Best Quality Companies For 2014

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Photo courtesy of Ford Motor

The results are in and Ford's (NYSE: F  ) success is driven by two of its hottest models ��the Fusion and the Escape. Those two have a chance to do something that no other Ford vehicle besides the F-Series has done in almost 10 years ��top 300,000 sales in the U.S. It's only a recent trend: Ford was long known for producing a quality truck and its car models were largely left for dead. Let's look at some numbers and see why some investors are excited about Ford.

Over the first four months of the year Ford's car and utility segments are up 12.5% and 18.1%, respectively, versus last year. The segment leaders are the Fusion and the Escape; take a look at what they've done over the last five years, and at this year's pace.

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2013 number based on YTD pace.

Best Logistics Stocks To Watch For 2015: 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 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.

• [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.

Best Quality Companies For 2014: Gleacher & Company Inc.(GLCH)

Gleacher & Company, Inc., an independent investment bank, provides corporate and institutional clients with advice and execution in the areas of advisory services, capital raising and research, sales, and trading. It operates through five segments: Mortgage Backed/Asset Backed & Rates (MBS/ABS & Rates), Corporate Credit, Investment Banking, Equities, and Other. The MBS/ABS & Rates segment provides sales, trading, banking, research, and advisory services on a range of mortgage and asset-backed securities; the United States Treasury and government agency securities; and structured products, such as collateralized loan obligations and collateralized debt obligations, whole loans, and other securities. The Corporate Credit segment offers analysis, sales, and trading on various debt securities comprising bank debt and loans, investment grade debt, high-yield debt, treasuries, convertibles, distressed debt, preferred debt, emerging markets debt, and reorganization equities to co rporate and institutional investor clients. The Investment Banking segment provides financial advisory services in regards to mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, recapitalizations, and capital markets-related matters. It engages in capital raising through underwritings and private placements of equity and debt securities. The Equities segment offers research on customer trades in equity securities in aerospace, defense, industrials, technology, healthcare, and REIT sectors. The Other segment provides early stage growth capital to companies in the information and energy technology sectors. The company was formerly known as Broadpoint Gleacher Securities Group, Inc. Gleacher & Company, Inc. was founded in 1952 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  The upper ranks of Gleacher (NASDAQ: GLCH  ) management have seen a major shake-up. The financial services company has relieved both CEO Thomas Hughes, and COO John Griff, of their jobs. In a tersely worded filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, it said that the twin terminations were effective immediately. It provided no reason for its actions.

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Investment bank Gleacher (NASDAQ: GLCH  ) has announced that it will exit its mortgage-backed securities and rates business, as well as its credit-products operations. This move, the repercussions of which could potentially affect up to roughly 160 employees, is effective immediately.

Best Quality Companies For 2014: Belo Corp (BLC)

Belo Corp. (Belo), incorporated on October 27, 2000, is a television company. The Company owns 20 television stations, including ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CW and MyNetwork TV (MNTV) affiliates, and their associated websites, in 15 markets across the United States. The Company also has three local and two regional news channels. Belo also has a services agreement with the owner and operator of KFWD-TV, licensed to Fort Worth, Texas. Belo has six stations in the 13 U.S. markets and 13 stations in the 50 U.S. markets. Belo�� stations are concentrated primarily in three regions: Texas, the Northwest and Arizona. Six of the Company�� stations are located in four metropolitan areas in the United States: ABC affiliate WFAA-TV in Dallas/Fort Worth; CBS affiliate KHOU-TV in Houston; NBC affiliate KING-TV and independent KONG-TV in Seattle/Tacoma, and Independent KTVK and The CW Network (CW) affiliate KASW-TV in Phoenix. Belo�� television stations have been recognized with numerous local, state and national awards for news coverage and community service. The principal source of revenue for Belo�� television stations is the sale of airtime to local, regional and national advertisers. In 2012, 82.0 % of the Company�� total revenues were derived from spot advertising.

The Company has a portfolio of broadcast network-affiliated stations, with four ABC affiliates, five CBS affiliates and four NBC affiliates, and at least one station associated with each network. As such, Belo�� revenue streams are not significantly affected by which broadcast network leads in the primetime ratings. Belo also owns two independent (IND) stations, two CW affiliates, two MNTV affiliates, and one FOX affiliate. Company also has two regional news channels, Texas Cable News (TXCN) in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, and Northwest Cable News (NWCN) in Seattle/Tacoma, Washington, and three local news channels, 24/7 NewsChannel in Boise, Idaho, NewsWatch on Channel 15 in New Orleans, Louisiana and the 3TV 24/7 news channel in Pho! enix, Arizona. These operations provide news coverage and certain other programming in a comprehensive 24-hour a day format using the resources of the Company�� television stations in Texas, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Louisiana and Arizona.

Websites of each of the Company�� television stations provide consumers with news and information as well as a variety of other products and services. Belo obtains immediate feedback through online communication with its audience, which allows the Company to tailor the way in which it delivers news and information to serve the needs of its audiences. The Company has network affiliation agreements with ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CW and MNTV. The Company�� network affiliation agreements generally provide the station with the exclusive right to broadcast over the air in its local service area all programs transmitted by the network with which the station is affiliated. As of September 30, 2012, the Company also operated, through a joint venture, a cable news channel in partnership with Cox Communications and other parties that provided local news coverage in Phoenix, Arizona (Arizona NewsChannel).

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  The main catalyst for Gannett's rise was its June announcement that it would acquire television broadcaster Belo (NYSE: BLC  ) in a $2.2 billion deal. The purchase will add Belo's 20 television stations to Gannett's existing broadcasting portfolio, nearly doubling Gannett's station count to 43, and giving it nine more stations in key top-25 markets. Even though the company paid a 28% premium for Belo, Gannett's stock also soared on the news, rising as much as 35% on hopes that diversifying its media exposure will prevent it from suffering the fate of a declining newspaper industry.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Gannett (GCI) rose 3.6% to $26.67 after Belo (BLC) shareholders approved a merger of the two companies. Belo’s stock fell 0.6% to $13.72.

  Carnival (CCL) fell 5.3% to $32.70 today, a day after falling nearly 8% on disappointing earnings. Barron’s says it’s time to buy.

• [By Jon Friedman]

  Editor's note: A previous version of this article referred to A.H. Belo (NYSE: AHC) instead of Belo Corp. (NYSE: BLC). The Fool regrets the error.�

Best Quality Companies For 2014: Diamond Foods Inc.(DMND)

Diamond Foods, Inc., a packaged food company, engages in processing, marketing, and distributing snack products, as well as culinary, in-shell, and ingredient nuts. Its snack products include glazed nuts, roasted and mixed nuts, breakfast trail mix products, microwave popcorn products, and potato and tortilla chips. The company?s culinary nuts comprise shelled nuts, pegboard nuts, and harvest reserve premium nuts. Its in-shell nuts consist of uncracked nuts and mixed nuts; and ingredient/food service products include shelled and processed nuts, and custom-processed nuts. The company offers its products under the Emerald, Pop Secret, Kettle, and Diamond of California brand names. It markets its culinary nuts to individuals, who prepare meals or baked goods at home; and ingredient and food service nuts to food processors, restaurants, bakeries, and food service companies and their suppliers. Diamond Foods, Inc. sells its products directly to retailers, such as national groce ry stores, club stores, mass merchandisers, and drug store chains; and indirectly through wholesale distributors, who serve independent and small regional retail grocery store chains and convenience stores. The company offers its products in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Canada, South Korea, Turkey, and Japan. Diamond Foods, Inc. was founded in 1912 and is based in San Francisco, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  But Kellogg, in particular, took advantage of a huge growth opportunity, by making the most of a potential competitor's missteps. Early last year, Kellogg was able to swoop in and buy the Pringles potato chip brand from Procter & Gamble after snack company Diamond Foods (NASDAQ: DMND  ) failed to follow through on its initial bid for the P&G division amid a controversy about Diamond's accounting practices. Although margins from Pringles initially proved to be somewhat lower than the company's average, Kellogg has seen substantial organic growth from the division, boding well for its ability to apply pricing pressure to boost margins in the future.

• [By Sue Chang]

  Diamond Foods (DMND) � is forecast to post a loss of 3 cents a share in the fourth quarter. The stock was upgraded to buy from hold with a price target of $28 at BB&T Capital Markets on Thursday.

Best Quality Companies For 2014: EXCO Resources NL(XCO)

EXCO Resources, Inc., an independent oil and natural gas company, engages in the exploration, exploitation, development, and production of onshore North American oil and natural gas properties with a focus on shale resource plays. The company holds interests in various projects located in East Texas, North Louisiana, Appalachia, and the Permian Basin in west Texas. As of December 31, 2010, it had proved reserves of approximately 1.5 trillion cubic feet equivalent; and operated 7,276 wells. The company was founded in 1955 and is based in Dallas, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tyler Crowe]

  Right now, natural gas spot prices are in the $4.00 range. For low-cost natural gas producers like Ultra Petroleum (NYSE: UPL  ) and Exco Resources (NYSE: XCO  ) , a $4 price for gas will be a welcome sight. Exco had written down so many assets because of low gas prices, the company expects profits as long as gas remains above $2.15. Once LNG exports do come on line, an uptick in natural gas prices is expected, but not one that is so severe. More importantly, companies like Ultra and Exco that deal exclusively with natural gas will not have to worry as much about wild price swings.�

Best Quality Companies For 2014: Etfs Gold Trust (SGOL)

ETFS Gold Trust (the Trust) is an investment trust. The investment objective of the Trust is for the Shares to reflect the performance of the price of gold bullion, less the expenses of the Trust�� operations. The Trust holds gold bullion and issues ETFS Physical Swiss Gold Shares (the Shares) in exchange for deposits of gold and distributes gold in connection with redemption of Baskets. The sponsor of the Trust is ETF Securities USA LLC (the Sponsor). The trustee of the Trust is The Bank of New York Mellon and the custodian is JP Morgan Chase Bank N.A. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Pham]

  Although the Fed doubled its bond buying last September, the top gold exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, including SPDR Gold Shares (NYSEMKT: GLD  ) , iShares Gold Trust (NYSEMKT: IAU  ) , and ETFS Physical Swiss Gold Shares (NYSEMKT: SGOL  ) , have dropped around 25% each over the last 12 months, which speaks to gold's extreme vulnerability to QE tapering. Even the mere mention of tapering seems to send gold into a tailspin, as seen with SPDR Gold Shares, which has plunged 24% year to date and also suffered massive losses with its physical holdings. Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF (NYSEMKT: GDX  ) has suffered a massive drop of 48% so far in 2013, making it one of the worst-performing ETFs this year.