Top Dow Dividend Companies For 2014

LONDON -- Before I decide whether to buy a company's shares, I always like to look at two core financial ratios --�return on equity�and�net gearing.

These two ratios provide an indication of how successful a company is at generating profits using shareholders' funds and debt, and they have a strong influence on dividend payments and share price growth.

Today, I'm going to take a look at pharmaceutical heavyweight�GlaxoSmithKline� (LSE: GSK  ) (NYSE: GSK  ) , to see how attractive it looks on these two measures.

Return on equity
The return a company generates on its shareholders' funds is known as�return on equity, or ROE. Return on equity can be calculated by dividing a company's annual earnings by its equity (i.e., the difference between its total assets and its total liabilities) and is expressed as a percentage.

GlaxoSmithKline has delivered some stunning ROE figures last five years, as this table shows:

GlaxoSmithKline 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Average ROE 52.5% 61.7% 17.3% 62.2% 66% 51.9%

These figures appear very impressive, but there is a sting in the tail, as I'll explain in a moment.

Hot Industrial Disributor Stocks To Watch Right Now: Amalgamated Gold and Silver Inc (BCHS)

Amalgamated Gold & Silver Inc., formerly Balmoral FX Systems Inc, incorporated on November 13, 1992, is a development-stage company. The Company is a holding Company researching various opportunities for investment in gold and silver mining operations.

The Company is focused on gold and silver mining interests in the United States and Mexico. The Company has conducted or has attempted to conduct operations in several other industries and is concentrating all operations on the development.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap mining stocks Discovery Minerals Ltd (OTCMKTS: DSCR), Zinco Do Brasil Inc (OTCMKTS: ZNBR) and Amalgamated Gold and Silver Inc (OTCMKTS: BCHS) have been getting some extra attention lately as one stock surged last Friday while the other two are or have been in the past, the subject of paid promotions. It goes without saying though that small cap mining stocks tend to be riskier than your average stock. But do these three small cap mining stocks have what it takes to produce a mother lode for investors? Here is a deeper dig into all three:

Top Dow Dividend Companies For 2014: Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd (VBHLF)

Virgin Australia Holdings Limited (VAH) is an Australia-based company engaged in the development and operation of domestic and international airlines. VAH�� fleet includes ATR-72, Embraer 190, Boeing 737-700, Boeing 737-800, AIRBUS A330 and Boeing 777-300ER. It product includes Airbus A330 Business Class. During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012, the Company carried 19,468,929 guests on 216 city pairs to 52 destinations, and operated 162,817 flights. On February 22, 2012, under the proposal, all of the shares in the international airline business of Virgin Australia were transferred to a new holding company, Virgin Australia International Holdings Pty Ltd. In April 2013, it acquired 100% of the issued share capital in Skywest Airlines Ltd. In July 2013, Virgin Australia Holdings Limited announced that it has acquired 60% interest of Tiger Airways Australia Pty Limited from Tiger Airways Holdings Limited. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By MARKETWATCH]

  LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Australian stocks gave ground in early Friday trading, with banks broadly lower after overnight losses in the U.S., where investors worried that better-than-expected data would prompt the Federal Reserve to roll back stimulus soon. The S&P/ASX 200 (AU:XJO) lost 0.4% to 5,178.30, as National Australia Bank Ltd. (AU:NAB) (NAUBF) fell 1.8%, Australia & New Zealand Banking Group (AU:ANZ) (ANEWF) lost 0.8%, and Macquarie Group Ltd. (AU:MQG) (MCQEF) retreated 1.3%. Among the resource shares, losses for gold both in New York and in early Asian electronic trade helped send Evolution Mining Ltd. (AU:EVN) (CAHPF) down 1.9% and Kingsgate Consolidated Ltd. (AU:KCN) (KSKGF) off 4.5%, though Newcrest Mining Ltd. (AU:NCM) (NCMGF) held the drop to 0.4%. Oil prices managed a modest gain, however, resulting in a 0.2% rise for Oil Search Ltd. (AU:OSH) (OISHF) and Karoon Gas Australia Ltd. (AU:KAR) (KRNGF) , while Woodside Petroleum Ltd. (AU:WPL)

Top Dow Dividend Companies For 2014: Rouse Properties Inc (RSE)

Rouse Properties, Inc. (Rouse), incorporated on August 10, 2011, is a real estate investment trust (REIT) company. Rouse is engaged in the operation, development and management of retail rental property. The Company�� portfolio consists of 30 regional malls in 19 states totaling over 21 million square feet of retail and ancillary space. The Company is a regional mall owner in the United State. It manages all of its properties, performing the day-to-day functions, operations, leasing, maintenance, marketing and promotional services. Its malls are anchored by operators across the retail spectrum. The Company�� regional malls include Sikes Senter Mall, Valley Hills Mall, Bayshore Mall and The Boulevard Mall. Its portfolio also includes regional malls that have growth through lease-up, repositioning and redevelopment. Rouse is a wholly owned subsidiary of GGP Limited Partnership (GGPLP), which is majority owned by General Growth Properties, Inc. (GGP). In February 2012, the Company purchased Grand Traverse Mall in Traverse City. In January 2013, the Company acquired the Mall at Turtle Creek and an adjacent shopping center, Turtle Creek Crossing. In July 2013, the Company announced the acquisition of Greenville Mall, in Greenville, North Carolina. In December 2013, the Company acquired Chesterfield Towne Center, in Richmond, Virginia, and the Centre at Salisbury, in Salisbury, Maryland.

The operators across the retail spectrum, including departments stores, such as Macy's, JC Penney, Sears, Dillard's, Walmart and Target; mall shop tenants, such as Hollister, Victoria's Secret, Bath & Body Works, Aeropostale, American Eagle, Children's Place, Gap/Old Navy, Footlocker, Maurices and Forever 21; restaurants ranging from food court, such as Sarku Japan, Panda Express and Chick Fil A; casual chains, such as Chipotle, Panera Bread and Starbucks, and sit down restaurants, including On The Border, Buffalo Wild Wings, Red Robin and multiple Darden concepts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Mike Arnold]

  Brookfield's public assets include a 21% stake (and potentially more given certain warrants held by Brookfield) in General Growth Properties (GGP), a 51% stake in Brookfield Office Properties (BPO), a 36% stake (again, more if certain warrants are exercised) in Rouse Properties (RSE) and 21% stake in Canary Wharf Group Plc, which is majority owned by Songbird Estates Plc (SBEPF.PK).

Top Dow Dividend Companies For 2014: PositiveID Corp (PSID)

PositiveID Corporation (PositiveID), incorporated in November 2001, is engaged in developing, marketing and selling radio frequency identification (RFID), systems used for the identification of people in the healthcare market. PositiveID is focused on providing health and security identification tools to protect consumers and businesses, operating in two segments: HealthID and ID Security. The Company�� HealthID segment is focused on the development of four products, which includes the GlucoChip, iglucose, Easy Check and the rapid flu detection system. Its ID Security segment includes the identity security suite of products, sold through its NationalCreditReport.com brand and its Health Link personal health record (PHR) business. In July 2011, it completed the sale of substantially all of the assets of NationalCreditReport.com. On May 23, 2011, the Company acquired all of the interest of MicroFluidic Systems (MicroFluidic). In November 2013, the Company sold its interest in VeriTeQ Corporation (VeriTeQ).

HealthID Segment

PositiveID�� HealthID segment product GlucoChip is a glucose-sensing microchip is developed in conjunction with Receptors LLC (Receptors). Iglucose is a self-contained unit that automatically queries a diabetic user�� data-capable glucometer for blood glucose data and sends that data via encrypted text messaging to the iglucose online database. Easy Check is a non-invasive breath glucose detection system, based on the correlation of acetone in exhaled breath to blood glucose levels. The rapid flu detection system is also developed in conjunction with Receptors. The Company�� HealthID segment also includes the VeriMed system, which uses an implantable passive RFID microchip (the VeriChip) that is used in patient identification applications. Each implantable microchip contains a verification number that is read when it is scanned by its scanner.

ID Security Segment

PositiveID�� NationalCreditReport.com business offers consu! mers a range of identity security products and services primarily on a subscription basis. These services help consumers protect themselves against identity theft or fraud and understand and monitor their credit profiles and other personal information, which include credit reports, credit monitoring and credit scores. The Company has Health Link PHR business.

Healthcare Products

PositiveID�� Healthcare products include the GlucoChip, a product that combines a glucose-sensing microtransponder. The Company has partnered with Receptors to develop an in-vivo glucose sensor to detect glucose levels in the human body. In conjunction with Receptors, the Company has completed Phase I and Phase II development of the glucose-sensing microchip and are in Phase III development. The Easy Check breath glucose test, as of January 31, 2012 is under development, is a non-invasive glucose detection system that measures acetone levels in a patient�� exhaled breath. The iglucose system uses machine to machine technology to automatically communicate a diabetic�� glucose readings to the iglucose online database.

MicroFluidic Systems

MicroFluidic specializes in the production of automated instruments for a range of applications in the detection and processing of biological samples, ranging from rapid medical testing to airborne pathogen detection for homeland security. MicroFluidic�� substantial portfolio of related to sample preparation and rapid medical testing applications are the portfolio of virus detection and diabetes management products.

Identity Security Products and Services

National Credit Report.com, LLC (NCRC) is engaged in the consumer provision of credit reports, credit score and credit monitoring products. This business provides a medium for consumers to retrieve and review their credit history, as well as monitor their credit files with one or all three of the major credit reporting bureaus: Experian, Equifax and TransUni! on. The C! ompany�� products and services are offered to consumers on a monthly subscription basis.

Health Link Personal Health Record and Other Applications

Health Link is a patient-controlled, online repository to store personal health information, such as medications, allergies, family history, previous surgeries, vaccinations and lab results. Health Link also connects the patient to a multitude of customized materials, such as personalized health education and online connectivity to caregivers. Patients can also utilize Health Link to connect with numerous Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems that are accessible through Microsoft HealthVault and Google Health. In conjunction with Raytheon Microelectronics Espana, the Company developed an eight millimetre microchip, which has functionality that is substantially equivalent to the VeriChip.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James E. Brumley]

  Ever heard of PositiveID Corp. (OTCMKTS:PSID)? Most people haven't, so don't worry if it's an unfamiliar name. What's surprising is that PSID is still a little unfamiliar to the masses at this stage of the Ebola game. It's not just a worry that we only have to worry about domestically. It's now spreading within the United States, which is a whole different ball game than preventing it from getting to the United States. This presents a real risk of pandemic spreading within our borders. PositiveID can help.

Top Dow Dividend Companies For 2014: New Mountain Finance Corp (NMFC)

New Mountain Finance Corporation, formerly New Mountain Guardian Corporation, will be a holding company with no direct operations of its own, and its only business and sole asset will be its ownership of common membership units of New Mountain Guardian Holdings, L.L.C. (NMG LLC), the operating company for its business. NMG LLC will be an externally managed finance company, which will own all of the existing assets, and will have assumed all of the existing liabilities, of the Guardian Entities following this offering.

NMG LLC will be managed by New Mountain Guardian Advisors BDC, L.L.C, a wholly-owned subsidiary of New Mountain Capital, L.L.C. (New Mountain). New Mountain focuses on investing in high-quality, defensive growth companies across its private equity, public equity and credit investment vehicles.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By alicet236]

  CEO, President and Director of New Mountain Finance Corp (NMFC) Robert Hamwee bought 15,000 shares on Aug. 13, 2013, at an average price of $14.65. The total transaction amount was $219,750.

• [By Monica Gerson]

  New Mountain Finance (NYSE: NMFC) fell 2.33% to $14.23 after the company priced 3.5 million shares at $14.57 per share for net proceeds of $51 million.

Top Dow Dividend Companies For 2014: Model N Inc (MODN)

Model N, Inc., incorporated on December 14, 1999, is a provider of revenue management solutions for the life science and technology industries. The Company�� solutions enable its customers to maximize revenues and reduce revenue compliance risk by transforming their revenue lifecycle from a series of tactical, disjointed operations into a strategic end-to-end process. The Company�� customers use its application suites to manage mission-critical functions, such as pricing, contracting, incentives and rebates. Its solutions include two complementary suites of software applications, Revenue Management Enterprise and Revenue Management Intelligence. On January 18, 2012, the Company acquired certain assets of LeapFrogRx, Inc. (LeapFrogRx), a privately held cloud-based analytics solution provider for the pharmaceutical industry.

The Company provides solutions that span the organizational and operational boundaries of functions such as sales, marketing and finance, and serve as a system of record for key revenue management processes including pricing, contracts, rebates and regulatory compliance. Its application suites are purpose-built for the life science and technology industries and are designed to work with enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM) applications that do not typically provide revenue management capabilities by enabling real-time pricing, managing contracts and automating channel incentives management, including rebates.

Revenue Management Enterprise suite

A broad set of transactional applications that serve as a system of record for, and automate the execution of revenue management processes such as incentive and rebate management, pricing and contracting. This suite includes its Price Management, Deal Management, Contract Management, Incentive and Rebate Management and Regulatory Compliance Management applications, which can be purchased together as a suite or as separate stand-alone applications.

Revenue Management Intelligence suite

A broad set of intelligence applications that provide the analytical insights to define and optimize revenue management strategies. This suite includes its Price Strategy, Brand Strategy, Channel Strategy, Managed Markets Strategy and International Reference Pricing applications, which can be purchased together as a suite or as separate stand-alone applications.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  I went out on a limb last week, and now it's time to see how that decision played out.

  I predicted that Model N (NYSE: MODN  ) would post a smaller loss than analysts were expecting. The provider of revenue management solutions has been a dud since going public nearly a year ago, but one thing it has consistently done is post a smaller deficit than what the pros are forecasting. Wall Street was settling for a loss of $0.12 a share, and Model N sported only $0.03 a share in red ink. The stock soared 19% on Tuesday after the better-than-expected report. I was right. After more than a year of predicting that the tech-heavy Nasdaq would outperform the Dow Jones Industrial Average � (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) , I mixed things up two weeks ago. I simply predicted that the Dow would bounce back after plunging 3.5% and 1.1% over the prior two weeks. I repeated the call this time around, and the Dow responded with a hearty 2.3% gain. I was right.� My final call was for LeapFrog (NYSE: LF  ) to beat Wall Street's income estimates in its latest quarter. The maker of electronic learning toys has been routinely beating Wall Street projections over the past year. I was banking on a repeat performance, but it wasn't to be. LeapFrog merely broke even on a sharper drop in revenue than expected. Analysts had been braced for a profit of $0.14 a share. I was wrong.

  Two out of three? I can do better than that. Let me once again whip out my trusty, dusty, and occasionally accurate crystal ball to make three calls that may play out over the next few trading days.

• [By Lee Jackson]

  Model N Inc. (NYSE: MODN) develops applications, such as managed care and government pricing, for life science companies and channel incentives based on design wins for technology companies. The company’s customers use its application suites to manage mission-critical functions, such as pricing, contracting, incentives and rebates. The company had a recent initial public offering (IPO) that traded as high as $24.80 before badly missing earnings and being taken to the woodshed. Deutsche Bank still rates it as a stock to buy and has a $12 price target. The consensus target is at $15. The stock closed Friday at $9.88.

Top Dow Dividend Companies For 2014: Implant Sciences Corp (IMSC)

Implant Sciences Corporation (Implant Sciences), incorporated in August 31,1984, develops, manufactures and sells sensors and systems for the security, safety and defense (SS&D) industries. Its technologies are used worldwide in security and inspection applications. Implant Sciences has developed technologies used in explosives trace detection (ETD), and and narcotics trace detection (NTD) applications and market and sell handheld ETD and benchtop ETD and NTD systems that use its technologies. The systems are used by private companies and Government agencies to screen baggage, cargo, vehicles, other objects and people for the detection of trace amounts of explosives. Implant Sciences have developed explosives detection systems designed for use in aviation and transportation security, high threat facilities and infrastructure, military installations, customs and border protection, and mail and cargo screening. The systems use the Quantum Sniffer technologies, including photon-based, non-radioactive ion source in combination with ion mobility spectrometry, a detection tool sensitive to the speeds with which ions of various substances move through the air to electronically detect minute quantities of explosives vapor and particles.

Quantum Sniffer QS-H150 Portable Explosives Detector

The Quantum Sniffer QS-H150 Portable Explosives Detector employs a vortex collector for the simultaneous detection of explosives particulates and vapors with or without physical contact and in real-time. The QS-HS150 can detect vapors and nanogram quantities of explosives particulates for explosives substances considered to be threats. The substances include military and commercial explosives, improvised and homemade explosives, and propellants and taggants.

The QS-H150 has automatic and continuous self-calibration. It monitors its environment, senses changes that would affect its accuracy, and re-calibrates accordingly. The system requires no user intervention and no calibration cons! umables. The detection process begins with the collection of a sample with its vortex collector. After collection, the sample is ionized photonically and analyzed using ion mobility spectrometer (IMS) technology. The presence of a threat substance is indicated by a visible and audible alarms. The threat substance is then identified and displayed on the integrated liquid crystal display (LCD) screen. When detecting a threat substance, the QS-H150 rapidly alarms. This real-time detection limits equipment contamination and allows for fast clear-down.

Quantum Sniffer QS-B220 Benchtop Explosives and Narcotics Detector

QS-B220 Benchtop Explosives and Narcotics Detector uses dual IMS with non-radioactive ionization for the detection and identification of a range of military, commercial, and improvised explosives as well as narcotics. The QS-B220 uses a sample trap which is wiped on the surface to be interrogated for explosives or narcotics particles.

The QS-B220 has automatic and continuous self-calibration. It monitors its environment, senses changes that would affect its accuracy, and re-calibrates accordingly.

Quantum Sniffer TM QS-Hx Portable Explosives Detector

The Company is focusing in developing a next-generation handheld detector that will use dual IMS non-radioactive ionization for the detection and identification of a range of military, commercial and improvised explosives, as well as narcotics. The QS-Hx will have automatic and continuous self-calibration, multi-level password-protected data security and will include a data management interface with data export to a network for recordkeeping, providing a link with the central command centers and logistics systems used by carriers.

Miniature Mass Spectrometer

The Company�� acquisition of Ion Metrics enabled it to obtain miniaturized quadrupole mass spectrometry (QMS) detector technology. The QMS detector is roughly the size of an AA battery and has low manufactur! ing costs! . When used in conjunction with an IMS, the QMS detector senses the molecular weight of the chemical species resulting in an orthogonal detection method in which a more fundamental characteristic of a substance is measured. It is developing interfaces for integrating the QMS detector into its future products.

Hyphenated Detectors

Depending on the application and the number of interfering background chemicals, it may be necessary to incorporate additional orthogonal detection methods. The combination of multiple sensors in series is known as employing hyphenated methods. By measuring different properties of the same species, interferents are separated from target species for a deterministic detection and identification and have minimum rates of false alarms. It is developing hyphenated systems employing conventional ion mobility, differential mobility and quadrupole mass spectrometry. As of June 30, 2012, it has one patent issued in real-time trace detection by IMS and QMS and two hyphenated system patents pending.

The Company competes with Morpho Detection, Inc., NucTech Company Limited and Smiths Detection, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James E. Brumley]

  It's not an uncompetitive market. Names like Implant Sciences Corporation (OTCMKTS:IMSC) and NXT-ID (OTCBB:NXTD) are battling in the security and facility-defense arena as well; IMSC makes explosives-detection and drug-detection hardware, while NXTD designs 3D image-rendering software that caters to the unique needs of prison security personnel, though the same technology has been proven in more traditional functions like building-security systems that keep certain people out rather than in. Neither Implant Sciences nor NXT-ID compete directly head-to-head with View Systems, however ... fortunately for them. See, VSYM is considered by some to be the best in the industry.