Top International Companies To Own For 2015

Chesapeake Energy (NYSE: CHK  ) , the Oklahoma City-based oil and gas producer, recently got a new CEO. After months of searching for Aubrey McClendon's replacement, the company chose Robert Douglas ("Doug") Lawler, who previously led Anadarko Petroleum's (NYSE: APC  ) successful international and deepwater business, as chief executive.

His appointment to the top position at Chesapeake was generally well received, with most analysts expressing optimism about his ability to lead the company forward as it embarks on what it hopes will be a new era of value realization and shareholder returns.

But while there's not much doubt about Lawler's experience and abilities, is Chesapeake paying him too much?

A generous pay package
According�to a recent SEC filing, Lawler's pay package at Chesapeake this year will be at least $22 million. He will receive a base annual salary of $1.25 million, a prorated cash bonus of at least $800,000, and an additional signing bonus of $4.5 million, of which $2 million will be awarded in cash and $2.5 million in stock awards. And that's not all. �

Top International Companies To Own For 2015: 1st NRG Corp (FNRC)

1st NRG Corp., incorporated on January 18, 1988, is an exploration and production company. The Company is engaged in the development of the Clabaugh Ranch Field, which is a project developing and producing coal bed methane reserves (CBM). This project includes a development of 6,025 gross acres in the Powder River Basin in northeast Wyoming. The Company is expanding its activities into unconventional shale through a participation agreement covering approximately 7,000 acres initially and subsequently acquired acreage covering an Area of Mutual Interest in South Eastern Ohio. Its production revenues are entirely from the natural gas produced at Clabaugh Ranch.

The targeted coal seams in the Powder River Basin are part of the Tongue River Member of the Fort Union formation and have been mapped as natural resource developments and exploration have occurred throughout the region. The Company has 42 drilled wells, which have encountered developed coal seams in the Werner, Upper and Lower Smith, Wyodak/Anderson Lower, Gates and Wall formations. In total the Company has identified 515 separate coals seams for development of which only 126 (42 wells X 3 seams) have been completed.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  What�� the Catch With Quantum Energy Inc? According to various disclosures, transactions of $2k and $3.5k have or will occur to mention Quantum Energy in various investment newsletters. On Friday, Quantum Energy released the pricing of its recently announced $5,000,000 BDC funding to be arranged by Data Capital Corp (DCC) where the latter has agreed to assist the former in the formation of a Business Development Company (BDC) by forming Quantum Funding, Inc. as a BDC to raise an initial $5,000,000. Upon receipt of the funding, Quantum Funding, Inc. will then be acquired as a subsidiary by QEGY in a share exchange where the $5,000,000 subsidiary will be acquired for 10,000,000 shares of newly issued restricted common stock for a valuation of $0.50 cents per share. Otherwise and early in the month, Quantum Energy announced it was shifting its focus from the West Texas Barnett Shale fields to North Dakota with the opening of an office in Williston, North Dakota. However, a quick look on Google Finance (as there are no up to date financials on Yahoo! Finance) reveals Quantum Energy has no revenues; a net loss of $0.01M (most recent reported quarter), net income of $2.01M and a net loss of $0.02M for the past three fiscal quarters; and $0.01M in cash to cover $0.34M in current liabilities at the end of last August. Then again, the recent financing deal could get things moving for Quantum Energy next year.

  1st NRG Corp (OTCMKTS: FNRC) Gives a Drilling and Production Update

  Small cap 1st NRG Corp is an exploration and production company currently developing and producing coal bed methane reserves (CBM) in Wyoming. On Friday, 1st NRG Corp fell 25% to $0.0003 for a market cap of $5.02 million plus FNRC is down 97.1% since the start of the year and down 99.8% since July 2010 according to Google Finance.

Top International Companies To Own For 2015: RSA Insurance Group PLC (RSA)

RSA Insurance Group plc is the holding company of the RSA group of companies whose principal activity is the transaction of personal and commercial general insurance business. The Company operates in four segments: Scandinavia, Canada, United Kingdom and Western Europe, and Emerging Markets. The Company provides insurance covers for a range of renewable energy technologies, including Wind Energy, which includes onshore and offshore facilities; Solar Energy, which includes photovoltaic, concentrated and thermal installations; Small Hydro, which includes power stations producing an output up to 50 megawatt, and Bio energy, which includes Biomass, Biogas and Waste to Energy plants. The Company works with both large and small brokers. The Company works with partners, such as building societies, banks, retailers, motor manufacturers, charities, utilities and unions to offer their customers appropriate insurance products. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

  RSA Insurance Group Plc (RSA), which insures cars, homes and ships in the U.K., Scandinavia and emerging markets, rose 0.8 percent to 114.1 pence. Morgan Stanley raised its rating on the stock to overweight, the equivalent of a buy recommendation, from underweight.

• [By Sarah Jones]

  RSA Insurance Group Plc (RSA) gained 0.8 percent to 114.1 pence after Morgan Stanley upgraded the insurer to overweight from underweight, saying the share price will benefit from a stronger prospective U.K. performance. The stock has declined 9.2 percent so far this year, while the FTSE 350 Insurance Index has rallied 10 percent.

5 Best Clean Energy Stocks To Buy For 2015: Tortoise Pipeline & Energy Fund Inc (TTP)

Tortoise Pipeline & Energy Fund, Inc. (the Fund) is a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company. The Fund�� investment objective is to provide a high level of total return. It focuses to provide stockholders a vehicle to invest in a portfolio consisting of equity securities of pipeline and other energy infrastructure companies. It focuses on pipeline companies, which are engaged in the business of transporting natural gas, natural gas liquids (NGLs), crude oil and refined petroleum products, and on other energy infrastructure companies. It focus invest at least 80% of its total assets in equity securities of pipeline and other energy infrastructure companies. It may invest up to 30% of its total assets in unregistered or otherwise restricted securities, primarily through direct investments in securities of listed companies. Tortoise Capital Advisors, L.L.C. serves as the Fund�� investment adviser. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Robert Rapier]

  As I write this, Tortoise Pipeline and Energy (NYSE: TTP) trades at a discount of 15.1 percent to its underlying assets, while at the other end of the spectrum Cushing MLP Total Return Fund (NYSE: SRV) trades at a 17.4 percent premium. The average MLP closed-end fund listed trades at a 4.9 percent discount, which is perhaps reasonable given the loss of certain tax advantages and the fact that management fees will eat into returns.

Top International Companies To Own For 2015: Agree Realty Corp (ADC)

Agree Realty Corporation, incorporated in December 1993, is a self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT). The Company�� operations are conducted through, directly or indirectly, Agree Limited Partnership (Operating Partnership), of which the Company is the sole general partner, and in which it 96.59% interest as of December 31, 2011. The Company is focused primarily on the ownership, development, acquisition and management of retail properties net leased to national tenants. It specializes in acquiring and developing single tenant net leased retail properties for industry retail tenants. As of December 31, 2011, approximately 96% of its annualized base rent was derived from national tenants and regional tenants. At December 31, 2011, its portfolio consisted of 87 properties, located in 21 states containing an aggregate of approximately 3.6 million square feet of gross leasable area (GLA). At December 31, 2011, its portfolio included 75 freestanding single tenant net leased properties and 12 community shopping centers that were 92.7% leased. All of its freestanding property tenants and the majority of its community shopping center tenants have triple-net leases, which require the tenant to be responsible for property operating expenses, including property taxes, insurance and maintenance. In December 2012, the Company acquired LA Fitness and an AutoZone. In January 2013, the Company acquired 317 South State Street for redevelopment. In December 2012, the Company acquired a portfolio of four Applebee's restaurants, as well as an Advance Auto Parts. In Jnauary 2013, the Company sold Walgreens on Michigan Avenue in Ypsilanti , Michigan. In January 2013, it acquired Dick's Sporting Goods and Petsmart in St. Joseph, Missouri. In March 2013, it acquired three single tenant assets leased to retailers. In May 2013, the Company acquired two single tenant assets leased to Petsmart and Starbucks. In June 2013, Agree Realty Corp announced that it has acquired two single tenant assets ! leased to Wal-Mart Stores and AutoZone. In August 2013, Agree Realty Corporation acquired four single tenant assets leased to industry retailers. In September 2013, Agree Realty Corporation acquired an 112,230 square foot BJ's Wholesale Club located on Airport Road South in Allentown, Pennsylvania. In November 2013, Agree Realty Corp acquired two assets net leased to The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and Mattress Firm, Inc. In January 2014, the Company acquired Cannon Station in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia. In February 2014, the Company announced the acquisition of two net lease properties and sale of Ironwood Commons shopping center.

In January 2011, the Company acquired a retail property net leased to AT&T located at the northwest corner of New Centre Drive and South College Road in Wilmington, North Carolina. In October 2011, it acquired a retail property leased on a long-term basis to Kohl's Department Stores, Inc. in Salt Lake City, Utah. In December 2011, the Company acquired Wawa convenience store and fuel station in Baltimore, Maryland, as well as a Walgreens pharmacy in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, and a CVS pharmacy in Leawood, Kansas. In May 2012, the Company acquired a 133,000 square foot retail property ground leased to Lowe's Home Improvement in Portland, Oregon. In June 2012, the Company sold the Charlevoix Commons shopping center in Charlevoix. In June 2012, the Company acquired a store leased to Dollar General Market in Cochran, Georgia, as well as the fee interest in the land underlying its Walgreens store in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In July 2012, the Company acquired a portfolio of three Wawa convenience and fuel stores. The stores are located in Clifton Heights, Pennsylvania, Newark, Delaware and Vineland, New Jersey and are master leased by Wawa. In July 2012, it acquired auto service store in Fort Mill, South Carolina leased to Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. In August 2012, the Company closed on the acquisition of a parcel of land in Pinellas County, Florida. In August 2012,! the Comp! any sold Plymouth Commons shopping center and the Shawano Plaza shopping center. In September 2012, it acquired a Family Dollar store in Spartanburg, South Carolina, a USAA Financial Services Center in Jacksonville, North Carolina and an AutoZone store in Springfield, Illinois. In September 2012, it disposed its remaining assets that were formerly leased to Borders. In September 2012, the Company acquired a a parcel of land in Casselberry, Florida for the development of gas and convenience retailing. In November 2012, the Company acquired a Harris Teeter supermarket in Charlotte, North Carolina. In November 2012, the Company acquired a Big Lots store and a Dollar General Market.

Freestanding Properties

At December 31, 2011, the Company's 75 operating freestanding properties were leased to Walgreens (30), Rite Aid (7), CVS (6), Kmart (2), JP Morgan Chase (3), Los Tres Amigos (1), Dick�� Sporting Goods (1), Lake Lansing RA Associates, LLC (1), Meijer (1), Wal-Mart (Sam�� Club) (1), Kohl�� (2), PNC Bank (1), Lowe�� (1), Off Broadway Shoes (1), Wawa (1), Simply Amish (1), Advance Auto (1), Aldi (1), Natural Grocers (1), AT&T (1), TBC Tire stores (2), Books-A-Million (1), and vacant (8). Its freestanding properties provided $23,953,036, or approximately 70.4%, of its annualized base rent as of December 31, 2011, at an average base rent per square foot of $14.10. These properties contain, in the aggregate, 1,697,953 square feet of GLA or approximately 48% of its total GLA as of December 31, 2011. Of its 75 operating freestanding properties, 47 were developed by the Company. Its freestanding properties had a weighted average remaining lease term of 14.8 years as of December 31, 2011. The Company�� freestanding properties range in size from range in size from 3,215 to 170,393 square feet of GLA and are located in Arizona (one), California (one), Connecticut (one), Florida (one), Georgia (two), Illinois (four), Indiana (two), Kansas (four), Maryland (three), Michigan (36), Neb! raska (tw! o), New Jersey (one), New York (two), North Carolina (two), Ohio (two), Oklahoma (one), Pennsylvania (one), Texas (one), and Utah (one).

Community Shopping Centers

The Company�� 12 community shopping centers range in size from 20,000 to 241,458 square feet of GLA. The community shopping centers are located in five states: Florida (one), Illinois (one), Kentucky (one), Michigan (six) and Wisconsin (three). The Company�� community shopping centers are located in high traffic centers, in which customers of its tenants purchase day-to-day necessities. The Company�� community shopping centers are anchored by national tenants.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Brad Thomas]

  In the Triple-Net classroom, I consider Agree Realty (ADC) to be a "terrific kid." Like my younger bambino, Agree does not set any big records but they always show up ready to perform the best, every day.

Top International Companies To Own For 2015: UniSource Energy Corporation(UNS)

UniSource Energy Corporation engages in the electric generation and energy delivery businesses. The company?s TEP segment generates, transmits, and distributes electricity to approximately 403,000 retail electric customers, including residential, commercial, industrial, and public sector customers in southeastern Arizona. It also sells electricity to other utilities and power marketing entities. As of December 31, 2010, this segment owned or leased 2,245 MW of net generating capacity, as well as owned or participated in electric transmission and distribution system consisting of 512 circuit-miles of 500-kV lines; 1,087 circuit-miles of 345-kV lines; 379 circuit-miles of 138-kV lines; 478 circuit-miles of 46-kV lines; and 2,621 circuit-miles of lower voltage primary lines. TEP segment generates electricity from coal, gas, oil, and solar sources. The company?s UNS Gas segment distributes gas to approximately 146,500 retail customers in Mohave, Yavapai, Coconino, and Navajo c ounties in northern Arizona, as well as Santa Cruz County in southeastern Arizona. As of December 31, 2010, this segment?s transmission and distribution system consisted of approximately 30 miles of steel transmission mains, 4,211 miles of steel and plastic distribution piping, and 136,439 customer service lines. The company?s UNS Electric segment transmits and distributes electricity to approximately 91,000 retail customers consisting of residential, commercial, and industrial customers in Mohave and Santa Cruz counties. As of December 31, 2010, UNS Electric?s transmission and distribution system consisted of approximately 56 circuit-miles of 115-kV transmission lines, 271 circuit-miles of 69-kV transmission lines, and 3,599 circuit-miles of underground and overhead distribution lines. This segment also owns the 65 MW Valencia plant, as well as 39 substations having an installed capacity of 1,788,050 kilovolt amperes. The company was founded in 1902 and is based in Tucson, Arizona.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Equities Trading UP
  UNS Energy (NYSE: UNS) shot up 27.75 percent to $58.56 after the company agreed to be acquired by Fortis Utility Group for $60.25 per share in cash.

Top International Companies To Own For 2015: Mapfre SA (MAP)

Mapfre SA is a Spain-based holding company active in the insurance industry. It provides insurance services to businesses, professionals and individuals. The range of the Company�� products and services includes insurance policies of direct life, property and casualty, health, automotive and third party liability, among others. In addition, Mapfre SA is active in the management of pension funds, retirement plans and investment funds, as well as the provision of healthcare services in Spain. The Company is a parent of Grupo Mapfre, which comprises a number of entities active in the insurance, reinsurance, financial and real estate sectors with operations established worldwide. The Company operates such subsidiaries as Mapfre Familiar, Mapfre Vida, Mapfre Emperesas, MSG Portugal, Mapfre America, Mapfre Internatcional, Mapfre Re, Mapfre Global Risks and Mapfre Asistencia, among others. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ruth David]

  Bankia, a Valencia-based bank that took state aid, did the third-biggest placing last quarter, when it dumped a 979 million-euro stake in Mapfre (MAP), Spain�� largest insurer. Bankia said the sale was a step in implementing its parent company�� strategy for the three years through 2015.

• [By Tom Stoukas]

  Mapfre SA (MAP) slid 3.1 percent to 2.67 euros. Bankia SA sold a 12 percent stake, or 369.6 million shares, in Spain�� biggest insurer.

  Centrica Slides

  Centrica Plc (CNA), the largest energy supplier to U.K. homes, lost 2.3 percent to 366.9 pence. JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded the shares to neutral from overweight, citing proposals from Britain�� Labour Party to freeze energy bills and break up the country�� six biggest power suppliers.

Top International Companies To Own For 2015: Universal Truckload Services Inc (UACL)

Universal Truckload Services, Inc., incorporated on December 11, 2001, is engaged in providing transportation services to shippers throughout the United States and in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The Company�� over-the-road trucking services include both flatbed and dry van operations and it provides rail-truck and steamship-truck intermodal support services. It also offers truck brokerage services, as well as full service international freight forwarding and customs house brokerage services. The Company provides truckload transportation and related services for a range of general commodities over irregular routes using dry and specialty vans and un-sided trailers, including flatbed, drop deck, and specialty. In December 2013, the Company announced that it has completed acquisition of Westport Axle Corporation.

The Company primarily operates through a contractor network of agents and owner-operators who provide the Company with approximately 3,100 tractors and approximately 3,000 trailers. At December 31, 2011, the Company had approximately 565 agents. The Company conducts its operations through its wholly owned operating subsidiaries under the brand names, such as Universal Am-Can, Ltd., Mason & Dixon Lines, Inc., Louisiana Transportation Inc., Mason Dixon Intermodal, Inc., Economy Transport, Inc., Great American Lines, Inc., Universal Logistics Solutions, Inc., Universal Logistics Solutions International, Inc. and Cavalry Transportation, LLC.

The Company provides services in three categories, such as truckload services, brokerage services and intermodal support services. The Company transports a range of general commodities, including machinery, building materials, paper, food, consumer goods, automotive parts, furniture, steel and other metals. During the year ended December 31, 2011, its truckload operations represented 60.5%, of its operating revenues.

The Company provides primarily broker freight to third-party transportation providers th! rough its agent network at times when the Company generates more freight business than it can service with its available owner-operators. The Company offers full service international freight forwarding and customs house brokerage services, as well as third-party logistic services. During 2011, its brokerage services represented 24.8%, of its operating revenues. Its intermodal support services are primarily short-to-medium distance delivery of rail and steamship containers between the railhead or port and the customer and drayage services. During 2011, its intermodal support services represented 14.7% of its operating revenues.

The Company�� agents provide the primary interaction with its shippers. They generate freight shipments and also provide terminal and dispatch services for the owner-operators and are an essential source for recruitment of new owner-operators. The agents use a company-provided software program to list available freight procured by the agent, dispatch owner-operators to haul the freight and provide all administrative information necessary for it to establish the credit arrangements for each shipper. The owner-operators are individuals who own, operate and maintain one or more tractors that they either provide drivers, or drive themselves. The Company�� owner-operators provide it with approximately 3,100 tractors. Owner-operators also may own trailers that they provide the Company in addition to their tractor and driving services. As of December 31, 2011, its owner-operators provided approximately 3,000 trailers, which represent over 50% of the trailers the Company use in its business.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sean Williams]

  What: Shares of Universal Truckload Services (NASDAQ: UACL  ) , a North American provider of trucking and logistics solutions, jumped as much as 12% after receiving an upgrade from BB&T�Capital Markets.

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Calling all cash flows
  When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Universal Truckload Services (Nasdaq: UACL  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

Top International Companies To Own For 2015: Dejour Energy Inc (DEJ)

Dejour Energy Inc. is engaged in the business of acquiring, exploring and developing energy projects with a focus on oil and gas exploration in Canada and the United States. The Company holds approximately 113,000 net acres of oil and gas leases in the Peace River Arch of northwestern British Columbia and northeastern Alberta, Canada and the Piceance, Paradox and Uinta Basins in the United States Rocky Mountains. The Company has 71.43% working interest in this 3,014 acre (gross) project located south of Roan Creek. The Company also has 71.43% working interest in this 18,000 acre (gross) project located north of the Rangely Field, is prospective for oil in the Lower Mancos (Niobrara), Dakota, Morrison and Phosphoria formations. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  Vancouver, BC, Dec. 16, 2013 — (CRWE Press Release) — Dejour Energy Inc. (NYSE MKT:DEJ) (TSX:DEJ), an independent oil and natural gas exploration and production company operating in North America’s Piceance Basin and Peace River Arch regions, today announces that it has signed a Letter of Intent to create a strategic joint venture partnership with a private Singapore based energy company (��ECO�� to develop the company�� Colorado oil and gas assets.

  Upon completion of due diligence, legal documentation and requisite approvals expected prior to January 31, 2014, SECO will invest an initial sum of up to $27.5mm in 2014 and 2015 to earn an 85% share in Dejour�� interests in its Colorado properties, primarily Kokopelli, subject to certain interest claw backs available to Dejour. Following this capital investment by SECO, the partners will continue to judiciously develop the reserves on a pro rata basis.

  The terms of the agreement include a capital injection to Dejour of approximately US$ 4.5mm, including cash and assumption of certain liability agreements on outstanding debt and the 100% development funding of an initial $10.5mm in capital expenditures in 2014 with a further $12mm in 2015, targeting Kokopelli, subject to certain provisions. Additionally, SECO will assume 85% of the ongoing overhead of Dejour�� U.S. operations and joint project management during the initial period. SECO will also share responsibility to maintain the other Dejour U.S. leases in good standing on a pro rata ownership basis or return them to Dejour in a timely fashion. Dejour will remain the operator of record.

  ��ECO shares Dejour�� value proposition relating to the company�� U.S. E&P portfolio. This partnership will bring many strategic advantages to Dejour: minimizing capital requirement in the short term, bolstering the company�� balance sheet and long term US cash flow, the provision of flexibility for Dejour to pursue new

Top International Companies To Own For 2015: Simplicity Bancorp Inc (SMPL)

Simplicity Bancorp Inc., formerly K-Fed Bancorp, is a federally-chartered stock holding company. K-Fed Bancorp is a wholly owned subsidiary of K-Fed Mutual Holding Company (the MHC), a federally-chartered mutual holding company. K-Fed Bancorp operates through its subsidiary, Kaiser Federal Bank (the Bank), a federally chartered stock savings bank, which provides retail and commercial banking services to individuals and business customers from its nine branch and financial service center locations throughout California. The Bank is a community-oriented financial institution offering a variety of financial services. The Bank�� principal business activity consists of attracting retail deposits from the general public and originating primarily loans secured by first mortgages on owner-occupied one-to-four family residences and multi-family residences located in its market area and, to a lesser extent, automobile and other consumer loans. Its revenues are derived principally from interest on loans and mortgage-backed and related securities. It also generates revenue from service charges and other income. The Bank offers a variety of deposit accounts having a range of interest rates and terms, which generally include savings accounts, money market accounts, demand deposit accounts and certificate of deposit accounts with varied terms ranging from 90 days to 5 years.

Lending Activities

The Bank originates consumer loans, primarily automobile loans. As of June 30, 2010, its net loan portfolio totaled $758 million, which constituted 87.4% of its total assets. As of June 30, 2010, the Bank�� first lien one-to-four family residential mortgage loans totaled $335.6 million, or 43.5%, of its gross loan portfolio. It originates one-to-four family mortgage loans on a fixed rate and adjustable rate basis. As of June 30, 2010, the Bank�� one-to-four family adjustable rate mortgage loan portfolio totaled $58.6 million, or 7.6% of its gross loan portfolio. As of June 30, 2010, the fixed r! ate one-to-four family mortgage loan portfolio totaled $276.9 million, or 35.9% of its gross loan portfolio. Included in non-accrual loans at June 30, 2010, were $2.9 million in adjustable rate one-to-four family mortgage loans and $21.9 million in fixed rate one-to-four family mortgage loans.

The Bank also offers multi-family residential real estate loans. These loans are secured by real estate located in its primary market areas, within the state of California. As of June 30, 2010, multi-family residential loans totaled $278.4 million, or 36.1%, of its gross loan portfolio, and consists of 415 loans outstanding with an average loan balance of approximately $670,000. It offers a variety of secured consumer loans, including home equity lines of credit, new and used automobile loans, and loans secured by savings deposits. It also offers a limited amount of unsecured loans. At June 30, 2010, the Bank�� consumer loan portfolio, exclusive of automobile loans, totaled $13.8 million, or 1.8%, of its gross loan portfolio.

Investment Activities

The Bank is authorized to invest in various types of liquid assets, including the United States Treasury obligations, securities of various federal agencies, certain certificates of deposit of insured banks and savings institutions, certain bankers��acceptances, repurchase agreements and federal funds. At June 30, 2010, the Bank�� investment portfolio totaled $6 million and consisted principally of investment grade collateralized mortgage obligations and mortgage-backed securities. It invests in mortgage-backed securities insured or guaranteed by Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) or Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae). As of June 30, 2010, it also had an investment in an affordable housing fund totaling $1.2 million.

Sources of Funds

The Bank�� sources of funds are deposits, payment of principal and interest ! on loans,! interest earned on or maturity of investment securities, borrowings, and funds provided from operations. It offers a variety of deposit accounts to consumers with a range of interest rates and terms. Its deposits consist of time deposit accounts, savings, money market and demand deposit accounts. The Bank�� borrowings consist of advances from the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco. It may obtain advances from the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco upon the security of its mortgage loans and mortgage-backed securities. As of June 30, 2010, the Bank had $137 million in Federal Home Loan Bank advances outstanding. At June 30, 2010, it had available additional advances from the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) of San Francisco in the amount of $219.1 million.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tim Melvin]

  HBCP stock is trading at 94% of book value and is very attractive at the current price.

  Simplicity Bancorp (SMPL)

  Simplicity Bancorp (SMPL) in Covina, Calif., started out decades ago as a credit union for employees of the Kaiser Foundation Hospital. It has since grown to a nine-branch bank with $834 million in assets. SMPL had its conversion IPO back in 2010, and is an extremely attractive takeover target right now. The bank’s equity-to-asset ratio is 16, and nonperforming assets are less than 2% of the total, so that’s a solid financial condition to be in.

Top International Companies To Own For 2015: WageWorks Inc (WAGE)

WageWorks, Inc., incorporated on January 28, 2000, is an on-demand provider of tax-advantaged programs for consumer-directed health, commuter and other employee spending account benefits (CDBs), in the United States. The Company administers and operates a broad array of CDBs, including spending account management programs such as health and dependent care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs), and commuter benefits, such as transit and parking programs. The Company delivers its CDB programs through a scalable delivery model that employer clients and their employee participants may access through a standard Web browser on any Internet-enabled device, including computers, smart phones and other mobile devices such as tablet computers. In January 2013, the Company acquired Benefit Concepts, Inc.

The Company focuses on providing CDB programs to employer clients of any size. It provides marketing programs that are designed to maxmize employee participation in its employer clients��CDB offerings. The Company markets and sells its CDB programs through multiple channels, including direct sales to enterprises, direct sales and through brokers to small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), and direct sales to industry purchasing and affiliate groups and through channel partners.

Its SMB distribution channel complements its enterprise sales channel and consists of third party advisors, including insurance agents and benefits consultants who typically have two to three enterprise clients and several hundred smaller employer clients, and institutional resellers, including regional and national insurance carriers, health plans, payroll providers, commercial banks and third-party administrators (TPAs). The Company also sells its programs through group purchasing organizations in which the Company negotiate a standard service contract with group purchasing organizations that are formed by industry specific employers to cov! er their members.

The Company competes with TASC, Inc, Aetna, UHC, Aon Hewitt, ADP, Ceridian, CDBs and Bank of America.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  On Wednesday, small cap employee flexible spending account facilitator Wageworks Inc (NYSE: WAGE) rose 12.22% despite a secondary offering that effectively rewarded insiders plus the stock has tripled since last March. However, Wageworks��CEO recently said in a�conference call last week that he believes the�private health care exchanges related to Obamacare are expanding�the company���market plus WAGE also raised its forecast for full-year growth. So�does that make this small cap a buy?�