5 Best Consumer Service Stocks To Own For 2014

Industrial gas maker Praxair (NYSE: PX  ) announced today it is expanding its presence in southern Russia with the acquisition of Volgograd Oxygen Factory, an�industrial gas producer with�some 2,000 customers across the�steel, aerospace, health care, and food and beverage industries, which it says will offer "immediate synergies" with Praxair's newly built�air separation plant in�Volgograd.

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

In addition to its own plant, Praxair acquired Volzhsky Azot in 2012, which included two air separation units and a bulk and packaged gas business located in the Volgograd region. It has also invested in four other major projects in Russia, with combined production capacity greater than 3,500 tons per day of gaseous and liquid oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, and argon.

Noting the benefits derived from the density of operations it is achieving in the region, Praxair Europe President�Todd Skare said: "We expect to derive immediate synergies with Praxair's newly built air separation plant in�Volgograd, as well as the integration of VOF into our existing regional infrastructure. Further, we expect to drive new profitable growth from VOF's large packaged gas presence in the region."

Top 10 Cheapest Companies To Watch In Right Now: RPX Corporation(RPXC)

RPX Corporation provides patent risk management solutions in the United States, Europe, and Asia. It offers a subscription-based patent risk management solution that facilitates exchanges of value between owners and users of patents. The company provides a defensive patent aggregation solution in which it acquires patents or licenses to patents and licenses these patents to clients to protect them from patent infringement assertions. It also allows its clients access to the company?s proprietary patent market intelligence and data. The company?s clients include companies that design, make, or sell technology-based products and services, as well as companies that use technology in their businesses. RPX Corporation was founded in 2008 and is based in San Francisco, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  RPX Corp. (NASDAQ: RPXC) provides patent risk management solutions. This means the company acquires patents for the express purpose of protecting its customers, who pay an annual subscription fee, from patent litigation. RPX was founded in 2008 and has been publicly traded since 2011. In addition to defensive buying, the company advises clients on patent acquisition, provides market research and even litigation insurance. Sales have risen consistently in recent years, up from $33 million in 2009 to $238 million in 2013. The handful of analysts covering RPX see sales growing to more than $292 million by the end of 2015.

• [By Chris Hill]

  In this installment of Investor Beat, our analysts explain why they're watching Tesla Motors (NASDAQ: TSLA  ) and RPX (NASDAQ: RPXC  ) .

• [By Travis Hoium]

  What: Shares of risk management solutions company RPX (NASDAQ: RPXC  ) jumped as much as 10% today after the company reported earnings.

5 Best Consumer Service Stocks To Own For 2014: SeaChange International Inc.(SEAC)

SeaChange International, Inc. provides multi-screen video products and services that facilitate the aggregation, licensing, management, and distribution of video, television programming, and advertising content to cable system operators, telecommunications companies, broadcast television companies, and mobile communications providers worldwide. The company operates in two segments, Software and Media Services. The Software segment offers back-office products, including SeaChange Axiom, an on-demand back office software that allow operators to centralize video distribution systems, as well as video streamers; advertising product solutions, such as video-on-demand, digital video recorders, and over-the-top services; and home gateway product solutions, which include Nucleus, a hybrid gateway software product that provides control over channel changes, VOD/DVR playback, and trick mode set-top box functionalities. This segment also provides professional services, installation, training, project management, product maintenance, technical support, and software development related services. The Media Services segment offers content for video-on-demand and pay-per-view platforms; and marketing, promotional, and production services to cable operators and telecommunications providers. This segment also sources, acquires, packages, and markets video-on-demand services by providing access to content from local and Hollywood studio providers in various formats, including music videos, television programs, and feature length movies. The company sells and markets its products and services through a direct sales organization, independent agents, and distributors. SeaChange International, Inc. was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Acton, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  SeaChange International (NASDAQ: SEAC) is estimated to post a Q2 loss at $0.18 per share on revenue of $26.80 million.

  China Gerui Advanced Materials Group (NASDAQ: CHOP) is expected to report its Q2 earnings.

• [By Seth Jayson]

  When judging a company's prospects, how quickly it turns cash outflows into cash inflows can be just as important as how much profit it's booking in the accounting fantasy world we call "earnings." This is one of the first metrics I check when I'm hunting for the market's best stocks. Today, we'll see how it applies to SeaChange International (Nasdaq: SEAC  ) .

5 Best Consumer Service Stocks To Own For 2014: Penn Virginia Resource Partners LP(PVR)

Penn Virginia Resource Partners, L.P. engages in the management of coal and natural resource properties; and gathering and processing of natural gas in the United States. It operates in two segments, Coal and Natural Resource Management, and Natural Gas Midstream. The Coal and Natural Resource Management segment primarily involves in the management and leasing of coal properties. It also engages in land management activities; and provides coal preparation and loading services. The segment owns approximately 900 million tons of proven coal reserves in northern and central Appalachia, and the Illinois and San Juan Basins. The Natural Gas Midstream segment offers gas processing, gathering, and other related natural gas services. This segment owns and operates natural gas midstream assets located in Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Texas. It owned and operated approximately 4,200 miles of natural gas gathering pipelines and 7 natural gas processing facilities with approximately 420 million cubic feet per day of capacity. This segment also owns a natural gas marketing business, which aggregates third-party volumes and sells those volumes into intrastate pipeline systems and at market hubs accessed by various interstate pipelines. The company was founded in 1882 and is based in Radnor, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul Ausick]

  This deal follows three midstream transactions already this month. Regency Energy Partners LP (NYSE: RGP) will acquire PVR Partners LP (NYSE: PVR) for $5.6 billion, Crestwood Midstream LP (NASDAQ: CMLP) will acquire Arrow Midstream LLC for $750 million, and Buckeye Partners LP (NYSE: BPL) will pay $650 million to Hess Corp. (NYSE: HES) for 20 petroleum products terminals along the East Coast.

• [By Robert Rapier]

  RGP has been a long-term holding in the MLP Growth Portfolio, returning nearly 25 percent in 2013 while paying a dividend yield above 7 percent. The partnership has been on an acquisition spree lately. Less than three months after unveiling a $5.6 billion buyout of Appalachia-focused gatherer PVR Partners (NYSE: PVR), Regency announced that it would spend $1.3 billion on the midstream assets of Eagle Rock Energy Partners (Nasdaq: EROC), one of the MLP sector�� biggest 2013 busts. RGP will also buy Hoover Energy Partners��midstream assets for $290 million.

5 Best Consumer Service Stocks To Own For 2014: Chindex International Inc.(CHDX)

Chindex International, Inc. engages in the provision of healthcare services; and sale of medical equipment, instrumentation, and products. The company operates in two segments, Healthcare Services and Medical Products. The Healthcare Services segment owns and operates the United Family Healthcare network of private hospitals and clinics in the Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou markets. This segment also operates a managed clinic in the city of Wuxi, south of Shanghai. It offers a range of family healthcare services, including 24/7 emergency rooms, intensive care units, and neonatal intensive care units, operating rooms, clinical laboratory, radiology, and blood banking services for men, women, and children. The Medical Products segment markets, distributes, and sells medical capital equipment, instrumentation, and other medical products for use in hospitals in China and Hong Kong. It offers diagnostic color ultrasound imaging devices, robotic surgical systems and instrument ation, mammography and breast biopsy devices, and lasers for cosmetic surgery. This segment sells its products through its direct sales force. The company was founded in 1981 and is based in Bethesda, Maryland.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Leading and Lagging Sectors
  Tuesday morning, the healthcare sector proved to be a source of strength for the market. Healthcare stocks surged 1% in today's trading. Leading the sector was strength from Forest Laboratories (NYSE: FRX) and Chindex International (NASDAQ: CHDX) on acquisition news.

• [By Anna Prior]

  Among the companies with shares expected to actively trade in Monday’s session are Citigroup Inc.(C), JA Solar Holdings(JASO) Co and Chindex International Inc.(CHDX)

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Leading the sector was strength from Forest Laboratories (NYSE: FRX) and Chindex International (NASDAQ: CHDX) on acquisition news. In trading on Tuesday, non-cyclical consumer goods & services shares were relative laggards, down on the day by 0.2%.