Hot Trucking Stocks To Own For 2014

Watch out, grocery chain investors: The $250 billion freight train that is Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT  ) is looking to push you off the rails.

On Monday Wal-Mart announced changes across its sourcing, training, and operations "that will ensure the quality and freshness of the fruits and vegetables that it offers customers."

The plan
So how, exactly, does this corporate behemoth intend to achieve its goal?�

First, the initiative includes plans to purchase produce directly from growers with the guidance of new produce experts hired by the company. As a result, Wal-Mart will be able to take greater advantage of its own industry-leading network of distribution centers and trucking systems to bring fruits and vegetables to store shelves even faster than its current system allows.

Next, Wal-Mart will be performing "independent weekly checks in its more than 3,400 Supercenters, Neighborhood Markets and Express Stores that sell produce," the reports for which will be sent to "every level of store management" to help benchmark itself and competitors on a week-over-week basis.

Best Japanese Companies For 2015: Granite Broadcasting Corp (GRRP)

Granite Broadcasting Corporation (Granite), incorporated in 1988, is a television broadcasting company focused on developing and operating small- to middle-market television broadcast stations in the United States. The Company owns and operates six middle-market stations, and has shared services agreements and advertising representation agreements to two additional stations owned by Malara Broadcast Group and one additional station owned by Four Seasons Broadcast Company. Granite's revenues are derived principally from local and national advertising and, to a lesser extent, from network compensation for the broadcast of programming, and from studio rental and commercial production activities. On July 26, 2006, the Company completed the acquisition of WBNG, Channel 12, the CBS-affiliated television station serving Binghamton and Elmira, New York. In December 2006, Granite, along with certain of its subsidiaries, voluntarily filed petitions for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.

The stations that Granite owns and the stations to which the Company provides services under local services agreements operate in geographically diverse markets. With respect to the stations the Company owns, as of December 31, 2005, two stations are located in the west region (KBWB-San Francisco, California and KSEE-Fresno, California); four stations are located in the mid-west region (WDWB- Detroit, Michigan; WEEK-Peoria, Illinois; WISE-Fort Wayne, Indiana, and KBJR-Duluth, Minnesota), and two stations are located in the northeast region (WKBW-Buffalo and WTVH-Syracuse, New York).

As of December 31, 2005, four of the eight stations the Company owns are affiliated with NBC, one is affiliated with ABC, one is affiliated with CBS and two are affiliated with the WB Network, which has announced that it will no longer provide programming to WB affiliates effective September 2006. All three of the s! tations to which the Company provides services under local services agreements are located in the midwest region (WPTA-Fort Wayne, Indiana; KDLH-Duluth, Minnesota, and WAOE- Peoria, Illinois). WPTA is affiliated with ABC, KDLH is affiliated with CBS and WAOE is affiliated with UPN.

Affiliates of the major networks, which include NBC, ABC, CBS and Fox, receive a significant portion of their programming each day from the network. These major networks provide programming, and in some cases, cash payments, to their affiliated stations in exchange for a significant portion of the affiliates' advertising inventory during the network provided programs. These networks then sell this advertising time and retain the revenue.

Granite has entered into affiliation agreements with networks for each of the stations the Company owns. KSEE, WEEK, WISE (acquired on March 8, 2005) and KBJR are affiliated with NBC, WKBW is affiliated with ABC, WTVH is affiliated with CBS, and KBWB and WDWB stations are affiliated with WB. WPTA, which Granite sold, on March 7, 2005, to Malara Broadcast Group, is affiliated with ABC. With respect to the two stations that are owned by Malara Broadcast Group to which, since March 8, 2005, the Company provides services under local services agreements, KDLH is affiliated with CBS and WPTA is affiliated with ABC. WAOE, which is owned by Four Seasons Broadcast Company, is affiliated with UPN. In addition to these network affiliation agreements, Granite delivers WB programming on leased cable channels in Fort Wayne, Indiana and Duluth, Minnesota-Superior, Wisconsin. In the Duluth, Minnesota-Superior, Wisconsin, the Company delivers UPN programming on one of KBJR's digital streams, which programming is retransmitted in analog format by certain major cable systems in the DMA. In addition, KRII multicasts Weather Plus on another of KBJR's digital streams.

Since March 8, 2005, Granite has shared services agreements and advertising representation agreements (or loc! al servic! e agreements) to provide advertising, sales promotion and administrative services, and selected programming to two additional stations owned by Malara Broadcast Group, all of which Granite and Malara stations are affiliated with either ABC, NBC or CBS, the Company's Big Three Affiliates. On September 8, 2005, Granite entered into a definitive agreement (the KBWB Purchase and Sale Agreement) to sell substantially all of the assets of KBWB-TV, the WB affiliate serving the San Francisco, California television market, to AM Broadcasting KBWB, Inc. (the KBWB Buyer). In addition, on September 8, 2005, the Company entered into a definitive agreement (the WDWB Purchase and Sale Agreement, and together with the KBWB Purchase and Sale Agreement, the Purchase and Sale Agreements) to sell substantially all of the assets of WDWB-TV, the WB affiliate serving the Detroit Michigan television market, to AM Broadcasting WDWB, Inc. (the WDWB Buyer).

On September 1, 2005, Granite entered into an arrangement with Four Seasons Broadcast Company, under which the Company will provide advertising, sales promotion and administrative services to Four Seasons Broadcast Company-owned station WAOE-TV, the UPN affiliate serving Peoria-Bloomington, Illinois, in return for certain fees that will be paid by Four Seasons Broadcast Company to Granite. On January 13, 2006, Granite and certain of its subsidiaries entered into a definitive agreement with Television Station Group Holdings, LLC and certain of its subsidiaries to purchase substantially all of the assets of WBNG-TV, Channel 12, the CBS-affiliated television station serving Binghamton and Elmira, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  E.W. Scripps Co.(SSP) agreed to acquire two television stations, one in Detroit and another in Buffalo, N.Y., for a combined $110 million from Granite Broadcasting Corp.(GRRP)

Hot Trucking Stocks To Own For 2014: Westell Technologies Inc.(WSTL)

Westell Technologies, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the design, distribution, marketing, and servicing a range of broadband, digital transmission, remote monitoring, power distribution, and demarcation products used by telephone companies and other telecommunications service providers. It operates in three segments: Customer Networking Systems (CNS) equipment, Outside Plant Systems (OSP) equipment, and ConferencePlus services. The CNS equipment segment provides networking and high-speed transmissions products, such as modems, routers, versatile gateway devices, and wireless broadband home routers that allow service providers to deliver broadband services over existing copper, fiber, coax, or wireless infrastructures. The OSP segment offers next generation outdoor cabinets; enclosures; power distribution; fiber, Ethernet, and coax edge connectors; remote monitoring equipment; and DS1 and DS3 transmission plugs. This segment also markets and sells power distribu tion and remote monitoring solutions. The ConferencePlus services segment provides audio, Web, and video conferencing services to businesses and individuals. This segment sells its services directly to Fortune 1000 companies, and indirectly through its private reseller programs. The company offers its products through field sales organizations and selected distributors in the United States, as well as in Canada and Europe. Westell Technologies, Inc. was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Aurora, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  Late last month, the networking equipment maker had to scramble when its acting chief financial officer, Tom Minichiello, announced plans to retire on July 12 to become the new CFO at Westell Technologies (NASDAQ: WSTL  ) . On Friday, though, just as the deadline was happening, Tellabs announced that it has found a replacement.

Hot Trucking Stocks To Own For 2014: adidas AG (ADDDF)

adidas AG is a Germany-based holding company for the adidas Group, which is engaged in sports footwear, apparel and accessories. The Company diversifies its activities into three operating segments: Wholesale Business; Retail Business, and Other Businesses. The Wholesale Business segment comprises the adidas and Reebok business activities with retailers. The Retail Business segment comprises the own-retail and e-Commerce activities of the adidas and Rebook brands. The Other Businesses segment comprises the brands TaylorMade-adidas Golf, Rockport, Reebok-CCM Hockey and other centrally managed brands. Furthermore, the Company diversifies its activities by geographical regions into Western Europe, European Emerging Markets, North America, Greater China, Other Asian Markets and Latin America. As of December 31, 2012, the Company operated a total of 177 subsidiaries and affiliated companies located in Germany and abroad. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Mark Thompson]

  World Cup winner Germany, and runner-up Argentina, both wore Adidas (ADDDF) in Sunday's final in Rio de Janeiro.

  Adidas also sponsored the three players who took top honors for individual performances during the tournament in Brazil.

• [By Ben Rooney]

  Shares of Adidas (ADDDF), which trade in Frankfurt and also have a small listing in the U.S., are down 7% since the World Cup started on June 12, though they were bouncing back Friday. Nike shares are up more than 5% over the same period of time.

Hot Trucking Stocks To Own For 2014: Eagle Bulk Shipping Inc.(EGLE)

Eagle Bulk Shipping Inc. engages in the ocean transportation of bulk cargoes in the dry bulk industry. The company primarily transports iron ore, coal, grain, cement, and fertilizer along worldwide shipping routes. As of December 31, 2009, it owned and operated a fleet of 27 oceangoing vessels with a combined carrying capacity of 1,412,535 deadweight tons. The company was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rebecca McClay]

  And dry bulk shippers like FreeSeas Inc. (Nasdaq: FREE), Seanergy Maritime Holdings Corp. (Nasdaq: SHIP), and Eagle Bulk Shipping Inc. (Nasdaq: EGLE) are noting big gains today as shipping rates strengthen. FREE is up 8%, SHIP is up 13%, and EGLE is up 7% as capesize shipping rates increased overnight by about 10%, exceeding $20,000 for the first time since January 2012.

• [By Bryan Murphy]

  September is on pace to be a banner month for shipping stocks FreeSeas Inc. (NASDAQ:FREE), DryShips Inc. (NASDAQ:DRYS), and Eagle Bulk Shipping Inc. (NASDAQ:EGLE). They're up 290%, 62%, and 115%, respectively, month-to-date, overcoming an amazingly long dry spell. The question is, why have EGLE, FREE, and DRYS been so strong all of a sudden, and more than that, are these rallies built to last?

• [By John Del, Vecchio,]

  Shape up or ship out
  The two companies above have done a relatively great job at staying proactive during a troubled time, and Eagle Bulk Shipping (NASDAQ: EGLE  ) is doing its best to follow suit. After putting up very strong earnings last quarter, reporting $72.2 million net revenue, compared with $52.6 million for the same quarter last year, Eagle looks to be on the right track.