10 Best Industrial Disributor Stocks To Buy For 2014

With shares of McDonald�� Corp. (NYSE:MCD) trading at around $101.72, is MCD an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE or STAY AWAY? Let�� analyze the stock with the relevant sections of our CHEAT SHEET investing framework:

C = Catalyst for the Stock�� Movement

For those who haven�� already heard, Technomic recently conducted a survey on Informal Eating Out establishments, including McDonald��, Burger King Worldwide (NYSE:BKW), and The Wendy�� Company (NYSE:WEN). Below are the results:

Food Quality

1st Place: Wendy��

2nd Place: Burger King

3rd Place: McDonald��

Taste & Flavor

1st Place: Wendy��

2nd Place: Burger King

3rd Place: McDonald��

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You don�� have to be a statistician to see a pattern forming here. However, the irony is that McDonald�� dominates when it comes to running a business, and it has been the best investment of the three throughout the years. In addition to the most impressive stock appreciation, McDonald’s also offers the highest yield. McDonald�� currently yields 3 percent whereas Burger King yields 1.30 percent and Wendy�� yields 2.60 percent.

Hot Beverage Stocks To Buy For 2015: AmeriGas Partners L.P. (APU)

AmeriGas Partners, L.P. operates as a retail and wholesale distributor of propane gas, and related equipment and supplies in the United States. As of November 8, 2012, it served approximately 2 million residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, wholesale, and motor fuel customers in 50 states through approximately 2,000 propane distribution locations. The company also sells, installs, and services propane appliances, including heating systems. It markets propane primarily under the AmeriGas, America's Propane Company, Heritage Propane, Titan Propane, and Relationships Matter trade names and related service marks. Its propane is used for home heating, water heating, and cooking purposes; to fire furnaces, as a cutting gas, and in other process applications; as a supplemental fuel and motor fuel; and for tobacco curing, chicken brooding, and crop drying applications. AmeriGas Propane, Inc. serves as the general partner of the company. AmeriGas Partners, L.P. was foun ded in 1994 and is based in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Robert Rapier]

  The four propane-focused MLPs are AmeriGas Partners (NYSE: APU), Suburban Propane Partners (NYSE: SPH), NGL Energy Partners (NYSE: NGL), and Ferrellgas Partners (NYSE: FGP).

• [By Robert Rapier]

  AmeriGas Partners (NYSE: APU) is the country’s largest retail propane marketer, serving some 2 million customers in all 50 states from approximately 2,100 distribution locations. Units initially dropped about 6 percent last week when an affiliate of Energy Transfer Partners announced a public offering of the 8 million AmeriGas common units that it currently holds. The units yield 7.9 percent, and AmerGas has done a good job of growing distributions over time. The biggest concern is that demand for propane had declined before the recent upswing due to increasing efficiency in buildings and appliances, as well as from customers switching to competing fuels like natural gas. This has led to inconsistent distributable cash flow (DCF), and in 2012 the partnership experienced a shortfall in its distribution coverage.

10 Best Industrial Disributor Stocks To Buy For 2014: ServiceNow Inc (NOW)

ServiceNow, Inc., incorporated in June 2004, is a provider of cloud-based services to automate enterprise information technology (IT) operations. The Company�� service includes a suite of applications built on its platform that automates workflow and integrates related business processes. It focuses on transforming enterprise IT by automating and standardizing business processes and consolidating IT across the global enterprise. Organizations deploy its service to create a single system of record for enterprise IT. It helps transform IT organizations from reactive, manual and task-oriented, to pro-active, automated and service-oriented organizations. Its on-demand service enables organizations to define their IT strategy, design the systems and infrastructure. It provides a set of integrated applications that are configurable and can be implemented and upgraded. In July 2013, ServiceNow Inc announced that it has acquired Mirror42.

The Company offers its service under a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), business model. Its suite of applications was developed to address core ITIL processes, as well as additional business processes, and runs on a single extensible platform. Its platform includes workflow automation, notification, assignment and escalation, third-party integration capabilities, reporting and administration capabilities. Its cloud-based service is designed to be deployed in a modular fashion, allowing customers to solve immediate business needs and access new application functionality as needs evolve. Its service automates the documentation, categorization, prioritization, assignment, notification and escalation of IT and other business processes. Additionally, its service automates routine and repeatable data center operations, such as rebooting a server, cloning a database or deploying a virtualized environment.

The Company�� services include core ITIL applications and extended IT applications. Its incident management manages the process of restoring a failed se! rvice to an operational state; problem management manages the process of resolving the root cause of recurring service outages or issues affecting multiple users; change management manages the proposal and approval process for changes to be made to the IT infrastructure; release management assigns, manages and monitors the various tasks comprising the actual implementation or execution of a proposed change; configuration management database (CMDB), serves as the inventory repository of all hardware, software and network equipment comprising the IT infrastructure; service catalog displays the various goods and services an IT department makes available to the rest of the organization; knowledge management stores and displays knowledge articles or documents for use by the IT staff or broader supported employee base; service portfolio management presents business services offered to the enterprise by the IT organization in consumer-oriented fashion, and service level agreement management monitors and manages progress being made by IT staff on the completion of assigned tasks which have specific due dates.

The Company�� project and portfolio Management tracks and manages projects planned or being worked on by the IT staff. IT Cost Management tracks and monitors staff work time, project-related expenses and labor costs. IT Asset and Contract Management tracks the financial elements of IT infrastructure. Software development lifecycle Management tracks and manages new features and functions to be developed in upgrades or new software applications. Field Service Management manages the process of dispatching field based technicians and routing of field-based spare parts to a customer location. Social IT provides users with a collaboration capability to interact with a set of users to enable IT self-service, as well as a chat functionality for one-to-one online communication with IT staff. Discovery discovers the various hardware and software assets comprising the IT infrastructure, as well as mapp! ing the o! perational dependencies between those assets, and then populates and maintains that inventory in the CMDB application. Runbook Automation is designed to execute routine and repeatable projects in the datacenter.

The Company provides technical training and implementation services to customers through its professional services and through a network of certified partners. Its professional services include customer guidance on implementation, as well as integration and implementation projects, and can include the development of custom applications.

The Company competes with BMC Software, Inc., CA, Inc., Hewlett-Packard Company and International Business Machines Corporation.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tom Taulli]

  And the valuation of N stock is reasonable right now. NetSuite is currently trading at 12 times sales while WDAY�� multiple is still at a nose-bleed 26.

  Cloud Companies to Buy: ServiceNow (NOW)

  ServiceNow (NOW) operates a platform that automates and manages information technology processes, such as the help desk. By being cloud-based, the technology allows customers to build innovative apps, which has resulted in strong customer loyalty.

10 Best Industrial Disributor Stocks To Buy For 2014: Splunk Inc (SPLK)

Splunk Inc. (Splunk) provides a software platform. Splunk�� software collects and indexes data regardless of format or source, and enables users to search, correlate, analyze, monitor and report on this data, all in real time. Its software is designed to help users in various roles, including information technology (IT) and business professionals, analyze machine data and realize real-time visibility into and about their organization's operations. The core of its software is a machine data engine, comprised of collection, indexing, search and data management capabilities. Its software can collect and index terabytes of information daily, irrespective of format or source. As of January 31, 2012, the Company had approximately 3,700 customers.

The Company�� software enables users to identify problems, get answers and gain new business insights and intelligence from machine data across their globally distributed enterprise all through one platform. Its software contains features and functionality, such as Universally collect, index, store and archive any machine data, from any source, search and investigate, user-friendly interface, knowledge store, monitor and alert, report and analyze, custom dashboards and views, platform extensibility, role-based access and controls.

The Company competes with BMC Software, Inc., CA, Compuware, HP, IBM, Intel, Microsoft Corporation, Quest Software, Adobe Systems, Google, Webtrends, EMC, Oracle and SAP.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  On Thursday, Splunk (NASDAQ: SPLK  ) will release its latest quarterly results. With the company's stock having rebounded sharply from a post-IPO slump last year, investors have to wonder when Splunk will finally become profitable.

• [By Alex Planes]

  To understand the opportunity, it helps to take a look back at the trend TIBCO's riding to greatness: big data. The growth of big data was one of my top tech predictions for 2012, but the outcome of that call seemed to be a bit ahead of the curve. That's not necessarily because the demand isn't there -- indeed, TIBCO, Splunk (NASDAQ: SPLK  ) , and IBM (NYSE: IBM  ) all impressed the Street with the strength of their analytics operations. Rather, it's because big data is really "difficult data," in the sense that it's really not that easy to find qualified workers for the field. A glance at these companies' job postings makes that evident. TIBCO has nearly 80 openings in�its U.S. offices alone, and the smaller Splunk has about two dozen openings for big data-focused jobs. This might not be such a big problem for the more diversified IBM, but without the right people in place, TIBCO won't be able to take full advantage of its unique position.

• [By Matt Jarzemsky]

  Splunk Inc.(SPLK), one of 2012�� hottest initial public offerings, has another stock sale on deck.

  The deal by the data-analysis software maker follows well-received offerings by software makers Workday Inc.(WDAY) and Cvent Inc.(CVT) last week, suggesting investor interest in cloud computing and ��ig data��analysis remain high. Those deals bucked the broader market�� sluggish tone, with indexes little changed out of the gate this year and many strategists predicting muted returns after 2013�� rally.

10 Best Industrial Disributor Stocks To Buy For 2014: Cadence Pharmaceuticals Inc.(CADX)

Cadence Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on acquiring, in-licensing, developing, and commercializing proprietary product candidates principally for use in the hospital setting in the United States and Canada. It holds rights to OFIRMEV injection, a proprietary intravenous formulation of acetaminophen for the management of pain and reduction of fever in adults and children. The company in-licenses rights to OFIRMEV from Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, which sells intravenous acetaminophen in Europe and other markets for the treatment of acute pain and fever under the Perfalgan brand name. Cadence Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Stocks on the Move: Zulily Inc. (NASDAQ: ZU) is up 71.4% at $37.70 after its IPO today. Cadence Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CADX) is up 33.8% at $7.87 on a patent ruling. Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) is down 7.4% at $24.04.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Equities Trading UP
  Cadence Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: CADX) shot up 26.42 percent to $14.02 after Mallinckrodt plc (NYSE: MNK) announced its plans to acquire Cadence Pharma for $14.00 per share in cash.

10 Best Industrial Disributor Stocks To Buy For 2014: Sky Deutschland AG (SKYD)

Sky Deutschland AG is a Germany-based holding company, which operates a subscription television network in Germany and Austria. The Company manages television brands, including Sky Welt and Sky Welt Extra, as well as offers packages Film, Sport, Fussball Bundesliga (Germany football league), and HD (High Definition television), as well as pay-per-view service Sky Select and Sky Go. Furthermore, the Company offers Sky Hotel & Bars service, which provides the Company's services in public houses and bars. The Company offers approximately 70 television channels of various genres. Sky Select package enables watching selected movies at the specific time. Sky Go offers content on mobile devices, Internet and simultaneously on different television sets. The Company is also engaged in the purchase, sale and distribution of rights to film, series and television productions, the acquisition, sale and distribution of broadcasting rights for public events, among others. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Inyoung Hwang]

  Sky Deutschland AG (SKYD) surged 5 percent to 7.55 euros, the highest price since September 2008. The pay-television said third-quarter ebitda climbed 19 percent to 29.2 million euros. Revenue jumped 19 percent from a year earlier to 392.7 million, topping analysts��estimates.

10 Best Industrial Disributor Stocks To Buy For 2014: PowerShares Dynamic Large Cap Growth Portfolio (PWB)

PowerShares Dynamic Large Cap Growth Portfolio (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield of an equity index called the Dynamic Large Cap Growth Intellidex Index (the Intellidex). The Fund will normally invest at least 80% of its assets in common stocks of large-cap companies. A company is considered to be a large-cap company if it falls within the Intellidex model. The Fund will normally invest at least 90% of its total assets in common stocks that comprise the Intellidex. The Intellidex consists of 50 United States large-cap growth stocks selected principally on the basis of their capital appreciation potential as identified by the AMEX (the Intellidex Provider) pursuant to its Intellidex methodology.

The Fund, using an indexing investment approach, attempts to replicate the performance of the Intellidex. The Fund generally will invest in all of the stocks comprising the Intellidex in proportion to their weightings in the Intellidex. The Fund�� investment advisor is PowerShares Capital Management LLC.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Two ETFs to watch are Guggenheim Solar (NYSEMKT: TAN), which is up more than 80% so far this year, and PowerShares WilderHill Clean Energy (NYSEMKT: PWB), up more than 40%. Both are less liquid than the company shares and their gains have been smaller, but both should do well if the solar stocks keep running up.

10 Best Industrial Disributor Stocks To Buy For 2014: Nexans SA (NEX)

Nexans SA is a French company engaged in the cable industry. It provides copper and fiber-optic cables and cabling systems to the Energy Infrastructure, Industry, Building and Local Area Network (LAN) markets. It operates under three segments: Energy, Telecom and Electrical Wires and has six main product lines: indoor cabling, which includes rugged industrial, fire-performance and standard domestic cables; industrial cabling, which comprises a variety of cables for the automotive, aerospace and defense industries, among others; power network cabling, which offers low, medium and high-voltage cables; telecom network cabling that includes a range of copper and optical fiber cables and associated interconnect solutions and cable maker supply, which includes the provision of conductors and superconductive materials for making cables. The LAN Segment provides cables for business networks and offers integrated solutions combining cables, connectors, administration and security. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Michael Lewis]

  Bloomberg via Getty Images William 'Bill' Ackman founder and CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management (left) Daniel Loeb, founder and CEO of Third Point: Two activist investors taking big positions in large public companies and demand even bigger changes. Is activist investing a force for good when it comes to shareholders? Recent events, namely the Bill Ackman-J.C. Penney (JCP) debacle, have left investors and analysts tired of the outspoken hedge-funders of the world. There are, of course, plenty of activists whose actions have enhanced not just their funds' portfolios, but those of passive, minority shareholders. They've forced companies to make positive changes -- to restructure, elect new board members, and get back on track toward healthier operations. Then again, others end up like J.C. Penney -- a seemingly lost business, rich with legacy yet left crippled by boardroom drama. That leaves us -- the average consumers and investors -- with a pressing question: Are these megaphoned power players trying to effect change that will benefit all, the company included? Or are they just after results that will juice their own returns? The Age of Activism While many activist investors consider themselves to be molded in the image of a certain Omaha-based super-investor, many of today's hedge fund superstars have taken a very different approach to the craft of identifying mispriced securities. Like the old guard -- raiders like Carl Icahn and Nelson Peltz -- young guns such as Daniel Loeb and Bill Ackman take substantial positions in large public companies and demand change in an approach that is about as far from Warren Buffett's investor behavior as one can get. Their style can be best described as personality-driven activism. The practice is on the rise, too. According to FactSet, 2012 saw 21 activist campaigns in companies with market caps larger than $1 billion. In 2010, the number was 11. In 2003, there were four. While some passive shareholders may