Hot Dow Dividend Stocks For 2014

Merlin Entertainments Plc (MERL), the private-equity backed owner of Madame Tussauds, rose in its London trading debut after raising about 957 million pounds ($1.5 billion) in an initial public offering.

The shares gained as much as 13 percent and were up 9.4 percent at 344.75 pence as of 11:35 a.m. in London. They were priced at 315 pence, near the top of an original range of 280 to 330 pence. The amount raised could increase to 1.05 billion pounds including a so-called over-allotment option, Merlin said in a statement.

��he IPO has clearly been very successful and the shares have gone to a modest premium,��Jeffrey Harwood, an analyst at Oriel Securities Ltd. in London, said by phone. ��erlin is a strong company with a successful record of delivering returns for its shareholders and has strong growth prospects.��

Owned by Blackstone Group LP (BX), CVC Capital Partners Ltd. and Lego Group owner Kirkbi A/S, Merlin is among a host of private-equity backed firms attempting to list in Europe, where IPO volumes have nearly doubled to about $24 billion compared with the same period in 2012, data compiled by Bloomberg show.

Top 10 Dividend Companies To Watch For 2015: adidas AG (ADDYY)

adidas AG designs, develops, produces, and markets through its own retail activities a range of athletic and sports lifestyle products. The Company operates in six segments: Wholesale, Retail, TaylorMade-adidas Golf, Rockport, Reebok-CCM Hockey and Other Centrally Managed Brands. adidas AG is the ultimate parent if the adidas Group. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had 169 subsidiaries worldwide. In June 2012, the Company announced that its TaylorMade-adidas Golf business segment completed the acquisition of Adams Golf, Inc.

The Wholesale segment consists of all business activities relating to the distribution of adidas and Reebok products to retail customers. The Retail segment consists of all business activities relating to the sales of adidas and Reebok products directly to consumers through own retail and own e-commerce platforms. adidas and Reebok branded products include footwear, apparel and hardware, such as bags and balls. TaylorMade-adidas Golf includes the three brands: TaylorMade, adidas Golf and Ashworth. TaylorMade designs, develops and assembles golf clubs, balls and accessories. adidas Golf branded products include footwear, apparel, and accessories. Ashworth designs and distributes men�� and women�� lifestyle sportswear. Rockport designs and markets leather footwear for men and women. Reebok-CCM Hockey designs, produces and markets hockey equipment, such as sticks and skates, as well as apparel mainly under the brand names, Reebok Hockey and CCM. The Other Centrally Managed Brands segment primarily includes the business activities of the Y-3 label, under which premium footwear and apparel are designed and distributed.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Steve Symington]

  The catch? Footwear is obviously a crowded market, and behemoth competitors like Adidas (NASDAQOTH: ADDYY  ) and Nike (NYSE: NKE  ) have a lot to lose to bold up-and-comers like Under Armour. Heck, Under Armour even had to sue Nike recently after the larger company went so far as to release ad campaigns that appeared to blatantly copy�some of UA's trademarked phrases.

• [By Tom Taulli]

  As I pointed out about a year ago, SKUL stock would face some tough headwinds, such as:

  Competition: It is intense, with operators like Beats by Dre, Incase, Urbanears, Soul, Sony (SNE), JVC, Bose and even Adidas (ADDYY). Fickleness: This is the bane of the fashion business. The Skullcandy brand isn’t too hip — that can change overnight, but success can be fleeting, too. Market Size: For the most part, Skullcandy has focused on the youth crowd, such as those who are snowboarders or skateboarders. The problem is that it’s a niche market, and one where the crowd rapidly moves on as it gets older.

  These issues all remain for SKUL stock, as evidenced by the steep drop in the revenues in 2013.

Hot Dow Dividend Stocks For 2014: Aetrium Incorporated(ATRM)

Aetrium Incorporated designs, manufactures, and markets electromechanical equipment for the semiconductor industry to handle and test integrated circuits (ICs). The company provides test handler products, which incorporates thermal conditioning, contacting, and automated handling technologies to provide automated handling of ICs during production of test cycles; change kits to adapt test handlers to various IC package configurations or to upgrade installed equipment; and gravity feed test handlers. It also offers reliability test equipment, which provides structural performance data to aid in the evaluation and improvement of IC designs and manufacturing processes. The company sells its products to semiconductor manufacturers, and their assembly and test subcontractors through direct salespeople, independent sales representatives, and distributors in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, China, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, a nd the Philippines. Aetrium Incorporated was founded in 1982 and is based in North St. Paul, Minnesota.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Stocks on the Move: Aetrium Inc. (NASDAQ: ATRM) is up 156.2% at $12.40 following a positive report based on a recent management change and new products. Mediabistro Inc. (NASDAQ: MBIS) is down 17.4% at $3.41 as the stock gives back some of the 87% gain it scored yesterday. J.C. Penney Co. Inc. (NYSE: JCP) is up 7.7% at $10.08 on momentum from an insider stock purchase earlier this week.

Hot Dow Dividend Stocks For 2014: Cenkos Securities PLC (CNKS)

Cenkos Securities plc (Cenkos) is an independent, specialist institutional securities group, focused on growth companies and investment funds. The Company�� principal activities comprise of corporate broking and advisory and institutional equities. Corporate Broking and Advisory segment reflects the corporate finance, corporate broking and market making services provided to growth companies and investment funds. Institutional Equities segment reflects the institutional equities team who provide research-driven investment recommendations and execution capabilities to institutional clients. Cenkos earns fees from primary and secondary equity fund raising, acting as a key intermediary between growth companies or investment funds and institutional providers of capital. Revenue in Corporate Broking and Advisory segment is made up of placing commissions on fund raisings, corporate finance fees and retainer income, market making profits and commissions on secondary market transactions. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Trista Kelley]

  Cenkos Securities Plc (CNKS) is running the spinoff and the share sale. Royal DSM NV (DSM), the world�� largest maker of vitamins, holds about 9 percent of SiS, while U.K. venture-capital trust Downing LLP owns 16.7 percent, Moon said. Provexis stockholders received one share of Science in Sport for every 100 shares of Provexis.

Hot Dow Dividend Stocks For 2014: Verifone Systems Inc.(PAY)

Verifone Systems, Inc. designs, markets, and services electronic payment solutions in North America and internationally. It provides system solutions, including countertop electronic payment systems that accepts magnetic, smart card, contactless/ radio frequency identification(RFID) cards, and near field communication(NFC) enabled mobile phones; secure PIN pads that support credit and debit transactions; and wireless system solutions that support Internet protocol-based code division multiple access, general packet radio service, bluetooth, and wireless fidelity technologies. The company also offers products for consumer-activated functionality at the point of sale; contactless/NFC payment solutions consisting of contactless readers primarily for consumer-activated transactions with contactless cards, tokens, and NFC-enabled mobile phones; and Gemstone family of products comprising integrated electronic payment systems for petroleum companies. In addition, it provides serv er-based payment processing software and middleware; unattended and self-service payments hardware and software integration modules, such as vending machines, ATMs, ticketing kiosks, petroleum dispensers, public transportation turnstiles and buses, self-checkout, bill payment, and photo finishing kiosks; retail bank branch solutions; mass transportation solutions; and network access solutions. Further, the company offers client services, customized application development, advertising publishing, taxi payments and advertising, cardholder data security, annual software maintenance program, and repair services. It serves financial institutions, payment processors, petroleum companies, large retailers, taxi fleets, government organizations, healthcare companies, independent sales organizations, and advertisers. The company was formerly known as VeriFone Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to VeriFone Systems, Inc in May 2010. VeriFone Systems, Inc. is headquartered in San Jose, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Steven Russolillo]

  WATCH FOR:�May ADP Jobs Survey (8:15 a.m. Eastern Time): seen +210K; previously +220K. April US Trade Deficit (8:30): seen $40.9B; previously $40.4B. First Quarter Productivity (8:30, second read): seen -3.1%; previously -1.7%. First Quarter Unit Labor Costs (8:30, second read): seen +5.5%: previously +4.2%. May ISM Non-Manufacturing PMI (10:00): seen 55.2; previously 55.2. Analogic(ALOG), Ciena(CIEN), Cooper, Diamond Foods(DMND), J.M. Smucker(SJM), Joy Global(JOY), Piedmont Natural Gas(PNY), UTi Worldwide, Vail Resorts, Vera Bradley(VRA) and VeriFone(PAY) are among companies scheduled to report quarterly results.

• [By Jay Jenkins]

  For the technology to really go mainstream, it needs consumer-side products to support it (cue�Square and PayPal�(subsidiary of eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY  ) ), it needs infrastructure to transmit the data (looking at you,�MasterCard (NYSE: MA  ) and Visa (NYSE: V  ) ), and it needs vendor-side hardware to close the loop (uh, hmm...�VeriFone (NYSE: PAY  ) ).

Hot Dow Dividend Stocks For 2014: Pacer International Inc.(PACR)

Pacer International, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides asset-light transportation and logistics services primarily in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia, South America, and Africa. It operates in two segments, Intermodal and Logistics. The Intermodal segment offers intermodal rail transportation, local cartage and trucking, intermodal marketing services, container capacity, on-site operational services, and door-to-door shipment management services. As of December 31, 2011, its equipment fleet consisted of 1,592 double-stack railcars, 18,183 containers, and 12,783 chassis. The Logistics segment provides highway brokerage, warehousing and distribution, international freight forwarding, ocean and air shipping, and supply chain management services, as well as offers non-vessel-operating common carrier to end-user customers. The company markets and supports its services to cargo owners, steamship lines, truckload carriers, truck brokers, and freight forwarders , as well as other third party transportation service providers, such as intermodal marketing companies, third-party logistics companies, and shippers? agents through its direct sales and customer service representatives. Pacer International, Inc. was founded in 1974 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ohio.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Vera Yuan]

  Pacer International, Inc. (PACR) was acquired by XPO Logistics, Inc. which remains in our portfolio. We eliminated our position in specialty pharmaceutical company Actavis PLC (ACT) as the price to intrinsic value relationship narrowed. We originally received shares when Actavis bought portfolio holding Warner Chilcott. We eliminated our position in convenience store distributor Core- Mark Holding Co., Inc.( CORE) as the stock rose almost 40% over the last year and reached our estimate of intrinsic value.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  XPO Logistics (NYSE: XPO) shot up 7.06 percent to $30.01 after the company announced its plans to acquire Pacer International (NASDAQ: PACR) in a deal valued at $335 million.

Hot Dow Dividend Stocks For 2014: Powershares Dynamic Leisure And Entertainment Portfolio (PEJ)

PowerShares Dynamic Leisure and Entertainment Portfolio (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield of an equity index called the Dynamic Leisure and Entertainment Intellidex Index (the Leisure and Entertainment Intellidex). The Leisure and Entertainment Intellidex consists of stocks of 30 United States leisure and entertainment companies. These are companies that are principally engaged in the design, production or distribution of goods or services in the leisure and entertainment industries. These companies may include companies that provide goods or services, including television and radio broadcast or manufacture (including cable television); motion pictures and photography; recordings and musical instruments; publishing, including newspapers and magazines; sporting goods and camping and recreational equipment; toys and games, including video and other electronic games; amusement and theme parks; travel and travel-related services; leisure apparel or footwear, and owners and operators of sports arenas and gaming casinos, hotels and motels. Stocks are 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 will normally invest at least 80% of its total assets in common stocks of leisure companies and entertainment companies. The Fund will normally invest at least 90% of its total assets in common stocks that comprise the Leisure and Entertainment Intellidex. The Leisure and Entertainment Intellidex is adjusted quarterly, and the Fund, using an indexing investment approach, attempts to replicate the performance of the Leisure and Entertainment Intellidex. The Fund generally will invest in all of the stocks comprising the Leisure and Entertainment Intellidex in proportion to their weightings in the Leisure and Entertainment Intellidex. The Fund�� investment advisor is PowerShares Capital Management LLC.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  The shares of small cap IMAX Corporation (NYSE: IMAX) have slipped more than 10% this week on growth concerns - meaning it might be a good idea to take a closer look at the stock plus its performance�verses other cinema stocks like Carmike Cinemas, Inc (NASDAQ: CKEC), Cinemark Holdings, Inc (NYSE: CNK) and Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC) along with the PowerShares Dynamic Leisure & Entertainment ETF�(NYSEARCA: PEJ).

Hot Dow Dividend Stocks For 2014: Atrion Corp (ATRI)

Atrion Corporation (Atrion), and its subsidiaries, develop and manufacture products, primarily for medical applications. The Company�� medical products range from fluid delivery devices to ophthalmic and cardiovascular products. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company�� fluid delivery products accounted for 38% of the Company�� revenues. These products include valves that promote infection control and needle safety. The Company has developed a variety of luer syringe check valves and one-way valves designed to fill, hold and release controlled amounts of fluids or gasses on demand for use in various intubation, catheter and other applications. The Company also makes tubing clamps in a variety of materials and colors that are compatible with various grades of tubing and sterilization processes, and produce specialized intravenous sets for use in numerous applications, including anesthesia and oncology.

The Company�� cardiovascular products accounted for 29% of its revenues during 2011. The Company's principal cardiovascular product is the Myocardial Protection System (MPS2), a technology that delivers essential fluids and medications to the heart during open-heart surgery. The MPS2 integrates key functions relating to the delivery of solutions to the heart, such as varying the rate and ratio of oxygenated blood, crystalloid, potassium and other additives, and controlling temperature, pressure and other variables to allow simpler, more flexible management of this process, indicating improved patient outcomes. The MPS2 is the device used in open-heart surgery that allows for the mixing of drugs into the bloodstream without diluting the blood. The MPS2 employs advanced pump, temperature control and microprocessor technologies and includes a line of disposable products. It also develops and manufactures other cardiovascular products that include cardiac surgery vacuum relief valves; Retract-O-Tape silicone vessel loops for retracting and occluding vessels in minimally inva! sive surgical procedures; inflation devices for balloon catheter dilation, stent deployment and fluid dispensing, and Clean-Cut rotating aortic punch and PerfectCut Aortotomy System, both of which are used in heart bypass surgery to make a precision opening in the heart for attachment of the bypass vessels.

The Company�� ophthalmic products accounted for 17% of its revenues during 2011. The Company is a manufacturer of contact lens disinfection cases. It also manufactures a line of balloon catheters used in the treatment of nasolacrimal duct obstruction in children and adults. The Company�� other medical and non-medical products accounted for 16% of its revenues during 2011. These product lines consist of instrumentation and associated disposables used to measure the activated clotting time of blood. In addition, it manufactures and sells a line of products designed for safe needle and scalpel blade containment. It is also the manufacturer of inflation systems and valves used in marine and aviation safety products. The Company manufactures inflation systems and valves for products, such as life vests, life rafts, inflatable boats, survival equipment and other inflatable structures. The Company also produces one-way and two-way pressure relief valves for use on electronics cases, munitions cases, pressure vessels, transportation container cases, escape slides, and many other medical and non-medical applications.

The Company market components to other equipment manufacturers for incorporation in their products and sell finished devices to physicians, hospitals, clinics and other treatment centers. It sells its products through a sales force which consists of direct sales personnel, independent sales representatives and distributors. It offers customer service, training and education, and technical support such as field service, spare parts, maintenance and repair for certain of its products. The Company�� medical products and other components are produced at facilities in ! Florida, ! Alabama and Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  There's no foolproof way to know the future for ATRION (Nasdaq: ATRI  ) or any other company. However, certain clues may help you see potential stumbles before they happen -- and before your stock craters as a result.