Top 5 Defensive Companies For 2014

Just as 2013 was a strong year for the broader stock market, it was also a solid year for consumer stocks. And, just as there was significant variation between the performance of the broader market�� sectors, so too was there a good deal of differentiation within the consumer stock arena.

While consumer cyclicals are up more than 35% over the past year, according to Morningstar, consumer defensive stocks (consumer staples) are up only about 18%. Perhaps that�� not too surprising, given that economic news was better than expected for the most part in 2013 ��the sort of environment that helps encourage more risk-taking on cyclical plays.

But that doesn�� mean you should shun consumer staples as we move into 2014��ven if you think the economy is going to continue to gain steam. In his most recent edition of What Works on Wall Street, quantitative investing guru James O��haughnessy examined decades worth of historical data and found that, over the long term, the best performing sector of the market has been consumer staples.

Top 10 Oil Service Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Turkiye Garanti Bankasi AS (GARAN)

Turkiye Garanti Bankasi AS (the Bank) is a Turkey-based financial services company. The Bank provides retail, commercial, corporate and small and medium size enterprises (SME) banking, leasing, insurance, asset management and factoring services. Other operation heading under the banking segment include mainly treasury and investment banking activities as well as unallocated income and expense items. It has a network of 822 domestic branches, seven foreign branches, three representative offices abroad and 104 offices. In addition to its branches, the Bank has 100% ownership in three banks each of which is located in Amsterdam, Bucharest and Moscow. The Bank and its affiliates operate principally in Turkey, but also have operations in the Netherlands, Romania, Russia, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Malta, Luxembourg and Germany. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Halia Pavliva]

  Turkiye Garanti (GARAN) Bankasi AS, the largest Turkish lender by market value, led gains on the Borsa Istanbul National 100 Index, which rose 1.5 percent. Garanti climbed 1.3 percent after slumping 4.1 percent to the lowest level since Sept. 13 yesterday. The government is selling $1.25 billion of five-year Islamic bonds today, according to a person with direct knowledge of the transaction, who asked not to be identified because the information is private.

• [By Julia Leite]

  The Borsa Istanbul Stock Exchange National 100 Index climbed from a six-month low. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he was ready to listen to the demands of anti-government protesters. The lira strengthened for the first time in three days and bonds gained. Lenders Turkiye Garanti Bankasi AS (GARAN) and Akbank T.A.S. added at least 3.2 percent.

• [By Ian Sayson]

  Russia�� Micex Index declined, trimming its weekly gain to 2.5 percent. OAO Mechel, the nation�� biggest producer of coal for steelmakers, slumped 1.7 percent. The Borsa Istanbul National 100 Index sank 2 percent as Turkiye Garanti Bankasi AS (GARAN) led losses in lenders. Benchmark gauges in the Czech Republic and Hungary declined at least 1.2 percent.

Top 5 Defensive Companies For 2014: Yappn Corp (YPPN)

Yappn Corp., formerly Plesk Corp., incorporated on November 3, 2010, is focusing on social media Website that will host multi-language conversations based on different topics, such as interests, brands and activities. Its platform will enable users to meet people from all over the world without any language barriers and to interact with them through online chatting and forums by providing access to topical discussion boards in almost 70 languages. This will permit real-time multiple language conversations to co-exist without the fracturing that comes as a result of many people posting in multiple languages to a single chat area or splintering the audience by segregating posts by language. Yappn is a topic or interest focused site bringing people together to discuss current events, celebrities, technology, sports, entertainment and other popular areas of conversation. On March 28, 2013, it purchased social media platform and related group of assets known as Yappn.

The Company will have gamification system that will reward users for their engagement through virtual trophies, badges, and medals for participation in selected events. The Company, with the power of Ortsbo offers a set of communication tools where users can create opportunities to meet, chat, engage and consume in their own virtual location creating global social engagement for private events and closed networks. Users can also connect to social networks and engage friends and followers on Facebook, Yahoo, Twitter and more. It will be available on all devices through mobile, portable and desktop online access. With Yappn, user generated content be closed captioned in multiple languages in minutes, using Ortsbo�� pending business processes and tools for a translation experience. Commercial enterprises can use its Website to communicate their content, their e-commerce offerings and other messaging on a global scale.

The Company competes with Facebook, LinkedIn, Craigslist, Google and Apple.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap stocks Digital Caddies Inc (OTCMKTS: CADY), MEDL Mobile Holdings Inc (OTCMKTS: MEDL) and Yappn Corp (OTCMKTS: YPPN) offer different ways to potentially profit from Internet or mobile technology. However, all three small cap stocks have also been the subject of paid promotions or investor relations types of activities. So will investors actually profit from the efforts of these small caps to profit from the Internet or mobile technology? Here is a quick reality check:

Top 5 Defensive Companies For 2014: Denny's Corporation(DENN)

Denny's Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in the ownership and operation of a chain of family-style restaurants. The company operates traditional American-style food restaurants under the Denny?s brand name. As of December 28, 2011, it had 1,479 franchised/licensed restaurants and 206 company-owned and operated restaurants in the United States, Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico, Honduras, Guam, Puerto Rico, and New Zealand. The company was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jae Jun]

  1. Turnaround Story of Denny�� (DENN): Denny�� owns and is a franchiser of family diners. The company controls about 9% of the family dining market and competes directly with IHOP which controls 11%.

• [By Rupert Hargreaves]

  Take, for example, Ruby's closet competitor by market capitalization,�Denny's (NASDAQ: DENN  ) . At the end of the second quarter, Denny's had $301 million in assets and $299 million in liabilities, which gives indicative shareholder equity of $2 million, a book value of $0.02 per share.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Shares of Ruby Tuesday have gained 4.8% to $7.59 this morning, making it the third-best performer in the S&P 1500 and outpacing other restaurant stocks. Jack in the Box (JACK) has dropped 0.8% to $38.76, DineEquity (DIN), which operates Applebee’s and IHOP, has gained 0.1%% to 66.12, Denny’s (DENN) has fallen 0.2% to $6.06 and recent-IPO Potbelly (PBPB) has gained 1.7% to $30.73.

Top 5 Defensive Companies For 2014: Vale SA (VALE5)

Vale SA (Vale) is a Brazil-based metals and mining company. The Company services are divided into four segments: Bulk Material, including the extraction of iron ore, manganese and ferroalloys, as well as pellet production; Basic metals, comprising the production of non-ferrous minerals, including nickel, copper and aluminum; Fertilizers, including the production of potash, phosphate and nitrogen; and Logistic services, including cargo transportation for third parties divided into rail transport, port and shipping services. Additionally, Vale is active in investments in joint ventures and associate in other businesses. The Company operates through subsidiaries and jointly-controlled entities, incorporated in Brazil, Chile, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, Mozambique, Singapore and the USA, among others. In December, 2013, the Company sold Sociedad Contractual Minera Tres Valles to Inversiones Porto San Giorgio SA. In December 2013, it sold entire stake in Log-in Logistica Intermodal SA. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ney Hayashi]

  MSCI Inc. gauges of Brazilian energy and raw-materials companies, including Rio de Janeiro-based Petroleo Brasileiro SA (PETR4) and Vale SA (VALE5), have tumbled at least 16 percent in local currency terms in the past 12 months as the S&P GSCI Spot Index of commodities slid 8.9 percent.

• [By Harry Suhartono]

  The Ibovespa dropped 1.8 percent as iron-ore producer Vale SA (VALE5), whose main export market is China, snapped a two-day gain. Pulp producer Fibria Celulose SA (FIBR3) retreated after posting quarterly earnings that trailed analysts��estimates. Brazil plans to sell dollar bonds due in 2025, creating a new benchmark security in international markets, and buy back notes maturing in as little as four years.

• [By Julia Leite]

  Fibria Celulose SA (FIBR3), the world�� largest pulp producer, climbed after settling a tax dispute with Brazil over profits at its foreign units. Iron-ore producer Vale SA (VALE5) gained before a report due this weekend forecast to show manufacturing is still expanding in China, the company�� main export market.

• [By Zahra Hankir]

  The MSCI Emerging Markets Index advanced 0.2 percent to 1,044.66. The Ibovespa jumped to the highest level since March 18 as iron-ore producer Vale SA (VALE5) rallied, while AngloGold Ashanti Ltd. drove the FTSE/JSE Africa All Shares Index to a record in Johannesburg. South Africa�� rand jumped to a one-month high, pacing gains among 24 developing-nation currencies.