Best Dividend Stocks For 2016: May 2013

Friday, May 31, 2013

10 Best Chemical Stocks To Own For 2014

A boy stands on an oil pipeline in the rainforest near Lago Agrio, Ecuador.�Source: Lou Dematteis/Redux.

At The Motley Fool, we're not just about buying�stocks --�we're about buying�businesses. And we believe the best businesses serve all of their stakeholders in the process of turning a profit. This includes investors, customers, employees, and, more generally, the world. Not too long ago, we�revealed�our favorite stakeholder-friendly companies, but�we've�also written about those that came up a bit short.

Last summer, we�discussed�an instance of irresponsible corporate behavior at�Dow Chemical� (NYSE: DOW ) . For years, Dow has fought tooth and nail to separate itself from the Bhopal, India, chemical spill, a tragedy that took place at the hands of its subsidiary in 1984. As a financial media outlet, it is our responsibility to bring attention to these types of company issues. For this reason, we decided to dig into a similar case recently -- a decades-old Ecuadorian oil spill linked to energy giant�Chevron� (NYSE: CVX ) . We mentioned this case briefly in our Dow article:

10 Best Chemical Stocks To Own For 2014: Agrium Inc.(AGU)

Agrium Inc., together with its subsidiaries, produces and markets agricultural nutrients, industrial products, and specialty products worldwide, as well as involves in the retail supply of agricultural products and services in North and South Americas. The company?s Retail segment markets crop nutrient products, including nitrogen, phosphate, potash, sulphur, and micronutrients; crop protection products, such as herbicides, fungicides, adjuvants, and insecticides; and seeds. This segment also offers agronomic services, as well as product application, soil and leaf tissue testing and analysis, and crop scouting services. This segment operates 1,192 outlets in the United States, Canada, Australia, Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay. The company?s Wholesale segment produces, markets, and distributes nitrogen, phosphate, potash, sulphate, and other crop nutrient products for agricultural and industrial customers. This segment also owns and operates facilities that upgrade ammonia t o other nitrogen products, such as urea, nitric acid, and ammonium nitrate, as well as provides Rainbow plant food products. Agrium?s Advanced Technologies segment produces and markets controlled-release crop nutrients and micronutrients for the agriculture, specialty agriculture, professional turf, horticulture, and consumer lawn and garden markets. The company was formerly known as Cominco Fertilizers Ltd. and changed its name to Agrium Inc. in 1995. Agrium Inc. was founded in 1931 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Seeking Alpha]
Agrium (AGU) earnings are on pace to jump 60% in 2010, and analysts are expecting another 44% bump next year. Currently yielding: 0.1%
[By Lowell]
Agrium Inc. (NYSE:AGU): Down 1.01% to $71.84. Agrium Inc. supplies nitrogen, potash and phosphate for agricultural, industrial, and specialty use. The Company operates throughout the America’s while it markets its products globally.

10 Best Chemical Stocks To Own For 2014: Linde AG (LING.DE)

Linde AG is a German company engaged in the gases and engineering sector. It operates two divisions: Gases and Engineering, as core divisions, as well as Gist. The Gases Division includes Healthcare, producing medical gases; and Tonnage, as its two global business units; as well as the two business areas Merchant and Packaged Gases, offering liquefied and cylinder gases, and Electronics. The Company�� products are used in the energy sector, for steel production, chemical processing, environmental protection and welding, as well as in food processing, glass production and electronics. The Engineering division offers planning, project development and construction of turnkey industrial plants used in fields, such as petrochemical and chemical industries, in refineries and fertilizer plants, to recover air gases, to produce hydrogen and synthesis gases, to treat natural gas, and in the pharmaceutical industry. As of August 13, 2012, the Company acquired Lincare Holdings Inc.

Top 10 Cheapest Stocks To Watch Right Now: Ashland Inc. (ASH)

Ashland Inc. operates as a specialty chemicals company in the United States and internationally. Its Ashland Aqualon Functional Ingredients segment produces cellulose ethers; and specialty additives and functional ingredients. Its products offer functionality, such as thickening and rheology control; water retention; adhesive strength; binding power; film formation; protective colloid, suspending, and emulsifying action; foam control; and pH stability. The company?s Ashland Hercules Water Technologies segment manufactures papermaking chemicals and supplies specialty chemicals. It offers sizing agents, wet/dry strength additives, and crepe and release additives for tissue manufacturing; and deposit control agents, defoamers, biocides, and other process additives. This segment also provides specialized chemicals and consulting services for the utility water treatment; and performance-based feed and control systems; and monitoring devices and remote system surveillance. Its A shland Performance Materials segment manufactures and supplies specialty chemicals and customized services to the building and construction, transportation, metal casting, packaging and converting, and marine markets. It also offers unsaturated polyester and vinyl ester resins, and gelcoats; adhesives and specialty resins; and metal casting consumables and design services. The company?s Ashland Consumer Markets segment produces and markets packaged automotive lubricants, chemicals, appearance products, antifreeze, and filters to the private passenger car, light truck, and heavy duty markets. It also operates a quick-lube franchise under the name of Valvoline Instant Oil Change. The company was founded in 1918 and is headquartered in Covington, Kentucky.

10 Best Chemical Stocks To Own For 2014: Zoltek Companies Inc (ZOLT)

Zoltek Companies, Inc. is a holding company, which operates through wholly owned subsidiaries, Zoltek Corporation, Zoltek Zrt., Zoltek de Mexico SA de CV, Zoltek de Occidente SA de CV, Engineering Technology Corporation (Entec Composite Machines), Zoltek Properties, Inc., and Zoltek Automotive, LLC. Zoltek Corporation (Zoltek) develops, manufactures and markets carbon fibers and technical fibers in the United States. The Company is an applied technology and advanced materials company. It commercialization of carbon fiber through composites used in a range of commercial products, which it sells under the Panex trade name. In addition to manufacturing carbon fiber, it produces an intermediate product, a stabilized and oxidized acrylic fiber used in flame- and heat-resistant applications, which it sells under the Pyron trade name. During fiscal year ended September 30, 2011 (fiscal 2011), its net sales to Vestas Wind Systems, a wind turbine manufacturer represented % of its net sales. In October 2011, Zoltek purchased a building in St. Peters, Missouri to house its prepreg operations.

Zoltek Zrt. is a Hungarian subsidiary that manufactures and markets carbon fibers and technical fibers and manufactures acrylic fiber precursor raw material used in production of carbon fibers and technical fibers. Zoltek de Mexico SA de CV and Zoltek de Occidente SA de CV are Mexican subsidiaries that manufacture carbon fiber and precursor raw material. Entec Composite Machines manufactures and markets filament winding and pultrusion equipment used in the production composite parts. The Company�� sales markets are in Europe and the United States. The Company has manufacturing plants in Nyergesujfalu, Hungary, Guadalajara, Mexico, Abilene, Texas and St. Charles, Missouri. Its Texas plant houses carbon fiber manufacturing lines and value-added processing capabilities. Its Missouri plant is engaged in the production of technical fibers for aircraft brake and other friction applications and also produces limited! amounts of carbon fibers. In addition, it has facilities in Salt Lake City, Utah where it designs and builds composite manufacturing equipment and produce resin pre-impregnated carbon fibers, called prepregs. It performs certain downstream processing, such as weaving, knitting, blending with other fibers, chopping and milling and preparation of pre-form, pre-cut stacks of fabric. In addition, its Salt Lake City-based Entec Composite Machines subsidiary designs and builds composite manufacturing equipment and markets the equipment along with manufacturing technology and materials. It also provides composite design and engineering for development of applications for carbon fiber reinforced composites.

The Company competes with Hexcel Corporation, Cytec Industries, Toray Group, Toho Tenax, Mitsubishi Chemical and SGL Carbon.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Tom Konrad]
Zoltek is a leading manufacturer of carbon fiber, which are used for a wide variety of applications requiring high strength to weight ratios. Consumers may be familiar with carbon fiber tennis rackets and racing bicycles, but carbon fiber is also used to manufacture wind turbine blades (Zolek's largest source of revenue) and to replace heavier steel and aluminum in transportation applications such as Boeing's Dreamliner 787, performance cars and electric vehicles. I think it's likely that automakers pursuit of fuel efficiency standards will lead to more carbon fiber being used in more mass market vehicles to reduce weight and lead to improved fuel economy without sacrificing safety.

The company never recovered from its fall in 2008-9, but company insiders, including its CEO have been buying ZOLT shares since it fell to the $10 range last year, and the company's fundamentals have been improving even as the stock traded basically flat for the last 3 years. Having lost money in 2010 and 2011, Zoltek made a profit of $0.66 per share on record sales in its Fiscal 2012, which ended on September 30th. Analysts expect $0.52 per share earnings in 2013, for a forward P/E of 14. The company has a strong balance sheet with no net debt and several unused lines of credit at favorable interest rates, and the company has several opportunities to achieve high growth as carbon fiber usage expands in its existing markets and breaks into new markets.

One misgiving I've long had about Zoltek is the centralization of power in the hands of its Founder, Chairman, President, and CEO Zsolt Rumy. This concern is ameliorated by his recent stock purchases. These, along with the historically low valuation, led me to add Zoltek to my annual clean energy stock list for the first time.

10 Best Chemical Stocks To Own For 2014: Calgon Carbon Corp (CCC)

Calgon Carbon Corporation is a provider of products, services, and solutions for purifying water and air. The Company operates in three reportable segments: Activated Carbon and Service, Equipment, and Consumer. The Activated Carbon and Service segment manufactures granular and powdered activated carbon for use in applications to primarily remove organic compounds from water, air and other liquids and gases. The service aspect of the segment consists of reactivation and the leasing, monitoring and maintenance of carbon adsorption equipment. The Equipment segment provides solutions to customers��air and water purification problems through the design, fabrication, installation, and sale of equipment systems that utilize a combination of the Company�� enabling technologies: carbon adsorption, ultraviolet light (UV), Ballast Water Treatment (BWT), and advanced ion exchange separation (ISEP). The Consumer segment primarily consists of the manufacture and sale of carbon cloth. On March 31, 2011 the Company completed the acquisition of Calgon Carbon Japan KK (CCJ).

Activated Carbon and Service

The sale of activated carbon is the principle component of the Activated Carbon and Service business segment. Activated carbon is a porous material that removes organic compounds from liquids and gases by a process known as adsorption. In adsorption, unwanted organic molecules contained in a liquid or gas are attracted and bound to the surface of the pores of the activated carbon as the liquid or gas is passed through. The primary raw material used in the production of the Company�� activated carbons is bituminous coal which is crushed, sized and then processed in low temperature kilns followed by high temperature furnaces. The Company also markets activated carbons from other raw materials, including coconut shell and wood. The Company produces and sells a range of activated, impregnated or acid washed carbons in granular, powdered or pellet form. Granular activated carbon (GAC) particl! es are irregular in shape and generally used in fixed filter beds for continuous flow purification processes.

Another component of the Activated Carbon and Service business segment are the optional services associated with supplying the Company�� products and systems required for purification, separation, concentration, taste and odor control. The Company offers a variety of treatment services at customer facilities, including carbon supply, equipment leasing, installation and demobilization, transportation and spent carbon reactivation. Other services include feasibility testing, process design, performance monitoring and maintenance of Company-owned equipment. The central component of the Company�� service business is reactivation of spent carbon and re-supply. The Company provides reactivation/recycling services in packages ranging from a 55 gallon drum to truckload quantities.

Equipment

Along with providing activated carbon products, the Company has developed a portfolio of standardized, pre-engineered, adsorption systems capable of treating liquid flows from 1 gallons per minute to 1,400 gallons per minute, which can be delivered and installed at treatment sites. These self-contained adsorption systems are used for vapor phase applications, such as volatile organic compound (VOC) control, air stripper off-gases, and landfill gas emissions. Liquid phase equipment systems are used for applications of potable water, process purification, wastewater treatment, groundwater remediation and de-chlorination. The Company produces a range of odor control equipment, which typically utilizes catalytic activated carbon to control odors at municipal wastewater treatment facilities and pumping stations. The Company�� variety of equipment systems treats the odors that emanate from municipal wastewater treatment facilities and the sewage collection systems that bring the waste to the treatment plant.

The ISEP (Ionic Separator) continuous ion exchange units ! are used ! for the purification and recovery of many products in the food, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology industries. The ISEP Continuous Separator units perform ion exchange separations using countercurrent processing. The ISEP and CSEP (chromatographic separator) systems are used at over 300 installations worldwide in more than 40 applications in industrial settings, as well as in environmental applications, including perchlorate and nitrate removal from drinking water. The Hyde GUARDIAN System was developed as a chemical-free, International Maritime Organization (IMO) type approved, ballast water management solution. The system is designed to meet the needs of ship owners to install treatment system.

Consumer

The primary product offered in the Consumer segment is carbon cloth. Carbon cloth, which is activated carbon in cloth form, is manufactured in the United Kingdom and sold to the medical, military, and specialty markets. Zorflex Activated Carbon Cloth can be used in numerous additional applications, including sensor protection; filters for ostomy bags; wound dressings; conservation of artifacts, and respiratory masks.

The Company competes with Norit, N.V., Mead/Westvaco Corporation, Siemens Water Technologies, Trojan Technologies, Inc., Xylem, Wedeco Ideal Horizons, Panasia, Alfa Lavel Tumba AB, Hyde Marine, Inc. and Wartsila.

10 Best Chemical Stocks To Own For 2014: Celanese Corporation (CE)

Celanese Corporation, a technology and specialty materials company, engages in manufacture and sale of value-added chemicals, thermoplastic polymers, and other chemical-based products. It operates through four business segments: Advanced Engineered Materials, Consumer Specialties, Industrial Specialties, and Acetyl Intermediates. The Advanced Engineered Materials segment offers specialty polymers for application in automotive, medical, and electronics products, as well as other consumer and industrial applications. The Consumer Specialties segment provides cellulose acetate flake, film, and tow that are primarily used in filter products applications; Sunett, a sweetener; and food protection ingredients, such as sorbates and sorbic acid for the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries. The Industrial Specialties segment produces emulsions and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) performance polymers. Its emulsions products are used in applications, such as paints and coatings, adhesives, construction, glass fiber, textiles, and paper; and EVA performance polymers are used in flexible packaging films, lamination film products, hot melt adhesives, medical products, automotive, carpeting and photovoltaic cells. The Acetyl Intermediates segment offers acetyl products, including acetic acid, vinyl acetate monomer, acetic anhydride, and acetate esters for use as starting materials for colorants, paints, adhesives, coatings, and medicines. It also provides organic solvents and intermediates for pharmaceutical, agricultural, and chemical products. The company offers its products directly, as well as through distributors and electronic marketplaces in North America, Europe, Africa, the Asia-Pacific, and South America. Celanese Corporation was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

10 Best Chemical Stocks To Own For 2014: Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Inc.(POT)

Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Inc. produces and sells fertilizers and related industrial and feed products primarily in the United States and Canada. The company mines and produces potash, which is used as fertilizer. It also offers solid and liquid phosphate fertilizers; animal feed supplements; and industrial acids that are used in food products and industrial processes. In addition, the company produces nitrogen fertilizers, as well as nitrogen feed and industrial products, including ammonia, urea, nitrogen solutions, ammonium nitrate, and nitric acid. Further, it holds the right to mine 785,759 acres of land in Saskatchewan; and 58,263 acres of land in New Brunswick in Canada. The company sells its fertilizers primarily to retailers, dealers, co-operatives, distributors, and other fertilizer producers; industrial products primarily to chemical product manufacturers; and purified phosphoric acid directly to consumers of the product. Potash Corporation was founded i n 1953 and is based in Saskatoon, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Vita]
People need to eat. Potash increases the yield of fertilizer. And in an overpopulated world with people moving into urban areas (less farmers feeding more mouths), demand will spike for whatever can increase that yield. Potash's stock is closely correlated to prices of the product Potash. It's worth noting that the stock represents billionaire financier George Soros's third largest position. Goldman Sachs just raised its rating on the the stock, saying "Investors are likely underestimating the 2012 US demand recovery that could see staggering yoy [year- over-year] percent increases in volume given the depth of the 2011 reduction and the atypically weak fall consumption levels."

10 Best Chemical Stocks To Own For 2014: E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company(DD)

E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company operates as a science and technology company worldwide. It operates in seven segments: Agriculture & Nutrition, Electronics & Communications, Performance Chemicals, Performance Coatings, Performance Materials, Safety & Protection, and Pharmaceuticals. The Agriculture & Nutrition segment provides hybrid seed corn and soybean seed, herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, value enhanced grains, and soy protein under the Pioneer brand name. The Electronics & Communications segment supplies materials and systems for photovoltaic products, consumer electronics, displays, and advanced printing. The Performance Chemicals segment offers fluorochemicals, fluoropolymers, specialty and industrial chemicals, and white pigments for various markets, such as plastics and coatings, textiles, mining, pulp and paper, water treatment, and healthcare. The Performance Coatings segment supplies high performance liquid and powder coatings for motor vehicle origi nal equipment manufacturers (OEM); the motor vehicle after-market; and general industrial applications, such as such as coatings for heavy equipment, pipes and appliances, and electrical insulation. The Performance Materials segment provides polymers, elastomers, films, parts, and systems and solutions for the automotive OEM and associated after-market industries, as well as electrical, electronics, packaging, construction, oil, photovoltaics, aerospace, chemical processing, and consumer durable goods. The Safety & Protection segment primarily offers nonwovens, aramids, and solid surfaces for the construction, transportation, communications, industrial chemicals, oil and gas, electric utilities, automotive, manufacturing, defense, homeland security, and safety consulting industries. The Pharmaceuticals segment represents its interest in the collaboration relating to Cozaar/Hyzaar antihypertensive drugs. The company was founded in 1802 and is headquartered in Wilmington, Dela ware.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Fitz Gerald]
DuPont rated very well on our EquityAnalytics scoring led by its focus on specialty chemicals that have higher economic moats than more general chemicals that have higher competition. The company, additionally, offers an outstanding dividend at 3.5%. We believe the company is also undervalued at a 12.7 PE ratio and should be trading at a higher multiple in 2012. The company has done a solid job of improving profitability over the past three years, and we believe that improvement should continue in 2012. If margins do get a bump, the PE ratio becomes even more suspect at these levels. We have a $59 PT.

Allocation: $2500

Entry: 46.85

Target: $51.54, $56.22, and $59
[By Lowell]
DuPont offers agriculture and food, building and construction, electronics and communications, general industrial and transportation products and services. Cramer holds 500 shares of DD stocks. DD has a dividend yield of 3.57% and returned -3.52% since the beginning of this year. It has a market cap of $42.94B and a P/E ratio of 12.77. Phill Gross and Robert Atchinson had $55 million in DD shares.

10 Best Chemical Stocks To Own For 2014: Linde AG (LNAGF.PK)

10 Best Chemical Stocks To Own For 2014: Zoltek Companies Inc (ZOLT.O)

Zoltek Companies, Inc. is a holding company, which operates through wholly owned subsidiaries, Zoltek Corporation, Zoltek Zrt., Zoltek de Mexico SA de CV, Zoltek de Occidente SA de CV, Engineering Technology Corporation (Entec Composite Machines), Zoltek Properties, Inc., and Zoltek Automotive, LLC. Zoltek Corporation (Zoltek) develops, manufactures and markets carbon fibers and technical fibers in the United States. The Company is an applied technology and advanced materials company. It commercialization of carbon fiber through composites used in a range of commercial products, which it sells under the Panex trade name. In addition to manufacturing carbon fiber, it produces an intermediate product, a stabilized and oxidized acrylic fiber used in flame- and heat-resistant applications, which it sells under the Pyron trade name. During fiscal year ended September 30, 2011 (fiscal 2011), its net sales to Vestas Wind Systems, a wind turbine manufacturer represented % of it s net sales. In October 2011, Zoltek purchased a building in St. Peters, Missouri to house its prepreg operations.

Zoltek Zrt. is a Hungarian subsidiary that manufactures and markets carbon fibers and technical fibers and manufactures acrylic fiber precursor raw material used in production of carbon fibers and technical fibers. Zoltek de Mexico SA de CV and Zoltek de Occidente SA de CV are Mexican subsidiaries that manufacture carbon fiber and precursor raw material. Entec Composite Machines manufactures and markets filament winding and pultrusion equipment used in the production composite parts. The Company�� sales markets are in Europe and the United States. The Company has manufacturing plants in Nyergesujfalu, Hungary, Guadalajara, Mexico, Abilene, Texas and St. Charles, Missouri. Its Texas plant houses carbon fiber manufacturing lines and value-added processing capabilities. Its Missouri plant is engaged in the production of technical fibers for aircraft brake and other friction applications and also produces lim! i! ted amounts of carbon fibers. In addition, it has facilities in Salt Lake City, Utah where it designs and builds composite manufacturing equipment and produce resin pre-impregnated carbon fibers, called prepregs. It performs certain downstream processing, such as weaving, knitting, blending with other fibers, chopping and milling and preparation of pre-form, pre-cut stacks of fabric. In addition, its Salt Lake City-based Entec Composite Machines subsidiary designs and builds composite manufacturing equipment and markets the equipment along with manufacturing technology and materials. It also provides composite design and engineering for development of applications for carbon fiber reinforced composites.

The Company competes with Hexcel Corporation, Cytec Industries, Toray Group, Toho Tenax, Mitsubishi Chemical and SGL Carbon.

Thursday, May 30, 2013

How Housing Built the Dow's Surge

The housing market's recovery has been one of the best signs of the economy's comeback from the depths of the 2008 recession, and strong data from the sector has fueled stocks today. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI ) has rallied behind its financial stocks, jumping 80 points, or around 0.51%, as of 2:15 p.m. EDT. Housing's optimism has pushed the majority of the blue-chip index's members into the green in what's shaping up to be a good day for investors. Is this sector on pace for even more gains? Let's check out how housing spurred the market's gains.

Housing's big comeback
Pending home sales rose another 0.3% in April, according to a National Association of Realtors release today. That's a high not seen since April 2010, although it fell below economist predictions. It may be just one number, but the gain in pending sales comes on the back of multiple strong indicators of housing's rebound.

According to the Federal Housing Finance Agency, home prices rose 1.9% in the year's first quarter, and private housing starts in April were 13.1% ahead of April 2012's figure. While some have cautioned that reduced supply of houses on the market could hurt sales in coming months, prices should capitalize and continue to rise. That's good news for sellers as the market digs out of the drastic dive in prices brought on by the financial crisis.

Higher prices mean good things for the financial sector, too, and two of the Dow's big banks are on the upswing today. Bank of America (NYSE: BAC ) has jumped 2.7% to lead the index higher, while fellow financial powerhouse JPMorgan (NYSE: JPM ) has seen its stock rise 1.9%. Rising home prices are just what B of A needs to push past its losses from its Countrywide disaster and other problems related to the recession. While Bank of America doesn't finance quite so much as some competitors in the mortgage loan business, the firm still generated $24 billion in home loans in the first quarter. Lagging supply will reduce the number of loans the bank processes, but the hike in prices will keep the firm steady.

JPMorgan is set to ride housing higher with its business firmly behind CEO and chairman Jamie Dimon after he survived criticism and calls for his roles to be split. While the bank's still dealing with regulatory scrutiny over its "London Whale" trading losses and other affairs, JPMorgan has gotten back into home-loan-backed bond sales recently. The firm has already made one sale of "high-quality" mortgage-backed bonds this year, according to Bloomberg, and it's planning another sale soon. JPMorgan investors could use a breather from the drama of regulation and leadership issues, and if housing can continue to rise, this firm should be just fine.

The economy's comeback has fueled a rise in consumer confidence as well, and American Express (NYSE: AXP ) is right in line to capitalize. The credit card company's shares have risen 0.9% today, and Japanese financial company Nomura Holdings reiterated its "buy" rating on the stock today as well. American Express isn't as directly tied to the housing market as the big banks are, but if Americans are returning to home-buying, expect consumption to follow that confidence higher. The U.S. economy already grew at an annualized rate of 2.4% in the first quarter, and if it keeps that figure up, average Americans should head back to stores regardless of tax hikes and sequester cuts.

Around the Dow, Boeing (NYSE: BA ) shares are also on the rise today, gaining 1.7% to rank near the top of the index. Shareholders received good news today when Singapore Airlines purchased 30 of Boeing's stretched 787-10X Dreamliner aircraft. While the order wasn't perfect -- Singapore Airlines split its $17 billion order between Boeing's jets and rival Airbus' A350-900 planes -- the buy is a show of faith in the 787 after its grounding dominated headlines in the first few months of the year. Boeing boasts an order backlog of more than 800 787s, and the company's looking to ramp up production to keep deliveries coming. For Boeing, the skies are looking clear after a stormy start to the year.

Boeing is a major player in a multitrillion-dollar market in which the opportunities are massive. However, emerging competitors and the company's execution problems have investors wondering whether Boeing will live up to its shareholder responsibilities. In our premium research report on the company, two of The Motley Fool's best industrial-sector minds have collaborated to provide investors with the must-know info on Boeing. They'll be updating the report as key news hits, so don't miss out -- simply click here now to claim your copy today.

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More Expert Advice from The Motley Fool

The Motley Fool's chief investment officer has selected his No. 1 stock for the next year. Find out which stock in our brand-new free report: "The Motley Fool's Top Stock for 2013." I invite you to take a copy, free for a limited time. Just click here to access the report and find out the name of this under-the-radar company.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

The PC's Day of Reckoning Is on the Horizon

It may take a few more years, but eventually the PC's day of reckoning will be here. In the not-so-distant future, the tablet market will overcome the PC market in unit volumes. Market researcher IDC is predicting that this will happen come 2015.

Tablet shipments are expected to grow by 59% this year to hit 229.3 million, compared to the 144.5 million units shipped in 2012. That should be enough for tablets to overtake the laptop subset of the broader PC market by year's end.

IDC's Ryan Reith says the transition was sparked by a difficult economic environment, but a new global computing paradigm is taking shape with mobile front and center. Tablets are cheaper than PCs and many consumers have seen discretionary income decline amid a tough global economy. The PC will always have a place in the enterprise with business users, but the large consumer market is quickly shifting to tablets.

Low-cost devices with smaller form factors will drive the shift. Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL ) remains the dominant vendor with the iPad, but intense competition from Google Android may put pressure on prices. Low-cost Androids are expected to cause worldwide average selling prices to fall nearly 11% to $381 this year.

Over half of the market this year will be devices with displays smaller than 8 inches. IDC similarly attributes Android's success in the low end to this shift, while Apple's response with the iPad Mini will reinforce it. The data also confirms that Steve Jobs was wrong that 9.7-inch is the perfect tablet size.

Screen Size

2013 Forecast

2017 Forecast

Smaller than 8-inch	55%	57%
8-inch to 11-inch	43%	37%
Larger than 11-inch	2%	6%

Source: IDC.

Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT ) has yet to make a meaningful impact on the tablet market. The software giant is very vocal with its belief that the line between PC and tablet will continue to blur, what with OEMs releasing every imaginable convertible form factor. As far as IDC is concerned, devices with detachable keyboards, including Surface, are tablets, while devices with hard-wired keyboards, are PCs.

IDC uses physical specs to differentiate instead of operating system. That means Windows 8 can still potentially benefit from the shift, even if some Windows 8 devices are classified as PCs while others are considered tablets. Touchscreen adoption is on the rise, which bodes well for the platform's prospects.

The trend toward smaller devices should also be a reminder to Microsoft that it desperately needs to launch a smaller Surface.

Apple's market share may continue to decline as broader tablet growth skyrockets, but iPad unit sales in absolute terms will be just fine. iPad pricing pressure should translate into gross margin pressure, but Apple is confident in the long-term opportunities and is willing to take the short-term hit.

It's been a frustrating path for Microsoft investors, who've watched the company fail to capitalize on the incredible growth in mobile over the past decade. However, with the release of its own tablet, along with the widely anticipated Windows 8 operating system, the company is looking to make a splash in this booming market. In a new premium report on Microsoft, a Motley Fool analyst explains that while the opportunity is huge, so are the challenges. The report includes regular updates as key events occur, so make sure to claim a copy of this report now by clicking here.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Why I Own Rackspace

Rackspace Hosting (NYSE: RAX ) has seen share prices plummet 48% in just five months. Many investors glanced at the roller-coaster chart and decided to cash out, but Fool contributor Anders Bylund ran in the opposite direction.

In this video, Anders explains how this price drop unlocked an irresistible buying window for him, and what sets Rackspace apart from commodity rivals such as Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN ) .

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Editor's note: The volume level in this video is variable. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Yes, Countrywide Really Was That Bad for Bank of America

Any Bank of America (NYSE: BAC ) investor or banking-sector fan knows that Bank of America's acquisition of Countrywide will go down as one of the worst of all time.

The mortgages written by Countrywide ultimately became responsible for billions of dollars of legal expenses for Bank of America. But how much worse were these loans? Matt Koppenheffer details these loans in his article "The Great Undoing of Bank of America."

In this video, Matt joins Motley Fool banking analyst David Hanson to discuss this article and tell investors the key takeaway from the multiyear debacle.

With the amount of legal uncertainty diminishing for Bank of America, are shares poised to climb higher? With significant challenges still ahead, it's critical to have a solid understanding of this megabank before adding it to your portfolio. In The Motley Fool's premium research report on B of A, analyst Anand Chokkavelu, CFA, joins Matt to lift the veil on the bank's operations, including detailing three reasons to buy and three reasons to sell. Click here now to claim your copy.

Monday, May 27, 2013

DISH Versus the Wireless World

Sprint Nextel (NYSE: S ) wants to buy Clearwire (NASDAQ: CLWR ) . DISH Network (NASDAQ: DISH ) also wants to buy Clearwire -- or Sprint, if the Clearwire deal falls through. Japanese network operator SoftBank is putting up its dukes for a fight over Sprint, though. And if all else fails, DISH is building its own portfolio of radio spectrum licenses.

If all this wrangling makes your head spin, you're not alone. DISH and Sprint are at the eye of a deal-making hurricane that is sure to transform the American wireless industry in a dramatic fashion. The duopoly of AT&T and Verizon is about to gain a serious third contender.

In the video below, Fool contributor Anders Bylund walks you through the latest updates in the Sprint saga, and how DISH is positioning itself for a future beyond the satellite market.

The mobile revolution is still in its infancy, but with so many different companies it can be daunting to know how to profit in the space. Fortunately, The Motley Fool has released a free report on mobile named "The Next Trillion-Dollar Revolution" that tells you how. The report describes why this seismic shift will dwarf any other technology revolution seen before it and also names the company at the forefront of the trend. You can access this report today by clicking here -- it's free.

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Should I Buy National Grid or Centrica?

LONDON -- Utility firms National Grid (LSE: NG ) (NYSE: NGG ) and Centrica (LSE: CNA ) (NASDAQOTH: CPYYY ) have long been favored for investors for their generous dividends, but rising markets have pushed these companies' share prices up by around 25% over the last year.

Which share would make the better buy for a dividend portfolio?

National Grid vs. Centrica
I'm going to start with a look at a few key statistics that can be used to provide a quick comparison of these two companies, based on their last published results:

National Grid Centrica

Price to earnings ratio (P/E)	14.7	14.4
Dividend yield	5%	4.2%
5-year average dividend yield	5.9%	4.7%
5-year average dividend growth rate	3.8%	7.2%

National Grid's share price lagged behind the FTSE 100 last year, due to uncertainty over whether the firm's dividend might be cut when new regulatory pricing controls came into force in April.

As it turned out, this wasn't the case and, in March,, National Grid confirmed that it will target dividend growth "at least in line with the rate of RPI inflation each year for the foreseeable future", cementing its position as a top dividend stock.

Centrica's different
Just 40% of Centrica's operating profit came from its regulated British Gas business last year, while 45% came from its unregulated oil and gas production business, making it quite different to National Grid.

Although Centrica's dividend yield is lower than National Grid's, it has grown faster over the last five years, rising by an average of 7.2% per year, versus 3.8% for National Grid.

It's also worth noting that Centrica's dividend has been covered by free cash flow for four of the last six years, whereas National Grid's has only been covered by free cash flow twice, during the same period.

What's next?
Will National Grid and Centrica be able to maintain their inflation-beating dividend growth?

Analysts' forecasts are notoriously unreliable, but FTSE 100 companies generally get the benefit of the most comprehensive analysis, and tend to deliver fewer surprises than smaller companies.

With that in mind, let's take a look at some forward-looking numbers for National Grid and Centrica:

National Grid Centrica

Forecast P/E ratio	15.4	14.0
Forecast dividend yield	5.1%	4.4%
Forecast dividend growth	3%	5.5%
Forecast earnings growth	(4.0)%	3%

Centrica seems likely to provide a higher rate of dividend growth than National Grid, and is also expected to manage to grow its adjusted earnings this year, unlike National Grid.

Which share should I buy?
I think that both companies look attractive buys, and should offer reliable dividends.

For anyone without much exposure to oil and gas, I might suggest Centrica, but if you already have enough exposure to this sector, then National Grid might be a better buy.

The best FTSE 100 dividends?
National Grid and Centrica are both tempting income buys, but only one of these utility stocks was selected for the Motley Fool's latest special report, "5 Shares To Retire On".

The Fool's team of expert analysts crunched the numbers on every share in the FTSE 100 when researching this free report, and the five companies they chose all offer high-quality, reliable dividends.

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Saturday, May 25, 2013

Once Left for Dead, These Insurers Are Scaling New Heights

The mortgage meltdown and ensuing financial crisis took down many financial entities, plowing some completely under and leaving others barely surviving. Mortgage insurance companies took an especially heavy hit, as many of the loans they secured began to crumble, squeezing these insurers nearly out of existence.

The past year has seen an astounding rebound in the sector, however, and the recent settlement between Bank of America (NYSE: BAC ) and MBIA (NYSE: MBI ) has given them another big boost. Add in Ambac Financial's emergence from bankruptcy earlier this month, and it begins to look like the sky's the limit for this formerly anemic corner of the insurance market.

Mortgage insurers' popularity has skyrocketed
Over the past year, an improving housing market combined with a retreat from the mortgage insurance business by Fannie and Freddie has provided a lift to the entire industry. Heavy-hitter Radian Group (NYSE: RDN ) saw its share price levitate by nearly 600% since this time last year, and even MBIA, which was tottering on the edge of a New York state takeover of its mortgage insurance unit when the B of A pact took place, has seen shares rise by almost 90%.

All this attention hasn't gone unnoticed by institutional investors. Bloomberg offers a list of big funds like Paulson & Co., Blue Ridge Capital, and Maverick Capital that are sopping up shares of Radian and MGIC Investment (NYSE: MTG ) . MGIC has experienced some considerable upside, too, reporting new policies written in the first quarter of $6.5 billion, a year-over-year improvement of 35%.

Even AIG (NYSE: AIG ) , a comeback story all by itself, owes some of its newfound glory to its mortgage insurance arm, United Guaranty -- which pulled in $41 million in the first quarter, compared with a measly $8 million in the year-ago period. Assured Guaranty (NYSE: AGO ) also announced some good news earlier this month as it reached settlement with UBS (NYSE: UBS ) over soured mortgage-backed securities on which it was forced to pay.

Still, there are risks
Many of these insurers still have problems to resolve, not the least of which is credit risk -- both Radian and MGIC still have credit ratings sitting at Caa1 and Caa3, consecutively. Also, any negative change in the recovering housing market could very well hit these insurers hard.

But things are definitely looking up, particularly for MBIA, which recently saw a nice upgrade applied to itself and its National Public Finance unit in the wake of its Bank of America pact. For a sector that just about faded away five years ago, this transformation is remarkable -- and it looks like it isn't over yet.

At the end of last year, AIG was the favorite stock among hedge fund managers. Have they identified the next big multi-bagger, or are the risks facing the insurance giant still too great? In The Motley Fool's premium report on AIG, Financials Bureau Chief Matt Koppenheffer breaks down the key issues that you need to know about if you want to successfully invest in this stock. Simply click here now to claim your copy, and you'll also receive a full year of key updates and expert analysis as news continues to develop.

Friday, May 24, 2013

Top Bank Stocks To Invest In Right Now

Earnings and expectations are ruling Wall Street this week. As we move deeper into earnings season, investors are focusing more on actual results, and it's becoming very clear that those earnings are driving the markets, not the hot news story of the day. And regardless of whether the market moves up or down for the day, it is very refreshing to see this happen.

But what is still disconcerting is that although earnings and, in some cases revenues, are climbing, shares prices are dropping simply because analysts expected better results than what is being reported. This is preciously what happened today. Bank of America (NYSE: BAC ) released first-quarter earnings, and profit quadrupled to $0.20 per share, but Wall Street expected $0.22 per share and the stock fell 4.72% during the day, and with the help of another 25 components, managed to pull the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI ) lower by 138 points, or 0.94%, during the day.

Top Bank Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ANZ.AX)

Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (ANZ) provides a range of banking and financial products and services to retail, small business, corporate and institutional clients. The Company conducts its operations in Australia, New Zealand and the Asia Pacific region. It also operates in a range of other countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States. The Company operates on a divisional structure with Australia, International and Institutional Banking (IIB), New Zealand, and Global Wealth and Private Banking. As of September 30, 2012, the Company had 1,337 branches and other points of representation worldwide, excluding automatic teller machines (ATMs). In September 2012, it sold its remaining shareholding in Visa Inc.

Top Bank Stocks To Invest In Right Now: National Bank of Greece SA (NBG)

National Bank of Greece S.A. (the Bank), incorporated on March 30, 1841, is a Greece-based financial institution. It offers a range of integrated financial services, including corporate and investment banking, retail banking (including mortgage lending), leasing, stock brokerage, asset management and venture capital, insurance, real estate and consulting services. In addition, the Company is involved in various other businesses, including hotel and property management, real estate and information technology (IT) consulting. On May 19, 2009, the Bank established Ethniki Factors S.A., a wholly owned subsidiary. On June 8, 2009, Finansbank A.S. established Finans Faktoring Hizmetleri A.S. (Finans Factoring), a wholly owned subsidiary. On June 30, 2009, NBG Luxemburg Holding S.A. and NBG Luxfinance Holding S.A. were merged to NBG Asset Management Luxemburg S.A. On January 18, 2010, the Bank acquired 35% of the share capital of AKTOR FM. On October 16, 2009, United Bulgarian Bank A.D. (UBB) established UBB Factoring E.O.O.D., a wholly owned subsidiary of UBB. On September 15, 2009, the Bank disposed of its investment in Phosphoric Fertilizers Industry S.A.

At December 31, 2009, the Bank operated in Greece through 575 branches, one private banking unit, one unit for financial institutions and 10 specialized banking units that deal exclusively with troubled and non-performing loans. At December 31, 2009, the Bank had over 1500 automated teller machines (ATMs).

Retail Banking

The Bank offers retail customers a number of different types of deposit and investment products, as well as a range of services and products. The Bank offers a range of mortgage products, with floating, fixed, or a combination of fixed and floating interest rates. In February 2009, the Bank introduced a new floating rate product, the ESTIA MIKTO with flexible payment terms. In addition to fire and earthquake property insurance, the Bank offers an optional life insurance plan together with mortgage! s.

The Small Business Lending Unit (SBL Unit) a part of the Bank's retail banking division consists of three credit centers situated in Athens, Thessaloniki and Patrastail. The SBL Unit offers term loans geared towards medium and long-term working capital needs for the financing of asset purchases.

Corporate and Investment Banking

The Bank offers corporate accounts with overdraft facilities, foreign currency loans, variable rate loans, and currency swaps and options for corporate customers. The Bank's commercial loan portfolio in Greece comprises approximately 50,000 corporate clients, including small and medium sized enterprises. It offers the corporate clients a range of products and services, including financial and investment advisory services, deposit accounts, loans denominated in euro and other currencies, foreign exchange services, insurance products, custody arrangements and trade finance services. The Bank lends primarily in the form of credit lines, which are generally at variable rates of interest with payment terms of up to 12 months. In addition, the Bank provides letters of credit and guarantees for its clients.

The Bank�� shipping finance and syndicated loan portfolio consists of first-tier shipping groups involved in diversified shipping activities. The Bank provided project finance advisory services to the Hellenic Republic on two infrastructure projects: the new Attica Motorway and Kasteli International Airport.

Global Markets & Asset Management

The treasury activities provided by the Bank and its subsidiaries include

Greek and other sovereign securities trading, foreign exchange trading, interbank lending and borrowing in euro and other currency placements/ deposits, forward rate agreement trading, repurchase agreements, corporate bonds, and derivative products, such as options and interest rate and currency swaps. The Bank also conducts a portion of its treasury activities through its subsidia! ry CPT. A! s at December 31, 2009; CPT's portfolio comprised Greek government bonds and corporate bonds, with a total value of EUR 1.8 billion.

The Bank offers its private banking services both domestically and internationally from its international private banking units in London. The Bank offers custodian services to its foreign and domestic institutional clients who hold equity securities listed on the ATHEX or listed Greek State debt, as well as remote settlement and custody services on the Cyprus Stock Exchange. The Bank offers trade settlements, safekeeping of securities, corporate action processing, income collection, proxy voting, tax reclamation, brokerage services, customized reporting, regular market flashes and information services. The Bank also acts as global custodian to its domestic institutional clients who invest in securities outside of Greece.

The domestic fund management business is operated by NBG Asset Management, which is wholly owned by the Group. NBG Asset Management manages funds that are made available to customers through the Bank's extensive branch network. As at December 31, 2009, NBG Asset Management's total assets under management were EUR 1.9 billion.

National Securities S.A offers a range of investment services to both individual and institutional customers. In September 2009, National Securities S.A. opened a branch in Nicosia, Cyprus, to provide brokerage services to local private investors.

Turkish Operations

The Bank�� Turkish operations include the Finansbank group of companies and NBG Bank (Malta) Ltd. Finansbank's group of companies includes Finans Invest, Finans Leasing, Finans Portfolio Management, Finans Investment Trust, Finans Factoring, IBTech, Finans Pension, and Finans Consumer Finance. As at December 31, 2009, Finansbank operated through a network of 461 branches in 60 cities.

Finansbank Corporate Banking serves corporations through its eight branches in the four cities in Turkey.! Finansba! nk Commercial Banking serves medium-sized companies located in 23 cities in Turkey through its head office, four regional offices (three in Istanbul and one in Ankara) and a distribution network, which includes 61 branches.

Finansbank Investment Banking consists of project finance, corporate finance and technical consulting. Investment Banking acts as a client relations specialist while providing medium to long-term loans and other products. Finansbank Private Banking has been providing investment products and asset management services to individuals through eight private banking centers and 28 private banking corners located in Finansbank's branches in the cities throughout Turkey.

International

The Bank's international operations include the Bank's branches in Albania, Egypt and Cyprus, as well as banking subsidiaries in six countries: NBG Cyprus; Stopanska Banka A.D. in FYROM; United Bulgarian Bank A.D. in Bulgaria; Banca Romaneasca S.A., in Romania; Vojvodjanska in Serbia; and the South African Bank of Athens, as well as other subsidiaries, primarily in the leasing sector. As at December 31, 2009, the Bank had foreign branches in four countries, including one in the United Kingdom, 30 in Albania, one in Cyprus, 15 in Egypt and one in Guernsey (which closed early in 2010).

Insurance

The Bank provides insurance services to individuals and companies through the wholly owned subsidiary Ethniki Insurance Group (EI) and Finans Pension. EI offers a range of products such as life, accident and health insurance for individuals and groups, fire, catastrophe, credit, motor, marine hull and cargo insurance, and general third party liability. EI operates through a network of 2,850 tied agents and 2,620 independent insurance brokers, in addition to selling bancassurance products through the Bank's network. EI provides bancassurance products through our insurance brokerage subsidiary NBG Bancassurance S.A. (NBGB), which assumes no insurance underwr! iting ris! k, and the Bank's extensive network in Greece.

Top 5 Railroad Stocks To Own Right Now: State Street Corporation(STT)

State Street Corporation, a financial holding company, provides various financial products and services to institutional investors worldwide. The company?s Investment Servicing business line provides products and services, including custody, product- and participant-level accounting; daily pricing and administration; master trust and master custody; record-keeping; foreign exchange, brokerage, and other trading services; securities finance; deposit and short-term investment facilities; loan and lease financing; investment manager and alternative investment manager operations outsourcing; and performance, risk, and compliance analytics. This segment also offers shareholder services, which comprise mutual fund and collective investment fund shareholder accounting. Its Investment Management business line provides a range of investment management, investment research, and other related services, such as securities finance; and strategies for managing passive and active financ ial assets, such as enhanced indexing and hedge fund strategies for U.S. and global equities and fixed-income securities. The company serves mutual funds, collective investment funds and other investment pools, corporate and public retirement plans, insurance companies, foundations, endowments, and investment managers. State Street Corporation was founded in 1832 and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.

Top Bank Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Wells Fargo & Company(WFC)

Wells Fargo & Company, through its subsidiaries, provides retail, commercial, and corporate banking services primarily in the United States. The company operates in three segments: Community Banking; Wholesale Banking; and Wealth, Brokerage, and Retirement. The Community Banking segment offers deposits, including checking, market rate, and individual retirement accounts; savings and time deposits; and debit cards. Its loan products comprise lines of credit, auto floor plans, equity lines and loans, equipment and transportation loans, education loans, residential mortgage loans, health savings accounts, and credit cards. This segment also provides equipment leases, real estate financing, small business administration financing, venture capital financing, cash management, payroll services, retirement plans, loans secured by autos, and merchant payment processing services; purchases sales finance contracts from retail merchants; and a family of funds, and investment managemen t services. The Wholesale Banking segment offers commercial and corporate banking products and services, including commercial loans and lines of credit, letters of credit, asset-based lending, equipment leasing, international trade facilities, trade financing, collection services, foreign exchange services, treasury and investment management, institutional fixed-income sales, commodity and equity risk management, insurance, corporate trust fiduciary and agency services, and investment banking services. This segment also provides banking products for commercial real estate market, and real estate and mortgage brokerage services. The Wealth, Brokerage, and Retirement segment offers financial advisory, brokerage, and institutional retirement and trust services. As of December 31, 2010, the company served its customers through approximately 9,000 banking stores in 39 States and the District of Columbia. Wells Fargo & Company was founded in 1929 and is headquartered in San Franci sco, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Kathy Kristof]
If you're looking for safety in a big-bank stock, your best bet is Wells Fargo (WFC). It's the biggest of those mentioned in this story (market capitalization: $193 billion), it is arguably the best-managed, and it has done best at staying out of trouble. Its stock, now $37.42, is closer to its pre-financial-meltdown high than any other company on this list. As a result, Wells is a bit more expensive than the other big-bank stocks, particularly in relation to future earnings growth, and that's why Oja isn't recommending it. The shares trade at 10 times estimated 2013 earnings of $3.65 per share, and analysts forecast long-term earnings growth of 10% a year. The stock yields 2.7%.
[By Elissa]
Wells Fargo engages in banking, insurance, consumer services, mortgage, and investment activities in the United States and abroad. It acquired Wachovia in 2008 and now runs more than 9,000 stores worldwide.

Top Bank Stocks To Invest In Right Now: EverBank Financial Corp (EVER.N)

EverBank Financial Corp, incorporated in 2004, is an unitary savings and loan holding company. The Company provides a range of financial products and services directly to customers through multiple business channels. Its operating subsidiary is EverBank. As of December 31, 2011, EverBank had $ 10.3 billion deposits. EverBank offers a range of banking, lending and investing products to consumers and businesses. EverBank provides services to customers through Websites, over the phone, through the mail and at 14 Florida-based Financial Centers. The Company operates in two operating business segments: Banking and Wealth Management, and Mortgage Banking. Its Banking and Wealth Management segment includes earnings generated by and activities related to deposit and investment products and services and portfolio lending and leasing activities. Its Mortgage Banking segment consists of activities related to the origination and servicing of residential mortgage loans. In April 201 2, the Company acquired MetLife Bank�� warehouse finance business. In October 2012, it acquired Business Property Lending, Inc.

Asset Origination and Fee Income Businesses

The Company has a range of asset origination and fee income businesses. The Company generates generate fee income from its mortgage banking activities, which consist of originating and servicing one-to-four family residential mortgage loans. It originates prime residential mortgage loans using a centrally controlled underwriting, processing and fulfillment infrastructure through financial intermediaries (including community banks, credit unions, mortgage bankers and brokers), consumer direct channels and financial centers. Its mortgage origination activities include originating, underwriting, closing, warehousing and selling to investors prime conforming and jumbo residential mortgage loans. From its mortgage origination activities, it earns fee-based income on fees charged to b orrowers and other noninterest income from gains on sales ! fr! om mortgage loans and servicing rights. During the year ended December 31, 2011, it originated six billion dollars of residential loans. It generates mortgage servicing business through the retention of servicing from its origination activities, acquisition of bulk mortgage servicing rights (MSR) and related servicing activities.

The Company�� mortgage servicing business includes collecting loan payments, remitting principal and interest payments to investors, managing escrow funds for the payment of mortgage-related expenses, such as taxes and insurance, responding to customer inquiries, counseling delinquent mortgagors, supervising foreclosures and liquidations of foreclosure properties and otherwise administering its mortgage loan servicing portfolio. It earns mortgage servicing fees and other ancillary fee-based income in connection with these activities. It services a portfolio by both product and investor, including agency and private pools of mortgages secured by properties throughout the United States. As of December 31, 2011, its mortgage servicing business, which services mortgage loans for itself and others, managed loan servicing administrative functions for loans with unpaid principal balance (UPB) of $54.8 billion.

The Company originates originate equipment leases nationwide through relationships with approximately 280 equipment vendors with networks of creditworthy borrowers and provide asset-backed loan facilities to other leasing companies. Its equipment leases and loans finance essential-use health care, office product, technology and other equipment. Its commercial financings range from approximately $25,000 to $1.0 million per transaction, with typical lease terms ranging from 36 to 60 months. Its commercial finance activities provide it with access to approximately 25,000 small business customers nationwide, which creates opportunities to cross-sell its deposit, lending and wealth management pro ducts. It focuses to offer warehouse loans, which are s! hort-! te! rm revo! lving facilities, primarily securitized by agency and government collateral. It provides financial advisory, planning, brokerage, trust and other wealth management services to its mass-affluent and high-net-worth customers through its registered broker dealer and recently-formed registered investment advisor subsidiaries.

Interest-Earning Asset Portfolio

As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� interest-earning assets were $11.7 billion. As of December 31, 2011, its loan and lease held for investment portfolio was $6.5 billion. As of December 31, 2011, the carrying values of its interest-earning assets are: residential, government-insured (residential), securities, commercial and commercial real estate, Bank of Florida (covered), lease financing receivables, and other.

Residential includes primarily prime loans originated and retained from its mortgage banking activities, acquired from third parties or held for sale to other investors. government-insured (residential) includes Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA) pool buyouts with government insurance, sourced from its mortgage banking segment and third-party sources. Securities include non-agency residential mortgage-backed securities (MBS) and collateralized mortgage obligation (CMO) purchased at significant discounts. This portfolio includes protection against credit losses from purchase discounts, subordination in the securities structures and borrower equity. Commercial and commercial real estate includes a range of commercial loans, including owner-occupied commercial real estate, commercial investment property and small business commercial loans. As of December 31, 2011, Bank of Florida (Covered) includes commercial, multi-family and commercial real estate loans with $71.3 million of purchase discounts. Lease financing receivables include covered lease financing receivables. As of December 31, 2011, the lease portfolio had $64.7 million of total discounts. Other includes home equity loan! s and lin! ! es of cre! dit, consumer and credit card loans and other investments.

Deposit Generation

As of December 31, 2011, the Company had approximately $10.3 billion in deposits. Its market-based deposit products, consisting of its WorldCurrency, MarketSafe and EverBank Metals Select products, provide investment capabilities for customers seeking portfolio diversification with respect to foreign currencies, commodities and other indices. Its financial portal includes online bill-pay, account aggregation, direct deposit, single sign-on for all customer accounts and other features. Its Website and mobile device applications provide information on its product offerings, financial tools and calculators, newsletters, financial reporting services and other applications for customers to interact with it and manages all of their EverBank accounts on a single integrated platform. Its new mobile applications allow customers using iPhone, iPad, Android and Blackberry devices to view account balances, conduct real time balance transfers between EverBank accounts, administer billpay, review account activity detail and remotely deposit checks.

The Company generates deposit customer relationships through its consumer direct, financial center and financial intermediary distribution channels. Its consumer direct channel includes Internet, e-mail, telephone and mobile device access to product and customer support offerings. Its direct distribution with a network of 14 financial centers in Florida metropolitan areas, include Jacksonville, Naples, Ft. Myers, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Tampa Bay and Clearwater. As of December 31, 2011, its financial centers had average deposits of $130.5 million, which is approximately double the industry average. In addition, it generates noninterest-bearing escrow deposits from its mortgage servicing business.

Top Bank Stocks To Invest In Right Now: BB&T Corp (BBT)

BB&T Corporation (BB&T) is a financial holding company. BB&T conducts its business operations primarily through its commercial bank subsidiary, Branch Banking and Trust Company (Branch Bank), which has offices in North Carolina, Virginia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, South Carolina, Alabama, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas, Washington D.C and Indiana. In addition, BB&T�� operations consist of a federally chartered thrift institution, BB&T Financial, FSB (BB&T FSB), and a number of nonbank subsidiaries, which offer financial services products. BB&T�� operations are divided into six business segments: Community Banking, Residential Mortgage Banking, Dealer Financial Services, Specialized Lending, Insurance Services, and Financial Services. Branch Bank provides a range of banking and trust services for retail and commercial clients in its geographic markets, including small and mid-size businesses, public agencies, local Governments and individuals, through 1,779 offices as of December 31, 2011. During the year ended December 31, 2011, BB&T announced the acquisitions of Liberty Benefit Insurance Services, Atlantic Risk Management Corporation and the Precept Group. In April 2012, it acquired the life and property and casualty insurance operating divisions of Roseland, New Jersey - based Crump Group Inc. On July 31, 2012, it acquired BankAtlantic.

As of December 31, 2011, the principal operating subsidiaries of BB&T included Branch Banking and Trust Company, Winston-Salem, North Carolina; BB&T Financial, FSB, Columbus, Georgia; Scott & Stringfellow, LLC, Richmond, Virginia; Clearview Correspondent Services, LLC, Richmond, Virginia; Regional Acceptance Corporation, Greenville, North Carolina; American Coastal Insurance Company, Davie, Florida, and Sterling Capital Management, LLC, Charlotte, North Carolina. Branch Bank�� principal operating subsidiaries include BB&T Equipment Finance Corporation, BB&T Investment Services, Inc., BB&T Insurance Services, Inc., Stanley, Hunt, DuPree! & Rhine (a division of Branch Bank), Prime Rate Premium Finance Corporation, Inc., Grandbridge Real Estate Capital, LLC, Lendmark Financial Services, Inc., CRC Insurance Services, Inc. and McGriff, Seibels & Williams, Inc.

Community Banking

BB&T�� Community Banking serves individual and business clients by offering a range of loan and deposit products and other financial services. As of December 31, 2011, Community Banking had a network of 1,779 banking.

Residential Mortgage Banking

Residential Mortgage Banking segment retains and services mortgage loans originated by Community Banking, as well as those purchased from various correspondent originators. Mortgage loan products include fixed and adjustable rate Government and conventional loans for the purpose of constructing, purchasing or refinancing residential properties. Substantially all of the properties are owner occupied. BB&T retains the servicing rights to all loans sold. Residential Mortgage Banking earns interest on loans held in the warehouse and portfolio, fee income from the origination and servicing of mortgage loans and recognizes gains or losses from the sale of mortgage loans. BB&T�� mortgage originations totaled $23.7 billion in 2011. BB&T�� residential mortgage servicing portfolio, which includes both retained loans and loans serviced for third parties, totaled $91.6 billion in 2011.

Dealer Financial Services

Dealer Financial Services originates loans to consumers on a prime and nonprime basis for the purchase of automobiles. Such loans are originated on an indirect basis through approved franchised and independent automobile dealers throughout the BB&T market area and nationally through Regional Acceptance Corporation. This segment also originates loans for the purchase of boats and recreational vehicles originated through dealers in BB&T�� market area. In addition, financing and servicing to dealers for their inventories is provided through a ! joint rel! ationship between Dealer Financial Services and Community Banking.

Specialized Lending

BB&T�� Specialized Lending consists of eight business units that provide specialty finance products to consumers and businesses. The internal business units include Commercial Finance that contains commercial finance and mortgage warehouse lending; and, Governmental Finance that is responsible for tax-exempt Government finance. Operating subsidiaries include BB&T Equipment Finance which provides equipment leasing within BB&T�� banking footprint; Sheffield Financial, a division of FSB Financial, a dealer-based financer of equipment for both small businesses and consumers; Lendmark Financial Services, a direct consumer finance lending company; Prime Rate Premium Finance Corporation, which includes AFCO and CAFO, insurance premium finance business units that provide funding to businesses in the United States and Canada and to consumers in certain markets within BB&T�� banking footprint, and Grandbridge Real Estate Capital, a commercial mortgage banking lender providing loans on a national basis.

Insurance Services

BB&T Insurance Services provides property and casualty, life and health insurance to businesses and individuals. It also provides small business and corporate products, such as workers compensation and professional liability, as well as surety coverage and title insurance. In addition, Insurance Services also underwrites a limited amount of property and casualty coverage.

Financial Services

Financial Services provides personal trust administration, estate planning, investment counseling, wealth management, asset management, employee benefits services, corporate banking and corporate trust services to individuals, corporations, institutions, foundations and Government entities. Financial Services also offers clients investment alternatives, including discount brokerage services, equities, fixed-rate and variable-rate annuiti! es, mutua! l funds and governmental and municipal bonds through BB&T Investment Services, Inc., a subsidiary of Branch Bank. Financial Services includes Scott & Stringfellow, LLC, a brokerage and investment banking firm. Scott & Stringfellow provides services in retail brokerage, equity and debt underwriting, investment advice, corporate finance and equity research and facilitates the origination, trading and distribution of fixed-income securities and equity products in both the public and private capital markets. Scott & Stringfellow also has a public finance department that provides investment banking services, financial advisory services and municipal bond financing. Scott & Stringfellow�� investment banking and corporate and public finance areas conduct business as BB&T Capital Markets. This segment includes BB&T Capital Partners that is a group of BB&T-sponsored private equity and mezzanine investment funds that invest in privately owned middle-market operating companies. Financial Services also includes the Corporate Banking Division that originates and services corporate relationships, syndicated lending relationships and client derivatives.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Michael Brush]
BB&T (BBT) has a dividend yield of 2.5%

The regional bank has 1,800 branches in the Southeast and Washington, D.C. Even during the worst of the credit meltdown, BB&T was profitable. The company used its financial clout to attract customers from competitors and purchase the assets of a failed bank in Florida from regulators.

As the economy improves and loan business grows, Wordell believes the bank could see annual earnings as high as $3.50 a share, from $1.21 recently. Wordell expects the bank to raise dividends as earnings and loan quality improves.
[By Louis Navellier]
BB&T (NYSE:BBT) owns the commercial banking subsidiary, Branch Banking and Trust Company, and has posted a gain of 16% since last March. BB&T stock gets an “A” grade for operating margin growth, an “A” grade for earnings growth, a “B” grade for earnings momentum, an “A” grade for the magnitude in which earnings projections have increased over the past months, and a “B” grade for cash flow.
[By Elissa]
BB&T Corporation is a full-range financial company that provides commercial and retail services. Unlike other banks, BB&T is organized by community banks, and each group has a regional president. This enables simple changes that affect clients in a local area.

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Top Income Stocks To Invest In Right Now

What: Shares of Entropic (NASDAQ: ENTR ) got crushed today by as much as 16% after the company reported earnings.

So what: Revenue in the first quarter added up to $74.5 million, which translated into non-GAAP net income of $300,000. That rounds to $0.00 per share, which was in line with consensus forecasts. CEO Patrick Henry acknowledged that 2013 will be a transitional year for the company.

Now what: Entropic continues to make progress with strategic goals like improving margins and scoring design wins at top tier customers. Needham subsequently downgraded Entropic from "buy" to "hold." The analyst cited excess inventory that's taking longer to work through, while rivals are gaining market share. Entropic will likely face numerous headwinds in the near term.

Top Income Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Silvercorp Metals Inc (SVM.TO)

Silvercorp Metals Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and mining of precious and base metal properties in China and Canada. It operates four silver-lead-zinc mines comprising the Ying, TLP, HPG, and LM mines located in the Ying Mining District in the Henan Province of China. The company also holds interests in the XBG silver-gold-lead-zinc mine with a mining permit covering 26.36 square kilometers (km2); and the XHP silver-gold-lead-zinc mine comprising a 14 km2 mining permit located in the Ying Mining District in Henan Province of China. In addition, it engages in operating the BYP gold-lead-zinc project in Hunan Province, and mining at the GC silver-lead-zinc project in Guangdong Province in China. The company was formerly known as SKN Resources Ltd. and changed its name to Silvercorp Metals Inc. in May 2005. Silvercorp Metals Inc. is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Top Income Stocks To Invest In Right Now: BankFinancial Corporation(BFIN)

BankFinancial Corporation operates as the holding company for BankFinancial, F.S.B., which provides commercial, family, and personal banking services in Illinois. It accepts deposit accounts, such as savings accounts, NOW accounts, checking accounts, money market accounts, certificates of deposit, and IRAs and other qualified plan accounts. The company?s loan portfolio consists of investment and business loans, including multi-family, nonresidential real estate, commercial, construction and land loans, and commercial leases, as well as one-to-four family residential mortgage loans comprising home equity loans, lines of credit, and other second mortgage loans. It also provides financial products and services consisting of cash management, funds transfers, bill payment and other online banking transactions, automated teller machines, safe deposit boxes, wealth management, and general insurance agency services. In addition, the company offers investment, financial planning, and other wealth management services; and sells life insurance, fixed annuities, property and casualty insurance, and other insurance products on an agency basis. It provides its products and services through banking offices and an Internet Branch. As of December 31, 2009, it operated 18 full-service banking offices and 3 express branch facilities in Cook, DuPage, Lake, and Will Counties, Illinois. The company was founded in 1924 and is headquartered in Burr Ridge, Illinois.

Top Long Term Companies To Own In Right Now: Centaur Holdings(CAU.L)

Centaur Media plc, through its subsidiaries, engages in the creation and dissemination of business and professional information through publications, exhibitions, conferences, and electronic services in the United Kingdom. Its products include various print and online products, and events. Its print product line primarily includes various weekly titles comprising Marketing Week, Money Marketing, The Lawyer, Design Week, and New Media Age; fortnightlies, such as The Engineer and Recruiter; and monthly magazines, including Creative Review, Employee Benefits, Homebuilding & Renovating, Period Living, and ABC&D, as well as books and directories related to the creative, marketing, and building and home communities. It also operates Web-based community sites, such as mad.co.uk for the marketing, media, advertising, and design community; The Lawyer.com for the legal community; The Engineer Online for the engineering community; Money Marketing Online for the financial community; a nd NMA Online for the new media community. In addition, it produces a range of Web sites for journalists in specialist sectors, principally financial and automotive; provides financial information services; and owns Pro-Talk, a collection of 13 Web sites covering various markets. Further, the company conducts a series of annual exhibitions, conferences, award shows, and summits. Additionally, its other products include Centaur Direct Marketing that provides resource of business data in the United Kingdom; and YouGovCentaur, which offers insights and customized research projects to marketers and researchers. The company also operates fundweb.co.uk, a news service for investment professionals; and Pitch, an online publication, which provides news and views on marketing communications. Centaur Media plc was founded in 1982 and is based in London, the United Kingdom.

Top Income Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Yahoo! Inc.(YHOO)

Yahoo! Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a digital media company that delivers personalized digital content and experiences through various devices worldwide. It offers online properties and services to users; and a range of marketing services to businesses. The company?s communications and communities offerings include Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! Messenger, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, Flickr, and Connected TV, which provide a range of communication and social services to users and small businesses enabling users to organize into groups and share knowledge, common interests, and photos. Its search products comprise Yahoo! Search and Yahoo! Local, available free to users to navigate the Internet and discover content. The company?s marketplaces offerings and services include Yahoo! Shopping, Yahoo! Travel, Yahoo! Real Estate, Yahoo! Autos, and Yahoo! Small Business, which allow users to research specific topics, products, services, or areas of interest by review ing and exchanging information, obtaining contact details, or considering offers from providers of goods, services, or parties with similar interests. Its media offerings comprise Yahoo! Homepage, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Sports, Yahoo! Finance, My Yahoo!, Yahoo! Toolbar, Yahoo! Entertainment & Lifestyles, Yahoo! Contributor Network, and Yahoo! Pulse, which are designed to engage users with online content and services on the Web. The company also offers marketing services, such as display and search advertising, listing-based services, and commerce-based transactions to advertisers. In addition, it provides software and platform offerings for third-party developers, advertisers, and publishers, such as Yahoo! Developer Network, Yahoo! Open Strategy, Yahoo! Application Platform, Yahoo! Updates, Yahoo! Query Language, and Yahoo! Search BOSS. The company has strategic alliances with Nokia and ABC News, Inc. Yahoo! Inc. was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, Californi a.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Jon C. Ogg]
Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO) had a full shareholder recovery under new CEO Marissa Mayer, but now the company has to begin to execute on its strategy. Mayer probably has another three months before Wall St. will demand to see increasingly better results. We only say this because the shares rose by more than one-third from the summer lows to the peak above $20. Mayer has delivered on her promise to monetize the stake in Alibaba in China, and there is hope that more monetization from that may be seen, or from the Yahoo! Japan stake. Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) may represent the biggest opportunity, but it also may represent the largest challenge. Yahoo! looks as though it will be a content destination rather than stepping backwards to become a search and aggregation destination.

Yahoo! trades at $19.40, but it has lost some momentum after closing at $20.08 and peaking at $20.32 for its 52-week high on the first trading day of 2013. The company has a $23 billion market cap, and we would caution that analysts have a consensus price target of only $19.66 after a fresh downgrade by Bernstein on valuation. Yahoo! trades at about 17-times current and forward earnings expectations.

As you might have expected, there is an ETF for that! The First Trust Dow Jones Internet Index (NYSEMKT: FDN) ETF trades at $40.60, but note that it hit a 52-week high, and that the 52-week is now $40.67. We would also note that the volume of almost 2.4 million shares seen this past Monday was basically twice as active as the three busiest trading days of 2012 in this ETF.

Top Income Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Tiong Woon Corp Holding Ltd (T06.SI)

Tiong Woon Corporation Holding Ltd, an investment holding company, engages in the provision of infrastructure services for the oil and gas, petrochemical, power, and construction industries in Asia and internationally. The company engages in selling and hiring out of cranes, including hydraulic cranes, crawler cranes, rough terrain cranes, lorry cranes, and tower cranes; offers logistics planning and management services; and leases heavy haulage equipment comprising prime movers, low-beds, self-propelled modular trailers, trailers, and tow trucks for the transportation of heavy process equipment, which include modules and structures, as well as provides integrated project engineering services, including heavy lifting, heavy haulage in land, and marine and mechanical equipment installation services. It also offers wharfing and stevedoring services; freight forwarding services; ship building and repair, and ship up-slipping/launching services; refurbishment and upgrading of marine vessels and oil rigs; and process and industrial plant engineering services, as well as engages in the construction of offshore jackets, platforms, subsea manifolds, and pipeline tie-in spools; and construction of topsides modules for FPSO and FSO conversion. In addition, it provides mechanical and infrastructure engineering services and structural works; and trades new and used equipment, such as crawler cranes, mobile cranes, tower cranes, and hydraulic boring rigs, as well as provides spare parts and after sales service. As of June 30, 2012, the company operated approximately 376 cranes and 208 pieces of haulage equipment; and 24 vessels comprising 10 tugboats and 14 barges. Tiong Woon Corporation Holding Ltd was founded in 1978 and is based in Singapore.

Top Income Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Sagent Pharmaceuticals Inc.(SGNT)

Sagent Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company, develops, sources, and markets pharmaceutical products, principally injectable-based generic equivalents to branded products in the United States. It offers a range of products across anti-infective, oncolytic, and critical care indications in various presentations, including single-and multi-dose vials, pre-filled ready-to-use syringes, and premix bags. The company?s anti-infective products include Levofloxacin, a fluoroquinolone antibacterial for the treatment of various infections caused by susceptible bacteria in adults of age 18 years or older; and Cefepime, an antibiotic used to treat infections of the urinary tract, and skin and skin structure, as well as moderate to severe pneumonia, intra-abdominal infections, and as empiric therapy for febrile neutropenic patients. Its oncology products comprise Gemcitabine, a nucleoside metabolic inhibitor used for the treatment of ovarian, breast, lung, and panc reatic cancers; and Topotecan, a topoisomerase inhibitor for small cell lung cancer sensitive disease. The company also offers critical care products consisting of Adenosine, an antiarrhythmic used for the treatment of cardiac rhythm disturbances; and Heparin, an anticoagulant used to prevent and treat blood clotting during and after surgery and dialysis. As of December 31, 2011, it marketed 33 generic injectable products; and had a new product pipeline that included 36 products represented by 63 Abbreviated New Drug Applications (ANDAs). The company sells its products to pharmaceutical wholesale companies, which then distribute the products to end-user hospitals, long-term care facilities, alternate care sites, and clinics. The company was formerly known as Sagent Holding Co. and changed its name to Sagent Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in April 2011. Sagent Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Schaumburg, Illinois.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Will Blount International Disappoint Analysts Next Quarter?

There's no foolproof way to know the future for Blount International (NYSE: BLT ) or any other company. However, certain clues may help you see potential stumbles before they happen -- and before your stock craters as a result.

A cloudy crystal ball
In this series, we use accounts receivable and days sales outstanding to judge a company's current health and future prospects. It's an important step in separating the pretenders from the market's best stocks. Alone, AR -- the amount of money owed the company -- and DSO -- the number of days' worth of sales owed to the company -- don't tell you much. However, by considering the trends in AR and DSO, you can sometimes get a window onto the future.

Sometimes, problems with AR or DSO simply indicate a change in the business (like an acquisition), or lax collections. However, AR that grows more quickly than revenue, or ballooning DSO, can, at times, suggest a desperate company that's trying to boost sales by giving its customers overly generous payment terms. Alternately, it can indicate that the company sprinted to book a load of sales at the end of the quarter, like used-car dealers on the 29th of the month. (Sometimes, companies do both.)

Why might an upstanding firm like Blount International do this? For the same reason any other company might: to make the numbers. Investors don't like revenue shortfalls, and employees don't like reporting them to their superiors.

Is Blount International sending any potential warning signs? Take a look at the chart below, which plots revenue growth against AR growth, and DSO:

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Data is current as of last fully reported fiscal quarter. FQ = fiscal quarter.

The standard way to calculate DSO uses average accounts receivable. I prefer to look at end-of-quarter receivables, but I've plotted both above.

Watching the trends
When that red line (AR growth) crosses above the green line (revenue growth), I know I need to consult the filings. Similarly, a spike in the blue bars indicates a trend worth worrying about. Blount International's latest average DSO stands at 54.9 days, and the end-of-quarter figure is 60.1 days. Differences in business models can generate variations in DSO, and business needs can require occasional fluctuations, but all things being equal, I like to see this figure stay steady. So, let's get back to our original question: Based on DSO and sales, does Blount International look like it might miss its numbers in the next quarter or two?

The numbers don't paint a clear picture. For the last fully reported fiscal quarter, Blount International's year-over-year revenue grew 2.8%, and its AR grew 6.3%. That looks ok, but end-of-quarter DSO increased 2.3% over the prior-year quarter. It was up 16.8% versus the prior quarter. That demands a good explanation. Still, I'm no fortuneteller, and these are just numbers. Investors putting their money on the line always need to dig into the filings for the root causes and draw their own conclusions.

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Top Life Sciences Stocks To Buy For 2014

Another week of new all-time highs for the Dow Jones Industrial Average coupled with a good start to earnings season has given optimists little reason to fret. For skeptics like me, that's an opportunity to see whether companies have earned their current valuations.

Keep in mind that some companies�deserve�their current valuations. Life sciences company Life Technologies�jumped to new highs this week following word that Thermo Fisher Scientific�will make a bid for the company, and that other private-equity firms are finalizing their bids.�With Life Technologies having publicly announced a strategic review in January, it seems like a long-awaited buyout could be right around the corner for shareholders.

Still, other companies might deserve a kick in the pants. Here's a look at three companies that could be worth selling.

Top Life Sciences Stocks To Buy For 2014: Ames National Corporation(ATLO)

Ames National Corporation, a multibank holding company, provides commercial banking services primarily within the central Iowa counties of Boone, Marshall, Polk, and Story. The company offers a range of deposit services, including checking accounts, savings accounts, and time deposits of various types ranging from money market accounts to longer-term certificates of deposit. Its loan portfolio comprises short and medium-term commercial and residential real estate loans, agricultural and business operating loans and lines of credit, equipment loans, vehicle loans, personal loans and lines of credit, home improvement loans, and mortgage loans for sale into the secondary market. The company also offers cash management services, merchant credit card processing, safe deposit boxes, wire transfers, direct deposit of payroll and social security checks, and automated teller machine access. In addition, it offers trust, Internet banking, and investment brokerage services. The compa ny was founded in 1903 and is based in Ames, Iowa.

Top Life Sciences Stocks To Buy For 2014: Macro Enterprises Inc (MCR.V)

Macro Enterprises Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides pipeline and facility construction, and maintenance services to the oil and gas companies in northeastern British Columbia and northwestern Alberta. It is involved in the construction, alteration, repair, and installation of pipeline and facility pressure piping and structural steel. The company offers facility and compression construction services, which comprise fabrication, piping modifications, station yard underground piping recoat programs, and meter station maintenance for measurement. It also offers pipeline systems services, including inline inspection support, pipe and pipeline valve replacement, installation of reinforcement sleeves, hot taps, surface and sub-surface looping, pigging crews, and valve services, as well as corrosion anomaly repairs, such as excavation, inspection, sandblasting, and re-coating by hand and spray applications. In addition, the company provides water courses, slope instability remediation, surface and sub-surface drainage installation, general right-of-way repair, and second calls handling services; and pressure testing and pigging services. Further, the company is involved in constructing, installing, maintaining, testing, and repairing pipelines and facilities in the oil and gas industry in western Canada. Macro Enterprises Inc. was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Fort St John, Canada.

Top 5 Freight Companies To Own In Right Now: CTC Media Inc.(CTCM)

CTC Media, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as an independent media company. It operates the CTC, Domashny, and Peretz television networks in Russia. The company also operates Channel 31, a television network in Kazakhstan, as well as a television channel in Moldova offering entertainment programming. In addition, it is involved in in-house production operations that focus on series, sitcoms, and shows. CTC Media, Inc. was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in Moscow, the Russian Federation.

Top Life Sciences Stocks To Buy For 2014: Pershimco Resources Inc. (PRO.V)

Pershimco Resources Inc. engages in the acquisition, exploration, evaluation, development, and operation of mining properties. The company explores for gold and silver ores, and base metals. It holds interests in various mining properties in Canada and South America, including the Cerro Quema project in Panama and the Courville Gold Project in the Val-d'Or Gold Mining Camp in Canada. Pershimco Resources Inc. is headquartered in Rouyn-Noranda, Canada.