Top 5 Supermarket Stocks To Own For 2014

It might not be obvious to the casual observer, but right now, today, Kroger (NYSE: KR  ) stock offers one of the best values available in the supermarket industry. Why?

Three reasons.

Kroger is cheap
When you stack up Kroger stock against a couple of its smaller, faster-growing rivals -- Harris Teeter (NYSE: HTSI  ) and The Fresh Market (NASDAQ: TFM  ) , it's clear that Kroger is the cheapest of the three. Its 12.0 price-to-earnings ratio is barely half the price Harris Teeter stock-shoppers pay, and less than a third of the price of a share of Fresh Market.

Now as I just mentioned, both Harris Teeter and Fresh Market are growing faster than Kroger. Analysts have Kroger pegged for a bit more than 7% annual earnings growth over the next five years, while Harris is expected to grow a bit less than twice as fast, and Fresh Market a bit less than three times as fast. Emphasis on "a bit less" -- as in, the disparities in growth rates aren't big enough to justify the discounts on Kroger stock: about two times versus Harris, and more than three times versus Fresh Market.

Hot Performing Companies To Invest In Right Now: SBM Offshore NV (SBMO)

SBM Offshore NV is the Netherlands-based company engaged in the offshore energy industry. It is a provider of floating production and mooring systems, in production operations and in terminals and services. The Company�� main activity is the design, supply, installation and operation of floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels. The Company�� business is divided into two segments: Lease and Operate, providing leasing and operation of oil and gas production facilities, and Turnkey, providing engineering, supply, overhaul and maintenance of Catenary Anchor Leg Mooring (CALM) buoys, swivels, mooring systems, fluid transfer systems and offloading systems. The Company has four main project execution centers located in the Netherlands, Monaco, the United States and Malaysia, and operates a number of subsidiaries. On September 4, 2013, the Company sold its cryogenic hose system technology to Trelleborg Industrial Solutions, the business area of Trelleborg AB. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tom Stoukas]

  PSA Peugeot Citroen and Anglo American Plc led carmakers and mining companies lower, respectively, on concern demand from China will weaken. St. James�� Place Plc tumbled the most in 4 1/2 years after Lloyds Banking Group Plc sold 77 million shares in the British wealth manager. SBM Offshore NV (SBMO) jumped to the highest price in 13 months after saying its first-quarter revenue increased 35 percent.

Top 5 Supermarket Stocks To Own For 2014: Market Vectors Poland ETF (PLND)

Market Vectors Poland ETF (the Fund) seeks to replicate the price and yield performance of the Market Vectors Poland Index (the Index). The Index is a diversified index consisting of at least 25 companies either headquartered in Poland or deriving at least 50% of their revenues from Poland. It invest in sectors, such as financials, energy, industrials, consumer staples, telecomm services, materials, consumer discretionary, utilities, information technology and healthcare. The Fund�� investment advisor is Van Eck Associates Corporation. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Benjamin Shepherd]

  Market Vectors Poland (NYSE: PLND) is a great exchange traded fund (ETF) play on the continued strength of the Polish economy.
  
  Financial services figure prominently in the ETF�� holdings at 44 percent of assets, but that�� lower than other competing products and largely reflective of the major role the financial sector plays in Poland�� economy. More than 23 percent of assets are allocated to basic materials and energy due to the country�� resource wealth.
  
  The ETF is also relatively cheap with an expense ratio of just 0.61 percent. It also offers the added benefit of a nearly 3.2 percent yield, thanks to the tradition of Polish stocks paying stable dividends.
  
  What�� more, the fund is inexpensive in terms of valuation because it price has been depressed by the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. Both countries have historically been Russian satellites, but Poland was quick to integrate itself with Western Europe after the country�� communist government fell in 1989. As a result, it enjoys the diplomatic cover of the EU and the military protection of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, making it unlikely that Russia will interfere in the country�� politics.
  
  Despite those protections, the fund�� price-to-forward-earnings ratio has fallen from about 19 to just 14 over the past few weeks and shares are now trading at book value. Shares are also trading at just 0.58 times sales, a substantial discount to the fund�� historical valuation largely due to regional concerns.

Top 5 Supermarket Stocks To Own For 2014: Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA)

Commonwealth Bank of Australia (the Bank) is engaged in the provision of a range of banking and financial products and services to retail, small business, corporate and institutional clients. The Bank is a provider of integrated financial services, including retail, business and institutional banking, superannuation, life insurance, general insurance, funds management, broking services and finance company activities. Its operating segments include Retail Banking Services, Business and Private Banking, Institutional Banking and Markets, Wealth Management, New Zealand, Bankwest and Other. Its retail banking services include home loans, consumer finance, retail deposits and distribution. Its business and private banking include corporate financial services, regional and agribusiness banking, local business banking, private bank and equities and margin lending. The Bank and its subsidiaries ceased to be a substantial holder in Ten Network Holdings Limited, as of September 12, 2012. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Yoshiaki Nohara]

  Panasonic Corp., Japan�� largest consumer electronics maker, climbed 6.8 percent after posting profit that beat estimates. STX Offshore & Shipbuilding Co. (067250) jumped 15 percent in Seoul after agreeing to restructure it debt. Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA), the nation�� biggest lender, fell 1.5 percent, pacing losses among the nation�� financial shares on a report the government will impose a new tax on banks.

• [By Michael Ugulini]

  Investors can take away that Craft Brew Alliance (CBA) is experiencing growth in all brands as noted by the company's President of Commercial Operations, Mr. Andy Thomas in an August Earning's Call, "For the first time in CBA's history, CBA's quarterly growth was propelled by growth in all brand families and across all CBA sales divisions. Our overall plus 12% STR growth came from a healthy blend of plus 23% growth for Kona, plus 14% growth for Redhook, and plus 1% growth for Widmer Brothers; all accompanied by the continued expansion of Omission in our international markets."

• [By Jan Schalkwijk]

  M-Pesa, the system that revolutionized mobile payments in Kenya and beyond, is not capital intensive for Safaricom, but the company has to pay 10% of revenues to Vodafone, which runs the system's technology backbone. Safaricom is planning to take this job on itself going forward, which should increase profitability, though there would be some operational risk if they can't deliver the same level of service. M-Pesa has now spawned M-Shwari, which is the same concept but adds mobile banking services such as the provision of credit. This new service is delivered in partnership with the unlisted Commercial Bank of Africa (CBA).

• [By Toshiro Hasegawa]

  Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) fell 1.1 percent to A$73.73. Singapore Telecommunications Ltd. (ST) retreated 1.1 percent to S$3.78 today after posting earnings.

Top 5 Supermarket Stocks To Own For 2014: Redcliffe Resources Ltd (RCF)

Redcliffe Resources Limited, formerly Pacrim Energy Limited, is engaged in gold exploration. The Company own 100% interest in Redcliffe Gold Project. The Redcliffe Gold Project lies northeast of the mining town of Leonora, which is 230 kilometer north of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia. The Project covers approximately 45 kilometers of strike length of the Mertondale Shear Zone (MSZ) along with parallel and associated structures. The Golden Terrace South (GTS) deposit lies within a granted mining lease in the southern portion of the Redcliffe Gold Project. The 727 Prospect is located less than five kilometer south east of Golden Terrace. The Kelly Prospect lies along the Mertondale Shear Zone some three to four kilometer north of Golden Terrace South. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tom Stoukas]

  Teleperformance SA (RCF) climbed 2.9 percent to 35.10 euros. Societe Generale SA raised its recommendation on the French operator of call centers to buy from hold. The brokerage said the shares��recent decline provides a buying opportunity. The stock has fallen 14 percent since its high on July 18.