Best Performing Stocks For 2014

Bank of America(BAC) Merrill Lynch is pointing the finger at exchange-traded funds for the big selloff in biotech stocks.

Biotech stocks were, and still are, some of the market�� best-performing stocks over the past year. But waves of selling in recent weeks hit these stocks hard, with big price swings in heavily traded ETFs including the $4.9 billion iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF(IBB) (IBB). In March, the ETF has dropped 11%, despite a 2.5% advance today.

��he recent sell-off in high growth industries has been ETF driven, as mutual funds have been net buyers over the last several weeks,��said Savita Subramanian, head of U.S. equity and quantitative strategy at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

She points to three straight weeks of outflows from biotech ETFs, culminating in $1 billion of withdrawals in the week ended March 26. By comparison, traditional biotechnology stock mutual funds have taken in money for four straight weeks, though they were nearly flat in the most recent week, taking in a paltry $3 million.

Best Warren Buffett Stocks To Buy Right Now: Calgon Carbon Corp (CCC)

Calgon Carbon Corporation is a provider of products, services, and solutions for purifying water and air. The Company operates in three reportable segments: Activated Carbon and Service, Equipment, and Consumer. The Activated Carbon and Service segment manufactures granular and powdered activated carbon for use in applications to primarily remove organic compounds from water, air and other liquids and gases. The service aspect of the segment consists of reactivation and the leasing, monitoring and maintenance of carbon adsorption equipment. The Equipment segment provides solutions to customers��air and water purification problems through the design, fabrication, installation, and sale of equipment systems that utilize a combination of the Company�� enabling technologies: carbon adsorption, ultraviolet light (UV), Ballast Water Treatment (BWT), and advanced ion exchange separation (ISEP). The Consumer segment primarily consists of the manufacture and sale of carbon cloth. On March 31, 2011 the Company completed the acquisition of Calgon Carbon Japan KK (CCJ).

Activated Carbon and Service

The sale of activated carbon is the principle component of the Activated Carbon and Service business segment. Activated carbon is a porous material that removes organic compounds from liquids and gases by a process known as adsorption. In adsorption, unwanted organic molecules contained in a liquid or gas are attracted and bound to the surface of the pores of the activated carbon as the liquid or gas is passed through. The primary raw material used in the production of the Company�� activated carbons is bituminous coal which is crushed, sized and then processed in low temperature kilns followed by high temperature furnaces. The Company also markets activated carbons from other raw materials, including coconut shell and wood. The Company produces and sells a range of activated, impregnated or acid washed carbons in granular, powdered or pellet form. Granular activated carbon (GAC) particl! es are irregular in shape and generally used in fixed filter beds for continuous flow purification processes.

Another component of the Activated Carbon and Service business segment are the optional services associated with supplying the Company�� products and systems required for purification, separation, concentration, taste and odor control. The Company offers a variety of treatment services at customer facilities, including carbon supply, equipment leasing, installation and demobilization, transportation and spent carbon reactivation. Other services include feasibility testing, process design, performance monitoring and maintenance of Company-owned equipment. The central component of the Company�� service business is reactivation of spent carbon and re-supply. The Company provides reactivation/recycling services in packages ranging from a 55 gallon drum to truckload quantities.

Equipment

Along with providing activated carbon products, the Company has developed a portfolio of standardized, pre-engineered, adsorption systems capable of treating liquid flows from 1 gallons per minute to 1,400 gallons per minute, which can be delivered and installed at treatment sites. These self-contained adsorption systems are used for vapor phase applications, such as volatile organic compound (VOC) control, air stripper off-gases, and landfill gas emissions. Liquid phase equipment systems are used for applications of potable water, process purification, wastewater treatment, groundwater remediation and de-chlorination. The Company produces a range of odor control equipment, which typically utilizes catalytic activated carbon to control odors at municipal wastewater treatment facilities and pumping stations. The Company�� variety of equipment systems treats the odors that emanate from municipal wastewater treatment facilities and the sewage collection systems that bring the waste to the treatment plant.

The ISEP (Ionic Separator) continuous ion exchange units ! are used ! for the purification and recovery of many products in the food, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology industries. The ISEP Continuous Separator units perform ion exchange separations using countercurrent processing. The ISEP and CSEP (chromatographic separator) systems are used at over 300 installations worldwide in more than 40 applications in industrial settings, as well as in environmental applications, including perchlorate and nitrate removal from drinking water. The Hyde GUARDIAN System was developed as a chemical-free, International Maritime Organization (IMO) type approved, ballast water management solution. The system is designed to meet the needs of ship owners to install treatment system.

Consumer

The primary product offered in the Consumer segment is carbon cloth. Carbon cloth, which is activated carbon in cloth form, is manufactured in the United Kingdom and sold to the medical, military, and specialty markets. Zorflex Activated Carbon Cloth can be used in numerous additional applications, including sensor protection; filters for ostomy bags; wound dressings; conservation of artifacts, and respiratory masks.

The Company competes with Norit, N.V., Mead/Westvaco Corporation, Siemens Water Technologies, Trojan Technologies, Inc., Xylem, Wedeco Ideal Horizons, Panasia, Alfa Lavel Tumba AB, Hyde Marine, Inc. and Wartsila.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Aaron Levitt]

  Calgon Carbon Corporation (CCC) is one of the largest manufacturers of activated carbon and filtration systems in the world, with activated carbon capacity of around 75,000 tons per year. That�� a good position to be in, as carbon filters are some of the most effective methods at removing chlorine, sediment and other volatile organic compounds from wastewater. They are also one of the cheapest methods for utilities to implement.

Best Performing Stocks For 2014: NetSpend Holdings Inc.(NTSP)

Netspend Holdings, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides general purpose reloadable (GPR) prepaid debit and payroll cards, and alternative financial service solutions to underbanked and other consumers in the United States. Its GPR cards offer access to FDIC-insured depository accounts with a menu of pricing and features tailored to underbanked consumers needs; and serves as access devices to an FDIC-insured depository account with a bank. The company also provides various products and services to its cardholders, such as direct deposit, interest-bearing savings accounts, bill pay functionality, card-to-card transfer capability, personal financial management tools, and online and mobile phone card account access, as well as overdraft protection through its issuing Banks, and complimentary insurance coverage services. Netspend Holdings, Inc. markets its cards through various distribution channels, including retail distributors, direct-to-consumer and online marketi ng programs, and contractual relationships with corporate employers. As of December 31, 2011, it offered approximately 2.1 million active cards through approximately 600 retail distributors at approximately 40,000 locations; and reload services through approximately 450 retailers at approximately 130,000 locations. The company was founded in 1999 and is based in Austin, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jane Edmondson]

  One additional item of note: the stock has been a rumored take-out candidate since another large competitor, NetSpend (NTSP), received an offer to be acquired in February by global payment solutions provider TSYS (TSS).

Best Performing Stocks For 2014: Global Cash Access Holdings Inc. (GCA)

Global Cash Access Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides cash access and data intelligence services and solutions to the gaming industry in the United States and internationally. Its cash access products and services include Casino Cash Plus 3-in-1 ATM, a cash-dispensing machine that offers patrons to access cash through ATM cash withdrawals, point-of-sale debit card transactions, and credit card cash access transactions; check verification and warranty services, which allow gaming establishments to manage and reduce risks on patron checks that they cash; QuikCash, a non-ATM cash access kiosks; and money transfer services. The company also offers cash access equipment, such as full service kiosks, a multi-function patron kiosk for cash access into self-service kiosks for slot ticket redemption and bill breaking services, as well as jackpot kiosks. In addition, it provides information services, such as Central Credit, a gaming patron credit bureau that allows g aming establishments in credit-granting decisions; QuikCash Plus Web and QCPXpress that are cash access transaction processing systems for cashier operations; QuikReports, a browser-based reporting tool that provide access and analysis of information on patron cash access activity; and QuikMarketing/Casino Share Intelligence database services, as well as various Xchange Xplorer products. Further, the company offers cashless gaming products comprising QuikTicket that allows cash access transaction to be completed with a bar coded ticket in lieu of cash. Global Cash Access Holdings, Inc. sells its products and services primarily through direct sales force to traditional land-based casinos, riverboats and cruise ships with gaming operations, gaming establishments operated on Native American lands, pari-mutuel wagering facilities, and card rooms. The company was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Global Cash Access Holdings (NYSE: GCA  ) reported earnings on May 7. Here are the numbers you need to know.

  The 10-second takeaway
  For the quarter ended March 31 (Q1), Global Cash Access Holdings missed slightly on revenues and missed estimates on earnings per share.

• [By John Kell var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); popups.forEach(func]

  Shares of Global Cash Access Holdings Inc.(GCA) traded 9% lower to $7.22 premarket after the company disclosed it would no longer be providing payment services for casino operator Caesars Entertainment Corp.(CZR)

• [By Evan Niu, CFA]

  What: Shares of Global Cash Access (NYSE: GCA  ) have plunged today by as much as 10% after the company reported first-quarter earnings.

Best Performing Stocks For 2014: OmniVision Technologies Inc.(OVTI)

OmniVision Technologies, Inc. designs, develops, and markets semiconductor image-sensor devices. The company offers CameraChip image sensors, which are single-chip solutions that integrate various functions, such as image capture, image processing, color processing, signal conversion, and output of a processed image or video stream for use in various consumer and commercial mass-market applications; and CameraCube imaging devices that are image sensors with integrated wafer-level optics. It also provides companion chips used to connect its image sensors to various interfaces, including the universal serial bus and other industry standard interfaces; and companion digital signal processors that perform compression in standardized still photo and digital video formats. In addition, the company designs and develops software drivers for Linux, Mac OS, and Microsoft Windows, as well as for embedded operating systems, such as Blackberry OS, Palm OS, Symbian, Windows CE, Windows Embedded, and Windows Mobile. Its products are used in mobile phones, notebooks, Webcams, digital still and video cameras, commercial and security and surveillance, and automotive and medical applications, as well as in entertainment devices. The company sells its products directly to original equipment manufacturers and value added resellers, as well as indirectly through distributors worldwide. OmniVision Technologies, Inc. was founded in 1995 and is based in Santa Clara, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Anders Bylund]

  Shares of OmniVision Technologies (NASDAQ: OVTI  ) jumped as much as 23% overnight, driven by a rock-solid fourth quarter report. The stock set a fresh 52-week high, but remains far below the $36 high-water mark that was set in 2011 when OmniVision's back side illumination, or BSI, camera chips seemed set to rule the smartphone world.

• [By Evan Niu, CFA]

  Once upon a time, I was also an OmniVision (NASDAQ: OVTI  ) bull, thinking the image sensor specialist's lead in backside-illuminated technology gave it a substantial leg up against the competition. When OmniVision lost the iPhone 4S primary camera spot to Sony,�that was just the first sign that things may never be the same. The company subsequently lost the iPhone 5 primary sensor, also to Sony. HTC has gone with STMicroelectronics�for the "UltraPixel" sensor in its One flagship (OmniVision sources the secondary sensor), which lends to the idea that BSI sensors are becoming commoditized. Goodbye, pricing power. I gave up on OmniVision long ago.

Best Performing Stocks For 2014: Waste Connections Inc. (WCN)

Waste Connections, Inc., an integrated solid waste services company, provides solid waste collection, transfer, disposal, and recycling services. The company also offers intermodal services, including repositioning, storage, maintenance, and repair of cargo containers for international shipping companies for the rail haul movement of cargo and solid waste containers in the Pacific Northwest. In addition, it provides container and chassis sales and leasing services to its customers. Further, the company offers residential, commercial, and industrial solid waste collection services; and provides recycling services for various recyclable materials, including cardboard, office paper, plastic containers, glass bottles, and ferrous and aluminum metals. Its transfer stations receive, compact, and load solid waste to be transported to landfills via truck, rail, or barge. As of December 31, 2010, the company owned or operated a network of 135 solid waste collection operations, 54 t ransfer stations, 39 recycling operations, 44 active landfills, and 7 intermodal facilities, as well as one exploration and production waste treatment and disposal facility. It serves approximately two million residential, commercial, and industrial customers from a network of operations in 27 states in the United States. The company was founded in 1997 and is based in Folsom, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sean Williams]

  Other players in the field, such as Waste Connections (NYSE: WCN  ) , have viewed traditional refuse collection as too crowded and have looked toward unique ways of boosting their bottom line. Waste Connection last year purchased R360 Environmental Solutions for $1.3 billion to get a foothold in the oil and natural gas industry. R360 generates revenue by cleaning contaminated fields, recovering oil from storage tanks, and washing drilling facilities.

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Calling all cash flows
  When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Waste Connections (NYSE: WCN  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

• [By Marc Bastow]

  Integrated municipal solid waste services company Waste Connections (WCN) raised its quarterly dividend 15% to 11.5 cents per share, payable on Nov. 19 to shareholders of record as of Nov. 5.
  WCN Dividend Yield:�1.04%

Best Performing Stocks For 2014: Kirkland's Inc.(KIRK)

Kirkland?s, Inc. operates as a specialty retailer of home decor and gifts in the United States. Its stores offer various merchandise, including framed art, mirrors, wall decor, candles and related items, lamps, decorative accessories, accent furniture, textiles, garden-related accessories, and artificial floral products. The company?s stores also provide an assortment of holiday merchandise during seasonal periods, as well as items suitable for gift-giving. It operates stores under the Kirkland?s, Kirkland?s Home, Kirkland?s Home Outlet, and Kirkland?s Outlet names. The company operates its stores in enclosed malls and various off-mall venues, including lifestyle centers, power strip centers, outlet centers, and freestanding locations. Kirkland?s, Inc. also sells its products through its Web site kirklands.com. As of March 08, 2012, it operated 299 stores in 30 states. The company was founded in 1966 and is based in Nashville, Tennessee.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Calling all cash flows
  When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Kirkland's (Nasdaq: KIRK  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Margins matter. The more Kirkland's (Nasdaq: KIRK  ) keeps of each buck it earns in revenue, the more money it has to invest in growth, fund new strategic plans, or (gasp!) distribute to shareholders. Healthy margins often separate pretenders from the best stocks in the market. That's why we check up on margins at least once a quarter in this series. I'm looking for the absolute numbers, so I can compare them to current and potential competitors, and any trend that may tell me how strong Kirkland's competitive position could be.

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Thursday

  Earnings Expected From: AVEO Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVEO), Kirkland��, Inc (NASDAQ: KIRK), Dollar General Corporation (NYSE: DG), Stein Mart, Inc. (SMRT: NASDAQ), Mattress Firm Holding Corp. (NASDAQ: MRFM), SeaWorld Entertainment (NYSE: SEAS), Vaalco Energy Inc (NYSE: EGY) Economic Releases Expected: Chinese retail sales, French CPI, Brazilian retail sales, US retail sales, Japanese industrial production

  Friday