Top 5 US Companies For 2014

The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC  ) had a tough time clawing its way into positive territory, but after a lousy morning, the index managed to finish four points higher for a 0.3% gain on the day. Earnings season is upon us, but it seems that every big beat is matched by a disappointing shortfall. So far, there's enough good news to keep the S&P in the green, and it's certainly thanks, in no small part, to the day's three best S&P 500 components. Let's take a look at what propelled those winners to their gains today.

Natural gas company ONEOK (NYSE: OKE  ) led the hit parade with a big 25.5% pop after announcing its plans to spin off its natural gas utility distribution business at some point early next year. The new company, to be called One Gas, will have a two-million-customer network throughout Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas. By spinning off this business, ONEOK hopes to appeal to yield seekers, as it can now boost its dividend once it becomes a pure-play pipeline partnership company. The utility spinoff also has the added bonuses of debt reduction and greater free cash flow for ONEOK, which will generate an estimated $1.1 billion to $1.2 billion from the spinoff. Freed of the cash-hungry utility segment, ONEOK could become a highly competitive high-yield stock for energy investors.

Top Undervalued Companies To Watch In Right Now: Badger Meter Inc (BMI)

Badger Meter, Inc., incorporated on March 9, 1905, is a manufacturer and marketer of products incorporating flow measurement and control technologies serving markets globally. The Company's product lines fall into three categories: sales of water meters and related technologies to municipal water utilities (municipal water), sales of meters to various industries for water and other fluids (industrial flow) and sales of concrete vibrators and gas meter radios to markets (specialty products). Municipal water includes water meters and related technologies and services used by water utilities as the basis for generating water and wastewater revenues. Industrial flow includes products sold globally to measure and control materials flowing through a pipe or pipeline, including water, air, steam, oil, and other liquids and gases. Specialty products include sales of radio technology to natural gas utilities for installation on their gas meters, and concrete vibrators.

The Company's products are primarily manufactured and assembled in the Company's Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Racine, Wisconsin; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Scottsdale, Arizona; Nogales, Mexico; Neuffen, Germany; Brno, Czech Republic; and Bern, Switzerland facilities. For municipal water, residential and commercial water meters are classified as either manually read meters or remotely read meters through radio technology. A manually read meter consists of a water meter and a register that gives a visual meter reading display. Meters equipped with radio transmitters (endpoints) use encoder registers to convert the measurement data from the meter into an encrypted digital format which is then transmitted through radio frequency to a receiver that collects and formats the data appropriately for water utility billing systems. In an AMR system, a vehicle equipped for meter reading purposes, including a radio receiver, computer and reading software, collects the data from the utility's meters.

Fixed network advanced metering infrastructure (AM! I) systems continue to build interest among water utilities. These systems incorporate a network of permanent data collectors or gateway receivers that are always active or listening for the radio transmission from the utilities' meters. AMI systems eliminate the need for utility personnel to drive through service territories to collect meter reading data. These systems provide the utilities with more frequent and diverse data from the utilities' meters at specified intervals.

The Company�� advanced metering analytics (AMA), along with a host of automated utility management tools to facilitate the ability of water and gas utilities to increase their productivity and revenue, as well as proactively utilize their data. AMA is consists of ReadCenter Analytics software coupled with ORION SE two-way fixed network or GALAXY one-way fixed network technology, which is complemented by a family of accurate and reliable water meters. The ORION SE system can operate as a mobile AMR system, a fixed network AMI system, or both. Industrial flow and specialty products serve flow measurement and control applications across an industrial spectrum. Specialized communication protocols that control the entire flow measurement process drive these markets.

The Company competes with Sensus USA Inc., Neptune Technology Group, Inc., Elster AMCO Metering, LLC and Master Meter, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jeremy Bowman]

  What: Shares of Badger Meter (NYSE: BMI  ) weren't measuring up today, falling as much as 15% after reporting an much lower profits than expected in it first quarter.

Top 5 US Companies For 2014: Computershare Ltd (CPU)

Computershare Limited is an Australia-based company. The Company is engaged in the operation of investor services, plan services, communication services, business services, shareholder relationship management services and technology services. The Company operates in six geographical segments: Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, Canada, Continental Europe, United Kingdom, Channel Islands, Ireland & Africa (UCIA) and the United States. In addition, technology and other segment comprise the provision of software specializing in share registry, employee plans and financial services globally, as well as the production and distribution of interactive meeting products. In December 2013, Computershare Ltd completed the acquisition of the Olympia Corporate and Shareholder Services assets (OCSS) from Olympia Financial Group Inc. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Toshiro Hasegawa]

  Leighton dropped 6 percent to A$16.24 in Sydney as profit missed analyst estimates amid a slump in mining industry demand. Computershare Ltd. (CPU) sank 6.3 percent to A$9.75 in Sydney, the most in three years, after the share-registry firm reported profit fell.

Top 5 US Companies For 2014: SPDR S&P International Consumer Discretionary Sector ETF (IPD)

SPDR S&P International Consumer Discretionary Sector ETF (the Fund) seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the total return performance of the S&P Developed Ex-U.S. BMI Consumer Discretionary Sector Index (the Index), an index that tracks the consumer discretionary sector of developed global markets outside the United States. The Index represents the non-United States consumer discretionary sub-industry of developed countries included in the S&P Broad Market Index (the Global BMI Index). The Global BMI Index captures the full universe of institutionally investable stocks in developed and emerging markets with float-adjusted market capitalizations of at lease $100 million. The Fund�� investment advisor is SSgA Funds Management, Inc. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WilliamBriat]

  The SPDR S&P International Consumer Discretionary Sector (NYSE: IPD) is an ETF that tracks the consumer discretionary sector of developed global markets. Holdings include luxury brand stock juggernaut LVMH Moët Hennessy – Louis Vuitton SA and Swedish luxury brand stock multinational retail clothing company H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB.

Top 5 US Companies For 2014: Safran SA (SAF)

Safran SA is a France-based high-technology company which produces aircraft and rocket engines and propulsion systems. It divides its work into three segments: Aerospace, Aircraft, Defense and Security. The Aerospace Propulsion division provides engines, turbines and parts for aircraft, and rocket boosters for civil, military and spatial markets through several subsidiaries, including Snecma, among others. The Aircraft Equipment division produces landing gear, wheels and carbon brakes, aircraft engine nacelles and airborne power electronics through its subsidiaries, including Aircelle, among others. The Defense division includes the subsidiary, Sagem, and makes systems and equipment for inertial navigation and other defense applications to be used on military transport and combat aircraft, helicopters, warships, armored vehicles and artillery systems. In October 2013, the Company completed the sale of its United States-based subsidiary, Global Motors Inc to Allied Motion Inc. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

  Vivendi SA climbed 2.7 percent after posting better-than-estimated third-quarter profit and saying it plans to spin off its French phone carrier SFR by July 2014. Serco Group Plc (SRP) increased 1.7 percent as UBS AG upgraded the stock. Safran SA (SAF) lost 3.2 percent as its largest shareholder sold a stake.