5 Best Mid Cap Stocks For 2014

Are we witnessing the end of the biotech-stock boom? After coming within a hair of hitting a 52-week high on Friday, the iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology Index ETF (IBB) looks set to drop for a third consecutive day, one that would shave some 9% off the ETF this week alone.

Associated Press

Is it time to panic? Not according to Bernstein Research’s Geoffrey Porges. He writes:

While this volatility was alarming for many investors, and reminds us of the traditionally high beta of our sector, there are several reasons why we do not expect this sell-off to mark the end of the near two-year rally in the group.

Why is he so confident? For starters the selling has been indiscriminate:

[The] sell-off in recent days was broad based and…affecting stocks in direct relationship to their volatility and expected duration of negative cash flow. Small and mid cap stocks were most affected (especially post-IPO stocks), and those with major uncertain events looming (MDVN) or with significant revenue upside already built into valuation (PCYC) were among the most severely affected. However, nothing changed in the environment to suggest that those events were any more or less likely to have positive outcomes yesterday, or to suggest that revenue potential was any more or less likely to be achieved than was previously expected.

5 Best Mid Cap Stocks For 2014: Korian SA (KORI)

Korian SA is a France-based company that operates healthcare facilities and medical establishments. The Company's holdings include residential centers for the elderly (EHPAD), offering permanent social care and medical support; follow-up care and rehabilitation centers, including general and specialized centers. Korian SA's establishments are located in France, Italy and Germany via its subsidiaries, Segesta S.p.A., Phonix GmBH, Reacti Malt SAS, Sas La Normandie, Sa La Bastide de la tourne, Sas Mapadex La Roseraie, among others. In March 8, 2013, it finalized the acquisition of Curanum AG by Korian SA's Korian Deutschland AG. In February 2014, it announced the acquisition of a clinic in Florence and the sale of the psychiatry division in France comprising seven clinics and two nursing homes. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Corinne Gretler]

  Korian (KORI) declined 3.8 percent to 24.35 euros. The merger with Medica will create the largest French operator of nursing homes. Medica holders will receive Korian stock valued at about 23.01 euros a share, the companies said in a statement today. That�� 15 percent above Medica�� closing price on Nov. 15. Medica shares added 2.4 percent to 20.50 euros.

5 Best Mid Cap Stocks For 2014: Kinder Morgan Energy Partners L.P. (KMP)

Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, L.P. operates as a pipeline transportation and energy storage company in North America. Its Products Pipelines segment delivers gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, and natural gas liquids to various markets through approximately 8,600 miles of refined petroleum products pipelines; and operates 62 associated product terminals and petroleum pipeline transmix processing facilities. The company�s Natural Gas Pipelines segment gathers, transports, stores, treats, processes, and sells natural gas through approximately 33,000 miles of natural gas transmission pipelines and gathering lines, as well as natural gas storage, treating, and processing facilities. Its CO2 segment produces, markets, and transports carbon dioxide through approximately 1,500 miles of pipelines to oil fields. This segment also owns and operates 7 oil fields, and a 450 mile crude oil pipeline system in west Texas. The company�s Terminals segment transloads, stores, and delivers bulk, petroleum, petrochemical, and other liquids products through approximately 113 liquids and bulk terminal facilities; and approximately 35 rail transloading and materials handling facilities. Its Kinder Morgan Canada segment transports crude oil and refined petroleum products through approximately 2,500 miles of pipelines from Alberta, Canada to marketing terminals and refineries in British Columbia, the state of Washington, and the Rocky Mountains, as well as in the central regions of the United States. This segment also operates the Jet Fuel aviation turbine fuel pipeline that serves the Vancouver (Canada) International Airport. Kinder Morgan G.P., Inc. serves as the general partner of the company. Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, L.P. was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Robert Rapier]

  The index includes everything from behemoths like Enterprise Product Partners (NYSE: EPD) and Kinder Morgan Energy Partners (NYSE: KMP) down to a pair with market capitalizations under $1 billion in Martin Midstream Partners (NASDAQ: MMLP) and Navios Maritime Partners (NYSE: NMM). The total market cap of the index is $328 billion, and its one-, three- and five-year total returns are 20 percent, 48 percent and 194 percent. The index yield is 6 percent.

• [By David Dittman]

  Question: What is your outlook for Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP (NYSE: KMP)?

  Answer: I like Kinder Morgan Energy Partners for the long term. I like the recent purchase of tanker assets as a complement to its core energy midstream business. Management continues to invest heavily in new infrastructure. I think it’s well positioned to benefit from the continuing growth of North American energy production.
  Distribution growth guidance for 2014 is modest and could surprise to the upside, as was the case in 2013.

• [By Richard Stavros]

  Conversely, Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP (NYSE: KMP), actually trades at a discount to the owner of its general partner, Kinder Morgan Inc (NYSE: KMI). Some attribute the reason to a recent public debate over whether the MLP�� distributable cash flow is overstated because its maintenance capital is understated.�

• [By Robert Rapier]

  Kinder Morgan Energy Partners’ (NYSE: KMP) Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project would increase the current capacity of the 300,000 bpd Trans Mountain pipeline that connects Alberta to Canada’s west coast. The expansion of the current pipeline would be along the existing right-of-way, greatly simplifying the environmental permitting for the project. The project would nearly triple the existing pipeline capacity to 890,000 bpd, and would terminate in Burnaby, British Columbia. To date 710,000 bpd in shipping commitments have already been obtained. The pipeline is scheduled to begin construction in 2016 with incremental product online in 2017. This project would greatly increase the access of Alberta’s oil sands producers to the lucrative and growing markets of Asia.

Best Warren Buffett Stocks To Buy Right Now: Perficient Inc.(PRFT)

Perficient, Inc. provides information technology consulting services to various enterprise companies primarily in the United States. The company designs, builds, and delivers business-driven technology solutions using third party software products. Its solutions include business integration and service oriented architectures, enterprise portals and collaboration, custom applications, and technology platform implementations, as well as customer relationship management, enterprise performance management, enterprise content management, and business intelligence solutions. The company?s solutions enable its clients to operate a real-time enterprise that adapts business processes and the systems that support them to meet the changing demands of marketplace. Perficient, Inc. was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Saint Louis, Missouri.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap tech consulting firm Perficient, Inc (NASDAQ: PRFT) is getting deeper into the cloud computing space ��meaning it might be worth taking a closer look at it along with the performance of First Trust ISE Cloud Computing Index Fund (NASDAQ: SKYY). We have just added Perficient, Inc to our SmallCap Network Elite Opportunity (SCN EO) portfolio because we believe the company is trading at a discount to that of its small cap peers in the cloud computing space plus the stock�� fundamentals and technical chart looks attractive.

5 Best Mid Cap Stocks For 2014: IDGlobal Corp (IDGC)

ID Global Corporation (IDGC), incorporated on March 1, 2006, is a diversified holdings company with a focus on emerging and middle market investment opportunities in North America. The Company seeks to invest in emerging and private companies. The Company acts as a catalyst between the companies to raise and infuse capital when required.

The Company offers finance, social media and eco friendly products so that companies can independently manage and operate their business. IDGC through its debt and equity investments, controls interests in private companies, as well as special situation start-ups.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap stocks IDGlobal Corp (OTCMKTS: IDGC), Embarr Downs Inc (OTCMKTS: EMBR) and SourcingLink.net, Inc (OTCMKTS: SNET) have been getting some extra attention in various investment newsletters or investor alerts lately as at least two of these stocks have been the subject of paid promotions or other types of investor relations activities. Of course, there is nothing wrong with properly disclosed promotions or investor relations activities. But just how hot are these two small cap stocks? Here is a closer look and a quick reality check:

5 Best Mid Cap Stocks For 2014: Signet Jewelers Limited(SIG)

Signet Jewelers Limited operates as a specialty jewelry retailer in the United States, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, and the Channel Islands. The company retails jewelry, watches, and associated services. As of January 28, 2012, it operated a network of 1,318 stores in 50 states in the United States that trade nationally in malls and off-mall locations as ?Kay Jewelers?, and regionally under various mall-based brands, as well as operated as destination superstores under the ?Jared The Galleria Of Jewelry? trade name. The company also operated a network of 535 stores in the United Kingdom, including 14 stores in the Republic of Ireland and 3 in the Channel Islands under the ?H.Samuel?, ?Ernest Jones?, and ?Leslie Davis? trade names in high street locations and shopping malls. Signet Jewelers Limited was founded in 1950 and is based in Hamilton, Bermuda.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Kell and Lauren Pollock var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); ]

  Signet Jewelers Ltd.(SIG) on Thursday posted sales and earnings growth for its fiscal fourth quarter that topped expectations. The company also said it would raise its quarterly dividend 20% to 18 cents a share, a reflection of “the board’s confidence in the strength of the business.” Shares rose 3.5% to $101.75 premarket.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Specialty jeweler�Signet Jewelers� (NYSE: SIG  ) announced today its third-quarter dividend of $0.15 per share, the same rate it paid last quarter after raising the payout 25% from $0.12 per share.