Top Supermarket Companies For 2014

LONDON -- Company news is starting to pick up again after a lull over Easter. We don't have a great volume of updates expected, but we should be hearing from a handful of top�FTSE 100�firms. Here are three popular companies due to enlighten us next week:

Tesco
Next Wednesday, April 17, brings us one of the most hotly awaited company announcements of 2013 so far -- full-year results from�Tesco� (LSE: TSCO  ) . (NASDAQOTH: TSCDY  ) After the U.K.'s biggest supermarket had a weak Christmas in 2011, and saw its share price slump as a result,�Warren Buffett�famously bought in big. And he's done well so far -- from a 52-week low of 295 pence back in June last year, Tesco shares are now back up 30%, to 385 pence.

January's update told us of significantly better Christmas and New Year trading this time, with group sales for the six weeks to Jan. 5 up 3.5% (3.9% excluding petrol), and we heard that the U.K. in-store turnaround plan was bearing fruit. Since then, Tesco has announced the purchase of the Giraffe restaurant chain, buying up 49 restaurants for a little under 49 million pounds.

Top 5 US Companies To Invest In Right Now: WhiteWave Foods Co (WWAV)

WWF Operating Company, incorporated on March 14, 1988, is a consumer packaged food and beverage company. The Company manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells plant-based foods and beverages, coffee creamers and beverages, and dairy products throughout North America and Europe. The Company operates in two segments: North America and Europe. The North America segment offers products in the plant-based foods and beverages, coffee creamers and beverages, and dairy product categories throughout North America. Europe segment offers plant-based food and beverage products throughout Europe. The Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Dean Foods Company (Dean Foods).

The Company�� brands distributed in North America include Silk plant-based foods and beverages, International Delight and LAND O LAKES coffee creamers and beverages, and Horizon Organic dairy products, while its European brands of plant-based foods and beverages include Alpro and Provamel. The Company sell its products to a variety of customers, including grocery stores, mass merchandisers, club stores, and convenience stores, as well as various away-from-home channels, including restaurants and foodservice outlets, across North America and Europe. The Company sells its products in North America and Europe primarily through its direct sales force and independent brokers. The Company utilizes five manufacturing plants, two distribution centers, and three co-packers across the United States. Additionally, it has four plants across Europe in the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, and the Netherlands, each supported by an integrated supply chain.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  WhiteWave Foods (NYSE: WWAV  ) , the Dean Foods spinoff whose organic products go out of their way to certify that they avoid being tainted with GMO ingredients, still sells Land o' Lakes products that contain sucralose.

Top Supermarket Companies For 2014: Hill International Inc. (HIL)

Hill International, Inc. provides project management and construction claims services worldwide. It operates through two segments, Project Management and Construction Claims. The Project Management segment offers construction and project management services, including program management, project management, construction management, project management oversight, troubled project turnaround, staff augmentation, estimating and cost management, project labor agreement consulting, and management consulting, as well as commissioning, labor compliance, and other services. It manages and undertakes construction process, including planning, scheduling, estimating, budgeting, design review, constructability analyses, value engineering, regulatory compliance, development of project procedures, procurement, project reporting, expediting, inspection, quality assurance/quality control, safety oversight, contract administration, change order processing, and claims management on behalf of project owners and developers, as well as on-site management of contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers. The Construction Claims segment provides claims preparation, analysis and review, litigation support, cost/damages assessment, delay/disruption analysis, contract review and adjudication, risk assessment, lender advisory, and expert witness testimony services to clients. It advises clients for preventing or resolving claims and disputes based upon schedule delays, cost overruns, and other problems on construction projects. The company serves the United States and other national governments, state and local governments, and their agencies, as well as clients in the private sector. Hill International, Inc. was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Marlton, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Notable earnings released on Monday included:

  United Natural Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ: UNFI) reported second quarter EPS of $0.56 on revenue of $1.65 billion, compared to last year�� EPS of $0.46 on revenue of $1.45 billion. Urban Outfitters, Inc (NASDAQ: URBN) reported fourth quarter EPS of $0.59 on revenue of $905.90 million, compared to last year�� EPS of $0.56 on revenue of $856.83 million. Hill International, Inc.�(NYSE: HIL) reported a fourth quarter loss of $0.03 per share on revenue of $145.00 million, compared to last year�� loss of $0.04 per share on revenue of $110.77 million.

  Pre-Market Movers

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Hill International (NYSE: HIL) is expected to post its Q4 earnings at $0.01 per share on revenue of $134.74 million.

  Omega Protein (NYSE: OME) is projected to report its Q4 earnings at $0.32 per share on revenue of $69.47 million.

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Notable earnings releases expected on Monday include:

  United Natural Foods(NASDAQ: UNFI) is expected to report second quarter EPS of $0.56 on revenue of $1.64 billion, compared to last year�� EPS of $0.46 on revenue of $1.45 billion. Urban Outfitters(NASDAQ: URBN) is expected to report fourth quarter EPS of $0.55 on revenue of $928.43 million, compared to last year�� EPS of $0.56 on revenue of $856.83 million. Hill International(NYSE: HIL) is expected to report fourth quarter EPS of $0.01 on revenue of $134.74 million, compared to last year�� loss of $0.04 per share on revenue of $110.77 million.

  Economics

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Hill International (NYSE: HIL) shares surged 11.11% to reach a new 52-week high of $5.00 as the company surpassed $1 billion in total backlog at the end of 2013.

Top Supermarket Companies For 2014: Forward Industries Inc.(FORD)

Forward Industries, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, designs, markets, and distributes carry and protective solutions. The company offers soft-sided carrying cases, bags, clips, hand straps, protective plates, and skins, as well as other accessories for hand held electronic devices, including medical monitoring and diagnostic kits, bar code scanners, GPS and location devices, and cellular telephones. It also designs, markets, and distributes carry and protective solutions for other consumer products, such as laptop computers, MP3 players, firearms, sporting, recreational, and aeronautical products. The company provides its products for used by consumers in protecting, and carrying or transporting portable electronic and other products. Forward Industries, Inc. sells its products to original equipment manufacturers and contract manufacturers in the Asia Pacific, the Americas, and Europe. Forward Industries was founded in 1954 and is based in Santa Monica, California. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap custom carry and protective solutions stock Forward Industries, Inc (NASDAQ: FORD) jumped 22.51% earlier today as an apparent turnaround continues, meaning its worth taking a closer look at a stock that�� in a decidedly niche area plus look at the performance of potential investment benchmarks like the iShares Russell 2000 Index ETF (NYSEARCA: IWM), iShares Russell 2000 Growth Index ETF (NYSEARCA: IWO) and iShares Russell 2000 Value Index ETF (NYSEARCA: IWN).

• [By Chris Woodyard]

  Visitors can see the new Mustang convertible on the observation deck for 54 hours from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. on April 16 and 17, which just happens to coincide with the New York Auto Show.

  The original 1965 Ford Mustang convertible in Wimbledon White -- the early version known to many as the 1964 1/2. Mustang went on sale on April 17, 1964 and sold more than 418,000 in the first 12 months.  (Photo: Ford)View Fullscreen The sixth-generation, redesigned 2015 Mustang.  (Photo: Ford)View Fullscreen The 1963 Ford Special Falcon: A prototype of the upcoming Mustang on the Falcon chassis before the name was final. At this time it was referred to as the ��pecial Falcon��and had Cougar badges, one of names under consideration.   (Photo: Ford)View Fullscreen Company head Henry Ford II with the 1964 1/2 Mustang Ford at the car's unveiling at the New York World's Fair in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. on April 17, 1964.  (Photo: Ford)View Fullscreen The 1965 Ford Mustang hardtop on display in the Ford Pavilion at the 1964 New York World's Fair where the car was introduced April 17, 1964.  (Photo: Ford)View Fullscreen 1964 Ford Mustang ad from the New York World's Fair.  (Photo: Ford)View Fullscreen Ad photo for the 1965-model Mustang: By June 1964, Mustang has three body styles -- fastback, hardtop and convertible -- with four engine options.  (Photo: Ford)View Fullscreen A 2010 photo of Gail Wise, the first known retail buyer of a Mustang, with her 1965 convertible bought in Chicago. She still owns it and it has been restored.  (Photo: Ford)View Fullscreen Another view of the 1965 Ford Mustang convertible  (Photo: Ford)View Fullscreen 1965 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350: Carroll Shelby helped establish Mustang�� performance credentials by developing the 1965 Mustang Shelby GT350. 
• [By Michael Antonoff]

  Both cars became associated with my deepest regrets. The first because I traded it in for $200 toward a new powder-blue, feel-the-road-on-your-fanny, no-pep Pinto when the Mustang needed $300 of transmission work. My Mustang soon would be known as a Classic, easily worth $10,000. The convertible turned out to be a Lemon Classic that left me repeatedly stranded from Route 101 to the Santa Cruz Mountains. (I should have known something was afoot when a day after driving the car off the lot, black smoke began pouring out of the tailpipe.)

  The original 1965 Ford Mustang convertible in Wimbledon White -- the early version known to many as the 1964 1/2. Mustang went on sale on April 17, 1964 and sold more than 418,000 in the first 12 months.  (Photo: Ford)View Fullscreen The sixth-generation, redesigned 2015 Mustang.  (Photo: Ford)View Fullscreen The 1963 Ford Special Falcon: A prototype of the upcoming Mustang on the Falcon chassis before the name was final. At this time it was referred to as the ��pecial Falcon��and had Cougar badges, one of names under consideration.   (Photo: Ford)View Fullscreen Company head Henry Ford II with the 1964 1/2 Mustang Ford at the car's unveiling at the New York World's Fair in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. on April 17, 1964.  (Photo: Ford)View Fullscreen The 1965 Ford Mustang hardtop on display in the Ford Pavilion at the 1964 New York World's Fair where the car was introduced April 17, 1964.  (Photo: Ford)View Fullscreen 1964 Ford Mustang ad from the New York World's Fair.  (Photo: Ford)View Fullscreen Ad photo for the 1965-model Mustang: By June 1964, Mustang has three body styles -- fastback, hardtop and convertible -- with four engine options.  (Photo: Ford)View Fullscreen A 2010 photo of Gail Wise, the first known retail buyer of a Mustang, with her 1965 convertible bought i
• [By James R. Healey and Fred Meier] Ford Motor's F-150 continued a sales boom in 2013. Ford's F-series lineup was the best-selling vehicle of any kind in the U.S. for 32nd consecutive year. An F-150 Tremor sport truck model is shown.(Photo: Ford)

Top Supermarket Companies For 2014: Marquee Energy Ltd (MQL)

Marquee Energy Ltd. (Marquee), formerly Marquee Petroleum Ltd., is a junior oil and gas company engaged in the acquisition, exploration, development and production of petroleum and natural gas reserves in Western Canada. The Company is focused on the Cardium play of West Central Alberta in the Wilesden Green, Carrot Creek and South Pembina areas. As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned a total of approximately 174,420 gross acres (147,875 net acres) of oil and natural gas leases. In December 2013, it acquired all of the Western Canadian assets of Sonde Resources Corp. (Sonde), including all of its Southern Alberta properties. The Assets are primarily located in Marquee's core area at Michichi, Alberta immediately offsetting Marquee's lands and production. In March 2014, Marquee Energy Ltd completed the acquisition of strategic assets in its oil focused Michichi core area. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]
  Sonde Resources Corp. An oil and gas exploration and production company based in Calgary, Alberta, Sonde Resources Corp held a global portfolio of high potential energy assets including producing oil and natural gas assets in Western Canada and offshore exploration property in North Africa.�Specifically, Sonde Resources Corp had�226,119 gross undeveloped acres in Western Canada and 750,000 acres in a Libya/Tunisia offshore licence. However and last November,�an agreement between Sonde Resources Corp and�Marquee Energy Ltd (CVE: MQL) was announced whereby�the latter�will acquire substantially all of the former���Western Canadian assets, including all of its Southern Alberta properties. These assets�are primarily located in Marquee's core area at Michichi, Alberta, immediately offsetting Marquee's lands and production. Under the deal which concluded at the end of last year, Sonde Resources Corp received 21,182,492 common shares of Marquee Energy Ltd plus $15 million cash with the�shares�being distributed to Sonde Resources Corp's shareholders and Sonde itself retaining the cash�received. In addition, Sonde Resources Corp will retain ownership of about 100,000 net acres of Western Canada exploration assets, split approximately equally between its Eaglesham area Wabamun play and west central Alberta Duvernay play.�Moreover, the company will continue to seek strategic alternatives for this Western Canada exploration acreage, including cash sales, farm-outs, other forms of merger, or other options. Otherwise, Sonde Resources Corp�� business�will focus on�the development of the Zarat field and exploration of the Joint Oil Block in North Africa. On Tuesday, small cap Sonde Resources Corp fell 1.83% to $0.530 (SOQ has a 52 week trading range of $0.51 to $2.11 a share) for a market cap of $29.72 million plus the stock is down 70.5% over the past year and down 55.8% over the past five years.