Top 5 Industrial Disributor Companies To Invest In 2014

Earnings season has gone just about exactly the way bullish investors would have expected so far. Many companies managed to overcome lowered expectations for earnings growth and posted positive surprises that, in turn, lifted their share prices. As a result, the stock market climbed to more all-time record highs, with the Dow Jones Industrials (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) rising 78 points, and the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC  ) matching the Dow's half-percent gain.

But two prominent Dow stocks didn't deliver on the earnings front to investors' satisfaction. Intel (NASDAQ: INTC  ) was the leading loser in the Dow, falling 3.75% after only matching earnings estimates, and falling short on top-line revenue figures. The company forecast lower sales for the current quarter, giving further evidence of the major challenges Intel faces with its PC business, as falling demand for desktops and laptops in favor of mobile devices like smartphones and tablets pose a continuing threat to the company's growth. Even if it's successful in entering the mobile market, Intel will face immense competition there that will likely keep margins relatively low compared to its legacy PC chips, where it had a commanding market share and, consequently, greater pricing power.

5 Best Gas Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Geron Corporation (GERN)

Geron Corporation, a biopharmaceutical company, develops therapies for cancer. Its clinical development product candidates include Imetelstat, a telomerase inhibitor, which is in Phase II clinical trials for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer, advanced non-small cell lung cancer, thrombocythemia, and myeloma. The company was founded in 1990 and is based in Menlo Park, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul Ausick]

  The most heavily traded and wildly swinging Nasdaq stock today is Geron Corp. (NASDAQ: GERN). Shares are down 61.70% at $1.69 in a 52-week range of $0.98 to $7.79. The company has been ordered to put a hold on an investigational new drug application. Geron�� share volume was more than 11-times the daily average of around 4.5 million shares traded.

Top 5 Industrial Disributor Companies To Invest In 2014: Volvo AB (VOLVY)

AB Volvo is a supplier of commercial transport solutions providing products, such as trucks, buses, construction equipment, engines and drive systems for boats and industrial applications, as well as aircraft engine components. The Company also offers its customers financial solutions. The Company operates in six segments: Trucks, Buses, Construction Equipment, Volvo Penta, Volvo Aero and Financial Services. The business units include Volvo 3P, Volvo Powertrain, Volvo Parts, Volvo Logistics, Volvo Business Services, Volvo Information Technology (IT), Volvo Real Estate and Volvo Technology. During the year ended December 31, 2009, AB Volvo acquired all shares in Volvo Logistics AB from Fortos Ventures AB. In April 2014, the Company announced that it has completed the sale of commercial real estate. In June 2014, the Company acquired Terex's hauler business.

The Company�� truck operations consist of Volvo Trucks, Renault Trucks, UD Trucks, Mack Trucks and VE Commercial Vehicles (50%) in India. The product offer stretches from heavy-duty trucks for long-haulage and construction work to light-duty trucks for distribution. Volvo Trucks, Renault Trucks, UD Trucks, Mack Trucks and Eicher offer customers a range of products and services for transports.

The Buses has a product range consisting of city and intercity buses, coaches and chassis. Volvo Buses��product line includes complete buses and bus chassis for city, intercity and coach traffic. The Company has a total offering that, in addition to buses, includes a service network, spare parts handling, service and repair contracts, financial services and traffic information systems.

The Company�� construction equipment manufactures equipment for construction applications and related industries. Volvo Construction Equipment develops, manufactures and markets equipment for construction and related industries. Its products include a range of wheel loaders, hydraulic wheeled and crawler excavators, articulated haule! rs, road machinery and a range of compact equipment.

The Company�� Volvo Penta offers engines and drives systems for leisure and commercial boats and for industrial applications, such as gensets and materials handling. Volvo Penta manufactures engines and drive systems for marine applications, for both leisure and commercial craft, with an engine range of 10 to 1,200 horse power and has a global service network with approximately 5,000 dealers. Volvo Penta also supplies industrial engines ranging from 75 kilowatts to 600 kilowatts for irrigation pumps, generator units and other application areas.

The Company�� Volvo aero offers advanced components for aircraft engines and space applications with a focus on lightweight technology for reduced fuel consumption. Volvo Aero specializes in a number of highly advanced components for aircraft engines and space rockets.

The Company�� financial services segment conducts operations in customer and dealer financing. It offers financial services, such as customer and dealer financing and other Services, such as insurance contribute to create customer value. It provides financing solutions and other services in retaining customers and attracting new ones to the Company.

The Company competes with Daimler, Paccar, Navistar, MAN, Scania, Caterpillar, Komatsu, Cummins and Brunswick.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  The Department of Defense awarded Sweden's Volvo AB (NASDAQOTH: VOLVY  ) -- or more specifically, Volvo's Mack Trucks subsidiary -- a $177.5 million contract Friday for the purchase of tractor trailers.

• [By Jason Hall]

  However, there are a couple of bright spots out there. First, sales of Westport's 12 liter ISX12 G, being co-built with�Cummins� (NYSE: CMI  ) , are on track to meet targets for 2014 according to a number of industry experts. Sales of natural gas trucks in 2014 are expected to have grown 27% this year versus 2013. Also, part of the delay in bringing HPDI to market is Westport's shift to HPDI 2.0, and the adoption of HPDI 2.0 by development partners like�AB Volvo� (NASDAQOTH: VOLVY  ) . The injector components are expected to be manufactured in Westport's venture with�Delphi Automotive� (NYSE: DLPH  ) , and the costs will be less than earlier versions, helping natural gas engines be more cost-competitive with diesel.�

Top 5 Industrial Disributor Companies To Invest In 2014: Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc(SMFG)

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides various banking and financial products and services in Japan, the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Oceania. It operates in four segments: Commercial Banking, Securities, Leasing, and Credit Card. The commercial banking segment offers various financial services, including personal bank accounts, investment trusts, pension-type insurance products, life insurance products, and housing loans to individuals; and lending, cash management, settlement, leasing, factoring, management information systems consulting, collection, and investment banking services to mid-sized companies, and small- and medium-sized enterprises. It also provides various financial services, such as loans, deposits, and settlement services, as well as loan syndication, structured finance, and nonrecourse loans to large corporations and listed companies; international banking services comprising project finance, loan syndic ation, securitization, shipping finance, global cash management services, and yen custody services; and provides services related to foreign exchange, securities, and derivatives. The Securities segment offers various financial products, including stocks, bonds, investment trusts, and variable annuity insurance; investment consultation; and administration services to individual and corporate customers. The Leasing segment offers provides leasing services, such as leasing of information and communication equipment, industrial equipment, and construction equipment, as well as aircraft leasing. The Credit Card segment provides various credit cards; and settlement and financing services primarily related to credit card transactions. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By MARKETWATCH]

  LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Japanese stocks slipped early Monday, with the Nikkei Stock Average (JP:NIK) down 0.1% at 14,298.17, and the Topix dropping 0.4%. Singapore-traded lead futures for the Nikkei Average had suggested a 0.8% gain for the index, but the indicator fell after the Cabinet Office reported fourth-quarter economic growth of 0.3%, flat from the previous quarter and below expectations in separate Reuters and Wall Street Journal/Nikkei surveys. The disappointing economic data also pushed the yen higher, weighing on some exporters, with Panasonic Corp. (JP:6752) (PCRFF) down 1.8%, NEC Corp. (JP:6701) (NIPNF) off 1.3%, and Sony Corp. (JP:6758) (SNE) down 0.7% after S&P downgraded the firm's credit rating to BBB- from BBB with a negative outlook. Shares of Internet retailer Rakuten Inc. (JP:4755) (RKUNF) dropped 12% after announcing plans to buy online messaging and telecom firm Viber Media Inc. for $900 million as well as posting below-consensus full-year profit. Banks were broadly lower, with Mizuho Financial Group Inc. (JP:8411) (MFG) off 1% and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. (JP:8316) (SMFG) off 1.1%, though Daiwa Securities Group Inc. (JP:8601)

Top 5 Industrial Disributor Companies To Invest In 2014: Maxwell Technologies Inc.(MXWL)

Maxwell Technologies, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures, and markets energy storage and power delivery products, and microelectronic products worldwide. The company offers Ultracapacitors that are energy storage devices to provide energy storage and power delivery solutions for applications in transportation, automotive, information technology, renewable energy, and industrial electronics industries; and CONDIS high-voltage capacitors comprising grading and coupling capacitors, and capacitive voltage dividers used to ensure the safety and reliability of electric utility infrastructure and other applications involving transport, distribution, and measurement of high-voltage electrical energy. It also provides radiation-hardened microelectronic products, including single board computers and components, such as high-density memory and power modules for satellites and spacecraft applications. The company markets and sells its products through direct and indirect sales for integration by original equipment manufacturers into a range of end products. The company was formerly known as Maxwell Laboratories, Inc. and changed its name to Maxwell Technologies, Inc. in 1996. Maxwell Technologies was founded in 1965 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Leading and Lagging Sectors
  Early in trading on Friday, industrials shares were relative leaders, up on the day by about 0.71 percent. Leading the sector was strength from Maxwell Technologies (NASDAQ: MXWL) and The Standard Register Company (NYSE: SR).

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Leading and Lagging Sectors
  In trading on Tuesday, industrials shares were relative leaders, up on the day by about 1.61 percent. Top gainers in the sector included Plug Power (NASDAQ: PLUG) and Maxwell Technologies (NASDAQ: MXWL).