon Creek deposit, a metallurgical coal development project located in the Peace River Coal Field of northeast British Columbia, Canada. It also has an option to acquire 100% interest in the Pampa El Toro project, an iron sands deposit, located in southern Peru; option to acquire up to an 85% interest in the Longnose property in St. Louis county, northeastern Minnesota; and 100% leasehold interest in the Titac property, located in St. Louis county, northeastern Minnesota. The company was formerly known as Sun Devil Gold Corp. and changed its name to Cardero Resource Corp. in May 1999. Cardero Resource Corp. was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Louis]

  Cardero Resource Corp.(CDY) is down about 18% since the start of 2011, but shares are still up 50% in the past six months. Currently at $1.80, this mineral exploration company is a penny stock worth buying with a 52-week range of $1 to $2.37.

Best Restaurant Stocks For 2014

NEW YORK (AP) -- PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP  ) says it plans to start testing a new fountain machine at restaurants that lets people create a variety of flavor combinations, such as strawberry Mountain Dew.

The test follows Coca-Cola's (NYSE: KO  ) introduction in 2009 of its Freestyle machine, which also lets customers touch a screen to pick from a wide array of flavor combinations. PepsiCo's test is set to begin at five restaurants in Denver next week.

Gina Anderson, a spokeswoman for PepsiCo, said the "Touch Tower" machines let people add up to four flavor shots -- lemon, cherry, strawberry, or vanilla -- to eight varieties of drinks. That means people could create drinks like strawberry Pepsi or lemon Mountain Dew.

She said the company has other tests planned and that the "Touch Tower" being introduced in Denver is the first in a series. The test was first reported by the industry tracker Beverage Digest.

Best Restaurant Stocks For 2014: Compliance Energy Corporation (CEC.V)

Compliance Energy Corporation engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral resource properties in Canada. The company�s primarily holds interest in approximately 31,000 hectares of coal rights on Vancouver Island, Canada, where the focuses on developing the Raven Underground Coal Project of which it holds a 60% interest. The company also holds various mineral exploration properties totaling approximately 24,000 hectares on Vancouver Island. Compliance Energy Corporation is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Best Restaurant Stocks For 2014: Spectrum Brands Holdings Inc.(SPB)

Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a consumer products company worldwide. It offers consumer batteries, including alkaline and zinc carbon batteries, rechargeable batteries and chargers, and hearing aid batteries and other specialty batteries; pet supplies, such as aquatic equipment and supplies, dog and cat treats, small animal foods, clean up and training aids, health and grooming products, and beddings; and home and garden control products comprising household insect controls, insect repellents, and herbicides. The company also provides electric shaving and grooming devices; small appliances, including small kitchen appliances and home product appliances; electric personal care and styling devices; and portable lighting. Its sells its products through various trade channels, including retailers, wholesalers and distributors, hearing aid professionals, industrial distributors, and original equipment manufacturers primarily under t he Rayovac, Remington, Varta, George Foreman, Black & Decker, Toastmaster, Farberware, Tetra, Marineland, Nature?s Miracle, Dingo, 8-in-1, Littermaid, Spectracide, Cutter, Repel, Hot Shot, Black Flag, and TAT brands. The company was headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin. As of January 7, 2011, Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Harbinger Group Inc.

Top 10 Dow Dividend Stocks To Own For 2014: Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ANZ)

Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (ANZ) provides a range of banking and financial products and services to retail, small business, corporate and institutional clients. The Company conducts its operations in Australia, New Zealand and the Asia Pacific region. It also operates in a range of other countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States. The Company operates on a divisional structure with Australia, International and Institutional Banking (IIB), New Zealand, and Global Wealth and Private Banking. As of September 30, 2012, the Company had 1,337 branches and other points of representation worldwide, excluding automatic teller machines (ATMs). In September 2012, it sold its remaining shareholding in Visa Inc. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dale Gillham]

  ANZ's chart shows a similar story to the financial sector chart, with ANZ moving up from its low around $17.50 in 2011 to trade sideways between $20.00 and $22.00. The first positive sign indicating the pendulum may have shifted to favouring equities occurred when ANZ broke through a trend line and created a potential entry in mid-October 2011. This opportunity was only for short-term traders as there was the risk from very strong overhead resistance at around $22.00 for it to turn down again.

  In November 2011 ANZ fell sharply, which suggested it was more likely to continue falling than to rise. However, since then it has shown some resilience and risen again to challenge $22.00. How it reacts here is important and illustrates why investors need to stay alert. While ANZ holds above $20.31 the likelihood for a continuation of the recent rise increases, and for ANZ to achieve a 10 per cent return in a few months.

   

Best Restaurant Stocks For 2014: Digital Ally Inc.(DGLY)

Digital Ally, Inc. engages in the production and sale of digital video imaging, audio/video recording, storage, and other products for use in law enforcement and security applications. Its digital audio/video recording and storage product line comprises an in-car digital audio/video system that is integrated into a rear view mirror; an all-weather mobile digital audio/video system designed for motorcycle, ATV, and boat uses; a miniature body-worn digital audio/video camera; a hand-held speed detection system based on light detection and ranging (LIDAR); a hand-held thermal imaging camera used for improved night vision; and a digital audio/video system, which is integrated into a law-enforcement style flashlight. The company?s products make self-contained video and audio recordings onto flash memory cards that are incorporated in the body of the digital video rear view mirror, officer-worn video, and audio system and flashlight. Digital Ally, Inc. sells its products to law enforcement agencies and other security organizations, as well as for consumer and commercial applications through direct sales and third-party distributors. The company is based in Overland Park, Kansas.

Why Advanced Micro Devices Shares Plunged

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 Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD  ) have plunged today by as much as 16% after an analyst downgrade.

So what: Goldman Sachs analyst James Covello dropped his rating on AMD from "neutral" to "sell," believing that the recent rally is overdone and shares will return from whence they came. Through yesterday's close, shares had gained a whopping 55% month to date, largely on hopes that it would benefit greatly from powering next-generation video game consoles like Microsoft's next Xbox, which is set to be detailed later this month.

Now what: Covello believes that investors are being to optimistic regarding AMD's gaming prospects, noting that similar gaming-related rallies have occurred in the past and subsequently faded. Continued weakness in the PC market would offset any upside related to gaming consoles. The analyst has a $2.50 price target, which implies roughly 43% downside and is around where shares were valued before May's sharp rally.

Interested in more info on Advanced Micro Devices? Add it to your watchlist by clicking here.

It's incredible to think just how much of our digital and technological lives are almost entirely shaped and molded by just a handful of companies. Find out "Who Will Win the War Between the 5 Biggest Tech Stocks?" in The Motley Fool's latest free report, which details the knock-down, drag-out battle being waged by the five kings of tech. Click here to keep reading.