Best Bank Companies To Own In Right Now

Washington Post columnist Neil Irwin stopped by to discuss his book,�The Alchemists: Three Central Bankers and a World on Fire.�It's a great read on the history of central banks, including how they responded to the financial crisis and the challenges they face in the future.

In this video segment Neil takes questions on the real cause of unemployment, and the need to balance today's news with a longer view on economic developments.�A full transcript follows the video.

Audience Member: Speaking of the (unclear), and of course one of those is the unemployment rate. The Fed's put out a target of like 6.5 or 7%?

I'm wondering if, though, it's the (unclear) of the main rate. I'm essentially finding that, at least up in Fresno, in the sense that we have a situation in the U.S. where getting to 7.5% unemployment is actually almost (unclear). It's still a high number, but you essentially have a large block of the population that doesn't have the skills or (unclear) to actually take a lot of these jobs that are available.

Best Bank Companies To Own In Right Now: Towne Bank(TOWN)

TowneBank, through its subsidiaries, provides retail and commercial banking products and services in the Greater Hampton Roads region in southeastern Virginia. The company operates in three segments: Banking, Realty, and Insurance. The Banking segment provides various deposits products, including checking accounts, demand deposits, negotiable order of withdrawal accounts, savings accounts, money rate savings, certificates of deposit, and individual retirement accounts; personal loans, including secured and unsecured loans for financing automobiles, home improvements, education, and personal investments; commercial loans comprising secured and unsecured loans for working capital, business expansion, and equipment and machinery purchases; and fixed- and floating-rate mortgage loans, as well as real estate construction and acquisition loans. This segment also provides safe deposit boxes, cash management services, travelers? checks, direct deposit of payroll and social securi ty checks, and automatic drafts for various accounts, as well as Internet and on-call banking services. In addition, it offers documentation to accomplish tax deferral to investors; and financial, retirement, and estate planning services, as well as assistance on various investment options, including alternative investments, annuities, margin accounts, convertible bonds, and pension and profit sharing plans. The Realty segment provides residential real estate, resort property management, and commercial residential title insurance services, as well as originates mortgage loans. The Insurance segment provides life, property, casualty, and vehicle insurance services; travel, medical, and baggage protection insurance for travelers; and employee benefit programs, including medical, dental, vision, and disability insurance, as well as serves as an administrator for health care and dependent care flexible benefit plans. The company was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Portsm outh, Virginia.

Best Bank Companies To Own In Right Now: AMN Healthcare Services Inc(AHS)

AMN Healthcare Services, Inc. provides healthcare staffing and clinical workforce management solutions in the United States. The company?s Nurse and Allied Healthcare Staffing segment provides staffing solutions for hospitals and other healthcare facilities, including medical, surgical, specialty, licensed practical or vocational, and advanced practice nurses, as well as surgical technologists and dialysis technicians. This segment also offers allied health professionals under the Med Travelers, Club Staffing, and Rx Pro Health brand names to acute-care hospitals and other healthcare facilities, such as skilled nursing facilities, rehabilitation clinics, and retail and mail-order pharmacies. These allied health professionals include physical, surgical, respiratory, and occupational therapists, as well as medical and radiology technologists, speech pathologists, rehabilitation assistants, pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians. Its Locum Tenens Staffing segment places physic ians of various specialties, certified registered nurse anesthetists, nurse practitioners, and dentists on a temporary basis as independent contractors with various healthcare organizations, including hospitals, medical groups, occupational medical clinics, individual practitioners, networks, psychiatric facilities, government institutions, and managed care entities. The company?s Physician Permanent Placement Services segment provides permanent physician placement services to hospitals, healthcare facilities, and physician practice groups under the Merritt Hawkins and Kendall & Davis brand names. This segment also offers specialty offerings, including internal medicines, family practices, and surgeries. Its Home Healthcare Services segment provide home healthcare services to individuals with acute-care illness, long-term chronic health conditions, permanent disabilities, terminal illnesses, and post-procedural needs. The company was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in S an Diego, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dennis Slothower]

  AMN Healthcare Services, Inc. is a provider of healthcare staffing and management services. Its EPS forecast for the current year is 0.17 and next year is 0.4. According to consensus estimates, its topline is expected to grow 31.57% current year and 8.02% next year. It is trading at a forward P/E of 21.78. Out of eight analysts covering the company, two are positive and have buy recommendations, one has a sell rating and five have hold ratings.

5 Best International Stocks For 2014: Kingspan Group(KGP.L)

Kingspan Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides energy building solutions for the construction industry. The company designs and manufactures insulated panels, rigid insulation boards, architectural facades, raised access floors, engineered timber systems, solar thermal hot water systems, and fuel and water storage solutions. Its products and solutions include insulated roof, architectural wall, and facade systems for designers and architects; insulation products comprising insulation boards for roofs, walls, and floors, as well as insulation products for HVAC ductwork for use in the construction and related industries; and structural systems, such as cladding support purlins and rails, and composite floor decking for buildings. The company also offers solar and renewable technologies, including solar thermal hot water package solutions, solar cooling solutions, solar photovoltaic systems, and air source heat pumps for new or existing building integration; and various insulated and air tight building fabric systems for the private and public sector. In addition, it provides waste and surface water management, and conservation solutions for sustainable drainage, rainwater harvesting, and off-mains effluent treatment systems, including pollution prevention, pumping, and drainage solutions; environmental containers; and telemetry and management systems. Kingspan Group plc serves the distribution, logistics and manufacturing; temperature controlled; retail; commercial office; education; healthcare; hotel, motel, and leisure; government and public buildings; communications; private and affordable housing and apartments; student accommodation; self-build housing; and refurbishment sectors. It has operations in the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom, and rest of Europe; the Americas; and internationally. The company is headquartered in Kingscourt, Ireland.