Top 5 Performing Stocks For 2014

Let's play a game.

I'm going to tell you a story, and then it's your job to identify what's wrong with it.

On May 7, this past Tuesday, video-game maker Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA  ) �reported earnings for its fiscal fourth quarter and full year ended March 31. Its revenue for the quarter was $1.209 billion, equating to a 11.6% decline compared with the same quarter last year. And for the year, its sales came in at $3.797 billion, or 8.4% less on a year-over-year basis. On the heels of this news, shares of the company ended the week higher by 27.2%, making it the top-performing stock on the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC  ) .

According to EA Executive Chairman Larry Probst: "As we enter a new fiscal year, EA is well positioned for dynamic growth on next generation consoles, PCs, and mobile platforms. With world-class games, a rapidly growing digital business, and top-notch creative talent, we are excited about EA's strategy for FY 2014 and beyond."

Top 10 Value Stocks For 2015: Affiliated Managers Group Inc. (AMG)

Affiliated Managers Group, Inc., through its affiliates, operates as an asset management company providing investment management services to mutual funds, institutional clients, and high net worth individuals in the United States. It provides advisory or subadvisory services to mutual funds. These funds are distributed to retail and institutional clients directly and through intermediaries, including independent investment advisors, retirement plan sponsors, broker-dealers, major fund marketplaces, and bank trust departments. The company also offers investment products in various investment styles in the institutional distribution channel, including small, small/mid, mid, and large capitalization value and growth equity, and emerging markets. In addition, it offers quantitative, alternative, and fixed income products, and manages assets for foundations and endowments, defined benefit, and defined contribution plans for corporations and municipalities. Affiliated Managers G roup provides investment management or customized investment counseling and fiduciary services. The company was formed as a corporation under the laws of Delaware in 1993. Affiliated Managers Group is based in Prides Crossing, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  While America�� middle class appears to be shrinking with little upward mobility, small cap wealth management stocks Noah Holdings Limited (NYSE: NOAH) and A.F.P Provida SA (NYSE: PVD)�plus larger cap Affiliated Managers Group, Inc (NYSE: AMG) are managing money in places where the ranks of the middle class and the wealthy are still growing strong. Specifically, Noah Holdings Limited is based in China, Chile based A.F.P Provida SA is spreading its footprint into other Latin American countries and the�Affiliated Managers Group is growing�a global footprint. For those reasons, you have probably not heard of these wealth management stocks, but here are some reasons why you might want to consider investing in one:

• [By ovenerio]

  In this article, let's take a look at Affiliated Managers Group Inc. (AMG), an $11.14 billion market cap company, which is asset management company with equity investments in a group of boutique investment management firms or Affiliates.

Top 5 Performing Stocks For 2014: Group 1 Automotive Inc. (GPI)

Group 1 Automotive, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the marketing and sale of automotive products and services. It sells new and used cars, light trucks, and vehicle parts. The company also provides vehicle financing services; service and insurance contract services; and automotive maintenance and repair services. The company has operations located in metropolitan areas in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas in the United States; and in the towns of Brighton, Hailsham, and Worthing in the United Kingdom. As of October 25, 2012, it owned and operated 121 automotive dealerships, 158 franchises, and 30 collision centers in the United States and the United Kingdom that offer 32 brands of automobiles. The company was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ning Jia]

  In 2001, Advance Auto Parts acquires Carport Auto Parts, a regional retail chain with 29 stores in Alabama and Mississippi. The combination of Advance and Carport locations establishes Advance Auto Parts as the market leader in Alabama and Mississippi. In November of 2011, Advance acquires 671 Discount Auto Parts, Inc., a regional auto parts chain in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and Louisiana. The acquisition strengthens the company's position as the market leader in Florida. Upon completion of this merger, Advance Auto Parts becomes a publicly traded company, listed as a common stock on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AAP. After the Company went public in 2001, AAP continued to expand both organically and through acquisition. On October 16th 2013, Advance Auto Parts entered into a definitive agreement to acquire General Parts International, Inc. (GPI), a leading privately held distributor and supplier of original equipment and aftermarket replacement products for commercial markets operating under the CARQUEST and WORLDPAC brands, in an all-cash transaction with an enterprise value of $2.04 billion. The transaction has been approved by the boards of directors for both companies. The deal creates the largest automotive aftermarket parts provider in North America, with annual sales of more than $9.2 billion and more than 70,000 employees.

Top 5 Performing Stocks For 2014: Standard Parking Corporation(STAN)

Standard Parking Corporation provides parking management, ground transportation, and other ancillary services to commercial, institutional, and municipal clients in the United States and Canada. Its services include collection and deposit of parking revenues; daily housekeeping; restriping of the parking stalls; maintenance of parking equipment, such as ticket dispensing machines, parking gate arms, and fee computers; painting of walkways, curbs, ceilings, walls, and other facility surfaces; and snow removal from sidewalks and driveways. The company also provides shuttle bus vehicles and drivers to operate them in support of on-airport car rental operations, as well as private off-airport parking locations; and ancillary ground transportation services at airports, such as taxi and livery dispatch, concierge-type ground transportation information, and support services for arriving passengers. In addition, it offers shuttle bus services, on-street parking meter collection, a nd other parking enforcement services for municipalities; and valet parking and shuttle bus services for the medical center and hospital markets. The company serves private and public owners, municipalities, managers and developers of office buildings, residential properties, commercial properties, shopping centers and other retail properties, sports and special event complexes, hotels, and hospitals and medical centers. As of December 31, 2011, it managed approximately 2,200 parking facility locations containing approximately 1.2 million parking spaces in approximately 345 cities; operated 147 parking-related service centers serving 61 airports; and a fleet of approximately 550 shuttle buses. The company was founded in 1929 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Namitha Jagadeesh]

  A gauge of banking shares in the FTSE 350 Index reversed earlier gains, declining 0.5 percent. Standard Chartered Plc (STAN) fell 1.8 percent to 1,470 pence and Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc lost 2.6 percent to 276.7 pence.

• [By Namitha Jagadeesh]

  Elekta AB dropped 4.3 percent after posting quarterly profit that missed forecasts. Standard Chartered (STAN) Plc slid 6.6 percent. PSA Peugeot Citroen advanced 2.4 percent as Goldman Sachs Group Inc. added the shares to its conviction-buy list.

Top 5 Performing Stocks For 2014: AbbVie Inc (ABBV)

AbbVie Inc. (AbbVie), incorporated on April 10, 2012, is a research-based pharmaceuticals company. The Company discovers, develops, and commercializes advanced therapies. AbbVie's portfolio of products include a line of adult and pediatric pharmaceuticals, which includes HUMIRA, metabolics/hormones products, virology products, endocrinology products, dyslipidemia products and other products.

AbbVie products are used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, Crohn's disease, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), cystic fibrosis complications, low testosterone, thyroid disease, Parkinson's disease and complications associated with chronic kidney disease, among other indications. In October 2012, AbbVie initiated a comprehensive Phase III program for hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype one.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dividend]

  Here are the best yielding Dividend Aristocrats:
  
  AbbVie (ABBV) has a market capitalization of $69.58 billion. The company employs 21,500 people, generates revenue of $18.380 billion and has a net income of $5.275 billion. AbbVie�� earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) amounts to $7.614 billion. The EBITDA margin is 41.43 percent (the operating margin is 31.65 percent and the net profit margin 28.70 percent).

• [By Keith Speights]

  In its first four months of existence, AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV  ) rewarded investors with gains of almost 26%. Going into month five, those gains seem likely to increase. The spinoff of Abbott Labs (NYSE: ABT  ) announced solid first-quarter results before the market opened on Friday. Shares increased more than 1% in early trading. Here are the highlights from the quarter.