Top 10 Regional Bank Stocks To Buy For 2014

Insider buying really slowed last week. Consumer confidence dipped last week, and it looks as if corporate confidence agrees with Main Street.� Only 53 companies, as we measure it, reported records from directors and executive team members buying.

But that doesn't mean there aren't companies worth highlighting. This week insider focus is Huntington Bancshares Incorporated (NASDAQ:HBAN). �Huntington is a multi-state diversified regional bank holding company. Through its subsidiaries, including its bank subsidiary, The Huntington National Bank (the Bank), Huntington is engaged in providing full-service commercial, small business, consumer banking services, mortgage banking services, automobile financing, equipment leasing, investment management, trust services, brokerage services, customized insurance programs, and other financial products and services.

Top 10 Trucking Companies For 2015: iShares 1-3 Year Credit Bond ETF (CSJ)

iShares Lehman 1-3 Year Credit Bond Fund (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond to the price and yield performance of the investment-grade credit sector of the United States bond market as defined by the Lehman Brothers 1-3 Year U.S. Credit Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of investment-grade United States credit securities, corporate debt and sovereign, local authority and non-United States agency bonds that are United States dollar denominated.

The Fund invests in a representative sample of the securities in the Index, which has a similar investment profile as the Index. The Index includes investment grade United States credit securities that have a remaining maturity of greater than or equal to one year and less than three years, and have more than $250 million or more of outstanding face value. Barclays Global Fund Advisors serves as an advisor to the Fund.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By GURUFOCUS]

  In addition to individual stocks several funds pay a monthly dividend. Below is a sampling of these:
  Monthly Bond Funds- iShares Barclays 1-3 Year Credit Bond (CSJ) | Yield: 1.29%
  - Vanguard Short-Term Bond ETF (BSV) | Yield: 1.25%
  - Vanguard Intermediate-Term Bond ETF (BIV) | Yield: 2.96%
  - Vanguard Long-Term Bond ETF (BLV) | Yield: 4.42%

Top 10 Regional Bank Stocks To Buy For 2014: Approach Resources Inc.(AREX)

Approach Resources Inc., an independent energy company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of oil and gas properties in the United States. The company primarily holds interests in properties located in the Permian Basin in West Texas, as well as in the East Texas Basin. As of December 31, 2011, it had estimated proved reserves of approximately 77.0 million barrels of oil equivalent, and owned working interests in 638 producing oil and gas wells. Approach Resources Inc. was incorporated in 2002 and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Travis Hoium]

  What: Shares of Approach Resources (NASDAQ: AREX  ) dropped 10% today after the company released earnings.

  So what: Sales rose 33.8% from a year ago, to $44.2 million, and the company swung to a profit of $495,000, or $0.01 per share. After adjusting for one-time items, the company made a profit of $0.07 per share, in line with estimates.�

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Not all stocks are created equal, however, and the analysts expect some stocks to handily outperform others, and their top picks “are poised to deliver long-term, capital-efficient growth…while trading at attractive valuations that currently provide 20%+ upside to our price targets.” Their winners?�Oasis Petroleum (OAS),�Approach Resources (AREX),�Bonanza Creek Energy�(BCEI) and Gulfport Energy�(GPOR), all of which are rated Buy with Oasis also added to Goldman’s conviction list. Investors, however, should avoid �WPX Energy�(WPX), which the analysts rate a Sell. They explain why:

Top 10 Regional Bank Stocks To Buy For 2014: Whitestone REIT (WSR)

Whitestone REIT is a real estate investment trust (REIT) engaged in owning and operating commercial properties in culturally diverse markets in the metropolitan areas. The Company is internally managed and owns a real estate portfolio of 36 properties containing approximately three million square feet of leasable space, located in Texas, Arizona and Illinois. As of December 31, 2009, the Company had one property, which accounted for more than 10% of the total gross revenue and leasing of the properties. In December 2011, the Company announced that it had closed on the purchase of Phase I of Pinnacle of Scottsdale, a 113,108 square foot 100% leased Class A Community Center in North Scottsdale. In December 2011, it purchased shops at Starwood. In August 2012, the Company closed on the purchase of Paradise Plaza, a 125,898 square foot 100%-leased Community Center in Paradise Valley. In September 2012, the Company purchased Village Square at Dana Park, a 310,979 square foot Community Center located in the Mesa submarket of Phoenix, plus six developed pads (total of 2.9 acres) and the adjacent 4.7 acre parcel of development land to add another 200,000 square feet of leasable space. In December 2012, the Company closed on the off-market purchase of The Shops at Pecos Ranch. In April 2013, it closed on the off-market purchase of Headquarters Village, a 89,134 square foot (sf) Community Center located within the Preston Road retail corridor in Plano, Texas. Effective July 1, 2013, Whitestone REIT acquired Anthem Marketplace. In October 2013, Whitestone REIT completed the purchase of Fountain Hills Plaza, retail center in Fountain Hills, Arizona. In December 2013, Whitestone REIT purchased Market Street at DC Ranch in Scottsdale.

As of December 31, 2009, the Company owned a 64.7% interest in Whitestone REIT Operating Partnership, L.P. (the Operating Partnership). As of December 31, 2009, the Company owned a real estate portfolio consisting of 36 properties located in three states. As of December 3! 1, 2009, the occupancy rate at the operating properties was 82% based on leasable square footage.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Reuben Brewer]

  And, sometimes, being small is actually a good thing. Take, for example, Whitestone REIT (NYSE: WSR  ) . This company operates a portfolio of roughly 60 properties in Texas, Arizona, and Illinois. That said, it only has one property in Illinois, so it's really focused around just two markets.

• [By Charles Sizemore]

  Returning to U.S. shores, the next of our monthly dividend stocks is Whitestone REIT (WSR), a smaller REIT that specializes in shopping centers.

  I should start by making one point very clear: while I like Whitestone, it is a very different kind of REIT than Realty Income or American Realty Capital Properties. Its property portfolio is far less geographically diversified (with properties in just three states), and it is a much smaller company by market cap ($290 million).

Top 10 Regional Bank Stocks To Buy For 2014: Fidelity National Financial Inc. (FNF)

Fidelity National Financial, Inc. provides title insurance, mortgage services, and diversified services in the United States. The company provides title insurance, escrow, and other title related services, including collection and trust activities, trustee’s sales guarantees, recordings, and reconveyances, as well as home warranty insurance to various customers in the residential and commercial market sectors of the real estate industry. It is also involved in the design, manufacture, remanufacture, market, and distribution of aftermarket and original equipment electrical components for automobiles, light trucks, heavy-duty trucks, and other vehicles worldwide. In addition, the company owns and operates restaurants comprising the O'Charley's, Ninety Nine Restaurants, Max & Erma's, Village Inn, Bakers Square, and Stoney River Legendary Steaks concepts in the United States. Fidelity National Financial, Inc. is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Seward]

  Belden Inc. (NYSE: BDC) will replace Fidelity National Inc. (NYSE: FNF) in the S&P MidCap 400 June 30, when Synergy Resources (AMEX: SYRG) will replace Belden in the S&P SmallCap 600. Fidelity is reclassifying its shares into two tracking stocks which are ineligible for S&P indexes.

• [By Damian Illia]

  The firm is currently Zacks Rank # 2 - Buy, and it also has a longer-term recommendation of ��utPerform�� For investors looking for a Zacks Rank # 1 ��Strong Buy, Alleghany Corp. (Y), Berkshire Hathaway Inc (BRK.B) and Fidelity (FNF) could be the options.

Top 10 Regional Bank Stocks To Buy For 2014: Eutelsat Communications SA (ETL)

Eutelsat Communications SA is a France-based holding company that provides fixed satellite services. It provides four types of services, including broadcast services, such as direct-to-home and professional broadcasting; broadband services, comprising broadband Internet access; telecoms and data services to ensure permanent communications links from all points of the globe, establish or restore communications in an emergency and multicast content; as well as mobile and maritime communications, such as fleet management and on- and off-shore broadband maritime communications. It operates a fleet of satellites covering Europe, the Middle East, North and sub-Saharan Africa, as well as parts of Asia and the Americas. In January 2014, it acquired Satelites Mexicanos, S.A. de C.V. and together with SES SA have completed the sale to EchoStar Corp. of Solaris Mobile Ltd. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

  Eutelsat Communications SA (ETL) declined 6.2 percent to 21.02 euros after predicting sales will grow by more than 2.5 percent for the year 2013 to 2014. The company, which operates 31 satellites, forecast growth of more than 5 percent for the following two years through June 2016. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut its price target for the stock to 24 euros from 33 euros, saying analysts��will probably reduce their estimates following the company�� revised guidance.

Top 10 Regional Bank Stocks To Buy For 2014: Republic Airways Holdings Inc.(RJET)

Republic Airways Holdings Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides scheduled passenger services. The company offers scheduled passenger services on approximately 1,500 flights daily to 133 cities in 42 states, the Bahamas, Canada, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Mexico under branded operations and through fixed-fee airline services agreements. As of December 31, 2011, its total operational fleet consisted of 281 aircrafts. The company also offers cargo and charter services. Republic Airways Holdings Inc. was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Adam Levine-Weinberg]

  Last week, Republic Airways (NASDAQ: RJET  ) subsidiary Frontier Airlines announced that it would change its fee structure, most notably introducing carry-on-bag fees for certain customers. Carry-on-bag fees have been a source of extreme controversy in the U.S. for the past three years. Supporters claim that the charges reflect the scarcity of overhead bin space and the cost to airlines of dealing with bulky carry-on bags, while detractors argue that the fees take advantage of customers.

• [By Brian Stoffel]

  Now, Republic Airways' (NASDAQ: RJET  ) Frontier Air will be joining this infamous group that includes confusing and expensive add-on fees for customers.

• [By Alex Planes]

  Investors love stocks that consistently beat the Street without getting ahead of their fundamentals and risking a meltdown. The best stocks offer sustainable market-beating gains, with robust and improving financial metrics that support strong price growth. Does Republic Airways (NASDAQ: RJET  ) fit the bill? Let's take a look at what its recent results tell us about its potential for future gains.

Top 10 Regional Bank Stocks To Buy For 2014: Proofpoint Inc (PFPT)

Proofpoint, Inc. (Proofpoint), incorporated in 2002, is a security-as-a-service vendor that delivers data protection solutions, which helps medium- and large-sized organizations worldwide. Proofpoint�� security-as-a-service platform consists of an integrated suite of on-demand data protection solutions, including threat protection, regulatory compliance, archiving and governance, and secures communication. It provides a multi-tiered security-as-a-service platform consisting of solutions, platform technologies and infrastructure. The Company�� security-as-a-service platform includes four solutions bundled for the convenience of its customers: Proofpoint Enterprise Protection, Proofpoint Enterprise Privacy, Proofpoint Enterprise Archive and Proofpoint Enterprise Governance. Its platform services consist of content inspection, reputation, encryption and key management, notification and workflow, and analytics and search. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company acquired NextPage, Inc. In September 2013, Proofpoint Inc completed its acquisition of Armorize Technologies Inc. In October 2013, the Company acquired Silicon Valley based Sendmail, Inc.

The Company�� solutions are used by approximately 2,400 customers worldwide, including 26 of the Fortune 100, protecting tens of millions of end-users. It markets and sells its solutions worldwide both directly through the sales teams and indirectly through a hybrid model. It also distributes its solutions through International Business Machines Corp. (IBM), Microsoft Corporation and VMware, Inc.

Proofpoint Enterprise Protection

Proofpoint Enterprise Protection is the Company�� communications and collaboration security suite designed to protect customers' mission-critical messaging infrastructure from outside threats including spam, phishing, unpredictable e-mail volumes, malware and other forms of objectionable or dangerous content before they reach the enterprise. Key capabilities within proofpoint en! terprise protection include threat detection, virus protection, zero-hour threat detection and smart search.

Proofpoint Enterprise Privacy

The Company�� data loss prevention, encryption and compliance solution defends against leaks of confidential information, and helps ensure compliance with common United States, international and industry-specific data protection regulations, including HIPAA, GLBA, PIPEDA and PCI-DSS. Key capabilities within Proofpoint Enterprise Privacy include Advanced data loss prevention, Flexible remediation and supervision, Policy-based encryption and Secure file transfer.

Proofpoint Enterprise Archive

Proofpoint Enterprise Archive is designed to ensure accurate enforcement of data governance, data retention and supervision policies and mandates; cost effective litigation support through discovery, and active legal hold management. Proofpoint Enterprise Archive can store, govern and discover a range of data, including e-mail, instant message conversations, social media interactions, and other files throughout the enterprise. The key capabilities within Proofpoint Enterprise Archive include Secure cloud storage, Search performance, Flexible policy enforcement, Active legal-hold management and End-user supervision.

Proofpoint Enterprise Governance

Proofpoint Enterprise Governance provides organizations the ability to track, classify, monitor, and apply governance policies to unstructured information across the enterprise. The key capabilities within Proofpoint Enterprise Governance include Document Tracking-Digital Thread, Cloud-based Search and Analytics, and Flexible policy enforcement.

The Company competes with Cisco Systems, Inc., EMC Corporation, Google Inc., Hewlett-Packard Company, Intel and Microsoft.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Kell]

  Security services provider Proofpoint Inc.(PFPT) shares popped after the company posted better-than-expected fourth-quarter results and issued optimistic revenue guidance. Shares jumped 10% to $40.24 premarket.

• [By Sean Williams]

  One company in particular I'd suggest putting back on the sales rack is Proofpoint (NASDAQ: PFPT  ) , a threat and regulatory security-as-a-service provider. The profit potential is certainly there. Proofpoint's SaaS model is built around getting the client hooked on its products and making it inconvenient and cost-inefficient for them to switch to a competitor. In other words, it's setting up its own razor-and-blades model that should fuel recurring revenue for years to come.