Top Performing Stocks To Watch For 2014

Biotech investing is like the Wild West: Anything can -- and does -- happen. 

Inexpensive stocks in this sector can shoot higher on signals of positive test results. By the same token, top-performing biotech shares can plummet when a flagship product fails to gain regulatory approval or is forced into irrelevancy by a competitor. 

Even companies that appear to be up-and-coming industry leaders can quickly fade into has-been status on news of a minor negative occurrence. In other words, while the biotech investing arena can sometimes offer rapid returns, it is only for investors who can stomach risk.

One tactic used by the most successful investors in this arena is to spread risk across multiple stocks. This tactic relies on speculating that one or more will be a huge winner, creating profits for the portfolio despite the almost guaranteed losers. 

Top Performing Stocks To Watch For 2014: Victory Electronic Cigarettes Corp (ECIG)

Victory Electronic Cigarettes Corporation, formerly Teckmine Industries, Inc., incorporated on May 19, 2004, is a development-stage company. As of December 31, 2011, the Company was seeking opportunities with established business entities for the merger or other form of business combination with its company. In April 2013, it acquired Victory Electronic Cigarettes LLC.

The Company may acquire assets and establish wholly owned subsidiaries in various businesses or acquire existing businesses as subsidiaries. As of December 31, 2011, it had not owned any property interests.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rupert Hargreaves]

  As it turns out, many e-cig start-ups and even tobacco industry giant Lorillard (NYSE: LO  ) �have infringed on these patents, possibly due to their rush getting e-cig products to market. So, six months on from closing the deal with Dragonite, Fontem Ventures, backed by Imperial Tobacco, has filed nine lawsuits in a federal court, asking the court to rule that the patents infringed were valid, and the defendants should pay as-of-yet unspecified damages. The companies Imperial is taking to court are Lorillard, NJOY, Vapor Corp., VMR Products LLC, Ballantyne Brands LLC, CB Distributors, Spark Industries LLC, Logic Technology Development LLC, FIN Branding Group LLC, Victory Electronic Cigarettes Corp. (NASDAQOTH: ECIG  ) , and DR Distributors LLC. So, it would seem as if Imperial is intending to kill off the majority of its competition before many of them can even get much of a foothold in the market.

Top Performing Stocks To Watch For 2014: Cato Corp (CATO)

The Cato Corporation (Cato) is a women�� fashion specialty retailer. As of January 28, 2012, the Company operated 1,288 fashion specialty stores in 31 states, principally in the southeastern United States, under the names Cato, Cato Fashions, Cato Plus, It�� Fashion, It�� Fashion Metro and Versona Accessories. It operates in two segments: stores and Credit. The Company�� stores offer a assortment of on-trend apparel and accessory items in primarily junior/missy, plus sizes, girls sizes 7 to 16, men�� and kids sizes newborn to seven. Its merchandise lines include dressy, career, and casual sportswear, dresses, coats, shoes, lingerie, costume jewelry, handbags, men�� wear and lines for kids and newborns. Its merchandise is sold under its private label and is produced by various vendors in accordance with the Company�� specifications.

The Company offers its own credit card and a layaway plan to make the purchase of its merchandise convenient for its customers. The Company�� stores are located in the southeastern United States in a variety of markets ranging from small towns to metropolitan areas with trade area populations of 20,000 or more. Stores average approximately 4,500 square feet in size. The Company offers its own credit card, which accounted for 4.8% of retail sales during the fiscal year ended January 28, 2012 (fiscal 2012).

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Discount fashion retailer Cato� (NYSE: CATO  ) �reported this morning that May sales wilted.

  For the four weeks ending June 1, total sales were $81.7 million, a 3% drop from the $84.3 million it recorded in the year-ago period.�That translated into a same-store sales decline of 2% for May.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  The Cato (NYSE: CATO) was down, falling 11.89 percent to $26.52 on Q4 results. Cato reported its Q4 earnings of $0.13 per share, versus analysts' estimates of $0.13 per share. Cato Corporation expects FY14 earnings of $1.47 to $1.66 per share, versus estimates of $1.86 per share.

Best Clean Energy Stocks To Own For 2014: Zale Corp (ZLC)

Zale Corporation, incorporated on April 26, 1991, through its wholly owned subsidiaries, is a retailer of fine jewelry in North America. The Company operates in three segments: fine jewelry, kiosk jewelry and all other. As of July 31, 2012, the Company operated 1,124 specialty retail jewelry stores and 654 kiosks located mainly in shopping malls throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. The Company�� fine jewelry segment consists of five brands: Zales Jewelers, Peoples Jewellers, Zales Outlet, Mappins Jewellers, and Gordon's Jewelers The Company�� kiosk jewelry operates under the brand names Piercing Pagoda, Plumb Gold, and Silver and Gold Connection (collectively, Piercing Pagoda) through mall-based kiosks. The Company provides insurance and reinsurance services for various types of insurance coverage, which is marketed primarily to its private label credit card guests, through Zale Indemnity Company, Zale Life Insurance Company and Jewel Re-Insurance Ltd.

Fine Jewelry

Each brand specializes in fine jewelry and watches, with merchandise and marketing emphasis focused on diamond products. Zales Jewelers is the Company's national brand in the United States providing moderately priced jewelry to a range of guests. Zales Outlet operates in outlet malls and neighborhood power centers and capitalizes on Zales Jewelers' national advertising and brand recognition. Gordon's Jewelers is a value-oriented regional jeweler. Peoples Jewellers, Canada's fine jewelry retailer, provides guests with shopping experience. Mappins Jewellers offers Canadian guests a selection of merchandise from engagement rings to fashionable and contemporary fine jewelry.

The Company has extended its reach of certain brands through the use of its Webstores, mobile devices and social media to provide its guests access to its brands wherever and whenever they choose. In addition, the Company offers its guests the option to purchase warranty coverage on substantially all of its mercha! ndise in Fine Jewelry. The Company also offers repair services to guests who do not purchase warranty coverage. Zales Jewelers (Zales), the Company's United States based flagship, is a brand name in jewelry retailing in the United States, operating 639 stores in 50 states and Puerto Rico with an average store size of 1,681 square feet. Gordon's Jewelers (Gordon's) operates 147 stores in 27 states and Puerto Rico with an average store size of 1,534 square feet.

The Company�� Zales brand is positioned as the Diamond Store emphasizing on diamond jewelry, especially in the bridal and fashion segments. Zales and Gordon's combined revenues accounted for 60% of the Company's total revenues during the fiscal year ended July 31, 2012 (fiscal 2012). Both brands operate as multi-channel retailers and serve Internet guests through the e-commerce sites www.zales.com and www.gordonsjewelers.com, which accounted for approximately 5% of the Company's total revenues in fiscal 2012.

In Canada, the Company operates 206stores in nine provinces. The Company's Canadian operations consist of two brands, Peoples Jewellers (Peoples) and Mappins Jewellers (Mappins), and accounted for 17% of the Company's total revenues in fiscal 2012. The average store size is 1,605 square feet with an average transaction value of $332 in fiscal year 2012. Peoples serves Internet guests through the e-commerce site, www.peoplesjewellers.com. The Company operates 132 Zales Outlet (Outlet) stores in 35 states and Puerto Rico, sales from which accounted for 10% of its total revenues in fiscal 2012. The average store size is 2,362 square feet in fiscal 2012.

Kiosk Jewelry

The Company�� kiosk jewelry segment is focused on the opening price point jewelry guest. The Company's presence in Kiosk Jewelry has been expanded through the e-commerce site, www.pagoda.com. The Company also offers its guests the option to purchase warranty coverage on certain products. As of July 31, 2012, Piercing Pagoda op! erated 65! 4 locations in 41 states and Puerto Rico, sales from which accounted for 13% of the Company's total revenues in fiscal. Piercing Pagoda offers collection of bracelets, earrings, charms, rings, non-precious metal products and 14 karat and 10 karat gold chains, as well as a selection of silver and diamond jewelry, all in basic styles at moderate prices. Kiosk locations average 188 square feet in size in fiscal 2012.

All Other

The Company insurance companies are the insurers (either through direct written or reinsurance contracts) of the Company's guests' credit insurance coverage. In addition to providing merchandise replacement coverage for certain perils, credit insurance coverage provides protection to the creditor and cardholder for losses associated with the disability, involuntary unemployment, leave of absence or death of the cardholder. Zale Life Insurance Company also provides group life insurance coverage for the Company's eligible employees. In fiscal year 2012, 36% of the Company's private label credit card purchasers purchased some form of credit insurance. In fiscal year 2012, all other accounted for approximately 1% of the Company's total revenues.

The Company competes with Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., .C. Penney Company, Inc., Signet Jewelers Limited, and QVC, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Moskowitz]

  Zale (NYSE: ZLC  ) is a specialty retailer of fine jewelry that has 1064 stores and 630 kiosks across North America. If you have ever walked through a mall, then you're familiar with the name Zale. With strong brand name recognition and the company swinging to a profit in fiscal-year 2013, you would think Zale should present a quality investment opportunity. While this is a possibility, there are several reasons why one much larger jewelry company should present a better long-term investment opportunity.

• [By Rick Aristotle Munarriz]

  AP Photo/Burger King Companies can make brilliant moves, but there are also times when things don't work out quite as planned. From a Japanese gaming pioneer finally cutting prices on its poor selling devices to a burger chain introducing a burger for a buck, here's a rundown of the week's smartest moves and biggest blunders in the business world. Walmart (WMT) -- Winner The country's biggest retailer was singled out in this column last week for the way that it's bringing back its layaway plan for the holiday shopping season. And this week it earns another shout out. In a memo to its associates this week, Walmart revealed that its health insurance policies for 2014 will cover "any spouse or domestic partner" regardless of gender. Walmart knows that this is still a polarizing topic. However, by opening up health coverage to domestic partners -- gay or straight -- Walmart is likely to score points with many who have been critical of the company's practices in the past. Sure, we can lament that just half of Walmart's 1.3 million associates have elected health coverage through the company. No one's saying the giant discounter is perfect. However, this move will help improve its image with a lot of its detractors. Burger King (BKW) -- Loser Burger chains are bucking the trend these days, beefing up their dollar menus at a time when the economy is showing signs of life. There's a reason for that. Customers are moving up to higher quality "fast casual" establishments that offer better food at slightly higher price points with the convenience of counter service. Burger King's latest push was announced this week. It will add a French fry-topped hamburger -- for a buck -- to its menu in September. There's nothing inherently wrong with the new sandwich. Who hasn't placed fries inside their burger from time to time? However, this seems like a bad play for franchisees: They may see fry sales slip at the hands of penny-pinching diners believing that they can knock of

Top Performing Stocks To Watch For 2014: Global Links Corp (GLCO)

Global Links Corp. (Global Links) is engaged in real estate acquisitions and development, real estate information services and international housing projects. The Company owns approximately 996 undeveloped residential lots in the Valle Vista Subdivision. This land consists of residential lots that have not yet been developed. The Company's office building comprises 9,300 square feet, which is acquired as an empty shell, in June 2004, and completed tenant improvements in October 2004. As at December 31, 2005, the Sunset Office Building is wholly occupied. The Company occupies 15% of the building; the remaining 85% is occupied by Southwest Title Company. In August 2013, Global Links Corp. announced that the formation of a wholly owned subsidiary named Domain Micro Homes.

During the year ended December 31, 2002, the Company decided to pursue the business of marketing electronic transactions by offering a suite of electronic products and proceeded to establish relationships with various companies that provide such products and others that specialize in the marketing of these products. During the year ended December 31, 2003, Global Links transferred all of the assets and liabilities relating to the business of marketing electronic transactions to its wholly owned subsidiary, Global Links Card Services, Inc. (GLCS). In December 2004, the Company sold all of its interests in GLCS to an unrelated corporation. Also during the year ended December 31, 2003, the Company merged with Capitol Group Holding Corporation and in addition to the marketing of electronic transactions products, the Company entered the business of real estate acquisitions and development, real estate information services and international housing projects.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap stocks Green Endeavors Inc (OTCMKTS: GRNE), Global Links Corporation (OTCMKTS: GLCO) and Vitamin Blue Inc (OTCBB: VTMB) were all making noticeable moves at the end of last week. On Friday, Green Endeavors Inc rose 8.11% and Global Links Corporation rose 13.96% while Vitamin Blue Inc fell 10%. Of course, small cap OTC stocks making large single digit or double digit moves in either direction aren�� all that unusual. Moreover, all of these small caps have been the subject of paid promotions. With that in mind, here is a closer look at all three to help you decide on an investing or trading strategy:

Top Performing Stocks To Watch For 2014: PURE Bioscience Inc.(PURE)

Pure Bioscience, Inc. engages in the discovery, development, and commercialization of bioscience products principally in the United States. The company offers silver dihydrogen citrate (SDC) based antimicrobials. The silver dihydrogen citrate technology is an electrochemical process that allows the generation of ionized silver in the presence of organic acid. It provides PURE Hard Surface, a hard surface disinfectant and food contact surface sanitizer for use in food processing equipment, machinery, and utensils; Axen30, a hard surface disinfectant; Silv�ion, an antimicrobial formulation used as a raw material in the manufacturing of personal care products; and Axenohl, an antimicrobial formulation for use as a raw material in the manufacturing of environmental protection agency-registered products. The company also offers research and development services in food processing, agriculture, water treatment, pharmaceuticals, and oil and gas projects. It sells its products t hrough partners and distributors primarily to industrial and consumer markets. The company, formerly known as Innovative Medical Services, was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in El Cajon, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Glenwoods]

  According to the global market research company Mintel, stevia-based products have increased 400% globally between 2008 and 2012, with a rise of 158% from 2011 to 2012. Stevia has grown so much in demand that the world�� largest alfalfa grower, California-based S&W Seed (SANW), began growing stevia with high glycoside yields for PureCircle (LN:PURE), the world�� largest producer of stevia, in 2011 and on roughly 250,118 acres. Now some U.S. tobacco farmers have begun to switch from growing tobacco to stevia, as tobacco sales are sliding and stevia sales are growing.

• [By Glenwoods]

  While the fermentation-based method is still in its development stages, a Malaysian company, PureCircle (LON: PURE) (OTCMKTS: PCRTF), the world�� largest producer of stevia, continues to develop its stevia through farm-based methods.� Last September PureCircle, which also has offices in Oak Brook, Ill., signed a joint agreement with the Coca-Cola Coto investigate and develop a commercially viable stevia sweetener product; and earlier this month in a press release, the two companies announced they were developing what should be a better flavor profile than the much used Reb A with rebaudioside D (Reb D) and Rebaudioside X (Reb X).� Reb D, though roughly 10% less sweet than Reb A, has a significantly lower bitterness that Reb A and has been found to have a more desirable taste profile, especially in cola products where stevia previously has not worked well.� The issue with both Reb D and Reb X is that they are found in much smaller amounts than Reb A. Thus, at this time it will take a lot more stevia leaves to produce the extracts.

Top Performing Stocks To Watch For 2014: Southwest Airlines Co (LUV)

Southwest Airlines Co., incorporated on March 9, 1967, operates Southwest Airlines, a passenger airline, which provides scheduled air transportation in the United States. As of December 31, 2011, the Company was serving 72 cities in 37 states throughout the United States. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company added addition services in two new states and three new cities: Charleston, South Carolina; Greenville-Spartanburg, South Carolina; and Newark, New Jersey. Southwest provides point-to-point. On May 2, 2011, the Company acquired AirTran Holdings, Inc. (AirTran).

AirTran�� route system provides hub-and-spoke, rather than point-to-point, service, with approximately half of AirTran�� flights originating or terminating at its hub in Atlanta, Georgia. AirTran also serves a range of markets with non-stop service from bases of operation in Baltimore, Maryland; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Orlando, Florida. As of December 31, 2011, AirTran was serving 68 United States and near-international destinations, including San Juan, Puerto Rico; Cancun, Mexico; Montego Bay, Jamaica; Nassau, The Bahamas; Oranjestad, Aruba; Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, and Bermuda. As of January 31, 2012, AirTran served 65 destinations. During 2011, approximately 71% of Southwest�� customers flew non-stop, and Southwest�� average aircraft trip stage length was 664 miles with an average duration of approximately 1.8 hours.

As of December 31, 2011, Southwest offered 25 weekday roundtrips from Dallas Love Field to Houston Hobby, 13 weekday roundtrips from Phoenix to Las Vegas, 13 weekday roundtrips from Burbank to Oakland, and 12 weekday roundtrips from Los Angeles International to Oakland. Southwest offers connecting service opportunities from over 60 Southwest cities to different Volaris airports in Mexico including Aguascalientes, Guadalajara, Mexico City (MEX), Mexico City-Toluca (TLC), Morelia, and Zacatecas. The Company�� International Connect portal conducts two separate transac! tions: one with Southwest�� reservation system and one with Volaris�� reservation system.

Southwest bundles fares into three categories: Wanna Get Away, Anytime, and Business Select. Wanna Get Away fares are lowest fares. Business Select fares are refundable and changeable, and funds may be applied toward future travel on Southwest. Business Select fares also include additional perks, such as priority boarding, a frequent flyer point multiplier, priority security and ticket counter access in select airports, and one complimentary adult beverage coupon for the day of travel. The Company�� Internet Website, southwest.com, is the avenue for Southwest Customers to purchase tickets online. During 2011, southwest.com accounted for approximately 78% of all Southwest bookings. During 2011, approximately 84% of Southwest�� Passenger revenues came through its Website, including revenues from SWABIZ, the Company�� business travel reservation Web page.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Gary Jakacky]

  I ran a subjective screen of the companies in IYT, using the following criteria:

  First, I eliminated the airline stocks. I would never own an airline stock individually: they have a long tradition of providing poor returns for their shareholders. A glimpse at a few ten year charts for component airlines like Delta (DAL), Jetblue (JBLU), Southwest (LUV) and United Continental Holdings (UAL) shows a lot of volatility and pitiful gains. The exact opposite of what investors should be looking for. Furthermore they are oil price sensitive: a more efficient way to trade this is an oil ETF. And yes, they are becoming more efficient with newer engines, but Boeing (BA) is a more efficient way to trade that issue. Second, I looked for companies that have shown (nearly) uninterrupted earnings growth since the recession ended in 2009. Sure maybe a soft quarter here and there; but solid growth. If the issue was a bit in doubt I turned to the company's ten year record, and insisted if growth was negative during the recession, it recover swiftly afterward and share net go on to new highs. finally, I wanted the company's trailing PE ratio to be near the bottom of its ten year range.

  Yes, these screen criteria are more subjective than a pure computer screen would be, but this leaves room for investor analysis and judgment, which never should be off the table when making an investment.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  While United Continental has gained 21% in 2014, Delta Airlines has risen 25%, Southwest Airlines (LUV) has advanced 27% and American Airlines has surged 48%, JetBlue has gained 4.6%.

• [By Jonas Elmerraji]

  The same kind of setup is pinning down shares of Southwest Airlines (LUV) this week. In the bargain airline's case, resistance comes into play at $14.50, with support down at $12.50. Just like with Home Depot, the high probability trade is to bet in the same direction as the breakout from this rectangle.

  Southwest has rallied 37.7% in 2013, a fact that isn't hugely surprising. Consolidation patterns are common -- if not necessary -- after such a big price move; they give traders a chance to catch their breath and figure out their next moves in shares of LUV. Look for the breakout as an indicator that they've made up their minds. A breakout in momentum through the 70 level should be a leading indicator that price action is going to follow suit.

  I'd suggest putting alerts on both

Top Performing Stocks To Watch For 2014: Aurubis AG (NDA)

Aurubis AG is a Germany-based company engaged in the production of primary copper and precious metals, the recycling of secondary raw materials and the processing of copper into final products. It operates through three business segments: Primary Copper that unifies activities related to the production of marketable copper cathodes from the primary raw material, copper concentrates, as well as the production and marketing of sulfuric acid; Recycling/Precious Metals, engaged in the production of copper cathodes from a variety of recycled raw materials and such by-metals and co-products as gold, silver, platinum and tin, among others, and Copper Products that includes the provision of such copper products as cast wire rod from cathodes, strips, shaped wires and others. The Company operates also through subsidiaries located in Germany, Sweden, the United States, Hong Kong, Russia and Bulgaria, among others. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ruth David]

  Block sales in western Europe reached $31.8 billion in the three months through September as Groupama SA sold shares in Societe Generale (GLE) SA and Sweden exited a stake in Nordea Bank (NDA) AB, data compiled by Bloomberg show. At the same time, investors poured about $22.2 billion into the region�� stock funds in the 15 weeks through Oct. 9, according to data from research firm EPFR Global Inc.

Top Performing Stocks To Watch For 2014: Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated(COKE)

Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the production, marketing, and distribution of nonalcoholic beverages, primarily products of The Coca-Cola Company. The company offers sparkling beverages, such as energy drinks; and still beverages, including bottled water, tea, ready-to-drink coffee, enhanced water, juices, and sports drinks. It holds cola beverage agreements and allied beverage agreements, under which it produces, distributes, and markets sparkling beverage products of The Coca-Cola Company in certain regions. The company also distributes and markets still beverages of The Coca-Cola Company, such as POWERade, vitaminwater, and Minute Maid Juices To Go, as well as produces, distributes, and markets Dasani water products under still beverage agreements. In addition, it holds agreements to produce and market Dr Pepper. Further, the company distributes and markets various other products, including Monster energy productsand Sund rop, as well as its own products, such as Country Breeze tea, diet Country Breeze tea, and Tum-E Yummies, a vitamin C enhanced flavored drink, Bean & Body, and Simmer and Bazza energy tea. Additionally, it produces beverages for other Coca-Cola bottlers; and provides restaurants and other immediate consumption outlets with fountain products. The company sells and distributes its products directly to retail stores and other outlets, including food markets, institutional accounts, and vending machine outlets. It operates in North Carolina, South Carolina, south Alabama, South Georgia, middle Tennessee, western Virginia, and West Virginia. The company was founded in 1902 and is based in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Dzombak]

  In the U.S., Coke announced that it will sell some of its internal bottling operations to its five U.S. independent bottlers: Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated (NASDAQ: COKE  ) , Coca-Cola Bottling Company United, Swire Coca-Cola USA, Coca-Cola Bottling Company High Country and Corinth Coca-Cola Bottling Works. No details were released, but the company did say it expects to close the deals in 2014.

Top Performing Stocks To Watch For 2014: Industrias Bachoco S.A. de C.V. (IBA)

Industrias Bachoco, S.A.B. de C.V., through its subsidiaries, operates as a poultry producer in Mexico. It engages in breeding, processing, and marketing of poultry products, such as chicken and table eggs; and balanced animal feed comprising swine and other products. The company also offers turkey and value-added beef and pork products. It sells its products to wholesalers, retailers, supermarkets, rosticer Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Calling all cash flows
  When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Industrias Bachoco (NYSE: IBA  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.