Top 10 Low Price Companies To Invest In 2014

Alamy Campbell Soup (CPB) reported a loss in its fiscal fourth quarter Thursday, driven down in part by a slowing in U.S. soup sales, despite efforts to attract weight- and health-conscious consumers with a steadily increasing slate of healthier offerings. For eight quarters, the formula had been working, but the bottom clearly fell out in the three months ending July 28, with growth in soup sales easing to 4 percent, down from 14 percent in the last quarter. The slowdown may be weather related -- demand for soup falls in the summer, after all. But consumers may also be worried that Campbell's Soup perhaps isn't good food. A big part of Campbell's rising success has been their Healthy Request line, a collection of soups that promise to be much healthier than the usual offerings -- and which have the American Heart Association's heart-check mark to back up the claim. When it came to developing healthier soups, fat was obviously an issue, but sodium was the real bugaboo. Salt, after all, is the dark side of the broth: a highly effective flavor enhancer, it also happens to be far cheaper than vinegar, spices, and other premium ingredients. The trouble is, for health-minded consumers, especially Baby Boomers, salt doesn't just boost flavor -- it also drives up blood pressure. To sell its offerings as heart healthy, Campbell needed to cut the sodium. In its Healthy Request line, Campbell managed to get sodium down to 410 mg per serving, less than half the level of its standard offerings. For customers in search of a health-conscious food at a low price, the new soups seemed almost perfect. The trouble is, while 410 mg per serving makes the Healthy Request line a healthier alternative to regular soups, it hardly qualifies the soups as healthy. On a salt-to-calories basis, they are still pretty seriously out of balance.

Top 5 Chemical Stocks To Own For 2015: Marathon Investments Ltd (MARA)

Marathon Investments Ltd is an Israel-based company that invests in income-producing industrial companies. The Company's portfolio includes companies in the fields of heat treatment, biotechnology, inspection and advanced electronics. Its portfolio comprises of a number of companies: Protalix Biotherapeutics Inc. which produces plant protein-based medical treatment; Nanomotion Ltd. which develops, manufactures and markets tiny solid-state ceramic servo motors and positioning systems; Margan Business Development Ltd. which engages in early building and facility damage detection; BioView Ltd. which develops and manufactures medical screening and diagnostics systems; Solcon Industries Ltd. is a high technology electronics manufacturer, whose products are intended for installation in low and medium voltage AC Motor switchgear, and Chromat Ltd., which is a commercial steel heat treatment company, among others. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  Today, MARA has shed (-3.78%) down -0.23 at $5.85 with�23,913 shares in play thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 11:09AM EDT September 11, 2013).

  Marathon Patent Group, Inc. previously reported its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2013 (“Q2 2013″).
  For Q2, 2013, the Company reported gross revenue of $1,524,979, as a result of three patent licensing and settlement agreements. Q2 2013 marks the first quarter the Company has reported significant licensing and settlement revenue. Included in the gross revenue amount is the value of certain patents received in settlement from a defendant.

• [By John Udovich]

  Although some view patent investors or speculators as nothing more than "patent trolls," small cap patent stocks RPX Corporation (NASDAQ: RPXC), Marathon Patent Group Inc (OTCBB: MARA) and Endeavor IP Inc (OTCBB: ENIP) are a couple of interesting options that allow retail investors to invest in patents as they either invest in patents themselves or they provide patent related services. However, there could be risks associated with investing in patent stocks because a bi-partisan bill called the Innovation Act (H.R. 3309) is�working its way through Congress to try and reign in the activities of so-called�patent trolls or companies�who go out and buy or license patents from others and then target alleged infringers with lawsuits.

Top 10 Low Price Companies To Invest In 2014: Weyerhaeuser Company(WY)

Weyerhaeuser Company, a forest products company, grows and harvests trees, builds homes, and manufactures forest products worldwide. It grows and harvests trees for use as lumber, other wood and building products, and pulp and paper. The company manages 6.4 million acres of private commercial forestland; and has long-term licenses on 13.9 million acres of forestland. It also offers timber; minerals, such as rock, sand, and gravel, as well as oil and gas to construction and energy markets; logs; timberland tracts; and seed and seedlings, poles, plywood, and hardwood lumber products. In addition, the company provides structural lumber products for structural framing; engineered lumber products for floor and roof joists, and headers and beams; structural panels for structural sheathing, subflooring, and stair treading for wood products dealers, do-it-yourself retailers, builders, and industrial users. Further, it offers building products comprising cedar, decking, siding, ins ulation, rebar, and engineered lumber connectors. Additionally, the company offers fluff pulp for use in sanitary disposable products; papergrade pulp for printing and writing papers, and tissues; specialty chemical cellulose pulp for use in textiles, absorbent products, specialty packaging, and high-bulking fibers; liquid packaging board converted into containers; and slush and wet lap pulp for manufacturing paper products. It also constructs single-family houses, as well as develops residential lots and land for construction and sale; and master-planned communities with mixed-use property. The company sells its cellulose fibers products through direct sales network, and liquid packaging products directly to carton and food product packaging converters; and wood products through sales organizations and distribution facilities. Weyerhaeuser Company has been elected to be taxed as a real estate investment trust. The company was founded in 1900 and is headquartered in Federal Way, Washington.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chad Fraser] Christmas is a time for good cheer, reflection and spending time with friends and family. Here are four stocks that reflect the season, ranging from Christmas tree providers to toymakers and beyond:
  
  Weyerhaeuser (NYSE: WY): Some little-known Christmas tree facts: there are 25 million to 30 million sold in the U.S. every year, with about 350 million currently growing in the country. It takes an average of seven years to grow a Christmas tree to its proper height.
  
  Most Christmas tree farms are privately owned, but they need to get good seedlings from somewhere, so many turn to timber company Weyerhaeuser, which grows the most popular species—including balsam fir, Douglas fir, Scotch pine and white pine.
  
  Weyerhaeuser controls about 6 million acres of timberland, with about a third of that in the Pacific Northwest, which is America’s most prolific lumber-producing region thanks to its cool, damp climate and considerable rainfall.
  
  “The fact that it’s the largest timber producer in the Pacific Northwest makes Weyerhaeuser extremely attractive, because the company’s location gives it easy export access to China,” wrote Investing Daily analyst Benjamin Shepherd in a December 13 article. “This location also leaves it well-placed to pick up the supply slack created by lower production caps in Canada, which is typically a key Chinese supplier.”
  
  Mattel (NYSE: MAT) is proving that the most traditional toys you can think of—dolls—still have a place under the tree, even in the digital age. As we reported on October 16, Mattel’s doll lineup was the main reason why its third-quarter earnings surged past Wall Street estimates.
  
  The company’s strength is centered on its ability to come up with popular new dolls while reimagining the tried-and-true. Right now, its Monster High franchise, which it rolled out in 2010, is stealing the show: the brand’s p
• [By Sara Murphy]

  Getting it right
  C2ES outlines how Weyerhaeuser (NYSE: WY  ) , one of the world's largest forest products companies, is setting a strong example in responding to this pressing challenge. Changes in climate influence the structure and function of forests, and projections show that effects going forward will be more severe and damaging than in the past. Weyerhaeuser's risk analysis relies on close monitoring of its timberlands using geographic- and species-specific forecasting models and sensing technologies. The company has regional research partnerships to study and protect its vulnerable water resources, and is developing tree varieties that can withstand drier summers.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  This quarter, though, pricing trends haven't been as favorable, with lumber prices losing as much as 25% of their value before bouncing back somewhat. Moreover, Plum Creek has faced more of a competitive threat from rival Weyerhaeuser (NYSE: WY  ) , which bought up 645,000 acres of prime Pacific Northwest timberland from Brookfield Asset Management and its Brookfield Infrastructure Partners affiliate last month. The buy gives Weyerhaeuser more assets with easy access to export markets across the Pacific Ocean in Asia, although the Pacific Northwest does have closer proximity to areas destroyed by the mountain pine beetle.

Top 10 Low Price Companies To Invest In 2014: The Bancorp Inc.(TBBK)

The Bancorp, Inc. operates as the holding company for The Bancorp Bank that provides various commercial and retail banking and related products and services to small and mid-size businesses and their principals. The company?s deposit products include checking accounts, savings accounts, health savings accounts, money market accounts, individual retirement accounts, certificates of deposit, and stored value and payroll cards, as well as commercial accounts, such as general commercial checking, small business checking, business savings, and business money market accounts. Its loan portfolio comprises commercial term loans, commercial mortgage loans, commercial lines of credit, 1-4 family construction loans, direct lease financing, and commercial construction, acquisition, and development loans; and consumer loans comprising loans for consumers to finance personal residences, automobiles, home improvements, and for other purposes. The company also provides other banking serv ices, which include private label banking and merchant card processing services; and Internet banking services. It serves Philadelphia, Delaware, Chester, Montgomery, Bucks, and Lehigh counties in Pennsylvania; New Castle county in Delaware; and Mercer, Burlington, Camden, Ocean, and Cape May counties in New Jersey. The company was founded in 1999 and is based in Wilmington, Delaware.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  The Bancorp (TBBK) plunged 30% to $11.37 this week, earning it the honor of the biggest loser in the Russell 2000. The Bancorp said in a filing that the FDIC had demanded it to more to comply with the Bank Secrecy Act.

Top 10 Low Price Companies To Invest In 2014: BM&F Bovespa SA Bolsa de Valores Mercadorias e Futuros (BVMF3)

BM&F Bovespa SA Bolsa de Valores Mercadorias e Futuros (BM&FBovespa) is a Brazil-based company primarily engaged in the operation of the Sao Paulo Stock Exchange. The Company�� business is divided into three segments: Bovespa, which manages the exchange markets and MBO national for securities trading equities, which include stocks, receipts of shares, depository receipts on shares of Brazilian companies or foreign, equity derivatives, warrants, shares of different types of closed investment funds, non-standard options to purchase and sell securities, among others; BM&F Segment covers the main steps of the cycles of trading and settlement of securities and contracts: trading systems in environments of electronic trading and trading via Internet and systems of registration, and other assets; Corporate and Institutional Products Segment refers to services as depository of securities, loans and securities and listing of securities, information signs and rating services, among others. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Denyse Godoy]

  BM&FBovespa SA (BVMF3) will exclude from the gauge any companies whose shares trade for less than 1 real (44 cents), the exchange operator said in a statement yesterday. The limit on equity lending for OGX, which has plunged 91 percent this year to 38 centavos in Sao Paulo, was raised to 50 percent of shares available for trading from 45 percent, the bourse said in a separate statement. Stock loans, used in short sales, climbed to 44.9 percent on Sept. 11, data compiled by Bloomberg show.

Top 10 Low Price Companies To Invest In 2014: Dominion Diamond Corp (DDC)

Dominion Diamond Corporation, formerly Harry Winston Diamond Corporation, incorporated on March 26, 2013, is focused on the mining and marketing of rough diamonds to the global market. The Company supplies rough diamonds to the global market from production received from its 40% ownership interest in the Diavik Diamond Mine (the Diavik Diamond Mine) and its 80% interest in the Ekati Diamond Mine (the Ekati Diamond Mine). Both mineral properties are located at Lac de Gras in Canada�� Northwest Territories. On March 26, 2013, the Company completed the sale of its Harry Winston luxury brand business to the Swatch Group Ltd.

The Diavik Joint Venture (the Joint Venture) is an unincorporated joint arrangement between Diavik Diamond Mines Inc. (DDMI - 60%) and Dominion Diamond Diavik Limited Partnership (DDDLP - 40%), where DDDLP owns an undivided 40% interest in the assets, liabilities and expenses. DDMI is the operator (the Operator) of the Diavik Diamond Mine. During 2012, production at the Diavik Diamond Mine was approximately 7.2 million carats, consisting of approximately 4.3 million carats produced from 1.2 million tons of ore from the A-418 kimberlite pipe, 1.9 million carats produced from 0.4 million tons of ore from the A-154 South kimberlite pipe, and 0.9 million carats produced from 0.5 million tons of ore from the A-154 North kimberlite pipe. The Diavik Diamond Mine has three ore bodies: A-154 South, A-154 North, and A-418. An additional body of mineralization, A-21, is classified as resource.

The Ekati Diamond Mine consists of the Core Zone, which includes the operating mine and other permitted kimberlite pipes, as well as the Buffer Zone, an adjacent area hosting kimberlite pipes having both development and exploration potential. It encompasses 176 mining leases, totaling 173,024 hectares, and hosts 111 kimberlite occurrences including the Koala, Koala North, Fox, Misery, Pigeon, and Sable kimberlite pipes. The Buffer Zone is held 58.8% by the Company. It contains! 106 mining leases covering 89,151.6 hectares, and hosts 39 known kimberlite occurrences including the Jay and Lynx kimberlite pipes. As of December 31, 2012, production from the Diavik Diamond Mine has totaled 76.6 million carats of diamonds. As of December 31, 2012, production from the Ekati Diamond Mine has totaled approximately 53.54 million carats of diamonds.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Michael Lewis]

  Diamonds may be forever, but that truism doesn't always translate to the income statement. Dominion Diamond (NYSE: DDC  ) , the Canadian mine owner that until recently owned and operated the ultra-luxurious Harry Winston brand, released its fourth-quarter and year-end results to an unimpressed Wall Street. The newly reorganized company is the largest Canadian diamond purveyor, and one of the leading precious-stone companies in the world. The question is: Is the company better now as a pure mining play, compared to its time as owner of, arguably, the most illustrious name in diamond retail? Let's take a look at earnings and valuation for more clues.

• [By Rich Smith]

  Toronto-based diamond miner Dominion Diamond (NYSE: DDC  ) -- the company formerly known as Harry Winston Diamond -- has completed its purchase of BHP Billiton's (NYSE: BHP  ) stake in the Ekati Diamond Mine, "as well as the associated diamond sorting and sales facilities in Yellowknife, Canada, and Antwerp, Belgium," Dominion Diamond announced Wednesday.

Top 10 Low Price Companies To Invest In 2014: GrafTech International Ltd (GTI)

GrafTech International Ltd (GTI) incorporated on April 26, 2010, is a manufacturer of graphite electrodes, products essential to the production of electric arc furnace (EAF) steel and various other ferrous and nonferrous metals. The Company also produces needle coke products, which are the primary raw material needed in the manufacture of graphite electrodes. The Company also manufactures carbon, graphite, and semi-graphite refractory products, which protect the walls of blast furnaces and submerged arc furnaces. The Company is manufactures and provides graphite and carbon materials used in the transportation, solar and oil and gas exploration industries. The Company's operating segments include Industrial Materials, which include graphite electrodes, refractory products and needle coke products, and Engineered Solutions, which includes advanced electronics technologies, advanced graphite materials, advanced composite materials, and advanced materials. The Company has seven product categories: graphite electrodes, refractory products, needle coke products, advanced graphite materials, advanced composite materials, advanced electronics technologies (formerly referred to as natural graphite products), and advanced materials.

Industrial Materials.

The Company's Industrial Materials segment manufactures and delivers graphite electrodes, refractory products and needle coke products. Approximately 70% of the Company's graphite electrodes sold is consumed in the EAF steel melting process. The remaining approximately 30% of the Company's graphite electrodes sold is primarily used in various other ferrous and non-ferrous melting applications, including steel refining ladle furnace operations for both EAF and basic oxygen furnace steel production, fused materials, chemical processing, and alloy metals. The Company is a producer of petroleum needle coke. Needle coke is the raw material in the manufacture of the graphite electrodes used in melting operations. The Company is also a leadi! ng global supplier of carbon, semi-graphitic and graphite refractory hearth linings for blast and submerged arc furnaces used to produce iron and ferro alloys.

The Company competes with SGL Carbon A.G. Tokai Carbon Co., Ltd. Showa Denko Carbon K.K. Graphite India Limited, HEG Limited, SEC Corporation Limited, Nippon Carbon Co., Ltd., Energoprom Group, Beijing FangDa Carbon Tech Co. Ltd., Sinosteel Corporation, Phillips 66, Petrocokes Japan Limited , Mitsubishi Chemical Company, Baosteel Group , C-Chem Co., Ltd. Indian Oil Company Limited, Hongte Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. JX Holdings Inc., Petrochina International Jinzhou Co., Ltd. and Sinosteel Anshan Research Institute of Thermo-Energy Co. Ltd.

Engineered Solutions

The Engineered Solutions segment includes advanced electronics technologies, advanced graphite materials, advanced composite materials and advanced materials. Advanced electronics technology products consist of electronic thermal management solutions, fuel cell components, and sealing materials. These products are used in transportation, alternative energy, metallurgical, chemical, oil and gas exploration and various other industries. Advanced composite materials are engineered carbon products that are woven into various shapes to primarily support the aerospace and defense industries. Advanced materials use carbon and graphite powders as components or additives in a variety of industries, including metallurgical processing, battery and fuel cell components, and polymer additives.

SGL Carbon A.G., Mersen S.A., Tokai Carbon Co., Ltd., Toyo Tanso Co., Ltd., SEC Carbon Ltd, Nippon Carbon Co. Ltd, Graphite India Ltd. (India) , Panasonic Corporation , and Kaneka Corporation .

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Rhyu joins the company from IAC's (NASDAQ: IACI  ) Match.com, where he has filled the roles of both CFO and chief administrative officer since 2011. Previous to that, he was a senior vice president at News Corp's (NASDAQ: FOXA  ) Dow Jones & Company. He also served as corporate controller for both Sirius XM Radio and GrafTech International (NYSE: GTI  ) .

Top 10 Low Price Companies To Invest In 2014: Avanir Pharmaceuticals Inc(AVNR)

Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in acquiring, developing, and commercializing novel therapeutic products for the treatment of central nervous system disorders primarily in the United States. The company primarily offers NUEDEXTA, a unique proprietary combination of dextromethorphan and low-dose quinidine for the treatment of pseudobulbar affect. Its product line also comprises AVP-923 in Phase II clinical trial for the treatment of central neuropathic pain in patients with multiple sclerosis; and in Phase III trial for the treatment of patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain. In addition, the company provides Docosanol 10% cream, an over-the-counter product for cold sores treatment. Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Aliso Viejo, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Bryan Murphy]

  This is NOT a judgment call on the drug. This isn't a judgment call on the company either. This is a judgment call on how emotional and distracted traders can get from time to time, and we only have to look at Antares Pharma Inc. (NASDAQ:ATRS), Avanir Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:AVNR), and VIVUS, Inc. (NASDAQ:VVUS) to see how drinking the proverbial Kool-Aid ultimately punished anyone who bought rather than sold ATRS, VVUS, and AVNR right when the news seemed to incredibly encouraging.

• [By Sean Williams]

  What: Shares of Avanir Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: AVNR  ) , a biopharmaceutical company focused on rare central nervous systems disorders, jumped as much as 13% after the Food and Drug Administration OK'd an accelerated development pathway for AVP-786.

• [By Sean Williams]

  The end of the week brought fantastic news for shareholders in Avanir Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: AVNR  ) who witnessed the CHMP recommending approval for Nuedexta, it's already U.S.-approved treatment for psuedobulbar affect. An approval in Europe would be a key win for Avanir as Nuedexta currently makes up the majority of its revenue. In addition, it's worth noting that the European Medicine Agency's panel recommended two dosing regimens, potentially broadening in patient reach. Shares reacted notably higher but tapered off by the end of the day on Friday. Although the EMA isn't required to follow the recommendation of its panel, this would be a case where I'd be mildly surprised if it didn't.

• [By Keith Speights]

  On a roll
  Avanir Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: AVNR  ) is on a roll. After solid gains during the first week of June, the stock jumped another 19% this week.