10 Best Construction Stocks For 2014

Well, that was anticlimactic.

A month after Facebook (NASDAQ: FB  ) was reportedly making a $1 billion offer for Waze -- and several months after Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) praised Waze as a near-term fix to its Apple Maps fiasco before being mentioned in buyout chatter itself -- Google (NASDAQ: GOOG  ) whisked away the fast-growing app maker.

Terms of the deal aren't being made public, though it's widely believed to be a little north of $1 billion.

The potential bidding war that could've brewed failed to materialize. Google's announcement last night claims that it has closed the acquisition.

It's a bit of a surprise that this all went down so quickly because Apple and Facebook had plenty to gain with Waze.

For those unfamiliar with Waze, it's a fast-growing traffic and navigation app that uses crowdsourcing to offer updated traffic and mapping information. Is there a lane closure because of an accident? Have cops set up a speed trap on the highway? Is a road construction project slowing down vehicles?

Best Consumer Companies To Watch For 2015: Bouygues SA (BOUYF.PK)

Bouygues SA is a France-based group that operates in two sectors: Telecommunications and Media, and Construction. The Construction division comprises three core subsidiaries: Bouygues Construction, specializing in building and public works activities, notably in the areas of electrical engineering, and facility maintenance; Bouygues Immobilier, a property development company, whose activities include the development of residential, corporate and commercial properties, and the execution of urban development schemes, and Colas, engaged in the construction and maintenance of transport, urban development and leisure infrastructure. The Telecommunications and Media division of the Group comprises two companies: TF1, specializing in audiovisual and cinema production, the acquisition and sale of audiovisual rights, and the publishing and distribution of compact discs, among others, and Bouygues Telecom, which offers mobile telephone and broadband Internet services. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Mike Arnold]

  I normally don't look at charts much, but comparing Orange to its competitors in the French telecommunications market is quite fascinating. As one can see, incumbents Bouygues (BOUYF.PK) and Vivendi (VIVHY.PK) (owner of SFR) saw similar price declines. The market, on the other hand, rapidly bid up the price of new entrant Iliad SA (ILIAF.PK), as a result of forecasts for Iliad to capture significant mobile market share (which it did, around 10%). The wide divergence in price relative to changes in underlying value favor going long the incumbents, including Orange. Because this time it's different.

10 Best Construction Stocks For 2014: Acuity Brands Inc (AYI)

Acuity Brands, Inc. (Acuity Brands), incorporated on September 20, 2007, is the parent company of Acuity Brands Lighting, Inc. (ABL), and other subsidiaries. Acuity Brands is a provider of lighting solutions for commercial, institutional, industrial, infrastructure, and residential applications throughout North America and select international markets. The Company's lighting solutions include devices, such as luminaires, lighting controls, power supplies, prismatic skylights, light-emitting diode (LED) lamps, and integrated lighting systems for indoor and outdoor applications utilizing a combination of light sources, including daylight, and other devices controlled by software that monitors and manages light levels while optimizing energy consumption (collectively referred to herein as lighting solutions). Effective March 14, 2013, the Company acquired eldoLED Europe BV.

The Company manufactures lighting devices primarily in North America, Europe and Asia. The Company's lighting solutions are marketed under numerous brand names, including Lithonia Lighting, Holophane, Peerless, Mark Architectural Lighting, Hydrel, American Electric Lighting, Gotham, Carandini, RELOC, Antique Street Lamps, Tersen, Winona Lighting, Synergy Lighting Controls, Sensor Switch, Lighting Control & Design, Dark to Light, ROAM, Sunoptics, acculamp, Pathway Connectivity, and Healthcare Lighting. As of August 31, 2012, the Company manufactures products in 18 facilities in North America and two facilities in Europe.

Principal customers include electrical distributors, retail home improvement centers, electric utilities, municipalities, lighting showrooms, and energy service companies located in North America and select international markets serving new construction, renovation, and facility maintenance applications. In North America, the Company's lighting solutions are sold primarily by independent sales agents, electrical wholesalers, and factory sales representatives who cover specific geographic areas! and market channels. Products are delivered directly or through a network of distribution centers, regional warehouses, and commercial warehouses using both common carriers and a company-owned truck fleet. During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2012 (fiscal 2012), North American sales accounted for approximately 98% of net sales. The Company has one operating segment serving the North American lighting market and select international markets.

The Company provides a range of lighting solutions, as well as services used in the applications, such as lighting solutions and services. Lighting solutions and services includes commercial and institutional, industrial, infrastructure, residential and services. Commercial and Institutional includes stores, hotels, offices, schools, and hospitals, as well as other government and public buildings. Lighting solutions that serve these applications include recessed, surface, and suspended lighting products, recessed down lighting, track lighting, day lighting, and lighting controls (occupancy sensors, photocontrols, relay panels, architectural dimming panels, and integrated lighting controls systems), as well as special-use lighting products. The outdoor areas associated with these applications are addressed by a range of outdoor lighting products, such as area and flood lighting, decorative site lighting, and landscape lighting. Industrial includes primarily warehouses and manufacturing facilities, which utilize a range of general purpose, day lighting, and special-use lighting solutions. Infrastructure includes highways, tunnels, airports, railway yards, and ports. Products that serve these applications include street, area, high-mast, off-set roadway, sign lighting, poles, and integrated controls systems. Residential includes a combination of decorative, utilitarian, and down lighting products. Services include monitoring and controlling of lighting systems through network technologies.

The Company competes with Cooper Industries plc, Hu! bbell Inc! orporated, Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V., OSRAM AG, Schneider Electric and General Electric Company.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lee Samaha]

  Shareholders in lighting company Acuity Brands (NYSE: AYI  ) were given a rude reminder of the risk of holding a highly rated stock recently. The company's third quarter results missed estimates and the stock plunged more than 15%. But it might not all be so bad. Acuity's management doesn't give earnings guidance, so Fools should expect some volatility around the results. In addition, the company is attractive for a host of reasons, many of which also apply to Cree (NASDAQ: CREE  ) and Hubbell� (NYSE: HUB-B  ) . Is this a good buying opportunity in Acuity Brands?

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Acuity Brands Inc. (NYSE: AYI) was raised to Neutral from Underperform at Sterne Agee�on better-than-expected unit growth and nonresidential construction recovery.

• [By Steve Symington]

  That said, both UDC and its licensed customers have long remained hard at work continuously improving both the efficiency and utility of OLED lighting solutions, with those lighting-centric customers most notably including electronics giants like Philips (NYSE: PHG  ) �and their respective Lumiblade series, design extraordinaire�Acuity Brands (NYSE: AYI  ) , and LG Chem, which reportedly plans to begin mass-producing the flexible OLED lighting panels shown in the video below, as soon as September:

• [By Rich Bieglmeier]

  [Related -Acuity Brands, Inc. (AYI) Q2 Earnings Preview: Red Lighting Earnings And Performance As Of Late]

  Liu Chun-ting, director general for Electronics and Optoelectronics Research Laboratories (EORL) under Taiwan government-sponsored Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) projects a little stronger number, "Global LED lighting market value is estimated at US$30.5 billion for 2014 and will increase to US$51.6 billion in 2018."

10 Best Construction Stocks For 2014: American Woodmark Corp (AMWD)

American Woodmark Corporation, incorporated on April 21, 1980, manufactures and distributes kitchen cabinets and vanities for the remodeling and new home construction markets. The Company offers framed stock cabinets in approximately 550 different cabinet lines, ranging in price from relatively inexpensive to medium-priced styles. Styles vary by design and color from natural wood finishes to low-pressure laminate surfaces. The product offering of stock cabinets includes 86 door designs in 18 colors. Stock cabinets consist of a common box with standard interior components and a maple, oak, cherry, or hickory front frame, door and/or drawer front. The Company�� product is primarily sold under the brand names of American Woodmark, Timberlake, Shenandoah Cabinetry, Potomac, and Waypoint Living Spaces.

The Company�� product is sold on a national basis across the United States to the remodeling and new home construction markets. The Company services these markets through three primary channels, which include home centers, builders, and independent dealers and distributors. The Company provides complete installation services to its direct builder customers through its network of nine service centers that are strategically located throughout the United States. The Company distributes its products to each market channel directly from four assembly plants through a third party logistics network. The primary raw materials used include hard maple, oak, cherry, soft maple, and hickory lumber and plywood.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  After the bedroom, the kitchen is probably the place where we spend the most time awake in our homes with small cap kitchen stocks Caesarstone Sdot-Yam Ltd (NASDAQ: CSTE) and American Woodmark Corporation (NASDAQ: AMWD) along with diversified midcap Fortune Brands Home & Security Inc (NYSE: FBHS) all putting in a good performance. After all, any sort of housing recovery with more new homes being sold will�help kitchen stocks and so will increased sales of older or foreclosed homes that need to have their kitchens remodeled. But which is the better kitchen stock for investors? Here is�closer look at all three:

10 Best Construction Stocks For 2014: Eagle Materials Inc (EXP)

Eagle Materials Inc., incorporated on January 27, 1994, manufactures and distributes gypsum wallboard and also manufactures and sells cement. Gypsum wallboard is distributed throughout the United States with particular emphasis in the geographic markets nearest to its production facilities. The Company sells cement in six regional markets, including northern Nevada and California, the greater Chicago area, the Rocky Mountain region, the Central Plains region and Texas. Its gypsum wallboard business is supported by its recycled paperboard business, while its cement business is supported by its concrete and aggregates business. The Company operates in Cement and Concrete and Aggregates, and Gypsum Wallboard and Recycled Paperboard segments. As of March 31, 2013, the Company operated six cement plants (one of which belongs to its joint venture company), five gypsum wallboard plants, one recycled paperboard plant, seventeen concrete batching plants and four aggregates facilities. The Company�� products are used in the construction and renovation of houses, roads, bridges, commercial and industrial buildings and other, newer generation structures like wind farms.

Cement, Concrete and Aggregates Operations

The Company�� cement production facilities are located in or near Buda, Texas; LaSalle, Illinois; Laramie, Wyoming; Sugar Creek, Missouri; Tulsa, Oklahoma and Fernley, Nevada. The Company�� cement subsidiaries are wholly-owned except the Buda, Texas plant, which is owned by Texas Lehigh Cement Company LP, a limited partnership joint venture owned 50% by the Company and 50% by Lehigh Cement Company LLC, a subsidiary of Heidelberg Cement AG. Its LaSalle, Illinois plant operates under the name of Illinois Cement Company; the Laramie, Wyoming plant operates under the name of Mountain Cement Company; the Fernley, Nevada plant operates under the name of Nevada Cement Company and its Sugar Creek, Missouri and Tulsa, Oklahoma plants operate under the name Central Plains Cement Com! pany. The Company produces and distributes ready-mix concrete from Company-owned sites north of Sacramento, California; Austin, Texas and the greater Kansas City area. The Company�� activities in its frac sand business are in the Utica, Illinois area and in south Texas. The Company sells aggregates to building contractors and other customers engaged in a variety of construction activities.

Gypsum Wallboard and Recycled Paperboard Operations

The Company owns five gypsum wallboard manufacturing facilities. As of March 31, 2013, the Company�� gypsum wallboard production totaled 1,950 million square feet. Total gypsum wallboard sales were 1,909 million square feet during the fiscal year ended March 31, 2013 (fiscal 2013). The Company also manufactures alternative products, including containerboard grades (such as linerboard and medium) and lightweight packaging grades (such as bag liner). In addition, recycled industrial paperboard grades (tube/core stock and protective angle board stock) are produced to maximize manufacturing efficiencies. The Company�� manufactured recycled paperboard products are sold to gypsum wallboard manufacturers and other industrial users.

The Company competes with USG Corporation, National Gypsum Company and Koch Industries.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Top decliners in the sector included Newmont Mining (NYSE: NEM), off 6.3 percent, and Eagle Materials (NYSE: EXP), down 4.3 percent.

  Top Headline
  Forest Laboratories (NYSE: FRX) announced its plans to buy Furiex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: FURX) for up to $1.46 billion. Forest will pay around $95 per share, or around $1.1 billion in cash. Forest Labs will also pay up to $30 per share, or around $360 million in a contingent value right. The deal is projected to close in the second or third quarter of 2014.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Tomorrow, Eagle Materials (NYSE: EXP  ) 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.

10 Best Construction Stocks For 2014: Wolseley PLC (WOS)

Wolseley plc is a specialist trade distributor of plumbing and heating products to professional contractors and a supplier of building materials in North America, the United Kingdom and Continental Europe. The Company operates in seven segments: USA, UK, Canada, Nordic, France, Central and Eastern Europe, and Group. On September 1 2009, the Company acquired Decorative Product Source, Inc, a company engaged in the distribution and supply of construction materials and services. On January 8, 2010, the Company disposed of 100% of Wolseley Ireland Holdings Limited, which comprised all the Company's businesses in the Republic of Ireland and the Brooks business in Northern Ireland. In November 2011, the Company announced that it had completed the sale of its remaining interest in Stock Building Supply to The Gores Group. In April 2012, the Company sold its Brossette, the French Plumbing and Heating business to Saint Gobain. In October 2012, the Company acquired Davis & Warshow, Inc. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Inyoung Hwang]

  Wolseley Plc (WOS) added 3.1 percent to 3,296 pence, its largest gain in more than five weeks. The world�� biggest distributor of plumbing and heating products said so-called trading profit in the 12 months through July climbed to 725 million pounds ($1.2 billion) from 665 million pounds a year earlier. Analysts had predicted earnings of 704 million pounds, according to the average of 20 estimates compiled by the company. Wolseley proposed a special dividend payout of 300 million pounds.

10 Best Construction Stocks For 2014: Armstrong World Industries Inc (AWI)

Armstrong World Industries, Inc. (AWI), incorporated on December 30, 1891, is a global producer of flooring products and ceiling systems for use in the construction and renovation of residential, commercial and institutional buildings. The Company designs, manufactures and sells flooring products (resilient and wood) and ceiling systems (mineral fiber, fiberglass and metal) globally. The Company segments includes: Building Products, Resilient Flooring and Wood Flooring. The Company�� Building Products, Resilient Flooring, Wood Flooring and Cabinets segments sell products for use in the home. Its products are used in new home construction and existing home renovation work. Its products, primarily ceilings and Resilient Flooring, are used in commercial and institutional buildings. On September 1, 2012, it sold Patriot Flooring Supply, Inc. to The Belknap White Group. Effective October 31, 2012, the Company sold of its cabinets business to American Industrial Partners.

Building Products

Building Products produces suspended mineral fiber, soft fiber and metal ceiling systems for use in commercial, institutional and residential settings. In addition, its Building Products segment sources complementary ceiling products. Its products, which are sold globally, are available in colors, performance characteristics and designs, and offer attributes, such as acoustical control, rated fire protection and aesthetic appeal. Commercial ceiling materials and accessories are sold to ceiling systems contractors and to resale distributors. Residential ceiling products are sold in North America to wholesalers and retailers, including home centers. Suspension system (grid) products manufactured by Worthington Armstrong Venture (WAVE) are sold by both the Company and WAVE.

Resilient Flooring

Resilient Flooring produces and sources a range of floor coverings for homes and commercial and institutional buildings. Manufactured products in this segment include vinyl sheet, v! inyl tile and linoleum flooring. In addition, its Resilient Flooring segment sources and sells laminate flooring products, vinyl tile products, vinyl sheet products, adhesives, and installation and maintenance materials and accessories. Resilient Flooring products are offered in a range of types, designs, and colors. It sells these products globally to wholesalers, home centers, retailers, contractors and to the manufactured homes industry.

Wood Flooring

The Company�� Wood Flooring segment produces and sources wood flooring products for use in new residential construction and renovation, with commercial applications in stores, restaurants and offices. The product offering includes pre-finished solid and engineered wood floors in various wood species, and related accessories. All of its Wood Flooring sales are in North America. Its Wood Flooring products are sold to independent wholesale flooring distributors and home centers.

The Company competes with Saint-Gobain, Chicago Metallic Corporation, Georgia-Pacific Corporation, Knauf AMF GmbH & Co. KG, Lafarge SA, Odenwald Faserplattenwerk GmbH, Rockfon A/S, USG Corporation, Amtico International, Inc., Beaulieu International Group, N.V., Boa-Franc, Inc., Congoleum Corporation, Faus, Inc., Forbo Holding AG, Gerflor Group, Interface, Inc., IVC Group, Krono Holding AG, LG Floors, Mannington Mills, Inc., Metroflor Corporation, Mullican Flooring, L.P., Mohawk Industries, Inc., Nora Systems GmbH, Pfleiderer AG, Shaw Industries, Inc., Somerset Hardwood Flooring, Tarkett AG.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Armstrong World Industries (NYSE: AWI) cut its Q3 forecast citing price pressures in Europe and a market shift in North America. Armstrong World shares declined 4.58% to $46.50 in the after-hours trading session.

10 Best Construction Stocks For 2014: Assa Abloy AB (ASAZY.PK)

Assa Abloy AB is a Sweden-based company engaged in the secure door opening solutions. It is organized into five divisions: Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), North and South America (Americas), Asia, Australia and New Zealand (Asia Pacific), Global Technologies and Entrance Systems. The EMEA, Americas and Asia Pacific divisions manufacture mechanical and electromechanical locks, security doors and hardware in their respective geographical markets. The Global Technologies division operates in the product areas of access control systems, secure card issuance, identification technology and hotel locks. The Entrance Systems division is a supplier of entrance automation products and services. The Company�� subsidiaries include ASSA Sverige AB, Timelox AB and ABLOY Holdings Ltd., among others. In November 2013, it acquired Ameristar Fence Products Inc, a manufacturer of ornamental fences and gates. In January 2014, it acquired IdenTrust. In February 2014, it acquired Lumidigm. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Weighing Machine]

  Domiciled in Sweden, Assa Abloy (ASAZY.PK) is the largest lock maker in the world with a global market share of nearly 12%. While the construction market has been difficult since the financial crisis, Assa has continued to increase revenue and operating profit every year since 2010 and is on track to do so again in 2013. While commercial construction has been subdued, the aftermarket (which represents ~70% of the total lock market) is driven by changes in tenancy, renovation, and extensions have not been very cyclical and provides the company with a steady stream of profits. Assa has been cobbled together through 150+ acquisitions since the early 1990s and while management has done a good job of rationalizing facilities, there remain opportunities to increase manufacturing efficiencies. Similarly, the company's back office is still running dozens of IT systems (as a result of acquisitions) but management plans to consolidate these over the next few years. Further, Assa remains an active consolidator of the locks industry - it should be able to add 5% per year to sales via acquisitions (as an aside, those interested in micro-caps should have a look at Securidev in France which trades at less than half the private market value Assa has paid for lock makers on average over the past decade). Having the highest margins in the industry, Assa is able to achieve significant synergies on acquired businesses and earn good returns on capital for its shareholders through M&A. Thus even in a difficult economy, we expect Assa will continue to grow its operating profit given its steady after market revenue, opportunity to improve results through cost cutting, and through value accretive M&A. While its shares are not cheap, at 19x earnings, shares could offer investors with a five year holding period and an 8-10% annualized return.

Top Up And Coming Companies To Own For 2015

Top Up And Coming Companies To Own For 2015: Statoil ASA (STO)

Statoil ASA (Statoil), incorporated on September 18, 1972, is an integrated energy company primarily engaged in oil and gas exploration and production activities. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had business operations in 41 countries and territories. Effective from January 1, 2011, the Companys segments were Development and Production Norway; Development and Production International; Marketing, Processing and Renewable Energy; Fuel & Retail, Other. As of 31 December 2011, the Company had proved reserves of 2,276 million barrels (mmbbl) and 3,150 billion cubic meters (bcm) (equivalent to 17,681 trillion cubic feet (tcf)) of natural gas, corresponding to aggregate proved reserves of 5,426 mmboe. In December 2011, the Company acquired Brigham Exploration Company. On April 14, 2011, Statoil's formation of a joint venture and sale of 40% of the Peregrino field off the coast of Brazil to the Sinochem Group was closed. With effect from January 2011, Statoil formed a join t venture with PTTEP of Thailand in its oil sands business and, as part of that transaction, sold PTTEP a 40% interest in the leases in Alberta, Canada. Statoil retains 60% ownership and operatorship of the oil sands project. In June 2012, the Company divested its 54% interest in Statoil Fuel & Retail ASA to Alimentation Couche-Tard.

Development and Production Norway

Development and Production Norway (DPN) consists of the Companys field development and operational activities on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS). Development and Production Norway is the operator of 44 developed fields on the NCS. Statoil's equity and entitlement production on the NCS was 1.316 mmboe per day in 2011, which was about 71% of Statoil's total production. Acting as operator, DPN is responsible for approximately 72% of all oil and gas production on the NCS. In 2011, its average daily production of oil and natural gas liquids (NGL) on the NCS was 693 mboe, w! hile its average daily gas production on the NCS was 99.1 mmcm (3.5 b! illion cubic feet (bcf)). The Company has an ownership interests in exploration acreage throughout the licensed parts of the NCS, both within and outside its production areas. It participates in 227 licenses on the NCS and is the operator for 171 of them. As of 31 December 2011, Statoil had a total of 1,369 mmbbl of proved oil reserves and 444 bcm (15.7 tcf) of proved natural gas reserves on the NCS. Total entitlement liquids and gas production in 2011 amounted to 1,316 mmboe per day.

Statoil's NCS portfolio consists of licenses in the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea. It has organized its production operations into four business clusters: Operations South, Operations North Sea West, Operations North Sea East and Operations North. The Operations South and Operations North Sea West and East clusters cover its licenses in the North Sea. Operations North covers the Companys licenses in the Norwegian Sea and in the Barents Sea, while partner-opera ted fields cover the entire NCS and are included internally in the Operations South business cluster. During 2011, it two Statoil-operated oil discoveries: the Aldous discovery (PL265) in the North Sea and the Skrugard discovery (PL532) in the Barents Sea. The Aldous Major South discovery in PL265 on the Utsira Height in the Sleipner area is situated 140 kilometers west of Stavanger and 35 kilometers south of the Grane field. The Skrugard discovery is located about 250 kilometers off the coast from the Melkoya LNG plant in Hammerfest.

As of December 31, 2011, the Companys fields under development included the Gudrun, Valemon, Visund South, Hyme, Stjerne, Vigdis North-East, Skuld, Vilje South, Skarv, and Marulk. In 2011, the Companys total entitlement oil and NGL production in Norway was 252 mmbbl, and gas production was 36.2 bcm (1,287 bcf). The main producing fields in the Operations South area are Statfjord, Snorre, Tordis, Vigdis, Sleipner and p! artner- ! operated fields. Operations North Sea East is a gas area tha! t also co! ntains quantities of oil. The area includes the Troll, Fram, Vega, Oseberg and Tune fields. The Companys producing fields in the Operations North area are Asgard, Mikkel, Yttergryta, Heidrun, Kristin, Tyrihans, Norne, Urd, Alve, Njord, Snohvit and Morvin.

Development and Production International

Development and Production International (DPI) is responsible for the development and production of oil and gas outside the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS). In 2011, the segment was engaged in production in 12 countries: Canada, the United States, Brazil, Venezuela, Angola, Nigeria, Iran, Algeria, Libya, Azerbaijan, Russia and the United Kingdom. In 2011, DPI produced 28.9% of Statoil's total equity production of oil and gas. Statoil has exploration licenses in North America (Gulf of Mexico, Canada and Alaska), South America and sub-Saharan Africa (Brazil, Cuba, Suriname, Venezuela, Angola, Mozambique and Tanzania), Middle East and North Africa (Libya a nd Iran) and Europe and Asia (the Faeroes, Greenland, the United Kingdom, Azerbaijan and Indonesia). The main sanctioned development projects in which DPI is involved are in the United States, Angola and Canada. The Brigham Exploration Company acquisition added production of approximately 21 mboe per day (as of December) to Statoil's production and gave access to 1,500 square kilometers (375,000 acres) in the Bakken and Three Forks formations in the Williston Basin.

The Company has exploration licenses in North America (Gulf of Mexico, Canada and Alaska), South America and sub-Saharan Africa (Brazil, Cuba, Suriname, Venezuela, Angola, Mozambique and Tanzania), Middle East and North Africa (Libya and Iran), and Europe and Asia (the Faroes, Greenland, the United Kingdom, Azerbaijan and Indonesia). It completed 16 wells in 2011. Five were announced as discoveries: the Mukuvo and Lira discoveries in Angola, the Gavea and Peregrino South discovery in B! razil and! the Logan discovery in Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Statoil acquired in! terests i! n six new licenses in Indonesia in 2011. Statoil has activities in the United States, with approximately 300 exploration leases in the GoM and 66 in Alaska. It is also an operator and partner in exploration licenses off the coast of Newfoundland in Canada. Statoil is operator and partner in exploration licenses off the coast of Newfoundland (11,138 square kilometers). It has exploration licenses in Brazil, Cuba, Suriname, Venezuela, Angola, Mozambique and Tanzania. The Company has licenses in Libya, Iran, Faroes, Greenland, the United Kingdom, Azerbaijan and Indonesia. In 2011, Statoil's petroleum production outside Norway amounted to an average of 334 mboe per day of entitlement production and 534 mboe per day of equity production.

The Company has activities in the United States Gulf of Mexico, the Appalachian region, south-west Texas, the Williston Basin, off the East Coast of Canada and in the oil sands of Alberta, Canada. It also has a representative office in Mexico City. Offshore, the Company has production interests in Hibernia and Terra Nova, and interests in two development projects. Its development and production activities in South America and sub-Saharan Africa comprise the Peregrino operatorship in Brazil, the Petrocedeno project in Venezuela, the Agbami offshore field in Nigeria and four Angolan offshore blocks. Statoil's development and production in the Middle East and North Africa in 2011, primarily encompassed Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Iran and Iraq. The Companys Development and Production in Europe and Asia primarily comprises Azerbaijan, Russia, United Kingdom and Ireland.

Marketing, Processing and Renewable Energy

Marketing, Processing and Renewable Energy (MPR) is responsible for the transportation, processing, manufacturing, marketing and trading of crude oil, natural gas, liquids and refined products, and for developing business opportunities in renewables. It r! uns two r! efineries, t wo gas processing plants, one methanol plant and three crude! oil term! inals. MPR is also responsible for marketing gas supplies originating from the Norwegian state's direct financial interest (SDFI). In total, it is responsible for marketing approximately 80% of all Norwegian gas exports. In 2011, Statoil sold 36.1 bcm (1.3 tcf) of natural gas from the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS) on its own behalf, in addition to approximately 33.5 bcm (1.2 tcf) of NCS gas on behalf of the Norwegian state. Statoil's total European gas sales, including third-party gas, amounted to 79.8 bcm (2.9 tcf) in 2011, of which 39.5 bcm (1.4 tcf) was gas sold on behalf of the Norwegian state. The Natural Gas business cluster is responsible for Statoil's marketing and trading of natural gas worldwide, for power and emissions trading and for overall gas supply planning. In 2011, the Company sold 36.1 bcm (1.3 tcf) of natural gas from the NCS on its own behalf, in addition to approximately 33.5 bcm (1.2 tcf) of NCS gas on behalf of the Norwegian state. Statoil's total European gas sales, including third-party gas, amounted to 79.8 bcm (2.9 tcf) in 2011, of which 39.5 bcm (1.4 tcf) was gas sold on behalf of the Norwegian state. In addition, it sold 5.5 bcm (0.2 tcf) of gas originating from its international positions, mainly in Azerbaijan and the United States, of which 2.7 bcm (0.1 tcf) was entitlement gas. As technical service provider (TSP), Statoil is responsible for the operation, maintenance and further development of the Karsto gas processing plant on behalf of the operator Gassco.

Statoil is the seller of crude oil, operating from sales offices in Stavanger, Oslo, London, Singapore, Stamford and Calgary and selling and trading crude oil, condensate, NGL and refined products. Statoil holds the lease for the South Riding Point crude oil terminal in the Bahamas, which includes, oil storage as well as loading and unloading facilities. It also operates the Mongstad terminal and has shared ow! nership w! ith Petoro. The Compan y is a majority owner (79%) and operator of the Mongstad ref! inery in ! Norway, which has a crude oil and condensate distillation capacity of 220,000 barrels per day. It is the sole owner and operator of the Kalundborg refinery in Denmark, which has a crude oil and condensate distillation capacity of 118,000 barrels per day. In addition, it has rights to 10% of production capacity at the Shell-operated refinery in Pernis in the Netherlands, which has a crude oil distillation capacity of 400,000 barrels per day. The Companys methanol operations consist of an 81.7% interest in the gas-based methanol plant at Tjeldbergodden, Norway, which has a design capacity of 0.95 million tons per year. It also operates the Oseberg Transportation System (36.2% interest), including the Sture crude oil terminal.

Technology, Projects and Drilling

Technology, Projects and Drilling (TPD) is responsible, as a global service provider to Statoil, for delivering projects and wells and for providing support through global expertise, standards and procurement. TPD is also responsible developing and implementing new technological solutions. Statoil's research and development portfolio is organized in seven programs covering the upstream building blocks. The research and development organization operates and develops laboratories and test facilities and has an academia program that addresses cooperation with universities and research institutes.

Global Strategy and Business Development

Global Strategy and Business Development (GSB) was established in 2011, with its main office in London. GSB sets the direction for Statoil and identifies, develops and delivers opportunities for global growth.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dominic Chopping]

  Norwegian oil and gas major Statoil ASA (STO) said Thursday it has made a gas discovery in the Kramsno prospect in the Barents Sea! , but the! exploration program around the Johan Castberg field has so far not delivered expected oil volumes.

• [By Aaron Levitt]

  The second issue for CIE and Lontra is that there is a lack of infrastructure in Angola to even consider using gas from the field. Oil majors like ConocoPhillips (COP) and Norways Statoil (STO) are looking at building liquefied natural gas (LNG) transportation facilities in the nation. However, these projects could take years to develop. At the same time, getting the gas from Lontra to these facilities would take plenty of infrastructure muscle — something that doesnt exist yet. So, CIEs field could be dead in the water.

• [By Aimee Duffy]

  A fond farewell?
  Many companies have abandoned capital expenditure plans in other plays to put more money behind their Eagle Ford ventures. Reuters recently reported that Talisman Energy (NYSE: TLM  ) is considering selling its 74,000-acre stake in the play, potentially looking to raise a whopping $2 billion. Given the money that companies are willing to pour into the Eagle Ford, it just might find a buyer. Talisman's joint venture with Statoil (NYSE: STO  ) is targeting production of 30,000 barrels of oil equivalent by the end of this year, which would double last year's number.

• [By Vanina Egea]

  The faith of some countries and particular governments is tied to that of resource availability. Such argument has been used to explain Chavezs rhetoric, and undemocratic practices in the Middle East. It is true that oil and gas reserves do not fully explain either phenomena, but fossil fuels have granted in both occasion a special ingredient. Oil and gas reserves have also been the backbone of for development of many traditionally democratic countries, some of which found themselves in great trouble after World War II. One of those cases is Norway, where oil and gas discoveries have allowed for the continuation o! f a democ! ratic regime, where important social policies share the profits made by an unregulated market. Nonetheless, Statoil (STO) remains a majority state owned company with 67% of outstanding shares, and only 9.5% in the hands of private Norwegian investors. Attention is called upon the stock because the second largest guru holding shares in the firm has sold part of his investment after 3 years of strong cumulative behavior.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/top-up-and-coming-companies-to-own-for-2015.html

10 Best Retail Stocks To Own Right Now

10 Best Retail Stocks To Own Right Now: Yum! Brands Inc.(YUM)

YUM! Brands, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a quick service restaurant company in the United States and internationally. It develops, operates, franchises, and licenses a system of restaurants, which prepare, package, and sell various food items, as well as operates Chinese casual dining concept restaurants. The company?s restaurants specialize in chicken, pizza, and Mexican-style food categories. It operates approximately 37,000 restaurants in 110 countries and territories under the KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell brands, as well as approximately 450 casual dining concept restaurants in China. The company was formerly known as TRICON Global Restaurants, Inc. and changed its name to YUM! Brands, Inc. in May 2002. YUM! Brands, Inc. was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Adrian Campos]

  With nearly 40,000 restaurants in more than 120 countries, Yum! Brands (NYSE: YUM  ) owns some of the strongest brands in the restaurant industry: KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut.Even a chain as huge as Yum!, however, can keep expanding aggressively. The key is to focus on Asian markets, where 60% of the world's population is located.

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  www.tacobell.com The munchers have spoken, and Taco Bell isn't going to like what it's hearing. A recent Consumer Reports poll asked its readers to chime in with their opinions on the quality of signature items at leading fast food restaurants. It got an earful as more than 32,000 offered up their thoughts on more than 96,000 meals across 65 chains. The most magnetic headline of the report was that McDonald's (MCD) burgers ranked dead last among the 21 largest burger flippers in the country. However, Yum! Brands (YUM) -- the parent company of KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell -- got a! double dose of bad news when KFC ranked eighth and worst on the list for chicken, and Taco Bell stumbled into a last-place eighth out of eight competitors in the burrito category. The Fine Cuisine-Cost Conundrum It's not necessarily ironic that the country's largest burger, fried chicken and Mexican chains ranked last in the Consumer Reports taste test. It makes sense. These chains tend to offer cheaper fare than their rivals, and part of that is a byproduct of lower spending on ingredients. Despite the advantages of buying in massive bulk, one should never expect the raw materials that go into a $1.49 Beefy 5-Layer Burrito at Taco Bell to be in the same category as those that go into a $6 burrito at Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG). There's also something to be said about the old adage that familiarity breeds contempt. The well-known top dogs will always be the easiest targets. However, Taco Bell still needs to be careful. It used to be a compliment to be mentioned in the same breath as McDonald's, but these days, it's disparaging. People Still Want Their Gorditas Taco Bell can point to recent performance to prove that it's not being shunned by diners (relatively speaking) in the same way that McDonald's is. Outside of an unusual dip in its most recent quarter, Taco Bell has mustered positive comparable store sales pretty consistently in this country over the past couple of years.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/10-best-retail-stocks-to-own-right-now-2.html

Best Up And Coming Companies To Own For 2014

In the following video, Fool.com contributor Maxx Chatsko analyzes the first-quarter earnings of�CF Industries� (NYSE: CF  ) . The company saw a record net income on the heels of increasing nitrogen prices -- a trend that should continue into 2013. Additionally, CF Industries is actually expecting a�positive effect from natural gas prices. Maxx explains how that is possible and why it matters heading into a record corn planting this year.

With less and less arable land available around the world, increasing yields from existing plots could become vitally important to keeping up with expected population growth. Cheap and effective fertilizers could be the key to achieving this goal. As the global leader in potash production, PotashCorp has established several barriers to entry that make it nearly impossible for competition to break through. Click here now to access The Motley Fool's premium research report that covers precisely what these barriers to entry are and details several other key reasons why PotashCorp presents such a compelling investment opportunity today.

Top Recreation Companies For 2015: Boyd Gaming Corporation(BYD)

Boyd Gaming Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a multi-jurisdictional gaming company in the United States. As of December 31, 2011, the company owned and operated 1,042,787 square feet of casino space, containing approximately 25,973 slot machines, 655 table games, and 11,418 hotel rooms. It also owned and operated 16 gaming entertainment properties located in Nevada, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Indiana, and New Jersey. In addition, the company owns and operates a pari-mutuel jai-alai facility located in Dania Beach, Florida, as well as a travel agency in Hawaii. Further, it holds a 50% controlling interest in the limited liability company that operates Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Boyd Gaming Corporation was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Wallace Witkowski]

  Shares of Boyd Gaming Corp. (BYD) �rose 8% to $12.75 on moderate volume after hedge fund Elliot Associates L.P. disclosed in a regulatory filing it had acquired a 4.99% stake in the casino operator.

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Boyd Gaming (NYSE: BYD) reported an adjusted Q4 loss of $0.24 per share on revenue of $681.5 million. However, analysts were projecting a loss of $0.24 per share on revenue of $683.2 million. Boyd shares declined 3.96% to $11.15 in the after-hours trading session.

Best Up And Coming Companies To Own For 2014: Endologix Inc(ELGX)

Endologix, Inc. develops, manufactures, markets, and sells medical devices for the treatment of aortic disorders. It offers the ELG System, a stent graft and delivery system for the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms through minimally-invasive endovascular repair. The company also provides aortic extensions and limb extensions, which attach to the main body of ELG Device, enabling physicians to customize it to fit the patient?s anatomy. In addition, it offers accessories, such as guidewires, snares, and catheter introducer sheaths that facilitate the optimal delivery of its ELG Device. Endologix, Inc. sells its products through direct sales force and independent distributors in the United States, Europe, Asia, South America, and Mexico. The company was formerly known as Radiance Medical Systems, Inc. and changed its name to Endologix, Inc. in May 2002. Endologix, Inc. was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in Irvine, California.

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 Endologix (Nasdaq: ELGX  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

• [By DailyFinance Staff]

  Concerns about the political uncertainty in Ukraine caused some volatility in the markets Friday afternoon, with the major indexes making several U-turns ahead of the weekend. The Dow Jones industrial average (^DJI), which had been up by as much as 125 points, briefly dropped into loss territory before rebounding to end 49 points higher. The Standard & Poor's 500 index (^GPSC) edged up 5 points, adding to Thursday's record high, but the Nasdaq composite (^IXIC) lost 10 points. AP/Darko VojinovicPro-Russian militias have seized local government buildings in Crimea, Ukraine; the unrest there is making investors around the world nervous. February was a great month for investors. All three major averages jumped by about 4 percent. UnitedHealth Group (UNH) led the blue chips, gaining 1½ percent. Other health providers – Aetna (AET), Wellpoint (WLP), Cigna (CI) and Humana (HUM) -- all gained between 1½ and 2 percent. And retail stocks remained active. Target (TGT) added another 3 percent. Best Buy rose 4 percent, and Fred's (FRED), a regional department store chain, jumped 10 percent. But Pier 1 (PIR) fell 5½ percent after lowering its earnings outlook for a second time. That led to a series of brokerage downgrades. Decker Outdoor (DECK) tumbled 12 percent. The maker of footwear brands such as Ugg and Teva issued a weak outlook. And apparel maker Lululemon (LULU) fell 5-percent on negative comments from Credit Suisse. It seems as though there are always some big movers in the drug and biotech sectors – and that was certainly the case today. GW Pharmaceuticals (GWPH) rose 2 percent after the FDA granted orphan status to its drug to treat a rare form of childhood epilepsy. But most of the action was on the downside. Endologix (ELGX) slid 24 percent after forecasting lower revenue growth. Questcor (QCOR) fell 10 percent. It's lost big for three straight days amid allegations of questionable business practices. Jazz Pharma

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Equities Trading DOWN
  Shares of Endologix (NASDAQ: ELGX) were down 24.85 percent to $13.43 on lowered guidance, analyst downgrades. Oppenheimer downgraded the stock from Outperform to Market Perform and cut the price target from $20.00 to $16.00.

• [By John Kell]

  Medical device maker Endologix Inc.(ELGX) issued targets for the new year that fell short of Wall Street’s expectations, pushing shares down 23% to $13.75 premarket.

Best Up And Coming Companies To Own For 2014: Commerce Bancshares Inc.(CBSH)

Commerce Bancshares, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Commerce Bank, N.A. that provides various general banking services to individuals and businesses. It operates in three segments: Consumer, Commercial, and Wealth. The Consumer segment includes the retail branch network, consumer installment lending, personal mortgage banking, consumer debit and credit bank card activities, and student lending. The Commercial segment provides various corporate lending, merchant and commercial bank card products, leasing, and international services, as well as business and government deposit and cash management services. The Wealth segment offers traditional trust and estate tax planning services, brokerage services, and advisory and discretionary investment portfolio management services to personal and institutional corporate customers. This segment also manages a family of proprietary mutual funds, which are available for sale to trust and general retail customers. The comp any, through its other non-banking subsidiaries, involves in underwriting credit life and credit accident, and health insurance; selling property and casualty insurance; private equity investment; securities brokerage; mortgage banking; and leasing activities. It serves customers through a network of branches and ATM machines, online banking, and a central contact center from approximately 370 locations in Missouri, Kansas, Illinois, Oklahoma, and Colorado. Commerce Bancshares, Inc. was founded in 1966 and is headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Commerce Bancshares (NASDAQ: CBSH) is projected to report its Q3 earnings at $0.72 per share on revenue of $254.92 million.

  First Republic Bank (NYSE: FRC) is estimated to report its Q3 earnings at $0.76 per share on revenue of $320.72 million.

• [By John Maxfield]

  Bank investors got their first glimpse of what first-quarter earnings might look like today when Commerce Bancshares (NASDAQ: CBSH  ) reported its results. Shares of the Kansas City-based bank are trading sharply lower after its earnings per share fell by 4.3% on a year-over-year basis.

• [By Roland Head]

  Today's earning calendar is fairly quiet ahead of tomorrow's results from JPMorgan and Wells Fargo, but Commerce Bancshares (NASDAQ: CBSH  ) started off the financial reporting season this morning, reporting earnings of $0.72 per share -- a penny ahead of analyst expectations. The company credited "strong growth in loans, improved net interest income and continued free income growth," as well as "growth in revenues from our trust and corporate card businesses, which grew by 8% and 8.6%, respectively, compared to the second quarter of last year."

Best Up And Coming Companies To Own For 2014: LG Display Co Ltd (LPL)

LG Display Co., Ltd. (LG Display), incorporated in 1985, manufactures thin-film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) panels in a range of sizes and specifications primarily for use in televisions, notebook computers and desktop monitors, and the Company is a suppliers of high-definition television panels. The Company also manufactures TFT-LCDs for other application products, such as mobile phones, certain types of tablet personal computers and industrial and other applications, including entertainment systems, automotives, portable navigation devices, e-books, digital photo displays and medical diagnostic equipment. During the year ended December 31, 2010, LG Display sold a total of 160.4 million large-size (nine-inch or larger) TFT-LCD panels. In addition to TFT-LCD panels, the Company also manufactures organic light-emitting diode (OLEDs) and flexible displays. As of March 31, 2011, the Company held a total of 15,049 patents, including 6,724 in Korea and 8,325 in other countries, including in the United States, China, Japan, Germany, France, Great Britain and Taiwan.

In May 2010, the Company purchased the liquid crystal display module division of LG Innotek Co., Ltd. (LG Innotek), a subsidiary of LG Electronics. In June 2010, the Company entered into a joint venture agreement with Iriver Ltd. to establish L&I Electronic Technology (Dongguan) Ltd. in Dongguan, China. In August 2010, the Company entered into a joint venture agreement with Everlight Electronics Co., Ltd. and AmTRAN Technology Co., Ltd., to establish Eralite Optoelectronics (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd.

As of December 31, 2010, the Company operated 12 panel fabrication facilities (five in Paju, Korea and seven in Gumi, Korea, and including expansions of certain facilities) and a total of nine module facilities (three in Nanjing, China, two in Guangzhou, China and one each in Gumi and Paju, Korea, Yantai, China and Wroclaw, Poland). In 2010, its display panels were included in products sold by LG Electronics, Appl! e, Toshiba, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Philips Electronics.

Televisions

The Company�� television panels range from 15 inches to 72-inch wide-format in size. The Company�� product portfolio includes panels of various sizes, such as 17-inch, 19-inch, 20-inch, 22-inch, 26-inch, 32-inch, 37-inch, 42-inch, 47-inch and 55-inch panels.As of december 31, 2010, 32-inch, 37-inch, 42-inch and 47-inch wide-format panels consists of principal products in this category in terms of sales revenue and sales volume.

Desktop Monitors

The Company�� desktop monitor display panels range from 15 inches to 30-inch wide-format in size in a variety of display resolutions and formats. In 2010, 19-inch and 21.5-inch display panels were its principal products in terms of sales revenue and sales volume in this category.

Notebook Computers

The Company�� display panels for notebook computers range from seven inches to 20.1-inch wide-format in size in a variety of display formats. In 2010, 15.6-inch, 9.7-inch and 14-inch panels were its principal products in this category.

Mobile and Other Applications

The Company�� product portfolio also includes panels for mobile and other applications, which utilize a wide array of display panel sizes, including mobile phones, certain types of tablet personal computers and industrial and other applications, including entertainment systems, automotives, portable navigation devices, e-books, digital photo displays and medical diagnostic equipment. TFT-LCD panels that are nine inches and smaller are referred to as small and medium-size panels, with those smaller than four inches being considered small-size panels. In 2010, sales of small-size panels constituted a significant majority in terms of both sales revenue and sales volume in the mobile and other applications category. Some of the panels the Company produces for industrial products, such as medical diagnostic equipment.

T! he Compan! y competes with Samsung Electronics, Samsung Mobile Display and Hydis Technologies, AU Optronics, Chimei Innolux, Chunghwa Picture Tubes, HannStar, Sharp, Hitachi, TMDisplay, Mitsubishi, IPS-Alpha, SAVIC, Infovision and BOE-OT.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Steve Sechrist]

  No trouble with the curve
  The curved OLED screens in UHD are top-of-the-line, and LG� (NYSE: LPL  ) and rival Samsung (NASDAQOTH: SSNLF  ) are both expanding the line of spectacular display sets with a 65-inch and 77-inch size, respectively. LG's 77-inch television is a "bendable" version that can transform back to a flat screen when used for ambient viewing of art.�These UHD curved TVs, according to Dr. Ray Soneira of DisplayMate Labs, have marked advantages in that reduce glare and screen reflection from bright images behind the user. Curved displays "substantially" improve performance and are "no marketing gimmick," according to Soneira's technology review.�

Best Up And Coming Companies To Own For 2014: Old National Bancorp Capital Trust I(ONB)

Old National Bancorp operates as a holding company for Old National Bank, which provides financial services to individuals and commercial customers primarily in Indiana, eastern and southeastern Illinois, and central and western Kentucky. The company?s Community Banking segment originates loans, such as home equity lines of credit, residential real estate loans, consumer loans, commercial loans, commercial real estate loans, letters of credit, and lease financing; and generates deposit products comprising noninterest-bearing demand, negotiable order of withdrawal, savings and money market, and time deposits. It also offers debit and ATM cards, telephone access, online banking, and other electronic banking services. In addition, this segment provides investment services and various brokerage products, including investment options and investment advice. Further, it offers merchant cash management and other services relating to the general banking business; reinsures credit life insurance; and provides property and casualty insurance. The company?s Treasury segment manages investments, wholesale funding, interest rate risk, liquidity, and leverage for the bank; and provides capital markets products, including interest rate derivatives, foreign exchange, and industrial revenue bond financing for its commercial clients. Old National Bancorp also offers fiduciary and trust services; and insurance brokerage services, such as commercial property and casualty, surety, loss control services, employee benefits consulting and administration, and personal insurance. As of December 31, 2010, it operated 161 banking financial centers, as well as loan production or other financial services offices. The company was founded in 1834 and is headquartered in Evansville, Indiana.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sean Williams]

  First Merchants' biggest competitor is Old National Bancorp (NASDAQ: ONB  ) , the largest bank by assets in Indiana ($9.4 billion in assets). Old National has been exercising its regional flexibility of late by closing more than a dozen Indiana-based branches and purchasing some 20 offices from Bank of America�in Michigan.

Best Up And Coming Companies To Own For 2014: PetroChina Company Limited(PTR)

PetroChina Company Limited produces and distributes oil and gas in the People?s Republic of China. It operates in four segments: Exploration and Production, Refining and Chemicals, Marketing, and Natural Gas and Pipeline. The Exploration and Production segment explores, develops, produces, and markets crude oil and natural gas, oilsands, and coalbed methane. As of December 31, 2010, it had 11,278 million barrels of proved reserves of crude oil; and 65,503 billion cubic feet of proved reserves of natural gas. The Refining and Chemicals segment engages in the refining of crude oil and petroleum products; and production and marketing of petrochemical products, derivative petrochemical products, and other chemical products. This segment?s product line comprises processed crude oil, gasoline, kerosene, diesel, ethylene, synthetic resins, synthetic fiber materials, polymers, synthetic rubber, and urea. The Marketing segment involves in the marketing of refined products and tradi ng businesses. It operated 17,996 service stations. The Natural Gas and Pipeline segment engages in the transmission of natural gas, crude oil, and refined products; and the sale of natural gas. It had a total length of 56,840 kilometers (km) of oil and gas pipelines, including 32,801 km of natural gas pipelines, 14,782 km of crude oil pipelines, and 9,257 km of refined product pipelines. The company was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People?s Republic of China. PetroChina Company Limited is a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tyler Crowe]

  2. Russia: 6041.28 quadrillion BTU
  Russia is a giant of natural gas, the national gas company Gazprom and Norway's Statoil (NYSE: STO  ) represent 40% of total natural gas imports in Europe, and that is just half of it. Back in March, Gazprom signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with PetroChina's (NYSE: PTR  ) �state-owned parent company to deliver 1.34 trillion cubic feet per year starting in 2018. The MOU is a long time coming -- the two countries have been working on this deal for more 15 years.

• [By MONEYMORNING.COM]

  But sticking with nominal values, only one company in the world ever hit the magic $1 trillion mark - PetroChina Company Ltd. (NYSE ADR: PTR), which managed it briefly in its debut on the Shanghai stock exchange in 2007.

• [By Chris Mydlo]

  PetroChina Co. Ltd. (PTR) is trading at its 10-year low P/S ratio of 0.60. The company produces and sells oil and gas in China. It is held by eight gurus we follow.

• [By Jonathan Yates]

  It was recently disclosed that Buffett had invested billions in Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM). Previous purchases include ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) and PetroChina (NYSE: PTR), among others. Buffett sold out of PetroChina and recently reduced his position in ConocoPhillips.

Best Up And Coming Companies To Own For 2014: Auxilium Pharmaceuticals Inc.(AUXL)

Auxilium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. operates as a specialty biopharmaceutical company primarily in the United States. It focuses on developing and marketing products to urologists, endocrinologists, primary care physicians, hand surgeons, and rheumatologists, as well as to orthopedic, general, and plastic surgeons. The company markets XIAFLEX (collagenase clostridium histolyticum), an injectable collagenase enzyme for the treatment of adult Dupuytren?s contracture; and Testim, a topical 1% testosterone gel for the treatment of hypogonadism. The company?s clinical development products include XIAFLEX that is in Phase III clinical trials for the treatment of Peyronie?s disease, as well as in Phase II clinical trials for the treatment of Adhesive Capsulitis. In addition, it has rights to develop other products for the treatment of pain, urologic disease, and hormone replacement using its transmucosal film delivery system. The company has a strategic alliance with Asahi Kasei Ph arma Corporation for the development, commercialization, and supply of XIAFLEX, a biologic for the treatment of Dupuytren?s contracture and Peyronie?s disease. Auxilium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Malvern, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sean Williams]

  Also, the testosterone market is also glutted with competition and Aveed, even will likely have a hard time making any meaningful impact for Endo. AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV  ) recently reformulated its AndroGel testosterone treatment into a more potent form at 1.62% and in 2011 received FDA approval after 82% of hypogonadal men achieved normal testosterone levels after 112 days. Also operating in the gel space is Auxilium Pharmaceuticals' (NASDAQ: AUXL  ) drug Testim, which achieved $45.5 million in sales in the first quarter. That figure actually represents a 23% year-over-year decline because of difficulties in gaining insurance coverage for the gel, but it's yet another hurdle for Aveed to jump over if it were to reach market.

Top Telecom Companies To Watch For 2015

Top Telecom Companies To Watch For 2015: KongZhong Corp (HOA)

KongZhong Corporation, incorporated on May 6, 2002, is a provider of digital entertainment services for consumers in the Peoples Republic of China. The Company operates in three main business units: Wireless Value-Added Services (WVAS), mobile games and Internet games. In addition to developing and operating its self-developed Internet games, such as Loong, Demon Code and Kung Fu Hero, it is an operator of the World of Tanks game for the Peoples Republic of China Internet games market. In addition, it is also the licensee in the Peoples Republic of China for the Guild Wars 2 game developed by ArenaNet, Offensive Combat game developed by U4iA Games and Hawken game developed by Meteor Entertainment.

The Company conducts substantially all of its business in the Peoples Republic of China through its wholly owned subsidiaries KongZhong Beijing, KongZhong China and Simlife Beijing. It operates WVAS, mobile games and Internet games through Beijing AirInbo x, Beijing WINT, Beijing Chengxitong, BJXR, Mailifang, Xinreli and Dacheng, all of which are based in the Peoples Republic of China.

Wireless Value-Added Services (WVAS) Business

The Company provides interactive entertainment, media and other interactive services to mobile phone users in China through various second generation (2G) standard, technology platforms, including short message services (SMS), Interactive Voice Response services (IVR) and color ring back tone (CRBT), and through various second and a half generation standard (2.5G), technology and operating platforms, including wireless application protocol (WAP) and multimedia messaging services (MMS), which offer graphics, richer content and more interactivity than 2G wireless services. Its WVAS are tailored to the technical or other requirements of its telecommunications operator partners, through whom it deliver most of its WVAS, and to various billing systems for WVAS. Its WVAS are a ! lso delivered and marketed through various media partners, i! ncluding handset manufacturers, television stations, radio stations, print media and Internet sites. Its WVAS revenues accounted for 41.7% of its total revenues during the year ended December 31, 2012.

The Company offers a variety of WVAS, such as mobile games, pictures, karaoke, electronic books, mobile phone personalization features, entertainment news, chat and message boards. It provides its services mainly pursuant to its cooperation arrangements with the telecommunications operators and their provincial subsidiaries, the terms of which are generally for one year or less.

Mobile Games Business

The Company is a developer and publisher of mobile games for mobile phone users in the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). The mobile games it develops include action, role-playing and leisure games. During 2012, it acquired Noumena, a developer of cross-platform smartphone mobile game engines.

Internet Games Business

< p>The Company develops Internet games internally based mainly on its technologies, which include its game engine (Dazzler three dimension (3D)), game development platforms and online game billing system, all developed by its internal team. In particular, its Dazzler 3D game engine enables the Company to create 3D graphics and visual effects, and provides the technical foundation for creating features in its games. Its game development platforms give the Company the capacity to develop Internet games within approximately six to 24 months and to update Its Internet games frequently in response to players preferences.

The Company uses an item-based revenue model for its games, whether internally developed or licensed, under which players can play its games on the Internet free of charge, but have to pay for purchases of in-game virtual items, such as in-game currencies, performance-enhancing clothing, weapons, accessories and pets. It distributes its electronic ! prepaid! game cards and game points, which can be used to pur! chase in-! game virtual items, to players through multiple payment channels.

The Company competes with Sina Corporation, Sohu.com Inc., TOM Online Inc., Phoenix New Media Limited, Wireless Arts, Perfect World Co. Ltd, Shanda Interactive Entertainment Limited, Netease.com, Inc., Changyou.com Limited, Giant Interactive Group Inc. and Tencent Holdings Limited.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Konrad Kuhn]

  The company also has a minority interest in the privately-held Hooters of America (HOA), the operator and franchisor of over 430 Hooters restaurants; HOTR's CEO Mike Pruitt is a member of the HOA Board of Directors.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/top-telecom-companies-to-watch-for-2015.html

Hot Construction Companies To Watch For 2015

Hot Construction Companies To Watch For 2015: Balfour Beatty PLC (BIH)

Balfour Beatty plc is a global infrastructure company that delivers services essential to the development, creation and care of infrastructure assets; from finance and development, through design and project management to construction and maintenance. The Company operates in four segments: Professional Services segment is engaged in the provision of project management; Construction Services segment is engaged in the activities resulting in the physical construction of an asset; Support Services segment is engaged in the activities, which support existing assets or functions, and Infrastructure Investments segment is engaged in the acquisition, operation and disposal of infrastructure assets, such as PPP concessions and airports. In July 2013, it announced the disposal of its 50% interest in the Salford Hospital PFI asset. In December 2013, Balfour Beatty Plc completed the sale of its UK facilities management business to GDF Suez Energy Services. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Vanina Egea]

  A few companies excel over their market peers, granting them an unconventional competitive advantage. Everybody knows the market leaders, or the mammoth companies, but there are other particular services that can give a firm greater exposure. No other example is more relevant than the rotary rig count offered by Baker Hughes (BIH). The Baker Hughes Rig Counts provides a weekly count of U.S. and Canadian drilling activity to the industry since 1944, and has become an important business barometer for the drilling industry and its suppliers. Most importantly, the index allows industry analysts to identify industry trends, while providing valuable information to prospect investors beyond Baker Hughes itself. After experiencing a decline in performance from mid-2011 to the end of 2012, the company saw great improvement in overall perfo! rmance during 2013. Can the trend be expected to continue?

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/hot-construction-companies-to-watch-for-2015.html

Top 10 Railroad Stocks To Invest In Right Now

The transportation industry is one of the most exposed to oil prices increments. Fixed way transport however, is also especially affected by weather. There is no clearer example than Canadian railroad companies today. There is a record wheat harvest to be carried, but the impossibility to pick up the rails and relocate them away from bad weather, continue to slow grain arrivals. Most importantly, some oil is being transported through rails increasing demand for cars. The situation prompted the intervention of government authorities and drafting of a bill to regulate rail transportation. Responses to the initiative have not been uniform, and while railroad operators bashed the project, terminal lifters have supported it. Last, some traffic will be deviated south, through the US in order to meet stipulated transported quotas. Did gurus anticipate the move? Can it explain the reason for heavy investing on Norfolk Southern (NSC)?

Keeping the Train Going

In an effort to continue profiting from otherwise sitting capital, but also attracting public back to a downtrodden mode of transport, Norfolk Southern announced a new service Tri-County Mountaineer. The ex-Southern Railway 2-8-0 #630 steam locomotive, has been refurbished to cruise a 72-mile round trip every Saturday and Sunday. Such tourist attraction is expected to have a small impact in overall revenue, but an important social impact. In other words, the project intents to caught the attention of the American public, and remind them the train remains an option for travelling and shipping goods.

Top 5 Forestry Stocks To Buy Right Now: Zoetis Inc (ZTS)

Zoetis Inc, incorporated on July 25, 2012, is engaged in the discovery, development, manufacture and commercialization of animal health medicines and vaccines, with a focus on both livestock and companion animals. The primary livestock species are cattle (both beef and dairy), swine, poultry, sheep and fish, and the primary companion animal species are dogs, cats and horses. In February 2014, Benchmark Holdings PLC purchased aquaculture vaccine and development assets from animal health company Zoetis Inc.

The Company�� more than 300 product lines include vaccines, parasiticides, anti-infectives, medicated feed additives and other pharmaceutical products. The Company�� product portfolio also includes businesses, such as diagnostics, genetics, devices and services, such as dairy data management, e-learning and professional consulting. The Company operates in North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and Latin America.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Alex Planes]

  Pfizer's most notable recent move was the spinoff of Zoetis (NYSE: ZTS  ) , its former animal-health subsidiary, earlier this year. Zoetis has lost a bit of steam since it hit the market earlier this year, underperforming its former corporate parent since February. However, interest was high enough in a recent exchange of Pfizer shares for Zoetis shares that the program was oversubscribed, and only about a quarter of the nearly 1.7 billion shares tendered were accepted for the transfer. That indicates a bit less excitement in Pfizer's future than its recent share performance might suggest -- roughly a quarter of Pfizer's entire float was tendered for the exchange.

• [By Travis Hoium]

  Pfizer (NYSE: PFE  ) is one of only a few companies to buck the trend today, climbing 2%. Shareholders were offered the option to exchange shares of Pfizer for shares of Zoetis (NYSE: ZTS  ) , an animal-health company Pfizer is fully spinning off. Shares were offered at a 7% discount to shareholders who participate, and on June 19 the company will announce the final ratio shareholders will receive. This is part of an effort to sell assets that don't align with Pfizer's efforts to focus on human drugs and vaccines. In the end, it will help reduce Pfizer's shares outstanding.

• [By Ant贸nio Costa]
  Zoetis Inc (NYSE: ZTS) Near-term outlook appears positive. A move above the key resistance level of $32.9 would help the stock touch the immediate PT of $33.98-34.21. Only a drop below $31.02 would negate the positive outlook for ZTS. ( click to enlarge )

• [By Keith Speights]

  After all of the hype and hoopla over Pfizer's (NYSE: PFE  ) spinoff of Zoetis (NYSE: ZTS  ) at the beginning of the year, Zoetis shares are basically right back where they started in 2013. There's still plenty of interest in the animal health stock, though. Pfizer's offer to allow its shareholders to exchange shares for Zoetis stock met with lots of takers. More than 400 million shares were swapped in an oversubscribed exchange deal.

Top 10 Railroad Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Pretium Resources Inc (PVG)

Pretium Resources Inc. is an exploration and development company. The Company is engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of precious metal resource properties in the Americas. Its projects include the Brucejack Project and the Snowfield Project, which are advanced-stage exploration projects located in northwestern British Columbia. The Brucejack Project is a gold-silver exploration project consisted of six mineral claims totaling 3,199.28 hectares in area. As of December 31, 2011, the Brucejack Report was consisted of eight different zones on the West Zone, Bridge Zone, Low Grade Halo Zone, Shore Zone, Galena Hill Zone, Gossan Hill Zone, SG Zone and Valley of Kings (VOK) Zone. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had 100% interest in the Snowfield Project. The Snowfield Project also contains molybdenum and rhenium. The Company�� subsidiaries include Pretium Exploration Inc. and 0890696 B.C. Ltd. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Pretium Resources (NYSE: PVG) shares fell 3.30% to reach a new 52-week low of $2.93. Pretium Resources shares have dropped 77.54% over the past 52 weeks, while the S&P 500 index has gained 28.53% in the same period.

• [By Hebba Investments]

  Therefore the situation is still very bullish for investors in physical gold and the gold ETFs (GLD, CEF, and PHYS). Investors interested in leveraging this situation into higher potential profits may also consider buying gold miners such as Randgold (GOLD), Goldcorp (GG), Yamana Gold (AUY), and any of the other gold miners. Finally, those willing to shoulder much larger risks may consider some of the exploration and micro-cap companies that offer significant profits at a high risk such as Chesapeake Gold (CHPGF.PK), Pretium Resources (PVG), Western Copper (WRN), or any other of the junior exploration companies. Though investors should keep in mind that gold mining companies and explorers do not always rise with a rising gold price - do your research before you invest in the miners.

Top 10 Railroad Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Morgan Stanley(MS)

Morgan Stanley, a financial holding company, provides various financial products and services to corporations, governments, financial institutions, and individuals worldwide. It operates in three segments: Institutional Securities, Global Wealth Management Group, and Asset Management. The Institutional Securities segment offers financial advisory services on mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, corporate restructurings, recapitalizations, spin-offs, exchange offers, and leveraged buyouts and takeover defenses, as well as shareholder relations, capital raising, corporate lending, and investments. This segment also engages in sales, trading, financing, and market-making activities, including equity trading, commodities, and interest rates, credit, and currencies, as well as financing services, such as prime brokerage, consolidated clearance, settlement, custody, financing, and portfolio reporting services. The Global Wealth Management Group segment provide s brokerage and investment advisory services covering various investment alternatives comprising equities, options, futures, foreign currencies, precious metals, fixed income securities, mutual funds, structured products, alternative investments, unit investment trusts, managed futures, separately managed accounts, and mutual fund asset allocation programs; education savings programs, financial and wealth planning services, and annuity and insurance products; credit and other lending products; cash management services; retirement services; and trust and fiduciary services. The Asset Management segment offers products and services in equity, fixed income, and alternative investments, such as hedge funds, fund of funds, real estate, private equity, and infrastructure to institutional and retail clients through proprietary and third party distribution channels. This segment also involves in investment and merchant banking activities. The company was founded in 1935 and is headq uartered in New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Steven Russolillo]

  Earlier this week Morgan Stanley(MS), one of Twitter�� underwriters, downgraded the stock to underperform, citing concerns about the company�� ability to grow in the crowded online advertising market. The firm�� analyst, Scott Devitt, said he prefers Google Inc.(GOOG) and Facebook Inc.(FB) over Twitter.

• [By John Reeves]

  Regardless of terminology, saving Bear implied, according to Blinder, that Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS  ) , and Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS  ) would also be rescued, if necessary. Ultimately, Blinder thinks the decision to let Lehman fail in September 2008 was a colossal mistake that set in motion the worst events of the crisis.

Top 10 Railroad Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Sirius XM Radio Inc.(SIRI)

Sirius XM Radio Inc. provides satellite radio services in the United States and Canada. It broadcasts a programming lineup of approximately 135 channels of commercial-free music, sports, news and information, talk and entertainment, traffic, and weather on subscription fee basis through two satellite radio systems in the United States; and holds an interest in the satellite radio services offered in Canada. The company also simulcasts music and selected non-music channels over the Internet; and offers applications to allow consumers to access its Internet services on mobile devices. As of December 31, 2010, it had 20,190,964 subscribers. In addition, the company designs, establishes specifications, sources or specifies parts and components, and manages various aspects of the logistics and production of satellite radios; licenses its technology to various electronics manufacturers to develop, manufacture, and distribute radios under various brands; and imports radios distri buted through its Websites. The company?s satellite radios are primarily distributed through automakers, retailers, and its Websites. Further, it provides music services for commercial establishments; a satellite television service to offer music channels as part of certain programming packages on the DISH Network satellite television service; music and comedy channels to mobile phone users through mobile phone carriers; Backseat TV, a service offering television content designed primarily for children in the backseat of vehicles; Travel Link, a suite of data services that include graphical weather, fuel prices, sports schedules and scores, and movie listings; and real-time traffic and weather services. The company was formerly known as Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. and changed its name to Sirius XM Radio Inc. in August 2008. Sirius XM Radio Inc. was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  I went out on a limb last week, and now it's time to see how that decision played out.

  I predicted that Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI  ) would close lower on the week. The satellite-radio provider has been a market beast over the past four years, but racing to a new multiyear high when tech giants were starting to enter the premium-audio market seemed risky. Shares of Sirius XM declined 2.5% on the week. I was right. I predicted that the tech-heavy Nasdaq would outperform the Dow Jones Industrial Average. (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) . This has been a tricky call lately, so how did it play out this time? Well, the market finally took a breather this week, and secondary stocks closed flat, with the Nasdaq shedding less than 0.1% on the week. The Dow managed to close 1.2% lower. I was right. My final call was for Costco (NASDAQ: COST  ) to beat Wall Street's income estimates in its latest quarter. The class act in warehouse clubs has been posting blowout quarterly results over the past year, and I was banking on seeing the trend continue. Analysts were looking for a profit of $1.03 a share during the quarter, and it came through with earnings of $1.04 a share. Wow! That was close. But I was right.

  Three out of three? Awesome! That makes me 16 out of 18 over the past six weeks.

• [By James Brumley]

  To be fair, the year-over-year comparisons of the top and bottom line were positive last quarter. A stock’s value is largely dictated by expectations, however, and now the market realizes it might have been expecting too much from KB Home. That could prove to be a drag on KBH stock for several months.

  Stocks to Avoid #4: Sirius XM (SIRI)

  Sirius XM (SIRI) has been an amazing and fun-to-watch success story, inventing an industry that didn’t exist a decade ago, and growing its user base to its current following of about 25 million subscribers. The company’s revenue has grown accordingly, and SIRI is on pace to generate $3.8 billion this year.

Top 10 Railroad Stocks To Invest In Right Now: USell.com Inc (USEL)

usell.com, Inc. (uSel), formerly known as Upstream Worldwide, Inc., incorporated on November 18, 2003, is a technology-based company. The Company focuses on creating an online marketplace where individuals interested in selling small consumer electronics.

The Company through its wholly owned subsidiaries helps individuals monetize household items. Household items, such as small consumer electronics that they no longer using.

The Company competes with eBay.com, craigslist.com and BestBuy, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By EquityOptionsGuru]

  Over the past decade, online marketplaces have been springing up at a rapid fire pace.� Consumers continue to seek new outlets to both buy and sell products at reasonable prices with high efficiency.� This need can be seen in the re-commerce industry, which represents an annual market of $57 billion.� Although eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY) has been the dominant player for the better part of a decade, it is facing increasing pressure from other marketplaces for cost and convenience reasons.� One such marketplace, uSell.com (OTC PINK: USEL), appears poised to rival eBay for years to come.

Top 10 Railroad Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Energold Drilling Corp (EGDFF.PK)

Energold Drilling Corp. provides, directly and through its subsidiaries, contract diamond drilling services for parties principally in Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, South America, Africa and Asia. The Company, through its subsidiary, designs and manufactures specialty/customized drilling rigs and associated equipment for water well, mineral exploration and geotechnical drilling companies. It, through its subsidiary, also provides drilling and other services to the energy sector in Canada and the United States. It has five segments: Drilling Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America; Drilling South America; Drilling Africa, Asia and Other; Drilling Canada (Corporate); Manufacturing, and Energy. On January 14, 2011 the Company acquired Dando Drilling International Ltd. In April 2013, the Company�� Dando International Drilling Ltd announced that it has established a wholly owned subsidiary, Dando Drilling Services Ltd. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Itinerant]

  Following a period of rampant growth in 2010 and 2011 Energold Drilling Corp (EGDFF.PK) has struggled to remain profitable throughout 2012 and into 2013. The general decline in the resource sector has left its mark on margins and contract volume. The company has maintained a robust balance sheet and can survive further hardship if necessary.

Top 10 Railroad Stocks To Invest In Right Now: iShares MSCI Chile Capped ETF (ECH)

iShares MSCI Chile Index Fund (the Fund) is an exchange-traded fund that seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the MSCI Chile Investable Market Index (the Index). The Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization index that is designed to measure broad based equity market performance in Chile. The Index consists of stocks traded primarily on the Santiago Stock Exchange.

The Fund will seek to track the performance of the Index by investing at least 90% of its assets in component securities and in depositary receipts representing such securities. It may invest up to 10% of its assets in certain futures, options, swap contracts, cash and cash equivalents (including money market funds), and other exchange-traded funds, including other iShares funds. The Fund�� investment advisor is Barclays Global Fund Advisors. The index provider of the Fund is Morgan Stanley Capital International.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By David Fabian]

  The iShares MSCI Chile Capped ETF (NYSE: ECH) is a portfolio of 42 stocks in South America that has lost more than three percent this year. By contrast, the Market Vectors Egypt ETF (NYSE: EGPT) has gained more than 31 percent and is far surpassing its Middle Eastern peers.� This ETF is primarily made up of mid and small-cap financial stocks, along with select telecommunication and materials companies.�

• [By Jim Powell]

  And at their current prices, the most attractive emerging nations available now are in Latin America. And our latest new recommendation is iShares MSCI Chile Investable Market Index Fund (ECH).

Hot High Tech Stocks To Own For 2014

Although business headlines still tout earnings numbers, many investors have moved past net earnings as a measure of a company's economic output. That's because earnings are very often less trustworthy than cash flow, since earnings are more open to manipulation based on dubious judgment calls.

Earnings' unreliability is one of the reasons Foolish investors often flip straight past the income statement to check the cash flow statement. In general, by taking a close look at the cash moving in and out of the business, you can better understand whether the last batch of earnings brought money into the company, or merely disguised a cash gusher with a pretty headline.

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 Arabian American Development (NYSE: ARSD  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

Hot Restaurant Stocks To Own For 2015: Lightstream Resources Ltd (LSTMF.PK)

Lightstream Resources Ltd, formerly PetroBakken Energy Ltd., is a Canada-based oil and gas exploration and production company. The Company�� principal operating areas include southeastern Saskatchewan where it targets the Bakken formation and conventional Mississippian reservoirs, central Alberta, where it is focused on the Cardium formation, and north-central Alberta, where it is engaged in exploring for light oil resource plays. In addition, the Company also has land holdings in the Horn River and Montney plays in northeast British Columbia. On December 31, 2012, Petrobank Energy and Resources Ltd. and PetroBakken Energy Ltd. announced the completion of the reorganization. The Reorganization resulted in a newly incorporated company PetroBakken Energy Ltd. (New PetroBakken). Advisors' Opinion:

• [By MLP Trader]

  Here are the current top five companies in the list:

  CompanySymbolEV/BOEPD/NetbackPrice/NAVEV/DACFPinecrest(PNCGF.PK)53564%4.0XLightstream(LSTMF.PK)131753%4.5XNovus(NOVUF.PK)133290%4.1XZargon(ZARFF.PK)138664%5.6XTwin Butte(TBTEF.PK)155885%5.5X

  Of the larger companies, one that remains obstinately near the top of the list is Lightstream . Lightstream trades at 40% of its book value and a whopping 13.4% yield.

Hot High Tech Stocks To Own For 2014: Frontier Communications Company(FTR)

Frontier Communications Corporation, a communications company, provides regulated and unregulated voice, data, and video services to residential, business, and wholesale customers in the United States. It offers local and long distance voice services, including basic telephone wireline services to residential and business customers; switched access services that allow other carriers to use the facilities to originate and terminate their long distance voice and data traffic; and directory services that provide white and yellow page directories for residential and business listings. The company also provides data and Internet services, which include residential services comprising high-speed Internet, dial up Internet, portal and e-mail products, and hard drive back-up services; and commercial and carriers services, such as metro Ethernet; dedicated Internet; Internet protocol, optical, multiprotocol label switching, and TDM data transport services. In addition, it offers di rect broadcast satellite services and fiber optic video services, as well as provides online access to video content, entertainment, and news available on the worldwide Web through its Web site myfitv.com. The company was formerly known as Citizens Communications Company and changed its name to Frontier Communications Corporation in July 2008. Frontier Communications Corporation was founded in 1927 and is based in Stamford, Connecticut.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WilliamBriat]

  Frontier Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: FTR) provides phone, Internet, and satellite TV (through a partnership with DISH Network) services to more than 25 states. The company provides an annual dividend of 9.3% and reaffirmed its full-year guidance.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Frontier Communications (FTR) is a four buck stock with a 8% dividend yield. It’s not supposed to move that much from day to day.

  Getty Images

  But today isn’t any other day. Frontier Communications has gained more than 4%, a big gain for just about any stock, let alone one with a beta of just 0.56. And it’s not as if Frontier’s results were all that good. It reported a non-GAAP profit of six cents a share, in line with analyst estimates, on sales of $1.2 billion, also near forecasts, give or take.

  So what gives? Nomura’s Adam Ilkowitz and Donald Chen say it’s all about the free cash flow:

  Despite the weaker financial results, free cash flow was ahead of our estimate due to timing on cash tax payments. More importantly, management maintained 2013 FCF guidance of $825-925mn, implying a strong 4Q13 outlook. Frontier also reiterated the ability to use free cash flow and cash on hand to meet all obligations in the coming years, supporting our positive outlook on the shares as a sustainable dividend payer with an attractive yield.

  We continue to view the dividend as the main attraction for Frontier shares, supported by FCF stability and limited near-term debt maturities. While the copper-based telephone business is largely in decline, there is a significant growth opportunity to increase share in acquired Verizon properties that Frontier management appears to have begun monetizing. Our target price implies 5.7x 2014E EBITDA and an 8% dividend yield, which we find attractive versus CenturyLink (CTL) at 5.5x with a 6.5% yield.

  So yes, Frontier Communications can keep paying it’s dividend–at least for the time being–and that’s reason enough for it to jump 4.7% to $4.70 today at 2:51 p.m., while CenturyLink has gained 1.1% to $33.75. Verizon (VZ) has advanced 1.1% to $50.64 and AT&T (T) is up 0.9% at $35.86.

Hot High Tech Stocks To Own For 2014: Emak SpA (EM)

Emak SpA is an Italy-based company primarily engaged in the manufacture of outdoor power equipment for gardening, forestry, agriculture and industry. The Company�� portfolio includes chainsaws, brush cutters, lawnmowers, garden tractors, water pumps, high pressure washers, transporters, rotary cultivators, motor hoes and power cutters, among others. It also manufactures spare parts, accessories and protective clothing. The Company sells its products under various brand names, such as Oleo-Mac, Efco, Bertolini, Nibbi and Staub. Emak SpA directly manages distribution in the Italian market and it sells products, through its commercial subsidiaries, in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, the countries of Benelux, Poland, Ukraine, among others.The Company is controlled by Yama SpA, which is an industrial holding company. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Federico Zaldua]

  Brookfield Infrastructure has a number of potentially profitable areas for investment around the world but, above all, in infrastructure hungry Emerging Markets (EM) such as Brazil. According to Credit Suisse analysts, in Brazil, funds can be invested at Funds From Operations (FFO) yields above 12%. Therefore, the company's ability to grow its distribution yield, whether through acquisitions or organically, is critical to evaluate the company's value. Moreover, the currently conservative dividend payout ratio should allow Brookfield Infrastructure to self-finance on going opportunities.

• [By Canadian Value]

  For 20+ years there has been a coherent growth story around Emerging Markets (EM), where the label "Emerging Market" had real meaning within a common knowledge perspective. Today ��not so much. Today the story is that it was easy money from the Fed that drove global growth, EM or otherwise. Today the story is that Emerging Markets are just the levered beneficiaries or victims of Fed monetary policy, no different than anyone else��

• [By Holly LaFon]

  As true value investors, Brandes oft en moves against the crowd amid markets' constantly changing performance cycles. Take the recent equity market weakness in a number of emerging market (EM) countries for example. Over the last year, while macroeconomic and geopolitical concerns cast a cloud of uncertainty over the asset class in general, we started to see some interesting investment opportunities at the company level as a result of such market weakness.

Hot High Tech Stocks To Own For 2014: Royale Energy Inc.(ROYL)

Royale Energy, Inc. operates as an independent oil and natural gas producer in the United States. It engages in the production and sale of oil and natural gas; acquisition of oil and gas lease interests and proved reserves; drilling of exploratory and development wells; and sale of working interests in wells to be drilled. The company also owns wells and leases located principally in the Sacramento Basin and San Joaquin Basin in California, as well as in Utah, Texas, and Louisiana. In addition, it holds proved developed producing reserves of oil and natural gas in Texas and Louisiana. As of December 31, 2009, Royale Energy operated 52 natural gas wells in California; owned and operated 7 natural gas wells in Utah; and had non operating interests in 17 oil and gas wells in Texas, 3 in Oklahoma, 1 in California, and 2 in Louisiana. It also had proved developed reserves of 4,563 MMcf and total proved reserves of 4,617 MMcf of natural gas; and proved developed oil reserves of 16 Mbbl and total proved oil reserves of 16 Mbbl. The company was founded in 1986 and is based in San Diego, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James E. Brumley]

  Does the name Royale Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROYL) ring a bell? If you're a regular reader of the Small Cap Network site or newsletter, it might. Back on February 3rd, yours truly penned some bullish thoughts on the way ROYL was acting at the time. Given what we had seen up until that time, though Royale Energy had not yet begun to rally, the stock was getting within reach of a monster-sized breakout. Well, that breakout may be underway as of today.

• [By James E. Brumley]

  With nothing more than a passing glance at Royale Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROYL), it would be easy to dismiss it as just another volatile small caps... one of many small cap stocks that gets a little squirrelly every now and then. The longer you study the chart of ROYL, however, the clearer it becomes... this chart looks like it's coming out of a slightly bearish lull and working its way into an uptrends.

Hot High Tech Stocks To Own For 2014: Johnson Controls Inc.(JCI)

Johnson Controls, Inc. engages in building efficiency, automotive experience, and power solutions businesses worldwide. Its building efficiency business designs, produces, markets, and installs integrated heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems, as well as building management systems, controls, and security and mechanical equipment. This business also provides technical services, energy management consulting, and operations of real estate portfolios for the non-residential buildings market. In addition, this business offers residential air conditioning and heating systems, and industrial refrigeration products. The company?s automotive experience business designs and manufactures interior products and systems for passenger cars and light trucks, including vans, pick-up trucks, and sport/crossover utility vehicles. It offers seating systems and components; cockpit systems comprising instrument panels and clusters, information displays, and body controllers; overh ead systems, such as headliners and electronic convenience features; floor consoles; and door systems. This business also produces automotive interior systems for original equipment manufacturers. Its power solutions business produces lead-acid automotive batteries serving automotive original equipment manufacturers and the general vehicle battery aftermarket. This business produces lead-acid batteries, as well as offers absorbent glass mat and lithium-ion battery technologies to power hybrid vehicles. The company was formerly known as Johnson Electric Service Company and changed its name to Johnson Controls, Inc. in 1974. Johnson Controls, Inc. was founded in 1885 and is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  But the big problem for Magna has come from Europe. Rival Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI  ) , which gets more of its revenue from Europe than from North America, has seen poor conditions in Europe weigh on its overall results. That's consistent with the big problems that major customers Ford (NYSE: F  ) and General Motors (NYSE: GM  ) have seen in their own European sales figures, with Ford having lost $1.75 billion last year in Europe and expecting that figure to balloon upward to $2 billion for 2013. Although GM managed to reduce its European losses in the first quarter to just $175 million, both it and Ford have a lot of work to do in order to get their operations on the continent back to profitability.

• [By Selena Maranjian]

  Like most investors, you probably aim for�the best possible return�when picking potential investments. But as consumers increasingly clamor for companies to�embrace social responsibility, good corporate citizenship is becoming a vital part of many companies' success. And it can boost the performance of our portfolios, too.
  
  CR�magazine recently released its "100 Best Corporate Citizens"�list�for 2013, in which it rated members of the Russell 1000 large-cap index on hundreds of different elements related to responsible behavior. In the coming weeks, I'll delve into each of the seven categories that contribute to a company's overall score.
  
  Today, we'll look at the environment ranking, which, along with employee relations, gets the highest weighting, at 19.5%. Here are the top-rated companies in the category:
  
  Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI  )

• [By Rich Smith]

  Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI  ) has stepped up its role in India.

  On Tuesday, the auto parts manufacturer and self-proclaimed "global leader in automotive seat systems and components" announced that it has bought out local partner Tata Automotive Components' 50% interest in the companies' Tata Johnson Controls joint venture. The purchase -- whose price both parties agreed not to disclose -- gives Johnson control over 11 joint venture locations across India and a work force of 2,100.

• [By Marc Bastow]

  Automatic temperature control device manufacturer Johnson Controls (JCI) raised its quarterly dividend 16% to 22 cents per share, payable on Jan. 6 to shareholders of record as of Dec. 16.
  JCI Dividend Yield: 1.75%