5 Best Building Product Stocks For 2014

Mixed housing data, among rising interest rates are already hurting shares of companies related to the housing market. What�� more, higher vitality and uncertainty related to the geopolitical risk in Syria affect the global financial markets. Let�� analyze three stocks of companies directly related to the housing market through wood building products they make.

Highly Dependent on General Market Conditions And Particular Customers

Universal Forest Products Inc. (UFPI) is a holding company that provides capital, management and administrative resources to subsidiaries that design, manufacture and market wood and wood-alternative products. It currently consumes about 7 percent of North American softwood lumber production per year.

On the bright side, an increase in home improvement spending and national housing starts is likely to benefit the company. Management is focusing its energy on business expansion and new product initiatives, to gain market share. Last November they purchased Nepa Pallet assets that strengthened the company�� position in the Northwest region of the US. What�� more, in January they have also acquired Custom Caseworks that enabled growth of industrial business through new product offerings.

Top 10 Growth Companies To Own For 2015: Powershares Dynamic Large Cap Value Portfolio (PWV)

The PowerShares Dynamic Large Cap Value Portfolio is based on the Dynamic Large Cap Value Intellidex Index. The Fund focuses on providing capital appreciation while maintaining consistent and stylistically accurate exposure.

The Style Intellidexes apply a rigorous ten factor style isolation process to objectively segregate companies into their appropriate investment style and size universe. PowerShares Capital Management LLC is the investment advisor to the Fund.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jim Lowell]

  PowerShares Dynamic Large Cap Value (PWV) seeks investment results that correspond to the price and yield performance of the Dynamic Large Cap Value Intellidex Index, which seeks to provide capital appreciation while maintaining large cap value exposure.

5 Best Building Product Stocks For 2014: Express Scripts Holding Co (ESRX)

Express Scripts Holding Company, incorporated in 2011, provides healthcare management and administration services on behalf of its clients, which include health maintenance organizations (HMOs), health insurers, third-party administrators, employers, union-sponsored benefit plans, workers compensation plans, and government health programs. The Company operates in two segments: Pharmacy Benefit Management (PBM) and Emerging Markets (EM). PBM services include network claims processing, home delivery services, patient care and direct specialty and fertility home delivery to patients, benefit plan design consultation, drug utilization review, formulary management, drug data analysis services, distribution of injectable drugs to patients homes and physicians offices, bio-pharma services, and fulfillment of prescriptions to low-income patients through manufacturer-sponsored patient assistance programs. EM segment provides distribution of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies to providers and clinics, healthcare account administration and implementation of consumer-directed healthcare solutions. In September 2013, it announced the acquisition of the SmartD Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (PDP).

On July 20, 2011, Express Scripts, Inc. (ESI) entered into a merger agreement (the Merger Agreement) with Medco Health Solutions, Inc. (Medco). During the year ended December 31, 2011, it reorganized its FreedomFP line of business from its EM segment into its PBM segment. On April 2, 2012, the Company completed the Merger Agreement, and after which ESI and Medco became the wholly owned subsidiaries of the Company. The Company�� customers include HMOs, health insurers, third-party administrators, employers, union-sponsored benefit plans, government health programs, office-based oncologists, renal dialysis clinics, ambulatory surgery centers, primary care physicians, retina specialists and others.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Isidore]

  But there are also many growing employers nearby due to the close proximity to the airport. Drug benefits provider Express Scripts' (ESRX) headquarters and fulfillment center are just outside of town, and the company is adding another building to its complex. Boeing (BA) also does some manufacturing near the airport.

• [By Alexander J. Poulos]

  Script count, a metric used to determine the health of the pharmacy business is showing tremendous growth which augurs well for the future health of the company. Particularly impressive is the roughly 1% market share gain. WAG needs to continue to win back the business lost during the messy Express Scripts (ESRX) battle that was waged last year.

• [By Keith Speights]

  There's always a flip side to any coin. I recently wrote about seven states that pharmacy benefits manager Express Scripts (NASDAQ: ESRX  ) identified as the most wasteful when it comes to medication-related spending. Since that article focused on the negative side, it's only fitting that I also highlight the states that are doing the best on this front.

• [By Mani]

  Express Scripts Holding Company (NASDAQ:ESRX) could deliver relative outperformance in 2014 as the upcoming generic wave should offer a two-fold opportunity for pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).

5 Best Building Product Stocks For 2014: Nintendo Co Ltd (NTDOY)

Nintendo Co., Ltd. is a Japan-based company mainly engaged in the leisure machine business. The Company operates in two business segments. The Leisure Machine segment is engaged in the development, manufacturing and sale of portable and console game machines as well as game software. The Others segment is engaged in the manufacture and sale of poker cards and karuta (Japanese-style playing cards), the sale of Pokemon (a Japanese animation character) goods, the management of intellectual property rights and the provision of electronic registration services of home use console machines, among others.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  Nintendo (NASDAQOTH: NTDOY  ) faces a cruel holiday shopping season as its Wii U consoles collect dust. Gamers will turn their attention to Sony (NYSE: SNE  ) and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT  ) , and a price cut on its Wii U is inevitable at this point.�

• [By Dan Carroll]

  The current generation of consoles has brought hundreds of millions of consumers into the game industry, and more buyers are good news for EA. Research manager Lewis Ward at International Data Corporation estimates around 250 million PlayStation 3s, Xbox 360s, and Nintendo (NASDAQOTH: NTDOY  ) Wii units sold between 2005 and 2012, generating a massive base for EA to tap into -- and capitalize it has.

5 Best Building Product Stocks For 2014: Apache Corporation(APA)

Apache Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration, development, and production of natural gas, crude oil, and natural gas liquids. The company has exploration and production interests in the Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf Coast, east Texas, the Permian basin, the Anadarko basin, and the Western Sedimentary basin of Canada; and onshore Egypt, offshore Western Australia, offshore the United Kingdom in the North Sea, and onshore Argentina, as well as on the Chilean side of the island of Tierra del Fuego. Apache Corporation sells its natural gas to local distribution companies, utilities, end-users, integrated oil and gas companies, and marketers; and crude oil to integrated oil companies, marketing and transportation companies, and refiners. As of December 31, 2009, it had total estimated proved reserves of 1,067 million barrels of crude oil, condensate, and natural gas liquids, as well as 7.8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. The company was founded in 1954 and is based in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Myles McCabe]

  Apache Corporation (APA) is one of the world's largest mid-major oil and gas exploration and production companies. They have a diversified portfolio of energy assets including on-shore, offshore, international, and domestic exposure. Diverse revenue streams protect Apache against volatility in any particular operating segment or region.

• [By Matt DiLallo]

  Speaking of the Gulf, Freeport is actually looking to sell some of its lower-growth assets in the region in an effort to pay down its debt. In fact, according to CEO Richard Adkerson, the company has already initiated plans to sell some of its conventional oil and gas production on the shelf of the Gulf of Mexico. This move would follow on the heels of�Apache's (NYSE: APA  ) , which recently announced a move to exit the Gulf's shelf.