Top 5 Industrial Disributor Companies To Buy For 2014

Today's nonfarm payrolls report finally arrived, but it wasn't worth the wait. Private-sector employment increased by a net 126,000 jobs last month on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to the US Labor Department. That's not the slowest pace this year, but it's close. Only July's meager 100,000 rise is lower so far in 2013. There's nothing to cheer about in today's employment release, but it's still not obvious that the jig is up for the business cycle. True, the latest monthly perspective looks discouraging, but that's not the only statistical lens at our disposal. Consider that the year-over-year percentage change for private-sector employment continued to expand by just over 2% through last month. That rate is unchanged from the previous month and is in line with the annual pace of growth we've seen so far this year.

Nonetheless, the best you can say about the labor market at the moment is that it's growing modestly. Perhaps today's update is an early warning that the trend is set to deteriorate in the months ahead. Maybe, but at this point that's just speculation fueled by looking at last month's estimate alone.

Top 10 Food Companies To Watch For 2015: Transcananda Pipelines Ltd.(TRP)

Transcanada Corporation operates as an energy infrastructure company in North America. The company operates in three segments: Natural Gas Pipelines, Oil Pipelines, and Energy. The Natural Gas Pipelines segment develops and operates energy infrastructure, including natural gas pipelines and regulated gas storage facilities. Its network of natural gas pipelines extends approximately 60,000 km tapping into gas supply basins in North America. The Oil Pipelines segment operates Keystone crude oil pipeline system, which includes completed 3,467 km Wood River/Patoka and Cushing Extension phases, and the proposed 2,673 km U.S. Gulf Coast Expansion. The Energy segment engages in the acquisition, development, construction, ownership, and operation of electrical power generation plants; the purchase and marketing of electricity; the provision of electricity account services to energy and industrial customers; and the development, construction, ownership, and operation of non-regulat ed natural gas storage in Alberta. The company was founded in 1951 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tyler Crowe]

  By now, you've probably heard about�TransCanada's� (NYSE: TRP  ) �Keystone XL pipeline. For even the most casual observer of the energy industry, this project has been the spark that has ignited political debates ranging from environmental hazards and emission of greenhouse gases to North American energy independence. In Tuesday's speech on climate change, President Obama made a point to discuss the Keystone XL pipeline and its role in the United States:

• [By Isac Simon]

  President Obama's climate change address at Georgetown University has been hailed as among his best by environmental activists. However, the president's much awaited response to TransCanada's (NYSE: TRP  ) Keystone XL pipeline, hasn't exactly been the best in terms of clarity.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Carol Browner, who served as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator under President Clinton and as director of the White House Energy and Climate Change Policy under President Obama, told a Washington audience on Thursday that Obama will reject the 1,700-mile long Keystone XL pipeline being proposed for construction by Transcanada Corp. (NYSE: TRP).

Top 5 Industrial Disributor Companies To Buy For 2014: The Children's Place Retail Stores Inc.(PLCE)

The Children's Place Retail Stores, Inc. operates as a children's specialty apparel retailer in North America. It provides apparel, accessories, and shoes for children from newborn to 10 years of age. The company designs, contracts to manufacture, and sells merchandise under The Children's Place brand name. It serves the wardrobe needs of girls and boys, baby girls and boys, and newborn. As of January 28, 2012, the company operated 1,049 The Children's Place stores, including 732 stores located in malls, 140 in strip centers, 135 in outlet centers, and 42 street stores; and an Internet store at childrensplace.com. The Children's Place Retail Stores, Inc. was founded in 1969 and is based in Secaucus, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By AnnaLisa Kraft]

  Baby steps for growth
  Competitor Children's Place Retail Stores (NASDAQ: PLCE  ) also saw a 33.2% rise in e-commerce year-over-year. E-commerce contributed 58.3% to total sales growth for the company's most recent quarter, totaling $50.5 million in e-sales.

Top 5 Industrial Disributor Companies To Buy For 2014: Castle Brands Inc. (ROX)

Castle Brands Inc. develops and markets beverage alcohol products. The company provides rum, whiskey, liqueurs, vodka, tequila, and wine. It offers its products under various brands, including Gosling�s Rum, Gosling�s Dark �n Stormy, Jefferson�s, Jefferson�s Reserve and Jefferson's Presidential Select, Jefferson�s Rye, Clontarf, Pallini, Boru, Knappogue Castle Whiskey, Tierras, Celtic Honey, Brady's Irish Cream, Travis Hasse�s Original Pie, Gozio, A. de Fussigny, and CC. The company offers its products through a network of wholesale distributors and state-operated agencies in the United States, Ireland, Great Britain, Northern Ireland, Germany, Canada, South Africa, Bulgaria, France, Russia, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and China, as well as in continental Europe and Latin America. Castle Brands Inc. is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Another stock that's rapidly moving within range of triggering a big breakout trade is Castle Brands (ROX), which develops and markets premium and super-premium brands in the beverage alcohol categories: rum, whiskey, liqueurs, vodka, tequila and fine wine. This stock has been on fire so far in 2013, with shares up huge by 234%.

  If you take a look at the chart for Castle Brands, you'll notice that this stock has been uptrending very strong for the last three months, with shares soaring higher from its low of 30 cents per share to its recent high of 99 cents per share. During that uptrend, shares of ROX have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of ROX within range of triggering a big breakout trade.

  Market players should now look for long-biased trades in ROX if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at 93 cents per share to its 52-week high at 99 cents per share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that hits near or above its three-month average volume of 501,958 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then ROX will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $1.50 to $2 a share.

  Traders can look to buy ROX off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below some key near-term support levels at 80 cents to 77 cents per share, or around its 50-day at 70 cents per share. One can also buy ROX off strength once it clears those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

Top 5 Industrial Disributor Companies To Buy For 2014: Barnes Group Inc (B)

Barnes Group Inc. is an international aerospace and industrial components manufacturer and logistics services company serving a range of end markets and customers. The products and services provided by Barnes Group are critical components for applications, which provide transportation, communication, manufacturing and technology. The Company operates under two global business segments: Logistics and Manufacturing Services, and Precision Components. On December 30, 2011, the Company sold its Barnes Distribution Europe (BDE) business to Berner SE. In August 2012, the Company acquired Synventive Molding Solutions.

Logistics and Manufacturing Services

Logistics and Manufacturing Services provides logistics support and repair services. Value-added logistics support services include inventory management, technical sales, and supply chain solutions for maintenance, repair, operating, and production supplies and services. Repair services provided include the manufacturing of spare parts for the refurbishment and repair of engineered components and assemblies for commercial and military aviation. Logistics and Manufacturing Services has sales, distribution, and manufacturing operations in the United States, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Mexico, Singapore, Spain and the United Kingdom. Products and services are available in more than 30 countries.

The global operations are engaged in supplying, servicing and manufacturing of maintenance, repair and operating components. Activities include logistics support through vendor-managed inventory and technical sales for stocked replacement parts and other products, catalog offerings and custom solutions, and the manufacture and delivery of aerospace aftermarket spare parts, including the revenue sharing programs (RSPs) under, which the Company receives right to supply designated aftermarket parts over the life of the related aircraft engine program, and component repairs. In addition, the manufacturing and supplying of aerospace! aftermarket spare parts, including the RSPs, are dependent upon the reliable and timely delivery of components.

Precision Components

Precision Components is a global supplier of engineered components for critical applications focused on providing solutions for a industrial, transportation and aerospace customer base. It is equipped to produce every type of precision spring, from fine hairsprings for electronics and instruments to heavy-duty springs for machinery, as well as precision-machined and fabricated components and assemblies for OEM turbine engine, airframe and industrial gas turbine builders globally, and the military. It is also a manufacturer and supplier of precision mechanical products, including precision mechanical springs, compressor reed valves and nitrogen gas products. Precision Components also manufactures punched and fine-blanked components used in transportation and industrial applications, nitrogen gas springs and manifold systems used to control stamping presses, and retention rings, which position parts on a shaft or other axis.

Precision Components has a customer base with products purchased by durable goods manufacturers located in industries, including transportation, consumer products, farm equipment, telecommunications, medical devices, home appliances and electronics, and airframe and gas turbine engine manufacturers for commercial and military jets, business jets, and land-based industrial gas turbines. Long-standing customer relationships enable Precision Components to participate in the design phase of components and assemblies, through which customers receive the benefits of manufacturing research, testing and evaluation. Products are sold through Precision Components��direct sales force and a distribution channel. Precision Components has manufacturing, sales, assembly and distribution operations in the United States, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Korea, Mexico, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand and the United Kingdo! m.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  Barnes Group Inc.(B) agreed to acquire privately held Manner for about 275 million euros ($373 million), giving the diversified manufacturer additional offerings in mold-making and hot runner systems.

• [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 Barnes Group (NYSE: B  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Citing the benefits of providing high-margin, low-cost consumables with a broad distribution footprint throughout the U.S. and Canada, industrial supplier MSC Industrial Direct (NYSE: MSM  ) announced today that it has completed the�acquisition of Barnes Group's (NYSE: B  ) �North American distribution business�for $550 million.

• [By Dave and Donald Moenning]

  For those investors that like the comfort generally provided by a diversified portfolio, here's an idea that will allow you to (a) maintain a diversified allocation in your portfolio and (b) stay out of trouble when the big, bad bears come to call on an asset class or two.