Best Heal Care Stocks For 2014

It will be a busy week for economic releases in the US, with the FOMC meeting stealing the spotlight. People will be looking for forward guidance that will help shed some light on the bank�� tapering timeline.

With so much having happened since the central bank�� last meeting, investors will be interested to know how the bank has changed its forecast and whether it plans to continue with its easy money policies.

Key Earnings Reports

Next week investors will be waiting for several key earnings reports including Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL), Facebook, Inc. (NASDAQ: FB), Nokia Corporation (NYSE: NOK), MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), and Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE: MA).

Hot Wireless Telecom Companies To Watch In Right Now: Impac Mortgage Holdings Inc (IMH)

Impac Mortgage Holdings, Inc. (IMH), incorporated in August 1995, operations include the mortgage and real estate fee-based business activities conducted by its subsidiaries: Integrated Real Estate Service Corporation (IRES), IMH Assets Corp. (IMH Assets) and Impac Funding Corporation (IFC). The Company�� operations include the mortgage and real estate fee-based business activities conducted by IRES and the long-term mortgage portfolio (residual interests in securitizations reflected as net trust assets and liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets. The mortgage lending activities include the origination, funding, selling and servicing of loans. The Company is focusing on originating loans eligible for sale to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and government sponsored loans eligible for Ginnie Mae securities issuance.

Mortgage and real estate services

The Company created IRES to provide solutions to the mortgage and real estate markets. IRES performs services for investors, portfolio managers, servicers and individual borrowers, including mortgage lending services, portfolio monitoring and real estate services, surveillance and recovery services. The platform includes the mortgage lending operations, the portfolio loss mitigation and real estate services and formerly the title and escrow operations. The mortgage lending activities include the origination, funding, selling and servicing of loans. The Company is focusing on originating loans eligible for sale to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and government sponsored loans eligible for Ginnie Mae securities issuance.

Master Servicing

In the ordinary course of business, the Company sells mortgage loans to the secondary market. The Company retains servicing on certain loans sold and earns servicing fees generally between 0.25% and 0.44% per annum of the monthly outstanding principal balance of the loans serviced. The Company has hired a nationally recognized residential sub-servicer to sub-service! the servicing portfolio. Although the Company uses a sub-servicer to provide primary servicing and certain default servicing functions, the Company's default management team, experienced in loss mitigation and real estate recovery, monitors and surveys the performance of the mortgage servicing portfolio. Incurring the cost of both a sub-servicer and an internal default management team reduces net servicing income, but it is an important investment used to minimize delinquencies and minimize repurchase risk. As of December 31, 2011, the total unpaid principal balance of mortgage loans serviced was $605.4 million.

Long-Term Mortgage Portfolio

The long-term mortgage portfolio consists of the residual interest in securitizations represented on the consolidated balance sheet as the difference between trust assets and trust liabilities. The long-term mortgage portfolio includes adjustable rate and fixed rate Alt-A single-family residential mortgages and commercial (primarily multifamily residential loans) mortgages that were acquired and originated by the Company. Alt-A mortgages are primarily first lien mortgages made to borrowers whose credit is within typical Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guidelines, but have loan characteristics that make them non-conforming under those guidelines. Commercial mortgages in the long-term mortgage portfolio are adjustable rate mortgages with initial fixed interest rate periods of two-, three-, five-, seven- and 10-years that subsequently convert to adjustable rate mortgages (hybrid ARMs).

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Another stock that insiders are active in here is Impac Mortgage (IMH), which offers residential mortgage services in the U.S. Insiders are buying this stock into big time weakness, since shares are off by 27.4% so far in 2013.

  Impac Mortgage has a market cap of $89 million and an enterprise value of $6.05 billion. This stock trades at a premium valuation, with a forward price-to-earnings of 124.10. This is not a cash-rich company, since the total cash position on its balance sheet is $14.15 million and its total debt is a whopping $5.98 billion.

  A beneficial owner just bought 77,863 shares, or about $782,000 worth of stock, at $10 to $10.05 per share.

  From a technical perspective, IMH is currently trending below both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, which is bearish. This stock has been trending sideways in a consolidation pattern for the last month, with shares moving between $9.80 on the downside and $10.90 on the upside. A high-volume move above the upper-end of its sideways trading chart pattern soon could trigger a big breakout trade for shares of IMH.

   

  If you're bullish on IMH, then look for long-biased trades as long as this stock is trending above some key near-term support at $9.80 and then once it breaks out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $10.50 to $10.90 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that hits near or above its three-month average volume of 29,759 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then IMH will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $11.88 to $11.95. Any high-volume move above those levels will then give IMH a chance to tag $14.

Best Heal Care Stocks For 2014: Embraer SA (EMBR3)

Embraer SA is a Brazil-based holding company primarily engaged in the manufacture of aircrafts. The Company�� business activities are divided into three business segments: Commercial Aviation; Defense and Security Business, and Executive Aviation. The Commercial Aviation segment is involved in the development, production and sale of commercial jets, as well as in the provision of support services, with emphasis on the regional aviation industry and aircraft leasing. The Defense and Security Business segment mainly includes the research, development, production and modification of defense aircrafts as well systems and software design. Through the Executive Aviation segment, the Company is active in the development, production and sale of business jets, provision of support services related to this sector of the market and aircraft leasing. The Company has subsidiaries, affiliated companies and representative offices in Brazil, the United States, France, Holland and China, among others. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lyubov Pronina]

  Most emerging-market stocks fell as Samsung Electronics Co.�� earnings missed estimates and planemaker Embraer SA (EMBR3) posted a surprise loss. Turkish stocks capped the biggest weekly loss since June after policy makers raised borrowing costs.

Best Heal Care Stocks For 2014: Ethan Allen Interiors Inc (ETH)

Ethan Allen Interiors Inc. (Ethan Allen), incorporated in May 25, 1989, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Ethan Allen Global, Inc. and Ethan Allen Global, Inc.�� subsidiaries, is a manufacturer and retailer of home furnishings and accessories, offering a complement of home decorating and design solutions through home furnishing retail networks. The Company operates in two segments: wholesale and retail. As of June 30, 2013, the Company operated 147 design centers and its independent retailers operated 148 design centers. Its wholesale segment net sales include sales to its retail segment and sales to its independent retailers. During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013 (fiscal 2013), independent retailers opened 11 new design centers, acquired two from the Company, closed 12, and sold two to the Company.

The Company�� customer service offerings include gift card, on-line room planning and Ethan Allen Consumer Credit Programs. Gift Card allows customers to purchase gift cards through its Website or at any participating retail design center, which can be redeemed for any of its products or services. The Company offers, through its Website, an online room planning resource, which serves to assist consumers with their home decorating needs. Through the use of this Web-based tool, customers can determine which of its product offerings fit their particular needs based on their own individual home floor plan. The Ethan Allen Finance Plus program offers consumers (clients) a menu of custom financing options through the use of just one account.

Wholesale Segment

The wholesale segment, principally involved in the development of the Ethan Allen brand, encompasses all aspects of design, manufacture, sourcing, sale, and distribution of its range of home furnishings and accessories. Wholesale revenue is generated upon the wholesale sale and shipment of its products to its network of independently operated design centers and Company-operated design centers through its na! tional distribution center and one other smaller fulfillment center. The Company�� domestic manufacturing is included in the results of the wholesale segment. The Company operates four case plants (including one sawmill), three upholstery plants (two upholstery plants on its Maiden, North Carolina campus and one cut and sew plant in Mexico) and one home accessory plant. The Company also source selected case goods, upholstery, and home accessory items from third-party suppliers located both domestically and outside the United States.

Retail Segment

The retail segment sells home furnishings and accessories to consumers through a network of Company-operated design centers. During fiscal 2013, the Company opened seven design centers acquired two from independent retailers, closed four design centers and sold two to our independent retailers. As of June 30, 2013, the Company�� network of approximately 300 retail design centers and approximately 4,000 independent members of the Interior Design Affiliate program benefit from these marketing efforts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Shares of La-Z-Boy have gained 11% to $27.02 at 1:54 p.m. today. Its performance is also giving other furniture stocks a boost. Flexsteel (FLXS) has risen 1% to $27.60, Hooker Furniture (HOFT) has jumped 1.6% to $17.12 and Ethan Allen International (ETH) has advanced 1.2% to $29.20. Haverty Furniture (HVT) has dipped 0.3% to $27.87.

• [By Gerelyn Terzo]

  Clearly Bob's isn't new to private equity ownership, but it is new to Bain's way of doing things. So what can the company expect under Bain, which oversees $70 billion in assets under management? And is there a chance that Bob's will present an investment opportunity and join the ranks of La-Z-Boy (NYSE: LZB  ) and Ethan Allen Interiors (NYSE: ETH  ) in the stock market in the future? � �

Best Heal Care Stocks For 2014: PerkinElmer Inc.(PKI)

PerkinElmer, Inc. provides technology, services, and solutions to the diagnostics, research, environmental, industrial, and laboratory services markets worldwide. The company operates in two segments, Human Health and Environmental Health. The Human Health segment develops diagnostics, tools, and applications to help detect diseases earlier, as well as accelerate the discovery and development of critical new therapies. This segment provides early detection for genetic disorders from pre-conception to early childhood, as well as digital x-ray flat panel detectors and infectious disease testing for the diagnostics market. It also provides a suite of solutions, including instrumentation for automation and detection solutions, in vitro and in vivo imaging and analysis hardware and software, and a portfolio of consumable products, such as drug discovery and research reagents that enable researchers to enhance the drug discovery process. The Environmental Health segment offers t echnologies and applications to facilitate the creation of safer food and consumer products, secure surroundings, and efficient energy resources. This segment provides analytical technologies that address the quality of environment, sustainable energy development, and ensure safer food and consumer products; analytical instrumentation for the industrial market, which includes the semiconductor, chemical, petrochemical, lubricant, construction, office equipment, and quality assurance industries; and laboratory services. The company markets its products and services directly through its own sales forces and distributors for customers, including pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, laboratories, academic and research institutions, public health authorities, private healthcare organizations, doctors, and government agencies. PerkinElmer, Inc. was founded in 1931 and is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  The market erased early-morning losses after strong service-sector data confirmed that the US economy has managed to keep-on keeping-on, no matter what has happened overseas. PerkinElmer (PKI), Boeing (BA), and Keurig Green Mountain (GMCR) have gained, while Plug Power (PLUG) and Tyson Foods (TSN) have dropped.

• [By David Goodboy]

  In other bullish news, TrovaGene entered into a material agreement with multibillion-dollar diagnostics technology leader PerkinElmer (NYSE: PKI) to jointly develop a test to determine a person's risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The terms have not been disclosed, but PerkinElmer will make milestone payments to TrovaGene. 

• [By Rich Smith]

  The Department of Defense awarded a dozen separate contracts Thursday, worth more than $225 million in aggregate. Notable winners (among publicly traded companies) included:

Best Heal Care Stocks For 2014: Westar Energy Inc.(WR)

Westar Energy, Inc., an electric utility company, engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity. It produces electricity through various sources, including coal, wind, nuclear, natural gas, oil, and diesel. As of October 26, 2011, it served approximately 687,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in Kansas; and had approximately 7,100 megawatts of generating capacity, as well as operated and coordinated approximately 34,000 miles of electric distribution and transmission lines. Westar Energy, Inc. also engages in energy marketing, and in the purchase and sale of electricity. It serves public streets, highways, electric cooperatives, municipalities, and other electric utilities in central and northeastern Kansas, including the cities of Topeka, Lawrence, Manhattan, Salina, and Hutchinson. The company was founded in 1924 and is headquartered in Topeka, Kansas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Brian Pacampara]

  Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, electric utility Westar Energy (NYSE: WR  ) has earned a respected four-star ranking.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Now don’t misunderstand. Gordon isn’t telling investors to avoid all regulated utilities. He has some favorites, including American Electric Power (AEP), Dominion Resources (D), ITC Holdings (ITC), Pinnacle West Capital (PNW) and Westar Energy (WR).

Best Heal Care Stocks For 2014: Dynamic Materials Corporation(BOOM)

Dynamic Materials Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides explosion-welded clad metal plates, oil field perforating equipment and explosives, and welding services worldwide. It operates in three segments: Explosive Metalworking, Oilfield Products, and AMK Welding. The Explosive Metalworking segment primarily manufactures explosion-welded clad metal plates that are used in the construction of heavy and corrosion resistant pressure vessels, and heat exchangers for oil and gas, alternative energy, chemical and petrochemical, hydrometallurgy, aluminum production, shipbuilding, power generation, and industrial refrigeration industries. This segment sells its products through senior management, direct sales personnel, program managers, and independent sales representatives. The Oilfield Products segment engages in the manufacture, marketing, and sale of perforating explosives and associated hardware, as well as seismic explosives for the oil and gas industry. Its p roducts include shaped charges, detonators, detonating cords, bidirectional boosters, and perforating guns for the perforation of oil and gas wells. This segment offers its products through direct selling, licensed distributors, independent sales representatives, and international distribution centers. The AMK Welding segment provides welding, heat treatment, and inspection services primarily to power turbine manufacturers, and commercial and military aircraft engine manufacturers. The company was formerly known as Explosive Fabricators, Inc. and changed its name to Dynamic Materials Corporation in 1994. Dynamic Materials Corporation was founded in 1965 and is headquartered in Boulder, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Hill]

  In this installment of Motley Fool Money, our analysts talk about why they're watching Dynamic Materials (NASDAQ: BOOM  ) , Gentex (NASDAQ: GNTX  ) , and Western Union (NYSE: WU  ) .

Best Heal Care Stocks For 2014: Hilltop Holdings Inc. (HTH)

Hilltop Holdings Inc., through its subsidiary, NLASCO, Inc., operates as a property and casualty insurance company in the United States. The company�s personal product line includes homeowners, dwelling fire, manufactured home, flood, and vacant insurance policies; and commercial product line consists of commercial, builders risk, builders risk renovation, sports liability, and inland marine insurance policies. It distributes its insurance products through a network of independent agents and managing general agents. The company was formerly known as Affordable Residential Communities Inc. and changed its name to Hilltop Holdings Inc. in July 2007. Hilltop Holdings Inc. was founded in 1948 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  Hilltop Holdings Inc.(HTH) offered to buy the rest of SWS Group Inc.(SWS) that it doesn’t already own, valuing the financial-services company at about $231 million. Hilltop, a regional banking and insurance company, offered $7 a share, a 16% premium over Thursday’s close. SWS surged 19% to $7.20 premarket,�topping the offer price.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Meanwhile, top decliners in the sector included Tree.Com (NASDAQ: TREE), down 4.7 percent, and Hilltop Holdings (NYSE: HTH), off 6.7 percent.

  Top Headline
  Office Depot (NYSE: ODP) reported upbeat first-quarter results and announced its plans to close at least 400 stores in the United States. For the full year, Office Depot also lifted its adjusted operating income outlook to at least $160 million versus $140 million. Office Depot posted a quarterly net loss of $109 million, or $0.21 per share, versus a year-ago loss of $17 million, or $0.06 per share.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Meanwhile, top decliners in the sector included United Fire Group (NASDAQ: UFCS), down 4.9 percent, and Hilltop Holdings (NYSE: HTH), off 3.7 percent.

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Hilltop (HTH) operates as a holding company for PlainsCapital Bank that provides business and consumer banking services in Texas. This stock closed up 8.7% at $17.96 in Monday's trading session.

  Monday's Volume: 2.29 million
  
  Three-Month Average Volume: 414,214
  
  Volume % Change: 436%

  From a technical perspective, HTH gapped up sharply higher here back above its 50-day moving average of $16.52 with strong upside volume. This move pushed shares of HTH into breakout and new 52-week-high territory, since the stock closed above some previous resistance at $17.63.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in HTH as long as it's trending above Monday's low of $17.07 and then once it sustains a move or close above its new 52-week high at $18.23 with volume that this near or above 414,214 shares. If we get that move soon, then HTH will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that move are $20 to $23.