Top 5 Financial Stocks For 2014

DryShips (NASDAQ: DRYS  ) reported fiscal third-quarter results Wednesday night that blew away estimates. But things weren't as good as they seemed, even as shares rose in after-hours trading.

Revenue�jumped 49%�to $602 million, and adjusted earnings per diluted share were�$0.07, compared with a loss in the year-ago period. Analysts were looking for just $533 million in revenue and adjusted EPS of $0.05.� So far, so good -- but in the shipping business, DryShips disappointed, and disappointed badly.

Don't let the operating profit fool you
I've explained it before, and I'll explain it again: DryShips owns a majority stake in Ocean Rig UDW (NASDAQ: ORIG  ) . As such, it reports both companies on its financial statements mixed together. CEO George Economou put it well back during the August conference call when he stated, "I would like to clarify for everyone, once again, that DryShips is a pure shipping company with predominantly spot charter market exposure in 2014 and beyond and a majority stake in Ocean Rig, which operates as the deepwater drillships."

Hot Chemical Stocks To Watch For 2015: Unione di Banche Italiane ScpA (BPD)

Unione di Banche Italiane Scpa is an Italy-based holding company engaged in the governance, control, coordination and support of Unione di Banche Italiane Group. The Company�� activities are divided into three business segments. The Banking sector comprises of nine network banks of the Group, including IW Bank SpA, Banque de Depots et de Gestione SA and UBI International SA. The Non-banking financial sector includes Centrobanca SpA, Ubi Leasing SpA, Ubi Factor SpA, Ubi Pramerica SGR SpA, Banca 24-7 SpA, Silf SpA, Prestitalia SpA, Ubi Fiduciaria SpA and UBI Gestioni Fiduciarie SIM SpA. The Corporate Centre segment comprises UBI Banca Scpa and Ubi Sistemi e Servizi Scpa, among others. The Company is engaged in the corporate banking, consumer credit, asset management, factoring, leasing, life and non-life bancassurance sectors, among others. On May 6, 2013, it completed merger of Centrobanca Banca di Credito Finanziario e Mobiliare SpA into the Company. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By April Yee]

  In its annual outlook, released this month, Opec said demand for its crude would dip to between 28 million and 29.2 million barrels per day (bpd) by 2018, from 30.3 million bpd today.

• [By Robert Rapier]

  US oil production has risen from 5 million barrels per day (BPD) in 2008 to 7.3 million BPD in the most recent quarter. The US is now the fastest-growing oil producing region in the world.

Top 5 Financial Stocks For 2014: RealBiz Media Group Inc (RBIZ)

RealBiz Media Group, Inc., incorporated on May 25, 1994, is a development-stage company. The Company is engaged in real estate media and technology. It is a provider of virtual tours to the United States real estate brokerage industry. On October 9, 2012, the Company and Next 1 Interactive, Inc. (Next 1) completed the transactions contemplated by that certain Share Exchange Agreement entered into on April 4, 2012 (the Exchange Agreement). Under the Exchange Agreement, the Company received all of the interest in Attache Travel International, Inc. and wholly owned subsidiary of Next 1 (Attache). Attache in turn owns approximately 80% of RealBiz Holdings Inc. which is the parent corporation of RealBiz 360, Inc. (RealBiz). RealBiz is a real estate media services company. RealBiz�� three areas of operations include Real Estate Video on Demand Channel, Website and Mobile Applications, and Traditional Real Estate Sales.

In Real Estate Video on Demand Channel the Company earns commissions and referral fees on home sales, pre-roll/post-roll advertising, lead-generation fees, banner ads and cross-market advertising promotions. The Company earns revenue from Web-based and mobile advertising. For the real estate video on demand area (VOD), the Company focuses to market the approximately 120,000 VOD television residential home listings, as well as incorporate millions Multiple Listing Service (MLS) home listings from the United States cities, with video on demand and interactive capabilities for users of its real estate Website. In Website and Mobile Applications the Company is developing a real estate Web portal to work in conjunction with its national Video on Demand (VOD) Television Platform. As of October 15, 2012, the Company�� real estate brokerage division had participated brokers in 19 states.

The Company competes with Zillow and Trulia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap stocks New China Global (OTCMKTS: NCGI), RealBiz Media Group Inc (OTCMKTS: RBIZ) and SofTech, Inc (OTCMKTS: SOFT) sank 21.11%, 14.81% and 10.89%, respectively, last Friday. Moreover, two of these three small caps have been the subject of paid promotions or investor relations activities, but this week is the start of a new trading week and anything can happen. So will these three small cap stocks keep sinking? Here is a closer look to help you decide on an investing or trading strategy:

Top 5 Financial Stocks For 2014: Hospitality Properites Trust (HPT)

Hospitality Properties Trust, a real estate investment trust (REIT), engages in buying, owning, and leasing hotels. The company�s hotels are operated as Courtyard by Marriott, Residence Inn by Marriott, Staybridge Suites by Holiday Inn, Candlewood Suites, AmeriSuites, Prime Hotels and Resorts, Homestead Studio Suites, TownePlace Suites by Marriott, and SpringHill Suites by Marriott or Marriott Hotels and Resorts. As of June 30, 2005, it owned 298 hotels located in 38 states in the United States; Puerto Rico; and Ontario, Canada. The company�s hotels are primarily designed for business, governmental, and family travelers. As a REIT, the company would not be subject to federal income tax provided it distributes at least 90% of its REIT taxable income to its stockholders. Hospitality Properties was formed in 1995 and is based in Newton, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap TravelCenters of America LLC is the largest full-service travel center company in the United States, serving professional drivers and motorists traveling on highways with the finest full-service facilities on the road. More specifically, TravelCenters of America LLC offers�diesel fuel and gasoline plus�full-service restaurants, branded lodging and nationally known fast food restaurants at�165 sites with 145�sites owned by Hospitality Properties Trust (NYSE: HPT) and operated by TA; 10 sites owned by HPT and franchise operated; and 10 franchisee-owned and operated.

• [By Russ Krull]

  Hospitality Properties (NYSE: HPT  ) sold $300 million of 10-year, 4.25% paper to fund the redemption of 7% preferred shares.�There are 6.7 million preferred shares at $25 each for total of $167.5 million.�The new debt service will cost about $1 million more per year than the preferred dividends, but Hospitality is getting quite a bit of additional cash for "funding hotel renovation or rebranding costs and potential future acquisitions."

Top 5 Financial Stocks For 2014: HomeTrust Bancshares Inc (HTBI)

HomeTrust Bancshares, Inc. is a bank holding company. The Company operates through HomeTrust Bank (the Bank). The Bank is a federally chartered mutual savings bank with 20 retail offices located in North Carolina. The business of the Bank is conducted through its seven operating divisions: HomeTrust Bank, Cherryville Federal Bank, Home Savings Bank of Eden, Industrial Federal Bank of Lexington, Shelby Savings Bank, Tryon Federal Bank and Rutherford County Bank. Its wholly owned subsidiary, Western North Carolina Service Corporation (WNCSC), owns office buildings in Asheville and Hendersonville, North Carolina that are leased to the Bank and several other tenants. Effective July 31, 2013, it announced the completion of its acquisition of BankGreenville Financial Corporation, the holding company for BankGreenville.

Lending activities

The Bank�� loan portfolio is organized into two segments (retail consumer loans and commercial loans) and into four classes within each segment. Its loan portfolio also includes one to four family loans, commercial real estate loans, home equity lines of credit, commercial loans and consumer loans. The Bank underwrites its retail consumer loans using automated credit scoring and analysis tools. These credit scoring tools take into account factors, such as payment history, credit utilization, length of credit history, types of credit in use and recent credit inquiries. One to four family and construction and land/lot loans are to individuals and are typically secured by one-to-four family residential property, undeveloped land, and partially developed land in anticipation of pending construction of a personal residence. Consumer loans include loans secured by deposit accounts or personal property, such as automobiles, boats, and motorcycles, as well as unsecured consumer debt.

The Bank�� commercial loans are centrally underwritten based primarily on the customer�� ability to generate the required cash flow to service the debt in a! ccordance with the contractual terms and conditions of the loan agreement. Real estate owned consists of real estate acquired as a result of customers��loan defaults.

Investment activities

The Company�� investment securities consist of United States Government Agencies, Residential Mortgage-backed Securities of United States Government and Agencies. It also includes Government-Sponsored Enterprises. Securities available for sale were $26.7 million, as of March 31, 2012.

Sources of funds

The Company offers a variety of deposit accounts for individuals, businesses and nonprofit organizations. Deposits are its primary source of funds for lending and investing activities.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tim Melvin]

  Home Trust Bancshares (HTBI) is another example of a cheap, well-financed community bank that has the potential for strong performance over the next couple of years. While the bank�� nonperforming assets are a little above average at 3.87% of total assets, HTBI has plenty of excess capital. The equity-to-assets ratio is more than 20 as of the end of the third quarter, and HTBI has been using its capital to buy back HTBI shares below book value.