Top 5 Financial Companies To Watch For 2014

Stupidity is contagious. It gets us all from time to time. Even respectable companies can catch it. As I do every week, let's take a look at five dumb financial events this week that may make your head spin.

1. Zynga needs a new game face
Social gaming is a popularity contest, and Zynga (NASDAQ: ZNGA  ) isn't winning.

Shares of the top dog in social gaming slipped 7% on Thursday after delivering dreadful guidance.

The most recent quarter itself wasn't all that inspiring with an 18% decline in revenue. Zynga surprised the market with a small profit -- analysts were bracing for a deficit -- but the real problem is that bookings continue to shrink.

Zynga sees $225 million to $235 million in revenue for the current quarter, and that's well below the $263.6 million it just rang up, the $301.6 million it delivered a year earlier and the $261.7 million that Wall Street was settling for this time around.

Top 5 Financial Companies To Watch For 2014: Putnam High Income Bond Fund(PCF)

Putnam High Income Securities Fund is a closed-ended fixed income mutual fund launched and managed by Putnam Investment Management, LLC. The fund is co-managed by Putnam Investments Limited (U.K.). It invests in the fixed income markets of the United States. The fund seeks to invest in high yield convertible securities. For its fixed income portfolio, it looks for convertible, high yield, lower rated securities to make its investments. The fund benchmarks the performance of its portfolio against the Merrill Lynch All-Convert. Speculative Index and JP Morgan Dev. High yield Index. It was formerly known as Putnam High Income Bond Fund. Putnam High Income Securities Fund was formed on July 9, 1987 and is domiciled in the United States.

Top 5 Financial Companies To Watch For 2014: Diamond Hill Investment Group Inc.(DHIL)

Diamond Hill Investment Group, Inc., through its subsidiaries, sponsors, markets, and provides investment advisory and related services to individual and institutional investors in the United States. The company also offers compliance, treasury, fund administration, underwriting, and distribution services to mutual fund companies. It serves mutual funds, separate accounts, and private investment funds. Diamond Hill wholesales its products to financial intermediaries, including independent registered investment advisors, brokers, financial planners, investment consultants, and third party marketing firms. The company was founded in 1990 and is based in Columbus, Ohio.

Hot Stocks To Own Right Now: Hsbc Hdg(HSBA.L)

HSBC Holdings plc provides various banking and financial products and services. The company?s Retail Banking and Wealth Management business offers a range of personal banking products, including current and savings accounts, mortgages and personal loans, credit cards, debit cards, and local and international payment services; and wealth management services comprising insurance and investment products, and asset management and financial planning services. Its Commercial Banking business provides overdrafts, term and syndicated loans, acquisition and project finance, and asset finance; receivables finance; payments and cash management services, such as payments and collections, liquidity management, and account services; commercial cards; international trade finance; treasury and capital market products; commercial cards; insurance; and cash and derivatives in foreign exchange and rates, as well as online and direct banking services. The company?s Global Banking and Market s business offers treasury and capital markets services consisting of foreign exchange; currency, interest rate, bond, credit, equity, and other derivatives; government and non-government fixed income and money market instruments; precious metals and exchange-traded futures; equity services; capital markets instruments; securities services, which include custody and clearing services, and funds administration; and financing, advisory, and transaction services. Its Global Private Banking provides a range of private banking, investment management, trust solution, and corporate finance solutions to high net worth individuals and families. The company operates through a network of approximately 7,200 offices in 85 countries and territories in Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, the Americas, the Middle East, and Africa. HSBC Holdings plc was founded in 1865 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

Top 5 Financial Companies To Watch For 2014: C.A. Bancorp Inc Com Npv (BKP.TO)

C.A. Bancorp Inc. is a private equity firm specializing in management buyouts, acquisitions, expansions, restructurings, refinancing, PIPE transactions of middle-market companies, and other alternative investment opportunities. It also participates in open market purchases, equity investments in private issuers, and privatization of public companies. The firm seeks to invest in industrials, real estate, infrastructure, and financial services. Within industrials, it seeks to invest in mature industrial companies with a focus on manufacturing, distribution, and service sectors. The firm�s investment in real estate includes industrial, commercial, healthcare, hospitality, and retail properties. Its infrastructure investment opportunities focus on power generation, transportation, and utilities. Within financial services the firm invests in Canadian and international financial services businesses, including asset managers and investment counselors. From time to time, the firm will seek to invest in Capital Pool Companies within the real estate, infrastructure, and other asset-rich areas. It seeks to invest in the private and public companies based in Canada. The firm�s public investments will focus on mid-market companies trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange. It typically invests between $0.5 million and $20 million in companies with enterprise values between $25 million and $200 million. The firm seeks to pursue investments that offer returns between 1.5 percent and three percent. It seeks a board seat in its portfolio companies. The firm exits its investments through sale to strategic buyers or financial investors, open market sales, normal course retirement of securities, refinancing, and public offerings. It was previously known as C.A. Bancorp Ltd. C.A. Bancorp Inc. is based in Ontario, Canada.

Top 5 Financial Companies To Watch For 2014: Jp Morgan Co Inc(JPM.L)

JPMorgan Chase & Co., a financial holding company, provides various financial services worldwide. Its Investment Bank segment offers various investment banking products and services, including advising on corporate strategy and structure, capital-raising in equity and debt markets, risk management, market-making in cash securities and derivative instruments, prime brokerage, and research services for corporations, financial institutions, governments, and institutional investors. The company?s Commercial Banking segment provides lending, treasury, investment banking, and asset management services to corporations, municipalities, financial institutions, and not-for-profit entities. Its Treasury and Securities Services segment offers cash management, trade, wholesale card, and liquidity products and services to small and mid-sized companies, multinational corporations, financial institutions, and government entities. This segment also holds, values, clears, and services secu rities, cash, and alternative investments for investors and broker-dealers; and manages depositary receipt programs. The company?s Asset Management segment provides investment and wealth management services to institutions, retail investors, and high-net-worth individuals. This segment offers investment management in equities, fixed income, real estate, hedge funds, private equity, and liquidity products, as well as trust and estate, banking, and brokerage services to high-net-worth clients; and retirement services for corporations and individuals. Its Retail Financial Services segment offers consumer and business, and mortgage banking products and services that include checking and savings accounts, mortgages, home equity and business loans, and investments. The company?s Card Services and Auto segment provides payment processing and merchant acquiring services. JPMorgan Chase & Co. was founded in 1823 and is headquartered in New York, New York.