10 Best Construction Stocks For 2014

On this day in economic and business history...

The Panama Canal was a dream of sailors and statesmen alike almost from the day the narrow isthmus connecting North and South America was discovered. As the shortest land-bound point between the Atlantic and Pacific, it made an ideal site for any waterway that might be constructed to link the two oceans. However, the wretched conditions of Panama's deep jungle stymied all efforts to build a canal for centuries -- including the notable disaster of a French-led construction effort that lost billions of dollars (in real terms) and cost thousands of lives in the 1880s -- before the United States finally linked the Atlantic and Pacific oceans on Oct. 10, 1913. That day, a ceremonial button-press from the White House blew apart the last earthen barrier in the middle of Panama, as recounted in The New York Times:

With an explosion which shook the surrounding hills and threw huge rocks high into the air eight tons of dynamite were set off this afternoon by President Wilson touching a button in Washington, more than 4,000 miles away. Gamboa dike, the last obstruction in the Panama Canal, was swept away, and the dream of centuries became a reality.

Best Wireless Telecom Companies To Invest In 2015: Stock Building Supply Holdings Inc (STCK)

Stock Building Supply Holdings, Inc., incorporated on April 16, 2009, is a diversified lumber and building materials (LBM) distributor and solutions provider that sells to new construction and repair and remodel contractors. The Company�� primary products are lumber & lumber sheet goods, millwork, doors, flooring, windows, structural components, such as engineered wood products (EWP), trusses, wall panels and other exterior products. The Company serves a customer base, including large-scale production homebuilders, custom homebuilders and repair and remodeling contractors. In addition, the Company provides solution-based services to its customers, including design, product specification and installation management services. The Company�� primary operating regions include the South and West regions of the United States.

The Company provides a balanced mix of products and services to the United States production and custom homebuilders and repair and remodel, multi-family and commercial contractors. The Company offer over 39,000 products sourced through its strategic network of suppliers, which together with its various solution-based services; represent approximately 50% of the construction cost of a new home.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Stock Building Supply Holdings (NASDAQ: STCK) dipped 1.53% to $19.95 in the pre-market session after the company prices 5.6 million shares at $19.50 per share by selling shareholders.

10 Best Construction Stocks For 2014: Caesarstone Sdot-Yam Ltd (CSTE)

Caesarstone Sdot-Yam Ltd. (Caesarstone), incorporated on December 31, 1989, through its subsidiaries, is engaged in the manufacturing of engineered quartz surfaces sold under its premium Caesarstone brand. Caesarstone�� products consist of engineered quartz slabs, which are sold in 42 countries. The Company�� products are primarily used as kitchen countertops in the renovation and remodeling end markets. Other applications include vanity tops, wall panels, back splashes, floor tiles, stairs and other interior surfaces that are used in a range of residential and non-residential applications. On May 18, 2011, the Company completed the acquisition of 75% of the shares of U.S. Quartz Products, Inc.

During the year ended December 31, 2011, it acquired its former United States distributor, Caesarstone USA. As of December 2011, the Company has subsidiaries in Australia, Singapore, Canada and the United States, which is engaged in the marketing and selling of the Company�� products in different geographic areas. Through its design and manufacturing processes it offers a range of colors, styles, designs and textures. Its four diverse collections include Classico, Supremo, Motivo and Concetto. Kibbutz Sdot-Yam owns 70.1% of the Company�� outstanding shares.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  CaesarStone Sdot-Yam (Nasdaq: CSTE  ) reported earnings on May 8. Here are the numbers you need to know.

  The 10-second takeaway
  For the quarter ended March 31 (Q1), CaesarStone Sdot-Yam beat expectations on revenues and beat expectations on earnings per share.

10 Best Construction Stocks For 2014: Holcim Ltd (HOLN)

Holcim Ltd (Holcim) is a Switzerland-based holding company that specializes in the manufacture, distribution and marketing of building materials. The Company operates four business segments, including Cement, Aggregates, Other construction materials and services, and Corporate. The Cement segment is engaged in the development of cement and comprises clinker and other cementitious materials, among others. The Aggregates business segment includes crushed stone, gravel and sand. The Other construction materials and services business segment comprises ready-mix concrete, concrete products, asphalt, construction and paving, and trading, among others. Additionally, other construction materials and services segment provides environmental services, including waste management, among others. The Corporate segment is engaged in holding activities and general management. It operates through subsidiaries in Asia Pacific, Latin America, Europe, North America, Africa and Middle East regions. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

  Holcim Ltd. (HOLN) lost 0.9 percent to 68.15 francs in Zurich. Bank of America Corp.�� Merrill Lynch unit cut its rating on the world�� largest cement maker to underperform, similar to a sell recommendation, from neutral. Merrill Lynch cited the company�� exposure to emerging markets.

10 Best Construction Stocks For 2014: Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas SA (FCC)

Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas SA (FCC) is a Spain-based company, which is primarily engaged, together with its subsidiaries in the construction and environmental services sector. The Company�� activities include the collection, treatment and elimination of solid urban waste, street cleaning, sewer system maintenance, green areas and buildings maintenance, urban transport, treatment and elimination of industrial waste, full-service water supply management and cement manufacture. The Company is also active in the real estate development, as well as in the renewable energy industry. In addition, the Company is a parent of Grupo FCC, a group which comprises a number of controlled entities. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Quick Pen]

  The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Department of Justice (DoJ) do not want the number of players in the telecom sector to shrink below four ��Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile. To this Sprint�� Son argues that the industry already has four players ��Verizon that purchased Vodafone�� stake in it, AT&T which plans to acquire DirecTV (DTV), and Comcast (CMCSA); Sprint would be the fourth one. But these antitrust issues have been a challenge for Sprint.

• [By Live Investor]

  What does the FCC have to say? The regulator�� reaction is nothing surprising. After Son met the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to convince them about the prospects of the proposed deal, Reuters reported that FCC chairman Tom Wheeler wasn�� quite impressed and had dubious thoughts on it.

10 Best Construction Stocks For 2014: Wolseley PLC (WOS)

Wolseley plc is a specialist trade distributor of plumbing and heating products to professional contractors and a supplier of building materials in North America, the United Kingdom and Continental Europe. The Company operates in seven segments: USA, UK, Canada, Nordic, France, Central and Eastern Europe, and Group. On September 1 2009, the Company acquired Decorative Product Source, Inc, a company engaged in the distribution and supply of construction materials and services. On January 8, 2010, the Company disposed of 100% of Wolseley Ireland Holdings Limited, which comprised all the Company's businesses in the Republic of Ireland and the Brooks business in Northern Ireland. In November 2011, the Company announced that it had completed the sale of its remaining interest in Stock Building Supply to The Gores Group. In April 2012, the Company sold its Brossette, the French Plumbing and Heating business to Saint Gobain. In October 2012, the Company acquired Davis & Warshow, Inc. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Inyoung Hwang]

  Wolseley Plc (WOS) added 3.1 percent to 3,296 pence, its largest gain in more than five weeks. The world�� biggest distributor of plumbing and heating products said so-called trading profit in the 12 months through July climbed to 725 million pounds ($1.2 billion) from 665 million pounds a year earlier. Analysts had predicted earnings of 704 million pounds, according to the average of 20 estimates compiled by the company. Wolseley proposed a special dividend payout of 300 million pounds.

10 Best Construction Stocks For 2014: Forge Group Ltd (FRGXF)

Forge Group Limited is engaged in construction, commercial building, engineering, maintenance and workshop fabrication. Forge is the holding company of Cimeco Pty Ltd, Webb Construction West Africa Ltd, Abesque Engineering Ltd (Abesque) and CTEC Pty Ltd, which provide a range of engineering and construction services to a diverse range of clients particularly to the resource and oil and gas sectors through its operating entities. Cimeco provides construction services across a range of disciplines, including, commercial building, civil, concrete, structural, mechanical, piping, tanks and electrical. Webb specializes in structural, mechanical and pipe installation, tank fabrication and erection. Abesque specializes in the provision of engineering design, project management services to the resources sector, including base metals, gold and iron ore. In January 2014, Forge Group Limited announced that BlackRock Inc. and subsidiaries had ceased to be the substantial holder of the Company. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By MARKETWATCH]

  LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Australia stocks started solidly lower Tuesday, weighed by large losses on Wall Street, with the S&P/ASX 200 (AU:XJO) retreating 0.8% to 5,248.90. Globally sensitive stocks were among the leading decliners after a 1.3% pullback for the S&P 500 (SPX) in the U.S., with financial major Macquarie Group Ltd. (AU:MQG) (MCQEF) falling 2.2%, News Corp. (AU:NWS) (NWS) -- the parent of MarketWatch, publisher of this report -- off 1.4%, and construction-material firm James Hardie Industries SE (AU:JHX) (JHIUF) 1.2% lower. Miners came under pressure, with BHP Billiton Ltd. (AU:BHP) (BHP) down 0.9% and Oz Minerals Ltd. (AU:OZL) (OZMLF) dropping 1%, while Forge Group Ltd. (AU:FGE) (FRGXF) tumbled 12.8% after issuing a profit warning. On the upside, mild gains overnight for Comex gold futures helped the fortunes of some gold extractors, helping Newcrest Mining Ltd. (AU:NCM) (NCMGF) and Evolution Mining Ltd. (AU:EVN) (CAHPF)

10 Best Construction Stocks For 2014: AECOM Technology Corp (ACM)

AECOM Technology Corporation (AECOM) is a provider of professional technical and management support services for commercial and government clients around the world. The Company provides planning, consulting, architectural and engineering design, and program and construction management services for a range of projects, including highways, airports, bridges, mass transit systems, government and commercial buildings, water and wastewater facilities, and power transmission and distribution. It also provides program and facilities management and maintenance, training, logistics and other support services, for agencies of the United States government. It offers services in two segments: Professional Technical Services and Management Support Services. In June 2011, the Company acquired Spectral Services Consultants Pte. Ltd.

Professional Technical Services (PTS)

The PTS segment delivers planning, consulting, architectural and engineering design, and program and construction management services to commercial and government clients worldwide in end markets, such as transportation, facilities, environmental, energy, water and government markets. It provides program management services through a joint venture for the Second Avenue subway line in New York City, design and contract administration services for the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge's Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facilities and engineering and environmental management services to support global energy infrastructure development for a number of petroleum and mining companies.

PTS segment contributed 86% of the Company�� revenue during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2011 (fiscal 2011).

Transit and rail projects include light rail, heavy rail (including high speed, commuter and freight) and multimodal transit projects. The Company provided engineering design services for the new World Trade Center Terminal for PATH and the Second Avenue Subway (8.5-mile rail route and 16 stations) in New York City, the Ma O! n Shan Rail (seven-mile elevated railway) in Hong Kong, and Crossrail (74-mile railway) in the United Kingdom. Marine, Ports and Harbors Projects include wharf facilities and container port facilities for private and public port operators. The Company provided marine design and engineering services for container facilities in Hong Kong, the Ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, New York and New Jersey. Highways, Bridges and Tunnels Projects include interstate, primary and secondary urban and rural highway systems and bridge projects. Aviation Projects include landside terminal and airside facilities and runways as well as taxiways.

Government Projects include the Company�� emergency response services for the Department of Homeland Security, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency and engineering and program management services for agencies of the Department of Defense. It also provides architectural and engineering services for national laboratories, including the laboratories at Hanford, Washington and Los Alamos, New Mexico. Industrial Projects include industrial facilities for a variety of end markets, including manufacturing, distribution, aviation, aerospace, communications, media, pharmaceuticals, renewable energy, chemical, and food and beverage facilities. Urban Master Planning/Design Projects include design services, landscape architecture, general policy consulting and environmental planning projects for a variety of government, institutional and private sector clients. It provides strategic planning and master planning services for new cities and mixed use developments in the People�� republic of China, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Commercial and Leisure Facilities Projects include corporate headquarters, high-rise office towers, historic buildings, hotels, leisure, sports and entertainment facilities, hospitals and healthcare facilities and corporate campuses. Institutional Projects include engin! eering se! rvices for college and university campuses, including the new Kennedy-King College in Chicago, Illinois. It has also undertaken assignments for Oxford University in the United Kingdom, Pomona College and Loyola Marymount University in California. Healthcare Projects include design services for the Mayo Clinic Gonda Building in Rochester, Minnesota, University Hospital in Dubai Healthcare City and the Samsung Cancer Center in Seoul, Korea. It has also undertaken assignments for the new Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Orlando, Florida, and the Minneapolis campus of Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota. Correctional Projects include the planning, design, and construction of detention and correction facilities throughout the world.

Water and Wastewater Projects include treatment facilities as well as supply, distribution and collection systems, stormwater management, desalinization, and other water re-use technologies for metropolitan governments. Environmental Management Projects include remediation, waste handling, testing and monitoring of environmental conditions and environmental construction management for private sector clients. Water Resources Projects include regional-scale floodplain mapping and analysis for public agencies, along with the analysis and development of protected groundwater resources for companies in the bottled water industry.

Demand Side Management Projects include energy efficient systems for public K-12 schools and universities, health care facilities, and courthouses and other public buildings, as well as energy conservation systems for utilities. Transmission and Distribution Projects include power stations and electric transmissions and distribution and co-generation systems, including enhanced electrical power generation in Stung Treng, Cambodia. These projects utilize a range of services that include consulting, forecasting and surveying to detailed engineering design and construction management. Alternative/Renewable Energy Projects ! include p! roduction facilities, such as ethanol plants, wind farms and micro hydropower and geothermal subsections of regional power grids. It provides site selection and permitting, engineering, procurement and construction management and related services. Hydropower/Dams Projects include hydroelectric power stations, dams, spillways, and flood control systems including the Song Ba Ha Hydropower Project in Vietnam, the Pine Brook Dam in Boulder County, Colorado and the Peribonka Hydroelectric Power Plant in Quebec, Canada. Solar Projects include performing environmental work for the solar photovoltaic Brockton Brightfield project in New England, and environmental permitting services for the California Energy Commission to permit the development of a 250 mega watts (MW) solar thermal power plant in the Mojave Desert of California.

Management Support Services (MSS).

The MSS segment provides program and facilities management and maintenance, training, logistics, consulting, technical assistance and systems integration services, for agencies of the United States government. It also provides organizational and limited direct support services for equipment sent to the United States Army's Corpus Christi Depot in Texas. The MSS segment contributed 14% of the Company�� fiscal 2011 revenue.

Installation, Operations and Maintenance Projects include Department of Defense and Department of Energy installations where the Company provides services for the operation and maintenance of complex government installations, including military bases, test ranges and equipment. It also provides services for the operations and maintenance of the Department of Energy's Nevada Test Site. Logistics and Field Services Projects include logistics support services for a number of Department of Defense agencies and defense contractors focused on developing and managing integrated supply and distribution networks. Training Projects include training applications in live, virtual and simulation training! environm! ents. Systems Support Projects cover a set of operational and support systems for the maintenance, operation and modernization of Department of Defense and Department of Energy installations. Its services in this area range from information technology and communications to life cycle optimization and engineering, including environmental management services.

Technical Personnel Placement Projects include the placement of personnel in functional areas of military and other government agencies, as these entities continue to outsource critical services to commercial entities. It provides systems, processes and personnel in support of the Department of Justice's management of forfeited assets recovered by law enforcement agencies. It also supports the Department of State in its enforcement programs by recruiting, training and supporting police officers for international and homeland security missions. Field Services Projects include maintaining, modifying and overhauling ground vehicles, armored carriers and associated support equipment both within and outside of the United States under contracts with the Department of Defense. It also maintains and repairs telecommunications systems for military and civilian entities.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  The Department of Defense had a slow day Thursday, announcing only five new defense contracts, with a combined value of only $109.5 million. Of these contracts, only two went to publicly traded defense contractors:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Technical Services: The industry gained 2% by 10:25 am. The top performer in this industry was URS (NYSE: URS), which gained 9%. Aecom Technology (NYSE: ACM) announced its plans to buy URS for $4 billion in cash and stock.

• [By Jayson Derrick]

  Aecom Technology (NYSE: ACM) has acquired Hunt Construction for an undisclosed sum. This marks Aecom's second large acquisition in the span of two weeks. Shares lost 0.32 percent, closing at $34.72.