Best Quality Stocks To Invest In 2014

General Electric (GE) is living out its old motto, “We Bring Good Things to Light,” at least for investors.

David Paul Morris/Bloomberg

GE’s shares are heading higher today after blue-chip conglomerate reported earnings of 40 cents a share, ahead of forecasts for a 35 cent profit. Profits fell 8.6% during the quarter, but that was largely due to weaker financial revenue–an area that GE has been trying to reduce its exposure too (also the businesses that helped GE beat earnings over and over again during the 2000s).

These earnings were all about GE’s industrial lines. Citigroup’s Deane Dray explains:

The Industrials-driven beat, high quality of earnings absorbing more restructuring, impressive order growth, and reaffirmation of the 2013 earnings framework should drive a low to mid single-digit positive reaction in GE shares on Oct-18. Skepticism of the 70 bps Industrial margin expansion target was rampant into earnings and the +120 bps in 3Q and reaffirmation of the 2013 target is a positive surprise.

Top 5 New Companies To Own In Right Now: Harmonic Inc.(HLIT)

Harmonic Inc. designs, manufactures, and sells video infrastructure products and system solutions to create, prepare, and deliver a range of video services for television and media platforms in the united States and internationally. Its products include video production platforms and playout solutions, such as video servers used by broadcasters, content owners, and multi-channel network operators to create and play-to-air television channels; video-optimized storage, which provides storage capacity and access bandwidth to support media production applications comprising video editing, content transformation, and media library management; and media applications that provide media integrated management and workflow control over content stored on its systems. The company offers video processing products, including broadcast encoders; contribution and distribution encoders; stream processing and statistical multiplexing solutions; content preparation and delivery for multi-scr een applications; decoders and descramblers; and management and control software. It also provides edge products that integrate routing, multiplexing, scrambling, and modulation into a single package; optical transmitters and amplifiers, which operates at various optical wavelengths and serves long-haul and local transport applications in the cable distribution network; optical nodes to supports network architectures for bandwidth delivered to a service area; and return path transmitters that support two-way transmission capabilities for analog or digital transport. In addition, the company offers technical support and professional services, such as maintenance and support; and consulting, implementation, and integration services. Harmonic Inc. sells its products through direct sales force, independent distributors, and integrators to cable, satellite and telco, and broadcast and media companies. The company was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in San Jose, California. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lee Jackson]

  Harmonic Inc. (NASDAQ: HLIT) is a top small cap name to buy at Oppenheimer. Revenue in the second quarter totaled $117.1 million, and bookings were $126.3 million. Non-GAAP net income was $5.6 million, or $0.05 per share. That bottom-line result is a welcome improvement compared to the adjusted net loss of $0.02 per share a year ago. The stock was up as much as 16% after earnings, and it may be a top name to own for the rest of the year. The consensus price target for the stock is $7.

• [By Garrett Cook]

  Shares of Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) were down 8.91 percent to $6.50 after the company lowered its Q2 forecast and issued a weak Q3 guidance.

  Riverbed Technology (NASDAQ: RVBD) shares tumbled 5.85 percent to $19.16 after the company lowered its Q2 revenue forecast.

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Harmonic (HLIT) designs, manufactures and sells versatile and hig-performance video products and system solutions that enable service providers to efficiently deliver the next generation of broadcast and on-demand services. This stock closed up 1.8% to $7.81 in Tuesday's trading session.

  Tuesday's Range: $7.61-$7.85
  
  52-Week Range: $3.96-$8.04
  
  Tuesday's Volume: 656,000
  
  Three-Month Average Volume: 777,544

  From a technical perspective, HLIT bounced modestly higher here right above its 50-day moving average of $7.51 with decent upside volume. This stock has been uptrending a bit for the last month, with shares moving higher from its low of $7.10 to its intraday high of $7.85. During that move, shares of HLIT have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move is now pushing shares of HLIT within range of triggering a big breakout trade. That trade will hit if HLIT manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance at $8 to its 52-week high at $8.04 with high volume.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in HLIT as long as it's trending above its 50-day at $7.51 or above more support at $7, and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 777,544 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then HLIT will set up to enter new 52-week high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that move are $9.50 to $10.50.

Best Quality Stocks To Invest In 2014: LG Display Co Ltd (LPL)

LG Display Co., Ltd. (LG Display), incorporated in 1985, manufactures thin-film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) panels in a range of sizes and specifications primarily for use in televisions, notebook computers and desktop monitors, and the Company is a suppliers of high-definition television panels. The Company also manufactures TFT-LCDs for other application products, such as mobile phones, certain types of tablet personal computers and industrial and other applications, including entertainment systems, automotives, portable navigation devices, e-books, digital photo displays and medical diagnostic equipment. During the year ended December 31, 2010, LG Display sold a total of 160.4 million large-size (nine-inch or larger) TFT-LCD panels. In addition to TFT-LCD panels, the Company also manufactures organic light-emitting diode (OLEDs) and flexible displays. As of March 31, 2011, the Company held a total of 15,049 patents, including 6,724 in Korea and 8,325 in other countries, including in the United States, China, Japan, Germany, France, Great Britain and Taiwan.

In May 2010, the Company purchased the liquid crystal display module division of LG Innotek Co., Ltd. (LG Innotek), a subsidiary of LG Electronics. In June 2010, the Company entered into a joint venture agreement with Iriver Ltd. to establish L&I Electronic Technology (Dongguan) Ltd. in Dongguan, China. In August 2010, the Company entered into a joint venture agreement with Everlight Electronics Co., Ltd. and AmTRAN Technology Co., Ltd., to establish Eralite Optoelectronics (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd.

As of December 31, 2010, the Company operated 12 panel fabrication facilities (five in Paju, Korea and seven in Gumi, Korea, and including expansions of certain facilities) and a total of nine module facilities (three in Nanjing, China, two in Guangzhou, China and one each in Gumi and Paju, Korea, Yantai, China and Wroclaw, Poland). In 2010, its display panels were included in products sold by LG Electronics, Appl! e, Toshiba, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Philips Electronics.

Televisions

The Company�� television panels range from 15 inches to 72-inch wide-format in size. The Company�� product portfolio includes panels of various sizes, such as 17-inch, 19-inch, 20-inch, 22-inch, 26-inch, 32-inch, 37-inch, 42-inch, 47-inch and 55-inch panels.As of december 31, 2010, 32-inch, 37-inch, 42-inch and 47-inch wide-format panels consists of principal products in this category in terms of sales revenue and sales volume.

Desktop Monitors

The Company�� desktop monitor display panels range from 15 inches to 30-inch wide-format in size in a variety of display resolutions and formats. In 2010, 19-inch and 21.5-inch display panels were its principal products in terms of sales revenue and sales volume in this category.

Notebook Computers

The Company�� display panels for notebook computers range from seven inches to 20.1-inch wide-format in size in a variety of display formats. In 2010, 15.6-inch, 9.7-inch and 14-inch panels were its principal products in this category.

Mobile and Other Applications

The Company�� product portfolio also includes panels for mobile and other applications, which utilize a wide array of display panel sizes, including mobile phones, certain types of tablet personal computers and industrial and other applications, including entertainment systems, automotives, portable navigation devices, e-books, digital photo displays and medical diagnostic equipment. TFT-LCD panels that are nine inches and smaller are referred to as small and medium-size panels, with those smaller than four inches being considered small-size panels. In 2010, sales of small-size panels constituted a significant majority in terms of both sales revenue and sales volume in the mobile and other applications category. Some of the panels the Company produces for industrial products, such as medical diagnostic equipment.

T! he Compan! y competes with Samsung Electronics, Samsung Mobile Display and Hydis Technologies, AU Optronics, Chimei Innolux, Chunghwa Picture Tubes, HannStar, Sharp, Hitachi, TMDisplay, Mitsubishi, IPS-Alpha, SAVIC, Infovision and BOE-OT.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rahul Chattaraj]

  Among other smartphone makers LG (LPL) is the only one that witnessed a rise in market share, but it still controls less the 10% of the market. Although the company saw a marginal increase in its market share, it should thank its stars considering other major players��disappointing performance. One of the prime reasons why LG managed a positive market share trend is that it made Google�� (GOOG) Nexus 4 and 5. These handsets did decent enough to pull up LG�� presence in the smartphone arena, although it is way behind Apple�� and Samsung��.

• [By Simon Erickson]

  Organic LED televisions were one of the hottest topics at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last week. LG (NYSE: LPL  ) gave a sneak peek of its three new OLED sets that will hit the market in 2014 -- coming with screen sizes of 55, 65, and even 77 inches! OLED televisions are brighter, thinner, and more cost-efficient than other technologies. Watching movies at home might never be the same.

• [By Steve Symington]

  Naturally, that spooked investors in Universal Display (NASDAQ: OLED  ) , the company whose technology enables nearly every OLED device on the market today. Even so, I noted that Cook's comments seemed curious at the time, especially given that recent reports claimed Apple had just hired a senior OLED technology expert away from one of its primary screen suppliers in LG Display (NYSE: LPL  ) .

• [By MONEYMORNING]

  A Bendable TV? A Bendable TV!:
  Earlier this week, we mentioned the 105-inch curved television from LG Display Co. (NYSE: LPL). That's pretty tame compared to Samsung's 85-inch bendable television.

Best Quality Stocks To Invest In 2014: Hersha Hospitality Trust (HT)

Hersha Hospitality Trust, a real estate investment trust, engages in the ownership and operation of mid scale limited service hotels in the Eastern United States. As of June 30, 2005, it owned interests in 35 hotels, including 4 hotels owned through joint ventures in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Georgia, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. The company has elected to be taxed as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code. As a REIT, Hersha would not be subject to income tax to the extent it distributes at least 90% of its taxable income to its stockholders. The company was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Markus Aarnio]

  American Hotel Income Properties' competitors include Hospitality Properties Trust (HPT), RLJ Lodging Trust (RLJ), and Hersha Hospitality Trust (HT).

Best Quality Stocks To Invest In 2014: Key Tronic Corporation(KTCC)

Key Tronic Corporation, doing business as KeyTronicEMS Co., together with its subsidiaries, provides electronic manufacturing services (EMS) to original equipment manufacturers primarily in the United States, Mexico, and China. Its EMS services include product design, surface mount technologies for printed circuit board assembly, tool making, precision plastic molding, liquid injection molding, automated tape winding, prototype design, and full product builds. The company also manufactures keyboards and other input devices for personal computers. Key Tronic markets its products and services primarily through its direct sales department aided by field sales people and distributors. The company was founded in 1968 and is headquartered in Spokane Valley, Washington.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Computer Peripherals: This industry rose 2.21% by 10:15 am ET. The top performer in this industry was Key Tronic (NASDAQ: KTCC), which gained 0.3%. Key Tronic's trailing-twelve-month ROE is 14.57%.

Best Quality Stocks To Invest In 2014: Petrobank Energy and Resources Ltd (PBEGF.PK)

Petrobank Energy and Resources Ltd. (Petrobank) is engaged in the exploration and development of oil and natural gas in western Canada. The Company operates in two segments: the Heavy Oil Business Unit (HBU) and PetroBakken Energy Ltd. (PetroBakken). Its operations are conducted through its HBU, as well as its technology subsidiary, Archon Technologies Ltd. The HBU operates its heavy oil projects using Petrobank�� THAI heavy oil recovery process in the field. In addition, Petrobank owns 59% of its subsidiary, PetroBakken. Whitesands Insitu Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, owns heavy oil leases in Alberta and oil sands and heavy oil licenses and leases in Saskatchewan, and operates the Kerrobert Project. During the year ended December 31, 2011, Petrobank completed the Kerrobert Project, with all 10 expansion well pairs drilled. On February 28, 2012, Petrobank completed the sale of May River Property. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Dube]

  Peace River's most notable producers:

  PennWest Exploration (PWE), see article here.Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A), see article here.Baytex (BTE), see article here.Strata Oil and Gas (SOIGF.PK), see article here.Petrobank Energy & Resources (PBEGF.PK), see article here.

  Cold Lake's most notable producers:

Best Quality Stocks To Invest In 2014: Vitacost.com Inc (VITC)

Vitacost.com, Inc. (Vitacost), incorporated in May 20, 1994, is an online retailer of health and wellness products, including dietary supplements such as vitamins, minerals, herbs and other botanicals, amino acids and metabolites, as well as cosmetics, natural personal care products, pet products, sports nutrition and health foods. The Company sells these products directly to consumers primarily through its Website, www.vitacost.com. It offers its customers the selection of healthy living products. It offers its customers a selection of approximately 40,000 Stock Keeping Units (SKUs), from over 2,000 third-party brands, such as New Chapter, Nature�� Way, Twinlab, Source Naturals, Jarrow Formulas, Jason, Desert Essence, Atkins, Bob�� Red Mill, BSN, Optimum Nutrition, USP Labs and MuscleTech in addition to its own brands: Vitacost, Cosmeceutical Sciences Institute (CSI), Best of All, and Smart Basics. As of December 31, 2012, the Company had approximately 2.1 million customers.

The Company offers products in a range of potency levels and dosage forms, such as tablets, capsules, vegi-capsules, softgels, gelcaps, liquids and powders. It offers products that encompass four main categories: Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs and Supplements; Sports Nutrition; Beauty; and Natural and Organic Food.

Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs and Supplements (VMHS)

VMHS products are taken to maintain or improve health and address specific health conditions. In its dietary supplements category, the Company offers its offer its Vitacost branded products as well as third-party brands such as Nature�� Way, Twinlab, Jarrow, Carlson and Rainbow Light. Vitamin and mineral products include multi-vitamins, lettered vitamins, such as Vitamin A, C, D, E and B-complex, along with minerals such as calcium, magnesium, chromium and zinc.

Herbal products include whole herbs, standardized extracts, herb combination formulas and teas. Supplements include essential fatty acids, probiotics, anti-o! xidants, phytonutrients and condition-specific formulas.

Sports Nutrition

Sports nutrition products are used in conjunction with cardiovascular conditioning, weight training and sports activities. Major categories in sports nutrition include protein and weight gain powders, meal replacements, nutrition bars, sport drinks and pre and post-workout supplements. The Company offers bodybuilding and sports products from third parties, such as Optimum Nutrition, CytoSport and BSN as well as our Vitacost branded sports nutrition products.

Beauty

Natural care products consist of a variety of natural products for skin, body, hair and oral health. The Company offers hundreds of natural personal-care products from companies, such as JASON, and Kiss My Face, as well as its CSI-branded products. These products appeal to allergen-conscious and environmentally-conscious consumers seeking products that are made without harsh chemicals and additives.

Natural and Organic Food

Natural and organic food products consist of organic and specialty products such as organic peanut butter, gluten free foods and low mercury tuna and salmon. The Company offers third-party brands, such as Kashi, Eden Foods and Amy�� Organic, as well as its Best of All natural food products.

Under its Vitacost brand, the Company offers over 900 products including multivitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids, anti-oxidants and others. Under its CSI brand, it markets and sells health and beauty products such as facial cleanser, facial and body moisturizing creams and lotions, and other beauty and skincare products. Under its Best of All brand, it markets and sells organic food products such as banana chips, trail mix, almonds, cashews and more. Under its Smart Basics brand, it markets and sells organic fruit juices and extracts and related dietary supplements. Under its Walker Diet brand, it markets and sells low carb powders used to assist in weight loss and ! managemen! t.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [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 Vitacost.com (Nasdaq: VITC  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Margins matter. The more Vitacost.com (Nasdaq: VITC  ) keeps of each buck it earns in revenue, the more money it has to invest in growth, fund new strategic plans, or (gasp!) distribute to shareholders. Healthy margins often separate pretenders from the best stocks in the market. That's why we check up on margins at least once a quarter in this series. I'm looking for the absolute numbers, so I can compare them to current and potential competitors, and any trend that may tell me how strong Vitacost.com's competitive position could be.