Hot Cheap Companies For 2014

Asian stocks outside Japan rose as Chinese property developers and resources companies climbed. Japanese shares fell after economic growth in the world�� third-largest economy slowed more than forecast.

Raw-materials suppliers paced gains on the regional equities index. BHP Billiton Ltd. (BHP), the world�� biggest miner, jumped 2.4 percent in Sydney. China Resources Land Ltd., the second-largest mainland developer traded in Hong Kong, rose 2.3 percent amid speculation the government will relax a ban on companies raising funds through share sales. Bridgestone Corp. (5108), Japan�� No. 1 tiremaker, advanced 2.8 percent after raising its full-year profit forecast.

The MSCI Asia Pacific excluding Japan Index advanced 0.8 percent to 443.98 as of 6:30 p.m. in Tokyo. Eight out of 10 groups on the gauge rose, with more than two stocks climbing for each that dropped. China�� Shanghai Composite Index (SHCOMP), now with the cheapest valuation of the world�� top 10 stock markets, added 2.4 percent to close at its highest since June 19.

Hot Cheap Companies For 2014: Cloud Peak Energy Inc(CLD)

Cloud Peak Energy Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in coal mining operations in the Powder River Basin of the United States. It produces sub-bituminous steam coal with low sulfur content for electric utilities and industrial customers. The company owns and operates Antelope surface coal mine located to the south of Gillette, Wyoming; the Cordero Rojo surface coal mine located to the south of Gillette, Wyoming; and the Spring Creek surface coal mine located in Montana. It also owns a 50% interest in the Decker surface coal mine located in Montana. As of December 31, 2010, it had approximately 970 million tons of proven and probable reserves. The company was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Gillette, Wyoming.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Cloud Peak Energy (CLD) has gained 3.1% to %15.03 after it was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Stifel.

  Novatris (NVS) has dropped 1.2% to $74.48 after it was downgraded to Neutral from Overweight at JP Morgan.

Hot Cheap Companies For 2014: Wendy's/Arby's Group Inc.(WEN)

The Wendy's Company operates as a quick-service hamburger company in the United States. The company, through its subsidiary, Wendy's International, Inc., operates as a franchisor of the Wendy's restaurant system. As of December 26, 2011, the Wendy's system comprised approximately 6,500 franchise and company restaurants in the United States and the United States territories, as well as in 26 other countries worldwide. The company was formerly known as Wendy's/Arby's Group, Inc. and changed its name to The Wendy's Company in July 2011. The Wendy's Company was founded in 1884 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ohio.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jim Jubak, Senior Markets Editor, MoneyShow.com]

  It's hard for any company to raise prices in the current non-inflationary environment. But it's especially hard right now for operators of fast food restaurants, given the intense price competition in a very crowded marketplace. McDonald's sales growth in recent quarters has been driven by the success of its Dollar Menu, so raising prices in that segment are a big deal for the company. In addition, pushback from franchisees who say they can't afford to refurbish their stores, given higher charges from McDonald's hits at one of McDonald's key advantages in its market—it's ability to refresh stores more frequently than competitors. A McDonald's refresh at $600,000 on average, according to the company, costs substantially more than a remodel at Burger King (BKW) at $300,000 or Wendy's (WEN) at $375,000 for the least expensive version. McDonald's restaurants average $2.5 million in annual sales.

• [By Michael Flannelly]

  KeyBanc analysts upgraded fast food restaurant operator The Wendy’s Co (WEN) on Friday, noting that the company has a number of positive developments that could provide a floor for the stock.

  The analysts upgraded WEN from “Underweight” to “Hold.”

  KeyBanc analyst Christopher O’Cull said, “We are raising our rating for The Wendy’s Company to HOLD as we believe: 1) Wendy’s SRS performance will diverge from the industry for the foreseeable future as new products are supported by more effective use of marketing dollars; 2) better menu and promotional management will lead to improved franchisee profitability (a focus of the new CFO Todd Penegor); and 3) the opportunity to extend the re-franchising program will provide a floor on the stock.”

  Wendy’s shares were up 7 cents, or 0.81%, during pre-market trading on Friday. The stock is up 57.01% year-to-date.

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Wendy's (Nasdaq: WEN  ) reported earnings on July 23. Here are the numbers you need to know.

  The 10-second takeaway
  For the quarter ended June 30 (Q2), Wendy's met expectations on revenues and beat expectations on earnings per share.

10 Best Small Cap Stocks To Buy Right Now: LifePoint Hospitals Inc.(LPNT)

LifePoint Hospitals Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates general acute care hospitals in non-urban communities in the United States. The company?s hospitals provide a range of medical and surgical services comprising general surgery, internal medicine, obstetrics, emergency room care, radiology, oncology, diagnostic care, coronary care, rehabilitation services, and pediatric services, as well as specialized services, such as open-heart surgery, skilled nursing, psychiatric care, and neuro-surgery. Its hospitals also offer outpatient services, including one-day surgery, laboratory, x-ray, respiratory therapy, imaging, sports medicine, and lithotripsy. As of December 31, 2009, LifePoint Hospitals owned or leased 47 hospitals with a total of 5,552 licensed beds in 17 states. The company was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee. Lifepoint Hospitals Inc. (NasdaqNM:LPNT) operates independently of HCA Inc. as of May 11, 1999.

Hot Cheap Companies 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 Matt Thalman]

  Lastly, shares of Travelers (NYSE: TRV  ) are trading lower by 0.54% this morning after rising 0.83% yesterday. My Foolish colleague Dan Caplinger commented on yesterday's rise by saying that although the wild fires continue to burn out West, rising bond yields will help the company earn more from its investment portfolio. While I agree with Dan, I also feel that investors, rightfully so, just aren't sure what to do with Travelers at this time. Yes, the company will likely make more money in the future months, but with the recent wildfires and what is being predicted as a very bad hurricane season, the company may also be paying out more in claims than it traditionally does. Year-to-date, Travelers is up 12.31%, while the Dow has risen 14.7%, so the company hasn't been a great investment in 2013. I would predict that it will remain an underperformer and rather volatile for the remainder of the year because of the uncertainty with interest rates and the predicted poor weather forecasts.

• [By Anders Bylund]

  The first thing you'll notice here is that the widest cash margins don't always go hand in hand with strong earnings performances. Travelers (NYSE: TRV  ) and GE (NYSE: GE  ) both rank in the bottom half if you rank the Dow by net income margins, and the situation isn't much improved by switching to operating profits or EBIT income margins. Both companies operate much like big banks, which goes a long way toward explaining the spread between their cash flows and net margins.

Hot Cheap Companies For 2014: TranSwitch Corporation(TXCC)

Transwitch Corporation designs, develops, and supplies semiconductor and intellectual property solutions for voice, data, and video communications equipment. The company provides integrated multi-core network processor system-on-a-chip (SoC) and software solutions for fixed, 3G and 4G mobile, VoIP, and multimedia infrastructures. It offers converged network infrastructure products, including infrastructure VoIP processors comprising Entropia series of processors for wire-line and wireless carrier equipment; EoS/EoPDH mappers and framers for formats and data speeds in the access portion of the network; tributary switches that enable traffic to be switched or re-arranged; and carrier Ethernet solutions consisting of Ethernet controllers and switches, as well as circuit emulation and clock recovery devices. The company also provides FTTx protocol processors, such as mustang, a system-on-chip solution for EPON optical network unit equipment; COLT processor, a system-on-chip so lution for the optical line terminator equipment; and Diplomat-ONT product, an integrated SoC solution for GPON ONU applications, as well as access VoIP processors and access controllers. In addition, it offers broadband customer premises equipment, including multi-service communications processors comprising Atlanta processor, a multi-service SoC for customer premises equipment that supports toll-quality telephone voice, fax, and routing functionality; and HDMI, displayport, HDP, and Ethernet IP cores for consumer electronics, home network equipment, and industrial and automotive applications. The company serves public network systems OEMs, WAN and LAN equipment OEMs, Internet-oriented OEMs, and communications test and performance measurement equipment OEMs, as well as government, university, and private laboratories. It sells its products through direct sales force, independent distributors, and sales representatives. The company was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Shelton, Connecticut.

Hot Cheap Companies For 2014: Majesco Entertainment Company(COOL)

Majesco Entertainment Company develops and markets video game products primarily for family oriented mass-market consumers. The company publishes video games for various interactive entertainment hardware platforms, including Nintendo?s DS, DSi, and Wii; Sony?s PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable; Microsoft?s Xbox 360; and personal computers. It also publishes games for various digital platforms consisting of mobile platforms comprising iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch, as well as online platforms, including Facebook. The company sells its products primarily to retail chains, specialty retail stores, video game rental outlets, and distributors. The company was founded in 1998 and is based in Edison, New Jersey.

Hot Cheap Companies For 2014: Alliance Holdings GP L.P.(AHGP)

Alliance Holdings GP, L.P., through its subsidiaries, produces and markets coal primarily to utilities and industrial users in the United States. It produces a range of steam coal with varying sulfur and heat contents. The company operates nine underground mining complexes in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, and West Virginia. As of December 31, 2010, it had approximately 697.4 million tons of proven and probable coal reserves in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. In addition, the company leases land; and operates a coal loading terminal, with a capacity of 8.0 million tons with ground storage of approximately 60,000 to 70,000 tons, on the Ohio River at Mt. Vernon, Indiana. Further, it engages in purchasing and selling coal; and providing services, including ash and scrubber sludge removal, coal yard maintenance, and arranging alternate transportation services. Alliance GP, LLC, serves as the general partner of the company. Allian ce Holdings GP, L.P. is based in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Hot Cheap Companies For 2014: CVS Corporation(CVS)

CVS Caremark Corporation operates as a pharmacy services company in the United States. The company?s Pharmacy Services segment provides a range of pharmacy benefit management services, including mail order pharmacy services, specialty pharmacy services, plan design and administration, formulary management, and claims processing; and drug benefits to eligible beneficiaries under the Federal Government?s Medicare Part D program. This segment primarily serves employers, insurance companies, unions, government employee groups, managed care organizations and other sponsors of health benefit plans, and individuals. As of December 31, 2010, it operated 44 retail specialty pharmacy stores, 18 specialty mail order pharmacies, and 4 mail service pharmacies located in 25 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. This segment operates business under the CVS Caremark Pharmacy Services, Caremark, CVS Caremark, CarePlus CVS/pharmacy, CarePlus, RxAmerica, Accordant, and TheraCom names. The company?s Retail Pharmacy segment sells prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, beauty products and cosmetics, seasonal merchandise, greeting cards, and convenience foods through its pharmacy retail stores and online, as well as offers film and photo finishing, and health care services. This segment operated 7,182 retail drugstores located in 41 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia; and 560 retail health care clinics in 26 states and the District of Columbia under the MinuteClinic name. It has a strategic alliance with Alere, L.L.C. for the management of disease management program offerings that cover chronic diseases, such as asthma, diabetes, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease. CVS Caremark Corporation was founded in 1892 and is based in Woonsocket, Rhode Island.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WALLSTCHEATSHEET.COM]

  CVS has been a steady performer through the years. It�� also a company that takes care of its shareholders and has a strong history of beating earnings. These trends are likely to remain in place over the long haul. As far as CVS vs. Walgreen, Walgreen has outperformed CVS by a wide margin on an all-time basis. However, in recent years, the stocks have delivered similar performances. Therefore, it�� a wash.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Pharmacy chain and prescription benefits manager�CVS Caremark (NYSE: CVS  ) announced yesterday its third-quarter dividend of $0.225 per share, the same rate it's paid for the past two quarters after raising the payout 38% from $0.1625 per share.

• [By Keith Speights]

  Walgreen easily outperformed both�CVS Caremark� (NYSE: CVS  ) �and�Wal-Mart� (NYSE: WMT  ) . However,�Rite Aid� (NYSE: RAD  ) �blew all of the competitors away in terms of share performance after turning the corner on profitability in the fourth quarter of 2012.�� �