Best Specialty Retail Stocks To Invest In 2014

I went out on a limb last week, and now it's time to see how that decision played out.

I predicted that Titan Machinery (NASDAQ: TITN  ) would close lower on the week. The specialty retailer of agricultural and construction equipment has been disappointing on the bottom line in recent quarters, and analysts were expecting Titan to post its first quarterly deficit since going public six years ago come Thursday. It did. The stock declined 0.5% on the week. I was right. I predicted that the tech-heavy Nasdaq would outperform the Dow Jones Industrial Average. (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) . This has been a tricky call lately, so how did it play out this time? Well, the market saved itself by rallying on Friday. The Nasdaq moved 0.4% higher on the week. The Dow managed to close 0.9% lower. I was wrong. My final call was for Francesca's Holdings (NASDAQ: FRAN  ) to beat Wall Street's income estimates in its latest quarter. The rapidly expanding boutique operator has been posting blowout quarterly results over the past year, and I was banking on seeing the trend continue. Analysts were looking for a profit of $0.26 a share during the quarter, and it merely matched that target. That was close, but not what I had predicted. I was wrong.

One out of three? Bummer! I was an impressive 16 out of 18 over the six previous weeks.

Best Specialty Retail Stocks To Invest In 2014: Bp - British Petroleum Plc(BP.L)

BP p.l.c. provides fuel for transportation, energy for heat and light, lubricants to engines, and petrochemicals products. Its Exploration and Production segment engages in the oil and natural gas exploration, field development, and production; midstream transportation, and storage and processing; and marketing and trading of natural gas, including liquefied natural gas (LNG), and power and natural gas liquids (NGL). This segment has exploration and production activities in Angola, Azerbaijan, Canada, Egypt, Norway, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Kingdom, and the United States, as well as in Asia, Australasia, South America, north Africa, and the Middle East. It also owns and manages crude oil and natural gas pipelines; processing facilities and export terminals; and LNG processing and transportation, as well as NGL extraction facilities. The company?s Refining and Marketing segment is involved in refining, manufacturing, marketing, transportation, and supply and trading of crude oil, petroleum, and petrochemicals products and related services to wholesale and retail customers primarily under the BP, Castrol, and Aral brands. BP p.l.c. also engages in the alternative energy business, as well as offers shipping and treasury services. The company was founded in 1889 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

Best Specialty Retail Stocks To Invest In 2014: Panera Bread Company(PNRA)

Panera Bread Company, together with its subsidiaries, owns, operates, and franchises retail bakery-cafes in the United States and Canada. Its bakery-cafes offer fresh baked goods, sandwiches, soups, salads, custom roasted coffees, and other complementary products, as well as provide catering services. The company also manufactures and supplies dough and other products to company-owned and franchise-operated bakery-cafes. As of March 29, 2011, it owned and franchised 1,467 bakery-cafes under the Panera Bread, Saint Louis Bread Co., and Paradise Bakery & Cafe names. The company was founded in 1981 and is based in St. Louis, Missouri.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Fabian]  

  Most of you have probably eaten at one of these franchise bakery-cafes. If not I highly recommend it, as for the company itself they are exceptional. Profit soared 50% in the first quarter, operating margins rose several percentage points, and Panera is sitting on $300+ million of cash. Right now it’s at a 30% discount to its peer averages and the stock is very cheap when valued against future earnings. Strong buy expect it to rise to $105.

• [By Sy_Harding]

  Panera is a great growth story that continues to get better. Panera is thriving in the casual dining arena with fellow Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG). Quick food that is good and good for you. The company is now moving into cities, which provides another strong revenue stream for the company and continues to build up their image. It has the potential for a lot more stores, and we believe the company is ready to move into new markets. We have a $170 PT on the company, and we see this stock as a growth story about to take off even further in 2012.

  Allocation: $2000

  Entry: $137.00

  Target: $150, $170

Top 5 Income Stocks For 2014: Novogen Limited(NVGN)

Novogen Limited, a biotechnology company, through its subsidiary, Marshall Edwards, Inc., conducts research and development on oncology therapeutics. It also develops glucan technology. The company is developing various anti-cancer drugs, known as multiple signal transduction regulators (MSTRs). Its anti-cancer products include Phenoxodiol, a phase III investigational drug for late stage, chemoresistant ovarian cancer and a Phase II clinical trial for prostate and cervical cancers; and Triphendiol, a Phase I completed signal transduction inhibitor for the treatment of cholangiocarcinoma or bile duct cancer, and stage IIB through stage IV malignant melanoma. The company?s anti-cancer products also comprise NV-143, a derivative of triphendiol acting as investigational anti-cancer drug; NV-128, a pre-clinical development stage investigational cancer compound using various molecular mechanisms to promote the death of cancer cells; and GLYC-101, a topical gel formulation that stimulates and modulates the natural cascade of wound healing activities in various cell populations. Novogen Limited was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in North Ryde, Australia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Another stock that looks poised to breakout out here and potentially rip sharply higher is Novogen(NVGN), which develops and markets pharmaceutical products. This stock has been hammered by the bears so far in 2013, with shares off by 40%.

  If you take a look at the chart for Novogen, you'll notice that this stock has been downtrending badly for the last month and change, with shares dropping from $6.50 to its recent low of $3.93 a share. During that downtrend, shares of NVGN have been consistently making lower highs and lower lows, which is bearish technical price action. That said, shares of NVGN are now starting to bounce right off its 200-day moving average at $4.21 a share, and the stock is quickly moving within range of breaking out above a key downtrend line.

  Market players should now look for long-biased trades in NVGN if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $4.50 to its 50-day moving average at $5.01 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that registers near or above its three-month average action of 223,479 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then NVGN will set up for a potentially explosive move that could take the stock back toward its next major overhead resistance levels at $6 to $7 a share.

  Traders can look to buy NVGN off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below some key near-term support at $3.93 a share. One could also buy NVGN off strength once it takes out those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop right below its 200-day moving average at $4.21 a share or near $3.93 a share.

Best Specialty Retail Stocks To Invest In 2014: Gibraltar Industries Inc.(ROCK)

Gibraltar Industries, Inc. manufactures and distributes building products for the home improvement, highway construction, building materials, architectural industries, and construction industries. The company?s products include a line of bar grating and safety plank grating for use in walkways, platforms, safety barriers, drainage covers, and ventilation grates; expanded and perforated metal used in walkways, catwalks, shelving, fencing, barriers, patio furniture, and other applications; metal lath products for use in exterior stucco, stone, and tile projects; fiberglass grating; and expansion joint systems, bearing assemblies, and pavement sealing systems used in bridge and highway infrastructure construction. Its products also consist of roof and foundation ventilation products and accessories; mail storage solutions comprising single mailboxes and cluster boxes for multi-unit housing; roof edging, underlayment, and flashing; soffits and trim; drywall corner bead; coate d coil stock; metal roofing and accessories; steel framing; rain dispersion products, such as gutters and accessories; and lawn and garden products. The company sells its products through its sales personnel and outside sales representatives to home improvement retailers and building product distributors, as well as to commercial, residential, and transportation contractors. It operates primarily in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Europe. The company was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Buffalo, New York.

Best Specialty Retail Stocks To Invest In 2014: Calix Inc(CALX)

Calix, Inc. provides broadband communications access systems and software for fiber and copper-based network architectures that enable communications service providers (CSPs) to connect to their residential and business subscribers. The company?s Unified Access portfolio comprises hardware and software products, which include C-Series platform, and E-Series platforms and nodes. The C-Series platform is a C7 multiservice and multiprotocol access platform that supports various basic voice and data services, as well as advanced, high-speed, and packet-based services, including gigabit Ethernet, GPON and DSL, and advanced applications, such as IPTV offered by CSPs. The E-Series platforms and nodes consist of chassis-based platforms, and fixed form factor nodes that support various advanced IP-based services, and enable CSPs to implement advanced Ethernet transport and aggregation; and voice, data, and video services over fiber and copper-based network architectures. The compan y?s Unified Access portfolio also includes P-Series Optical Network Terminals, which auto-detect the bandwidth of the network and enable CSPs to change line rates and features without truck rolls or hardware replacements; and Calix Management System, a server-based network management software, which enables CSPs to remotely manage their access networks and scale bandwidth capacity to support advanced broadband services and video. Calix, Inc. markets its access systems and software to CSPs in North America, the Caribbean, and Latin America directly. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Petaluma, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Karim]

  Calix, Inc.(Calix) is a provider of communications access systems and software that enable communications service providers (CSPs) to connect to their residential and business subscribers. The company enables CSPs to provide a range of revenue-generating services, from basic voice and data to broadband services, over legacy and access networks. Its EPS forecast for the current year is 0.83 and next year is 126. According to consensus estimates, its topline is expected to grow 41.99% current year and 21.84% next year. It is trading at a forward P/E of 16. Out of six analysts covering the company, three are positive and have buy recommendations and three have hold ratings.

Best Specialty Retail Stocks To Invest In 2014: Yamana Gold Inc Com Shs Npv(YAU.L)

Yamana Gold Inc. engages in the exploration, development, and production of mineral properties, primarily gold. It also explores for copper, molybdenum, zinc, and silver metals. The company?s property portfolio includes seven operating gold mines, including Chapada mine, Jacobina mining complex, and Fazenda Brasileiro mine in Brazil; El Pe耋n mine and Minera Florida mine in Chile; Gualcamayo mine in Argentina; and Mercedes mine in Mexico. It also has a 12.5% indirect interest in the Alumbrera copper/gold/molybdenum mine in Argentina, as well as holds interests in various advanced and near development stage projects and exploration properties in Brazil, Chile, and Argentina. Yamana Gold Inc. was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.