5 Best Defensive Stocks To Buy For 2014

Our favorite idea for 2014 for more speculative investors is a company that operates and manages gaming and entertainment facilities; it is well-placed to benefit from, not only a revival of consumer sentiment in Australia, but the emergence of a middle class in China as well, notes David Dittman, editor of Australian Edge.

Crown Resorts Ltd. ((AU:CWN), (OP:CWLDF), (ADR:CWLDY)) holds assets in Melbourne and Perth that continue to deliver solid and relatively defensive earnings.

Crown's two established casinos—the Crown Melbourne in Victoria and the Crown Perth in Western Australia—have long histories of stable cash generation, with demonstrated resilience during economic downturns. These assets are the company's main cash flow generators, and there is some concentration risk.

This ability to endure global macro volatility is, in part, a reflection of relatively stable and predictable local markets. Stable cash generation also reflects Crown's position as the sole licensed casino operator in the respective regions.

Top 5 Regional Bank Companies To Watch For 2015: PHH Corp (PHH)

PHH Corporation (PHH), incorporated in 1953, is an outsource provider of mortgage and fleet management services. PHH operates in three segments: Mortgage Production, Mortgage Servicing and Fleet Management Services. The Company provides mortgage banking services to a range of clients, including financial institutions and real estate brokers, throughout the United States. The Company�� mortgage banking activities include originating, purchasing, selling and servicing mortgage loans through its wholly owned subsidiary, PHH Mortgage Corporation and its subsidiaries (collectively PHH Mortgage). It provides commercial fleet management services to corporate clients and government agencies throughout the United States and Canada through its wholly owned subsidiary, PHH Vehicle Management Services Group LLC (PHH VMS). PHH VMS is a fully integrated provider of fleet management services with a range of product offerings, including managing and leasing vehicle fleets and providing other fee-based services for its clients��vehicle fleets.

Mortgage Production Segment

The Mortgage Production segment provides mortgage services, including private-label mortgage services, to financial institutions and real estate brokers through PHH Mortgage. The Mortgage Production segment generates revenue through fee-based mortgage loan origination services and the origination and sale of mortgage loans into the secondary market. PHH Mortgage generally sells all mortgage loans that it originates to secondary market investors, which include a variety of institutional investors, and typically retains the servicing rights on mortgage loans sold. During the year ended December 31, 2011, 92% of its mortgage loans were sold to, or were sold pursuant to, programs sponsored by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac or Ginnie Mae and the remaining 8% were sold to private investors. The Mortgage Production segment includes PHH Home Loans, LLC (together with its subsidiaries, PHH Home Loans), which is a joint venture that the C! ompany maintains with Realogy Corporation. The Company owns 50.1% of PHH Home Loans through its subsidiaries and Realogy owns the remaining 49.9% through their affiliates. PHH has rights to use the Century 21, Coldwell Banker and ERA brand names in marketing its mortgage loan products through PHH Home Loans and other arrangements that it has with Realogy.

The Mortgage Production segment also includes its interest in Speedy Title & Appraisal Review Services LLC (STARS), which provides appraisal services utilizing a network of professional licensed firms offering local coverage throughout the United States and also provides credit research, flood certification and tax services. On March 31, 2011, it sold 50.1% of the interests in STARS to CoreLogic, Inc. The Company operates through two principal business channels: private label services and real estate.

The retail platform consists of private label services and real estate channels. The Company is a provider of private-label mortgage loan originations for financial institutions and other entities throughout the United States. In this channel, the Company offers a complete outsourcing solution, from processing applications through funding, for clients that wish to offer mortgage services to their customers but are not equipped to handle all aspects of the process cost-effectively. The Company also purchases closed mortgage loans from financial institutions.

The Company works with real estate brokers to provide their customers with mortgage loans. Through its affiliations with real estate brokers, it has access to home buyers at the time of purchase. It works with brokers associated with NRT Incorporated, Realogy�� owned real estate brokerage business, brokers associated with Realogy�� franchised brokerages (Realogy Franchisees) and third-party brokers that are not affiliated with Realogy. During 2011, approximately 22% of the Company�� mortgage loan originations were derived from its relationship with Realogy ! and its a! ffiliates. In this channel, it also works with Cartus Corporation, Realogy�� relocation business, to provide mortgage loans to employees of Cartus��clients. Cartus provides outsourced corporate relocation services in the United States. Realogy has agreed that the real estate brokerage business owned and operated by NRT Incorporated and the title and settlement services business owned and operated by Title Resource Group LLC will recommend PHH Home Loans as provider of mortgage loans to the independent sales associates affiliated with Realogy, excluding the independent sales associates of any Realogy Franchisee, and all customers of Realogy Services Group LLC and Realogy Services Venture Partner, Inc., excluding Realogy Franchisees. Certain Realogy Franchisees have agreed to recommend PHH Mortgage as provider of mortgage loans to their respective independent sales associates. As of 2011, it has entered into exclusive marketing service agreements with 5% of Realogy Franchisees. In the Relocation Channel, the Company works with Cartus Corporation, Realogy�� relocation business, to provide mortgage loans to employees of Cartus��clients.

During 2011, the Company originated mortgage loans for approximately 17% of the transactions in which real estate brokerages owned by Realogy represented the home buyer. And approximately 8% of the transactions in which real estate brokerages franchised by Realogy where it had exclusive marketing service agreements, represented the home buyer.

Mortgage Servicing Segment

The Company principally generates revenue in its Mortgage Servicing segment through fees earned from its servicing rights or from its subservicing agreements. Mortgage servicing rights are the rights to receive a portion of the interest coupon and fees collected from the mortgagors for performing specified mortgage servicing activities, which consist of collecting loan payments, remitting principal and interest payments to investors, managing escrow funds for th! e payment! of mortgage-related expenses, such as taxes and insurance, performing loss mitigation activities on behalf of investors, and otherwise administering its mortgage loan servicing portfolio. Mortgage servicing rights for sold loans are initially recorded at fair value in its Mortgage Production Segment�� results of operations. Changes in fair value subsequent to the initial capitalization are recorded in its Mortgage Servicing Segment�� results of operations. The Company�� Mortgage Servicing segment also includes the results of its reinsurance activities from its wholly owned subsidiary, Atrium Reinsurance Corporation.

The Company provides mortgage reinsurance to certain third-party insurance companies that provide primary mortgage insurance on loans originated in its Mortgage Production segment. While it does not underwrite primary mortgage insurance directly, it provides reinsurance that covers losses in excess of a specified percentage of the principal balance of a given pool of mortgage loans, subject to a contractual limit. In exchange for assuming a portion of the risk of loss related to the reinsured loans, Atrium Reinsurance Corporation, its wholly owned subsidiary, receives a portion of borrower�� premiums from the third-party insurance companies.

Fleet Management Services Segment

The Company provides fleet management services to corporate clients and government agencies throughout the United States and Canada. It is an integrated provider of these services with a range of product offerings. The Company primarily focuses on clients with fleets of greater than 75 vehicles. As of 2011, it had approximately 270,000 vehicles leased, primarily consisting of cars and light-duty trucks and, to a lesser extent, medium and heavy-duty trucks, trailers and equipment, and approximately 300,000 additional vehicles serviced under fuel cards, maintenance cards, accident management services arrangements and/or similar arrangements. During 2011, the Company purchas! ed approx! imately 61,000 vehicles.

The Company provides corporate clients and government agencies with services and products, such as Fleet Leasing and Fleet Management Services, Maintenance Services, Accident Management Services, and Fuel Card Services. The Fleet Leasing and Fleet management services include vehicle leasing, fleet policy analysis and recommendations, benchmarking, vehicle recommendations, ordering and purchasing vehicles, arranging for vehicle delivery and administration of the title and registration process, as well as tax and insurance requirements, pursuing warranty claims and remarketing used vehicles. It leases vehicles to its clients under both open-end and closed-end leases. Open-end leases represent 97% of its lease portfolio, and are a form of lease in which the client bears substantially all of the vehicle�� residual value risk. These leases typically have a minimum term of 12 months, and can be continued after that at the lessee�� election for successive monthly renewals. Upon return of the vehicle by the lessee, it typically sells the vehicle into the secondary market, and the client receives a credit or pays the difference between the sale proceeds and the vehicle�� book value.

Open-end leases may be classified as operating or direct financing depending upon the nature of the residual guarantee. Revenues for operating leases contain a depreciation component, an interest component and a management fee component, and are recognized over the lease term. For direct financing leases, revenues contain an interest component and a management fee component, and are recognized over the lease term. Closed-end leases represent 3% of its lease portfolio, and are a form of lease in which it retains the residual risk of the value of the vehicle at the end of the lease term. Closed-end leases may be classified as operating or direct financing based on the terms of the individual contracts.

The Company offers clients vehicle maintenance service cards that! are used! to facilitate payment for repairs and maintenance. It maintains a network of third-party service providers in the United States and Canada to ensure ease of use by the clients drivers. The vehicle maintenance service cards provide clients with negotiated discounts off of full retail prices through its supplier network, access to its in-house team of certified maintenance experts that monitor transactions for policy compliance, reasonability and cost-effectiveness, and inclusion of vehicle maintenance transactions in a consolidated information and billing database, which assists clients with the evaluation of overall fleet performance and costs. During 2011, the Company averaged 324,000 maintenance service cards in the United States and Canada. It receives a fixed monthly fee for these services from its clients, as well as additional fees from service providers in its third-party network for individual maintenance services.

PHH provides its clients with accident management services, such as immediate assistance upon receiving the initial accident report from the driver, an organized vehicle appraisal and repair process through a network of third-party preferred repair and body shops and coordination and negotiation of potential accident claims. The Company�� accident management services provide its clients with convenient, coordinated 24-hour assistance from its call center, access to its relationships with the repair and body shops included in its preferred supplier network, which typically provide clients with favorable terms, and expertise of its damage specialists, who ensure that vehicle appraisals and repairs are appropriate, cost-efficient and in accordance with each client�� specific repair policy. During 2011, it averaged 298,000 vehicles that were participating in accident management programs. The Company receives fees from its clients for these services, as well as additional fees from service providers in its third-party network for individual incident services.

It prov! ides its clients with fuel card programs that facilitate the payment, monitoring and control of fuel purchases. Fuel is typically the single fleet-related operating expense. Its fuel cards provide its clients with access to more fuel brands and outlets than other private-label corporate fuel cards, point-of-sale processing technology for fuel card transactions that enhances clients��ability to monitor purchases and consolidated billing, and access to other information on fuel card transactions, which assists clients with the evaluation of overall fleet performance and costs. Its fuel cards are offered through relationships with third parties in the United States, and a card in Canada, which offer expanded fuel management capabilities on one service card. During 2011, it averaged 295,000 fuel cards in the United States and Canada. PHH receives both monthly fees from its fuel card clients and additional fees from fuel partners and providers.

The Company competes with Bank of America, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, Chase Home Finance, CitiMortgage, GE Commercial Finance Fleet Services, Wheels, Inc., Automotive Resources International and Lease Plan International.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  PHH Corp. (NYSE: PHH) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at Keefe Bruyette & Woods.

  T-Mobile US Inc. (NYSE: TMUS) was started as Outperform at Cowen & Co.

• [By Lawrence Meyers]

  X stock is a stock to short.

  Stocks to Short #2: PHH Corp. (PHH)
  

  PHH Corp. (PHH) provides both mortgage servicing and originates mortgages, though it also handles vehicle fleet services. PHH is struggling with lower total loan margins and refinancing declines.

• [By Holly LaFon]

  Despite economic and political turmoil, equity markets performed well across the board in September of 2013 and over the trailing twelve months. The September gains reversed losses in August and also resulted in positive overall quarterly performance with a number of major indexes moving further into record territory. After disturbing the markets in May and June with comments that they may taper Quantitative Easing (QE), the Fed surprised investors with an announcement that it would not reduce its asset purchases in the near-term. The announcement removed fears that a continued rise in interest rates may stall the economic recovery, as seen by the market's negative reaction to the sharp rise in the 10-year Treasury rate in August of 2013. Investors were also comforted by improving fundamentals both domestically and abroad. The Eurozone may finally be emerging from its prolonged recession and a number of economic reports in the U.S. continue to show progress. Specifically, initial unemployment claims dropped to a multiyear low early in September and the housing market continued to improve, as evidenced by prices rising 12.4 percent year-over year, which along with the stock market's strength, has created a positive wealth effect for consumers. In response to this general economic improvement, consumer confidence increased at the end of September, and the index of leading economic indicators ticked up as well, suggesting that, absent the effects of politics, the recovery in the real economy was continuing. Our portfolios that focus on corporate restructuring (Keeley Small Cap Value, Keeley Small-Mid Cap Value, Keeley Mid Cap Value, Keeley All Cap Value, and Keeley Alternative Value) have all experienced a productive investment cycle with respect to their opportunity sets, and many of our holdings have posted impressive results in recent quarters. Although we acknowledge an improving economy has boosted the outlook for our more cyclical holdings, our research has gu

5 Best Defensive Stocks To Buy For 2014: USA Technologies Inc.(USAT)

USA Technologies, Inc. supplies cashless, remote management, reporting, and energy management solutions for the unattended point of sale market primarily in the United States. The company offers networked devices and associated services that enable the owners and operators of stand-alone distributed assets, such as vending machines, kiosks, personal computers, photocopiers, and laundry equipment the ability to remotely monitor, control, and report on the results of these distributed assets, as well as the ability to offer their customers cashless payment options. Its products include Intelligent Vending, an ePort connect solution for the vending industry; Kiosk, an ePort solution that offers an electronic payment option and Web-based remote monitoring and management for various kiosk types; eSuds, a solution for the commercial laundry industry; Business Express, which provides self-service business center solutions to the hotel and motel industry; and ePort Transact soluti on for the self-service business center devices, such as printers and copy machines. The company also manufactures and sells energy conservation products comprising VendingMiser, CoolerMiser, VM2IQ and CM2IQ, SnackMiser, and PlugMiser for various existing equipment, including refrigerated vending machines and glass front coolers. USA Technologies, Inc. was founded in 1992 and is based in Malvern, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  USA Technologies (NASDAQ: USAT) is projected to report its Q3 earnings at $0.00 per share on revenue of $10.63 million.

  P&F Industries (NASDAQ: PFIN) is expected to report its quarterly results.

• [By Monica Gerson]

  USA Technologies (NASDAQ: USAT) is estimated to report its Q4 earnings at $0.02 per share on revenue of $9.89 million.

  Vail Resorts (NYSE: MTN) is projected to post a Q4 loss at $1.71 per share on revenue of $117.82 million.

5 Best Defensive Stocks To Buy For 2014: Clifton Savings Bancorp Inc.(CSBK)

Clifton Savings Bancorp, Inc. operates as the holding company for Clifton Savings Bank that provides various financial services to consumers and businesses in northeast New Jersey. It offers liquid and term deposit instruments, such as free checking accounts, business checking accounts, negotiable order of withdrawal accounts, high yield checking accounts, money market accounts, passbook and statement savings accounts, and club and certificates of deposit. The company?s loan portfolio includes one to four-family residential loans; multi-family and commercial real estate loans; residential construction loans; and consumer loans, including second mortgage loans, loans secured by passbook or certificate accounts, and home equity lines of credit. It operates 12 full-service banking offices. The company was founded in 1928 and is headquartered in Clifton, New Jersey. Clifton Savings Bancorp, Inc. is a subsidiary of Clifton MHC.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tim Melvin]

  Price appears to share my enthusiasm for smaller bank stocks, as he currently own 19 small regional and community banks. He has been buying them consistently over the past few years, and I think he sees the same consolidation wave and shareholder value increase in the future that I do. He added to one position this quarter, buying more shares of Clifton Savings Bank (CSBK), the mutual holding company for the 11-branch bank in northern New Jersey. It looks like the bank trades for 1.9 times book value, but after the second-step conversion process is completed, the shares will trade at a slight discount to book. The bank is in excellent condition with an equity-to-assets ratio of almost 18 and nonperforming assets at just 0.53% of total assets.

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Clifton Bancorp (NASDAQ: CSBK) shares dropped 10.32% to $11.65 after the company announced stock offering results.

  Response Genetics (NASDAQ: RGDX) slipped 9.47% to $1.34 after the company reported Q4 results. The company posted a quarterly net loss of $3.2 million, or $0.09 per share, versus a year-ago net loss of $0.5 million, or $0.01 per share.

5 Best Defensive Stocks To Buy For 2014: Konica Minolta Inc (KNCAY)

Konica Minolta Holdings Inc. is a Japanese manufacturer. The Company's operating segments include Business Technologies, engaged in the manufacture of copy machines and printers; Optics, engaged in the production of optical devices and electronic materials, Photo Imaging, manufacturing photographic film and materials, ink-jet products and cameras, Medical and Graphic Imaging, engaged in the production of x-ray or graphic film and equipment for medical or graphic use, and Sensing, engaged in the manufacture of industrial or medical measurement instruments. The Others segment is engaged in the provision of business support services, the warehouse and delivery businesses, the management of real estate, the construction of facilities, the development of systems and the manufacture, sale and installation of planetariums, among others.

In March 2006, a portion of the camera production assets related to the development, design and production of digital single lens reflex (SLR) cameras was transferred to Sony Corporation. As a result, the Company ceased camera-related operations at the end of March 2006. In addition, minilab business activities were also discontinued in March 2006.

The Company competes with Canon, Xerox, Ricoh and HP.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Victor Selva]

  As we can see, the firm has a higher ROE than it peers: Ricoh Ltd. (RICOY), Konica Minolta Inc. (KNCAY), Canon�Inc. (CAJ); but is lower than the one registered by Pitney Bowes (PBI).

Hot Shipping Stocks To Buy Right Now

Kinder Morgan Energy Partners L.P. (NYSE: KMP) announced on Monday that it has entered into an agreement to acquire American Petroleum Tankers (APT) and State Class Tankers (SCT) for nearly $1 billion in a combined transaction value. Monday’s move will be a big one for shipping tankers in the oil and gas sector.

The acquisition is from affiliates of Blackstone Group L.P. (NYSE: BX) and Cerberus Capital Management. APT and SCT are both in the marine transportation of crude oil, condensate and refined products in the United States domestic trade. The total sum is for $962 million in cash.

Where this gets interesting is that Kinder Morgan Inc. (NYSE: KMI), the general partner of KMP, has agreed to waive its incentive distribution amounts of $16 million in 2014, $19 million in 2015 and $6 million in 2016 to facilitate the transaction.

APT’s fleet consists of five medium range tankers with 330,000 barrels of cargo capacity each. The APT fleet average of four years is also said to be one of the youngest fleet in the industry. Each is also operating under long-term time charters with high-quality counterparties and with an average remaining term of approximately four years plus renewal options of two years.

Best Industrial Conglomerate Companies To Watch In Right Now: Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (AJG)

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (Gallagher), along with its subsidiaries, provides insurance brokerage and third-party claims settlement, and administration services to entities in the United States and abroad. It operates in three segments: brokerage, risk management and corporate. The Brokerage segment primarily consists of retail and wholesale insurance brokerage operations. The Company�� risk management segment provides contract claim settlement and administration services for enterprises that choose to self-insure some or all of their property/casualty coverages and for insurance companies that choose to outsource some or all of their property/casualty claims departments. Majority of its international brokerage operations are in Australia, Bermuda, Canada and the United Kingdom. Its international risk management operations are principally in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The Company operates in Australia and Canada primarily as a retail commercial property and casualty broker. In December 2013, the Company announced that it has completed the acquisition of Barmore Insurance Agency, Inc. In December 2013, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. acquired McIntyre Risk Management, LLC. In December 2013, the Company acquired Cleaveland Insurance Group and Jenkins and Associates. Effective December 26, 2013, Arthur J Gallagher & Co acquired Rock Island-based Cleaveland Insurance Group. In February 2014, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co acquired Benefit Development Group of Selma, Alabama. In February 2014, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co announced the acquisition of Kent, Kent & Tingle in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Brokerage Segment

The Company�� retail brokerage operations negotiate and place property/casualty, employer-provided health and welfare insurance and retirement solutions principally for middle-market commercial, industrial, public entity, religious and not-for-profit entities. Many of the Company�� retail brokerage customers choose to place their insurance with insurance ! underwriters, while others choose to use alternative vehicles, such as self-insurance pools, risk retention groups or captive insurance companies. Its wholesale brokerage operations assist its brokers and other unaffiliated brokers and agents in the placement of specialized, and hard-to-place insurance programs.

The Company�� primary sources of compensation for its retail brokerage services are commissions paid by insurance carriers. It operates its brokerage operations through a network of more than 300 sales and service offices located throughout the United States and in 16 other countries. In addition, the Company offers client-service capabilities in more than 110 countries worldwide through a network of correspondent brokers and consultants. The Company�� retail brokerage operations place all lines of commercial property/casualty and health and welfare insurance coverage. Its retail brokerage operations are organized in more than 190 geographical centers located in the United States, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom and operate within certain key niche/practice groups, which account for approximately 67% of its retail brokerage revenues.

During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company�� wholesale insurance brokerage operations accounted for 22% of its brokerage segment revenues. Its wholesale brokers assist its retail brokers and other non-affiliated brokers in the placement of specialized and hard-to-place insurance. These brokers operate through over 65 geographical centers located across the United States, Bermuda and through its approved Lloyd�� of London brokerage operation. In certain cases, it acts as a brokerage wholesaler, and in other cases, it acts as a managing general agent or managing general underwriter distributing specialized insurance coverages for insurance carriers. Over 75% of the Company�� wholesale brokerage revenues come from non-affiliated brokerage customers.

Risk Management Segment

The Company�� ! risk mana! gement segment provides contract claim settlement and administration services for enterprises that choose to self-insure some or all of their property/casualty coverages and for insurance companies that choose to outsource some or all of their property/casualty claims departments. During 2011, approximately 67% of its risk management segment�� revenues were from workers compensation related claims, 26% were from general and commercial auto liability related claims and 7% were from property related claims. In addition, it generate revenues from integrated disability management (employee absence management) programs, information services, risk control consulting (loss control) services and appraisal services, either individually or in combination with arising claims. The Company manages its third-party claims adjusting operations through a network of approximately 110 offices located throughout the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

The Company competes with Aon Corporation, Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc., Willis Group Holdings, Ltd., Wells Fargo Insurance Services, Inc., Brown & Brown Inc., Hub International Ltd., Lockton Companies, Inc., USI Holdings Corporation, Aon Hewitt, Towers Watson & Co., Crump Group, Inc., CRC Insurance Services, Inc., RT Specialty, AmWINS Group, Inc., Swett & Crawford Group, Inc., Sedgwick Claims Management Services, Inc., Crawford & Company, ACE Limited, AIG Insurance and Zurich Insurance.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Expanding its presence in the United Kingdom, insurance provider Arthur J. Gallagher (NYSE: AJG  ) will acquire the U.K.-based Property & Commercial Limited from�Barbon Insurance Group, the country's�largest provider of tenant references, the largest provider of rent guarantee, and one of the largest brokers to the social housing sector.

Hot Shipping Stocks To Buy Right Now: CYNK Technology Corp (CYNK)

Cynk Technology Corp., formerly Introbuzz, Inc., is a development stage-company. The Company intends to develop a social network business. Social networks are Web based services that allow individuals to post a profile and link their profile to other friends and organizations.

The Company intends to develop a database of professional and other business persons, as well as other interested persons in providing and utilizing contacts. As of November 14, 2012, the Company had not generated any revenue.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  CYNK Technology (CYNK), the mysterious over-the-counter stock that at one point broke a $6 billion market cap, dropped roughly 80 percent in its first trades after a Securities and Exchange Commission halt. The SEC halted CYNK for two weeks following a massive rise in the stock's value -- it had been worth only a few cents per share in June, but it jumped above $21 on July 10. The Belize-based CYNK Technology supposedly operates a social networking site, but filings indicate it only has one employee and virtually no assets. Experts told CNBC the week of the SEC halt that they expected CYNK to fall precipitously after reopening, and its first day of trading is proving those predictions correct. When it was halted, the stock was worth just less than $14 per share, and is now below $3 a share after briefly hovering around $5 earlier Friday morning. An OTC Markets spokeswoman told Reuters that CYNK's shares were not trading on its platform, but were occurring over the phone. Earlier this week Reuters reported that OTC's CEO did not expect CYNK to trade on its platform at all after reopening, as no brokerages would file the required paperwork for the stock to trade on their exchanges. An SEC spokesman said that the organization cannot comment on the status of a company after a suspension period ends, citing an online explanation of the process. That document notes that broker-dealers may not solicit investors to trade the previously suspended OTC stock until they satisfy several regulatory requirements. The SEC warned, however, that "unsolicited" trading may occur after a reopening -- as CYNK is now seeing -- but "even though such trading is allowed, it can be very risky for investors without current and reliable information about the company."

Hot Shipping Stocks To Buy Right Now: Protective Life Corporation(PL)

Protective Life Corporation and its subsidiaries engage in the production, distribution, and administration of insurance and investment products in the United States. Its Life Marketing segment markets universal life, variable universal life, level premium term insurance, and bank-owned life insurance products primarily through a network of independent insurance agents and brokers, stockbrokers, and independent marketing organizations. The company?s Acquisitions segment focuses on acquiring, converting, and servicing life insurance policies and annuity products sold to individuals, which are acquired from other companies. Its Annuities segment markets variable annuity products that offer the policyholder the opportunity to invest in various investment accounts; and fixed annuity products, such as modified guaranteed annuities, single premium deferred annuities, single premium immediate annuities, and equity indexed annuities primarily through broker-dealers, financial ins titutions, and independent agents and brokers. The company?s Stable Value Products segment offers guaranteed funding agreements to special purpose entities; fixed and floating rate funding agreements directly to the trustees of municipal bond proceeds, institutional investors, bank trust departments, and money market funds; and guaranteed investment contracts to qualified retirement savings plans. Its Asset Protection segment primarily markets extended service contracts, and credit life and disability insurance to protect consumers? investments in automobiles, watercraft, and recreational vehicles; and markets a guaranteed asset protection product primarily through a national network of approximately 3,750 automobile, marine, and recreational vehicle dealers. The company was founded in 1907 and is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By David Sterman]

  My favorite insurers: AIG (NYSE: AIG) (which I discussed a few months ago), Protective Life (NYSE: PL) and Reinsurance Group of America (NYSE: RGA).

Hot Shipping Stocks To Buy Right Now: BR Properties SA (BRPR3)

BR Properties SA is a Brazil-based company engaged in the real estate sector. The Company operates, along with its subsidiaries, in the acquisition, management, leasing and sale of commercial properties in Brazil, mainly office buildings, retail stores and warehouses. The Company also develops and contracts from third parties and the construction of new properties. The Company�� subsidiaries include BRPR I Empreendimentos e Participacoes Ltda, BRPR II Empreendimentos e Participacoes Ltda, BRPR III Empreendimentos e Participacoes Ltda, BRPR IV Empreendimentos e Participacoes Ltda, BRPR V Empreendimentos e Participacoes Ltda, BRPR VII Empreendimentos e Participacoes Ltda and BRPR VIII Empreendimentos e Participacoes Ltda, among others. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ney Hayashi]

  The Ibovespa rose for the first time in five sessions, with developer BR Properties SA (BRPR3) leading gains, amid speculation the Brazilian benchmark�� longest losing streak in six weeks may have been excessive.

Top Food Stocks To Invest In 2014

In a prelude to protests planned for the McDonald's annual shareholders meeting Thursday morning, police arrested as many as 110 protesters on Wednesday afternoon outside McDonald's world headquarters in Oak Brook, Ill.

Oak Brook police said protesters arrested for criminal trespass were from a group of about 100 McDonald's workers and 40 clergy and union activists who chose to cross a police barricade.

Workers chanted "Hey McDonald's You Can't Hide, We Can See Your Greedy Side," and "No Big Macs, No Fries, Make our Wage Supersize," as the arrests were made.

The Oak Brook Police Department was assisted by several surrounding-area departments, said Officer George Peterson, a department spokesman.

Some of those arrested appeared to be uniform-wearing McDonald's employees who had come for the protest from 33 U.S. cities. Also arrested was Mary Kay Henry, president of the Service Employees International Union, according to the union. Police could not immediately confirm that. The union is the financial and logistical backer for Fast Food Forward, the group organizing the protests.

Hot Food Companies For 2015: CHS Inc (CHSCP)

CHS Inc. (CHS) is an integrated agricultural company. As a cooperative, the Company is owned by farmers and ranchers and their member cooperatives (members) across the United States. The Company buys commodities from and provide products and services to patrons (including its members and other non-member customers), both domestic and international. It provides a variety of products and services, from initial agricultural inputs, such as fuels, farm supplies, crop nutrients and crop protection products, to agricultural outputs, which include grains and oilseeds, grain and oilseed processing and food products. A portion of its operations are conducted through equity investments and joint ventures. The Company has three segments: Energy, Ag Business, and Corporate and Other. In February 2012, the Company acquired Solbar. In May 2012, the Company acquired a 51% interest in CZL Ltd. In August 2012, it acquired Atman. Effective July 28, 2013, CHS Inc, a unit of Hamilton Farm Bureau Co-Operative Inc, acquired a 50% interest in AgFarm Pty Ltd, from Ruralco Holdings Ltd.

During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2011 (fiscal 2011), the Company dissolved its United Harvest joint venture, which operated two grain export facilities in Washington that were leased from the joint venture participants. During fiscal 2011, the Company sold its 45% ownership interest in Multigrain to one of its joint venture partners, Mitsui & Co., Ltd. During fiscal 2011, the Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary, CHS Europe, S.A. acquired Agri Point Ltd.

The Company�� Energy segment derives its revenues through refining, wholesaling and retailing of petroleum products. Its Ag Business segment derives its revenues through the origination and marketing of grain, including service activities conducted at export terminals, through the wholesale sales of crop nutrients, from the sales of soybean meal and soybean refined oil and through the retail sales of petroleum and agronomy products, processed sunflow! ers, feed and farm supplies, and records equity income from investments in its grain export joint ventures and other investments. It includes other business operations in Corporate and Other. These businesses primarily include its financing, insurance, hedging and other service activities related to crop production. In addition, the Company�� wheat milling and packaged food operations are included in Corporate and Other.

Energy

The Company is the nation�� cooperative energy company based on revenues and identifiable assets. The Company�� operations include petroleum refining and pipelines; the supply, marketing (including ethanol and biodiesel) and distribution of refined fuels (gasoline, diesel fuel and other energy products); the blending, sale and distribution of lubricants; and the wholesale supply of propane. The Energy segment processes crude oil into refined petroleum products at refineries in Laurel, Montana (wholly owned) and McPherson, Kansas (an entity in which the Company has an approximate 74.5% ownership interest) and sells those products under the Cenex brand to member cooperatives and others through a network of approximately 1,400 independent retail sites, of which 57% are convenience stores marketing Cenex branded fuels.

The Company�� Laurel, Montana refinery processes medium and high sulfur crude oil into refined petroleum products that primarily include gasoline, diesel fuel, petroleum coke and asphalt. Its Laurel refinery sources approximately 85% of its crude oil supply from Canada, with the balance obtained from domestic sources, and the Company has access to Canadian and northwest Montana crude through its wholly owned Front Range Pipeline, LLC and other common carrier pipelines. Its Laurel refinery also has access to Wyoming crude via common carrier pipelines from the south. The Laurel facility processes approximately 55,000 barrels of crude oil per day to produce refined products that consist of approximately 43% gasoline, 37% die! sel fuel ! and other distillates, 5% petroleum coke, and 15% asphalt and other products. Refined fuels produced at Laurel are available via the Yellowstone Pipeline to western Montana terminals and to Spokane and Moses Lake, Washington, south via common carrier pipelines to Wyoming terminals and Denver, Colorado, and east via its wholly owned Cenex Pipeline, LLC to Glendive, Montana, and Minot and Fargo, North Dakota.

The McPherson, Kansas refinery is owned and operated by National Cooperative Refinery Association (NCRA), of which the Company owns approximately 74.5%. The McPherson refinery processes approximately 85% low and medium sulfur crude oil and 15% heavy sulfur crude oil into gasoline, diesel fuel and other distillates, propane and other products. NCRA sources its crude oil through its own pipelines as well as common carrier pipelines. The low and medium sulfur crude oil is sourced from Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas, and the heavy sulfur crude oil is sourced from Canada. The McPherson refinery processes approximately 85,000 barrels of crude oil per day to produce refined products that consist of approximately 49% gasoline, 45% diesel fuel and other distillates, and 6% propane and other products. Approximately 32% of the refined fuels are loaded into trucks at the McPherson refinery or shipped via NCRA�� products pipeline to its terminal in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The remaining refined fuel products are shipped to other markets via common carrier pipelines.

The Company�� renewable fuels marketing business markets and distributes ethanol and biodiesel products throughout the United States and overseas by contracting with ethanol and biodiesel production plants to market and distribute their finished products. It owns and operates a propane terminal, four asphalt terminals, seven refined product terminals and three lubricants blending and packaging facilities. The Company also owns and leases a fleet of liquid and pressure trailers and tractors, which are used to transport refined fu! els, prop! ane, anhydrous ammonia and other products.

The Company�� Energy segment produces and sells (primarily wholesale) gasoline, diesel fuel, propane, asphalt, lubricants and other related products and provides transportation services. It obtains the petroleum products that it sells from its Laurel and McPherson refineries, and from third parties. In fiscal 2011, the Company obtained approximately 55% of the refined products it sold from its Laurel and McPherson refineries, and approximately 45% from third parties.

Ag Business

The Company�� Ag Business segment includes crop nutrients, country operations, grain marketing and oilseed processing. The revenues in its Ag Business segment primarily include grain sales. Its wholesale crop nutrients business sells approximately 5.6 million tons of fertilizer annually. Primary suppliers for the Company�� wholesale crop nutrients business include CF Industries, Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan, Mosaic Company, Koch Industries, Petrochemical Industries Company (PIC) in Kuwait and Belrusian Potash Company. The Company�� wholesale crop nutrients business sells nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and sulfate based products. During fiscal 2011, the primary crop nutrients products the Company purchased were urea, potash, UAN, phosphates and ammonia. The wholesale crop nutrients business sells product to approximately 2,000 local retailers from New York to the west coast and from the Canadian border to Texas. Its largest customer is its own country operations business, which is also included in its Ag Business segment.

The Company�� country operations business purchases a variety of grains from its producer members and other third parties, and provides cooperative members and customers with access to a range of products, programs and services for production agriculture. Country operations operates 401 locations through 67 business units, the majority of which have local producer boards dispersed throughout Colorado, ! Idaho, Il! linois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas and Washington. Most of these locations purchase grain from farmers and sell agronomy, energy, feed and seed products to those same producers and others, although not all locations provide every product and service.

The Company is one of the country elevator operators in North America based on revenues. Through a majority of the Company�� locations, its country operations business units purchase grain from member and non-member producers and other elevators and grain dealers. Most of the grain purchased is sold through its grain marketing operations, used for livestock feed production or sold to other processing companies. For the year ended August 31, 2011, country operations purchased approximately 582 million bushels of grain, primarily wheat, corn and soybeans. Of these bushels, 558 million were purchased from members and 417 million were sold through its grain marketing operations. Its country operations business units manufacture and sell other products, both directly and through ownership interests in other entities. These include seed, crop nutrients, crop protection products, energy products, animal feed, animal health products and processed sunflower products.

The Company is the cooperative marketer of grain and oilseed based on grain storage capacity and grain sales, handling over 2.1 billion bushels annually. During fiscal 2011, it purchased approximately 60% of its total grain volumes from individual and cooperative association members and its country operations business, with the balance purchased from third parties. The Company arranges for the transportation of the grains either directly to customers or to its owned or leased grain terminals and elevators awaiting delivery to domestic and foreign purchasers. It primarily conducts its grain marketing operations directly, but do conduct some of its business through joint ventures.

The Company��! grain ma! rketing operations purchases grain directly and indirectly from agricultural producers primarily in the midwestern and western United States. The purchased grain is contracted for sale for future delivery at a specified location, and it is responsible for handling the grain and arranging for its transportation to that location. The Company owns and operates export terminals, river terminals and elevators involved in the handling and transport of grain. Its river terminals are used to load grain onto barges for shipment to both domestic and export customers via the Mississippi River system. These river terminals are located at Savage and Winona, Minnesota and Davenport, Iowa, as well as terminals in which it has put-through agreements located at St. Louis, Missouri and Beardstown and Havana, Illinois.

The Company�� export terminal at Superior, Wisconsin provides access to the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway, and its export terminal at Myrtle Grove, Louisiana serves the Gulf of Mexico market. In the Pacific Northwest, it conducts its grain marketing operations through TEMCO, LLC (a 50% joint venture with Cargill) which operates an export terminal in Tacoma, Washington, and primarily exports corn and soybeans. The Company owns two 110-car shuttle-receiving elevator facilities in Friona, Texas and Collins, Mississippi that serve large-scale feeder cattle, dairy and poultry producers in those regions.

For sourcing and marketing grains and oilseeds through the Black Sea and Mediterranean Basin regions to customers worldwide it has offices in Geneva, Switzerland; Barcelona, Spain; Kiev, Ukraine; and Vostok, Russia. In addition, it opened grain merchandising offices in fiscal 2011 in Budapest, Hungary; Novi Sad, Serbia; Bucharest, Romania; Sofia, Bulgaria; and a marketing office in Amman, Jordan. The Company has a deep water port in Constanta, Romania, a barge loading facility on the Danube River in Giurgiu, Romania, and an inland grain terminal at Oroshaza, Hungary. In addition! , it has ! an investment in a port facility in Odessa, Ukraine. In the Pacific Rim area, it has offices in Hong Kong and Shanghai, China that serve customers receiving grains and oilseeds from its origination points in North and South America. In South America, the Company has a grain merchandising offices to source grains in Sao Paulo, Brazil and Buenos Aires, Argentina. It sells and markets crop nutrients from its Geneva, Switzerland; Sao Paulo, Brazil; and Buenos Aires, Argentina offices.

The Company�� grain marketing operations purchased approximately 2.1 billion bushels of grain during fiscal 2011, which primarily included corn, soybeans, wheat and distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS). Of the total grains purchased by its grain marketing operations, 866 million bushels were from its individual and cooperative association members, 417 million bushels were from its country operations business and the remainder was from third parties. The Company�� oilseed processing operations convert soybeans into soybean meal, soyflour, crude soybean oil, refined soybean oil and associated by-products. These operations are conducted at a facility in Mankato, Minnesota that can crush approximately 40 million bushels of soybeans on an annual basis, producing approximately 960 thousand short tons of soybean meal and 460 million pounds of crude soybean oil. The same facility is able to process approximately 1.1 billion pounds of refined soybean oil annually. Another crushing facility in Fairmont, Minnesota has a crushing capacity of over 50 million bushels of soybeans on an annual basis, producing approximately 1.2 million short tons of soybean meal and 575 million pounds of crude soybean oil.

The Company�� oilseed processing operations produce three primary products: refined oils, soybean meal and soyflour. Refined oils are used in processed foods, such as margarine, shortening, salad dressings and baked goods, as well as methyl ester/biodiesel production, and for certain industrial uses, ! such as p! lastics, inks and paints. Soybean meal has high protein content and is used for feeding livestock. Soyflour is used in the baking industry, as a milk replacement in animal feed and in industrial applications. It produces approximately 60 thousand tons of soyflour annually, and approximately 20% is further processed at its manufacturing facility in Hutchinson, Kansas. This facility manufactures unflavored and flavored textured soy proteins used in human and pet food products, and accounted for approximately 2% of its oilseed processing annual sales in fiscal 2011.

The Company�� soy processing facilities are located in areas with a strong production base of soybeans and end-user market for the meal and soyflour. It purchases virtually all of its soybeans from members. The Company�� oilseed crushing operations produce approximately 95% of the crude soybean oil that it refines, and purchases the balance from outside suppliers. Its customers for refined oil are principally large food product companies located throughout the United States. However, over 50% of its customers are located in the midwest. Its largest customer for refined oil products is Ventura Foods, LLC (Ventura Foods), in which it holds a 50% ownership interest. The Company�� sales to Ventura Foods accounted for 27% of its soybean oil sold during fiscal 2011. The Company also sells soymeal to approximately 325 customers, primarily feed lots and feed mills in southern Minnesota. In fiscal 2011, Interstate Commodities accounted for 12% of its soymeal sold. It sells soyflour to customers in the baking industry both domestically and for export.

Corporate and Other

The Company has provided open account financing to approximately 100 of its members that are cooperatives (cooperative association members). These arrangements involve the discretionary extension of credit in the form of a clearing account for settlement of grain purchases and as a cash management tool. CHS Capital, LLC makes seasonal and term! loans to! member cooperatives and individual producers. The Company�� wholly owned subsidiary, Country Hedging, Inc., is a registered Futures Commission Merchant and a clearing member of both the Minneapolis Grain Exchange and the Kansas City Board of Trade. Country Hedging provides full-service commodity risk management brokerage and consulting services to its customers, primarily in the areas of agriculture and energy.

The Company�� wholly owned subsidiary, Ag States Agency, LLC, is a full-service independent insurance agency. It sells insurance, including all lines of insurance including property and casualty, group benefits and surety bonds. Its approximately 2,000 customers are primarily agribusinesses, including cooperatives and independent elevators, energy, agronomy, feed and seed plants, implement dealers and food processors. Impact Risk Solutions, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ag States Agency, LLC, conducts the insurance brokerage business of Ag States Group.

The Company�� primary focus in the foods area is Ventura Foods, LLC (Ventura Foods) which produces and distributes vegetable oil-based products, such as margarine, salad dressing and other food products. Ventura Foods is 50% owned by the Company. Ventura Foods manufactures, packages, distributes and markets bulk margarine, salad dressings, mayonnaise, salad oils, syrups, soup bases and sauces, many of which utilize soybean oil as a primary ingredient. Ventura Foods has 11 manufacturing and distribution locations across the United States. Ventura Foods sources its raw materials, which consist primarily of soybean oil, canola oil, cottonseed oil, peanut oil and other ingredients and supplies, from various national suppliers, including its oilseed processing operations. Agriliance LLC (Agriliance) is owned and governed by CHS (50%) and Land O��akes, Inc. (50%).

The Company competes with ConocoPhillips, Valero, BP Amoco, Flint Hills Resources, CVR Energy, Western Petroleum Company, Marathon, ExxonMo! bil, Citg! o, Flint Hills Resources, U.S. Oil, Delek US Holdings, HollyFrontier Corporation, Sinclair Oil Corporation, Tesoro, Chevron, Koch Industries, Agrium, Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), Cargill, Incorporated (Cargill), Simplot, Helena, Wilbur Ellis, Land O��akes Purina Feed, Hubbard Milling, Columbia Grain, Gavilon, Bunge, Louis Dreyfus, Ag Processing Inc., Unilever, ConAgra, ACH Food Companies, Smuckers, Kraft and CF Sauer, Ken��, Marzetti and Nestle.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul Ausick]

  ConAgra said on Wednesday that it will close two plants in New York by early 2015, cutting more than 400 employees. The company also expects to close its $4 billion flour mill merger in the second calendar quarter of 2014. Privately held Cargill and CHS Inc. (NASDAQ: CHSCP) will hold 44% and 12%, respectively, of Ardent Mills, while ConAgra will hold the other 44%. Combined sales of what will be the country’s largest milling operation total $4.3 billion.

Top Food Stocks To Invest In 2014: Etablissements Delhaize Freres et Cie le Lion SA (DEG)

Delhaize Group is Belgium-based food retailer, which operates in six countries and on three continents. The principal activity of the Company is the operation of food supermarkets in the United States, Belgium and Greece, with operations in Romania and Indonesia. The Company�� retail operations are conducted by its consolidated subsidiary, Delhaize America, LLC (Delhaize America); its businesses in Belgium and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (Delhaize Belgium), and the business of Alfa Beta Vassilopoulos S.A. (Alfa Beta) in Greece. On May 12, 2010, Delhaize The Lion Nederland B.V. (Delned) acquired approximately 90.83% interest in Alfa Beta. On July 7, 2009, the Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Mega Image closed the acquisition of four supermarkets in Romania previously operated under the Prodas name. On November 23, 2009, the Company, through Alfa Beta acquired the Greek retailer Koryfi, which operated 11 stores and a distribution center in the Northeast of Greece. On January 2, 2009, the Company completed the acquisition of Knauf Center Schmett SA and Knauf Center Pommerlach SA.

The store format consists of retail food supermarkets. The sales network also includes other store formats such as proximity stores and specialty stores. In addition to food retailing, the Company is engaged in food wholesaling and non-food retailing of products, such as pet products and prescription drugs. Delhaize Group SA is the parent company of a number of direct and indirect subsidiaries.

United States

The Company is engaged in one line of business in the United States, the operation of food supermarkets in the southeastern, mid-Atlantic and northeastern regions of the United States under the banners Food Lion, Hannaford, Sweetbay Supermarket, Bloom, Bottom Dollar Food, Reid�� and Harveys. During the year ended December 31, 2009, the Company opened 30 new stores in the United States, closed and relocated seven stores, and decided to close 17 other stores. As of De! cember 31, 2009, the Company operated 1,607 supermarkets in 16 states in the eastern United States. In 2009, it re-opened 53 supermarkets in the United States. It included 35 Food Lion renewals in the Columbia, South Carolina market and five in the Daytona Beach, Florida market.

The Company�� United States-based supermarkets sell a range of groceries, produce, meats, dairy products, seafood, frozen food, deli/bakery products and non-food items, such as prescriptions, health and beauty care and other household and personal products. The stores offered nationally and regionally advertised brand name merchandise as well as products manufactured and packaged under private brands. Food Lion offers between 15,000 and 20,000 stock-keeping units (SKUs) in its supermarkets, Harveys between 15,000 and 20,000 SKUs, Bloom between 21,000 and 25,000 SKUs, Bottom Dollar Food between 6,500 and 8,000 SKUs, Sweetbay between 28,000 and 40,000 SKUs and Hannaford between 31,000 and 45,000 SKUs.

Belgium and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

In Belgium and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the sales network consists of several banners, depending on the specialty, the store size and whether the store is company-operated, franchised or affiliated. At December 31, 2009, the sales network consisted of 792 stores in Belgium and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The network included 369 supermarkets under the Delhaize Le Lion, AD Delhaize and Red Market banners, 287 stores primarily under the Proxy Delhaize, Delhaize City and Shop �� Go banners. It also included 136 pet food and products stores operated under the Tom & Co. banner. At December 31, 2009, the Company operated 41 stores in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. In 2009, the Company divested its German operations, which consisted of four stores.

The supermarkets operated by the Company in Belgium and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg carry the Delhaize Le Lion banner. At December 31, 2009, there were 144 company-operated supermarket! s of whic! h 14 supermarkets were remodeled. The AD Delhaize supermarkets have an average size of 1,142 square meters and offer approximately 12,000 SKUs.

In 2009, the Company opened the first two Red Market stores. At December 31, 2009, the Company�� network of proximity stores in Belgium and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg consisted of 287 stores under the Delhaize City, Proxy Delhaize and Shop �� Go banners. Proxy Delhaize stores have an average selling area of approximately 500 square meters and offer approximately 6,500 SKUs.

Caddy-Home, the food products home delivery banner in Belgium, sells food products to customers for which orders can be placed by the Internet, telephone or fax. As of December 31, 2009, Caddy-Home delivered in 17 cities throughout Belgium, offering approximately 5,500 SKUs to customers. In 2009, Delhaize Belgium launched Delhaize Direct, allowing customers to order their groceries through the Internet and pick them up at their local store.

Tom & Co. is a specialty chain focusing on food and accessories for pets. At December 31, 2009, the stores were operated under franchise agreements with independent operators.

The supermarkets in Belgium and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg sell a range of groceries, produce, meats, dairy products, seafood, frozen food, deli/bakery products and nonfood items, such as health and beauty care and other household and personal products. Delhaize Belgium is also selling a basic offering of lottery and postal products in part of its network.

Greece

In 2009, the Company operated a total of 216 stores in Greece. As of December 31, 2009, Alfa Beta directly operated 142 supermarkets under the Alfa Beta banner, 10 cash and carry stores under the ENA banner, 13 AB City stores and served 39 affiliated stores operated under the AB Food Market and AB Shop & Go banners and 10 Koryfi stores.

Rest of the World

As of December 31, 2009, Mega Image operated 51 super! markets i! n Romania. The stores offer private brand ranges, including 365, Care and the house brands available at Delhaize Belgium and Alfa Beta. In 2009, Mega Image introduced a private brand for Romanian products called Gusturi Romanesti. As of December 31, 2009, the Company operated 66 stores in Indonesia.

The Company competes with Wal-Mart, Kroger, Harris Teeter, Bi-Lo, Lowes Food, Save-A-Lot, Supervalu, Price Chopper, DeMoulas, Royal Ahold, Publix, Winn-Dixie, Carrefour, Louis Delhaize-Cora, Aldi, Makro-Metro, Lidl, Intermarche, Colruyt and Mestdagh.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By patokehoe]

  Traditional grocers such as Kroger Co (KR) and Delhaize Group SA (DEG) are having an increasingly hard time dealing with competition from nontraditional grocers. Both of these firms have tried to adapt to the pressure stemming from rival discounters, with varying degrees of success. Whereas Kroger has been able to utilize its scale to leverage fixed costs, Delhaize has struggled to maintain margins, and is being forced to lower prices.
  Fending off competitors Investment gurus John Hussman of Hussman Economtrics Advisors and Joel Greenblatt of Gotham Capital own considerable positions in Kroger, one of the largest retailers in the U.S. The firm currently operates over 2,400 supermarkets, 750 convenience stores, and 325 jewellery stores across 31 states. Shareholders have reason to be optimistic, as the company recently acquired Harris Teeter Supermarkets Inc (HTSI). The $2.44 billion deal means Kroger will be looking at an 8% increase in its store base and a 4% boost in revenue.

• [By Brian Pacampara]

  What: Shares of Brussels-based supermarket operator Delhaize Group (NYSE: DEG  ) climbed 10% today after its preliminary quarterly results and outlook topped Wall Street expectations.

Top Food Stocks To Invest In 2014: Etablissementen Fr Colruyt NV (COLR)

Etablissementen Fr Colruyt NV, also known as Colruyt Group, is a Belgian company primarily engaged in retail and wholesale of food products. The Company's retail trade division includes the direct supply of products to retail customers operating through brands Colruyt, DreamBaby, BIO-planet, DreamLand and ColliShop, among others. The Company supplies to wholesalers and affiliated independent merchants in Belgium, France and Luxembourg. It also provides printing solutions (photo Fuji Colruyt). Colruyt Group also has a corporate activities division, which combines support services, processes and systems and central administration, among others. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tom Stoukas]

  Colruyt SA (COLR) fell 4 percent to 42.31 euros. Belgium�� largest discount food retailer forecast full-year net income of about 369 million euros ($498 million) compared with analysts�� estimates of 381.2 million euros.

• [By Corinne Gretler]

  Colruyt (COLR) gained 8.3 percent to 40.08 euros, the largest jump since June 27, 2012. Belgium�� biggest discount food retailer said full-year earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization amounted to 699.8 million euros ($910 million), beating the average 684 million-euro analyst projection in a Bloomberg survey. The company also raised its dividend to 1 euro a share, exceeding the Bloomberg Dividend Forecast of 98 cents.

Top Food Stocks To Invest In 2014: Creative Edge Nutrition Inc (FITX)

Creative Edge Nutrition Inc. (CENergy), formerly Laufer Bridge Enterprises Inc, incorporated on January 10, 2008, is engaged in the development, marketing and sales of nutraceuticals and health supplements. The Company�� product categories include lean, energy, essentials, mass, vitamins and apparel. In July 2012, it acquired Innovative Fulfillment Corp. In August 2012, the Company acquired SCD Enterprises, LLC. In September 2012, the Company acquired A-Z-Nutrition.com. In September 2012, the Company acquired Sci-Fit and Nature's Science product brands. In March 2013, it announced its entrance into the Medical Marijuana Sector through Hemp Protein Powder, Naturals Line, Hemp-plex and Chia-plex. In May 2013, Creative Edge Nutrition Inc acquired Canadian Nutrition Super Stores.

Metabolic Xtreme utilizes the technology and advancement in weight loss technology. Cenergy�� Amino Acid Complex is the supplement for athletes, bodybuilders and anyone who's trying to live a healthy lifestyle.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap stocks CD International Enterprises Inc (OTCMKTS: CDII), Creative Edge Nutrition Inc (OTCMKTS: FITX) and Metrospaces Inc (OTCMKTS: MSPC) have all been the subject of recent as well as past paid for stock promotions. Of course, there is nothing wrong with properly disclosed stock promotions or investor awareness campaigns, but they can and do often backfire on unwary investors and traders alike. With that in mind, will investors and traders come out winners with these small caps or should they just be left to the promoters? Here is a quick reality check:

Top Healthcare Technology Stocks To Buy For 2014

Tomorrow, Enerplus (NYSE: ERF  ) will release its latest quarterly results. The key to making smart investment decisions on stocks reporting earnings is to anticipate how they'll do before they announce results, leaving you fully prepared to respond quickly to whatever inevitable surprises arise. That way, you'll be less likely to make an uninformed knee-jerk reaction to news that turns out to be exactly the wrong move.

Enerplus is just one of many ways to play the explosion in energy production activity across the North American continent. But legislative changes in Canada forced the former royalty trust to incorporate, losing a key tax advantage. That move plus more recent developments led to reduced earnings and dividends from the company. Let's take an early look at what's been happening with Enerplus over the past quarter and what we're likely to see in its quarterly report.

Stats on Enerplus

Analyst EPS Estimate

Top 10 Rising Stocks To Buy Right Now: Macquarie Infrastructure Company LLC (MIC)

Macquarie Infrastructure Company LLC (MIC) owns, operates and invests in a diversified group of infrastructure businesses that provide basic services, such as chilled water for building cooling and gas utility services to businesses and individuals primarily in the United States. The businesses it owns and operates include individual segments with three of them grouped as the Energy-Related Businesses. Macquarie Infrastructure Management (USA) Inc. (MIMUSA), which is its Manager, is part of the Macquarie Group, consisting of Macquarie Group Limited and its subsidiaries and affiliates worldwide. On August 31, 2011, Atlantic Aviation acquired the assets of the FBOs at the Portland International and Eugene airports in Oregon (together referred to as Flightcraft).

The Energy-Related Businesses include a 50% interest in a bulk liquid storage terminal business (International Matex Tank Terminals (IMTT)), that provides bulk liquid storage and handling services at ten marine terminals in the United States and two in Canada and is a participant in this industry in the United States, based on storage capacity; a gas processing and distribution business (The Gas Company), that is the only full-service gas energy company in Hawaii, and a 50.01% controlling interest in a district energy business (District Energy), which operates a district cooling system in the United States, serving various customers in Chicago, Illinois and Las Vegas, Nevada. Atlantic Aviation is an airport services business providing products and services, including fuel and aircraft hangaring/parking, to owners and operators of general aviation aircraft at 65 airports in the United States.

Energy-Related Businesses

MIC owns 50% of IMTT. The remaining 50% is owned by a trust for the benefit of members of the founding family. IMTT stores and handles petroleum products, various chemicals, renewable fuels and vegetable and animal oils. IMTT is an independent provider of bulk liquid storage terminal services i! n the United States, based on capacity. IMTT also owns OMI Environmental Solutions (Oil Mop), which is an environmental emergency responses, industrial services, waste transportation and disposal business. Oil Mop has a network of facilities along the United States Gulf Coast between Houston and New Orleans. These facilities primarily service the Gulf region, but also respond to spill events and provides services as needed throughout the United States and internationally. The 16 million barrel storage terminal at Bayonne, New Jersey has the most storage capacity of any IMTT site.

NYH serves as the main petroleum trading hub in the northeast United States and the physical delivery point for the gasoline and heating oil futures contracts traded on New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX). In addition to waterborne shipments, products reach NYH through petroleum product pipelines from the United States Gulf region and elsewhere. NYH also serves as the starting point for refined product pipelines linked to inland markets and as a key port for refined petroleum product exports. IMTT-Bayonne has connections to the Colonial, Buckeye and Harbor refined petroleum product pipelines, as well as rail and road connections. As of December 31, 2011, on the lower Mississippi River, IMTT operated four terminals (St. Rose, Gretna, Avondale and Geismar). With combined storage capacity of 18.9 million barrels, the four sites give IMTT substantial market share in storage for black oil, bulk liquid chemicals, and vegetable oils on the lower Mississippi River.

The Gas Company is Hawaii�� only government franchised full-service gas company, manufacturing and distributing gas products and services in Hawaii. The market includes Hawaii�� approximately 1.4 million residents and approximately 7.3 million visitors, during the year ended December 31, 2011. The Gas Company manufactures synthetic natural gas (SNG) for its utility customers on Oahu, and distributes Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) to utility and ! non-utili! ty customers throughout the state�� six primary islands. The Gas Company has two primary businesses, utility (or regulated) and non-utility (or unregulated). The utility business serves approximately 35,300 customers through localized pipeline distribution systems located on the islands of Oahu, Hawaii, Maui, Kauai, Molokai and Lanai. Over 90% of these customers are on Oahu. The utility business includes the manufacture, distribution and sale of SNG on the island of Oahu and distribution and sale of LPG. Utility revenue consists principally of sales of SNG and LPG.

The non-utility business sells and distributes LPG to approximately 33,400 customers. LPG is delivered by truck to individual tanks located on customer sites on Oahu, Hawaii, Maui, Kauai, Molokai and Lanai. Non-utility revenue is generated primarily from the sale of LPG delivered to customers. SNG and LPG have a number of commercial and residential applications, including water heating, drying, cooking, emergency power generation and decorative lighting, such as tiki torches. LPG is also used as a fuel for specialty vehicles, such as forklifts. Gas customers include residential customers and a range of commercial, hospitality, military, public sector and wholesale customers. SNG is delivered by underground piping systems to customers on Oahu. LPG is transported in cylinders or tanks.

District Energy operates district cooling system in the United States. As of December 31, 2011, the system served approximately 100 customers in downtown Chicago and one customer outside the downtown area under long-term contracts. District Energy produces chilled water at five plants located in downtown Chicago and distributes it through a closed loop of underground piping for use in the air conditioning systems of large commercial, retail and residential buildings in the central business district. District Energy also owns a site-specific heating and cooling plant that serves a single customer in Chicago outside the downtown area. Th! is plant ! has the capacity to produce 4,900 tons of cooling and 58 million British Thermal Units of heating per hour. District Energy�� Las Vegas operation owns and operates a stand-alone facility that provides cold and hot water (for chilling and heating, respectively) to three customers in Las Vegas, Nevada. These customers consist of a resort and casino, a condominium.

Aviation-Related Business

Atlantic Aviation operates FBOs at 65 airports in the United States. Atlantic Aviation�� FBOs provide fueling and fuel-related services, aircraft parking and hangar services to owners/operators of jet aircraft, primarily in the general aviation sector of the air transportation industry, but also commercial, military, freight and government aviation customers. Other services include de-icing, aircraft parking, hangar rental and catering. Fuel is stored in fuel tank farms and each FBO operates refueling vehicles owned or leased by the FBO. The FBO either owns or has access to the fuel storage tanks to support its fueling activities. At some of Atlantic Aviation�� locations, services are also provided to commercial carriers. These may include refueling from the carrier�� own fuel supplies stored in the carrier�� fuel farm, de-icing and/or ground and ramp handling services.

The Company competes with Bahamas Oil Refining Company International Limited; Buckeye Partners, L.P.; Enterprise Products Partners L.P.; Houston Fuel Oil Terminal Company; Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, L.P.; Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P.; NuStar Energy L.P.; Oiltanking Partners, L.P.; Plains All American Pipeline, L.P.; Royal Vopak N.V.; Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P.; TransMontaigne Partners L.P.; Vitol Holding B.V.; Westway Group, Inc.; Alinda Capital Partners LLC; ArcLight Capital Partners; Challenger Infrastructure Fund; First Reserve Corporation, Global Infrastructure Partners, Signature Flight Support, Landmark Aviation and Million Air.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Calling all cash flows
  When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Macquarie Infrastructure (NYSE: MIC  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

• [By Steve Sears]

  New stocks in what Goldman calls the “Hedge Fund VIP list,”�include Actavis (ACT), Baidu (BIDU), Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B), Crown Castle International (CCI), Entergy Louisiana (ELB), �Equinix (EQIX), Facebook (FB), Fleetcor Technologies (FLT), W.R. Grace (GRA), MetLife (MET), Macquarie Infrastructure (MIC), Micron (MU), Time Warner Cable (TWC), and Time Warner (TWX).

Top Healthcare Technology Stocks To Buy For 2014: United Utilities Group PLC (UUGRY)

United Utilities Group PLC, incorporated on April 08, 2008, is the holding company of a group which owns and operates water and wastewater assets in the North West of England. The Company provides water and wastewater services to around seven million people and businesses in the North West of England, through its wholly owned subsidiary United Utilities Water PLC (UUW). UUW holds licenses to provide water and wastewater services to a population of approximately seven million people in the North West of England.

The Company had approximately 56,000 hectares of catchment land, approximately 189 reservoirs, approximately 94 water treatment works, over 42,000 kilometers of water pipes, over 77,000 kilometers of sewer pipes, and approximately 570 wastewater treatment works. The Company�� wholly owned subsidiaries include United Utilities Water PLC and United Utilities Property Services Limited.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Harvey Jones]

  Severn Trent's share price has had a flat 12 months, aside from a bout of takeover excitement in May, which pushed the stock to a 12-month high of 20.90p. But management rejected the bid, claiming it failed to recognize the value in the business, and the excitement trickled away. Now it trades at 7.20p. That still represents of rise of 23% over three years and 29% over five years, against 18% and 26% for the FTSE 100 respectively. So there is growth to be had, although being a utility, most investors will focus on the income. Right now, Severn Trent yields 4.41%. That is less than fellow water company United Utilities Group (UUGRY), which yields 5.05%, but still comfortably above the FTSE 100 average of 3.54%.

Top Healthcare Technology Stocks To Buy For 2014: 3M Company(MMM)

3M Company, together with subsidiaries, operates as a diversified technology company worldwide. The company?s Industrial and Transportation segment offers tapes, coated and non-woven abrasives, adhesives, specialty materials, filtration products, energy control products, closure systems for personal hygiene products, acoustic systems products, and components and products that are used in the manufacture, repair, and maintenance of automotive, marine, aircraft, and specialty vehicles. Its Health Care segment provides medical and surgical supplies, skin health and infection prevention products, inhalation and transdermal drug delivery systems, dental and orthodontic products, health information systems, and food safety products. The company?s Display and Graphics offers optical film solutions for LCD electronic displays; computer screen filters; reflective sheeting for transportation safety; commercial graphics sheeting and systems; and mobile interactive solutions, includin g mobile display technology, visual systems products, and computer privacy filters. The company?s Consumer and Office segment provides office supply products, stationery products, construction and home improvement products, home care products, protective material products, certain consumer retail personal safety products, and consumer health care products. Its Safety, Security and Protection Services segment offers personal protection products, safety and security products, cleaning and protection products for commercial establishments, track and trace solutions, and roofing granules for asphalt shingles. The company?s Electro and Communications segment provides packaging and interconnection devices; fluids that are used in the manufacture of computer chips, and for cooling electronics and lubricating computer hard disk drives; high-temperature and display tapes; insulating materials, including tapes and resins; and related items. The company was founded in 1902 and is based in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  So here’s the hangover after the party, as 3M (MMM) and Pioneer Natural Resources (PXD) outweigh gains in U.S. Steel (X), Chico’s FAS (CHS) and Wal-Mart (WMT).

  Bloomberg News

  The S&P 500 has dropped 0.8% to 1,832.77 at 12:01 p.m., while the Dow Jones Industrial Average has fallen 123 points, or 0.7% to 16,4547.13.

  Why is the market dropping? It’s certainly not the economic data, which indicates further strength in 2014. Initial jobless claims fell to 339,000, beating forecasts for 344,000, but the numbers have been erratic–and not necessarily trustworthy– thanks to the holiday season. The ISM Manufacturing Index fell to 57 in December, beating forecasts for 56.8, an indication that the manufacturing recovery is rolling along. Jefferies’ Thomas Simons explains:

  Recent data suggests that the manufacturing recovery is gaining traction once again and that the combination of the government shutdown and the latest round of fiscal follies in Washington have had little more than a passing effect on the sector…We have been expecting an acceleration in manufacturing based on auto production, developments in the energy sector, and the strength of the housing recovery and we think that this acceleration will continue through the second half of the year to buoy overall economic growth.

  Deutsche Bank’s Alan Ruskin notes that the ISM order minus inventories is “the highest since mid 2010 – an encouraging forward looking growth signal.”

  Considering the general strength of the day, why are investors feeling down today? Bloomberg blames Wells Fargo’s downgrade of Apple (AAPL), which has weighed on tech shares today. The Wall Street Journal says its the fault of weak overseas markets. Considering that a number of last year’s top-performing stocks are falling today, it could just be early-year rebalancing.

  Consider: Wal-Mart, which returned just 18% in 201

• [By Sean Williams]

  Increasing health consciousness
  While I'd never like to see anyone get sick, the novel coronavirus is also going to heighten health awareness. In 2003, China managed to beat back the outbreak by quarantining its citizens and through the use of surgical masks. While antibacterial usage is fine and dandy, it wouldn't surprise me if there were a drastic reduction in disease transmission from the use of surgical masks or respirators. That's where 3M (NYSE: MMM  ) comes in.

Top Healthcare Technology Stocks To Buy For 2014: Spirit Realty Capital Inc (SRC)

Spirit Realty Capital, Inc., incorporated on August 14, 2003, is a self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT). The Company�� operations are carried out through Spirit Realty, L.P. (the Operating Partnership). The Company invests in single-tenant, operationally essential real estate throughout the United States that is leased on a long-term, triple-net basis primarily to tenants engaged in retail, service and distribution industries. Single-tenant, operationally essential real estate consists of properties that are generally free-standing, commercial real estate facilities where its tenants conduct retail, service or distribution activities. as of December 31, 2012, the Company�� portfolio of 1,122 owned properties were leased to approximately 165 tenants. In July 2013, the Company merged with Cole Credit Property Trust II.

The Company�� tenants operate in 18 different industries, which include medical/other office properties; recreational properties; educational properties; automotive dealers, parts and services facilities; industrial properties; building material suppliers; movie theatres; restaurants-casual dining; specialty retail properties; restaurants-quick service, and general and discount retail properties. The Company�� properties are geographically diversified across 47 states, with only 4 states contributing more than 5.0% of its annual rent. As of December 31, 2012, approximately 98.0% of its lease and loan revenues were attributable to long-term leases. As of December 31, 2012, the Company leases 181 properties to Shopko/Pamida, 179 of which are leased pursuant to three master leases.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Commercial real estate investor�Spirit Realty Capital (NYSE: SRC  ) announced today its second-quarter dividend of $0.3125�per share, the same rate it paid last quarter. After going public in September, it began making payouts to investors in January.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  With Spirit Realty Capital (NYSE: SRC  ) set to merge with�Cole Credit Property Trust II in the third quarter, the commercial real estate REIT announced yesterday�it would pay a pro-rated dividend for the third quarter based on a quarterly payout of $0.3125 per share, the same rate it paid last quarter. Spirit only went public last September and began paying dividends in January.

• [By Brad Thomas]

  Finally, here's the report card. Agree has racked up a year-over-year total return of 43.19%. That's not bad, especially when you consider the noise generated by the big boys: Realty Income (O) 32.66%; National Retail Properties (NNN) 47.44%; W.P. Carey (WPC) 57.84%; Spirit Realty (SRC) 35.44%; and American Realty Capital Properties 52.18%.

• [By Brad Thomas]

  Today, the public REIT markets are flowing strong as evidenced by a number of new mergers, rollups, listings, and IPOs. As I wrote in a previous article, Spirit Realty Capital (SRC) has announced its plan to acquire Cole Credit Property Trust II, Inc. (CCPT2) - a non-traded REIT with over 40,000 investors. With around 822 properties, CCPT2 will soon combine with Spirit (with a $1.82 billion market cap) to create a $7 billion enterprise with over 2,000 properties.

Top Healthcare Technology Stocks To Buy For 2014: National Grid PLC (NGG)

National Grid Plc, incorporated on July 11, 2000, is an international electricity and gas company. The Company�� segments include UK Transmission, UK Gas Distribution, US Regulated and Other activities. The Company owns the electricity transmission system in England and Wales and is the national electricity transmission system operator, responsible for both the England and Wales transmission system, and the two high voltage transmission networks in Scotland, which the Company does not own. The Company owns and operates electricity distribution networks in upstate New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire. Through these networks the Company serves approximately 3.5 million electricity consumers in New England and upstate New York. It also has a number of related businesses, such as Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) importation and storage, land remediation and metering. On July 3, 2012, the Company sold its New Hampshire electric and gas distribution businesses (Granite State Electric Company and Energy North Natural Gas Inc.) to Liberty Energy Utilities (New Hampshire) Corp., a subsidiary of Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp.

UK Transmission

The Company is the system operator for the new offshore electricity transmission regime. It owns and operates the gas national transmission system in Great Britain. The Company owns and operates the United Kingdom assets, and a portion of the subsea cables, that comprise the electricity interconnector between England and France as part of a joint arrangement with the French transmission operator.

UK Gas Distribution

The Company owns and operates four of the eight regional gas distribution networks in Great Britain. Its networks comprise approximately 132,000 kilometers (82,000 miles) of gas distribution pipeline, and it transports gas from the gas national transmission system to around 10.8 million consumers on behalf of 26 active gas shippers. Gas consumption in the Company�� United Kingdom networks! was 259 terawatt hours during the fiscal year ended March 31, 2012 (fiscal 2012). The Company manages the national gas emergency number (0800 111 999). This service, along with the enquiries lines, appliance repair helpline and meter enquiry service, handled 2,498,804 calls during fiscal 2012.

US Regulated

The Company maintains and operates the electricity transmission and distribution system on Long Island owned by the Long Island Power Authority. The LIPA service territory covers approximately 3,185 square kilometers (1,230 square miles). The Company owns 57 electricity generation units on Long Island that together provide 4.1 gigawatt of power under contract to LIPA. The Company�� plants consist of oil and gas fired steam turbine, gas turbine and diesel driven generating units ranging from 2 megawatts to 385 megawatts. Its United States gas distribution networks provide services to around 3.5 million consumers across the northeastern United States, located in service territories in upstate New York, New York City, Long Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. The Company added 35,000 new gas heating customers in these areas in fiscal 2012.

Other activities

National Grid Grain LNG Limited is one of three LNG importation facilities in the United Kingdom. It operates under long-term contracts with customers and provides importation services, storage and send out capacity on to the national transmission system. BritNed Development Limited is a joint venture between National Grid and TenneT, the Dutch transmission system operator, to build and operate a 1,000 megawatts, 260 kilometer (162 mile) subsea electricity link between the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. National Grid Metering provides installation and maintenance services to energy suppliers in the regulated market in Great Britain. It maintains an asset base of around 15 million domestic, industrial and commercial meters. During fiscal 2012, the Company completed the sale ! of OnStre! am, which provides installation and maintenance services in the unregulated market. National Grid Property is responsible for managing its occupied properties in the United Kingdom and for the management, clean up and disposal of surplus sites, most of which are former gasworks. Xoserve delivers transactional services on behalf of all the gas network transportation companies in Great Britain, including National Grid. Xoserve is jointly owned by National Grid, as majority shareholder, and the other gas distribution network companies. The Company�� United States non-regulated businesses include interests in LNG storage, LNG road transportation and transmission pipelines. During fiscal 2012, it completed the sale of Seneca-Upshur, its oil and gas exploration and production business in West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Brian Stoffel]

  Utilities
  Finally, barring the apocalypse, utility companies will continue to be called upon to meet the electrical needs of our world's growing population. National Grid (NYSE: NGG  ) represents a safe way to gain exposure to this steady industry. The company, based out of England, distributes both gas and electricity to communities in the United Kingdom and northeastern United States.

• [By G. A. Chester]

  Nevertheless, directors at�National Grid� (LSE: NG  ) (NYSE: NGG  ) ,�RSA Insurance Group (LSE: RSA  ) and�Petrofac Limited� (LSE: PFC  ) have been buying shares in their own companies in today's high-flying market.

Top Healthcare Technology Stocks To Buy For 2014: SPDR S&P International Consumer Discretionary Sector ETF (IPD)

SPDR S&P International Consumer Discretionary Sector ETF (the Fund) seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the total return performance of the S&P Developed Ex-U.S. BMI Consumer Discretionary Sector Index (the Index), an index that tracks the consumer discretionary sector of developed global markets outside the United States. The Index represents the non-United States consumer discretionary sub-industry of developed countries included in the S&P Broad Market Index (the Global BMI Index). The Global BMI Index captures the full universe of institutionally investable stocks in developed and emerging markets with float-adjusted market capitalizations of at lease $100 million. The Fund�� investment advisor is SSgA Funds Management, Inc. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WilliamBriat]

  The SPDR S&P International Consumer Discretionary Sector (NYSE: IPD) is an ETF that tracks the consumer discretionary sector of developed global markets. Holdings include luxury brand stock juggernaut LVMH Moët Hennessy – Louis Vuitton SA and Swedish luxury brand stock multinational retail clothing company H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB.

Top Defense Companies To Invest In 2014

When an investor thinks of an immunology stock, it's usually a name like Amgen, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN) or Roche Holding Ltd. (OTCMKTS:RHHBY) that comes to mind. Amgen has shown promising success with a melanoma treatment based on the science of immunotherapy, while Roche has made headway in the world of lung cancer using the same idea. Bigger, however, is not always better. Indeed, in the world of biotechnology development, the quality of an idea for a new drug is the key. That's how a little name like TNI Biotech Inc. (OTCMKTS:TNIB) could end up standing shoulder to shoulder with giants like RHHBY or AMGN. TNIB is capitalizing on one of the many nuances of immunotherapy, yet that one small tweak could end up being a huge breakthrough.

For those not familiar, immunology is the science of inducing a patient's body to produce an antibody aimed at attacking a certain ailment. In the most basic sense, it works like an antibiotic, though comparing an immunotherapy to an antibiotic is like comparing a tricycle to a Harley Davidson... there is no comparison. While most antibiotics can only fight bacterial infections, immunotherapies can be effective against viruses, and even against abnormally-growing cells (aka 'cancer'). By inducing a patient's immune system to do what it should be able to do anyway (but for some reason can't because it's being "tricked" by a particular disease) medical science can use the best known medicine in the world - the human body's internal defense system - to fight a variety of diseases.

Hot Up And Coming Stocks To Own Right Now: Soditech Ingenierie SA (SEC)

Soditech Ingenierie SA is a France-based company that is primarily engaged in electronic and mechanical engineering services in various sectors. The Company�� activity is organized into three sectors: Defense & Research, Space and Energy & Nuclear. It provides specialized services in four fields: aerospace, covering communication satellites, observation satellites and space stations; automotive, providing such services as engine design and plasturgy for equipment manufacturers; aeronautics, offering structural research for aircraft makers, instruments or electro-mechanical systems for assisting pilots and others, and defense, providing engineering of numerous tests and trials systems, with or without implementations, among others. The Company also offers additional services, such as energy forecasting and environmental analysis, environmental management system, and others. In May 2014, it restructured company into three main divisions: Defense & Research, Space and Energy & Nuclear. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Victor Selva]

  Over the past days hedge funds have been filing their form 13-F, which is a quarterly report of equity holdings filed by institutional investment managers with at least $100 million in equity assets under management, as required by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). These investors include banks, insurance companies, hedge funds, investment companies, foundations and pension funds. Form 13-Fs only report long positions. Remember that short positions are not required to be disclosed and are not reported.

Top Defense Companies To Invest In 2014: Embraer SA (EMBR3)

Embraer SA is a Brazil-based holding company primarily engaged in the manufacture of aircrafts. The Company�� business activities are divided into three business segments: Commercial Aviation; Defense and Security Business, and Executive Aviation. The Commercial Aviation segment is involved in the development, production and sale of commercial jets, as well as in the provision of support services, with emphasis on the regional aviation industry and aircraft leasing. The Defense and Security Business segment mainly includes the research, development, production and modification of defense aircrafts as well systems and software design. Through the Executive Aviation segment, the Company is active in the development, production and sale of business jets, provision of support services related to this sector of the market and aircraft leasing. The Company has subsidiaries, affiliated companies and representative offices in Brazil, the United States, France, Holland and China, among others. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lyubov Pronina]

  Most emerging-market stocks fell as Samsung Electronics Co.�� earnings missed estimates and planemaker Embraer SA (EMBR3) posted a surprise loss. Turkish stocks capped the biggest weekly loss since June after policy makers raised borrowing costs.

Top Defense Companies To Invest In 2014: Hexcel Corp (HXL)

Hexcel Corporation (Hexcel), incorporated in 1948, is a composites company. The Company develops, manufactures and markets composites, including carbon fibers, reinforcements, prepregs, honeycomb, matrix systems, adhesives and composite structures, for use in Commercial Aerospace, Space and Defense, and Industrial Applications. Its products are used in a variety of end applications, such as commercial and military aircraft, space launch vehicles and satellites, wind turbine blades, automotive, bikes, skis and a variety of other industrial applications. Hexcel has two segments: Composite Materials and Engineered Products. The Composite Materials consists of carbon fiber, reinforcements for composites, honeycomb core and matrix product lines. The Engineered Products consists of composite structures and specially machined honeycomb product lines.

Composite Materials

The Composite Materials segment manufactures and markets carbon fibers, fabrics and specialty reinforcements, prepregs, structural adhesives, honeycomb, composite panels, molding compounds, polyurethane systems and laminates that are incorporated into many applications, including military and commercial aircraft, wind turbine blades, recreational products and other industrial applications. HexTow carbon fibers are manufactured for sale to third-party customers, as well as for its own use in manufacturing certain reinforcements and composite materials. Carbon fibers are woven into carbon fabrics, used as reinforcement in conjunction with a resin matrix to produce pre-impregnated composite materials. Carbon fibers is also used in filament winding, hand layup, automatic tape layup and advanced fiber placement to produce finished composite components. Its carbon fibers��product applications include structural components for commercial and military aircraft, space launch vehicles, and certain other applications, such as recreational and industrial equipment.

Industrial fabrics and specialty reinforcements are ma! de from a variety of fibers, including carbon, aramid and other polymers, several types of fiberglass, quartz, ceramic and other specialty fibers. These reinforcements are used in the production of prepregs and other matrix materials used in primary and secondary structural aerospace applications, such as wing components, horizontal and vertical stabilizer components, fairings, radomes and engine nacelles, as well as overhead storage bins and other interior components. Hexcel�� reinforcements are also used in the manufacture of a variety of industrial and recreational products, such as wind energy blades, automotive components, boats, surfboards, skis and other sporting goods equipment.

HexPly prepregs are manufactured for sale to third-party customers and for internal use by its engineered products segment in manufacturing composite laminates and monolithic structures, including finished components for aircraft structures and interiors. Prepregs are manufactured by combining reinforcement fabrics or unidirectional fibers with a resin matrix to form a composite material with structural properties not present in either of the constituent materials. Reinforcement fabrics used in the manufacture of prepregs include glass, carbon, aramid, quartz, ceramic and other specialty reinforcements. Resin matrices include bismaleimide, cyanate ester, epoxy, phenolic, polyester, polyimide and other specialty resins.

Other fiber reinforced matrix developments include HexMC, a form of quasi-isotropic carbon fiber prepreg that enables small to medium sized composite components to be mass produced. HexTOOL is a specialized form of HexMC for use in the construction of high temperature composite tooling. HexFIT film infusion material is a product that combines resin films and dry fiber reinforcements in production and enables the manufacture of contoured composite structures, such as wind turbine blades.

Polymer matrix materials are sold in bulk and film form for use in direct pro! cess manu! facturing of composite parts. Resins can be combined with fiber reinforcements in manufacturing processes, such as resin transfer molding (RTM), resin film infusion (RFI) or vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) to produce composite components for both aerospace and industrial applications. Hexcel manufactures and markets a range of Redux film and paste adhesives. These structural adhesives, which bond metal to metal and composites and honeycomb structures, are used in the aerospace industry and for many industrial applications.

HexWeb honeycomb is a cellular structure consisting of nested hexagonal cells. The product is similar in appearance to a cross-sectional slice of a beehive. It can also be manufactured in asymmetric cell configurations for more specialized applications. Honeycomb is primarily used as a lightweight core material and acts as an energy absorber. When sandwiched between composite or metallic facing skins, honeycomb increases the stiffness of the structure, while adding very little weight. The Company produces honeycomb from a number of metallic and non-metallic materials. Its metallic honeycomb is made from aluminum and is available in a selection of alloys, cell sizes and dimensions. Non-metallic materials used in the manufacture of honeycomb include fiberglass, carbon fiber, thermoplastics, non-flammable aramid papers, aramid fiber and other specialty materials. During the year ended December 31, 2011, revenues for the Composite Materials segment to third-party customers represented approximately 77% of its total revenues.

Engineered Products

The Engineered Products segment manufactures and markets composite structures and precision machined honeycomb parts for use in the aerospace industry. Composite structures are manufactured from a variety of composite and other materials, including prepregs, honeycomb, structural adhesives and advanced molding materials, using such manufacturing processes, as autoclave processing, multi-axis nu! merically! controlled machining, heat forming, compression molding and other composite manufacturing techniques. During 2011, revenues for the Engineered Products segment to third-party customers represented approximately 23% of its total revenues. The Engineered Products business unit has a 50% ownership interest in a Malaysian joint venture, Asian Composites Manufacturing Sdn. Bhd.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Persinos]

  The standout stocks in this segment are Hexcel Corp. (HXL), the leading producer of carbon composites, and Allegheny Technologies (ATI), which dominates the market in titanium.

• [By Rich Smith]

  This series, brought to you by Yahoo! Finance, looks at which upgrades and downgrades make sense, and which ones investors should act on. Today, our headlines include a pair of aerospace upgrades for European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (NASDAQOTH: EADSY  ) and Hexcel (NYSE: HXL  ) . But it's not all good news, so let's start off by finding out why.

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Hexcel (NYSE: HXL  ) reported earnings on July 22. Here are the numbers you need to know.

  The 10-second takeaway
  For the quarter ended June 30 (Q2), Hexcel met expectations on revenues and beat expectations on earnings per share.

• [By MONEYMORNING.COM]

  There's also the advanced materials firm Hexcel Corp. (NYSE: HXL), which supplies honeycomb composites to some of the biggest names in the aerospace industry.

Top Defense Companies To Invest In 2014: Cubic Corp (CUB)

Cubic Corporation (Cubic), incorporated on December 13, 1984, is an international provider of systems and solutions that address the mass transit and global defense markets. The Company operates in three segments: Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS), Mission Support Services (MSS) and Cubic Defense Systems (CDS). As of the September 30, 2012, the Company�� CTS business accounted for approximately 37%; MSS and CDS accounted for approximately 36% and 27% of its net sales respectively. CTS specialize in the design, development, production, installation, maintenance and operation of automated fare payment and revenue management infrastructure and technologies for transit operators. As part of its turnkey solutions, CTS also provides these customers with a suite of business process outsourcing (BPO) services and expertise, such as card and payment media management, central systems and application support, retail network management, passenger call centers and financial clearing and settlement support. In March 2014, the Company acquired Intific Inc.

Mission Support Services

MSS is a provider of live, virtual and constructive training services to all four branches of the United States military, including the special operations communities, as well as to allied nations. In addition, MSS offers a range of national security solutions to the intelligence community. CDS is a provider of air and ground combat training systems for the United States and allied nations and a key supplier of secure communications solutions, including asset tracking and cyber products and intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) data links. Services provided include live, virtual and constructive training, real-world mission rehearsal exercises, professional military education, intelligence support, information technology, information assurance and related cyber support, development of military doctrine, consequence management, infrastructure protection and force protection, as well as support to f! ield operations, force deployment and redeployment and logistics.

Cubic Transportation Systems

CDS focuses on two primary lines of business: training systems and secure communications. CTS is a systems integrator that develops and provides fare collection infrastructure, services and technology for public transport authorities and operators worldwide. The Company offers fare collection devices, software, systems and multiagency, multimodal integration technologies, as well as a suite of operational services. As of September 30, 2012, the Company installed over 90,000 devices and deployed several central systems which in total process approximately 10 billion fare-related transactions per year for approximately seven billion transit passengers.

As of September 30, 2012, the Company had 400 projects in 40 markets on five continents. The Company has implements and, in many cases, operates automated fare payment and collection systems for some of the mass transit systems, such as London, the San Francisco Bay Area and the Los Angeles region. It offers a range of services for transit authorities in transit markets worldwide, including computer hosting services, call center and Web services, payment media issuance and distribution services, retail point of sale network management, payment processing, financial clearing and settlement, software application support and outsourced asset operations and maintenance. The Company provides its services in regions, including London, Sydney, Brisbane, Sweden, Washington district of Columbia, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Atlanta. CTS operate full service operation centers in North America, Europe and Australia. As of September 30, 2012, the Company was designing and building new systems in Chicago, Sydney and Vancouver.

Mission Support Services

MSS provides services within the scope of small-to large-scale military training exercises, including live, virtual and constructive training exercises and suppor! t. Traini! ng services include full life-cycle support from planning through after action reviews as well as the associated support, such as operational, technical and logistical support. In addition, the segment provides a broad range of national security solutions, including subject matter and operational expertise, advanced tactical training and cyber security services, to the intelligence, special operations, law enforcement and homeland security communities. Customers include all branches of the United States military, non-military agencies and allied nations under arrangements with the United States government. MSS is the prime contractor at more than 40 military training and support facilities and supports more than 200,000 exercises and training events per year.

The Company provides training and rehearsals for both small and large scale combat operations, training and preparation of military advisor teams, mobilization and demobilization of forces prior to and following deployment, combat and material development, military staff augmentation, information technology and information assurance, logistics and maintenance support for fielded and deployed systems, support to national security and special operations activities; peacekeeping; consequence management and humanitarian assistance operations worldwide. It plans, prepares, executes and documents realistic and focused mission rehearsal exercises (using both live and computer-based exercises) as final preparation of forces prior to deployment. In addition, it provides consultation and advisory services to the governments and militaries of allied nations.

The Company�� contracts include providing mission support services to three of the United States Army's CTC's: JRTC as prime contractor and the national training center (NTC) and Mission command training program (MCTP) as a principal subcontractor. These services include planning, executing and documenting realistic and stressful exercises and mission rehearsals that increase t! he readin! ess of both active and reserve the United States conventional and special operations forces by placing them in situations as close to actual combat as possible.

MSS is a principal member of the contractor team, to the United States armed services, that supports and helps manage and execute all aspects of the operations of the Joint Coalition Warfare Center (JCWC), including support to worldwide joint exercises and the development and fielding of the Joint National Training Capability (JNTC). Under the Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) Training Systems Support (MTSS) contract, it provides training and exercise support to the United States Marine Corps forces worldwide, including real-world mission rehearsals. It planned and executed virtually all Marine Corps simulation-based exercises worldwide under the original MAGTF Staff Training Program (MSTP) and its successor, the MTSS, directly preparing Marines for combat operations.

It provides training and professional military education support to the United States Army's Quartermaster Center and School, the Signal School and to the Transportation School. It also provides contractor maintenance and instructional support necessary to operate and maintain a wide variety of flight simulation and training systems and other facilities worldwide, for United States and allied forces under multiple long-term contracts, including direct support to USMC aircrew training systems worldwide. In addition, it provides a range of operational support to the United States Navy for Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) and counter-mine operations and training. It provides research, development and technical engineering (RDTE) support to the United States Air Force Research Laboratories (AFRL) for assistance in the identification and application of current, new and emerging technologies to proof-of-principle evaluations of advanced operational concepts. Its services, products and capabilities include development and deployment of curriculum and related cours! eware, co! mputer-based training, knowledge management and distribution, advanced distance learning (e-learning), serious military games for training, and other advanced education programs for United States and allied forces.

Cubic Defense Systems

CDS is focused on two primary lines of business: training systems and secure communications. This segment is primarily a diversified supplier of live and virtual military training systems and secure communications products to the DoD and more than 35 allied nations. The Company designs and manufactures air and ground combat training systems for fighter aircraft, armored vehicles and infantry, as well as weapons effects simulations, laser-based tactical and communication systems. The Company also designs and manufactures secure communications products focused on intelligence, surveillance, asset tracking and search and rescue.

The segment designs, manufactures and fields a range of technologies that are critical to combat readiness, supply chain logistics and national security for the United States and allied nations. Its primary lines of business include air combat training ranges and after action review software, ground combat training systems, including a full range of laser engagement simulation systems, virtual small arms training systems, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) data links, personnel locator systems, multi-band communication tracking devices and cross domain appliances for cyber security. It also provides ongoing support services for systems it has built for several of its international customers.

Its training systems business designs and manufactures of instrumented training systems and products for militaries of allied nations. It designs and manufactures air and ground combat training systems for fighter aircraft, armored vehicles and infantry, as well as weapons effects simulations, laser-based tactical and communication systems. These systems collect and record simulated weapons eng! agements,! tactical actions and event data to evaluate combat effectiveness and lessons learned and provide a basis to develop after action reviews. It also designs and manufactures secure communications products focused on intelligence, surveillance, asset tracking and search and rescue.

Its training business is organized into air combat, ground combat and virtual training divisions. Ground combat training uses systems analogous to air ranges for ground force training. The systems are generally known as tactical engagement simulation systems or multiple integrated laser engagement system (MILES). It supplies MILES equipment as part of CTC contracts. Its Virtual Training product line provides virtual training systems for various applications, employing actual or realistic weapons and systems together with visual imagery to simulate battlefield environments. Cubic also provides maintenance trainers for combat systems and vehicles, as well as operational trainers for missiles, armored vehicles and naval applications.

Its communications business is a supplier of secure data links, radio frequency amplifiers, direction finding systems, remote video terminals, and search and rescue avionics for the United States military, government agencies, and allied nations. Personnel Locator System (PLS) is standard equipment on United States aircraft with a search and rescue mission. PLS is designed to interface with all modern search and rescue system standards. It also supplies amplifiers and direction finding systems to prime contractors and end users for both domestic and international applications. These include systems used by the Canadian Coast Guard, the United States Navy, the United States Air Force and the French Army.

The Company competes with Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics, Boeing, L3 Communications and SAIC.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  The Department of Defense awarded San Diego-based Cubic Corporation (NYSE: CUB  ) a $19.9 million contract modification Friday, amending a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, foreign-military-sales contract in support of the Israeli military.

• [By Blake Bos]

  In the following video, Fool consumer-goods/industrials analyst Blake Bos breaks down Aviation Week's top aerospace and defense picks by annual revenue. His discussion includes Cubic (NYSE: CUB  ) , Rockwell Automation (NYSE: ROK  ) , Exelis (NYSE: XLS  ) , Boeing (NYSE: BA  ) , and Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT  ) .

• [By Lee Jackson]

  Cubic Corp. (NYSE: CUB) makes the list at J.P. Morgan. It has three major business segments. Cubic Transportation Systems is a leading integrator of payment and information technology and services for intelligent travel solutions. Cubic Defense Systems is a leading provider of realistic combat training systems and secure communications. Mission Support Services is a leading provider of training, operations, maintenance, technical and other support services for the United States and allied nations. Investors are paid a small 0.5% dividend. The J.P. Morgan price target is $57. The Thomson/First Call estimate is $56.20. The stock closed Tuesday at $52.51.

Top Defense Companies To Invest In 2014: Bombardier Inc (BDRAF)

Bombardier, Inc. is a Canada-based aerospace and transportation company. The Company operates in two segments: aerospace and rail transportation. The aerospace segment is structured by market segment (business aircraft, commercial aircraft and services), which is reflective of its organizational structure. The transportation segment is structured by market segment (rolling stock, services, system and signalling), which is reflective of its organizational structure, and by geographic region (Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific and Rest of world). As of December 31, 2012, the Company had 80 production and engineering sites in 26 countries, and a worldwide network of service centre. In May 2012, it launched the Learjet 70 and Learjet 75 aircraft programs. In October 2013, the Company announced that it has opened Bombardier's new wing manufacturing and assembly facility in Belfast. In December 2013, the Company sold Flexjet's activities to Flexjet, LLC. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Adam Levine-Weinberg]

  Yet there is a fourth major competitor in the commercial aircraft market -- Bombardier (NASDAQOTH: BDRAF  ) -- and it has its own advanced-technology airplane. The company's CSeries plane is expected to make its first flight as early as this week. Yet the CSeries put up a goose egg at the Paris Air Show, failing to notch a single order. While Bombardier has nearly 200 firm orders for the CSeries, the company will rapidly burn through that backlog once it starts CSeries mass production.

Top Defense Companies To Invest In 2014: Safran SA (SAF)

Safran SA is a France-based high-technology company which produces aircraft and rocket engines and propulsion systems. It divides its work into three segments: Aerospace, Aircraft, Defense and Security. The Aerospace Propulsion division provides engines, turbines and parts for aircraft, and rocket boosters for civil, military and spatial markets through several subsidiaries, including Snecma, among others. The Aircraft Equipment division produces landing gear, wheels and carbon brakes, aircraft engine nacelles and airborne power electronics through its subsidiaries, including Aircelle, among others. The Defense division includes the subsidiary, Sagem, and makes systems and equipment for inertial navigation and other defense applications to be used on military transport and combat aircraft, helicopters, warships, armored vehicles and artillery systems. In October 2013, the Company completed the sale of its United States-based subsidiary, Global Motors Inc to Allied Motion Inc. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

  Vivendi SA climbed 2.7 percent after posting better-than-estimated third-quarter profit and saying it plans to spin off its French phone carrier SFR by July 2014. Serco Group Plc (SRP) increased 1.7 percent as UBS AG upgraded the stock. Safran SA (SAF) lost 3.2 percent as its largest shareholder sold a stake.