5 Best Rising Stocks To Own For 2014

I have been recently covering the past, current, and future economic damage to BP (BP) due to the business economic loss portion of its settlement. Based on my analysis, it appears the settlement amounts are starting to spiral out of control. Not surprising, BP launched what looks like a dirty offensive this week that comes off at least to me like a two-fold desperate panic attack strategy consisting of harassing hundreds of lawyers with empty, baseless threats while trying to invoke guilt and sympathy from the public.

BP's panic-stricken attack has a twofold strategy:

1. Cause fear to the public to try to scare them away from filing claims that they would be entitled to under the settlement. BP took out three full page ads in the Wall Street Journal, NY Times, and the Washington Post trying to make potential claimants feel guilty. The ad says "Whatever you think about BP, we can all agree that it's wrong for anyone to take money they don't deserve."

10 Best Trucking Stocks For 2015: Active Control Techn (ACTV)

The Active Network, Inc. provides organization-based cloud computing applications services to business customers in North America, Europe, and internationally. The company offers ActiveWorks, an organization-based cloud computing platform, which transforms the way organizers record, track, manage, and share information regarding activities and events. Its ActiveWorks back-office system pulls customers� participant management, operational reporting, volunteer management, and service and payment processing functions into one hosted system. The company also provides consulting services, which consist primarily of business mapping, project management services, and guidance on best practices in using its services; and implementation services, including system set-up and configuration, and data conversion, as well as develops customized training and education programs relating to both the use and administration of its services. It serves a range of customers, including communit y and sports organizations, large corporations, small and medium-sized businesses, educational institutions, federal and state government agencies, non-profit organizations, and other related entities. The company was formerly known as Racegate.com, Inc. and changed its name to The Active Network, Inc. in May 2001. The Active Network, Inc. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Active Network (NYSE: ACTV  ) is on the hunt for a new chief executive following the resignation of Matthew Landa. His place will be taken, on an interim basis, by Jon Belmonte. The appointment is effective immediately. Belmonte is the firm's former chief media officer and COO.

• [By Selena Maranjian]

  The biggest new holdings are Liberty Media�and AbbVie. Other new holdings of interest include The Active Network (NYSE: ACTV  ) , which specializes in online registrations for endurance events such as marathons and triathlons. The company recently signed a three-year deal with Ironman, and its most recent quarterly earnings report featured revenue up 12% and shrinking losses. Some have questioned the company's solvency, while others like its valuation.

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  Among the companies with shares expected to actively trade in Monday’s session are Achillion Pharmaceuticals Inc.(ACHN), Active Network Inc.(ACTV) and Harvest Natural Resources Inc.(HNR)

5 Best Rising Stocks To Own For 2014: Barry Callebaut AG (BARN)

Barry Callebaut AG is a Switzerland-based producer of cocoa, chocolate and confectionery products. The Company�� manufacturing process involves all stages of the cocoa and chocolate value chain from the sourcing of raw materials to the delivery of the finished products. The Company operates three geographical segments, including Europe, Americas and Asia-Pacific, as well as its business segment Global Sourcing & Cocoa. The Global Sourcing & Cocoa business segment is responsible for the procurement of ingredients for chocolate production, including mainly cocoa, as well as sugar, dairy and nuts as common ingredients, as well as the Company's cocoa processing business. The Company serves the food industry, from industrial food manufacturers to professional or artisanal users of chocolate. The Company operates more than 50 chocolate and cocoa factories, and is present in over 30 countries. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

  Elan Corp. jumped 8.4 percent in Dublin after authorizing the process of its sale. Hochtief AG gained the most in four months after the German builder said it will buy as much as 260 million euros ($346 million) of its own shares. Michelin & Cie, Europe�� largest tiremaker, added 4.7 percent after data on its website showed tire demand surged in Brazil last month. Barry Callebaut AG (BARN) lost 3.4 percent after the maker of bulk chocolate sold about $302 million of new shares.

5 Best Rising Stocks To Own For 2014: Pearson Plc(PSO)

Pearson plc engages in education, business information, and consumer publishing businesses worldwide. The company?s North American Education segment provides higher education services, such as higher education publishing; MyLab digital learning, homework, and assessment programs; and LearningStudio, a suite of learning management technologies, including eCollege and Fronter. This segment also offers assessment and information services; school curriculum services consisting of school publishing; enVisionMATH, a digital math curriculum; America's Choice school reform services; online learning platform for teachers and students; Poptropica video game; digital programs, such as digits, a digital middle school math?s program; Writing Coach, a blended print and online program; and Online Learning Exchange, a personalized digital learning program. Its International Education segment provides educational content, assessment, technologies, and related services to educational inst itutions. This segment offers spoken English training for adults, as well as provides eCollege and Fronter learning management systems. It also offers MyLab digital learning, homework, and assessment programs. The company?s Professional segment focuses on publishing, training, testing, and certification for professionals. Its Financial Times group segment provides business and financial news, data, comment, and analysis in print and online formats to the international business community. Its products include Financial Times newspaper; FT.com Website; financial magazines and online services; and Mergermarket, which provides forward-looking insights and intelligence to businesses and financial institutions. The company?s Penguin Group segment engages in book publishing business, under the Hamish Hamilton, Putnam, Berkley, Viking, Dorling Kindersley, Puffin, and Ladybird imprints. It also offers ebooks. The company was founded in 1844 and is headquartered in London, the Unite d Kingdom.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Mark Rogers]

  LONDON -- The shares of�Pearson� (LSE: PSON  ) (NYSE: PSO  ) were flat at 1,146p early this afternoon after the�Financial Times�publisher reported first-quarter sales rising 3%, to 拢1.2bn.

• [By Andrew Marder]

  What's in it for Barnes & Noble investors?
  The reason the shares jumped is that the Nook is like a treasure chest, hidden deep in the world of Barnes & Noble. Microsoft purchased a $300 million stake in the Nook business last year, and then late in the year, Pearson (NYSE: PSO  ) spent $90 million on a 5% stake. That purchase valued the Nook business at $1.79 billion, up from a $1.7 billion valuation based on Microsoft's investment.

• [By Mike Arnold]

  Collectively, Glacier generated $21.2 million EBITDA in the first-half of 2013, of which 56% represents $11.9 million, or $23.8 million annualized. Comparables such as Daily Journal Corp. and to a lesser extent, Pearson plc (PSO) trade at EV/EBITDA multiples of 12x and 11.5x, respectively. If we assume 10x for the Glacier's business information services is a better proxy of value, we arrive at $238 million valuation for the segment.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Publishing - Books: This industry moved up 1.52% by 10:25 am. The top performer in this industry was Pearson plc (NYSE: PSO), which gained 1.8%. Pearson shares have dropped 1.94% over the past 52 weeks, while the S&P 500 index has gained 16.94% in the same period.

5 Best Rising Stocks To Own For 2014: Maui Land & Pineapple Company Inc. (MLP)

Maui Land & Pineapple Company, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the development, sale, and leasing of real estate properties. It owns approximately 23,300 acres of land on Maui. The company also offers water and waste transmission services. In addition, it manages certain resort amenities at the Kapalua Resort. The company was founded in 1909 and is based in Lahaina, Hawaii.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matthew Skelly]

  The technology of fracturing (and the horizontal style of drilling), is changing America's needs on the energy front. At the epicenter of this infrastructure build-out is Atlas Pipeline Partners (NYSE:APL), a midstream gathering and processing company that trades as a Master Limited Partnership, (MLP). Atlas Pipeline is essentially a middle man between the drillers and long-haul transportation pipelines. It gathers mixed volumes of natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGLs) such as ethane, propane, and butanes, etc. from the thousands of wells drilled by its drilling customers, back through pipelines to its processing plants, which will separate the gas from the NGLs. Both are then sold to long-haul transportation pipelines, which take the two products downstream to the next part of the energy supply chain.

• [By Dividends4Life]

  Sunoco Logistics Partners (SXL) is a master limited partnership (MLP) that was formed by Sunoco Inc. to acquire, own and operate a group of refined product and crude oil pipelines and terminal facilities.
  Yield: 3.6% | Years of Dividend Growth: 11