Top Mid Cap Companies For 2014

U.S. stocks had an excellent 2013

Results for U.S. stock markets were exceptionally strong during 2013. Stock markets continued their more than four year advance from the financial panic lows reached in March 2009. The backdrop for this advance was an improving economy, less than median stock prices based on historic valuations and, inexpensive credit increasingly available through a healed banking system. We believe U.S. stock markets were helped meaningfully by the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank's LSAP, large scale asset purchase program, more commonly called "quantitative easing." The stated purpose of the bank's strategy is to encourage businesses to invest to grow and create jobs. By keeping interest rates low and creating inflation, the Fed's LSAP is also intended to help our businesses and citizens continue to deleverage. During 2013, stocks advanced on average about 30% from the prior year. Stocks of smaller and mid cap companies often increased in price more than 40%! Further, U.S. stocks' closing prices at year end 2013 exceeded peak prices they achieved in October 2007 by about 35%, as measured by the S&P 500.

Top 5 Oil Service Companies To Buy Right Now: Suburban Propane Partners L.P.(SPH)

Suburban Propane Partners, L.P., through its subsidiaries, engages in the retail marketing and distribution of propane, fuel oil, and refined fuels. Its Propane segment is involved in the distribution of propane to residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural customers, as well as in the wholesale distribution to industrial end users. This segment offers propane primarily for space heating, water heating, cooking, and clothes drying in the residential and commercial markets; for use as a motor fuel in internal combustion engines to power over-the-road vehicles, forklifts, and stationary engines, as well as to fire furnaces and as a cutting gas to the industrial customers; and for tobacco curing, crop drying, poultry brooding, and weed control in the agricultural markets. The company?s Fuel Oil and Refined Fuels segment engages in the retail distribution of fuel oil, diesel, kerosene, and gasoline to residential and commercial customers primarily for use as a sourc e of heat in homes and buildings. Its Natural Gas and Electricity segment markets natural gas and electricity to residential and small commercial customers in the deregulated energy markets of New York and Pennsylvania. The company also sells, installs, and services of a range of home comfort equipment, including whole-house heating products, air cleaners, humidifiers, hearth products, and space heaters; and sells and installs natural gas and propane gas grills, fireplaces, and related accessories and supplies through retail stores. As of September 24, 2011, it served approximately 750,000 residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural customers primarily in the east and west coast regions of the United States, including Alaska, as well as operated 2 retail stores in the northwest and northeast regions in the United States. Suburban Energy Services Group LLC serves as a general partner of Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. The company was founded in 1945 and is based in Whippany, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Ferrellgas Partners (NYSE: FGP  ) will release its quarterly report on Friday, and shares of the propane distributor have jumped to two-year highs recently. Yet with a somewhat different exposure to the industry than rivals AmeriGas (NYSE: APU  ) and Suburban Propane (NYSE: SPH  ) , will Ferrellgas earnings be able to grow enough to make optimistic investors satisfied?

Top Mid Cap Companies For 2014: Noodles & Co (NDLS)

Noodles & Company, incorporated on December 19, 2002, is a casual restaurant concept offering lunch and dinner. The Company offers noodle and pasta dishes, staples of many cuisines, with the goal of delivering fresh ingredients and flavors globally under one roof from Pad Thai to Mac & Cheese. The Company�� globally inspired menu includes a variety of cooked-to-order dishes, including noodles and pasta, soups, salads and sandwiches, which are served on china by its friendly team members.

As of May 28, 2013, including the 16 Company owned restaurants and one franchise restaurant opened in 2013. The Company opened 39 new company owned restaurants and six franchise restaurants. In 2012, the Company began using Your World Kitchen to describe the breadth of its offering and its customers' dining experience.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tamara Rutter]

  Take Noodles & Company (NASDAQ: NDLS  ) , for example. The fast-casual dining chain hit the public market running last month, with the stock's IPO more than doubling in value. This enthusiasm from investors seems promising until you consider that the stock now trades at nearly 430 times earnings. Yikes.

• [By Alyce Lomax]

  However, maybe a huge part of the problem is continuing momentum toward quick-service restaurants with more upscale images or brands. For just a little more money, consumers can get a quick meal that's a bit healthier or includes fresher, whole ingredients at restaurants such as Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG  ) , Panera Bread (NASDAQ: PNRA  ) , and Noodles & Co. (NASDAQ: NDLS  ) .

• [By John Udovich]

  At the end of last week, small cap restaurant stock�Zoe's Kitchen Inc (NYSE: ZOES) had its IPO with some pundits saying its potentially the next Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc (NYSE: CMG), meaning its worth taking a closer look at the stock along with Noodles & Co (NASDAQ: NDLS), Potbelly Corp (NASDAQ: PBPB) and Bloomin' Brands Inc (NASDAQ: BLMN) which are all restaurant stocks that also had relatively recent IPOs.

Top Mid Cap Companies For 2014: Grifols SA (GRFS)

Grifols SA is a Spain-based company engaged in the healthcare sector. The Company is involved in the research, development, manufacturing and marketing of medical solutions for hospitals, which include plasma-derived therapies, as well as diagnosis and pharmaceutical products. Its activities are structured in four segments: Bioscience, which focuses on the research for obtaining new therapies and solutions aimed at patients who suffer from illnesses stemming from plasma deficits; Diagnostic, which comprises the research, development and marketing of diagnostic products for clinical laboratories, Hospital, which offers ready-to-use pharmaceutical preparations and products for clinical nutrition; and Raw Materials, which includes sales of biological products and services. The Company is a parent of Grupo Grifols. In March 2013, the Company acquired a 60% stake in Progenika Biopharma SA. On January 9, 2014, the Company acquired a diagnostic unit from Novartis International AG. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Wolfe]

  Grifols SA (GRFS)

  Paulson�� fourth largest holding is in Grifols SA where he holds on to 19,786,279 shares of the company�� stock. His position in the company represents 4% of his total portfolio and 5.76% of the company�� shares outstanding.

• [By Monica Wolfe]

  Grifols SA (GRFS)

  Paulson�� fourth largest holding is in Grifols SA where he maintains 19,838,107 shares of the company�� stock. His holdings make up for 3.9% of his total portfolio as well as for 5.77% of the company�� shares outstanding.

• [By Philip Springer]

  What’s more, earnings estimates for 2014 by Wall Street analysts have increased for seven of the 10 companies over the last three months. Amgen’s are down slightly and those for Celgene and Novo Nordisk are unchanged.
  
  Two of the 10 stocks currently are in the PF Growth Portfolio. Another, Allergan, was sold for a 75 percent long-term gain since its initial recommendation.
  
  As of late February, the 10 stocks profiled carried market capitalizations of roughly $30 billion and up. Here are another four companies to watch: Grifols SA (NSDQ: GRFS), Jazz Pharmaceuticals PLC (NSDQ: JAZZ), Questcor Pharmaceuticals (NSDQ: QCOR) and Salix Pharmaceuticals (NSDQ: SLXP). Each of these four companies is generating rapid revenue and profit growth, and each stock carries a market capitalization of $5 billion or more.
  
  Have a happy and safe Fourth of July weekend!

Top Mid Cap Companies For 2014: VAALCO Energy Inc (EGY)

VAALCO Energy, Inc. (VAALCO), incorporated in 1985, is an independent energy company principally engaged in the acquisition, exploration, development and production of crude oil and natural gas. VAALCO owns producing properties and conducts exploration activities as operator in Gabon, West Africa, conducts exploration activities as an operator in Angola, West Africa, and has conducted exploration activities as a non-operator in the British North Sea. The Company owns minor interests in production activities as a non-operator in the United States. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Etame, Avouma, South Tchibala and Ebouri fields produced approximately 8.1 million barrels of oil (2.3 million barrels of oil net to the Company).

Offshore Gabon

The Company�� primary source of revenue is from the Etame Production Sharing Contract related to the Etame Marin block located offshore the Republic of Gabon. VAALCO operates the Etame Marin block on behalf of a consortium of companies. As of December 31, 2010, VAALCO owned a 30.35% interest in the exploration acreage within the Etame Marin block. The Company owns a 28.1% interest in the development areas surrounding the Etame, Avouma, South Tchibala and Ebouri fields, each of which is located on the Etame Marin block. The Company produces from the Etame, Avouma, South Tchibala and Ebouri fields on the block.

Onshore Gabon

The Mutamba Iroru block is ocated onshore near the coast in central Gabon. The Mutamba Iroru block contains an exploration area of approximately 270,000 acres.

Offshore Angola

The Company has 40% working interest in Offshore Angola. The four year primary term with an optional three year extension awards the Company exploration rights to 1.4 million acres offshore central Angola.

Onshore Domestic-Texas

In July 2011, the Company acquired a 480 acre lease in the Granite Wash formation in North Texas. In November 2011, the Company commen! ced drilling a second well on the initial Granite Wash formation lease.

Onshore DomesticMontana

In May 2011, the Company acquired a 70% working interest in approximately 5,200 acres (3,640 net acres) in Sheridan County, Montana in the Middle Bakken formation. In September 2011, it acquired a 65% working interest in approximately 22,000 gross acres covering the Middle Bakken and deeper formations in the East Poplar unit and the Northwest Poplar field in Roosevelt County, Montana.

DomesticOutside Operated

The Company has minor interests in Brazos County, Texas producing from the Buda/Georgetown formations. The Company also owns certain minor non-operated interests in the Ship Shoal area of the Gulf of Mexico and in Pickens County, Alabama.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Vaalco Energy (NYSE: EGY  ) hopes to put some power into its common stock by repurchasing a chunk of outstanding shares. The company's board has authorized a repurchase program for up to $25 million worth of stock. The initiative will be in force for one year.

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Friday

  Earnings Expected From: Covidien plc. (NYSE: COV), Eldorado Gold Corporation (NYSE: EGO), Vaalco Energy Inc. (NYSE: EGY) Economic Releases Expected: �US Wholesale Trade, US non-farm payrolls

  Posted-In: Bank Of England European Central Bank Federal ReserveNews Eurozone Previews Global Economics Federal Reserve Markets Trading Ideas Best of Benzinga

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Thursday

  Earnings Expected From: AVEO Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVEO), Kirkland��, Inc (NASDAQ: KIRK), Dollar General Corporation (NYSE: DG), Stein Mart, Inc. (SMRT: NASDAQ), Mattress Firm Holding Corp. (NASDAQ: MRFM), SeaWorld Entertainment (NYSE: SEAS), Vaalco Energy Inc (NYSE: EGY) Economic Releases Expected: Chinese retail sales, French CPI, Brazilian retail sales, US retail sales, Japanese industrial production

  Friday

Top Mid Cap Companies For 2014: Luminex Corporation(LMNX)

Luminex Corporation engages in the development, manufacture, and sale of proprietary biological testing technologies and products for the life sciences and diagnostic industries. It offers xMAP technology, an open architecture and multiplexing technology that allows simultaneous analysis of approximately 500 bioassays from a drop of fluid by reading biological tests on the surface of microscopic polystyrene beads called microspheres. The company?s xMAP technology is used in various segments of the life sciences industry, such as the fields of drug discovery and development, clinical diagnostics, genetic analysis, bio-defense, food safety, and biomedical research. It operates in two segments, Technology and Strategic Partnerships; and Assays and Related Products. The Technology and Strategic Partnerships segment provides Luminex LX 100/200 that integrates fluidics, optics, and digital signal processing; FLEXMAP 3D system for use as a general laboratory instrument; and MAGP IX system, a multiplexing analyzer for qualitative and quantitative analysis of proteins and nucleic acids. This segment also offers consumables comprising dyed polystyrene microspheres and sheath fluids. The Assays and Related Products segment develops and sells assays on xMAP technology for use on its installed base of systems. This segment?s products are focused on the human genetics, personalized medicine, and infectious disease segments of the genetic testing market. This segment provides various assay products, which consist of a combination of chemical and biological reagents, and company?s proprietary bead technology used to perform diagnostic and research assays on samples. It serves pharmaceutical companies, clinical laboratories, research institutions, and medical institutions in the United States, Europe, Asia, Canada, and Australia. The company was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  A health care stock that insiders are jumping into here is Luminex (LMNX), which develops, manufactures and sells proprietary biological testing technologies and products with applications throughout the life sciences and diagnostics industries. Insiders are buying this stock into notable strength, since shares are up 23.2% so far in 2013.

  Luminex has a market cap of $859 million and an enterprise value of $784 million. This stock trades at a premium valuation, with a price-to-sales of 119.83 and a price-to-book of 33.63. Its estimated growth rate for this year is 36.7%, and for next year it's pegged at 51.2%. This is a cash-rich company, since the total cash position on its balance sheet is $42.97 million and its total debt is just $1.67 million.

  A director just bought 27,000 shares, or about $540,000 worth of stock, at $20.01 per share.

  From a technical perspective, LMNX is currently trending above its 200-day and just below is 50-day moving average, which is neutral trendwise. This stock recently gapped down sharply from $23.50 to $19.75 a share with heavy downside volume flows. Following that move, shares of LMNX have started to rebound off $19.75 and the stock is starting to push within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade.

  If you're bullish on LMNX, then look for long-biased trades as long as this stock is trending some key near-term support at $19.75, and then once it breaks out above its 50-day at $21.14 a share and above its gap down day high of $21.83 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that hits near or above its three-month average volume of 206,755 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then LMNX will set up to re-test or possibly take out its 52-week high at $24.10. Any high-volume move above that level will then give LMNX a chance to tag $25 to $26.

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Basic guidelines
  In this series, I examine inventory using a simple rule of thumb: Inventory increases ought to roughly parallel revenue increases. If inventory bloats more quickly than sales grow, this might be a sign that expected sales haven't materialized. Is the current inventory situation at Luminex (Nasdaq: LMNX  ) out of line? To figure that out, start by comparing the company's inventory growth to sales growth. How is Luminex doing by this quick checkup? At first glance, not so great. Trailing-12-month revenue increased 9.1%, and inventory increased 32.2%. Comparing the latest quarter to the prior-year quarter, the story looks potentially problematic. Revenue grew 9.2%, and inventory grew 32.2%. Over the sequential quarterly period, the trend looks worrisome. Revenue dropped 4.2%, and inventory grew 8.0%.

• [By Sean Williams]

  Now what: Normally, a $5 million haircut isn't a big deal. However, if a company is losing money and that $5 million is a clean 14% below its original forecasts, then it's certainly going to garner a negative reaction. It also doesn't help that Natural Molecular Testing Corporation -- that aforementioned "large customer" -- recently entered in a multi-year collaboration with Luminex (NASDAQ: LMNX  ) earlier this month, casting a gray cloud over GenMark's future revenue stream with NMTC. Until we get better visibility from GenMark's management team and see the company moving toward profitability, this is a name I'd suggest keeping your distance from.

Top Mid Cap Companies For 2014: Regal Beloit Corporation(RBC)

Regal Beloit Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells electric motors and controls, electric generators and controls, and mechanical motion control products primarily in the United States and Asia. The company operates in two segments, Electrical and Mechanical. The Electrical segment manufactures and markets AC and DC commercial, industrial, and commercial refrigeration electric motors and blowers, as well as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) electric motors and blowers. It also provides precision servo motors, electric generators, automatic transfer switches and paralleling switchgear, and control electric power generation equipment; AC and DC variable speed drives and controllers, and other accessories for industrial and commercial applications; and capacitors for use in HVAC systems, high intensity lighting, and other applications. The Mechanical segment manufactures and markets a range of mechanical motion control products, i ncluding worm gears, bevel gears, helical gears, and concentric shaft gearboxes; marine transmissions; after-market automotive transmissions, and ring and pinions; custom gearing; gearmotors; electrical connecting devices; and manual valve actuators, which are used in oil and gas, water distribution and treatment, and chemical processing applications. The company sells its products to original equipment manufacturers, distributors, and end users through its direct sales people and manufacturer?s representative organizations. Regal Beloit Corporation was founded in 1955 and is based in Beloit, Wisconsin.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Bank of America's (NYSE: BAC  ) Merrill Lynch division and Royal Bank of Canada (NYSE: RBC  ) have provided HBC with fully committed credit facilities, which, together with the equity commitment provided by the pension plan, is sufficient to close the transaction.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  This industry moved down 1.34% by 11:30 am, with Regal Beloit (NYSE: RBC) moving down 9.1%. Regal Beloit reported Q2 earnings of $1.27 per share on revenue of $850.40 million.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Electric motor manufacturer�Regal Beloit� (NYSE: RBC  ) �will pay a�regular quarterly dividend�of $0.30 on July 12 to the holders of record at the close of business on June 28.