5 Best Penny Stocks To Watch For 2014

General Electric (GE) was gaining ground on Thursday, after reporting a better-than-expected �bottom line result in the first quarter.

The conglomerate reported earnings of $3 billion, or 20 cents a share; operating earnings were 33 cents a share, down from 39 cent a share a year earlier but ahead of the 32 cents analysts had forecast. Revenue slid 2.2% to $34.2 billion, almost meeting consensus of $34.3 billion.

The firm�� GE Capital and real estate operations were the main culprit for the decline: Revenue from GE Capital slumped 8.3% while its real estate arm saw sales plummet 62% year over year.

By contrast, GE�� industrial business logged an 8.3% gain in sales: The oil and power segment saw revenue climb 27% and its power and water business jumped 14%.

GE also said it is on track to meet its goal of $1 billion or more in cost cutting this year.

S&P Capital IQ analyst J. Corridor reiterated a Buy rating on the stock, and raised his target price by $2 to $32, reflecting his ��iew that industrial, infrastructure and financial performance will benefit from an expanding U.S. and global economy. GE Q1 operating EPS of $0.33, vs. $0.39, was a penny better than our estimate. Order flow in industrial segment was strong and infrastructure backlog remains robust. We think traction on restructurings was good, and expect operating margin expansion through ’14 and ’15.��/p>

Top 5 Clean Energy Companies To Buy Right Now: L-3 Communications Holdings Inc. (LLL)

L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiary, L-3 Communications Corporation, provides command, control, communications, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C3ISR) systems; aircraft modernization and maintenance; and government services in the United States and internationally. Its C3ISR segment offers fleet management sustainment and support, such as procurement, systems integration, sensor development, modifications, and periodic depot maintenance for signals intelligence and communications intelligence systems; strategic and tactical signals intelligence systems; secure data links; secure terminal and communication network equipment and encryption management; and communication systems. The company?s Government Services segment provides communication software support, information technology services, and various engineering development services and integration support; engineering and information systems support services; teaching and training; h uman intelligence support services; command and control systems and software services; and technical and management services. Its Aircraft Modernization and Maintenance segment offers modernization and refurbishments, upgrades and sustainment, maintenance, and logistics support services, as well as turnkey aviation life cycle management services for military and various government and commercial customers. The company?s Electronic Systems segment provides components, products, subsystems, systems, and related services across various business areas, including power and control systems, electro-optic/infrared, microwave, simulation and training, precision engagement, warrior systems, security and detection, propulsion systems, avionics and displays, telemetry and advanced technology, undersea warfare, and marine services. L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1997 and is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jayson Derrick]

  Analysts at CRT Capital downgraded L-3 Communications (NYSE: LLL) to Sell from Fairly Valued with a price target lowered to $90 from a previous $102. Also, analysts at Drexel Hamilton downgraded L-3 Communications to Hold from Buy while removing a previous $130 price target. Shares lost 12.27 percent, closing at $104.96.

5 Best Penny Stocks To Watch For 2014: Prospect Capital Corporation(PSEC)

Prospect Capital Corporation is a mezzanine finance and private equity firm that specializes in late venture, middle market, mature, mezzanine, buyouts, recapitalizations, growth capital, development, and bridge transactions. It makes secured debt and equity investments. The firm typically invests across all industry sectors, with a particular expertise in the energy and industrial sectors. It invests in oil and gas production, coal production, materials, industrials, consumer discretionary, information technology, utilities, pipeline, storage, power generation and distribution, renewable and clean energy, oilfield services, healthcare, food and beverage, education, business services, and other select sectors. The firm prefers to invest in the United States and Canada. It seeks to invest between $5 million to $50 million in companies with EBITDA between $$ million and $75 million, sales value up to $500 million, and enterprise value of up to $250 million. The firm also co- invests for larger deals. It seeks control acquisitions by providing multiple levels of the capital structure. Prospect Capital Corporation was founded in 1988 and is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Charles Sizemore]

  A high dividend yield, large-scale buying by company insiders, and recent buying by funds controlled by Joel Greenblatt (Trades, Portfolio) and George Soros (Trades, Portfolio).Sound interesting? Then I suggest you take a look at shares of Prospect Capital Corporation (PSEC), a business development company (��DC�� traded on the Nasdaq.If you��e unfamiliar with BDCs, you can think of them as publically-traded private equity firms. BDCs provide financing to small and middle-market companies that are too early in their development to get funding from more traditional sources, such as the bond and equity markets. It�� a high-risk but potentially very high-return financing niche.Similar to REITs, BDCs pay no taxes at the company level on the condition that they distribute at least 90% of their income to their investors via dividends. This makes BDCs some of the highest-yielding investments on the market, but��s is the case with REITs and MLPs��heir inability to retain earnings for future growth also means that they regularly have to issue new shares, which dilutes current shareholders. That�� notnecessarily a bad thing if new investments are accretive to earnings. But it means that management has to be extremely disciplined.Let�� dig into the details of Prospect Capital. PSEC invests primarily in first-lien and second-lien senior loans and mezzanine debt and provides financing for leveraged buyouts, acquisitions, recapitalizations, and capital expenditures for growth. PSEC also invests in the higher-risk but potentially much higher-return equity tranches of collateralized loan obligations. Most of PSEC�� individual investments would have to be considered risky given the early stages of the companies involved, but the portfolio is diversified across a wide variety of industries.PSEC pays an absolutely massive dividend, sporting a current dividend yield of 13.7%. Now, normally, that would make me pause. An exceptionally high yield is often a major red

5 Best Penny Stocks To Watch For 2014: Safe Bulkers Inc(SB)

Safe Bulkers, Inc. provides marine drybulk transportation services worldwide. The company transports various bulk cargoes, primarily coal, grain, and iron ore. As of July 15, 2011, it had a fleet of 16 drybulk vessels, with an aggregate carrying capacity of 1,443,800 deadweight tons. The company?s fleet consists of Panamax, Kamsarmax, Post-Panamax, and Capesize class vessels, as well as 11 further contracted additional drybulk new build vessels to be delivered at various times through 2014. Safe Bulkers, Inc. was incorporated in 2007 and is based in Athens, Greece.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Bryan Murphy]

  If you're reading this, then odds are you already know shipping stocks like Diana Shipping Inc. (NYSE:DSX), Safe Bulkers, Inc. (NYSE:SB), and Navios Maritime Partners L.P. (NYSE:NMM) are all up big-time today, and up nicely for the week, for that matter. SB is up 11% for the day, NMM is up 6% for the week, while DSX is higher by 8% for the session, snapping a surprisingly-long weak streak.

• [By James E. Brumley]

  The recent strength from Sino-Global Shipping America, Ltd. (NASDAQ:SINO) and the now-renewed strength from Safe Bulkers, Inc. (NYSE:SB) would suggest those two stocks are among the very best ways to play the rebound currently unfurling in the shipping sector. And to be fair, both are fine companies in their own right. The top play in the dry goods maritime shipping arena, however, may well be Diana Shipping Inc. (NYSE:DSX). No, DSX isn't one of the fun and exciting small caps in the maritime shipping space. But, there's a lot to be said for size and stability, which SB and SINO can't offer.

5 Best Penny Stocks To Watch For 2014: Select Comfort Corporation(SCSS)

Select Comfort Corporation develops, manufactures, markets, and distributes adjustable-firmness beds and other sleep-related accessory products in the United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, and Australia. It offers its mattresses under the Sleep Number brand name. The company also provides a line of accessory bedding products, including specialty pillows, mattress pads, comforters, sheets, and leg options. Select Comfort Corporation distributes its products through retail, direct marketing, and e-commerce channels. As of January 2, 2010, it had 403 company-owned stores and 146 retail partner doors. The company was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tess Stynes]

  Among the companies with shares expected to actively trade in Monday’s session are Hhgregg Inc.(HGG), Select Comfort Corp.(SCSS) and Walgreen Co.(WAG)