Friday, November 21, 2014

Top Performing Stocks For 2014

I��e recently decided to go back and re-read a few classics on performing valuations and what value-based systematic strategies have� worked over the years.� One of the most impressive findings in the financial literature of the past 10 years is the now-famous book by Joel Greenblatt (Trades, Portfolio): "The Little�Book That Beats the Market."

This is based on the simple realization that ranking companies based on specific measures of return on capital and earnings yield and choosing the best ranked ones to construct a portfolio would have outperformed the S&P over any three-year period since the mid-1960s.

While I was a bit skeptical initially as to the merits of� a single formula to outperform the market, the back-testing provided was compelling, and I decided to take a closer look at how I could implement the formula while using the GuruFocus tools.

While it is not possible to rank the stocks based on any metric, the All-in-One screener allows us to screen for companies based on both ROC and earnings yield. I chose a slightly more restrictive approach to the Magic Formula by imposing stringent lower limits:

Top 5 China Companies To Watch For 2015: Marlin Business Services Corp.(MRLN)

Marlin Business Services Corp. provides commercial equipment financing solutions primarily to small and mid-sized businesses in the United States. It finances approximately 100 categories of commercial equipment, including copiers, security systems, computers and software, telecommunications equipment, and commercial and industrial equipment. The company offers its solutions through a network of independent commercial equipment dealers and lease brokers, as well as through direct solicitations. As of December 31, 2011, it serviced approximately 65,000 active equipment leases for approximately 55,000 small and mid-sized business customers. The company also operates as the holding company for the Marlin Business Bank, which is a state-chartered commercial bank. In addition, it is involved in reinsurance business activities. The company was founded in 1997 and is based in Mount Laurel, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By James Brumley]

    The ironic risk here is if the economy tanks so badly, even debt collectors struggle simply because the money to repay loans just isn’t in consumers’ hands, as was the case between 2006 and 2009. As long as the economy remains stable, however, Portfolio Recovery Associates is plenty capable of maintaining its double-digit earnings growth rate, qualifying it as one of the market’s better small-cap stocks.

    Marlin Business Services (MRLN)

    Marlin Business Services (MRLN) finances equipment purchase and equipment leases for small businesses — photocopiers, computers, and the like. It’s not a riveting business, but it’s a reliable business as long as the economy is humming like it is now.

Top Performing Stocks For 2014: Montalvo Spirits Inc (TQLA)

Montalvo Spirits Inc., incorporated on November 18, 2010, is a development-stage company. The Company develops, markets and distributes alcoholic beverages with initial offering being the Montalvo Tequila, primarily in the United States. The Company sells its products through a network of spirits distributors, who are licensed to distribute alcoholic beverages throughout the United States. The Company intends to focus on growing the market share of its initial products, the ultra-premium Montalvo line of tequilas, whose expressions include Plata, Reposado, Anejo and Extra-Anejo. The Company owns the Montalvo brand trademark and have exclusive worldwide master distribution rights to the brands.

The Company�� portfolio of alcoholic beverage brands includes additional spirits categories, as well as beer and wine, through additional importation and distribution contracts of existing brands. In addition, the Company may choose to develop new brands or acquire existing companies with their own brand portfolios. The Company�� subsidiary, Casa Montalvo, has an exclusive worldwide distribution agreement with Destilidora Huerta Real, S.A. de C.V., the producers of Montalvo Tequila. Montalvo, an ultra-premium tequila brand, is a handcrafted, formulated tequila produced from blue agave plants from the Lowlands of Jalisco, Mexico. Montalvo is available in four expressions: Plata, Reposado, Anejo and Extra-Anejo.

The Company competes with Diageo PLC, Pernod Ricard S.A., Bacardi Limited, Brown-Forman Corporation, Beam Inc., Remy Cointreau S.A. and Constellation Brands, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By CRWE]

    Today, TQLA surged (+10.80%) up +0.042 at $.431 with 1,344,844 shares in play thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 1:09PM EDT� September 24, 2013).

    Montalvo Spirits, Inc. previously reported they have entered into a sales and marketing agreement with Prestige International Exports, LLC (“Prestige”). Prestige will represent the Montalvo Spirits portfolio brands in certain international markets, as well as provide sales and marketing support for Montalvo Tequila and Broken Heart Gin throughout the state of California, and will assist the Company in attempting to secure distribution in additional markets in the U.S.

Top Performing Stocks For 2014: DexCom Inc.(DXCM)

DexCom, Inc., a medical device company, focuses on the design, development, and commercialization of continuous glucose monitoring systems for ambulatory use by people with diabetes, and for use by healthcare providers in the hospital for the treatment of both diabetic and non-diabetic patients. The company offers FDA approved SEVEN, which includes a disposable sensor that can be inserted by a patient and used continuously for up to seven days; a transmitter; and a small handheld receiver. Its SEVEN system also received CE Mark approval for commercialization in the European Union and the countries in Asia and Latin America that recognize the CE Mark. The company also provides the SEVEN PLUS, which incorporates additional user interface and algorithm enhancements that are intended to make its glucose monitoring function customizable. Its SEVEN PLUS has FDA and CE Mark approvals. DexCom has a collaboration agreement with Edwards Lifesciences LLC to develop products for conti nuously monitoring blood glucose levels in patients hospitalized for various conditions. It also has development agreement with Insulet Corporation to integrate its continuous glucose monitoring technology into Insulet?s wireless, handheld OmniPod System Personal Diabetes Manager; and a joint development agreement with Animas Corporation to integrate its continuous glucose monitoring technology into Animas insulin pumps. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Sean Williams]

    Where's the beef, DexCom?
    Sometimes a company's products make a lot of sense on paper, but the practical application doesn't go nearly as smoothly. This is how I'd describe medical monitoring device maker DexCom (NASDAQ: DXCM  ) , which has an array of glucose monitoring devices to help diabetes patients better manage their disease. Make no mistake about it; the number of diabetes diagnoses in this country is rising in accord with our obesity rate. Therefore, a company like DexCom, which makes the DexCom G4 System monitor, could be a big hit, and certainly has a wide enough audience to cater to.

Top Performing Stocks For 2014: Aqua America Inc.(WTR)

Aqua America, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates regulated utilities that provide water or wastewater services in the United States. The company serves residential, commercial, fire protection, industrial, and other water and wastewater customers in Pennsylvania, Texas, North Carolina, Ohio, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Florida, Indiana, Virginia, Maine, Missouri, and Georgia. It also provides water and wastewater services through operating and maintenance contracts with municipal authorities and other parties, as well as sludge hauling, septage and grease services, and backflow prevention services. The company was formerly known as Philadelphia Suburban Corporation and changed its name to Aqua America, Inc. in 2004. Aqua America, Inc. was founded in 1968 and is based in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By David Dittman]

    Answer: Our favorite water utilities–American Water Works, Aqua America Inc (NYSE: WTR), Connecticut Water Service Inc (NSDQ: CTWS)–are solid dividend growers throughout the cycle, and they all have pretty good growth prospects because of the abundance of small-scale municipal water utilities in their footprints.

  • [By Vita Nelson]

    Our latest featured dividend reinvestment idea is Aqua America (WTR). Founded in 1968, and headquartered in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, Aqua America operates regulated utilities that provide water or wastewater services in the United States.

Top Performing Stocks For 2014: Integrated Electrical Services Inc.(IESC)

Integrated Electrical Services, Inc. provides electrical infrastructure services in the United States. The company?s Communications segment offers various services, including the design, installation, and maintenance of network infrastructure for the financial, medical, hospitality, government, manufacturing, educational, and information technology industries; design and installation of audio/visual, telephone, fire, wireless, and intrusion alarm systems, as well as design/build, servicing, and maintenance of data network systems. Its Residential segment offers electrical installation services for single-family housing and multi-family apartment complexes, and CATV cabling installations for residential and commercial applications. This segment also installs residential solar power, smart meters, electric car charging stations, and stand-by generators. The company?s Commercial and Industrial segment provides electrical contracting services, which include the design of ele ctrical systems in a building or complex; procurement and installation of wiring and connection to power sources; end-use equipment and fixtures; and contract maintenance services. It also provides service, maintenance, and renovation and upgrade work services; and services for various projects, including high-rise residential and office buildings, power plants, manufacturing facilities, data centers, chemical plants, refineries, wind farms, solar facilities, municipal infrastructure, and health care facilities, as well as residential developments. In addition, this segment offers utility services consisting of overhead and underground installation and maintenance of electrical and other utilities transmission and distribution networks; installation and splicing of high-voltage transmission and distribution lines; substation construction; and substation and right-of-way maintenance. Integrated Electrical Services, Inc. was founded in 1997 and is based in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By GuruFocus]

    Integrated Electrical Services Inc. (IESC): President and CEO James M. Lindstrom Bought 1,901 Shares

    President and CEO of Integrated Electrical Services Inc. (IESC) James M. Lindstrom bought 1,901 shares on 09/25/2013 at an average price of $4.08. Integrated Electrical Services Inc. has a market cap of $73.0559 million; its shares were traded at around $4.08 with and P/S ratio of 0.13.

Top Performing Stocks For 2014: Donegal Group Inc.(DGICB)

Donegal Group Inc., through its subsidiaries, offers personal and commercial lines of property and casualty insurance to businesses and individuals in the United States. The company?s personal lines of insurance products include private passenger automobile insurance, which provides protection against liability for bodily injury and property damage arising from automobile accidents, and protection against loss from damage to automobiles owned by the insured; and homeowners insurance that offers coverage for damage to residences and their contents from a range of perils, including fire, lightning, windstorm, and theft, as well as covers liability of the insured arising from injury to other persons or their property. Its commercial lines of insurance products comprise commercial automobile policies that provide protection against liability for bodily injury and property damage arising from automobile accidents, and protection against loss from damage to automobiles owned by the insured; commercial multi-peril policies, which offer protection to businesses against various perils primarily combining liability and physical damage coverages; and workers? compensation policies that provide benefits to employees for injuries sustained during employment. Donegal Group Inc. markets its insurance products through a network of approximately 2,200 independent insurance agencies. As of December 31, 2010, it wrote business in 22 states of the United States. The company was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Marietta, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

    Shares of Donegal Group (NASDAQ: DGICB) got a boost, shooting up 16.24 percent to $23.22 after Gregory Shepard offered $33-$37 per share for Donegal Group.

  • [By Luke Jacobi]

    Donegal Group (NASDAQ: DGICB) closed up 14.86 percent to $23.95 after Gregory Shepard offered $33-$37 per share for Donegal Group.

    The ExOne (NASDAQ: XONE) gained 4.13 percent to closed at $48.32 as 3D printing stocks once again were spotlighted for today's trading session.

Top Performing Stocks For 2014: Sprint Corp (S&LS)

Sprint Corporation, incorporated on May 10, 2012, offers a range of wireless and wireline communications services to consumers, businesses and government users. On July 10, 2013, the Company, SoftBank Corp. and Sprint Nextel Corporation (Sprint Nextel) completed the merger. In the Merger, Sprint Corporation was merged into Sprint Nextel, New Sprint became the parent company of Sprint Nextel, with Sprint Nextel becoming its direct wholly owned subsidiary, and Sprint Nextel changed its name to Sprint Communications, Inc.

The Company develops, engineers and deploys technologies, including the first wireless fourth generation (4G) service from a national carrier in the United States; offering mobile data services, prepaid brands, including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities, and a global Tier 1 Internet Service. The Company also offers unlimited data services.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Holly LaFon]

    Since Wilmers & Co. took over M&T Bank in 1983 the bank has acquired 23 banks and Savings and Loans (S&Ls) ��expanding from a single state to seven ��and assets have grown from $2 billion to $110 billion. M&T's branch count has grown from 60 to over 870. The bank currently boasts a customer base of over 2 million retail household customers and nearly 220,000 commercial customers.

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