5 Best Healthcare Equipment Stocks To Own Right Now

There's hardly any certainty in the market, but even I have to admit it's become almost comical that the Nasdaq Composite�has hit a new high (including intraday highs) in 17 straight sessions while the broad-based S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC  ) has now risen 19 consecutive Tuesdays. It's an odd pattern, but certainly one that's allowed traders to build upon this year's incredible gains.

Today, yet again, without a lack of important economic data, leadership from some of the nation's biggest companies helped drive the S&P 500 higher. Particularly, home-improvement retail chain Home Depot (NYSE: HD  ) jumped nearly 3% after reporting better-than-expected first-quarter results and raising its full-year outlook. Home Depot finds itself in the sweet spot with commercial construction rebounding and many homeowners still well underwater in their homes and looking to remodel. It's certainly a company you can trust moving forward.

5 Best Healthcare Equipment Stocks To Own Right Now: Mediterranean Res Ltd(MNR.TO)

Mediterranean Resources Ltd. engages in locating, acquiring, exploring, and developing mineral resource properties in Turkey. It primarily explores for gold, and base and precious metals. The company, through its subsidiary, Akdeniz Resources Madencilik A.S., owns a 100% interest in the Yusufeli gold properties, including the Tac, Corak, Celtik, and Cevreli properties covering 11,310 hectares located in the province of Artvin. The company was formerly known as Mediterranean Minerals Corp. and changed its name to Mediterranean Resources Ltd. in December 2005. Mediterranean Resources Ltd. was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

5 Best Healthcare Equipment Stocks To Own 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.

Top 5 Value Stocks To Invest In Right Now: The First of Long Island Corporation(FLIC)

The First of Long Island Corporation operates as a bank holding company for The First National Bank of Long Island that provides various financial services. It offers various deposit products, including checking, money market, savings, escrow service and interest on lawyer, time deposit, NOW, rent security, holiday club, and individual retirement accounts. The company?s loan portfolio consists of commercial and industrial loans; residential and commercial mortgage loans; home equity loans and lines; multifamily loans; construction loans; consumer loans, such as auto and home improvement loans, personal loans, overdraft checking lines, and credit cards; commercial loans, which include short-term business loans, term and installment loans, revolving credit term loans, and loans secured by marketable securities, general business assets, deposits, and surrender value of life insurance policies; and commercial and standby letters of credit. In addition, it provides account rec onciliation, ATM banking, bank by mail, bill payment, cash management, collection, drive-through banking, personal money orders, Internet and telephone banking, merchant credit card depository, lock box, night depository, payroll, remote deposit, securities transactions, signature guarantee, trust and investment management, wire transfers and foreign cables, and withholding tax depository services, as well as offers controlled disbursement accounts, travelers and counter checks, mutual funds, annuities, life insurance and securities, safe deposit boxes, and the U.S. savings bonds. Further, the company provides pension trust, personal trust, estate, and custody services; and insurance agency services, as well as owns a real estate investment trust. It offers its services to privately owned businesses, professionals, consumers, public bodies, and other organizations through its 34 branches primarily in Long Island and Manhattan. The company was founded in 1927 and is based in Glen Head, New York.

5 Best Healthcare Equipment Stocks To Own Right Now: Metabolix Inc.(MBLX)

Metabolix, Inc., a bioscience company, develops and commercializes technologies for the production of polymers and chemicals in plants and in microbes. It offers a proprietary microbial fermentation system to produce a family of polymers known as polyhydroxyalkanoates under the Mirel brand. Mirel holds biodegradability characteristics; and would be used in a range of commercial applications, including products used in agriculture and horticulture, compost and organic waste diversion bags, marine and aquatic applications, consumer products, business equipment and durable goods, and general packaging materials. The company also develops a proprietary platform technology for co-producing plastics, chemicals, and energy from crops, such as switchgrass, oilseeds, and sugarcane. It has a strategic alliance with ADM Polymer Corporation. The company was founded in 1992 and is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

5 Best Healthcare Equipment Stocks To Own Right Now: Saks Incorporated(SKS)

Saks Incorporated operates retail stores in the United States. Its stores offer an assortment of fashion apparel, shoes, accessories, jewelry, cosmetics, and gifts. The company operates stores under the brand name of Saks Fifth Avenue (SFA) that are principally free-standing stores in shopping destinations or anchor stores in upscale regional malls. It also operates Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5TH (OFF 5TH) stores, which are primarily located in upscale mixed-use and off-price centers. As of January 28, 2012, the company operated 46 SFA stores; and 60 OFF 5TH stores. Saks Incorporated also sells its products online at saks.com, as well as through catalogs. The company was founded in 1919 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Glenn]

  My last pick is Saks (SKS -4.24%, news). I'd call this an extreme value play. The department store company didn't come through the recession in good shape -- it lost 42 cents per share in the fiscal year that ended in January 2011 -- and it's not exactly going gangbusters now. Earnings for fiscal 2012 are projected at 5 cents a share.

  But Saks seems to be in play. Diego Della Valle, the founder of Tod's, disclosed Oct. 2 that he had increased his holdings to 19% of Saks. Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim owns 16%.

  There are persistent rumors that private-equity investment companies from the United States and the United Kingdom are circling. It's not too far-fetched to imagine an offer for more than the current stock price of about $11.

  It's the season for visions of sugarplums, after all.

Why Wells Fargo Stock Is Headed Higher

Bank stocks are turning in another good performance today following a rise in mortgage rates and a slight improvement in pending home sales last month. While the biggest beneficiary of these trends is undoubtedly Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC  ) , given its complete domination of the home-lending market, the majority of its competitors are following suit, pushing the KBW Bank Index (DJINDICES: ^BKX  ) higher by 1.6% at the time of writing.

Earlier today, the National Association of Realtors released its estimate of pending home sales for the month of April. Its index showed that the number of signed real estate contracts for existing single-family homes nudged higher last month by 0.3% compared to March. On a year-over-year basis, meanwhile, the figure shot up by 10.3%.

"The housing market continues to squeak out gains from already very positive conditions," said Lawrence Yun, NAR's chief economist. Yun went on to predict that "total existing home sales are expected to rise just over 7% to about 5 million this year."

This trend should come as no surprise if you've been following the news. We learned last week that new and existing-home sales grew in April by 29% and 10%, respectively, compared to the same month in 2012 -- to read more about this, click here. At the same time, moreover, home prices have been slowly gaining momentum while mortgage delinquencies and underwater loans are on the decline.

Suffice it to say, this is music to Wells Fargo's ears, given that it underwrites roughly a third of the nation's mortgages. And making the tune even sweeter is the fact that mortgage rates are beginning to creep back up since the Federal Reserve implemented its third round of quantitative easing -- which, not incidentally, is aimed at driving down long-term interest rates.

As you can see in the chart above, according to Freddie Mac, the rate on a 30-year fixed-rate conventional mortgage came in at 3.81% this week, an increase of 22 basis points from the prior week's 3.59%. While higher rates lower the value of mortgage-backed securities, they push up the net interest margin of lenders that retain mortgages on their balance sheets as opposed to selling them off to private investors or one of the government-sponsored entities. And because Wells Fargo has a recent history of doing more of this than its peers, it could very well be in a position to benefit accordingly.

Does this mean that Wells Fargo is a buy? Maybe. Maybe not. As a general rule, I'm a proponent of passively managed index funds such as the SPDR S&P 500 or the SPDR S&P Dividend ETF. That being said, if you were inclined to buy a bank stock, there are few that are better than Wells Fargo.

Want to learn more about Wells Fargo?
Wells Fargo's dedication to solid, conservative banking helped it vastly outperform its peers during the financial meltdown. Today, Wells is the same great bank as ever, but with its stock trading at a premium to the rest of the industry, is there still room to buy, or is it time to cash in your gains? To help figure out whether Wells Fargo is a buy today, I invite you to download our premium research report from one of The Motley Fool's top banking analysts. Click here now for instant access to this in-depth take on Wells Fargo.

More Proof This Is the Best Semiconductor Stock of Them All

The recent share-price swings in the semiconductor space could justifiably leave some investors scratching their heads. Names that have struggled in recent years like Intel (NASDAQ: INTC  ) and AMD (NYSE: AMD  ) have absolutely crushed the market, while Qualcomm  (NASDAQ: QCOM  ) , one of the best-positioned companies in this space, has been embarrassed by just about every other stock on the market. It's easy for investors to get caught up in the short-term swings. In the video below, Fool contributor Andrew Tonner explains why Qualcomm is the best pick for long-term investors.

And although Qualcomm has the growth in this space, when it comes to dominating markets, it doesn't get much better than Intel's position in the global semiconductor arena. However, that market is maturing, and Intel finds itself in a precarious situation longer term if it doesn't find new avenues for growth. In this premium research report on Intel, a Motley Fool analyst runs through all of the key topics investors should understand about the chip giant. Click here now to learn more.

Best Performing Stocks To Invest In Right Now

Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC  ) came away with more contract wins than anyone else Tuesday on the Pentagon's supplier list, scoring two contracts worth nearly $53 million, combined.

The larger of the two contracts, worth $40.5 million, tasks Northrop's Information Systems division with performing research and development, enhancement, integration, deployment and sustainment work related to the Secure Access Baseline for the EnterpRise (SABER) initiative for the Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency, the Department of Homeland Security, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and other intelligence community and Department of Defense customers. Northrop has an April 9, 2018, completion date for this work.

The company also won a $12.4 million contract�to extend by four months its work on the Counter Rocket Artillery Mortar (C-RAM�) Command and Control System. C-RAM is a system that integrates the military's existing field artillery and air defense sensors with a commercial off-the-shelf warning system and a Navy-designed interceptor rocket to shoot down incoming indirect fire rounds -- mortars, artillery shells, and the like.

Best Performing Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Mediolanum(MED.MI)

Mediolanum S.p.A., together with its subsidiaries, provides a range of financial services in Italy. It offers personalized current accounts that are interest-bearing and includes checks, ATM card, and credit card services. The company also provides a range of payment cards, including credit cards, debit cards, and rechargeable cards; mortgages and loans; pension schemes; managed savings, including mutual funds and managed accounts, and index and unit linked products; and life insurance products. In addition, it provides financial brokerage, asset management and advice, fund management, real estate brokerage, and education and training services, as well as engages in the production of audio, film, and television programs. The company operates in Spain, Germany, Ireland, and Luxemburg. Mediolanum S.p.A. was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Basiglio, Italy.

Best Performing Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Teledyne Technologies Incorporated (TDY)

Teledyne Technologies Incorporated provides instrumentation, digital imaging products and software, aerospace and defense electronics, and engineered systems in the United States and internationally. The company?s Instrumentation segment provides monitoring and control instruments for marine, environmental, scientific, industrial, and defense applications, as well as harsh environmental interconnect products. Its Digital Imaging segment includes sponsored and centralized research laboratories benefiting government programs and businesses, as well as development efforts for innovative digital imaging products for government and space applications. It also includes infrared detectors, cameras, and optomechanical assemblies. Teledyne Technologies? Aerospace and Defense Electronics segment provides electronic components and subsystems and communications products, including defense electronics, data acquisition, and communications equipment for air transport and business aircra ft and components and subsystems for wireless and satellite communications, as well as general aviation batteries. The company?s Engineered Systems segment provides systems engineering and integration, advanced technology application, software development, and manufacturing solutions to space, military, environmental, energy, chemical, biological and nuclear systems, and missile defense requirements. This segment also designs and manufactures hydrogen generators, thermoelectric and fuel-cell based power sources, and small turbine engines. Teledyne Technologies? customers include government agencies, aerospace prime contractors, energy exploration and production companies, industrial companies, and airlines. The company was founded in 1960 and is headquartered in Thousand Oaks, California.

Hot Growth Stocks For 2014: Tandy Brands Accessories Inc.(TBAC)

Tandy Brands Accessories, Inc. engages in designing and marketing of men?s, women?s, and children?s accessories in North America. Its product line includes casual, work, dress, and golf belts; gifts, such as emergency kits, lights, coin banks, games, beverage mugs, and tie racks; small leather goods consisting of men?s and women?s wallets; and suspenders, eyewear, neckwear, and sporting goods accessories. The company markets its products under various private, licensed, and proprietary brand names, including Totes, Wolverine, Eddie Bauer, Eileen West, Haggar, Bone Collector, Levi Strauss Signature, Dockers, Kodiak, Terra, Rolfs, Amity, Canterbury, Prince Gardner, Princess Gardner, Chambers Belt Company, Absolutely Fresh, and Surplus, as well as private brands for retail customers. Tandy Brands Accessories, Inc. sells its products through various retail distribution channels, such as mass merchants, national chain stores, department stores, specialty stores, catalog re tailers, golf pro shops, sporting goods stores, and the retail exchange operations of the United States military. The company was founded in 1990 and is based in Dallas, Texas.

Best Performing Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Kilo Goldmines Ltd (KGL.V)

Kilo Goldmines Ltd., a development stage company, engages in the exploration and development of gold properties in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The company holds interests in 3 joint ventures in a land package totaling approximately 7,000 square kilometers located in the Archaean Kabalian greenstone geological formation primarily in the Orientale province. It also explores for iron ores. The company is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

Best Performing Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Banco San(BNC.L)

Banco Santander, S.A. provides a range of banking and financial products. It offers various deposit products, such as demand and time deposits, and savings and current accounts; repurchase agreements; mortgages and personal loans; consumer finance; and telephone banking services, and online and mobile telephone banking services. The company also engages in corporate banking, treasury, and investment banking activities; designs and manages mutual and pension funds, investment companies, and discretionary portfolios; manages real estate investment products; and offers trade finance and wholesale banking services. In addition, it provides financial advice and wealth management for high-net-worth clients; private equity for venture capital; protection and household savings insurance products; brokerage of securities; and credit and debit cards, as well as collection services and payment processing for merchants. The company operates primarily in Spain, the United Kingdom, othe r European countries, Brazil and other Latin American countries, and the United States. As of December 31, 2011, it had 6,608 branch offices in continental Europe; 1,379 branches in the United Kingdom; 6,046 branches in Latin America; and 723 branches in the United States. The company was formerly known as Banco Santander Central Hispano S.A. and changed its name to Banco Santander, S.A. in June 2007. Banco Santander, S.A. was founded in 1857 and is headquartered in Madrid, Spain.

The Advantages of Working With Warren

Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-A  ) (NYSE: BRK-B  ) subsidiary Brooks Sports is drawing quite a bit of attention from Buffett devotees these days. The running shoe maker has sprinted to 34% volume growth in both 2011 and 2012, with U.S. sales growth hitting the tape at 43% by the end of last year.

Our roving reporter Rex Moore caught up with Brooks CEO Jim Weber at the recent Berkshire shareholder meeting in Omaha. In this segment of a multipart series, Jim talks about the advantages of working with Warren Buffett.

Is Berkshire for you?
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!

When It's Time to Sell

How do you know when it's time to sell?

Psychology plays a huge role in making the decision to sell. History is littered with examples of greed or other bad behaviors that get in the way of what, in hindsight, turned out to be a great opportunity to take some profit off the table.

During the last few years, we've seen several stocks reach all-time highs, and I'd hear people wondering about whether it's time to sell only to balk because they didn't want to deal with the tax burden.

This approach to selling is a little bit like letting the tax tail wag the investment dog. Sure, considering potential taxes should be a part of the investment decision, but it shouldn't be the deciding factor.

So if you find yourself in the enviable position of having chosen a few winning individual stocks, and you're willing to look beyond the taxes, how do you make the decision?

First, it's often better to be lucky than smart, so it makes sense to be honest with yourself if you happened to get in on a stock at just the right moment. As you watch the price go up, ask yourself the question, did you make the decision to invest because you're smart, brave, or just lucky? If you're being honest, most people would acknowledge that when you pick an individual stock or two and they subsequently triple in price, that outcome is more often than not a result of luck and not some inherent skill.

Second, review how these investments fit within the context of your financial life. Choosing to keep an individual stock just because it went up does not qualify as a valid reason. So when you're asking the question of whether it's time to sell, take a step back and consider the following:

1. Clearly identify your financial goals.
A simple (but not easy) process, identifying your financial goals should include defining what you think you want the future to look like. Don't spend hours or days on this task, and give yourself some slack. It's life, after all. Things will change, and it makes sense to revisit and redefine your goals periodically. These goals really are nothing more than educated guesses, but they're at least a set of markers in the sand, something that you can use as a reference point for your decision-making.

2. Make a plan to get there.
Again, don't spend too much time here, because the variables that go into building a plan are nothing more than guesses. Still, the process is important. Using the information you have, estimate how much you can save for the next 36 months, make a guess at the rate of return you hope to earn and carefully consider what risks you're comfortable taking.

3. After you define some goals and build a simple plan, decide if your current investments fit the plan.

4. If the investments don't fit, sell!
Now, you need to be prepared psychologically to sell. I can promise you that if you make the decision to sell an investment because it aligns with your plan, the stock will triple over the next couple months after you sell.

If you make the decision to continue to hold an investment because it does fit in the context of your plan, it will lose 20% of its value over the next three months. There's no guarantee that comes with the decision to buy or hold, but be prepared that your decision may be tested. That's just Murphy's Law.

Making the decision to sell or hold an investment is relatively simple when we're aware of the cognitive traps of fear and greed. It should be clear to anyone that if you own an investment that has tripled in price, and you made that investment based on luck, it would be wise to take some of the profit and go home.

Investment decisions like buying or holding are best made when you do so in the context of your financial goals. Picking the next Apple or Google is not a financial goal. Saving for retirement or having enough money to send your kids to college are financial goals. Once we're clear about the why, about the goals, and we have a simple framework to represent a plan to get there, making investment decisions becomes much more simple.

A version of this post appeared previously at The New York Times.

Carl Richards is a financial planner and the director of investor education for the BAM ALLIANCE, a community of more than 130 independent wealth management firms throughout the United States. Visit Behavior Gap for more of Carl's sketches and writings.

The Motley Fool recommends Apple and Google. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple and Google. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Why Marks & Spencer, Burberry, and Capita Should Beat the FTSE 100 Today

LONDON -- Another positive start for the FTSE 100 (FTSEINDICES: ^FTSE  ) has sent it smashing through previous records to reach a 13-year high of 6,771 points, though it has fallen back to 7,767 as of 7:40 a.m. EDT for a 0.17% gain. The top-tier index has now closed above the 6,600 level for seven consecutive trading days and is starting to look settled above 6,700.

Much of today's strength comes from a number of good results and positive announcements. We take a look of three of those contributors.

Marks & Spencer
It was full-year results time for Marks & Spencer, and the outcome was enough to send the share price up 6%, even though reported pre-tax profit fell 14% to £564 million, with basic earnings per share dropping 10% to 29.2 pence -- although the drop in underlying EPS was lower, at 6.3%.

On the upside, overall group sales did rise by 1.3% to £10 billion, with U.K. sales up 0.9%. But a look at U.K. like-for-like sales showed that it all came down to food, sales of which were up 1.7%; the rest, which is largely clothing, dropped 4.1%. Chairman Robert Swannell said, "Mixed trading performance was balanced by good progress in building longer term foundations in line with our key strategic goals." As widely expected, the dividend was held at 17 pence per share.

Burberry
Full-year results from Burberry have sent the fashion firm's shares up 2.4%, with revenue growing 8% to £2 billion. Reported pre-tax profit gained 4% to £351 million, but after excluding the one-off costs of a license termination, adjusted pre-tax profit was said to be up 14% to £428 million.

The full-year dividend was hiked 16% to 29 pence per share, and an 8% rise in operating cash flow to £523 million apparently enabled a "near doubling of investment spend" to £320 million.

Capita (LSE: CPI  )
Diversified support-services firm Capita has seen its shares pick up 6.6% on the announcement of a new 10-year partnership with O2 to handle the phone firm's customer management services. The deal is not finalized, but it is expected to be worth about £1.2 billion and is due to commence on July 1.

Including this new agreement, Capita as won more than £2 billion in new and extended contracts so far this year and now says growth for the full year should beat previous expectations, with organic growth coming in at a minimum of 8%.

Finally, if you're looking for investments that should take you all the way to a comfortable retirement, I recommend the Fool's special new report detailing five blue-chip shares. They'll be familiar names to many, and they've already provided investors with decades of profits. But the report will only be available for a limited period, so click here to get your hands on these great ideas -- they could set you on the road to long-term riches.

4 Stocks Making Moves

The following video is from Tuesday's Investor Beat, in which host Chris Hill and analysts Jason Moser and Jeff Fischer dissect the hardest-hitting investing stories of the day.

Home Depot (NYSE: HD  ) hits a new all-time high. After rising 300% in six months, SolarCity (NASDAQ: SCTY  ) suffers a big fall. Medtronic (NYSE: MDT  ) moves higher after strong fourth-quarter earnings. And Carnival Cruise Lines (NYSE: CCL  ) falls after lowering guidance for the rest of 2013. In this installment of Investor Beat, Motley Fool analysts Jeff Fischer and Jason Moser analyze four stocks making moves.

The best investing approach is to choose great companies and stick with them for the long term. The Motley Fool's free report "3 Stocks That Will Help You Retire Rich" names stocks that could help you build long-term wealth and retire well, along with some winning wealth-building strategies that every investor should be aware of. Click here now to keep reading.

The relevant video segment can be found between 2:58 and 6:02.

3 Solid Paths to Energy Profits

For the past year, crude oil prices have generally traded in a band between about $85 per barrel on the low side and approaching $100 on the high side. Barring major economic or geopolitical disruptions, it appears safe to assume that black gold is unlikely to stray far from that range for the remainder of 2013.

Oil and gas producers cherish that sort of stability as they plan for their future exploration and production activities. For that reason, among others, I continue to believe that the energy sector will remain one of the more attractive groups during this year and beyond. As such, I have three especially solid energy companies that I believe Fools should consider carefully as they select the energy components of their investment portfolios.

Denbury Resources (NYSE: DNR  )
Plano, Texas-based Denbury represents a truly unique way to play the strength in the U.S. oil and gas markets. The company utilizes a process called carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery (CO2 EOR), or tertiary recovery, to produce oil from wells that otherwise might have seen their last days. Through the process, carbon dioxide is injected under high pressure into the otherwise spent wells, thereby facilitating production of large percentages of the remaining oil.

The company generates its CO2 from several sources, including the largest reserves east of the Mississippi River and sizable positions in the Rocky Mountains. It also receives man-made carbon dioxide from an Air Products & Chemicals (NYSE: APD  ) hydrogen plant at Port Arthur, Texas.

The expanding company, whose market capitalization sits just below $7 billion, increased the likelihood of future growth through a pair of recent transactions. In December Denbury sold Bakken assets to ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM  ) for $1.3 billion. Denbury also received Exxon's interest in a pair of Texas and Wyoming fields and an interest in the larger company's CO2 reserves in yet another Wyoming field. It then purchased Cedar Creek Anticline properties in North Dakota and Montana from ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP  ) for just over $1 billion.

Denbury, whose operating margin approaches 43%, has seen its share price increase by 13% thus far this year.

Flotek Industries (NYSE: FTK  )
The smallest member of the trio, with a market cap of about $815 million, Flotek operates on the services side of the energy sector. As I've previously pointed out to Fools, it also constitutes a rare instance wherein the analysts who monitor the company all accord it strong buy ratings. But with Flotek's share price having risen by more than 40% year to date, it is difficult to contest that unanimous confidence.

Flotek operates in three distinct areas. Its chemicals and logistics division provides specialty chemicals used in the stimulation, cementing, and blending of oil and gas wells. The drilling products division designs and manufactures downhole tools for the energy, mining, and water industries. Its artificial lift unit supplies pumping system components, including pumps, separators, and valves.

Earlier this month, Flotek announced the planned acquisition of Florida Chemical Company, the world's largest processor of citrus oils. Consideration for the purchase will be $49.5 million in cash and nearly 3.3 million shares of Flotek common stock.

Whiting Petroleum (NYSE: WLL  )
Denver-based Whiting Petroleum is an independent oil and gas producer with operations totally within the U.S. It's exploration and production activities occur in the Rocky Mountain Permian Basin, Mid-Continent, Gulf Coast, and Michigan regions. Oil constitutes 80% of the company's production, with 70% of that emanating from the prolific Bakken formation.

As my Foolish colleague Tyler Crowe told you last week, the U.S. Geological Survey has recently more than doubled its absurdly conservative 3.5 billion barrel estimate of recoverable oil in the Bakken. Nevertheless, some analysts and industry types believe that the USGS is still being overly cautious. There are those who peg the real recoverable barrels number for the formation nearer to 20 billion.

Analysts who follow Whiting have accorded its shares a mean target price of $60, or 31% above their Thursday close. The shares trade at just 11 times projected earnings for 2014, and the company's enterprise value to EBITDA is less than 5.0 times. On Friday, SunTrust upgraded Whiting's shares to a buy rating from neutral. That followed similar upgrades by other firms during the past few months.

Looking for information on a larger cap energy company? Think about Halliburton. Domestic oil and gas service companies have taken a hit due to a slowdown in the natural gas drilling boom of the last couple of years. As this market looks to rebound, investors would be wise to consider Halliburton, one of the top companies in the business and one of those most in tune with the domestic market. To access The Motley Fool's new premium research report on this industry stalwart, simply click here now and learn everything you need to know about how Halliburton is positioning itself both at home and abroad.

 

Top 10 Dividend Companies To Invest In 2014

LONDON --�GlaxoSmithKline� (LSE: GSK  ) (NYSE: GSK  ) has advanced 24% to 1,684 pence during the last 12 months, making the share one of the best performers in the FTSE 100.

The pharmaceutical giant, which sells more than 30 vaccines worldwide and owns nutritional and dental health brands such as�Horlicks�and�Sensodyne, seems to have impressed investors with a series of encouraging statements.

During July last year, Glaxo issued half-year results that revealed underlying sales down 2% and profits down 3%. The company claimed a challenging global economy and generic competition within Europe and the United States had offset progress within Latin America and the Far East. However, the first-half dividend was lifted 6%.

During February, Glaxo announced results for 2012 that showed core profits slip 5% to 7.4 billion pounds and total earnings per share down 11% to 92.9 pence. However, the group raised its annual dividend by 6% to 74 pence per share and claimed 2013 could show sales up 1% and earnings up 3%.

Top 10 Dividend Companies To Invest In 2014: Horizon Lines Inc.(HRZ)

Horizon Lines, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides container shipping and integrated logistics services. It ships a range of consumer and industrial items, such as refrigerated and non-refrigerated foodstuffs, household goods, auto parts, building materials, and other materials used in manufacturing. The company offers container shipping services to ports within the continental United States, Puerto Rico, Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Micronesia. Its integrated logistics services comprise rail, truck brokerage, warehousing, distribution, expedited logistics, and non-vessel operating common carrier operations. Horizon Lines, Inc. also offers terminal services. The company operates terminals in Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico; contracts for terminal services in seven ports in the continental United States; and the ports in Guam, Yantian, and Xiamen, China, as well as Kaohsiung, Taiwan. In addition, it offers inland transportation services. As of Dec ember 20, 2009, the company owned or leased approximately 20 vessels and 18,500 cargo containers. Horizon Lines, Inc. serves consumer and industrial products companies, as well as various agencies of the U.S. government, including the Department of Defense and the U.S. Postal Service. The company was founded in 1956 and is based in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Hutchinson]

  Horizon Lines (NYSE: HRZ) is the largest oceangoing shipping company in the United States with a dominant market position along protected shipping lanes. One look at the steady resurgence in shipping demand, coupled with the company’s improving financials, and it seems the worst is behind them — making now the perfect time to scoop up this stock at a discount.

  HRZ is up almost 30% since September, and I expect it to continue moving higher. Recent data show more goods are being manufactured, and they need to be shipped. Horizon will be one of the biggest beneficiaries.

  Buy HRZ on pullbacks under $5.

Top 10 Dividend Companies To Invest In 2014: Telular Corporation(WRLS)

Telular Corporation designs, develops, and distributes products and services that utilize wireless networks to provide data and voice connectivity among people and machines primarily in the United States and internationally. It provides machine-to-machine and event monitoring services, including Telguard that comprises a specialized terminal unit, which interfaces with commercial security control panels and communicates with event processing servers to provide real-time transport of alarm signals from residential and commercial locations to an alarm company?s central monitoring station; and TankLink solution that combines a cellular communicator, wireless data services, and a Web-based application into a single offering, which allows end-users to monitor the product level in a given tank vessel. The company also offers fixed cellular terminals for voice, fax, and Internet access over the wireless networks. It sells its products to security equipment distributors, cellular carriers, and value added resellers. The company was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Arohan]

  Telular provides wireless connectivity solutions to home alarm and industrial segments for monitoring, security and data applications. The $89 million market value company currently can be bought at 2.42 PE ratio and offers a 6.8% dividend yield. The company reported a revenue growth of 16.6% in the latest quarter and is expected to grow earnings 16.7% this year and 43% the next. The company does not have analyst following so a deeper due diligence is advised.

Best Penny Companies To Invest In 2014: PPL Corporation(PPL)

PPL Corporation, an energy and utility holding company, generates and sells electricity; and delivers natural gas to approximately 5.3 million utility customers primarily in the northeastern and northwestern U.S. The company operates in four segments: Kentucky Regulated, International Regulated, Pennsylvania Regulated, and Supply. The Kentucky Regulated segment engages in the generation, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity; and the distribution and sale of natural gas to approximately 1.3 million customers in Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee. The International Regulated segment owns and operates electricity distribution businesses in the United Kingdom that deliver electricity to 7.7 million customers. The Pennsylvania Regulated segment delivers electricity to approximately 1.4 million customers in eastern and central Pennsylvania. The Supply segment owns and operates power plants to generate electricity using coal, uranium, natural gas, oil, and water res ources; markets and trades electricity and other purchased power to wholesale and retail markets; and acquires and develops domestic generation projects. It controls or owns a portfolio of generation assets of approximately 11,000 megawatts in Montana and Pennsylvania. As of December 31, 2010, the company?s distribution system included 649 substations with a capacity of 25 million kVA, 28,838 circuit miles of overhead lines, and 24,131 cable miles of underground conductors in the United Kingdom. It also operated 377 substations with a capacity of 31 million kVA, 33,122 circuit miles of overhead lines, and 7,368 cable miles of underground conductors in Pennsylvania. The company was founded in 1920 and is headquartered in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jonas Elmerraji]

  You can't build a dividend portfolio without looking at utility stocks—which brings us to PPL.

  PPL is a utility stock that owns 11,200 megawatts of generation capacity, and provides regulated utility service to electricity customers in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Virginia, Tennessee and the UK. PPL also distributes natural gas to Kentucky. Just a few years ago PPL was primarily a generation firm, earning three-fourths of its profits by selling power on the open market. Today, though, the firm has shifted its strategy towards the stable income of the regulated utility business.

  Stable, predictable income is the hallmark of a stellar dividend stock, and PPL has managed to pick up its regulated exposure while still keeping its uniqueness. A big differentiator for PPL is its energy distribution unit in the UK—that expertise in a foreign market should open the door to other overseas utility operations if attractive opportunities present themselves down the road.

  Dividend growth at PPL is likely to cool in the next couple of years as the firm dumps considerable CapEx into upgrading its infrastructure. That's actually a good thing for dividend investors because it means that PPL's dividend prospects are going to be artificially held down in the near-term. With the firm's payout already at 4.87 percent, investors shouldn't have any trouble waiting a while for the next hike.

• [By Michael Brush]

  PPL (PPL) has a dividend yield of 5%.

  Utilities are the classic dividend play from your grandparents' day. They're still a good place to get yield.

  Wright says he favors PPL in part because the provider of electricity to customers in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee is out of favor with investors. "Your risk/reward is not going to get much better than it is now."

  Electricity demand should increase as the economy picks up. And much of the revenue from increased sales will fall to the company's bottom line, because PPL generates power from lower-cost energy sources, particularly nuclear and coal.

Top 10 Dividend Companies To Invest In 2014: CenturyLink Inc.(CTL)

CenturyLink, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as an integrated communications company. The company provides a range of communications services, including voice, Internet, data, and video services in the continental United States. Its services include local exchange and long distance voice telephone services, as well as enhanced voice services, such as call forwarding, caller identification, conference calling, voicemail, selective call ringing, and call waiting; wholesale local network access services; and data services, including high-speed Internet access services, data transmission services over special circuits and private lines, and switched digital television services, as well as special access and private line services. The company also offers fiber transport, competitive local exchange carrier, security monitoring, and other communications, as well as professional and business information services. In addition, it provides other related services, such as leasing, selling, installing, and maintaining customer premise telecommunications equipment and wiring; payphone services; and network database services, as well as participates in the publication of local telephone directories. Further, the company offers printing, direct mail services, and cable television services; and wireless broadband Internet access services and satellite television services. As of December 31, 2010, it operated approximately 6.5 million telephone access lines. CenturyLink, Inc was founded in 1968 and is based in Monroe, Louisiana.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul]

  CenturyLink (CTL), provides a range of communications services, including local and long distance voice, wholesale network access, high-speed Internet access, other data services, and video services in the continental United States. The company is a member of the elite dividend aristocrats index, and has raised dividends for 37 consecutive years. In comparison to the previous two telecom players, CenturyLink has been able to cover its distributions from EPS, although its payout ratio is a scary 92.70%. Yield: 7.20%.

Top 10 Dividend Companies To Invest In 2014: Cross(A.T.)

A.T. Cross Company engages in the design and marketing of personal and business accessories. It operates in two segments, Cross Accessory Division (CAD) and Cross Optical Group (COG). The CAD segment manufactures and markets writing instruments under the Cross brand, including ball-point pens, fountain pens, selectip rolling ball pens, mechanical pencils, and writing instrument accessories, such as refills and desk sets. It also provides various personal and business accessories, including leather goods, reading glasses, watches, desk sets, cufflinks, and stationery. This segment sells its products through direct sales force and manufacturers' agents or representatives to approximately 2,400 retail and wholesale accounts; and directly to consumers through its Web site, cross.com, and the Cross retail stores in the United States, as well as through distributors and retailers worldwide. The COG segment designs, manufactures, and markets polarized sunglasses and goggles under the Costa and Native brnads in the United States. This segment sells its products through employee representatives and manufacturers? agents to optical and sunglass specialty shops, department stores, and sporting goods retailers in the United States. A.T. Cross Company was founded in 1846 and is headquartered in Lincoln, Rhode Island.

Top 10 Dividend Companies To Invest In 2014: Deswell Industries Inc.(DSWL)

Deswell Industries, Inc. engages in the manufacture and sale of injection-molded plastic parts and components, electronic products and subassemblies, and metallic molds and accessory parts for original equipment manufacturers and contract manufacturers. The company produces various plastic parts and components for the manufacture of consumer and industrial products, including plastic component of electronic entertainment products; cases for flashlights, telephones, paging machines, projectors, and alarm clocks; toner cartridges and cases for photocopy and printer machines; parts for electrical products, such as air-conditioning and ventilators; parts for audio equipment; cases and key tops for personal organizers and remote controls; double injection caps and baby products; parts for medical products comprising apparatus for blood tests; laser key caps; and automobile components. Its electronic products include audio equipment, such as digital audio workstation, digital or analogue mixing consoles, instrument amplifiers, signal processors, firewire/USB audio interfaces, keyboard controllers, and speaker enclosures; high end home theatre audio products comprising 7.1-channel audio-visual Hi-Fi stereo receivers-amplifiers; complex printed circuit board assemblies; and telecommunication products consisting of VoIP keysets for business communications. The company?s metal products include metallic molds and accessory parts used in audio equipment, telephones, copying machines, pay telephones, multimedia stations, automatic teller machines, and vending machines. In addition, it distributes audio equipment. The company sells its products in the United States, the People?s Republic of China, Hong Kong, Thailand, the United Kingdom, Holland, Norway, and Germany. Deswell Industries, Inc. was founded in 1987 and is based in Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong.

Top 10 Dividend Companies To Invest In 2014: CCA Industries Inc.(CAW)

CCA Industries, Inc. engages in manufacturing and selling health and beauty aid products primarily in the United States and Canada. The company primarily offers toothpastes and teeth whiteners under the Plus+White brand; anti-aging skin care products under the Sudden Change brand; nail care treatments under the Nutra Nail and Power Gel brands; medicated topical and shave gels under the Bikini Zone brand; diet supplements under the Mega-T Green Tea brand; and gums and mint products under the Mega?T Green Tea brand. It also provides hair removal and depilatory products under the Hair Off brand; foot-care products under the IPR brand; sun-care products under the Solar Sense brand; shampoos and conditioners under the Wash ?N Curl brand; vanilla fragrances, including perfumes under the Parfume de Vanille brand; ear-care products under the Lobe Wonder brand; topical analgesic products under the Pain Bust*R II brand; and scar diminishing cream under the Scar Zone brand. CCA Indus tries, Inc. markets and sells its products through its sales force, independent sales representatives, and distributors to drug, food, and mass-merchandise retail chains, as well as to warehouse clubs and wholesalers. The company was founded in 1983 and is based in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Top 10 Dividend Companies To Invest In 2014: UMH Properties Inc.(UMH)

UMH Properties, Inc. (UMH) is a real estate investment trust. The firm engages in the ownership and operation of manufactured home communities. It leases manufactured home spaces to private manufactured home owners, as well as leases homes to residents. The firm invests in the real estate markets of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Tennessee. In addition, it invests in debt and equity securities of REITs. United Mobile Homes was incorporated in 1968. The company was formerly known as United Mobile Homes, Inc. UMH Properties is based in Freehold, New Jersey.

Top 10 Dividend Companies To Invest In 2014: Summit State Bank(SSBI)

Summit State Bank operates as a community bank in Sonoma, Napa, San Francisco, and Marin Counties in California. It offers deposit accounts, such as transaction accounts, money market accounts, savings accounts, time deposit accounts, business checking accounts, time certificates of deposit, sweep accounts, and specialized deposit accounts, including professional, small business packaged, and tiered accounts for larger deposits, and Keogh and IRA accounts. The company also provides commercial and industrial lines of credit and term loans, credit lines to individuals, equipment loans, real estate and construction loans, small business loans, and business lines of credit; consumer loans, including auto loans, mortgage loans, home improvement loans, and home equity lines of credit; and loans for accounts receivable and inventory financing, loans to agriculture-related businesses, and equipment and expansion financing programs. In addition, it offers banking by appointment, on line and telephone banking services, direct payroll and social security deposits, letters of credit, access to national automated teller machine networks, courier services, safe deposit boxes, night depository facilities, notary services, travelers? checks, lockbox, and banking by mail. Further, the company, through its subsidiary, Alto Service Corporation, provides deed of trust services. It serves small-to medium-sized businesses, professionals and professional associations, entrepreneurs, high net worth families, foundations, estates, and individual consumers. The company operated five offices in Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Rohnert Park, and Healdsburg. Summit State Bank was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Santa Rosa, California.

Top 10 Dividend Companies To Invest In 2014: Microchip Technology Incorporated(MCHP)

Microchip Technology Incorporated, together with its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures, and sells semiconductor products for various embedded control applications. It offers a family of microcontroller products that include 8-bit, 16-bit, and 32-bit PIC microcontrollers; and 16-bit dsPIC digital signal controllers, which feature on-board flash memory technology. The company also provides a set of application development tools that enable system designers to program a PIC microcontroller and dsPIC DSC for specific applications. In addition, it offers analog and interface products, which consist of various families with approximately 600 power management, linear, mixed-signal, thermal management, safety and security, and interface products. Further, the company provides memory products comprising serial electrically erasable programmable read-only memory. Its products are used in various applications in automotive, communications, computing, consumer, and industrial contr ol markets. Microchip Technology Incorporated markets its products primarily through a network of direct sales personnel and distributors in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. The company was founded in 1989 and is based in Chandler, Arizona.

Here's What Billionaire Value Hunter Carl Icahn Is Buying

Every quarter, many money managers have to disclose what they've bought and sold, via "13F" filings. Their latest moves can shine a bright light on smart stock picks.

Today, let's look at investing giant Carl Icahn, who has made billions, partly by taking large positions in companies and pushing for change in them. These companies have included Texaco, RJR Nabisco, and Imclone. He's also drawn to companies in or near bankruptcy, wanting to make them more valuable in order to sell them at a higher price.

Icahn Associates' reportable stock portfolio totaled $17.0 billion in value as of March 31, 2013. Its top three holdings, Icahn Enterprises L.P., CVR Energy, and Chesapeake Energy (NYSE: CHK  ) , make up 60% of the overall portfolio's value. Chesapeake is finally under new management, and has been shedding assets to help it pay down debt, while also aiming to boost production. It's poised to profit from rising natural gas prices.

Interesting developments
So what does Icahn Associates' latest quarterly 13F filing tell us? Here are a few interesting details:

The biggest new holdings are Herbalife (NYSE: HLF  ) and CVR Refining, L.P. Other new holdings of interest include Nuance Communications (NASDAQ: NUAN  ) and Dell (NASDAQ: DELL  ) . Herbalife, up 10% over the past year, has some high-profile critics, such as David Einhorn of Greenlight Capital and Bill Ackman of Pershing Square Capital Management. The company has been reporting solid results, with its first quarter featuring revenue up 17%, net profit up 10%, and expectations for double-digit near-term growth. It sports an attractive 2.7% dividend yield, but some worry about its multilevel-marketing strategy, and others are waiting for the dust to settle.

Nuance Communications, specializing in speech-recognition software, took a dive late last month, after posting disappointing earnings. The company is threatened by weak demand, shrinking margins, and intensifying competition, and a change in how it's compensated, with more focus on usage. The stock's low valuation makes it look attractive, but some doubt how quickly it can grow. Icahn must see potential, though.

Icahn and fellow major shareholder Southeastern Asset Management have teamed up to try and buy Dell, against the wishes of founder Michael Dell, who's looking to take the company private with the help of private equity firm Silver Lake Partners. Dell has been struggling as PC sales have weakened. It's retooling itself, in part by buying Enstratius, to help it compete against large rivals. But Dell's first-quarter results featured profits down some 50%, making it hard for many to have faith.

Icahn Associates increased its stake in Transocean (NYSE: RIG  ) , with Icahn agitating for a big dividend payout. Shareholders recently voted out the chairman and voted in an Icahn-backed nominee, but they supported the company's proposed $2.24 dividend, instead of Icahn's suggested $4.00. It has posted losses in recent years, in part due to rig downtime, but its last quarterly report featured profits and higher-than-expected revenue. It has a solid backlog, too.

We should never blindly copy any investor's moves, no matter how talented the investor. But it can be useful to keep an eye on what smart folks are doing. 13-F forms can be great places to find intriguing candidates for our portfolios.

Energy investors would be hard-pressed to find another company trading at a deeper discount than Chesapeake Energy. Its share price depreciated after negative news surfaced concerning its management and spiraling debt picture. While the debt issues still persist, giant steps have been taken to help mitigate the problems. To learn more about Chesapeake and its enormous potential, you're invited to check out The Motley Fool's brand-new premium report on the company. Simply click here now to access your copy.

How to Target Stock Bargains for Your Portfolio

If you want to invest in stocks and do well at it, you need to choose your holdings carefully. There are two key factors to keep in mind -- quality and price.

Imagine buying a home, or a car, or even a pair of shoes. You probably won't just buy the loveliest house you see -- as you may not be able to afford it. You probably won't buy the cheapest car you can find, either, because it's not likely to perform well. It's the same when you target stock bargains. A true bargain will be both attractively priced and high-quality.

Seek high quality
Quality matters when you want to target stock bargains, because a high-quality company will have sustainable competitive advantages that will help it keep performing well. Its size might give it economies of scale, for example, or might have consumers sort of locked into its system and reluctant to switch. That can happen with email service providers, as it's a headache to send everyone your new email address. Or consider robotic surgery giant Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ: ISRG  ) . Once a hospital buys its machines, it won't be likely to buy one from a competing company, as its doctors will have learned how to use Intuitive's machines. Meanwhile, Intuitive will get to collect a lot of recurring revenue from the hospital, in the form of service contracts and supplies for the machines.

A beautiful business model is a big advantage. Think of eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY  ) , a company that helps people procure lots of items that they need or want, as many retailers do. But whereas traditional retailers need to build and maintain brick-and-mortar stores and staff them with many people, eBay doesn't. Its business is very light, essentially just connecting buyers and sellers. Thus, its profit margin can be much higher, and it can more easily grow.

Similarly, Silver Wheaton (NYSE: SLW  ) is in the precious metals business, but its own beautiful business model has it not in the capital-intensive and risky business of mining, but instead financing mining companies in exchange for a cut of their proceeds, generally at prices well below market rates.

Seek low prices
Another critical part of how to target stock bargains is to seek high-quality companies that are trading at attractive prices. That's easier said than done, though. For one thing, valuing a company involves guessing about its future, even if the guessing is based on lots of research and deep thinking.

Still, you can at least get a rough idea about a stock's value. You might assess its price-to-earnings ratio, for example. eBay, for example, has a recent P/E near the top of its five-year range, suggesting that it might not be a bargain right now. Don't compare P/Es across industries, as there can be wide variation, and rapid growth rates can support steeper P/E rates. If you're not sure about a stock's value, you might wait for a lower price, to build in a greater margin of safety.

So target stock bargains by demanding both high quality and low prices. That's the best way to position your stock portfolio for success. 

Is Silver Wheaton a bargain?
If you're looking for a company whose success is determined by the metals market, but without involving itself in the risks of physically mining the metals, then Silver Wheaton provides a unique play on the future of silver. SLW chooses to finance the mining of silver; it has grown sales and net income every year since 2008, and also has increased competitive advantages over its limited peer group. To learn more about Silver Wheaton, click here now to access The Motley Fool's premium research report on the company.

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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.

Top 5 Financial Stocks To Watch For 2014

If you're feeling good about the market, you're not alone. Take my hand as we go over some of this week's more uplifting headlines.

1. Cool beans
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (NASDAQ: GMCR  ) has a habit of moving higher after strong financial results, or whenever it gets cozy with Starbucks.

What happens when both things happen?

Shares of the company behind the Keurig single-serve brewing system soared 28% yesterday after the double dose of good news.

Yes, the financials were pretty impressive. Adjusted earnings soared 45%, and Green Mountain's boosting its fiscal year guidance sharply higher.

Yes, Starbucks is warming up to Green Mountain. The two companies announced an expanded partnership that will triple the number of Starbucks products available through Green Mountain's K-Cup and Keurig Vue portion packs through at least the next five years.

Top 5 Financial Stocks To Watch For 2014: American National Bankshares Inc.(AMNB)

American National Bankshares Inc. operates as the bank holding company for American National Bank and Trust Company that provides various commercial, mortgage, and consumer banking products and services to individuals and businesses in Virginia and North Carolina. The company?s deposit products principally include checking, money market, savings, demand, and consumer time deposits, as well as certificates of deposit. Its loan portfolio primarily comprises commercial and residential real estate loans, commercial loans to small and medium-sized businesses, construction and land development loans, and home equity loans, as well as 1-4 family residential mortgage loans. The company also provides trust and investment services, which include estate planning, trust account administration, and retail brokerage services, as well as investment management services, such as purchasing equity, fixed income, and mutual fund investments for customer accounts. In addition, American Natio nal Bankshares Inc. provides mutual funds, insurance, Internet banking, automated teller machine (ATM), and telephone banking services. As of December 31, 2009, the company operated 18 banking offices and 2 loan production offices located in Danville, Pittsylvania County, Martinsville, Henry County, Halifax County, Lynchburg, Bedford County, Campbell County, and Nelson County in Virginia; and Caswell County in North Carolina. It also operates 25 ATMs. The company was founded in 1909 and is based in Danville, Virginia.

Top 5 Financial Stocks To Watch For 2014: Fox Chase Bancorp Inc. (FXCB)

Fox Chase Bancorp, Inc. operates as the holding company for Fox Chase Bank that provides financial services to consumers and businesses in Philadelphia and New Jersey. Its deposit products include non-interest-bearing demand accounts, such as checking accounts; interest-bearing accounts, including negotiable order of withdrawal and money market accounts; savings and club accounts; brokered deposits; and certificates of deposit. The company�s loan products portfolio comprises multi-family and commercial real estate loans; one-to four-family residential real estate loans that enable borrowers to purchase or refinance existing homes; commercial and industrial loans offered to professionals, sole proprietorships, and small and mid-size businesses; construction loans comprising adjustable-rate and fixed-rate loans offered to individuals, builders, and developers to finance the construction of residential dwellings, as well as loans offered for commercial development projects, including apartment buildings, restaurants, shopping centers, schools, and other owner-occupied properties used for businesses; and consumer loans, which include home equity loans and lines of credit, loans to individuals to purchase insurance policies, loans secured by certificate of deposits, and unsecured overdraft lines of credit. It also offers cash management services. In addition, the company manages and holds investment securities; and secures, manages, and holds foreclosed real estate. It operates through 11 branches in Philadelphia, Richboro, Willow Grove, Warminster, Lahaska, Hatboro, Media, and West Chester, Pennsylvania; and Ocean City, Marmora, and Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey. The company is headquartered in Hatboro, Pennsylvania.

Top High Tech Companies To Own In Right Now: Flaherty & Crumrine Preferred Income Opportunity Fund Inc(PFO)

Flaherty & Crumrine Preferred Income Opportunity Fund Incorporated is a close-ended equity mutual fund launched and managed by Flaherty & Crumrine Incorporated. The fund invests in the public equity markets of the United States. It invests in stocks of companies operating in the finance and utility sector. The fund primarily invests in preferred stocks. It typically invests in securities with an average credit rating of BBB- by Standard & Poor's Corporation and Baa3 by Moody's Investors Services, Inc. The fund benchmarks the performance of its portfolio against S&P 500 Index and Barclays Capital U.S. Aggregate Index. Flaherty & Crumrine Preferred Income Opportunity Fund Incorporated was formed on December 10, 1991 and is domiciled in the United States.

Top 5 Financial Stocks To Watch For 2014: Texas Pacific Land Trust(TPL)

Texas Pacific Land Trust engages in the sale, lease, and management of land in the United States. It also retains oil and gas royalties, and involves in temporary cash investments. The company leases land to the ranching industry for grazing purposes. As of March 31, 2011, it owned surface rights in 949,355 acres of land in 20 counties in Texas; and 318 town lots in Loraine. The company also owned a 1/128 nonparticipating perpetual oil and gas royalty interest under 85,414 acres of land; and a 1/16 nonparticipating perpetual oil and gas royalty interest under 386,988 acres of land in the western part of Texas. Texas Pacific Land Trust was founded in 1888 and is based in Dallas, Texas.

Top 5 Financial Stocks To Watch For 2014: Apollo Investment Corporation(AINV)

Apollo Investment Corporation is business development company and operates as a closed-end management investment company. The company invests in middle market companies. It provides direct equity capital, mezzanine and senior secured loans, and subordinated debt and loans. It also seeks to invest in PIPES transactions. The company may also invest in public companies that are thinly traded and may acquire investments in the secondary market. It prefers to invest in warrants, makes equity co-investments, and may also invest in cash equivalents, U.S. government securities, high-quality debt investments that mature in one year or less, high-yield bonds, distressed debt, non-U.S. investments, or securities of public companies that are not thinly traded. The company typically invests in building materials, business services, cable television, chemicals, consumer products, direct marketing, distribution, energy and utilities, financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, media, publishing, retail and transportation. It primarily invests between $20 million and $250 million in its portfolio companies. The company seeks to make investments with stated maturities of five to ten years.

5 Best US Stocks To Buy Right Now

Since the very public ousting of CEO Ron Johnson, J.C. Penney (NYSE: JCP  ) bulls (including this author) have been quietly licking their wounds, telling themselves that this is a moment of faith and that their stock-picking abilities do not resemble the "Wheel of Fortune" letter-selection process. On April 10, investor extraordinaire Bill Ackman said he has no plans to dump his 17.8% stake in the company and may even dig in deeper. That particular vote of confidence, given the wide range of opinions surrounding the hedge fund manager, did little to soothe investors' and analysts' concerns.

This past week, though, that all changed. Another superinvestor has gotten behind J.C. Penney, and this time it sent the stock soaring. Does George Soros' 8% position in the company ease your fears about that beleaguered retailer?

5 Best US Stocks To Buy Right Now: Alter Nrg Corp (NRG.TO)

Alter NRG Corp. provides alternative energy solutions. It markets and sells plasma gasification and geoexchange technology, and invests in alternative energy projects in North America, South America, the European Union, the Middle East, and the Asia Pacific. The company�s plasma gasification technology offers clean and renewable energy solutions by converting various types of waste and biomass into energy, such as electricity, ethanol, gasoline, diesel fuel, a replacement fuel oil, or syngas for industrial use; and geoexchange technology provides heating and cooling solutions for homes, commercial, and industrial buildings by using energy from the earth. It has a strategic alliance with Wuhan Kaidi to construct a commercial demonstration facility. The company was incorporated in 2007 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

5 Best US Stocks To Buy Right Now: Ameron International Corporation(AMN)

AMN Healthcare Services, Inc. provides healthcare staffing and clinical workforce management solutions in the United States. The company?s Nurse and Allied Healthcare Staffing segment provides staffing solutions for hospitals and other healthcare facilities, including medical, surgical, specialty, licensed practical or vocational, and advanced practice nurses, as well as surgical technologists and dialysis technicians. This segment also offers allied health professionals under the Med Travelers, Club Staffing, and Rx Pro Health brand names to acute-care hospitals and other healthcare facilities, such as skilled nursing facilities, rehabilitation clinics, and retail and mail-order pharmacies. These allied health professionals include physical, surgical, respiratory, and occupational therapists, as well as medical and radiology technologists, speech pathologists, rehabilitation assistants, pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians. Its Locum Tenens Staffing segment places physic ians of various specialties, certified registered nurse anesthetists, nurse practitioners, and dentists on a temporary basis as independent contractors with various healthcare organizations, including hospitals, medical groups, occupational medical clinics, individual practitioners, networks, psychiatric facilities, government institutions, and managed care entities. The company?s Physician Permanent Placement Services segment provides permanent physician placement services to hospitals, healthcare facilities, and physician practice groups under the Merritt Hawkins and Kendall & Davis brand names. This segment also offers specialty offerings, including internal medicines, family practices, and surgeries. Its Home Healthcare Services segment provide home healthcare services to individuals with acute-care illness, long-term chronic health conditions, permanent disabilities, terminal illnesses, and post-procedural needs. The company was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in S an Diego, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Bill]  

  Ameron International Corporation (AMN), a California-based firm that makes water transmission lines, fiberglass-composite pipe for transporting oil, and infrastructure-related products like ready-mix concrete and lighting poles -- just the kind of company that could benefit from the federal stimulus package's infrastructure funding.

  Having lived through both his own family's fall from financial grace (following his father's death when Benjamin was a young man), and, later, through the Great Depression, it's no surprise that Graham focused as much on preserving capital and limiting losses as he did on producing big gains. He liked stable, conservatively financed companies, not speculative gambles, and Ameron fits the bill. One example of why: its strong current ratio of 2.87. Graham used the current ratio (current assets/current liabilities) to get an idea of a company's liquidity (and the credit crisis has shown us all how important liquidity is).

Top Gold Companies To Own For 2014: SAIC Inc(SAI)

SAIC, Inc. scientific, engineering, systems integration, and technical services and solutions to various branches of the U.S. military, agencies of the U.S. Department of Defense, the intelligence community, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the other U.S. government civil agencies, state and local government agencies, foreign governments, and customers in select commercial markets. Its Government segment provides a range of technical services and solutions in the areas of systems engineering and integration, software development, cyber security, data processing and analysis, secure information sharing and collaboration, IT outsourcing, communication systems and infrastructure, command and control, logistics, research and development, environmental consulting, energy and utilities, design and construction, securing critical infrastructure, disaster preparedness and recovery, homeland security product, geospatial solutions, and modeling and simulation. The compan y?s Commercial segment provides consulting, systems integration, and managed IT services, as well as customizable IT software solutions to oil and gas customers; and enterprise information technology optimization, business intelligence, enterprise resource planning maintenance, and staff augmentation services to select commercial customers, and state and local government customers. In addition, it offers business, engineering, energy, and infrastructure consulting services; language translation, interpretation, and training services; architectural design services; and information systems and communications, and rapid prototyping of technical solutions and products focused on support to intelligence and special warfare operations. SAIC, Inc. was formerly known as Science Applications, Inc. The company was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in McLean, Virginia.

5 Best US Stocks To Buy Right Now: Barnes Group Inc (B)

Barnes Group Inc. is an international aerospace and industrial components manufacturer and logistics services company serving a range of end markets and customers. The products and services provided by Barnes Group are critical components for applications, which provide transportation, communication, manufacturing and technology. The Company operates under two global business segments: Logistics and Manufacturing Services, and Precision Components. On December 30, 2011, the Company sold its Barnes Distribution Europe (BDE) business to Berner SE. In August 2012, the Company acquired Synventive Molding Solutions.

Logistics and Manufacturing Services

Logistics and Manufacturing Services provides logistics support and repair services. Value-added logistics support services include inventory management, technical sales, and supply chain solutions for maintenance, repair, operating, and production supplies and services. Repair services provided include the manufacturing of spare parts for the refurbishment and repair of engineered components and assemblies for commercial and military aviation. Logistics and Manufacturing Services has sales, distribution, and manufacturing operations in the United States, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Mexico, Singapore, Spain and the United Kingdom. Products and services are available in more than 30 countries.

The global operations are engaged in supplying, servicing and manufacturing of maintenance, repair and operating components. Activities include logistics support through vendor-managed inventory and technical sales for stocked replacement parts and other products, catalog offerings and custom solutions, and the manufacture and delivery of aerospace aftermarket spare parts, including the revenue sharing programs (RSPs) under, which the Company receives right to supply designated aftermarket parts over the life of the related aircraft engine program, and component repairs. In addition, the manufacturing and supplying of aerospace! aftermarket spare parts, including the RSPs, are dependent upon the reliable and timely delivery of components.

Precision Components

Precision Components is a global supplier of engineered components for critical applications focused on providing solutions for a industrial, transportation and aerospace customer base. It is equipped to produce every type of precision spring, from fine hairsprings for electronics and instruments to heavy-duty springs for machinery, as well as precision-machined and fabricated components and assemblies for OEM turbine engine, airframe and industrial gas turbine builders globally, and the military. It is also a manufacturer and supplier of precision mechanical products, including precision mechanical springs, compressor reed valves and nitrogen gas products. Precision Components also manufactures punched and fine-blanked components used in transportation and industrial applications, nitrogen gas springs and manifold systems used to control stamping presses, and retention rings, which position parts on a shaft or other axis.

Precision Components has a customer base with products purchased by durable goods manufacturers located in industries, including transportation, consumer products, farm equipment, telecommunications, medical devices, home appliances and electronics, and airframe and gas turbine engine manufacturers for commercial and military jets, business jets, and land-based industrial gas turbines. Long-standing customer relationships enable Precision Components to participate in the design phase of components and assemblies, through which customers receive the benefits of manufacturing research, testing and evaluation. Products are sold through Precision Components��direct sales force and a distribution channel. Precision Components has manufacturing, sales, assembly and distribution operations in the United States, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Korea, Mexico, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand and the United Kingdo! m.

5 Best US Stocks To Buy Right Now: Hill & Smith Hdg(HILS.L)

Hill & Smith Holdings PLC engages in the manufacture and supply of infrastructure, building, and construction products, as well as in the provision of galvanizing services. The company operates through three segments: Infrastructure Products, Galvanizing Services, and Building and Construction Products. The Infrastructure Products segment offers a range of products, including permanent and temporary road safety barriers, fencing, overhead sign gantries, street lighting columns, bridge parapets, demountable car parks, glass reinforced plastic railway platforms, variable road messaging solutions, traffic data collection systems, plastic drainage pipes, pipe supports for the power and liquid natural gas markets, energy grid components, and security fencing. It serves roads and utilities markets. The Galvanizing Services segment provides zinc and other coating services for a range of products comprising fencing, lighting columns, structural steel work, bridges, agricultural, a nd other products for the infrastructure and construction sectors. The Building and Construction Products segment offers roofing systems, safety handrails and flooring, lintels, and doors in steel and composite materials for the infrastructure projects, such as schools, and other public and industrial buildings. The company offers its products in the United Kingdom, France, the United States, Thailand, and China. Hill & Smith Holdings PLC is based in Solihull, the United Kingdom.

5 Best Construction Stocks To Buy For 2014

A day before its Q1 earnings report, Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK  ) announced today that it will suspend any plans to apply for new nuclear units on its North Carolina Harris site.

The construction and operating applications were originally submitted by Progress Energy in 2008, and fell under Duke's domain after a July 2012 merger between the two utilities.

Although Duke Energy President Dhiaa Jamil noted in a statement that the site is "well suited for new nuclear generation and has not been eliminated from our long-term consideration," slower power growth has put any new construction plans on the back burner. According to Jamil, "Our most recent forecast indicates two additional nuclear units at Harris will not be needed in the next 15 years."

Instead, the company will continue to focus on its $9 billion fleet modernization efforts, which brought three power plants (two natural gas combined-cycle and one "clean coal�") online in 2012, and should add another combined-cycle facility later this year.

5 Best Construction Stocks To Buy For 2014: KBR Inc. (KBR)

KBR, Inc. operates as an engineering, construction, and services company supporting the energy, hydrocarbon, government services, minerals, civil infrastructure, power, and industrial sectors worldwide. Its Downstream business unit provides front end engineering design; detailed engineering; engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC); EPC management; and program management services to petrochemical, refining, coal gasification, and syngas markets. The company?s Government and Infrastructure business unit provides program and project management, contingency logistics, operations and maintenance, construction management, engineering, and other services to military and civilian branches of governments and private clients. Its Services business unit delivers engineering, construction, construction management, fabrication, maintenance, and turnaround services. It also offers maintenance, construction, and drilling support services for offshore oil and gas producing facili ties using semisubmersible vessels. This segment serves oil, gas, petrochemicals, and hydrocarbon processing industries, as well as power, alternate energy, pulp and paper, industrial and manufacturing, and pharmaceutical industries. The company?s Technology business unit offers various process technologies, including value-added technologies in the coal monetization, petrochemical, refining, and syngas markets. Its Upstream business unit constructs liquefied natural gas, gas-to-liquids, onshore oil and gas production facilities, offshore oil and gas production facilities, and onshore and offshore pipelines. The company?s Ventures business unit invests in and manages projects, where the company provides engineering, construction, construction management or operations, and maintenance services. KBR, Inc. was founded in 1901 and is based in Houston, Texas.

5 Best Construction Stocks To Buy For 2014: Clean Wind Energy Tower Inc (CWET.PK)

Clean Wind Energy Tower, Inc. (Clean Wind), incorporated on January 22, 1962, focuses on becoming a provider of green energy. As of December 31, 2011, Clean Wind had designed and was preparing to develop, and construct Downdraft Towers that use non-toxic elements to generate electricity and clean water by integrating and synthesizing a range of proven, as well as emerging technologies.

The Downdraft Tower is a hollow cylinder with a water spray system at the top. Pumps deliver water to the top of the Downdraft Tower to spray a fine mist across the entire opening. The water evaporates and cools the hot dry air at the top. The cooled air is denser and heavier than the outside warmer air and falls through the cylinder at speeds up to and in excess of 50 miles per hour (mph), driving the turbines located at the base of the structure. The turbines power generators to produce electricity.

The Company competes with Southern California Edison Company, Pacific Gas & Electric Company, San Diego Gas & Electric Company, Arizona Public Service Company, Florida Power & Light Company, enXco, Inc., PPM Energy, Inc. and UNS.

10 Best Forestry Stocks To Own Right Now: Foster Wheeler AG. (FWLT)

Foster Wheeler AG, through its subsidiaries, operates as an engineering and construction contractor; and power generating equipment supplier worldwide. Its Global Engineering and Construction division designs, engineers, and constructs onshore and offshore upstream oil and gas processing facilities; natural gas liquefaction facilities and receiving terminals; gas-to-liquids facilities; and oil refining, chemical and petrochemical, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology facilities, as well as related infrastructure, including power generation, distribution, gasification, and processing facilities for metals and mining sector. This division also designs carbon capture and storage, and solid fuel-fired integrated gasification combined-cycle power plants, as well as coal-to-liquids, coal-to-chemicals, and biofuels facilities; and operates power generation facilities, such as conventional and renewable source, and waste-to-energy facilities. In addition, it offers project and constr uction management services, including procurement of equipment, materials, and services from third-party suppliers and contractors; provides environmental remediation services; and designs and supplies direct-fired furnaces comprising fired heaters and waste heat recovery generators used in refinery, chemical, petrochemical, and oil and gas processes. The company�s Global Power division designs, manufactures, and erects steam generators and auxiliary equipment, including surface condensers, feedwater heaters, coal pulverizers, steam generator coils and panels, biomass gasifiers, and replacement parts; nitrogen-oxide reduction systems and components; and flue gas desulfurization equipment for steam generators. It also offers various site services; conducts research and development in combustion, fluid and gas dynamics, heat transfer, materials, and solid mechanics areas; and licenses technology to other steam generator suppliers. The company was founded in 1894 and is based in Geneva, Switzerland.

5 Best Construction Stocks To Buy For 2014: Fluor Corporation(FLR)

Fluor Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides engineering, procurement, construction, maintenance, and project management services worldwide. Its Oil & Gas segment offers design, engineering, procurement, construction, and project management services to upstream oil and gas production, downstream refining, chemicals, and petrochemicals industries. This segment also provides consulting services comprising feasibility studies, process assessment, and project finance structuring and studies. The company?s Industrial & Infrastructure segment offers design, engineering, procurement, and construction services to the transportation, wind power, mining and metals, life sciences, manufacturing, commercial and institutional, telecommunications, microelectronics, and healthcare sectors. Its Government segment provides engineering, construction, logistics support, contingency response, management, and operations services to the United States government focusing on the Departme nt of Energy, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Defense. The company?s Global Services segment offers operations and maintenance, small capital project engineering and execution, site equipment and tool services, industrial fleet services, plant turnaround services, temporary staffing services, and supply chain solutions. Its Power segment provides engineering, procurement, construction, program management, start-up and commissioning, and operations and maintenance services to the gas fueled, solid fueled, plant betterment, renewables, nuclear, and power services markets. The company also offers unionized management and construction services in the United States and Canada. Fluor Corporation was founded in 1912 and is headquartered in Irving, Texas.

5 Best Construction Stocks To Buy For 2014: URS Corporation(URS)

URS Corporation provides engineering, construction, and technical services to the power, infrastructure, federal, and industrial and commercial market sectors in the United States and internationally. Its services for power sector include planning, designing, engineering, constructing, retrofitting, and maintaining a range of power-generating facilities; and the systems that transmit and distribute electricity, as well as the development and installation of clean air technologies that reduce emissions at fossil fuel power plants. The company?s services for infrastructure sector comprise program management, planning, architect, engineering, general contracting, construction, and construction management for surface, air, and rail transportation networks; ports and harbors; and water supply, and treatment and conveyance systems. Its services for federal sector consist of program management; planning, design, and engineering; systems engineering and technical assistance to con struction and construction management; operations and maintenance; and decommissioning and closure primarily for the United States federal government and national governments of other countries. URS Corporation?s services for industrial and commercial sector include front-end studies, engineering and process design, procurement, construction and construction management, facility management, and operations and maintenance, as well as due diligence, permitting, compliance, environmental management, pollution control, health and safety, waste management, and hazardous waste remediation. The company was formerly known as Broadview Research Corporation and changed its name to URS Corporation in 1976. URS Corporation was founded in 1904 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

Top 5 Mid Cap Companies To Own In Right Now

Just as Las Vegas boomed years ago, Macau is booming today for the same reason; it�� the only place in China where gambling is legal.

All the big names in the industry are there, including Las Vegas Sands, Wynn Resorts and MGM Resorts. And Melco Crown Entertainment (MPEL) -- our latest stock of the month pick -- is thriving right along with them.

The big driver of revenue for Melco is its City of Dreams resort casino complex, a massive conglomeration of casinos, hotels, theaters, 20 restaurants and bars, 175,000 square feet of high-end shopping venues and 550 gambling tables and 1,500 gaming machines.

Top 5 Mid Cap Companies To Own In Right Now: Weir Grp(WEIR.L)

The Weir Group PLC engages in minerals, oil and gas, and power and industrial businesses worldwide. Its Minerals segment designs and manufactures slurry handling equipment, including pumps, hydrocyclones, valves, and other complementary equipment primarily for the mining, flue gas desulphurization, and oil sands markets. The company?s Oil & Gas segment designs and manufactures pumps and ancillary equipment for upstream and downstream oil and gas markets, as well as engages in aftermarket service and support activities. Its Power & Industrial segment designs, manufactures, and provides aftermarket support for rotating and flow control equipment to the power sector. The company also offers equipment to the liquefied petroleum gas marine and onshore markets. The Weir Group PLC was founded in 1871 and is headquartered in Glasgow, the United Kingdom.

Top 5 Mid Cap Companies To Own In Right Now: Charles Stanley Grp(CAY.L)

Charles Stanley Group Plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides investment and financial services in the United Kingdom. The company operates in three segments: Private Clients, Financial Services, and Charles Stanley Securities. The Private Clients segment offers investment management services to individuals, trusts, and charities. The Financial Services segment provides corporate finance and wealth management services; pension administration services; and markets unit trusts, open ended investment company units, and packaged financial products to private clients. The Charles Stanley Securities segment offers stock broking, financial planning and benefit consultancy, and small and mid-cap advisory and institutional broking services. The company also provides life and health assurance, and tax advisory services. Charles Stanley Group Plc was founded in 1792 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

Top 10 Undervalued Companies To Buy For 2014: China Life Insurance Company Limited(LFC)

China Life Insurance Company Limited provides life, annuities, accident, and health insurance products in China. Its individual life insurance and annuity products consist of whole life and term life insurance, endowment insurance, and annuities. The company also engages in the writing of life insurance business. In addition, it offers group life insurance products, including group annuity products, and group whole life and term life insurance products to enterprises and institutions, as well as universal life products. Further, the company provides short-term insurance products comprising short-term accident insurance and short-term health insurance products; accident insurance products, such as individual accident insurance and group accident insurance; and health insurance products, including defined health benefit plans, medical expense reimbursement plans, and disease specific plans. It distributes its products through its direct sales representatives and exclusive ag ents, as well as through intermediaries comprising insurance agencies and insurance brokerage companies, non-dedicated agencies, bancassurance arrangements, travel agencies, and hotels and airline sales counters. The company was founded in 1949 and is based in Beijing, China. China Life Insurance Company Limited is a subsidiary of China Life Insurance (Group) Company.

Top 5 Mid Cap Companies To Own In Right Now: Euro/Swiss(RF)

Regions Financial Corporation operates as the holding company for Regions Bank that provides a range of commercial, retail, and mortgage banking services in the United States. It offers various deposit products, including savings and transaction accounts; demand deposit accounts; money market accounts; and time deposits, such as certificate of deposits and individual retirement accounts. The company?s loan portfolio comprises commercial loans, such as commercial and industrial, and owner occupied commercial real estate mortgage and construction loans; investor real estate loans, including commercial real estate mortgage and construction loans; and consumer loans, which consist of residential first mortgage, home equity, indirect, consumer credit card, and other consumer loans. Regions Financial Corporation, through other subsidiaries, also provides regional brokerage and investment banking products and services, such as securities brokerage, trust, asset management, finan cial planning, mutual funds, securities underwriting, sales and trading, and investment banking services for individual and institutional investors; and insurance brokerage services for various lines of personal and commercial insurance comprising property, casualty, life, health, and accident. In addition, the company offers credit-related insurance, including title, term life, credit life, environmental, crop, and mortgage insurance; debt cancellation products; and equipment financing products primary for commercial clients. As of December 31, 2011, it operated approximately 2,100 ATMs and 1,726 banking offices in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. The company was founded in 1970 and is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Bret Jensen]

  Regions Financial (RF) operates as the holding company for the Regions Bank that provides a range of commercial, retail, and mortgage banking services in the United States. It offers various deposit products, including savings accounts, transaction accounts, and money market accounts, as well as time deposits, such as certificate of deposits and individual retirement accounts." 

   

  4 reasons Regions Financial is a buy at just under $5 a share:

  1. Insiders bought over 100,000 shares in August which is good vote of confidence.

  2. The technicals are improving rapidly . 

  3. After losing $.79 a share in FY2010, RF is expected to book $.19 a share of profit in FY2011 and analysts project $.48 a share in FY2012.

  4. The company has taken solid steps to improve its credit quality and capital levels since 2009. In addition, Regions is selling at less than 2 times the $2.67 a share it made in FY2006.

• [By John Grgurich]

  Some surprise, as we move far away from Wall Street for our No. 2 performer: This Alabama-based regional star closed up 63.91% for the year, moving from its low of $4.35 per share to $7.13. Again, except for a dip into the summer doldrums, which saw Regions share price hit $5.50, the stock was a steady climber throughout 2012; it hit its high of $7.62 on September 19. 

  Some bad news for Regions surfaced just last month, with Reuters reporting that the bank is currently, or has been, investigated by no less than five federal and state entities for the possibility it misclassified loans that went south during the financial crisis. No charges have yet been filed, but this development for Regions might mean regulators and prosecutors are shifting their legal gaze from financial-crash shenanigans at the big banks to financial-crash shenanigans at the regional banks.

Top 5 Mid Cap Companies To Own In Right Now: Intact Financial Corp (IFC.TO)

Intact Financial Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides property and casualty insurance products for individuals and small to medium size businesses primarily in Canada and the United States. It underwrites standard and non-standard automobile, home, and commercial property insurance products. The company markets its products through a network of insurance brokers or directly under the Intact Insurance, belairdirect, GP Car and Home, JEVCO, and Novex Group Insurance brands. The company was formerly known as ING Canada Inc. and changed its name to Intact Financial Corporation in May 2009. Intact Financial Corporation was founded in 1809 and is based in Toronto, Canada.