Top Logistics Companies To Invest In 2014

A FINRA arbitration panel just awarded ex-Morgan Stanley advisor Vincent Romano $525,000 related to his claim of being unfairly terminated for running for a seat in the Illinois House of Representatives. He argued that Morgan Stanley had political motives in keeping the reform-minded advisor out of office.

Morgan Stanley (MS) says such a claim is “unfounded,” maintaining that it terminated Romano for breaking rules associated with outside business activities. “We believe the firm’s instructions were clear, and respectfully disagree with the panel’s conclusion," the firm said in a statement. (The advisor, who had worked for the wirehouse for roughly eight years, did not win his November 2012 election.)

Financial services organizations have been encouraging advisors to jump into politics. The Financial Services Institute, for instance, asked Ohio representative and independent advisor Heather Bishoff to lead a session on what’s involved in the decision-making and logistics of running for office at its September 2013 national conference.

10 Best Food Stocks To Watch For 2015: LinkedIn (LNKD)

LinkedIn Corporation operates an online professional network. The company, through its proprietary platform, allows members to create, manage, and share their professional identity online; build and engage with their professional networks; access shared knowledge and insights; and find business opportunities. Its platform also offers members with solutions, including applications and tools to search, connect, and communicate with business contacts, learn about career opportunities, join industry groups, research organizations, and share information. In addition, the company provides LinkedIn mobile applications across various platforms and languages, such as Android, Blackberry, iPad, and iPhone mobile devices; a public Website that allows developers to integrate its content and services into their applications; and a set of embeddable widgets to allow Web developers to include content from the company�s network into their Website or application. Further, it offers hiring solutions comprising LinkedIn Corporate Solutions that enable enterprises and professional organizations to find, contact, and hire qualified candidates; LinkedIn Jobs that allow enterprises and professional organizations to advertise job opportunities on the company�s network; and Subscriptions, which enable recruiters and hiring managers to find, contact, and manage potential candidates. Additionally, the company provides marketing solutions, such as LinkedIn Ads, a self-service platform that enable advertisers to build and target their advertisement to its members; and LinkedIn Ads for Enterprise, which are marketing solutions to target larger advertisers that receive dedicated account management and additional marketing solutions. It also offers premium subscriptions that are subscription packages designed for general professionals to manage their professional identity and connect with talent. LinkedIn Corporation was founded in 2002 and is headquartered in Mountain Vi ew, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sean Williams]

  In my most recent instance using the TMFULOI, I added a growth discount parameter suggested by my Foolish colleague Rick Munarriz, who correctly pointed out that the initial TMFULOI valuation model I was using failed to account for, and even punished, rapidly growing companies. Having completed a third round using my newly adjusted TMFULOI value, I'm happy to say I have yet again surpassed the S&P 500 and am now a perfect three-for-three, despite LinkedIn (NYSE: LNKD  ) being a thorn in my side once again!

Top Logistics Companies To Invest In 2014: Hospitality Properites Trust (HPT)

Hospitality Properties Trust, a real estate investment trust (REIT), engages in buying, owning, and leasing hotels. The company�s hotels are operated as Courtyard by Marriott, Residence Inn by Marriott, Staybridge Suites by Holiday Inn, Candlewood Suites, AmeriSuites, Prime Hotels and Resorts, Homestead Studio Suites, TownePlace Suites by Marriott, and SpringHill Suites by Marriott or Marriott Hotels and Resorts. As of June 30, 2005, it owned 298 hotels located in 38 states in the United States; Puerto Rico; and Ontario, Canada. The company�s hotels are primarily designed for business, governmental, and family travelers. As a REIT, the company would not be subject to federal income tax provided it distributes at least 90% of its REIT taxable income to its stockholders. Hospitality Properties was formed in 1995 and is based in Newton, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Russ Krull]

  Hospitality Properties (NYSE: HPT  ) sold $300 million of 10-year, 4.25% paper to fund the redemption of 7% preferred shares.�There are 6.7 million preferred shares at $25 each for total of $167.5 million.�The new debt service will cost about $1 million more per year than the preferred dividends, but Hospitality is getting quite a bit of additional cash for "funding hotel renovation or rebranding costs and potential future acquisitions."

Top Logistics Companies To Invest In 2014: Dorman Products Inc.(DORM)

Dorman Products, Inc. supplies automotive replacement parts, fasteners, and service line products primarily for the automotive aftermarket. The company offers approximately 128,000 products comprising original equipment dealer parts, which include intake manifolds, exhaust manifolds, oil cooler lines, window regulators, radiator fan assemblies, power steering pulleys, and harmonic balancers; and replacement parts, such as window handles and switches, door hardware, interior trim parts, headlamp aiming screws and retainer rings, radiator parts, battery hold-down bolts and repair kits, valve train parts, and power steering filler caps. It also provides application specific and general automotive hardware, such as body hardware, general automotive fasteners, oil drain plugs, and wheel hardware; a selection of electrical connectors, wires, tools, testers, and accessories; and a line of home hardware and home organization products designed for retail merchandisers. In addition, the company offers a brake and clutch program; remanufactured automotive replacement parts, such as transfer case modules and instrument clusters; and heavy duty aftermarket parts for class 4-8 heavy vehicles, including coolant tubes, door handles and other body parts, fluid reservoirs, headlights and lighting, hood components, window regulators, and wiper transmissions. It sells its products under the OE Solutions, HELP!, AutoGrade, FirstStop, Conduct-Tite!, Pik-A-Nut, and HD Solutions brand names through automotive aftermarket retailers; national, regional, and local warehouse distributors; specialty markets; and salvage yards in the United States, Mexico, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Canada. The company, formerly known as R&B, Inc., was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in Colmar, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Vera Yuan]

  During the quarter, the Fund initiated positions in eight companies and strategically added to positions in sixteen companies. Over the same time period, the Fund eliminated its holdings in six companies and strategically decreased its holdings in another five companies. Positions initiated during the last three months include: Dorman Products, Inc. (DORM), Dover Corp. (DOV), DSW Inc. (DSW), First Niagara Financial Group (FNFG), Packaging Corporation of America (PKG), Patterson Companies, Inc. (PDCO), The Travelers Companies Inc. (TRV), and Universal Health Services Inc (UHS). Positions eliminated during the past quarter include: ABB Ltd. (ABB), Ann Inc. (ANN), Baxter International (BAX), International Game Technology (IGT), TRW Automotive Holdings (TRW), and URS Corporation (URS).

• [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 Dorman Products (Nasdaq: DORM  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

Top Logistics Companies To Invest In 2014: Servotronics Inc.(SVT)

Servotronics, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, manufacture, and marketing of technology and consumer products primarily in the United States. It operates in two segments, Advanced Technology Group (ATG) and Consumer Products Group (CPG). The ATG segment designs, manufactures, and markets various servo-control components that convert an electrical current into a mechanical force or movement, and other related products. Its servo-control components include torque motors, electromagnetic actuators, hydraulic valves, pneumatic valves, and similar devices that are principally sold to commercial aerospace, missile, aircraft, government related, medical, and industrial markets. This segment also produces metallic seals in various cross-sectional configurations that are used to fit between two metal surfaces to produce a secure and leak-proof joint. The ATG segment markets its products primarily through its professional staff to the United States Govern ment, government prime contractors, government subcontractors, commercial manufacturers, and end users. The CPG segment designs, manufactures, and sells various cutlery products, including steak, carving, bread, butcher, and paring knives for household use and for use in restaurants, institutions, and private industry; pocket and other types of knives for use in hunting, fishing, and camping; and machetes, bayonets, and other types of knives for military use. This segment also produces and markets other cutlery items, such as specialty tools, putty knives, linoleum sheet cutters, field knives, and other edged products. The CPG segment markets its products through sales personnel and independent manufacturers? representatives to hardware, supermarket, variety, department, discount, gift, and drug stores, as well as to various branches of the United States Government primarily under the ?Old Hickory? and ?Queen? brand names. Servotronics, Inc. was founded in 1959 and is based in Elma, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

  Severn Trent Plc (SVT) advanced 2.5 percent to 2,070 pence, snapping four days of losses. Borealis Infrastructure Management Inc. and its partners boosted their offer to acquire the water utility to 5.3 billion pounds ($8.2 billion).

• [By Sarah Jones]

  Societe Generale SA, Barclays Plc and Deutsche Bank AG led a selloff in banks, with each falling more than 2 percent. Severn Trent Plc (SVT) sank the most since October 2006 after a consortium of investors dropped their bid for the water utility. Kabel Deutschland Holding AG jumped 8.2 percent after Vodafone Group Plc confirmed it approached the company about a takeover.

Top Logistics Companies To Invest In 2014: Linktone Ltd.(LTON)

Linktone Ltd., through its subsidiaries, provides entertainment-oriented telecom value-added services and content to mobile phone users over mobile telecommunications networks in China and Indonesia, as well as the 3G mobile telecommunications network in Indonesia. The company specializes in the development, aggregation, marketing, and distribution of user wireless content and applications for access by mobile phone users through three mobile network operators in China and nine mobile network operators in Indonesia. Its 2G short messaging service (SMS)-based services include ringtones, icons and screen savers, interactive SMS messaging in certain television programs, adventure, action, trivia and fortune-telling games, lunar and Western horoscopes, jokes, fan clubs, and event-driven or entertainment news updates. The company?s 2.5G services comprise multimedia messaging services, such as animated cartoons and screensavers, comic strips, magazine-style ?mobile articles? on various topics, and event-driven news updates; and WAP services, which consist of WAP-based ringtones, screensavers, games and dating services, and advanced Java games. It also offers audio-related services, including color ring-back tones; and interactive voice response services that allow users to listen to songs, jokes, stories, and coverage of various events. In addition, Linktone is launching 3G services in Indonesia, including e-paper/e-reading; video-on-demand on tablet devices and smart TVs; and radio streaming on mobile applications. Further, it distributes and sells home entertainment products, such as VCDs/DVDs/Blu-ray discs and video-on-demand in Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia; and engages in the theatrical distribution of movies, karaoke video licensing, karaoke system rental, and providing a karaoke-on-demand channel on Pay TV platforms. The company was founded in 1999 and is based in Shanghai, China. Linktone Ltd. is a subsidiary of MNC International Li mited.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Linktone (NASDAQ: LTON) shares touched a new 52-week low of $1.30. Linktone's trailing-twelve-month operating margin is -20.15%.

  TOR Minerals International (NASDAQ: TORM) shares touched a new 52-week low of $9.76. TOR Minerals shares have dropped 9.95% over the past 52 weeks, while the S&P 500 index has gained 27.45% in the same period.

Top Logistics Companies To Invest In 2014: Banco Bradesco SA (BBD)

Banco Bradesco S.A. (the Bank), incorporated on November 5, 1943, is commercial bank. The Bank offers a range of banking and financial products and services in Brazil and abroad to individuals, large, midsized and small companies and local and international corporations and institutions. It operates in two segments: the banking, and the insurance, pension and capitalization bonds. Its products and services encompass banking operations, such as loans and advances and deposittaking, credit card issuance, purchasing consortiums, insurance, leasing, payment collection and processing, pension plans, asset management and brokerage services. The main services it offers through Bradesco Expresso are receipt and submission of account applications; receipt and submission of account applications; Social Security National Service (INSS) benefit payments; checking and savings account deposits, and receipt of consumption bills, bank charges and taxes. In May, 2011, the Bank acquired Banco do Estado do Rio de Janeiro S.A. (BERJ).

Banking

The Banking segment includes deposit-taking with clients, including checking accounts, savings accounts and time deposits; loans and advances (individuals and companies, real estate financing, microcredit, onlending BNDES funds, rural credit, leasing, among others); credit cards, debit cards and pre-paid cards; management of receipts and payments; asset management; services related to capital markets and investment banking activities; intermediation and trading services; custody, depositary and controllership services; international banking services, and purchasing consortiums.

The Bank offers a variety of deposit products and services to our customers through its branches, including Non-interest bearing checking accounts, such as Easy Account, Click Account, Academic Account and Cell Phone Bonus Account; traditional savings accounts; time deposits, and deposits from financial institutions. As of December 31, 2011, it had 43.4 million savings a! ccounts. It offers its customers certain additional services, such as identified deposits and real-time banking transfers. Its loans and advances to customers, consumer credit, corporate and agricultural-sector loans, totaled R$263.5 billion as of December 31, 2011.

The Bank�� loan portfolio consists of short-term loans, vehicle financings and overdraft loans on checking accounts. It also provides revolving credit facilities and traditional term loans. As of December 31, 2011, it had outstanding advances, vehicle financings, consumer loans and revolving credit totaling R$58.0 billion, or 22.0% of its portfolio of loans and advances. Banco Bradesco Financiamentos (Bradesco Financiamentos) offers direct-to-consumer credit and leasing for the acquisition of vehicles and payroll-deductible loans to the public and private sectors 'in Brazil. Supported by BF Promotora de Vendas Ltda. (BF Promotora), and using the Bradesco Financiamentos brand, the Bank operates through its network of correspondents in Brazil, consisting of retailers and dealers selling light vehicles, trucks and motorcycles, to offer financing and/or leasing for vehicles. Through Bradesco Promotora brand, it offer payroll-deductible loans to social security retirees and pensioners, public-sector employees, military personnel and private-sector companies sponsoring plans, and other aggregated products (insurance, capitalization bonds, cards, purchasing consortiums, and others).

As of December 31, 2011, the Bank had 63,156 outstanding real estate loans. As of December 31, 2011, the aggregate outstanding amount of its real estate loans amounted to R$15.9 billion, representing 6% of its portfolio of loans and advances. As of December 31, 2011, it had 69,491 microcredit loans outstanding, totaling R$62.8 million. Its BNDES onlending portfolio totaled R$35.4 billion as of December 31, 2011.

The Bank provides traditional loans for the ongoing needs of its corporate customers. It had R$85.8 billion of outstand! ing other! local commercial loans, accounting for 32.5% of its portfolio of loans and advances as of December 31, 2011. It offers a range of loans to its Brazilian corporate customers, including short-term loans of 29 days or less; guaranteed checking accounts and corporate overdraft loans; discounting trade receivables, promissory notes, checks, credit card and supplier receivables, and a number of other receivables; financing for purchase and sale of goods and services; corporate real estate financing, and investment lines for acquisition of assets and machinery. As of December 31, 2011, the Bank had R$11 billion in outstanding rural loans, representing 4.2% of its portfolio of loans and advances. The Bank conducts its leasing operations through its primary leasing subsidiary, Bradesco Leasing and also through Bradesco Financiamentos.

The Bank offers electronic solutions for receipt and payment management solutions, which include collection and payment services and online resource management enabling its customers to pay suppliers, salaries, and taxes and other levies to governmental or public entities. The global cash management concept provides solutions for multinationals in Brazil and/or domestic companies operating abroad. It manages third-party assets through mutual funds; individual and corporate investment portfolios; pension funds, including assets guaranteeing the technical provisions of Bradesco Vida e Previdencia, and insurance companies, including assets guaranteeing the technical provisions of Bradesco Seguros.

The Bank�� subsidiaries Bradesco S.A. CTVM and Agora S.A. CTVM (or Bradesco Corretora and Agora Corretora, respectively) trade stocks, options, stock lending, public offerings and forwards. They also offer a range of products, such as Brazilian government securities (under the Tesouro Direto program), BM&F trading, investor clubs and investment funds.

The Bank offers a range of international services, such as foreign exchange transactions, foreign tr! ade finan! ce, lines of credit and banking. As of December 31, 2011, its international banking services included New York City, a branch and Bradesco Securities Inc., its subsidiary brokerage firm, or Bradesco Securities United States, and its subsidiary Bradesco North America LLC, or Bradesco North America; London, Bradesco Securities U.K., its subsidiary, or Bradesco Securities U.K.; Cayman Islands, two Bradesco branches and its subsidiary, Cidade Capital Markets Ltd., or Cidade Capital Markets; Argentina, Banco Bradesco Argentina S.A., its subsidiary, or Bradesco Argentina; Banco Bradesco Luxemburgo S.A. its subsidiary, or Bradesco Europe; Japan, Bradesco Services Co. Ltd., its subsidiary, or Bradesco Services Japan; in Hong Kong, its subsidiary Bradesco Trade Services Ltd, or Bradesco Trade, and in Mexico, its subsidiary Ibi Services, Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada, or Ibi Mexico.

The Bank�� Brazilian foreign-trade related business consists of export and import finance. In addition to import and export finance, its customers have access to a range of services and foreign exchange products, such as purchasing and selling travelers checks and foreign currency paper money; cross border money transfers; advance payment for exports; accounts abroad in foreign currency; cash holding in other countries; collecting import and export receivables; repaid cards with foreign currency (individual), and structured foreign currency transactions through its foreign units.

Insurance, pension plans and capitalization bonds

The Bank offers insurance products through a number of different entities, which it refers to collectively as Grupo Bradesco Seguros. It offers life, personal accident and random events insurance through its subsidiary Bradesco Vida e Previdencia. It offers health insurance policies through Bradesco Saude and its subsidiaries for small, medium or large companies. It provides automobile, property/casualty and liability products through its subsidiary Bradesco Auto! /RE. It a! lso offers certain automobile, health, and property/casualty insurance products directly through its Website.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Banco Bradesco S.A. (NYSE: BBD) is one of the key banks and financial services companies in Brazil. A Yahoo! Finance reference showed that the 2012 figures were as follows: 4,686 branches; 34,859 ATMs; 12,975 shared ATMs under the Banco24Horas brand; and 5,237 special points of banking services. At $11.65, the 52-week trading range is $11.29 to $17.79. This ADR is down 7% so far in 2014.