Top 10 Logistics Stocks To Own For 2014

The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified [link opens in PDF] Congress Wednesday of a planned "foreign military sale" of logistics support, equipment, parts, and training to an international consortium of NATO allies. According to DSCA, the value of the contract, if it is permitted to proceed, could reach $300 million. Boeing (NYSE: BA  ) would perform it.

DSCA coordinates military sales contracts between the U.S. and its allies and must get Congress' OK on such sales before they can proceed.

The consortium in question was not detailed in DSCA's notification to Congress, but was said to include allies in NATO and also Sweden and Finland. This consortium is seeking support under the NATO Airlift Management Program, which maintains and operates NATO-owned C-17s in support of NATO missions.

Top 10 Logistics Stocks To Own For 2014: Buderim Ginger Ltd (BUG.AX)

Buderim Ginger Limited primarily engages in the manufacture and marketing of confectionery ginger and other ginger-based products to industrial, food service, and retail customers worldwide. Its products include naked ginger, baby stem ginger syrup, crystallized syrup, ginger beers, ginger refreshers, chews, gingerbons, cordials, ginger spreads, naked ginger seconds, original ginger marmalades, OsteoSoothe and QueaseEase capsules, sweet chilli and ginger sauces, and whipped ginger. The company is also involved in the processing and marketing of macadamias to wholesale and retail customers worldwide; and manufacture and marketing of frozen bakery products to food service and retail customers in Australia. In addition, it engages in tourism operations that cover the sale of ginger and other retail gift and food products, and the provision of leisure activities within the Australian tourism market. Buderim Ginger Limited was founded in 1941 and is headquartered in Yandina, Au stralia.

Top 10 Logistics Stocks To Own For 2014: Vodafone Group(VOD.L)

Vodafone Group Public Limited Company provides mobile telecommunication services worldwide. It offers mobile voice services to approximately 370 million customers; messaging services; mobile data services; fixed broadband services to approximately 6 million customers; and whole sale carrier services to approximately 40 African countries. The company also provides business managed services, such as secure remote network access services, as well as operates and sells mobile virtual network access. In addition, it supplies smartphones and tablets; designs, manufactures, and sells handsets under the Vodafone brand; and supplies connected smart devices, such as 4G/LTE mobile broadband stick, and Vodafone WebBox that enables customer to connect to the Internet through television sets. The company directly owns and manages approximately 2,200 stores, as well as has approximately 10,300 Vodafone-branded stores operated through franchises and dealer arrangements. It also offers its products and services through third party services providers, independent dealers, distributors, and retailers, as well as through Internet. Vodafone Group Plc was founded in 1984 and is based in Newbury, the United Kingdom.

Top Food Companies To Invest In 2014: Enbridge Inc Com Npv (ENB.TO)

Enbridge Inc. transports and distributes crude oil and natural gas primarily in North America. It operates crude oil and liquids transportation system comprising approximately 24,738 kilometers of crude pipeline. The company also engages in natural gas gathering, transmission, and midstream businesses, as well as power transmission; and provides liquids and natural gas contract storage services. In addition, it owns and operates natural gas distribution pipelines; provides distribution services in Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick in Canada, as well as in New York State; and operates offshore pipelines comprising approximately 2,400 kilometers that transport offshore deepwater natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico. Further, Enbridge Inc. holds interests in a portfolio of renewable energy projects comprising 8 wind farms with 1,017 megawatts (MW) capacity, 4 solar energy operations consisting of 150 MW capacity, and a geothermal project with 23 MW capacity. The comp any was formerly known as IPL Energy Inc. and changed its name to Enbridge Inc. in October 1998. Enbridge Inc. was founded in 1949 and is based in Calgary, Canada.

Top 10 Logistics Stocks To Own For 2014: Heartland Financial USA Inc. (HTLF)

Heartland Financial USA, Inc., through its bank subsidiaries, provides commercial and retail banking services to businesses and individuals. Its deposit products include checking and other demand deposit, negotiable order of withdrawal, savings, money market, individual retirement, and health savings accounts, as well as certificates of deposit and other time deposits. The company�s loan products portfolio comprises commercial and industrial, agricultural, real estate mortgage, consumer, and home equity loans, as well as lines of credit. It also offers ancillary services, including trust and wealth management services, investment services, insurance services, and electronic banking services, as well as provides client access to account information through business and personal online banking, bill payment, remote deposit capture, treasury management services, VISA debit cards ,and automated teller machines. The company�s investment services include mutual funds, annuitie s, retirement products, education savings products, brokerage services, employer sponsored plans, and insurance products, including vehicle, property and casualty, and life and disability insurance. In addition, Heartland Financial, through its non-bank subsidiary, Citizens Finance Co., engages in consumer finance business. The company has a strategic alliance with LPL Financial Institution Services to operate independent securities offices at its bank subsidiaries. As of May 4, 2012, it had 61 banking locations in 42 communities in Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, New Mexico, Arizona, Montana, Colorado, and Minnesota; and mortgage loan production offices in California, Nevada, Texas, Wyoming, and Idaho. The company was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Dubuque, Iowa.

Top 10 Logistics Stocks To Own For 2014: American Learning Corporation(ALRN)

American Learning Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides various services to children with developmental delays and disabilities in New York. The company provides early intervention program services to children from birth through two years of age; preschool program services to children from three to five years of age; and school staffing services to school age children in individual or group settings. It offers its services in home environments or in centers, such as day care or schools. The company was formerly known as American Claims Evaluation, Inc. and changed its name to American Learning Corporation in March 2010. American Learning Corporation was founded in 1981 and is based in Jericho, New York.

Top 10 Logistics Stocks To Own For 2014: The Travelers Companies Inc.(TRV)

The Travelers Companies, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides various commercial and personal property and casualty insurance products and services to businesses, government units, associations, and individuals primarily in the United States. The company operates in three segments: Business Insurance; Financial, Professional, and International Insurance; and Personal Insurance. The Business Insurance segment offers property and casualty products and services, such as commercial multi-peril, property, general liability, commercial auto, and workers? compensation insurance. It operates in six groups: Select Accounts, which serves small businesses; Commercial Accounts that serves mid-sized businesses; National Accounts, which serves large companies; Industry-Focused Underwriting that serves targeted industries; Target Risk Underwriting, which serves commercial businesses requiring specialized product underwriting, claims handling, and risk management services; and Special ized Distribution that offers products to customers through licensed wholesale, general, and program agents. The Financial, Professional, and International Insurance segment provides surety and financial liability coverage, which uses a credit-based underwriting process; and property and casualty products primarily in the United States., the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Canada. The Personal Insurance segment offers property and casualty insurance covering personal risks, primarily automobile and homeowners insurance to individuals. It distributes its products through independent agents, sponsoring organizations, joint marketing arrangements with other insurers, and direct marketing. The company was founded in 1853 and is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Vodicka]

  Shares are trading around $51.50 at the time of writing, as against their 52-week trading range of $45.97 to $64.17. At the current market price, the company is capitalized at $21.64 billion. Earnings per share for the last year were $5.29, placing the shares on a price to earnings ratio of 9.77. It paid a dividend of $1.64 (a yield of 3.20%).

  Still in the memory is the financial crisis of 2008, and the mess that insurance companies like AIG managed to get themselves into. Travelers avoided that, but investors are fickle creatures and sometimes look at the short term rather than the long term. Travelers are well managed with good prospects going forward. Operating margins of nearly 13% hold well against rivals Hartford Financial Services Group (HIG) at around 10% and W.R. Berkley Corporation (WRB) at a shade under 14%. Good management should keep gross margins healthy (currently 26.5% versus Hartford’s 30% and W.R. Berkely’s 18%), and the company’s ongoing policy of share repurchases and dividend payout should continue to add value to shareholders. A good buy.

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  The Travelers Companies Inc. (NYSE: TRV) is expected to rise by only 7.6% to $77.26 in 2013. That would represent a 52-week high but this one also has a yield of 2.6%. We would note that the street high target is actually all the way up at $87.00 and shares are currently very close to all-time highs. This insurance provider and financial services giant is not tied into healthcare so it has been immune to some of the ongoing risks. Travelers held up rather well in the recession but many investors do not even know it i one of the 30 DJIA components.
  

Top 10 Logistics Stocks To Own 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 10 Logistics Stocks To Own For 2014: Kohl's Corporation(KSS)

Kohl?s Corporation operates department stores in the United States. The company?s stores offer private and exclusive, as well as national branded apparel, footwear, and accessories for women, men, and children; soft home products, such as sheets and pillows; and housewares primarily to middle-income customers. As of January 29, 2011, it operated 1,089 stores in 49 states. The company also offers on-line shopping on its Web site at Kohls.com. Kohl?s Corporation was founded in 1962 and is headquartered in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Kevin1977]  

  Kohl’s Corporation operates department stores in the United States. KSS recently traded at $45.1 and has a 2.2% dividend yield. KSS lost 1.7% during the past 12 months. The stock has a market cap of $12.7 billion, P/E ratio of 11.3 and forward P/E ratio of 8.9. The stock has total debt/equity ratio of 0.24 and Beta of 0.93.

• [By Dug]

  With its value-priced merchandise, private label, and brand-name goods, Kohl's is part department store and part discounter. "It's not quite as high-end as Macy's, or as low as Wal-Mart," says Resendes. The near-term outlook for retailers is gloomy, but Kohl's should be in a good position when the economy rebounds, he says. "A lot of consumers have migrated to Wal-Mart in terms of price, but they'll migrate back up, and a natural first stop is going to be Kohl's." Another plus: Kohl's doesn't offer store credit cards, "so defaults aren't hanging over its head," says Resendes. "That will be a great strength when we exit this economic turmoil." He sees a 25 percent upside to the company's shares, which recently traded at $38.

Top 10 Logistics Stocks To Own For 2014: Thorntons(THT.L)

Thorntons PLC engages in the manufacture, retail, and distribution of confectionery and other sweet foods in the United Kingdom. It offers milk, white, dark, mint, and hot chocolates; and chocolate truffles, special toffees, fudges, sweets, and wines and champagnes, as well as greeting cards, wedding and party products, corporate gifts, flowers, and hampers and gift boxes. The company offers its products through its own stores and franchisees, as well as through online. It operates approximately 364 stores and cafes, as well as 227 franchised stores. The company, through its subsidiaries, is also involved in property investment and retail trading activities. Thorntons PLC was founded in 1911 and is based in Alfreton, the United Kingdom.

Top 10 Logistics Stocks To Own For 2014: qinetiq group ord gbp0(QQ.L)

QinetiQ Group plc provides technical support, training, test and evaluation, and know-how to customers in the defense, aerospace, and security markets primarily in the United Kingdom and North America. The company offers various services, such as test and evaluation of land, sea, and air equipment; technical and information services; electro-magnetic compatibility and environmental testing; network engineering and communications solutions; cyber operations; software solutions; systems engineering; facility management and range design; military, aviation, and cyber and software training; and aerospace engineering that include design, simulate, instrument, embody, and evaluate aircraft and equipment. Its products include OptaSense to gather information from linear assets; Zephyr, an unmanned air vehicle to support payloads for surveillance or communications; X-Net, a vehicle arresting system to bring vehicles to a safe non-lethal stop; Q-Net to protect tactical and lightly a rmored vehicles from rocket-propelled grenades. The company also provides military robotics comprising Dragon Runner, a small unmanned ground vehicle (UGV); Dragon Runner 10, a micro UGV; Rascal, a sensor-carrying small ground robot; TALON, a man-portable robot; MAARS, a modular ground robot system; and Rangemaster for operations running on diesel engine. QinetiQ Group plc is based in Farnborough, the United Kingdom.