Best Information Technology Stocks To Own For 2014

General Motors Headquarters. Courtesy of GM media photos.

General Motors (NYSE: GM  ) lags behind its crosstown rival Ford (NYSE: F  ) in one major aspect: profitability. Despite being far ahead in global sales, GM couldn't top Ford's bottom-line income during its first-quarter report. That's mainly because Ford has worked tirelessly on fixing its bottom line by cutting costs in its global operations ��and it's worked extremely well. GM is taking notes on Ford's success and has recently unveiled a state of the art $130 million data center that will be an information technology system to base its global decisions on. GM believes it will give the company what it needs to work faster and smarter to improve vehicle quality and profits. Let's look at why investors are excited and how much this could bring to GM's bottom line.

Better decisions equal better profits
Here's what GM Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson had to say in a press release: "Having a single nerve center for our global operations will get newer vehicle designs and technologies into our customers' hands quicker and improve the bottom line ... IT is back home where it should be, and it further drives unnecessary complexity from our businesses while improving our operational efficiency and better supporting our business strategy."�

10 Best Construction Stocks To Watch Right Now: Myers Industries Inc.(MYE)

Myers Industries, Inc. manufactures and distributes polymer products for the industrial, agricultural, automotive, commercial, and consumer markets primarily in the North, Central, and South America. It operates in four segments: Material Handling, Lawn and Garden, Engineered Products, and Distribution. The Material Handling segment offers plastic reusable material handling containers, and pallets and bins, as well as metal shelving, cabinets, and racking systems primarily under the Buckhorn and Akro-Mils brand names for automotive, appliance, general industrial/manufacturing, distribution, agriculture, retail, and food processing markets. The Lawn and Garden segment provides injection-molded and thermoformed pots, hanging baskets, flats and carry trays, plug trays, nursery containers, propagation sheets, and specialty pots under the Dillen, ITML, Pro Cal, Listo, Planters? Pride, and Akro-Mils Lawn & Garden brand names for the horticultural container needs of the floricult ure/horticulture market. Its customers include professional growers, greenhouses, nurseries, retail garden centers, mass merchandisers, and consumers. The Engineered Products segment offers engineered plastic and rubber original equipment and replacement parts, tire repair materials, and custom rubber and plastic components and materials under the Ameri-Kart, Patch Rubber, and WEK brand names. This segment serves the automotive, recreational vehicle and marine, construction and agriculture equipment, healthcare, and transportation markets. The Distribution segment distributes tools, equipment, and supplies used for tire, wheel, and undervehicle service on passenger, heavy truck, and off-road vehicles. It offers products under the Myers Tire Supply and Myers Tire Supply International brands to independent tire dealers, mass merchandisers, commercial auto and truck fleets, tire retreaders, and general repair facilities. Myers Industries, Inc. was founded in 1933 and is headqua rtered in Akron, Ohio.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Travis Hoium]

  What: Shares of Myers Industries (NYSE: MYE  ) jumped as much as 12% today after the company reported second-quarter earnings.

  So what: Sales jumped 13% to $204 million and net income was up 47% to $8.3 million, or $0.25 per share. Analysts were only expecting $198.1 million in revenue and $0.21 in earnings, so the results were much more than investors had hoped for. �

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Calling all cash flows
  When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Myers Industries (NYSE: MYE  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Industrial polymer manufacturer�Myers Industries� (NYSE: MYE  ) �announced yesterday�its second-quarter dividend of $0.09 per share, the same rate it paid last quarter after raising the payout 12.5%, from $0.08 per share.

Best Information Technology Stocks To Own For 2014: McDonald's Corporation(MCD)

McDonald?s Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a worldwide foodservice retailer. It franchises and operates McDonald?s restaurants that offer various food items, soft drinks, coffee, and other beverages. As of December 31, 2009, the company operated 32,478 restaurants in 117 countries, of which 26,216 were operated by franchisees; and 6,262 were operated by the company. McDonald?s Corporation was founded in 1948 and is based in Oak Brook, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Reeves and David Meier]

  Look at the amazing results of McDonald's (NYSE: MCD  ) over the past several decades, for example. The company has been able to deliver outstanding total returns by paying out higher and higher dividends each year over an extremely long time horizon. Ultimately, investors are willing to pay higher and higher prices for shares that offer a growing stream of dividends.

• [By Sue Chang]

  McDonald�� (MCD) �is projected to report third-quarter earnings of $1.51 a share, according to a consensus survey by Thomson Reuters.

• [By Tamara Rutter]

  For comparison, the S&P 500 currently commands a price-to-earnings ratio of 19. The excessive run-up in Noodles & Company's stock coupled with the fact that it is new to the public market make it a far riskier bet than rival fast-casual stocks such as McDonald's (NYSE: MCD  ) . Not only is Mickey D's a well-established company with a proven track record of positive earnings, but it's also a "blue chip," which is considered one of the best stock categories for new investors.

Best Information Technology Stocks To Own For 2014: SciClone Pharmaceuticals Inc.(SCLN)

SciClone Pharmaceuticals, Inc. engages in the development and commercialization of novel therapeutics for the treatment of oncology, infectious diseases, cardiovascular, urological, respiratory, and central nervous system disorders in the People?s Republic of China and internationally. Its principal product is ZADAXIN for the treatment of hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses, and certain cancers, as well as for use as a vaccine adjuvant or as a chemotherapy adjuvant for cancer patients with weakened immune systems. ZADAXIN has approval in approximately 30 countries, primarily China, the Pacific Rim, Latin America, eastern Europe, and the Middle East. The company markets and sells ZADAXIN principally through its distributors. It is also developing SCV-07, which is in Phase 2 clinical trials for the treatment of oral mucositis and hepatitis C virus. In addition, the company markets partnered products in China, including Depakine, an anti-convulsant; Tritace, an ACE inhibitor for the treatment of hypertension; Stilnox, a hypnotic for the short-term treatment of insomnia; and Aggrastat, a cardiology product. SciClone Pharmaceuticals also has commercialization rights for DC Bead, a product candidate for the treatment of advanced liver cancer in China, as well as for ondansetron RapidFilm, an oral thin film formulation of ondansetron to treat and prevent nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery in China and Vietnam. The company was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in Foster City, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  SciClone (NASDAQ: SCLN  ) has a new man leading its finance team. The company announced that it hired Wilson Cheung to be its new CFO. Cheung is a longtime executive who most recently served as chief compliance officer, Asia Pacific, at digital marketing agency Velti, following a stint as that company's CFO. Before that, he was CFO and corporate secretary at AXT (NASDAQ: AXTI  ) and served in various managerial positions in firms such as KPMG and Yahoo!

• [By Monica Gerson]

  SciClone Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SCLN) is expected to report its Q4 earnings at $0.15 per share on revenue of $38.30 million.

  Essex Rental (NASDAQ: ESSX) is projected to post a Q4 loss at $0.10 per share on revenue of $22.55 million.

Best Information Technology Stocks To Own For 2014: HomeAway Inc (AWAY)

HomeAway, Inc. (HomeAway), incorporated on April 6, 2004, is an online marketplace for the vacation rental industry. As of December 31, 2012, the Company operated its online marketplace through 44 websites in 13 languages. During the year December 31, 2012, the Company had over 600 million Website visits. As of December 31, 2012, its global marketplace included more than 710,000 paid listings of vacation rentals. HomeAway portfolio includes the vacation rental Websites: HomeAway.com, VRBO.com and VacationRentals.com in the United States; HomeAway.co.uk and OwnersDirect.co.uk in the United Kingdom; HomeAway.de in Germany; Abritel.fr and Homelidays.com in France; HomeAway.es in Spain; AlugueTemporada.com.br in Brazil, and HomeAway.com.au in Australia. In April 2012, the Company acquired 100% of the outstanding stock of Top Rural S.L. In November 2013, the Company announced that it has secured a 55% interest of Bookabach Limited, the operator of a vacation rental site in New Zealand.

HomeAway operates BedandBreakfast.com, a global site for finding bed and breakfast properties, providing travelers with another source for lodging alternatives to hotels, and HomeAway Software for Professionals at software.HomeAway.com, to offer software solutions to property managers and innkeepers. Its online marketplace serves two major constituents: property owners and managers on one side and travelers on the other. Property owners and managers pay listing fees, which are annual subscriptions, to provide detailed listings of their properties on its Websites and reach an audience of travelers seeking vacation rentals. Travelers visit its marketplace at no charge and are able to search and compare its large and detailed inventory of paid listings to find vacation rentals meeting their requirements.

Products and Services for Property Owners and Managers

Paid listings are purchased in advance by property owners or managers as a form of advertising to promote their vacation rentals to ! prospective travelers on one or more of its Websites, typically for one year. Paid listings appear in search results on its websites when travelers search for vacation rentals based on traveler search criteria. During the year ended December 31, 2012, paid listings accounted for 84.9% of the Company�� revenue. ReservationManager includes tools and services to help property owners and managers run their vacation rental businesses more efficiently. ReservationManager enables property owners and managers to respond to and manage inquiries, prepare and send rental quotes and payment invoices, allow travelers to book online, including being able to enter into rental agreements with travelers online, and process online payments via Visa, MasterCard, Discover or eCheck. Additionally, through ReservationManager, property owners and managers can provide value-added products to travelers for purchase such as property damage protection.

Property owners and managers may purchase additional enhancements to their listings to increase the marketing exposure of their properties on certain of our websites, such as: Cross-Sell Listings or Bundles and Featured Listings, Special Offers and Deals. Performance-Based Listings property managers can use its enterprise and Web-based software solutions to manage their businesses, customers and properties. The Company provide software solutions to property managers under the brand names HomeAway Software for Professionals, Escapia, PropertyPlus, V12, Entech and First Resort and offer software tailored to professional bed and breakfast innkeepers under the brand names Webervations and Rezovations. Third-Party Services offer property owners and managers several ancillary products and services on selected websites. These products and services include credit card merchant accounts, trip insurance and property damage protection, and tax return services. BedandBreakfast.com Redistribution through its professional software for bed and breakfasts and professional property m! anagers, ! it make selected, online e-bookable properties available to online travel agencies, including Expedia, Travelocity and Priceline, as well as channel partners such as FlipKey.com and PackLate.com. Property Owner and Manager Community provide resources for property owners and managers to seek advice and obtain answers to optimize their business. These resources include a community site, email newsletters, online forums and online seminars.

Products and Services for Travelers

The products and services are offered to travelers at no cost, which include Search and Compare, Traveler Login, Trust and Security, Listing Reviews and Ratings, Traveler Community and Mobile Websites and Applications. Search and compare is an online marketplace provides travelers with tools to search for vacation rentals based on various criteria, such as location, type of property, number of bedrooms, amenities, availability or keywords. Travelers are able to create accounts that enable them to log in to certain of our websites. Travelers can then send inquiries to property owners and managers without having to fill in their information for each inquiry. Trust and security reviews new listings selectively for content, appropriateness, and quality of description. Travelers are invited to submit online reviews of the vacation rentals they have rented through its Websites. These reviews are intended to convey the accuracy of the listing information found on its Websites.

Traveler community who have made at least one inquiry on one of the Company�� Websites are maintained in a database and receive regular communications, including notices about places of interest, special offers, new listings, and an e-mail newsletter. Mobile Websites and applications provides versions of its Websites formatted for Web browsers on smartphones and tablets so that travelers can access its Websites and find and inquire about vacation rentals when they are away from a computer. It also provides applications for tra! velers to! find and inquire about vacation rentals using their smartphones and tablets.

Value-Added Services

The Company�� Value-Added Services includes Carefree Rental Guarantee, Insurance Products and Tax Filing Services. Carefree Rental Guarantee, which is offered at no cost to travelers, it offer a Carefree Rental Guarantee in the United States for a fee, which provides additional financial protection against fraud if the property found on its Website is illegitimate, not as advertised, or not available to the traveler upon check-in, and, as a result, the traveler incurs a financial loss. Insurance Products have contracted with third party insurance providers to offer travelers insurance products for purchase to protect against unexpected events relating to their trips, such as property damage protection, trip cancellation protection, personal liability, medical fees and legal expenses. Tax Filing Services to assist its property owners and managers in complying with applicable tax regulations, it contract with a third party in the United States to provide tax preparation and filing services for its property owners and managers.

Advertising

The Company�� advertising includes Display Advertising and Sponsorships and Site Integrations. Display Advertising sells Internet display advertising on the majority of the Company�� Websites. Advertisers, including those offering complementary products of interest to the visitors to its Websites, are able to purchase advertising positions for a fee based upon the number of impressions and the placement of the advertisement on the page. Sponsorships and site integrations sell sponsorships and site integrations to selected advertisers on its online marketplace. Sponsors purchase a certain number of impressions for a fee, or in the case of site integrations, pay the Company on a cost-per-action basis.

The Company competes with TripAdvisor.com, FlipKey.com, HolidayLettings.co.uk, Wyndam Worldwide Corp., I! nterHome,! AG, Hyatt Vacation Clubs, Four Seasons Resorts, VacationRoost; Expedia, Inc., Hotels.com LP, Kayak Software Corporation, Orbitz, Inc., priceline.com Incorporated, Travelocity.com Inc., Interval International, Inc. and RCI, LLC, Airbnb, Inc., craigslist, Inc., eBay Inc., Google Inc. and Bing.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Equities Trading UP
  HomeAway (NASDAQ: AWAY) shot up 18.62 percent to $34.51 after the company reported a 63 percent rise in its Q3 profit. Raymond James upgraded the stock from Outperform to Strong Buy.

• [By Michael Cintolo]

  HomeAway (AWAY)

  It�� not as sexy as some other stories, but we believe HomeAway has all of the characteristics of a big winner��t serves a mass market, it offers a major benefit to consumers, it dominates its market.

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  Vacation-home rental website operator HomeAway Inc.(AWAY) and midstream energy owner American Midstream Partners LP(AMID) separately disclosed plans to offer shares and units, respectively. HomeAway is aiming to raise proceeds for general corporate purposes, while American Midstream is looking to use some of the funds to pay for a previously disclosed acquisition.

Best Information Technology Stocks To Own For 2014: Charter Communications Inc.(CHTR)

Charter Communications, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides entertainment, information, and communications solutions to residential and commercial customers in the United States. The company offers cable video programming services, such as basic and digital video, premium channels, OnDemand, pay-per-view, high definition television, digital video recorder, and online video services; Internet services; Charter.net, which provides multiple e-mail addresses, as well as various entertainment, games, news, and sports content; and telephone services. It also provides broadband communications solutions, such as Internet access, data networking, fiber connectivity to cellular towers and office buildings, video entertainment services, and business telephone services under the Charter Business brand name to business and carrier organizations. As of December 31, 2011, the company served approximately 4.1 million video customers; approximately 3.5 million Internet customers; appr oximately 1.7 million telephone customers; and approximately 476,200 commercial primary service units. Charter Communications, Inc. was founded in 1999 and is based in St. Louis, Missouri.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Pato Kehoe] o help strengthen the firm�� multi-channel subscription model by increasing the platforms for content delivery. Additionally, this strategy will balance future revenue losses in the DVD segment, as a consequence of the cheaper viewing alternatives.

  Theme Parks and Overseas Expansion

  Walt Disney Co. undoubtedly has a talent for monetizing its characters and franchises across multiple platforms, but its theme parks are the crown jewel. These are an especially attractive and unique segment in the company�� assets, mainly because they are almost impossible to replicate. The Parks and Resorts division accounts for 25% of operating profits and after the 2009 crisis, revenues have been recovering at a fast pace. During the last quarter of 2013, revenue in this segment experienced an 8.5% increase, while operating income marked a 15% rise. In fact, the company is focused on further deploying its capital towards the expansion of the Parks and Resorts business, thereby creating new growth opportunities.

  Looking forward, Walt Disney Co. is aiming to expand its operations overseas, in the emerging nations China, Russia and India. The Shanghai Disney Resort, for example, will contain a Shanghai Disneyland, two themed hotels and a retail, dining and entertainment venue, and is set to be China�� largest theme park by 2015. Despite possible unfavourable foreign currency translations, this firm should be able to sustain its growth given its multiple revenue sources. Furthermore, the entertainment giant has been highly successful at managing its cash flow, returning large sums of its free cash to shareholders via dividends and share repurchases. The 71.3 million repurchased shares in fiscal 2013, worth close to $4.1 billion, are expected to increase in 2014 and will range between $6 and $8 billion in returns.

  Despite the risks of the economy deteriorating and primetime ratings fall, which could affect advertising dollars and revenue generating capabi

Best Information Technology Stocks To Own For 2014: Armco Metals Holdings Inc (AMCO)

Armco Metals Holdings, Inc., formerly China Armco Metals, Inc., incorporated on April 25, 2007, is engaged in metal ore trading and distribution and scrap metal recycling. The Company�� s operations are conducted primarily in the People's Republic of China (PRC). In the Company's metal ore trading and distribution business, the Company imports, sells and distributes to the metal refinery industry in the PRC a range of metal ore which includes iron, chrome, nickel, copper and manganese ore, as well as non-ferrous metals, and coal. The Company obtains these raw materials from global suppliers primarily in Brazil, India, Indonesia, Ukraine and the United States and distributes them in the PRC. In addition, it provides sourcing and pricing services for various metals to its network of customers.

The Company�� scrap metal recycling business, it recycles scrap metal at its recycling facility and sell the recycled product to steel mills in China for use in the production of recycled steel. The Company sells processed and non-ferrous ore to end-users, such as specialty steelmakers, foundries, aluminum sheets and ingot manufacturers, copper refineries and smelters, brass and bronze ingot manufacturers, wire and cable producers, utilities and telephone networks. The Company recycles scrap metals at the Facility using both heavy equipment and manual labors. Recycling scrap metal consists of a variety of steps, including collecting, inspecting, sorting, stripping, shearing, cutting, shredding and bailing.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James E. Brumley]

  It's still too soon to put it in your portfolio, but Armco Metals Holdings Inc. (NYSE:AMCO) most definitely deserves a place on your watchlist. This Chinese metal stock is poised for a breakout move. It just needs the right nudge, and a little help on a certain front to let AMCO take flight.

Best Information Technology Stocks To Own For 2014: ABB Ltd(ABB)

ABB Ltd. provides power and automation technologies for utility and industrial customers worldwide. The company?s Power Products division manufactures and sells high- and medium-voltage switchgear and apparatus, circuit breakers, power and distribution transformers, and sensors. ABB?s Power Systems division provides integrated power and automation solutions for power generation plants; alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) transmission systems; and flexible alternating current systems technologies. It also offers land and submarine cables, as well as accessories and services for medium- to high-voltage AC and DC systems; air- and gas-insulated substations; and network management solutions to help manage power networks. In addition, this division offers support agreements and retrofits to spare parts, service, consulting, and training; and undertakes analyses and design of new transmission and distribution systems. The company?s Discrete Automation and Motion div ision manufactures and sells motors, generators, variable speed drives, programmable logic controllers, rectifiers, excitation systems, robotics, and related services for a range of applications in factory automation, process industries, and utilities. Its Low Voltage Products division provides protection, control, and measurement for electrical installations, enclosures, switchboards, electronics, and electromechanical devices for industrial machines, plants, and related services. It also makes building control systems for home and building automation. The company?s Process Automation division offers integrated process control and instrumentation systems, plant electrification systems, information management systems, and industry-specific application knowledge for industries, such as pulp and paper, minerals and mining, metals, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, oil and gas, turbocharging, power, and marine. ABB Ltd. was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerla nd.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By MONEYMORNING.COM]

  Keith also recommended ABB Ltd (NYSE: ABB) and Abbott Laboratories Inc. (NYSE: ABT). ABB and Abbott are both earlier Private Briefing recommendations. SanDisk was a brand-new recommendation, but one I like a lot; Keith and resident tech guru Michael Robinson also each like the stock.

• [By Travis Hoium]

  What: Shares of solar-inverter maker Power-One (NASDAQ: PWER.DL  ) jumped 56% today after getting a buyout offer from ABB (NYSE: ABB  ) .