Best Sliver Stocks To Buy For 2014

Imagine that your dishwasher was like an obnoxious Facebook friend, and constantly told you about every detail of its day with a never-ending stream of status updates. Sounds dull, but a dishwasher obsessed with telling you how it was doing could actually let you know when it needed maintenance before it broke down, as well as how to fix it, saving you valuable time and money. In a nutshell, that's how General Electric (NYSE: GE  ) plans to boost global GDP by $10 trillion-$15 trillion over the next 20 years. It's called the Industrial Internet, and on Wednesday GE doubled down on the initiative, announcing new partners and new products in its bid to create a global network of smart, responsive machines.

The idea behind the so-called Industrial Internet is simple: The more data we have about our machines, the more efficiently we can use them. General Electric, with products in fields as diverse as aviation, wind energy, rail transportation, medical diagnostics, and oil and gas production, has estimated that inefficiencies in the way industrial machines are used cost hundreds of billions of dollars a year. The culprit behind these losses is primarily unpredictable maintenance: Because machine operators don't know exactly when a system will break down, they have to waste time inspecting systems that are perfectly healthy, and they have to waste time repairing broken systems that could have been kept in working order through more timely maintenance. GE envisions a world in which all machines are outfitted with sensors so that they know when they need maintenance, and have the networked communication capabilities to tell their owners what's wrong and how to fix it. With perfect data about our machines, there's no reason they shouldn't operate at perfect efficiency.�

Top Dividend Stocks To Watch For 2015: NuStar GP Holdings LLC (NSH)

NuStar GP Holdings, LLC (NuStar GP Holdings), incorporated on June 06, 2000, conducts operations through its indirect ownership interests in NuStar Energy L.P. (NuStar Energy). NuStar Energy is engaged in the terminalling and storage of petroleum products, the transportation of petroleum products and anhydrous ammonia, and petroleum refining and marketing. The Company operates in three segments: NuStar Energy�� Storage Segment, NuStar Energy�� Pipeline Segment and NuStar Energy�� Asphalt and Fuels Marketing Segment. On January 1, 2013, NuStar Energy sold the San Antonio Refinery and related assets, which included inventory, a terminal in Elmendorf, Texas and a pipeline connecting the terminal and refinery. On December 13, 2012, NuStar Energy completed its acquisition of the TexStar Crude Oil Assets (as defined below), including 100% of the partnership interest in TexStar Crude Oil Pipeline, LP, from TexStar Midstream Services, LP and certain of its affiliates.

NuStar Energy has terminal and storage facilities in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Netherlands, including St. Eustatius in the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and Turkey. NuStar Energy L.P.'s asphalt refineries, refined product terminals, petroleum and specialty liquids storage and terminaling operations, and crude oil storage tank facilities are predominantly located on waterways that are easily accessible by barge or vessel. On September 28, 2012, NuStar Energy sold a 50% ownership interest (the Asphalt Sale) in NuStar Asphalt LLC (Asphalt JV), previously a wholly owned subsidiary of NuStar Energy, to an affiliate of Lindsay Goldberg LLC (Lindsay Goldberg), a private investment firm.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Robert Rapier]

  But it is important to note that ETE also has interests in Sunoco Logistics Partners (NYSE: SXL) and Regency Energy Partners (NYSE: RGP).

  Finally, consider NuStar Energy (NYSE: NS) and its general partner NuStar GP Holdings (NYSE: NSH). Like ETE, NSH went public in 2006 and has also significantly outperformed its limited partner since:
  
  
  

  The vast majority of partnerships don’t have a publicly-traded GP. But in each of these three cases in which the GP is publicly traded, the GP tends to outperform the LP units on long-term gains, an advantage somewhat offset by the typically higher LP yield.

Best Sliver Stocks To Buy For 2014: iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust (GSG)

iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust (the Trust), formerly iShares GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust, issues units of beneficial interest, called Shares, representing fractional undivided beneficial interests in its net assets. Substantially all of the assets of the Trust consist of interests in the iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Investing Pool LLC (the Investing Pool). The investment objective of the Trust is to seek investment results, through its investment in the Investing Pool, which correspond generally to the performance of the S&P GSCI Total Return Index (the Index). The Investing Pool is a limited liability company. The Investing Pool holds long positions in CERFs, which are futures contracts listed on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, which have a term of approximately five years after listing and whose settlement at expiration is based on the value of the S&P GSCI Excess Return Index, or S&P GSCI-ER, at that time.

The Index is intended to reflect the performance of a diversified group of commodities. The Index reflects the value of an investment in the S&P GSCI-ER together with a Treasury bill return. The S&P GSCI-ER reflects the returns that are potentially available through a rolling uncollateralized investment in the contracts comprising the S&P GSCI. Barclays Global Investors International, Inc. is the sponsor of the Trust and the manager of the Investing Pool. Barclays Global Investors, N.A. is the trustee of the Trust.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Charles Sizemore]

  But things have changed over the past decade; correlations between commodities have increased. As commodity mutual funds and ETFs such as the PIMCO Commodity Real Return Fund (PCRDX) and iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust (GSG) have become popular, commodities that once traded largely independently of each other now get lumped together and bought and sold as a group. Also, the financialization of commodities has caused their correlation to stocks to rise as well.

• [By Adam J. Wiederman]

  Getty Images Bitcoin made headlines last year when the value of all outstanding pieces of the electronic currency reached nearly $10 billion. It's not just speculators drawn to the new currency. Many businesses are also attempting to cash in on this growth: Several public companies, including Zynga (ZNGA) and Overstock.com (OSTK), accept Bitcoins as a form of payment. Venture capitalist Marc Andreessen's firm has invested nearly $50 million in Bitcoin-related ventures, and it is looking to invest even more. And the Winklevoss twins -- who notoriously accused Facebook's (FB) Mark Zuckerberg of stealing their idea -- have been "in dialogue" with the SEC about opening the first Bitcoin exchange-traded fund, according to Bloomberg. Yet a new survey from TheStreet.com (TST) reveals that 76 percent of consumers are not familiar with Bitcoin -- and 79 percent would never consider owning a currency like it. Does this signal opportunity for savvy investors? Or is this a fad you'd be wise to avoid? The Basics of Bitcoin Bitcoin is a completely unregulated form of currency developed by an anonymous Japanese programmer (according to some apocryphal claims) as a completely digital, peer-to-peer payment system that is independent of national currencies (which, Bitcoin users argue, are all subject to the riskiness of the underlying country). Bitcoins are rewarded throughout the day to a "Bitcoin miner" whose computer solves a series of algorithms quicker than other miners. The puzzles become more difficult over time, so the calculations take longer and the computations require more computing power. There will eventually be a total of 21 million Bitcoins (12.4 million are in circulation today) and we won't reach the point that they are effectively "mined out" until 2040. The value of a Bitcoin is supposed to be market-driven, meaning they're worth whatever the two parties in a transaction value them as. For example, in one of the original Bitcoin transactions, a "mi

Best Sliver Stocks To Buy For 2014: Key Energy Services Inc. (KEG)

Key Energy Services, Inc. operates as an onshore rig-based well servicing contractor in the United States and internationally. The company offers rig-based services, including the maintenance, workover, and recompletion of existing oil and gas wells; completion of newly-drilled wells; and plugging and abandonment of wells at the end of their lives, as well as specialty drilling services to oil and natural gas producers. It also provides fluid management services, such as vacuum truck services, fluid transportation services, and disposal services for operators, whose wells produce saltwater or other non-hydrocarbon fluids; and equipment trucks that are used to move large equipment from one well site to the next, as well as supplies frac tanks, which are used for temporary storage of fluids associated with fluid hauling operations. In addition, the company operates a fleet of hot oilers for pumping heated fluids that are used to clear soluble restrictions in a wellbore; and offers intervention services, such as coiled tubing, pumping, and nitrogen service. Further, it provides fishing services that involve recovering lost or stuck equipment in the wellbore utilizing an array of fishing tools; rental equipment comprising drill pipe, tubulars, pressure-control equipment, power swivels, and foam air units, as well as handling tools comprising Hydra-Walk pipe-handling units and services; oilfield service equipment controls, data acquisition, and digital information flow services; and drilling, project management, consulting, and reservoir engineering services. The company was formerly known as Key Energy Group, Inc. and changed its name to Key Energy Services, Inc. in December 1998. Key Energy Services, Inc. was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Another energy player that's starting to move within range of triggering a big breakout trade is Key Energy Services (KEG), which provides well services to oil companies, foreign national oil companies and independent oil and natural gas production companies. This stock is off to a modest start in 2013, with shares up by just 7.9%.

  If you look at the chart for Key Energy Services, you'll notice that this stock has recently spiked higher back above both its 200-day moving average at $7.16 a share and its 50-day moving average of $7.28 a share. That move is quickly pushing shares of KEG within range of triggering a big breakout trade.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in KEG if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $7.75 to $7.96 a share and then once it take out more resistance at $8.04 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 2.03 million shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then KEG will set up to re-test or possibly take out its 52-week high at $9.55 a share. Any high-volume move above that level will then give KEG a chance to tag its next major overhead resistance levels at $10 to $11 a share.

  Traders can look to buy KEG off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below some key near-term support levels at $7.14 a share or $6.83 a share. One can also buy KEG off strength once it takes out that breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Equities Trading DOWN
  Shares of Key Energy Services (NYSE: KEG) were down 6.51 percent to $7.32 after the company issued Q4 update.

  PBF Energy (NYSE: PBF) tumbled 5.85 percent to $28.16 after the company priced secondary offering of 15 million shares at $28 per share. Gulfport Energy (NASDAQ: GPOR) was down, falling 6 percent to $55.66 after the company reported 2013 exit rate of 27,780 barrels of oil equivalent per day. RBC Capital downgraded Gulfport Energy from Outperform to Sector Perform and cut the price target from $64.00 to $61.00.

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Key Energy Services (NYSE: KEG  ) reported earnings on April 25. Here are the numbers you need to know.

  The 10-second takeaway
  For the quarter ended March 31 (Q1), Key Energy Services missed estimates on revenues and missed estimates on earnings per share.

• [By Arjun Sreekumar]

  What sets Nuverra apart from some of its competitors, such as Key Energy (NYSE: KEG  ) -- a fluid-treatment provider that focuses mainly on water disposal -- is its overarching focus on treating and recycling produced water, as opposed to just disposing it. �

Best Sliver Stocks To Buy For 2014: Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA (ELET6)

Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA (Eletrobras) is a Brazil-based holding company engaged in the electric power generation, transmission and distribution. The Company operates and maintains hydroelectric power plants, thermal power plants, nuclear power plants and wind/solar power plants. The Company acts as an agent for managing and investing government funds related to the energy sector, such as the Global Reversion Reserve (RGR), Fuel Consumption Account (CCC) and Energy Development Account (CDE). The Company also manages government programs, such as the National Electric Energy Conservation Program (Procel), the National Program for the Universalization of Access and Use of Electricity (Luz Para Todos) and the Alternative Energy Sources Incentive Program (Proninfa). In October, 2013, the Company acquired a 50% stake in the share capital of Rouar SA, held by Administracion Nacional de Usinas y Transmisiones Electricas UTE. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Patricia Lara]

  Tractebel leapfrogged Cia. Energetica de Minas Gerais, CPFL Energia SA (CPFE3) and Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA (ELET6) in the fourth quarter to become the biggest utility after sidestepping pressure to cut rates because its contracts don�� expire for at least 14 years. Florianopolis, Brazil-based Tractebel has gained 11 percent in the past year, less than Sabesp�� 36 percent rally, which is the most of any utility on the Bovespa index.

Best Sliver Stocks To Buy For 2014: SPDR S&P Emerging Middle East & Africa ETF (GAF)

SPDR S&P Emerging Middle East & Africa ETF (the Fund) seeks to replicate as closely as possible the total return performance of the S&P/Citigroup BMI Middle East & Africa Index (the Index). The Index is a market capitalization-weighted index that defines and measures the investable universe of publicly traded companies domiciled in emerging Middle Eastern and African markets. The Index is float adjusted, meaning that only those shares publicly available to investors are included in the Index calculation. The Fund uses a passive management strategy designed to track the price and yield performance of the Index. The Fund�� investment manager is SSgA Funds Management, Inc. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jim Powell]

  For long-term investing, we continue to recommend Africa Funds��he iShares South Africa (EZA), the SPDR Mideast & Africa (GAF), and the TRP Africa & Mideast (LX:TRPMEAI).

Best Sliver Stocks To Buy For 2014: Cavco Industries Inc. (CVCO)

Cavco Industries, Inc. engages in the design, production, wholesale, and retail sale of manufactured homes. It also produces modular homes, which include single and multi-section/modular ranch-style dwellings; split-level homes; Cape Cod style homes; two and three story homes; and multi-family units, such as apartments and duplexes. In addition, the company manufactures park model homes and vacation cabins, as well as commercial structures, including apartment buildings, condominiums, hotels, schools, and housing for U.S. military troops. Further, it provides conforming mortgages to purchasers of factory-built and site-built homes; and property and casualty insurance to owners of manufactured homes. The company sells its products under the Cavco Homes, Fleetwood Homes, Palm Harbor Homes, and Nationwide Homes brands. As of March 31, 2012, it distributed its homes through 53 company-owned retail outlets, and a network of approximately 1,029 independent retail outlets n the U nited States, Canada, Mexico, and Japan. The company was founded in 1965 and is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Manufactured Housing: This industry moved up 1.33% by 10:30 am. The top performer in this industry was Cavco Industries (NASDAQ: CVCO), which gained 1.4%. Cavco Industries' PEG ratio is 1.16.

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Calling all cash flows
  When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Cavco Industries (Nasdaq: CVCO  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.