Top 10 International Stocks To Invest In 2014

Disney (NYSE: DIS  ) subsidiary Marvel Studios recently revealed the complete timeline for Phase 3 of its monstrously successful film franchise, which will culminate in a two-part�Avengers�event called�Infinity�War�that�wraps�in the summer of 2019 This is what it looks like:

Source: Peter Sciretta.

The Marvel film franchise, which began with�Iron Man�in 2008, has now launched nine international blockbusters that have combined for nearly $7 billion at the worldwide box office -- with two more now in post-production and slated for a 2015 release. The weakest film in the franchise, Captain America: The First Avenger,�grossed $370 million worldwide. On the other end of the spectrum,�The�Avengers�was a $1.5 billion megablockbuster currently in third place on the all-time global box-office rankings. In between those two films are five films on the top 100 highest-grossing list, one that just misses out on the top 100, and�Thor, which grossed $450 million worldwide to rank 160th all-time.

Best Warren Buffett Stocks To Own Right Now: Utah Medical Products Inc.(UTMD)

Utah Medical Products, Inc. produces medical devices for the healthcare industry primarily in the United States and Europe. The company provides labor and delivery/obstetrics products, including fetal monitoring accessories, vacuum-assisted delivery systems, and other obstetrical tools, as well as neonatal intensive care products, such as DISPOSA-HOOD, an infant respiratory hood; DELTRAN PLUS, a blood pressure monitoring system; and GESCO, a biocompatible silicone catheter. It also offers umbilical vessel and artery, thermosensitive polyurethane, and peripherally inserted central venous catheters; enteral feeding devices; DIALY-NATE, a disposable peritoneal dialysis set; PALA-NATE, a silicone oral protection device; and MYELO-NATE for obtaining cerebral spinal fluid samples. In addition, the company provides gynecology/urology/electrosurgery products comprising LETZ System to excise cervical intraepithelial neoplasia; FINESSE electrosurgical generator; FILTRESSE evacuators ; EPITOME, an electrosurgical scalpel; PATHFINDER PLUS, an endoscopic irrigation device; LIBERTY system to treat and control urinary incontinence in women; ENDOCURETTE, a curette for uterine endometrial tissue sampling; TVUS/HSG-Cath to assess abnormal uterine bleeding; and LUMIN for manipulating the uterus. Further, it offers DELTRAN for blood pressure monitoring; and pressure monitoring accessories, components, and other molded parts. The company?s products are used in neonatal intensive care units, labor and delivery departments, and women?s health center in hospitals, as well as in outpatient clinics and physician's offices. It markets its products through direct sales representatives, independent manufacturers? representatives, specialty distributors, national hospital distribution companies, and other medical device manufacturers; and through other medical device companies and independent medical products distributors. The company was founded in 1978 and is headquar tered in Midvale, Utah.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  On Thursday, small cap infertility stock OvaScience Inc (NASDAQ: OVAS) surged 23.63% plus shares are up 372.9% since the start of the year���meaning its worth taking a closer look at the stock along with the performance of female or reproductive health stocks the Female Health Co (NASDAQ: FHCO) and�Utah Medical Products, Inc (NASDAQ: UTMD)�along with the Vanguard Health Care ETF (NYSEARCA: VHT).

• [By Geoff Gannon]

  Utah Medical Products (UTMD)

  There are some interesting stories on that list. Buffett watchers know The Washington Post. Ben Graham fans know National Presto. Anyone who follows net-nets is familiar with Micropac. If you��e a high ROC investor you��e probably come across Utah Medical Products (operating margins are over 30%). Atrion has one of the most interesting histories of value creation starting in the 1990s. And Arden is a grocer that earns a 15% return on equity in a bad year.

Top 10 International Stocks To Invest In 2014: Progress Energy Inc.(PGN)

Progress Energy, Inc., a utility holding company, engages in the generation, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida. It uses coal, oil, hydroelectric, natural gas, and nuclear power to generate electricity. The company also engages in various alternative energy projects to generate electricity from swine waste and other plant or animal sources, biomass, solar, hydrogen, and landfill-gas technologies. Progress Energy serves various industries, including chemicals, textiles, paper, food, metals, wood products, rubber and plastics, and stone products, as well as phosphate rock mining and processing, electronics design and manufacturing, and citrus and other food processing. It has approximately 22,000 megawatts of regulated electric generation capacity and serves approximately 3.1 million retail electric customers, as well as other load-serving entities. The company was formerly known as CP&L Energy, Inc. Progress En ergy, Inc. was founded in 1925 and is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Holly LaFon] ess Energy shares climbed over 2011 as the company announced in January it would merge with Duke Energy. Together, they will form the nation�� largest utility with a combined enterprise value of $65 billion and $37 billion in market cap. The new company will have 57 gigawatts of domestic generating capacity through a mix of coal, nuclear, natural gas, oil and renewable resources. Progress energy shareholders will receive an approximately 3 percent dividend increase.

  Incidentally, development of a comprehensive energy policy was one of what Grantham called ��he most important and most dangerous issues��facing the world.

  Progress is at the forefront of the push for nuclear energy in the U.S., which has been deemed the ��uclear renaissance.��Thirty-five percent of the electricity used by Progress Energy customers comes from one of their four nuclear sites, two in North Carolina, and one each in South Carolina and Florida. It plans to build another reactor in Levy County, Florida.

  Revenue at Progress Energy has declined at a 2.6% annual rate over the past five years, and it achieved cash flow of $95 million in 2010, after three years of losses. Earnings have remained positive, reaching a record for the decade of $856 million in 2010.

  RSC Holdings (RRR)

  RSC is a machinery rental service for construction, industrial, petrochemical, governmental and manufacturing businesses in the U.S. and Canada. RSC tends to benefit in economic downturns, as more businesses turn to renting rather than buying equipment to cut costs. Rented equipment rose 20.7% percent (the sixth consecutive quarter of double-digit growth) and rental revenue increased 27% in the fourth quarter of 2011, compared to last year.

  United Rentals (URI), one of RSC�� largest competitors, had a rental revenue increase of 18.5% in the fourth quarter compared to last year, which included a 6.7% increase in rental rates.

  The company�� fleet utilization also

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  We expect Caledonia to generate close to $600M in EBITDA. While RIGs mid-water OPEX has averaged about $125k/d we expect it to be lower at Caledonia. 2015 Consensus EBITDA for RIG is ~$3B which means 20% of RIGs 2015 EBITDA comes from the rigs that will become Caledonia. The problem (in a bear market) is that companies with lower end rigs trade at a discount ��just ask Awilco (AWLCF), Fred Olsen Energy, and Paragon Offshore (PGN) which trade at an average multiple of 3.3x on 2015 EBITDA versus RIG which trades at 6.3x.

Top 10 International Stocks To Invest In 2014: BBVA Banco Frances S.A. (BFR)

BBVA Banco Franc茅s S.A., together with its subsidiaries, provides various financial services to corporations, medium and small companies, and individual customers in the Republic of Argentina. The company offers checking and savings accounts, time deposits, and investment accounts. It also provides short and long-term loans to companies, overdraft lines of credit, discounted instruments, loans to financial institutions and the governmental sector, collateral loans, and real estate mortgage, as well as consumer loans comprising credit card loans and other consumer loans. In addition, the company offers home and personal accident insurance; payroll services; asset management services; and insurance advisory services to customers in the areas of coverage of risks related to life, personal accidents and home insurance, and automated teller machine (ATM) robbery insurance. Further, it provides foreign trade services, including letters of credit, collections, bank drafts, fund transfers, and foreign currency transactions; and electronic banking, ATM, self-service terminals, Internet and mobile banking, call center, and trust services. Additionally, the company engages in capital market and securities activities, principally underwriting and placement of corporate bonds, commercial paper, and equity securities; corporate advisory; and securities brokerage. As of December 31, 2011, it operated 268 branches comprising 240 retail branches, 28 branches specialized in small and medium enterprises segment, 13 in-company branches, 7 corporate banking units, and 3 points of sale, as well as 654 ATM�s and 695 quick deposit boxes. The company was formerly known as Banco Frances del Rio de la Plata S.A. and changed its name to BBVA Banco Franc茅s S.A. in October 2000. The company was founded in 1886 and is based in Buenos Aires, the Republic of Argentina. BBVA Banco Franc茅s SA operates as a subsidiary of Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Federico Zaldua]

  Banco Frances (BFR), 75% controlled by Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria, is among the biggest banks in Argentina. The bank has the smallest exposure to Argentina's public debt out of the three banks analyzed in the article and presents the lowest pace of growth. That said, its one of the healthiest banks in the country given that it has the lowest NPL ratio and the highest reserve ratio to absorb potential losses. The bank also trades cheaply at 3.5 times P/E and 85% its book value. Being more expensive (although still very cheap relative to the sector's average) and with the lowest liquidity among this group of three, I would exclude Banco Frances from my Argentinean bank portfolio.

Top 10 International Stocks To Invest In 2014: Perficient Inc.(PRFT)

Perficient, Inc. provides information technology consulting services to various enterprise companies primarily in the United States. The company designs, builds, and delivers business-driven technology solutions using third party software products. Its solutions include business integration and service oriented architectures, enterprise portals and collaboration, custom applications, and technology platform implementations, as well as customer relationship management, enterprise performance management, enterprise content management, and business intelligence solutions. The company?s solutions enable its clients to operate a real-time enterprise that adapts business processes and the systems that support them to meet the changing demands of marketplace. Perficient, Inc. was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Saint Louis, Missouri.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap tech consulting firm Perficient, Inc (NASDAQ: PRFT) is getting deeper into the cloud computing space ��meaning it might be worth taking a closer look at it along with the performance of First Trust ISE Cloud Computing Index Fund (NASDAQ: SKYY). We have just added Perficient, Inc to our SmallCap Network Elite Opportunity (SCN EO) portfolio because we believe the company is trading at a discount to that of its small cap peers in the cloud computing space plus the stock�� fundamentals and technical chart looks attractive.

Top 10 International Stocks To Invest In 2014: Staffing 360 Solutions Inc (STAF)

Staffing 360 Solutions, Inc., incorporated on December 22, 2009, is an international staffing sector engaged in the acquisition and integration of the United States and international staffing agencies. Staffing 360 Solutions seeks staffing agencies in the information technology (IT), financial, accounting, healthcare and cyber security industries. On April 26, 2013, it consummated (the Closing) the acquisition 100% of the issued and outstanding stock of The Revolution Group, Ltd. (TRG). In March 2014, the Company announced that its subsidiary Staffing 360 Solutions (UK) Ltd acquired the business and assets of Poolia UK Ltd, subsidiary of Poolia AB. In May 2014, the Company acquired IT staffing firm PeopleSERVE.

In March 2012, the Company commenced its operations in the international staffing sector. On July 31, 2012, the Company formed Staffing 360 Alliance, Inc. (Staffing Alliance), which is a wholly owned subsidiary, for the purpose of exploring business prospects in the staffing sector. In September 2012, Alliance began operations and provides trained employees to companies who work in word processing, data entry, administrative support staff and other areas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James E. Brumley]

  Look out Kelly Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:KELYA), and step aside ManpowerGroup Inc. (NYSE:MAN). A young company called Staffing 360 Solutions Inc. (OTCBB:STAF) is coming up fast in your rear-view mirror, and is poised to dominate the fastest growing arena of the temporary staffing world.

• [By James E. Brumley]

  The fact that temporary staffing is creating the bulk of the job growth since we dug our way out of the 2008 recession bodes well for the likes of staffing firms like Kelly Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:KELYA) and Robert Half International Inc. (NYSE:RHI). Investors seeking strategic opportunities can do better than concentrating on proven-but-broad growth arenas, though. There's another trend within the employment arena that actually favors small newcomer (relatively) Staffing 360 Solutions Inc. (OTCBB:STAF)... the huge and fast-growing need for more and better information technology workers. IT positions are opening up faster than any other industry is creating jobs, and it doesn't look like the trend is going to change anytime soon.

• [By John Udovich]

  The government's closely watched jobs report today is expected to show that nonfarm payrolls increased by 218,000 positions and may have finally returned employment to its pre-recession level, but executive search or staffing stocks like Hudson Global Inc (NASDAQ: HSON), Robert Half International Inc (NYSE: RHI) and up and coming Staffing 360 Solutions Inc (OTCBB: STAF) have already made investors winners since the official end of the recession:

• [By James E. Brumley]

  If you've been eyeing Staffing 360 Solutions Inc. (OTCBB:STAF) as a potential investment and also happen in to live in - or currently be in - Europe, here's your chance to learn more about the company. STAF is proverbially takin' it to the streets in the EU this week, telling current and would-be investors more about itself. Belgium, the UK, and Switzerland are just a few stops the company's management team will be making to help get the word out.

Top 10 International Stocks To Invest In 2014: Want Want China Holdings Ltd (WWNTF)

Want Want China Holdings Limited is an investment holding company. The principal activities of the Company and its subsidiaries are the manufacturing, distribution and sale of rice crackers, dairy products and beverages, snack foods and other products. The Company segments include manufacturing and sale of Rice crackers, including sugar coated crackers, savoury crackers and fried crackers; dairy products and beverages, including flavored milk, yogurt drinks, ready-to-drink coffee, juice drinks, carbonated drinks, herbal tea and milk powder; snack foods, including candies, popsicles and jellies, ball cakes and beans and nuts, and other products, mainly including wine and other food products. Its operations are located in the People�� Republic of China, with the rest located in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan. As of December 31, 2011, its subsidiaries included Want Want Holdings Ltd., Long Wave Foods Limited, Want-Want Foods Limited and others. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WWW.MARKETWATCH.COM]

  HONG KONG (MarketWatch) -- Hong Kong stocks swung between small gains and losses early Thursday after hitting a seven-month high in the previous session, with the Hang Seng Index (HK:HSI) down less than 0.1%. Most mainland Chinese property developers outperformed the markets, with Guangzhou R&F Properties Co. (HK:2777) (GZUHF) rallying 3.4%, after the company reported a 44% month-on-month jump in sales for June. Shimao Property Holdings Ltd. (HK:0813) (SIOPF) climbed 2.6%, and China Resources Land Ltd. (HK:1109) (CRBJF) rose 1.7%. However, several retailers were weak, as Want Want China Holdings Ltd. (HK:0151) (WWNTF) , the country's top food and beverage maker, declined 2%. Hong Kong-based cosmetics brand Sa Sa International Holdings (HK:0178) (SAXJF) fell 1.6%, with a decline in Chinese June non-manufacturing data helping weigh on some retailers. Over on the Chinese mainland, the Shanghai Composite Index (CN:SHCOMP) retreated 0.4%, pulling back from its highest close in two weeks.

Top 10 International Stocks To Invest In 2014: Polycom Inc.(PLCM)

Polycom, Inc. provides communications equipment that enables businesses, telecommunications service providers, governmental and educational institutions, and healthcare customers to conduct video, voice, data, and Web communications. The company offers network infrastructure, including conferencing infrastructure, distributed media applications, management applications, recording and streaming security, and remote access for universal video collaboration; unified communications (UC) group systems, which include immersive telepresence, group video, and group voice systems that enable geographically dispersed individuals to communicate; UC personal devices comprising desktop video devices, desktop voice, and wireless local area network products that extend HD voice, video, and content to desktops, home offices, mobile users, and branch sites. It also provides various services, including assessments, implementation services, network consulting services, usage and adoption ser vices, wireless services application integration, and advanced project management services. The company sells its products through a network of channel partners, including distributors, value-added resellers, system integrators, communications services providers, and retailers in North America, Central America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. Polycom, Inc. was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in Pleasanton, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Victor Selva]

  On Feb. 3, the billionaire investor George Soros (Trades, Portfolio) bought Polycom Inc. (PLCM) at an average price of $11.72 and currently holds 9,400,708 shares of the stock. This trade makes me feel that he is betting in favor of the communications equipment sub-industry. So let's take a look at this company and try to explain to investors the reasons this is an apparently appealing investment opportunity in an industry that is becoming concentrated and globalized, dominated by large players like Cisco Systems (CSCO) and Qualcomm (QCOM).

• [By Alex Planes]

  What: Shares of Polycom (NASDAQ: PLCM  ) have fallen by 13% today. Yesterday, the company's CEO resigned abruptly, which came amid allegations of some "irregularities" in the former exec's expense reports. That, along with with some disappointing guidance in last afternoon's earnings report, has sent analysts scurrying from the stock.