Top 5 Consumer Stocks To Watch Right Now

The corporate race is on to dominate the rapidly expanding market for smart homes, dwellings in which appliance, heating, entertainment and security systems communicate with each and can be controlled remotely via smart phones and other digital devices.

Consumers want to save time, energy and money, and the automated home market could reach by $71 billion by 2018 ��up from $33 billion in 2013, according to a recent study by Juniper Research.

Platform wars

How best to invest in the smart home boom? The real winners will be the companies that win the platform wars.

[Related -How the Chinese Slowdown Will Impact Your Investments]

Rival corporate alliances are vying to control the communication protocols and software standards to allow different home systems to talk to each other.

10 Best Japanese Stocks To Buy Right Now: Barry Callebaut AG (BARN)

Barry Callebaut AG is a Switzerland-based producer of cocoa, chocolate and confectionery products. The Company�� manufacturing process involves all stages of the cocoa and chocolate value chain from the sourcing of raw materials to the delivery of the finished products. The Company operates three geographical segments, including Europe, Americas and Asia-Pacific, as well as its business segment Global Sourcing & Cocoa. The Global Sourcing & Cocoa business segment is responsible for the procurement of ingredients for chocolate production, including mainly cocoa, as well as sugar, dairy and nuts as common ingredients, as well as the Company's cocoa processing business. The Company serves the food industry, from industrial food manufacturers to professional or artisanal users of chocolate. The Company operates more than 50 chocolate and cocoa factories, and is present in over 30 countries. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

  Elan Corp. jumped 8.4 percent in Dublin after authorizing the process of its sale. Hochtief AG gained the most in four months after the German builder said it will buy as much as 260 million euros ($346 million) of its own shares. Michelin & Cie, Europe�� largest tiremaker, added 4.7 percent after data on its website showed tire demand surged in Brazil last month. Barry Callebaut AG (BARN) lost 3.4 percent after the maker of bulk chocolate sold about $302 million of new shares.

Top 5 Consumer Stocks To Watch Right Now: Home Loan Servicing Solutions Ltd (HLSS)

Home Loan Servicing Solutions, Ltd, incorporated on December 1, 2010, is a development-stage company. The Company is formed to acquire mortgage servicing assets, primarily subprime and Alt-A mortgage servicing rights and associated servicing advances. The Company will engage residential mortgage loan servicers to service the pools of mortgage loans underlying the mortgage servicing rights. The Company acquire and therefore do not intend to develop its own mortgage servicing platform.

The Company is focused to enter into the subservicing agreement to provide for the servicing of the initial mortgage servicing rights for an initial term of seven years. As of December 31, 2010, The Company had neither purchased nor contracted to purchase any mortgage servicing assets, including mortgage servicing rights and related servicing advances.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By David Sterman]

  Although shares of Boulder Brands (Nasdaq: BDBD) are up more than 60% since then, Home Loan Servicing (Nasdaq: HLSS) has merely treaded water while Swift Energy has continued its downward ascent.

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Home Loan Servicing Solutions (NASDAQ: HLSS  ) is servicing its capital base with a new share offering that should total nearly $300 million. The company is floating 13 million shares of its stock in an underwritten public issue at a price of $23 per share. All told, the gross proceeds of the offering should amount to roughly $299 million.

Top 5 Consumer Stocks To Watch Right Now: BRF SA (BRFS)

BRF - Brasil Foods S.A. (BRF), incorporated on August 18, 1934, is a food company, which focuses on the production and sale of poultry, pork, beef cuts, milk, dairy products and processed food products under several brands. The Company�� processed products include marinated, frozen, whole and cut Chester rooster and turkey meats, specialty meats, frozen processed meats, frozen prepared entrees, portioned products and sliced products. It also sells margarine, juices, soy products, animal feed, fresh pasta, sweet specialties and sandwiches. During the year ended December 31, 2010, it launched 333 new products, including Meu Menu (My Menu) portfolio, which is targeted at single people.

Poultry

The Company produces frozen whole and cut poultries, partridges and quail. During 2010, it sold 1,895 thousand tons of frozen chicken and other poultry products. During 2010, it produced 1,694 million day-old chicks, including chickens, Chester roosters, turkeys, partridge and quail. It hatches these eggs in its 25 hatcheries. As of December 31, 2010, it had a fully automated slaughtering capacity of 31.2 million heads of poultry per week.

Pork and Beef

The Company produces frozen pork and beef cuts, such as loins and ribs, and whole carcasses. During 2010, it sold 427 thousand tons of pork and beef cuts. Iits sales of pork cuts are to its export markets. As of December 31, 2010, it had a beef slaughtering capacity of 1,797 heads per week.

Milk

The Company produces pasteurized and ultra-high temperature (UHT) milk, which it sells in its domestic market. During 2010, it sold 873 thousand tons of pasteurized and UHT milk. It produces dairy products in 15 plants. It receives milk from a network of over 11,000 milk producers in more than 553 cities.

Processed Food Products

The Company produces processed foods, such as marinated, frozen chicken, Chester rooster and turkey meat, specialty meats, frozen processed foo! ds, frozen prepared entrees, dairy products, portioned products and sliced products. During 2010, it sold 2,472 thousand tons of processed foods. It processes pork to produce specialty meats, such as sausages, ham products, bologna, frankfurters, salamis, bacon and cold meats. It also processes chicken and other poultry to produce specialty meats, such as chicken sausages, chicken hot dogs and chicken bologna. It produces a range of frozen processed poultry, beef and pork products, including hamburgers, steaks, breaded meat products, kibes, meatballs and ready-to-eat snacks. It also produces soy-based vegetarian products, such as hamburgers and breaded products. It produces marinated and seasoned chickens, roosters and turkeys.

The Company produces several varieties of lasagna and pizza. It produces the meat used in these products and buys other raw materials in the domestic market, except for the durum flour used to make the noodles for the lasagna, which it imports. It sells a range of frozen vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, peas, French beans, French fries and cassava fries, through its Escolha Saudavel line of products. It produces a range of pies and pastries, such as chicken and heart-of-palm pies and lime pies. It produces the meat, sauces and toppings used in its pies and pastries, and it purchases other raw materials, such as heart-of-palm, lime and other fillings from third parties.

Other

The Company produces animal feed mainly to feed poultry and hogs raised by it. It also sells a portion of its animal feed production to its integrated outgrowers or to unaffiliated customers. It produces a range of soy-based products, including soy meal and refined soy flour.

The Company competes with Sadia, Aurora, Marfig, Danone, Nestle, Paulista, Frangosul, Plamplona and Aurora.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By MONEYMORNING.COM]

  And with very quick gains of 9% in BRF SA (NYSE ADR: BRFS), 5.2% in South American agricultural play Adecoagro SA (NYSE: AGRO) and 1.6% in high-tech agribusiness player Neogen Corp. (Nasdaq: NEOG), we're doing well with our plays on (pockets of) accelerating U.S. inflation.

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  BRF S.A. (NYSE: BRFS) should be safe on the surface as a meat-producing and dairy giant. Apparently being defensive doesn’t help either. At $18.50, its 52-week range is $18.34 to $26.35. This ADR is down just over 10% so far in 2014.

Top 5 Consumer Stocks To Watch Right Now: Bonamour Inc (BONI)

Bonamour, Inc., incorporated on August 21, 2002, is a developer, distributor and reseller of health and beauty products and originator of the mind-body system. The Company�� products are sold under the Bonamour name. It has three skin care products, which it markets as Bonamour�� Rejuvenating Trio. These products include a rejuvenating skin cleanser, a cellular renewal complex and an anti-aging eye cream. All three products are formulated with its Bonamour Blend Active Plant Stem Cell Technology.

KLENZ is Bonamour�� rejuvenating skin cleanser. The cleanser is designed to cleanse and soften the skin, while minimizing the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and pigmentation irregularities using the exfoliating benefits of glycolic acid. HI-DRAT is its cellular renewal complex. It utilizes antioxidants to protect against free radical damage. HI-DRAT is suitable for all skin types and formulated to help smooth away fine lines and wrinkles while rejuvenating the overall skin�� health.

KE-REKT is its anti-aging eye repair cream. It contains Argan, which accelerates skin�� natural repair process and helps combat chronological aging and loss of firmness. AKTE-VAT is its activating mineral mist. This weightless mist has been formulated to purify the skin and stimulate enzymatic activity to help increase the fibroblast production of pre-collagen. The mist locks in moisture and supplies vital nutrients to help give the skin a younger appearance. Its nutraceutical under development is DE-TOX, a hand, skin and nail detoxification treatment designed to help defend the body against aging free radical damage.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap stocks Bonamour Inc (OTCBB: BONI), Firstin Wireless Technology Inc (OTCMKTS: FINW) and Microchannel Technologies Corp (OTCBB: MCTC) have been attracting attention from variosu investment newsletters lately with at least two of these stocks being the subject of paid promotions. Of course, there is nothing wrong with properly disclosed paid promotions or investor relation types of activities as its up to investors and traders alike to do their due diligence. So how hot are these small cap stocks? Here is a quick reality check that might cool your appetite: