Best Performing Stocks To Buy For 2014

By Ironwood Investment Management

The Ironwood SMID Cap Value portfolio had a strong February. The strategy advanced 6% for the month. The strategy's materials and processing, producer durables, utility and energy stocks drove the strong performance.

Within those sectors some of the better performing stocks were Platform Specialty Products (PAH), Carrizo Oil & Gas (CRZO), Weatherford International (WFT), Xylem (XYL), Zynga (ZNGA) and Dynegy (DYN). The one thing all of these stocks have in common is that the management team is executing on the transition strategy that we outlined when we first purchased the stock.

We did not initiate any positions in February. Here are the positions eliminated in February.

Itron (ITRI): We owned Itron as of our January 1, 2013 inception date as we believed the new CEO Philip Mezey, hired in November 2012, would renew the company's focus on advancing its technology and rationalizing its cost structure after a series of mergers. This transition was needed as the company was facing a period of reduced levels of new orders.

Top 5 Financial Stocks To Buy Right Now: Oshkosh Truck Corporation(OSK)

Oshkosh Corporation designs, manufactures, and markets a range of specialty vehicles, and vehicle bodies worldwide. Its Defense segment manufactures severe-duty, heavy, and medium-payload tactical trucks for the Department of Defense, including hauling tanks, missile systems, ammunition, fuel, and troops and cargo for combat units. The company?s Access Equipment segment offers aerial work platforms and telehandlers used in a range of construction, agricultural, industrial, institutional, and general maintenance applications. This segment also manufactures towing and recovery equipment and related parts; and leases equipments for short-term to rental companies. The company?s Fire and Emergency segment provides custom and commercial fire apparatus, and emergency vehicles, including pumpers, aerial and ladder trucks, tankers, rescue vehicles, wildland rough terrain response vehicles, mobile command and control centers, bomb squad vehicles, hazardous materials control vehicl es, and other emergency response vehicles. This segment also offers snow removal vehicles in airports; custom ambulances for private and public transporters, and fire departments; mobile medical trailers for medical centers and service providers; mobile command and control centers and simulation units; and vehicles for broadcasters, TV stations, broadcast production, and radio stations. Oshkosh Corporation?s Commercial segment manufactures refuse collection vehicles for the waste services industry; front and rear discharge concrete mixers, and portable and stationary concrete batch plants for the concrete ready-mix industry; and field service vehicles and truck-mounted cranes for the construction, equipment dealer, building supply, utility, tire service, and mining industries. The company was formerly known as Oshkosh Truck Corporation and changed its name to Oshkosh Corporation in February 2008. Oshkosh Corporation was founded in 1917 and is based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By gurujx]

  Oshkosh Corporation (OSK): Exec. VP and CFO David M. Sagehorn Sold 141,005 Shares

  Exec. VP and CFO David M. Sagehorn sold 141,005 shares of OSK stock on 11/18/2013 at the average price of $50.36. David M. Sagehorn owns at least 69,667 shares after this. The price of the stock has decreased by 6.29% since.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Shares of Oshkosh (NYSE: OSK) got a boost, shooting up 7.96 percent to $55.55 after the companyposted upbeat fiscal first-quarter earnings and lifted its full-year forecast.

• [By Rich Smith]

  Principal contractors, should the sales be approved, include Textron (NYSE: TXT  ) for the helicopter sale and General Dynamics (NYSE: GD  ) for the Strykers. No single principal contractor has been identified as associated with the spare parts sale, but both the HETTs and the HEMTTs, for example, are manufactured by Oshkosh (NYSE: OSK  ) , while Britain's BAE Systems (NASDAQOTH: BAESY  ) builds the recovery vehicles, howitzers, and M113s.

Best Performing Stocks To Buy For 2014: Synacor Inc (SYNC)

Synacor, Inc. (Synacor) is a provider of solutions for delivery of online content and services. Synacor delivers its solutions as a set of services through its hosted and managed platform, enabling cable and telecom service providers and consumer electronics manufacturers to provide the online content and services. The Company platform allows its customers to package an array of online content and services with their Internet, communications, television and other offerings. Its platform includes Website design and development, unified registration and login (single sign-on), billing integration, personalization, video delivery capability, content management system, household management, toolbar and television listings. Its customers offer the services under their own brands on Internet-enabled devices such as personal computers (PCs), tablets, smartphones and connected televisions. In January 2012, Synacor acquired the assets of Carbyn, Inc. (Carbyn). In May 2012, the Company acquired Carbyn, the hypertext markup language 5 (HTML5) Platform. In November 2013, Synacor Inc acquired Teknision.

Synacor�� acquired assets consist of mobile device software and technology and other property, which it enhances the efforts in the development of next generation Web applications for mobile devices. The Company�� hosted and managed platform allows the customers to enhance their consumers��online experience. Its customers use the platform to develop personalized Websites that serve as their consumers��respective online hubs for communication services, entertainment offerings and support services. Its platform enables the customers to combine entertainment, such as television shows, multi-player games and streaming music based on a subscriber�� access rights and preferences with communications offerings, such as voicemail, e-mail, and third party messaging services, such as Yahoo Mail, Google Gmail, AOL Mail, Facebook, and Twitter. Its platform also allows the customers to deliver appropriate ! account tools, support, bill pay services and up-sell promotions to their consumers, all without leaving the applicable customer�� Website.

Website Design and Development

Synacor creates, designs and develops branded Websites for the customers. The Company�� Websites is designed to be the online destination for the customers��consumers and aggregate an array of resources, including free-to-subscriber content and service offerings, value added services, online content and search, all in one location.

Unified Registration and Login (Single Sign-On)

Synacor�� platform gives subscribers access to all of the services and paid content, including subscription television programming the consumer have the right to consume, using a single user ID and password, which are the same credentials that they use for e-mail. Single sign-on for subscribers is integrated with both its customers and the content and value added service partners.

Billing Integration

Synacor�� platform allows the customers to integrate billing for services and paid content purchases with other services and products provided to their subscribers, including television and telephony service. A customer may collect transaction fees through credit card or on the subscriber�� service provider bill, and it may bill transactions each time the consumer occur or on a monthly basis using monthly summary totals. The Company's system enables online bill review, providing subscribers with access to a detailed transaction account.

Personalization

Synacor�� platform enables the consumer to personalize his or her online experience through customization and localization. Consumers may add, delete, move, and otherwise customize the content displayed on its customers��branded Websites, such as by setting preferred television stations in its television-at-a-glance module. Localization allows consumers to set a Website to a favorite zip code to ! gain acce! ss to radio stations, weather, movies, and events, all in the local area. The Company�� platform also allows consumers to comment on online articles and to create shortcuts to their favorite content using an online personal assistant on the personalized Website.

Video Delivery Capability

Synacor�� video delivery capability includes two primary components: a video player and a video discovery and delivery system. The video player contains video controls, such as play, pause, fast forward and rewind and full-screen viewing and can be configured to play within or on top of a page. The Company's video discovery and delivery system is database-driven, supports multiple video hosting methods and enables transcoding from a number of video formats to formats that are playable on a variety of devices. The system contains a number of access control mechanisms, including the ability to restrict access based on Internet protocol (IP) address location, consumer type or household management settings. The system also permits consumers to search videos and browse by channel, genre or content type.

Content Management System

Synacor�� content management system enables the customers and it to create customizable online experiences containing content from various sources. Content is distributed through Web services in an architecture that is portable to multiple devices and platforms. The Company�� system is comprised of administrative interfaces, a scalable content storage system and a system to distribute content to the platform. The interface is easy to use and displays a preview of page or component designs prior to approval and publishing. Its system can also automatically publish content from outside sources or assign publishing rights, by site section, to outside vendors.

Household Management

Synacor�� household management system puts parents in control of the content their children are allowed to purchase or consume through i! ts platfo! rm. This system allows the head of household to specify the range of products the consumer�� child accounts may access and utilize and to establish preset spending limits for content purchases, such as music.

Toolbar and Television Listings

Synacor offers its customers the ability to create branded toolbars that can be personalized by their consumers. The toolbar can be updated automatically as new features become available and may be configured with search, weather, television and movie listings, as well as services and paid content packages, enabling consumers to access their favorite features on the platform even when they leave the customers��Websites. The toolbars can also integrate internal services, such as instant messaging, customer support and e-mail. The Company�� platform provides television listings and corresponding television channels, which enables consumers to search and browse local television programming.

The Company competes with Yahoo! Inc., Google, AOL LLC, Microsoft Corporation, Netflix, Inc., Hulu, LLC and Amazon.com Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Another under-$10 stock that's starting to trend within range of triggering a major breakout trade is Synacor (SYNC), a provider of startpages, TV Everywhere solutions, Identity Management services and various cloud-based services across multiple devices for cable, satellite, telecom and consumer electronics companies. This stock has been hammered by the bears so far in 2013, with shares off by 39%.

  If you take a look at the chart for Synacor, you'll notice that this stock recently formed a double bottom chart pattern at $2.85 to $2.96 a share. Following that bottom, shares of SYNC have started to surge higher and move back above its 50-day moving average at $3.27 a share. That move is quickly pushing SYNC within range of triggering a major breakout trade.

  Market players should now look for long-biased trades in SYNC if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $3.43 to $3.56 a share and then once it takes out more resistance at $4 to $4.17 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 action of 388,369 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then SYNC will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $6 to $6.50 a share.

  Traders can look to buy SYNC off weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below some key near-term support levels at $2.96 to $2.85 a share. One can also buy SYNC off strength once it clears those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Synacor (NASDAQ: SYNC) is estimated to post a Q1 loss at $0.05 per share on revenue of $24.53 million.

  Diana Containerships (NASDAQ: DCIX) is projected to report its Q1 earnings at $0.01 per share on revenue of $13.22 million.

Best Performing Stocks To Buy For 2014: SPDR S&P Russia ETF (RBL)

SPDR S&P Russia ETF (the Fund) seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the S&P Russia Capped BMI Index (the Index). The Index is a float adjusted market cap index designed to define and measure the investable universe of publicly-traded companies domiciled in Russia. The Index component securities are a subset, based on region, of component securities included in the S&P Global BMI Equity Index. The Global BMI Equity Index is a comprehensive, float-weighted, rules-based benchmark that is readily divisible and customizable. The Fund generally invests substantially all, but at least 80%, of its total assets in the securities comprising the Index or in American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) or Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs) based on securities comprising the Index. The Fund�� investment advisor is SSgA Funds Management, Inc. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Barbara Kollmeyer]

  As for U.S. investor exposure, the pain was there for all to see as the week wound down. Among exchange-traded funds, the iShares MSCI Russia ETF (ERUS) �and the SPDR S&P Russia ETF (RBL) �each fell more than 6% for the week, contrasting with a 0.1% gain for the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (EEM) .

• [By John Waggoner]

  First up: SPDR S&P Russia (ticker: RBL), which concentrates on Russian stocks. The fund has more than 16% of its assets in Gazprom, and plunged 7.9% in early Monday trading. Following close behind: Market Vectors Russia ETF (RSX), in contrast, has just 7.8% of its assets in Gazprom. It tumbled 6.9% Monday.

• [By Charles Sizemore]

  But what exactly are you buying when you buy Russian stocks? Let�� take a look under the hood at the ETFs that track the Russian market: the Market Vectors Russia ETF (RSX), the iShares MSCI Russia Capped Index (ERUS) and the SPDR S&P Russia (RBL).

Best Performing Stocks To Buy For 2014: Coeur d'Alene Mines Corporation(CDE)

Coeur d'Alene Mines Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the ownership, operation, exploration, and development of silver and gold mining properties located primarily in South America, Mexico, the United States, and Australia. The company also explores for lead and zinc ores. Its properties include the Palmarejo mine located in the state of Chihuahua, northern Mexico; San Bartolome mine located near Potosi, Bolivia; Kensington mine located north-northwest of Juneau, Alaska; Rochester mine located in northwestern Nevada; Martha mine located in Santa Cruz, Argentina; and the Endeavor mine in New South Wales, Australia, as well as Joaquin, Tornado, and Satelite properties in Santa Cruz, Argentina. The company was founded in 1928 and is based in Coeur d?Alene, Idaho.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  We continue to recommend Newmont, [Coeur Mining (CDE)] and [Gold Resource Corp. (GORO)] as large cap, silver and small cap picks, respectively.

  Sterne Agee’s comments come one day after Ned Davis Research upgraded the gold sector to Neutral from Underweight. “…gold miners look to be finally bottoming,” John Laforge and Waren Pies wrote, though they say it’s too early to know if a new uptrend has begun.

Best Performing Stocks To Buy For 2014: Dril-Quip Inc. (DRQ)

Dril-Quip, Inc. designs, manufactures, sells, and services engineered offshore drilling and production equipment for use in deepwater, harsh environment, and severe service applications worldwide. It operates in three segments: Western Hemisphere, Eastern Hemisphere, and Asia-Pacific. The company’s principal products consist of subsea and surface wellheads, subsea and surface production trees, subsea control systems and manifolds, mudline hanger systems, specialty connectors and associated pipe, drilling and production riser systems, liner hangers, wellhead connectors, and diverters. Its products are used for drilling and production of oil and gas wells on offshore platforms; tension leg platforms, which are floating production platforms connected to the ocean floor via vertical mooring tethers; Spars, a floating cylindrical structure; and floating production, storage, and offloading monohull moored vessels, as well as to explore for oil and gas from offshore drillin g rigs, such as floating rigs and jack-up rigs. The company also provides services, including technical advisory services, rework and reconditioning services, and rental of running tools for use in the installation and retrieval of its products. It primarily serves integrated, independent, and foreign national oil and gas companies, as well as offshore drilling contractors, and engineering and construction companies. Dril-Quip, Inc. was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Dril-Quip (NYSE: DRQ) was also on the rise, gaining 12.27 percent to $107.68 after the company's fourth quarter report impressed the street.

  Equities Trading DOWN
  Shares of Endologix (NASDAQ: ELGX) were down 24.85 percent to $13.43 on lowered guidance, analyst downgrades. Oppenheimer downgraded the stock from Outperform to Market Perform and cut the price target from $20.00 to $16.00.

• [By Aaron Levitt]

  It takes an awful lot of muscle and technological know-how to frack and drill unconventional wells. So the oil service industry is poised to continue churning out hefty profits in years to come. That fact has benefited mid-cap maker of drill-bits, pipes and other rig equipment Dril-Quip (DRQ).