Top Companies To Buy For 2014

On Wednesday, Safe Bulkers (NYSE: SB  ) will release its latest quarterly results. The key to making smart investment decisions on stocks reporting earnings is to anticipate how they'll do before they announce results, leaving you fully prepared to respond quickly to whatever inevitable surprises arise. That way, you'll be less likely to make an uninformed knee-jerk reaction to news that turns out to be exactly the wrong move.

Safe Bulkers isn't the biggest name in the shipping industry, but it has suffered through many of the same economic challenges that its larger peers have faced. But with some signs that the environment for shipping companies may finally be starting to improve, the industry is hoping to bounce back from its long period of weakness. Let's take an early look at what's been happening with Safe Bulkers over the past quarter and what we're likely to see in its quarterly report.

Stats on Safe Bulkers

Analyst EPS Estimate

Top 10 Defense Stocks To Buy For 2015: Plantronics Inc.(PLT)

Plantronics, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, manufacture, and marketing of lightweight communications headsets, telephone headset systems, and accessories for the business and consumer markets under the Plantronics name worldwide. It also offers specialty telephone products, such as telephones for the hearing impaired and other related products for people with special communication needs under the Clarity brand name. The company?s products are designed for specific markets and applications, such as offices; contact centers; mobile devices comprising mobile phones and smart phones; computer and gaming; and residential applications, as well as for other specialty applications. It sells its products through a network of distributors, retailers, wireless carriers, original equipment manufacturers, and telephony service providers. The company was founded in 1961 and is headquartered in Santa Cruz, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sean Williams]

  Can you hear me now?
  Unlike YRC, which I consider to be in awful shape, audio communication solutions maker Plantronics (NYSE: PLT  ) is merely a sell in my book based on its recent share price appreciation.

• [By Lee Jackson]

  Plantronics Inc. (NYSE: PLT) is a global leader in audio communications for businesses and consumers. It has pioneered new trends in audio technology, creating innovative products that allow people to simply communicate. From unified communication to Bluetooth headsets to gaming solutions, it delivers uncompromising quality, an ideal experience and extraordinary service. Plantronics is used by every company in the Fortune 100, as well as 911 dispatch, air traffic control and various mission critical applications for those on the frontline. Investors are paid a small 0.9% dividend. The J.P. Morgan target price is $49, and the consensus is set higher at $54.14. Plantronics closed Tuesday at $45.79.

Top Companies To Buy For 2014: John Wiley & Sons Inc (JW.A)

John Wiley & Sons, Inc., incorporated on January 15, 1904, is a global provider of knowledge and knowledge-based services in areas of research, professional development and education. Core businesses produce scientific, technical, medical and scholarly research journals, reference works, books, database services, and advertising; professional books and certification, assessment and training services, and education content and services, including online program management for colleges and universities and integrated online teaching and learning resources for instructors and students. The Company sells its products to customers in the Middle East (including Iran and Syria), Africa (including Sudan), Cuba, and other developing markets where it does not have operating subsidiaries.

Research

The Company�� Research business serves the world�� research and scholarly communities and is a publisher for professional and scholarly societies. Research�� mission is to support researchers, professionals and learners in the discovery and use of research knowledge to achieve results that help shape the future. Research products include scientific, technical, medical and scholarly research journals, books, major reference works, databases, clinical decision support tools and laboratory manuals and workflow tools, in the publishing areas of the physical sciences and engineering, health sciences, social science and humanities and life sciences. Research customers include academic, corporate, government, and public libraries; researchers; scientists; clinicians; engineers and technologists; scholarly and professional societies, and students and professors. The Company�� Research products are sold and distributed globally, online and in print through multiple channels, including research libraries and library consortia, independent subscription agents, direct sales to professional society members, bookstores, online booksellers and other customers. Publishing centers include Australia, Ge! rmany, India, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States. Research accounted for approximately 57% of total Company revenue (fiscal 2013). The Company�� Research business is a provider of content and services in evidence-based medicine (EBM). Through the Company�� alliance with The Cochrane Collaboration, the Company publishes The Cochrane Library.

Wiley Online Library, the online publishing platform for the Company�� Research business, is a multidisciplinary collections of online resources covering life, health and physical sciences, social science and the humanities. Wiley Online Library delivers seamless integrated access to over four million articles from 1,500 journals, 13,000 online books, and hundreds of reference works, laboratory protocols and databases. Wiley Online Library provides the user with intuitive navigation, enhanced discoverability, expanded functionality and a range of personalization options. Wiley Open Access is the Company�� publishing program for open-access research articles. Under the Wiley Open Access business model, research articles submitted by authors are published and compiled by subject area into open-access journals. In addition to Wiley Open Access, the Company provides authors with the opportunity to make their individual research articles that were published within the Company�� paid subscription journals freely available to the general public through OnlineOpen.

Professional Development (PD)

The Company�� Professional Development business acquires, develops and publishes professional books, subscription products, certification and training services and online applications in the areas of business, finance, accounting, workplace learning, management, leadership, technology, behavioral health, engineering/ architecture and education. Products are developed in print and digitally for worldwide distribution through multiple channels, including major chains and online booksellers, independent bookstores, libr! aries, co! lleges and universities, warehouse clubs, corporations, direct to consumer, websites and other online applications. Publishing centers include Australia, Canada, Germany, India, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States. Professional Development accounted for approximately 24% of total Company revenue in fiscal year 2013. Professional Development revenue by product type includes eBooks and Print Books; Online Training and Assessment which is revenue from the sale of products and services focusing on workplace effectiveness and career success; Publishing Rights which is revenue from the licensing of the right to republish Wiley content either online or in print; Journal Subscriptions online and in print to professionals, and Other.

Education

The Company�� Education business produces educational content and services, including online program management for colleges and universities and integrated online teaching and learning resources for instructors and students. Education�� mission is to help teachers teach and students learn by delivering to students, faculty and institutions throughout the world personalized content, tools and services that demonstrate results. Education offers products and services principally delivered through college bookstores and online distributors, with customers having access to content in multi-media formats, as well as the traditional textbook. Education�� solutions are available in each of its publishing disciplines, including the sciences, engineering, computer science, mathematics, business and accounting, statistics, geography, hospitality and the culinary arts, education, psychology and modern languages. Education accounted for approximately 19% of total Company revenue in fiscal year 2013. Education revenue by product type includes eBooks and Print Textbooks; Online Program Management; WileyPLUS, the Company�� online learning solution; revenue from the licensing of publishing content rights and Other Nontraditional and Digita! l Product! s, such as custom publishing and other content adaption��.

Education offers online learning solutions including WileyPLUS, it�� research-based, online environment for effective course teaching and learning that is integrated with a complete digital textbook. WileyPLUS improves student learning through instant feedback, personalized learning plans, and self- evaluation tools and a range of course-oriented activities, including online planning, presentations, study, homework and testing. The Company also provides the services of the Wiley Faculty Network, a global community of faculty that offers guidance, training, and resources. Through the Wiley Faculty Network, instructors and administrators can collaborate with each other, attend virtual and live events, and utilize a wealth of resources all designed to help them grow as educators.

Journal Products

The Company publishes approximately 1,600 Research and Professional Development journals. Journal subscription revenue and other related publishing income, such as advertising, backfile sales, the licensing of publishing rights, journal reprints and individual article sales accounted for approximately 48% of the Company�� consolidated fiscal year 2013 revenue. The journal portfolio includes titles owned by the Company, in which case they may or may not be sponsored by a professional society; titles owned jointly with a professional society; and titles owned by professional societies and published by the Company pursuant to long-term contracts. The Company also enters into agreements with outside independent editors of journals that state the duties of the editors, and the fees and expenses for their services. The Company sells journal subscriptions directly through Company sales representatives; indirectly through independent subscription agents; through promotional campaigns, and through memberships in professional societies for those journals that are sponsored by societies. Journal subscriptions are primarily! licensed! through contracts for online content delivered through the Company�� online platform, Wiley Online Library.

Book Products

The Company�� Book products and book related publishing revenue, such as advertising and the sale of publishing rights, accounted for approximately 48% of the Company�� fiscal year 2013 revenue. The Company enters into agreements with authors that state the terms and conditions under which the materials will be published, the name in which the copyright will be registered, the basis for any royalties, and other matters. The Company develops content in a digital format that can be used for online and print products, resulting in productivity and efficiency savings, and enabling print-on-demand delivery. Book content is available online through Wiley Online Library, WileyPLUS, Custom Select and other platforms. Ebooks are delivered to intermediaries, including Amazon, Apple and Google for re-sale to individuals in various industry-standard formats, which are now also the preferred deliverable for licensees of all types, including foreign language publishers.

Other Digital Products and Services

The Company is focused on delivering content-enabled services which improve learning, career management and effectiveness for its target communities. The Inscape and ELS businesses, along with the Company�� Pfeiffer brand, represent the Company�� professional training and assessment services. These businesses offer a variety of classroom learning solutions and e-learning activities that are delivered to customers directly through online digital delivery platforms and also through an authorized distributor network of independent consultants, trainers and coaches. The Company�� professional training and assessment services offer highly flexible packages and modules for its customers that include online pre-work and profile assessments, self-study materials, online videos, mobile apps and other sophisticated planning tools.

The Com! pany generates advertising revenue from print and online journal subscription products; its online publishing platform, Wiley Online Library; the Wiley Job Network, a full service online job board; online events such as webinars and virtual conferences; community interest websites such as spectroscopyNOW.com and websites for the Company�� brands like Dummies.com. The Company�� publications and services are sold throughout most of the world through operations located in Europe, Canada, Australia, Asia, and the United States.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Arie Goren]

  After running this screen on May 21, 2013, before the markets' open, I discovered the following eight stocks: Sunoco Logistics Partners LP (SXL), Leggett & Platt Inc (LEG), Copa Holdings SA (CPA), RPC Inc. (RES), Tupperware Brands Corp. (TUP), Herbalife Ltd. (HLF), John Wiley & Sons Inc. (JW.A) and C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc. (CHRW).

• [By Geoff Gannon]

  Here, you want to compare the return on the company's buyback with the return you could achieve. However, you want to keep in mind that while you would pay a tax on the dividend the company does not pay a tax on the buyback. Let's say I imagine John Wiley (JW.A) will get a 10% return on its buyback. Likewise, I think I can go out and return 10% a year myself picking my own stocks. In this case, which should I prefer? Should I prefer John Wiley paid a dividend or used all of its free cash flow to buyback stock?

• [By Geoff Gannon]

  John Wiley (JW.A)

  Notice that 4 of those 10 stocks have a market cap under $100 million. This is shocking. I�� ranking the companies by years of positive earnings (special items ��which explain H&R Block�� losses ��are excluded). If a company earns money for several decades ��this group has tended to be profitable for over 30 years ��and it retains that money, it will end up with a big market cap.

Top Companies To Buy For 2014: Premier Exhibitions Inc.(PRXI)

Premier Exhibitions, Inc. provides museum quality touring exhibitions worldwide. It develops, deploys, and operates exhibition products; sells apparel, posters, and Titanic-related jewelry; publishes exhibition catalogs; and provides ancillary services, such as audio tours and photographs for public in the exhibition centers, museums, and non-traditional venues. The company operates and promotes various exhibitions, including Bodies Revealed and Bodies, The Exhibition, that display multiple human anatomy sets, which contain a collection of whole human body specimens, single human organs, and body parts; Titanic, the artifact exhibition, which features the artifacts recovered from the wreck site; and Dialog in the Dark that is intended to provide insight and experience to the paradox of learning to see without the use of sight. Premier Exhibitions, Inc. was founded in 1987 and is based in Atlanta, Georgia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Premier Exhibitions (NASDAQ: PRXI) is projected to post its Q2 earnings.

  Helen of Troy (NASDAQ: HELE) is estimated to post its Q2 earnings at $0.72 per share on revenue of $292.15 million.

Top Companies To Buy For 2014: Realty Income Corp (O&P)

Realty Income Corporation (Realty Income) is an equity real estate investment trust (REIT). The Company is engaged in acquiring and owning freestanding retail and other properties that generate rental revenue under long-term lease agreements (primarily 10 to 20 years). The Company has in-house acquisition, leasing, legal, credit research, real estate research, portfolio management and capital markets. At December 31, 2011, it owned a diversified portfolio of 2,634 properties with an occupancy rate of 96.7%, or 2,547 properties leased and only 87 properties available for lease. It leased properties to 136 different retail and other commercial enterprises doing business in 38 separate industries. It properties are located in 49 states, with over 27.3 million square feet of leasable space, and with an average leasable space per property of approximately 10,400 square feet. Crest Net Lease, Inc., (Crest) is its wholly owned taxable REIT subsidiary. In January 2013, it acquired American Realty Capital Trust.

During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company invested in 164 new properties, and properties under development, with an initial weighted average contractual lease rate of 7.8%. These 164 new properties, and properties under development, are located in 26 states, contain over 6.2 million leasable square feet, and are 100% leased with an average lease term of 13.4 years. During 2011, 89 properties with expiring leases were leased to either existing or new tenants. Of the 2,634 properties in the portfolio, 2,619, or 99.4%, are single-tenant properties, and the remaining 15 are multi-tenant properties. At December 31, 2011, of the 2,619 single-tenant properties, 2,533 were leased with a weighted average remaining lease term (excluding rights to extend a lease at the option of the tenant) of approximately 11.3 years. The Company typically acquire properties under long-term leases with regional and national retailers and other commercial enterprises. Its net-lease agreements are for initi! al terms of 10 to 20 years.

In January 2012, Friendly Ice Cream Corporation (Friendly��), one of its tenants, announced that it was emerging from voluntary reorganization under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code (which they had filed for in October 2011). Pursuant to the bankruptcy proceedings, Friendly�� accepted 102 of their 121 leases with the Company. Friendly�� rejected 19 leases with the Company. Additionally, in January 2012, Buffets Holding, Inc., or Buffets, another one of its tenants, filed for voluntary reorganization under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code. As of December 31, 2011, Buffets leased 86 properties from the Company. Buffets rejected the leases on seven of its 86 properties.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By apolloportfolio]

  Hanger, Inc. provides orthotic and prosthetic (O&P) patient care services, distributes O&P devices and components, manages O&P networks and offers therapeutic solutions in the United States. It operates in two segments:�Patient Care (83% of sales) and Products & Services (17% of sales). HGR has a history dating back to 150 years ago. A history timeline from the company website can give more details about how HGR evolves over time.