Hot Quality Companies To Invest In 2014

After performing an “in-depth analysis,” a group of ERISA lawyers at Drinker Biddle & Reath have sent a letter to the 401(k) community debunking a recent Yale professor’s claim that they had breached their fiduciary duties with respect to plan costs and investments.

In his letter, sent in mid-July to 6,000 sponsors of 401(k) plans, Ian Ayres, a William K. Townsend professor at Yale Law School, suggested that the recipients were operating a “potentially high-cost plan” and that they may have breached their fiduciary duties.

In some of the letters, Ayres also said that he intended to publicize his study on plan expenses next spring.

But Fred Reish, partner and chair of the financial services ERISA team at Drinker Biddle & Reath, told ThinkAdvisor on Tuesday that because “a number of people” have written to Ayers as well as to Yale University noting their concerns about the report and the quality of the underlying data, as well as its results, “My understanding is that the professor has agreed that, while he will release the study together with aggregated information, he no longer plans to release information about individual plans.”

Top 5 Gold Companies To Invest In 2015: Dean Foods Company(DF)

Dean Foods Company, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a food and beverage company in the United States. It operates in two segments, Fresh Dairy Direct-Morningstar and WhiteWave-Alpro. The Fresh Dairy Direct-Morningstar segment manufactures, markets, and distributes various branded and private label dairy case products, including cream, ice cream mix, and ice cream novelties; creamers and other extended shelf life fluids; yogurt, cottage cheeses, sour creams, and dairy-based dips; fruit juices, fruit-flavored drinks, iced teas, and water; half-and-half and whipping creams; and items for resale, such as butter, cheese, eggs, and milk shakes. This segment sells its dairy case products to retailers, distributors, foodservice outlets, educational institutions, and governmental entities. The WhiteWave-Alpro segment manufactures, develops, markets, and sells various branded dairy and dairy-related products, such as milk and other dairy products; organic dairy products; plant-based beverages, such as soy, almond, and coconut milks; and soy food products, coffee creamers, and creamers and fluid dairy products. It also provides branded soy-based beverages and food products in Europe under the Alpro and Provamel brands. This segment sells its products to various customers, including grocery stores, club stores, natural foods stores, mass merchandisers, convenience stores, drug stores, and foodservice outlets. The company was formerly known as Suiza Foods Corporation and changed its name to Dean Foods Company on December 21, 2001 as a result of merger between the former Dean Foods Company and Suiza Foods Corporation. Dean Foods Company was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sara Murphy]

  But what does "organic" really mean, and does the label meet consumers' expectations? Do shoppers know that the Horizon Organics brand -- darling of the urban food co-op -- belongs to decidedly conventional Dean Foods (NYSE: DF  ) ? Or that Hain Celestial (NASDAQ: HAIN  ) has been dogged recently by accusations of false organic labeling, leading to a class action lawsuit?

• [By FinanceGuru]

  In response to this shift in consumer preferences, Dean Foods (DF) was quick to spin off its fast-growing WhiteWave division, which makes Horizon Organic Milk and Silk soy products, into WhiteWave Foods (WWAV). WhiteWave Foods competes with the likes of Hain Celestial (HAIN) and Blue Diamond Growers in the plant-based beverages market, but is it a good buy?

Hot Quality Companies To Invest In 2014: Kazakhmys PLC (KAZ)

Kazakhmys PLC, along with its subsidiaries, is natural resource company focused on the production of copper. It is engaged in the production of copper and other metals as by-products, including zinc, silver and gold, and power generation. The Company�� segments are Kazakhmys Mining, which is engaged in the exploration, evaluation, development, mining and processing of mineral resources and sale of the metal products; MKM, which operates in Germany, where it manufactures copper and copper alloy semi-finished products; Kazakhmys Power, which operates in Kazakhstan, and consists of its captive power stations, the Ekibastuz GRES-1 coal-fired power station joint venture, and Kazakhmys Petroleum business, which holds a license to conduct oil and gas exploration and development activity in the East Akzhar Exploration Block in western Kazakhstan. In May 2011, the Company completed the disposal of the small Maikuben West coal mine. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Alexis Xydias]

  Kazakh miners ENRC (ENRC) and Kazakhmys Plc (KAZ) slid 3.7 percent to 204 pence, and 2.4 percent to 258.7 pence, respectively, as the FTSE 350 Mining Index fell for the third time this week. African Barrick Gold Plc tumbled 7.7 percent to 96 pence, a record low.

Hot Quality Companies To Invest In 2014: General Finance Corporation (GFN)

General Finance Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in the lease and sale of portable storage containers, portable container buildings, and freight containers. It offers mobile storage containers, including general purpose units, double pallet-wide high cube units, hazardous goods containers, and refrigerated containers; portable building containers, such as site offices and cabins, workforce accommodation units, luxury accommodation units, restroom blocks, blast-resistant units, and specialized office and infrastructure suites; and freight containers consisting of curtain-side containers, hi-cube containers, pallet-wide containers, side-opening door containers, and bulk containers. The company provides its products for various storage applications, including retail and manufacturing inventory, construction materials and equipment, documents and records, and household goods. It also leases and sells storage trailers and other storage structures, container office s, mobile offices, and modular buildings, as well as ancillary products comprising steps, furniture, portable toilets, security systems, and other items for use in connection with its equipment. In addition, the company offers delivery and installation, return and dismantle, and other site services. As of June 30, 2012, it operated a fleet of 23,855 mobile storage containers, 3,294 portable container buildings, and 9,348 freight containers. The company serves various industries, such as mining, road and rail, construction, moving and storage, manufacturing, transportation, defense, retail, utilities, education, and services sectors, as well as small and medium-size entities in New Zealand, North America, and the Asia-Pacific regions of Australia. General Finance Corporation was incorporated in 2005 and is headquartered in Pasadena, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  General Finance (NASDAQ: GFN) shares touched a new 52-week high of $8.12 after DA Davidson lifted the price target on the stock from $8 to $11.

  Mattress Firm Holding (NASDAQ: MFRM) shares reached a new 52-week high of $47.03 after the company reported upbeat Q4 earnings and raised its FY14 forecast.

Hot Quality Companies To Invest In 2014: AFC Enterprises Inc.(AFCE)

AFC Enterprises, Inc. develops, operates, and franchises quick-service restaurants under the trade names of Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits and Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen. As of December 25, 2011, it operated and franchised 2,035 Popeyes restaurants in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Cayman Islands, and 25 foreign countries. The company was founded in 1972 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Robert Hanley]

  That is good news for the industry's victors, which in the quick-serve chicken category include�AFC Enterprises (NASDAQ: AFCE  ) , owner of the Popeyes Chicken and Louisiana Kitchen concepts.�The company has spent the past 40 years building itself into the No. 3 brand in the space, trailing only competitors KFC and Chick-fil-A.� After a strong five-year run, should investors keep betting on this rising star?

• [By John Reese]

  Indeed, in 2013, the Greenblatt-based portfolio has bounced back strong, returning more than 50%. Below is a look at its current holdings.

  EBIX, Inc. (EBIX)
  
  Western Refining (WNR)
  
  DirecTV (DTV)
  
  ITT Educational Services (ESI)
  
  Science Applications International (SAIC)
  
  Weight Watchers International (WTW)
  
  ConocoPhillips (COP)
  
  AmSurg Corp. (AMSG)
  
  PDL BioPharma (PDLI)
  
  AFC Enterprises (AFCE)
  
  

  Subscribe to Validea here��/p>

• [By AnnaLisa Kraft]

  AFC Enterprises (NASDAQ: AFCE  ) , which owns the Popeye's Louisiana Kitchen quick- serve chain, once an undiscovered gem, has now soared 66% over the last year.

• [By Seth Jayson]

  AFC Enterprises (Nasdaq: AFCE  ) reported earnings on May 29. Here are the numbers you need to know.

  The 10-second takeaway
  For the quarter ended April 21 (Q1), AFC Enterprises beat expectations on revenues and met expectations on earnings per share.

Hot Quality Companies To Invest In 2014: WD-40 Co (WDFC)

WD-40 Company incorporated on October 22, 1999, is a global consumer products company dedicated to delivering solutions for a range of maintenance needs of doer and on-the-job users. As of August 31, 2012, the Company�� products included WD-40 Smart Straw, WD-40 Trigger Pro, 3-IN-ONE Professional Garage Door Lube, Spot Shot Pet Clean which is a non-aerosol Spot Shot trigger product, Blue Works product line, and a mildew stain remover under the X-14 brand. In addition, its WD-40 Speciality product line, consists of certain specialty maintenance products. The Company�� three geographical segments are: the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific. The Company sells its products primarily through mass retail and home center stores, warehouse club stores, grocery stores, hardware stores, automotive parts outlets and industrial distributors and suppliers. During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2012, the Company formed WD-40 Bike Company LLC, focused on the development of a line of bicycle maintenance products for cyclists and mechanics.

Multi-Purpose Maintenance Products

The WD-40 brand is a multi-purpose maintenance product and is sold as an aerosol spray, a non-aerosol trigger spray and in liquid form through mass retail stores, hardware stores, warehouse club stores, automotive parts outlets and industrial distributors and suppliers. WD-40 products are sold worldwide in markets, such as North, Central and South America, Asia, Australia and the Pacific Rim, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. WD-40 products has a range of consumer uses in household, marine, automotive, construction, repair, sporting goods and gardening applications, in addition to numerous industrial applications. The 3-IN-ONE brand consists of multi-purpose drip oil and spray lubricant products, as well as other specialty maintenance products. The drip oil is an entry-level lubricant with spout options that allow applications for small mechanisms and assemblies, tool maintenance and threads on screws and bolts. It! also has industrial applications in areas, such as locksmithing, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), marine, farming, construction and jewelry manufacturing. In addition to the drip oil line of products, the 3-IN-ONE brand also includes a line of products known as 3-IN-ONE Professional, which is a line of multi-purpose maintenance products. 3-IN-ONE products are sold in the United States, Europe, Canada, Latin America, Australia and Asia.

The Blue Works brand consists of a line of industrial grade, specialty maintenance products that include lubricants, penetrants, degreasers and cleaners designed specifically for the needs of industrial users. Blue Works products were launched in the United States in selected markets in Europe and are sold through the industrial channel. WD-40 Specialist consists of a line of specialty problem solving products that include penetrants, water resistant silicone sprays, corrosion inhibitors and rust removers that are aimed at the current users of the WD-40 brand.

Homecare and Cleaning Products

The X-14 brand is a line of products designed for cleaning needs. X-14 is sold as a liquid mildew stain remover and two types of automatic toilet bowl cleaners. X-14 is sold in the United States through grocery and mass retail channels. The 2000 Flushes brand is a line of long-lasting automatic toilet bowl cleaners, which includes a variety of formulas. 2000 Flushes is sold in the United States and Canada through grocery and mass retail channels. The Carpet Fresh brand is a line of room and rug deodorizers sold as powder, aerosol foam and trigger spray products. Carpet Fresh is sold through grocery and mass retail channels in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia. In the United Kingdom, Carpet Fresh is sold under the 1001 brand name. In Australia, Carpet Fresh is sold under the No Vac brand name.

The Spot Shot brand is sold as an aerosol carpet stain remover and a liquid trigger carpet stain and odor e! liminator! . The brand also includes products, such as Spot Shot Instant Carpet Stain & Odor Eliminator and Spot Shot Pet Clean, which are non-toxic and biodegradable. Spot Shot products are sold through grocery and mass retail channels, warehouse club stores and hardware and home center stores in the United States and Canada. Spot Shot products are also sold in the United Kingdom under the 1001 brand name. The 1001 brand includes carpet and household cleaners and rug and room deodorizers, which are sold through mass retail, grocery and home center stores in the United Kingdom. The Lava and Solvol brands consist of heavy-duty hand cleaner products, which are sold in bar soap and liquid form through hardware, grocery, industrial, automotive and mass retail channels. Lava is sold in the United States, while Solvol is sold in Australia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Kell and Lauren Pollock var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); ]

  WD-40 Co.(WDFC) said its fiscal second-quarter profit edged lower thanks to higher costs, masking an uptick in sales of its multi-purpose products, including its flagship lubricant spray.

• [By Marc Bastow]

  On-the-job maintenance services products manufacturer WD-40 (WDFC) raised its quarterly dividend 10% to 34 cents per share, payable on Jan. 31 to shareholders of record as of Jan. 6.
  WDFC Dividend Yield: 1.82%

Hot Quality Companies To Invest In 2014: Territorial Bancorp Inc.(TBNK)

Territorial Bancorp Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Territorial Savings Bank, a federally-chartered savings bank that provides a range of financial services to individuals, families, and businesses in Hawaii. It involves in accepting deposits from the general public and investing those deposits together with funds generated from operations and borrowings in loans and investment securities. The company?s deposit products include passbook and statement savings accounts, certificates of deposits, money market accounts, commercial and regular checking accounts, and NOW accounts. Its loan products include one-to-four-family residential mortgage loans; home equity loans and lines of credit; construction, commercial, and other non-residential real estate loans; consumer loans; and multi-family mortgage loans. The company, through its subsidiary, Territorial Financial Services, Inc., also engages in insurance agency activities. In addition, it provides various non-d eposit investments, including annuities and mutual funds through a third-party broker-dealer. As of December 31, 2010, the company operated 26 full-service branch offices in Hawaii. The company was founded in 1921 and is headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Territorial Bancorp (NASDAQ: TBNK) shares touched a new 52-week low of $21.31. Territorial Bancorp shares have dropped 9.43% over the past 52 weeks, while the S&P 500 index has gained 16.18% in the same period.

Hot Quality Companies To Invest In 2014: Riverbed Technology Inc.(RVBD)

Riverbed Technology, Inc. provides solutions to the fundamental problems associated with information technology performance across wide area networks (WANs) in the United States and internationally. It primarily offers Steelhead products, which enable its customers to improve the performance of their applications and access to their data across WANs, as well as supports the riverbed services platform. The company's Steelhead product family includes the Steelhead Mobile client software application that provides mobile workers with LAN-like access to corporate files and applications; Virtual Steelhead appliance to extend the reach of WAN optimization; Cloud Steelhead, a solution that is purpose-built for public cloud computing environments; Central Management Console that provides centralized configuration, monitoring, and control for simplifying the process of deploying and managing Steelhead products distributed across a WAN; and Interceptor appliance, which allows organiz ations to scale their WAN optimization solutions. It sells Steelhead appliances to customers ranging from small office deployments to large headquarters and data center locations. The company also offers Cascade product line, which help organizations manage, secure, and optimize the availability and performance of global applications; Stingray product line, which provides virtual application delivery control; and Whitewater gateways, designed to accelerate, de-duplicate, secure, and store backup data sets in the public cloud. It serves customers in manufacturing, finance, technology, government, architecture, engineering and construction, professional services, utilities, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, media, and retail industries. The company sells its products directly through value-added resellers and distributors, service providers, and systems integrators, as well as through its sales force. Riverbed Technology, Inc. was founded in 2002 and is headquartered in San Fran cisco, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Hilary Kramer]

  In its fiscal fourth-quarter report last week, the company delivered good results in a period where many networking peers, such as Citrix (CTXS) (which has signed on with Cisco as the latter exited the ADC market) and Riverbed (RVBD) posted poor or just so-so results.

• [By Justin Loiseau]

  Riverbed Technology (NASDAQ: RVBD  ) reports earnings after market close today, just one day after Wunderlich Securities downgraded the stock to a "hold" amid overvaluation fears. The company has enjoyed an average 16% annual growth rate over the past five years, but the last two years have left latecomer Riverbed investors up the creek without a paddle.