Hot US Stocks To Watch For 2014

The 10 Highest Capital Gains Tax States

A lot of small business owners accelerated sales of their companies into 2012 in anticipation of the new higher tax rates for 2013, but for those who are thinking of selling now, don�� despair.

��here are things you can do to minimize��r with the right set of facts��liminate taxes,��says Timothy Jessell, a tax lawyer with Greenberg Traurig in Tysons Corner, Va. whose client base is people buying and selling companies. In one case, a client who is selling his consulting company will save $3.8 million in taxes ��imply by filing a piece of paper,��he says.

What�� the tax picture if you��e selling a business? The American Taxpayer Relief Act lifted the top rate on long-term capital gains from 15% to 20% and allowed the return of a gotcha provision that adds another 1.2% to the tax bite as of Jan. 1. Plus, a new 3.8% Medicare surtax (one of the Obamacare taxes) on investment income for couples earning more than $250,000 kicked in��aising the total top capital gains rate from 15% to 25%.

10 Best Supermarket Stocks To Own For 2015: Norfolk Souther Corporation(NSC)

Norfolk Southern Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in the rail transportation of raw materials, intermediate products, and finished goods primarily in the United States. The company transports coal products, such as coal, coke, and iron ore; automotive products, including finished vehicles and auto parts; chemicals products consisting of sulfur and related chemicals, petroleum products, chlorine and bleaching compounds, plastics, rubber, industrial chemicals, chemical wastes, and municipal wastes; metals and construction products comprising steel, aluminum products, machinery, scrap metals, cement, aggregates, bricks, and minerals; and paper, clay, and forest products, including lumber and wood products, pulp board and paper products, wood fibers, wood pulp, scrap paper, and clay. It also transports agriculture, consumer, and government products, such as soybeans, wheat, corn, fertilizer, animal and poultry feed, food oils, flour, beverages, canned goods, swee teners, consumer products, ethanol, and items for the military. In addition, it engages in the intermodal operations that include moving of shipments in trailers, the United States and international containers, and roadrailer equipment. Further, the company transports overseas freight through various Atlantic and Gulf Coast ports, as well as provides a range of logistics services; and operates passenger and commuter trains. Additionally, it involves in the acquisition, leasing, and management of coal, oil, gas, and minerals; the development of commercial real estate; telecommunications; and the leasing or sale of rail property and equipment. As of December 31, 2010, the company operated approximately 20,000 route miles in 22 states and the District of Columbia. The company was founded in 1883 and is based in Norfolk, Virginia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Alex Planes]

  Investors love stocks that consistently beat the Street without getting ahead of their fundamentals and risking a meltdown. The best stocks offer sustainable market-beating gains, with robust and improving financial metrics that support strong price growth. Does Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC  ) fit the bill? Let's take a look at what its recent results tell us about its potential for future gains.

• [By Vanina Egea]

  The transportation industry is one of the most exposed to oil prices increments. Fixed way transport however, is also especially affected by weather. There is no clearer example than Canadian railroad companies today. There is a record wheat harvest to be carried, but the impossibility to pick up the rails and relocate them away from bad weather, continue to slow grain arrivals. Most importantly, some oil is being transported through rails increasing demand for cars. The situation prompted the intervention of government authorities and drafting of a bill to regulate rail transportation. Responses to the initiative have not been uniform, and while railroad operators bashed the project, terminal lifters have supported it. Last, some traffic will be deviated south, through the US in order to meet stipulated transported quotas. Did gurus anticipate the move? Can it explain the reason for heavy investing on Norfolk Southern (NSC)?

Hot US Stocks To Watch For 2014: Broadwind Energy Inc.(BWEN)

Broadwind Energy, Inc. provides products and services to the energy, mining, and infrastructure sector customers, primarily in the United States. The company?s Towers and Weldments segment manufactures towers designed for two megawatt and larger wind turbines. This segment also manufactures specialty fabrications and weldments for mining and other industrial customers. Its Gearing segment engineers, builds, and remanufactures precision gears and gearing systems for wind, oil and gas, mining, and other industrial applications. The company?s Services segment offers a range of services, including non-routine blade and gearbox maintenance services for both kilowatt and megawatt turbines primarily to wind farm developers and operators. It also provides field services to the wind industry; dedicated drivetrain services; and industrial gearboxes precision repair and testing services. The company provides its products and services to various wind energy customers that include wi nd turbine manufacturers, wind farm developers, and wind farm operators, as well as oil and gas, mining, and other industries. It sells its products through its sales force and manufacturers' representatives. The company was formerly known as Tower Tech Holdings Inc. and changed its name to Broadwind Energy, Inc. in 2008. Broadwind Energy, Inc. is headquartered in Naperville, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap Ocean Power Technologies Inc (NASDAQ: OPTT) just sank 34% on news that they have fired their CEO "for cause,��meaning its worth taking a closer look at the stock to see if there is anything to salvage (shares were rising more than 6% in after hours) plus take a look at the performance of potential renewable energy related peers like Ormat Technologies, Inc (NYSE: ORA), Broadwind Energy Inc (NASDAQ: BWEN) and China Ming Yang Wind Power Group Ltd (NYSE: MY).

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Broadwind Energy (NASDAQ: BWEN) is projected to post a Q4 loss at $0.19 per share on revenue of $56.54 million.

  Orexigen Therapeutics (NASDAQ: OREX) is estimated to post a Q4 loss at $0.19 per share on revenue of $900.00 thousand.

Hot US Stocks To Watch For 2014: Mdu Res Group Inc (MDU)

MDU Resources Group, Inc. operates as a diversified natural resource company in the United States. The company�s Electric segment generates, transmits, and distributes electricity in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. As of December 31, 2012, this segment provided its electric services to approximately 131,000 residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers in 177 communities and adjacent rural areas. Its Natural Gas Distribution segment distributes natural gas in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming, as well as in Idaho, Minnesota, Oregon, and Washington. This segment served approximately 859,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in 334 communities and adjacent rural areas. The company�s Pipeline and Energy Services segment provides natural gas transportation, underground storage, processing, and gathering services, as well as oil gathering through regulated and nonregulated pipeline systems primarily in the Rocky Mountain and northern Great Plains regions of the United States. This segment also provides cathodic protection and other energy-related services. Its Exploration and Production segment engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of oil and natural gas in the Rocky Mountain and Mid-Continent regions of the United States and in and around the Gulf of Mexico. The company�s Construction Materials and Contracting segment mines, aggregates, and markets crushed stone, sand, gravel, and related construction materials, including ready-mixed concrete, cement, asphalt, liquid asphalt, and other value-added products. This segment also provides utility excavation services and inside electrical wiring, cabling, and mechanical services; sells and distributes electrical materials; and manufactures and distributes specialty equipment. MDU Resources Group, Inc. was founded in 1924 and is based in Bismarck, North Dakota.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By David Dittman]

  Question: I have been a fan of MDU Resources Inc (NYSE: MDU) because of its many operations including oil and gas, materials, construction, and now refining. Long-term thoughts?

• [By Richard Stavros]

  Created with YCharts

  
  In addition to beating the market since the beginning of the year, diversified energy utilities, such as MDU Resources Group Inc (NYSE: MDU), Dominion Resources Inc (NYSE: D) and Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), significantly outperformed pure-play or predominantly all-electric utilities, such as Duke Energy Corp (NYSE: DUK) and Entergy Corp (NYSE: ETR), by as much as several percentage points (See Chart B).
  
  Interestingly, among top performers, there was no dominant strategy for exploiting natural gas demand, as these firms were involved in all aspects of the value chain–from exploration and production to distribution and storage. These companies have not only been benefiting from a natural gas surplus, but also from the pressing need to expand US energy infrastructure to deliver this newfound bounty to businesses and households.
  
  

  Chart B: Diversified Energy Utilities Outperformed Electric-Only Peers

Hot US Stocks To Watch For 2014: The Charles Schwab Corporation(SCHW)

The Charles Schwab Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides securities brokerage, banking, and related financial services to individuals and institutional clients. It offers various brokerage products and services comprising brokerage accounts with check-writing features, debit card, and billpay; individual retirement accounts; retirement plans for small to large businesses; college savings accounts; designated brokerage accounts; equity incentive plan accounts; and margin loans, as well as access to fixed income securities, equity and debt offerings, options, and futures. The company also provides various banking products and services, including checking accounts linked to brokerage accounts, savings accounts, certificates of deposit, demand deposit accounts, first mortgages, home equity lines of credit, and personal loans collateralized by securities. In addition, it offers trust custody services, personal trust reporting services, and administrative trustee servi ces; advisory services comprising separately managed accounts, customized personal advice for tailored portfolios, and planning and portfolio management; and third-party mutual funds, such as no-load mutual funds, proprietary mutual funds, and other third-party mutual funds, as well as mutual fund trading and clearing services to broker dealers. Further, the company offers third-party and proprietary exchange-traded funds; research, analytic tools, performance reports, market analysis, and educational materials; custodial, trading, technology, practice management, trust asset, and other support services to independent investment advisors; and retirement plan recordkeeping and related services, retirement plan trust and custody services, specialty brokerage services, and mutual fund clearing services. It operates primarily in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Hong Kong. The company was founded in 1971 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Nicole Seghetti]

  On top of the fund's expense ratio, it costs you money to trade ETFs. Because a commission is charged every time you place a buy or sell trade, finding a commission-free ETF platform will save you lots of money. Schwab's (NYSE: SCHW  ) OneSource platform and TD Ameritrade (NYSE: AMTD  ) offer access to some of the broadest lists of commission-free ETFs, with both platforms boasting more than 100 ETFs on their respective lists. Brokerage customers of Vanguard and Fidelity can buy and sell dozens of ETFs without incurring transaction fees. Unlike the other platforms, E*TRADE (NASDAQ: ETFC  ) doesn't include products from some of the largest ETF providers, so its commission-free line up of funds comprises a lot of smaller ETFs.

• [By Alyce Lomax]

  What about the LIBOR scandal, which also put big bankers in the hot seat? Charles Schwab (NYSE: SCHW  ) sued 12 banks, including Bank of America, in San Francisco about a month ago for fraud�related to LIBOR manipulation. Many investors may have forgotten, but obviously that problem isn't relegated to the past.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Earnings were front and center today.�CSX Corp. fell 6.8% to $27.24 after offering gloomy guidance, Best Buy plunged 29% to $26.83 after disclosing terrible holiday sales, Citigroup fell 4.4% on its big miss, and United Health led the Dow lower after it beat earnings but investors fretted about costs. Charles Schwab (SCHW) gained 3% to $26.80 after earnings rose 51% and beat estimates.

• [By John Maxfield]

  Charles Schwab, the founder and chairman of the eponymous The Charles Schwab Corp. (NYSE: SCHW  ) , touched on this in a recent op-ed piece. "[L]ooking at our capital markets today, we should all be concerned. It's becoming increasingly difficult for individual investors to compete on a level playing field. The system seems rigged against them. And they are responding by walking away."

Hot US Stocks To Watch For 2014: Walter Bau AG (WTB)

Walter Bau AG is an international construction group based in Augsburg, southern Germany. The Company's core construction-related services are planning, financing, project development and facilities management. It is active in the fields of turnkey construction, civil engineering, international construction and transportation infrastructure. Its subsidiary, DYWIDAG-Systems International markets the Company's products and systems worldwide, particularly in the field of post-tensioning and geotechnics, as well as special civil engineering processes. Walter Bau also provides operation and financing solutions, as well as developing commercial and residential real estate projects. Facilities Management is offered by DYWIDAG Service GmbH. Its Logistics Competence Center in Augsburg bundles the Company's Germany-wide activities as a general contractor in the planning, construction and support of distribution centers. The Company commenced insolvency proceedings in April 2005. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Namitha Jagadeesh]

  BHP Billiton Ltd. (BHP) and Rio Tinto Group, the world�� biggest mining companies, fell at least 3 percent. Whitbread Plc (WTB) dropped 2.8 percent after UBS AG downgraded the owner of the Costa Coffee chain. British Land Co., the U.K.�� second-largest real estate investment trust, advanced 1.2 percent after saying it bought commercial property in London for 470 million pounds ($707 million).

• [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

  Whitbread Plc (WTB) added 4.1 percent to 3,114 pence, its largest advance since September 2012. Oriel Securities Ltd. raised its rating on the shares to buy from hold, citing improvement in the U.K. hotel market.

Hot US Stocks To Watch For 2014: China Ming Yang Wind Power Group Ltd (MY)

China Ming Yang Wind Power Group Limited incorporated on February 26, 2009, is a wind turbine manufacturer in China, focusing on designing, manufacturing, selling and servicing megawatt-class wind turbines. The Company�� products consist of basic models of wind turbines, each with a rated power capacity of 1.5 megawatt (MW); wind turbines with a rated power capacity of 2.0MW, and 2.5/3.0MW SCD wind turbines. Each product type may be installed with one of three rotor blade models depending on the location and wind conditions. As of December 31, 2012, the Company had entered into sales contracts with 37 end customers to deliver 3,730 units of its wind turbines.

It cooperates with aerodyn Energiesysteme to develop its 1.5 megawatt wind turbines and share intellectual property rights. It also has obtained licenses from aerodyn Asia Co., Ltd. (aerodyn Asia) to manufacture and distribute wind turbines utilizing its super-compact drive (SCD) technology, with a rated power capacity of 6.0MW.

The Company�� customers are the Chinese state-owned power producers which include Huaneng, China Datang, Huadian, China Guodian Corporation, and China Power Investment Corporation (CPIC) or their alternative energy subsidiaries, such as China Longyuan Power Group Corporation Limited (Longyuan), a subsidiary of Guodian, and China Datang Corporation Renewable Power Co., Limited (Datang Renewable), a subsidiary of China Datang. It also sells wind turbines to regional alternative energy investment companies, regional power producers and wind farm operators in the private sector. Its facilities are located in Zhongshan, Tianjin, Jilin, Rudong, Dali and Inner Mongolia in China.

The Company produces megawatt-class, grid-connected, horizontal-axis wind turbines, equipped with a double-fed constant frequency induction generator, which is a design of the generator that enables the generator to produce electric current of a constant frequency as the shaft rotates at varying speeds causing! the generator rotor to rotate at varying speed. It offers 1.5 megawatt turbines specially designed and developed for the wind and weather conditions and power grids in China. Its 1.5 megawatt wind turbines are equipped with rotor blades with a post-installation diameter of 77.1 meters, 82.6 meters or 89.0 meters.

The Company has license rights under a license agreement from aerodyn Asia to manufacture and distribute 2.5/3.0MW SCD wind turbines and 6.0MW SCD wind turbines in China. The Company is focused on developing 3.8MW wind turbine model for larger multi-megawatt wind turbines.

The Company competes with Sinovel, Goldwind, Dongfang Electric, United Power, Vestas, Gamesa Corporacion Tecnologica S.A. and GE Energy.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap wind stock Broadwind Energy Inc (NASDAQ: BWEN) is up 203.7% since the start of the year, but investors might want to contain their excitement when they look closer at the�stock and�consider its�long term performance along with the performance of other wind investments like First Trust Global Wind Energy ETF (NYSEARCA: FAN) and wind energy stocks Vestas Wind Systems (OTCMKTS: VWDRY) and China Ming Yang Wind Power Group Ltd (NYSE: MY) to see whether BWEN is just blowing more hot air.