Top 10 Prefered Stocks To Invest In 2014

 

Last week, The New York Times posted a story relating Apple‘s (NASDAQ: AAPL) lackluster growth in the Chinese mobile phone market. In China, Apple is playing second fiddle to Samsung as consumers are demanding phones with larger screens at cheaper prices – the new iPhone 5s runs about $875 dollars in the country, while the Samsung Galaxy S4 is $775 and the older model Samsung Galaxy Star Pro is available for just over $100.

Even with the introduction of the entry-level iPhone 5c, recent reports have Apple’s Chinese mobile market share ranging anywhere between just 8-12%, while Samsung has a 21% market share and Android phones have a 79% market share.

This news corroborates our core assertion that Apple cannot have pricing power and market share at the same time. No one can for an extended period of time. The problem with AAPL is that it is priced for the company to achieve market share penetration and growth at high prices. The reality is that the quality of Apple products versus competitors is declining. Prices will have to come down just to maintain market share.

10 Best Dow Dividend Stocks To Watch For 2015: Sealed Air Corporation(SEE)

Sealed Air Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides food safety and security, facility hygiene, and product protection solutions worldwide. Its Food Packaging segment provides shrink bags and vacuum packaging products; packaging materials for cook-in applications; laminated and coextruded rollstock packaging materials used in thermoforming and form, fill, and seal applications; and associated packaging equipment and systems, including bag loaders, dispensers, and vacuum chamber systems. The company?s Food Solutions segment offers case-ready packaging offerings; ready meals packaging technologies; vertical pouch packaging solutions for packaging flowable food products; foam and plastic trays; absorbent products for food packaging; and related packaging equipment, including vacuum chamber systems. Its Protective Packaging segment provides air cellular packaging materials; polyolefin performance shrink films for product display; shrink packaging equipment systems; pol yurethane foam packaging systems that provide protective packaging; lightweight and tear-resistant mailers and bags; inflatable packaging systems; paper cushioning systems that include recycled paper and automated dispensing equipment; paper packaging products; and suspension and retention packaging products. The company?s Diversey Segment offers a range of products and services, such as kitchen cleaning products; food and beverage and manufacturing and processing products; floor care products and systems; restroom care and other housekeeping products; and laundry products, as well as consulting services. Sealed Air Corporation also provides specialty materials products to fabricators and manufacturers; and medical applications products and solutions to medical device manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies. The company markets its products primarily under the Bubble Wrap, Cryovac, and Diversey brands. Sealed Air Corporation was founded in 1960 and is headquartered in El mwood Park, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  On the upside, Sealed Air (SEE) has gained 8.4% to $30.90 after it said it earned 39 cents share, beating forecasts for 34 cents, and offered strong guidance. Gilead Sciences (GILD) has risen 4.3% to $72.50 after it reported a profit of 52 cents, beating forecasts for 48 cents.

• [By ovenerio]

  The company has a current ROE of 14.5% which is higher than the industry median. Also, it is higher than the ones exhibit by Sealed Air Corp (SEE) and Sonoco Products Co (SON). In general, analysts consider ROE ratios in the 15-20% range as representing attractive levels for investment. So for investors looking at those levels, MeadWestvaco Corp (MWV) and Packaging Corp of America (PKG) could be the options. It is very important to understand this metric before investing, and it is important to look at the trend in ROE over time.

• [By Tom Rojas and Maria Armental var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); ]

  Sealed Air Corp.'s(SEE) third-quarter earnings topped consensus estimates and it again raised its 2014 bottom-line guidance as the packaging company benefits from higher prices.

• [By Lee Jackson]

  Basic Materials: Sealed Air Corp. (NYSE: SEE) is top pick at other firms that we cover on Wall Street as well. Credit Suisse believes that following the recent (October) management change at the company, Sealed Air will significantly improve its profitability and cash flows while also deleveraging its sizable debt load, with both of these things driving significant shareholder value. The price target for the stock is posted at $36. The Thomson/First Call estimate is at $33. Investors are paid a 1.9% dividend. Credit Suisse is the high target on Wall Street and would represent a 31% gain for investors. The stock closed Tuesday at $27.48.

Top 10 Prefered Stocks To Invest In 2014: Ivanhoe Energy Inc (IVAN)

Ivanhoe Energy Inc. (Ivanhoe), incorporated on February 21, 1995, is an independent international heavy oil development and production company. Ivanhoe�� core operations are in Canada, Ecuador, China and Mongolia, with business development opportunities worldwide. Ivanhoe�� wholly owned subsidiary, Sunwing Energy Ltd. (Sunwing) is focused on a natural gas exploration project (the Zitong Block) in Sichuan Province of China. The Sichuan Basin is located in central China approximately 930 miles southwest of Beijing. Its oil and gas operations are located in three geographic areas: Asia, Canada and Ecuador. In December 2012, the Company had closed the Share Purchase and Sale Agreement with MIE Holdings Corporation for all of the interest of its indirect, wholly owned subsidiary, Pan-China Resources Ltd.

Asia

In China, Sunwing operates the 659,840-acre (1,031-square-miles) Zitong gas exploration block in the Sichuan Province, and it holds a 90% Contractor Interest in a Petroleum Contract with PetroChina Company Limited. Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company of Japan holds the remaining 10% Contractor Interest. Sunwing produces approximately 1,800 (gross) barrels of light oil per day in Dagang, in China's Hebei province, in a production sharing agreement with Petrochina in which Sunwing is the operator and maintains a royalty interest in the revenue stream from its first project carried out in the Daqing Oil Field. In November 2002, the Company entered into a 30 year production sharing contract (PSC) with China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) for the Zitong block, which covers an area of approximately 248,000 gross acres after contractual relinquishments in the Sichuan basin.

During the year ended December 31, 2006, the Company farmed out 10% of its working interest in the Zitong block to Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company Inc. of Japan. In Phase I of the contract, Ivanhoe reprocessed 1,649 miles of two dimensional (2D) seismic data and acquired 705 miles of new 2D s! eismic data. In Phase II of the contract, the Yixin-2 and Zitong-1 gas wells were drilled during the year ended December 31, 2010, and completed during the year ended December 31, 2011. Ivanhoe�� oil production originates in the Kongnan oilfield in Dagang, Hebei Province, China (the Dagang field). In 2011, production in averaged 967 barrels per day net. The Company�� Nyalga Block XVI is in the Khenti and Tov provinces in Mongolia. The block covers an area of approximately 3.1 million gross acres, after a 25% relinquishment in 2010.

Canada

Ivanhoe holds a 100% working interest in the Tamarack Project, subject only to a 20% back-in right held by Talisman Energy. Tamarack is a 6,880 acre lease located approximately 10 miles northeast of Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada. The Tamarack integrated oil sands project (Tamarack Project) consists of a two-phased 40,000 bbl/d steam-assisted gravity drainage thermal recovery (SAGD) and HTL facility.

Ecuador

The Company's activities in Latin America are carried out under its wholly owned subsidiary, Ivanhoe Energy Latin America Inc. Ivanhoe Energy Ecuador Inc., a Canadian company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ivanhoe Energy Latin America Inc. and is responsible for the Company's activities in Ecuador. In October 2008, Ivanhoe Energy Ecuador Inc. had signed a 30 year contract with the Ecuador state oil companies Petroecuador and Petroproduccion. The contract gives Ivanhoe the right to explore and develop the Pungarayacu heavy oil field in Block 20, an area of 426 square miles, approximately 125 miles southeast of Quito, Ecuador�� capital city. Block 20 is an area of approximately 426-square-miles (1,103.34-square-kilometers) located 125 miles (201.17 kilometers) southeast of Quito. Block 20 contains the 250-square-mile (647.5-square-kilometer) Pungarayacu oil field. In 2010, Ivanhoe drilled its two appraisal wells in the Pungarayacu field. The second, IP-5b, well was drilled, cored and logged to a total depth ! of 1,080 ! feet. The well was perforated in the Hollin oil sands and steam was injected into the reservoir resulting in production of heated heavy oil. In 2011, the heavy crude oil extracted from the IP-5B well was upgraded to local pipeline specifications using Ivanhoe�� HTL upgrading process. In 2011, the Company completed a 190-kilometer 2-D seismic survey over the southern portion of Block 20.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Dube]

  Athabasca's most notable producers:

  Suncor Energy (SU) (Part 1), see article here.Suncor Energy (Part 2), see article here.Athabasca Oil (ATHOF.PK), see article here.Canadian Natural Resources, see article here.Imperial Oil, see article here.Cenovus Energy (CVE), see article here.MEG Energy (MEGEF.PK), see article here.Devon Energy, see article here.Royal Dutch Shell, see article here.Ivanhoe Energy (IVAN), see article here.Nexen (CNOOC) (CEO), see article here.

  An analysis of the current operations of the company will be examined with the objective to provide the most complete information available to potential investors before deciding to seize the opportunity that the 54,132 square miles of the Carbonate Triangle has to offer. Let's start by introducing Athabasca, a famous and most prolific region in the Canadian oil sands as well as one of the largest reserve in the world.

Top 10 Prefered Stocks To Invest In 2014: Parametric Technology Corporation(PMTC)

Parametric Technology Corporation develops, markets, and supports product lifecycle management (PLM) software solutions and services that help companies design products, manage product information, and enhance product development processes worldwide. Its PLM solutions comprise Windchill, an Internet-based content and process management solution for managing data and relationships, processes, and publications; Arbortext, an enterprise solution to manage complex information assets that enhance their customer support and service center information delivery processes; Creo View, which enables enterprise-wide visualization, verification, annotation, and automated comparison of various product development data formats; and Integrity that coordinates and manages various activities and artifacts associated with developing software-intensive products. The company?s desktop solutions include Creo Parametric, a family of three-dimensional product design solutions based on a parametr ic, feature-based solid modeler that enables changes made during the design process to be associatively updated throughout the design; Creo Elements/Direct, a family of computer aided design and collaboration software used for customers to meet short design cycles and to create product designs; Mathcad, an engineering calculation software solution, which combines a computational engine, accessed through conventional math notation, and with a full-featured word processor and graphing tools; and Arbortext to help customers improve documentation accuracy, speed time to market, reduce translation requirements, and lower publishing costs. In addition, it provides consulting, implementation, training, maintenance, and computer-based training products. Parametric Technology sells its products and services through direct sales force and third-party resellers and other strategic partners. The company was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Needham, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Northrop Puckett]

  The company is facing headwinds in the broader economy. This can be seen in declining sales in many areas of their business. Regionally, the U.S was flat; Northern Europe was up; Southern Europe was down; and emerging markets were down. Autodesk also lowered quarterly and yearly revenue expectations. This lowering of guidance by Autodesk also matches the same guidance changes made by competitors Parametric Technology (PMTC) and ANSYS (ANSS), so it is not necessarily losing out to its rivals in this case.

• [By Eric Volkman]

  PTC (NASDAQ: PMTC  ) results for the company's Q2 have been released. For the quarter, non-GAAP revenue was just under $315 million, which bettered the $302 million the company posted in the same period the previous year. Net profit also saw an increase, advancing to $49.6 million ($0.41 per diluted share) from Q2 2012's $35.9 million ($0.30).

Top 10 Prefered Stocks To Invest In 2014: Casella Waste Systems Inc (CWST)

Casella Waste Systems, Inc., incorporated on March 1, 1993, is a vertically integrated solid waste, recycling, and resource management services company. The Company provide resource management and services to residential, commercial, municipal, and industrial customers, primarily in the areas of solid waste collection, transfer, disposal, recycling, and organics services. The Company operates in Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, Massachusetts, Maine, and Pennsylvania. As of May 31, 2013, the Company owned and/or operated 35 solid waste collection operations, 38 transfer stations, 16 recycling facilities, nine Subtitle D landfills, four landfill gas-to-energy facilities, one landfill permitted to accept construction and demolition, or C&D, materials.

The Company manages its solid waste operations on a geographic basis through two regional operating segments: the Eastern and Western regions, each of which includes a range of solid waste services, and its larger-scale recycling operations and commodity brokerage operations through its Recycling segment.

Solid Waste Operations

The Company solid waste operations consists a range of non-hazardous solid waste services, including collections, transfer stations, material recovery facility ( MRFs) and disposal facilities. A majority of its commercial and industrial collection services are performed under one to three-year service agreements, with prices and fees determined by such factors as collection frequency, type of equipment and containers furnished, type, volume and weight of solid waste collected, distance to the disposal or processing facility and cost of disposal or processing. Its residential collection and disposal services are performed either on a subscription basis. The Company transfer stations receive, compact and transfer solid waste collected primarily by various collection operations, for transport to disposal facilities by larger vehicles.

The Company�� MRFs, receive, sort, bale and res! ell recyclable materials originating from the municipal solid waste stream, including newsprint, cardboard, office paper, containers and bottles. The Company operates six MRFs in geographic areas served by its collection divisions. Revenues are received from municipalities and customers in the form of processing fees, tipping fees and commodity sales. The Company's MRFs, two of which are located in Vermont, two in Massachusetts and two in New York, are large-scale, high-volume facilities that process over 0.4 million tons per year of recycled materials delivered to them by municipalities and commercial customers under long-term contracts. The Company also operates MRFs as an integral part of its core solid waste operations, which generally process recyclables collected from its various residential collection operations.

Eastern region

The Eastern region consists of wastesheds located in Maine, southern and central New Hampshire and central and eastern Massachusetts. The Eastern region is vertically integrated, with transfer, landfill, organics and processing and recycling assets serviced by its collection operations. In February 2013, the Company aligned management of the NCES landfill with the Eastern region. NCES had been historically aligned with the Western region. In December, 2012 the Company acquired BBI Waste Services (BBI), which gave the Company additional hauling and transfer capacity in southern Maine.

Western region

The Western region includes wastesheds located in Vermont, north and south western New Hampshire and eastern New York that were previously included in the eliminated Central region. The portion of New York served by the Western region includes Clinton (operation of the Clinton County landfill), Franklin, Essex, Warren, Washington, Saratoga, Rennselaer and Albany counties. The Western region also consists of wastesheds in upstate New York (which includes Ithaca, Elmira, Oneonta, Lowville, Potsdam, Geneva, Auburn, Dunkirk, Jame! stown and! Olean). Its collection operations include leadership positions in nearly every rural market outside of the larger metropolitan markets, such as Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo and Albany.

Recycling

Recycling is the processors and marketers of recycled materials in the eastern United States, consists six MRFs that process and then market recyclable materials that municipalities and commercial customers deliver to them under long-term contracts. Three of the 6 MRFs are leased, the other three are owned. During fiscal year ended April 30, 2013, Recycling segment processed and/or marketed approximately 0.5 million tons of recyclable materials including tons marketed through the Company's commodity brokerage operation. Recycling facilities are located in Vermont, New York and Massachusetts.

The Company competes with Waste Management, Inc, Republic Services, Inc, Waste Connections, Inc., Owens Corning, CertainTeed Corporation and Johns Manville.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James Miller Phd]

  As we can see, the firm has a higher ROE than it peers: Sharps Compliance, Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (CWST), Donaldson Company, Inc. (DCI) and GSE Holding Inc. (GSEH).

Top 10 Prefered Stocks To Invest In 2014: Blackstone Mortgage Trust Inc (BXMT)

Blackstone Mortgage Trust, Inc., formerly Capital Trust, Inc. is a self-managed, real estate finance and investment management company that specializes in credit sensitive financial products. The Company�� investment programs are focused on loans and securities backed by commercial real estate assets. The Company invests for its own account and for third parties through a series of investment management vehicles. Capital Trust, Inc. conducts its operations as a real estate investment trust (REIT). In December 2012, the Company announced that an affiliate of Blackstone completed the previously announced acquisition of its investment management business, operated through its subsidiary, CT Investment Management Co., LLC (CTIMCO).

As of December 31, 2009, its $1.8 billion of interest earning assets were comprised of $1.1 billion of loans receivable, including $17.5 million of loans classified as held-for-sale, and $715.2 million of securities. These include 20 impaired loans with an aggregate net book value of $131.0 million ($608.4 million gross carrying value, net of $477.4 million of reserves), and 11 impaired securities with an aggregate net book value of $27.4 million ($145.7 million gross carrying value, against which it has recorded other-than-temporary impairments of $118.3 million).

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By GuruFocus]

  George Soros (Trades, Portfolio) just reported his first quarter portfolio. He buys Citrix Systems Inc, Baker Hughes Inc, Comcast Corp, Spansion Inc, etc during the 3-months ended 03/31/2014, according to the most recent filings of his investment company, Soros Fund Management LLC. As of 03/31/2014, Soros Fund Management LLC owns 305 stocks with a total value of $10.1 billion. These are the details of the buys and sells.New Purchases: BHI, CODE, CTRP, CLI, AVB, COMM, CNQ, AGO, AUY, ATML, ASH, BXMT, CSTM, AEM, CMA, ARE, CHKP, AUQ, BEAV, CX, ADSK, AALCP, BLK, AIG, BIIB, ADEP, AMRI, ARWR, ATHX, BALT, BCRX, BEAT, CFX, CLFD, CUR, CODE,Added Positions: CTXS, CMCSA, CNP, ALTR, BRCD, CBS, CRM, CHTR, CCJ, CIEN, BIDU, ALLE, ABT, CDNS, ACT,Reduced Positions: AAPL, CCI, AMT, ABBV, AAL, BITA, AL, ANGI, ARIA, CBST, BA, BIRT, EXAR,Sold Out: C, BAC, CRI, AMZN, AGN, CF, BRCM, COTY, BMY, AMCX, CAR, A, ADBE, AFL,For the details of George Soros (Trades, Portfolio)'s stock buys and sells, go to http://www.gurufocus.com/StockBuy.php?GuruName=George+SorosThis is the sector weightings of his portfolio:Technology18.9%Energy14%Healthcare8.3%Consumer Defensive8.2%Communication Services8.1%Consumer Cyclical5.4%Industrials5.1%Basic Materials4.9%Financial Services2.5%Real Estate1.9%Utilities0.5%These are the top 5 holdings of George Soros (Trades, Portfolio)1. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (TEVA) - 10,310,041 shares, 5.4% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 10.67%2. Herbalife Ltd (HLF) - 4,901,337 shares, 2.8% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 52.9%3. EQT Corp (EQT) - 2,573,814 shares, 2.5% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 3.27%4. Adecoagro SA (AGRO) - 25,915,076 shares, 2.1% of the total portfolio.5. Halliburton Co (HAL) - 3,596,353 shares, 2.1% of the total portfolio. Shares reduced by 20.73%New Purchase: Baker Hughes Inc (BHI)George Soros (Trades, Portfolio) initiated holdings in Baker Hughes Inc. His purchase prices were between $51.82 and $65.27, with an estimated

Top 10 Prefered Stocks To Invest In 2014: Old Republic International Corporation(ORI)

Old Republic International Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides various insurance and mortgage guaranty products in North America. The company operates in three segments: General Insurance, Mortgage Guaranty, and Title Insurance. The General Insurance segment provides liability insurance coverages to businesses, government, and other institutions in commercial construction, forest products, energy, general manufacturing, and financial services industries; and transportation, including trucking and general aviation industries. It provides various insurance products, such as automobile extended warranty, aviation, commercial automobile insurance, general liability, home warranty, inland marine, travel accident, and workers? compensation, as well as liability coverage for claims arising from the acts of owners or employees, and protection for the physical assets of businesses. This segment also offers financial indemnity products, such as consumer credit indemnity , errors and omissions/directors and officers, guaranteed asset protection, and surety, as well as bonds that cover the exposures for losses of monies, or debt and equity securities due to acts of employee dishonesty. The Mortgage Guaranty segment insures first mortgage loans, primarily on residential properties incorporating one-to-four family dwelling units to mortgage bankers, brokers, commercial banks, and savings institutions. The Title Insurance segment provides lenders' and owners' title insurance policies to real estate purchasers and investors based upon searches of the public records. It also provides escrow closing and construction disbursement services; and real estate information products, national default management services, and services related to real estate transfers and loan transactions. Old Republic International Corporation markets its products directly, as well as through insurance agents and brokers. The company was founded in 1887 and is based in Chi cago, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lawrence Meyers]

  The part I like the most is that WGL sells energy credits and carbon offsets to retail customers. The company makes good money on these elements, selling to customers who just like to feel good about how they are ��elping the environment�� WGL has a long history as an energy company and has paid a dividend for 37 years. It currently pays 4.3% annually.

  Old Republic International (ORI)

  The next of our dividend stocks is one you may have heard of: Old Republic International (ORI). Old Republic started back in 1887 and is an insurance company that offers a huge array of products. A lot of insurance products are very high margin, and Old Republic has mastered the art of selling these. Extended Automobile Warranty, Home Warranty an Travel Accident Insurance are great segments to be playing in.

• [By Marc Bastow]

  Insurance underwriting company Old Republic (ORI) raised its quarterly dividend 5.8% to 18 cents per share, payable on Dec. 16 to shareholders of record as of Dec. 4.
  ORI Dividend Yield: 4.28%

Top 10 Prefered Stocks To Invest In 2014: Standard Pacific Corp(SPF)

Standard Pacific Corp. operates as a diversified builder of single-family attached and detached homes in the United States. It constructs homes targeting various homebuyers primarily move-up buyers in metropolitan markets in California, Florida, the Carolinas, Texas, Arizona, Colorado, and Nevada. The company also provides mortgage financing services to its homebuyers; and title examination services to its Texas homebuyers. As of December 31, 2011, it owned or controlled 26,444 homesites and had 166 active selling communities. Standard Pacific Corp. was founded in 1965 and is headquartered in Irvine, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Erika Janowicz]

  Compass Point analyst Wilkes Graham updated his housing forecast:

  Graham increased assumed ROI's to 9% on average from 7%. Reduced targeted sector price/ book from $190% to 170%. Expects 20-30% growth in starts and new home sales in 2012 and 2013 to stabilize in 2014 and on at approximately 10%. For covered builders, the analyst lowered estimates by 8% and lowered price targets by 10%. Compass Point expects 10% annual growth in single family starts and new home sales and 2-5% pricing growth. Downgraded DR Horton Inc. (NYSE: DHI) from Buy to Neutral and KB Home (NYSE: KBH) from Neutral to Sell. DR Horton's and KB Home's PT was lowered from $23.50 to $20.00 and from $17.50 to $14.00, respectively. Graham reiterated a Buy rating on Ryland Group Inc. (NYSE: RYL) and Standard Pacific Corp. (NYSE: SPF). The analyst raised the PT on Ryland from $50.00 to $50.50 and lowered the PT on Standard Pacific from $10.00 to $9.50. Compass Point reiterated a Neutral rating on Beazer Homes USA Inc. (NYSE: BZH), Hovnanian Enterprises Inc. (NYSE: HOV), Lennar Corp. (NYSE: LEN), PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE: PHM), and Toll Brothers Inc. (NYSE: TOL). The price target for Beazer and Hovnanian was raised from $15.50 to $24.00 and $5.00 to $5.75, respectively. Graham lowered the PT for Lennar, Pulte, and Toll to $34.50, $17.00, and $31.00.

  This Week's Data

• [By Sally Jones]

  Standard Pacific Corp. (SPF): Reduced

  Up 19% over 12 months, Standard Pacific Corp., a residential construction company, has a market cap of $2.27 billion. The current share price is around $8.18. Shares trade at a P/E of 5.70. The company does not pay a dividend.

• [By Louis Navellier]

  If we look at those stocks trading with single-digit P/E ratios right now, it becomes a very simple task to separate the wheat from the chaff. There are many well-known stocks trading at low P/E ratios that get horrible grades from our system and should be avoided:

  Ryland Homes (RYL) is a name you might hear discussed as a bargain, but the stock to a Sell back in November to a ����and is best avoided. Standard Pacific (SPF) is another builder you should probably avoid as In spite of the low P/E ratio ,you probably want to avoid discount retailer Big Lots (BIG), as a Strong Sell this week.

  But fear not — there are some great companies with solid fundamentals that earn a Buy ranking from Portfolio Grader and are better candidates for a low-P/E portfolio.