Hot Rising Companies For 2014

Best Buy (NYSE: BBY  ) is on fire, and I'm not talking about the stores. Its stock has now more than doubled in 2013 -- up 116% on the year, and up 15% on the week -- even though the consumer-electronics retailer's turnaround continues to be a work in progress.

That's not just my inner cynic pecking at the keyboard. Analysts see profitability slipping 17% this fiscal year on a 3% dip in revenue.

The stock has been rallying since a wave of analyst upgrades in February was followed by a better-than-expected holiday-quarter report in March. But let's not mistake surpassing expectations with growth. Best Buy's international operations are a mess. Margins are getting squeezed closer to home. Even the surprising 0.9% increase in domestic comps isn't as good as it may seem at first glance. Best Buy bakes online sales into its same-store-sales metric, so things wouldn't have been so hot if it weren't for Best Buy's 10% year-over-year pop in website sales.

Then again, even that 10% boost in online sales isn't necessarily anything to crow about. Rival Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN  ) saw its holiday-quarter sales climb 22%.

Top Solar Companies To Buy For 2015: UBS AG (UBS)

UBS AG, incorporated on February 28, 1978, is a client-focused financial services company that offers a combination of wealth management, asset management and investment banking services on a global and regional basis. UBS AG is the parent company of the UBS Group (Group).The operational structure of the Company consists of the Corporate Center and four business divisions: Wealth Management & Swiss Bank, Wealth Management Americas, Global Asset Management and the Investment Bank. As of December 31, 2011, the Company operated about 877 business and banking locations worldwide, of which about 42% were in Switzerland, 42% in the Americas, 11% in the rest of Europe, Middle East and Africa, and 5% in Asia-Pacific. During the year ended December 31, 2011, it completed acquisitions in Global Asset Management and in the equities business of the Investment Bank. In November 2011, investment management responsibility for a private equity fund of funds was transferred to Global Asset Management from Wealth Management & Swiss Bank. In October 2011, Global Asset Management acquired ING Investment Management Limited business in Australia. In July 2011, the infrastructure and private equity fund of funds businesses were transferred from its alternative and quantitative investment area to its infrastructure investment area. In January 2011, investment management responsibility for a multi-manager alternative fund was transferred to Global Asset Management from Wealth Management & Swiss Bank.

Wealth Management

Wealth Management provides wealthy private clients with financial advice, products and tools to fit their individual needs. As of December 31, 2011, Wealth Management had presence in over 40 countries and approximately 200 wealth management and representative offices, half of which are outside Switzerland, mostly in Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and the Middle East. During 2011, the Company had CHF 750 billion of invested assets. The Company offers products and services to private! clients, focusing in particular on the ultra-high-net-worth (clients with investable assets of more than CHF 50 million) and high-net-worth client segments (clients with investable assets between CHF 2 million and CHF 50 million). In addition, it also provides wealth management solutions, products and services to financial intermediaries. Wealth Management has a presence in over 40 countries and approximately 200 wealth management and representative offices, half of which are outside Switzerland, mostly in Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and the Middle East.

The Company�� Global Financial Intermediaries (Global FIM) business serves approximately 1,700 asset managers. It provides its clients with the financial advice, products and tools. The Company�� clients can trade a range of financial instruments from single securities, such as equities and bonds, to various investment funds, structured products and alternative investments. Additionally, it offers structured lending, corporate finance and wealth planning advice on client needs, such as funding for education, inheritance and succession. For its ultra high net worth clients, it offers institutional-like servicing that provides access to its Investment Bank and Global Asset Management offerings. Wealth Management also gives clients access to the knowledge, and product and service offerings from Global Asset Management and the Investment Bank, complemented by an open product platform providing access to an array of products from third-party providers.

The Company competes with Credit Suisse, Julius Bar, HSBC, Deutsche Bank, JP Morgan, Citigroup, Barclays and Unicredit.

Retail & Corporate

The Company delivers financial products and services to its retail, corporate and institutional clients. The Retail & Corporate unit is a core element of UBS Switzerland�� universal bank delivery model. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had a network of around 300 branches, 1,250 automated teller machines! , self-se! rvice terminals and customer service centers, alongside e-banking and mobile banking. The Company�� retail clients have access to offering, including cash accounts, payments, savings and retirement solutions, investment fund products, residential mortgages, as well as life insurance and advisory services. It provides financing solutions to its corporate clients, offering access to capital markets (equity and debt capital), syndicated and structured credit, private placements, leasing and traditional financing. The Company�� transaction banking offers solutions for payments and cash management services, trade and export finance, receivable finance, as well as global custody solutions to institutional clients.

The Company competes with Credit Suisse, Raiffeisen and PostFinance.

Wealth Management Americas

Wealth Management Americas provides advice-based relationships through its financial advisors, who deliver a range of wealth management solutions. On December 31, 2011, the business division had CHF 709 billion in invested assets. Wealth Management Americas consisted of branch networks in the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada, with 6,967 financial advisors as of 31 December 2011. Most corporate and operational functions of the business division are located in the home office in Weehawken, New Jersey. In the United States and Puerto Rico, Wealth Management Americas operates through direct and indirect subsidiaries of UBS AG. Securities and operations activities are conducted primarily through two broker-dealers, UBS Financial Services Inc. and UBS Financial Services Incorporated of Puerto Rico. Its banking services in the United States include those conducted through the UBS AG branches and UBS Bank USA, a federally regulated Utah bank, which provides Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insured deposit accounts. It includes the domestic US business, the domestic Canadian business and international business booked in the United States.

Ca! nadian we! alth management and banking operations are conducted through UBS Bank (Canada). The Company�� include wealth accumulation and preservation, income generation and portfolio diversification. The Company�� advisors work closely with internal consultants in areas, such as wealth planning, portfolio strategy, retirement and annuities, alternative investments, managed structured products, banking and lending, equities, and fixed income accounts, structured products, banking and lending, equities, and fixed income retirement and annuities, alternative investments, managed accounts, structured products, banking and lending, equities, and fixed income. It also offers lending and cash management services, such as securities-backed lending, the resource management account, FDIC-insured deposits, mortgages and credit cards. For corporate and institutional clients, it offers a range of solutions, including equity compensation, administration, investment consulting, defined benefit and contribution programs and cash management services. It offers a range of equity and fixed income instruments.

The Company competes with Bank of America, Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo.

Global Asset Management

The Company serves third-party institutional and wholesale clients and the clients of UBS�� wealth management businesses. The Company�� fund services unit, a global fund administration business, provides professional services, including legal fund set-up, accounting and reporting. Invested assets totaled CHF 574 billion and assets under administration were CHF 375 billion on December 31, 2011. Global Asset Management serves third-party institutional and wholesale clients, and the clients of UBS�� wealth management businesses. Global Asset Management�� business lines include traditional investments (equities, fixed income and global investment solutions); alternative and quantitative investments; global real estate; infrastructure and private equity, and fund services.

Global ! investment solutions offer asset allocation, currency, multi-manager, structured solutions, risk advisory and strategic investment advisory services. Alternative and quantitative investments has two primary business lines-Alternative Investment Solutions (AIS) and O��onnor. AIS offers a range of hedge fund solutions and advisory services, including multi-manager strategies. O��onnor is a provider of single-manager global hedge funds. Global real estate manages real estate investments globally and regionally within Asia, Europe, Switzerland and the United States. Infrastructure and private equity manages direct infrastructure investment and multi-manager infrastructure and private equity strategies for both institutional and high net worth investors. Infrastructure asset management manages direct investments in core infrastructure assets worldwide. Fund services, the global fund administration business, provides professional services, including legal set-up, reporting and accounting for retail and institutional investment funds, hedge funds and other alternative products.

The Company competes with Fidelity Investments, AllianceBernstein Investments, BlackRock, JP Morgan Asset Management and Goldman Sachs Asset Management.

Investment Bank

The Investment Bank provides a range of products and services in equities, fixed income, foreign exchange and commodities to corporate and institutional clients, sovereign and government bodies, financial intermediaries, alternative asset managers and UBS�� wealth management clients. The Investment Bank has three business areas: equities, fixed income, currencies and commodities (FICC), and the investment banking department. The Company operates through branches and subsidiaries of UBS AG. Securities activities in the United States are conducted through UBS Securities LLC, a broker-dealer. Securities research provides investment analysis across a range of asset classes of more than 3,400 companies worldwide.

The ! Company p! articipates in the primary and secondary markets for cash equity and equity-related products, including listed options, structured products, equity-linked securities, swaps, futures and over-the-counter (OTC) derivative contracts. Cash equities provide clients with liquidity, investment advisory, trade execution and related consultancy services. It offers trade execution for single stocks and portfolios, including capital commitment, block trading, small-cap execution and commission management services. In addition, it also provides clients with a range of electronic trading algorithms and analytical tools. Derivatives and equity-linked provides a range of flow, structured, synthetic and equity-linked products with worldwide access to primary and secondary markets.

Prime services offer brokerage business, including clearing and custody, capital consultancy, financing, securities lending and equity swaps execution. The FICC business area delivers products and solutions to corporate, institutional and public-sector clients in all markets, as well as to private clients via targeted intermediaries. Macro consists of the foreign exchange, money market and interest rate sales and trading businesses, as well as cash and collateral trading. It provides a range of foreign exchange, precious metals, treasury, and liquidity management solutions to institutional and private clients via targeted intermediaries. Credit sales and trading consists of the origination, underwriting, trading and distribution of cash and synthetic products across the credit spectrum - bonds, derivatives, notes and loans.

The investment banking department provides advice and a range of capital markets execution services to corporate clients, financial institutions, financial sponsors, sovereign clients and hedge funds. The Company also provides liquidity in local markets across foreign exchange, credit, rates and structured products. The advisory group assists in acquisitions and sale processes, and also advises on! reviews ! and corporate restructuring solutions. Global capital markets is a joint venture with the securities business. It offers financing and advisory services that cover all forms of capital raising, as well as risk management solutions. Global leveraged finance provides event-driven (acquisition, leveraged buyout) loans, and bond and mezzanine leveraged finance to corporate clients and financial sponsors.

The Company competes with Bank of America/Merrill Lynch, Barclays Capital, Citigroup, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase and Morgan Stanley.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Aaron Smith]

  The SEC's biggest award still falls short of the $104 million whistleblower award the Internal Revenue Service gave to former UBS (UBS) banker Bradley Birkenfeld.

• [By WALLSTCHEATSHEET]

  UBS, a financial services firm, provides wealth management, asset management, and investment banking products and services worldwide. The company has reached an immunity arrangement with European Union authorities that will guard the Swiss bank from additional penalties for alleged manipulation of key interest rates. The stock has been in a range over the last five years and is currently surging higher. Over the last four quarters, earnings have been decreasing while revenues have been increasing, which has produced mixed feelings among investors. Relative to its peers and sector, USB has been a poor relative performer year-to-date. WAIT AND SEE what UBS does next.

Hot Rising Companies For 2014: TD Ameritrade Holding Corporation(AMTD)

TD Ameritrade Holding Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides securities brokerage services and technology-based financial services to retail investors, traders, and independent registered investment advisors (RIAs) in the United States. The company?s offerings include TD Ameritrade for self-directed retail investors; TD Ameritrade Institutional, which provides brokerage and custody services to independent RIAs and their clients; thinkorswim that offers a suite of trading platforms serving self-directed and institutional traders, and money managers; and Investools, which provides investor education products and services for stock, option, foreign exchange, futures, mutual fund, and fixed-income investors. Its offerings also include Amerivest, an online advisory service that develops portfolios of exchange-traded funds to enable long-term investors pursue their financial goals; and TD Ameritrade Corporate Services, which provides self-directed brokerage services to employees and executives of corporations. In addition, the company offers various products and services, such as common and preferred stocks; exchange-traded funds; a range of option trades, including complex, multi-leg option strategies; futures trades in various commodities, stock indices, and currencies; and foreign exchange products. Further, it provides mutual funds; treasury, corporate, government agency, and municipal bonds; mortgage-backed securities and certificates of deposit; new issue securities; margin lending; and cash management services. Additionally, the company offers trustee, custodial, and other trust-related services to retirement plans; and cash sweep and deposit account products through third-party relationships. It provides its products and services through the Internet, network of retail branches, mobile trading applications, and interactive voice response and registered representatives via telephone. The company was founded in 1971 and is headquart ered in Omaha, Nebraska.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  TD Ameritrade Holding (NYSE: AMTD) is estimated to report its Q1 earnings at $0.33 per share on revenue of $735.85 million.

  Wintrust Financial (NASDAQ: WTFC) is projected to post its Q4 earnings at $0.70 per share on revenue of $196.07 million.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Shares of E*Trade Financial have fallen 3.1% to $21.69 at 3:05 p.m.–and it’s not the only online broker getting hit today. Charles Schwab (SCHW) has declined 2.1% to $26.29, while TD Ameritrade (AMTD) has dropped 2.5% to $31.66 despite getting an upgrade from Bernstein Research. Interactive Brokers (IBKR), however, has gained 0.3% to $23.77.

• [By Jayson Derrick]

  Online brokers are seeing declines almost across the board as the market continues to focus on their practice of getting paid for order flow (PFOF). U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder confirmed that the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating insider trading and high frequency trading. According to Goldman Sachs analyst Alexander Blostein, E*Trade Financial (NASDAQ: ETFC) earns $92 million or $0.17 in EPS from PFOF while Charles Schwab (NASDAQ: SCHW) earns less than $100 million or $0.08 EPS from its PFOF. TD Ameritrade (NYSE: AMTD) earns $227 million or $0.23 from PFOF. Shares of E*Trade lost 7.83 percent, closing at $20.43, Schwab lost 4.79 percent, closing at $26.06 and TD Ameritrade lost 4.22 percent, closing at $30.67.

Hot Rising Companies For 2014: Xylem Inc (XYL)

Xylem Inc. (Xylem), formerly ITT WCO, Inc., incorporated on May 4, 2011, is a provider of equipment and service for water and wastewater applications with a portfolio of products and services addressing the full cycle of water, from collection, distribution and use to the return of water to the environment. It operates in two segments: Water Infrastructure and Applied Water. The Water Infrastructure segment focuses on the transportation, treatment and testing of water, offering a range of products, including water and wastewater pumps, treatment and testing equipment, and controls and systems. Key brands in this segment include Flygt, Wedeco, Godwin Pumps, WTW, Sanitaire, AADI and Leopold. The Applied Water segment encompasses the uses of water and focuses on the residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural markets. The segment�� products include pumps, valves, heat exchangers, controls and dispensing equipment. Key brands in this segment include Goulds Water Technology (Goulds), Bell & Gossett, AC Fire, Standard, Flojet, Lowara, Jabsco and Flowtronex. The Company sells its products in more than 150 countries through a distribution network consisting of its direct sales force and independent channel partners. On October 31, 2011, ITT Corporation completed Spin-off of Xylem, formerly ITT�� water equipment and services businesses. The Spin-off was completed pursuant to the Distribution Agreement, dated as of October 25, 2011, among ITT, Exelis Inc. (Exelis) and Xylem. In July 2012, it acquired MJK Automation A/S. In March 2013, it acquired MultiTrode Pty Ltd.

Water Infrastructure

Water Infrastructure involves the process that collects water from a source and distributes it to users, and then returns the wastewater to the environment. Water Infrastructure serves three applications: transport, treatment and test of water and wastewater for two types of customers: public utilities and industrial facilities. The Transport application includes all of the equipment and s! ervices involved in the movement of water from sources, such as oceans, lakes, rivers and ground water, to treatment facilities, and then to users. It also includes the movement of wastewater from the point of use to a treatment facility and then back into the environment. The Company serves the equipment markets, such as water and wastewater submersible pumps, monitoring controls, and application solutions. With operations on six continents, it also has dewatering rental fleet, serviced with the Company�� Flygt and Godwin brands. In its Water Infrastructure Segment, Transport accounted for approximately 73% of its consolidated revenue during the year ended December 31, 2011. Flygt is the manufacturer of submersible pumps, mixers, and aeration equipment for use in environments, such as water and wastewater treatment, raw water supply, abrasive or contaminated industrial processes, mining and crop irrigation. Flygt products have applications in various markets, including wastewater lift stations, water and wastewater treatment facilities, pressurized sewage systems, oil and gas, steel, mining and leisure markets. Customers include public utility wastewater and clean water treatment facilities, oil and gas platforms, and steel manufacturing companies.

Godwin Pumps is engaged in pump manufacturing. It manufactures, sells, rents and services products that are customized to the specific needs of its clients. Godwin Pumps��products include the fully automatic self-priming Dri-Prime pump, a range of Sub-Prime electric and Heidra hydraulic submersible pumps, Wet-Prime gasoline-powered contractor pumps and a line of generators and portable light towers. Godwin products are primarily used in construction, disaster recovery, flooding, heavy industry, marine use, mining, oil, gas and chemical extraction, refineries, temporary fire protection and water and wastewater transport. Customers include industrial plants, construction contractors, public utility wastewaters and clean water treatment and tr! ansportat! ion facilities, oil, gas and chemical drilling outfits, and refineries. Godwin�� fleet of equipment is rented through 33 United States branches and a global network of distributors. The Treatment application includes equipment and services that treat both water for consumption and wastewater to be returned to the environment. Leopold is the Company�� filtration brand. Disinfection systems, both ultraviolet (UV) and ozone oxidation, treat both public utility drinking water and wastewater, as well as industrial process water, and are provided through its WEDECO brand. Biological treatment systems are key to the treatment of solids in wastewater plants, which is provided through its Sanitaire brand. In its Water Infrastructure Segment, Treatment accounted for approximately 18% of its consolidated net sales in 2011.

The Company�� Sanitaire brand provides biological wastewater treatment solutions for public utility and industrial applications. Sanitaire�� offering includes diffused aeration, sequencing batch reactors, drum filters and state-of-the-art controls. Sanitaire is a brand in diffused aeration, which is a process that introduces air into a liquid, providing an aerobic environment for degradation of organic matter. Principal Sanitaire customers are public utility and industrial wastewater treatment facilities. WEDECO develops chemical-free and environmentally friendly water treatment technologies, including ultraviolet light and ozone systems. There are over 250,000 installed WEDECO systems for UV disinfection and ozone oxidation globally in private, public utility and industrial locations. Customers include public utility wastewater and clean water treatment facilities, power plants, pulp and paper mills, food products manufacturers and aquaculture facilities. Leopold is a gravity media filtration and clarification solutions for the water and wastewater industry. Nova Analytics, its served market is focused on water and the environment for quality levels throughout the water in! frastruct! ure loop.. Analytical systems are applied in three primary ways: in the field, in a facility laboratory, or real time, online monitoring in a treatment facility process. In its Water Infrastructure Segment, Test accounted for approximately 9% of its consolidated net sales in 2011.

In wastewater treatment facilities, WTW-branded systems monitor parameters, such as dissolved oxygen, pH, and turbidity throughout the water process. WTW�� product offering includes meters, sensors, data-loggers, photometers and software. Aanderaa Data Instruments AS (AADI) offers sensors, instruments and systems for measuring and monitoring in environments, such as rivers, oceans and the polar regions through networked systems using wireless technology that monitors temperature, salinity, oxygen, turbidity, current and waves for ecosystem health. The main market areas are marine transportation, environmental and ocean research, oil and gas, aquaculture, road and traffic, and construction. Oceanography International Corporation (OI Analytical) provides products used for chemical analysis. The Company develops, manufactures, sells, and services analytical instruments that detect, measure, analyze, and monitor chemicals in liquids, solids, and gases. Yellow Springs Instrument Company (YSI) develops and manufactures sensors, instruments, software and data collection platforms for environmental and coastal water quality monitoring and testing. YSI also offers life sciences products, including biochemical analyzers for bioprocess monitoring, food and beverage processing, and sports physiology. The main market areas are marine transportation, environmental and ocean research, oil and gas, aquaculture, road and traffic, and construction.

Applied Water

Applied Water encompasses all the uses of water. Its served market consists of the main uses of global water: Building Services, Industrial Water and Irrigation. The Building Services is defined by four main uses of water in building services ! applicatio! ns, such as in residential homes and commercial buildings, including offices, hotels, restaurants and malls. The first is the supply of potable water for consumption, such as for drinking and hygiene. The Goulds brand offers pumps and boosting systems utilized within buildings, sourcing water from distribution networks or from wells. The second application is wastewater removal with sump and sewage pumps. The third application is in heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), where Bell & Gossett specializes in pumps and valves that are used in water-based heating and cooling systems. The fourth water-related building service area is fire protection, where its AC Fire brand supplies full pump systems for emergency fire suppression. In Europe, Lowara is a brand in the commercial and residential water market with applications in the four main uses of water. In its Applied Water Segment, Building Services accounted for approximately 51% of its consolidated net sales in 2011.

The Company�� Goulds brand supplies vertical multistage pumps to boost pressure for purposes , such as circulating water through a manufacturing facility to cool machine tools. Its Lowara brand focuses on water treatment, industrial washing equipment and machine tool cooling. The Standard brand delivers heat exchangers for combined heat and power (CHP) applications within power generation plants. It also provides applications, such as flexible impeller pumps for wine processing facilities served by its Jabsco brand, and water-based detergent dispensing and water circulation within car washes served by Flojet and Goulds air-operated diaphragm and end suction pumps. In its Applied Water Segment, Industrial Water accounted for approximately 42% of its consolidated net sales in 2011. The irrigation business consists of irrigation-related equipment and services associated with bringing water from a source to the plant or livestock need, including hoses, sprinklers, center pivot and drip irrigation. The Company focuses ! on the pu! mps and boosting systems that supply this ancillary equipment with water. Its Goulds brand brings mixed flow pumps, and its Flowtronex group specializes in equipment solutions, such as the Hydrovar boosting system, which incorporates monitoring and controls. Its Lowara brand also produces pumps for agriculture applications and irrigation of gardens and parks. In its Applied Water Segment, Irrigation accounted for approximately 7% of the Company�� consolidated net sales in 2011.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Stocks received a respite from the selling today as Michael Kors�(KORS), Yum Brands (YUM),�Merck�(MRK),�Pfizer�(PFE) and�Xylem�(XYL) gained.

Hot Rising Companies For 2014: Intuit Inc.(INTU)

Intuit Inc. provides business and financial management solutions for small and medium-sized businesses, consumers, accounting professionals, and financial institutions primarily in the United States, Canada, India, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. The company offers QuickBooks financial and business management software and services, technical support, financial supplies, and Web site design and hosting services for small and medium-sized businesses; and payroll products and services, as well as merchant services comprising credit and debit card processing, electronic check conversion, and automated clearing house services for small businesses. It also provides TurboTax income tax preparation products and services for consumers and small business owners; Lacerte and ProSeries professional tax products and services; and QuickBooks Premier Accountant Edition and the QuickBooks ProAdvisor Program for accounting professionals. In addition, the company offers outsourced online financial management solutions for banks and credit unions; Quicken personal finance products and services; Mint.com online personal finance services; and Intuit Health online patient-to-provider communication solutions. It sells its products and services through various sales and distribution channels, including Websites, promotions, retail channels, and call centers, as well as through alliance partners, principally consisting of banks, credit unions, and securities and investment firms. The company was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Mountain View, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Bieglmeier]

  Intuit Inc. (NASDAQ:INTU) will announce its third-quarter, fiscal year 2014 financial results on May 20 following the close of market. On the same day, Intuit executives will discuss the financial results on a conference call at 1:30 p.m. Pacific time.

• [By Sue Chang and Saumya Vaishampayan]

  INTU: Intuit Inc. (INTU) �shares recovered from earlier losses to rise 0.8%. The tax software company on Tuesday said its fiscal third-quarter profit rose 20% to $984 million, or $3.39 a share. Excluding items, the company said it earned $3.53 a share. The company had previously forecast per-share earnings of $3.46 to $3.51.

Hot Rising Companies For 2014: Chatham Lodging Trust (REIT)

Chatham Lodging Trust is an equity real estate investment trust. The firm invests in the real estate markets of the United States. It primarily invests in premium-branded upscale extended-stay and select-service hotels to create its portfolio. Chatham Lodging Trust was founded on October 26, 2009 and is based in Palm Beach, Florida.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dividends4Life]

  This week a few companies answered the call and rewarded their shareholders with higher cash dividends:
  
  Consolidated Edison Inc. (ED) engages in regulated electric, gas, and steam delivery businesses. January 16th the company increased its quarterly dividend 2.4% to $0.63 per share. The dividend is payable March 15, 2014, to stockholders of record on February 12, 2014. The yield based on the new payout is 4.7%.
  
  Cousins Properties Incorporated (CUZ), a real estate investment trust (REIT), owns, develops, and manages real estate portfolio, as well as performs certain real estate-related services. January 16th the company increased its quarterly dividend 66.7% to $0.075 per share. The dividend is payable February 24, 2014, to stockholders of record on February 10, 2014. The yield based on the new payout is 2.8%.
  
  Wisconsin Energy Corporation (WEC) generates and distributes electric energy, as well as distributes natural gas. The company operates in two segments, Utility Energy and Non-Utility Energy. January 16th the company increased its quarterly dividend 2% to $0.3900 per share. The dividend is payable March 1, 2014, to stockholders of record on February 14, 2014. The yield based on the new payout is 3.8%.
  
  BlackRock Inc. (BLK) is a publicly owned investment manager. The firm primarily provides its services to institutional, intermediary, and individual investors. January 16th the company increased its quarterly dividend 14.9% to $1.93 per share. The dividend is payable March 24, 2014, to stockholders of record on March 7, 2014. The yield based on the new payout is 2.4%.
  
  ONEOK Inc. (OKE) operates as a diversified energy company in the United States. January 15th the company increased its quarterly dividend 5.3% to $0.40 per share. The dividend is payable February 18, 2014, to stockholders of record on February 10, 2014. The yield based on the new payout is 2.5%.
  
  Omega Healthcare Investors Inc. (OHI) is a real es

• [By Dividends4Life]

  Host Hotels & Resorts Inc. (HST) is a publicly owned real estate investment trust (REIT). The firm primarily engages in the ownership and operation of hotel properties. Sept. 16, the company increased its quarterly dividend 9.1% to $0.12 per share. The dividend is payable on Oct. 15, 2013, to stockholders of record on Sept. 30, 2013. The yield based on the new payout is 2.6%.

• [By Sally Jones]

  Organized in 1946, Gyrodyne Company of America Inc. is a self-managed and self-administered real estate investment trust (REIT). The company's primary business is the investment in and the acquisition, ownership and management of a geographically diverse portfolio of medical office and industrial properties. The company also develops industrial and residential properties.

Hot Rising Companies For 2014: Nuance Communications Inc.(NUAN)

Nuance Communications, Inc. provides voice and language solutions for businesses and consumers worldwide. It offers dictation and transcription solutions and services, which automate the input and management of medical information; and speech recognition solutions for radiology, cardiology, pathology, and related specialties that help healthcare providers dictate, edit, and sign reports without manual transcription. The company also offers mobile and consumer solutions and services comprising an integrated suite of voice control and text-to-speech solutions, desktop and portable computer dictation applications, predictive text technologies, mobile messaging services, and emerging services, such as dictation, Web search, and voicemail-to-text for manufacturers and suppliers of mobile phones, automotive products, personal navigation devices, computers, and other consumer electronics. In addition, it provides customer service business intelligence and authentication solutions for enterprises in the telecommunications, financial services, travel, entertainment, and government sectors to support, understand, and communicate with their customers. Further, the company offers document imaging, print management, and PDF solutions to multifunction printer manufacturers, home offices, small businesses, and enterprise customers; software development toolkits for independent software vendors; and licenses its software to multifunction printer manufacturers. Nuance Communications, Inc. markets and sells its products through direct sales force; its e-commerce Web site; and a network of resellers, including system integrators, independent software vendors, value-added resellers, hardware vendors, telecommunications carriers, and distributors. The company was formerly known as ScanSoft, Inc. and changed its name to Nuance Communications, Inc. in November 2005. Nuance Communications, Inc. was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in Burlington, Massachusetts. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Versace]

  Amid the snow and ice, corporate earnings have been issued, and two of our holdings��isco Systems (CSCO) and Nuance Communications (NUAN) were part of that crowd. The results were pretty good, with both companies reporting better-than-expected earnings.

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Next week investors will be waiting for several key earnings reports, �including�Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE: HPQ), Tiffany & Co. (NYSE: TIF), Nuance Communications, Inc.(NASDAQ: NUAN) and TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ: TIVO).

• [By Lee Jackson]

  Nuance Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: NUAN) is the company that brought you the Siri application that you can talk to on your iPhone. The stock also got crushed after an earnings miss this year. Mega-investor Carl Icahn has accumulated a 16.9% share of the company and may be looking for more. The consensus target for the stock sits at $22.