5 Best Safest Stocks To Buy For 2014

While we are approaching the end of another calendar year, there are still some memories of 2012. The biggest fear in 2012 was: the world is coming to an end on 21st December, 2012. Well, it is more than a year – and the world has yet not ended.

At the same time, one may wonder if the world has changed dramatically. Let us look at some of the events that took place in 2013. These events shook our long-held beliefs.

In the beginning of the year, the safest asset – gold, after having a decade long bull run, saw weakness. What happened in April was unbelievable for most – In a sudden move, gold prices (in Indian Rupees) were down more than 20 percent from their peak. Barring a surge in July-August due to the weakness of Indian Rupee against world currencies, Gold has been quite lackluster throughout the year. Before the year began, it was believed to be a safe haven.

The popular belief was that in times of crisis, one rushes to Gold. Well, the safe haven is roughly 17 percent down compared to last year’s price.

Hot Internet Companies To Own In Right Now: 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 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.

• [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%.

5 Best Safest Stocks To Buy For 2014: GSI Group Inc.(GSIG)

GSI Group Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, and sells laser-based solutions, laser scanning devices, and precision motion and optical control technologies worldwide. The company?s Laser Products segment provides lasers and laser-based systems for photonics-based applications, such as cutting, welding, marking, engraving, micro-machining, and scientific research. Its Precision Motion and Technologies segment designs, manufactures, and markets air bearing spindles, encoders, thermal printers, laser scanning devices, and light and color measurement systems to original equipment manufacturers. The company?s Semiconductor Systems segment offers laser based production systems for semiconductor, microelectronics, and electronics manufacturing. This segment?s products comprise WaferRepair for dynamic random access memory, flash memory chips, and LCDs; WaferMark for silicon suppliers and integrated circuit factories; and WaferTrim and Circuit Trim for analog and mixed signal sensor and chip resistor devices, as well as for resistor devices. The company sells its products primarily through direct sales force, resellers, distributors, and system integrators. It serves industrial, electronics, automotive, medical, packaging, aerospace, scientific, semiconductor, lighting, military, and motion picture markets. The company was formerly known as GSI Lumonics Inc. and changed its name to GSI Group Inc. in 2005. GSI Group Inc. was founded in 1970 and is based in Bedford, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Electro Scientific Industries (NASDAQ: ESIO  ) has a new division under its corporate wing. The company has inked a definitive agreement to purchase the semiconductor systems unit of GSI Group (NASDAQ: GSIG  ) . The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

5 Best Safest Stocks To Buy For 2014: AG Mortgage Investment Trust Inc (MITT)

AG Mortgage Investment Trust, Inc., incorporated on March 1, 2011, is a real estate investment trust (REIT)focused on investing in, acquiring and managing a diversified portfolio of residential mortgage assets, other real estate-related securities and financial assets, which it refers to as its target assets. The Company is externally managed and advised by AG REIT Management, LLC.

The Company has invested in residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS), for which a United States government agency, such as the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae), or a federally-chartered corporation, such as the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), guarantees payments of principal and interest on the securities. Its Agency RMBS investments include mortgage pass-through securities and may include collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs). Its non-Agency RMBS investments may include fixed-and floating-rate securities, including investment grade and non-investment grade.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Ag Mortgage Investment Trust (NYSE: MITT) also has a Buy rating, with a target of $19.00, versus a recent price of $17.45. The last book value was $19.78, and the end of August projected book value was $19.58.

5 Best Safest Stocks To Buy For 2014: Energy and Minerals Australia Ltd (EMA)

Energy & Minerals Australia Limited is an Australia-based uranium exploration and development company. During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012 (fiscal 2012), the Company continued with exploration and development of its tenement package and progression of development studies on the Mulga Rock project. The Company operates one business segment: exploration. The activities undertaken by the exploration segment includes the exploration on tenements in Western Australia and scoping study activities on the Mulga Rock project. The Mulga Rock project is located about 250 Kilometer northeast of Kalgoorlie. The Mulga Rock Deposits (MRD) comprises four separate deposits being: Ambassador, Emperor ,Shogun and the Princess Deposit, The Company holds over 900 square kilometers of land surrounding the MRD. Narnoo Mining Pty Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company , is the registered holder of exploration licenses numbered E39/876 and E39/877. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tom Aspray, Senior Editor, MoneyShow.com]

  To calculate the Mass Index:

  Calculate a nine-day exponential moving average (EMA) of the difference between the high and low prices. Calculate a nine-day exponential moving average of the moving average calculated in Step 1. Divide the moving average calculated in Step 1 by the moving average calculated in Step 2. Total the values in Step 3 for the number of periods in the Mass Index (e.g., 25 days).