Top Financial Companies To Buy For 2014

Small cap stocks Alliance Creative Group Inc (OTCMKTS: ACGX), Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure Inc (OTCMKTS: DJRT), Inscor Inc (OTCMKTS: IOGA) and Solar Thin Films Inc (OTCMKTS: SLTZ) have all been getting some attention lately in various investment newsletters and it should come as no surprise that two out of four of these stocks have been the subject of paid promotions ��which tend to benefit traders. However, two out of four of these stocks also have pretty good financials for being small cap OTC stocks and that might make them attractive to investors with a long term time horizon. So which of these stocks might make traders some profits in the short term and investors some profits over the longer term? Here is a closer look to help you decide:

Alliance Creative Group Inc (OTCMKTS: ACGX) Has Pretty Good Financials for an OTC Stock

Small cap Alliance Creative Group is a printing, packaging, product development, management and procurement company. On Friday, Alliance Creative Group rose 3.70% to $0.0028 for a market cap of $41,439 plus ACGX is down 89.8% over the past year and up 600% over the past five years according to Google Finance.

Top Financial Companies To Buy For 2014: Waddell & Reed Financial Inc. (WDR)

Waddell & Reed Financial, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides investment management, investment product underwriting and distribution, and shareholder services administration to mutual funds, and institutional and separately managed accounts in the United States. The company acts as an investment adviser for institutional and other private investors, and provides sub advisory services to other investment companies; underwrites and distributes registered open-end mutual fund portfolios; distributes business partners� variable annuity products, and retirement and life insurance products to advisors channel customers; sells life insurance and disability products underwritten by various carriers; and offers fee-based asset allocation investment advisory products to advisors channel customers. It distributes investment products through independent financial advisors, broker/dealers, registered investment advisors, and various retirement platforms; and markets investment a dvisory services to institutional investors directly or through consultants. Waddell & Reed Financial, Inc. was founded in 1937 and is based in Overland Park, Kansas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Mutual fund complex�Waddell & Reed Financial� (NYSE: WDR  ) announced today its third-quarter dividend of $0.28 per share, the same rate it's paid for the past two quarters after raising the payout 12% from $0.25 per share.

Top Financial Companies To Buy For 2014: Charles Stanley Grp(CAY.L)

Charles Stanley Group Plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides investment and financial services in the United Kingdom. The company operates in three segments: Private Clients, Financial Services, and Charles Stanley Securities. The Private Clients segment offers investment management services to individuals, trusts, and charities. The Financial Services segment provides corporate finance and wealth management services; pension administration services; and markets unit trusts, open ended investment company units, and packaged financial products to private clients. The Charles Stanley Securities segment offers stock broking, financial planning and benefit consultancy, and small and mid-cap advisory and institutional broking services. The company also provides life and health assurance, and tax advisory services. Charles Stanley Group Plc was founded in 1792 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

5 Best Small Cap Stocks To Invest In 2014: Clifton Savings Bancorp Inc.(CSBK)

Clifton Savings Bancorp, Inc. operates as the holding company for Clifton Savings Bank that provides various financial services to consumers and businesses in northeast New Jersey. It offers liquid and term deposit instruments, such as free checking accounts, business checking accounts, negotiable order of withdrawal accounts, high yield checking accounts, money market accounts, passbook and statement savings accounts, and club and certificates of deposit. The company?s loan portfolio includes one to four-family residential loans; multi-family and commercial real estate loans; residential construction loans; and consumer loans, including second mortgage loans, loans secured by passbook or certificate accounts, and home equity lines of credit. It operates 12 full-service banking offices. The company was founded in 1928 and is headquartered in Clifton, New Jersey. Clifton Savings Bancorp, Inc. is a subsidiary of Clifton MHC.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tim Melvin]

  Price appears to share my enthusiasm for smaller bank stocks, as he currently own 19 small regional and community banks. He has been buying them consistently over the past few years, and I think he sees the same consolidation wave and shareholder value increase in the future that I do. He added to one position this quarter, buying more shares of Clifton Savings Bank (CSBK), the mutual holding company for the 11-branch bank in northern New Jersey. It looks like the bank trades for 1.9 times book value, but after the second-step conversion process is completed, the shares will trade at a slight discount to book. The bank is in excellent condition with an equity-to-assets ratio of almost 18 and nonperforming assets at just 0.53% of total assets.

Top Financial Companies To Buy For 2014: Towne Bank(TOWN)

TowneBank, through its subsidiaries, provides retail and commercial banking products and services in the Greater Hampton Roads region in southeastern Virginia. The company operates in three segments: Banking, Realty, and Insurance. The Banking segment provides various deposits products, including checking accounts, demand deposits, negotiable order of withdrawal accounts, savings accounts, money rate savings, certificates of deposit, and individual retirement accounts; personal loans, including secured and unsecured loans for financing automobiles, home improvements, education, and personal investments; commercial loans comprising secured and unsecured loans for working capital, business expansion, and equipment and machinery purchases; and fixed- and floating-rate mortgage loans, as well as real estate construction and acquisition loans. This segment also provides safe deposit boxes, cash management services, travelers? checks, direct deposit of payroll and social securi ty checks, and automatic drafts for various accounts, as well as Internet and on-call banking services. In addition, it offers documentation to accomplish tax deferral to investors; and financial, retirement, and estate planning services, as well as assistance on various investment options, including alternative investments, annuities, margin accounts, convertible bonds, and pension and profit sharing plans. The Realty segment provides residential real estate, resort property management, and commercial residential title insurance services, as well as originates mortgage loans. The Insurance segment provides life, property, casualty, and vehicle insurance services; travel, medical, and baggage protection insurance for travelers; and employee benefit programs, including medical, dental, vision, and disability insurance, as well as serves as an administrator for health care and dependent care flexible benefit plans. The company was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Portsm outh, Virginia.

Top Financial Companies To Buy For 2014: Encore Capital Group Inc(ECPG)

Encore Capital Group, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in consumer debt buying and recovery business primarily in the United States. The company purchases and manages portfolios of defaulted consumer receivables, such as consumers? unpaid financial commitments to credit originators, including banks, credit unions, consumer finance companies, commercial retailers, auto finance companies, and telecommunication companies; and receivables subject to bankruptcy proceedings or consumer bankruptcy receivables. It also provides bankruptcy services to the finance industry, such as negotiating bankruptcy plans, monitoring and managing consumer?s compliance with bankruptcy plans, and recommending courses of action to clients in case of a deviation from a bankruptcy plan. The company was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap debt collection stocks like�Asta Funding, Inc (NASDAQ: ASFI), Encore Capital Group, Inc (NASDAQ: ECPG) and Portfolio Recovery Associates, Inc (NASDAQ: PRAA) could be the latest target of a government shakedown or crackdown as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said this week that�before it formally proposes any rules for debt collection, it wants to hear how collectors verify borrowers' information and communicate with consumers. In other words, debt collectors could be restricted from using text messages, social media or other Internet-based tools in their pursuit to collect debts. With about one in 10 Americans coming out of the financial crisis with some debt in collection, investing in small cap�debt collection stocks has been profitable for investors. However, there is no timeline for when any new rules might be released for review or come into effect.

• [By Sally Jones]

  Today�� diverse companies were chosen for their speculative enterprises. Both companies deal in the territory of what if. If Encore Capital Group Inc. (ECPG) can collect more from a huge portfolio of consumer debt, the company would grow. If Sophiris Bio Inc. (SPHS), a 10-person biopharm, is successful in competing to provide relief for prostate BPH symptoms, the company would soar.
  

Top Financial Companies To Buy For 2014: Prudential Corp(PRU.L)

Prudential plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides retail financial products and services, and asset management services to individuals and businesses in Asia, the United States, and the United Kingdom. It offers life insurance, health and protection products, and mutual funds, as well as selected personal lines property and casualty insurance, group insurance, institutional fund management, and consumer finance. The company has distribution relationships with approximately 75 institutions in Asia; and distributes its insurance products primarily through an agency sales force together with selected banks, and mutual funds through banks and brokers. It also offers fixed annuities, variable annuities, life insurance, managed accounts, and investment products, as well as institutional products, including guaranteed investment contracts, medium term note funding agreements, and funding agreements through independent insurance agents; independent broker-dealers; regional broker-dealers; wirehouses; registered investment advisers; a small captive agency channel, consisting of approximately 100 life insurance agents; and banks, credit unions, and other financial institutions. In addition, it provides retail financial products and services, including long-term insurance, asset accumulation and retirement income products, retail investment and unit trust products, and fund management services through financial advisers, partnership agreements with banks and other financial institutions, and direct marketing. The company was founded in 1848 and is based in London, the United Kingdom.

Top Financial Companies To Buy For 2014: Liontrust Asset Management(LIO.L)

Liontrust Asset Management plc is a publicly owned investment manager. The firm primarily provides its services to individuals and institutional investors through its subsidiaries. Through its subsidiaries, it manages equity portfolios, unit trusts, individual savings accounts, offshore funds, absolute return funds, pooled pension funds, and segregated institutional accounts for its clients. The firm invests in the public equity markets of United Kingdom and Europe through its subsidiaries. Through its subsidiaries, it primarily invests in growth stocks of companies to create its equity portfolios. Liontrust Asset Management plc was founded in 1994 and is based in London, United Kingdom.

Top Financial Companies To Buy For 2014: S&T Bancorp Inc.(STBA)

S&T Bancorp, Inc. operates as the holding company for the S&T Bank, which provides community banking services in Pennsylvania. The company accepts time and demand deposit accounts, including interest and noninterest-bearing demand, money market, and savings accounts, as well as certificates of deposit. It also originates commercial and consumer loans; and offers letters of credit and credit card services. In addition, the company operates as a reinsurer of credit life, accident, and health insurance policies; distributes life insurance and long-term disability income insurance products; and provides insurance agency services. Further, it offers discount brokerage, personal financial planning, cash management, estate planning and administration, employee benefit investment management and administration, and corporate and other fiduciary services; provides wealth management services that comprise executor and trustee under wills and deeds, employee benefits guardian and cust odian, and other trust and brokerage services; and operates as a registered investment advisor, which manages private investment accounts for individuals and institutions, as well as advises the Stewart Capital Mid Cap Fund. The company operates a network of 51 offices located in Allegheny, Armstrong, Blair, Butler, Clarion, Clearfield, Indiana, Jefferson, and Westmoreland counties of Pennsylvania. S&T Bancorp, Inc. was founded in 1902 and is headquartered in Indiana, Pennsylvania.