Top 5 Shipping Stocks To Own For 2014

Since the recession, there has been a noticeable pricing gap between West Texas Intermediate crude, a lighter grade of oil used as the benchmark for pricing in the U.S., and Brent crude, the European crude benchmark of light sweet crude produced from the North Sea.

Historically, these two oil types have traded almost in tandem with one another. However, the recession and subsequent economic and supply troubles of the U.S. and Europe changed all that.

Source: Energy Information Administration.

Because of decreased production in the U.S. and supply issues in Europe, Brent crude was at one time valued at $28 more per barrel than WTI. Some had actually questioned the importance of WTI in terms of overall global pricing given the strength that Brent had been exhibiting.�

This gap, while troublesome for midstream companies that had developed intricate transmission, pipeline, and storage systems that delivered oil assets to Cushing, Okla., the major oil hub of the U.S., turned out to be a boon for many independent oil companies operating in the oil-rich Bakken shale and Permian basin. It also was also a big help at just the right time for the railroads as commodity shipments like coal have dropped off a cliff because of cheaper alternative energy pricing. With oil companies looking to pump up their profits, they turned to railroad companies to ship their oil past Cushing to Louisiana terminals, where they could receive the higher Brent crude price, pay the rail company for shipping, and still walk away with a higher price than WTI in almost every instance.

Top Trucking Companies To Buy For 2015: WisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund (DXJ)

WisdomTree Japan Total Dividend Fund (The Fund) is a non-diversified fund. It seeks investment results that closely correspond to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the WisdomTree Japan Dividend Index (The Index).

The Index is a fundamentally weighted Index that measures the performance of dividend-paying companies incorporated in Japan, listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and that meet other requirements necessary to be included in the WisdomTree DEFA Index. The Fund is managed by WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  International investors have recently gotten a lot more interested in currency-hedged ETFs. But what are currency-hedged ETFs, and how can you decide whether they belong in your portfolio? (NYSEMKT: DXJ  )

• [By KIPLINGER]

  Investors seeking to cash in on the Japanese stock market face a Catch-22. The government is trying to goose the economy by, among other things, lowering the value of the yen, a move designed to make Japanese exporters more competitive (see Japan�� Rebound Is for Real). But a falling yen harms U.S. investors because money they have in Japanese securities translates back into fewer bucks. Enter WisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity (DXJ), an exchange-traded fund that invests in the stocks of dividend-paying Japanese firms that have a market value of at least $100 million.

• [By Tom Aspray]

  The recent plunge in China (FXI) puts it down 8% and even the hedged Yen Japan ETF (DXJ) has lost almost 5% in just a week or so.

  In last week's column, Souring Sentiment Will Help Stocks, I discussed how the sentiment needed to become more negative in order to create a good buying opportunity. Last week's action is a step in the right direction as despite the market bullishness in December, I thought that the risk was high and that only selective buying was warranted.

• [By Jim Lowell]

  First Trust US IPO is US-centric and a great complement to my more speculative pick, WisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity (DXJ), which is made up of dividend paying Japanese companies and an inbuilt hedge against Yen movements versus our almighty US dollar.

Top 5 Shipping Stocks To Own For 2014: NMI Holdings Inc (NMIHZ)

NMI Holdings, Inc. (NMIH), incorporated on May 19, 2011, is a development-stage company. The Company through its subsidiaries provides private mortgage insurance in the United States. The Company�� wholly owned subsidiaries include National Mortgage Insurance Corporation and National Mortgage Reinsurance Inc One.

On April 24, 2012, NMI Holdings, Inc. (NMI) closed an agreement with MAC Financial Ltd. to acquire MAC Financial Holdings Corporation and its wholly owned subsidiaries. On September 30, 2013, the Company merged MAC Financial Holding Corporation into NMIH, with NMIH surviving the merger, and it merged NMRI Two into NMIC, with NMIC surviving the merger.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Zachary Tracer]

  NMI Holdings Inc. (NMIHZ), a mortgage insurer backed by funds tied to Carlyle Group LP (CG) and Kyle Bass, filed to sell shares in an initial public offering as investors bet on a housing-market rebound.

Top 5 Shipping Stocks To Own For 2014: WisdomTree LargeCap Dividend Fund (DLN)

WisdomTree LargeCap Dividend Fund (the Fund) seeks investment results that closely correspond to the price and yield performance of the WisdomTree LargeCap Dividend Index (the Index). The Index is a fundamentally weighted index that measures the performance of the large-capitalization segment of the United States dividend-paying market. The Index consists of the 300 largest companies ranked by market capitalization from the WisdomTree Dividend Index.

The Index is dividend weighted annually to reflect the proportionate share of the aggregate cash dividends each component company is projected to pay in the coming year, based on the most recently declared dividend per share. The Fund�� investment advisor is WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of WisdomTree Investments, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Todd Rosenbluth, Senior Director, S&P Capital IQ]

  The smallest of the four ETFs is WisdomTree LargeCap Dividend Fund (DLN) which owns the 300 largest US dividend paying companies; their median market capitalization is $20 billion.

Top 5 Shipping Stocks To Own For 2014: SOHM Inc (SHMN)

SOHM, Inc. is a global generic pharmaceutical manufacturer, developer and marketer having a range of products, covering the therapeutic segments. The Company has its presence in healthcare segments, such as nutraceuticals, dermatology and all other therapeutic segments.

The Company�� generic pharmaceuticals are exported globally with a focus on distribution in Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia. The Company�� products has presence in analgesic, anti-flammatory, drops, suspensions, vitamins and tonics, antibiotics, beta-lactum antibiotics, injections, syrups, anti-cold, capsules, nutraceutical and tablets.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap stocks VizStar Inc (OTCMKTS: VIZS), SOHM Inc (OTCMKTS: SHMN) and American Soil Technologies, Inc (OTCMKTS: SOYL) have been getting some attention in various investment newsletters with two out of three of these stocks being the subject of paid promotions. However, there is nothing wrong with some paid for attention so long as everything is properly disclosed, but its going to be up to investors and traders alike to ultimately decide whether any of these stocks have what it takes to be the next hot stock. With that in mind, here is a quick reality check about all three small cap stocks: