Top 5 Canadian Stocks For 2014

Lefteris Pitarakis/AP NEW YORK and TORONTO -- A deal to take BlackBerry private could make sense from a financial standpoint, say private equity executives, though any such move won't by itself make the smartphone company more competitive. The numbers for a leveraged buyout could still work, these executives said, after a Reuters report that BlackBerry's board was warming up to the possibility of going private as it fights to revive its fortunes. The company's new openness to a leveraged buyout follows six weeks in which BlackBerry (BBRY) shares have taken a pounding, as sales of its new line of smartphones have so far failed to live up to the expectations of some analysts. The company is still bleeding subscribers and it faces an uphill battle to regain market share from Apple's (AAPL) iPhone and devices that run on Google's (GOOG) Android operating system. Even so, the company has a core stable cash flow element that could support debt for a leveraged buyout, say some senior private equity executives involved in the sector. The sources asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to speak publicly. BlackBerry is currently worth about $5 billion, but many of its investors like Ross Healy, a portfolio manager with MacNicol & Associates, whose clients own BlackBerry shares, note that the company has more than $3 billion in cash alone. "My own analysis tells me that the stock is worth an awful lot more than $5 billion," said Healy. While sources told Reuters that no deal is imminent and that BlackBerry hadn't launched an active sale process, its openness to going private signals a major shift in the thinking of its management, which has long focused on engineering a turnaround as a public company. BlackBerry declined to comment on the Reuters report that its management is open to the idea of going private. A senior executive at a large Canadian pension fund that has worked closely with private equity players agreed that the math of a leveraged buyout could work, and that they and other funds in the country would consider getting involved in any such deal should it arise. "In terms of the scale and the nature of the asset, if you are convinced that the value is there, there is no reason why PE wouldn't look at it," the pension fund executive said. "If private equity can buy Dell, they can buy anything," the executive said, referring to Silver Lake Partners and founder Michael Dell's efforts to buy the struggling PC maker for $25 billion. No Panacea To be sure, going private would not likely be a panacea for BlackBerry. Private equity executives and analysts contend there was no obvious way to restructure the company in the aftermath of any buyout. One idea is to separate the handset business and focus on the company's network and infrastructure, which is known for its security, said private equity executives who have looked at BlackBerry. But the executives said there are no obvious buyers for the company's handset business. In fact, a wide range of private equity firms as well as technology companies have looked at BlackBerry over the past two years as its once-dominant business went into a tailspin. Last year, sources said companies, including Microsoft (MSFT) and Amazon.com (AMZN) held talks with BlackBerry about possible tie-ups. And earlier this year, a senior Lenovo executive said the Chinese computer maker would consider a bid for BlackBerry to boost its own mobile business. Sources say Wall Street bankers have also pitched deals that involve BlackBerry to companies such as HTC and Samsung. Yet, no one has managed to strike a deal so far. "The problems don't change whether you're private or public," said Charter Equity analyst Edward Snyder. "You're facing the same set of problems. It just comes down to whether or not one of the two structures is better set up to solve them." Even so, analysts and investors say taking BlackBerry out of the public eye could make sense, as it would give the company a bit more breathing room to work through its turnaround. "It makes a tremendous amount of sense for somebody who can invest patiently and who is not going to be looking at the stock price from day to day," said Healy. The company last year also named Timothy Dattels, a senior partner at private equity firm TPG Capital LP, to its board of directors, sparking a flurry of speculation that BlackBerry may consider a leveraged buyout, or going private. Dattels's nomination came last June, shortly after BlackBerry hired J.P. Morgan Securities and RBC Capital Markets to help it evaluate strategies, including a possible overhaul of its business model, as well as other moves such as expanding the BlackBerry platform through partnerships and licensing deals. Partnerships Complicated Waterloo, Ontario-based BlackBerry maintains that investors need to give it more time. As a first step, many analysts say BlackBerry is more likely to focus on collaborations and partnerships. And its Chief Executive, Thorsten Heins, has suggested the same. "We now have something to fight with and that offers us a lot of opportunities that the board and management can use in order to create value for this company," Heins said last month at the company's annual shareholder meeting. Heins stressed a focus on "go to market partnerships" and "investment partnerships" for BES 10 -- the latest iteration of the company's mobile device management tool, which now also allows BlackBerry's corporate and government clients to manage and secure Apple- and Android-based devices on their networks. One source told Reuters on Thursday the company has recently had discussions with private equity firm Silver Lake Partners about potential collaboration in enterprise computing. Silver Lake hasn't had any discussions with BlackBerry about taking it private or any other transaction, the source said. But should Silver Lake's Dell (DELL) buyout succeed, the source said, one option could be for a collaboration with BlackBerry in mobile computing -- an area where the PC maker has struggled. Silver Lake declined to comment. While it is unclear how such a collaboration would work, or be structured, such a tie-up could prove to be attractive for BlackBerry, as it would boost confidence in its new platform and the company's overall strategic direction. Partnerships, however, are complicated and come with their own set of pitfalls. "Even if you partner, it doesn't mean that you're going to turn it around," Snyder said. "Nokia's partnership with Microsoft is not going anywhere. You have to pick the right partner and the arrangement has to be set up correctly."

Top 5 Canadian Stocks For 2014: STMicroelectronics N.V.(STM)

STMicroelectronics N.V., an independent semiconductor company, engages in the design, development, manufacture, and marketing of a range of semiconductor integrated circuits and discrete devices. Its products include discrete and standard commodity components, application-specific integrated circuits, custom devices and semi-custom devices, and application-specific standard products for analog, digital, and mixed-signal applications. The company also offers subsystems and modules for the telecommunications, automotive, and industrial markets comprising mobile phone accessories, battery chargers, ISDN power supplies, and in-vehicle equipment for electronic toll payment, as well as provides Smartcard products. Its products are used in various microelectronic applications consisting of automotive products, computer peripherals, telecommunications systems, consumer products, industrial automation, and control systems. The company sells its products through distributors and ret ailers. STMicroelectronics N.V. was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Michael Allison]

  On Aug. 13, 2013, the company announced that shareholders of Energy Fuels overwhelmingly approved Energy Fuel's acquisition of Strathmore Minerals Corp. (STM). (See Energy Fuel's press release here.)

• [By Lee Jackson]

  STMicroelectronics NV (NYSE: STM) supplies most set-top box chips for Scientific�Atlanta, and also sells chips for disk drives that end up in DVRs; but still has less than a 10% exposure. The consensus target for the stock is $11. Investors do receive an outstanding 4.0% dividend from the company.

• [By Evan Niu, CFA]

  STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM  ) and OmniVision (NASDAQ: OVTI  ) are the two camera suppliers, and HTC is reportedly no longer considered a "tier one" manufacturer so it doesn't get priority any more. That implies that one of these image sensor specialists was giving HTC the cold shoulder in favor of bigger names.

• [By Esekla]

  Like Universal Display, InvenSense (INVN) represents a good long-term opportunity in its own right. The price entry point is not quite as good, though it has pulled back under my more recent price target of $15, when reports of a long-awaited Apple design win were challenged. Though conversations between the two are ongoing, InvenSense management's comments indicate an unwillingness to get roped into wrecking margin for volume, like many other Apple suppliers. Consequently, I don't believe they will gain Apple as a customer until the release of an iWatch or similar device that absolutely requires InvenSense's best-in-class form factors and power usage. It's also possible that continued good news on their legal battles with ST Micro (STM) could move the stock.

Top 5 Canadian Stocks For 2014: PPL Corporation(PPL)

PPL Corporation, an energy and utility holding company, generates and sells electricity; and delivers natural gas to approximately 5.3 million utility customers primarily in the northeastern and northwestern U.S. The company operates in four segments: Kentucky Regulated, International Regulated, Pennsylvania Regulated, and Supply. The Kentucky Regulated segment engages in the generation, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity; and the distribution and sale of natural gas to approximately 1.3 million customers in Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee. The International Regulated segment owns and operates electricity distribution businesses in the United Kingdom that deliver electricity to 7.7 million customers. The Pennsylvania Regulated segment delivers electricity to approximately 1.4 million customers in eastern and central Pennsylvania. The Supply segment owns and operates power plants to generate electricity using coal, uranium, natural gas, oil, and water res ources; markets and trades electricity and other purchased power to wholesale and retail markets; and acquires and develops domestic generation projects. It controls or owns a portfolio of generation assets of approximately 11,000 megawatts in Montana and Pennsylvania. As of December 31, 2010, the company?s distribution system included 649 substations with a capacity of 25 million kVA, 28,838 circuit miles of overhead lines, and 24,131 cable miles of underground conductors in the United Kingdom. It also operated 377 substations with a capacity of 31 million kVA, 33,122 circuit miles of overhead lines, and 7,368 cable miles of underground conductors in Pennsylvania. The company was founded in 1920 and is headquartered in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Justin Loiseau]

  PPL (NYSE: PPL  ) celebrated Earth Day with the opening of a unique "clean coal" facility that recovers around 300,000 tons of gypsum mineral annually to be used in fertilizers. "Innovative projects like this show how coal has and will continue to be a major contributor to the economic vitality of Kentucky and of the U.S., not just in the energy sector, but in science and innovation and now agriculture," said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) at the plant's grand opening. In the next five years, PPL expects to invest around $6 billion in its system.

• [By Justin Loiseau]

  Bucks from the Brits
  PPL (NYSE: PPL  ) managed to wow investors in 2011 when the company beat analyst estimates for four straight quarters. When it did it again in 2012, it was really only a matter of time until its shares hit a new 52-week high, now up 17.7�% in the last year. With 85% of 2013 earnings per share (EPS) originating from regulated business, the utility has taken a tried-and-true page out of Ameren's book. PPL boasts a friendly and diverse regulatory environment across three states and the United Kingdom, and its 4.7% yield is above average for utilities dividend stocks.

• [By Justin Loiseau]

  FirstEnergy wasn't the only utility to feel the burn from backwards hedges. Exelon (NYSE: EXC  ) took a one-time $235 million hit this quarter as natural gas prices unexpectedly headed higher. Likewise, PP&L's (NYSE: PPL  ) generation unit EPS fell more than 50%, primarily because of trimmed hedged wholesale prices. Meanwhile, Ameren (NYSE: AEE  ) is defying traditional diversity by exiting the generation business and relying entirely on regulated sales for revenue. While this might cause the utility to lag when margins expand, it safeguards earnings and keeps this dividend stock sustainable no matter where commodity prices head.

• [By Justin Loiseau]

  PPL pilots new energy reduction program
  Across the pond, PPL's (NYSE: PPL  ) British utility Western Power Distribution is trying to get its commercial customers to cut consumption. The company announced this week that it will be offering 15 businesses financial incentives to reduce their overall electricity use and/or shift use to non-peak hours. While reduced demand might seem backwards for any business model, an electricity use reduction would allow PPL to forgo costly upgrades to its current electricity system. And, as the utility's energy efficiency project manager points out, carbon emission targets provide an additional reason to increase efficiencies where possible.

10 Best Value Stocks To Invest In 2014: Abbott Laboratories(ABT)

Abbott Laboratories engages in the discovery, development, manufacture, and sale of health care products worldwide. The company offers adult and pediatric pharmaceuticals for rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriasis, and Crohn's disease; dyslipidemia; HIV infection; prostate cancer, endometriosis and central precocious puberty, and anemia caused by uterine fibroids; respiratory syncytial virus; adult males who have low or no testosterone; secondary hyperparathyroidism; hypothyroidism; and pancreatic exocrine insufficiency, as well as anesthesia products. It also provides diagnostic products, such as immunoassay systems; chemistry systems; assays used for screening and/or diagnosis for drugs of abuse, cancer, therapeutic drug monitoring, fertility, physiological, and infectious diseases; instruments that automate the extraction, purification, and preparation of DNA and RNA from patient samples, and detect and measure infections agents; genomic-b ased tests; hematology systems and reagents; and point-of-care diagnostic systems and tests for blood analysis. In addition, the company offers a line of pediatric and adult nutritional products. Further, it provides coronary, endovascular, vessel closure, and structural heart devices, such as drug-eluting stent systems, coronary metallic stents, balloon dilatation products, coronary guidewires, vessel closure devices, carotid stent systems, percutaneous valve repair systems, and drug eluting bioresorbable vascular products. Additionally, the company provides blood glucose monitoring meters, test strips, data management software, and accessories for people with diabetes; and medical devices for the eye, including cataract surgery, lasik surgery, contact lens, and dry eye products, as well as branded generic pharmaceutical products. Abbott primarily serves retailers, wholesalers, hospitals, and health care facilities. Abbott was founded in 1888 and is headquartered in Abbott Park, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Holly LaFon]

  ��Drug manufacturer Abbott Laboratories (ABT) reported revenue growth that was below expectations due to its exposure to the slower growth economies in Europe and the emerging markets. Despite the recent weakness, Abbott is a high-quality company with shares that we believe to be attractively priced. In addition, its management team has a strong record of investing capital prudently.

• [By Brian Orelli]

  Technically, Abbott Labs (NYSE: ABT  ) has been around for decades. But the new Abbott Laboratories stock -- the one that no longer contains the drug division spun off as AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV  ) -- has existed for only six months.

• [By Brian Marckx]

  Several large pharma companies have OA drug candidates in various stages of clinical trials including GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Abbott Laboratories (ABT), and Forest Laboratories (FRX) and would have potentially significant interest in a test such as ILIU's OA test.

Top 5 Canadian Stocks For 2014: UniSource Energy Corporation(UNS)

UniSource Energy Corporation engages in the electric generation and energy delivery businesses. The company?s TEP segment generates, transmits, and distributes electricity to approximately 403,000 retail electric customers, including residential, commercial, industrial, and public sector customers in southeastern Arizona. It also sells electricity to other utilities and power marketing entities. As of December 31, 2010, this segment owned or leased 2,245 MW of net generating capacity, as well as owned or participated in electric transmission and distribution system consisting of 512 circuit-miles of 500-kV lines; 1,087 circuit-miles of 345-kV lines; 379 circuit-miles of 138-kV lines; 478 circuit-miles of 46-kV lines; and 2,621 circuit-miles of lower voltage primary lines. TEP segment generates electricity from coal, gas, oil, and solar sources. The company?s UNS Gas segment distributes gas to approximately 146,500 retail customers in Mohave, Yavapai, Coconino, and Navajo c ounties in northern Arizona, as well as Santa Cruz County in southeastern Arizona. As of December 31, 2010, this segment?s transmission and distribution system consisted of approximately 30 miles of steel transmission mains, 4,211 miles of steel and plastic distribution piping, and 136,439 customer service lines. The company?s UNS Electric segment transmits and distributes electricity to approximately 91,000 retail customers consisting of residential, commercial, and industrial customers in Mohave and Santa Cruz counties. As of December 31, 2010, UNS Electric?s transmission and distribution system consisted of approximately 56 circuit-miles of 115-kV transmission lines, 271 circuit-miles of 69-kV transmission lines, and 3,599 circuit-miles of underground and overhead distribution lines. This segment also owns the 65 MW Valencia plant, as well as 39 substations having an installed capacity of 1,788,050 kilovolt amperes. The company was founded in 1902 and is based in Tucson, Arizona.

Top 5 Canadian Stocks For 2014: Franklin Covey Company (FC)

Franklin Covey Co. provides training and consulting solutions to address leadership, execution, productivity, trust, customer loyalty, sales performance, and education problems worldwide. The company also offers clients with training in management skills, relationship skills, and individual effectiveness, as well as personal-effectiveness literature and electronic educational solutions. In addition, it sells a suite of individual-effectiveness and leadership-development training products; and books, e-books, audio media, downloadable and paper-based tools, content-rich software applications for smart phones and other handheld devices, training accessories, and other related products. The company delivers its products and services through onsite presentations, facilitators, international licensees, e-learning, public workshops, custom solutions, intellectual property licenses, and media publishing methods to organizational clients, including corporations, governmental agenc ies, educational institutions, and other organizations, as well as individual clients. Franklin Covey Co. was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Franklin Covey (NYSE: FC  ) reported earnings on July 9. Here are the numbers you need to know.

  The 10-second takeaway
  For the quarter ended June 1 (Q3), Franklin Covey beat expectations on revenues and beat expectations on earnings per share.

• [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 Franklin Covey (NYSE: FC  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.