Best Warren Buffett Companies To Invest In Right Now

What sort of qualities do you look for in a business when investing?

I�� not talking about a stock and its momentum, or volume or relation to its 52-week high. I�� also not talking about your perception of the company as a consumer��ts ads, its products and so forth. I�� talking about its business. What traits do you want in a business in which you invest?

It�� a key question; after all, most of history�� greatest investors��eople like Warren Buffett, Benjamin Graham and Joel Greenblatt��ave looked at stocks not as pieces of paper but instead as pieces of a business. They realized that, while anything can happen in the short term, over time a stock�� price will come to reflect the strength (or weakness) of its underlying business.

For me, a couple key, broad traits come to mind. First, I want to know that a business has a track record of efficiently using the money I and/or other investors have given it to generate as much in profits as it can. Second, I want to know that, when possible and appropriate, the company has a track record of returning some of those profits to investors.

Top 5 Healthcare Equipment Stocks To Buy Right Now: Eco Building Products Inc (ECOB)

ECO Building Products, Inc. (ECOB), incorporated on March 21, 2007, is a manufacturer of wood products treated with an eco-friendly chemistry that protects against fire, mold/mycotoxins, fungus, rot-decay, wood ingesting insects and termites with ECOB WoodSurfaceFilm and fire retardant coating). ECOB�� newest product, Eco Red Shield also serves as a fire inhibitor protecting lumber from fire, slowing ignition time and reducing the amount of smoke produced. The Eco Building Products line includes dimensional lumber, wall and floor panels, I-joists, GluLam Beams, laminated veneer lumber (LVL) beams, truss lumber and trim. These products can be coated at its production facilities and at the mill or distributor with its formula and coating machines. Its products include Eco Red Shield, Eco Clear Shield, Eco Blue Shield, Eco Shelter, Eco Cabinets, Smart Components Seismic Walls, Eco LVL Beam, Eco I Joist, Eco Corbels, Eco Trim, Eco LVL Studs, and Calvert Curved Beams.

As of June 30, 2012, the Company owned 100% of E Build & Truss, Inc. (E Build), Red Shield Lumber, Inc. (Red Shield) and Seattle Coffee Exchange (Seattle). Red Shield was formed for the purpose of opening a plant in Canada utilizing the Company�� red coating process for sale and distribution. As of December 31, 2011, the wholly owned subsidiary had little operating activity. E Build was formed for the purpose of operating the Company�� Framing Labor and Truss manufacturing activities. ECOB has developed a line of eco-friendly protective wood coatings that extend the life of framing lumber and other wood used in the construction of single-family homes, multi-story buildings, as well as The Eco Shelter. In December 2011, the Company formed Seattle in the State of California. Seattle is a coffee shop which is located in the 1st floor of the Company�� corporate headquarters in Vista, California. This wholly owned subsidiary has not started its operations, as of June 30, 2012.

The Company�� eco-friendly formula ! controls moisture and protects lumber from mold, mildew, fungus, decay, rot, termites (and other wood boring insects including Formosan termites), while simultaneously serving as a fire inhibitor. The Company�� eco-friendly formula was designed for staining - it controls moisture and protects lumber from mold, mildew, fungus, decay, rot, termites while simultaneously serving as a fire inhibitor. ECOB�� eco-friendly formula controls moisture and protects lumber from mold, mildew, fungus, decay, rot, termites (and other wood boring insects including Formosan termites). Eco Red Shield Smart ComponentsO wall systems are pre-engineered seismic wall systems. The Company�� pre-engineered and pre-packaged kit comes pre-cut and ready to assemble with hammer and nails - the simple design makes it ideal for rapid response relief housing, events, offices, meeting halls, storage sheds, medical clinics and more. It is available in a range of sizes and floor plans.

Eco has delivered cabinet solutions for kitchen, bath, garage and office space. Smart Components is made with Eco Red Shield Protected Lumber for builders in seismic hot spots, such as California, Mexico and Japan. The I beam joist is eco-friendly solution to large structural beams. Laminated Eco Trim is protected on all six sides and available in any protective coatings providing a nearly impenetrable barrier against moisture, mold and insects. It also offers an ultra-smooth surface for painting and a clean, finished look that builders and homeowners desire.

The Company competes with Arch Chemical and Osmose, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap green stocks Eco Depot Inc (OTCMKTS: ECDP), Eco Building Products Inc (OTCMKTS: ECOB) and Profire Energy, Inc (OTCBB: PFIE) has been getting some extra attention lately in various investment newsletters thanks to paid promotions or investor relation campaigns. Of course, there is nothing wrong with properly disclosed promotions and investor relations campaigns, but small cap green stocks tend to be extra volatile when compared with other stocks. So how in greenbacks will these three small cap green stocks produce for investors? Here is a quick reality check:

Best Warren Buffett Companies To Invest In Right Now: Qatar Investment Fund PLC (QIF)

Qatar Investment Fund plc, formerly Epicure Qatar Equity Opportunities plc, is a closed-end investment company established to invest primarily in quoted equities of Qatar and other Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries. Its investment objective is to capture, principally through the medium of the Qatar Exchange by investing in listed companies or companies to be listed. It also invests in listed companies, pre-initial public offer (IPO) companies, in other GCC countries. As of June 30, 2010, the Company had a portfolio of 22 investments in quoted companies in the Gulf, with 17 of them being in Qatar, four investments in United Arab Emirates and one in Kuwait. As at June 30, 2010, the top five holdings of the Company are Qatar National bank, Industries Qatar, Commercial Bank of Qatar, Qatar Islamic Bank and Rayan Bank. The Company�� wholly owned subsidiary is Epicure Qatar Opportunities Holdings Limited. The investment manager of the Company is Epicure Managers Qatar Limited. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Vivian Lewis]

  The fund also operates to cut tax liabilities. EXG executes timely trades to capture additional qualified dividend income (QIF) subject to capital gains taxes which are usually lower than income taxes.

Best Warren Buffett Companies To Invest In Right Now: Oculus Innovative Sciences Inc.(OCLS)

Oculus Innovative Sciences, Inc. develops, manufactures, and markets tissue care products that prevent and treat infections in open wounds and skin care, as well as, through a separate mechanism of action, heal wounds while reducing the need for antibiotics. The company, through its platform technology, Microcyn, a solution of electrically charged oxychlorine small molecules treats organisms that cause disease, which include viruses, fungi, spores, and antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus in wounds, as well as Clostridium difficile. It sells Microcyn technology-based human wound care products as prescription and over-the-counter products. The company markets its products through sales force and distributors in the United States, Mexico, Europe, and internationally. Oculus Innovative Sciences, Inc. offers its products to pharmacies; care centers; hospitals; nursing homes; urgent c are clinics; home healthcare; physicians; nurses; and other healthcare practitioners who are the primary caregivers to patients being treated for acute or chronic wounds or undergoing surgical procedures, as well as to dermatologists for treatment of various skin afflictions. The company was formerly known as Micromed Laboratories, Inc. and changed its name to Oculus Innovative Sciences, Inc. in August 2001. Oculus Innovative Sciences was incorporated in 1999 and is based in Petaluma, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap stocks Derma Sciences Inc (NASDAQ: DSCI), Oculus Innovative Sciences, Inc (NASDAQ: OCLS)�and Arch Therapeutics Inc (OTCBB: ARTH) specialize or have a focus on wound care���a medical problem that has plagued mankind since the dawn of time. After all and think back to our Civil War when disease along with infections resulting from improper wound care probably killed more soldiers than actual battles. Even today, infection after surgery or after receiving a wound or injury of any kind is still a constant threat. And then there is the scaring that can result from any sort of invasive surgery or injury. With those thoughts in mind, here are three small cap wound care stocks trying address these problems:

Best Warren Buffett Companies To Invest In Right Now: ChannelAdvisor Corp (ECOM)

Channeladvisor Corporation, incorporated on June 18, 2001, is a provider of software-as-a-service, or SaaS, solutions that enables retailers and manufacturer customers to integrate, manage and optimize their merchandise sales across hundreds of online channels. Through the Company�� platform, the Company enables its customers to connect with new and existing sources of demand for their products, including e-commerce marketplaces, such as eBay, Amazon and Newegg, search engines and comparison shopping websites, such as Google, Microsoft�� Bing, and Nextag, and emerging channels, such as Facebook and Groupon.

The Company serves customers across a range of industries and geographies. As of December 31, 2012, the Company had over 1,900 customers worldwide. Its customers include both traditional and online retailers, such as Ann Taylor, eBags.com, J&R Electronics and Jos. A. Bank Clothiers, as well as manufacturers of consumer goods, such as Dell, Dooney and Bourke, Lenovo, Sony and Under Armour.

The Company�� suite of SaaS solutions allows its customers to more easily integrate, manage and optimize their online sales across hundreds of available channels through a single, integrated platform. Its suite solutions includes a number of individual offerings, or modules. Each module integrates with a particular type of channel, such as third-party marketplaces, paid search or comparison shopping websites, or supports specific online functionality, such as creating webstores or employing rich media solutions on their websites. The Company provides its customers with a single Web-based interface as the central location for them to control, analyze and manage their online sales across hundreds of available channels and multiple geographies. It provides its customers with actionable insights across the latest channel and consumer trends and general product performance, which enables them to evaluate and, if necessary, improve the efficiency of their business rules on existing or new! channels.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jonas Elmerraji]

  Cloud software provider ChannelAdvisor (ECOM) has enjoyed a stellar run since its IPO earlier this year. In the months since ECOM started trading at the beginning of the summer, shares have nearly doubled. But this stock could be headed for even higher ground before the calendar flips over to 2014.

  That's because ECOM is currently forming an ascending triangle pattern, a bullish price setup that's formed by a horizontal resistance level above shares at $40 and uptrending support to the downside. Basically, as ECOM bounces in between those two technically significant price levels, it's getting squeezed closer and closer to a breakout above resistance. When that happens, we've got a buy signal in shares.

  ChannelAdvisor has shown investors excellent relative strength all the way up this year, but it's worth noting that the uptrend in ECOM's relative strength line has remained intact even while the ascending triangle has been forming – that's a big sign of strength in this market. I'd recommend buying on a move through $40, from there, keep a protective stop at the 200-day moving average.

• [By Garrett Cook]

  ChannelAdvisor (NYSE: ECOM) shares shot up 5.14 percent to $24.35. Deutsche Bank upgraded Channel Advisor from Hold to Buy. ChannelAdvisor is expected to release its Q2 financial results on August 4, 2014.

Best Warren Buffett Companies To Invest In Right Now: Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG)

Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (the Fund) is an open-end investment company, or mutual fund. It seeks to track the performance of an index that measures the investment return of common stocks of companies that have a record of increasing dividends over time. Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF is an exchange-traded share class of Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index Fund (the Fund), which employs a passive management or indexing investment approach designed to track the performance of the Dividend Achievers Select Index (the Index).

The Index is a subset of the Broad Dividend Achievers Index and is administered for Vanguard by Mergent, Inc. The Fund attempts to replicate the Index by investing all, or substantially all, of its assets in the stocks that make up the Index, holding each stock in approximately the same proportion as its weighting in the Index.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  5. Dividends, stock buy-backs, capex, and M&A all increase at a double-digit rate – This is led by a lot of cash flow, underleveraged balance sheets, and possible great places to use cash. The argument for higher cap-ex is as follows: “Pent-up demand and aging of plant, equipment and technology argue for increases in those key areas.”

  ETF Recommendation: Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (NYSEArca: VIG) for dividend growers, and PowerShares Buyback Achievers (NYSEArca: PKW) for buyback stocks. Hint: the buyback ETF rose by 45.5% in 2013 after dividend adjustments versus 28.8% for the dividend growth ETF.

  6. The U.S. dollar appreciates as U.S. energy and manufacturing trends continue to improve.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Investing in dividend stocks is easy. Exchange-traded funds Vanguard Dividend Appreciation (NYSEMKT: VIG  ) , iShares Dow Jones Select Dividend (NYSEMKT: DVY  ) , and SPDR S&P Dividend (NYSEMKT: SDY  ) give you low-cost access to dozens or even hundreds of dividend-paying stocks, all within a single investment vehicle. If you prefer, you can also buy individual stocks, either through a broker or through direct investment plans. Blue-chip companies General Electric (NYSE: GE  ) and Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG  ) are just two of the hundreds of stocks that offer shares through direct plans and allow you to reinvest dividends automatically in additional shares at no fee.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Because of low bond yields, many retirees have turned to dividend-paying stocks for yield, but by doing so, they've also increased the risk that the 4% retirement rule won't work. Dividend ETFs Vanguard High Dividend Yield (NYSEMKT: VYM  ) and iShares Select Dividend (NYSEMKT: DVY  ) both offer yields between 3% and 4%, but the average earnings multiples of the stocks they own have gotten fairly pricey recently, trading at around 16 and 19 times earnings respectively. Even the more conservative dividend ETF Vanguard Dividend Appreciation (NYSEMKT: VIG  ) , which looks more at historical dividend growth rather than current yield in choosing stocks, has a multiple of 16 -- higher than you'd want from the slower-growth companies that often end up being the best dividend payers.

• [By Brendan Conway]

  Editor�� note: This column is part of our Best Stocks for 2014 contest. Brendan Conway’s pick for the contest is the Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG).
  

Best Warren Buffett Companies To Invest In Right Now: Petroleo Brasileiro Petrobras SA (PETR3)

Petroleo Brasileiro SA Petrobras (Petrobras) is a Brazil-based integrated oil and gas company. The Company divides its activities into seven segments: Exploration and Production; Refining, Transportation and Marketing; Gas and Power; Biofuel; Distribution and International. Directly or through its subsidiaries, Petrobras is engaged in the research, extraction, refining, processing, trade and transport of oil from wells, shale and other rocks, its derivatives, natural gas and other liquid hydrocarbons, as well as in activities related to energy, development, production, transport, distribution and commercialization of energy. The Company's offering comprises road transportation products such as Automotive Gasoline, Diesel Fuel, Natural Vehicular Gas, Lubrax; agriculture and cattle raising products such as Sunflower Meal, among others; Industrial products such as Solvents and Paraffins, among others. The Company provides its services both for individual and business clients. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Maria Levitov]

  Brazil�� Ibovespa advanced amid speculation that a three-session slump for Brazil�� benchmark equity index was excessive. Usiminas, as Usinas de Minas Gerais is known, rose 7.5 percent, while oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA (PETR3) contributed the most to the gauge�� advance.