Top 10 Oil Service Stocks To Watch For 2014

The recent announcement from this company speaks volumes about the current condition of the global oil and gas industry, suggests MoneyShow's Jim Jubak, also of Jubak's Picks, but even more can be gleaned from pending announcements.

I've never owned shares of Baker Hughes (BHI) but I still follow the company closely. Its reports on drilling activity around the world are some of best ways to take the temperature of the global oil and gas production and services sectors.

The company's January 10 announcement that it was lowering its guidance for the fourth quarter on declines in drilling activity in North America and Europe/Africa/Russia, has certainly contributed to weakness in the oil services sector and in the shares of competitors such as Schlumberger (SLB). With Schlumberger scheduled to report fourth quarter earnings on January 17, and with Baker Hughes scheduled for January 21, the question now is, ��as the lowered guidance from Baker Hughes de-risked the stocks in the sector or will there be enough disappointment in the actual reports to push the sector down farther?��/p>

Top 10 Oil Service Stocks To Watch For 2014: Eaton Vance Senior Floating-Rate Trust (EFR)

Eaton Vance Senior Floating-Rate Trust (the Fund) is a closed-end management investment company. The Fund�� investment objective is to provide a high level of current income and preservation of capital by investing primarily in senior, secured floating rate loans (Senior Loans). Eaton Vance Senior Floating-Rate Trust invests in various industries, including healthcare, publishing, cable and satellite television, chemicals and plastics, and business equipment and services.

The Fund invests at least 80% of its total assets in Senior Loans. The Fund may also invest in second lien loans and high yield bonds. Eaton Vance Management serves as the investment advisor of the Fund.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Dowdee]

  The following 10 funds satisfied all of these conditions:

  BlackRock Float Rate Strategies (FRA). This CEF sells at a discount of 3%, which is low compared to an average premium of 2% over the past year. The distribution has been managed at 6.1% and a small amount (less than 10%) has been return of capital (ROC). However, this has not negatively affected net asset value (NAV) so has not been destructive. The fund holds 447 securities, with 90% in floating rate loans. FRA utilizes 27% leverage and has an expense ratio of 1.7%, including interest payments. Eaton Vance Floating Rate (EFR). This CEF sells at a 1% premium, which is low compared to an average premium of 5% over the past year. The distribution is 6.2%, none of which was ROC. The fund holds 800 securities, with 90% in floating rate loans. About 85% of the securities are from U.S. companies. EFR utilizes 35% leverage and has an expense ratio of 1.8% including interest payments. ING Prime Rate Trust (PPR). This CEF sells for a premium of 2%, which is below the average premium of 5%. It has a distribution of 6.8%, none of which was ROC. The fund has 350 holdings, virtually all in senior loans and from US companies. PPR utilizes 29% leverage and has a high expense ratio of 2.1%, including interest payments. Invesco VK Dynamic Credit Opportunities (VTA). This CEF sells for a discount of 5%, which is below the average discount of 1%. It has a distribution of 7.1%, none of which was ROC. The fund has 495 holdings, with 76% in floating rate loans. About 25% of the loans are from non-US companies. VTA utilizes a relatively low 20% leverage but still has a high expense ratio of 2.1%, including interest payments. Invesco VK Senior Income (VVR). This CEF sells for a discount of 1%, which is below the average premium of 3%. It has a distribution of 7.1%, none of which was ROC. The fund has over 500 holdings, with 89% in floating rate loans. Almost all (95%) securities are from US companies. VVR ut

Top 10 Oil Service Stocks To Watch For 2014: Denny's Corporation(DENN)

Denny's Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in the ownership and operation of a chain of family-style restaurants. The company operates traditional American-style food restaurants under the Denny?s brand name. As of December 28, 2011, it had 1,479 franchised/licensed restaurants and 206 company-owned and operated restaurants in the United States, Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico, Honduras, Guam, Puerto Rico, and New Zealand. The company was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Shares of Ruby Tuesday have gained 4.8% to $7.59 this morning, making it the third-best performer in the S&P 1500 and outpacing other restaurant stocks. Jack in the Box (JACK) has dropped 0.8% to $38.76, DineEquity (DIN), which operates Applebee’s and IHOP, has gained 0.1%% to 66.12, Denny’s (DENN) has fallen 0.2% to $6.06 and recent-IPO Potbelly (PBPB) has gained 1.7% to $30.73.

• [By Jae Jun]

  1. Turnaround Story of Denny�� (DENN): Denny�� owns and is a franchiser of family diners. The company controls about 9% of the family dining market and competes directly with IHOP which controls 11%.

Top 5 Financial Stocks To Invest In 2014: Sealed Air Corporation(SEE)

Sealed Air Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides food safety and security, facility hygiene, and product protection solutions worldwide. Its Food Packaging segment provides shrink bags and vacuum packaging products; packaging materials for cook-in applications; laminated and coextruded rollstock packaging materials used in thermoforming and form, fill, and seal applications; and associated packaging equipment and systems, including bag loaders, dispensers, and vacuum chamber systems. The company?s Food Solutions segment offers case-ready packaging offerings; ready meals packaging technologies; vertical pouch packaging solutions for packaging flowable food products; foam and plastic trays; absorbent products for food packaging; and related packaging equipment, including vacuum chamber systems. Its Protective Packaging segment provides air cellular packaging materials; polyolefin performance shrink films for product display; shrink packaging equipment systems; pol yurethane foam packaging systems that provide protective packaging; lightweight and tear-resistant mailers and bags; inflatable packaging systems; paper cushioning systems that include recycled paper and automated dispensing equipment; paper packaging products; and suspension and retention packaging products. The company?s Diversey Segment offers a range of products and services, such as kitchen cleaning products; food and beverage and manufacturing and processing products; floor care products and systems; restroom care and other housekeeping products; and laundry products, as well as consulting services. Sealed Air Corporation also provides specialty materials products to fabricators and manufacturers; and medical applications products and solutions to medical device manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies. The company markets its products primarily under the Bubble Wrap, Cryovac, and Diversey brands. Sealed Air Corporation was founded in 1960 and is headquartered in El mwood Park, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lee Jackson]

  Basic Materials: Sealed Air Corp. (NYSE: SEE) is top pick at other firms that we cover on Wall Street as well. Credit Suisse believes that following the recent (October) management change at the company, Sealed Air will significantly improve its profitability and cash flows while also deleveraging its sizable debt load, with both of these things driving significant shareholder value. The price target for the stock is posted at $36. The Thomson/First Call estimate is at $33. Investors are paid a 1.9% dividend. Credit Suisse is the high target on Wall Street and would represent a 31% gain for investors. The stock closed Tuesday at $27.48.

Top 10 Oil Service Stocks To Watch For 2014: Telus Corporation(TU)

TELUS Corporation provides telecommunications products and services primarily in Canada. Its telecommunications products and services include wireless, data, Internet protocol (IP), voice, and television. The company operates through two segments, Wireless and Wireline. The Wireless segment provides digital personal communications, equipment sales, and wireless Internet services. The Wireline segment offers voice local and voice long distance services; data services, which include television, and managed and legacy data services, as well as Internet, enhanced data, and hosting services; and other telecommunications services. TELUS Corporation was founded in 1993 and is based in Burnaby, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Anders Bylund]

  Last week, Canadian cable company TELUS (NYSE: TU  ) CEO Darren Entwistle said that Netflix might be as much of an opportunity as a competitor. The company could sell rebranded Netflix services under its own banner to get a leg up on its mostly larger head-to-head competitors. Pairing with local cable providers is a strategy that Netflix hasn't considered (at least not publicly), but it's a wrinkle that's worth keeping a watchful eye on.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Continuing with its practice of raising its dividend payment every year, Canadian telecom�Telus� (NYSE: TU  ) �announced today�its second-quarter dividend of $0.34 Canadian per share. Last quarter�the payout was $0.32 Canadian per share. That's a 6.25% increase.
  

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Abbvie (ABBV)
  Ameren Corp. (AEE)
  Arthur J. Gallagher (AJG)
  E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co. (DD)
  ENSCO (ESV)
  Enterprise Products Partners LP (EPD)
  General Mills (GIS)
  H&R Block (HRB)
  Hancock Holding (HBHC)
  Kraft Foods Group (KRFT)
  Lorillard (LO)
  Magellan Midstream Partners LP (MMP)
  MarkWest Energy Partners L P (MWE)
  McDonald’s (MCD)
  Microchip Technology (MCHP)
  NextEra Energy (NEE)
  Regency Centers (REG)
  TELUS Corp. (TU)
  West Corp. (WSTC)
  Williams Companies (WMB)

Top 10 Oil Service Stocks To Watch For 2014: Intel Corporation(INTC)

Intel Corporation engages in the design, manufacture, and sale of integrated circuits for computing and communications industries worldwide. It offers microprocessor products used in notebooks, netbooks, desktops, servers, workstations, storage products, embedded applications, communications products, consumer electronics devices, and handhelds. The company also provides system on chip products that integrate its core processing functionalities with other system components, such as graphics, audio, and video, onto a single chip. In addition, it offers chipset products that send data between the microprocessor and input, display, and storage devices, including keyboard, mouse, monitor, hard drive, and CD, DVD, or Blu-ray drives; motherboards designed for desktop, server, and workstation platforms, and that has connectors for attaching devices to the bus; and wired and wireless connectivity products consisting of network adapters and embedded wireless cards used to translate and transmit data across networks. Further, the company provides NAND flash memory products primarily used in portable memory storage devices, digital camera memory cards, and solid-state drives; software products comprising operating systems, middleware, and tools used to develop, run, and manage various enterprise, consumer, embedded, and handheld devices; and software development tools that enable the creation of applications. Additionally, it develops computing platforms, which are integrated hardware and software computing technologies designed to offer an optimized solution. The company sells its products principally to original equipment manufacturers, original design manufacturers, PC components and other products users, and other manufacturers of industrial and communications equipment. It has a strategic alliance with Scientific Conservation Inc. Intel Corporation was founded in 1968 and is based in Santa Clara, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Douglas A. McIntyre]

  Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ: FB) has barely been listed at a public company for two years, yet it has become one of the most widely traded stocks on any U.S. exchange. Vying for the top spot are the shares of Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC), Intel Corp. (NYSE: INTC), Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F), Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) and AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) most days. Most of these have been publicly traded for decades and are among the largest companies in the world by sales. Something obviously makes Facebook different.

• [By Daniel Ferry]

  GE also announced a partnership with Intel (NASDAQ: INTC  ) , which will be providing the sensors that give GE the critical ground-level data on how well machines are functioning. An ongoing relationship with Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO  ) will be deepened, giving GE customers access to the impressive data processing and analysis powers of Cisco.

• [By Alyssa Oursler]

  MCD went from the best performer of the Dow Jones Industrial Average�in 2011 to one of the worst in 2012, posting an ugly 12% decline only dwarfed by drops at Hewlett-Pacakard (HPQ) and Intel (INTC). So far this year, McDonald’s stock is in the black … but still is notably lagging the broader market.

• [By Sean Williams]

  Despite being a relatively new entrant into the smartphone and tablet market, NVIDIA has been well accepted. Year-over-year growth in 2012 was mostly flat, with the company transitioning from its Tegra 3 to next-generation Tegra 4 chips, but that's still a lot better than I can say for some of its peers. Intel (NASDAQ: INTC  ) , a company that I think has a strong future tied to smartphone and tablet hardware as well as cloud computing, saw its market share tick up by just 0.2% in 2012, according to Strategy Analytics. Furthermore, Broadcom (NASDAQ: BRCM  ) , which has significantly more market share than NVIDIA, will slowly cede that share over time in the U.S., since its processing chips are often found in older 3G-capable smartphones. Broadcom may find a lot of success overseas, but I'd say its smartphone market share is only set to tumble in the United States.�

Top 10 Oil Service Stocks To Watch For 2014: Precision Castparts Corporation(PCP)

Precision Castparts Corp. (PCC) manufactures and sells metal components and products worldwide. Its Investment Cast Products segment offers aerospace structural and airfoil castings; industrial gas turbine (IGT) castings; artificial hips and knees; parts for satellite launch vehicles; landing gear struts and engine inlets for unmanned aerial vehicles; impellers for pumps and compressors; components for armament systems; and alloys for other manufacturers of investment castings. The company?s Forged Products segment provides forged components for jet engines, including fan discs, compressor discs, turbine discs, seals, spacers, shafts, hubs, and cases; airframe structural components, such as landing gear beams, bulkheads, wing structures, engine mounts, struts, tail flaps, and housings; discs, spacers, and valve components for steam turbine and IGT engines; shafts, cases, and compressor and turbine discs for marine gas engines; mechanical and structural tubular forged produ cts for energy markets; and forged components for propulsion systems on nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers, as well as forgings for pumps, valves, and structural applications. PCC?s Fastener Products segment offers aerospace fasteners comprising bolts, nuts, nut plates, latches, expandable diameter fasteners, quick release pins, hydraulic fittings, bushings, inserts, collars, and other precision components. It also provides refiner plates and screen cylinders for the pulp and paper industry; metal-injection-molded and ThixoFormed components; grinder pumps and components for sewer systems; gas monitoring systems for the power generation industry; and thread-rolling and trimming dies, pins and steel, and carbide forging tools for fastener production. PCC sells its fastener products and services through a network of distributors and independent sales representatives, as well as through a direct sales and marketing staff. The company was founded in 1949 and is based in Por tland, Oregon.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  This series, brought to you by Yahoo! Finance, looks at which upgrades and downgrades make sense, and which ones investors should act on. Today, our headlines feature a pair of hikes to price target at aerospace parts suppliers B/E Aerospace (NASDAQ: BEAV  ) and Precision Castparts (NYSE: PCP  ) . But the news isn't all good, so before we address those two, let's start with why one analyst thinks...

• [By Holly LaFon]

  At this point I would like to circle back to a subject we are perhaps most often asked about, and that is why do we continue to hold such a concentrated position (nearly 32%) in our three largest holdings? First of all, it is important to note that over the past two year s we have actually reduced our holdings in all three stocks. Fortunately for our shareholders long - term price appreciation, particularly in Universal Health Services, Inc. and Precision Castparts Corp., has been exceptionally strong (in the case of Universal Health Services, Inc., which was purchased in 1999 and 2000 at an average cost per share of $9.41 and ha d increased to a price per share of $81.26 at the end of 2013, and Precision Castparts Corp. which was bought in 2000 at a n average cost per share of $9.82 and ha d increased to a price per share of $26 9. 3 0 at the end of 2013). In our view these two companies remain in the " sweet spot " of two compelling long - term investment opportunities. In the case of Universal Health Services, Inc., the company i s likely to be one of the prime beneficiaries of expanding health care insurance coverage dictated by the Affordable Care Act * ** ( " Obama - care " ). Unique to Universal Health Services, Inc. (UHT) is its position in mental health services which account s for three - q uarters of its earnings before deductions for interest expense, taxes, depreciation and amortization . Precision Castparts Corp. (PCP) is a prime component supplier to the commercial aircraft manufacturers. Indicative of the attractiveness of this business was The Boeing Company ' s recent announcement that its year - end backlog was 5,080 planes compared to the 648 jets delivered in 2013. By the same token, Airbus ' (a subsidiary of Airbus Group NV) backlog at the end of November was 5,400 versus the 562 planes del ivered in the first eleven months of the year.

Top 10 Oil Service Stocks To Watch For 2014: iShares Russell 3000 Index Fund (IWV)

iShares Russell 3000 Index Fund (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Russell 3000 Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the United States equity market. The Index serves as the underlying index for Russell 3000 Growth and Value Series, and the Russell 1000 and Russell 2000 Indexes, as well as their respective Growth and Value series. The Index is a capitalization-weighted index and consists of the 3000 largest companies domiciled in the United States and its territories.

The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. iShares Russell 3000 Index Fund's investment advisor is Barclays Global Fund Advisors.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Maxfield]

  Over the past five years, this ETF has beaten the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) by 23 percentage points. It's outperformed the Russell 3000 (NYSEMKT: IWV  ) by 21 percentage points. And it's done the same to the eponymous S&P 500, exceeding it by 11 percentage points.

Top 10 Oil Service Stocks To Watch For 2014: Nevada Gold Corp (NVGC)

Nevada Gold Corp., incorporated on May 31, 2011, is an exploration-stage company. The Company is primarily engaged in the acquisition and exploration of mining properties.

The Company has an option to acquire certain claims located the Long Canyon Gold Trend of Northern Nevada State. As of February 28, 2013, the Company had no revenue.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap OTC stocks Sovereign Lithium Inc (OTCMKTS: SLCO), Life Stem Genetics Inc (OTCMKTS: LIFS), Nevada Gold Corp (OTCMKTS: NVGC), Guar Global Ltd (OTCMKTS: GGBL) and Makism 3D Corp (OTCMKTS: MDDD) all saw their trading halted late last year by the SEC, but now all of these stocks are trading again. So what's going on and why the sudden crackdown? First, here is a quick look at what happened to the following five small cap stocks:

Top 10 Oil Service Stocks To Watch For 2014: Unilever NV (UNA)

Unilever N.V. (NV) is a supplier of fast moving consumer goods. The two parent companies, NV and Unilever PLC (PLC), together with their group companies, operate as the Unilever Group (Unilever). The Company�� four product areas are Personal Care, Foods, Refreshment and Home Care. The Company's personal care, which includes sales of skincare and haircare products, deodorants and oral care products; foods, which includes sales of soups, bouillons, sauces, snacks, mayonnaise, salad dressings, margarines and spreads; refreshment, which includes sales of ice cream, tea-based beverages, weight-management products and nutritionally enhanced staples sold in developing markets and home care, which includes sales of home care products, such as laundry tablets, powders and liquids, soap bars and a range of cleaning products. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Adi Narayan]

  Unilever (UNA) fell short on its public offer to raise its majority holding in Hindustan Unilever Ltd. (HUVR) to 75 percent, ending up with about a two-thirds stake after some shareholders of the Mumbai-based company opted not to sell.

• [By Inyoung Hwang]

  Unilever (UNA) slipped 2.8 percent to 27.94 euros after saying sales growth slowed as trading in emerging markets deteriorated at a faster rate. Underlying group sales for the three months will rise 3 percent to 3.5 percent, the maker of Lipton tea and Dove soap said late yesterday in a statement. That compares with 5 percent growth in both the first half and second quarter.

Top 10 Oil Service Stocks To Watch For 2014: NetSpend Holdings Inc.(NTSP)

Netspend Holdings, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides general purpose reloadable (GPR) prepaid debit and payroll cards, and alternative financial service solutions to underbanked and other consumers in the United States. Its GPR cards offer access to FDIC-insured depository accounts with a menu of pricing and features tailored to underbanked consumers needs; and serves as access devices to an FDIC-insured depository account with a bank. The company also provides various products and services to its cardholders, such as direct deposit, interest-bearing savings accounts, bill pay functionality, card-to-card transfer capability, personal financial management tools, and online and mobile phone card account access, as well as overdraft protection through its issuing Banks, and complimentary insurance coverage services. Netspend Holdings, Inc. markets its cards through various distribution channels, including retail distributors, direct-to-consumer and online marketi ng programs, and contractual relationships with corporate employers. As of December 31, 2011, it offered approximately 2.1 million active cards through approximately 600 retail distributors at approximately 40,000 locations; and reload services through approximately 450 retailers at approximately 130,000 locations. The company was founded in 1999 and is based in Austin, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jane Edmondson]

  One additional item of note: the stock has been a rumored take-out candidate since another large competitor, NetSpend (NTSP), received an offer to be acquired in February by global payment solutions provider TSYS (TSS).