Top Net Payout Yield Companies To Invest In 2014

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Losing weight is one the most common new year's resolutions, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned on Monday that popping pills or downing drinks that claim to accelerate the process could have serious consequences. The FDA said hundreds of purported miracle weight loss products -- typically sold as supplements -- have been found to contain the ingredients of prescription drugs that have been pulled from the market because they are dangerous. Among them is sibutramine, which was in the weight-loss drug Meridia, whose was halted in 2010 after being linked to heart attacks and strokes. The drug was found in V26 Slimming Coffee and the supplement Slim-K, the FDA said. A list of tainted weight-loss drugs can be found here.

Hot Building Product Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Farmer Brothers Company(FARM)

Farmer Bros. Co. engages in the manufacture, wholesale, and distribution of coffee, tea, and culinary products. Its product line includes roasted coffee; liquid coffee; and coffee related products, such as coffee filters, sugar and creamers, assorted teas, cappuccino, cocoa, spices, gelatins and puddings, soup, gravy and sauce mixes, pancake and biscuit mixes, and jellies and preserves. The company distributes its products through direct and brokered sales to institutional foodservice establishments, including restaurants, hotels, casinos, hospitals, and foodservice providers, as well as retailers, such as convenience stores, coffee houses, general merchandisers, private label retailers, and grocery stores in the United States. Farmer Bros. Co. was founded in 1912 and is headquartered in Torrance, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Farmer Brothers (NASDAQ: FARM  ) has a new top financial executive. The company has appointed Mark Nelson to its CFO and treasurer positions, effective April 15. He will initially be assisted by, then replace, interim Treasurer and CFO Jeffrey Wahba.�

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Monday

  Earnings Releases Expected: Diamond Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ: DMND), Farmer Brothers Company (NASDAQ: FARM) Economic Releases Expected: US Chicago PMI

  Tuesday

Top Net Payout Yield Companies To Invest In 2014: Alliance Fiber Optic Products Inc.(AFOP)

Alliance Fiber Optic Products, Inc. engages in the design, manufacture, and marketing of a range of fiber optic components and integrated modules incorporating these components to communications equipment manufacturers and service providers in North America, Europe, and Asia. The company offers interconnect devices that are used to connect optical fibers and components; couplers and splitters that are used to divide and combine optical power; and dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) devices that separate and combine multiple specific wavelengths. Its connectivity products include connectivity modules; optical connectors, adapters, and cable assemblies; fused and planar fiber optical splitters and couplers; optical tap couplers and ultra low polarization dependent loss tap couplers; amplifier wave division multiplexing (WDM) couplers; optical fixed attenuators; and fused fiber WDM couplers. The company?s optical passive products comprise filter WDMs, amplifier fil ter WDMs, DWDMs, coarse WDMs, compact coarse WDMs, add/drop DWDM filters, optical isolators, optical bypass switches, and automatic variable optical attenuators. Its products are deployed in long-haul networks that connect cities; metropolitan networks that connect areas within cities; last mile access networks that connect to individual businesses and homes; and enterprise networks within businesses. The company sells its products to communications equipment manufacturers who incorporate its products into their systems and sell them to network service providers, as well as to other component manufacturers for resale or inclusion in their products. Alliance Fiber Optic Products, Inc. was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Alliance Fiber Optic Products (NASDAQ: AFOP) shares moved up 11.07% to $16.46. The volume of Alliance Fiber Optic shares traded was 322% higher than normal. Alliance Fiber Optic issued a strong Q1 forecast.

Top Net Payout Yield Companies To Invest In 2014: LTC Properties Inc (LTC)

LTC Properties, Inc., incorporated on May 12, 1992, a health care real estate investment trust (REIT). The Company invests primarily in senior housing and long term care properties through property lease transactions, mortgage loans and other investments. Its primary senior housing and long term healthcare property types include skilled nursing properties (SNF), assisted living properties (ALF), independent living properties (ILF) and combinations thereof. During 2011, it leased a private school property to a non-for-profit corporation providing therapeutic support and intensive home, school and center-based behavioral therapy for children, youth and families affected by Autism Spectrum Disorders. The Company, during 2011, acquired a 196-bed skilled nursing property. It purchased a 140-bed skilled nursing property located in Texas during 2011. During December 31, 2011, it acquired a vacant parcel of land in Texas. The Company, on March 26, 2012, acquired a skilled nursing property with 144 licensed beds. In May 2012, the Company acquired a 3.16 acre vacant parcel of land in Colorado. In July 2012, the Company acquired a skilled nursing property with 90 licensed beds. In August 2012, it acquired two skilled nursing facilities with a total of 288 licensed beds. In January 2013, the Company purchased two parcels of land.

As of 2011, it has investments in 12 states that include mortgages to 14 different operators. Skilled nursing facilities provide restorative, rehabilitative and nursing care for people not requiring the more extensive and sophisticated treatment available at acute care hospitals. Many skilled nursing facilities provide ancillary services that include occupational, speech, physical, respiratory and IV therapies, as well as sub-acute care services which are paid either by the patient, the patient's family, private health insurance, or through the federal Medicare or state Medicaid programs.

Assisted living facilities serve elderly persons who require assistance w! ith activities of daily living, but do not require the constant supervision skilled nursing facilities provide. Services are usually available 24 hours a day and include personal supervision and assistance with eating, bathing, grooming and administering medication. The facilities provide a combination of housing, supportive services, personalized assistance and health care designed to respond to individual needs.

Independent living facilities, also known as retirement communities or senior apartments, offer a sense of community and numerous levels of service, such as laundry, housekeeping, dining options/meal plans, exercise and wellness programs, transportation, social, cultural and recreational activities, on-site security and emergency response programs. Many offer on-site conveniences like beauty/barber shops, fitness facilities, game rooms, libraries and activity centers.

One of the properties in the Company�� real estate investment portfolio is a charter school. Charter schools provide an alternative to the traditional public school. Charter schools are autonomous entities authorized by the state or locality to conduct operations independent from the surrounding public school district. Laws vary by state, but generally charters are granted by state boards of education either directly or in conjunction with local school districts or public universities. Operators are granted charters to establish and operate schools based on the goals and objectives set forth in the charter. Upon receipt of a charter, schools receive an annuity from the state for each student enrolled. The other school in the Company�� investment portfolio is a private school and is closed and classified as held-for-sale.

As of 2011, the Company had investments in 25 states leased to 30 different operators. The Company�� owned properties are leased pursuant to non-cancelable operating leases generally with an initial term of 10 to 15 years. Many of the leases contain renewal options and! one cont! ains limited period options that permit the operator to purchase the property. The leases provide for fixed minimum base rent during the initial and renewal periods. The majority of the Company�� leases contain provisions for specified annual increases over the rents.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dividends4Life]

  Memberships and Peers: UHT is, a member of the Broad Dividend Achievers��Index and a Dividend Champion. The company's peer group includes: Hersha Hospitality Trust (HT) with a 4.4% yield, Healthcare Realty Trust Incorporated (HR) with a 5.2% yield and LTC Properties Inc. (LTC) with a 5.4% yield.

Top Net Payout Yield Companies To Invest In 2014: Vanguard Natural Resources LLC(VNR)

Vanguard Natural Resources, LLC, through its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition and development of oil and natural gas properties in the United States. Its properties are located in the southern portion of the Appalachian Basin, primarily in southeast Kentucky and northeast Tennessee; the Permian Basin, primarily in west Texas and southeastern New Mexico; and south Texas. As of December 31, 2010, the company had estimated proved reserves of 69.3 million barrels of oil equivalent, as well as working interests in 2,270 net productive wells. Vanguard Natural Resources, LLC was founded in 2006 and is based in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Robert Rapier]

  During this past week�� joint monthly web chat for subscribers of The Energy Strategist�and MLP Profits, we received several questions about Vanguard Natural Resources (Nasdaq: VNR). So let�� get to know this energy income play a little better.

• [By GURUFOCUS]

  Vanguard Natural Resources LLC (VNR) engages in the acquisition and development of oil and natural gas properties in the U.S. Aug. 20, the company increased its monthly distribution 1.2% to $0.2075 per unit. The distribution is payable Sept. 13, 2013, to unitholders of record on Sept. 3, 2013. The yield based on the new payout is 9.2%.

• [By Cameron Swinehart]

  Going forward I will be looking to add investments on my watchlist and trim other positions. It will be interesting to see how an overweight commodity portfolio will perform relative to the rest of the market.

   Cost Basis# SharesCurrent Price% of PortfolioCurrent ValueReturnMetal/Miners      Sprott Physical Gold Trust (PHYS)$12.4985$11.043.75%$938.40-13.13%Sprott Physical Silver Trust (PSLV)$7.95125$8.744.37%$1,092.509.04%FreePort-McMoran (FCX)$31.6731$33.874.20%$1,049.976.50%Ishares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF (RING)$13.0695$10.644.04%$1,010.80-22.74%Energy      Statoil ASA(STO)$21.7940$22.683.63%$907.203.92%Vanguard Natural Resources LLC (VNR)$27.5636$27.874.01%$1,003.321.11%ConocoPhillips (COP)$63.6822.43$71.006.37%$1,592.5310.31%Agriculture      CVR Partner LP (UAN)$26.3630.9$18.932.34%$584.94-39.25%Adecoagro$6.78125$7.443.72%$930.008.87%Archer-Daniels Midland (ADM)$34.8030$37.244.47%$1,117.206.55%Mixed Commodity      Powershares DB Commodity Index (DBC)$26.3540$25.954.15%$1,038.00-1.54%Sprott Resource Corp$3.34400$2.714.34%$1,084.00-23.25%    Total % of portfolio49.40%               Cost Basis12,666.00      Current Value12,348.86      Return-2.50%  Source: Investing For The Future Surge In Commodity Prices

  Disclosure: I am long ADM, FCX, UAN, AGRO, RING, VNR, SCPZF.PK, COP, DBC, PHYS, PSLV. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. (More...)

• [By Matt DiLallo]

  Vanguard Natural Resources (NASDAQ: VNR  )
  Clocking in at No. 2 with a five-year compound annual growth rate of 172% is Vanguard Natural Resources. The company started with just 67 billion cubic feet equivalent of mainly natural gas reserves in Kentucky and Tennessee back in 2007. Today, the company has 175 million barrels of oil equivalent reserves spread across nine operating areas.

Top Net Payout Yield Companies To Invest In 2014: TMS International Corp.(TMS)

TMS International Corp., through its subsidiaries, provides outsourced industrial services to steel mills in North America and internationally. It principally offers scrap management and preparation; semi-finished and finished material handling; metal recovery and slag handling, processing, and sales; surface conditioning; raw materials procurement and logistics; and proprietary software-based raw materials cost optimization services. The company?s scrap management and preparation services include the provision of inspection, preparation, and delivery of raw materials, primarily scrap, as well as inventory control through logistics management services. Its semi-finished and finished material handling services comprise handling and transportation of semi-finished and finished steel products, such as steel slabs, billets, and plates; metal recovery and slag handling, processing, and sales services consist of recycling and processing the slag to recover metallic material; an d surface conditioning services include removing imperfections from semi-finished steel products to be used in applications that require unblemished finishes, such as household appliances and automobiles. The company?s raw materials procurement and logistics services comprise purchasing, on behalf of customers, raw material inputs, including ferrous scrap, scrap substitutes, coke, coal, ore, non-ferrous metals, ferro-alloys, and other raw materials used in steel making, as well as arranging point-to-point delivery logistics. Its proprietary software-based raw materials cost optimization services consist of development and marketing of Scrap OptiMiser and GenBlend software applications that aid mills in the planning, procurement, and utilization of ferrous scrap and scrap substitutes. The company was founded in 1926 and is headquartered in Glassport, Pennsylvania. TMS International Corp. is a subsidiary of Onex Corporation.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Outsourced industrial services provider�TMS International (NYSE: TMS  ) announced on Friday its second-quarter dividend of $0.10 per share, the same rate it paid last quarter after initiating the payout.

• [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 TMS International (NYSE: TMS  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

Top Net Payout Yield Companies To Invest In 2014: SINOPEC Shangai Petrochemical Company Ltd.(SHI)

Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical Company Limited engages in the production of polypropylene compound products, polypropylene products, acrylic fiber products, petrochemical products, synthetic fibers, resins and plastics, and petroleum products in China and internationally. It also involves in the import and export of petrochemical products and equipment. The company was founded in 1972 and is based in Shanghai, the People's Republic of China. Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical Company Limited is a subsidiary of China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Arjun Sreekumar]

  Similarly, Devon Energy's (NYSE: DVN  ) joint-venture transaction last year with Sinopec (NYSE: SHI  ) , another large Chinese oil company, allowed Sinopec to buy a third of Devon's equity in five shale gas fields, including acreage in the Niobrara, Utica, and Tuscaloosa Marine shales, in exchange for paying $1.6 billion to cover drilling expenses in those fields. �

Top Net Payout Yield Companies To Invest In 2014: Old Republic International Corporation(ORI)

Old Republic International Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides various insurance and mortgage guaranty products in North America. The company operates in three segments: General Insurance, Mortgage Guaranty, and Title Insurance. The General Insurance segment provides liability insurance coverages to businesses, government, and other institutions in commercial construction, forest products, energy, general manufacturing, and financial services industries; and transportation, including trucking and general aviation industries. It provides various insurance products, such as automobile extended warranty, aviation, commercial automobile insurance, general liability, home warranty, inland marine, travel accident, and workers? compensation, as well as liability coverage for claims arising from the acts of owners or employees, and protection for the physical assets of businesses. This segment also offers financial indemnity products, such as consumer credit indemnity , errors and omissions/directors and officers, guaranteed asset protection, and surety, as well as bonds that cover the exposures for losses of monies, or debt and equity securities due to acts of employee dishonesty. The Mortgage Guaranty segment insures first mortgage loans, primarily on residential properties incorporating one-to-four family dwelling units to mortgage bankers, brokers, commercial banks, and savings institutions. The Title Insurance segment provides lenders' and owners' title insurance policies to real estate purchasers and investors based upon searches of the public records. It also provides escrow closing and construction disbursement services; and real estate information products, national default management services, and services related to real estate transfers and loan transactions. Old Republic International Corporation markets its products directly, as well as through insurance agents and brokers. The company was founded in 1887 and is based in Chi cago, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Fredrik Arnold]

  Ten Champion dogs that promised the biggest dividend yields into July included firms representing five of nine market sectors. The top stocks were three of five from the financial sector: Universal Health Realty Trust (UHT); Mercury General Corp. (MCY); Old Republic Int'l (ORI). The other two financial firms, HCP Inc., and United Bankshares Inc. (UBSI), placed sixth and eighth.