Hot Defensive Companies To Watch For 2014

The folks at JPMorgan took a look at Chevron (CVX) and ExxonMobil (XOM) and came away feeling, well, unenthused. JPMorgan’s Phil Gresh and�John Royall explain why they started ExxonMobil at Neutral…

Reuters

We initiate coverage of ExxonMobil shares with a Neutral rating and a December 2015 price target of $104/share. Within our integrated oil coverage universe, we see�ExxonMobil as being more macro-oriented and defensive than peers. We see pricing (macro) as the main model driver, with some incremental help from margin levers like cost/mix. We also see some unique defensive characteristics at ExxonMobil, such as its top-tier FCF yield,
FCF/dividend coverage ratio and below-average financial leverage, which should allow for favorable return of capital versus peers in all of our scenario analyses. One additional lever to watch is acquisitions. The pool of candidates is vast and the desire to add inorganic reserves could grow if timing risks around Russian exploration grow; however, we expect a long-term, opportunistic orientation, given the likely ROCE headwind for any such deal. Thus, our base case assumes that�ExxonMobil will hold its current course of top tier return of capital to shareholders, which could lead to a ~11% total return (including dividends) by year-end 2015 (group ~15%).

10 Best Diversified Bank Stocks To Watch Right Now: U.S. Energy Corp.(USEG)

U.S. Energy Corp. engages in the acquisition, exploration, holding, sale, and/or development of mineral properties. It primarily explores for molybdenum, and other base and precious metals. The company holds interests in Mount Emmons property that covers approximately 9,311 acres located in Gunnison County, Colorado. It also holds interests in oil and gas properties located in Williston Basin North Dakota and Gulf Coast region. In addition, the company holds interests in geothermal properties. Further, it develops multifamily apartment project in Gillette, Wyoming. As of December 31, 2009, its estimated proved reserves were approximately 1,086,203 BOE. The company was founded in 1966 and is based in Riverton, Wyoming.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roberto Pedone]

   

  US Energy (USEG), an independent energy company, focuses on the acquisition and development of oil and gas producing properties in the continental U.S. This stock closed up 6.9% to $3.53 in Thursday's trading session.

   

  Thursday's Range: $3.29-$3.53
  
  52-Week Range: $1.45-$4.06
  
  Thursday's Volume: 116,000
  
  Three-Month Average Volume: 219,710

   

  From a technical perspective, USEG bounced sharply higher here right off some near-term support at $3.27 and back above its 50-day moving average of $3.45 with lighter-than-average volume. This stock recently formed a triple bottom chart pattern at $3.32, $3.21 and $3.27. Since finding buying interest at those levels, shares of USEG are now spiking higher and moving within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade. That trade will hit if USEG manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance levels at $3.65 to $3.80 with high volume.

   

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in USEG as long as it's trending above some key near-term support levels at $3.27 or at $3.21 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 219,710 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then USEG will set up to re-test or possibly take out its 52-week high at $4.06. Any high-volume move above that level will then give USEG a chance to tag its next major overhead resistance levels at $4.60 to $5.

   

Hot Defensive Companies To Watch For 2014: Home Inns & Hotels Management Inc.(HMIN)

Home Inns & Hotels Management Inc. develops, leases, operates, franchises, and manages a chain of economy hotels in the People?s Republic of China. The company operates its hotels under the Home Inn brand name. As of April 28, 2011, it had approximately 800 Home Inns in operation and 1,000 Home Inns sealed in franchise agreements. The company was incorporated in 2001 and is headquartered in Shanghai, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Home Inns & Hotels Management (NASDAQ: HMIN) is estimated to post its Q4 earnings at $2.18 per share on revenue of $1.54 billion.

  Qiwi plc (NASDAQ: QIWI) is expected to report its Q4 earnings at $0.28 per share on revenue of $50.00 million.

Hot Defensive Companies To Watch For 2014: Ishares Trust Dj Us Technology (IYW)

iShares Dow Jones U.S. Technology Sector Index Fund (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Technology Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the technology sector of the United States equity market. The Index includes companies in industry groups, such as software and computer services, and technology hardware and equipment. The Index is a subset of the Dow Jones U.S. Total Market Index and is capitalization weighted. The Index is reconstituted quarterly.

The Fund will concentrate its investments in a particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent as the Index is so concentrated. The Fund�� investment advisor is Barclays Global Fund Advisors.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Selena Maranjian]

  The PowerShares QQQ ETF tracks the Nasdaq 100 Index, which is made up of 100 of the biggest stocks in the Nasdaq Stock Market based on market capitalization. It includes U.S. and international companies but excludes the financial industry and a few others. It's technology-heavy, featuring industries such as telecommunications, retail, biotechnology, and computer hardware and software. Compared to many other major technology-focused ETFs, such as the iShares US Technology ETF (NYSEMKT: IYW  ) , this one is bigger, charges less in fees, and has a more impressive performance record. Its expense ratio, or annual fee, is a very low 0.2%, comparing favorably with many peers. It doesn't offer much of a dividend, as many of its holdings don't pay them.

Hot Defensive Companies To Watch For 2014: BRF SA (BRFS)

BRF - Brasil Foods S.A. (BRF), incorporated on August 18, 1934, is a food company, which focuses on the production and sale of poultry, pork, beef cuts, milk, dairy products and processed food products under several brands. The Company�� processed products include marinated, frozen, whole and cut Chester rooster and turkey meats, specialty meats, frozen processed meats, frozen prepared entrees, portioned products and sliced products. It also sells margarine, juices, soy products, animal feed, fresh pasta, sweet specialties and sandwiches. During the year ended December 31, 2010, it launched 333 new products, including Meu Menu (My Menu) portfolio, which is targeted at single people.

Poultry

The Company produces frozen whole and cut poultries, partridges and quail. During 2010, it sold 1,895 thousand tons of frozen chicken and other poultry products. During 2010, it produced 1,694 million day-old chicks, including chickens, Chester roosters, turkeys, partridge and quail. It hatches these eggs in its 25 hatcheries. As of December 31, 2010, it had a fully automated slaughtering capacity of 31.2 million heads of poultry per week.

Pork and Beef

The Company produces frozen pork and beef cuts, such as loins and ribs, and whole carcasses. During 2010, it sold 427 thousand tons of pork and beef cuts. Iits sales of pork cuts are to its export markets. As of December 31, 2010, it had a beef slaughtering capacity of 1,797 heads per week.

Milk

The Company produces pasteurized and ultra-high temperature (UHT) milk, which it sells in its domestic market. During 2010, it sold 873 thousand tons of pasteurized and UHT milk. It produces dairy products in 15 plants. It receives milk from a network of over 11,000 milk producers in more than 553 cities.

Processed Food Products

The Company produces processed foods, such as marinated, frozen chicken, Chester rooster and turkey meat, specialty meats, frozen processed foo! ds, frozen prepared entrees, dairy products, portioned products and sliced products. During 2010, it sold 2,472 thousand tons of processed foods. It processes pork to produce specialty meats, such as sausages, ham products, bologna, frankfurters, salamis, bacon and cold meats. It also processes chicken and other poultry to produce specialty meats, such as chicken sausages, chicken hot dogs and chicken bologna. It produces a range of frozen processed poultry, beef and pork products, including hamburgers, steaks, breaded meat products, kibes, meatballs and ready-to-eat snacks. It also produces soy-based vegetarian products, such as hamburgers and breaded products. It produces marinated and seasoned chickens, roosters and turkeys.

The Company produces several varieties of lasagna and pizza. It produces the meat used in these products and buys other raw materials in the domestic market, except for the durum flour used to make the noodles for the lasagna, which it imports. It sells a range of frozen vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, peas, French beans, French fries and cassava fries, through its Escolha Saudavel line of products. It produces a range of pies and pastries, such as chicken and heart-of-palm pies and lime pies. It produces the meat, sauces and toppings used in its pies and pastries, and it purchases other raw materials, such as heart-of-palm, lime and other fillings from third parties.

Other

The Company produces animal feed mainly to feed poultry and hogs raised by it. It also sells a portion of its animal feed production to its integrated outgrowers or to unaffiliated customers. It produces a range of soy-based products, including soy meal and refined soy flour.

The Company competes with Sadia, Aurora, Marfig, Danone, Nestle, Paulista, Frangosul, Plamplona and Aurora.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By MONEYMORNING.COM]

  And with very quick gains of 9% in BRF SA (NYSE ADR: BRFS), 5.2% in South American agricultural play Adecoagro SA (NYSE: AGRO) and 1.6% in high-tech agribusiness player Neogen Corp. (Nasdaq: NEOG), we're doing well with our plays on (pockets of) accelerating U.S. inflation.

Hot Defensive Companies To Watch For 2014: Coca-Cola Amatil Ltd (CCLAF)

Coca-Cola Amatil Limited (CCA) with its subsidiaries is engaged in the manufacture, distribution and marketing of carbonated soft drinks, still and mineral waters, fruit juices, coffee and other alcohol-free beverages. CCA operates in four business segments: The Australia, New Zealand and Fiji, and Indonesia and PNG segments. CCA is also engaged in the processing and marketing of fruits, vegetables and other food products, and the manufacture and distribution of alcohol ready-to-drink products, and the distribution of premium spirits and beer brands. The Company�� principal operations are in Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea (PNG). On January 13, 2012, the sale of CCA�� 50% interest in Pacific Beverages to SABMiller was completed. On February 21, 2011, the Company acquired Vending business, a non-alcohol beverage in Australia. On September 7, 2012, CCA acquired an 89.6% shareholding in Paradise Beverages (Fiji) Ltd (Paradise Beverages). Advisors' Opinion:

• [By MARKETWATCH]

  LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Australian stocks rose modestly in early Tuesday trade, with the market reacting to a mixed batch of earnings. The S&P/ASX 200 (AU:XJO) added 0.2% to 5,391.80, with BHP Billiton Ltd. (AU:BHP) (BHP) rising 1.7% after its July-December profit almost doubled from a year earlier, beating forecasts. However, smaller rival Arrium Ltd. (AU:ARI) (ARRMF) added 2.5% after reporting a swing back to profit. Other miners got a bump up from rising commodity prices, as Newcrest Mining Ltd. (AU:NCM) (NCMGF) gained 2.3% and Fortescue Metals Group Ltd. (AU:FMG) (FSUMF) added 1.2%, though Oz Minerals Ltd. (AU:OZL) (OZMLF) slipped 0.4%. Shares of Coca-Cola Amatil Ltd. (AU:CCL) (CCLAF) slumped 5.1% after the drinks firm saw a more than 80% drop in 2013 profit, weighed by a writedown on its fruit-processing business. Packaging firm Amcor Ltd. (AU:AMC) (AMCRF) lost 4.6% after its fiscal-first-half profit fell by about a third.

Hot Defensive Companies To Watch For 2014: Synovus Financial Corp.(SNV)

Synovus Financial Corp., a diversified financial services and bank holding company, provides commercial and retail banking, financial management, insurance, and mortgage services in Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Florida, and Tennessee. Its retail banking services include accepting customary types of demand and savings deposits; mortgage, installment, and other retail loans; investment and brokerage services; safe deposit services; automated banking services; automated fund transfers; Internet based banking services; and bank credit card services, including mastercard and visa services. The company?s commercial banking services comprise cash management and asset management services, capital markets services, and institutional trust services, as well as commercial, financial, and real estate loans. It also provides various other financial services, which include the portfolio management for fixed-income securities, investment banking, the execution of securities transac tions as a broker/dealer, and the provision of individual investment advice on equity and other securities; trust services; mortgage services; and financial planning services. Synovus Financial Corp. was founded in 1888 and is headquartered in Columbus, Georgia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Synovus (NYSE: SNV  ) is tapping the markets for a fresh round of financing. The company announced that it will float just under 59.9 million shares of its common stock in an underwritten public offering priced at $3.09 per share. The estimated net proceeds of the issue are estimated at $175 million. This cash pile, in conjunction with a planned preferred stock issue and dividends from a subsidiary, will be used to repay nearly $1 billion in TARP funds the government provided to Synovus.

Hot Defensive Companies To Watch For 2014: PPJ Enterprise (PPJE)

PPJ Enterprise, Inc. (PPJ), incorporated on May 02, 2000, is a healthcare finance company. The Company is engaged in automated healthcare reimbursement cycle software, online health information digital-systems software and practice information management digital-system software. The Company�� flagship product is its medical billing software system. The Company has developed through its subsidiary Automated Software Corp., a medical billing software system named AutoMed.

The Company�� principal activity is serving as a medical reimbursement consulting firm. The Company�� medical billing system is comprised of both hardware and software. The system uses Optical Character Recognition (OCR)/ Initial Margin Requirement (IMR) scanning technology to allow physicians to bill their medical insurance claims at the point of service without data entry, coding or billing personnel. The Company offers the Automated Biller on a customized basis for medical practices throughout the United States.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  While small cap green or renewable energy type of stocks have been the flavor of the month for many stock promoters (and sometimes still are), small cap health care stocks like PPJ Enterprise (OTCMKTS: PPJE), Plantation Development Corp (OTCMKTS: BRMA) and MedCAREERS Group Inc (OTCMKTS: MCGI) have also started to get some notice lately ��perhaps because Obamacare has been topping the news lately. However, are these small cap health care stocks a better bet for investors or for their promoters? Here is a quick reality check and a checkup: