10 Best Consumer Stocks To Invest In 2014

As a longtime shareholder of OLED technologist Universal Display (NASDAQ: PANL  ) , I'm sure I'm not alone in saying it has felt like an eternity since the first 55-inch OLED televisions were unveiled by Samsung and LG Display (NYSE: LPL  ) at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas.

Of course, both companies had already told the world what they had been working on, but to actually�see the incredible aesthetics and�picture quality of a large screen OLED television finally made it seem real.

LG OLED television. Source: LG Display

Alas, while hopes ran high for commercial availability of OLED TVs in 2012, the year came and went with little additional movement on that front, thanks largely to difficulties in improving manufacturing yields enough to make mass production feasible. �

Top 10 Building Product Stocks To Buy Right Now: Suntory Beverage & Food Ltd (STBFY)

Suntory Beverage & Food Limited is principally engaged in the manufacture and sale of beverages and food. The Company operates in two geographical segments. The Domestic segment is engaged in the manufacture and sale of various soft drinks within Japan, such as coffee drinks, mineral water, green tea drinks, tea drinks, carbonated drinks, fruit juice drinks, functional beverages, milk beverages, and food for specified health use, as well as syrup for general and business usage. The International segment is engaged in the manufacture and sale of carbonated drinks, fruit juice drinks, health food, seasoning, tea-based beverages and others, with operations in Europe, Oceania, Asia and the Americas. As of May 29, 2013, the Company had 80 subsidiaries and 10 associated companies. On October 15, 2013, the Company acquired Lucozade Ribena Suntory Limited. On December 12, 2013, the Company acquired Suntory Beverage & Food Europe Limited. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Charles Sizemore]

  Let�� start with Suntory Beverage & Food Limited (STBFY),which recently completed its acquisition of�Beam Inc., formerly the purest play on bourbon. Beam was the owner of the eponymous Jim Beam brand, as well as the higher-end Maker�� Mark and Knob Creek and the lower-end Old Crow.�Suntory is Japan�� leading spirits company, though most Americans will be unfamiliar with its Japanese whisky brands, such as Yamazaki and Hakushu. (Note for booze snobs: Japanese whisky��ike Scotch and Canadian whisky��s correctly spelled ��hisky.��American bourbon, Tennessee whiskey and Irish whiskey are correctly spelled ��hiskey.��

10 Best Consumer Stocks To Invest In 2014: Career Education Corp (CECO)

Career Education Corporation, incorporated on January 5, 1994, through its colleges, schools and universities offers education to a student population of more than 75,000 students across the world in a variety of career-oriented disciplines through online, on-ground and hybrid learning program offerings. The Company operates four business units: University Schools, Career Schools, International and Transitional Schools. The Company�� institutions include, among others, American InterContinental University (AIU); Brooks Institute; Colorado Technical University (CTU); Harrington College of Design; INSEEC Group (INSEEC) Schools; International University of Monaco (IUM); International Academy of Design & Technology (IADT); Le Cordon Bleu North America (LCB), and Sanford-Brown Institutes and Colleges. In December 2013, Career Education Corp announced sale and transfer of control of its European education properties to private equity firm Apax Partners.

University Schools

The Company�� Colorado Technical University (CTU) schools collectively offer academic programs in the career-oriented disciplines of business studies, information systems and technologies, criminal justice, computer science and engineering, and health sciences in an online, classroom or laboratory setting. American InterContinental University (AIU) schools collectively offer academic programs in the career-oriented disciplines of business studies, information technologies, criminal justice and design technologies in an online, classroom or laboratory setting.

Career Schools

The Company�� Health Education includes its Sanford-Brown schools, along with Brown College, Briarcliffe College and Missouri College. These schools collectively offer academic programs in the career-oriented disciplines of health education, complemented by certain programs in business studies and information technology in a classroom, laboratory or online setting. Culinary Arts includes its Le Cordon Bleu schoo! ls in North America that collectively offer hands-on programs in the career-oriented disciplines of culinary arts and patisserie and baking in the commercial kitchens of Le Cordon Bleu, and advanced degree programs in culinary arts and hotel and restaurant management online. Design and Technology includes IADT, Harrington College of Design and Brooks Institute schools. These schools collectively offer academic programs primarily in the career-oriented disciplines of fashion design, game design, graphic design, interior design, film and video production, photography and visual communications in a classroom, laboratory or online setting, as well as jobs training in the field of energy conservation.

International

The Company�� International includes its INSEEC schools and IUM school which are located in France, the United Kingdom and Monaco. These schools collectively offer academic programs in the career-oriented disciplines of business studies, health education, advertising, communications and technologies and luxury goods and services in a classroom or laboratory setting.

Transitional Schools

The Company�� Transitional Schools includes its campuses that are being taught out. Schools that operate within this segment include Collins College, Phoenix, AZ, Colorado Technical University (CTU), CTU Pueblo, Pueblo, CO, and CTU Sioux Falls, Sioux Falls, SD.

The Company competes with Apollo Group, Bridgepoint Education, Inc., Capella Education Company, Corinthian Colleges, Inc., DeVry Inc., Education Management Corporation, Grand Canyon Education, Inc., ITT Educational Services, Kaplan and Strayer Education.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  Career Education Corp.(CECO) agreed to sell its European education properties to private equity firm Apax Partners for a total of $305 million. Shares of Career Education rose.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Stocks on the Move: Career Education Corp. (NASDAQ: CECO) is up 57.6% at $5.99 after selling its European properties for $305 million. NQ Mobile Inc. (NYSE: NQ) is down another 12.3% at $10.60 after yesterday�� 50% drop following a scathing report from analysts at Muddy Waters.

10 Best Consumer Stocks To Invest In 2014: Elizabeth Arden Inc.(RDEN)

Elizabeth Arden, Inc., a beauty products company, engages in the manufacture, distribution, marketing, and sale of fragrances, skin care, and cosmetic products to retailers and other outlets worldwide. It offers various fragrance products for men and women, including perfume, colognes, eau de toilettes, eau de parfums, body sprays, and gift sets, as well as bath and body products, such as soaps, deodorants, body lotions, gels, creams, and dusting powders. The company sells its fragrance products under the Red Door, Elizabeth Arden 5th Avenue, Elizabeth Arden green tea, Pretty Elizabeth Arden, Curve, Giorgio Beverly Hills, PS Fine Cologne, White Shoulders, Juicy Couture, Kate Spade New York, John Varvatos, Rocawear, Alberta Ferretti, Halston, Geoffrey Beene, Alfred Sung, Bob Mackie, and Lucky. Its skin care products comprise moisturizers, creams, lotions, and cleansers under the Ceramide, Prevage, Eight Hour Cream, and Visible Difference. The company?s cosmetic products co nsist of foundations, lipsticks, mascaras, eye shadows, and powders in various shades and colors under the Elizabeth Arden brand name. Elizabeth Arden, Inc. sells its products primarily to department and specialty stores, mass retailers, perfumeries, boutiques, distributors, and travel retail outlets, as well as to independent fragrance, cosmetic, gift, and other stores. It also markets and sells its products through its e-commerce site at elizabetharden.com. The company was founded in 1960 and is headquartered in Miramar, Florida.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Shares of Elizabeth Arden (NASDAQ: RDEN) got a boost, shooting up 10.83 percent to $31.52. LG Household & Healthcare is considering a bid for Elizabeth Arden, according to Reuters.

• [By Jack Kramer and Nick Martell] What's the best way to share your enthusiasm for stocks reaching new records? "Primp" your dog to look like a panda. (It's the cool thing to do in China right now, according to the New York Post. Seriously.) The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) gained 20 points Tuesday, touching a new all-time high midday.
  1. Cosmetics giant Elizabeth Arden delivers ugly earnings
  It's too bad you can't put some foundation and blush on a corporate earnings report to make it look better. That's what the cosmetics chemists over at makeup giant Elizabeth Arden (NASDAQ: RDEN  ) wish they had done after the stock fell 22.8% Tuesday following its unattractive earnings report -- revenue fell 20% last quarter to $210.8 million, well below the $256.9 million Wall Street expected.
  
  Unlike everyone's favorite model, Heidi Klum, Elizabeth Arden struggled all across Planet Earth to kick off 2014. In North America, sales fell 23% as the company launched fewer fragrances than usual and dealt with the brutal winter weather deterring beauty-seeking consumers. And despite Arden's presence in 120 countries worldwide, international sales fell 16% after management "strategically decides" to reduce its shipments to avoid giving out brand-hurting discounts at the end of the season.
  
  The takeaway is that Elizabeth Arden is trying to get picked up like it's on a corporate date. Just last month, Household Health & Care announced that it was interested in purchasing Arden. So during the earnings report, the company tried to please investors by mentioning that it's working with Goldman Sachs, as if the bank is a matchmaker, to explore "strategic options" for its future.
  2. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters enjoys some Coke love
  It was a caffeine surge for Keurig Green Mountain (NASDAQ: GMCR  ) after soda giant Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO  ) announced Tuesday it will buy millions more share

10 Best Consumer Stocks To Invest In 2014: WD-40 Co (WDFC)

WD-40 Company incorporated on October 22, 1999, is a global consumer products company dedicated to delivering solutions for a range of maintenance needs of doer and on-the-job users. As of August 31, 2012, the Company�� products included WD-40 Smart Straw, WD-40 Trigger Pro, 3-IN-ONE Professional Garage Door Lube, Spot Shot Pet Clean which is a non-aerosol Spot Shot trigger product, Blue Works product line, and a mildew stain remover under the X-14 brand. In addition, its WD-40 Speciality product line, consists of certain specialty maintenance products. The Company�� three geographical segments are: the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific. The Company sells its products primarily through mass retail and home center stores, warehouse club stores, grocery stores, hardware stores, automotive parts outlets and industrial distributors and suppliers. During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2012, the Company formed WD-40 Bike Company LLC, focused on the development of a line of bicycle maintenance products for cyclists and mechanics.

Multi-Purpose Maintenance Products

The WD-40 brand is a multi-purpose maintenance product and is sold as an aerosol spray, a non-aerosol trigger spray and in liquid form through mass retail stores, hardware stores, warehouse club stores, automotive parts outlets and industrial distributors and suppliers. WD-40 products are sold worldwide in markets, such as North, Central and South America, Asia, Australia and the Pacific Rim, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. WD-40 products has a range of consumer uses in household, marine, automotive, construction, repair, sporting goods and gardening applications, in addition to numerous industrial applications. The 3-IN-ONE brand consists of multi-purpose drip oil and spray lubricant products, as well as other specialty maintenance products. The drip oil is an entry-level lubricant with spout options that allow applications for small mechanisms and assemblies, tool maintenance and threads on screws and bolts. It! also has industrial applications in areas, such as locksmithing, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), marine, farming, construction and jewelry manufacturing. In addition to the drip oil line of products, the 3-IN-ONE brand also includes a line of products known as 3-IN-ONE Professional, which is a line of multi-purpose maintenance products. 3-IN-ONE products are sold in the United States, Europe, Canada, Latin America, Australia and Asia.

The Blue Works brand consists of a line of industrial grade, specialty maintenance products that include lubricants, penetrants, degreasers and cleaners designed specifically for the needs of industrial users. Blue Works products were launched in the United States in selected markets in Europe and are sold through the industrial channel. WD-40 Specialist consists of a line of specialty problem solving products that include penetrants, water resistant silicone sprays, corrosion inhibitors and rust removers that are aimed at the current users of the WD-40 brand.

Homecare and Cleaning Products

The X-14 brand is a line of products designed for cleaning needs. X-14 is sold as a liquid mildew stain remover and two types of automatic toilet bowl cleaners. X-14 is sold in the United States through grocery and mass retail channels. The 2000 Flushes brand is a line of long-lasting automatic toilet bowl cleaners, which includes a variety of formulas. 2000 Flushes is sold in the United States and Canada through grocery and mass retail channels. The Carpet Fresh brand is a line of room and rug deodorizers sold as powder, aerosol foam and trigger spray products. Carpet Fresh is sold through grocery and mass retail channels in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia. In the United Kingdom, Carpet Fresh is sold under the 1001 brand name. In Australia, Carpet Fresh is sold under the No Vac brand name.

The Spot Shot brand is sold as an aerosol carpet stain remover and a liquid trigger carpet stain and odor e! liminator! . The brand also includes products, such as Spot Shot Instant Carpet Stain & Odor Eliminator and Spot Shot Pet Clean, which are non-toxic and biodegradable. Spot Shot products are sold through grocery and mass retail channels, warehouse club stores and hardware and home center stores in the United States and Canada. Spot Shot products are also sold in the United Kingdom under the 1001 brand name. The 1001 brand includes carpet and household cleaners and rug and room deodorizers, which are sold through mass retail, grocery and home center stores in the United Kingdom. The Lava and Solvol brands consist of heavy-duty hand cleaner products, which are sold in bar soap and liquid form through hardware, grocery, industrial, automotive and mass retail channels. Lava is sold in the United States, while Solvol is sold in Australia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Earnings Expected: International Speedway Corporation (NASDAQ: ISCA), WD-40 Company (NASDAQ: WDFC), Alcoa Inc. (NYSE: AA)

  Economic Releases Expected: French trade balance, British industrial production, British manufacturing production, Canadian housing starts, US redbook

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  Murray Close, Warner Bros./AP From a major banking institution kicking off the new earnings season to the most-anticipated theme park debut of the year staging its grand opening, here are some things that will help shape the week that lies ahead on Wall Street. Monday -- Food for Thought The market's going to get off to a slow start on the news front. That's not a surprise given that it was closed Friday for Independence Day. One company that will be in the news on Monday is food and industrial products maker Penford (PENX). Penford's wide range of products include food ingredients, pet and animal products, sustainable bioproducts, starches for paper and packaging products and biofuels. Analysts see Penford earning 21 cents a share, but keep in mind that it has come up short against Wall Street expectations in each of the three previous quarters. Tuesday -- Harry Potter Central Florida will be a bit busier than usual on Tuesday when Comcast's (CMCSK) Universal Orlando has its grand opening of the new Diagon Alley expansion to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It's been a rough start. July 8 wasn't the opening date that the park originally wanted, judging by the fact that it had "The Tonight Show" and "Today" run weeklong tie-ins a few weeks ago. Conveniently for Comcast, it owns both the Universal theme parks and NBC. However, with the expansion's indoor coaster proving unreliable -- and even Universal pass holders being denied early access to attractions outside of the new Hogwarts Express train ride -- it could be an interesting debut. The crowds should be huge, the expectations lofty. Wednesday -- Mopping Up WD-40 (WDFC) reports on Wednesday afternoon. This is the company behind the multi-use lubricant. It also offers industrial cleaners, toilet sanitizers and other compounds. WD-40 didn't work out for its shareholders last time out. It posted better than expected 9 percent growth in revenue, but earnings fell just short of expectations. WD-4

10 Best Consumer Stocks To Invest In 2014: Sony Corp Ord(SNE)

Sony Corporation designs, develops, manufactures, and sells electronic equipment, instruments, and devices for consumer, professional, and industrial markets worldwide. The company offers consumer products and devices, including televisions, video cameras, compact digital cameras and interchangeable single-lens cameras, Blu-ray Disc players/recorders, DVD-video players/recorders, home theaters and audio systems, and portable audio and car audio products. It also provides charged coupled devices, complementary metal-oxide semiconductor image sensors, system LSIs, small- and medium-sized LCD panels, and other semiconductors; and components, such as batteries, optical disk drives, chemical products, audio/video/data recording media, storage media, and optical pickups. In addition, the company develops, produces, markets, and distributes games, such as PlayStation3, PlayStation Portable, and PlayStation 2 hardware and related software; and PCs and flash memory digital audio pl ayers, as well as manufactures broadcast- and professional-use products, Blu-ray discs, DVDs, and CD discs. Further, it produces and distributes motion pictures and television programs, and home entertainment; creates and distributes digital content; operates television networks and studio facilities; and develops entertainment products, services, and technologies. Additionally, the company engages in the music publishing business, as well as provision of various financial services, including insurance, savings products, loans, and credit financing services; and a network service business and an advertising agency business. It also involves in research, development, design, production, marketing, sales, distribution, and servicing mobile phones, accessories, services, and applications. The company was formerly known as Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha and changed its name to Sony Corporation in 1958. Sony Corporation was founded in 1946 and is based in Tokyo, Japan.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  Sony (NYSE: SNE  ) is ripping a page out of the Apple�playbook, attacking Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT  ) to make a point.

  It may not have hired Justin Long and John Hodgman to roll out "I'm a Mac" ads, but it's doing something even more sneaky by hitting Mr. Softy below the belt.

• [By Dan Carroll]

  GameStop's (NYSE: GME  ) stock has undertaken an incredible rise over the past year, shooting up more than 83%. While investors have profited, however, this company has faced threats to its present and future. The video gaming industry has turned down as current-generation consoles show their age, and while next-generation consoles in Microsoft's (NASDAQ: MSFT  ) Xbox One and Sony's (NYSE: SNE  ) PlayStation 4 are set to be released later this year, even bigger challenges for this stock have arisen.

• [By Keith Noonan]

  For a movie with a $175 million production budget, the handling of the film has many baffling elements. Channing Tatum looks to be building solid star power (as indicated by last weekend's 22 Jump Street from Sony (NYSE: SNE  ) bowing to a $57 million opener), but casting Mila Kunis as the lead in what is supposed to be an epic sci-fi trilogy is a confusing move. The actresses' most notable big screen performance is still her supporting role in The�Black Swan, and there has been little indication that she is capable of carrying a big budget action movie, let alone a trilogy. Warner's decision to push the movie to the wasteland of a February release suggests that hopes for a Jupiter sequel have descended.

10 Best Consumer Stocks To Invest In 2014: Compania Cervecerias Unidas S.A. (CCU)

Compa帽ia Cervecerias Unidas S.A., through its subsidiaries, produces, bottles, sells, and distributes beverages primarily in Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay. It offers super-premium, premium, medium-priced, and popular-priced brands of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beer under 12 proprietary brands and 4 licensed brands, such as Royal Guard; Royal Light; Heineken; Budweiser; Paulaner; Austral; Kunstmann; D'olbek; Cristal; Cristal Cero 0掳; Cristal Black Lager; Cristal Light; Escudo; Morenita; Lemon Stones; and Dorada brands. The company also produces and markets ultra-premium, reserve, varietal, and popular-priced wines under the brand families comprising Vi帽a San Pedro Tarapac谩, Vi帽a Santa Helena, Vi帽a Misiones de Rengo, Vi帽a Mar, Vi帽a Alta茂r, Bodega Tamar铆, Finca la Celia, and Vi帽a Leyda. In addition, it offers cider and spirits under the brand names of Real, La Victoria, Saenz Briones 1888, and El Abuelo; pisco, rum, and ready-to-drink cocktails under the Control C , Mistral, Campanario, Sierra Morena, Pisco Bauz谩 and Havana Club, Chivas Regal, and Absolut Vodka brand names; and home-made sweet snacks products under the Calaf, Natur, and Nutrabien brand names. Further, the company produces and sells tea; sports and energy drinks; carbonated beverages, including cola and non-cola, as well as non carbonated beverages; fruit juices; mineral water, sparkling and still water, purified water, and home and office delivery water products; and nectars. It serves small and medium sized retail outlets; retail establishments, such as restaurants, hotels, and bars for on-premise consumption; wholesalers; and supermarket chains. Compa帽ia Cervecerias Unidas S.A. also exports its products to Europe, Latin America, the United States, Canada, and others. The company was founded in 1850 and is based in Santiago, Chile. Compa帽ia Cervecerias Unidas S.A. is a subsidiary of Inversiones y Rentas S.A.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By fedezaldua]

  After a couple of capital increases and what looks like a weak strategy for its growth in different South American countries, Chile's beer king Compania Cervecerias Unidas (CCU) – most commonly knows as CCU - is selling at a steep discount to its peers. In other words, being down by 23% year to date, I think it might be the time to start thinking of buying CCU's shares.  

• [By Patricio Kehoe] s largest brewer (with about 80% of the market�� share) and No. 2 in the Argentine market, behind Quilmes, which owns 75% of that market. With investment gurus Jim Simons (Trades, Portfolio) and Manning & Napier Advisors buying the company�� shares this past quarter, I believe this company�� business model is worth a deeper look.

  Running the Market

  As the only brewer in Chile with a nationwide distribution network, United Breweries benefits from significant economies of scale, in addition to its brand power. The company�� product portfolio not only features the Cristal beer brand, but also includes wine, spirits and company-owned non-alcoholic beverages. In addition to this, the firm benefits from licenses to sell PepsiCo Inc. (PEP) and Heineken beverages, while also importing Anheuser Busch Inbev SA (ADR) (BUD)�� Budweiser beer to Chile and Argentina. This strong market position has allowed the firm to generate excess returns on invested capital above 20%, making it an attractive investment.

  Furthermore, United Breweries��business model is focused on market expansion, and in 2013 the company raised 15% of its market capital (CLP 340 billion) in order to fun acquisitions in Paraguay and Argentina. This latter country has been particularly endorsing the firm�� growth, boosting 2006�� 16% market share to 23% in 2012. This raise is probably due to the CLP 27 billion that the brewer spent on capital expenditures in Argentina. Looking forward, the company is set on expanding its core businesses by targeting the non-alcoholic Argentine market, the Chilean snack and dairy industry, as well as expanding into nearby markets of Peru, Uruguay, Colombia or Ecuador. And although the risk of an overpayment for acquisitions remains, I believe the company�� cost advantage in serving the Southern region of Chile will allow for margins to stay intact.

  Valuation and Risks

  Nevertheless, United Breweries��market dominance in Chile t

• [By gurujx]

  United Breweries Co Inc (CCU) Reached $20.91

  The prices of United Breweries Co Inc (CCU) shares have declined to $20.91, which is 41.9% off the 3-year high of $34.91.

10 Best Consumer Stocks To Invest In 2014: Bell AG (BELL)

Bell AG is a Switzerland-based company that is primarily engaged in the production and distribution of meat. The Company has seven product groups. The Fresh Meat product group is involved in the supply of self-service meat products for the retail trade and products for the restaurant trade, as well as Vaudois specialties. The Charcuterie (own and purchased) product groups offer ready-cooked products, both under the Bell brand and under a number of customers' own brands. The Poultry product group offers various poultry products, as well as specialty meats, such as rabbit, game, ostrich and kangaroo. The Convenience product group offers ready-cooked seasonal convenience products, such as domestic and imported fish. Within the Seafood product group, the Company offers fresh and frozen seafood. Bell AG�� brands include Abraham, Zimbo and Polette, among others. The Company operates subsidiaries in Switzerland, Germany, France, Spain, Belgium, Hungary and other countries. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tannor Pilatzke]

  Investment ideas are scarce and hard to come by at times. People constantly ask me about companies they work for (Bell) or businesses they purchase a lot of product from (P&G or Coca-Cola), and what I think about the prospects/valuation. When it is not the blue chips in the limelight it certainly is the Netflix��,Tesla's, 3-D printing, and other companies I would classify as speculative. It is not that I am a Grinch, but I do not like giving out investment ideas. Rather, I attempt to give lessons. As Maimonides said, ��ive a man a fish, feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime.��/p>