Top 5 Cheapest Companies To Watch For 2014

Tesla (TSLA), the upstart automaker that once could do no wrong, now can do no right.

Shares of Tesla have dropped today, with CNBC attributing the decline to rumors of a recall, according to Briefing.com. The rumors have since been dismissed as just that, but Tesla’s stock hasn’t recovered much this afternoon. It’s down 5.2% at $137.14 at 2:16 p.m., the cheapest since Aug. 7, when it closed at $134.23. That’s what happens when sentiment turns on a market darling.

Also of interest–but perhaps to only me–is what’s happening with Tesla’s volatility, or its average annualized price swings. Tesla’s 10-day volatility has surged to 113.23%, up from 47.29% on Oct. 23. Its implied volatility–that is, the amount of volatility implied by Tesla’s options–has dropped to 55.92% from 82% during the same period.

Top Regional Bank Stocks To Own For 2015: Owens-Illinois Inc.(OI)

Owens-Illinois, Inc., through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells glass container products primarily in Europe, North America, South America, and the Asia Pacific. The company produces glass containers for beer, ready-to-drink low alcohol refreshers, spirits, wine, food, tea, juice, and pharmaceuticals, as well as for soft drinks and other non-alcoholic beverages, including returnable/refillable glass containers. It serves brewers, wine vintners, distillers, and food producers. The company sells its products directly to customers under annual or multi-year supply agreements, as well as through distributors. Owens-Illinois, Inc. was founded in 1903 and is headquartered in Perrysburg, Ohio.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Eisen and Saumya Vaishampayan]

  Owens Illinois Inc. (OI) �was down 2.1% Friday. Analysts at Bank of America Merrill Lynch reportedly downgraded the glass company to neutral from buy , according to the Analyst Ratings Network.

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Owens-Illinois Inc. (NYSE: OI) was upgraded to Overweight from Neutral by J.P. Morgan, sending shares up almost 4%.

  Also see a guide to oil and stocks based up military action in Syria �prepared by UBS.

Top 5 Cheapest Companies To Watch For 2014: Zoltek Companies Inc (ZOLT)

Zoltek Companies, Inc. is a holding company, which operates through wholly owned subsidiaries, Zoltek Corporation, Zoltek Zrt., Zoltek de Mexico SA de CV, Zoltek de Occidente SA de CV, Engineering Technology Corporation (Entec Composite Machines), Zoltek Properties, Inc., and Zoltek Automotive, LLC. Zoltek Corporation (Zoltek) develops, manufactures and markets carbon fibers and technical fibers in the United States. The Company is an applied technology and advanced materials company. It commercialization of carbon fiber through composites used in a range of commercial products, which it sells under the Panex trade name. In addition to manufacturing carbon fiber, it produces an intermediate product, a stabilized and oxidized acrylic fiber used in flame- and heat-resistant applications, which it sells under the Pyron trade name. During fiscal year ended September 30, 2011 (fiscal 2011), its net sales to Vestas Wind Systems, a wind turbine manufacturer represented % of its net sales. In October 2011, Zoltek purchased a building in St. Peters, Missouri to house its prepreg operations.

Zoltek Zrt. is a Hungarian subsidiary that manufactures and markets carbon fibers and technical fibers and manufactures acrylic fiber precursor raw material used in production of carbon fibers and technical fibers. Zoltek de Mexico SA de CV and Zoltek de Occidente SA de CV are Mexican subsidiaries that manufacture carbon fiber and precursor raw material. Entec Composite Machines manufactures and markets filament winding and pultrusion equipment used in the production composite parts. The Company�� sales markets are in Europe and the United States. The Company has manufacturing plants in Nyergesujfalu, Hungary, Guadalajara, Mexico, Abilene, Texas and St. Charles, Missouri. Its Texas plant houses carbon fiber manufacturing lines and value-added processing capabilities. Its Missouri plant is engaged in the production of technical fibers for aircraft brake and other friction applications and also produces limited! amounts of carbon fibers. In addition, it has facilities in Salt Lake City, Utah where it designs and builds composite manufacturing equipment and produce resin pre-impregnated carbon fibers, called prepregs. It performs certain downstream processing, such as weaving, knitting, blending with other fibers, chopping and milling and preparation of pre-form, pre-cut stacks of fabric. In addition, its Salt Lake City-based Entec Composite Machines subsidiary designs and builds composite manufacturing equipment and markets the equipment along with manufacturing technology and materials. It also provides composite design and engineering for development of applications for carbon fiber reinforced composites.

The Company competes with Hexcel Corporation, Cytec Industries, Toray Group, Toho Tenax, Mitsubishi Chemical and SGL Carbon.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Maxx Chatsko]

  Shares of world-leading carbon fiber manufacturer�Zoltek� (NASDAQ: ZOLT  ) �have been pushed to new highs after a frantic attempt by Quinpario Partners to acquire a large position in the company. Despite being turned away by management, the fund does make valid points about the company's general lack of progress given its global scope and potential. Investors in this business built around a game-changing material may be worrying whether shares are about to fall back to earth. In the following video, Fool.com contributor Maxx Chatsko gives at least one reason for investors to think that shares can hold their current levels -- or even trek higher.

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  Toray Industries Inc.(3402.TO), the global market leader in carbon fiber, agreed to buy smaller rival Zoltek Cos.(ZOLT) in a deal valued at $584 million. The Japanese synthetic-fiber maker offered $16.75 a share, a 9.5% discount to Thurday’s close. Zoltek has struggled amid what it has called a cyclical downturn in the wind energy market. Zoltek shares dropped 10% to $16.58 in light premarket trading.

Top 5 Cheapest Companies To Watch For 2014: Barnes Group Inc (B)

Barnes Group Inc. is an international aerospace and industrial components manufacturer and logistics services company serving a range of end markets and customers. The products and services provided by Barnes Group are critical components for applications, which provide transportation, communication, manufacturing and technology. The Company operates under two global business segments: Logistics and Manufacturing Services, and Precision Components. On December 30, 2011, the Company sold its Barnes Distribution Europe (BDE) business to Berner SE. In August 2012, the Company acquired Synventive Molding Solutions.

Logistics and Manufacturing Services

Logistics and Manufacturing Services provides logistics support and repair services. Value-added logistics support services include inventory management, technical sales, and supply chain solutions for maintenance, repair, operating, and production supplies and services. Repair services provided include the manufacturing of spare parts for the refurbishment and repair of engineered components and assemblies for commercial and military aviation. Logistics and Manufacturing Services has sales, distribution, and manufacturing operations in the United States, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Mexico, Singapore, Spain and the United Kingdom. Products and services are available in more than 30 countries.

The global operations are engaged in supplying, servicing and manufacturing of maintenance, repair and operating components. Activities include logistics support through vendor-managed inventory and technical sales for stocked replacement parts and other products, catalog offerings and custom solutions, and the manufacture and delivery of aerospace aftermarket spare parts, including the revenue sharing programs (RSPs) under, which the Company receives right to supply designated aftermarket parts over the life of the related aircraft engine program, and component repairs. In addition, the manufacturing and supplying of aerospace! aftermarket spare parts, including the RSPs, are dependent upon the reliable and timely delivery of components.

Precision Components

Precision Components is a global supplier of engineered components for critical applications focused on providing solutions for a industrial, transportation and aerospace customer base. It is equipped to produce every type of precision spring, from fine hairsprings for electronics and instruments to heavy-duty springs for machinery, as well as precision-machined and fabricated components and assemblies for OEM turbine engine, airframe and industrial gas turbine builders globally, and the military. It is also a manufacturer and supplier of precision mechanical products, including precision mechanical springs, compressor reed valves and nitrogen gas products. Precision Components also manufactures punched and fine-blanked components used in transportation and industrial applications, nitrogen gas springs and manifold systems used to control stamping presses, and retention rings, which position parts on a shaft or other axis.

Precision Components has a customer base with products purchased by durable goods manufacturers located in industries, including transportation, consumer products, farm equipment, telecommunications, medical devices, home appliances and electronics, and airframe and gas turbine engine manufacturers for commercial and military jets, business jets, and land-based industrial gas turbines. Long-standing customer relationships enable Precision Components to participate in the design phase of components and assemblies, through which customers receive the benefits of manufacturing research, testing and evaluation. Products are sold through Precision Components��direct sales force and a distribution channel. Precision Components has manufacturing, sales, assembly and distribution operations in the United States, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Korea, Mexico, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand and the United Kingdo! m.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [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 Barnes Group (NYSE: B  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

• [By Dave and Donald Moenning]

  10-Year Cycle: The saving grace appears to be the 10-year cycle, which looks a bit different from the one- and four-year cycles. In short, the 10-year suggests the month will be more of a sideways affair. However, the bad news is: (a) the month is projected to end lower and (b) there is no real rally projection to speak of during the entire month.

Top 5 Cheapest Companies To Watch For 2014: Pactera Technology International Ltd (PACT)

Pactera Technology International Ltd. (Pactera), formerly HiSoft Technology International Limited, incorporated on May 27, 2004, provides global consulting and technology services. The Company provides business/information technology (IT) consulting, solutions, and outsourcing services to a range of multinational firms through a globally integrated network of onsite and offsite delivery locations in China, the United States, Europe, Australia, Japan, Singapore and Malaysia. In January 2014, Pactera Technology International Ltd announced the acquisition of Innoveo Solutions AG.

The Company�� services include business and technology advisory, enterprise application services, business intelligence, application development and maintenance, mobility, cloud computing, infrastructure management, software product engineering and globalization, and business process outsourcing. The Company�� clients include 3M, ABB, Cathay Pacific, China Merchants Bank, Citibank, EMC, Expedia, GE, HP, IBM, Lenovo, Microsoft, Mitsubishi, NEC and TIBCO.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Pactera Technology International (Nasdaq: PACT  ) reported earnings on May 23. Here are the numbers you need to know.

  The 10-second takeaway
  For the quarter ended March 31 (Q1), Pactera Technology International missed estimates on revenues and met expectations on earnings per share.

• [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 Pactera Technology International (Nasdaq: PACT  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.