Top 10 Electric Utility Stocks To Buy For 2015

After being spun off from its parent company, Dean Foods (NYSE: DF  ) , health-oriented food purveyor White Wave Foods (NYSE: WWAV  ) offered the market a nearly pure play on plant-based food items, one of the fastest growing areas within the industry. The spinoff was originally priced rather high, though the company is certainly growing. Now, the secondary offering is coming to a close and the spinoff is nearly complete while the company posts strong preliminary results. Even at its premium price, is White Wave Foods a buy after the spin-off is completed?

Strong hints
White Wave, as I mentioned, owns several plant-based food brands that are riding the wave of healthier shoppers and wellness-peddling markets. The strategy, thus far, has worked out. In its preliminary earnings report, White Wave showed investors and analysts strong double-digit earnings growth, while sales grew more modestly. The results were driven by a bump in volume, even though its sales growth was less than half that of the profit growth.

Hot Regional Bank Companies To Invest In Right Now: iShares MSCI Austria Capped ETF (EWO)

iShares MSCI Austria Index Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of publicly traded securities in the aggregate in the Austrian market, as measured by the MSCI Austria Index (the Index). The Index seeks to measure the performance of the Austrian equity market. The Index is a capitalization-weighted index that aims to capture 85% of the (publicly available) total market capitalization. Component companies are adjusted for available float and must meet objective criteria for inclusion in the Index. The Index is reviewed quarterly.

The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. The Fund�� investment advisor is Barclays Global Fund Advisors.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tom Aspray]

  This is quite a bit better than the 9.2% gain of the iShares MSCI Italy (EWI) or the 8.9% rise in the iShares MSCI Austria (EWO). All three have done significantly better than the Spyder Trust (SPY), which is up 3.6%. The French and German country ETFs have not yet moved above their late 2013 highs.

Top 10 Electric Utility Stocks To Buy For 2015: Standard Motor Products Inc (SMP)

Standard Motor Products, Inc. (Standard Motor Products) is an independent manufacturer and distributor of replacement parts for motor vehicles in the automotive aftermarket industry, with a focus on the original equipment service market. The Company operates in two segments: Engine Management Segment and Temperature Control Segment. The Engine Management Segment manufactures ignition and emission parts, ignition wires, battery cables and fuel system parts. The Temperature Control Segment manufactures and remanufactures air conditioning compressors, air conditioning and heating parts, engine cooling system parts, power window accessories, and windshield washer system parts. In January 2014, the Company acquired the assets of Pensacola Fuel Injection, a privately-held company.

The Company�� customers consist of warehouse distributors, such as CARQUEST Corporation and NAPA Auto Parts, as well as auto parts retail chains, such as Advance Auto Parts, Inc., AutoZone, Inc., O��eilly Automotive, Inc., Canadian Tire Corporation and Pep Boys. Its customers also include national program distribution groups, such as Federated Auto Parts, Inc., All Pro/Bumper to Bumper (Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance, Inc.), Automotive Distribution Network and The National Pronto Association, and specialty market distributors. The Company distributes parts under its own brand names, such as Standard, BWD, Intermotor, GP Sorensen, TechSmart, OEM, Four Seasons, Factory Air, EVERCO, ACi, Imperial and Hayden and through private labels, such as CARQUEST, O��eilly Import Direct and Master Pro, NAPA Echlin, NAPA Temp Products and NAPA Belden.

Engine Management Segment

The Company manufacture a line of engine management replacement parts including, electronic ignition control modules, fuel injectors, ignition wires, voltage regulators, coils, switches, emission sensors, EGR valves, distributor caps and rotors and other engine management components primarily under its brand names Standard, BWD! , Intermotor, OEM, TechSmart and GP Sorensen, and through private labels, such as CARQUEST, O��eilly Import Direct and Master Pro, NAPA Echlin and NAPA Belden. In its Engine Management Segment, replacement parts for ignition, emission control and fuel systems accounted for approximately 60% of the Company�� revenues during the year ended December 31, 2011.

Vehicles are factory-equipped with computer-controlled engine management systems to control ignition, emission and fuel injection systems. The on-board computers monitor inputs from many types of sensors located throughout the vehicle, and control a myriad of valves, injectors, switches and motors to manage engine and vehicle performance. Electronic ignition systems enable the engine to operate with improved fuel efficiency and reduced level of hazardous fumes in exhaust gases. Wire and cable parts accounted for approximately 12% of the Company�� revenues during 2011. These products include ignition (spark plug) wires, battery cables and a range of electrical wire, terminals, connectors and tools for servicing an automobile�� electrical system. The component of this product line is the sale of ignition wire sets.

Temperature Control Segment

The Company manufactures, remanufactures and markets a line of replacement parts for automotive temperature control (air conditioning (AC) and heating) systems, engine cooling systems, power window accessories and windshield washer systems, primarily under its brand names of Four Seasons, EVERCO, ACi, Hayden, Factory Air and Imperial, and through private labels, such as CARQUEST, NAPA Temp Products and Murray.

The product groups sold by its Temperature Control Segment are new and remanufactured compressors, clutch assemblies, blower and radiator fan motors, filter dryers, evaporators, accumulators, hose assemblies, expansion valves, heater valves, AC service tools and chemicals, fan assemblies, fan clutches, engine oil coolers, transmission coolers, wind! ow lift m! otors, motor/regulator assemblies and windshield washer pumps. The Company�� temperature control products accounted for approximately 27% of the Company�� revenues during 2011.''

The Company competes with ACDelco, Delphi Automotive PLC, Denso Corporation, Robert Bosch Corporation, Visteon Corporation, NGK/NTK, General Cable, Prestolite, United Components, Inc, ACDelco, Delphi Automotive PLC, Denso Corporation, Sanden International, Inc., Continental AG and Vista-Pro Automotive, LLC.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Calling all cash flows
  When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Standard Motor Products (NYSE: SMP  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

• [By , Zacks Investment Research]

  Standard Motor Products (SMP) makes�replacement parts for motor vehicles in the automotive aftermarket industry with an increasing focus on the original equipment service market. It has a market cap of $959 million.

• [By Jeremy Bowman]

  What: Shares of Standard Motor Products (NYSE: SMP  ) weren't looking up to snuff today, falling as much as 10% today after Goldman Sachs downgraded the entire U.S. auto sector and lowered its rating on Standard form "neutral" to "sell."

Top 10 Electric Utility Stocks To Buy For 2015: Cermaq ASA (CEQ)

Cermaq ASA is a Norway-based company active in the aquaculture industry. It is engaged in the farming of salmon and trout. The Company, along with its subsidiaries, operates in one business segment, namely Aquaculture, which consists of two divisions: Fish Feed production, which involves the production and sale of fish feed, and Fish Farming, which involves the breeding and on-growing, as well as the slaughtering, processing, sale and distribution of salmon and trout. The Company�� other activities consist of operations carried out through its subsidiary, Norgrain AS, the associated company, Denofa AS and the parent company. The Company operates through its subsidiaries, including Statkorn Aqua AS and Mainstream Norway AS, among others. In October 2013, the Company sold its second business segment, EWOS Group, to Altor Fund III and Bain Capital. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chuck Carnevale]

  Additional strengths supporting Aflac�� business model can be found by reviewing their common equity or book value (ceq), the lime green line on the following graph, in comparison to their current market value (mkval), the aqua colored more jagged line on the graph. Aflac�� book value has increased steadily except for a minor pause during the Great Recession of 2008. In contrast, their market value has been much more cyclical and erratic. I believe this additionally reflects current undervaluation of Aflac�� shares. This further supports my contention that Aflac is a great business that is currently on sale.

Top 10 Electric Utility Stocks To Buy For 2015: Alon USA Energy Inc. (ALJ)

Alon USA Energy, Inc. engages in refining and marketing petroleum products primarily in the South Central, Southwestern, and Western regions of the United States. The company operates in three segments: Refining and Marketing, Asphalt, and Retail. The Refining and Marketing segment refines crude oil into petroleum products, including gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, petrochemicals, feed stocks, asphalts, and other petroleum products. It markets finished products and blend stocks through sales and exchanges with other oil companies, state and federal governmental entities, unbranded wholesale distributors, and various other third parties. This segment also markets motor fuels to distributors under the Alon brand; and licenses Alon brand name and provides payment card processing services, advertising programs, and loyalty and other marketing programs to licensed locations. The Asphalt segment is involved in the marketing of patented tire rubber modified asphalt products; and production of paving and roofing grades of asphalt comprising performance-graded asphalts, emulsions, and cutbacks. This segment sells paving asphalt to road and materials manufacturers and highway construction/maintenance contractors; polymer modified or emulsion asphalt to highway maintenance contractors; and roofing asphalt to roofing shingle manufacturers or other industrial users. The Retail segment operates retail convenience stores that offer various grades of gasoline, diesel fuel, food products, tobacco products, non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, and general merchandise primarily under the 7-Eleven and Alon brands. As of December 31, 2012, it had 298 retail convenience stores located in Central and West Texas, and New Mexico. The company was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Alon USA Energy, Inc. is a subsidiary of Alon Israel Oil Company, Ltd.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Dzombak]

  Among companies with over a $1 billion market cap, today's oil and gas stocks leader was Alon USA Energy (NYSE: ALJ  ) , up 4.95% to $17.16. During the refiners' drop on Tuesday and Wednesday, Alon dropped 12.89%. Despite the comeback today, the stock is still down 8.6% from where it was before the plunge. Alon USA owns refineries in Louisiana and California, 11 asphalt terminals, as well as 300 7-11 retail locations. The company has been profiting heavily from the massive price difference between WTI and Brent crude. In November of 2012, the company IPO'd its Big Springs refinery as a master limited partnership, Alon USA Partners LP,�the proceeds of which Alon used to pay down debt.

Top 10 Electric Utility Stocks To Buy For 2015: Vivendi SA (VIVHY.PK)

Vivendi SA (Vivendi), incorporated on December 18, 1987, is a communications and entertainment company. As of December 31, 2009, the Company had six business segments: Activision Blizzard, Universal Music Group, SFR, Maroc Telecom Group, GVT (Holding) S.A. (GVT) and Canal+ Group. Activision Blizzard develops, publishes and distributes interactive entertainment software, online or on other media (such as console and personal computer (PC)). Universal Music Group is engaged in the sale of recorded music (physical and digital media), exploitation of music publishing rights, as well as artist services and merchandising. SFR is engaged in the phone services (mobile, broadband Internet and fixed) in France. Maroc Telecom Group is a telecommunication operator (mobile, fixed and Internet) in Africa, principally in Morocco, as well as in Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Gabon and Mali. GVT is a Brazilian fixed and broadband operator. Canal+ Group is engaged in publishing and distribution of pay-television mainly in France, in both analog and digital (terrestrially, via satellite or ADSL), as well as film production in Europe. In July 2013, Vivendi SA and Universal Music Group announced the completion of the sale of Parlophone Label Group to Warner Music Group Corp.

On November 13, 2009, Vivendi acquired an aggregate of 29.9% of GVT�� outstanding voting shares from Swarth Investments LLC, Swarth Investments Holdings LLC and Global Village Telecom (Holland) BV. In addition, Vivendi acquired from third parties an additional 8% interest in GVT's outstanding shares. On December 28, 2009, Canal+ Group, Vivendi�� subsidiary, acquired TF1�� 9.9% interest in the capital of Canal+ France. On July 31, 2009, Maroc Telecom acquired 51% controlling interest in Sotelma. On August 27, 2009, CID, a company 40% owned by SFR and 60% by other financial investors, acquired the 62% interest in 5 sur 5.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Mike Arnold]

  I normally don't look at charts much, but comparing Orange to its competitors in the French telecommunications market is quite fascinating. As one can see, incumbents Bouygues (BOUYF.PK) and Vivendi (VIVHY.PK) (owner of SFR) saw similar price declines. The market, on the other hand, rapidly bid up the price of new entrant Iliad SA (ILIAF.PK), as a result of forecasts for Iliad to capture significant mobile market share (which it did, around 10%). The wide divergence in price relative to changes in underlying value favor going long the incumbents, including Orange. Because this time it's different.

• [By Eric Rodawig]

  Activision Blizzard (ATVI) is the world's largest and most successful video game developer, and is majority owned (61%) by French telecom and media conglomerate Vivendi (VIVHY.PK). Vivendi has been undergoing a massive strategic review with the intent to reduce debt and unlock the value of its assets that has fueled speculation surrounding ATVI. In conjunction with this, ATVI CFO Dennis Durkin announced on the 4Q12 earnings call

Top 10 Electric Utility Stocks To Buy For 2015: Pier 1 Imports Inc (PIR)

Pier 1 Imports, Inc. (Pier 1 Imports), incorporated in April 30, 1986, is a global importer of imported decorative home furnishings and gifts. As of March 2, 2013, the Company had 1,062 stores in the United States and Canada. During the fiscal year ended March 2, 2013 (fiscal 2013), the Company opened 22 new Pier 1 Imports stores and closed 12 stores. The Company operates regional distribution center facilities in or near Baltimore, Maryland; Columbus, Ohio; Fort Worth, Texas; Ontario, California; Savannah, Georgia, and Tacoma, Washington. The specialty retail operations of the Company consist of retail stores and e-Commerce operations conducting business under the name Pier 1 Imports, which sell a range of furniture, decorative home furnishings, dining and kitchen goods, candles, gifts and other specialty items for the home.

As of March 2, 2013, the Company operated 982 Pier 1 Imports stores in the United States and 80 Pier 1 Imports stores in Canada. During fiscal 2013, the Company supplied merchandise and licensed the Pier 1 Imports name to Grupo Sanborns, which sold Pier 1 Imports merchandise primarily in a store within a store format in 49 Sears Mexico stores and one store in El Salvador. The stores consist of freestanding units located near shopping centers or malls and in-line positions in major shopping centers. Pier 1 Imports operates in all major United States metropolitan areas and many of the primary smaller markets.

Decorative Accessories

This merchandise group constitutes the range of category of merchandise in Pier 1 Imports��sales mix. These items are imported primarily from Asian and European countries, as well as some domestic sources. This merchandise group includes decorative accents, lamps, vases, dried and artificial flowers, baskets, ceramics, dinnerware, bath and fragrance products, candles, seasonal and gift items.

Furniture

This merchandise group consists of furniture and furniture cushions to be used in livin! g, dining, office, kitchen and bedroom areas, sunrooms and on patios. Also included in this group are wall decorations and mirrors. These goods are imported from a variety of countries such as Vietnam, Malaysia, Brazil, Thailand, China, the Philippines, India and Indonesia, and are also obtained from domestic sources. This merchandise group is made of metal or handcrafted natural materials, including rattan, pine, beech, rubberwood and selected hardwoods with either natural, stained, painted or upholstered finishes.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  The Q1 2014 earnings report for Restoration Hardware Holdings Inc (NYSE: RH), a potential peer of other furniture or home d茅cor retailers like Williams-Sonoma, Inc (NYSE: WSM), Bed Bath & Beyond Inc (NASDAQ: BBBY) and Pier 1 Imports Inc (NYSE: PIR), is scheduled for after the market closes on Wednesday. Aside from the Restoration Hardware Holdings earnings report, it should be said that Bed Bath & Beyond Inc reported Q4 2013 earnings on April 9th (shares dropped after profit forecast trails estimates) and will report Q1 2014 June 23rd; Pier 1 Imports Inc will report Q1 2015 earnings on Monday, June 16th; and Williams-Sonoma, Inc reported Q1 2014 earnings on May 21st (comparable brand revenues grow 10%, operating income grows 17% and EPS increased 20% to $0.48). All of these stocks are a potential play on a housing recovery�plus Restoration Hardware Holdings gave a strong guidance the last time it reported earnings.

• [By Maria Armental var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); popups.forEach]

  Among the companies with shares expected to actively trade in Thursday’s session are KBR Inc.(KBR), Pier 1 Imports Inc.(PIR) and Rite (RAD) Aid Corp.

Top 10 Electric Utility Stocks To Buy For 2015: Seaboard Corporation(SEB)

Seaboard Corporation operates as a diversified agribusiness and transportation company worldwide. Its Pork division engages in hog production and pork processing; and the production and sale of fresh and frozen pork products, such as lunchmeat, ham, bacon, sausage, loins, tenderloins, and ribs, as well as further processed pork products, including raw and pre-cooked bacon to further processors, foodservice operators, grocery stores, distributors, and retail outlets under the Prairie Fresh and Daily's brand names. This division also produces and sells biodiesel from pork and other animal fats to third parties. The company?s Commodity Trading and Milling division sources, transports, and markets wheat, corn, soybean meal, rice, and other commodities, as well as operates flour, feed, and maize milling businesses. Its Marine division provides containerized cargo shipping service to 26 countries between the United States, the Caribbean Basin, and central and South America; and operates a terminal at the Port of Miami, an off-dock warehouse for cargo consolidation and temporary storage, and a cargo terminal at the Port of Houston for temporary storage of bagged grains, resins, and other cargo. As of December 31, 2010, it operated 10 owned and approximately 29 chartered vessels; and dry, refrigerated, and specialized containers and other related equipment. The company?s Sugar division produces and refines sugar cane, produces alcohol, and purchases and resells sugar to retailers, soft drink manufacturers, and food manufacturers in Argentina. Its Power division operates as an independent power producer in the Dominican Republic operating 2 floating barges with a system of diesel engines with combined capacity of approximately 112 megawatts of electricity. Seaboard Corporation also purchases and processes jalapeno peppers in the United States. The company was founded in 1928 and is based in Shawnee Mission, Kansas. Seaboard Corporation is a subsidiary of Seaboard Flour LLC.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Geoff Gannon]

  Not necessarily. There are some big obscure stocks. The example everyone who knows obscure stocks will give you is Seaboard (SEB). This is a company with a $3 billion market cap. But it�� also a company that has been run the way obscure companies are run.

• [By Holly LaFon] ard is also an older company founded more than 90 years ago and has focused on grain and agriculturally derived products. In the last 10 years its stock has appreciated 543%, and on Monday one share costs $1,955. It has never split its stock.

  Seaboard is still a growing company. In the last ten years it increased revenue per share at an average rate of 12.5%, EBITDA at 9.8%, and book value at 18.2%. It also has a low P/E of 6.8, its lowest since about 2007.

  Berkshire Hathaway-A (BRK.A)

  Berkshire Hathaway is the multinational conglomerate founded by Warren Buffett and is the eighth largest company in the world. They are the highest priced shares on the New York Stock Exchange, partially due to never splitting their stock or paying a dividend. Rather, they reinvest corporate earnings to continue growth.

  In the last 10 years, Berkshire Hathaway stock has increased 67%. On Monday, one share of BRK.A cost $122,115.

  Berkshire management has grown book value at an annual rate of 20.3% for the last 44 years. Growth has been continuing in recent history. In the last 10 years, revenue per share increased at a rate of 11.4%, EBITDA at 7.5% and free cash flow at 3.3%. Its P/E is 17.1.

  These stocks are not necessarily expensive or not expensive based on how much one share costs but are subject to the same valuation as lower-priced companies. To create your own screener to find the exact stocks you are interested in, try GuruFocus��do-it-all screener here.