Best Net Payout Yield Companies To Watch For 2014

The Department of Defense issued 14 separate contract awards to defense contractors Friday, and while Raytheon (NYSE: RTN  ) didn't win the biggest of these awards, it did win the second biggest.

Valued at $534.8 million, Raytheon's contract win Friday is a massive firm-fixed-price contract for the production of "AMRAAM" Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles for the U.S. Air Force, and also for the militaries of Oman and Saudi Arabia.

Designated AMRAAM Production Lot 27, this batch of missiles appears to involve the production of nearly 1,800 missiles at reported costs of $300,000 apiece. 51% of the missiles to be produced from this production lot will be sold to U.S. allies Oman and Saudi Arabia, with the balance going to the U.S. Air Force. Delivery is expected to be complete by Jan. 31, 2016.

To date, Raytheon has supplied AMRAAM missiles to 36 different countries around the globe. One of the few modern missiles to have actually been fired in anger, Raytheon boasts that over its lifetime, the AMRAAM has claimed "nine air combat victories" -- nine shoot-downs of enemy aircraft.

Best Asian Companies To Own For 2015: Allergan Inc. (AGN)

Allergan, Inc., a multi-specialty healthcare company, discovers, develops, and commercializes specialty pharmaceutical, medical device, and over-the-counter products for the ophthalmic, neurological, medical aesthetics, medical dermatological, breast aesthetics, obesity intervention, urological, and other specialty markets worldwide. It operates in two segments, Specialty Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices. The Specialty Pharmaceuticals segment offers a range of pharmaceutical products, including ophthalmic products for chronic dry eye, glaucoma therapy, ocular inflammation, infection, allergy, and retinal diseases; Botox for the therapeutic and aesthetic indications; skin care products for acne, psoriasis, and other skin care products; eyelash growth products; and urologics products. The Medical Devices segment offers a range of medical devices, such as breast implants for augmentation, revision, and reconstructive surgery; obesity intervention products, including the La p-Band System and the Orbera Intragastric Balloon System; and facial aesthetics products. The company also offers Contigen for the treatment of urinary incontinence due to intrinsic sphincter deficiency. It sells its products to drug wholesalers, independent and chain drug stores, pharmacies, commercial optical chains, opticians, mass merchandisers, food stores, hospitals, group purchasing organizations, integrated direct hospital networks, and ambulatory surgery centers, as well as to medical practitioners, including ophthalmologists, neurologists, dermatologists, plastic and reconstructive surgeons, aesthetic specialty physicians, bariatric surgeons, pediatricians, urologists, and general practitioners. Allergan, Inc. has strategic research collaboration agreements with ExonHit Therapeutics S.A.; Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; and Pieris AG. The company was founded in 1948 and is headquartered in Irvine, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jayson Derrick]

  This morning, Valeant Pharmaceuticals (NYSE: VRX) reported its second quarter results. The company announced an EPS of $1.91, beating the consensus estimate of $1.90. Revenue of $2.00 billion missed the consensus estimate of $2.04 billion. Net income for the quarter rose to $122.0 million from $10.8 million in the same quarter a year ago, as the company saw an 86 percent growth in revenue driven by strong growth in almost every business category. Same-store organic product sales growth was 4 percent in the quarter, while pro forma organic growth was 8 percent. Europe saw a same-store sales organic growth of 13 percent, Asia saw a same-store sales organic growth of 17 percent and the U.S. contact lens business helped contribute a 12 percent organic growth in the U.S. Valeant also released a presentation detailing its expectations through 2016, assuming it acquires Allergan. (NYSE: AGN) Valeant lowered its 2014 guidance to reflect the impact of a sale of assets to Nestle as the company unloaded products that compete with Allergan's. Valeant guided toward 2015 sales of $9.3 billion, ahead of the consensus estimate of $8.9 billion. However, Valeant's 2015 EPS guidance of $9.65 was nearly $1 below the consensus estimate. Shares of Valeant lost 6.71 percent, closing at $117.39.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  It’s never a good sign when a top executive leaves a company citing “family reasons,” and that just happens to be the excuse given for CFO Jeff Edwards’ departure from Allergan (AGN) today.But Citigroup’s Liav Abraham says not to worry–especially as it regards Valeant Pharmaceuticals’ (VRX) hostile bid. Sometimes family reasons are just family reasons:

Best Net Payout Yield Companies To Watch For 2014: Lloyds Banking Group PLC (LYG)

Lloyds Banking Group plc, incorporated on October 21, 1985, is a holding company. The Company is a financial services group providing a range of banking and financial services, primarily in the United Kingdom, to personal and corporate customers. The Company operates in four segments: Retail, Commercial Banking, Wealth, Asset Finance and International and Insurance. Retail provides banking, mortgages and other financial services to personal customers in the United Kingdom. Commercial Banking provides banking and related services to business clients, from small businesses to large corporate. Wealth, Asset Finance and International provides private banking and asset management and asset finance in the United Kingdom and overseas and operates the Company�� international retail businesses. Insurance provides long term savings, protection and investment products in the United Kingdom and Europe and provides general insurance to personal customers in the United Kingdom.

Retail

The Retail division operates the retail bank in the United Kingdom and is a provider of current accounts, savings, personal loans, credit cards and mortgages. This includes a range of current accounts including packaged accounts and basic banking accounts. It is also the provider of personal loans in the United Kingdom, as well as being the United Kingdom�� credit card issuer. Retail is the private sector savings provider in the United Kingdom. It is also a general insurance and bancassurance distributor, offering a range of long-term savings, investment and general insurance products.

Commercial Banking

The Commercial Banking division supports the Company�� business clients from small businesses to corporate. Commercial Banking provides support to corporate clients through the provision of core banking products, such as lending, deposits and transaction banking services whilst also offering clients expertise in capital markets (private placements, bonds and syndicated loans), ! financial markets (foreign exchange, interest rate management, money market and credit) and private equity.

Wealth, Asset Finance and International

Wealth, Asset Finance and International consists of the Company�� the United Kingdom and international wealth businesses, the Company�� the United Kingdom and international asset finance and online deposit businesses along with its international retail businesses. The Wealth business consists of private banking and asset management. Wealth�� private banking operations cater to the range of wealth clients from affluent to Ultra High Net Worth within the United Kingdom, Channel Islands and Isle of Man, and internationally. Asset Finance consists of a number of leasing and speciality lending businesses in the United Kingdom, including Lex Autolease and Black Horse Motor and Personal Finance along with its leasing and specialty lending businesses in Australia and its European online deposit business. The international business comprises its non-core banking business outside the United Kingdom, with the exception of corporate business written through the Commercial Banking division. This primarily consists of Ireland, Retail Europe and Asia.

Insurance

The Insurance division provides long-term savings, protection and investment products and general insurance products to customers in the United Kingdom and Europe. The United Kingdom Life, Pensions and Investments business provides long-term savings, protection and investment products distributed through the bancassurance, intermediary and direct channels of the Lloyds TSB, Halifax, Bank of Scotland and Scottish Widows brands. The European Life, Pensions and Investments business distributes products primarily in the German market under the Heidelberger Leben and Clerical Medical brands. The General Insurance business is a distributor of home insurance in the United Kingdom, with products sold through the branch network, direct channels and strategic corporate! partners! . It operates primarily under the Lloyds TSB, Halifax and Bank of Scotland brands.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sam Robson]

  LONDON --�Shares in�Lloyds Banking Group� (LSE: LLOY  ) (NYSE: LYG  ) �shot up 4.5% in early trade, to 55.90 pence, following its announcement of a huge increase in year-on-year first-quarter profits.

• [By Roland Head]

  Today, I'm going to take a look at the PE10 for�Lloyds Banking Group� (LSE: LLOY  ) (NYSE: LYG  ) .

  Have investors gotten ahead of themselves?
  Since the U.K. government took a 39% stake in Lloyds in 2008, the bank's share price has fluctuated wildly, but it has risen by 143% over the last year, taking it above the 61 pence threshold that the government claims is its break-even point.

• [By Mark Rogers]

  Today I'm looking at the earnings per share (EPS) forecasts for�Lloyds� (LSE: LLOY  ) (NYSE: LYG  ) , the troubled FTSE 100 bank. All my figures are courtesy of S&P Capital IQ.

Best Net Payout Yield Companies To Watch For 2014: Gem International Resources Inc (GI)

Gem International Resources Inc. (Gem International) is a Canada-based junior natural resource company. The Company is primarily engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties with its principal focus on diamond, gold and other precious metals. The Company is in exploration-stage and has interest in mineral properties located in Canada and Tanzania. The Company owns more than 105 mining claims comprised of approximately 240,172 acres located in the Lac de Gras Property located approximately 260 kilometers northeast of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. Its Kolandoto Diamond Property is located in the Shinyanga region of Tanzania. Kolandoto property consists of approximately10 primary mining licenses covering a total area of approximately 247 acres. The Shinyanga Property consists of more than 105 primary mining licenses covering a total area of approximately 2,743 acres. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Victor Selva]

  In January 2014, Forest acquired Toronto-based Aptalis, a privately held U.S.-based specialty Gastrointestinal (GI) and Cystic Fibrosis Company, for $2.9 billion in cash from its shareholders, including TPG, the global private investment firm. The deal looks attractive especially keeping in mind the fact that Namenda will be facing generic competition from 2015. The acquisition will also give Forest the opportunity to build its presence in Europe and strengthen its GI and CF portfolios.

Best Net Payout Yield Companies To Watch For 2014: ITT Industries Inc.(ITT)

ITT Corporation designs, manufactures, and sells a range of engineered products, and provides related services worldwide. Its Defense & Information Solutions segment develops tactical communications equipment, electronic warfare and force protection equipment, radar systems, integrated structures equipment, and imaging and sensor equipment, including night vision goggles, as well as weather, location, surveillance, and other related technologies for military and government agencies. It also provides services comprising air traffic management, information and cyber solutions, large-scale systems engineering, and integration and defense technologies; satellite-based imaging payloads for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance solutions; and high-resolution commercial imaging systems with earth and space science applications, climate and environmental monitoring sensors and systems, and GPS navigation and software applications designed for image and data processing and dissemination. The company?s Fluid Technology segment provides water transport and wastewater treatment systems, pumps and related technologies, and other water and fluid control products with municipal, residential, commercial, and industrial applications. Its Motion & Flow Control segment manufactures shock absorbers and brake friction materials for the transportation industry; switch applications for the industrial and aerospace industries; electrical connectors used in telecommunications, computers, aerospace, medical, and industrial applications; and a range of pumps and tailored products for marine, food and beverage, and general industrial markets. The company was formerly known as ITT Industries, Inc. and changed its name to ITT Corporation in July 2006. ITT Corporation was founded in 1920 and is based in White Plains, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By MONEYMORNING]

  This 85-year-old forest products company operates as a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) after being first acquired, then later spun off, by ITT Corp. (NYSE: ITT).

Best Net Payout Yield Companies To Watch For 2014: Linear Technology Corporation(LLTC)

Linear Technology Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and markets a line of linear integrated circuits. The company's products include amplifiers, comparators, voltage regulators, voltage references, monolithic filters, linear regulators, DC-DC converters, power over Ethernet controllers, battery chargers, data converters, communications interface circuits, RF signal conditioning circuits, Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Damian Illia]

  Although the stock has done pretty well, investors can have another option of investing in the tech sector with Linear Technology Corporation (LLTC) because there is no other semiconductor company that can be able to match the company's profitability. Linear Technology offers thousands of analog products to original equipment manufacturers. The company麓s plan is to specialize in market segments that require high-performance analog with focus on industrial and automotive products. Customers base decisions on quality and Linear麓s chip are considered to be products that have long life and superior technology. This is considered in prices and makes attractive margins to the company.

• [By Dividends4Life]

  This week a few companies answered the call and rewarded their shareholders with higher cash dividends:
  
  Consolidated Edison Inc. (ED) engages in regulated electric, gas, and steam delivery businesses. January 16th the company increased its quarterly dividend 2.4% to $0.63 per share. The dividend is payable March 15, 2014, to stockholders of record on February 12, 2014. The yield based on the new payout is 4.7%.
  
  Cousins Properties Incorporated (CUZ), a real estate investment trust (REIT), owns, develops, and manages real estate portfolio, as well as performs certain real estate-related services. January 16th the company increased its quarterly dividend 66.7% to $0.075 per share. The dividend is payable February 24, 2014, to stockholders of record on February 10, 2014. The yield based on the new payout is 2.8%.
  
  Wisconsin Energy Corporation (WEC) generates and distributes electric energy, as well as distributes natural gas. The company operates in two segments, Utility Energy and Non-Utility Energy. January 16th the company increased its quarterly dividend 2% to $0.3900 per share. The dividend is payable March 1, 2014, to stockholders of record on February 14, 2014. The yield based on the new payout is 3.8%.
  
  BlackRock Inc. (BLK) is a publicly owned investment manager. The firm primarily provides its services to institutional, intermediary, and individual investors. January 16th the company increased its quarterly dividend 14.9% to $1.93 per share. The dividend is payable March 24, 2014, to stockholders of record on March 7, 2014. The yield based on the new payout is 2.4%.
  
  ONEOK Inc. (OKE) operates as a diversified energy company in the United States. January 15th the company increased its quarterly dividend 5.3% to $0.40 per share. The dividend is payable February 18, 2014, to stockholders of record on February 10, 2014. The yield based on the new payout is 2.5%.
  
  Omega Healthcare Investors Inc. (OHI) is a real es

• [By Steven Russolillo]

  WATCH FOR:�September NFIB Small Business Survey (7:30 a.m. Eastern Time): seen 95.9; previously 96.1. Citigroup (C), CSX, Del Frisco’s, Domino's Pizza (DPZ), Intel (INTC), J.B. Hunt Transport (JBHT), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), Linear Tech (LLTC), Wells Fargo (WFC) and Wolverine World Wide (WWW) are among companies scheduled to report quarterly results.

Best Net Payout Yield Companies To Watch For 2014: Arc Wireless Solutions Inc.(ARCW)

ARC Wireless Solutions, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides wireless network components and solutions in the United States. It is involved in the design, development, manufacture, marketing, and sale of antennas and related wireless communication systems, including cellular base stations, mobiles, cellulars, and flat panel antennas. The company?s products also include global positioning systems; and conformal, portable, and other antennas, as well as antenna accessories. ARC Wireless Solutions, Inc. markets its commercial line of antennas directly to distributors, installers, and retailers of antenna accessories, as well as to commercial, government, and retail markets. It offers its products under the Freedom Antenna Exsite, Omnibase, Parity, Arc Vlpa, Airbase, and And Freedom Blade brand names. The company was formerly known as Antennas America, Inc. and changed its name to ARC Wireless Solutions, Inc. in October 2000. ARC Wireless Solutions, Inc. was founded in 1987 and is based in Denver, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Garrett Cook]

  Telecommunications services shares rose by 1.42 percent in today’s trading. Top gainers in the sector included China Telecom Corp. Ltd. (NYSE: CHA), up 5.7 percent, and ARC Group Worldwide (NASDAQ: ARCW), up 3.4 percent.