Top 5 Penny Companies To Own For 2014

The price-to-earnings ratio might be the most polarizing statistic in investing. Some investors call it a basic core tenet for judging stocks; others see it as a misguided and useless tool. Strong earnings or a big run-up in share price can skew the P/E ratio toward more expensive stocks, but how does this classic statistic measure up when viewing Big Pharma's priciest picks?

Using data compiled from stock screening site Finviz, let's check out the three most expensive stocks among major pharmaceutical developers. In the following video, Fool contributor Dan Carroll tells you what you need to know about these stocks -- and whether their outlooks are worth the pretty penny you'll pony up to buy them.

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Top 5 Penny Companies To Own For 2014: Homeowners Choice Inc.(HCII)

Homeowners Choice, Inc., an insurance holding company, provides property and casualty insurance in Florida. The company provides property and casualty homeowners? insurance, condominium owners? insurance, and tenants? insurance to individuals owning property. It serves approximately 59,500 policyholders primarily through independent agents. The company was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Tampa, Florida.

Top 5 Penny Companies To Own For 2014: (NWBO)

Northwest Biotherapeutics, Inc., a development stage biotechnology company, engages in the discovery, development, and commercialization of immunotherapy products that generate and enhance immune system responses to treat cancer in the United States. Its technology platforms comprise dendritic cell-based cancer vaccines (DCVax) and monoclonal antibodies for cancer therapeutics. The company?s product candidates include DCVax-Prostate for the treatment of non-metastatic hormone independent prostate cancer, which cleared Phase III clinical trial; DCVax-Brain that is in Phase II clinical trial for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme; and DCVax-LB, which cleared Phase I clinical trial for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer. Its product candidates also comprise DCVax-Direct that cleared Phase I clinical trial for the treatment of ovarian, head, and neck cancer; and DCVax-L, which completed Phase I/II clinical trials for the treatment of resectable solid tumors. In addition, the company develops CXCR4 antibodies, which are involved in various phases of disease progression, including proliferation of the primary tumor, migration of cancer cells out of the primary tumor, and establishment of distant metastatic sites for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer, breast cancer, glioblastoma multiforme, colon cancer, melanoma, prostate, pancreatic, kidney, ovarian, and certain blood cancers. Northwest Biotherapeutics, Inc. was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jim Lowell]

  Northwest Biotherapeutics Inc (OTC: NWBO)is up 20.40% to $0.530 on volume of over 414K shares.Biomedreports published a specialreporton the drug developer and some developments involving its clinical trials of DCVax for GBM brain cancer. (OTC:NWBO), (NWBO)

Best Stocks To Own For 2014: SRS Labs Inc.(SRSL)

SRS Labs, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the development and provision of audio and voice technology solutions. The company principally develops and markets audio rendering, voice, and surround sound technologies and solutions to original equipment manufacturers, original design manufacturers, semiconductor manufacturers, and software providers. The company?s portfolio of licensable technologies includes Surround Sound, Audio Rendering, Voice Processing, and Solutions Suite. A surround sound technology, Circle Surround, is an encoding and decoding format. Circle surround encoding enables the distribution of up to 6.1 channels of audio over existing two-channel carriers, such as digital media files, standard definition and high-definition television, FM radio, and compact discs; and Circle Surround decoding decodes Circle Surround encoded material for multichannel playback or creates up to 6.1 channels of audio from older formats of material, including mono, ste reo, 4-channel surround, or other matrix surround formats. Audio Rendering technologies optimize device audio output and enable the presentation of 3D and multichannel audio content over two speakers. Its TruVoice and SRS Noise Reduction technologies reduce noise to produce a clearer dialog over wireless communication devices and improve the intelligibility of the human voice in a variety of listening situations, including high ambient background environments. The company?s solutions suites combine various technologies to deliver a package of post processing audio enhancement products. It serves home entertainment, personal computers, personal telecommunications, automotive, portable media devices, and broadcast markets. The company sells its products and services in Korea, Japan, the Americas, the People's Republic of China, the Asia Pacific, and Europe. SRS Labs, Inc. was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Santa Ana, California.

Top 5 Penny Companies To Own For 2014: Hawaiian Holdings Inc.(HA)

Hawaiian Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiary, Hawaiian Airlines, Inc., engages in the scheduled air transportation of passengers and cargo. It offers daily service on transpacific routes between Hawaii and Los Angeles, Oakland, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, and San Jose, California; Las Vegas, Nevada; Phoenix, Arizona; Portland, Oregon; and Seattle, Washington, as well as daily service on its inter island routes among the four islands of the State of Hawaii. The company also provides scheduled service on its Pacific routes between Hawaii and Pago Pago, American Samoa; Papeete, Tahiti; Sydney, Australia; Manila, Philippines; Tokyo, Japan; and Seoul, South Korea, as well as other ad hoc charters. As of December 31, 2010, its fleet consisted of 15 Boeing 717-200 aircraft for its interisland routes; 18 Boeing 767-300; and 3 Airbus A330-200 aircrafts for its transpacific, Pacific, and charter routes. Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1929 and is headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Top 5 Penny Companies To Own For 2014: Amsurg Corp.(AMSG)

AmSurg Corp., through its wholly owned subsidiaries, engages in the development, acquisition, and operation of ambulatory surgery centers in partnership with physicians in the United States. The company?s surgery centers perform colonoscopy and other endoscopy procedures in the area of gastroenterology; cataracts and retinal laser surgery in the area of ophthalmology; and knee and shoulder arthroscopy and carpal tunnel repair in the area of orthopedics. As of December 31, 2010, it owned interest in 204 surgery centers in 33 states and the District of Columbia, including 140 centers performed gastrointestinal endoscopy procedures, 37 centers performed ophthalmology surgery procedures, 19 centers were multiple specialties, and 8 centers performed orthopaedic procedures. AmSurg Corp. markets its surgery centers directly to patients; and referring physicians and third-party payors, such as health maintenance organizations, preferred provider organizations, other managed care o rganizations, and employers. The company was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee.