Top Financial Stocks To Own For 2014

On this day in economic and business history ...

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) was first published on May 26, 1896. Charles Dow, working in partnership with Edward Jones and Charles Bergstresser, was a pioneering financial journalist who began creating stock indexes (primarily composed of railroad companies) in 1884 to flesh out his daily news bulletins. These quick briefs would be hand-delivered to traders on the New York exchange floor throughout the day and would later be aggregated into a close-of-business news recap called the "Customer's Afternoon Letter" -- the progenitor of The Wall Street Journal, which was originally only four pages long and cost its stock-loving readers a mere two cents.

Charles Dow's early forays into stock indexing coincided with a massive boom in railroad investments, an echo of the explosion of railroad companies that followed the construction and completion of the Transcontinental Railroad. However, a massive financial panic struck in 1893, crushing many railroads and causing a multiyear recession. Three years later, Dow created his first "Industrial Average," which contained only one railroad company -- and this company was actually a diversified materials enterprise as well. The Dow Jones Industrials became a symbol of American business durability while also showing the ability to adapt when necessary.

Top Financial Stocks To Own For 2014: Aqua America Inc.(WTR)

Aqua America, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates regulated utilities that provide water or wastewater services in the United States. The company serves residential, commercial, fire protection, industrial, and other water and wastewater customers in Pennsylvania, Texas, North Carolina, Ohio, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Florida, Indiana, Virginia, Maine, Missouri, and Georgia. It also provides water and wastewater services through operating and maintenance contracts with municipal authorities and other parties, as well as sludge hauling, septage and grease services, and backflow prevention services. The company was formerly known as Philadelphia Suburban Corporation and changed its name to Aqua America, Inc. in 2004. Aqua America, Inc. was founded in 1968 and is based in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chuck]

  Private water utilities own only about 16% of the nation's water supply infrastructure. That leaves 84% of the nation's waterworks in the hands of America's cities and towns. The long-term trend in the water utility business will be toward their privatization, and Aqua America will continue to grow through smart acquisitions of mismanaged utilities, both public and private. You can see Aqua America's strong upward trend since the middle of June. After its breakout over its November 2008 highs, the next point of resistance is near $25 a share.

Top Financial Stocks To Own For 2014: Intl Enexco Limited (IEC.V)

International Enexco Limited, an exploration stage company, engages in the exploration and development of mineral, and oil and gas properties in North America. It primarily explores for copper, silver, gold, molybdenum, lead, zinc, tungsten, and uranium ores. The company�s principal properties include a 100% owned Contact copper/silver resource property located in Elko County, Nevada, the United States; and the Mann Lake uranium property situated in the Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan, Canada. International Enexco Limited is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Top 5 Growth Companies To Watch For 2014: City National Corporation (CYN)

City National Corporation operates as the bank holding company for City National Bank that provides various banking, investing, and trust services to small to mid-sized businesses, entrepreneurs, professionals, and affluent individuals. Its deposit products include demand and interest checking deposits, savings deposits, and money market accounts. The company�s loan portfolio comprises commercial loans, including lease financing; residential mortgage loans; commercial real estate mortgages; real estate construction loans; equity lines of credit; and installment loans. It also offers cash management, international banking, equipment financing, and other products and services. In addition, the company provides investment management, advisory, and brokerage services, including portfolio management, securities trading, and asset management; personal and business trust and investment services comprising employee benefit trust services, and 401(k) and defined benefit plans; and estate and financial planning, and custodial services. Further, it offers various asset classes and investment styles, including fixed-income instruments, mutual funds, domestic and international equities, and alternative investments, such as hedge funds. City National Corporation provides its services through 79 offices, including 16 full-service regional centers in Southern California; the San Francisco Bay area; Nevada; New York City; Nashville, Tennessee; and Atlanta, Georgia. The company was founded in 1953 and is headquartered in Los Angeles, California.