Top Industrial Disributor Stocks To Invest In 2014

Giving money to family should be one of your truly great joys in life. What could be better than helping a daughter with a down payment on her first house or partially funding your son's idea for a business start-up. After all, what's family for?

But you'll never be in a position to lend that kind of assistance unless you first get your own financial house in order. Nor should you even consider requests for financial help -- no matter how guilty you're made to feel -- unless you feel your own financial foundation is secure.

Americans have a generous and giving heart. According to Boston-based American Consumer Counseling, 82 percent of Americans said they would lend money to a family member in need and 66 percent said they would do the same for a friend.

But it would be irresponsible to do so, if your financial future is on shaky ground. In plain English, if a family member needs help with starting an emergency fund and you don't have one yourself, you have to say "no."

5 Best Recreation Stocks For 2015: Compucon Computer Applications SA (COMP)

Compucon Computer Applications SA is a Greek company engaged mainly in the information technology sector. The Company's activities include the manufacture and trade of electronics and software for the embroidery, telematics, laser, Web solutions and medical fields. In the embroidery field it offers album presentation or embroidery designs, lettering with a variety of fonts, frames and specialized features, and realistic three-dimensional views of embroidery designs. The Company also produces laser cutting and engraving devices for the embroidery sector. The range of telematics applications includes automotive positioning systems, fleet management and navigation systems. Its Web solutions offering includes the SiteCosmos, which is an integrated tool for on-line content management and Website design for small and medium enterprises, while the medical applications target the management of patient-oriented information, diet schedules, word processing, prescriptions and other services. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Wallace Witkowski]

  Stocks finished higher last week, ending on a choppy Friday highlighted by the release of a better-than-expected job report. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) �advanced 0.8%, the S&P 500 Index (SPX) �rose 1% to close at another record high of 1,878.04, and the Nasdaq Composite Index (COMP) �finished up 0.7% for the week. All except the Dow are higher for the year, which is still down 0.8% in 2014.

• [By Benjamin Pimentel]

  The Nasdaq Composite Index (COMP) �shed 0.2% to close at 4,037.20.

• [By Anora Mahmudova]

  The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) �fell 216.65 points, or 1.4%, to 15,484.48. The Nasdaq Composite (COMP) �shed 73.40 points, or 1.8%, to 4,030.54. Follow our stock market live blog .

• [By Benjamin Pimentel]

  With H-P and JD in the spotlight, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (COMP) �rose almost 23 points to close at 4,154. The Morgan Stanley High Tech 35 Index (MSH) �and the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) �were up a fraction.

Top Industrial Disributor Stocks To Invest In 2014: Legg Mason Inc (LM)

Legg Mason, Inc. (Legg Mason), incorporated in 1981, is a global asset management company. The Company, through its subsidiaries, provides investment management and related services to institutional and individual clients, company-sponsored mutual funds and other pooled investment vehicles. It offers these products and services directly and through various financial intermediaries. The Company provides its asset management services through a number of asset managers, each of which generally markets its products and services under its own brand name and, in many cases, distributes retail products and services through a centralized retail distribution network. Its investment advisory services include discretionary and non-discretionary management of separate investment accounts in a number of investment styles for institutional and individual investors. Legg Mason�� investment products include mutual funds ranging from money market and other liquidity products to fixed income and equity funds managed in a variety of investment styles, other domestic and offshore funds offered to both retail and institutional investors and funds-of-hedge funds. As of March 31, 2012, assets under management were $643.3 billion. During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2012 (fiscal 2012), the Company sold Bartlett & Co., a Cincinnati-based wealth manager.

Asset Managers

The Company conducts its business primarily through 12 asset managers. Its asset managers are individual businesses, each of which generally focuses on a portion of the asset management industry in terms of the types of assets managed (primarily equity or fixed income), the types of products and services offered, the investment styles utilized, the distribution channels used, and the types and geographic locations of its clients. The Company�� asset managers provide a range of separate account investment management services to institutional clients, including pension and other retirement plans, corporations, insurance companies, ! endowments and foundations and governments, and to high-net-worth individuals and families. In addition, its asset managers also sponsor and manage various groups of the United States mutual funds, including the Legg Mason Funds, The Royce Funds and the Western Asset Funds, funds-of-hedge funds and a number of equity, fixed income, liquidity and balanced funds that are domiciled and distributed in countries worldwide, and provide investment advisory services to a number of retail separately managed account programs. Western Asset Management Company is a global fixed income asset manager for institutional clients. Western Asset's operations include investment operations in New York City, the United Kingdom, Japan, Brazil, Australia and Singapore. Western Asset offers a range of products spanning the yield curve and encompassing the bond markets, including a suite of limited duration and core products, emerging market and high yield portfolios, municipal portfolios and a variety of sector-oriented and global products. Among the services Western Asset provides are management of separate accounts and management of mutual funds, closed-end funds, international funds and other structured investment products.

ClearBridge Advisors is an equity asset management firm. ClearBridge Advisors provides asset management services to 29 of the equity funds (including balanced funds and closed-end funds) in the Legg Mason Funds, to retail separately managed account programs, to certain of its international funds and, primarily through separate accounts, to institutional clients. ClearBridge also sub-advises domestic mutual funds that are sponsored by third parties. Royce & Associates is investment advisor to all of The Royce Funds and to certain of the Company�� international funds. In addition, Royce & Associates manages other pooled and separate accounts, primarily institutional. Brandywine Global Investment Management manages fixed income, including global and international fixed income, and equity portf! olios for! institutional and, through wrap accounts, high-net-worth individual clients.

Batterymarch Financial Management manages the United States, international and emerging markets equity portfolios for institutional clients. Permal Group Ltd. is a global funds-of-hedge funds management firm. With a headquarters in London and other offices in New York City, Boston, Dubai, Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore and Nassau, Permal manages products, which include both directional and absolute return strategies, and are available through multi-manager and single manager funds, separately managed accounts and structured products sponsored by a number of financial institutions. Legg Mason Capital Management is an equity asset management business that manages both institutional separate accounts and mutual funds. Legg Mason Capital Management manages 12 Legg Mason Funds, and also sub-advises the mutual fund managed by the joint venture described below and investment products sponsored by its other subsidiaries, including certain of the Company�� international funds.

Legg Mason Investment Counsel & Trust Company, National Association is a national banking association with authority to exercise trust powers. Legg Mason Investment Counsel & Trust Company provides services as a trustee for trusts established by its individual and employee benefit plan clients and manages fixed income and equity assets. Legg Mason Investment Counsel, LLC, a subsidiary of Legg Mason Investment Counsel & Trust, manages equity, fixed income and balanced portfolios for high-net-worth individual and institutional clients and a number of its mutual funds. Legg Mason Investment Counsel operates out of offices in New York City, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Easton, Maryland, and Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Esemplia Emerging Markets is an emerging markets equities investment manager. Esemplia offers a range of portfolio management strategies, including core long-only and alpha-extension portfolios, to institutional investors worl! dwide, in! cluding pension funds and sovereign wealth funds.

Private Capital Management manages equity assets for high-net-worth individuals and families, institutions, endowments and foundations in separate accounts and through limited partnerships. Legg Mason's business in Poland engages in portfolio management, servicing and distribution of both separate account management services and local funds in Poland. The firm provides portfolio management services primarily for equity assets to institutions, including corporate pension plans and insurance companies, and, through funds distributed through banks and insurance companies, individual investors. Legg Mason Australian Equities is an Australian asset management business that offers Australian equity products, Australian property trusts and asset allocation products. As of March 31, 2012, Legg Mason Australian Equities managed assets with a value of $1billion.

United States Mutual Funds

The Company�� United States mutual funds business primarily consists of three groups of mutual and closed-end funds, the Legg Mason Funds, The Royce Funds and the Western Asset Funds. The Legg Mason Funds invest in a range of domestic and international equity and fixed income securities. The Royce Funds invest primarily in smaller-cap company stocks using a value investment approach. The Western Asset Funds invest primarily in fixed income securities. The Legg Mason Funds consist of 113 mutual funds and 27 closed-end funds in the United States, almost all of which are sub-advised by its subsidiary asset managers. The mutual funds and closed-end funds within the Legg Mason Funds include 63 equity funds (including balanced funds) that invest in a spectrum of equity securities. The fixed income and liquidity mutual funds and closed-end funds within the Legg Mason Funds include 77 funds. As of March 31, 2012 , the Legg Mason Funds included $114.7 billion in assets, respectively, in their mutual funds and closed-end funds, of which approximate! ly 30% an! d 27%, respectively, were equity assets, approximately 24% and 18%, respectively, were fixed income assets and approximately 46% and 55%, respectively, were liquidity assets.

The Royce Funds consist of 32 mutual funds and three closed-end funds, most of which invest primarily in smaller-cap company stocks. The Royce Funds are distributed through non-affiliated fund supermarkets, its centralized funds distribution operations, non-affiliated wrap programs, and direct distribution. In addition, two of the portfolios in The Royce Funds are distributed only through insurance companies. The Company�� mutual funds business also includes the Western Asset Funds, a family of nine mutual funds and two closed-end funds. The mutual funds are marketed primarily to institutional investors and retirement plans through the Company�� institutional funds marketing group. Western Asset Management Company manages these funds. The funds primarily invest in fixed income securities.

International Funds

The Company, outside the United States, manages, supports and distributes a number of funds across an array of global fixed income, liquidity and equity investment strategies. Its international funds include a range of cross border funds that are domiciled in Ireland and Luxembourg and are sold in a number of countries across Asia, Europe and Latin America. The Company�� international funds also include local fund ranges that are available for distribution in the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, Singapore, Poland, Hong Kong and Canada. All of its international funds are distributed and serviced by Legg Mason's global distribution group. Its international funds include equity, fixed income, liquidity and balanced funds that are primarily managed or sub-advised by Batterymarch Financial Management, Brandywine Global, ClearBridge, Esemplia, Legg Mason Capital Management, Private Capital Management, Royce & Associates, Western Asset Management and its global asset allocation team. In a! ggregate,! the Company sponsors and manages more than 220 of these international funds.

Retail Separately Managed Account Programs

The Company is a provider of asset management services to retail separately managed account programs, commonly known as managed account or wrap programs. These programs typically allow securities brokers or other financial intermediaries to offer their clients the opportunity to choose from a number of asset management services. It provides investment management services to a number of retail separately managed account programs sponsored by a number of financial institutions.

Distribution

The Company�� centralized global distribution group distributes and supports its United States and international funds and retail separately managed account program business. The United States-based operations of the Company�� global distribution group support and distribute the Legg Mason Funds, The Royce Funds and the Western Asset Funds, and include its mutual fund wholesalers and its institutional funds marketing group. The Company�� mutual fund wholesalers distribute the Legg Mason Funds through a number of third-party distributors. The Company�� institutional funds marketing group distributes institutional share classes of the Legg Mason Funds and the Western Asset Funds to institutional clients and also distributes variable annuity sub-advisory services provided by its asset managers to insurance companies. Its institutional liquidity funds are primarily distributed by Western Asset's distributors. In addition to its centralized funds distribution group, Royce & Associates' distributors also distribute The Royce Funds. In addition to distributing funds, the wholesalers in the Company�� global distribution operations also support its retail separately managed account program services. These services are provided through programs sponsored by Morgan Stanley Smith Barney's retail business, as well as other financial institutions.

! The international distributors within the Company�� global distribution group offer its investment management services to individual and institutional investors across Asia, Europe and the Americas. These distributors operate out of distribution offices in 18 cities in 14 countries and are the sole distributors of its cross border funds globally and its international local funds in their respective countries. Legg Mason Investments is responsible for the distribution and servicing of cross border and local fund ranges across Europe, the Americas and Asia. Legg Mason Investments has offices in locations including London, Paris, Milan, Geneva, Frankfurt, Madrid, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taipei, Miami, Santiago and New York. In addition to Legg Mason Investments, the Company�� global distribution group includes separate distribution operations in Australia, Canada and Japan. In Australia, its distribution operations distribute local and cross border pooled investment vehicles sub-advised by the Company�� asset managers primarily to retail investors, pension plans, fund-of-funds managers, insurance companies and government funds/agencies. In Canada, its distribution operations distribute Legg Mason-managed products primarily to pension plans, endowments, foundations, banks and mutual fund companies and separately managed account programs. In Japan, the Company�� distribution operations distribute domestic investment funds, cross border funds and institutional separate accounts primarily to the retail market, which includes retail banks, private banks, asset managers, funds platforms and insurance companies.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shauna O'Brien]

  On Wednesday, asset management firm Legg Mason Inc (LM) reported that its assets under management declined 1.8% in August due to unfavorable markets and outflows.

  Total preliminary assets under management fell to $645 billion in August, down from July due to unfavorable markets and outlooks in both equity and fixed income. August equity assets under management reflect a $1.3 billion disposition of a non-core affiliate.

  Legg Mason shares were mostly flat during pre-market trading Wednesday. The stock is up 36% YTD.

• [By Shauna O'Brien]

  Susquehanna International reported on Wednesday that it has maintained a “Negative” rating on Legg Mason Inc (LM).

  The firm has reiterated a “Negative” rating on LM, but has increased the company’s price target from $23 to $24. This new price target suggests an 18% decline from the stock’s current price of $32.74.

  An analyst from the firm noted: ��e are raising our f2Q14 estimate to $0.6 Negative. 0 from $0.48 reflective of a lower tax rate and some revenue benefits from the market lift in September. We are modeling a 15% GAAP tax rate in f2Q as a result of new U.K. corporate tax reductions that were put into place. Our calendar 2013 and 2014 estimates are now $1.70 and $2.00 compared to $1.61 and $1.90, previously. The calendar 2014 revision is reflective of higher buybacks and some flow-through with higher equity asset levels to end the current quarter. Our target is now $24 or 12x our new calendar 2014 estimate. We expect net long-term outflows of $5 billion-$6 billion this quarter or a 4% organic decay rate, the worst since December 2012. Frankly, we do not think estimates or flow matter all that much to shares. The ability to repurchase stock remains the most important driver of the equity.��/p>

  Legg Mason shares were up 14 cents, or 0.43%, during Wednesday morning trading. The stock is up 27% YTD.

• [By ovenerio]

  The company has a current ROE of 18.18% which is higher than the industry median and the ones exhibited by Legg Mason (LM) and Invesco (IVZ). In general, analysts consider ROE ratios in the 15-20% range as representing attractive levels for investment. So for investors looking those levels or more, KKR & Co. (KKR), SEI Investments (SEIC) and T. Rowe Price Group Inc. (TROW) could be the option. It is very important to understand this metric before investing and it is important to look at the trend in ROE over time.

Top Industrial Disributor Stocks To Invest In 2014: ManpowerGroup(MAN)

ManpowerGroup provides workforce solutions and services worldwide. The company offers permanent, temporary, and contract recruitment services; assessment and selection services; training and development services; outsourcing services; and workforce consulting services. It also provides professional resourcing and project-based workforce solutions in the information technology, finance, and engineering fields; talent and career management workforce solutions; and talent based outsourcing services, managed services, recruitment process outsourcing services, borderless talent solutions, and strategic workforce consulting services. The company was founded in 1948 and is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  ManpowerGroup (NYSE: MAN) is expected to report its Q3 earnings at $1.08 per share on revenue of $5.08 billion.

  Celanese (NYSE: CE) is estimated to report its Q3 earnings at $1.04 per share on revenue of $1.59 billion.

• [By Louis Navellier , NavellierGrowth.com]

  So without further ado, here are five companies that have the analyst community buzzing, and they should be on your radar as well.

  Best Buy (BBY): In the past two months, estimates have been revised up 22%. Analysts now expect 175% year-on-year earnings growth this quarter. Meanwhile, the industry average is 30% annual earnings growth. . ManpowerGroup (MAN): In the past month, the consensus estimate has been hiked up 19% to $1.08 per share. Analysts now expect 37% earnings growth. MAN is a buy. Netflix (NFLX): In the past three months, the consensus estimate has climbed 9%. Analysts now forecast 22% sales growth and a whopping 269% earnings growth. NFLX is a strong buy. Tesla (TSLA): In the past three months, analysts have completely reversed their projections. Earlier, the consensus was that Tesla Motors would post a net loss of 3 cents per share. Now the consensus calls for earnings of 12 cents per share. This translates into 113% earnings growth! TSLA is a strong buy. Whirlpool (WHR): In the past three months, earnings estimates have risen 15%. Analysts now expect 47% earnings growth. WHR is a strong buy.

  To put these earnings estimates into perspective, analysts forecast that the average S&P 500 company will grow earnings by 15.1% this quarter. This means that each of the five buys above are well-positioned to win big next earnings season, which kicks off on October 8. If you want to see how the analyst community feels about one of your holdings, feel free to run it through my Portfolio Grader screening tool. After hitting “submit,” you’ll see that one of the components of the stock’s Fundamental Grade is “Analyst Earnings Revisions.”

• [By Steven Russolillo]

  WATCH FOR: September Existing Home Sales (10:00 a.m. Eastern Time): seen +1.0% at 5.1 million; previously -1.8% at 5.05 million. ACE, Apollo Education, Brinker, Broadcom (BRCM), Coca-Cola (KO), Discover, E*Trade, Harley-Davidson (HOG), Illinois Tool Works (ITW), Interactive Brokers, Intuitive Surgical, Kimberly-Clark (KMB), Lexmark (LXK), Lockheed Martin (LMT), Manpower (MAN), McDonald's (MCD), Omnicom (OMC), Regions Financial (RF), Reynolds American (RAI), Six Flags Entertainment, Travelers, United Technologies Verizon Communications (VZ), VMware, Whirlpool (WHR) and Yahoo (YHOO) are among companies scheduled to report quarterly results.

Top Industrial Disributor Stocks To Invest In 2014: Stream Group Ltd (SGO)

Stream Group Limited, formerly LongReach Group Limited, is an Australia-based company operating in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector. The Company is engaged in the design, integration, installation and maintenance of integrated information and communications technology based products and services to the defense, public safety and security sectors, as well as for government, telecommunications and corporate customers, both locally and internationally. The Company together with its subsidiaries is also engaged in the provision of consulting services to certain key defense organizations. In January 2013, the Company sold its C4i business. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jonathan Morgan]

  Saint-Gobain (SGO) dropped 3.7 percent to 36.87 euros. Morgan Stanley cut its rating on the stock to underweight, similar to a sell recommendation, from equal weight, saying it doesn�� see a recovery yet in the European building industry and the contribution from emerging markets will slow.

Top Industrial Disributor Stocks To Invest In 2014: Community Bank System Inc (CBU)

Community Bank System, Inc., incorporated on April 15, 1983, which wholly owns five subsidiaries: Community Bank, N.A. (the Bank), Benefit Plans Administrative Services, Inc. (BPAS), CFSI Closeout Corp. (CFSICC), First of Jermyn Realty Company, Inc. (FJRC) and Town & Country Agency LLC (T&C). The Bank operates as a community bank providing a range of banking and financial services to retail, commercial, and municipal customers. As of December 31, 2012, the Bank operates 179 full-service branches throughout 35 counties of Upstate New York, where it operates as Community Bank, N.A. and five counties of Northeastern Pennsylvania, where it is known as First Liberty Bank & Trust, offering a range of commercial and retail banking services. BPAS provides administration, consulting and actuarial services to sponsors of employee benefit plans. In December 2013, the Company announced that it has acquired eight branch-banking locations across its Northeast Pennsylvania markets from Bank of America, N.A.Five of the branches are located in Luzerne County, one is located in Lackawanna County and two are located in Carbon County.

On July 20, 2012, the Bank completed its acquisition of 16 retail branches in Central, Northern and Western New York from HSBC Bank USA, N.A. (HSBC), acquiring approximately $106 million in loans and $697 million of deposits. On September 7, 2012, it completed its acquisition of three branches in Western New York from First Niagara Bank, N.A. (First Niagara), acquiring approximately $54 million of loans and $101 million of deposits.

Lending Activities

As of December 31, 2012, the Bank�� loan portfolio included consumer mortgage loans, business lending, Consumer indirect, Consumer direct and Home equity. Consumer indirect and direct loans consist of personal loans originated both in the branch network and in automobile, marine and recreational vehicle dealerships. Approximately 68% of loans outstanding as of December 31, 2012, were made to consumers ! borrowing on an installment, line of credit or residential mortgage loan basis. The consumer mortgage portion of the Company�� loan portfolio is comprised of fixed (98%) and adjustable rate (2%) residential lending and includes no exposure to subprime, Alt-A or other higher-risk mortgage products. The combined total of general-purpose business lending, including agricultural-related and dealer floor plans, as well as mortgages on commercial property, is characterized as the Company�� business lending activity.

Investment Activities

As of December 31, 2012, the Bank�� investment securities included held-to-maturity, available-for-sale and Other securities. As of December 31, 2012, its held-to-maturity portfolio included U.S. Treasury and agency securities, Obligations of state and political subdivisions, Government agency mortgage-backed securities, Corporate debt securities and Other securities. Its Other Securities included Federal Home Loan Bank common stock, Federal Reserve Bank common stock and Other equity securities.

Sources of Funds

The Bank utilizes a variety of funding sources to support the earning asset base. Overall funding is comprised of three primary sources that possess a variety of maturity, stability, and price characteristics: deposits of individuals, partnerships and corporations (IPC deposits), municipal deposits that are collateralized for amounts not covered by FDIC insurance (public funds) and external borrowings. The various types of deposits offered by the Bank include Noninterest checking deposits, Interest checking deposits, Regular savings deposits, Money market deposits and Time deposits. Borrowing sources for the Company include the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York (FHLBNY) and Federal Reserve Bank of New York, as well as access to the brokered certificate of deposit (CD) and repurchase markets through relationships with primary market security dealers.

Subsidiary Activities

The Compan! y�� sub! sidiary, BPAS owns three subsidiaries, Benefit Plans Administrative Services LLC (BPA), a provider of defined contribution plan administration services; Harbridge Consulting Group LLC (Harbridge), a provider of actuarial and benefit consulting services, and Hand Benefits & Trust Company (HB&T), a provider of Collective Investment Fund administration and institutional trust services. HB&T owns two subsidiaries, Flex Corp. (Flex), a provider of administration, servicing and marketing of various flexible employee benefit programs and Hand Securities, Inc. (HSI), an introducing broker dealer. The Company also wholly owns two unconsolidated subsidiary business trusts formed for the purpose of issuing mandatorily redeemable preferred securities.

The Bank owns subsidiaries, such as CBNA Insurance Agency, Inc. (CBNA Insurance), CBNA Preferred Funding Corporation (PFC), CBNA Treasury Management Corporation (TMC), Community Investment Services, Inc. (CISI), First Liberty Service Corp. (FLSC), Nottingham Advisors, Inc. (Nottingham), Brilie Corporation (Brilie), and Western Catskill Realty, LLC (WCR). CBNA Insurance is a full-service insurance agency offering primarily property and casualty products. PFC primarily acts as an investor in residential real estate loans. TMC provides cash management, investment, and treasury services to the Bank. CISI provides broker-dealer and investment advisory services. FLSC provides banking-related services to the Pennsylvania branches of the Bank. Nottingham provides asset management services to individuals, corporate pension and profit sharing plans, and foundations. Brilie and WCR are inactive companies.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By GURUFOCUS]

  Community Bank System Inc. (CBU) operates as the bank holding company for Community Bank, N.A. that provides banking and financial services to retail, commercial, and municipal customers. August 21st the company increased its quarterly dividend 3.7% to $0.28 per share. The dividend is payable October 10, 2013 to shareholders of record as of September 16, 2013. The yield based on the new payout is 3.3%.

Top Industrial Disributor Stocks To Invest In 2014: Tredegar Corporation(TG)

Tredegar Corporation, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells plastic films and aluminum extrusions worldwide. The company offers apertured film and nonwoven materials for use in feminine hygiene products, baby diapers, and adult incontinence products under the SoftQuilt, ComfortAire, SoftAire, and FreshFeel names; breathable, embossed, and elastic materials for use as components for baby diapers, adult incontinence products, and feminine hygiene products under the ExtraFlex, FabriFlex, StretchTab, FlexAire, and FlexFeel names; and absorbent transfer layers for baby diapers and adult incontinence products under the AquiDry and AquiSoft names. It also provides single and multi-layer surface protection films under the UltraMask and ForceField names for protecting components of flat panel displays; a line of packaging films for food packaging and industrial applications; and apertured films, breathable barrier films, and laminates that regulate fluid or vapor transmi ssion. In addition, the company offers soft-alloy aluminum extrusions primarily for building and construction, distribution, transportation, electrical, consumer durables, and machinery and equipment markets; and manufactures mill, anodized, and painted aluminum extrusions for fabricators and distributors to produce curtain walls, storefronts, windows and doors, hurricane shutters, tub and shower enclosures, heatsinks and components for light emitting diode (LED) lighting, and automotive and light truck aftermarket parts. Further, it develops and produces microstructure-based optical films for the LED and fluorescent lighting markets; and develops, owns, and operates mitigation banks. Tredegar Corporation was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Richmond, Virginia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Bryan Murphy]

  It's certainly not as big as Berry Plastics Group Inc. (NYSE:BERY). It's not even as big as Tredegar Corporation (NYSE:TG). There's one big way AEP Industries (NASDAQ:AEPI) can certainly compete head-on with BERY and TG right now, however... as an investment opportunity. Thanks to the bullish bump AEPI gave us last week, a long-standing selloff has been revered, and there's a whole lot of ground to make up.

Top Industrial Disributor Stocks To Invest In 2014: POWERSHARES DYNAMIC BLDG & CONSTR PORT (PKB)

PowerShares Dynamic Building & Construction Portfolio (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield of an equity index called the Dynamic Building & Construction Intellidex Index (the Building & Construction Intellidex). The Building & Construction Intellidex consists of stocks of 30 United States building and construction companies. These are companies that are primarily engaged in providing construction and related engineering services for building and remodeling residential properties, commercial or industrial buildings, or working on large-scale infrastructure projects, such as highways, tunnels, bridges, dams, power lines and airports. These companies may also include manufacturers of building materials for home improvement and general construction projects, and specialized machinery used for building and construction; companies that provide installation/maintenance/repair work, and land developers. Stocks are selected principally on the basis of their capital appreciation potential as identified by the AMEX (the Intellidex Provider) pursuant to an Intellidex methodology. The Fund�� investment advisor is PowerShares Capital Management LLC.

The Fund, using an indexing investment approach, attempts to replicate the performance of the Building & Construction Intellidex. The Fund generally will invest in all of the stocks comprising the Building & Construction Intellidex in proportion to their weightings in the Building & Construction Intellidex. The Fund will normally invest at least 80% of its total assets in common stocks of building and construction companies. It will normally invest at least 90% of its total assets in common stocks that comprise the Building & Construction Intellidex.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap building materials stock NCI Building Systems Inc (NYSE: NCS) fell yesterday after announcing a share offering plus its investors have (so-far) missed out on any ��ecovery��in construction���meaning it might be time to take a closer look at the stock along with potential performance benchmarks like the PowerShares Dynamic Building & Construction ETF (NYSEARCA: PKB) and the First Trust ISE Global Engineering and Construction Index Fund ETF (NYSEARCA: FLM)���both of which have had decent returns in recent years.