Top 10 Companies To Watch In Right Now

Compared to many of my compatriots here at The Motley Fool, I am still relatively new to investing. Prior to last year, my investing experience was limited primarily to mutual funds, with some light dabbling into individual stocks. I had some successes along the way, but my "trader" mentality often got the best of me and led me to sell my shares on a whim, buying or selling based on price and not a whole lot else.

I like to think that I've shifted my mentality a bit over the past 18 months. I feel more like an investor than ever before, and plan on holding onto many of my investments for a long time. Once I make an investment decision, I try to avoid thinking about other opportunities that I let slip away. Alas, I am human, and my choice of Under Armour (NYSE: UA  ) last year over a group of other qualified candidates has had me thinking recently about the way I make investment decisions. Instead of dwelling on the missed gains, however, I decided to learn from the decision and adjust my thinking going forward.

Top 10 Companies To Watch In Right Now: Amcom Telecommunications Ltd (AMM.AX)

Amcom Telecommunications Limited operates as an information technology (IT) and telecommunications company in Australia. The company offers data and network solutions, including Internet and Ethernet services, fiber-optic point-to-point connectivity solutions, managed router services, and VPN link services; voice and video, conferencing and collaboration, and call and contact centre solutions, as well as hardware comprising handsets, conferencing and collaboration equipment, and accessories; and cloud solutions, such as infrastructure as a service, software as a service, storage as a service, security as a service, and cloud data protection solutions. It also provides managed services, including network, infrastructure, desktop, and IT service management services; licensing and maintaining solutions, such as Amcom Active, which consolidates, controls, and maintains the licensing and maintenance requirements of organization�s IT; and data centre management services. In add ition, the company offers IT services, such as systems; communications; information, communication, and technology consulting; and security, governance, risk, and compliance services. Further, it provides solutions for IT technical and end-user training, and certification and professional development services; and consumer DSL services. Amcom Telecommunications Limited is headquartered in Perth, Australia.

Top 10 Companies To Watch In Right Now: Weingarten Realty Investors(WRI)

Weingarten Realty Investors operates as a real estate investment trust (REIT). The company engages in the management, acquisition, and development of real estate. It operates in two segments, Shopping Center and Industrial. The Shopping Center segment engages in the acquisition, development, and management of real estate, primarily anchored neighborhood and community shopping centers located in Texas, California, Louisiana, Arizona, Nevada, Arkansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Kansas, Colorado, Missouri, Illinois, Florida, North Carolina, Mississippi, Georgia, Utah, Kentucky, and Maine. Its customer base includes supermarkets, discount retailers, drugstores, and other retailers. The Industrial segment engages in the acquisition, development, and management of bulk warehouses and office/service centers. Its properties are located in Texas, Nevada, Georgia, Florida, California, and Tennessee. As of June 30, 2005, Weingarten Realty Investors owned or operated under long -term leases, directly or through its interest in joint ventures or partnerships, a total of 350 developed properties and 3 properties that are in various stages of development. Its properties include 294 shopping centers and 59 industrial properties. Weingarten Realty Investors qualifies as a REIT for federal income tax purposes. As a REIT, it would not be taxed on the portion of its income, which is distributed to shareholders, provided it distributes at least 90% of its taxable income. The company was founded in 1948 and is based in Houston, Texas.

Top 5 Oil Companies To Watch For 2014: Evolving Systems Inc.(EVOL)

Evolving Systems, Inc. provides software solutions and services to the wireless, wireline, and Internet protocol (IP) cable markets. It offers Dynamic SIM Allocation solution that offers carriers a way to provide wireless services by activating and assigning resources to the wireless device when it is first used; and Tertio, a service activation solution for carriers to activate a new subscriber or to add a new service to an existing subscriber, as well as provides an operating environment to manage their voice, data, and content service needs for their IP networks. The company?s LNP and WNP software solutions comprise OrderPath order entry; NumberManager network provisioning; LNP DataServer data warehousing; VeriPort NPAC testing; and Verify product suite for monitoring carriers? application communications. In addition, the company provides billing mediation products, which include Evident that supports convergent voice, data, and content services, and enables the managem ent of data, allowing reconciliation of data inputs and outputs. Further, it offers network mediation products, including Mediation Central that supports a range of technologies that carriers deploy in their network, and provides support for wireline, broadband, transport, and wireless networks; and Traffic Data Management System, a product for wireline carriers to collect usage data from their circuit switch networks. The company also provides various professional and integration services for the design, customization, integration, and deployment of its products. It operates primarily in the United States, the United Kingdom, Indonesia, Greece, and Canada. The company was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Englewood, Colorado.

Top 10 Companies To Watch In Right Now: Rosetta Resources Inc.(ROSE)

Rosetta Resources Inc., an independent exploration and production company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of onshore oil and gas resources in the United States. It owns producing and non-producing oil and gas properties located primarily in South Texas, including the Eagle Ford, and in the Southern Alberta Basin in Northwest Montana. As of December 31, 2011, the company had an estimated 965 billion cubic feet equivalent of proved reserves, including 36,370 million barrels of oil, 50,219 million barrels of natural gas liquids, and 446 billion cubic feet of natural gas, as well as drilled 53 net wells. Rosetta Resources Inc. was incorporated in 2005 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Top 10 Companies To Watch In Right Now: Bed Bath & Beyond Inc.(BBBY)

Bed Bath & Beyond Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates a chain of retail stores. It sells a range of domestic merchandise, such as bed linens and related items, bath items, and kitchen textiles; and home furnishings, including kitchen and tabletop items, fine tabletop, basic housewares, general home furnishings, consumables, and certain juvenile products. The company also offers giftware, household products, and health and beauty care items; and infant and toddler merchandise. It operates stores under the names of Bed Bath & Beyond (BBB), Christmas Tree Shops (CTS), Harmon and Harmon Face Values (Harmon), and buybuy BABY. As of August 27, 2011, the company had a total of 1,155 stores, including 986 BBB stores, 70 CTS stores, 54 buybuy BABY stores, and 45 Harmon stores in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Canada. It also operates two stores under the name of Home & More in the Mexico City through a joint venture. Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. was foun ded in 1971 and is based in Union, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Andy Obermueller]

  Tapping into Bed, Bath & Beyond (Nasdaq: BBBY) and other U.S. retailers helped this once obscure company boost its sales to more than $400 million by 2012 from around $145 million in 2009. Considering that less than 2% of all U.S. households have a Sodastream beverage maker, this company's domestic growth prospects are open-ended. And management is now tapping into a range of promising international markets as well, setting the stage for more than $600 million in sales by 2014, and perhaps $1 billion a year later.

Top 10 Companies To Watch In Right Now: Douglas Dynamics Inc.(PLOW)

Douglas Dynamics, Inc. designs, manufactures, and sells snow and ice control equipment for light trucks in North America. It principally offers snowplows, sand and salt spreaders, and related parts and accessories. The company sells its products under the WESTERN, FISHER, and BLIZZARD brands. Douglas Dynamics sells its products through a distributor network primarily to professional snowplowers. The company was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Douglas Dynamics Inc. (NYSE: PLOW) was downgraded to Underperform from an already cautious Neutral rating at Credit Suisse, and the target price is $14, versus a current $14.72 share price.

Top 10 Companies To Watch In Right Now: Clean Wind Energy Tower Inc (CWET.PK)

Clean Wind Energy Tower, Inc. (Clean Wind), incorporated on January 22, 1962, focuses on becoming a provider of green energy. As of December 31, 2011, Clean Wind had designed and was preparing to develop, and construct Downdraft Towers that use non-toxic elements to generate electricity and clean water by integrating and synthesizing a range of proven, as well as emerging technologies.

The Downdraft Tower is a hollow cylinder with a water spray system at the top. Pumps deliver water to the top of the Downdraft Tower to spray a fine mist across the entire opening. The water evaporates and cools the hot dry air at the top. The cooled air is denser and heavier than the outside warmer air and falls through the cylinder at speeds up to and in excess of 50 miles per hour (mph), driving the turbines located at the base of the structure. The turbines power generators to produce electricity.

The Company competes with Southern California Edison Company, Pacific Gas & Electric Company, San Diego Gas & Electric Company, Arizona Public Service Company, Florida Power & Light Company, enXco, Inc., PPM Energy, Inc. and UNS.

Top 10 Companies To Watch In Right Now: Kingspan Group(KGP.L)

Kingspan Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides energy building solutions for the construction industry. The company designs and manufactures insulated panels, rigid insulation boards, architectural facades, raised access floors, engineered timber systems, solar thermal hot water systems, and fuel and water storage solutions. Its products and solutions include insulated roof, architectural wall, and facade systems for designers and architects; insulation products comprising insulation boards for roofs, walls, and floors, as well as insulation products for HVAC ductwork for use in the construction and related industries; and structural systems, such as cladding support purlins and rails, and composite floor decking for buildings. The company also offers solar and renewable technologies, including solar thermal hot water package solutions, solar cooling solutions, solar photovoltaic systems, and air source heat pumps for new or existing building integration; and various insulated and air tight building fabric systems for the private and public sector. In addition, it provides waste and surface water management, and conservation solutions for sustainable drainage, rainwater harvesting, and off-mains effluent treatment systems, including pollution prevention, pumping, and drainage solutions; environmental containers; and telemetry and management systems. Kingspan Group plc serves the distribution, logistics and manufacturing; temperature controlled; retail; commercial office; education; healthcare; hotel, motel, and leisure; government and public buildings; communications; private and affordable housing and apartments; student accommodation; self-build housing; and refurbishment sectors. It has operations in the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom, and rest of Europe; the Americas; and internationally. The company is headquartered in Kingscourt, Ireland.

Top 10 Companies To Watch In Right Now: Aberdeen Asset(ADN.L)

Aberdeen Asset Management PLC is a publicly owned asset management holding company. The firm provides its services to governments, national pension schemes, listed investment companies, foundations and charities, private banks, and discretionary fund managers, and retail clients. The firm through its subsidiaries manages separate client focused equity, fixed income, and balanced portfolios along with pooled investment vehicles. It also manages mutual funds for its clients. The firm invests in the public equity and fixed income markets across the globe. It also invests in currency and property markets across the globe. The firm employs fundamental analysis with a bottom-up stock picking approach to create its equity portfolio. It conducts in-house research to make its investments. Aberdeen Asset Management PLC was founded in 1983 and is based in Aberdeen, United Kingdom with additional office in Greater London, United Kingdom.

Top 10 Companies To Watch In Right Now: Nustar Energy L.P.(NS)

NuStar Energy L.P. engages in the terminalling, storage, and transportation of petroleum products primarily in the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, St. Eustatius in the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, and Mexico. The company operates in three segments: Storage, Transportation, and Asphalt and Fuels Marketing. The Storage segment operates terminal and storage facilities for petroleum products, specialty chemicals, crude oil, and other liquids; and crude oil storage tanks. Its terminals also offer pilotage, tug assistance, line handling, launch, emergency response, and other ship services. The Transportation segment transports refined petroleum products, crude oil, and anhydrous ammonia. This segment operates refined product pipelines in Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Minnesota; and owns anhydrous ammonia pipelines located in Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Nebraska. The Asphalt and Fuels Marketing segment refines crude oil to produce asphalt and other refined products. This segment also purchases gasoline and other refined petroleum products for resale. As of December 31, 2010, the company had 65 terminal and storage facilities providing approximately 80.4 million barrels of storage capacity; 5,605 miles of refined product pipelines with 21 associated terminals that offer storage capacity of 4.6 million barrels, as well as 2 tank farms providing storage capacity of 1.2 million barrels; 2,000 miles of anhydrous ammonia pipelines; 812 miles of crude oil pipelines with 16 associated storage tanks comprising storage capacity of 1.9 million barrels; and 2 asphalt refineries with a combined capacity of 104,000 barrels per day, as well as 2 associated terminal facilities with a combined storage capacity of 5.0 million barrels. Riverwalk Logistics, L.P. serves as the general partner of the company. NuStar Energy L.P. was founded in 1999 and is based in Sa n Antonio, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Aimee Duffy]

  Second-quarter midstream earnings have finally started to trickle in, as energy giants Kinder Morgan Energy Partners (NYSE: KMP  ) and TransCanada (NYSE: TRP  ) have reported, as well as a couple of smaller outfits, EQT Midstream Partners (NYSE: EQT  ) and NuStar Energy (NYSE: NS  ) . The industry is off to a great start, and the week was made even more impressive by a spectacular midstream IPO. More on that later, but first the earnings recap.

• [By Rich Smith]

  Wrapping up a week most notable for its stinginess, the U.S. Department of Defense awarded only three (yes, you read that right) new contracts Friday. As for the $44 million in Pentagon contracts awarded, the winners were: