Top 5 Defensive Stocks To Watch Right Now

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- The 2014 NFL Draft is in full swing this weekend at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The crown jewel of the NFL's offseason, the draft features NFL teams looking to bolster their rosters with the top college prospects in the country.

This year's first round concluded on Thursday with Defensive End Jadeveon Clowney out of South Carolina being picked by the Houston Texans with the number one overall selection. Potential difference makers Sammy Watkins (WR Clemson, drafted by the Buffalo Bills), Teddy Bridgewater (QB Louisville, drafted by the Minnesota Vikings) and Johnny Manziel aka Johnny Football (QB Texas A&M, drafted by the Cleveland Browns) were all picked on the first day of the three day 7-round event.

A single draft can make or break a franchise for years to come. Waste a top pick on a bust, and it could set your franchise back immensely. However, score on a pick and the returns could set your franchise up for success for a decade.

Current and Future Hall of Famers Peyton Manning, Jerry Rice, Deion Sanders, John Elway and Dan Marino were all selected in the first round, and while there have certainly been gems taken in later rounds -- three time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady was chosen in the sixth round --, the first round represents the best opportunity for franchises to turn their fortunes around, or continue with the success they have already built.

That being said it often takes four or five seasons to fully evaluate a draft pick's impact on a team. These are the top 10 first round draft picks of the past 5 years.

10. 


Percy Harvin

Drafted By: Minnesota Vikings

Year/Selection: 2009/22nd pick

College: Florida

Position: Wide Receiver

Percy Harvin is one of the few players from this draft class to not be with the team that originally drafted him -- he was traded to the Seattle Seahawks last offseason -- but he is one of the most dangerous players in the league with the ball i! n his hands. The Wide Reciever and kick return specialist won a Super Bowl this past season with the Seahawks, and despite missing much of the year with various injuries, made an impact on the big game by returning a kick off for a touchdown.

Top 10 Consumer Service Stocks To Buy For 2015: Aberdeen Australia Equity Fund Inc (IAF)

Aberdeen Australia Equity Fund, Inc. (the Fund) is a closed-end, non-diversified management investment company. The Fund�� principal investment objective is long-term capital appreciation through investment primarily in equity securities of Australian companies listed on the Australian Stock Exchange Limited. Its secondary objective is current income, which is expected to be derived primarily from dividends and interest on Australian corporate and governmental securities. The Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in equity securities, consisting of common stock, preferred stock and convertible stock, of companies tied economically to Australia (each an Australian Company), and at least 65% of its total assets in equity securities, consisting of common stock, preferred stock and convertible stock, listed on the Australian Stock Exchange Limited (ASX). Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dividends4Life]

  According to a Gabelli Funds report, managed distribution policies offer several advantages, including:1. Lower difference between the fund�� market price and its NAV per share.2. Provides support during periods when the stock market is in a decline.3. Provides a measurable performance target for the investment adviser.Below are several high-yield funds from CEFA that have a managed distribution policy (yields as of December 16):Aberdeen Australia Eqty (IAF)- Distribution Yield: 10.4%- Income Yield: 3.46%Bexil Advisers LLC� (DNI)- Distribution Yield: 11.1%- Income Yield: 3.56%BlackRock En Capital&Inc (CII)- Distribution Yield: 8.78%- Income Yield: 2.34%Cornerstone Strat Value (CLM)- Distribution Yield: 18.77%- Income Yield: 1.83%Cornerstone Total Return (CRF)- Distribution Yield: 19.10%- Income Yield: 0.85%Delaware Inv Div & Inc (DDF)- Distribution Yield: 6.70%- Income Yield: 5.26%Gabelli Equity Trust (GAB)- Distribution Yield: 7.58%- Income Yield: 1.54%Gabelli Utility Trust (GUT)- Distribution Yield: 9.45%- Income Yield: 2.84%MFS Special Value Trust (MFV)- Distribution Yield: 9.60%- Income Yield: 5.73%Nuveen Tx-Adv TR Strat (JTA)- Distribution Yield: 6.70%- Income Yield: 3.12%TCW Strategic Income (TSI)- Distribution Yield: 10.54%- Income Yield: 7.88%Zweig Total Return (ZTR)- Distribution Yield: 7.27%- Income Yield: 1.95%As noted in the Gabelli report, a managed distribution policy may create confusion regarding the true current yield since the reported yield includes the return of capital portion. You can see the disparity above between the income yield and the distribution (reported) yield.If you are looking for a sustainable and growing dividend, you may want to consider some blue-chip dividend stocks such as these with a Free Cash Flow Payout less than 50%, 50+ years of consecutive dividend increases and a 2%+ yield:3M Co. (MMM) is a diversified global company provides enhanced product functionality in electronics, health care, industrial, consumer

Top 5 Defensive Stocks To Watch Right Now: International Game Technology (IGT)

International Game Technology (IGT) designs, manufactures, and markets electronic gaming equipment and systems worldwide. The company offers casino-style slot machines that determine the game play outcome at the machine; wide area progressive jackpot systems with linked machines across various casinos; central determination system machines connected to a central server that determines the game outcome, encompassing video lottery terminals used primarily in government-sponsored applications and electronic or video bingo machines; and amusement with prize games. Its systems products include applications for casino management, customer relationship marketing (CRM), and server-based games and player management. IGT?s casino management solutions comprise integrated modules for machine accounting, patron management, cage and table accounting, ticket-in/ticket-out, bonusing (jackpots and promotions), and table game automation. The company?s CRM solutions feature integrated market ing and business intelligence modules that provide analytical, predictive, and management tools for maximizing casino operational effectiveness; and server-based solutions enable game delivery to slot machines, computers, mobile phones, tablets, and other networked devices. Its gaming markets comprise the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Mexico and South/Central America, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific, and the United Kingdom. The company was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Reno, Nevada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  International Game Technology (IGT) has popped after Reuters reported that the casino-game maker had begun looking into selling itself. From the Reuters article:

  International Game Technology the Las Vegas-based slot machine maker, has hired Morgan Stanley (MS) to explore a sale as the gaming industry pursues consolidation to combat slow growth, people familiar with the matter said on Monday.

  IGT, which has a market capitalization of more than $3 billion, has been working on a sale for more than two months and has attracted interest from other gaming companies as well as private equity firms, the people said.

  Shares of International Game Technology have gained 11% at 3:34 p.m. today, with most of that coming in the last 35 minutes of trading, or so. Since a picture is worth a thousand words:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  International Game Technology (NYSE: IGT) shares fell 8.96% to reach a new 52-week low of $12.81 after the company reported Q1 earnings of $0.20 per share on revenue of $512.80 million.

• [By John Divine]

  Lastly, slot machine maker International Game Technology (NYSE: IGT  ) slumped 7.3%, due largely to negative analyst sentiment. Unlike AMD and Microsoft, IGT doesn't report quarterly results until next Tuesday, so the comments today were sure to attract the attention of some uneasy investors before official numbers come out. A Janney Capital Markets analyst said that the stock's been driven up to a point where it no longer offers newcomers an attractive entry point. On top of that, IGT is set to start losing market share, will see higher costs, and will be able to buy back less stock in the future, according to the report.�

• [By Michael Flannelly]

  Analysts at Sterne Agee noted on Monday that International Game Technology’s (IGT) fiscal 2014 growth is stronger than it appears. As such, the analysts raised the price target on the casino gaming equipment manufacturer.

  The analysts maintain a “Buy” rating on IGT and now see shares reaching $25, up from the previous target of $23. This new price target suggests a 23% upside to the stock’s Friday closing price of $20.32.

  “Excluding FY13 Canadian VLT sales, which do not recur in FY14, consensus FY14 EPS growth is ~14% versus ‘in-print’ consensus EPS growth of ~4%,” Sterne Agee analyst David Bain said. “We believe IGT’s peer-low stock valuation is partly driven by a misinterpretation of forward growth using ‘in-print’ FY14 EPS projections.”

  Futhermore, the firm raised IGT’s fourth quarter EPS estimates from 33 cents to 34 cents.

  IGT shares were inactive during pre-market trading on Monday. The stock is up 43.4% year-to-date.

Top 5 Defensive Stocks To Watch Right Now: Noah Holdings Ltd (NOAH)

Noah Holdings Limited, incorporated on June 29, 2007, through its subsidiaries is a service provider focusing on distributing wealth management products to the high net worth population in the People�� Republic of China (PRC). The Company provides direct access to China�� high net worth population. Noah Holdings Limited is a holding company and it operates its business through its PRC subsidiary, Shanghai Noah Rongyao Investment Consulting Co., Ltd (Noah Rongyao), its variable interest entity, Shanghai Noah Investment Management Co., Ltd (Noah Investment), and their respective subsidiaries in China. While Noah Rongyao conducts most of the Company�� businesses, it conducts its insurance brokerage business through Noah Investment and its subsidiaries. Its products choices consist of over-the-counter (OTC) products originated in China and designed to cater to the needs of high net worth population.

With over 300 relationship managers in 28 branch offices, the Company�� coverage network encompasses China�� economically developed regions where high net worth population is concentrated, including the Yangtze River Delta, the Pearl River Delta and the Bohai Rim. Through this coverage network, it serves high net worth individuals, enterprises affiliated with high net worth individuals and wholesale clients, primarily local commercial banks or branches of national commercial banks, which distribute wealth management products to their own clients. Its registered clients were 12,353 as of June 30, 2010. The number of its active clients was 779 as of June 30, 2010. Noah Holdings Limited distributes OTC, wealth management products originated in China. Its product choices primarily include fixed income products, private equity funds and securities investment funds.

Noah Holdings Limited markets and distributes various categories of products supplied by third party product providers, which include fixed income products, mainly including collateralized fixed income products sponso! red by trust companies and other products that provide investors with fixed rates of return; private equity funds products, including investments in private equity funds sponsored by domestic and internal fund management firms; securities investment funds, which are privately raised funds investing in publicly traded stocks, and investment-linked insurance products. It generates revenues primarily from one-time commissions and recurring service fees paid by third-party product providers or, for the majority of fixed income products, by the underlying corporate borrowers. Its one-time commissions accounted for 78.6% of its net revenues during the year ended December 31, 2009, and its recurring service fees accounted for 21.4% of its net revenues in 2009.

The Company competes with China Merchants Bank, China Minsheng Bank and China Everbright Bank.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Noah (NOAH) is a service provider focusing on distributing wealth management products to the high-net-worth population in the People's Republic of China. This stock closed up 7.7% to $12.64 in Friday's trading session

  Friday's Volume: 357,000
  
  Three-Month Average Volume: 207,430
  
  Volume % Change: 120%

  From a technical perspective, NOAH ripped higher here right above its 50-day moving average of $11.37 with above-average volume. This move is quickly pushing shares of NOAH within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade. That trade will hit if NOAH manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance levels at $12.77 to $12.98 with high volume. At last check, NOAH hit an intraday high on Friday of $12.98 and volume was well above its three-month average action of 207,430 shares.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in NOAH as long as it's trending above its 50-day at $11.37 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 207,430 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then NOAH will set up to re-test or possibly take out its 52-week high at $14.64. Any high-volume move above $14.64 will then push NOAH into new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that move are $18 to $20.

• [By John Udovich]

  While America�� middle class appears to be shrinking with little upward mobility, small cap wealth management stocks Noah Holdings Limited (NYSE: NOAH) and A.F.P Provida SA (NYSE: PVD)�plus larger cap Affiliated Managers Group, Inc (NYSE: AMG) are managing money in places where the ranks of the middle class and the wealthy are still growing strong. Specifically, Noah Holdings Limited is based in China, Chile based A.F.P Provida SA is spreading its footprint into other Latin American countries and the�Affiliated Managers Group is growing�a global footprint. For those reasons, you have probably not heard of these wealth management stocks, but here are some reasons why you might want to consider investing in one:

Top 5 Defensive Stocks To Watch Right Now: Six Flags Entertainment Corporation New(SIX)

Six Flags Entertainment Corporation owns and operates regional theme, water, and zoological parks. The company?s parks offers various selection of state-of-the-art and traditional thrill rides, water attractions, themed areas, concerts and shows, restaurants, game venues, and retail outlets. It owns and operates 19 parks, including 17 parks in the United States; 1 park in Mexico City, Mexico; and 1 park in Montreal, Canada. The company was formerly known as Six Flags, Inc. and changed its name to Six Flags Entertainment Corporation in April 2010. Six Flags Entertainment Corporation was founded in 1971 and is based in Grand Prairie, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  "We join this call today with heavy hearts," Six Flags (NYSE: SIX  ) CEO James Reid-Anderson said in kicking off this morning's quarterly earnings report.

• [By Heather Long]

  As CNNMoney has documented, plenty of Americans are still struggling, and the uptick in spending isn't being felt by all businesses. Six Flags (SIX), for example, saw a decline in attendance in 2014.

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Six Flags Entertainment (NYSE: SIX  ) reported earnings on July 22. Here are the numbers you need to know.

  The 10-second takeaway
  For the quarter ended June 30 (Q2), Six Flags Entertainment missed slightly on revenues and missed estimates on earnings per share.