Top Dow Dividend Stocks To Own For 2014

Investors might not like bad news, but they generally know how to handle it. What investors really hate, though, is uncertainty, and today's conflicting statements from the Federal Reserve contributed to a general feeling of unease among investors about the future of quantitative easing and U.S. monetary policy. Early comments from Fed Chair Ben Bernanke seemed to indicate that the Fed's bond-purchase program might continue unabated for the foreseeable future.

But when the minutes of the most recent Federal Open Market Committee meeting were released in the afternoon, they revealed a much more divided set of opinions, with some members calling for reduction in bond purchases as early as next month. In response, the markets quickly reversed substantial early gains, and the Dow Jones Industrials (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) ended falling more than 80 points after having risen more than 150 earlier in the session.

Even with that big reversal, some Dow stocks managed to gain. Pfizer remained the biggest winner in the Dow, rising nearly 2% as it outlined a strategy for divesting itself of part of its stake in its Zoetis animal health unit. But among other winners was Home Depot (NYSE: HD  ) , which climbed 1.25% to follow through on substantial gains from yesterday as well. Part of the big gain came from weakness at rival Lowe's (NYSE: LOW  ) , which reported earnings that disappointed investors, with net income gains of just 2.5% and troubles in its garden business. With a combination of smart store placement in the less weather-sensitive regions of the country and more of an emphasis on professional builders and contractors rather than homeowners, Home Depot has managed to beat out its smaller rival for years, through both the housing bust and the ensuing recovery.

Top 5 Insurance Companies To Watch For 2015: Dril-Quip Inc. (DRQ)

Dril-Quip, Inc. designs, manufactures, sells, and services engineered offshore drilling and production equipment for use in deepwater, harsh environment, and severe service applications worldwide. It operates in three segments: Western Hemisphere, Eastern Hemisphere, and Asia-Pacific. The company’s principal products consist of subsea and surface wellheads, subsea and surface production trees, subsea control systems and manifolds, mudline hanger systems, specialty connectors and associated pipe, drilling and production riser systems, liner hangers, wellhead connectors, and diverters. Its products are used for drilling and production of oil and gas wells on offshore platforms; tension leg platforms, which are floating production platforms connected to the ocean floor via vertical mooring tethers; Spars, a floating cylindrical structure; and floating production, storage, and offloading monohull moored vessels, as well as to explore for oil and gas from offshore drillin g rigs, such as floating rigs and jack-up rigs. The company also provides services, including technical advisory services, rework and reconditioning services, and rental of running tools for use in the installation and retrieval of its products. It primarily serves integrated, independent, and foreign national oil and gas companies, as well as offshore drilling contractors, and engineering and construction companies. Dril-Quip, Inc. was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jeff Williams]

  For investors looking for a small-cap company in a sector poised for extensive growth, Dril-Quip Inc. (DRQ) is a growth-oriented, offshore oil and gas service company with many catalysts that will increase shareholder value.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Dril-Quip (NYSE: DRQ) was also on the rise, gaining 12.27 percent to $107.68 after the company's fourth quarter report impressed the street.

  Equities Trading DOWN
  Shares of Endologix (NASDAQ: ELGX) were down 24.85 percent to $13.43 on lowered guidance, analyst downgrades. Oppenheimer downgraded the stock from Outperform to Market Perform and cut the price target from $20.00 to $16.00.

• [By Michael Fitzsimmons]

  General Electric's (GE) Oil & Gas division is on fire and growing much faster than the rest of the company. Yet it is such a small part of the company, its valuation is being diluted by GE's other businesses. However, the company has a cash hoard and CEO Jeff Immelt has spoken frequently about his desire to grow the industrial base while reducing the size of GE Capital. As a result, the best way to invest in GE Oil's & Gas business may be to invest companies which GE is likely to takeover. Two likely candidates are the Dresser Rand Corp. (DRC) and Dril-Quip (DRQ).

• [By Aaron Levitt]

  It takes an awful lot of muscle and technological know-how to frack and drill unconventional wells. So the oil service industry is poised to continue churning out hefty profits in years to come. That fact has benefited mid-cap maker of drill-bits, pipes and other rig equipment Dril-Quip (DRQ).

Top Dow Dividend Stocks To Own For 2014: Eaton Vance Tax-Managed Diversified Equity Income Fund (ETY)

Eaton Vance Tax-Managed Diversified Equity Income Fund (the Fund) is a diversified, closed-end management investment company. The Fund's primary investment objective is to provide current income and gains, with a secondary objective of capital appreciation. The Fund invests primarily in a diversified portfolio of common stocks. The Fund will invest at least 80% of its total assets in a combination of dividend paying common stocks, and common stocks the value of which is subject to covered written index call options. It seeks to generate current earnings in part by writing (selling) stock index call options on the S&P 500 Index and investing in dividend-paying common stock. The Fund invests in sectors, such as financials, energy, information technology, industrials, healthcare, consumer staples, telecommunication services, consumer discretionary, materials and utilities.

The Fund�� investment advisor is Eaton Vance Management (EVM). Its sub-advisor is Rampart Investment Management. The Fund may invest in Cash Management Portfolio, an affiliated investment company managed by Boston Management and Research (BMR), a subsidiary of EVM.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Robert Carlson]

  This recommended fund is Eaton Vance Tax-Managed Diversified Equity Income (ETY). The options that the fund writes give buyers the right to buy the stocks from the fund at fixed prices by a certain date.

Top Dow Dividend Stocks To Own For 2014: iShares PHLX SOX Semiconductor Sector Index Fund (SOXX)

iShares S&P North American Technology-Semiconductors Index Fund (the Fund), formerly iShares S&P GSTI Semiconductor Index Fund, seeks investment results that correspond to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, as represented by the S&P North American Technology-Semiconductors Index. The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index.

The Index has been developed as an equity benchmark for United States-traded semiconductor stocks. The Index includes companies that are producers of capital equipment or manufacturers of wafers and chips.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  On Thursday after the market closed, mid cap fabless semiconductor stock Marvell Technology Group Ltd (NASDAQ: MRVL) reported earnings and was slipping in after hours trading, meaning its worth taking a closer look at those earnings along with the performance of potential semiconductor benchmarks like the SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (NYSEARCA: XSD), iShares PHLX SOX Semiconductor Sector (NASDAQ: SOXX) and Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3X Shares (NYSEARCA: SOXL). In case you aren�� familiar with the term fabless semiconductor, it�� a�business�model that involves the�outsourcing the manufacturing of silicon wafers.�Most semiconductor companies are actually fabless because of the high cost of building�a facility and manufacturing fab. Therefore, fabless semiconductor companies can�concentrate on the design and marketing of chips while outsourcing the actual production to larger foundry companies.

Top Dow Dividend Stocks To Own For 2014: Spectrum Brands Holdings Inc.(SPB)

Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a consumer products company worldwide. It offers consumer batteries, including alkaline and zinc carbon batteries, rechargeable batteries and chargers, and hearing aid batteries and other specialty batteries; pet supplies, such as aquatic equipment and supplies, dog and cat treats, small animal foods, clean up and training aids, health and grooming products, and beddings; and home and garden control products comprising household insect controls, insect repellents, and herbicides. The company also provides electric shaving and grooming devices; small appliances, including small kitchen appliances and home product appliances; electric personal care and styling devices; and portable lighting. Its sells its products through various trade channels, including retailers, wholesalers and distributors, hearing aid professionals, industrial distributors, and original equipment manufacturers primarily under t he Rayovac, Remington, Varta, George Foreman, Black & Decker, Toastmaster, Farberware, Tetra, Marineland, Nature?s Miracle, Dingo, 8-in-1, Littermaid, Spectracide, Cutter, Repel, Hot Shot, Black Flag, and TAT brands. The company was headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin. As of January 7, 2011, Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Harbinger Group Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Marc Bastow]

  Consumer products manufacturer Spectrum Brands (SPB) raised its quarterly dividend 20% to 30 cents per share, payable on Mar. 18 to shareholders of record as of Feb. 19.
  SPB Dividend Yield: 1.58%

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Shares of Energizer have jumped 15% to $112.37 at 10:24 a.m. today, while Spectrum Brands (SPB) has risen 1.4% to $76.88 and Kimberly Clark (KMB) has gained 1% to $112.14.

Top Dow Dividend Stocks To Own For 2014: ING Groep NV (ISP)

ING Groep N.V. (ING) is a global financial institution offering banking, investments, life insurance and retirement services to meet the needs of the customers. The Company�� segments include banking and insurance. Banking segment includes retail Netherlands, retail Belgium, ING direct, retail central Europe (CE), retail Asia, commercial banking (excluding real estate), ING real estate and corporate line banking. Insurance segment includes insurance Benelux, insurance central and rest of Europe (CRE), insurance United States (US), Insurance US closed block VA, insurance Asia/Pacific, ING investment management (IM) and corporate line insurance. In November 2013, the Company completed the sale of ING Hipotecaria to Banco Santander (Mexico), S.A. In December 2013, the Company completed the sale of its 33.3% interest in China Merchants Fund to its joint venture partners China Merchants Bank Co Ltd and China Merchants Securities Co Ltd, and divested ING Life Korea to MBK Partners. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tom Stoukas]

  UniCredit SpA and Intesa Sanpaolo SpA (ISP), Italy�� biggest banks, dropped more than 1 percent as the nation�� benchmark FTSE MIB Index slid 1.2 percent. Rio Tinto Group led mining companies lower after a measure of Chinese manufacturing missed a preliminary estimate. Aryzta AG rallied the most in six months as the Swiss supplier of bakery products reported results that topped projections.