Top 10 Information Technology Stocks To Own For 2014

In fiscal 2013, Cisco continued its success in its data center business. The company designs numerous products related to the communication and information technology industry worldwide. It also manufactures and sells Internet Protocol and other solutions.

Cisco provides switching and storage products that enable end users connectivity. The company provides solutions for local-area and wide-area networks. Headquartered in San Jose, Calif., Cisco provides technical support and advanced services. It also offers wireless and network-managed services and data center products.

Financial Results

For the first six months of 2014, Cisco outperformed the majority its peers from a revenue growth perspective. It recorded revenues of $23.2 billion, compared with $24.0 billion for the first six months of fiscal 2013. Its non-GAAP net income for the first six months of 2014 was $5.4 billion, compared with $5.3 billion for the same period in the prior year. The company�� cash flow from operations was $2.9 billion for the last quarter, compared with $2.6 billion for the first quarter. The company repurchased stocks for an aggregate purchase price of $4.0 billion during the second quarter.

Top 10 Restaurant Stocks For 2015: Metals USA Holdings Corp. (MUSA)

Metals USA Holdings Corp., through its subsidiaries, provides carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminum and specialty metals, and manufactured metal components in the United States and Canada. It operates in three segments: Plates and Shapes, Flat Rolled and Non-Ferrous, and Building Products. The Plates and Shapes segment processes and sells steel plates and structural beams, bars, angles, and tubes. This segment provides processing services, such as cutting, cambering/leveling, punching, bending, shearing, cut-to-length, blast and paint, and tee-splitting. It serves customers in the the electrical and appliance manufacturing, fabrication, furniture, commercial construction, machinery and equipment, land and marine transportation, energy, and aerospace industries. The Flat Rolled and Non-Ferrous segment processes and sells flat rolled carbon and stainless steel, aluminum, brass, and copper in various alloy grades. This segment offers processing services, such as slitting, p recision blanking, leveling, cut-to-length, punching, and shearing. It serves customers in the electrical and appliance manufacturing, fabrication, furniture, machinery and equipment, transportation, and aerospace industries. The Building Products segment produces and distributes aluminum and steel building products consisting of covered canopies and walkways, awnings, sunrooms, solariums, and other products primarily for the commercial and residential building products industries. The company is headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By David Tristan Liu]

  Murphy USA (MUSA) first caught my attention after Southeastern Asset Management acquired a massive stake ($668mm) in its former parent company Murphy Oil Corporation (MUR) in Q1 2013. One thing about Murphy Oil Corporation I noticed after an initial glance through their 10-K and annual report was its ownership of a valuable fuel and convenience retailer segment with high ROIC, valuable real estate, low CAPEX requirements, and relatively decent growth prospects that was under-followed and whose underlying value was concealed by the parent company's core production and exploration business.

Top 10 Information Technology Stocks To Own For 2014: FAB Universal Corp (FU)

FAB Universal Corp.(FAB), formerly Wizzard Software Corporation, incorporated on July 1, 1998, operates in two segments: Software and Media Services. The Software segment engages primarily in the development, sale, and service of custom and packaged computer software products. The Media Services provides podcast hosting, content management tools and advertising services. The Company�� software segment attributes revenues from the development, sale, and service of custom and packaged computer software products at the time the product is shipped and collections are likely and from digital media publishing services at the time the service is provided. Its media segment attributes revenue from digital media publishing service at the time the service is provided and collection is likely. As of September 30, 2012, the Company does not have any inter-segment revenues. On October 12, 2012, it opened a 20,000 square foot Flagship superstore in the Beijing shopping district of SoShow. On September 26, 2012, the Company completed the acquisition of Digital Entertainment International Ltd. (DEI). As of September 30,2012, the Company discontinued its Future Healthcare of America (FHA).

The Company specializes in the distribution of entertainment and audio visual products through its two flagship stores in Beijing as well as its online stores. DEI, through its wholly owned subsidiary and its VIE, is engaged in marketing and distributing various officially licensed digital entertainment products under the FAB brand, including products such as digital music files, Compact Discs(CD), Video Compact Discs (VCD) and Digital Video Disks (DVD) as well as books, magazines, mobile phone accessories and cameras. DEI�� products and services are primarily distributed through its flagship stores, wholesale services, FAB kiosks, and online virtual stores. FAB kiosks, located in high-traffic areas of office buildings, shopping malls, retail stores and airports, are self-service terminals that provide a range of en! tertainment and consumer applications. Its Media is primarily engaged in operating and providing multimedia kiosks for music downloads information exchange and advertising.

MEDIA

The Company distributes over 150,000 media based products including copyrighted DVD��, Blu-ray Discs, music CD��, video games and downloadable digital content through three distribution channels: wholesale and retail, licensing and kiosks. It conducts their retail business through their flagship stores. Each store has over 20,000 square feet in size and carries the selection of copyrighted audio and video products in China, including CDs, VCDs, DVDs, blu-rays, books, magazines and portable electronic devices. It markets their products to individual consumers and audio-video retailers. The flagship stores are recognized by many Chinese consumers as the right place to buy copyright protected products. Celebrity signing events are the driver to FAB�� retail stores which have been used as a venue for Chinese music and movie stars to meet their fans. Its SoShow flagship provides Beijing shoppers with its audio-video hypermarket. As a preferred venue for product announcements, publishing parties, studio releases, author readings, movie showings, live promotional performances and concerts, its SoShow outlet is one of China�� ultra-modern entertainment destination for music lovers, film buffs, game enthusiasts, and early electronic adopters.

The Company's wholesale distribution provides audio-video products such as compact discs, video compact discs and digital video discs as well as books and magazines to audio-video products retailers. It distributes these media products to over 80 customers including Sohu (NASDAQ: SOHU), Dangdang (NYSE: Dang) and Century Outstanding Information Technology Company, a subsidiary of Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN). Its wholesale business caters to three types of customers: retail stores, FAB license stores and small wholesale/resellers. Customers place orders by! telephon! e, through the Internet or in-person and fulfillment is handled by its vehicle fleet or through direct warehouse access. As of September 30, 2012, the Company has over 100 suppliers and 80 wholesale customers, including the Government.

Its Intelligent Media Kiosks are based on 61 national intellectual property rights, are automated teller machine (ATM) style terminals where consumers can download copyrighted music, video games, ringtones, digital books and movies directly to their cell phones, memory sticks or other mobile storage devices. Its Media Kiosks can also run video ads on the high-tech liquid crystal display (LCD) screens and accept payments for utility bills, metro cards, and credit card bills. It is a self-service vending kiosk designed and launched by the Company. The kiosks target the millions of mobile and portable device users combing interactive touch screen and LED display with a selection of copyrighted content such as music, movies and games. There are thousands of licensed digital entertainment content items in each kiosk, such as music, movie and TV episodes, which allows the customer to play or download to their portable device or memory card with payment by cash, its membership card or ATM card. It has deployed over 11,000 kiosks through their licensing program. The kiosks are located in high-traffic areas, such as office buildings, shopping malls, and retail stores. It generates revenues from its Intelligent Media Kiosk business through the sale of licenses and then through ongoing media content download, media membership card sales and kiosk-based advertising.

SPEECH TECHNOLOGY & SERVICES GROUP

Its legacy Speech Technology & Services Group sells and licenses speech programming tools, related speech products and services, and distributable speech engines in over 13 languages worldwide. It receives the majority of its sales leads through arrangements with AT&T, as well as through its own Internet marketing efforts through Google, Yahoo and! other In! ternet search engines. The Speech Technology and Services Group's immediate focus is to increase revenue and be a preferred supplier for speech technologies to businesses worldwide, emphasize great technologies, competitive prices, and support to the speech development community and offer non-technical hosted speech conversion services to companies.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jayson Derrick]

  Shares of FAB Universal (NYSE: FU) have been halted premarket, and remained as such throughout the duration of the trading day. There is no indication when shares would resume trading.

Top 10 Information Technology Stocks To Own For 2014: HSBC USA Inc (LSC)

HSBC USA Inc.( HSBC USA), incorporated on September 26, 1973, is a is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of HSBC North America Holdings Inc. (HSBC North America), which is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of HSBC Holdings plc (HSBC). HSBC USA�� principal business is to act as a holding company for its subsidiaries. The Company operates in four reportable segments: Retail Banking and Wealth Management (RBWM) (formerly Personal Financial Services), Commercial Banking (CMB), Global Banking and Markets and Private Banking (PB). In January 2011, the Company acquired Halbis Capital Management (USA) Inc (Halbis), an asset management business, from an affiliate, Halbis Capital Management (UK) Ltd. In April 2011, the Company completed the sale of its European Banknotes Business.

Through its subsidiaries, the Company offers a comprehensive range of personal and commercial banking products and related financial services. HSBC Bank USA, National Association (HSBC Bank USA), its principal United States (U.S) banking subsidiary, is a national banking association with banking branch offices and/or representative offices in 14 states and the District of Columbia. In addition to its domestic offices, the Company maintains foreign branch offices, subsidiaries and/or representative offices in the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, Latin America and Canada. Its customers include individuals, including net worth individuals, small businesses, corporations, institutions and governments. The Company also engages in mortgage banking and serve as an international dealer in derivative instruments denominated in U.S. dollars and other currencies, focusing on structuring of transactions to meet client�� needs.

Retail Banking and Wealth Management Segment

The Company Through its 461 branches (115 of which are in New York City), RBWM provides banking and wealth products and services, including personal loans, MasterCard and Visa credit card loans, deposits, branch services and financi! al planning products and services such as mutual funds, investments and insurance.

Commercial Banking Segment

The Company's Commercial banking Segment serves the growing number of united States companies that are increasingly in need of international banking and financial products and services as well as foreign companies in need of United States products and services. Commercial Banking offers comprehensive domestic and international services and banking, insurance and investment products to companies, government entities and non-profit organizations, with a particular emphasis on geographical collaboration to meet the banking needs of its international business customers. Commercial banking provides loan and deposit products, payments and cash management services, merchant services, trade and supply chain, corporate finance, global markets and risk advisory products and services to small businesses and middle-market corporations, including specialized products such as real estate financing. Commercial banking also offers various credit and trade related products such as standby facilities, performance guarantees and acceptances

Global Banking and Markets Segment

The Company�� Global Banking and Markets business segment supports HSBC�� emerging markets-led and financing-focused global strategy by leveraging HSBC Group advantages and scale, strength in developed and emerging markets and Global Markets products in order to focus on delivering international products to the United States clients and local products to international clients, with New York as the hub for the Americas business, including Canada and Latin America. Global Banking and Markets provides tailored financial solutions to government, corporate and institutional clients as well as private investors worldwide.Managed as a global business, Global Banking and Markets clients are served by sector-focused teams that bring together relationship managers and product specialists to dev! elop fina! ncial solutions that meet individual client needs.

Private Banking Segment

The Company�� private banking provides private banking and trustee services to high net worth individuals and families with local and international needs. Accessing the suitable products from the marketplace, private bank works with its clients to offer both traditional and new ways to manage and preserve wealth while optimizing returns. Private bank offers a range of wealth management and specialist advisory services, including banking, liquidity management, investment services, custody services, tailored lending, wealth planning, trust and fiduciary services, insurance, family wealth and philanthropy advisory services.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By DCResearch]

  The opportunity exists because the once-thriving secondary/tertiary life settlement market has been all but abandoned by institutional investors, scared off by litigious insurers like Phoenix and a lack of manufactured policies. My research indicates that this undue pessimism towards life settlement contracts (LSC) has begun to reverse itself, or has at least stabilized. Investors who are far smarter than me are snapping up contracts and policies, seeking to capitalize on the uncorrelated, and excessive, IRRs. These investors seem to agree with our thesis that life settlements should outperform most other asset classes over a long enough time period.

Top 10 Information Technology Stocks To Own For 2014: Want Want China Holdings Ltd (WWNTF)

Want Want China Holdings Limited is an investment holding company. The principal activities of the Company and its subsidiaries are the manufacturing, distribution and sale of rice crackers, dairy products and beverages, snack foods and other products. The Company segments include manufacturing and sale of Rice crackers, including sugar coated crackers, savoury crackers and fried crackers; dairy products and beverages, including flavored milk, yogurt drinks, ready-to-drink coffee, juice drinks, carbonated drinks, herbal tea and milk powder; snack foods, including candies, popsicles and jellies, ball cakes and beans and nuts, and other products, mainly including wine and other food products. Its operations are located in the People�� Republic of China, with the rest located in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan. As of December 31, 2011, its subsidiaries included Want Want Holdings Ltd., Long Wave Foods Limited, Want-Want Foods Limited and others. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WWW.MARKETWATCH.COM]

  HONG KONG (MarketWatch) -- Hong Kong stocks swung between small gains and losses early Thursday after hitting a seven-month high in the previous session, with the Hang Seng Index (HK:HSI) down less than 0.1%. Most mainland Chinese property developers outperformed the markets, with Guangzhou R&F Properties Co. (HK:2777) (GZUHF) rallying 3.4%, after the company reported a 44% month-on-month jump in sales for June. Shimao Property Holdings Ltd. (HK:0813) (SIOPF) climbed 2.6%, and China Resources Land Ltd. (HK:1109) (CRBJF) rose 1.7%. However, several retailers were weak, as Want Want China Holdings Ltd. (HK:0151) (WWNTF) , the country's top food and beverage maker, declined 2%. Hong Kong-based cosmetics brand Sa Sa International Holdings (HK:0178) (SAXJF) fell 1.6%, with a decline in Chinese June non-manufacturing data helping weigh on some retailers. Over on the Chinese mainland, the Shanghai Composite Index (CN:SHCOMP) retreated 0.4%, pulling back from its highest close in two weeks.

Top 10 Information Technology Stocks To Own For 2014: Isramco Inc.(ISRL)

Isramco, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, development, production, and exploration of onshore oil and natural gas properties in the United States. It owns various working interests in oil and gas wells in Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado; and operates approximately 589 wells principally in Texas and New Mexico. The company sells its oil and natural gas products to independent marketers, oil and natural gas companies, and gas pipeline companies. As of December 31, 2010, its estimated total proved reserves were approximately 9,031 thousand barrels of oil equivalent, which included 3,318 thousand barrels of oil, and 23,701 million cubic feet of natural gas, and 1,763 thousand barrels of natural gas liquids. The company was founded in 1982 and is based in Houston, Texas.

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 Isramco (Nasdaq: ISRL  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

• [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 Isramco (Nasdaq: ISRL  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

Top 10 Information Technology Stocks To Own For 2014: MBIA Inc (MBI)

MBIA Inc. (MBIA), incorporated on November 12, 1986, together with its consolidated subsidiaries, operates the financial guarantee insurance businesses in the industry and is a provider of asset management advisory services. These activities are managed through three business segments: United States public finance insurance, structured finance and international insurance, and advisory services. The Company�� United States public finance insurance business is operated through National Public Finance Guarantee Corporation and its subsidiaries (National), its structured finance and international insurance business is primarily operated through MBIA Insurance Corporation and its subsidiaries (MBIA Corp.), and its asset management advisory services business is primarily operated through Cutwater Holdings, LLC and its subsidiaries (Cutwater). It also manages certain business activities through its corporate, asset/liability products, and conduit segments. The corporate segment includes revenues and expenses that arise from general corporate activities. Funding programs managed through the asset/liability products and conduit segments are in wind-down.

MBIA Corp. owns MBIA UK Insurance Limited (MBIA UK), a financial guarantee insurance company that is regulated and supervised by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) in the United Kingdom and is authorized to carry out insurance business in the United Kingdom and in the European Economic Area on a cross border services basis. Its financial guarantee insurance generally provides investors with an unconditional and irrevocable guarantee of the payment of the principal, interest or other amounts owing on insured obligations when due or, in the event that the Company has the right at its discretion to accelerate insured obligations upon default or otherwise, upon its election to accelerate. The Company conducts its financial guarantee business, as well as related reinsurance, advisory and portfolio services, through its subsidiaries National Publi! c Finance Guarantee Corporation (National), its United States (United States) public finance-only financial guarantee company, and MBIA Insurance Corporation and its subsidiaries (MBIA Corp.), which write global structured finance and non-United States public finance financial guarantee insurance.

Insurance operations

The Company�� United States public finance insurance business is conducted through National, and its structured finance and international insurance operations are conducted through MBIA Corp. and its subsidiaries. It also issue insurance policies to guarantee the payment of principal and interest on municipal obligations being traded in the secondary market upon the request of a broker or an existing holder of uninsured bonds, where premium is generally paid by the owner of the obligation. In addition, the Company has provided financial guarantees to debt service reserve funds. The primary risk in its insurance operations is that of adverse credit performance in the insured portfolio. It seeks to maintain a diversified insured portfolio and have designed each insured portfolio with the aim of managing and diversifying risk based on a range of criteria, including revenue source, issue size, type of asset, industry concentrations, type of bond and geographic area.

Through the Company�� reinsurance of United States public finance financial guarantees from MBIA Corp. and Financial Guaranty Insurance Company (FGIC), National�� insurance portfolio consists of municipal bonds, including tax-exempt and taxable indebtedness of United States political subdivisions, as well as utility districts, airports, health care institutions, higher educational facilities, student loan issuers, housing authorities and other similar agencies and obligations issued by private entities that finance projects that serve a substantial public purpose. Municipal bonds and privately issued bonds used for the financing of public purpose projects are generally supported by ! taxes, as! sessments, user fees or tariffs related to the use of these projects, lease payments or other similar types of revenue streams. As of December 31, 2012, MBIA Corp. had 899 policies outstanding in its insured portfolio. In addition, MBIA Corp. had 199 insurance policies outstanding relating to asset/liability products liabilities issued by MBIA Inc. and its subsidiaries.

Advisory Services

In the Company�� asset management advisory services business its registered investment advisors provide fixed-income asset management services for third parties and the investment portfolios of the Company and its affiliates (including the wind-down businesses) on a fee-for-service basis. Its advisory services are offered in two product lines, traditional and structured. Within the traditional product line, Cutwater offers cash management, customized asset management, discretionary asset management and fund accounting services to governments, insurance companies (including the Company�� insurance subsidiaries), corporations, pension funds, unions, endowments, foundations and investment companies in both pooled and separate account formats. These services are offered through registered investment advisers, and Cutwater receives asset management and administrative fees as compensation. Within the structured product line, Cutwater manages asset/liability programs and conduits (the wind-down businesses), Collateralized debt obligations (CDOs) and other funding vehicles for banks, insurance companies, program trustees and investment companies, and it earns base and performance fees for its services. Cutwater�� advisory services are offered through two principal operating subsidiaries: Cutwater Asset Management Corp. (Cutwater-AMC), an SEC-registered investment adviser and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member firm, and Cutwater Investor Services Corp. (Cutwater-ISC), an SEC-registered investment adviser.

Wind-down Business

The asset/liability produc! ts busine! ss historically raised funds for investment through two sources, such as issuance of customized investment agreements by the Company and one of its subsidiaries for bond proceeds and other funds, and issuance of medium-term notes (MTNs) with varying maturities issued by its subsidiary MBIA Global Funding, LLC (GFL). Each of these products is guaranteed by MBIA Corp. In addition, GFL would lend the proceeds of its GFL MTN issuances to MBIA Inc. (GFL Loans). The Company primarily purchased domestic securities and lent a portion of the proceeds from investment agreements and GFL MTNs to its subsidiary Euro Asset Acquisition Limited, which primarily purchased foreign assets as permitted under the Company�� investment guidelines. The Company�� conduit segment is principally operated through Meridian Funding Company, LLC (Meridian) and, formerly, Triple-A One Funding Corporation (Triple-A One). The conduits were used by banks and other financial institutions to raise funds for their customers in the capital markets. During 2012, Triple-A One was liquated. The conduits provided funding for multiple customers through special purpose vehicles that issued commercial paper and MTNs.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Grgurich]

  First, good news broke on Tuesday that B of A settled a long-running legal dispute with MBIA (NYSE: MBI  ) , which got B of A off the hook for a potential $3 billion to $5 billion payout to the bond insurer over bad securities claims.

• [By David Hanson and Matt Koppenheffer]

  A New York state judge ruled against summary judgment, so the battle between Bank of America (NYSE: BAC  ) and MBIA (NYSE: MBI  ) will continue. The dispute centers around which company is liable for losses stemming from mortgage-backed�securities�containing loans originated by Countrywide, the embattled mortgage company B of A ultimately acquired.

Top 10 Information Technology Stocks To Own For 2014: Arkema SA (AKE)

Arkema SA is a France-based company which specializes in the manufacture and marketing of chemical products. The Company operates through its two business segments: Industrial Chemicals and Performance Products. The Industrial Chemicals division offers the production of acrylics, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), hydrogen peroxide, fluorochemicals and thiochemicals, and includes such brands as Forane, Albone, Norsocryl, Altuglas and Sarbio. The Performance Products include the production of technical polymers, specialty chemicals and functional additives. The Company's products are used in the construction, automotive and transportation, health, electrical and electronics, agricultural and packaging industries, among others. In April 2013, it acquired a majority stake in AEC Polymers. In October 2013, it inaugurated the new Sumitomo Seika superabsorbent plant on the Carling site, which makes the overall superabsorbent production capacity of the Carling facility up to 47,000 ton/year. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Inyoung Hwang]

  Arkema SA (AKE) added 4.7 percent to 83.93 euros. UBS AG raised its rating on the French chemicals maker to a buy from neutral, saying the stock is undervalued. The firm also boosted its price target to 100 euros from 80 euros.

Top 10 Warren Buffett Stocks To Invest In Right Now

Top 10 Warren Buffett Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Contango Oil & Gas Co (MCF)

Contango Oil & Gas Company (Contango) is an independent natural gas and oil company. The Companys core business is to explore, develop, produce and acquire natural gas and oil properties onshore and offshore in the Gulf of Mexico in water-depths of less than 300 feet. Contango Operators, Inc. (COI), its wholly owned subsidiary, acts as operator on its properties.

Offshore Gulf of Mexico Activities

Contango, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, COI and its partially owned affiliate, Republic Exploration LLC (REX), conducts exploration activities in the Gulf of Mexico. COI drills, and operates its wells in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as attends lease sales and acquires leasehold acreage. As of August 24, 2012, the Company's offshore production was approximately 83.5 million cubic feet equivalent per day, net to Contango, which consists of seven federal and five state of Louisiana wells in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico. These 12 operate d wells produce through the four platforms: Eugene Island 24 Platform, Eugene Island 11 Platform, Ship Shoal 263 Platform, Vermilion 170 Platform and Other Activities.

This third-party owned and operated production platform at Eugene Island 24 was designed with a capacity of 100 million cubic feet per day and 3,000 barrels of oil per day. This platform services production from the Companys Dutch #1, #2 and #3 federal wells. From this platform, the gas flows through an American Midstream pipeline into a third-party owned and operated on-shore processing facility at Burns Point, Louisiana, and the condensate flows through an ExxonMobil pipeline to on-shore markets and multiple refineries. As of August 24, 2012, it was producing approximately 22.5 million cubic feet equivalent per day, net to Contango, from this platform. The Company finished laying six inches auxiliary flowlines from the Dutch #1, #2, and #3 wells to its Eugene Islan! d 11 Platform and is in the process of redirecting production from the Eugene Island 24! Platform to the Eugene Island 11 Platform.

The Companys Company-owned and operated platform at Eugene Island 11 was designed with a capacity of 500 million cubic feet equivalent per day and 6,000 barrels of oil per day. These platforms service production from the Companys five Mary Rose wells, which are all located in state of Louisiana waters, as well as its Dutch #4 and Dutch #5 wells, which are both located in federal waters. From these platforms, it can flow its gas to an American Midstream pipeline through its eight inches pipeline and from there to a third-party owned and operated on-shore processing facility at Burns Point, Louisiana. It can flow its condensate through an ExxonMobil pipeline to on-shore markets and multiple refineries.

The Companys gas and condensate can flow to its Eugene Island 63 auxiliary platform through its 20 inches pipeline, which has been designed with a capacity of 330 million cubic feet equivalent per da y and 6,000 barrels of oil per day, and from there to third-party owned and operated on-shore processing facilities near Patterson, Louisiana, through an ANR pipeline. As of August 24, 2012, it was producing approximately 44.6 million cubic feet equivalent per day, net to Contango, from this platform.

The Companys owned and operated platform at Ship Shoal 263 was designed with a capacity of 40 million cubic feet equivalent per day and 5,000 barrels of oil per day. This platform services natural gas and condensate production from our Nautilus well, which flows through the Transcontinental Gas Pipeline to onshore processing plants. As of August 24, 2012, it was producing approximately 3.0 million cubic feet equivalent per day, net to Contango, from this platform. As of June 30, 2012, the Company owed a 100% working interest and 80% net revenue interest in this well and platform.

The Companys owned and operated platform at Verm! ilion 170! was desig ned with a capacity of 60 million cubic feet equivalent per ! day and 2! ,000 barrels of oil per day. This platform services natural gas and condensate production from its Swimmy well, which flows through the Sea Robin Pipeline to onshore processing plants. As of August 24, 2012, it was producing approximately 13.4 million cubic feet equivalent per day, net to Contango, from this platform.

On July 10, 2012, the Company spud its South Timbalier 75 prospect (Fang) with the Spartan 303 rig. It has a 100% working interest in this wildcat exploration prospect. On July 3, 2012, the Company spud its Ship Shoal 134 prospect (Eagle) with the Hercules 205 rig. The Company purchased the deep mineral rights on Ship Shoal 134 from an independent third-party. It has a 100% working interest in this wildcat exploration prospect. On December 21, 2011, the Company purchased an additional 3.66% working interest (2.67% net revenue interest) in Mary Rose #5 (previously Eloise North). The Company has a 47.05% working interest (38.1% net revenue int erest) in Dutch #5.

Offshore Properties

During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012 (fiscal 2012), State Lease 19396 expired and was returned to the state of Louisiana. As of August 24, 2012, the interests owned by Contango through its affiliated entities in the Gulf of Mexico, which were capable of producing natural gas or oil included Eugene Island 10 #D-1, Eugene Island 10 #E-1, Eugene Island 10 #F-1, Eugene Island 10 #G-1, Eugene Island 10 #I-1, S-L 18640 #1, S-L 19266 #1, S-L 19266 #2, S-L 18860 #1, S-L 19266 #3 and S-L 19261, Ship Shoal 263, Vermilion 170 and West Delta 36. As of August 24, 2012, interests owned by Contango through its related entities in leases in the Gulf of Mexico included Eugene Island 11, East Breaks 369, South Timbalier 97, Ship Shoal 121, Ship Shoal 122, Brazos Area 543, Ship Shoal 134 and South Timbalier 75.

Onshore Exploration and Properties

As of August 24, 2012, ! the Compa! ny had invested in A lta Energy Canada Partnership (Alta Energy) to purchase over! 60,000 a! cres in the Kaybob Duvernay. Contango has a 2% interest in Alta Energy and a 5% interest in the Kaybob Duvernay project. On April 9, 2012, the Company announced that through its wholly owned subsidiary, Contaro Company, it had entered into a Limited Liability Company Agreement (the LLC Agreement) to form Exaro Energy III LLC (Exaro). The Company owns approximately a 45% interest in Exaro. Exaro has entered into an Earning and Development Agreement (the EDA Agreement) with Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. (Encana) to provide funding to continue the development drilling program in a defined area of Encanas Jonah field asset located in Sublette County, Wyoming.

As of June 30, 2012, the Exaro-Encana venture had three rigs drilling, has completed five wells and achieved first production. As of August 24, 2012, the Company had invested to lease approximately 25,000 acres in the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale (TMS), a shale play in central Louisiana and Mississippi.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Vera Yuan]

  Shares of oil and gas exploration and production company Contango Oil & Gas Co. (MCF) fell, reflecting disappointing results from an exploration well in the Gulf of Mexico.

• [By Peter Krauth]

  But the dynamic is suddenly changing. This is a pricing game—a global one. You see, while North Americans currently enjoy natural gas at close to $3.40 per million cubic feet (Mcf), Europeans are paying three times as much, between $10 and $11 per Mcf.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/top-10-warren-buffett-stocks-to-invest-in-right-now.html

Best Gas Stocks To Own For 2014

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) ��Natural-gas futures dropped more than 6% on Wednesday, pulling back from a hefty rally in the previous session as traders gear up for the weekly U.S. inventory report due out Thursday.

Oil futures, meanwhile, finished with a modest gain after a U.S. government report showed that last week�� crude supplies rose less than the market expected.

March natural gas (NGH14) fell 34.5 cents, or 6.4%, to settle at $5.03 per million British thermal units. It had touched a high of $5.737 and traded as low as $4.99. Prices on Tuesday jumped 9.6% to $5.375, which was the highest close in almost a week.

Top Mid Cap Stocks For 2015: Kinder Morgan Inc (KMI)

Kinder Morgan, Inc. (KMI), incorporated on August 23, 2006, owns and manages a diversified portfolio of energy transportation and storage assets. The Company operates in five business segments: Products Pipelines-KPM, Natural Gas Pipelines-KMP, CO2-KMP, Terminals-KMP and Kinder Morgan Canada-KMP. The Company through Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, L.P. (KMP) operates or owns an interest in approximately 37,000 miles of pipelines and approximately 180 terminals. These pipelines transport natural gas, refined petroleum products, crude oil, carbon dioxide and other products, and its terminals store petroleum products and chemicals, and handle such products as ethanol, coal, petroleum coke and steel. The Company is a provider of carbon dioxide (CO2), for enhanced oil recovery projects in North America. On December 15, 2011, KMP acquired a refined petroleum products terminal located on a 14-acre site in Lorton, Virginia from Motiva Enterprises, LLC. On May 25, 2012, KMI acquired El Paso Corporation. In August 2012, Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, L.P. acquired Tennessee Gas Pipeline (TGP) and a 50% interest in El Paso Natural Gas (EPNG) pipeline from KMI.

NGPL PipeCo LLC consists of its 20% interest in NGPL PipeCo LLC, the owner of Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America LLC and certain affiliates (collectively NGPL), an interstate natural gas pipeline and storage system, which it operates. On November 30, 2011, KMP acquired certain natural gas treating assets from SouthTex Treaters, Inc. On July 1, 2011, KMP acquired from Petrohawk Energy Corporation both the remaining 50% ownership interest in KinderHawk Field Services LLC that KMP did not already own and a 25% equity ownership interest in EagleHawk Field Services LLC. As of December 31, 2011, its interests in KMP and its affiliates consisted of the general partner interest, which the Company holds through its ownership of the general partner of KMP and which entitles the Company to receive incentive distributions; 21.7 million of the 238.0 mi! llion outstanding KMP units, representing an approximately 6.4% limited partner interest, and14.1 million of KMP�� 98.5 million outstanding i-units, representing an approximately 4.2% limited partner interest, through its ownership of 14.1 million Kinder Morgan Management, LLC (KMR) . The Company�� subsidiaries include Kinder Morgan Kansas, Inc. (KMK) and Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, L.P. (KMP).

Products Pipelines-KMP

The segment consists of KMP�� refined petroleum products and natural gas liquids pipelines and their associated terminals, Southeast terminals, and its transmix processing facilities. Products Pipelines-KMP, which consists of approximately 8,400 miles of refined petroleum products pipelines that deliver gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel and natural gas liquids to various markets; plus approximately 60 associated product terminals and petroleum pipeline transmix processing facilities serving customers across the United States.

KMP�� West Coast Products Pipelines include the SFPP, L.P. operations (often referred to in this report as the Pacific operations), the Calnev pipeline operations, and the West Coast Terminals operations. The assets include interstate common carrier pipelines regulated by the FERC, intrastate pipelines in the state of California regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission, and certain non rate-regulated operations and terminal facilities. The Pacific operations serve six western states with approximately 2,500 miles of refined petroleum products pipelines and related terminal facilities that provide refined products to population centers in the United States, including California; Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada, and the Phoenix-Tucson, Arizona corridor. During the fiscal year ended February 22, 2012 (fiscal 2011), the Pacific operations��mainline pipeline system transported approximately 1,071,400 barrels per day of refined products, with the product mix being approximately 59% gasoline, 24% diesel fuel, and 17! % jet fue! l.

The Calnev pipeline system consists of two parallel 248-mile, 14-inch and eight-inch diameter pipelines that run from KMP�� facilities at Colton, California to Las Vegas, Nevada. The pipeline serves the Mojave Desert through deliveries to a terminal at Barstow, California and two railroad yards. It also serves Nellis Air Force Base, located in Las Vegas, and also includes approximately 55 miles of pipeline serving Edwards Air Force Base in California. During fiscal 2011, the Calnev pipeline system transported approximately 118,800 barrels per day of refined products, with the product mix being approximately 41% gasoline, 33% diesel fuel, and 26% jet fuel.

KMP owns approximately 51% of Plantation Pipe Line Company, the sole owner of the approximately 3,100-mile refined petroleum products Plantation pipeline system serving the southeastern United States. KMP operates the system pursuant to agreements with Plantation and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Plantation Services LLC. The Plantation pipeline system originates in Louisiana and terminates in the Washington, District of Columbia area. It connects to approximately 130 shipper delivery terminals throughout eight states and serves as a common carrier of refined petroleum products to various metropolitan areas, including Birmingham, Alabama; Atlanta, Georgia; Charlotte, North Carolina, and the Washington, District of Columbia area. An affiliate of ExxonMobil Corporation owns the remaining approximately 49% ownership interest, and ExxonMobil has historically been one of the shippers on the Plantation system both in terms of volumes and revenues. In fiscal 2011, Plantation delivered approximately 518,000 barrels per day of refined petroleum products, with the product mix being approximately 67% gasoline, 20% diesel fuel, and 13% jet fuel.

KMP owns 50% of Cypress Interstate Pipeline LLC, the sole owner of the Cypress pipeline system. KMP operates the system pursuant to a long-term agreement. The Cypress pipeline is a! n interst! ate common carrier natural gas liquids pipeline originating at storage facilities in Mont Belvieu, Texas and extending 104 miles east to a connection with Westlake Chemical Corporation, a petrochemical producer in the Lake Charles, Louisiana area. Mont Belvieu, located approximately 20 miles east of Houston, is a hub for natural gas liquids gathering, transportation, fractionation and storage in the United States. The Cypress pipeline system has a capacity of approximately 55,000 barrels per day for natural gas liquids. In fiscal 2011, the system transported approximately 45,000 barrels per day.

KMP�� Southeast terminal operations consist of 27 liquid petroleum products terminals located along the Plantation/Colonial pipeline corridor in the Southeastern United States. The marketing activities of the Southeast terminal operations are focused on the Southeastern United States from Mississippi through Virginia, including Tennessee. The primary function involves the receipt of petroleum products from common carrier pipelines, short-term storage in terminal tankage, and subsequent loading onto tank trucks. Combined, the Southeast terminals have a total storage capacity of approximately 9.1 million barrels. In fiscal 2011, these terminals transferred approximately 353,000 barrels of refined products per day and together handled 9.2 million barrels of ethanol.

KMP�� Transmix operations include the processing of petroleum pipeline transmix, a blend of dissimilar refined petroleum products that have become co-mingled in the pipeline transportation process. During pipeline transportation, different products are transported through the pipelines abutting each other, and generate a volume of different mixed products called transmix. KMP processes and separates pipeline transmix into pipeline-quality gasoline and light distillate products at six separate processing facilities located in Colton, California; Richmond, Virginia; Dorsey Junction, Maryland; Indianola, Pennsylvania; Wood Riv! er, Illin! ois; and Greensboro, North Carolina. Combined, KMP�� transmix facilities processed approximately 10.6 million barrels of transmix in 2011.

Natural Gas Pipelines-KMP

Natural Gas Pipelines-KMP, which consists of approximately 16,200 miles of natural gas transmission pipelines and gathering lines, plus natural gas storage, treating and processing facilities, through which natural gas is gathered, transported, stored, treated, processed and sold. The Natural Gas Pipelines-KMP business segment contains both interstate and intrastate pipelines. Its primary businesses consist of natural gas sales, transportation, storage, gathering, processing and treating. Within this segment, KMP owns approximately 16,200 miles of natural gas pipelines and associated storage and supply lines that are strategically located at the center of the North American pipeline grid. KMP�� transportation network provides access to the gas supply areas in the western United States, Texas and the Midwest, as well as consumer markets.

KMP�� subsidiary, Kinder Morgan Treating, L.P., owns and operates (or leases to producers for operation) treating plants that remove impurities (such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide) and hydrocarbon liquids from natural gas before it is delivered into gathering systems and transmission pipelines to ensure that it meets pipeline quality specifications. Additionally, its subsidiary KM Treating Production LLC designs, constructs, and sells custom and stock natural gas treating plants. Combined, KMP�� rental fleet of treating assets include approximately 213 natural gas amine-treating plants, approximately 56 hydrocarbon dew point control plants, and more than 140 mechanical refrigeration units that are used to remove impurities and hydrocarbon liquids from natural gas streams prior to entering transmission pipelines.

KinderHawk Field Services LLC gathers and treats natural gas in the Haynesville shale gas formation located in northwest Louisiana.! Its asse! ts consist of more than 450 miles of natural gas gathering pipeline in service, with average throughput of approximately 1.1 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas. Additionally, the system�� natural gas amine treating plants have a capacity of approximately 2,600 gallons per minute. During 2011, KinderHawk executed firm gathering and treating agreements with a third-party producer for the long-term of five sections. KinderHawk also holds additional third-party gas gathering and treating commitments. In total, these contracts provide for the dedication of 36 sections, from four shippers, for 3 to 10 years. EagleHawk Field Services LLC provides natural gas gathering and treating services in the Eagle Ford shale formation in South Texas.

KMP owns a 40% interest in Endeavor Gathering LLC, which provides natural gas gathering service to GMX Resources��exploration and production activities in its Cotton Valley Sands and Haynesville/Bossier Shale horizontal well developments located in East Texas. GMX Resources, Inc. operates and owns the remaining 60% ownership interest in Endeavor Gathering LLC. Endeavor�� gathering system consists of over 100 miles of gathering lines and 25,000 horsepower of compressors that collect and compress natural gas from GMX Resources��operated natural gas production from wells located in its core area. The natural gas gathering system has takeaway capacity of approximately 115 million cubic feet per day. KMP owns a 50% equity interest in Eagle Ford Gathering LLC, which provides natural gas gathering, transportation and processing services to natural gas producers in the Eagle Ford shale gas formation in south Texas.

KMP�� Natural Gas Pipelines��upstream operations consist of its Casper and Douglas, Wyoming natural gas processing operations and its 49% ownership interest in the Red Cedar Gas Gathering Company. KMP owns and operates its Casper and Douglas, Wyoming natural gas processing plants, and combined, these plants have the capacity ! to proces! s up to 185 million cubic feet per day of natural gas depending on raw gas quality. Casper and Douglas are the natural gas processing plants, which provide straddle processing of natural gas flowing into KMP�� Kinder Morgan Interstate Gas Transmission LLC pipeline system. KMP also owns the operations of a carbon dioxide/sulfur treating facility located in the West Frenchie Draw field of the Wind River Basin of Wyoming, and includes this facility as part of its Casper and Douglas operations. The West Frenchie Draw treating facility has a capacity of 50 million cubic feet per day of natural gas.

KMP owns a 49% interest in the Red Cedar Gathering Company (Red Cedar). Red Cedar owns and operates natural gas gathering, compression and treating facilities in the Ignacio Blanco Field in La Plata County, Colorado. The remaining 51% interest in Red Cedar is owned by the Southern Ute Indian Tribe. Red Cedar�� natural gas gathering system consists of approximately 750 miles of gathering pipeline connecting more than 900 producing wells, 104,600 horsepower of compression at 22 field compressor stations and three carbon dioxide treating plants. The capacity and throughput of the Red Cedar gathering system is approximately 600 million cubic feet per day of natural gas.

KMP�� subsidiary, TransColorado Gas Transmission Company LLC (TransColorado), owns a 300-mile interstate natural gas pipeline that extends from approximately 20 miles southwest of Meeker, Colorado to the Blanco Hub near Bloomfield, New Mexico. KMP operates and owns 50% of the 1,679-mile Rockies Express natural gas pipeline system, a natural gas pipelines constructed in North America. The Rockies Express system consists of three pipeline segments: a 327-mile pipeline that extends from the Meeker Hub in northwest Colorado, across southern Wyoming to the Cheyenne Hub in Weld County, Colorado, a 713-mile pipeline from the Cheyenne Hub to an interconnect in Audrain County, Missouri and a 639-mile pipeline from Audrain Count! y, Missou! ri to Clarington, Ohio. KMP�� ownership is through its 50% equity interest in Rockies Express Pipeline LLC, the sole owner of the Rockies Express pipeline system. Sempra Pipelines & Storage, a unit of Sempra Energy, and ConocoPhillips each own 25% of Rockies Express Pipeline LLC.

The Rockies Express pipeline system is powered by 18 compressor stations totaling approximately 427,000 horsepower. The system is capable of transporting two billion cubic feet per day of natural gas from Meeker, Colorado to the Cheyenne Market Hub in northeastern Colorado and 1.8 billion cubic feet per day from the Cheyenne Hub to the Clarington Hub in Monroe County in eastern Ohio. Capacity on the Rockies Express system is contracted under 10 year firm service agreements with producers from the Rocky Mountain supply basin. These agreements provide the pipeline with fixed monthly reservation revenues for the primary term of such contracts through 2019, with the exception of one agreement representing approximately 10% of the pipeline capacity that grants a shipper the one-time option to terminate effective late 2014. With its connections to numerous other pipeline systems along its route, the Rockies Express system has access to almost all of the gas supply basins in Wyoming, Colorado and eastern Utah. Rockies Express is capable of delivering gas to multiple markets along its pipeline system, primarily through interconnects with other interstate pipeline companies and direct connects to local distribution companies.

KMP�� Central interstate natural gas pipeline group, which operates primarily in the Mid-Continent region of the United States, consists of four natural gas pipeline systems: Trailblazer Pipeline, Kinder Morgan Louisiana Pipeline, KMP�� 50% ownership interest in the Midcontinent Express Pipeline and KMP�� 50% ownership interest in the Fayetteville Express Pipeline. KMP�� subsidiary, Trailblazer Pipeline Company LLC (Trailblazer), owns the 436-mile Trailblazer natural gas pipelin! e system.! The Trailblazer pipeline system originates at an interconnection with Wyoming Interstate Company Ltd.�� pipeline system near Rockport, Colorado and runs through southeastern Wyoming to a terminus near Beatrice, Nebraska where it interconnects with NGPL�� and Northern Natural Gas Company�� pipeline systems. NGPL manages, maintains and operates the Trailblazer system for KMP, for which it is reimbursed at cost. Trailblazer offers its customers firm and interruptible transportation, and in 2011, it transported an average of approximately 717 million cubic feet per day of natural gas.

KMP�� subsidiary, Kinder Morgan Louisiana Pipeline LLC owns the Kinder Morgan Louisiana natural gas pipeline system. KMP owns a 50% interest in Midcontinent Express Pipeline LLC, the sole owner of the approximate 500-mile Midcontinent Express natural gas pipeline system. KMP also operates the Midcontinent Express pipeline system. Regency Midcontinent Express LLC owns the remaining 50% ownership interest. The Midcontinent Express pipeline system originates near Bennington, Oklahoma and extends eastward through Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, and terminates at an interconnection with the Transco Pipeline near Butler, Alabama. It interconnects with numerous pipeline systems and provides an important infrastructure link in the pipeline system moving natural gas supply from newly developed areas in Oklahoma and Texas into the United States��eastern markets. The pipeline system is comprised of approximately 30-miles of 30-inch diameter pipe, 275-miles of 42-inch diameter pipe and 197-miles of 36-inch diameter pipe. Midcontinent Express also has four compressor stations and one booster station totaling approximately 144,500 horsepower. It has two rate zones: Zone 1 (which has a capacity of 1.8 billion cubic feet per day) beginning at Bennington and extending to an interconnect with Columbia Gulf Transmission near Delhi, in Madison Parish Louisiana and Zone 2 (which has a capacity of 1.2 billion cubic feet ! per day) ! beginning at Delhi and terminating at an interconnection with Transco Pipeline near the town of Butler in Choctaw County, Alabama. Capacity on the Midcontinent Express system is 99% contracted under long-term firm service agreements that expire between 2012 and 2021. The ity of volume is contracted to producers moving supply from the Barnett shale and Oklahoma supply basins.

CO2-KMP

The CO2-KMP business segment consists of Kinder Morgan CO2 Company, L.P. and its consolidated affiliates, (collectively referred to KMCO2). The CO2-KMP business segment produces, transports, and markets carbon dioxide for use in enhanced oil recovery projects as a flooding medium for recovering crude oil from mature oil fields. CO2-KMP, which produces, markets and transports, through approximately 2,000 miles of pipelines, carbon dioxide to oil fields that use carbon dioxide to increase production of oil; owns interests in and/or operates eight oil fields in West Texas; and owns and operates a 450-mile crude oil pipeline system in West Texas

KMCO2 holds ownership interests in oil-producing fields located in the Permian Basin of West Texas, including an approximate 97% working interest in the SACROC unit; an approximate 50% working interest in the Yates unit; an approximate 21% net profits interest in the H.T. Boyd unit; an approximate 65% working interest in the Claytonville unit; an approximate 99% working interest in the Katz Strawn unit, and lesser interests in the Sharon Ridge unit, the Reinecke unit and the MidCross unit.

KMCO2 operates and owns an approximate 65% gross working interest in the Claytonville oil field unit and operates and owns an approximate 99% working interest in the Katz Strawn unit, both located in the Permian Basin area of West Texas. The Claytonville unit is located approximately 30 miles east of the SACROC unit, in Fisher County, Texas. The unit produced approximately 200 gross barrels of oil per day during 2011 (100 net barrels to KMCO2! per day)! . During 2011, the Katz Strawn unit produced approximately 500 barrels of oil per day (400 net barrels to KMCO2 per day). In 2011, the average purchased carbon dioxide injection rate at the Katz Strawn unit was 46 million cubic feet per day.

KMCO2 operates and owns an approximate 22% working interest plus an additional 28% net profits interest in the Snyder gasoline plant. KMCO2 also operates and owns a 51% ownership interest in the Diamond M gas plant and a 100% ownership interest in the North Snyder plant, all of which are located in the Permian Basin of West Texas. The Snyder gasoline plant processes natural gas produced from the SACROC unit and neighboring carbon dioxide projects, specifically the Sharon Ridge and Cogdell units, all of which are located in the Permian Basin area of West Texas. The Diamond M and the North Snyder plants contract with the Snyder plant to process natural gas. Production of natural gas liquids at the Snyder gasoline plant during 2011 averaged approximately 16,600 gross barrels per day (8,300 net barrels to KMCO2 per day excluding the value associated to KMCO2�� 28% net profits interest).

KMCO2 owns approximately 45% of, and operates, the McElmo Dome unit in Colorado, which contains more than 6.6 trillion cubic feet of recoverable carbon dioxide. It also owns approximately 87% of, and operates, the Doe Canyon Deep unit in Colorado, which contains more than 870 billion cubic feet of carbon dioxide. For both units combined, compression capacity exceeds 1.4 billion cubic feet per day of carbon dioxide and during 2011, the two units produced approximately 1.25 billion cubic feet per day of carbon dioxide. KMCO2 also owns approximately 11% of the Bravo Dome unit in New Mexico. The Bravo Dome unit contains more than 800 billion cubic feet of recoverable carbon dioxide and produced approximately 300 million cubic feet of carbon dioxide per day in 2011. As a result of KMP�� 50% ownership interest in Cortez Pipeline Company, it owns a 50% equity inter! est in an! d operates the approximate 500-mile Cortez pipeline. The pipeline carries carbon dioxide from the McElmo Dome and Doe Canyon source fields near Cortez, Colorado to the Denver City, Texas hub. The Cortez pipeline transports over 1.2 billion cubic feet of carbon dioxide per day. The tariffs charged by the Cortez pipeline are not regulated, but are based on a consent decree.

KMCO2 also owns a 13% undivided interest in the 218-mile, Bravo pipeline, which delivers carbon dioxide from the Bravo Dome source field in northeast New Mexico to the Denver City hub and has a capacity of more than 350 million cubic feet per day. Tariffs on the Bravo pipeline are not regulated. Occidental Petroleum (81%) and XTO Energy (6%) hold the remaining ownership interests in the Bravo pipeline. In addition, KMCO2 owns approximately 98% of the Canyon Reef Carriers pipeline and approximately 69% of the Pecos pipeline. The Canyon Reef Carriers pipeline extends 139 miles from McCamey, Texas, to the SACROC unit in the Permian Basin. The pipeline has a capacity of approximately 270 million cubic feet per day and makes deliveries to the SACROC, Sharon Ridge, Cogdell and Reinecke units. The Pecos pipeline is a 25-mile pipeline that runs from McCamey to Iraan, Texas. It has a capacity of approximately 120 million cubic feet per day and makes deliveries to the Yates unit. The tariffs charged on the Canyon Reef Carriers and Pecos pipelines are not regulated.

Terminals-KMP

The Terminals-KMP business segment includes the operations of KMP�� petroleum, chemical and other liquids terminal facilities (other than those included in the Products Pipelines-KMP business segment) and all of its coal, petroleum coke, fertilizer, steel, ores and other dry-bulk material services facilities, including all transload, engineering, conveying and other in-plant services. Combined, the segment is composed of approximately 115 owned or operated liquids and bulk terminal facilities and approximately 35 rail transloadin! g and mat! erials handling facilities. The terminals are located throughout the United States and in portions of Canada.

KMP�� liquids terminals operations primarily store refined petroleum products, petrochemicals, ethanol, industrial chemicals and vegetable oil products in aboveground storage tanks and transfer products to and from pipelines, vessels, tank trucks, tank barges, and tank railcars. Combined, KMP�� approximately 25 liquids terminals facilities possess liquids storage capacity of approximately 60.2 million barrels, and in 2011, these terminals handled approximately 616 million barrels of liquids products, including petroleum products, ethanol and chemicals. KMP�� bulk terminal operations primarily involve dry-bulk material handling services. KMP also provides conveyor manufacturing and installation, engineering and design services, and in-plant services covering material handling, conveying, maintenance and repair, truck-railcar-marine transloading, railcar switching and miscellaneous marine services. KMP owns or operates approximately 90 dry-bulk terminals in the United States and Canada, and combined, its dry-bulk and material transloading facilities handled approximately 100.6 million tons of coal, petroleum coke, fertilizers, steel, ores and other dry-bulk materials in 2011.

Kinder Morgan Canada-KMP

The Kinder Morgan Canada-KMP business segment includes the Trans Mountain pipeline system, KMP�� ownership of a one-third interest in the Express pipeline system, and the 25-mile Jet Fuel pipeline system. The Trans Mountain pipeline system originates at Edmonton, Alberta and transports crude oil and refined petroleum products to destinations in the interior and on the west coast of British Columbia. Trans Mountain�� pipeline is 715 miles in length. KMP also owns a connecting pipeline that delivers crude oil to refineries in the state of Washington. The capacity of the line at Edmonton ranges from 300,000 barrels per day when heavy crude represents 20% ! of the to! tal throughput (which is a historically normal heavy crude percentage), to 400,000 barrels per day with no heavy crude. Trans Mountain is the sole pipeline carrying crude oil and refined petroleum products from Alberta to the west coast.

In 2011, Trans Mountain delivered an average of 274,000 barrels per day. The crude oil and refined petroleum products transported through Trans Mountain�� pipeline system originates in Alberta and British Columbia. The refined and partially refined petroleum products transported to Kamloops, British Columbia and Vancouver originates from oil refineries located in Edmonton. Petroleum products delivered through Trans Mountain�� pipeline system are used in markets in British Columbia, Washington State and elsewhere offshore. Trans Mountain also operates a 5.3 mile spur line from its Sumas Pump Station to the United States.-Canada international border where it connects with KMP�� approximate 63-mile, 16-inch to 20-inch diameter Puget Sound pipeline system. The Puget Sound pipeline system in the state of Washington has a sustainable throughput capacity of approximately 135,000 barrels per day when heavy crude represents approximately 25% of throughput, and it connects to four refineries located in northwestern Washington State. The volumes of crude oil shipped to the state of Washington fluctuate in response to the price levels of Canadian crude oil in relation to crude oil produced in Alaska and other offshore sources.

NGPL PipeCo LLC

The Company owns a 20% interest in NGPL PipeCo LLC and account for its interest as an equity method investment. The Company continues to operate NGPL PipeCo LLC�� assets pursuant to an operations and reimbursement agreement effective through February 15, 2023. NGPL PipeCo LLC owns a interstate gas pipeline and storage system consisting primarily of two interconnected natural gas transmission pipelines terminating in the Chicago, Illinois metropolitan area. NGPL�� Amarillo Line originates in th! e West Te! xas and New Mexico producing areas and is comprised of approximately 4,400 miles of mainline and various small-diameter pipelines. Its other pipeline, the Gulf Coast Line, originates in the Gulf Coast areas of Texas and Louisiana and consists of approximately 4,100 miles of mainline and various small-diameter pipelines. These two main pipelines are connected at points in Texas and Oklahoma by NGPL�� approximately 800-mile Amarillo/Gulf Coast pipeline.

NGPL is a natural gas storage operator with approximately 600 billion cubic feet of total natural gas storage capacity, approximately 278 billion cubic feet of working gas capacity and over 4.3 billion cubic feet per day of peak deliverability from its storage facilities, which are located in supply areas and near the markets it serves. NGPL owns and operates 13 underground storage reservoirs in eight field locations in four states. These storage assets complement its pipeline facilities and allow it to optimize pipeline deliveries and meet peak delivery requirements in its principal markets.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Where this gets interesting is that Kinder Morgan Inc. (NYSE: KMI), the general partner of KMP, has agreed to waive its incentive distribution amounts of $16 million in 2014, $19 million in 2015 and $6 million in 2016 to facilitate the transaction.

Best Gas Stocks To Own For 2014: Susser Petroleum Partners LP (SUSP)

Susser Petroleum Partners LP is primarily engaged in fee-based wholesale distribution of motor fuels to Susser Holdings Corporation (SHC) and third parties. SHC operates over 540 retail convenience stores under its Stripes convenience store brand. In addition to distributing motor fuel, the Company also distributes other petroleum products, such as propane and lube oil, and it receive rental income from real estate that it lease or sublease. In January 2014, Susser Petroleum Partners LP announced the acquisition of the convenience store assets and fuel distribution contracts of Sac-N-Pac Stores, Inc. and 3W Warren Fuels, Ltd.

During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company distributed 789.6 million gallons of motor fuel to Stripes convenience stores and 522.8 million gallons of motor fuel to other customers. It also distributes Chevron, CITGO, Conoco, Exxon, Mobil, Phillips 66, Shamrock, Shell, Texaco and Valero branded motor fuel, as well as unbranded motor fuel. In addition to distributing motor fuel, it also distributes other petroleum products, such as propane and lube oil.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Robert Rapier]

  Susser Petroleum Partners (NYSE: SUSP) engages in fee-based wholesale distribution of motor fuels. The partnership also distributes petroleum products like propane and lube oil, and receives rental income from real estate.

• [By Robert Rapier]

  Susser Petroleum Partners (NYSE: SUSP) debuted in September 2012, and has appreciated by 50 percent since. Susser engages in fee-based wholesale distribution of motor fuels. The partnership also distributes petroleum products like propane and lube oil, and receives rental income from real estate.

Best Gas Stocks To Own For 2014: Occidental Petroleum Corporation(OXY)

Occidental Petroleum Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an oil and gas exploration and production company primarily in the United States. The company operates in three segments: Oil and Gas; Chemical; and Midstream, Marketing, and Other. The Oil and Gas segment explores for, develops, produces, and markets crude oil, natural gas liquids, and condensate and natural gas. Its domestic oil and gas operations are located in Texas, New Mexico, California, Kansas, Oklahoma, Utah, Colorado, North Dakota, and West Virginia; and international oil and gas operations are located in Bahrain, Bolivia, Colombia, Iraq, Libya, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. As of December 31, 2010, this segment had proved reserves of approximately 3,363 million barrels of oil equivalent. The Chemical segment manufactures and markets basic chemicals, including chlorine, caustic soda, chlorinated organics, potassium chemicals, and ethylene dichloride products; vinyls, such as vinyl chloride monomer and polyvinyl chloride; and other chemicals comprising chlorinated isocyanurates, resorcinol, sodium silicates, and calcium chloride products. The Midstream, Marketing, and Other segment gathers, treats, processes, transports, stores, purchases, and markets crude oil that includes natural gas liquids and condensate, as well as natural gas and carbon dioxide. This segment also involves in the power generation; and trades around its assets comprising pipelines and storage capacity, as well as oil and gas, other commodities, and commodity-related securities. Occidental Petroleum Corporation was founded in 1920 and is based in Los Angeles, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Vermulm]

  Occidental Petroleum (OXY) is a growing energy company focused on stable geographic areas, with a production mix tilted toward oil. For 2013, over 60% of production has come from wells in the attractive geopolitical climate of North America.

• [By MONEYMORNING.COM]

  For instance, CB&I last December won a $1 billion EPC contract to design and build an ethane cracker for Occidental Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: OXY) and in Ingleside, Texas. (Occidental is another Private Briefing recommendation - a "spin-off" stock we told you about in mid-February.)

• [By abirk] elated stock. Occidental Petroleum Corporation (Occidental) conducts its operations through various subsidiaries and affiliates. The company operates in three segments: oil and gas; chemical; and midstream, marketing and other. The oil and gas segment explores for, develops and produces oil and condensate, natural gas liquids (NGLs) and natural gas. The chemical segment (OxyChem) mainly manufactures and markets basic chemicals and vinyls. The midstream, marketing and other segment (midstream and marketing) gathers, processes, transports, stores, purchases and markets oil, condensate, NGLs, natural gas, carbon dioxide (CO2) and power.

  Story So Far

  OXY is a good dividend-paying stock. Since the beginning of 2013 Occidental is up 23.04% excluding the reinvestment of dividends. OXY has a massive potential in the Permian Basin. So far Occidental has drilled 18 horizontal wells in the Midland Basin portion of the play, with a dozen of those wells being drilled this year. These wells have an average initial production rate of 750 barrels of oil per day, or BOE/d. That was achieved with an average lateral length of 6,000 feet, but piloting wells with lateral lengths of up to 10,000 feet should help increase those production rates, as well as Occidental's economic returns.

  Occidental Petroleum is also testing its acreage in the Delaware Basin to the west and its acreage in New Mexico. The company is gradually shifting toward horizontal drilling in the Permian Basin. Because of this it sees this segment producing 13% to16% production growth in 2014, with the potential to deliver 20% annual production growth in the years ahead. This makes it clear the Permian Basin is becoming the cornerstone asset of Occidental's domestic business.

  The company has acquired 176,000 net acres in South Texas, along with 335,000 net acres in the Bakken region, but at this point none of those assets are driving meaningful production growth for Occidental.

  The goa

Best Gas Stocks To Own For 2014: BG Group PLC (BRGYY.PK)

BG Group plc (BG Group), incorporated on December 30, 1998, is a natural gas company. The Company is engaged in the exploration, development and production of natural gas and oil. he Company operates in two business segments: Exploration and Production (E&P) and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). The Company manages its business on an integrated basis across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Central and South Asia, and Australia. The Company has interests in more than 20 countries on five continents.

Exploration and Production

E&P consists of exploration, development, production and marketing of hydrocarbons with a focus on natural gas. BG Group�� Upstream segment covers exploration and production activities for gas, oil and liquids, plus liquefaction operations associated with integrated LNG projects.

Liquefied Natural Gas

BG Group�� LNG activities combine liquefaction and regasification facilities with the purchasing, shipping, marketing and sale of LNG. The Company has interest in liquefaction facilities in Egypt and Trinidad and Tobago. BG Group�� LNG Shipping & Marketing segment covers the purchasing, shipping, marketing and sale of LNG, as well as the Group�� interests and capacity in regasification facilities.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Heather Ingrassia]

  On Thursday, August 15, GasLog (GLOG) announced that it had ordered two new 174K cbm Tri-Fuel Diesel Electric LNG carriers from Samsung Heavy Industries. These carriers are expected to be delivered in 2016 which is the same year the company will begin seven-year charters with BG Group (BRGYY.PK) (BRGXF.PK).

Best Gas Stocks To Own For 2014: Whitecap Resources Inc (SPGYF.PK)

Whitecap Resources Inc., formerly Spitfire Energy Ltd., is engaged in the exploration, development and production of crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids in Western Canada. The Company�� activities are concentrated primarily in Northwest Central Alberta and Southwest Saskatchewan. On July 1, 2010, the Company amalgamated with its wholly owned subsidiary Whitecap Resources Inc. During fiscal 2010, the Company produced an average of 355 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boed). On July 12, 2010, the Company entered into an agreement to acquire a private company. The primary assets to be acquired are located in the Pembina region of west central Alberta with production and reserves focused in the Cardium formation. In October 2013, the Company announced that it has completed the acquisition of a Cardium light oil property and a working interest consolidation of its Eagle Lake Viking unit. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Caiman Valores]

  The recent surge in oil prices has renewed investor interest in the small-cap oil and gas E&P sector. One company that stands out for all the right reasons is Canadian domiciled small-cap, Whitecap Resources (SPGYF.PK). Since 2009 the company has unlocked considerable value for investors through a range of acquisitions as well as development and exploration projects. This has seen its share price surge in value to be up by almost 53% over the last year alone. However, it is clear that the market has yet to fully recognize the true value of Whitecap and there is still considerable upside potential of over 30% for investors. This along with Whitecap's dividend growth strategy makes it a particularly appealing deep-value investment in the oil and gas E&P sector.

Top Dow Dividend Stocks To Invest In Right Now

LONDON --�Question 1: What was the third region, along with the U.K. and U.S., which�Barclays'� (LSE: BARC  ) (NYSE: BCS  ) CEO Antony Jenkins identified as the focus for investment in his recent strategic review?

Question 2: In what region is�Standard Chartered� (LSE: STAN  ) planning to double its revenues in the next five years?

There are no prizes for guessing that the answer is Africa, but the questions highlight how significant the region could become. Natural resources, a burgeoning and increasingly wealthy population, and massive Chinese investment are great attractions, but in a difficult and notoriously corrupt continent, it's safer to invest through companies doing business there. Banking is especially well-placed to benefit from economic development.

Barclays
Last year, Barclays folded its directly owned African operations into its Johannesburg stock exchange-listed subsidiary Absa bank, now renamed Barclays Africa. As a result, Barclays' interest rose to 62%. A unified ownership and operational structure will help expansion in the continent.

Top Low Price Companies To Invest In Right Now: US Tungsten Corp (USTU)

US Tungsten Corp., formerly Stealth Resources Inc., incorporated on January 10, 2007, is an exploration-stage company. As of October 5, 2012, the Company had begun investigating tungsten opportunities. In September 2013, US Tungsten Corporation completed the registration and acquisition of 64 mineral claims located in Beaverhead, Montana.

On August 21, 2012, the Company acquired an option to acquire a 100% interest in three mineral claims known as the Calvert Property, located in Calvert, Montana (the Property). As of October 5, 2012, the Company had no operating revenues.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap mining stocks US Tungsten Corp (OTCMKTS: USTU) and LKA Gold Inc (OTCMKTS: LKAI) along with biotech Entest BioMedical Inc (OTCMKTS: ENTB) have been getting some attention lately in various investment newsletters with at least one of these stocks being the subject of paid promotions while another could soon be the subject of an investor relations campaign. But will any of these small cap stocks be winners for investors or traders? Here is a quick reality check:

Top Dow Dividend Stocks To Invest In Right Now: CenterPoint Energy Inc (CNP)

CenterPoint Energy, Inc., incorporated on February 2, 2001, is a domestic energy delivery company. The Company�� business segments include Electric Transmission and Distribution, Natural Gas Distribution, Competitive Natural Gas Sales and Services, Interstate Pipelines, Field Services and Other Operations. The Company serves metered customers primarily in Arkansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas. The company also owns a 58.3% interest in a midstream partnership it jointly controls with OGE Energy Corp. with operations in natural gas and liquids-rich producing areas of Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana.

The Company is a public utility holding company. The Company�� indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries include CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric, LLC (CenterPoint Houston), which engages in the electric transmission and distribution business in a 5,000-square mile area of the Texas Gulf Coast that includes the city of Houston and CenterPoint Energy Resources Corp. (CERC Corp. and, together with its subsidiaries, CERC), which owns and operates natural gas distribution systems in six states. Subsidiaries of CERC Corp. own interstate natural gas pipelines and gas gathering systems and provide various ancillary services. A wholly owned subsidiary of CERC Corp. offers variable and fixed-price physical natural gas supplies primarily to commercial and industrial customers and electric and gas utilities.

Electric Transmission & Distribution

CenterPoint Houston is a transmission and distribution electric utility that operates wholly within the state of Texas. CenterPoint Houston delivers electricity from power plants to substations, from one substation to another and to retail electric customers taking power at or above 69 kilovolts in locations throughout CenterPoint Houston's certificated service territory. CenterPoint Houston constructs and maintains transmission facilities and provides transmission services under tariffs approved by the Pu! blic Utility Commission of Texas (Texas Utility Commission).

In the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc. (ERCOT), end users purchase their electricity directly from certificated REPs. CenterPoint Houston delivers electricity for REPs in its certificated service area by carrying lower-voltage power from the substation to the retail electric customer. CenterPoint Houston's distribution network receives electricity from the transmission grid through power distribution substations and delivers electricity to end users through distribution feeders. CenterPoint Houston's operations include construction and maintenance of distribution facilities, metering services, outage response services and call center operations. CenterPoint Houston provides distribution services under tariffs approved by the Texas Utility Commission. Texas Utility Commission rules and market protocols govern the commercial operations of distribution companies and other market participants.

CenterPoint Houston is a member of ERCOT. Within ERCOT, prices for wholesale generation and retail electric sales are unregulated, but services provided by transmission and distribution companies, such as CenterPoint Houston, are regulated by the Texas Utility Commission. ERCOT serves as the regional reliability coordinating council for member electric power systems in of Texas. ERCOT membership is open to consumer groups, investor and municipally-owned electric utilities, rural electric cooperatives, independent generators, power marketers, river authorities and REPs. The ERCOT market includes of the State of Texas, other than a portion of the panhandle, portions of the eastern part of the state bordering Arkansas and Louisiana and the area in and around El Paso.

ERCOT market operates under the reliability standards set by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) and approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). These reliability standards are administered by the Texas Regi! onal Enti! ty (TRE), a functionally independent division of ERCOT. The Texas Utility Commission has primary jurisdiction over the ERCOT market to ensure the adequacy and reliability of electricity supply across the state's main interconnected power transmission grid. The ERCOT independent system operator (ERCOT ISO) is responsible for operating the bulk electric power supply system in the ERCOT market. The ERCOT ISO also serves as agent for procuring ancillary services for those members who elect not to provide their own ancillary services.

CenterPoint Houston's electric transmission business, along with those of other owners of transmission facilities in Texas, supports the operation of the ERCOT ISO. The transmission business has planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance responsibility for the portion of the transmission grid and for the load-serving substations it owns, primarily within its certificated area. CenterPoint Houston participates with the ERCOT ISO and other ERCOT utilities to plan, design, obtain regulatory approval for and construct new transmission lines necessary to increase bulk power transfer capability and to remove existing constraints on the ERCOT transmission grid.

CenterPoint Houston's integrated utility business was restructured in accordance with the Texas electric restructuring law and its generating stations were sold to third parties. CenterPoint Houston serves nearly all of the Houston/Galveston metropolitan area. At December 31, 2012, CenterPoint Houston's customers consisted of approximately 75 REPs, which sell electricity to over two million metered customers in CenterPoint Houston's certificated service area, and municipalities, electric cooperatives and other distribution companies located outside CenterPoint Houston's certificated service area. All of CenterPoint Houston's properties are located in Texas. Its properties consist primarily of high-voltage electric transmission lines and poles, distribution lines, substations, service ce! nters, se! rvice wires and meters.

As of December 31, 2012, CenterPoint Houston owned 28,011 pole miles of overhead distribution lines and 3,713 circuit miles of overhead transmission lines, including 373 circuit miles operated at 69,000 volts, 2,124 circuit miles operated at 138,000 volts and 1,216 circuit miles operated at 345,000 volts. As of December 31, 2012, CenterPoint Houston owned 21,151 circuit miles of underground distribution lines and 26 circuit miles of underground transmission lines, including two circuit miles operated at 69,000 volts and 24 circuit miles operated at 138,000 volts. As of December 31, 2012, CenterPoint Houston owned 233 substation sites having a total installed rated transformer capacity of 54,325 megavolt amperes. CenterPoint Houston operates 14 regional service centers located on a total of 291 acres of land. These service centers consist of office buildings, warehouses and repair facilities that are used in the business of transmitting and distributing electricity.

Natural Gas Distribution

CERC Corp.'s natural gas distribution business (Gas Operations) engages in regulated intrastate natural gas sales to, and natural gas transportation for, approximately 3.3 million residential, commercial and industrial customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas. The largest metropolitan areas served in each state by Gas Operations are Houston, Texas; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Little Rock, Arkansas; Shreveport, Louisiana; Biloxi, Mississippi; and Lawton, Oklahoma. Gas Operations also provides unregulated services in Minnesota consisting of heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment and appliance repair, and sales of HVAC, hearth and water heating equipment. Gas Operations actively engages in commodity price stabilization pursuant to annual gas supply plans presented to and/or filed with each of its state regulatory authorities. Gas Operations uses various third-party storage services or owned natural ga! s storage! facilities to meet peak-day requirements and to manage the daily changes in demand due to changes in weather and may also supplement contracted supplies and storage from time to time with stored liquefied natural gas and propane-air plant production.

Gas Operations owns and operates an underground natural gas storage facility with a capacity of seven billion cubic feet It has a working capacity of two billion cubic feet available for use during a normal heating season and a maximum daily withdrawal rate of 50 million cubic feet . It also owns nine propane-air plants with a total production rate of 200,000 Dekatherms per day and on-site storage facilities for 12 million gallons of propane (one billion cubic feet natural gas equivalent). It owns a liquefied natural gas plant facility with a 12 million-gallon liquefied natural gas storage tank (one billion cubic feet natural gas equivalent) and a production rate of 72,000 Dekatherms per day. Gas Operations has entered into various asset management agreements associated with its utility distribution service in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas. As of December 31, 2012, Gas Operations owned approximately 72,000 linear miles of natural gas distribution mains, varying in size from one-half inch to 24 inches in diameter. Generally, in each of the cities, towns and rural areas served by Gas Operations, it owns the underground gas mains and service lines, metering and regulating equipment located on customers' premises and the district regulating equipment necessary for pressure maintenance.

Interstate Pipelines

CERC's pipelines business operates interstate natural gas pipelines with gas transmission lines primarily located in Arkansas, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. CERC's interstate pipeline operations are primarily conducted by two wholly owned subsidiaries that provide gas transportation and storage services primarily to industrial customers and local distribution companies, includ! ing Cente! rPoint Energy Gas Transmission Company, LLC (CEGT) is an interstate pipeline that provides natural gas transportation, natural gas storage and pipeline services to customers principally in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas and includes the 1.9 billion cubic feet per day pipeline from Carthage, Texas to Perryville, Louisiana, which CEGT operates as a separate line with a fixed fuel rate, and CenterPoint Energy-Mississippi River Transmission, LLC (MRT) is an interstate pipeline that provides natural gas transportation, natural gas storage and pipeline services to customers principally in Arkansas, Illinois and Missouri. CenterPoint Southeastern Pipelines Holding, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of CERC, owns a 50% interest in Southeast Supply Header, LLC (SESH). SESH owns a one billion cubic feet per day, 274-mile interstate pipeline that runs from the Perryville Hub in Louisiana to Coden, Alabama.

Field Services

CERC's field services business operates gas gathering, treating and processing facilities and also provides operating and technical services and remote data monitoring and communication services. CERC's field services operations are conducted by a wholly owned subsidiary, CenterPoint Energy Field Services, LLC (CEFS), and subsidiaries of CEFS. CERC's field services business provides natural gas gathering and processing services for certain natural gas fields in the Mid-continent region of the United States that interconnect with CEGT's and MRT's pipelines, as well as other interstate and intrastate pipelines. As of December 31,2012, CERC's field services business gathered an average of approximately 2.4 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas. In addition, CERC's field services business has the capacity available to treat up to 2.5 billion cubic feet per day and process 625 million cubic feet per day of natural gas. CEFS, through its ServiceStar operating division, provides remote data monitoring and communications services to affiliates and third parties. CERC's ! field ser! vices business owns and operates approximately 4,600 miles of gathering lines and processing plants that collect, treat and process natural gas primarily from three regions located in producing fields in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas.

Other Operations

The Company�� other operations business segment includes office buildings and other real estate. It is used in its business operations and other corporate operations that support all of its business operations.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Marc Bastow]

  Domestic energy delivery company CenterPoint Energy (CNP) raised its quarterly dividend 14.5% to 23.75 cents per share, payable on Mar. 10 to shareholders of record as of Feb. 14.
  CNP Dividend Yield: 4.05%

• [By Garrett Cook]

  Utilities shares gained around 0.83 percent in today’s trading. Meanwhile, top gainers in the sector included Consolidated Water Co (NASDAQ: CWCO), up 4.5 percent, CenterPoint Energy (NYSE: CNP), up 2.4 percent.

• [By Sara Murphy]

  Mircroturbines are an important distributed generation technology. CenterPoint Energy (NYSE: CNP  ) installed its first one in 2000, and now includes microturbines among its offerings to commercial customers. Indeed, CenterPoint is heavily invested in natural gas in general�and would be among the likely beneficiaries of broader natural gas adoption.

• [By Eric Volkman]

  CenterPoint Energy (NYSE: CNP  ) is keeping true to its steady nature and maintaining its quarterly dividend policy. The company announced that it will distribute $0.2075 per share of its common stock on June 10 to shareholders of record as of May 16. This amount matches CenterPoint's previous payout, which was dispensed in February. Before that, the company distributed $0.2025 per share.

Top Dow Dividend Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce(CM)

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce provides various financial products, services, and advice to individual, small business, commercial, corporate, and institutional clients in Canada and internationally. The company offers retail markets services comprising personal banking, business banking, and wealth management services, as well as investment management services to retail and institutional clients. It also provides wholesale banking services, including credit, capital markets, investment banking, merchant banking, and research products and services to government, institutional, corporate, and retail clients. The company provides its services through its branch network, automated bank machines, mobile banking, and online banking site. As of June 3, 2011, it operated approximately 1,100 branches and 4,000 automated bank machines in Canada. The company was founded in 1867 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Will Ashworth]

  NTIOF Rating: 7

  Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CM)

  Dividend Yield: 4.4%

  According to a report by TD Securities,�Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CM) generates 80% of its total loans in Canada, higher than any other major Canadian bank.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  It's easy for U.S. investors to paint Canadian banks with a single brush-stroke, as the differences in the banking system helped keep Bank of Montreal and its peers safer during the financial crisis five years ago. As Canada's housing market has kept rising even after the housing bust south of its border, however, investors have gotten increasingly concerned about the potential health of its banks, especially the largest ones. With downgrades for Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (NYSE: CM  ) , Toronto-Dominion (NYSE: TD  ) , and Bank of Montreal among a total of six banks in January, Moody's identified higher debt levels among Canadian consumers as driving potential risk for the economy.

Top Dow Dividend Stocks To Invest In Right Now: AAON Inc.(AAON)

AAON, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of air conditioning and heating equipment primarily in the United States and Canada. The company offers rooftop units, chillers, air-handling units, make-up air units, heat recovery units, condensing units, commercial self contained units, and coils. It serves the commercial and industrial new construction and replacement markets. AAON, Inc. sells its products through manufacturers representatives and internal sales force. The company was founded in 1987 and is based in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jonas Elmerraji]

  We're seeing the exact same setup in shares of small-cap HVAC firm Aaon (AAON). The biggest difference is that in AAON's case, the ascending triangle pattern is coming in at the top of this stock's recent price action, not at the bottom. That makes this a more textbook trade for September.

  Another important difference is the fact that AAON hasn't triggered yet. Shares have been coiling below $26 resistance since the middle of the summer; a breakout above that $26 level is the indicator that it's time to buy. Whenever you're looking at any technical price pattern, it's critical to think in terms of buyers and sellers. Triangles and other price pattern names are a good quick way to explain what's going on in this stock, but they're not the reason it's tradable. Instead, it all comes down to supply and demand for shares.

  That resistance line at $26 is a price where there's an excess of supply of shares; in other words, it's a place where sellers have been more eager to take recent gains and sell their shares than buyers have been to buy. That's what makes the move above it so significant -- a breakout indicates that buyers are finally strong enough to absorb all of the excess supply above that price level.

  Wait for that to happen before you put your money on this trade.

Top Dow Dividend Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Harsco Corp (HSC)

Harsco Corporation, incorporated on February 28, 1956, is a diversified, multinational provider of industrial services and engineered products serving global industries. The Company operates in four segments: Harsco Metals & Minerals, Harsco Infrastructure, Harsco Rail and Harsco Industrial. The Company's principal lines of business include outsourced, on-site services to steel mills and other metals producers; resource recovery technologies for the re-use of industrial waste stream by-products; industrial abrasives and roofing granules; engineered scaffolding, concrete forming and shoring, and other access-related services, rentals and sales; railway track maintenance services and equipment; industrial grating products; air-cooled heat exchangers, and heat transfer products. In January 2014, the Company acquired Hammco Corp.

Harsco Metals & Minerals Segment

The Harsco Metals & Minerals Segment is a provider of on-site, outsourced services to the global metals industries. The Metals business provides its services and solutions on a long-term contract basis, supporting each stage of the metal-making process from initial raw material handling to post-production slag processing and metal recovery. The Minerals business extracts metallic content from stainless steel by-products and also specializes in the development of minerals technologies for commercial applications, including agriculture fertilizers. The Minerals business also produces industrial abrasives and roofing granules from power-plant utility coal slag at a number of locations throughout the United States. Harsco Minerals' BLACK BEAUTY abrasives are used for industrial surface preparation, such as rust removal and cleaning of bridges, ship hulls and various structures. Roofing granules are sold to residential roofing shingle manufacturers, primarily for the replacement roofing market. As of December 31, 2012, the Harsco Metals & Minerals Segment operated in approximately 35 countries. During the year ended December 3! 1, 2012, the Harsco Metals & Minerals Segment generated 46% of the Company�� total revenue.

Harsco Infrastructure Segment

The Harsco Infrastructure Segment is global organization for the rental and sale of engineered scaffolding, shoring, concrete forming and other access-related solutions for construction projects as well as industrial plant maintenance programs. The Segment operates from a network of branches throughout the world, including North America, Latin America, Europe, the Gulf Region of the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific. The services include the provision of concrete shoring and forming systems; scaffolding for non-residential and infrastructure construction projects and industrial maintenance requirements, and a variety of other infrastructure services including project engineering and design, equipment erection and dismantling services, industrial insulation and painting services and equipment sales. During 2012, the Harsco Infrastructure Segment generated 31% of the Company�� total revenue.

Harsco Rail Segment

The Harsco Rail Segment is a global provider of equipment and services for the maintenance, repair and construction of railway track. The Segment's equipment and services support private and government-owned railroads and urban transit systems worldwide. The Segment's rail products are produced in three countries and products and services are provided worldwide. During 2012, the Harsco Rail Segment generated 11% of the Company�� total revenue.

Harsco Industrial Segment

Harsco Industrial Segment includes the Harsco Industrial IKG, Harsco Industrial Air-X-Changers and Harsco Industrial Patterson-Kelley businesses. Approximately 90% of this Segment's revenues originate in North America. Harsco Industrial IKG manufactures a line of industrial grating products at several plants in the United States and international plants located in Mexico and China. These products include a range of bar grating c! onfigurat! ions, which are used mainly in industrial flooring, as well as safety and security applications in the energy, paper, chemical, refining and processing industries.

Harsco Industrial Air-X-Changers is a supplier of custom-designed and manufactured air-cooled heat exchangers for the natural gas industry from plants in the United States and Australia. Harsco Industrial Air-X-Changers' heat exchangers are the primary apparatus used to condition natural gas during recovery, compression and transportation from underground reserves through the pipeline distribution channels. Harsco Industrial Patterson-Kelley is a manufacturer of heat transfer products, such as boilers and water heaters for commercial and institutional applications. During 2012, the Harsco Rail Segment generated 12% of the Company�� total revenue.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Shares of Harsco (HSC) have gained today after BB&T Capital Markets upgraded its shares to Buy from Hold.

  Analysts Robert Norfleet III and Basil Jones III explain the decision to raise their rating:

  �We believe that the strategic transformation of HSC’s portfolio, as evidenced by the recently announced sale of its Infrastructure segment, as well as additional best practices and productivity enhancements (LEAN, etc.) should result in improved financial metrics, valuation, and, ultimately, a less complex business structure. While our non-consensus call is not primarily based on an expedited improvement in financial performance, it is a reflection of our confidence in the new management team and its ability to deliver value to shareholders through asset repositioning, improved ROICs and free cash flow generation. HSC remains a “turnaround story,” but we believe the market is underestimating out-year earnings growth, which will be driven by the Brand Energy JV, lower corporate expenses, improved margins in Metals & Minerals and the likelihood of an accretive acquisition.

  Shares of Harsco have gained 4.7% to $26.43 today at 1:16 p.m., outpacing other construction & engineering companies. Dycom (DY) has advanced 0.5% to $30, KBR Inc. (KBR) has ticked up 0.1% to $33.03, Worthington Industries�(WOR) has risen 2.8% to $38.85�and Tutor Perini (TPC) has rallied 3.6% to $22.46.

• [By Rich Smith]

  Barry Malamud's long tour of duty as interim chief financial officer at Harsco (NYSE: HSC  ) has come to an end.

  On Monday, the Camp Hill, Pa.-based metals company announced that it is hiring F. Nicholas Grasberger as its new CFO, effective April 22. On that date, Malamud will resume his prior position as vice president and corporate controller for the company.