Top Mid Cap Companies To Own For 2015

U.S. stocks had an excellent 2013

Results for U.S. stock markets were exceptionally strong during 2013. Stock markets continued their more than four year advance from the financial panic lows reached in March 2009. The backdrop for this advance was an improving economy, less than median stock prices based on historic valuations and, inexpensive credit increasingly available through a healed banking system. We believe U.S. stock markets were helped meaningfully by the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank's LSAP, large scale asset purchase program, more commonly called "quantitative easing." The stated purpose of the bank's strategy is to encourage businesses to invest to grow and create jobs. By keeping interest rates low and creating inflation, the Fed's LSAP is also intended to help our businesses and citizens continue to deleverage. During 2013, stocks advanced on average about 30% from the prior year. Stocks of smaller and mid cap companies often increased in price more than 40%! Further, U.S. stocks' closing prices at year end 2013 exceeded peak prices they achieved in October 2007 by about 35%, as measured by the S&P 500.

Top Mid Cap Companies To Own For 2015: Boise Cascade Co (BCC)

Boise Cascade Company, formerly Boise Cascade, L.L.C., incorporated on July 26, 2004, is a vertically-integrated wood products manufacturer and building materials distributor with operations throughout the United States and Canada. The Company operates in two segments: wood products segment and our building materials distribution segment. The Company manufactures engineered wood products, plywood, lumber, and particleboard and distributes a line of building materials, including wood products manufactured by the Company�� wood products division. The Company�� products are used primarily in new residential construction, residential repair and remodeling projects, light commercial construction and industrial applications. In September 2013, the Company announced that it has completed the acquisition of Wood Resources LLC's Southeast Operations, which include Chester Wood Products LLC and Moncure Plywood LLC.

Wood Products

The Company�� wood products segment is a manufacturer of engineered wood products (EWP) and plywood in North America. It manufactures LVL, I-joists and laminated beams and also produces plywood, studs, particleboard and ponderosa pine lumber, a lumber grade sold primarily to manufacturers of specialty wood windows, moldings and doors. Most of its wood products are sold to wholesalers, including its building materials distribution segment, home improvement centers, retail lumberyards and industrial converters.

Building Materials Distribution

The Company is a wholesale distributor of building materials in the United States. Its nationwide network of 31 strategically-located distribution facilities sells a line of building materials, including EWP, oriented strand board OSB), plywood, lumber and general line items, such as framing accessories, composite decking, roofing, siding and insulation. It also operates a truss manufacturing plant located in Maine. Its products are used in the construction of new residential housing,! including single-family, multi-family and manufactured homes, repair and remodeling projects and the construction of light industrial and commercial buildings.

The Company markets its products primarily to retail lumberyards and home improvement centers that then sell the products to end customers, who are typically professional builders, independent contractors and homeowners engaged in residential construction projects. It also markets its products to industrial converters, which use its products to assemble windows, doors, agricultural bins and other products used in industrial and repair and remodel applications. The Company has more than 4,500 customers, which includes a diverse mix of wholesalers, home improvement centers, retail lumberyards and industrial converters. The Company supplies its customers through 49 located facilities (consisting of 18 manufacturing facilities and 31 distribution facilities).

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Shares of Rayonier have plunged 15% to $46.97 at 12.36 p.m., but its fall doesn’t seem to have damaged other timber companies. Weyerhaeuser (WY) has gained 3.7% to $31.43 after it reported a profit of 27 cents today, beating estimates of 21 cents. Plum Creek Timber (PCL) is little changed at $49.47 and Boise Cascade (BCC) has risen 1.1% to $27.83.

• [By Blake Bos]

  Investors searching for a lucrative investment to capitalize on a continued rebound in housing may have found the process to be quite precarious, as many companies have experienced significant run-ups in stock price. While most company valuations appear frothy,�Boise Cascade (NYSE: BCC  ) �stands out as a possible cheaper alternative. In the video below, analyst Blake Bos shows you how to ask the right questions when deciding to invest and draws some valuable comparisons to competitor�Weyerhaeuser� (NYSE: WY  ) .�

• [By Matt Jarzemsky]

  Installed Building Products��debut follows mixed performance from shares of some newly public building-products companies. Through Tuesday, siding manufacturer Ply Gem Holdings Inc.(PGEM)�� shares were down 39% from the offer price in its $381 May debut. Wood-products maker Boise Cascade Co.(BCC) was up 46% from its $284 million February IPO.

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Before you consider this just to be a bit of IPO pondering, take a step back and understand that some of this list membership already has�filed to come public or actually has�made it public recently. Boise Cascade Co. (NYSE: BCC), CDW Corp. (NASDAQ: CDW), Coty Inc. (NYSE: COTY), Global Brass and Copper Holdings Inc. (NYSE: BRSS), Noodles & Company (NASDAQ: NDLS), Restoration Hardware Holdings Inc. (NYSE: RH), Sprouts Farmers Market Inc. (NASDAQ: SFM) and many others are on the list and have made it to the post-IPO stage in the stock market.

Top Mid Cap Companies To Own For 2015: Ocado Group PLC (OCDO)

Ocado Group plc is a United Kingdom-based holding company. The Company�� principal activities are the retailing, logistics and distribution of grocery and consumer goods and the development and monetisation of intellectual property and technology for the online retailing, logistics and distribution of these goods. The Company is an online grocery retailer. The Company�� subsidiaries include Ocado Holdings Limited, Ocado Limited, Ocado Information Technology Limited, Last Mile Developments Limited and Last Mile Developments Limited. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sarah Jones]

  Rio Tinto Group and Anglo American Plc (AAL) retreated more than 2.5 percent as copper and lead declined. Eurasian Natural Resources Corp. (ENRC) sank 6.8 percent as analysts downgraded the shares. Standard Life Plc slipped 1.2 percent as Chief Financial Officer Jackie Hunt resigned to move to a rival insurer. Ocado Group Plc (OCDO) fell for the first day this week as the online grocer ruled out a takeover by William Morrison Supermarkets Plc.

5 Best Regional Bank Stocks To Watch Right Now: CoreSite Realty Corporation(COR)

CoreSite Realty Corporation operates as real investment trust in the United States. The company engages in the ownership, acquisition, construction, and management of data centers. It provides data centers that optimize, secure, and interconnect the mission-critical IT assets of the organizations. The company offers private data centers and suites, cage-to-cabinet colocation, and interconnection services, such as Any2, CoreSite's Internet exchange. Its data centers are located in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay and Northern Virginia areas, Chicago, and New York City. The company provides its data centre services to enterprises, cloud providers, financial firms, and Government agencies. As of March 31, 2011, its property portfolio included 11 operating data center facilities, 1 data center under construction, and 1 development site. The company was founded in 2010 and is headquartered in Denver, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Wolfe]

  CoreSite Realty Corp (COR)

  During the second quarter, Columbia Wanger increased their holdings in CoreSite Realty by 256.43%. The fund purchased a total of 1,176,650 shares of the company�� stock. They purchased these shares at an average price of $34.19 and since then the price per share has increased an additional 4.1%.

Top Mid Cap Companies To Own For 2015: Financial Institutions Inc.(FISI)

Financial Institutions, Inc. operates as the holding company for Five Star Bank that provides consumer and commercial banking, and financial services to individuals, municipalities, and businesses in central and western New York. Its deposit accounts consist of noninterest-bearing demand, interest-bearing demand, savings, money market, club, individual retirement, and other qualified plan accounts, as well as certificates of deposit. The company?s loan portfolio comprises commercial loans, commercial real estate loans, one-to-four family residential mortgages, consumer automobile loans, recreational vehicle loans, boat loans, home improvement loans, closed-end home equity loans, home equity lines of credit, collateralized and uncollateralized personal loans, deposit account collateralized loans, commercial and agricultural working capital and revolving lines of credit, commercial and agricultural mortgages, equipment loans, and crop and livestock loans. It operates throug h a network of approximately 51 offices and 70 ATMs in 14 contiguous counties of western and central New York. The company, through its other subsidiary, Five Star Investment Services, Inc., provides brokerage services. Financial Institutions, Inc. was founded in 1931 and is based in Warsaw, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By GURUFOCUS]

  Financial Institutions Inc. (FISI) operates as the holding company for Five Star Bank that provides various banking and financial services to individuals, municipalities, and businesses. Aug. 21, the company increased its quarterly dividend 6% to $0.19 per share. The dividend is payable payable Oct. 2, 2013 to shareholders of record as of Sept. 12, 2013. The yield based on the new payout is 3.9%.

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Financial Institutions Inc. (NASDAQ: FISI) was started as Buy with a $24 price target by Sterne Agee.

  Ross Stores Inc. (NASDAQ: ROST) was reiterated as Buy and added to the prized Conviction Buy list at Goldman Sachs.

Top Mid Cap Companies To Own For 2015: Evercore Partners Inc(EVR)

Evercore Partners Inc. operates as an independent investment banking advisory firm. The company operates through two segments, Investment Banking and Investment Management. The Investment Banking segment offers advisory services on mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and other strategic corporate transactions primarily for multinational corporations and private equity firms; and restructuring advice to companies in financial transition, as well as to creditors, shareholders, and potential acquirers. This segment also provides capital markets advice; underwrites securities offerings; raises funds for financial sponsors; and offers equity research and agency-only equity securities trading for institutional investors. The Investment Management segment manages financial assets for institutional investors; provides independent fiduciary services to corporate employee benefit plans; provides wealth management services for high net-worth individuals; manages private equity funds ; and offers specialized investment management and trustee services. The company operates primarily in the United States, Europe, and Latin America. Evercore Partners Inc. was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

  Evraz (EVR) plunged 11 percent to 185.8 pence, the most since Russia�� biggest steelmaker began trading in London in November 2011. The company�� board of directors refrained from announcing a final dividend, citing deteriorating market environment and a weaker second-half performance.

• [By Jonathan Levin]

  The company began operations in 2006 and its fleet includes Airbus SAS single-aisle A319 and A320 jets. Owners include Indigo Partners LLC, Evercore Partners Inc. (EVR) and Evercore Co-Chairman Pedro Aspe, a former Mexico finance minister, according to the pre-IPO filing.

• [By Marc Bastow]

  Independent investment advisory firm Evercore Partners (EVR) raised its quarterly dividend 13.6% to 25 cents per share, payable on Dec. 13 to shareholders of record as of Nov. 29.
  EVR Dividend Yield:�1.9%

• [By David Hanson and Matt Koppenheffer]

  In this segment from Thursday's episode of The Motley Fool's everything-financials show,�Where the Money Is, banking analysts Matt Koppenheffer and David Hanson go through a rapid-fire round of three top headlines. The newsmakers included�KKR (NYSE: KKR  ) ,�Bank of America (NYSE: BAC  ) ,�Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS  ) ,�Lazard (NYSE: LAZ  ) , and�Evercore (NYSE: EVR  ) .

Top Mid Cap Companies To Own For 2015: PowerShares S&P SmallCap Information Technology Portfolio (PSCT)

PowerShares S&P SmallCap Information Technology Portfolio (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of an index called the S&P SmallCap 600 Capped Information Technology Index (the Index). The Index consists of common stocks of the United States information technology companies. These are companies that are principally engaged in the business of providing information technology-related products and services, including computer hardware and software, Internet, electronics and semiconductors, and communication technologies. The Index is compiled, maintained and calculated by Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC. The Fund will normally invest at least 80% of its total assets in common stocks of small-capitalization information technology companies. The Fund will normally invest at least 90% of its total assets in common stocks that comprise the Index. The Fund�� investment adviser is Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephen Leeb]

  The PowerShares S&P 500 Small-Cap Technology (PSCT) is geared towards smaller, more agile, but also less-established firms, while iShares S&P North American Technology ETF (IGM) offers broad, blue-chip technology industry exposure.

Top Mid Cap Companies To Own For 2015: Rambus Inc.(RMBS)

Rambus Inc. engages in the creation, design, development, and licensing of patented innovations, technologies, and architectures to digital electronics products and systems. Its patented innovations include Dual Edge Clocking, which is designed to allow data to be sent on the clock pulse; Variable Burst Length that improves data transfer efficiency by allowing varying amounts of data to be sent per a memory read or write request in dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and flash memory; and FlexPhase technology, which synchronizes data output and compensates for circuit timing errors. The company also offers Channel Equalization to improve signal integrity and system margins in high speed parallel and serial link channels; Module Threading, which improves the power efficiency of a memory module by applying parallelism to module data accesses; and MicroLens optical design technology, which provides optimum utilization of high-brightness light-emitting diodes (LED) in edge-lit lighting applications. In addition, it licenses its architectures and industry-standard solutions for use in digital electronics products and systems, including XDR Memory Architecture enabling the production of DRAM; XDR2 Memory Architecture that incorporates DRAM micro-threading for graphics intensive applications, such as gaming and digital video; Mobile XDR Memory Architecture, which enables applications, such as HD video recording and 3D gaming on battery powered mobile devices; RDRAM Memory used in play stations, Intel-based personal computers, televisions, and routers; and FlexIO Processor Bus, a high speed chip-to-chip interface. Further, the company offers industry-standard chip interface solutions, including DDRx; digital logic controllers for peripheral component interconnect express and other industry standard interfaces; and custom solutions for displays, LED backlights, and general lighting. Rambus Inc. was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, Ca lifornia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  Micron Technology Inc.(MU) and Rambus Inc.(RMBS) said they have ended a series of court battles that stretched for 13 years, with Micron agreeing to pay up to $280 million to Rambus over seven years. The deal announced late Monday gives Micron, one of the biggest makers of memory chips, rights to use Rambus patents in certain products. Rambus shares surged 9.7% to $9.36 premarket, while Micron was inactive.

• [By ICRAOnline]

  Technology licensing company Rambus (RMBS) displayed good momentum in its fourth-quarter results. However, uncertainty looms as the company forecasted a growth rate of just 6.5% ��significantly lower than last year�� 14.0%. This could reflect uncertainty in the company�� LED business and the semiconductor industry as a whole. Let�� take a brief look at the highlights for the quarter.

Top Mid Cap Companies To Own For 2015: RealPage Inc.(RP)

RealPage, Inc. provides on demand software solutions for the rental housing industry in North America. It offers property management systems, including OneSite to manage leasing and rents, facilities, purchasing, accounting, budgeting, and living of multi-family, housing and urban development (HUD), tax credit, privatized military housing, and student housing; and Propertyware for accounting, maintenance and work order management, marketing spend management, and portal services, as well as screening, renter?s insurance, and payment solutions. The company also provides on premise property management systems that include RentRoll for small conventional apartment communities; HUD Manager for small HUD, rural housing services, and tax credit subsidized apartment communities; Tenant Pro for small conventional properties; Spectra, an apartment and commercial modular property management system; and i-CAM and Management Plus property management software that automates and streaml ines rental activities. In addition, it offers software-enabled value-added services, such as LeaseStar, a system that manage marketing and leasing operations and enable owners and managers to originate, capture, track, manage, and close leads; YieldStar, a scientific yield management system, which enables owners and managers to optimize rents; LeasingDesk, a risk mitigation system to reduce delinquency, liability, and property damage risk; and Velocity that offers billing and utility management services; OpsTechnology that offers spend management systems that enable owners and managers to control costs; shared cloud services, which are integrated with property management systems and software-enabled valued added services; and RealPage Senior Living, an integrated care management, community management, and marketing management platform. The company sells its software and services directly through its sales force. RealPage, Inc. is headquartered in Carrollton, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap construction software stock Textura Corp (NYSE: TXTR) has been all over the place lately, meaning it might be time to take a look at it along with other small cap or mid cap construction, design or real estate software stocks like RealPage, Inc (NASDAQ: RP) and more well known Autodesk, Inc (NASDAQ: ADSK). After all, enterprise software stocks like these would offer a more indirect way to bet on a housing or construction ��ecovery,���ust like building materials stocks; plus earlier this summer,�a benchmark global study (sponsored by Textura Corp) called Global Construction 2025 predicted that the global construction market will grow by more than 70% to reach $15 trillion by 2025.�

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

Top Mid Cap Companies To Own For 2015: Energy Transfer Equity L.P. (ETE)

Energy Transfer Equity, L.P., through its direct and indirect investments in the limited partner and general partner interests in Energy Transfer Partners, L.P., engages in midstream, intrastate, and interstate transportation of natural gas, as well as in storage of natural gas in the United States. The company?s Intrastate Transportation and Storage segment engages in the ownership and operation of natural gas transportation pipelines and natural gas storage facilities. As of December 31, 2009, it owned and operated approximately 7,800 miles of natural gas transportation pipelines and 3 natural gas storage facilities. This segment sells natural gas to electric utilities, independent power plants, local distribution companies, industrial end-users, and other marketing companies on the Houston pipeline system. Its Interstate Transportation segment involves owns and operates interstate natural gas pipeline. It owned and operates approximately 2,700 miles of interstate natura l gas pipeline with an additional 180 miles under construction. The company?s Midstream segment engages in the ownership and operation of in service natural gas gathering pipelines, natural gas processing plants, natural gas treating facilities, and natural gas conditioning facilities. This segment owned and operated approximately 7,000 miles of in service natural gas gathering pipelines, 3 natural gas processing plants, 11 natural gas treating facilities, and 11 natural gas conditioning facilities. Its Retail Propane segment operates a retail distribution network consisting of approximately 440 customer service locations in approximately 40 states. The company was formerly known as La Grange Energy, L.P. Energy Transfer Equity, L.P. was founded in 2002 and is based in Dallas, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Energy Transfer Equity (ETE) owns and operates natural gas gathering systems, natural gas intrastate pipeline systems and gas processing plants. This stock closed up 1.8% at $66.21 in Wednesday's trading session.

  Wednesday's Volume: 4.58 million
  
  Three-Month Average Volume: 1.28 million
  
  Volume % Change: 321%

  From a technical perspective, ETE spiked higher here right off some near-term support at $63.90 with heavy upside volume. This move pushed shares of ETE into new 52-week high territory, since the stock took out some resistance at $66.97. At last check, ETE hit an intraday high of $67.90 with volume that was substantially above its three-month average action of 1.28 million shares.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in ETE as long as it's trending above support at $63.90 or above more support at $62 and then once it sustains a move or close above its new 52-week high at $67.90 with volume that's near or above 1.28 million shares. If we get that move soon, then ETE will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that move are $70 to $75.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Many of the MLPs also have a publicly traded general partner. Because the general partner typically owns incentive distribution rights that can skyrocket after the limited partnership distributions are paid, these companies tend to show higher growth rates than the MLPs themselves. For example, Energy Transfer Equity LP (NYSE: ETE), the general partner for Enterprise Products, has a market cap of $24.23 billion on its own. ETE�� yield is 3.4% compared with EPD�� yield of 4.2%, but the general partner�� ability to grow is potentially much higher. The downside is that these stocks are expensive compared with an MLP�� common unit price.

• [By Dividend Monk]

  Much like Kinder Morgan Inc. (KMI) and Energy Transfer Equity (ETE), Oneok Inc. is a publicly traded general partner of another publicly traded partnership (Oneok Partners LP), and the overall benefits are similar.