Top 10 Rising Companies To Watch For 2014

Most investors are unaware and ill-prepared for the impact that rising interest rates will have on their bond funds and ETF investments. There has been an unprecedented period of Fed participation (manipulation) with six years of near zero-percent interest rate policy and trillions of newly created currency.

The Federal Reserve is waging a battle against deflation. Deflation can lead to depression. The Fed�� objective is to create inflation. Our risk is that they do not succeed.  Unfortunately, our risk is also that they do succeed.

In inflationary periods, interest rates rise.  Since the Fed sets short-term rates, let�� take a look at where the Federal Open Market Committee members believe interest rates are heading. Currently, 13 of the 16 FOMC participants believe the Fed will begin to raise rates in 2015.  One sees rates beginning to rise in 2014 and the remaining two see rates rising in 2016.  Their median year-end Fed funds rate target for 2015 is now 1.00%, up from 0.75% just three months ago.  The year-end target for 2016 is now 2.25%, up from 1.75%.

Hot Forestry Companies For 2015: ProShares Short QQQ (PSQ)

ProShares Short QQQ is focused on daily investment results that correspond to the inverse (opposite) of the daily performance of the NASDAQ-100 Index. The NASDAQ-100 Index represents non-financial domestic and international issues listed on The NASDAQ Stock Market. The Fund takes positions in financial instruments (including derivatives) that in combination should have similar daily return characteristics as the inverse of the NASDAQ-100 Index. ProShares Short QQQ will not directly sell short the equity securities of issuers contained in the NASDAQ-100 Index. The Fund will concentrates its investments in a particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent as the Index is so concentrated. ProShare Advisors LLC serves as the investment advisor to the Fund. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By MONEYMORNING.COM]

  It's the ProShares Short QQQ (NYSE: PSQ). The good thing about this type of inverse ETF is that it pays you when the Nasdaq drops roughly on a 1-to-1 basis. For every percentage point the index goes down, PSQ rises by that amount.

Top 10 Rising Companies To Watch For 2014: Eagle Bulk Shipping Inc.(EGLE)

Eagle Bulk Shipping Inc. engages in the ocean transportation of bulk cargoes in the dry bulk industry. The company primarily transports iron ore, coal, grain, cement, and fertilizer along worldwide shipping routes. As of December 31, 2009, it owned and operated a fleet of 27 oceangoing vessels with a combined carrying capacity of 1,412,535 deadweight tons. The company was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rebecca McClay]

  And dry bulk shippers like FreeSeas Inc. (Nasdaq: FREE), Seanergy Maritime Holdings Corp. (Nasdaq: SHIP), and Eagle Bulk Shipping Inc. (Nasdaq: EGLE) are noting big gains today as shipping rates strengthen. FREE is up 8%, SHIP is up 13%, and EGLE is up 7% as capesize shipping rates increased overnight by about 10%, exceeding $20,000 for the first time since January 2012.

Top 10 Rising Companies To Watch For 2014: THERMOGENESIS Corp.(KOOL)

ThermoGenesis Corp. designs, develops, and sells medical products that enable the practice of regenerative medicine worldwide. It offers automated and semi-automated devices, and single-use processing disposables that enable the collection, processing, and cryopreservation of stem cells and other cellular tissues used in the practice of regenerative medicine. Regenerative medicine is a field that uses cell-based therapies to repair or restore lost or damaged tissue and cell function. The company?s products include the AXP System, a medical device that isolates and retrieves stem cells from umbilical cord blood; the BioArchive System, a robotic cryogenic medical device used by cord blood banks for the cryopreservation and archiving of cord blood stem cell units for transplant; the MarrowXpress or MXP System that isolates and concentrates stem cells from bone marrow; Res-Q 60 BMC, a point-of-care bone marrow stem cell processing system; and Res-Q 60 PRP, which is used for t he preparation of autologous platelet rich plasma from a sample of blood at the point of care. It also offers ThermoLine product line, which includes ultra-rapid plasma ThermoLine Freezer and ultra-rapid plasma ThermoLine Thawer; and CryoSeal System, an automated system, which is used to prepare an autologous hemostatic surgical sealant. ThermoGenesis Corp. was founded in 1986 and is based in Rancho Cordova, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  The controversy over stem cell research or their usage seems to have ebbed in recent years as stem cell science moves beyond the use of embryos and lately there has been a steady flow of overlooked good news from the sector or from small cap stem cell stocks like Cellular Dynamics (which will IPO soon), ThermoGenesis Corp (NASDAQ: KOOL) and BioRestorative Therapies (OTCBB: BRTX) for investors to digest. Just consider the following news:

Top 10 Rising Companies To Watch For 2014: Hexcel Corp (HXL)

Hexcel Corporation (Hexcel), incorporated in 1948, is a composites company. The Company develops, manufactures and markets composites, including carbon fibers, reinforcements, prepregs, honeycomb, matrix systems, adhesives and composite structures, for use in Commercial Aerospace, Space and Defense, and Industrial Applications. Its products are used in a variety of end applications, such as commercial and military aircraft, space launch vehicles and satellites, wind turbine blades, automotive, bikes, skis and a variety of other industrial applications. Hexcel has two segments: Composite Materials and Engineered Products. The Composite Materials consists of carbon fiber, reinforcements for composites, honeycomb core and matrix product lines. The Engineered Products consists of composite structures and specially machined honeycomb product lines.

Composite Materials

The Composite Materials segment manufactures and markets carbon fibers, fabrics and specialty reinforcements, prepregs, structural adhesives, honeycomb, composite panels, molding compounds, polyurethane systems and laminates that are incorporated into many applications, including military and commercial aircraft, wind turbine blades, recreational products and other industrial applications. HexTow carbon fibers are manufactured for sale to third-party customers, as well as for its own use in manufacturing certain reinforcements and composite materials. Carbon fibers are woven into carbon fabrics, used as reinforcement in conjunction with a resin matrix to produce pre-impregnated composite materials. Carbon fibers is also used in filament winding, hand layup, automatic tape layup and advanced fiber placement to produce finished composite components. Its carbon fibers��product applications include structural components for commercial and military aircraft, space launch vehicles, and certain other applications, such as recreational and industrial equipment.

Industrial fabrics and specialty reinforcements are ma! de from a variety of fibers, including carbon, aramid and other polymers, several types of fiberglass, quartz, ceramic and other specialty fibers. These reinforcements are used in the production of prepregs and other matrix materials used in primary and secondary structural aerospace applications, such as wing components, horizontal and vertical stabilizer components, fairings, radomes and engine nacelles, as well as overhead storage bins and other interior components. Hexcel�� reinforcements are also used in the manufacture of a variety of industrial and recreational products, such as wind energy blades, automotive components, boats, surfboards, skis and other sporting goods equipment.

HexPly prepregs are manufactured for sale to third-party customers and for internal use by its engineered products segment in manufacturing composite laminates and monolithic structures, including finished components for aircraft structures and interiors. Prepregs are manufactured by combining reinforcement fabrics or unidirectional fibers with a resin matrix to form a composite material with structural properties not present in either of the constituent materials. Reinforcement fabrics used in the manufacture of prepregs include glass, carbon, aramid, quartz, ceramic and other specialty reinforcements. Resin matrices include bismaleimide, cyanate ester, epoxy, phenolic, polyester, polyimide and other specialty resins.

Other fiber reinforced matrix developments include HexMC, a form of quasi-isotropic carbon fiber prepreg that enables small to medium sized composite components to be mass produced. HexTOOL is a specialized form of HexMC for use in the construction of high temperature composite tooling. HexFIT film infusion material is a product that combines resin films and dry fiber reinforcements in production and enables the manufacture of contoured composite structures, such as wind turbine blades.

Polymer matrix materials are sold in bulk and film form for use in direct pro! cess manu! facturing of composite parts. Resins can be combined with fiber reinforcements in manufacturing processes, such as resin transfer molding (RTM), resin film infusion (RFI) or vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) to produce composite components for both aerospace and industrial applications. Hexcel manufactures and markets a range of Redux film and paste adhesives. These structural adhesives, which bond metal to metal and composites and honeycomb structures, are used in the aerospace industry and for many industrial applications.

HexWeb honeycomb is a cellular structure consisting of nested hexagonal cells. The product is similar in appearance to a cross-sectional slice of a beehive. It can also be manufactured in asymmetric cell configurations for more specialized applications. Honeycomb is primarily used as a lightweight core material and acts as an energy absorber. When sandwiched between composite or metallic facing skins, honeycomb increases the stiffness of the structure, while adding very little weight. The Company produces honeycomb from a number of metallic and non-metallic materials. Its metallic honeycomb is made from aluminum and is available in a selection of alloys, cell sizes and dimensions. Non-metallic materials used in the manufacture of honeycomb include fiberglass, carbon fiber, thermoplastics, non-flammable aramid papers, aramid fiber and other specialty materials. During the year ended December 31, 2011, revenues for the Composite Materials segment to third-party customers represented approximately 77% of its total revenues.

Engineered Products

The Engineered Products segment manufactures and markets composite structures and precision machined honeycomb parts for use in the aerospace industry. Composite structures are manufactured from a variety of composite and other materials, including prepregs, honeycomb, structural adhesives and advanced molding materials, using such manufacturing processes, as autoclave processing, multi-axis nu! merically! controlled machining, heat forming, compression molding and other composite manufacturing techniques. During 2011, revenues for the Engineered Products segment to third-party customers represented approximately 23% of its total revenues. The Engineered Products business unit has a 50% ownership interest in a Malaysian joint venture, Asian Composites Manufacturing Sdn. Bhd.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Hexcel (NYSE: HXL  ) reported earnings on July 22. Here are the numbers you need to know.

  The 10-second takeaway
  For the quarter ended June 30 (Q2), Hexcel met expectations on revenues and beat expectations on earnings per share.

Top 10 Rising Companies To Watch For 2014: Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ANEWF)

Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (ANZ) provides a range of banking and financial products and services to retail, small business, corporate and institutional clients. The Company conducts its operations in Australia, New Zealand and the Asia Pacific region. It also operates in a range of other countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States. The Company operates on a divisional structure with Australia, International and Institutional Banking (IIB), New Zealand, and Global Wealth and Private Banking. As of September 30, 2012, the Company had 1,337 branches and other points of representation worldwide, excluding automatic teller machines (ATMs). In September 2012, it sold its remaining shareholding in Visa Inc. In May 2013, the Company ceased to be substantial holder in respect of ING Private Equity Access Limited. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By MARKETWATCH]

  LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Australian stocks rallied in early Monday trade, with the S&P/ASX 200 (AU:XJO) adding 0.9% to 5,433.50 to hit another five-year high after Wall Street booked gains Friday. Miners were a strong spot, with Fortescue Metals Group Ltd. (AU:FMG) (FSUMF) up 2.3%, BHP Billiton Ltd. (AU:BHP) (BHP) gaining 0.9%, Evolution Mining Ltd. (AU:EVN) (CAHPF) ahead by 2.6%, and Rio Tinto Ltd. (AU:RIO) (RIO) rising 1.1% after selling its interest in eastern Australia's Clermont coal mine for about $1 billion. Australia & New Zealand Banking Group (AU:ANZ) (ANEWF) improved by 1.4%, the best performer among the major banks, after an Australian Financial Review reported David Gonski, executive chairman of the Australian government's Future Fund, was being sought to run the lender.

Top 10 Rising Companies To Watch For 2014: Sociedad Quimica y Minera S.A.(SQM)

Chemical and Mining Company of Chile Inc. engages in the production and sale of fertilizers and specialty chemicals in Chile and internationally. The company?s specialty plant nutrients include potassium nitrate, sodium nitrate, sodium potassium nitrate, and specialty blends for crops, such as vegetables, fruits, flowers, potatoes, and cotton, as well as Ultrasol for application via fertigation; Qrop for field application; Speedfol for foliar application; Allganic for organic farming; and Nutrilake for aquaculture. It also produces iodine and iodine derivatives, which are used in a range of medical, pharmaceutical, agricultural, and industrial applications, including X-ray contrast media, polarizing films for liquid crystal displays (LCDs), antiseptics, biocides, and disinfectants; and in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, herbicides, electronics, pigments, dye components, and heat stabilizers. In addition, the company provides lithium carbonate for use in various applicat ions comprising batteries, frits for the ceramic and enamel industries, heat-resistant glass, primary aluminum, lithium bromine for use in air conditioner equipment, and continuous casting powder for steel extrusion, pharmaceuticals, and lithium derivatives; and lithium hydroxide, which is used as a raw material in the lubricating grease industry. Further, it offers various industrial chemicals, such as sodium nitrate, potassium nitrate, and boric acid; and potassium chloride and potassium sulfate. The company was founded in 1968 and is based in Santiago, Chile.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Newman]

  Resilient resources
  While weakness in fertilizer markets hurt Sociedad Quimica y Minera (NYSE: SQM  ) this year, higher sales volume and margins in other businesses helped the company grow earnings 19% over 2012. Sociedad has a hand in many industrial resources, from iodine to lithium, and it boasts healthy double-digit profit margins. It is also expanding its production capacity to keep up with a world hungry for more fertilizer-based food and lithium-based batteries. Still, the company failed to meet recent expectations and has missed the market rally this year. If markets get spooked and head downward, investors could find peace of mind in the intrinsic value of Sociedad's physical resources, as well as its 2.6% dividend yield.

• [By Carlton Delfeld]

  Chemical and Mining Company of Chile (SQM) has long been a darling of global investors looking for plays for more productive farmland. However, the stock has plunged 59% in 2013, due to weak fertilizer and phosphate prices.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Amid the boom in Latin America lately, Chile has produced substantial amounts of economic success. But the drop in commodities markets around the world has weighed on resource-reliant industries, and Sociedad Quimica y Minera (NYSE: SQM  ) is one of the companies that has suffered from that trend. On Tuesday, the company will release its latest quarterly results, and investors are nervous about whether SQM will be able to meet the growth expectations they have for the chemical company.

• [By Jim Jubak]

  His choice for the 2014 Top Stock Pick to watch out for in the coming year, is the Chemical and Mining Company of Chile (SQM).

  This company's stock plunged 59% in 2013 due to weak fertilizer and phosphate prices. However, both Conrad and Jubak feel it is beginning to bounce back this year, due to a return to normalized pricing and earnings.

Top 10 Rising Companies To Watch For 2014: 3D Systems Corp. (DDD)

3D Systems Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in the design, development, manufacture, marketing, and servicing of 3D printers and related products, print materials, and services. The company�s principle print engines comprise stereolithography, selective laser sintering, multi-jet modeling, film transfer imaging, selective laser melting, and plastic jet printers. Its 3D printers convert data input from computer-aided design software or 3D scanning and sculpting devices to produce physical objects from engineered plastic, metal, and composite print materials. The company also blends, markets, sells, and distributes various consumables, engineered plastics, metal materials, and composites; and offers various software tools, as well as pre-sale and post-sale services, including applications development, installation, warranty, and maintenance. In addition, it provides custom parts services, such as precision plastic and metal parts service and assembly capabilit ies. The company markets its stereolithography materials under the Accura and RenShape; laser sintering materials under the DuraForm, CastForm, and LaserForm; and materials for professional printers under the VisiJet brands. It primarily serves manufacturers of automotive, aerospace, computer, electronic, defense, education, consumer, energy and healthcare products, as well as original equipment manufacturers, government agencies, universities, and independent service bureaus. The company sells its products and services through its direct sales organization, sales agents, resellers, and distributors primarily in the United States, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. 3D Systems Corporation was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Finally, outside the Dow, 3D Systems (NYSE: DDD  ) jumped 8% on news that it will become part of the S&P MidCap 400 index. The company was chosen as part of a shuffle that came from Aetna's planned purchase of S&P 500 component Coventry Health, and with Macerich becoming part of the S&P 500, 3D Systems was left to fill the vacancy that Macerich left in the mid-cap index. The move will trigger purchases by mid-cap-tracking funds and sales by small-cap trackers, but investors apparently believe the net impact will be positive, even if it has no fundamental impact on the company.

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  3D printing is supposed to be the next big thing. We have noted earlier that it has been called the next bubble� by some investors. Unfortunately, two 3D printing outfits have issued cautious guidance in the last twenty-four hours. The first was Stratasys Ltd. (NASDAQ: SSYS), and now we have a warning from The ExOne Company (NASDAQ: XONE). 3D Systems Corp. (NYSE: DDD) managed to escape the carnage on Tuesday during the day, but that appears to no longer be the case.

• [By Steve Symington]

  3D Systems (NYSE: DDD  ) sure has had a busy past couple of weeks.

  First, shares of the additive manufacturing specialist rose more than 7% after the company reported a solid first quarter, during which revenue grew 31% as printer sales rose 81% from the year-ago period. Gross margin also rose to a record 52.4%, and GAAP net income popped 43% from the first quarter of 2012.