Best International Stocks For 2014

Investors have been looking forward to this day for weeks, as the Federal Reserve will announce what could be a big policy shift in its handling of monetary policy and its quantitative-easing program. Yet forgotten are the numerous occasions when the Fed has managed to thread the needle with its announcements, using cryptic language that supports multiple interpretations of future actions and leaves everyone with more questions than answers.

This morning's lull in the Dow Jones Industrials (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) , which has all but one of the 30 stocks moving less than 1% so far today, reflects anticipation more than an awareness that investors may not get the clarity they so desperately crave. While the Dow might be down just 20 points as of 10:55 a.m. EDT, the potential for a storm of activity later in the day is hanging over the market.

The antidote to Fed-induced paralysis is to look at individual companies and see what's happening with their underlying businesses. For AT&T (NYSE: T  ) and Verizon (NYSE: VZ  ) , for instance, threats of higher interest rates have reduced the perceived value of their dividend-producing businesses, so the stocks are down 0.8% and 0.9%, respectively, in fear that the Fed's decision may send rates higher. Yet their high yields greatly exceed what you'll get from the bond market even if rates rise substantially, and more importantly, the potential for further growth is much more important for both companies. As Verizon and AT&T start to look beyond U.S. borders for new opportunities, investors should note just how important international growth can be for U.S. stocks -- growth that the Federal Reserve arguably has far less control over.

5 Best Undervalued Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Jack Henry & Associates Inc.(JKHY)

Jack Henry & Associates, Inc. (JHA) provides integrated computer systems and services for in-house and outsourced data processing to commercial banks, credit unions, and other financial institutions primarily in the United States. It engages in processing transactions, automating business processes, and managing information services. The company?s Jack Henry Banking brand provides integrated data processing systems to de novo or start-up institutions and mid-tier banks, as well as markets three core banking software systems, such as SilverLake, a robust IBM i-based system designed for commercial-focused banks; CIF 20/20, a parameter-driven and easy-to-use system; and Core Director, a Windows-based and client/server system that offers intuitive point-and-click operation. Its Symitar brand supports credit unions with information and transaction processing platforms that provide enterprise-wide automation. This brand?s solutions include Episys, a robust IBM p-based system p rimarily designed for credit unions; and Cruise, a Windows-based and client/server system for credit unions. The company?s ProfitStars brand provides specialized products and services that enhance the performance of financial service organizations and corporate entities. Its iPay Technologies brand operates as an electronic bill pay for banks and credit unions with turnkey, and configurable retail and small business electronic payment platforms. JHA also offers complementary solutions comprising business intelligence and bank management, retail and business banking, member and member business services, Internet banking and electronic funds transfer, risk management and protection, and item and document imaging solutions. In addition, it provides data conversion, software implementation, training, and support services, as well as sells hardware systems. The company has strategic relationship with IBM Corporation. JHA was founded in 1969 and is based in Monett, Missouri.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jay Jenkins]

  For U.S. Bancorp, a fine of this magnitude is nothing more than a slap on the wrist. However, it is a harbinger for change in how regulators view third-party relationships. Banks will now have to think long and hard about outsourcing, even to reputable companies like Jack Henry and Associates (NASDAQ: JKHY  ) and Fiserv (NASDAQ: FISV  ) .�

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Margins matter. The more Jack Henry & Associates (Nasdaq: JKHY  ) keeps of each buck it earns in revenue, the more money it has to invest in growth, fund new strategic plans, or (gasp!) distribute to shareholders. Healthy margins often separate pretenders from the best stocks in the market. That's why we check up on margins at least once a quarter in this series. I'm looking for the absolute numbers, so I can compare them to current and potential competitors, and any trend that may tell me how strong Jack Henry & Associates's competitive position could be.

Best International Stocks For 2014: Visteon Corporation(VC)

Visteon Corporation supplies automotive systems, modules, and components to automotive original equipment manufacturers worldwide. The company offers a range of electronics products, including audio/infotainment systems and components, such as base radio/CD head units, infotainment head units, audiophile systems and amplifiers, rear seat family entertainment systems, digital and satellite radios, HD and DAB broadcast tuners, MACH voice link technology, and connectivity solutions for portable devices; driver information systems comprising instrument clusters and displays to assist driving; and powertrain and feature control modules, including controllers for fuel pumps, transfer cases, tuning valves, and security and voltage regulation systems. It also provides electronic climate controls, such as single zone manual electronic and automatic multiple zone modules, as well as integrated audio and climate control assemblies; and lighting products consisting of headlamps, stop lamps, and fog lamps. In addition, the company offers integrated heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, which include evaporators, condensers, heater cores, climate controls, compressors, air handling cases, and fluid transport systems; and components and modules that provide cooling and thermal management for the vehicle?s engine and transmission, as well as for batteries and power electronics on hybrid and electric vehicles. Further, it provides interior products, including cockpit modules, which incorporate structural, electronic, climate control, mechanical, and safety components; door panels/modules and interior trim products; and console modules, which deliver storage options. The company was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Van Buren Township, Michigan.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Visteon (NYSE: VC  ) reported earnings on May 9. Here are the numbers you need to know.

  The 10-second takeaway
  For the quarter ended March 31 (Q1), Visteon beat expectations on revenues and crushed expectations on earnings per share.

• [By David Sterman]

  Auto parts maker Visteon (NYSE: VC) clearly embodies the new thinking about share buybacks. The company announced plans last month to sell its $1.5 billion stake in a joint venture with a Chinese partner. Visteon could have looked to pay down debt or make an acquisition, or simply keep the ($1.2 billion after-tax) proceeds. Instead, almost all of the money will go toward a share buyback that might reduce shares outstanding by 25%.

Best International Stocks For 2014: Graco Inc (GGG)

Graco Inc. (Graco), incorporated in 1926, design, manufacture and sell equipment that pumps, meters, mixes, dispenses and sprays a variety of fluids and semi-solids. The Company operates in three segments: Industrial, Contractor and Lubrication. Primary users of its equipment include contractors and original equipment manufacturers, who uses its equipment in a variety of applications in the construction, manufacturing, processing and maintenance industries. Its equipment is used to paint, finish, fill, glue and seal a wide range of goods and materials. Graco sells its equipment through third-party distributors worldwide. The Company sells its products in geographic markets, such as the Americas (North and South America), Europe (including the Middle East and Africa) and Asia Pacific. In January 2014, the Company announced that it has completed the acquisition of QED Environmental Systems and EcoQuip.

Industrial Segment

The segment includes the Industrial Products and the Applied Fluid Technologies divisions. End users of its industrial equipment require solutions to their manufacturing and maintenance challenges and are driven to purchase its industrial equipment by the return on investment that its products provide. The Industrial Products division markets its equipment and services to customers who manufacture, assemble, maintain, repair and refinish products, such as appliances, vehicles, airplanes, electronics, cabinets and furniture, and other articles. In addition to marketing its equipment to customers in similar industries, the Applied Fluid Technology division also sells to contractors who use its plural component equipment to apply foam insulation and protective coatings to buildings and other structures. Most Industrial segment equipment is sold worldwide through general and specialized third-party distributors, integrators, design centers, original equipment manufacturers and material suppliers.

The Industrial Products division focuses its product de! velopment and sales on two main applications: equipment that applies paint and other coatings to products, such as motor vehicles, appliances, furniture and other industrial and consumer products (finishing), and process pump equipment that moves and dispenses chemicals and liquid and semi-solid foods (process pumps). It�� finishing equipment pumps, meters and applies liquids on all types of wood, metal and plastic. Manufacturers in the automotive, automotive feeder, truck/bus/recreational vehicle, military and utility vehicle, aerospace, farm and construction, wood and general metals industries use its liquid finishing products. Its liquid finishing equipment includes paint circulating and paint supply pumps, paint circulating advanced control systems, plural component coating proportioners, various accessories to filter, transport, agitate and regulate fluid, and spare parts, such as spray tips, seals and filter screens.

The Company�� process pumps move chemicals, petroleum, food and other fluids. Manufacturers and processors in the food and beverage, dairy, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, oil and gas, electronics, wastewater, mining and ceramics industries use its process pumps. It offers pumps for sanitary applications, including Food and Drug Administration (FDA )-compliant 3-A sanitary pumps, diaphragm pumps, transfer pumps and drum and bin unloaders. Its process pumps provide a mechanized solution to a manual process in a factory of moving fluids from large barrels into equipment that dispenses the fluid into jars or other containers. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company purchased certain peristaltic pumps assets of Eccentric Pumps, LLC, provided the Company with an entry into the industrial peristaltic pump industry.

The Applied Fluid Technologies division directs its engineering, sales and marketing efforts toward two types of applications: equipment to pump, meter, mix and dispense high performance protective coatings and polyurethane foam (protective c! oatings a! nd foam); and equipment to pump, meter, mix and dispense sealants, adhesives, molded polyurethane parts and composites (advanced fluid dispense). It offers sprayer systems and plural component proportioning equipment to apply protective coatings and foam to a wide variety of surfaces. Reactor plural component pumps are used to apply foam to insulate things, such as walls, water heaters, refrigeration, and hot tubs, create commercial roofing membranes and for packaging, architectural design and cavity filling. This equipment is also used to apply two-component polyurea coatings to tanks, pipes, roofs, truck beds and foundations.

Graco�� XM Plural-Component Sprayer series is and XP70 plural component sprayers are used for corrosion-control applications, such as tank and pipeline coatings, shipbuilding, marine and railcar maintenance, wind tower coating, bridge and infrastructure projects and coating structural steel. The XM sprayers provide precise and variable ratio control in a highly configurable system. The XP70 sprayers are fixed ratio units and intended for applications where variable ratio capability is not required. It offers pumps, meters, applicators and valves for the metering, mixing and dispensing of precision beads of sealant and adhesive to bond, mold, seal, vacuum encapsulate, pot, laminate and gasket parts and devices in a variety of industrial applications. The HFR Metering System is an in-plant, hydraulic, fixed-ratio metering system that applies a range of materials used for noise dampening, insulation and structural integrity. It also offers advanced composites equipment, which includes gel coat equipment, chop and wet-out systems, resin transfer molding systems and applicators , which are used for example in the manufacture of vehicles, aircraft, boats, wind turbines and bridge materials.

Contractor Segment

The Contractor segment directs its product development, sales and marketing of three applications: paint, texture, and pavement mainten! ance. The! Contractor segment markets airless paint and texture sprayers (air, gas, hydraulically- and electrically-powered), accessories, such as spray guns, hoses and filters and spare parts, such as tips and seals to professional painters in the construction and maintenance industries, tradesmen and do-it-yourselfers. The products are distributed primarily through distributor outlets whose main products are paint and other coatings. Contractor products are also sold through general equipment distributors. Certain sprayers and accessories are distributed globally through the home center channel.

Contractor equipment encompasses a variety of sprayers, including sprayers that apply markings on roads, parking lots, fields, bike paths, crosswalks and floors; texture to walls and ceilings; highly viscous coatings to roofs; and paint to walls and structures. Many of these sprayers and their accessories contain one or more technological features, such as micro-processor-based controls for consistent spray and protective shut-down, a pump that may be removed and re-installed without tools, an easy-clean feature, gas/electric convertibility, and a durable pump finish. The Company offers a line of professional grade handheld paint sprayers, and in 2011, it introduced a fine finish handheld paint sprayer that sprays lacquers, varnishes, urethanes, sealers, stains and enamels. Contractor equipment also includes pressure washers, and scarifiers that remove markings on roads and other surfaces.

Lubrication Segment

The Lubrication segment focuses its engineering, marketing and sales of two lubrication applications: vehicle services and industrial. The Lubrication segment markets and sells its lubrication equipment worldwide, although the bulk of its sales come from North America. Its lubrication products are sold through independent third party distributors and oil jobbers, and directly to original equipment manufacturers. The Company supplies pumps, hose reels, meters, valves and accessorie! s to the ! motor vehicle lubrication industry. Its customers include fast oil change facilities, service garages, fleet service centers, automobile dealerships and auto parts stores.

In industrial lubrication, the Company offers systems, components, and accessories for the automatic lubrication of industrial and commercial equipment, compressors, turbines, and on- and off-road vehicles. Industries served include gas transmission and petrochemical, pulp and paper, mining and construction, agricultural equipment, food and beverage, material handling, metal manufacturing and wind energy. It offers products that automatically lubricate bearings, gears and generators, and products that evacuate and dispense oil, grease, anti-freeze and hydraulic fluids, from wind power components.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Graco (NYSE: GGG  ) is expected to report Q1 earnings on April 24. Here's what Wall Street wants to see:

  The 10-second takeaway
  Comparing the upcoming quarter to the prior-year quarter, average analyst estimates predict Graco's revenues will increase 16.1% and EPS will expand 25.9%.

• [By Brian Pacampara]

  Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, fluid handling solutions specialist Graco (NYSE: GGG  ) has earned a respected four-star ranking.

Best International Stocks For 2014: iShares 10-20 Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLH)

iShares Lehman 10-20 Year Treasury Bond Fund (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the long-term sector of the United States Treasury market as defined by the Lehman Brothers 10-20 Year U.S. Treasury Index (the Index). The Index includes all publicly issued, the United States Treasury securities that have a remaining maturity of greater than or equal to 10 years and less than 20 years, and have $250 million or more of outstanding face value. In addition, the securities must be denominated in United States dollars, and must be fixed-rate and non-convertible securities. Excluded from the Index are certain special issues, such as flower bonds, targeted investor notes, and state and local government series bonds, and coupon issues that have been stripped from assets that are already included in the Index. The Fund generally will invest at least 95% of its assets in the United States Government bonds.

The Index is a market capitalization-weighted index. The Fund invests in a representative sample of the securities in the Index, which has a similar investment profile as the Index. The Fund�� investment advisor is Barclays Global Fund Advisor.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Mary Anne & Pamela Aden]

  The ones we like best and recommend buying are the iShares 20+ year Treasury Bond (TLT), the iShares 10-20 year Treasury Bond (TLH), Proshares Ultra 20+ year Treasury (UBT) and Pimco Intermediate Muni Bond strategy ETF (MUNI).

Best International Stocks For 2014: Peoples Bancorp Inc.(PEBO)

Peoples Bancorp Inc. operates as a holding company for Peoples Bank, National Association that provides financial products and services. It offers commercial and retail banking, insurance, brokerage, and trust services. The company accepts various deposit products, including demand deposit accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts, and certificates of deposit; and provides commercial, consumer, and real estate mortgage loans, as well as lines of credit. It also offers debit and automated teller machine (ATM) cards; corporate and personal trust services; safe deposit rental facilities; travelers checks, money orders, and cashier?s checks; and telephone and Internet-based banking services. In addition, the company provides a range of life, health, and property and casualty insurance products; and fiduciary and wealth management services. Further, it offers brokerage services through an unaffiliated registered broker-dealer; and credit cards to consumers and business es, as well as provides merchant credit card processing services through joint marketing arrangements with third parties. The company offers its financial products and services through 47 financial service locations and 40 ATMs in southeastern Ohio, northwestern West Virginia, and northeastern Kentucky. Peoples Bancorp Inc. was founded in 1902 and is based in Marietta, Ohio.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Marc Bastow]

  Marietta, Ohio-based bank holding company Peoples Bancorp (PEBO) raised its quarterly dividend 7% to 15 cents per share, payable on Feb. 18 to shareholders of record as of Feb. 3.
  PEBO Dividend Yield: 2.60%

Best International Stocks For 2014: Synageva BioPharma Corp (GEVA)

Synageva BioPharma Corp., incorporated in 1993, is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company. The Company is focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of therapeutic products. It has several protein therapeutics in development, including two enzyme replacement therapies for lysosomal storage disorders and two programs for life-threatening genetic conditions. Its lead program, SBC-102, recombinant human lysosomal acid lipase (LAL), is its advanced pipeline program in clinical development for LAL Deficiency. This enzyme is responsible for the metabolism of cholesteryl esters and triglycerides that are delivered to lysosomes by a variety of routes, including low-density lipoprotein receptor mediated endocytosis. On November 2, 2012, Trimeris, Inc. merged with Synageva BioPharma Corp.

SBC-102 is produced by recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) technology in egg white using its protein manufacturing platform. The Company has initiated natural history studies in approximately 20 countries. In addition to SBC-102, it is progressing protein therapeutic programs for other rare diseases, which are at different stages of preclinical development. These include two enzyme replacement therapies for other lysosomal storage disorders and two programs for other rare life-threatening conditions. As of December 31, 2011, its product candidate pipeline included SBC-102, SBC-103, SBC-104, SBC-105 and SBC-106.

SBC-104 is an extracellular protein that targets a severe, rare genetic condition. SBC-105 is an enzyme replacement therapy being developed to treat a severe, rare metabolic disorder. SBC-106 is a protein therapy that targets a severe and rare genetic condition.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Somaiya and team named Gilead and�Neurocrine Biosciences (NBIX) their top picks, hile putting Buy ratings on Celgene, Biogen Idec, Alexion (ALXN), Incyte (INCY), Pharmacyclics (PCYC) and Synageva (GEVA). BioMarin (BMRN), Infinity Pharmaceuticals (INFI) and Amgen (AMGN) earned Neutral ratings.