Best Safest Stocks To Watch For 2014

Despite turmoil in Washington and skepticism over the Affordable Care Act, two industry heavyweights remain bullish about equities and the economy.

“Forecasting the market is pretty basic — just watch the correlation to corporate earnings growth and the S&P 500,” Douglas Cot� the chief investment strategist at ING U.S. Investment Management, told an audience of over 500 at the Investment Management Consultants Association's Advanced Wealth Management Conference in Chicago. “When earnings grow, stocks go up and when earnings slow stocks go down.”

With that in mind, and in the context of what he described as “the Washington mess,” Mr. Cot�said the “safest trade right now is to get back to a full allocation to equities.”

Hot Canadian Stocks To Own For 2015: Robert Half International Inc.(RHI)

Robert Half International Inc. provides staffing and risk consulting services in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Its Accountemps division offers temporary staffing in the fields of accounting, tax, and finance. The company?s OfficeTeam division places temporary and full-time office and administrative personnel, ranging from word processors to office managers. Its Robert Half Finance & Accounting division specializes in the placement of full-time accounting, financial, tax, and banking personnel. The company?s Robert Half Technology division specializes in providing information technology contract consultants; and placing full-time employees in the areas, ranging from multiple platform systems integration to end-user support, including specialists in programming, networking, systems integration, database design, and help desk support. Its Robert Half Legal division places temporary and full-time employees in attorney, paralegal, legal administrati ve, and legal secretarial positions. The company?s Robert Half Management Resources division offers senior level project professionals in the accounting and finance fields comprising chief financial officers, controllers, and senior financial analysts for various tasks, such as financial systems conversions, expansion into new markets, business process reengineering, and post-merger financial consolidation. Its Creative Group division serves clients in the areas of advertising, marketing, and Web design; and places project consultants in various positions consisting of creative directors, graphics designers, Web content developers, Web designers, media buyers, and public relations specialists. The company?s Protiviti division provides experts specializing in risk, advisory, and transactional services. Robert Half International was founded in 1948 and is based in Menlo Park, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Margins matter. The more Robert Half International (NYSE: RHI  ) keeps of each buck it earns in revenue, the more money it has to invest in growth, fund new strategic plans, or (gasp!) distribute to shareholders. Healthy margins often separate pretenders from the best stocks in the market. That's why we check up on margins at least once a quarter in this series. I'm looking for the absolute numbers, so I can compare them to current and potential competitors, and any trend that may tell me how strong Robert Half International's competitive position could be.

• [By James E. Brumley]

  The fact that temporary staffing is creating the bulk of the job growth since we dug our way out of the 2008 recession bodes well for the likes of staffing firms like Kelly Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:KELYA) and Robert Half International Inc. (NYSE:RHI). Investors seeking strategic opportunities can do better than concentrating on proven-but-broad growth arenas, though. There's another trend within the employment arena that actually favors small newcomer (relatively) Staffing 360 Solutions Inc. (OTCBB:STAF)... the huge and fast-growing need for more and better information technology workers. IT positions are opening up faster than any other industry is creating jobs, and it doesn't look like the trend is going to change anytime soon.

• [By Jonathan Yates]

  For those looking to invest in real estate stocks, highly recommended is the Dr. Housing Bubble blog. In a recent posting, the "Dr." pointed out that there was a "Lost Generation" when it came to household income. That has not happened for those investing in staffing industry stocks such as Paychex (NASDAQ: PAYX), Robert Half International (NYSE: RHI), TrueBlue, Inc. (NYSE: TBI), and Labor SMART (OTCBB: LTNC).

• [By John Udovich]

  The government's closely watched jobs report today is expected to show that nonfarm payrolls increased by 218,000 positions and may have finally returned employment to its pre-recession level, but executive search or staffing stocks like Hudson Global Inc (NASDAQ: HSON), Robert Half International Inc (NYSE: RHI) and up and coming Staffing 360 Solutions Inc (OTCBB: STAF) have already made investors winners since the official end of the recession:

Best Safest Stocks To Watch For 2014: Saratoga Investment Corp(SAR)

Saratoga Investment Corp. is a business development company specializing in buyout, acquisition, growth, recapitalization, and note financing transactions of private middle market companies. It structures its investments as debt and equity by investing through first and second lien loans, mezzanine debt, select high yield bonds, senior secured bonds, unsecured bonds, and preferred and common equity. It seeks to invest in the United States. The firm primarily invests in companies having EBITDA between $5 million and $50 million. It invests through direct lending as well as participation in loan syndicates. The firm was formerly known as GSC Investment Corp. Saratoga Investment Corp. is based in New York, New York with an additional office in Florham Park, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Monday

  Earnings Releases Expected:  Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C), Saratoga Investment Corp. (NYSE: SAR), Bank of the Ozarks (NASDAQ: OZRK) Economic Releases Expected: Japanese industrial production, eurozone industrial production

  Tuesday

Best Safest Stocks To Watch For 2014: MDC Partners Inc (MDCA)

MDC Partners Inc. (MDC), incorporated in 1986, is a provider of marketing communications services to customers worldwide. MDC has operating units in the United States, Canada, Europe and the Caribbean. The Company�� subsidiaries provide a range of marketing communications and consulting services, including advertising, interactive and mobile marketing, direct marketing, database and customer relationship management, sales promotion, corporate communications, market research, corporate identity, design and branding, social media and marketing, ecommerce and other related services. MDC operates in two segments: Strategic Marketing Services and Performance Marketing Services. Effective March 28, 2012, MDC invested in Doner Partners LLC (Doner). Doner is an integrated creative agency. In addition, the Company acquired a 70% interest in TargetCast LLC (TargetCast). TargetCast is a media agency. The Company acquired a 51% interest in Dotbox LLC (Dotbox). Effective January 8, 2014, MDC Partners Inc acquired an undisclosed minority interest in Luntz Global LLC. In February 2014, MDC Partners Inc acquired an undisclosed majority interest in Kingsdale Shareholder Services Inc.

During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company, through a wholly owned subsidiary, acquired RJ Palmer LLC and a 75% interest in Trade X Partners LLC (Trade X). In 2011, it entered into a transaction through its subsidiary Kwittken PR LLC (Kwittken) acquired 100% of Epoch PR Limited. In 2011, the Company also acquired a 51% interest in AIC Publishing Services LP (AIC). In addition, the Company increased its ownership to 85.3% of Veritas, to 94.0% of 656712 Ontario Limited (Onbrand), to 66.3% of 6Degrees Integrated Communications and 85% of Boom Marketing Inc. during 2011. In 2011, the Company increased ownership in Communifx Partners LLC (Communifx) by 1.3%, and increased its ownership of Varick Media Management LLC (Varick) to 100%. Effective January 31, 2011, the Company, through a wholly owned subsidiary, purchased ! 60% interest in Anomaly Partners, LLC (Anomaly). Effective November 30, 2010, the Company, through a wholly owned subsidiary, purchased 80% interest in each of Kenna Communications LP and Capital C Partners LP.

Strategic Marketing Services

The Strategic Marketing Services segment consists of firms that offer a suite of integrated marketing communication and consulting services, including advertising and media, interactive marketing, direct marketing, public relations, corporate communications, market research, corporate identity and branding, and sales promotion to national and global clients. The Strategic Marketing Services segment consists of the agencies, such as 72andSunny; Allison & Partners; Anomaly; Attention; Bruce Mau Design; Capital C Partners; Colle + McVoy; Concentric Partners; Crispin Porter + Bogusky; Crispin Porter + Bogusky Canada; Hello Design; henderson bas kohn; HL Group Partners; kirshenbaum bond senecal + partners; Kbs+p Canada; Kwittken; Laird + Partners; The Media Kitchen; Mono Advertising; Redscout; Sloane & Company; Varick Media Management; Veritas Communications; Vitro and Yamamoto.

Performance Marketing Services

The Performance Marketing Services segment includes firms that provide consumer insights. The Performance Marketing Services segment consists of agencies, such as 6degrees Communications; Accent; AIC Publishing; Boom Marketing; Bryan Mills Iradesso; Communifx Partners; Computer Composition; Hudsun Media; Integrated Media Solutions; Kenna Communications; Northstar Research Partners; Onbrand; Relevent; RJ Palmer; Source Marketing; TargetCom; Team and Trade X.

The Company competes with Omnicom Group Inc., Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc., WPP Group plc, Publicis Group SA and Havas Advertising.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Corinne Gretler]

  Petrofac Ltd. plunged 15 percent, the most in almost five years. Korian fell 3.8 percent after agreeing to buy Medica SA (MDCA) for 1.1 billion euros ($1.5 billion). Aberdeen Asset Management Plc jumped 13 percent after Lloyds Banking Group Plc agreed to sell its Scottish Widows Investment Partnership unit to the money manager. Sonova Holding AG advanced 6.9 percent as the world�� largest hearing-aid maker raised its full-year forecast after first-half revenue beat analyst estimates.

Best Safest Stocks To Watch For 2014: Controladora Vuela Compania de Aviacion SAB de CV (VLRS)

Controladora Vuela Compania de Aviacion SAB de CV (Volaris Aviation Holding Company) is a Mexico-based company principally engaged in the airline passenger transportation industry. The Company is a law-cost carrier airline. Controladora Vuela Compania de Aviacion SAB de CV offers direct, point-to-point flights. The Company serves through secondary, lower cost airports and provides a single class of service. The Company utilizes such aircraft as the Airbus A319 and A320 families, among others. The Company has such subsidiaries as Comercializadora Volaris SA de CV, Servicios Corporativos Volaris SA de CV, Concesionaria Vuela Compania de Aviacion SAPI de CV, Deutsche Bank Mexico SA Trust 1484, among others. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  When most American investors think of discount airline stocks, they probably think of relatively large capped Southwest Airlines Co (NYSE: LUV)�or sort of small cap�JetBlue Airways Corporation (NASDAQ: JBLU) rather than�small cap Controladora Vuela Co Avcn SA CV (NYSE: VLRS) which owns Volaris���a discount airline serving the�Mexican market. However, any investor who has read Benjamin Graham�� Intelligent Investor might want to remember his sage advice about avoiding airline stocks���mainly because airlines were such a new and unproven sector that had yet to make money. But could Controladora Vuela Co Avcn SA CV actually be an airline stock worth owning?

Best Safest Stocks To Watch For 2014: Crosstex Energy L.P.(XTEX)

Crosstex Energy, L.P. operates as an independent midstream energy company. The company, through its subsidiary, Crosstex Energy Services, L.P., engages in gathering, transmission, processing, and marketing natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGLs) in the north Texas Barnett shale area and Louisiana. Its activities include connecting the wells of natural gas producers to its gathering systems; processing natural gas for the removal of NGLs; fractionating NGLs into purity products, such as ethane, propane, isobutene, normal butane, natural gasoline, and stabilized condensate; marketing those NGL products; transporting natural gas; and providing it to various markets. The company also purchases natural gas from natural gas producers and other supply sources, and sells that natural gas to utilities, industrial consumers, and other marketers and pipelines. In addition, it purchases natural gas from producers not connected to its gathering systems for resale. The company operat es approximately 3,300 miles of natural gas gathering and transmission, and NGL pipelines. Crosstex Energy GP, LLC serves as the general partner of the company. Crosstex Energy, L.P. was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Crosstex Energy (Nasdaq: XTEX  ) reported earnings on May 8. Here are the numbers you need to know.

  The 10-second takeaway
  For the quarter ended March 31 (Q1), Crosstex Energy missed estimates on revenues and exceeded expectations on earnings per share.

• [By Matt DiLallo]

  While the data is by no means conclusive, it is a risk that bears watching. A variety of companies are drilling these disposal wells, with master limited partnerships like Crosstex Energy (NASDAQ: XTEX  ) being one of the many to watch. The company owns an interest in seven disposal wells in Ohio and West Virginia with another well coming on line soon. These wells are designed to simply dispose of the wastewater. Even if the wells prove not to be the cause, the business of owning disposal wells could be tougher to grow because of the�perceived�risk.