Top US Companies To Own For 2014

From the impact of Obamacare to cutting edge research, biotech buyouts to FDA decisions, The Motley Fool's health-care team sits down each week�to discuss the most fascinating developments in health-care, and their implications for long-term investors. In this edition, the team talks about a potentially landmark Supreme Court ruling, the impact of President Barack Obama's budget on health care stocks, the next wave of innovation for the pharma industry, and why investors need to pay attention to a small research company from upstate New York.

In the segment below, health-care analyst David Williamson sums up the highs and lows of this quarter's early earnings seasons releases. Should investors be confident or concerned regarding stocks they own that have yet to report? Watch and find out how changing industry dynamics could impact your holdings.

When President Obama was reelected, shares of UnitedHealth and other health insurers fell immediately. Is Obamacare a death knell for health insurers, or is the market missing out on some of the opportunities the law presents? In this brand new premium report on UnitedHealth, The Motley Fool takes a long term view, honing in on�prospects for UnitedHealth in a post-Obamacare world. So don't miss out -- simply�click here now�to claim your copy today.

Hot High Tech Companies To Watch In Right Now: Rutter Inc (RUT)

Rutter Inc. (Rutter) focuses on providing technologies and manufacturing solutions. The Company supplies technologies to improve efficiency and safety in the marine, defense, transportation, oil and gas sectors. The Company produces and globally markets enhanced radar systems, including oil spill detection, ice navigator, small target detection and wave-monitoring systems. The Company also offers a full range of outsource manufacturing services including: product engineering and design; materials management; manufacturing; sub-assembly; systems integration; project management; testing; logistics and documentation and provides full cycle customer support for all Company products and selected third party components/products that it manufactures under contract. Rutter�� sigma S6 radar signal processing products are designed to enable end users to detect and track objects which would not be visible with conventional radar equipment only. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Victor Reklaitis]

  Meanwhile, the Russell 2000 index (RUT) , a gauge of small-cap stocks, was up 20.88 points, or 1.9%, at 1,099.97. Some eyebrows were raised Wednesday when the Russell diverged, ending lower as the S&P 500 gained ground. The Russell, however, outpaced the S&P 500 on Friday, though it still slightly underperformed for the week, gaining 0.4%.

• [By Wallace Witkowski]

  Debate is still lively whether a bear market is lurking around the corner . Some argue that the meandering market is the grumbling of a bear market that will start with a whimper. Then, there�� also a historical precedence for weak markets before the midterm elections during a presidential cycle . And over the past few weeks, there�� a been a spike in worry that the selloff in small-cap stocks, reflected in the 10% pullback in the Russell 2000 (RUT) �, was the harbinger of a broader retreat.

• [By William L. Watts]

  The first day of trading for Farmland (FPI) , which plans to get taxed as a real-estate investment trust, was hardly frothy. The stock ended at $12.98, down $1.02, or 7.3% below its $14 offering price. The broader market dropped sharply, sending the Russell 2000 (RUT) �down 1.4%, though some IPOs surged.

Top US Companies To Own For 2014: Veolia Environnement(VE)

Veolia Environnement S.A., together with its subsidiaries, provides environmental management services to individuals, public authorities, and industrial and commercial services customers worldwide. It operates in four segments: Water, Environmental Services, Energy Services, and Transportation. The Water segment offers water and wastewater services, including the management and operation of large-scale and customized drinking water plants, wastewater decontamination and recycling plants, drinking water distribution networks, and wastewater collection networks; and provision of call centers and billing services. The Environmental Services segment provides waste management and logistical services, which include waste collection, waste processing, cleaning of public spaces, maintenance of production equipment, treatment of polluted soil, and management of waste discharge at industrial sites. The Energy Services segment offers a range of energy management services comprising o peration of heating and cooling networks, decentralized energy production, thermal and multi-technical services, industrial utilities, installation and maintenance of production equipment, integrated facilities management, and electrical services on public streets and roads; and provides heating systems maintenance services, plumbing and renewable energy services, and meter-reading services. The Transportation segment operates various bus networks, suburban trains, tramways, metros, and ferries, as well as offers customized transportation-on-demand services. This segment also provides intercity and regional passenger transportation, infrastructure management and airport services, and transportation management services. The company was formerly known as Vivendi Environnement and changed its name to Veolia Environnement S.A. in April 2003. Veolia Environnement S.A. was founded in 1853 and is headquartered in Paris, France.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Benjamin Shepherd]

  The first is to focus on infrastructure companies that lay the groundwork for easier water access, such as France-based Veolia Environment (NYSE: VE).

• [By Sean Williams]

  Another factor that easily puts Waste Management on top in the waste-collection sector is its dividend yield of 3.4%. The only company with a higher yield is global waste solutions company Veolia Environnement (NYSE: VE  ) , with a 6.2% yield. However, Veolia also boats a higher debt-to-equity ratio than Waste Management, has unwanted exposure to European markets, and has lower overall margins relative to Waste Management. By comparison, Republic Services, Progressive Waste, and Waste Connections pay out a yield of 2.7%, 2.4% and 1%, respectively. Even better, Waste Management's payout has grown by an average annualized rate of 7.7% since 2004.

Top US Companies To Own For 2014: Synnex Corporation(SNX)

SYNNEX Corporation provides distribution and business process outsourcing (BPO) services to resellers, retailers, and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) worldwide. The company operates in two segments, Distribution Services and Global Business Services (GBS). The Distribution Services segment distributes information technology (IT) products, including IT systems, peripherals, system components, software, networking equipment, consumer electronics, and complementary products in the United States, Canada, Japan, and Mexico. This segment also offers contract assembly services, such as systems design, build-to-order, configure-to-order, and assembly capabilities; value-added services comprising kitting, reconfiguration, asset tagging, and hard drive imaging for government and healthcare sectors; and specialized services in print management, renewals, and networking. The GBS segment offers a range of BPO services, including customer management, renewals management, back of fice processing, and IT outsourcing on a global platform comprising technical support, demand generation, and marketing and administration services through voice, chat, Web, email, digital print, and social media. SYNNEX Corporation also provides logistics services, such as outsourced fulfillment, virtual distribution and direct ship to end-users; financing services consisting of net terms, third party leasing, floor plan financing, letters of credit backed financing, and arrangements; marketing services comprising direct mail, external media advertising, reseller product training, targeted telemarketing campaigns, national and regional trade shows, database analysis, print on demand services, and Web-based marketing; and online and technical support services. The company was formerly known as SYNNEX Information Technologies, Inc. and changed its name to SYNNEX Corporation in October 2003. SYNNEX Corporation was founded in 1980 is headquartered in Fremont, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Garrett Cook]

  Shares of SYNNEX (NYSE: SNX) were down 5.46 percent to $69.89 after the company issued a downbeat outlook for the third quarter. It expected adjusted earnings of $1.45 to $1.50 per share on revenue of $3.3 billion to $3.4 billion. Analysts were projecting earnings of $1.53 per share on revenue of $3.29 billion.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Analysts expect SYNNEX (NYSE: SNX) to post its Q2 earnings at $1.36 per share on revenue of $3.17 billion. SYNNEX shares climbed 1.30% to close at $73.80 yesterday.

Top US Companies To Own For 2014: Computershare Ltd (CPU)

Computershare Limited is an Australia-based company. The Company is engaged in the operation of investor services, plan services, communication services, business services, shareholder relationship management services and technology services. The Company operates in six geographical segments: Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, Canada, Continental Europe, United Kingdom, Channel Islands, Ireland & Africa (UCIA) and the United States. In addition, technology and other segment comprise the provision of software specializing in share registry, employee plans and financial services globally, as well as the production and distribution of interactive meeting products. In December 2013, Computershare Ltd completed the acquisition of the Olympia Corporate and Shareholder Services assets (OCSS) from Olympia Financial Group Inc. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Toshiro Hasegawa]

  Leighton dropped 6 percent to A$16.24 in Sydney as profit missed analyst estimates amid a slump in mining industry demand. Computershare Ltd. (CPU) sank 6.3 percent to A$9.75 in Sydney, the most in three years, after the share-registry firm reported profit fell.

Top US Companies To Own For 2014: Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd (KWHIY)

Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd (KHI), incorporated on October 15, 1896, is a global manufacturer of transportation equipment and industrial goods. KHI manufactures ships, rolling stock, aircraft and jet engines, gas turbine power generators, environmental and industrial plants, and range of manufacturing equipment and systems. KHI also produces consumer products, such as Kawasaki-brand motorcycles and personal watercraft. KHI�� business is divided into seven operations: shipbuilding, rolling stock and construction machinery, aerospace, gas turbines and machinery, plant and infrastructure engineering, consumer products and machinery, and hydraulic machinery.

Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation, which is the company of this segment, is engaged in building gas carriers and submarines, which require advanced design and construction technologies. It offers

a range of liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers, extending from small carriers with cargo tank capacities of 19,000 cubic meters to large carriers with capacities of 177,000 cubic meters. It also developed and offered in its lineup a pressure build-up type LNG carrier for short distance and small-volume transportation. The Company�� shipbuilding operations include products, such as LNG carriers, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carriers, container ships, very large crude carriers (VLCCs) and other types of tankers, bulk carriers, high speed vessels, submarines, maritime application equipment.

KHI�� rolling stock production systems are located in Hyogo and Harima in Japan and in Lincoln, Nebraska, and Yonkers, New York, in United States. Kawasaki completed its light rail vehicle (LRV), dubbed SWIMO. It also is developing efSET (Environmentally Friendly Super Express Train) which achieves a service speed of 350 kilometers per hour (km/h). Regarding the construction machinery business, Kawasaki has arranged a business alliance with Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd., and TCM Corporation. As of April 1, 2009, the Compa! ny split off its construction machinery business as a wholly owned subsidiary of KHI, KCM Corporation.

KHI is the prime contractor for the development of the MOD�� large-scale XP-1 and C-X aircraft. In the commercial aircraft field, KHI delivered a test model of Boeing�� 787 Dreamliner passenger aircraft. KHI is a partner corporation in the development and production of the 787 Dreamliner.

The Gas Turbines & Machinery segment has a range of products for the energy and transportation equipment field. KHI focuses to expand its global business by offering solutions for its customers that include a lineup of in-house developed gas turbines together with product support and maintenance. During the year ended December 31, 2008, the 8MW-class power-generating capacity Kawasaki Green Gas Engine had 4,000 hours of operational testing.

The plant and infrastructure engineering segment encompasses the operations of Kawasaki Plant Systems, Ltd. (K Plant), which undertakes projects to supply energy-related, industrial infrastructure, environmental preservation systems and equipment, and the operations of the parent company�� Industrial Facilities and Tunneling Equipment Division, which mainly focuses on LNG tanks and diverse other storage tanks along with shield machines and tunnel-boring machines. The Anhui Conch Kawasaki Energy Conservation Equipment Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (CKM) is engaged in the manufacturing of PH boiler parts that are employed in waste heat power plants. CKM has commenced the manufacturing and sales of environmental preservation related products, including cement plant components, such as vertical mills, boilers for waste heat recovery power generation systems, and waste gasification systems and sewage treatment systems that can be integrated with cement kilns to enable municipal waste recycling.

The consumer products and machinery segment includes the manufacture of motorcycles, all terrain vehicles (ATVs), utility vehicles, personal! watercra! ft, general purpose gasoline engines and industrial robots. In the motorcycle line, Kawasaki launched the ZRX1200 DAEG and the Ninja ZX-6R. In the cruiser segment, Kawasaki launched its Vulcan 1700 series with developed engine and chassis. This series includes the Vulcan 1700 Voyager, a full-dress V-twin engine tourer with a load of long-distance touring equipment. In the utility vehicle category, KHI equipped the Teryx 750 series with an electronic fuel injection system, mainly for recreational use. The MULE utility-oriented vehicle series was restyled with the launch of the MULE 4010 series.

The hydraulic machinery operations include Kawasaki Precision Machinery Ltd. (KPM). It has five manufacturing and marketing facilities, which comprises KPM�� headquarters plant and the facilities

of Kawasaki Precision Machinery (U.K.) Limited; Kawasaki Precision Machinery (U.S.A.), Inc.; China based Kawasaki Precision Machinery (Suzhou) Ltd.; and Korea-based Flutek, Ltd.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WWW.MARKETWATCH.COM]

  LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Japanese stocks have ended with losses in every session this week, and sure enough, the Nikkei Average (JP:NIK) was down 0.6% in early Friday trade, though off an opening 0.8% defecit, while the Topix carried a 0.7% loss. Overnight losses for the U.S. and further strength in the yen (with the dollar falling to 楼101.28 from 楼101.56 a day earlier) helped drag the market lower, as did results from Fast Retailing Co. (JP:9983) (FRCOF) , the shares of which hold the heaviest weighting on Nikkei Average. Fast Retailing said that while its Uniqlo brand was doing great business, weakness for its J Brand luxury demin label helped send September-May profit down 4% and prompted another cut to Fast's full-year outlook. Consequently, its shares traded 0.7% lower, though rivals Takashimaya Co. (JP:8233) and J. Front Retailing Co. (JP:3086) (JFROF) also saw losses of 0.6% and 0.5%, respectively. Among other decliners, Sony Corp. (JP:6758) (SNE) lost 0.7%, Toshiba Corp. (JP:6502) (TOSYY) fell 2.1%, Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. (JP:7012) (KWHIY) fell 1.5%, Toyota Motor Corp. (JP:7203) (TM) and Nissan Motor Co. (JP:7201)

Top US Companies To Own For 2014: BHP Billiton Limited(BHP)

BHP Billiton Limited, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a diversified natural resources company worldwide. The company engages in the exploration, development, and production of oil and gas; mining and refining of bauxite into alumina, and smelting of alumina into aluminum metal; and mining of copper, silver, lead, zinc, molybdenum, uranium, gold, diamonds, and titanium minerals, as well as development of potash deposits. It also involves in the mining and production of nickel products, manganese ore, and manganese metal and alloys, as well as in the mining of iron ore, metallurgical coal, and thermal coal. BHP Billiton Limited sells its copper, lead, and zinc concentrates, and alumina to smelters; copper cathodes to wire rod mills, brass mills, and casting plants; uranium oxide to electricity generating utilities; rough diamonds to diamond buyers and diamond manufacturers; nickel products to stainless steel, specialty alloy, foundry, chemicals, and refractory ma terial industries; metallurgical coal to steel producers; and energy coal to power stations, power generators, and industrial users. The company, formerly known as BHP Limited, was founded in 1885 and is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Yoshiaki Nohara]

  BHP Billiton Ltd. (BHP), Australia�� biggest oil producer, added 2.8 percent to A$32.58 in Sydney after West Texas Intermediate crude for June delivery rose $2.21 to $93.64 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange overnight. Prices increased 8 percent in the past six days, the longest winning streak since July.

• [By Sara Sjolin]

  Other mining firms were also on the rise, tracking gains for metals prices. Shares of Anglo American PLC (UK:AAL) �picked up 2.7%, Fresnillo PLC (UK:FRES) �added 2.8%, Glencore Xstrata PLC (UK:GLEN) � (GLCNF) �put on 1.7%, and BHP Billiton PLC (UK:BLT) � (BHP) � (AU:BHP) �gained 1.7%.

• [By The Energy Report]

  As far as how uranium companies have coped, over the last 12-24 months we've seen Cameco shelve its Double U project, BHP Billiton Ltd. (BHP) shelved its Olympic Dam expansion plans. Trekkopje, Imouraren, Bakouma, Stage 4 at Langer Heinrich, Ranger Heap Leach-these are just some of the projects that have been pushed back or canceled, now removed from the project pipeline. Supply cutbacks like a mining halt could be one of the catalysts that spark the uranium price over the next 12-24 months. We highlight Uranium One's Honeymoon mine in Australia, Paladin's Kayelekera in Malawi, Rio Tinto's Rössing in Namibia and further growth in Kazakhstan as potentially being the next victims of this low price environment.