Top 5 Canadian Companies To Own For 2014

Canadian stocks rose, capping a second week of gains for the benchmark index, on speculation the U.S. Federal Reserve will maintain monetary stimulus and as China�� ruling party announced changes to economic policy.

Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan Inc. added 0.8 percent amid speculation an agreement to sell OAO Uralkali by its owners may defuse a dispute between Russia and Belarus that roiled the global soil nutrient market. Bonavista Energy Corp. climbed 3.9 percent as Scotia Capital Inc. boosted the stock�� rating. West Fraser Timber Co. slipped 4.7 percent as RBC Capital Markets downgraded shares of the lumber producer.

The Standard & Poor��/TSX Composite Index (SPTSX) climbed 51.18 points, or 0.4 percent, to 13,482.56 at 4 p.m. in Toronto. Trading in the benchmark gauge�� shares was 8.6 percent below the 30-day average. The index advanced 0.8 percent this week, its fifth weekly gain in six.

��ellen is going to continue Bernanke�� policies of extremely low short-term rates and being very slow to pull back from quantitative easing, so that is stimulative for risk assets,��Todd Johnson, a portfolio manager at Winnipeg, Manitoba-based BCV Asset Management, said in a phone interview. His firm oversees C$550 million ($526 million).

10 Best Freight Stocks To Watch Right Now: Mobile TeleSystems (MBT)

Mobile TeleSystems OJSC, together with its subsidiaries, provides telecommunications services primarily in the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Armenia, and Belarus. The company provides a range of mobile and fixed line voice and data telecommunications services, including transmission, broadband, pay-TV, and various value-added services; and sells equipment and accessories. It also offers network access services, including mobile cellular voice and data communication services; automatic roaming services; GPRS and Internet access services; and 3G technology. In addition, the company�s services include the design, construction, and installation of local voice and data networks capable of interconnecting with fixed line operators; installation and maintenance of cellular payphones; lease of digital communication channels; and provision of access to open computer databases and data networks, including the Internet, as well as video conferencing, and fixed, local, and long-distance telecommunications services. Its value-added services comprise call divert/forwarding, caller ID and anti-caller ID display, conference calling, WiFi, GPRS, intelligent call assistant, APN remote access point, fixed mobile convergence, enhanced data rates for GSM Evolution, call barring, SMS, mobile office, voicemail, mobile banking, wireless application protocol, MTS-Connect, SIM-browser, point-to-point transfer, unstructured supplementary services data, downlink packet access, mobile TV, call waiting, MMS, ring tones, missed call alert, itemization of monthly bills, information and directory, international access, WEB and WAP portal, customer care system, ring back tone, collect call, and location-based services. As of December 31, 2011, the company had a mobile subscriber base of approximately 101.14 million. It has a strategic partnership with Vodafone. The company was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Moscow, the Russian Federation.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Telecommunications services sector was the leading decliner in the US market today. Telecommunications services stocks dropped 0.43% in today's trading. Among the stocks, Mobile Telesystems OJSC (NYSE: MBT) was down more than 4.8%, while Telecom Argentina SA (NYSE: TEO) tumbled around 2.5%.

• [By Dan Radovsky]

  VimpleCom, a joint venture of Norwegian telecom Telnor and the Russian Alfa Group, operates under the BeeLine brand in Russia. BeeLine has joined the two other ex-iPhone carrying Russian heavyweight mobile carriers, Megafon and Mobile TeleSystems (NYSE: MBT  ) , and not renewed its iPhone contract with Apple.

• [By Eric Lam]

  Manitoba Telecom (MBT) gained 5.7 percent to C$33.93 after selling its Allstream fiber network business to Accelero Capital Holdings for C$520 million. The company will use the cash to invest in new wireless spectrum and improve the speed of its existing networks, Manitoba Telecom said in a statement.

• [By MONEYMORNING.COM]

  With that in mind, the four main Russian tech leaders investors should know about are:

  VimpelCom Ltd. (ADR) (Nasdaq: VIP), a broad telecom play. The company provides both fixed and wireless web access, as well as mobile communications and services. The company has a number of subsidiaries that, taken together, have something like 215 million subscribers. Mobile Telesystems OJSC (ADR) (NYSE: MBT), a straight-up mobile play that operates in the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Armenia. Plus, it has a strategic relationship with one of Europe's major players, Vodafone Group Plc (ADR) (Nasdaq: VOD). Qiwi PLC (Nasdaq: QIWI), a leader in electronic payments through kiosks, the web, and mobile platforms. It's Russia's version of PayPal - so we better not tell Carl Icahn... he might start a campaign to break up that company, too. And Yandex NV (Nasdaq: YNDX), which is the "Google of Russia." Yandex operates the world's fourth-ranked search engine and enjoys a 60% market share in its home country. Google, with about a quarter of the market, is a very distant second there.

  That's a great rundown on Russia's tech leaders. Are there any worth buying at this level? And why?

Top 5 Canadian Companies To Own For 2014: Crown Castle International Corporation (CCI)

Crown Castle International Corp., through its subsidiaries, owns, operates, and leases towers and other wireless infrastructure primarily in the United States and Australia. Its infrastructure includes distributed antenna system (DAS) networks, as well as rooftop installations. The company involves in the rental of antenna space of its towers to wireless communications companies. It also provides network services relating to its towers, which primarily include antenna installations and subsequent augmentations, as well as additional services, such as site acquisition, architectural and engineering, zoning and permitting, other construction, and other services related network development. As of December 31, 2010, it owned, leased, or managed approximately 23,900 towers, including 43 completed DAS networks. The company was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Damian Illia]

  Crown Castle International Corp. (CCI) is a second-largest independent operator of wireless communication towers in the United States. It owns 40,000 tower sites in the U.S., more than 1,700 more in Australia, and 200 in Puerto Rico, and its main customers are wireless carriers such as AT&T Inc. (T), Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ), Sprint Corporation (S) and T-Mobile US Inc. (TMUS). The company provides network design, radio frequency engineering and site development services as well. Since the acquisition of Global Signal Inc. in 2007, the company has grown and diversified geographically, and added efficiency and pricing control, allowing Crown Castle to compete with big rivals in the industry.

• [By Brian Stoffel]

  4. Crown Castle International (NYSE: CCI  ) , P/E of 140
  Crown is one of the major players in the industry. By "tower industry," I'm referring to the towers that now dot our landscape to help ensure wireless data can be transmitted with ease.�

• [By Steve Sears]

  New stocks in what Goldman calls the “Hedge Fund VIP list,”�include Actavis (ACT), Baidu (BIDU), Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B), Crown Castle International (CCI), Entergy Louisiana (ELB), �Equinix (EQIX), Facebook (FB), Fleetcor Technologies (FLT), W.R. Grace (GRA), MetLife (MET), Macquarie Infrastructure (MIC), Micron (MU), Time Warner Cable (TWC), and Time Warner (TWX).

• [By CRWE]

  Crown Castle International Corp. (NYSE:CCI) plans to release its third quarter 2012 results on Wednesday, October 24, 2012, after the market closes. In conjunction with the release, Crown Castle has scheduled a conference call for Thursday, October 25, 2012, at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time.

Top 5 Canadian Companies To Own For 2014: Gildan Activewear Inc.(GIL)

Gildan Activewear Inc. engages in the manufacture and sale of apparel products primarily in the United States, Canada, and Europe. It sells T-shirts, fleece, and sport shirts to wholesale distributors under the Gildan brand name. The company also provides its activewear products for work and school uniforms and athletic team wear, and other purposes to convey individual, group, and team identity. In addition, it offers undecorated products to branded apparel companies and retailers; and underwear products. Further, the company markets its sock products under the various brands, including Gold Toe, PowerSox, SilverToe, Auro, All Pro, GT, and the Gildan brand. The company was formerly known as Textiles Gildan Inc. and changed its name to Gildan Activewear Inc. in March 1995. Gildan Activewear Inc. was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tom Stoukas]

  Deutsche Lufthansa AG (LHA) and Allianz SE (ALV) led airlines and insurers lower, retreating at least 1.5 percent. Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW) slid 1.6 percent. Deutsche Bank AG (DBK) rose after JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its recommendation on the shares. Gildemeister AG (GIL) added 3.4 percent after Deutsche Bank upgraded the maker of cutting tools.

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Gildan Activewear (NYSE: GIL  ) just bought itself a new wardrobe. The company announced it has acquired "substantially all of the assets" of privately held screen printing and apparel decoration specialist New Buffalo Shirt Factory for around $7 million.

Top 5 Canadian Companies To Own For 2014: Potomac Electric Power Company(POM)

Pepco Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the transmission, distribution, and supply of electricity. The company also distributes and supplies natural gas. It distributes electricity to approximately 1.8 million customers in the mid-Atlantic region and delivers natural gas to approximately 123,000 customers in Delaware. In addition, the company involves in the retail supply of electricity and natural gas; provision of energy efficiency services to federal, state, and local government customers; and designs, constructs, and operates combined heat and power and central energy plants, as well as owns and operates two oil-fired generation facilities. Further, it offers high voltage electric construction and maintenance services, low voltage electric construction and maintenance services, and streetlight construction and asset management services to utilities, municipalities, and other customers in the Washington, District of Columbia. Additionally, the company holds investments in eight cross-border energy leases. Pepco Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1896 and is based in Washington, District of Columbia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Utilities shares dropped by 0.37 percent in the US market today. Among the sector stocks, Consolidated Water Co (NASDAQ: CWCO) was down more than 2.3 percent, while Pepco Holdings (NYSE: POM) tumbled around 1.5 percent.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Top Headline
  Pepco Holdings (NYSE: POM) reported a 35% rise in its fourth-quarter profit. For the year, Pepco projects earnings of $1.12 to $1.27 per share, versus analysts' estimates of $1.22 per share. Pepco's quarterly earnings surged to $58 million, or $0.23 per share, versus a year-ago profit of $43 million, or $0.18 per share. Excluding one ��ime items, its earnings from continuing operations came in at $0.24 per share. Its total operating revenue climbed 3.3% to $1.09 billion. However, analysts were expecting earnings of $0.21 per share on revenue of $1.11 billion.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Visa (V) gained 2.8% this week and Walt Disney (DIS) rose 2.7% to $80.31, to lead the Dow higher. Visa managed to gain despite sanctions being imposed on two Russian banks. Pepco Holdings (POM) surged 24% after it agreed to be purchased by Exelon (EXC) for $27.25 a share in an all-cash deal. Exelon dropped 1.2% this week. Energizer (ENR) jumped 17% after it said it would split itself into two companies.

• [By Sean Williams]

  Powering up
  It's pretty rare for stocks in the electric utility sector to see a prolonged dip given that electricity is a necessity product, but that's what we've seen from Mid-Atlantic electric utility provider Pepco Holdings (NYSE: POM  ) .