Best Information Technology Companies For 2014

Riverbed Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:RVBD) is flush with news announcements today. The information technology services provider rejected a takeover bid, and pre-announced preliminary, fourth quarter fiscal-year 2013 results.

Riverbed Technology, Inc. provides solutions to the fundamental problems associated with information technology (IT) performance across wide area networks (WANs) in the United States and internationally.

The company says good things are happening at the tech company, at least better than expected. Management upped guidance to Non-GAAP revenue for Q4'13 in the range of $284 million to $285 million, compared to the company's previous guidance of $270 million to $276 million. Non-GAAP earnings are expected to be in the range of $0.30 to $0.31 per diluted share, versus previous guidance of $0.26 to $0.27 per diluted share.

Best Heal Care Stocks To Buy Right Now: Chevron Corp (CHV)

Chevron Corporation (Chevron), incorporated on January 27, 1926, manages its investments in subsidiaries and affiliates and provides administrative, financial, management and technology support to the United States and international subsidiaries that engage in fully integrated petroleum operations, chemicals operations, mining activities, power generation and energy services. Upstream operations consist primarily of exploring for, developing and producing crude oil and natural gas; processing, liquefaction, transportation and regasification associated with liquefied natural gas; transporting crude oil by international oil export pipelines; transporting, storage and marketing of natural gas, and a gas-to-liquids project. Downstream operations consist primarily of refining crude oil into petroleum products; marketing of crude oil and refined products; transporting crude oil and refined products by pipeline, marine vessel, motor equipment and rail car, and manufacturing and marketing of commodity petrochemicals, plastics for industrial uses and fuel and lubricant additives.

Upstream

At December 31, 2012, Chevron owned or had under lease or similar agreements undeveloped and developed crude oil and natural gas properties worldwide. Upstream activities in the United States are concentrated in California, the Gulf of Mexico, Colorado, Louisiana, Michigan, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, West Virginia and Wyoming. During the year ended December 31, 2012, average net oil-equivalent production in the United States was 655,000 barrels per day. In 2012, net daily production averaged 163,000 barrels of crude oil, 70 million cubic feet of natural gas and 4,000 barrels of natural gas liquids (NGLs). During 2012, net daily production for the Company�� combined interests in the Gulf of Mexico shelf and deepwater areas, and the onshore fields in the region, were 153,000 barrels of crude oil, 395 million cubic feet of natural gas and 16,000 barrels of NGL.

The! Company was engaged in various exploration and development activities in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico during 2012. As of December 31, 2012, it had a 50% working interest in Jack and a 51% working interest in St. Malo Field. During 2013, the Company had 42.9% non-operated working interest in the Tubular Bells Field; 20.3% non-operated working interest in the Caesar and Tonga area, and 15.6% non-operated working interest in the Mad Dog II Project. The Company activities in the mid-continental United States include operated and non-operated interests in properties primarily in Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming. The Company holds leases in the Marcellus Shale and Utica Shale, primarily located in southwestern Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia, and in the Antrim Shale in Michigan. Other Americas is consistd of Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela. Net oil-equivalent production from these countries averaged 230,000 barrels per day during 2012, including the Company�� share of synthetic oil production.

Chevron�� interests in oil sands projects and shale acreage in Alberta, shale acreage and an LNG project in British Columbia, exploration, development and production projects offshore in the Atlantic region, and exploration and discovered resource interests in the Beaufort Sea region of the Northwest Territories. Average net oil-equivalent production during 2012, was 69,000 barrels per day, consisted of 25,000 barrels of crude oil, four million cubic feet of natural gas and 43,000 barrels of synthetic oil from oil sands. During 2012, the Company held a 20% non-operated working interest in the Athabasca Oil Sands Project (AOSP). In February 2013, Chevron acquired a 50%-owned and operated interest in the Kitimat LNG project and proposed Pacific Trail Pipeline, and a 50% non-operated working interest in 644,000 total acres in the Horn River and Liard shale gas basins in British Colombia; 26.9% non-operated working interest in the Hib! ernia Fie! ld and a 23.6 non-operated working interest in the unitized Hibernia Southern Extension (HSE) offshore Atlantic Canada, and 26.6% non-operated working interest in the heavy-oil Hebron Field, also offshore Atlantic Canada.

In December 2012, Chevron relinquished its 29.2% non-operated working interest in Exploration License 2007/26, which includes Block 4 offshore West Greenland. The Company holds operated interests in four concessions in the Neuquen Basin. Working interests range from 18.8% to 100%. In 2012, the net oil-equivalent production averaged 22,000 barrels per day, consisted of 21,000 barrels of crude oil and four million cubic feet of natural gas. During 2012, two exploratory wells targeting shale gas and tight oil resources were drilled in the Vaca Muerta formation in the El Trapial concession. Chevron holds working interests in three deepwater fields in the Campos Basin: Frade (51.7%-owned and operated), Papa-Terra and Maromba (37.5% and 30% non-operated working interests, respectively). Net oil-equivalent production in 2012 averaged 6,000 barrels per day, consisted of 6,000 barrels of crude oil and two million cubic feet of natural gas.

In Africa, the Company is engaged in upstream activities in Angola, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Morocco, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone and South Africa. Net oil-equivalent production in Africa averaged 451,000 barrels per day during 2012. In Asia, the Company is engaged in upstream activities in Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Myanmar, the Partitioned Zone located between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, the Philippines, Russia, Thailand, and Vietnam. During 2012, net oil-equivalent production averaged 1,061,000 barrels per day. In Australia, the Company�� upstream efforts are concentrated off the northwest coast. During 2012, the average net oil-equivalent production from Australia was 99,000 barrels per day. In Europe, the Company is engag! ed in ups! tream activities in Bulgaria, Denmark, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Ukraine and the United Kingdom. Net oil-equivalent production in Europe averaged 114,000 barrels per day during 2012.

Downstream

The Company markets petroleum products under the principal brands of Chevron, Texaco and Caltex worldwide. In the United States, the Company markets under the Chevron and Texaco brands. During 2012, the Company supplied directly or through retailers and marketers approximately 8,060 Chevron- and Texaco-branded motor vehicle service stations, primarily in the southern and western states. Approximately 470 of these outlets are company-owned or -leased stations. Outside the United States, the Company supplied directly or through retailers and marketers approximately 8,700 branded service stations, including affiliates. In British Columbia, Canada, the Company markets under the Chevron brand. The Company markets in Latin America and the Caribbean using the Texaco brand. In the Asia-Pacific region, southern Africa, Egypt and Pakistan, the Company uses the Caltex brand. The Company also operates through affiliates under various brand names. In South Korea, the Company operates through its 50%-owned affiliate, GS Caltex, and in Australia through its 50%-owned affiliate, Caltex Australia Limited.

The Company owns a 50% interest in its Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC (CPChem) affiliate. During 2012, CPChem owned or had joint-venture interests in 36 manufacturing facilities and two research development centers worldwide. The Company�� Oronite brand lubricant and fuel additives business is a developer, manufacturer and marketer of performance additives for lubricating oils and fuels. The Company owns and operates facilities in Brazil, France, Japan, the Netherlands, Singapore and the United States and has interests in facilities in India and Mexico. Oronite lubricant additives are blended into refined base oil to produce finished lubricant packages us! ed primar! ily in engine applications, such as passenger car, heavy-duty diesel, marine, locomotive and motorcycle engines.

Transportation

The Company owns and operates a network of crude oil, refined product, chemical, natural gas liquid and natural gas pipelines and other infrastructure assets in the United States. The Company also has direct and indirect interests in other the United States and international pipelines. All tankers in the Company�� controlled seagoing fleet were utilized during 2012. During 2012, the Company had 51 deep-sea vessels chartered on a voyage basis, or for a period of less than one year. The Company�� the United States-flagged fleet is engaged primarily in transporting refined products between the Gulf Coast and the East Coast and from California refineries to terminals on the West Coast and in Alaska and Hawaii. The foreign-flagged vessels are engaged primarily in transporting crude oil from the Middle East, Southeast Asia, the Black Sea, South America, Mexico and West Africa to ports in the United States, Europe, Australia and Asia. The Company�� foreign-flagged vessels also transport refined products to and from various locations worldwide.

Other Businesses

During 2012, the Company completed the sale of its Kemmerer, Wyoming, surface coal mine and the sale of its 50% interest in Youngs Creek Mining Company, LLC, which was formed to develop a coal mine in northern Wyoming.Chevron also owns and operates the Questa molybdenum mine in New Mexico. During 2012, it had 160 million tons of proven and probable coal reserves in the United States, including reserves of low-sulfur coal. The Company�� Global Power Company manages interests in 11 power assets with a total operating capacity of more than 2,200 megawatts, primarily through joint ventures in the United States and Asia. Chevron Energy Solutions (CES) completed several public sector programs, including a microgrid at the Santa Rita jail in Alameda County, and renewable and e! fficiency! programs for Huntington Beach City School District, South San Francisco Unified School District and Union City, all in California, plus Rootstown Local School District in Ohio. The Company�� energy technology organization supports Chevron�� upstream and downstream businesses by providing technology, services and competency development in earth sciences; reservoir and production engineering; drilling and completions; facilities engineering; manufacturing; process technology; catalysis; technical computing, and health, environment and safety disciplines.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Ciovacco]

  The Energy Select Sector Spider provides exposure to a diversified basket of energy stocks, including Exxon (XOM), Chevron (CHV) and ConocoPhillips (COP). As the chart shows below, XLE has established a bullish weekly trend relative to the broader S&P 500 Index (SPY).

Best Information Technology Companies For 2014: Real Goods Solar Inc (RGSE)

Real Goods Solar, Inc., incorporated on January 29, 2008, is a solar energy company. The Company serves commercial, residential, and utility customers. The Company provides a solar solution, from design, financing, permitting and installation to ongoing monitoring, maintenance and support. The Company offers free home solar quotes, as well as solar system financing, design, engineering, permitting, installation, rebate acquisition, maintenance, and monitoring. Effective May 14, 2014, the Company acquired Elemental Energy LLC, doing business as Sunetric.

The Company�� solar power installation services are available in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The Company's customers include homeowners, small to large businesses and corporations, universities and schools, and government agencies, such as Aetna Insurance, Stop & Shop, Timex, St. Louis Housing Authority, and Yale University.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Anna Prior]

  Real Goods Solar Inc.(RGSE) said it has agreed to raise about $7 million in a private placement financing transaction. Under the terms of the agreement, RGS will issue units consisting of an aggregate of about 2.9 million shares of its Class A common stock and warrants to purchase up to 1.31 million additional shares, at a price of $2.40 a unit. Shares fell 9.7% to $2.62 premarket.

Best Information Technology Companies For 2014: dELIA*s Inc.(DLIA)

dELiA*s, Inc. operates as a direct marketing and retail company in the United States. It offers a collection of apparel, dresses, swimwear, roomwear, footwear, outerwear, and key accessories primarily for teenage girls. The company sells its products through direct mail catalogs, Websites, and mall-based specialty retail stores under the dELiA*s brand name. As of January 29, 2011, it operated 114 dELiA*s retail stores. The company also markets and sells branded junior apparel, dresses, accessories, swimwear, footwear and outerwear primarily to young women through catalogs and Internet under the Alloy brand name. dELiA*s, Inc. was founded in 1997 and based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  dELIA*s (NASDAQ: DLIA  ) is now a lighter company following the divestment of one of its brand lines. The company announced that it has sold its Alloy subsidiary to HRSH Acquisitions, which is conducting business under the name Alloy Apparel and Accessories. dELIA*s was paid $3.7 million in cash for the unit, and the buyer will assume roughly $3.1 million in liabilities.

• [By Sean Williams]

  Don't fight history
  Sometimes we just have to remember as investors that there isn't room enough for every company to succeed. Thus enters dELiA*s (NASDAQ: DLIA  ) , an online and mail catalog retailer that markets apparel to teenage girls and young women.

Best Information Technology Companies For 2014: Apollo Global Management LLC(APO)

Apollo Global Management, LLC is a publicly owned investment manager. The firm primarily provides its services to pension and endowment funds, institutional investors, individual investors, pooled investment vehicles, and corporations. It manages client focused portfolios, hedge funds, real estate funds, and private equity funds for its clients. The firm invests in the fixed income and alternative investment markets across the globe. Its alternative investments include investment in private equity and real estate markets. The firm's private equity investments include traditional buyouts, distressed buyouts and debt investments, corporate partner buyouts, distressed asset, turnaround, corporate restructuring, special situation, acquisition, and industry consolidation transactions. Its fixed income investments include distressed debt, senior bank loans, and value oriented fixed income securities. The firm seeks to invest in chemicals; commodities; consumer and retail; oil an d gas, metals, mining, agriculture, commodities, distribution and transportation; financial and business services; manufacturing and industrial; media distribution, cable, entertainment, and leisure; energy, packaging and materials; and satellite and wireless. It seeks to invest in companies based in across North America with a focus on United States, and Europe. The firm employs a combination of contrarian, value, and distressed strategies to make its investments. It conducts an in-house research to create its investment portfolio. The firm seeks to acquire minority positions in its portfolio companies. Apollo Global Management, LLC was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in New York, New York with nine additional offices in North America, Europe, and Asia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Christopher Palmeri]

  Affiliates of Genting Hong Kong Ltd. (GENHK), Apollo Global Management LLC (APO) and TPG Capital will sell 20 million shares, according to a regulatory filing yesterday. The three will own 77 percent of Miami-based Norwegian Cruise Line after the sale.

• [By Will Ashworth]

  However, apparently Caesars Entertainment and its private equity owners, TPG Capital and Apollo Global Management (APO), don�� read those kinds of books. They��e too busy shuffling paper.

• [By Nick Taborek]

  Pitney Bowes (PBI), rose 13 percent to $16.60, the most in the S&P 500. The provider of postal meters and other equipment agreed to sell its management-services unit to Apollo Global Management LLC (APO) for about $400 million in cash.

• [By Tom Rojas var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); popups.forEach(func]

  Apollo Global Management LLC's(APO) second-quarter profit widely missed Wall Street expectations, as the private-equity firm hauled in less money cashing out on deals. Shares lost 3% to $25.12 premarket.

Best Information Technology Companies For 2014: Newell Rubbermaid Inc.(NWL)

Newell Rubbermaid Inc. designs, manufactures, and markets consumer and commercial products. It operates in three segments: Home & Family, Office Products, and Tools, Hardware & Commercial Products. The Home & Family segment offers indoor/outdoor organization, food storage, and home storage products; infant and juvenile products, such as car seats, strollers, highchairs, and playards; drapery hardware, window treatments, and cabinet hardware; gourmet cookware, bakeware, cutlery, and small kitchen electrics; and hair care accessories and grooming products to mass merchants, specialty stores, and grocery/drug and department stores. The Office Products segment provides writing instruments, including pens, pencils, markers and highlighters, and art products; fine writing instruments and leather goods; office technology solutions, such as label makers and printers, interactive teaching solutions, and on-line postage to mass merchants, warehouse clubs, grocery/drug stores, office superstores, contract stationers, and retailers. The Tools, Hardware & Commercial Products segment offers industrial bandsaw blades and cutting tools for pipes and HVAC systems; hand tools and power tool accessories; manual paint applicators, window hardware, and convenience hardware; cleaning and refuse products, hygiene systems, material handling solutions, medical and computer carts, and wall-mounted workstations to mass merchants, home centers, department stores, hardware and commercial products distributors, industrial/construction outlets, custom shops, select contract customers, and professional customers. It sells its products under Rubbermaid, Graco, Aprica, Levolor, Kirsch, Amerock, Calphalon, Goody, Sharpie, Expo, Dymo, Paper Mate, Parker, Waterman, Lenox, Irwin, Shur-line, and Bulldog brands. The company operates in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and the Asia Pacific. Newell Rubbermaid Inc. was founded in 1903 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Brian Pacampara]

  Alticor
  Avon Products (NYSE: AVP  )
  Newell Rubbermaid (NYSE: NWL  )

  Sources: S&P Capital IQ and Motley Fool CAPS.

• [By Shauna O'Brien]

  Newell Rubbermaid Inc. (NWL) announced on Wednesday that it has finalized the sale of its Hardware business.

  The sale, which was first reported on August 9, was completed on Wednesday. Nova Capital has acquired NWL’s Hardware business which includes the Amerock, Ashland, Bulldog and Shur-Line brands.

  NWL will receive approximately $175 million in after-tax proceeds from the sale.

  Newell Rubbermaid shares were mostly flat during pre-market trading Wednesday. The stock has increased 18% YTD.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Like many consumer-goods companies, Newell Rubbermaid (NYSE: NWL  ) is best known for the products it makes. Lately, though, it's been the dependable earnings growth and solid dividend that have led investors to buy Newell Rubbermaid stock, and if the company can deliver on expectations in the coming years, then its shares could see even further gains. Let's take a closer look at what's been happening with Newell Rubbermaid lately and how it's has helped boost the stock.

Best Information Technology Companies For 2014: Invesco Mortgage Capital Inc (IVR)

Invesco Mortgage Capital Inc., incorporated in June 2008, is a real estate investment trust (REIT). The Company is primarily focused on investing in, financing and managing residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities and mortgage loans, which it collectively refers to as its target assets. The Company�� target assets consist of residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) for which the United States Government agency, such as the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae) or a federally chartered corporation, such as the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) guarantees payments of principal and interest on the securities. It refers to these securities as Agency RMBS. Its Agency RMBS investments include mortgage pass-through securities and may include collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs). It also invests in RMBS that are not issued or guaranteed by the United States Government agency (non-Agency RMBS), commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) and residential and commercial mortgage loans.

The Company finances its Agency RMBS, non-Agency RMBS and CMBS investments through short-term borrowings structured as repurchase agreements. The Company�� manager is Invesco Advisors Inc. The Company also finances its investments in certain non-Agency RMBS, CMBS and residential and commercial mortgage loans by contributing capital to the Invesco Mortgage Recovery Feeder Fund (Invesco IMRF Fund) that invests in public-private investment funds (PPIF) managed by the Company�� manager. The Company's manager is a wholly owned subsidiary of Invesco Ltd.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Amanda Alix]

  All mREITs are taking it on the chin
  The agency crew, led by heavy hitters Annaly Capital (NYSE: NLY  ) , American Capital Agency (NASDAQ: AGNC  ) , and Armour Residential (NYSE: ARR  ) , have all been close to hitting 52-week lows, but the blood-letting hasn't stopped there. Even hybrid mortgage REITs, which also buy some non-agency paper, have plunged, as well. Two Harbors (NYSE: TWO  ) , which enjoyed such a nice lift post-earnings about a month ago, recently sunk to new lows, and Invesco Mortgage Capital (NYSE: IVR  ) has also slipped, even after its CIO's recent show of faith, making a sizable insider purchase�of stock less than two weeks ago.

• [By Monica Wolfe]

  Invesco Mortgage Capital (IVR)

  President and CEO of Invesco Richard King reported a rather notable insider buy on Aug. 5. The CEO purchased 6,500 shares of company stock at an average price of $15.41 per share. This purchase cost King a total of $100,165. Since this buy, the share price has increased a minor 0.13%. King now holds on to at least 56,545 shares of Invesco Mortgage stock.

• [By Amanda Alix]

  Analysts at odds over mREITs
  Financial analysts have been busy noting the underperformance of mREITs lately, especially since the Fed dropped the QE3 taper bombshell almost two weeks ago -- immediately igniting fears of rising interest rates, which would decrease the value of the trusts' legacy assets, thus dinging book values. The pain hasn't been limited to the stocks mentioned above,� as CYS Investments (NYSE: CYS  ) , and even hybrids like Invesco (NYSE: IVR  ) , have been on a roller-coaster ride ever since.