Top 10 Prefered Companies To Buy For 2014

Suddenly, Ford Motor (F) is the automaker under pressure and General Motors (GM) is heading higher.

Reuters Ford Motor CEO Alan Mulally (L) Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford (C), Ford COO Mark Fields (R).

Entering this year, General Motors was a market favorite, while Ford Motor was considered something of an also ran. Then the market started worrying about General Motors’ truck sales, and the auto-giant was forced to recall vehicles. All of a sudden, General Motors didn’t lo0k like so resurgent anymore. During the first three months of 2014, General Motors dropped 15%, while Ford gained 1.9%.

Since then General Motors has started outperforming, as the recall headlines fade and first-quarter earnings were better than expected, while Ford released disappointing results and announced that CEO�Alan Mulally would leave the company and be replaced COO Mark Fields. General Motors has gained 1.7% during the past month of trading, while Ford has dropped 2.5%.

Hot Biotech Companies To Invest In Right Now: WebMD Health Corp (WBMD)

WebMD Health Corp. provides health information services to consumers, physicians and other healthcare professionals, employers, and health plans through its public and private online portals, mobile platforms, and health-focused publications in the United States. The company?s public portals enable consumers to obtain health and wellness information, including information on specific diseases or conditions; check symptoms; locate physicians; store individual healthcare information; receive periodic e-newsletters on topics of individual interest; and participate in online communities with peers and experts. Its public portals for physicians and healthcare professionals provide access to clinical reference sources; stay abreast of the latest clinical information; learn about new treatment options; earn continuing medical education credit; and communicate with peers. The company also provides mobile health information applications for use by consumers and physicians. In addit ion, WebMD Health Corp. offers e-detailing promotion and physician recruitment services, content syndication and distribution, and information services, as well as print services, including the advertisements in WebMD the Magazine, a consumer magazine distributed to physician office waiting rooms. The public portals? sponsors and advertisers include pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, and consumer products companies. The company?s private portals enable employers and health plans to provide their employees and members with access to personalized health and benefit information and decision support technology that helps them to make more informed benefit, treatment, and provider decisions. Further, it offers telephonic health coaching services on a per participant basis across an employee or plan population for clients of its private portals. The company was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Keith Speights]

  For example, WebMD's (NASDAQ: WBMD  ) Medscape application allows physicians to check drug interactions, look up information about procedures, and see medical news updates on the fly. Medscape ranks first among the most frequently downloaded medical apps for iPhones and iPads.

• [By Sean Williams]

  What: Shares of WebMD (NASDAQ: WBMD  ) , a health information services company, shot higher by as much as 20% after the company announced its first-quarter results and announced the departure of its CEO.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  WebMD Health (NASDAQ: WBMD) was down, falling 3.14 percent to $41.97 after Stifel Nicolaus downgraded the stock from Buy to Hold and removed the target price of $55.

Top 10 Prefered Companies To Buy For 2014: Petrobank Energy and Resources Ltd (PBEGF.PK)

Petrobank Energy and Resources Ltd. (Petrobank) is engaged in the exploration and development of oil and natural gas in western Canada. The Company operates in two segments: the Heavy Oil Business Unit (HBU) and PetroBakken Energy Ltd. (PetroBakken). Its operations are conducted through its HBU, as well as its technology subsidiary, Archon Technologies Ltd. The HBU operates its heavy oil projects using Petrobank�� THAI heavy oil recovery process in the field. In addition, Petrobank owns 59% of its subsidiary, PetroBakken. Whitesands Insitu Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, owns heavy oil leases in Alberta and oil sands and heavy oil licenses and leases in Saskatchewan, and operates the Kerrobert Project. During the year ended December 31, 2011, Petrobank completed the Kerrobert Project, with all 10 expansion well pairs drilled. On February 28, 2012, Petrobank completed the sale of May River Property. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Dube]

  Peace River's most notable producers:

  PennWest Exploration (PWE), see article here.Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A), see article here.Baytex (BTE), see article here.Strata Oil and Gas (SOIGF.PK), see article here.Petrobank Energy & Resources (PBEGF.PK), see article here.

  Cold Lake's most notable producers:

Top 10 Prefered Companies To Buy For 2014: Huron Consulting Group Inc.(HURN)

Huron Consulting Group Inc. provides operational and financial consulting services in the United States. Its Health and Education Consulting segment develops and implements solutions to help clients address financial management, strategy, operational and organizational effectiveness, research administration, and regulatory compliance; and offers consulting services related to organization performance improvement, revenue cycle improvement, turnarounds, merger or affiliation strategies, labor productivity, non-labor cost management, information technology, patient flow improvement, physician practice management, interim management, clinical quality and medical management, and governance and board development to hospitals, health systems, physicians, managed care organizations, academic medical centers, colleges, universities, and pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers. The company?s Legal Consulting segment provides strategic and management consulting, cost managem ent, and technology and information management, including matter management, records, document review, and discovery services to assist law departments and law firms. This segment also offers V3locity solution, which delivers streamlined e-discovery process; and IMPACT solution that delivers sustainable cost reductions. Its Financial Consulting segment assists corporations with accounting and financial reporting matters, and provides financial analysis in restructuring and turnaround situations, as well as consults with companies in the areas of corporate governance, Sarbanes Oxley compliance, and internal audit. Huron Consulting Group Inc. serves various industries, including healthcare, education, professional services, pharmaceutical, technology, transportation services, telecommunications, financial services, electronics, consumer products, governmental, energy and utilities, and industrial manufacturing. The company was founded in 2002 and is headquartered in Chicago, I llinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Benjamin Shepherd] The US health care industry is among the heaviest regulated in the nation. Most health care-related companies must answer to federal, state and, in many cases, local regulators.
  
  That regulatory burden will only grow more complex, as myriad new rules under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or “Obamacare,” come into effect over the next few months. In just 22 days, the first insurance exchanges are supposed to come online. On January 1, the individual mandate and changes in coverage standards become effective.
  
  Many health care businesses and organizations were dragging their feet in complying with Obamacare’s provisions, waiting to see how the Supreme Court would come down on the law. The court didn’t rule on Obamacare until June 2012, a decision in which it upheld the law almost in its entirety.
  
  Given that delayed decision, a study conducted by the Government Accountability Office this past June found that only 44 percent of key activities required for full compliance had been completed, particularly where health insurance exchanges were concerned.
  
  As a result, there’s a massive scramble underway to achieve minimum compliance levels with the law. But there’s a paucity of workers with the requisite knowledge of federal and insurance regulations required to help companies and state governments navigate the labyrinth of regulations.
  
  That’s creating a lot of work for consultancies such as Huron Consulting Group (NSDQ: HURN), which focuses almost exclusively on the health care sector.
  
  While the company also works in the legal, financial, education and life sciences arenas, it primarily helps hospitals, health systems and physician groups reduce costs, maximize reimbursements from both federal and private insurers and transition towards the value-based care mandated under Obamacare. In future years, reimbursements will transition towards rewarding health care organizations tha

Top 10 Prefered Companies To Buy For 2014: CEPHEID(CPHD)

Cepheid, a molecular diagnostics company, engages in developing, manufacturing, and marketing integrated systems for testing in the clinical market, as well as for application in legacy biothreat, industrial, and partner markets. Its systems enable molecular testing for organisms and genetic-based diseases by automation. The company offers GeneXpert system that integrates sample preparation in addition to DNA amplification and detection; and SmartCycler system, which integrates DNA amplification and detection to allow rapid analysis of a sample. The GeneXpert system is designed for reference laboratories, hospital central laboratories, and satellite testing locations, such as emergency departments and intensive care units within hospitals and doctors? offices. Cepheid also provides GeneXpert Infinity System for high volume testing. The company offers tests for the GeneXpert and the SmartCycler systems in the areas of healthcare associated infections, critical infectious d isease, genetics, women?s health, and oncology. These tests include U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared products, CE marked products, analyte specific reagents, and research use only tests in the clinical market. In the industrial market, it sells its SmartCycler system along with general use polymerase chain reaction reagents and reaction tubes. Cepheid sells its products its direct sales force and through third-party distributors worldwide. It has collaboration agreements with Novartis, Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, Life Technologies Corporation, and Northrop Grumman Corporation. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sean Williams]

  What: Shares of Cepheid (NASDAQ: CPHD  ) , a developer of molecular diagnostic tests for both clinical and non-clinical markets, plunged as much as 11% after the company reported its second-quarter earnings results following the closing bell last night.

Top 10 Prefered Companies To Buy For 2014: Sharp Corp (SRP)

Sharp Corporation is a Japan-based company mainly engaged in the manufacture and sale of electric telecommunication, electric and electronic equipment. The Company operates in two business segments. The Electronics Equipment segment offers audio and video (AV) and communication products, including liquid crystal color televisions, projectors and various telephones; health and environmental equipment, including refrigerators, microwaves and air conditioners, as well as information equipment, such as handy terminal equipment, electronic registers, information displays and copy machines. The Electronic Component segment provides liquid related products such as liquid crystal display modules, solar cells, as well as other electronic devices, such as parts for satellite broadcasting, regulators and optical sensors. The Company withdrawed from solar battery production in United Kingdom by end of Feb. 2014. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

  Vivendi SA climbed 2.7 percent after posting better-than-estimated third-quarter profit and saying it plans to spin off its French phone carrier SFR by July 2014. Serco Group Plc (SRP) increased 1.7 percent as UBS AG upgraded the stock. Safran SA (SAF) lost 3.2 percent as its largest shareholder sold a stake.

Top 10 Prefered Companies To Buy For 2014: JAKKS Pacific Inc.(JAKK)

JAKKS Pacific, Inc. designs, produces, markets, and distributes toys and consumer products worldwide. The company offers traditional toys and electronics, such as action figures and accessories, including licensed characters under Pokemon name; toy vehicles and accessories under Road Champs, Fly Wheels, and MXS names; electronics products under EyeClops Bionic Eye, Laser Challenge, and Plug It In & Play TV Games names; dolls and accessories, including small and large dolls, fashion dolls, and baby dolls under Disney Princess, Disney Fairies, Cabbage Patch Kids, Taylor Swift, Fancy Nancy, Hello Kitty, Graco, and Fisher Price names; private label products; pet products, including toys, consumables, and accessories under American Kennel Club and The Cat Fanciers? Association; and vehicles, play sets, plush products, construction toys, and infant and pre-school toys. It also offers role play, novelty, and seasonal toys, including food play and activity kits under Girl Gourmet, Creepy Crawlers, and BloPens names; role-play, dress-up, pretend play, and novelty products for boys and girls under Black & Decker, McDonald?s, Dirt Devil, Disney Princess, Disney Fairies, Barbie, and Dora the Explorer names; indoor and outdoor kids? furniture, activity trays, tables and room d Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chandan Dubey]

  Background: Jakks Pacific (JAKK) is a company which I started following after it was suggested as a special situation by Adib Motiwala [gurufocus]. Oaktree Capital approached Jakks with an interest to acquire it at $20 a share. The company was trading at around $15 at that time. In September 2011, Oaktree went public with the offer but Jakks management adopted poison pill in an attempt to rebuff the plan [bloomberg]. The company now trades at $5 and change. The question is, is it cheap enough to buy?

Top 10 Prefered Companies To Buy For 2014: Solitario Exploration & Royalty Corp (XPL)

Solitario Exploration & Royalty Corp. is an exploration company. The Company is a gold producer with its development-stage Mt.Hamilton gold project in Nevada. The Company has a portfolio of royalty structured joint ventures on advanced mineral projects with partners, such as Votorantim Metais, Anglo Platinum and Newmont Mining. The Company�� advanced projects include Mt. Hamilton: gold project, the United States, Bongara: zinc-lead-silver, Peru, and Pedra Branca: platinum-palladium, Brazil. Its gold-silver exploration projects include Pachuca Real: silver-gold, Mexico and Cerro Azul: Gold-Silver, Peru. The Company�� base metal and polymetallic exploration projects include Chambara: zinc-lead-silver, Peru and La Promesa: silver-zinc-lead-indium, Peru. In December 2013, Solitario Exploration & Royalty Corp raised its interest to 23.537% from 3.233%, by acquiring a 20.304% stake in Ely Gold & Minerals Inc. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Wolfe]

  Solitario Exploration & Royalty (XPL)

  Several insiders made significant buys this week as the company�� share price continues to dwindle beneath its all-time lows. Most notably, President and CEO Christopher Herald bought 400,000 shares. He purchased these shares at $0.84 per share for a total transaction amount of $336,000. Since this buy, the share price has increased approximately 11.9%.