Best Prefered Stocks For 2014

If you're feeling good about the market, you're not alone. Take my hand as we go over some of this week's more uplifting headlines.

1. Cool beans
Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN  ) is a distant second when it comes to video-streaming smorgasbords, but the leading online retailer isn't afraid to bid up exclusive content.

Amazon has a deal in place with NBC for Amazon Prime members to stream some of the network's most recent shows -- Grimm, Suits, Covert Affairs, Hannibal, and Defiance -- on an exclusive basis.

In another smart move, Amazon jumped into the virtual currency market by giving Kindle Fire 500 coins for free. Amazon Coins can be used for apps and games, with Amazon keeping nearly a third of the revenue. This isn't an easy market to crack, but the e-tailer is smart for handing out $5 worth of the new currency to tablet owners who are already familiar with Amazon's digital ecosystem. Educating the consumer and encouraging them to lean on Amazon Coins for future virtual purchases sometimes needs that little push to get it going.

5 Best Construction Material Stocks To Own For 2015: Horizon Technology Finance Corporation (HRZN)

Horizon Technology Finance Corporation, a specialty finance company, lends to and invests in development-stage companies in the United States. It provides secured loans to companies backed by established venture capital and private equity firms in the technology, life science, healthcare information and services, and cleantech industries. Horizon Technology Finance Corporation was founded in 2008 and is based in Farmington, Connecticut.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By BDC Buzz]

  I believe investors should look past the current low dividend yields and relatively higher multiples of NAV per share for BDCs such as FDUS, MAIN, and TCAP, but should consider the total return for these companies. The table below compares FDUS and MAIN to both ACAS which does not pay dividends and Horizon Technology Finance (HRZN) that pays a higher than average dividend but after taking into account dividend growth, special dividends, and NAV per share growth (using last twelve months actual for projection purposes) it is clear that the expected investor return is based on more than the current dividend yield.

Best Prefered Stocks For 2014: ABS-CBN Corp (ABS)

ABS-CBN Corporation is primarily involved in television and radio broadcasting, as well as in the production of television and radio programming for domestic and international audiences and other related businesses. The Company operates through three business segments. Broadcasting segment is principally involved in the television and radio broadcasting activities, which generates revenue from sale of national and regional advertising time. Cable and satellite business primarily develops and produces programs for cable television, including delivery of television programming outside the Philippines through its direct-to-home (DTH) satellite service, cable television channels and blocked time on television stations. Other businesses include movie production, consumer products and services. The Company�� subsidiaries include ABS-CBN Publishing, Inc., Star Recording, Inc., Roadrunner Network, Inc., Star Songs, Inc., Sarimanok News Network, Inc. and ABS-CBN Interactive, Inc. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Emerson]

  During the housing bubble, lending standards were becoming relaxed and the practice of bundling subprime loans into collateralized debt obligations (CDOs) became a mainstream practice. These securities were backed by highly inflated credit ratings even though the quality of the underlying assets was highly questionable. By 2007, the worldwide demand for this type of asset-backed security (ABS) was beginning to wane and the mortgages which provided the collateral for the securities were starting to come into question.

Best Prefered Stocks For 2014: Cobalt International Energy Inc (CIE)

Cobalt International Energy, Inc., incorporated on August 27, 2009, independent, oil-focused exploration and production company with a salt prospect inventory in the deepwater of the United States Gulf of Mexico and offshore Angola and Gabon in West Africa. The Company operates its business in two geographic segments: the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and West Africa. The Company�� oil-focused exploration efforts target subsalt Miocene and Inboard Lower Tertiary horizons in the deepwater U.S. Gulf of Mexico. As of December 31, 2012, it drilled as operator four exploratory wells in the deepwater U.S. Gulf of Mexico (North Platte #1, Ligurian #1 and #2, and Criollo #1) and participated as a non-operator in three exploratory wells (Heidelberg #1, Shenandoah #1 and Firefox #1) and three appraisal wells (Heidelberg #2, Heidelberg #3, and Shenandoah #2R). The Company�� oil-focused exploration efforts target pre-salt horizons on Blocks 9, 20 and 21 offshore Angola and the Diaba Block offshore Gabon.

U.S. Gulf of Mexico Segment

The Company�� oil-focused exploration efforts target subsalt Miocene and Inboard Lower Tertiary horizons in the deepwater U.S. Gulf of Mexico. It also has licensed approximately 78,000 line miles (125,530 kilometers) of 2-D pre-stack depth-migrated seismic data in the deepwater U.S. Gulf of Mexico. As of December 31, 2012, it owned working interests in 246 blocks within the deepwater U.S. Gulf of Mexico, representing approximately 1.4 million gross (0.7 million net) undeveloped acres. Most of its U.S. Gulf of Mexico blocks have a 10-year primary term.

The Ardennes #1 exploratory well will target a 3-way structure located in both Miocene and Inboard Lower Tertiary horizons located in Green Canyon blocks 895, 896 and 939, where it named operator and owns a 42% working interest. The Aegean #1 exploratory well will target a 3-way structure in Inboard Lower Tertiary horizons located in Keathley Canyon blocks 162, 163 and 207, where it named operator and ow! n a 37.5% working interest. It has 24% working interest in the Racer prospect and its partners include BHP Billiton Petroleum (Americas) Inc. (60%) and Total (16%). South Platte is a 3-way prospect targeting Inboard Lower Tertiary horizons located in Garden Banks blocks 1003 and 1004 and Keathley Canyon blocks 35 and 36, and owns 60% working interest. Its Baffin Bay is a 4-way prospect targeting Inboard Lower Tertiary horizons located in Garden Banks blocks 956 and 957, and owns 60% working interest.

The Company has one drilling rig, the Ensco 8503, that is performing drilling operations on its operated prospect portfolio in the deepwater U.S. Gulf of Mexico. It has one drilling rig, the Ensco 8503, that is performing drilling operations on its operated prospect portfolio in the deepwater U.S. Gulf of Mexico. On December 5, 2012, it announced an oil discovery at its North Platte prospect on Garden Banks block 959 in the deepwater U.S. Gulf of Mexico. The North Platte #1 exploratory well is located in approximately 4,400 feet of water and was drilled to a total depth of approximately 34,500 feet. It is a operator of North Platte and own a 60% working interest. Its Heidelberg #1 exploratory well is located in approximately 5,200 feet of water in Green Canyon block 859 within the Tahiti Basin Miocene trend. The Company�� Shenandoah #1 is located in approximately 5,750 feet of water in Walker Ridge block 52, was drilled to approximately 30,000 feet. On February 26, 2013, it announced that the Shenandoah #2R appraisal well had been drilled to a total depth of 31,400 feet in approximately 5,800 feet of water and 1.3 miles southwest of the Shenandoah #1 exploratory well.

West Africa Segment

As of December 31, 2012, the Company had drilled as operator one exploratory well on Block 21 offshore Angola (Cameia #1) and one appraisal well on Block 21 offshore Angola (Cameia #2). As of December 31, 2012, its working interests in Blocks 9, 20 and 21 offshore Angola and the Diab! a Block o! ffshore Gabon consisted of an aggregate 5,652,687 gross (1,840,581 net) undeveloped acres. It has a pre-salt prospect inventory offshore West Africa. This inventory includes dozens of prospects in various states of maturation on Blocks 9, 20 and 21 offshore Angola and the Diaba Block offshore Gabon. The Mavinga #1 exploratory well will target pre-salt horizons in Block 21 offshore Angola, where it named operator with a 40% working interest. The Lontra #1 exploratory well will target pre-salt horizons in Block 20, and owns 40% working interest. The Bicuar #1 exploratory well will target pre-salt horizons in Block 21 offshore Angola, and owns 40% working interest. The Idared #1 exploratory well will target pre-salt horizons in Block 20 offshore Angola. The Baleia #1 exploratory well will target pre-salt horizons in Block 20 offshore Angola, and owns 40% working interest. The Loengo #1 exploratory well will target pre-salt horizons in Block 9 offshore Angola. Its Diaman #1 exploratory well owns 21.25% working interest. Its Diamon South #1 exploratory well will test pre-salt horizons on the Diaba block offshore Gabon, where Total Gabon is the named operator and we own a 21.25% working interest. The Company has two drilling rigs under contract to support its pre-salt exploratory drilling campaign offshore Angola: the Diamond Ocean Confidence and the Petroserv SSV Catarina. It has the right to use the Ocean Confidence to complete the DST on the lower reservoir penetrated by the Cameia #2 appraisal well and drill two additional wells, which will include its Mavinga #1 exploratory well and one additional well.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Aaron Levitt]

  Offering both promise and fortune, Africa is certainly one of the last frontiers in investing. But it can be a pretty cruel mistress as well. Investors in independent oil and gas producer Cobalt International Energy, (CIE) are finding that out the hard way.

Best Prefered Stocks For 2014: Neogen Corporation(NEOG)

Neogen Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures, and markets various products for food and animal safety worldwide. The company?s Food Safety segment offers diagnostic test kits and complementary products to detect dangerous and/or unintended substances in human food and animal feed, such as foodborne pathogens, spoilage organisms, natural toxins, food allergens, genetic modifications, ruminant by-products, drug residues, pesticide residues, and general sanitation concerns. Its products also comprise bioluminescence-based diagnostic technology for adenosine triphosphate, a chemical found in living cells. This segment offers its products primarily to food and feed producers, meat and poultry processors, seafood processors, fruit and vegetable producers, grain producers and processors, food and beverage processors, and dairies; laboratories and producers of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, veterinary vaccines, and nutraceutical products; and various re gulatory agencies. The company?s Animal safety segment provides pharmaceuticals, rodenticides, disinfectants, vaccines, veterinary instruments, topicals and diagnostic products, and genetic testing services to the animal safety market. Its drug detection immunoassay test kits are used for the detection of abused and therapeutic drugs in farm animals and racing animals, such as horses, greyhounds, and camels; detection of drug residues in meat and meat products; and human forensic toxicology drug screening applications. This segment?s products are also used to maintain sanitary conditions and limit the potential hazards of bacteria, fungi, and viruses. In addition, it offers various products for researchers to detect biologically-active substances; and proprietary substrates for other diagnostic test kit manufacturers. The company sells its products directly, as well as through distributors and retail chains. Neogen Corporation was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in La nsing, Michigan.

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.

Best Prefered Stocks For 2014: j2 Global Inc (JCOM)

j2 Global, Inc., incorporated on December 14, 1995, is a provider of services delivered through the Internet. The Company provides cloud services to businesses of all sizes, from individuals to enterprises. The Company operates in two segments: Business Cloud Services and Digital Media. The Company's Digital Media business segment consists of the Web properties and business operations of Ziff Davis, Inc. (Ziff Davis). The Company�� cloud services and solutions include fax, voice and unified communications, email and customer relationship management, online backup, global network and operations, and customer support services. In February 2013, it acquired IGN Entertainment, Inc. On November 9, 2012, the Company acquired Ziff Davis. Effective March 18, 2013, it acquired MetroFax Inc. In April 2013, the Company acquired Backup Connect BV.

Business Cloud Services

The Company's eFax and MyFax online fax services enable users to receive faxes into their email inboxes and to send faxes via the Internet. eVoice and Onebox provides the Company's customers a virtual phone system with various available enhancements. The Company's FuseMail service provides the Company's customers email, archival and perimeter protection solutions, while Campaigner provides its customers email marketing solutions. KeepItSafe enables the Company's customers to securely backup their data and dispose of tape or other physical systems. The Company's CampaignerCRM business provides customer relationship management solutions designed to increase the Company's customers' sales and increase efficiency. The Company also generates Business Cloud Services revenues from patent licensing and sales and advertising. The Company�� Business Cloud Services and solutions are of two types: direct inward-dial number (DID) -based, which are services provided in whole or in part through a telephone number and non-DID-based, which are its other cloud services for business. As of December 31, 2012, the Company had DIDs issued! to approximately 2.1 million paying subscribers.

The Company's services allow individuals to receive and send faxes as email attachments. In addition to eFax , the Company offers online fax services under a variety of alternative brands, including MyFax , eFax Plus , eFax Pro, eFax Corporate and eFax Developer . eVoice is a virtual phone system that provides small and medium-sized businesses on-demand voice communications services, featuring a toll-free or local company DID, auto-attendant and menu tree. With these services, a subscriber can assign departmental and individual extensions that can connect to multiple United States or Canadian DIDs, including land-line and mobile phones and Internet protocol (IP) networks. These services also include advanced integrated voicemail for each extension, unifying mobile, office and other separate voicemail services and improving efficiency by delivering voicemails in both native audio format and as transcribed text. Onebox is a unified communications suite. It combines the features of many of the Company's other branded services, plus added functionality, to provide a virtual office. Onebox includes a virtual phone system, hosted email, online fax, audio conferencing and Web conferencing.

FuseMail offers hosted email, email encryption and email archival services to businesses. These solutions are hosted offsite and seamlessly integrated into a customer's existing email system. The services include hosted email, VirusSMART virus scanning, CypherSMART encryption services, SpamSMART SPAM filtering and VaultSMART / PolicySMART archiving, which delivers a secure, scalable email archiving and customizable compliance tool to correspond with a company's retention policy. Campaigner is an email marketing service that enables businesses to easily create and send personalized one-to-one email communications to subscribers and customers to build better relationships. Campaigner also helps businesses increase the size of their mailing lists, compl! y with em! ail regulations like CAN-SPAM and get more emails to more inboxes. CampaignerCRM is a cloud-based CRM solution specifically designed to help small/medium-sized businesses close more deals, reduce the sales cycle and sell larger deals. CampaignerCRM has a sales checklist capability that gives sales representatives a step-by-step plan to closing a deal. With CampaignerCRM's Social CRM capabilities, companies can seamlessly integrate a customer's latest information from Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook directly into their Contact profile. KeepItSafe provides managed and monitored online backup solutions for businesses, using its ISO-certified platform.

The Company's Business Cloud Services business operates multiple physical Points of Presence (POPs) worldwide, a central data center in Los Angeles and several remote disaster recovery facilities. The Company connects its POPs to its central data centers through redundant, and often times diverse, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) using the Internet. The Company's network is designed to deliver value-added user applications, customer support and billing services for the Company's customers anywhere in the world and a local presence for its DID-based service customers from thousands of cities in 49 countries on six continents. The Company offers DIDs covering all major metropolitan areas in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada, and such other major cities as Berlin, Hong Kong, Madrid, Manila, Mexico City, Milan, Paris, Rome, Singapore, Sydney, Taipei, Tokyo and Zurich. The Company has customers located throughout the world.

The Company's Business Cloud Services customer service organization supports the Company's cloud services customers through a combination of online self-help, email communications, interactive chat sessions and telephone calls. The Company's Internet-based online self-help tools enable customers to resolve simple issues on their own, eliminating the need to speak or write to the Company's customer service re! presentat! ives. The Company's Business Cloud Services segment customer service organization provides email support seven days per week, 24 hours per day to all subscribers. Paying subscribers have access to live-operator telephone support seven days per week, 24 hours per day. Dedicated telephone support is provided for corporate customers 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Live sales and customer support services are available in nine languages, including English, Spanish, Dutch, German, French and Cantonese.

Digital Media

The Ziff Davis portfolio of Web properties, including PCMag.com, ExtremeTech.com, Geek.com, ComputerShopper.com, LogicBuy.com and Toolbox.com features reviews of technology products, technology-oriented news and commentary, professional networking tools for IT professionals and online deals and discounts for consumers. The Company generates Digital Media revenues from the sale of display advertising targeted to in-market technology buyers and from the sale of customer leads to online merchants and business-to-business leads to IT vendors. During the year ended December 31, 2012, Digital Media Web properties attracted 345 million visits and 1.1 billion page views.

PCMag is a trusted online resource for laboratory-based product reviews, technology news and buying guides. Toolbox.com is a network of online communities that allows experienced technology professionals to share collective knowledge and collaborate to resolve problems more efficiently. Toolbox.com includes professional networking tools, blogs, collaboration tools and reference guides. Geek.com is an online technology resource and community for technology enthusiasts and professionals. Its gaming site includes IGN.com and men's lifestyle site includes AskMen.com.

The Company competes with Google AdSense, DoubleClick Ad Exchange, AOL's Ad.com and Microsoft Media Network.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dave and Donald Moenning]

  Internet Software & Services has been the place to be in 2013. In addition to Shutterstock (SSTK), just take a look at these constituents of this red-hot sub-industry: Pandora Media (P), Facebook (FB), j2 Global (JCOM), Yelp (YELP), CoStar Group (CSGP),LinkedIn (LNKD), etc. The list of superb stocks in the Internet Software & Services space goes on and on. Focusing on stocks in the top-performing sub-industries usually helps bullish trades, so today, let's take a closer look at Shutterstock Inc for a short-term long trade.

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  Finally, we have j2 Global (NASDAQ: JCOM  ) keeping a welcome streak alive. The provider of Internet services declared a quarterly distribution of $0.24 a share. This may be a mere 3% uptick, but j2 has come through with rate hikes in each of the past seven quarters. The total increase over the course of that run is a solid 20% advance.

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Another potential earnings short-squeeze trade idea is cloud services player J2 Global (JCOM), which is set to release its numbers on Tuesday after the market close. Wall Street analysts, on average, expect J2 Global to report revenue $130.43 million on earnings of 71cents per share.

  The current short interest as a percentage of the float for J2 Global is extremely high at 20.6%. That means that out of the 43.70 million shares in the tradable float, 9.01 million shares are sold short by the bears. If the bulls get the earnings news they're looking for, then shares of JCOM could easily explode higher post-earnings.

  From a technical perspective, JCOM is currently trending above both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, which is bullish. This stock has been uptrending strong for the last six months, with shares moving higher from its low of $38.07 to its recent high of $56.24 a share. During that uptrend, shares of JCOM have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of JCOM within range of triggering a major breakout trade post-earnings.

  If you're in the bull camp on JCOM, then I would wait until after its report and look for long-biased trades if this stock manages to break out above its 52-week high at $56.42 a share (or Tuesday's intraday high if higher) on high volume. Look for volume on that move that hits near or above its three-month average action of 292,457 shares. If that breakout hits, then JCOM will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $65 to $75 a share.

  I would simply avoid JCOM or look for short-biased trades if after earnings it fails to trigger that breakout, and then drops below some key near-term support levels at $54 to $53 a share with high volume. If we get that move, then JCOM will set up to re-test or possibly take out its ne

Best Prefered Stocks For 2014: Anheuser-Busch InBev (BUD)

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV, incorporated on August 2, 1977, is a brewing company. The Company produces, markets, distributes and sells a balanced portfolio of approximately 200 beer brands. These include global flagship brands Budweiser, Stella Artois and Beck��; multi-country brands, such as Leffe and Hoegaarden, and many local champions, such as Bud Light, Skol, Brahma, Quilmes, Michelob, Harbin, Sedrin, Klinskoye, Sibirskaya Korona, Chernigivske and Jupiler. The Company also produces and distributes soft drinks, particularly in Latin America. The Company operates in seven segments: North America, Latin America North, Latin America South, Western Europe, Central & Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific and Global Export & Holding Companies. On October 20, 2010, Companhia de Bebidas das Americas-AmBev (AmBev) and Cerveceria Regional S.A. closed a transaction pursuant, to which they combined their businesses in Venezuela, with Regional owning an 85% interest and AmBev owning the remaining 15% in the new company. On February 28, 2011, the Company closed a transaction with Dalian Daxue Group Co., Ltd and Kirin (China) Investment Co., Ltd to acquire a 100% equity interest in Liaoning Dalian Daxue Brewery Co., Ltd. The Company�� beer portfolio is divided into global, multi-country and local brands. Beer can be differentiated into the categories, such as premium brands; mainstream or core brands, and value, discount or sub-premium brands. The Company also has a presence in the soft drink market in Latin America through its subsidiary AmBev and in the United States through Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. (Anheuser-Busch). Soft drinks include both carbonated soft and non-carbonated soft drinks. Its soft drinks business includes both its own production and agreements with PepsiCo related to bottling and distribution. The brands that are distributed under these agreements are Pepsi, 7UP and Gatorade. AmBev has long-term agreements with PepsiCo whereby AmBev has the exclusive right to bottle, sell and distribute certain brands of PepsiCo�� portfolio of carbonated soft drinks in Brazil. In the United States, Anheuser-Busch also produces non-alcoholic malt beverage products, including O��oul�� and O��oul�� Amber, energy drinks and related products. In the United States, its indirect subsidiary, Metal Container Corporation, manufactures beverage cans at eight plants and beverage can lids at three plants for sale to its Anheuser-Busch beer operations and United States soft drink customers. Anheuser-Busch also owns a recycling business, which buys and sells used beverage containers and recycles aluminum and plastic containers; a manufacturer of crown liner materials for sale to its North American beer operations, and a glass manufacturing plant which manufactures glass bottles for use by its North American beer operations. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  The long acquisition is over. Anheuser-Busch InBev (NYSE: BUD  ) announced yesterday it had completed its acquisition of Mexican brewer Grupo Modelo in a deal valued at $20.1 billion that creates a combined company with approximately�400 million hectoliters of beer volume annually.

• [By Steve Symington]

  That said, Koch also noted he's seeing "increased competitive activities from both domestic specialty and craft beer brands that have made it challenging to grow Samuel Adams as fast as [they] would like." Sure enough, remember that brewing giant Anheuser-Busch InBev (NYSE: BUD  ) owns a significant stake in the comparatively tiny Craft Brew Alliance, which boasts popular craft beers from both Widmer Brothers Brewing and Redhook Ale Brewery.

• [By Mike Deane]

  On Tuesday, Belgium-based�Anheuser Busch Inbev SA (BUD) finished its $5.8 billion purchase of Oriental Brewery, which BUD previously sold in 2009.

  Anheuser Busch Inbev sold Oriental Brewery for $1.8 billion to KKR & Co. and Affinity Equity Partners in 2009, when the company needed cash to help pay off debts incurred when purchasing Anheuser Busch in 2008 for $52 billion. BUD plans to promote Oriental Brewery outside of South Korea, and also stated that the brewery will be the official sponsor of 2014′s World Cup in Brazil.

  BUD’s chief executive, Carlos Brito, had the following to say about the purchase:�”We are excited to welcome the Oriental Brewery team back to the AB InBev family. We look forward to re-integrating OB into our global platform, as we endeavor to strengthen our position in the Asia Pacific region and continue growing our brands and providing additional consumer choice in South Korea.”

  Anheuser Busch Inbev stock was down 61 cents, or 0.58%, in pre-market trading. YTD, the company’s stock is up 1.69%.

  BUD Dividend Snapshot

  As of 8:15am on April 1, 2014

  
  

  Click here to see the complete history of BUD dividends.