Top 10 Warren Buffett Companies For 2014

Investing mastermind Benjamin Graham, Warren Buffett's teacher, tells us:

"[T]here are just two basic questions to which stockholders should turn their attention:

Is the management reasonably efficient? Are the interests of the average outside shareholder receiving proper recognition?"

I'm concerned that Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS  ) fails the second test. Here are some issues that raise my concern.

An abundance of related-party transactions
Las Vegas Sands' 2013 proxy lists a large quantity of related-party transactions (i.e., business deals that took place between the company and individuals with whom insiders had a special relationship before the deal).

While some related-party transactions can be legitimate, they can create the potential for conflicts of interest and result in outcomes that put the interests of insiders directly ahead of the interests of shareholders. For this reason, cautious companies often try to avoid engaging in an abundance of related-party transactions to avoid the appearance of misconduct.

Top 10 Warren Buffett Companies For 2014: Lakeland Bancorp Inc.(LBAI)

Lakeland Bancorp, Inc. operates as the bank holding company of Lakeland Bank, which provides various commercial and consumer banking products and services to small and medium-sized businesses, professionals, and individuals primarily in northern New Jersey. The company's depository products include checking accounts, savings accounts, demand deposits, time deposits, NOW accounts, money market accounts, and certificates of deposit. It also offers short and medium term loans, lines of credit, letters of credit, inventory and accounts receivable financing, real estate construction loans, mortgage loans, merchant credit card services, secured and unsecured loans, consumer installment loans, and commercial and industrial loans. In addition, the company provides wire transfer, Internet banking, night depository services, and safe deposit services; cash management services, such as remote capture of deposits and overnight sweep repurchase agreements; and investment and advisory s ervices. It operates 47 banking offices in Bergen, Essex, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, and Warren counties in New Jersey. The company was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in Oak Ridge, New Jersey.

Top 10 Warren Buffett Companies For 2014: Gmg Global Ltd (5IM.SI)

GMG Global Limited, an investment holding company, engages in planting, growing, tapping, processing, marketing, and exporting of natural rubber in Singapore, Cameroon, Cote d�Ivoire, Indonesia, and Thailand. The company provides centrifuged latex grade rubber, which is used in gloves, condoms, and adhesives industry; tire grade rubber that is used in the manufacture of tires for cars, commercial trucks, and machineries; and block rubbers of latex and skim. It is also involved in the production and distribution of plastic products. The company is headquartered in Singapore. GMG Global Limited is a subsidiary of Sinochem International (Overseas) Pte Ltd.

Best Blue Chip Stocks To Watch For 2014: ATP Oil And Gas Corp (ATPO.MU)

ATP Oil & Gas Corporation, incorporated in 1991, is engaged in the acquisition, development and production of oil and natural gas properties. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had estimated net proved reserves of 118.9 Million barrels of crude oil equivalent (MMBoe), of which approximately 75.9 MMboe (64%) were in the Gulf of Mexico and 42.9 MMBoe (36%) were in the North Sea. The reserves consisted of 78.6 Million barrels (MMBbls) of oil (66%) and 241.5 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of natural gas (34%). Its proved reserves in the deepwater area of the Gulf of Mexico account for 62% of the Company�� total proved reserves and its proved reserves on the Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf account for 2% of its total proved reserves. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company acquired three licenses in the Mediterranean Sea covering potential natural gas resources in the deepwater off the coast of Israel (East Mediterranean). On August 17, 2012, ATP Oil And Ga s Corp filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

The Company�� natural gas reserves are split between the Gulf of Mexico (57%) and the North Sea (43%). Of its total proved reserves, 8.3 MMBoe (7%) were producing, 19.0 MMBoe (16%) were developed and not producing and 91.6 MMBoe (77%) were undeveloped. The Company�� average working interest in its properties at December 31, 2011, was approximately 81%. The Company operates 92% of its platforms. At December 31, 2011, in the Gulf of Mexico, it owned leasehold and other interests in 38 offshore blocks and 49 wells, including 23 subsea wells. The Company operates 43 (88%) of these wells, including 100% of the subsea wells. In the North Sea, it also had interests in 13 blocks and two Company-operated subsea wells. As of March 15, 2011, the Company owned an interest in 13 platforms, including two floating production facilities in the Gulf of Mexico, the ATP Titan at its Telemark Hub and the ATP Innovator at its G omez Hub. It operates the ATP Innovator and the ATP Titan.!

Top 10 Warren Buffett Companies For 2014: Pacific Environment Ltd (PEH.AX)

Pacific Environment Limited engages in the provision of environmental consulting and technology services primarily in Australia. The company offers EnviroSuite that provides end to end managed environmental services, which include identifying emissions sources, collection and measurement of emissions, and managing emissions data; and environmental management and reporting systems to organizations for simplifying environmental reporting. It also provides various consulting services in areas, including air quality modeling and impact assessment; odor assessments; acute release incident modeling; applied meteorology; forensic meteorology; compliance reporting; works approvals, licensing, and regulatory compliance support; development of air quality and dust management plans; development and management of mitigation strategies; and design and management of monitoring programs. In addition, the company offers consulting services in noise, vibration, and acoustics areas that com prise of environmental noise impact assessments, operational noise predictions, building vibration and ground borne noise, transportation noise assessment, and occupational noise assessments; and in occupational and community health areas, including development of occupational health and safety programs, toxicological and human health risk assessments, indoor air quality assessments, monitoring programs for the workplace and community, and health and environmental risk assessment in indoor and outdoor environments. Further, it provides reports, advice, and reviews in toxicology, risk assessment, hazardous substance classification, exposure assessment, chemical registration, and litigation support. Pacific Environment Limited was incorporated in 2006 and is based in North Sydney, Australia.

Top 10 Warren Buffett Companies For 2014: Susser Holdings Corporation(SUSS)

Susser Holdings Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates convenience stores in Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. The company operates in two segments, Retail and Wholesale. The Retail segment operates convenience stores that offer merchandise, food service, and motor fuel, as well as provides other services, including car washes, lottery, ATM, money orders, prepaid phone cards and wireless services, and movie rentals. As of January 1, 2012, it operated 541 convenience stores under the Stripes brand name. The Wholesale segment distributes motor fuel to its retail convenience stores, contracted independent operators of convenience stores, unbranded convenience stores, unattended fueling facilities, and other end users in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. The company also offers environmental, maintenance, and construction management services to the petroleum industry; and sells and installs motor fuel dispensers and tanks, as well as provides a range of environmental consulting services, such as hydrocarbon remediation, and Phase I and II site assessments for its stores and outside customers. Susser Holdings Corporation is based in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Top 10 Warren Buffett Companies For 2014: Petrobakken Energy Ltd. (PBN.TO)

PetroBakken Energy Ltd. operates as a light oil exploration and production company in western Canada. The company primarily engages in the exploration and development of oil and natural gas. It holds interests in various development drilling locations, including Bakken light oil resource locations and Mississippian light oil conventional locations, both in southeast Saskatchewan; Cardium light oil resource locations in central Alberta; and Montney and Horn River natural gas resource locations in northeast British Columbia. The company was incorporated in 2009 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. PetroBakken Energy Ltd. is a subsidiary of Petrobank Energy and Resources Ltd.

Top 10 Warren Buffett Companies For 2014: RUUKKI GROUP OYJ NPV(RKKI.L)

Ruukki Group Plc operates as a natural resources company with mining and minerals business in southern Europe and southern Africa. It engages in the production and sale of ferrochrome and other metal alloys that are used as raw material in the steel industry. The company also involves in mining, beneficiation, smelting, and processing chrome ore and concentrate, silico manganese, and chromium-iron-nickel alloys in Turkey, Malta, Germany, and South Africa. Ruukki Group Plc was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Helsinki, Finland.

Top 10 Warren Buffett Companies For 2014: Wildcat Exploration Ltd. (WEL.V)

Wildcat Exploration Ltd., an exploration stage company, engages in the identification, acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral resource properties in Canada. The company explores for precious and base metal deposits in the provinces of Manitoba, Ontario, and Saskatchewan. Its project portfolio includes the Jeep, Mike Power, Poundmaker, and Siderock gold properties, as well as Garner gold and base metal project located in the Rice Lake Greenstone Belt area in Manitoba; the McVicar gold project located to the west of Pickle Lake in northwestern Ontario; the Reed Lake copper-zinc project located in the Flin Flon Greenstone Belt area in Manitoba; the Burntwood nickel property located to the south southwest of Thompson, Manitoba; and the Foster River zinc-lead-silver project located on the eastern margin of the Wollaston Domain, Saskatchewan. The company was incorporated in 1998 and is headquartered in Winnipeg, Canada.

Top 10 Warren Buffett Companies For 2014: First Community Bancshares Inc.(FCBC)

First Community Bancshares, Inc. operates as a financial holding company of First Community Bank, N.A. that provides various commercial and consumer banking products and services. The company offers demand deposit accounts, savings and money market accounts, certificates of deposit, and individual retirement arrangements; commercial, consumer, and real estate mortgage loans, as well as lines of credit; various debit card and automated teller machine card services; and corporate and personal trust services. It also provides trust management and estate administration services; and investment advisory and management services. In addition, the company operates an insurance agency that offers life, health, and property and casualty insurance products. It serves individual consumers and various industries, including manufacturing, mining, services, construction, retail, healthcare, military, and transportation. As of June 28, 2011, the company operated through 56 banking offices in Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. First Community Bancshares, Inc. was founded in 1989 and is based in Bluefield, Virginia.

Top 10 Warren Buffett Companies For 2014: Sandstorm Gold Ltd (SAND)

Sandstorm Gold Ltd. (Sandstorm Gold), formerly Sandstorm Resources Ltd., is a gold streaming company. The Company provides financing to gold mining companies that are looking for capital and in return, receives a gold streaming agreement. It is a non-operating gold mining company with seven gold streams in the portfolio, five of which are producing gold. The Company�� projects include the Aurizona Gold project, the Santa Elena project, the Summit Mine project, the Ming Mine project, the Black Fox Mine project, Bracemac-McLeod project and the Bachelor Lake Mine. It holds 17% interest in the mine gold production from Aurizona. Santa Elena Project, in which the Company holds 20% interest. It holds 12% interest in the mine gold production from Black fox mine project. The Summit Mine project, in which it has 50% interest, 25% interest in Ming mine project and 17.5% interest in Bracemac-McLeod project. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Christopher Barker]

  Even following a standout performance during 2012 that left this Fool wishing he had initiated a position in the shares much earlier, I believe that gold streamer Sandstorm Gold holds the promise of continued outperformance based upon the same ingenious business model that has made Silver Wheaton (NYSE: SLW  ) one of the 21st century's more noteworthy stock performances. Founded by entrepreneurial Silver Wheaton alum Nolan Watson, Sandstorm has quickly amassed an attractive portfolio of assets with some of the more promising junior operators in the mining business (including Colossus Gold).