Hot Valued Companies To Own In Right Now

The Department of Defense announced three contracts to publicly traded companies on Friday. Two of these awards went to a single company -- the Jacobs Technology subsidiary of Jacobs Engineering (NYSE: JEC  ) -- including:

A $9.7 million cost-plus-fixed-fee and cost-reimbursable contract to provide engineering and technology acquisition support services to the U.S. Air Force on "approximately 400 system/program activities" through Nov. 19, 2013. A separate, $7.5 million cost-plus-fixed-fee and cost-reimbursable contract, to provide engineering and technology acquisition support services to the Air Force on unspecified other projects. This second, smaller award, however, was assigned the same completion data as for the first contract -- Nov. 19.

The third contract awarded Friday went to Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT  ) , and specifically to its Mission Systems and Training division. Valued at $24.1 million, this contract exercises an option to extend work on the Aegis Combat System Engineering Agent for the "next/future Advanced Capability Build," or ACB, through December.�

Hot Valued Companies To Own In Right Now: Tupperware Corporation(TUP)

Tupperware Brands Corporation operates as a direct seller of various products across a range of brands and categories through an independent sales force. The company engages in the manufacture and sale of kitchen and home products, and beauty and personal care products. It offers preparation, storage, and serving solutions for the kitchen and home, as well as kitchen cookware and tools, children?s educational toys, microwave products, and gifts under the Tupperware brand name primarily in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, the Asia Pacific, and North America. The company provides beauty and personal care products, which include skin care products, cosmetics, bath and body care, toiletries, fragrances, nutritional products, apparel, and related products principally in Mexico, South Africa, the Philippines, Australia, and Uruguay. It offers beauty and personal care products under the Armand Dupree, Avroy Shlain, BeautiControl, Fuller, NaturCare, Nutrimetics, Nuvo, and Swissgar de brand names. The company sells its Tupperware products directly to distributors, directors, managers, and dealers; and beauty products primarily through consultants and directors. As of December 26, 2009, the Tupperware distribution system had approximately 1,800 distributors, 61,300 managers, and 1.3 million dealers; and the sales force representing the Beauty businesses approximately 1.1 million. The company was formerly known as Tupperware Corporation and changed its name to Tupperware Brands Corporation in December 2005. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Orlando, Florida.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sam Collins]

  Household name Tupperware Brands Corp. (NYSE:TUP) is a global direct seller of products with multiple brands through an independent sales force of 2.4 million people. Its product line focuses on kitchen storage and serving solutions, as well as personal-care products. Over 60% of sales in 2011 are expected to come from Europe and Asia, and the stock has appeal as an emerging markets story.

  S&P estimates that 2011 earnings will increase to $4.54 versus $3.53 in 2010, and it increased its rating to a “five-star strong buy” with a recently revised 12-month target of $81, up from $73. The 2005 purchase of Sara Lee’s (NYSE:SLE) direct-sales business, which has a high growth rate, should be a long-term benefit. TUP’s annual dividend yield is 1.92%.

  Technically TUP had a pullback following a new high at over $70 and is currently oversold. Buy TUP at the current market price with a trading target of $70, but longer term a much higher target will likely be attained.

Hot Valued Companies To Own In Right Now: Caterpillar Inc.(CAT)

Caterpillar Inc. manufactures and sells construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and diesel-electric locomotives worldwide. It operates through three lines of businesses: Machinery, Engines, and Financial Products. The Machinery business offers construction, mining, and forestry machinery, including track and wheel tractors, track and wheel loaders, pipelayers, motor graders, wheel tractor-scrapers, track and wheel excavators, backhoe loaders, log skidders, log loaders, off-highway trucks, articulated trucks, paving products, skid steer loaders, underground mining equipment, tunnel boring equipment, and related parts. It also manufactures diesel-electric locomotives; and manufactures and services rail-related products and logistics services for other companies. The Engines business provides diesel, heavy fuel, and natural gas reciprocating engines for Caterpillar machinery, electric power generation systems, marine, petrol eum, construction, industrial, agricultural, and other applications. It offers industrial turbines and turbine-related services for oil and gas, and power generation applications. This business also remanufactures Caterpillar engines, machines, and engine components; and offers remanufacturing services for other companies. The Financial Products business provides retail and wholesale financing alternatives for Caterpillar machinery and engines, solar gas turbines, and other equipment and marine vessels, as well as offers loans and various forms of insurance to customers and dealers. It also offers financing for vehicles, power generation facilities, and marine vessels. The company markets its products directly, as well as through its distribution centers, dealers, and distributors. It was formerly known as Caterpillar Tractor Co. and changed its name to Caterpillar Inc. in 1986. Caterpillar Inc. was founded in 1925 and is headquartered in Peoria, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jim Cramer,TheStreet]

  Caterpillar (CAT) could be a monster in 2011, especially with the integration of Bucyrus International (BUCY), which I think will turn out to be a fantastic acquisition.

  Current earnings-per-share estimates of about $6 are, I think, way too low. I see this stock going to $120 in the next year. Too gutsy? Ask yourself what happens if the United States comes back as a growth nation? Right now almost all of the growth is overseas.

  Still a fantastic mineral play and a terrific call on world growth.

Hot Paper Stocks For 2014: Dollar Tree Inc.(DLTR)

Dollar Tree, Inc. operates discount variety stores in the United States and Canada. Its stores offer merchandise primarily at the fixed price of $1.00. The company operates its stores under the names of Dollar Tree, Deal$, Dollar Tree Deal$, Dollar Giant, and Dollar Bills. Its stores offer consumable merchandise, including candy and food, and health and beauty care, as well as household consumables, such as paper, plastics, household chemicals, in select stores, and frozen and refrigerated food; variety merchandise, which includes toys, durable housewares, gifts, party goods, greeting cards, softlines, and other items; and seasonal goods, such as Easter, Halloween, and Christmas merchandise. As of April 30, 2011, it operated 4,089 stores in 48 states and the District of Columbia, as well as 88 stores in Canada. The company was founded in 1986 and is based in Chesapeake, Virginia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sam Collins]

  Dollar Tree (NASDAQ:DLTR) is a leading operator of discount variety stores. The stock has hugged its 50-day moving average since mid-February. But a recent minor revision of earnings for this year by several analysts and the recent market sell-off have resulted in a fall from its high of the year at over $70 to under $66. However, Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) increased its price target to $73 from $69.

  Technically DLTR is oversold, according to MACD. A break below its 50-day moving average could result in a pullback to $64, but positions could be taken at the current market price. The trading target for DLTR is $72.

Hot Valued Companies To Own In Right Now: Schlumberger N.V.(SLB)

Schlumberger Limited, together with its subsidiaries, supplies technology, integrated project management, and information solutions to the oil and gas exploration and production industries worldwide. The company?s Oilfield Services segment provides exploration and production services; wireline technology that offers open-hole and cased-hole services; supplies engineering support, directional-drilling, measurement-while-drilling, and logging-while-drilling services; and testing services. This segment also offers well services; supplies well completion services and equipment; artificial lift; data and consulting services; geo services; and information solutions, such as consulting, software, information management system, and IT infrastructure services that support oil and gas industry. Its WesternGeco segment provides reservoir imaging, monitoring, and development services; and operates data processing centers and multiclient seismic library. This segment also offers variou s services include 3D and time-lapse (4D) seismic surveys to multi-component surveys for delineating prospects and reservoir management. The company?s M-I SWACO segment supplies drilling fluid systems to improve drilling performance; fluid systems and specialty tools to optimize wellbore productivity; production technology solutions to maximize production rates; and environmental solutions that manages waste volumes generated in drilling and production operations. Its Smith Oilfield segment designs, manufactures, and markets drill bits and borehole enlargement tools; and supplies drilling tools and services, tubular, completion services, and other related downhole solutions. The company?s Distribution segment markets pipes, valves, and fittings, as well as mill, safety, and other maintenance products. This segment also provides warehouse management, vendor integration, and inventory management services. Schlumberger Limited was founded in 1927 and is based in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lowell]

  Schlumberger (NYSE:SLB) is a premier supplier of technology and oil-well services and equipment. S&P has upgraded SLB to a “buy,” and Credit Suisse upgraded it to an “outperform” rating because the company exceeded recent earnings forecasts and increased its view of future earnings for 2011. SLB’s fundamental target is $117 and is based on earnings estimates of $3.85 for 2011, $5.40 for 2012, and $6.05 for 2013.

  Technically SLB may become the object of profit-taking following a recent run to over $95. Positions are recommended at around $85 with a target of $115 before December 2011, assuming a breakout through a triple-top at $95.

Hot Beverage Companies To Invest In Right Now

We may have our love affair with beer, wine, and spirits, but none of those beverages can quench our thirst for profits like bottled water does.�Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO  ) �as one of the premier bottled water companies, saw case volumes surge 10% in 2012 for its Dasani brand,�and they were up 6% in the�first quarter�of 2013.

At 3.2% compounded annual growth between 2005 and 2011, bottled water�has surpassed beer's 2.2%�increase in that time frame and is on equal footing with the better-than-3% rise in wine and spirits sales. It's far outpacing the seven consecutive years of carbonated beverage volume declines, too.

Drinking from a firehose
While water may not be enjoying the same double-digit growth rates it enjoyed in the last decade, it is recovering enough to begin building up some heady growth again. After two straight years of declines in 2008 and 2009, bottled water's cup is running over again. Sales grew 2.6% in 2010 and were up 3.2% in 2011, and then they more than doubled to 6.7%�last year. It may not be long before sales achieve double-digit growth once more.

Hot Beverage Companies To Invest In Right Now: Pepsico Inc.(PEP)

PepsiCo, Inc. engages in the manufacture, marketing, and sale of foods, snacks, and carbonated and non-carbonated beverages worldwide. The company operates in four divisions: PepsiCo Americas Foods (PAF); PepsiCo Americas Beverages (PAB); PepsiCo Europe; and PepsiCo Asia, Middle East, and Africa (AMEA). The PAF division offers Lay?s and Ruffles potato chips, Doritos and Tostitos tortilla chips and dips, Cheetos cheese flavored snacks, Fritos corn chips, Quaker Chewy granola bars, and SunChips multigrain snacks in North America; Quaker oatmeal, Aunt Jemima mixes and syrups, Cap?n Crunch cereal, Quaker grits, and Life cereal, as well as Rice-A-Roni, Pasta Roni, and Near East side dishes in North America; and various snack foods under Doritos, Marias Gamesa, Cheetos, Ruffles, Emperador, Saladitas, Sabritas, and Lay?s brands in Latin America. The PAB division provides carbonated soft drinks, beverage concentrates, fountain syrups, and finished goods under Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Gatorade, 7UP, Tropicana Pure Premium, Electropura, Sierra Mist, Epura, and Mirinda brands; ready-to-drink tea, coffee, and water products through joint ventures with Unilever and Starbucks; and sells concentrate to authorized bottlers, and branded finished goods directly to independent distributors and retailers. This division also manufactures third-party brands, such as Dr Pepper, Crush, Rock Star, and Muscle Milk. The PepsiCo Europe division offers Frito Lay Snacks, Pepsi-Cola beverages, Gatorade sports drinks, Tropicana juices, and Quaker foods in Europe. The AMEA division provides snack food under the Lay?s, Kurkure, Chipsy, Doritos, Smith?s, Cheetos, Red Rock Deli, and Ruffles brands; Quaker-brand cereals and snacks; and beverage concentrates, fountain syrups, and finished goods under the Pepsi, Mirinda, 7UP, and Mountain Dew brands. PepsiCo, Inc. was founded in 1898 and is headquartered in Purchase, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By JON C. OGG]

  Pepsico, Inc. (NYSE: PEP) was most recently at $64.67 and the analyst community price target is $76.67.  Investors get a 3.2% dividend here and its shares are down 10% from its 52-week high. The price to book value is 4 and its return on equity is about 28%.  S&P has an “A” rating its local long-term system.  Pepsi is often considered to be more like Coca-Cola, but its snack food business gives it at least some of the same aspects of Kraft.  CEO Indra Nooyi has been performing well and growing its international operations.  We would not expect for Pepsi to break itself up.
  

• [By Steven Goldberg]

  PepsiCo (PEP, $82.51, 2.6%) will likely never catch up with number one Coca-Cola (KO) in the soft drink business, but it is the dominant player globally in salty snacks. Brands include Lay's, Ruffles, Doritos, Cheetos and Tostitos, not to mention Quaker Oatmeal, Rice-a-Roni, Gatorade and Tropicana. The stock trades at a somewhat pricey 17 times estimated year-ahead earnings.

• [By Chuck]

  PepsiCo Inc. is a strong defensive play with steady and stable growth and dividend yield. It provides investors with a place to park low-risk capital.

  The stock has had a tight trading range in the last year. It is extremely liquid and has a liquid options market.

  Let’s buy our exposure while the market is weak overall, but use the market to help average into this one. If you want to invest 3% of your low-risk portfolio, let’s buy 2% at market now.

  For the last third, let’s put in a limit order at 5% below your first fill.

  Pepsi also makes a great covered-call vehicle. The stock is not going to run away from us if we cap our near-term upside, and if it did, we can always repurchase it on weakness.

Hot Beverage Companies To Invest In Right Now: Molson Coors Brewing Company(TAP)

Molson Coors Brewing Company brews, markets, sells, and distributes beer brands. It sells its products in Canada, under the Coors Light, Molson, Rickard's Red, Carling, Pilsner, Keystone Light, Creemore Springs, and Granville Island brands. The company also brews or distributes products under license from third parties, which include Heineken, Amstel Light, Murphy's, Asahi, Asahi Select, Miller Lite, Miller Genuine Draft, Miller Chill, Milwaukee's Best, Milwaukee's Best Dry, and Foster's. In addition, it imports, distributes, and markets the Corona, Coronita, Negra Modelo, and Pacifico brands, through a joint venture agreement with Grupo Modelo. Further, the company sells various brands in the United States, which include Coors Light, Miller Lite, Coors Banquet, Miller Genuine Draft, MGD 64, Miller Chill, Sparks, Miller High Life, Miller High Life Light, Keystone Light, Icehouse, Mickey's, Milwaukee's Best, Milwaukee's Best Light, Old English 800, Blue Moon, Henry Weinhard 's, George Killian's Irish Red, Leinenkugel's, Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Pilsner Urquell, Grolsch, Coors Non-Alcoholic, and Sharp's. Additionally, it sells various brands in the United Kingdom comprising Carling, C2, Coors Light, Worthington's, White Shield, Caffrey's, Kasteel Cru, and Blue Moon, as well as various regional ale brands. The company also sells the Grolsch brands through a joint venture with Royal Grolsch N.V. and the Cobra brands through a joint venture called Cobra Beer Partnership Ltd.; and distributes brands sold under license, including Corona, Coronita, Negra Modelo, Pacfico, Singha, and Magners Draught Cider. In addition, it markets and sells Zima, Si'hai, Coors Gold, and Coors Extra brands to various international markets. The company was formerly known as Adolph Coors Company and changed its name to Molson Coors Brewing Company as a result of its merger with Molson Inc. in February 2005. Molson Coors Brewing Company was founded in 1873 and is headquartere d in Denver, Colorado.

5 Best Income Stocks To Own For 2014: Central European Distribution Corp (CEDCQ)

Central European Distribution Corporation (CEDC), incorporated on September 4, 1997, operates primarily in the alcohol beverage industry. CEDC is a producer of vodka and is Central and Eastern Europe�� integrated spirit beverages business. During the year ended December 31, 2011, as measured by total volume, the Company produced and distributed approximately 33.2 million nine-liter cases . The Company�� business primarily involves the production and sale of its own spirit brands (principally vodka), and the importation on a basis of a range of spirits, wines and beers. Its primary operations are conducted in Poland and Russia. In addition the Company also has operations in Hungary and Ukraine. CEDC has six manufacturing facilities located in Poland and Russia. On February 7, 2011, the Company completed purchasing of the remaining stake of the Whitehall Group.

CEDC is an importer of spirits, wines and beers in Poland, Russia and Hungary. The Company maintains import contracts for a number of internationally recognized brands, including Jim Beam Bourbon, Campari, Jagermeister, Remy Martin Cognac, Corona, Budweiser (Budvar), E&J Gallo wines, Carlo Rossi wines, Sutter Home wines, Metaxa Brandy, Sierra Tequila, Teacher�� Whisky, Cinzano, Old Smuggler, Grant�� Whisky and Concha y Toro wines. In addition to its operations in Poland, Russia, and Hungary the Company has Ukraine and distribution agreements for its vodka brands in a number of key export markets including the United Kingdom, Ukraine, the Baltics and the CIS for Green Mark, Zhuravli, Parliament and Zubrowka, the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, France for Zubrowka and many other Western European countries. In 2011, exports represented 11% of its sales by value.

Poland

In Poland, CEDC is the vodka producers with a brand portfolio that includes Absolwent, Zubrowka, Zubrowka Biala, Bols, Palace and Soplica brands, each of which it produces at its Polish distilleries. It produces and sells vodka! s primarily in three vodka sectors: premium, mainstream, and economy. The Company owns two production sites in Poland: one in Oborniki and one in Bialystok. In the Oborniki distillery, it produces the Bols and Soplica vodka brands, among other spirit brands. In Bialystok it produces Absolwent and Zubrowka. Zubrowka is also exported out of Poland to many markets around the world, including the United States, England, Japan and also France. In addition to the Absolwent and Zubrowka brands, in Bialystok it produces the Zubrowka Biala brand. The Company has rights to import and distribute approximately 70 brands of spirits, wine and beer into Poland. It also provides marketing support to the suppliers. During 2011, the Company sold approximately 10.7 million nine-liter cases of vodka, wine and spirits through its Polish business during 2011 including both its own produced vodka brands as well as its exclusive agency import brands. During 2011, the Company sold approximately 191 thousand nine-liter cases of Zubrowka outside of Poland. During 2011, the Company�� Polish operations accounted for 26.3% of its revenue.

Russia

CEDC produces Green Mark in Russia and the sub-premium vodkas in Russia, Parliament and Zhuravli. During 2011 the Company introduced new brands to the Russian market Talka, Sotka and Silver Blend. The Company also produces Yamskaya, the economy vodka in Russia, and premixed alcohol drinks, or long drinks. The Company also owns Whitehall, which holds the exclusive rights to the import of such leading premium wine and spirit brands as Concha y Toro, Paul Masson, Robert Mondavi, DeKuyper, Jose Cuervo and Label 5. In addition to these import activities, Whitehall has distribution centers in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and Rostov as well as a wine and spirits retail network located in Moscow. During 2011, the Company�� Russian operations accounted for 70.2% of its revenue. During 2011,the Company produced and sold approximately 16.6 million nine-liter cases of vodka th! rough its! Russian business in the main vodka segments in Russia: premium, sub-premium, mainstream, economy and cheap. In addition it produced and sold approximately 2.8 million nine-liter cases of long drinks.

Hungary

The Company sells Royal Vodka in Hungary through its Bols Hungary subsidiary. The imported brands to Hungary include Bols Vodka, Zubrowka, Royal Vodka, Campari, Cinzano, Jaegermeister, Bols Liqueurs, Cointreau, Carolans, Galliano, Irish Mist, Jose Cuervo, Calvados Boulard, Remy Martin, Metaxa, St Remy, Grant��, Glenfiddich, Tullamore Dew and Old Smuggler.

Hot Beverage Companies To Invest In Right Now: Fomento Economico Mexicano SAB de CV (FMX)

Fomento Economico Mexicano, S.A.B. de C.V. (FEMSA), incorporated on May 30, 1936, is a holding company. The Company conducts its operations through principal holding companies, each of which it refers to as a principal sub-holding company. These companies are Coca-Cola FEMSA, S.A.B. de C.V. (Coca-Cola FEMSA), which engages in the production, distribution and marketing of soft drinks, and FEMSA Comercio, S.A. de C.V. (FEMSA Comercio), which operates convenience stores. The Company�� convenience store chain OXXO operated a total of 7,492 stores as of March 31, 2010. Compania Internacional de Bebidas, S.A. de C.V. (CIBSA) owns a 53.7% interest in Coca-Cola FEMSA. On April 30, 2010, FEMSA announced the closing of the transaction, pursuant to which FEMSA agreed to exchange 100% of its beer operations conducted by FEMSA Cerveza for a 20% economic interest in the Heineken Group. In February 2009, Coca-Cola FEMSA acquired with The Coca-Cola Company the Brisa bottled water business in Colombia from Bavaria, a subsidiary of SABMiller. Coca-Cola FEMSA acquired the production assets and the rights to distribute in the territory, and The Coca-Cola Company obtained the Brisa brand.

Coca-Cola FEMSA, S.A.B. de C.V.

Coca-Cola FEMSA is a bottler of Coca-Cola trademark beverages. Coca-Cola FEMSA operates in various territories, including Mexico, a substantial portion of central Mexico (including Mexico City and the states of Michoacan and Guanajuato) and southeast Mexico (including the Gulf region); Central America, including Guatemala (Guatemala City and surrounding areas), Nicaragua (nationwide), Costa Rica (nationwide) and Panama (nationwide); Colombia; Venezuela; Argentina, including Buenos Aires and surrounding areas, and Brazil, including the area of greater Sao Paulo, Campinas, Santos, the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, the state of Minas Gerais and part of the state of Goias.

Coca-Cola FEMSA produces, markets and distributes Coca-Cola trademark beverages, own brands and b! rands licensed from the Company. The Coca-Cola trademark beverages include sparkling beverages (colas and flavored sparkling beverages), water, and still beverages (including juice drinks, ready-to-drink teas and isotonics). Out of the more than 100 brands and line extensions of beverages sold and distributed by Coca-Cola FEMSA, its most important brand, Coca-Cola, together with its line extensions, Coca-Cola light, Coca-Cola Zero and Coca-Cola light caffeine free, accounted for 61.4% of total sales volume during the year ended December 31, 2009. Coca-Cola FEMSA�� next largest brands, Ciel (a water brand from Mexico), Fanta (and its line extensions), Sprite (and its line extensions), ValleFrut and Hit, accounted for 10.5%, 5.8%, 2.6%, 1.5% and 1.3%, respectively, of total sales volume in 2009. Coca-Cola FEMSA uses the term line extensions to refer to the different flavors in which it offers its brands.

Coca-Cola FEMSA produces, markets and distributes Coca-Cola trademark beverages in each of its territories in containers authorized by The Coca-Cola Company, which consist of a variety of returnable and non-returnable presentations in the form of glass bottles, cans and plastic bottles made of polyethylene terephtalate (PET). Coca-Cola FEMSA uses the term presentation to refer to the packaging unit in which it sells its products. Presentation sizes for its Coca-Cola trademark beverages range from a 6.5-ounce personal size to a 3-liter multiple serving size. For all of its products excluding water, Coca-Cola FEMSA considers a multiple serving size as equal toor larger than one liter. In addition, it sells some Coca-Cola trademark beverage syrups in containers designed for soda fountain use, which it refers to as fountain. It also sells bottled water products in bulk sizes, which refers to presentations equal to or larger than five liters, which have a much lower average price per unit case than its other beverage products.

In Mexico, Coca-Cola FEMSA�� product portfolio consis! ts of Coc! a-Cola trademark beverages, and includes Mundet trademark beverages licensed from FEMSA in some Mexican territories. Coca-Cola FEMSA�� product sales in Latincentro consist predominantly of Coca-Cola trademark beverages. Per capita consumption of its sparkling beverages products in Colombia and Central America was 92 and 146 eight-ounce servings, respectively, in 2009. Its product portfolio in Venezuela consists of Coca-Cola trademark beverages. Sparkling beverages per capita consumption of its products in Venezuela was 174 eight-ounce servings during 2009. Coca-Cola FEMSA�� product portfolio in Mercosur consists mainly of Coca-Cola trademark beverages, and the Kaiser beer brand in Brazil, which Coca-Cola FEMSA sells and distributes on behalf of FEMSA Cerveza. Sparkling beverages per capita consumption of its products in Brazil and Argentina was 214 and 359 eight-ounce servings, respectively, in 2009.

The Company competes with Pepsi Beverage Company, Grupo Embotelladores Unidos, S.A.B. de C.V., Grupo Jumex, Groupe Danone, Cadbury Schweppes, Big Cola, Consorcio AGA, S.A. de C.V., Postobon, Florida Ice and Farm Co. S.A., Cerveceria Nacional, S.A., Pepsi-Cola Venezuela, C.A., AmBev and Quilmes Industrial S.A.

FEMSA Comercio, S.A. de C.V.

FEMSA Comercio operates a chain of convenience stores in Mexico, under the trade name OXXO. OXXO stores are concentrated in the northern part of Mexico, but also have a presence in central Mexico and the Gulf coast. FEMSA Comercio is the largest single customer of FEMSA Cerveza and of the Coca-Cola system in Mexico. During 2009, a typical OXXO store carried 1,954 different store keeping units (SKUs) in 31 main product categories.

The Company competes with 7-Eleven, Super Extra, Super City, Circle-K and AM/PM.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jon Markman]

  Renowned trader, journalist and money manager Jon Markman finished one spot ahead of La Monica last year thanks to Hershey‘s (NYSE:HSY) 20% returns. This year, he’s trading in the sweets for emerging market pick Fomento Economico Mexicano (NYSE:FMX), often referred to asFemsa.

  While Markman thinks the U.S. will struggle with austerity in the coming months, he also believes that if we head just a little bit south, we will find one of the greatest potential growth profiles in the world: Mexico, where Femsa is based.

  “Femsa caters to more than 1.7 million retailers and 215 million consumers, and is the No. 1 beverage provider in every region that it operates in. The firm has grown revenues by 16% annually for the last 10 years,” he explains.

  In fact, last year, FMX tallied impressive 44% gains. On the next pullback, he says, it will be time to buy.

Financial Stocks Lead the Dow Higher

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) is rebounding following some positive economic reports that have helped quell investors' fears. As of 1:15 p.m. EDT the Dow is up 91 points, or 0.62%, to 14,773. The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC  ) was up 15 points to 1,587.

There were five U.S. economic releases today.

Report

Period

Current

Previous

Durable-goods orders	May	3.6%	3.6%
FHFA home price index	April	7.4%	7.2%
New-home sales	May	476,000	454,000
Consumer confidence index	June	81.4	74.3
Case-Shiller Home Price Index	April	2.5%	1.4%

The key report here is durable-goods orders, which grew a seasonally adjusted 3.6% in May, slightly below analyst expectations of 3.8%. Excluding the transportation sector, durable-goods orders only rose 0.7%, down from 1.7% growth in April. Rising durable-goods orders are a positive sign for the economy, showing that businesses and consumers are confident enough to invest in goods that are expected to last longer than three years. When consumers and businesses turn pessimistic on the economy, durable-goods orders drop, as they can usually be put off for some time.

The other economic releases all had to do with the gradually strengthening housing market. Last week's comments from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, coupled with a credit crunch in China, set off a wave of selling in the bond markets, pushing up rates across the board. Mortgage rates saw an especially big jump: A month ago buyers could get a 30-year fixed mortgage with a 3.75% interest rate, but the same mortgage now carries a rate of 4.51%. The question is whether the housing market will continue on its upward trend now that mortgage rates have jumped. There's now way to know for sure what will happen, but as members of the Federal Reserve have been emphasizing, the Fed will continue its quantitative easing until the economy does pick up.

While home buyers are not happy about higher rates, one group that's cheering is banks. Today's Dow leader is Bank of America (NYSE: BAC  ) , up 2.5%, while JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM  ) is up 1.9%. Low rates have been both a benefit and a challenge for banks. Historically low rates lead many people to refinance their mortgages, leading to fees for the banks. However, banks' business models depend on their ability to take in deposits at low cost and lend out at higher rates, and that model is difficult when the Fed is working to keep long-term rates low.

In the short term, banks will be hit by rising rates as refinancing activity drops. But over the medium term, they're set to do better as rates rise, increasing the spread between their loan rates and the rate at which they can borrow money.

2 Investment Strategies That Could Destroy Your Returns

Maxims can be the kiss of death in investing. "Always buy low P/E stocks." "Always look for low price-to-book." Holding fast to these supposedly bulletproof investment strategies -- good as they sound -- could cost you, says Fool contributor Tim Beyers in the following video.

The problem is context. A low price-to-earnings multiple is helpful only in those instances where earnings are growing at a faster pace than the low multiple implies. Look at for-profit educator Apollo Group (NASDAQ: APOL  ) , which has suffered a single-digit P/E ratio throughout the past year. Revenue and earnings fell consistently over the same period, and the stock is off 50%.

Low price-to-book stocks suffer from a similar problem. Who cares if the stock sells for a discount to its assets if the company can't earn a good return on said assets? United States Cellular (NYSE: USM  ) has seen its returns on assets and equity decline steadily since 2011. Thus, despite a history of trading near or below book value, the stock is down 22% since the beginning of last year.

Investment strategies are just that: strategies. Recognize that every company is different. Analyze the underlying strengths and weaknesses before you buy. Because the more you understand about what drives a business to grow, the more likely it is you'll pay a fair price to own a piece of it, Tim says.

Do you agree? Please watch the video to get Tim's full take, and then leave a comment to let us know which investment strategies have worked best for you.

Here it is -- the best stock to buy right now
The Motley Fool's chief investment officer has selected his No. 1 stock for this year. Find out more in the special free report: "The Motley Fool's Top Stock for 2013." Just click here to access the report and find out the name of this under-the-radar company.

Why Joy Global Is Ready to Rebound

Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, mining equipment maker Joy Global (NYSE: JOY  ) has earned a respected four-star ranking.

With that in mind, let's take a closer look at Joy Global and see what CAPS investors are saying about the stock right now.

Joy Global facts

Headquarters (founded)	Milwaukee, Wis. (1884)
Market Cap	$5.6 billion
Industry	Farm and construction machinery
Trailing-12-Month Revenue	$5.5 billion
Management	CEO Michael Sutherlin (since 2006) CFO James Sullivan (since 2012)
Return on Equity (average, past 3 years)	34.2%
Cash/Debt	$234.9 million / $1.4 billion
Dividend Yield	1.3%
Competitors	Caterpillar  Ingersoll-Rand

Sources: S&P Capital IQ and Motley Fool CAPS.

On CAPS, 98% of the 1,655 members who have rated Joy Global believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward.   

Just last week, one of those Fools, Googlespooch, tapped Joy Global as a particularly attractive turnaround play:

As China begins to improve and stabilize, it will continue to be its coal-happy self and consume increasing amounts of coal. Even better, Joy has a better grip on China than Caterpillar and is working to improve that position through acquisitions over the last couple of years. In addition to China, India also has a penchant for coal in order to fuel its operations. Besides all of that, natural gas prices are beginning to increase. With natural gas prices increasing, utility and energy-producing companies will be less inclined to make full switches to natural gas and will likely continue to utilize coal in their operations. Hopefully, all of this will help to drive sales of Joy's heavy mining equipment. Although the company may suffer some in upcoming quarters, I believe that, long-term, the company may have something going for them.

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CBS Stock Depends on Its No. 1 Network's Success

CBS (NYSE: CBS  ) has done an impressive job of making its television network the No. 1-rated network, vaulting over its peers. As a result, CBS stock vaulted to all-time highs last month in what has been an impressive recovery since 2009's stock market lows, with the stock having given investors 15-bagger performance since then.

CBS's prime-time ratings took a hit in the most recent week from the NBA Finals on Disney's ABC, but 38 weeks into the 2012-2013 Nielsen season, CBS leads its rival U.S. broadcast networks by a substantial margin, with ratings of 7.1 and a 12 share comparing favorably to ABC's 5.0 and eight, respectively, and even lower results for Comcast's NBC and News Corp.'s Fox. Let's take a closer look at how CBS has achieved this success, and what investors can expect from the stock going forward.

What's under the CBS umbrella?
CBS is best-known for its namesake U.S. broadcast network, but it has plenty of other businesses that it runs. The company also owns the CW Network as well as premium cable giant Showtime, in addition to having its own television production studios and an extensive sports presence that includes its own nascent sports network. An immense radio network diversifies CBS's media presence, and the company's Simon and Schuster publishing company adds books and other publications to the mix. Surprisingly, CBS also owns the third-largest billboard and outdoor-advertising business in the world.

Lately, CBS has taken steps to refocus on its broadcast units. Earlier this year, CBS stock soared on news that CBS would spin off its billboard and outdoor advertising business, using the tax-favored real-estate investment trust structure to benefit shareholders. It also bought a 50% stake in the TV Guide Network in March, teaming up with Lionsgate to bolster its basic-cable offerings and obtain a new vehicle for CBS's various content brands.

The costly world of television
Yet, the big challenge that CBS and its peers continue to face is the rising cost of content. Working with Time Warner's Turner Broadcasting, CBS locked in a 14-year deal with the NCAA to broadcast the lucrative men's national basketball tournament, better known as March Madness, that will cost the companies $10.8 billion. With NBC, Fox, and ESPN, as well as other networks and broadcast outlets facing many of the same challenges with high-cost content, including the NFL and other popular sports leagues, the whole industry has recognized how important it is to offer viewers what they want to watch.

CBS is doing its best not to pick favorites in the streaming world, arguing that it still has a strong relationship with Amazon rival Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX  ) . But with Netflix having recently lost 1,800 movies and television shows at the beginning of May as a result of expiring licensing deals, the streaming giant is sensitive to moves like CBS's that give its competitors any edge whatsoever, especially with desirable content.

Still, new media threaten CBS's areas of traditional dominance. In news, for instance, the perception among younger viewers is that big-network news is slow and obsolete, with more people getting immediate news through social media and online sources. Alternatives to regular weekly viewing have also forced CBS to react in order to protect its traditional advertising revenue, while satellite and streaming radio has posed new competition for its radio network.

Where the growth is
Despite all these challenges, CBS has thus far managed to produce strong earnings growth. With earnings expected to rise almost 20% this year, and another 12% in 2014, the company is clearly making the most of its opportunities, and taking steps to control costs and other threats to its profitability.

CBS EPS Diluted TTM data by YCharts.

As long as the company can successfully defend its traditional turf and find new growth opportunities, CBS stock has further room to run higher. With CBS's content potentially being its most valuable asset, investors should continue to see the positive impact of the network's efforts on CBS stock well into the future.

CBS has benefited from the value of its content, but Netflix's opportunities in streaming media have proved incredibly valuable, as well. Can Netflix fend off burgeoning competition, and will its international growth aspirations really pay off? These are must-know issues for investors, which is why The Motley Fool has released a premium report on Netflix. Inside, you'll learn about the key opportunities and risks facing the company, as well as reasons to buy or sell the stock. The report includes a full year of updates to cover critical new developments, so make sure to click here and claim a copy today.

Click here to add CBS to My Watchlist, which can find all of our Foolish analysis on it and all your other stocks.

How the Baby Boomers Destroyed America's Future

Pity the baby boomers. No generation seems more widely despised, even among its own members. A quick Google search shows just how common this is -- the search string "baby boomers are" will be auto-completed with "selfish," "evil," and "the problem." Shortening the string to just "boomers are" adds "the worst generation" to your results. Ouch. How did a generation raised on peace and love in the age of Woodstock come to symbolize everything that's wretched and wrong with the world today?

Maybe it has something to do with these trends.

Income inequality has exploded
Baby boomers were part of a generational bulge born immediately after the end of World War II. The leading edge of that bulge began coming of age during the late 1960s, which means boomer power began to rise toward its peak around the time Ronald Reagan became president. The growth of boomer economic and political power that began during the 1980s also happens to coincide with the beginning of a long-running trend toward greater income inequality:

Source: 2012 Economic Report of the President, whitehouse.gov .

To really drive the point home, let's look at how the top 1% has fared during the era of peak boomer power:

Source: 2012 Economic Report of the President, whitehouse.gov .

As a result of this widening imbalance, fewer households are earning something close to a median income. The shift in income brackets has pushed more people to the upper and lower bounds of American earners:

Source: 2012 Economic Report of the President, whitehouse.gov.

Partly because of this "hollowing out" of the middle class, the median income has been stagnating for more than a decade, which happens to be the period when you might expect the post-boomer Generation X to begin coming into its own peak earning period. When adjusting for inflation, median incomes appear to have returned to levels last reached during the dot-com era, when the boomer generation had its greatest number of peak earners:

Source: 2012 Economic Report of the President, whitehouse.gov.

This isn't to say that the entire country is doing worse. In fact, boomer-led households made it through the recession relatively unscathed, and a big reason median incomes have stagnated has to do with the incomes of the peak-earning age bracket. In 1999, that happened to be the leading edge of the boomer generation, who were born between 1946 and 1955. Today, the same age bracket, now made up of the second half of the baby boom, is earning 17% less at the median, in real terms, than the first-wave boomers did in 1999. No wonder even the boomers can't seem to stand their own generation:

Source: Doug Short, Advisor Perspectives. 

When adjusted for inflation, the median net worth of households led by people aged 45 to 54 was 10% lower in 2009 than it was in 1984, according to the Pew Research Center. Those led by individuals aged 55 to 64 -- currently the leading edge of the boomer generation -- was 10% higher in 2009. On the other hand, households led by people between ages of 35 and 44, which today is the primary age range of Generation X, had 44% less median net worth in 2009 than the first-wave boomers did in 1984. Those younger than 35 had two-thirds less net worth in 2009 than the same age group did in 1984, which means that boomers generally had almost three times as much real wealth (and potentially much more than that, in the case of older boomers) during Reagan's first term in office as their children did at the start of President Obama's first term.

Taking more and leaving less
Those graphs help explain why many people feel resentful toward the boomers, but they don't really offer a compelling reason why the boomers should be so widely reviled. It's not as if there's a wave of workers turning around and knocking down the pay rate of its successors. However, boomers hold plenty of influence in the area of public policy. If you want to understand the national debt, a good place to start would be the 1980s, when boomers started to come into their own:

Source: St. Louis Federal Reserve .

America's debt-to-GDP ratio was actually declining through the 1960s and 1970s, before the Reagan Revolution brought a new attitude to power. This isn't to say that a national debt is inherently evil. Much depends on where that money goes. Debt-to-GDP was higher during World War II -- but all that spending did help win the war, and it also helped build a massive manufacturing infrastructure. In the early postwar years, much government spending went toward "investments," which the think tank Third Way defines as spending on things like "building roads, teaching kids, and curing disease." However, surging demands from entitlement programs have flipped the script, and the United States now spends more than $1 trillion more per year on entitlements than it does on public investments. In 10 years, as more boomers retire and begin to draw on Social Security and Medicare, that gap will grow 150% larger.

Source: Jessica Perez, Gabe Horwitz, and David Kendall, Third Way .

Generation X has another two decades to go before it can start drawing on Social Security. Millennials won't start getting payments until around 2050. Since the Social Security trust fund is only projected to cover full benefits until the early 2030s, It shouldn't be surprising that the younger generations wonder if Social Security will even be around when they retire.

"Dang kids, get a job!"
If you're not familiar with "Old Economy Steve," you might want to take a look. It's probably the one meme that best captures everyone's frustration with the baby boomers, particularly how oblivious they are to the economic realities of the day. One of Old Economy Steve's common refrains is "You need to go to college so you can get a good job," usually paired with the ease of paying back the costs of a degree. However, college degrees haven't actually translated to greater earnings since millennials started graduating.

Source: 2012 Economic Report of the President, whitehouse.gov .

College costs, however, have doubled since the turn of the century and have grown 600% since the boomer wave left college:

Source: Doug Short, Advisor Perspectives. 

The steady growth in medical costs is also interesting, particularly as boomers begin to retire and draw on Medicare. Everyone else remaining in the workforce has had to deal with higher health costs even as their employers (if they have one) steadily eliminate health insurance benefits:

Source: 2012 Economic Report of the President, whitehouse.gov .

But wait! We have Obamacare now, right? Obamacare is great news for uninsured boomers, but it's kind of a mixed bag for their children. Josh Barro recently wrote that Obamacare "is designed to be a fiscal transfer from the young to the old, the healthy to the sick, and the rich to the poor." Young men will be hit hardest, as their premiums may increase by more than 50%. In California, where Obamacare was implemented earliest, the average premium for the currently uninsured will be $200 to $300. That might not seem like much, except for the fact that the real median income for younger workers has been in decline for more than a decade.

Old Economy Steve also likes to point out how much higher the minimum wage is for today's kids. Well, the minimum wage was at or near inflation-adjusted all-time highs throughout our hypothetical boomer's childhood:

Source: Brett Wilkins via Moral Low Ground.

Even though the minimum wage wasn't quite $2 an hour in 1970, Old Economy Steve could have paid for his college tuition by working about 14 hours a week for minimum wage while at school, since the average annual tuition back then was about $1,200. Today, it takes more than twice as much work at minimum wage for the same result.

Let's not forget Old Economy Steve's old-economy investments, either. A young boomer in 1990 (in the 25-35 age bracket) could buy a new house with about four years of the median household wage for his age group. It's roughly the same for today's young millennials, except that the average young college grad (and you almost need to be a college grad now to get a job that pays well enough to buy a house) leaves academia saddled with more than $35,000 in debt -- about 70% of the 25-35 age bracket's annual income, which has not changed in real terms since 1990 -- compared with average college debts of about a tenth the annual household wage in 1990. Few boomers would have even racked up that much, as the last year of boomer babies would have turned 21 in the mid-'80s. And, of course, boomers also enjoyed the longest sustained stock market rally in history:

^DJI data by YCharts

In nominal terms, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) grew by 14% per year from the start of 1980, when the first boomers hit their peak earning and investing years, to the start of 2000. Even if you adjust for inflation, boomer investors who followed only the simplest indexing strategy earned nearly 10% a year after inflation for two straight decades. How have the next generations done?

^DJI data by YCharts

Not quite so well -- the next 13 years produced nominal returns of just 1.3% per year for index investors, and negative real returns when adjusted for inflation. It hasn't been anywhere near as easy for children of the baby boomers to build a nest egg as it was for the boomers themselves.

What do you make of this? Are these charts just trying to blame boomers for trends largely out of their control, or does there appear to be something to the complaints that boomers have taken everything and left nothing for the next generation?

What macro trend was Warren Buffett referring to when he said "this is the tapeworm that's eating at American competitiveness"? Find out in our free report: "What's Really Eating at America's Competitiveness." You'll also discover an idea to profit as companies work to eradicate this efficiency-sucking tapeworm. Just click here for free, immediate access.

Is Ford Still an American Company?

On one level, it's a silly question: Of course Ford (NYSE: F  ) is an American company. With headquarters in Michigan and over a century of building and selling cars here, the Ford brand and Ford's vehicles are an everyday part of American life.

But at the same time, Ford is making its most ambitious overseas expansion effort ever – and soon, non-American markets will be more important to Ford than ever before. In this video, Fool.com contributor John Rosevear looks at Ford's ambitious global plans – and at why anyone investing in Ford needs to be looking far beyond America's shores.

China is already the world's largest auto market – and it's set to grow even bigger in coming years. A recent Motley Fool report, "2 Automakers to Buy for a Surging Chinese Market", names two global giants poised to reap big gains that could drive big rewards for investors. You can read this report right now for free – just click here for instant access.

Best Oil Stocks For 2014

Consolidated Edison (NYSE: ED  ) announced today that its New York subsidiary plans to spend around $100 million to extend its natural gas offerings to new Manhattan and Bronx neighborhoods, ensuring Con Ed's compliance with environmental regulations while cutting costs for itself and its customers.

Source: coned.com�

"Our customers are discovering the economic and environmental benefits of switching from heavy fuel oils to natural gas, and we want to do everything we can to make the conversion process easy for them," said Director of the Gas Conversion Group Nick Inga in a statement. "Building owners who make this choice will lower their energy bills and contribute to making New York City cleaner, safer, and economically vibrant."

Best Oil Stocks For 2014: Talisman Energy Inc.(TLM)

Talisman Energy Inc., an upstream oil and gas company, engages in the exploration, development, production, transportation, and marketing of crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids. It primarily operates in North America, the North Sea, and southeast Asia. The company was founded in 1925 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

Best Oil Stocks For 2014: Whiting Petroleum Corporation(WLL)

Whiting Petroleum Corporation engages in the acquisition, development, exploitation, exploration, and production of oil and gas primarily in the Permian Basin, Rocky Mountains, Mid-Continent, Gulf Coast, and Michigan regions of the United States. As of December 31, 2010, its estimated proved reserves were 304.9 million barrels equivalent of oil; and had interests in 9,698 gross productive wells covering approximately 1,115,000 gross developed acres. The company sells its oil and gas to end users, marketers, and other purchasers. Whiting Petroleum Corporation was founded in 1983 and is Denver, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Gordon Wilcox]

  Whiting Petroleum (NYSE: WLL) Two months ago, takeover rumors surrounding Whiting swirled after it was reported the company hired Bank of America to explore a possible sale. Those rumors gained steam again last week and it is easy to see why.

  Not only does Whiting control over 700,000 Bakken Shale acres, making it the second-largest producer there, it is attractively valued. The shares currently trade for more than 35 percent below the average analyst price target and well below the five-year average price-to-earnings ratio.

  Adding to the takeover case are the facts that the bulk of Whiting’s reserves are oil, not gas, and that the company has increased production guidance multiple times this year.

Top 5 Transportation Stocks To Buy For 2014: Archer Ltd (ARCHER.OL)

Archer Ltd, formerly Seawell Limited is a Bermuda-based global oilfield service company. The Company provides drilling services, such as platform drilling, land drilling, modular rings, directional drilling, drill bits, tubular services, drilling and completion fluids, cementing tools, plugs and packers, underbalanced services, rentals and engineering. It specialises also in well services, such as wireline intervention, specialist intervention, frac valves, wireline logging, integrity diagnostics, imaging, production monitoring, coiled tubing, completion services and fishing. As of January 3, 2012, the Company's organizational structure centered on four geographic and strategic areas: North America (NAM), North Sea (NRS), Latin America (LAM) and Emerging Markets & Technologies (EMT). As of December 31, 2010, it was active through a number of subsidiaries, namely Seawell, Allis-Chalmers Energy, Gray Wireline, Rig Inspection Services and TecWel, among others.

Best Oil Stocks For 2014: ONEOK Partners L.P.(OKS)

ONEOK Partners, L.P. engages in the gathering, processing, storage, and transportation of natural gas in the United States. The company?s Natural Gas Gathering and Processing segment gathers and processes natural gas produced from crude oil and natural gas wells located in the Mid-Continent region; and gathers natural gas in the Williston Basin, which spans portions of Montana and North Dakota, and the Powder River Basin of Wyoming. Its Natural Gas Pipelines segment primarily owns and operates regulated natural gas transmission pipelines, natural gas storage facilities, and natural gas gathering systems for non-processed gas. It also provides interstate natural gas transportation and storage services. This segment?s interstate natural gas pipeline assets transport natural gas through FERC-regulated interstate natural gas pipelines in North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico. In addition, it transports intra state natural gas through its assets in Oklahoma; and owns underground natural gas storage facilities in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas. Its Natural Gas Liquids segment gathers, fractionates, and treats natural gas liquids (NGLs), as well as stores NGL products primarily in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas. This segment owns FERC-regulated natural gas liquids gathering and distribution pipelines in Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Wyoming, and Colorado; terminal and storage facilities in Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, and Illinois; and FERC-regulated natural gas liquids distribution and refined petroleum products pipelines in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana that connect its Mid-Continent assets with Midwest markets, including Chicago, Illinois. ONEOK Partners GP serves as the general partner of the company. The company was formerly known as Northern Border Partners, L.P. and changed its name to ONEOK Partners, L.P. in May 2006. The company was founded in 1993 and is based in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Louis Navellier]

  Oneok Partners (NYSE:OKS) is known for gathering, processing, storage and transportation of natural gas in the U.S. OKS has posted more modest gains than others on this list but still is up 10% year to date.

Best Oil Stocks For 2014: Phillips 66 (PSX)

Phillips 66 is a holding company. The Company is engaged in producing natural gas liquids (NGL) and petrochemicals. The Company operates in three segments: the Refining and Marketing (R&M) segment, the Midstream segment and the Chemicals segment. The Refining and Marketing (R&M) segment purchases, refines, markets and transports crude oil and petroleum products, mainly in the United States, Europe and Asia, and also engages in power generation activities. The Midstream segment gathers, processes, transports and markets natural gas, and fractionates and markets NGL, predominantly in the United States. The Chemicals segment manufactures and markets petrochemicals and plastics on a worldwide basis. The Company�� operations encompass 15 refineries with a gross crude oil capacity of 2.8 million barrels per day, 10,000 branded marketing outlets and 7.2 billion cubic feet per day of gross natural gas processing capacity.

R&M

The Company�� R&M segment primarily refines crude oil and other feedstocks into petroleum products (such as gasolines, distillates and aviation fuels); buys, sells and transports crude oil; and buys, transports, distributes and markets petroleum products. This segment also engages in power generation activities. R&M has operations in the United States, Europe and Asia.

The Company�� Bayway Refinery is located on the New York Harbor in Linden, New Jersey. The refinery produces a high percentage of transportation fuels, such as gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, as well as petrochemical feedstocks, residual fuel oil and home heating oil. Its Trainer Refinery is located on the Delaware River in Trainer, Pennsylvania. Refinery facilities include fluid catalytic cracking units, hydrodesulfurization units, a reformer and a hydrocracker. The Alliance Refinery is located on the Mississippi River in Belle Chasse, Louisiana. The single-train facility includes fluid catalytic cracking units, hydrodesulfurization units and a reformer and aromatics unit. Alli! ance produces a percentage of transportation fuels, such as gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. Other products include petrochemical feedstocks, home heating oil and anode petroleum coke.

The Lake Charles Refinery is located in Westlake, Louisiana. Its facilities include crude distillation, fluid catalytic cracker, hydrocracker, delayed coker and hydrodesulfurization units. The refinery produces a percentage of transportation fuels, such as gasoline, off-road diesel and jet fuel, along with home heating oil. It owns a 50% interest in Excel Paralubes, a joint venture which owns a hydrocracked lubricant base oil manufacturing plant located adjacent to the Lake Charles Refinery. The Sweeny Refinery is located in Old Ocean, Texas, approximately 65 miles southwest of Houston. Refinery facilities include fluid catalytic cracking, delayed coking, alkylation, a continuous regeneration reformer and hydrodesulfurization units. It produces a percentage of transportation fuels, such as gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. Other products include petrochemical feedstocks, home heating oil and coke.

The Company�� Merey Sweeny, L.P. (MSLP) owns a delayed coker and related facilities at the Sweeny Refinery. Fuel-grade petroleum coke is produced as a by-product and becomes the property of MSLP. The Company owns 50% operating interest in Sweeny Cogeneration, a joint venture, which owns a simple cycle, cogeneration power plant located adjacent to the Sweeny Refinery. The plant generates electricity and provides process steam to the refinery, and it also provides merchant power into the Texas market.

The Company�� Wood River Refinery is located in Roxana, Illinois, about 15 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri, at the convergence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. Operations include three distilling units, two fluid catalytic cracking units, hydrocracking, coking, reforming, hydrotreating and sulfur recovery. The refinery produces a percentage of transportation fuels, such as gasoline,! diesel a! nd jet fuel. Other products include petrochemical feedstocks, asphalt and coke. Its Borger Refinery is located in Borger, Texas, in the Texas Panhandle, approximately 50 miles north of Amarillo. The refinery facilities consist of coking, fluid catalytic cracking, hydrodesulfurization and naphtha reforming, in addition to a 45,000-barrels-per-day NGL fractionation facility. It produces a percentage of transportation fuels, such as gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, as well as coke, NGL and solvents.

The Ponca City Refinery is located in Ponca City, Oklahoma. It is a high-conversion facility, which includes fluid catalytic cracking, delayed coking and hydrodesulfurization units. It produces a range of products, including gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and anode-grade petroleum coke. The Billings Refinery is located in Billings, Montana. Its facilities include fluid catalytic cracking and hydrodesulfurization units. The Ferndale Refinery is located on Puget Sound in Ferndale, Washington, approximately 20 miles south of the United States-Canada border. Facilities include a fluid catalytic cracker, an alkylation unit, a diesel hydrotreater and an S-Zorb unit. The Los Angeles Refinery consists of two linked facilities located about five miles apart in Carson and Wilmington, California. The San Francisco Refinery consists of two facilities linked by a 200-mile pipeline. The Santa Maria facility is located in Arroyo Grande, California, about 200 miles south of San Francisco.

As of December 31, 2011, the Company marketed gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel through approximately 8,250 marketer-owned or -supplied outlets in 49 states. At December 31, 2011, its wholesale operations utilized a network of marketers operating approximately 6,875 outlets that provided refined product offtake from its refineries. In addition to automotive gasoline and diesel, it produces and markets aviation gasoline, which is used by smaller piston engine aircrafts. As December 31, 2011,! aviation! gasoline and jet fuel were sold through dealers and independent marketers at approximately 875 Phillips 66-branded locations in the United States.

The Company manufactures and sells automotive, commercial and industrial lubricants, which are marketed worldwide under the Phillips 66, Conoco, 76 and Kendall brands, as well as other private label brands. It also manufactures Group II and import Group III base oils and market both globally under the respective brand names Pure Performance and Ultra-S. It manufactures and markets graphite and anode-grade petroleum cokes in the United States and Europe for use in the global steel and aluminum industries. It also manufacture and market polypropylene to North America under the COPYLENE brand name. Its ThruPlus Delayed Coker Technology, a process for upgrading heavy oil into higher value, light hydrocarbon liquids, was sold in June 2011. In October 2011, it sold Seaway Products Pipeline Company to DCP Midstream. In December 2011, the Company sold its 16.55% interest in Colonial Pipeline Company and its 50% interest in Seaway Crude Pipeline Company. The Company manufactures and sells a variety of specialty products, including pipeline flow improvers and anode material for high-power lithium-ion batteries. Its specialty products are marketed under the LiquidPower and CPreme brand names.

The Company owns four refineries outside the United States: the Humber Refinery, Whitegate Refinery, Melaka Refinery and Wilhelmshaven Refinery. The Humber Refinery is located on the east coast of England in North Lincolnshire, United Kingdom. It is an integrated refinery, which produces a high percentage of transportation fuels, such as gasoline and diesel. Humber�� facilities encompass fluid catalytic cracking, thermal cracking and coking. The refinery has two coking units with associated calcining plants, which upgrade the heaviest part of the crude barrel and imported feedstocks into light oil products and graphite and anode petroleum cokes.

!

Th! e Whitegate Refinery is located in Cork, Ireland. The refinery primarily produces transportation fuels, such as gasoline, diesel and fuel oil, which are distributed to the inland market, as well as being exported to Europe and the United States. It also operate a crude oil and products storage complex consisting of 7.5 million barrels of storage capacity and an offshore mooring buoy, located in Bantry Bay, about 80 miles southwest of the refinery in southern Cork County.

The Mineraloelraffinerie Oberrhein GmbH (MiRO) Refinery, located on the Rhine River in Karlsruhe in southwest Germany, is a joint venture in which it owns an 18.75% interest. Facilities include three crude unit trains, fluid catalytic cracking, petroleum coking and calcining, hydrodesulfurization units, reformers, isomerization and aromatics recovery units, ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE) and alkylation units. MiRO produces a percentage of transportation fuels, such as gasoline and diesel. Other products include petrochemical feedstocks, home heating oil, bitumen, and anode- and fuel-grade petroleum coke. The Wilhelmshaven Refinery is located in the northern state of Lower Saxony in Germany, and has a 260,000 barrels-per-day crude oil processing capacity.

As of December 31, 2011, the Company had approximately 1,430 marketing outlets in its European operations, of which approximately 900 were Company-owned and 330 were dealer-owned. It also held brand-licensing agreements with approximately 200 sites. Through its joint venture operations in Switzerland, it also has interests in 250 additional sites.

Midstream

The Midstream segment purchases raw natural gas from producers, including ConocoPhillips, and gathers natural gas through pipeline gathering systems. Its Midstream segment is primarily conducted through its 50% investment in DCP Midstream. DCP Midstream also owns or operates 12 NGL fractionation plants, along with propane terminal facilities and NGL pipeline assets. It has a 25% inte! rest in R! ockies Express Pipeline LLC (REX).

Chemicals

The Chemicals segment consists of its 50% investment in CPChem. As of December 31, 2011, CPChem owned or had joint-venture interests in 38 manufacturing facilities. CPChem�� business is structured around two primary operating segments: Olefins & Polyolefins (O&P) and Specialties, Aromatics & Styrenics (SA&S). The O&P segment produces and markets ethylene, propylene, and other olefin products, which are primarily consumed within CPChem for the production of polyethylene, normal alpha olefins, polypropylene and polyethylene pipe. The SA&S segment manufactures and markets aromatics products, such as benzene, styrene, paraxylene and cyclohexane, as well as polystyrene and styrene-butadiene copolymers.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joel South]

  Phillips 66 (NYSE: PSX  ) has been nothing short of spectacular since splitting off fromConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP  ) earlier this year. The refiner has made our list of top performing energy stocks in 2012 with a stock price appreciation of 60% year to date. While the sector as a whole was buoyed by access to cheap WTI oil in North America, Phillips 66 stands out as a long-term winner by using excess cash flows to build out its successful chemicals and midstream division. Shareholders have been adequately rewarded while the company increased its dividend twice this past year, in addition to enacting a lofty $2 billion share repurchasing program. 

  There are many different ways to play the energy sector, and our analysts have uncovered an under-the-radar company that's dominating its industry. This company is a leading provider of equipment and components used in drilling and production operations, and poised to profit in a big way from it. To get the name and detailed analysis of this company that will prosper for years to come, check out our special free report: "The Only Energy Stock You'll Ever Need." Don't miss out on this limited-time offer and your opportunity to discover this under-the-radar company before the market does. 

Best Oil Stocks For 2014: Boardwalk Pipeline Partners LP (BWP)

Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP is a limited partnership company. The Company owns and operates three interstate natural gas pipeline systems including integrated storage facilities. Its business is conducted by its primary subsidiary, Boardwalk Pipelines, LP (Boardwalk Pipelines) and its subsidiaries, Gulf Crossing Pipeline Company LLC (Gulf Crossing), Gulf South Pipeline Company, LP (Gulf South) and Texas Gas Transmission, LLC (Texas Gas) (together, the operating subsidiaries), which consist of integrated natural gas pipeline and storage systems. During the year ended December 31, 2011, it formed Boardwalk Midstream, LP (Midstream), and its operating subsidiary, Boardwalk Field Services, LLC (Field Services), which is engaged in the natural gas gathering and processing business. In December 2011, Boardwalk HP Storage Company, LLC (HP Storage), a joint venture between Boardwalk Pipelines and Boardwalk Pipelines Holding Corp. (BPHC) acquired Petal Gas Storage, L.L.C. (Petal), Hattiesburg Gas Storage Company (Hattiesburg). In December 2011, it acquired a 20% equity interest in HP Storage.

The Company�� pipeline systems originate in the Gulf Coast region, Oklahoma and Arkansas and extend north and east to the midwestern states of Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. It serves a mix of customers, including producers, local distribution companies (LDCs), marketers, electric power generators, direct industrial users and interstate and intrastate pipelines. The Company provides a portion of its pipeline transportation and storage services, through firm contracts, under which the Company�� customers pay monthly capacity reservation charges. Other charges are based on actual utilization of the capacity under firm contracts and contracts for interruptible services. During 2011, approximately 82% of its revenues were derived from capacity reservation charges under firm contracts; approximately 14% of its revenues were derived from charges-based on actual utilization under firm contr! acts, and approximately 4% of its revenues were derived from interruptible transportation, interruptible storage, parking and lending (PAL) and other services. Its expansion projects include South Texas Eagle Ford Expansionand Marcellus Gathering System and HP Storage.

Pipeline and Storage Systems

The Company�� operating subsidiaries own and operate approximately 14,200 miles of pipelines, directly serving customers in twelve states and indirectly serving customers throughout the northeastern and southeastern United States through numerous interconnections with unaffiliated pipelines. In 2011, its pipeline systems transported approximately 2.7 trillion cubic feet of gas. Average daily throughput on its pipeline systems during 2011 was approximately 7.3 billion cubic feet. Its natural gas storage facilities are comprised of eleven underground storage fields located in four states with aggregate working gas capacity of approximately 167.0 billion cubic feet. the Company operates the assets of HP Storage on behalf of the joint venture.

The principal sources of supply for our pipeline systems are regional supply hubs and market centers located in the Gulf Coast region, including offshore Louisiana, the Perryville, Louisiana area, the Henry Hub in Louisiana and the Carthage, Texas area. Its pipelines in the Carthage, Texas area provide access to natural gas supplies from the Bossier Sands, Barnett Shale, Haynesville Shale and other gas producing regions in eastern Texas and northern Louisiana. The Henry Hub serves as the designated delivery point for natural gas futures contracts traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Its pipeline systems also have access to unconventional mid-continent supplies, such as the Woodford Shale in southeastern Oklahoma and the Fayetteville Shale in Arkansas. The Company also accesses the Eagle Ford Shale in southern Texas; wellhead supplies in northern and southern Louisiana and Mississippi; and Canadian natural gas through an unaffil! iated pip! eline interconnect at Whitesville, Kentucky.

Gulf Crossing

The Company�� Gulf Crossing pipeline system originates near Sherman, Texas, and proceeds to the Perryville, Louisiana area. The market areas are in the Midwest, Northeast, Southeast and Florida through interconnections with Gulf South, Texas Gas and unaffiliated pipelines.

Gulf South

The Company�� Gulf South pipeline system is located along the Gulf Coast in the states of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. The on-system markets directly served by the Gulf South system are generally located in eastern Texas, Louisiana, southern Mississippi, southern Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle. These markets include LDCs and municipalities located across the system, including New Orleans, Louisiana; Jackson, Mississippi; Mobile, Alabama; and Pensacola, Florida, and other end-users located across the system, including the Baton Rouge to New Orleans industrial corridor and Lake Charles, Louisiana. Gulf South also has indirect access to off-system markets through numerous interconnections with unaffiliated interstate and intrastate pipelines and storage facilities. These pipeline interconnections provide access to markets throughout the northeastern and southeastern United States.

Gulf South has two natural gas storage facilities. The gas storage facility located in Bistineau, Louisiana, has approximately 78 billion cubic feet of working gas storage capacity from which Gulf South offers firm and interruptible storage service, including no-notice service. Gulf South�� Jackson, Mississippi, gas storage facility has approximately five billion cubic feet of working gas storage capacity, which is used for operational purposes and is not offered for sale to the market.

Texas Gas

The Company�� Texas Gas pipeline system originates in Louisiana, East Texas and Arkansas and runs north and east through Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, K! entucky, ! Indiana, and into Ohio, with smaller diameter lines extending into Illinois. Texas Gas directly serves LDCs, municipalities and power generators in its market area, which encompasses eight states in the South and Midwest and includes the Memphis, Tennessee; Louisville, Kentucky; Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio, and Evansville and Indianapolis, Indiana metropolitan areas. Texas Gas also has indirect market access to the Northeast through interconnections with unaffiliated pipelines. Texas Gas owns nine natural gas storage fields, of which it owns the majority of the working and base gas. Texas Gas uses this gas to meet the operational requirements of its transportation and storage customers and the requirements of its no-notice service customers.

Field Services

In 2011, the Company formed its Field Services subsidiary and transferred to it approximately 100 miles of gathering and transmission pipeline. In 2012, the Company transferred to Field Services an additional 240 miles of pipeline and two compressor stations. Field Services is developing gathering and processing capabilities in south Texas and Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Michael Brush]

  As for Boardwalk Pipeline Partners (NYSE:BWP), it operates natural gas pipelines in the U.S. transporting about 10% of the nation's natural gas on an annual basis. Although it generates just 6% of Loews' overall net income, it does so on a consistent basis. Personally, I like the natural gas tie-in. Lastly, it owns 100% of privately operated HighMount Exploration and Production, a Texas-based company that produces natural gas, LNG and oil in Texas and Oklahoma. In 2012, as a result of lower natural gas prices, it's had to take large impairment charges on its natural gas revenue. I'd expect its situation to improve in 2013. Loews has increased its book value per share by approximately 9.5% on an annualized basis over the past five years. Owning its stock instead of the energy-related holdings directly allows you to benefit from its other holdings at the same time. 

Top Quality Companies For 2014

It seems unlikely that The Fresh Market (NASDAQ: TFM  ) and Whole Foods Market (NASDAQ: WFM  ) would have an existing major competitor. After all, most of the other brands out there focus on cheap food and large selection instead of on sourcing and quality. But there's a lurking competitor that's searching out the same demographic, through a very different route -- Costco (NASDAQ: COST  ) .

Costco's management pointed out on its last earning call that foot traffic was being driven by two major factors: gas sales and fresh food. That fresh food portion is going to cut right into the sales at Whole Foods and Fresh Market, and if those companies aren't careful, Costco's going to walk all over them.

It's all about the customer
As early as 2009, Whole Foods saw the competition that was brewing with Costco. At the time, the economic downturn made it abundantly clear that customers were price-conscious, whether companies believed it or not. Whole Foods co-CEO John Mackey gave an interview with The Wall Street Journal in which he highlighted the difficulty that Whole Foods had in competing. While the company was capable of managing the competition from Trader Joe's, Mackey said that it was "harder to match Costco without going bankrupt."

Top Quality Companies For 2014: eServGlobal Ltd(ESV.AX)

eServGlobal Limited engages in the provision of mobile money solutions and value added services to mobile and financial service providers in the Middle East, the Asia Pacific, Europe, Africa, and Central and South America. It offers mobile money solutions, including PayMobile platform, a market proven solution that provides various aspects of mobile money usage from voucher and electronic recharge, and money and commerce solutions; and HomeSend, a mobile-centric international remittance hub endorsed by the GSM association that enables service providers comprising financial institutions to offer international money and air-time transfer, as well as access to a hubbing and managed service through a single technical and commercial interface. The company also offers value-added services, such as PromoMax that allows telecom service providers to build targeted, personalized, diversified and timely promotions, and loyalty programs; PRIME, a next generation framework for value-ad ded services; Mailis, a messaging solution, which enables service providers to deliver voice mail, unified mail, and video mail to retail and business customers; and IVR, a multi-lingual solution. In addition, it provides software as a service; and professional, training, and support services, as well as offers operational services for operators. The company was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Paris, France.

Top Quality Companies For 2014: ZST Digital Networks Inc.(ZSTN)

ZST Digital Networks, Inc. engages in supplying digital and optical network equipment and providing installation services to cable system operators in China, as well as in providing GPS location and tracking services to local logistics and transportation companies in China. It offers a line of IPTV devices that are used to provide bundled cable television, Internet, and telephone services to residential and commercial customers. The company has assisted in the installation and construction of approximately 400 local cable networks in approximately 90 municipal districts, counties, townships, and enterprises. ZST Digital Networks has also launched a commercial line of vehicle tracking devices utilizing its GPS tracking technologies and support services for transport-related enterprises to track, monitor, and optimize their businesses. The company was founded in 1996 and is based in Zhengzhou City, the People?s Republic of China.

Top 5 New Companies To Invest In Right Now: Hillenbrand Inc(HI)

Hillenbrand, Inc. designs, manufactures, distributes, and sells funeral service products to licensed funeral directors operating licensed funeral homes. The company?s products include burial caskets, cremation caskets, containers, vaults, urns, and selection room display fixturing for funeral homes, as well as other personalization and memorialization products and services, including Web-based applications, and the creation and hosting of Websites for licensed funeral homes. It markets its products under the Batesville and Options brand name through direct sales force in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and Australia. The company also designs, produces, markets, sells, and services bulk solids material handling equipment and systems for various industrial markets, including plastics, food, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, power generation, coal mining, pulp and paper, frac sand, industrial minerals, agribusiness, recycling, wood and forest pr oducts, and biomass energy generation. It offers feeders and pneumatic conveying equipment under the K-Tron brand name; and size reduction equipment, such as hammer mills, double-roll crushers, wood and bark hogs, chip sizers, screening equipment, pneumatic and mechanical conveying systems, storage/reclamation systems, and specialty crushers and other equipment under the Pennsylvania Crusher, Gundlach, and Jeffrey Rader brand names. In addition, the company manufactures dry material separation machines that sort dry, granular products based on the particle?s size serving various industries, including frac sand, potash, urea, phosphates, chemical, agricultural, plastics, and food processing. The company sells its material handling equipment and systems worldwide through a combination of a direct sales force, and a network of independent sales representatives and distributors. Hillenbrand, Inc. was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in Batesville, Indiana.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Fitz Gerald]

  Hillenbrand is the largest supplier of products to the funeral service industry. Caskets and urns are at its primary products and it sells to 16,000 of the nation's 22,000 funeral homes. This is a demographic trend that is only getting larger with an aging population. The stock yields 4% and trades for only 10 times forward earnings. I like stocks that are monopolies in their industry, pay huge dividends (which they just increased) and trade for a cheap multiple on cash flows.

Top Quality Companies For 2014: Ocean Park Ventures Corp (OCP.V)

Ocean Park Ventures Corp. engages in the exploration and development of base and precious metal properties in the Americas. The company holds an option to acquire a 51% interest in the Adelita copper-gold-silver project located in the southern part of Sonora, Mexico; a 50% interest in the Trapper gold project consisting of 9 contiguous mining claims located in the Atlin Mining Division of northern British Columbia, Canada; and a 100% interest in the Metla gold property located in northern British Columbia, Canada. It also holds option to acquire the Chisna copper/gold property located in the south central state of Alaska. The company was formerly known as eTV Technology Inc. and changed its name to Ocean Park Ventures Corp. in April 2009. Ocean Park Ventures Corp. was incorporated in 1987 and is based in Vancouver, Canada.

Top Quality Companies For 2014: UFP Technologies Inc.(UFPT)

UFP Technologies, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the design and manufacture of engineered packaging solutions for medical and scientific, automotive, aerospace and defense, computer and electronics, industrial, and consumer markets. The company offers packaging products primarily using polyethylene, polyurethane, cross-linked polyethylene foams, and rigid plastics. Its packaging products include end-cap packs for computers, corner blocks for telecommunications consoles, anti-static foam packs for printed circuit boards, die-cut or routed inserts for cases, molded foam enclosures for orthopedic products, and plastic trays for medical devices and components. UFP Technologies also fabricates and molds component products made from cross-linked polyethylene foam and other materials, as well as engages in laminating fabrics and other materials to cross-linked polyethylene foams, polyurethane foams, and other substrates. The company?s component products include automo tive interior trim, athletic padding, industrial safety belts, medical device components, air filtration, high-temperature insulation, abrasive nail files and other beauty aids, anti-fatigue mats, and shock absorbing inserts used in athletic and leisure footwear. It sells its products primarily under United Foam, Simco Automotive, and Molded Fiber brand names through direct sales force, independent manufacturer representatives, and distributors. The company was founded in 1963 and is headquartered in Georgetown, Massachusetts.

10 Best Low Price Stocks To Invest In 2014

The following video is from Thursday's�Motley Fool Money�roundtable discussion,�in which host Chris Hill and analysts Charly Travers, James Early, and Ron Gross discuss the top business and investing stories of the week.

Will Costco� (NASDAQ: COST  ) continue to produce�big returns for shareholders? Should dividend lovers love Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) ? Will�Yum! Brands (NYSE: YUM  ) right the ship with its China operations? In this installment of Motley Fool Money, our analysts discuss Costco, Apple, and Yum! Brands.

Costco's low prices haven't just benefited customers -- shareholders have walloped the market, returning 11,000% over the past two decades. However, with prices near all-time highs, is the ride over for Costco investors? To answer that and more, The Motley Fool's compiled a premium research report with in-depth analysis on Costco.�Simply click here now to gain instant access to this valuable investor's resource.

10 Best Low Price Stocks To Invest In 2014: Ruddick Corporation(RDK)

Ruddick Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in the operation of a regional chain of supermarkets primarily in the southeastern and mid-Atlantic United States, and the District of Columbia. The company?s supermarkets offer an assortment of groceries, produce, meat and seafood, delicatessen items, bakery items, and wines, as well as non-food items, such as health and beauty care, general merchandise, and floral products; and pharmaceutical products. As of October 2, 2011, Ruddick Corporation operated 204 supermarkets, 136 in North Carolina, 36 in Virginia, 13 in South Carolina, 6 in Maryland, 5 in Tennessee, 3 in Delaware, 3 in the District of Columbia, 1 in Florida, and 1 in Georgia. The company was founded in 1891 and is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.

10 Best Low Price Stocks To Invest In 2014: Boot(h)

Henry Boot PLC, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a property and construction company in the United Kingdom. Its property portfolio includes retail warehousing properties, leisure and retail parks, town centre retail and mixed use properties, industrial and office properties, and business parks. The company engages in the acquisition, promotion, development, and trading of land; and holds interest in 8,200 acres of land through ownership, option, and agency agreements. It also involves in construction, civil engineering, and road maintenance activities; and offers construction services to the health, education, housing, custodial, and public sectors. In addition, the company offers a range of products and services for sale and hire, such as fleet of contractors' mechanical plant and equipment ranging from telehandlers to rollers; boom and scissor lift access platforms suitable for slab or rough terrain work; accommodation units for applications, including offices , canteens, showers, toilets, and security stores; power tools and equipment consisting of electric tools, engine powered items, concreting and compaction tools, lightweight access equipment, heating and lighting appliances, and home maintenance items; and fleet of machines for construction and industrial applications. Henry Boot PLC was founded in 1886 and is headquartered in Sheffield, the United Kingdom.

Best Wireless Telecom Companies To Invest In Right Now: Safeguard Scientifics Inc.(SFE)

Safeguard Scientifics, Inc. is a private equity and venture capital firm specializing in expansion financings, growth capital, management buyouts, recapitalizations, industry consolidations, corporate spinouts, growth stage, and early stage financings. The firm prefers to make investments in companies engaged in the technology and life sciences sectors. Within the technology sector, it invests in software as a service, technology enabled services, internet/new media, financial services information technology, healthcare information technology and selected business services with capital requirements of up to $25 million. Within the life sciences sector, the firm invests in molecular and point-of-care diagnostics, medical devices, regenerative medicine, and specialty pharmaceuticals, and selected healthcare services. It invests throughout United States and Southeastern Canada. The firm primarily invests between $10 million and $25 million in growth equity financing and betwe en $5 million and $10 million in early-stage financing. It typically invests in the capital structures including owner financed and bootstrapped companies, corporate division or business unit, and venture capital-backed seeking a growth partner. The firm prefers to be the largest shareholder in its portfolio companies, with ownership in the range of five percent to 50 percent. However, it may occasionally take a majority or smaller stake in its portfolio companies. It prefers to invest in companies having proprietary technology and intellectual property. The firm prefers to take a Board seat in its portfolio companies. It was formerly known as Lancaster Corporation. Safeguard Scientifics, Inc. was founded in 1953 and is based in Wayne, Pennsylvania with an additional office in Weston, Massachusetts.

10 Best Low Price Stocks To Invest In 2014: Aussie Q Resources Ltd(AQR.AX)

Aussie Q Resources Limited engages in the exploration for base metals in Queensland, Australia. The company primarily explores for copper and molybdenum, as well as for gold and zinc deposits. It holds interest in 10 copper/molybdenum exploration permits for minerals located in the Rawbelle district of Monto in south eastern Queensland. The company?s principal project at Rawbelle district includes the Whitewash/Gordons project. Aussie Q Resources Limited was incorporated in 2006 and is headquartered in Bundall, Australia.

10 Best Low Price Stocks To Invest In 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.

10 Best Low Price Stocks To Invest In 2014: Canadian Overseas Petroleum Lim (XOP.V)

Canadian Overseas Petroleum Limited, an oil and gas company, engages in the identification, acquisition, exploration, and development of oil and natural gas offshore reserves in offshore West Africa and in the United Kingdom North Sea. The company was formerly known as Velo Energy Inc. and changed its name to Canadian Overseas Petroleum Limited in July 2010. Canadian Overseas Petroleum Limited is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

10 Best Low Price Stocks To Invest In 2014: Quanex Building Products Corporation(NX)

Quanex Building Products Corporation provides engineered products and aluminum sheet products. Its Engineered Products segment produces window and door components for original equipment manufacturers that primarily serve the residential construction and remodeling markets. This segment?s products consist of insulating glass spacer/sealant systems, thin film solar panel sealants, window and patio door screens, aluminum cladding and other roll formed metal window components, thresholds and astragals, moldings, residential exterior products, engineered vinyl and composite patio doors, window profiles and custom window grilles, and trim and architectural moldings in various woods primarily for the home improvement and residential construction markets. The company?s Aluminum Sheet Products segment includes reducing reroll coil to specific gauge, annealing, slitting, and custom coating. This segment?s products are used in customer end-use applications comprising window screen fr ames and screens, exterior home trim, fascias, roof edgings, soffits, downspouts, and gutters in the building and construction markets, as well as capital goods and transportation markets. The company offers its products to original equipment manufacturers and distributors through direct and indirect sales groups primarily in the United States, Mexico, Canada, Asia, and Europe. Quanex Building Products Corporation is based in Houston, Texas.

10 Best Low Price Stocks To Invest In 2014: Mckay Secs(MCKS.L)

McKay Securities PLC, a commercial property investment company, engages in the development and refurbishment of buildings in central London and the southeast of England. The company?s portfolio consists of office, industrial, retail, and residential properties. As of March 31, 2008, its property portfolio comprised 38 properties. The company was founded in 1946 and is based in Reading, the United Kingdom.

10 Best Low Price Stocks To Invest In 2014: Singtel 100 (Z78.SI)

Singapore Telecommunications Limited engages in the operation and provision of telecommunication systems and services primarily in Singapore and Australia. The company also provides facilities management, consultancy, Internet access, and information technology (IT) services; technical, business, and management consultancy services; financial, data communication, telecommunications, mobile phone, narrowband portal content, equipment rental, interactive television, broadcasting, and IT disaster recovery services; and handset insurance and related services. In addition, it engages in the research and development, products and services development, and business partnership activities; venture capital investment holding; operation and provision of cellular mobile telecommunications systems and services; resale of fixed line and broadband services; provision of satellite capacity for telecommunications and video broadcasting services; ownership and chartering of barges; provisi on of storage facilities for submarine cables and related equipment; development and management of online Internet portal; and sale and maintenance of telecommunications equipment, as well as operates as a C1 Satellite contracting party. Further, the company distributes specialized telecommunications and data communication products; invests in telecommunications network infrastructure; distributes prepaid mobile products; operates and maintains fibre optic network between Brisbane and Cairns; manages, provides, and operates a call centre; provides information technology training, communication engineering, system integration, engineering and marketing, and general liaison and support services. Additionally, it develops and resells software; provides infotainment products and services; and operates as a trustee for superannuation scheme. The company is headquartered in Singapore. Singapore Telecommunications Limited is a subsidiary of Temasek Holdings (Private) Limited.

10 Best Low Price Stocks To Invest In 2014: Milano(ADMI.MI)

Milano Assicurazioni S.p.A., together with its subsidiaries, offers insurance products and services primarily in Italy. It provides non-life insurance products, such as accident, health, railway, aviation, maritime, goods in transit, fire and natural elements, other damage to property, bonds, general pecuniary losses, legal protection, assistance, and credit insurance products. The company also offers insurance on human life, and insurance relating to investment funds and market indices, as well as land motor and land vehicles insurance products. Milano Assicurazioni S.p.A. provides its products and services through sales network of approximately 2,000 agencies. In addition, it owns a hotel real estate complex at Madonna di Campiglio, as well as a golf hotel. The company is headquartered in Milano, Italy. Milano Assicurazioni S.p.A. operates as a subsidiary of Fondiaria-SAI S.P.A.