Best Quality Stocks To Invest In 2014

A prominent labor union has put out a report saying that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will hurt its members economically and make income inequality worse.

It's the latest in a string of Obamacare facts that illustrate growing discontent with the healthcare law, even among U.S. President Barack Obama's closest allies.

The report, entitled "The Irony of Obamacare: Making Inequality Worse" was released Friday by Unite Here, a hospitality industry union with 300,000 members in the United States and Canada.

Unite Here, like many other unions that have supported President Obama, is unhappy with provisions in the healthcare law that increase costs for members while preventing them access to subsidies available to those using the health insurance exchanges.

"Ironically, the Administration's own signature healthcare victory poses one of the most immediate challenges to redressing inequality," the report says. "Yes, the Affordable Care Act will help many more Americans gain some health insurance coverage, a significant step forward for equality. At the same time, without smart fixes, the ACA threatens the middle class with higher premiums, loss of hours, and a shift to part-time work and less comprehensive coverage."

Best Industrial Disributor Stocks To Buy Right Now: Hi-Tech Pharmacal Co. Inc.(HITK)

Hi Tech Pharmacal Co., Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company, engages in developing, manufacturing, and marketing generic and prescription, over-the-counter (OTC), and nutritional products in liquid and semi-solid dosage forms in the United States. The company offers a range of products for various disease states, including glaucoma, asthma, bronchial disorders, dermatological disorders, allergies, pain, stomach, and oral care. Its generic pharmaceutical products include oral solutions and suspensions, topical creams and ointments, and nasal sprays. The company also manufactures liquid ophthalmic, otic, and inhalation products; and prescription vitamins. In addition, it markets a line of branded products that include OTC medications, nutritional products, cosmetics, and medical devices primarily for people with diabetes. The company offers its products to chain drug stores, drug wholesalers, managed care purchasing organizations, Federal government agencies, generic dis tributors, mass merchandisers, and mail-order pharmacies. Hi-Tech Pharmacal Co., Inc. was founded in 1982 and is based in Amityville, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Still, some stocks are bucking the trend. Goodyear Tire & Rubber (GT) has gained 1.4% to $18.90, the largest gainer in the S&P 500, after reaching a deal with a union. The real winners: Hi-Tech Pharmacal (HITK) has gained 22.3% to $43.05 after agreeing to be purchased by Akorn (AKRX), which has jumped 9.6% to $18.02.

• [By David Chulak]

  Look at Hi-Tech Pharmacal�� (HITK) cash flow statement below. Hi-Tech just received approval by the FDA for an oral concentrate of Lorazepam. Lorazepam is an often-used drug for the treatment of anxiety and is probably used by more Wall Street analysts than I care to know about. Note that the last three years indicate that net income is greater than operating cash flow. This is known as a red flag and should be investigated thoroughly if you intend to invest in any stock with similar numbers.

Best Quality Stocks To Invest In 2014: ChinaCache International Holdings Ltd.(CCIH)

ChinaCache International Holdings Ltd. provides Internet content and application delivery services to businesses, government agencies, and enterprises in China. It offers Web Page Content Services to website operators; file transfer services; rich media streaming services that enable live streaming of media files; guaranteed application services for websites that incorporate applications with features, such as on-line booking and ordering, real-time stock quotes, and on-line surveys; managed internet data services; ChinaCache cloud services; and content bridging services. The company also provides various value-added services, such as geo-content acceleration services, performance evaluation module, scalable services routing services, link anti-hijack services, NetStorage services, user behavior analysis services, and Website performance evaluation services. The company was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  ChinaCache International Holdings Ltd. (Nasdaq:CCIH), the leading total solutions provider of internet content and application delivery services in China, reported that it will participate in Cowen and Company’s 40th Annual Technology, Media & Telecom Conference in New York, on May 31, 2012 at 12:30PM ��1:10PM local time.

• [By Garrett Cook]

  Technology shares fell around 0.27 percent in Thursday’s trading. Top decliners in the sector included TechTarget (NASDAQ: TTGT), down 5.3 percent, and ChinaCache International Holdings (NASDAQ: CCIH), off 2.11 percent.

• [By Garrett Cook]

  Technology shares fell around 0.27 percent in Thursday’s trading. Top decliners in the sector included TechTarget (NASDAQ: TTGT), down 8.9 percent, and ChinaCache International Holdings (NASDAQ: CCIH), off 4.6 percent.

Best Quality Stocks To Invest In 2014: Simon Property Group Inc.(SPG)

Simon Property Group, Inc. is a real estate investment trust. The firm engages in investment, ownership, and management of properties. It invests in the real estate markets across the globe. The firm?s portfolio includes regional malls, premium outlet centers, the mills, community / lifestyle centers, and international properties. Simon Property Group was founded in 1960 and is based in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Will Ashworth]

  REITs such as Simon Property Group (SPG) and General Growth Properties (GGP) have enterprise values that are 20 times EBITDA, while LTM stock putters along at slightly less than nine times EBITDA.

• [By Wallace Witkowski]

  While the big banks and financial firms have already reported earnings, Greenhaus noted this week will see the largest number of financial sector firms reporting than any other week. More than 20 S&P 500 financial sector companies report including several insurers such as Dow component Travelers Cos. (TRV) , a number of real-estate investment trusts such as Simon Properties Group Inc. (SPG) , capital markets firms such as Franklin Resources Inc. (BEN) �and State Street Corp. (STT) , as well as exchange operator Nasdaq OMX Group Inc. (NDAQ) �

• [By U.S. News]

  Linda Davidson/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesShoppers at the Tanger Outlet Mall in Oxon Hill, Md. There are few forms of shopping I enjoy more than outlet shopping. There is something about all of those discount stores packed so closely together that makes me super excited! But I am not going to tell you that all outlet stores are a good deal, because some of them are not. Also, brands sometimes create cheaper items to sell specifically in their outlet locations, and those are not always a smart buy. But for the most part, outlet malls are still an excellent way to save some money while picking up items for the entire family. Here are five ways to make the most of your trip to an outlet: 1. Figure out the outlet 'brand.' There are a couple of management companies that own quite a few outlet malls in the United States, including Premium Outlets (SPG) and Tanger Factory Outlet Centers (SKT). Before heading out, be sure to check the website for the entire outlet mall for any possible deals or coupons. Premium and Tanger Outlets also have Facebook (FB) pages where they will occasionally post coupons that you can print from home. 2. Look for an outlet discount card or VIP program. Many outlet malls have VIP savings programs that can save you big bucks throughout the year and also give you special access to new promotions and sales. The Fashion Outlets of Chicago opened last year and offer a Green Savings Card that costs $5 for a yearly membership. Those with a Green Savings Card receive extra discounts at a huge number of stores and restaurants in the mall, which is on top of the already low prices. 3. 'Like' the outlet store on Facebook. If there is an outlet store that you frequent, go ahead and like its Facebook page so that you will be one of the first to know about sales and promotions. The Kate Spade Outlet (KATE) will frequently post promotions to Facebook before emailing subscribers. The J. Crew Factory Store has offered special promotions th

Best Quality Stocks To Invest In 2014: Brown Shoe Company Inc. (BWS)

Brown Shoe Company, Inc., a footwear company, engages in the retail and wholesale of footwear. It operates through Famous Footwear, Wholesale Operations, and Specialty Retail segments. The company provides licensed, branded, and private-label casual, dress, and athletic footwear products to women, men, and children. It operates retail shoe stores under the Famous Footwear name that offer shoes of various brands, including Nike, Skechers, New Balance, Converse, adidas, DC, LifeStride, Reebok, Sperry, Asics, Puma, Dr. Scholl�s Shoes, Vans, BOC by Born, Sof Sole, Fergalicious, and Bearpaw. The company also operates shoe stores under the Naturalizer name, which provide women�s footwear, including casual, dress, sandals, and boots under the Naturalizer brand; operates retail stores under Dr. Scholl�s Shoes and Sam Edelman names; and sells its products through Internet retail that include Shoes.com, Famous.com, Naturalizer.com, Naturalizer.ca, and DrSchollsShoes.com, as well as ViaSpiga.com, LifeStride.com, and Ryka.com. As of February 2, 2013, it operated 1,277 retail shoe stores in the United States, Canada, China, and Guam. In addition, the company designs, sources, and markets footwear to retail stores, such as national chains, department stores, independent retailers, mass merchandisers, online retailers, and catalogs. Brown Shoe Company, Inc. was founded in 1878 and is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Global footwear maker�Brown Shoe� (NYSE: BWS  ) �announced yesterday�its second-quarter dividend of $0.07 per share, the same rate it's paid since 2007.

• [By Chris Dieterich]

  What about apparel companies and retailers? Morgan Stanley likes companies that target brands that are most popular with “lower-income consumers,” who they deem as most likely to put the money they save into new purchases. Analysts like The Children�� Place (PLCE), Foot Locker (FL), Finish Line (FINL), Brown Shoe (BWS), and Skullcandy (SKUL). The same applies for retailers including Aeropostale (ARO) Burlington Stores (BURL) and Ross Stores (ROST).

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Big earnings movers: Tiffany & Co. (NYSE: TIF) reported better-than-expected earnings and revenues and raised its guidance slightly, but even posting a new 52-week high early could hold the stock from dropping about 1.3% today. Brown Shoe Co. Inc. (NYSE: BWS) also posted good earnings, but followed with slightly lower EPS guidance and the stock lost about 9%, trading around $21.60 in a 52-week range of $13.68 to $24.78. Another footwear maker, DSW Inc. (NYSE: DSW) put up good results and raised its guidance as well, sending shares up more than 9% to a new 52-week high of $88.73 in the mid-morning.

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Notable earnings released on Friday included:

  Brown Shoe Company (NYSE: BWS) reported fourth quarter EPS of $0.14 on revenue of $600.00 million, compared to last year�� EPS of $0.14 on revenue of $640.18 million. ANN INC (NYSE: ANN) reported fourth quarter EPS of $0.10 on revenue of $623.30 million, compared to last year�� EPS of $0.05 on revenue of $607.68 million. Buckle, Inc�(NYSE: BKE) reported fourth quarter EPS of $1.23 on revenue of $339.00 million, compared to last year�� EPS of $1.28 on revenue of $360.62 million.

  Pre-Market Movers

Best Quality Stocks To Invest In 2014: Methanex Corporation (MEOH)

Methanex Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the production, marketing, and sale of methanol. The company also purchases and re-sells methanol produced by others. Its methanol is a clear liquid commodity chemical that is used to produce traditional chemical derivatives, including formaldehyde, acetic acid, and various other chemicals. The company�s methanol is also used in energy-related applications; for blending into gasoline, as a feedstock in the production of dimethyl ether, which can be blended with liquefied petroleum gas for use in household cooking and heating, and in the production of biodiesel; and used to produce methyl tertiary-butyl ether, a gasoline component, as well as used into olefins applications. The company supplies its methanol to petrochemical producers and distributors in North America, the Asia Pacific, Europe, and Latin America. Methanex Corporation was founded in 1968 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Victor Selva]

  The firm is currently Zacks Rank # 3��old, and it also has a longer-term recommendation of ��eutral�� A Hold rating indicates that the stock, over the next 1 to 3 months, will perform at an annualized rate of 10.56%, very similar to the S&P 500. For investors looking for a Zacks Rank # 1��trong Buy, Methanex Corporation (MEOH) could be the option.

• [By Aimee Duffy]

  The North American natural gas revolution has had an undeniable effect on domestic energy companies. While many of the companies we read about every day are more or less obvious investment ideas, be they oil and gas producers or pipeline operators, there are still a few opportunities floating under the radar. In this video, Fool.com contributor Aimee Duffy takes a look at Canada's Methanex (NASDAQ: MEOH  ) , an energy company that thrives on cheap natural gas, and as a result is striking deals left and right.

• [By Holly LaFon]

  His largest new buys in the first quarter are: Penn Virginia Group Holdings LP (PVG), Wynn Resorts Ltd. (WYNN), Methanex Corp. (MEOH), Solutia Inc. (SOA) and Georgia Gulf (GGC). Of his top eight stocks, five are from the chemicals industry.

• [By Mani]

  [Related -Methanex (MEOH) Downgraded To 'Sector Underperformer' By CIBC, PT Raised]

  From a long-term perspective, a modest near-term softening in methanol prices is a net positive as elevated levels have left the market increasingly concerned over the potential impact on future energy derivative demand growth and the potential for elevated prices to continue to incentivize new capacity announcements.

Best Quality Stocks To Invest In 2014: Rossi Residencial SA (RSID3)

Rossi Residencial SA is a Brazil-based company involved in the real estate sector. The Company is principally engaged in the development, construction and sale of residential and commercial real estate properties. In addition, it is involved in the subdivision of land and provision of civil engineering services. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had four subsidiaries, including Astir Assessoria Tecnica Imobiliaria e Participacoes Ltda, RCI Consultoria de Imoveis Ltda, Rossi Consultoria de Imoveis Ltda and Rossi Industria de Artefatos de Concreto Ltda, as well as a number of joint ventures, such as Argentea Empreendimentos SA, Damacena Empreendimentos SA, Minulo Empreendimentos SA and Nicandra Empreendimentos SA, among others. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ney Hayashi]

  MMX Mineracao & Metalicos SA rose to a one-week high after saying it is seeking partners to expand a mining project. Rossi Residencial SA (RSID3) led gains among homebuilders as traders reduced bets on higher borrowing costs. EDP-Energias do Brasil SA advanced after selling a stake in some of its power plants in Brazil to China Three Gorges Corp. Car-rental company Localiza Rent a Car SA climbed after Fitch Ratings increased its credit rating.

• [By Ney Hayashi]

  Rossi Residencial SA (RSID3) climbed 2.1 percent today to 2.98 reais, leading homebuilders higher, as traders pared bets for higher borrowing costs in Brazil following the inflation report. The BM&FBovespa Real Estate Index added 0.5 percent.