Top 5 Railroad Stocks To Own For 2014

Shipments of oil via the nation's railroads tripled between 2011 and 2012; that growth will likely continue as oil producers seek alternative markets for the highest returns and refiners look to replace expensive foreign imports with cheaper domestic crudes. Pipelines still transport the vast majority of oil in the U.S., and therefore they currently take the vast majority of criticism for oil spills. In this video, Fool.com contributor Aimee Duffy looks at the numbers behind the safety records for trains and pipelines, and ponders what investors should think about going forward.

It's easy to forget the necessity of midstream operators that seamlessly transport oil and gas throughout the United States. Kinder Morgan is one of these operators, and one that investors should commit to memory due to its sheer size ��it's the third-largest energy company in the U.S. ��not to mention its enormous potential for profits. In The Motley Fool's premium research report on Kinder Morgan, we break down the company's growing opportunity ��as well as the risks to watch out for ��in order to uncover whether it's a buy or a sell. To determine whether this dividend giant is right for your portfolio, simply click here now to claim your copy of this invaluable investor's resource.

Top 5 Railroad Stocks To Own For 2014: RealNetworks Inc.(RNWK)

RealNetworks, Inc. provides network-delivered digital media products and services to manage, play, and share digital media in the United States, Europe, and internationally. It develops and markets software products and services that enable the creation, distribution, and consumption of digital media, including audio and video. The company?s Core Products segment develops and provides software as a service (SaaS) services, including ring-back tone, music-on-demand, video-on-demand, and messaging services for mobile carriers; and e-commerce services, such as business intelligence, subscriber management, and billing for carrier customers. It also licenses Helix server software that allows companies and institutions to broadcast live and on-demand audio, video, and other multimedia programming to users over the Internet. In addition, this segment provides professional and systems integration services; and SuperPass, a subscription service, which provides consumers with acces s to a range of digital entertainment content. Its Emerging Products segment offers RealPlayer, a media player software, which include features and services that enable consumers to discover, play, download, manage, and edit digital video. The company?s Games segment is involved in developing, publishing, licensing, and distributing casual games, such as board, card, puzzle, word, and hidden-object games for PC?s, social networks, mobile handsets, and smartphones through digital download, online subscription play, third-party portals, social networks, and mobile devices. It distributes games principally in North America, Europe, and Latin America through the company?s own Websites, which are operated under the GameHouse, Zylom, and Atrativa brands, and through Websites owned or managed by third parties. RealNetworks, Inc. was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Seattle, Washington.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Carol Hymowitz]

  CEOs who aren�� comfortable around technology and digital trends will have difficulty setting strategy for the future, said Dawn Lepore, former CEO of Drugstore.com and a director at AOL Inc., TJX Cos. (TJX) and RealNetworks Inc. (RNWK)

Top 5 Railroad Stocks To Own For 2014: OM Group Inc.(OMG)

OM Group, Inc. develops, produces, and markets specialty chemicals, advanced materials, and electrochemical energy storage products worldwide. The company operates in three segments: Advanced Materials, Specialty Chemicals, and Battery Technologies. The Advanced Materials segment manufactures inorganic products using unrefined cobalt and other metals and serves the battery materials, powder metallurgy, ceramics, and chemical end markets. It offers cobalt powders, precursors, chemicals, pigments and ceramics, and various raw materials. These products enhance the electrical conduction of rechargeable batteries, as well as strengthen and add durability to diamond and machine cutting tools and drilling equipment. The Specialty Chemicals segment offers electronic chemicals for the printed circuit board, memory disk, general metal finishing, electronic packaging and finishing, and photovoltaic markets. This segment also provides advanced organics comprising additives and driers for paints, and printing inks; rubber adhesion promoters for tires; composite and other catalysts for chemicals; and fuel oil additives, lubricants, and grease additives. In addition, it offers ultra pure chemicals used in the manufacture of electronic and computer components, such as semiconductors, wafers, and liquid crystal displays; and photo-imaging masks, including high-purity quartz or glass plates containing precision, microscopic images of integrated circuits; and reticles for the semiconductor, optoelectronics, and microelectronics industries under the Compugraphics brand name. The Battery Technologies segment provides battery products, primary and secondary batteries, battery management systems, battery chargers, and energetic devices for defense applications; primary and secondary batteries for satellites, aircraft, and the packaging of cells; and miniature batteries to power implantable medical devices. The company was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Cle veland, Ohio.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  There's no foolproof way to know the future for OM Group (NYSE: OMG  ) or any other company. However, certain clues may help you see potential stumbles before they happen -- and before your stock craters as a result.

Best Undervalued Companies To Own In Right Now: Berkshire Bancorp Inc.(BERK)

Berkshire Bancorp Inc. operates as the bank holding company for The Berkshire Bank that provides community banking services to businesses, professionals, and retail customers primarily in New York City metropolitan area and the Villages of Goshen and Harriman. The company offers various deposit products, including statement savings accounts, NOW accounts, money market deposits accounts, checking accounts, time deposits, and certificates of deposit. Its loan portfolio comprises commercial mortgage loans secured by office buildings, retail establishments, multi-family residential real estate, and other types of commercial property; commercial loans to businesses for inventory financing, working capital, machinery and equipment purchases, expansion, and other business purposes; and residential mortgage loans secured by first liens on one-to-four family owner-occupied or rental residential real estate, as well as residential single family construction, home equity, and short-t erm fixed-rate consumer loans. Berkshire Bancorp Inc. also offers title insurance agency services. The company operates seven deposit-taking offices in New York City; four deposit-taking offices in Orange and Sullivan Counties, New York; one deposit taking office in Ridgefield, New Jersey; and one deposit taking office in Teaneck, New Jersey. The company was founded in 1979 and is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tim Melvin]

  One interesting bank that is seeing insider buying activity is Berkshire Bancorp (BERK). The company has recently switched from the Nasdaq to OTC markets, but that has not stopped director Moses Marx from consistently buying BERK stock. Berkshire does business in the already overbanked New York and New Jersey markets, and the stock is very cheap at just 82% of book value. Insiders won more than 60% of the bank, so investors are on the same side of the table as management.

Top 5 Railroad Stocks To Own For 2014: Cousins Properties Inc (CUZ)

Cousins Properties Incorporated (Cousins) is a real estate investment trust (REIT). Cousins Real Estate Corporation and its subsidiaries (CERC) is wholly owned by the Company. CERC owns, develops, and manages its own real estate portfolio and performs certain real estate related services for other parties. The Company operates in five segments: Office, Retail, Land, CPS Third-Party Management and Leasing and Other. The Office and Retail segments show the results for that product type. The Land segment includes results of operations for certain land holdings and single-family residential communities that are sold as developed lots to homebuilders. Fee income and related expenses for the third party-owned properties which are managed or leased by the Company�� CPS subsidiary are included in the CPS Third Party Management and Leasing segment. The Company also owns interests in residential development projects, undeveloped land tracts held for investment, and manages properties for third party owners. In August 2012, the Company acquired 2100 Ross Avenue, an 844,000-square-foot, Class-A office building located in the Arts District submarket of Dallas, Texas. In April 2013, Cousins Properties Inc (Cousins) acquired 816 Congress.

Office

As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned directly or through joint ventures 21 operating office properties totaling 7.8 million square feet. The Company developed most of the office properties it owns. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company�� activity in its office property portfolio was Execution of new or renewed existing leases consisting of approximately 1.0 million square feet, acquition of Promenade, a 775,000-square-foot office building in the midtown submarket of Atlanta, Georgia, and sale of one Georgia Center, a 376,000-square-foot office building in Atlanta, Georgia.

Retail

As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned directly or through joint ventures 17 operating retail centers totaling 4.8 million s! quare feet.

The Company developed most of the retail properties it owns. During 2011, the Company�� activities in its retail property portfolio included execution of new or renewed leases covering approximately 856,000 square feet; construction of Mahan Village, a 147,000 square foot shopping center, anchored by Publix and Academy Sports, in Tallahassee, Florida; construction of the first phase of Emory Point, a mixed-use project in Atlanta, Georgia, expected to consist of 443 apartment units and 80,000 square foot of retail space, in a joint venture with Gables Residential.

Third Party Management and Other Fee Income

As of December 31, 2011, the Company managed and/or leased 12.7 million square feet of office and retail properties for third party owners. In addition, the Company has contracts to provide development and construction management services for third party owners.

Other Investments

As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned directly or through joint ventures, 22 residential development projects and residential and commercial undeveloped land, the Company�� share of which was approximately 5,000 acres. During 2011, the Company sold the remaining five multi-family units available for sale at the 10 Terminus Place condominium project; sold the Jefferson Mill Business Park Building A industrial building in suburban Atlanta, Georgia; sold the King Mill Distribution Park Building 3 industrial building in suburban Atlanta, Georgia; sold the Lakeside Ranch Business Park Building 20 industrial building and related undeveloped land in Dallas, Texas; sold approximately 43 acres of land and sold 482 residential lots.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [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

Top 5 Railroad Stocks To Own For 2014: Swedish Export Credit publ Corp (FUE)

Swedish Export Credit publ Corp (SEK) is a Sweden-based company engaged in the provision of financial solutions for the private and public sectors with the aim of promoting the development and international competitiveness of the Swedish industry and trade. The Company�� business activities are structured into three segments: the Financing segment includes corporate banking, export finance, trade finance, project finance, customer finance, structured products and Cirr-rates; the Advisory segment provides financial advice to International Financial Institutions, governments and corporations, in a range of areas, such as power and energy, utilities, environment, transport, telecoms, and pulp and paper, and the Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) segment offers finance services to small and medium-sized enterprises. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  On Tuesday, lightly traded small cap biodiesel stock Methes Energies International Ltd (NASDAQ: MEIL) soared 53.78% on record production figures, meaning its worth taking a closer look at whether that surge was actually warranted plus look at the performance of�potential peers like biodiesel stock Renewable Energy Group Inc (NASDAQ: REGI) and biofuel ETF the ELEMENTS MLCX Biofuels Index TR ETN (NYSEArca: FUE).