Top 5 Quality Stocks To Buy For 2014

The S&P 500 hit another new high today, as Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) and Staples (SPLS). The Dow Jones Industrial Average, however, still can’t get positive for the year, despite big gains in Caterpillar (CAT), United Technologies (UTX) and Pfizer (PFE).

Associated Press

The S&P 500 gained 0.3% to 1,890.90 today, its third consecutive record high, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.2% to 16,573, just 3.66 points, or 0.02% below its all time.

Intuitive Surgical gained 5% to $518.50 after getting upgraded to market Outperform from Market Underperform at JMP Securities, while Staples rose 4.9% to $11.99. Caterpillar advanced 2.8% to $102.63 a day after defending its tax strategy at a Senate hearing, while United Technologies rose 1.7% to $119.87 and Pfizer gained 1.1% to $32.29.

Societe Generale’s Andrew Lapthorne and team note that poor earnings quality underperformed in 2013–and should keep on lagging in 2014. They write:

Best Forestry Companies To Watch In Right Now: Sparton Corporation(SPA)

Sparton Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, offers electronic manufacturing services primarily for medical device, defense and security systems, and electronic manufacturing services industries worldwide. The company?s Medical segment engages in the contract development, design, production, and distribution of medical related electromechanical devices for the medical OEM and ET customers primarily in the vitro diagnostic and therapeutic device areas. Its EMS segment involves in the contract manufacturing, assembly, design, preproduction, prototyping, and/or box building assemblies, such as flight control systems and fuel control systems for the aerospace, medical diagnostics systems, security systems, detection systems, lighting, and defense. The company?s DSS segment engages in the design, development, and production of electromechanical equipment, such as sonobuoys, an anti-submarine warfare device used by the United States Navy and foreign governments; and perf orms an engineering development function for the United States military and prime defense contractors on advanced technologies for defense products, and replacement of current systems. It also offers non-sonobuoy related manufacturing and services. Sparton Corporation was founded in 1900 and is headquartered in Schaumburg, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Louis Navellier]

  Sparton Corporation (SPA) provides electromechanical systems and operates in three segments: medical devices, complex systems and defense and security systems. The medical devices segment makes devices used in diagnostic, therapeutic, surgical, and laboratory applications. Complex devices makes printed circuit assemblies used in military, aerospace, industrial and commercial OEMs, while the defense and security segment designs products for defense applications.

• [By Emma O��rien]

  Futures (SPA) on the Standard & Poor�� 500 Index fell and the yen climbed against the dollar as U.S. lawmakers continued to scrap over raising the debt limit and the government shutdown. Crude oil declined while gold rallied.

Top 5 Quality Stocks To Buy For 2014: PostNL NV (PNL)

PostNL NV is a Netherlands-based Company active in delivery sector. The Company is engaged in the delivery of documents, small packages and standard parcels. The Company�� business is organized into three segments: Mail in the Netherlands, responsible for mail services in the Netherland, documents management, direct marketing and fulfillment services, and operating over 2,600 shop-in-shop post offices; Parcels, providing parcel services in the Netherlands and Belgium for both domestic and cross-border parcel distribution, and International, operating in the postal markets of the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy, and focusing on domestic addressed mail services. The Company also provides marketing and communication services, fulfillment solutions and e-commerce related solutions. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Inyoung Hwang]

  PostNL (PNL) sank 11 percent to 2.48 euros, the biggest decline since Jan. 14. The Amsterdam-based company said sales in the second-quarter were 1.03 billion euros ($1.37 billion), falling short of the 1.04 billion euros predicted by analysts on average. PostNL forecast addressed mail volume in 2013 will drop as much as 11 percent, greater than its previous forecast of no more than 10 percent.

Top 5 Quality Stocks To Buy For 2014: Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBAUF)

Commonwealth Bank of Australia (the Bank) is engaged in the provision of a range of banking and financial products and services to retail, small business, corporate and institutional clients. The Bank is a provider of integrated financial services, including retail, business and institutional banking, superannuation, life insurance, general insurance, funds management, broking services and finance company activities. Its operating segments include Retail Banking Services, Business and Private Banking, Institutional Banking and Markets, Wealth Management, New Zealand, Bankwest and Other. Its retail banking services include home loans, consumer finance, retail deposits and distribution. In December 2013, the Bank and its related bodies corporate had ceased to be the substantial holder of Reject Shop Ltd. In January 2014, the Bank and its related bodies corporate had ceased to be the substantial holder of Southern Cross Media Group Ltd. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By MARKETWATCH]

  LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Australian stocks started Monday trade higher, with the S&P/ASX 200 (AU:XJO) up 0.8% at 5,206.40 after a strong finish for Wall Street at the end of last week. Resource shares got a lift from gains for commodities prices since the previous trading session, with strong advances for gold and copper and a more than 2% rise for New York-traded crude-oil futures. Among the leading gainers, Rio Tinto Ltd. (AU:RIO) (RIO) added 1.2%, Oil Search Ltd. (AU:OSH) (OISHF) climbed 1.3%, and gold miners Newcrest Mining Ltd. (AU:NCM) (NCMGF) and Evolution Mining Ltd. (AU:EVN) (CAHPF) improved by 3.9% and 6.4%, respectively. The heavily weighted banking sector also enjoyed solid gains, with Commonwealth Bank of Australia (AU:CBA) (CBAUF) up 1%, Westpac Banking Corp. (AU:WBC) (WEBNF) trading 1.3% higher, and National Australia Bank Ltd. (AU:NAB) (NAUBF) rising 1.1% as the U.K.'s Sunday Times reported the lender is considering a 拢2 billion ($3.3 billion) float of its British operations, which the report said had dragged on NAB's results in recent years.

• [By MARKETWATCH]

  LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Stocks in Australia gave up ground early Tuesday before the country's central bank issued its final interest-rate decision of the year. The S&P/ASX 200 (AU:XJO) shed 0.2% to 5,271.10, with financial stocks mixed ahead a widely expected decision by the Reserve Bank of Australia to leave its benchmark rate at 2.5%. Westpac Banking Corp. shares (AU:WBC) (WEBNF) gave up 0.3% and Commonwealth Bank of Australia (AU:CBA) (CBAUF) shed 0.1%, but National Australia Bank Ltd. (AU:NAB) (NAUBF) tacked on 0.3%. Gold stocks were hit, dropping after gold futures fell by more than 2% overnight on concerns about a pullback in monetary stimulus by the U.S. Federal Reserve. Shares of gold miner Newcrest Mining Ltd. (AU:NCM) (NCMGF) lost 6.4%, Evolution Mining Ltd. (AU:EVN) (CAHPF) fell 6.7%, and Kingsgate Consolidated Ltd. (AU:KCN) (KSKGF) slid 9.7%.

Top 5 Quality Stocks To Buy For 2014: Wizard World Inc (WIZD)

Wizard World, Inc., incorporated on May 2, 2001, produces pop culture and live multimedia conventions (Comic Cons) across North America that provide a social networking and entertainment venue for fiction enthusiasts of movies, television shows, video games, technology, toys, social networking/gaming platforms, comic books and graphic novels. The Company has two lines of business: live multimedia events, which involves ticket sales and exhibitor booth space, and sponsorships and advertising. On December 7, 2010, the Company acquired Conventions (which collectively refers to Kick The Can Corp. and its predecessors Wizard Conventions, Inc. and Kicking The Can, L.L.C) pursuant to a Share Purchase and Share Exchange Agreement (the Exchange Agreement). As the result of the Share Exchange, Conventions became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. The Company, through, Conventions, is a producer of pop culture and live multimedia conventions. On November 13, 2010, the Company acquired the production rights to the Mid-Ohio Comic Con from GCX Holdings.

These Comic Cons provide entertainment companies, toy companies, gaming companies, publishing companies and retailers venues for their sales, marketing, promotions, public relations, advertising and sponsorships efforts. On March 18, 2011, the Company formed a wholly owned subsidiary, Wizard World Digital, Inc. (Digital). Among other things, Digital monitors and sends emails to its fan database; manages its Website www.wizardworld.com and its online accounts, and produces the Company�� online newsletter, Wizard World Digital. The Company also produces Wizard World Digital, an online publication covering new and upcoming products and talents in the pop culture world, which is distributed on a weekly basis to online and iPad users worldwide. Kick The Can Corp. was incorporated in Nevada on September 20, 2010. As of November 17, 2011, the Conventions held the production rights to 11 conventions: Atlanta Comic Con (Atlanta, GA); Big Apple Comic Co! n (New York, NY); Cincinnati Comic Con (Cincinnati, OH); Connecticut Comic Con (Hartford, CT); Nashville Comic Con (Nashville, TN); New England Comic Con (Boston, MA); North Coast Comic Con (Akron, OH); Toronto Comic Con (Toronto, Ontario); Nola Comic Con (New Orleans, LA); Central Canada Comic Con (Winnipeg, Manitoba), and Mid-Ohio Comic Con (Columbus, OH). The Company developed the Comic Cons in Miami, FL, Anaheim, CA, Austin, TX, Philadelphia, PA and Chicago, IL.

The Company competes with Reed Exhibitions Limited and Hobby Star Marketing Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  Today, WIZD remains (0.00%) +0.000 at $.520 thus far (ref. google finance June 20, 2013).

  Wizard World, Inc. previously reported record financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2013 today.

  Convention revenue was $1,793,476 for the three months ended March 31, 2013, as compared to $520,155 for the comparable period ended March 31, 2012, an increase of $1,273,321. The Company produced two events during the period ended March 31, 2013, as compared to one event during the comparable period ended March 31, 2012. Average revenue generated per event in 2013 was $896,737 as compared to $520,155 during 2012.