10 Best Defensive Stocks For 2014

For a low-risk investment, look at utility funds; they tend to be conservative, low-beta, defensive, and dividend paying, explains Bruce Vanderveen in Personal Finance.

Utilities provide essential electric and gas to their customers, so their services are always in demand. Surprises, both good and bad, are relatively rare.

In recent years, easily traded and inexpensive ETFs have proliferated. The utility sector alone has 22 of them. Also, established wealth management groups have many utility fund offerings. Below are three of the best to consider.

Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLU) is the largest utility ETF; it has $5 billion in assets under management and currently has holdings in 32 large (mostly electric) US utilities.

Since the ETF owns a basket of (mostly) low-beta utility stocks, XLU is ideal for passive investors who wish to invest in a safe, broad-based, and dividend-paying US utility fund. XLU currently yields 3.7%.

Top 10 Forestry Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Infoblox Inc (BLOX)

Infoblox Inc. (Infoblox), incorporated in May 2003, is an automated network controller. The Company�� network functions include Internet protocol (IP) address management, device configuration, compliance, network discovery, policy implementation, security and monitoring. The Company�� appliance-based solution combines real-time IP address management with the automation of key network control and network change and configuration management processes in purpose-built physical and virtual appliances. It is based on its software that is scalable and automates vital network functions, such as IP address management, device configuration, compliance, network discovery, policy implementation, security and monitoring. It offers two families of products: Trinzic Enterprise and Trinzic NetMRI. The Trinzic Enterprise product family enables real-time IP address management and automates key network control processes. The Trinzic NetMRI product family automates network change and configuration management processes.

Trinzic Enterprise Family

The Company derives its product revenue from its Trinzic Enterprise family of products. The components of its Trinzic Enterprise family, are Trinzic Enterprise, Trinzic IPAM for Microsoft, Trinzic Reporting and Trinzic IPAM Insight. Its Trinzic Enterprise product is an appliance that is designed to for continuous operation of network control. Trinzic Enterprise offers file delivery services via the File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP), and Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), time synchronization services via the Network Time Protocol (NTP) and Logging services via Syslog.

Trinzic IPAM for Microsoft provides a single, Web-based management interface for the centralized management of DNS, DHCP and multiple IP address pools running on Microsoft servers without any installation of software on Microsoft servers. It also provides Microsoft server management capabilities, such as centralized IP address management! , DNS changes and individualized, role-based access control. Trinzic Reporting provides long-term reporting, trending, analysis and tracking capabilities to report network utilization, isolate performance problems, implement DHCP and DNS capacity planning and identify security threats. Trinzic Reporting automates tasks associated with collecting, tabulating and correlating data and displays the information through its Web-based management interface. Trinzic IPAM Insight allows automated discovery of network device configuration information used in automation and compliance reporting.

Trinzic NetMRI Family

The Company�� Trinzic NetMRI products components of include Trinzic Network Automation, Trinzic Network Compliance, Trinzic Switch Port Manager and Trinzic PCI Insight. Its Trinzic NetMRI product automates network change and configuration management processes. Trinzic NetMRI enables information technology organizations to automate network changes, gain visibility into the impact of changes occurring on the network, manage network configurations, archive network configurations and meet a range of compliance requirements for both physical and virtual machines. Trinzic NetMRI discovers and monitors network infrastructure devices to determine critical network information. It uses this information to analyze network stability, to identify unauthorized devices and to take inventory of network devices for inventory management and/or troubleshooting. Trinzic Network Automation automates network configuration functions.

Trinzic Network Compliance automates the network compliance process, meeting corporate security requirements and providing the necessary information and control for internal and external compliance mandates. Trinzic Network Compliance also automatically alerts IT personnel in the event of a failure to meet compliance guidelines and permits the establishment and deployment of specific end customer requirements with click and drag simplicity, supporting ! complianc! e mandates such as those under the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC).

Trinzic Switch Port Manager enables its end customers to identify the number of switch ports, manage them precisely and locate the next available switch port. It helps provide views and management of switches with both current and historical IP addresses, MAC addresses, VLAN mappings and network device topology information. It also shows where devices have been connected, when they connected and where they are currently connected so that the network administrator can easily track authorized devices and find rogue devices that can pose security risks and create network instability. Trinzic PCI Insight is an integrated offering that bundles Trinzic Network Compliance, Trinzic IPAM Insight from its Trinzic Enterprise family of products and consulting services and enables its end customers to optimize their PCI DSS compliance.

The Company competes with BMC Software, Inc., EMC Corporation, Hewlett-Packard Company and International Business Machines Corporation, Alcatel-Lucent, BT Group plc and BlueCat Networks, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Evan Niu, CFA]

  What: Shares of Infoblox (NYSE: BLOX  ) have popped today by as much as 18% after the company reported earnings.

  So what: Revenue in the fiscal third quarter came in at a record $58 million, topping the Street's $56 million forecast. Non-GAAP earnings per share totaled $0.11, also ahead of the $0.06-per-share adjusted profit that investors were expecting. CEO Robert Thomas said the company's value proposition -- helping networks become more automated and secure -- is driving its outperformance.

• [By John Udovich]

  Just before Thanksgiving, small cap networking stock Infoblox Inc (NYSE: BLOX) sank 28.65% on guidance that was below expectations, but the stock has still outperformed the year-to-date�performance of�networking ETF like the PowerShares Dynamic Networking ETF (NYSEARCA: PXQ) and iShares S&P North American Networking ETF (NYSEARCA: IGN). So what went wrong and could investors have just overeacted?

10 Best Defensive Stocks For 2014: Sino-Global Shipping America Ltd.(SINO)

Sino-Global Shipping America, Ltd., through its subsidiaries, provides shipping agency services for foreign ships coming to and departing from Chinese ports. Its services include preparing documents, husbanding vessels, working through customs issues, coordinating matters with port authorities, overseeing and settling cargo claims, tracking shipments, recommending trucking, warehousing, and complementary services. The company offers these services for bulk and break-bulk general cargo, and vehicle transport, as well as raw materials, such as crude oil, oil products, iron, manganese, and other metal ores in 76 ports in the People?s Republic of China. Sino-Global Shipping America, Ltd. was founded in 2001 and is based in Flushing, Virginia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James E. Brumley]

  The recent strength from Sino-Global Shipping America, Ltd. (NASDAQ:SINO) and the now-renewed strength from Safe Bulkers, Inc. (NYSE:SB) would suggest those two stocks are among the very best ways to play the rebound currently unfurling in the shipping sector. And to be fair, both are fine companies in their own right. The top play in the dry goods maritime shipping arena, however, may well be Diana Shipping Inc. (NYSE:DSX). No, DSX isn't one of the fun and exciting small caps in the maritime shipping space. But, there's a lot to be said for size and stability, which SB and SINO can't offer.

10 Best Defensive Stocks For 2014: Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corp (BAH)

Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corporation (Booz Allen Holding), incorporated in May 2008, is a provider of management and technology consulting services to the United States government in the defense, intelligence and civil markets. In addition, it provides management and technology consulting services to corporations, institutions, and not-for-profit organizations. During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2012 (fiscal 2012), it derived 98% of its revenue from services provided to more than 1,200 client organizations across the United States government under more than 5,800 contracts and task orders. During fiscal 2012, it derived 90% of its revenue in fiscal 2012 from engagements, for which it acted as the prime contractor. On November 30, 2012, the Company purchased the Defense Systems Engineering and Support (DSES) division of ARINC Incorporated.

Defense Clients

During fiscal 2012, the Company�� defense business revenue represented 53% of its business. It works with its the United States Army clients to help sustain their land combat capabilities while responding to current demands and preparing for future needs. The services, which it provided include enhancing field intelligence systems, delivering rapid response solutions to counter improvised explosive devices, infusing lifecycle sustainment capabilities to improve distribution and delivery of material, and employing systems and consulting methods to help expand care and support for soldiers and their families. Its clients include Army Headquarters, Army Material Command (AMC), Forces Command (FORSCOM), Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), and Program Executive Offices, Direct Reporting Units and Army Service Component Commands.

The Company employs a multidimensional approach, which analyzes and balances people, processes, technology, and infrastructure to meet their missions of equipping global forces. Its clients include the Office of the Secretary of the Navy, Chief of Naval Operations, the Commandant ! of the Marine Corps to the Office of Naval Intelligence, and the United States Navy/Marine Corps operating commands and systems commands, as well as the Joint Program Executive Offices (PEO) and individual PEOs, such as Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), Naval Seas Systems Command (NAVSEA), United States Marine Corps Systems Command, and Space and Naval Warfare (SPAWAR).

The Company provides integrated strategy and technical services to the United States Air Force. It brings capabilities to assignments, which includes weapons analysis, capability-based planning, and aircraft systems engineering. It also supports the space industry. Its clients include Air Combat Command, Air Force Space Command, Air Force Materiel Command, Air Mobility Command, Air Force Cyber Command, Air Force Pacific Command and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

The Company provides mission-critical support to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff, the Combatant Commands (COCOMs), and other the United States government departments and agencies during the planning and mission execution phases. Its clients include organizations within the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Department of Defense�� agencies, as well as the Pacific Command, Northern Command, Central Command, the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), Southern Command, European Command, Strategic Command, Special Operations Command, and Transportation Command.

The Company provides solutions designed to protect infrastructure systems for the public and private sector to its United States government defense and intelligence agency clients to meet cyber warfare threats. Its cyber professionals handles the sensitive materials, assist clients in all phases of cyber-security operations and dynamic network defense. It develops cyber-security solutions utilizing a multi-dimensional approach, including people, operations, technology, policy, and management.

Intelligence Clients

The Company provides the primary group of government agencies and organizations, which carry out intelligence activities for the United States government (the United States Intelligence Community), with consulting and mission support services in analysis, systems engineering, program management, operations, organization, and change management, budget and resource management, studies, and war-gaming. During fiscal 2012, its intelligence business represented 23% of its business based on revenue. Its intelligence clients include United States Intelligence Agencies, Joint Staff and Unified Combatant Commands, and Military Intelligence.

The Company provides critical support in strategic planning, policy development, program development and execution, information sharing, architecture, and program management for research and development projects, as well as support to reform initiatives flowing from the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Protection Act. It delivers intelligence analysis, including providing all-source intelligence analysis and open-source intelligence analysis. It also provides data collection management and analytical systems intelligence training services, and provides intellectual capital for intelligence activities. It provides consulting services, integrated intelligence and information operations mission support, and a range of counterintelligence services to the United States Army, United States Air Force, United States Navy, Marine Corps, and Defense Intelligence Agency.

Civil Clients

During fiscal 2012, the Company�� civil business represented 24% of its business based on revenue. Its civil government clients include Financial Services, Health, Energy, Transportation and Environment, Justice and Homeland Security, and Business of Government. The Company provides support to the United States government finance and treasury organizations charged with the collection, management, and protection of the United States financial system, including ! the Depar! tment of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, and other agencies of the Department of the Treasury, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Federal Reserve Board and Banks, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. It creates approaches to challenging problems, including bank receivership, payment channel modernization, cyber initiatives, and fraud detection.

The Company supports United States government clients on projects, which helps to achieve public health missions, including entitlement reform, developing a national health information network, mitigating risk to populations, improving government infrastructure, and facilitating an international public-private sector dialogue on international health issues. Its clients include the Department of Health and Human Services and its agencies, including the United States Food and Drug Administration, National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Department of Defense Military Health System, and Department of Veterans Affairs.

The Company supports clients in the transportation, energy, and environment sectors which controls over its national infrastructure. Its services include strategy, operations, technology, and engineering. Its clients include the Departments of Energy, Transportation, and Interior and their component agencies, and the Environmental Protection Agency. It also supports the Department of Defense in environmental and infrastructure programs in the United States and Europe. The Company supports the United States government�� homeland security mission and operations in the areas of intelligence (analysis, information sharing, and risk assessment), operations (coordination, contingency planning, and decision support), strategy, technology and management (program management and information technology tools), emergency management and respo! nse plann! ing, and border, cargo, and transportation security. It supports law enforcement missions and operations in counterterrorism, intelligence and counterintelligence, and criminal areas (narcotics, white collar crime, organized crime, and violent crime).

The Company helps agencies manage the business processes, which support government in its provision of services to its citizens, spanning management, personnel, budget operations, information technology, and telecommunications. Its clients include the General Services Administration, Office of Management and Budget, Office of Personnel Management, the Congress and Courts. It also support public sector grant-making agencies, from health and education, to labor and homeland and economic security, serving clients, such as the Departments of Agriculture, Homeland Security, Commerce, Education, Labor, and Housing and Urban Development, as well as the National Science Foundation. In addition, it serves the United States government clients abroad in helping them resolve systemic global development needs. Its clients include the United States Agency for International Development, the Department of State, Millennium Challenge Corporation, and the World Bank.

Commercial and International Clients

The Company is serving industries, such as financial services, healthcare, and energy. Its service offerings to commercial clients include dynamic defense (cyber), next-generation virtual infrastructure, decision analytics, design for affordability, and smart compliance. Its commercial clients include major commercial banks and investment banks, healthcare providers, energy companies, and utilities. Its international activities are focused on the Middle East and North Africa region. Its service offerings to international clients focuses on on-line government services and cloud applications, enterprise resource planning, advanced persistent threat resolution, supervisory control and data acquisition, and geospatial systems. Its internati! onal clie! nts include government ministries and commercial companies in the Middle East and North Africa.

The Company competes with CACI International, Inc., L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc., ManTech International Corp., SRA International, Inc., TASC Inc., General Dynamics Corp., Lockheed Martin Corp., Northrop Grumman Corp., Raytheon Co., Accenture, Computer Sciences Corp., Deloitte Consulting LLP and SAIC, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  The winners of this mega contract included:

  Britain's BAE Systems (NASDAQOTH: BAESY  ) Booz Allen Hamilton (NYSE: BAH  ) Engility Corp. (NYSE: EGL  ) and three privately held companies -- Coherent Technical Services, AM Pierce and Associates, and Sierra Nevada Corp.

  Each of the six will share in a cost-plus-fixed-fee multiple award contract to supply systems engineering support to the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Department, Aircraft Control Systems Division. Contractors will work on such cutting-edge programs as Joint Precision Approach and Landing Systems (JPALS), Navy Unmanned Combat Aerial Systems (UCAS), Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS), Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS), War Fighter Networking, Unmanned Aircraft System/Ground Based Sense and Avoid, and Automated Aerial Refueling Support.

• [By Rich Smith]

  The Department of Defense awarded three of its favorite defense contractors a combined $220 million on Monday, hiring each of Booz Allen Hamilton (NYSE: BAH  ) , SAIC (NYSE: SAI  ) , and Engility Holdings (NYSE: EGL  ) to "support shore networks with sustainment services for the Base Level Information Infrastructure."

• [By Rich Smith]

  The Department of Defense awarded nine contracts worth a combined $239.5 million Monday. Among public companies, a few of the bigger winners included:

  General Electric (NYSE: GE  ) won a $45.2 million award exercising an option on a previously awarded contract. GE will supply the U.S. Navy with seven F414-GE-400 spare engines and multiple engine components for its F/A-18E/F fighter jets.�This contract should be complete by November 2015. Booz Allen Hamilton (NYSE: BAH  ) is a winner in a $30.9 million award under an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ), cost-plus-fixed-fee, multiple-award contract "for support of emerging navigation technologies for air and shipboard command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance system applications."�The DoD's contract announcement said a second, unnamed contractor has won a similar award, and both awardees will now have to compete for individual task orders the Navy may put up for bid over the next three years. Additionally, this contract may be extended by a two-year option period -- potentially raising the value of the contract to $52.7 million, and potentially extending the contract out to May 5, 2016. B/E Aerospace (NASDAQ: BEAV  ) was awarded an unrelated maximum $6.6 million contract. B/E will supply various engine parts, avionics, wheels, and brakes to the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force, as needed through May 5, 2017.

  link

• [By Rich Smith]

  The biggest of these contracts, a sizable $179.9 million, one-year award with the potential to swell to $899.5 million if the four "option-year" extensions are exercised, is to be split among 13 separate firms:

  Booz Allen Hamilton (NYSE: BAH  ) CACI (NYSE: CACI  ) Technologies Computer Sciences Corp (NYSE: CSC  ) General Dynamics (NYSE: GD  ) One Source Honeywell (NYSE: HON  ) Technology Solutions Engility Corp. Lockheed Martin Science Applications International Corp. URS Federal Services and four privately held firms.

  Under the awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ), cost-plus-fixed-fee, performance-based umbrella contract, all 13 firms will be able to compete to perform task orders for the U.S. Navy, providing "integrated cyber operations services" to Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Atlantic.

10 Best Defensive Stocks For 2014: INTL FCStone Inc.(INTL)

INTL FCStone Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides foreign exchange and treasury, securities execution, physical commodities trading and execution, and structured over-the-counter commodity services worldwide. It offers commodity and risk management services; treasury, global payment, and foreign exchange services; and wholesale market making services in select foreign securities, as well as involved in the origination, structuring, and placement of an array of emerging market debt instruments in the international and domestic capital markets, and trades in various international debt instruments. The company also provides clearing and execution services related to exchange-traded futures and options for the institutional and professional trader market segments; asset management, and commodity financing and facilitation services; and investment banking advisory services. Its customers comprise the producers, consumers, recyclers, and investors in precious metals an d certain base metals; financial institutions, multi-national corporations, and governmental and charitable organizations; and broker-dealers, regional broker-dealers, commercial banks, institutional investors, and investment banks. The company was formerly known as International Assets Holding Corporation and changed its name to INTL FCStone Inc. in March 2011. INTL FCStone Inc. was founded in 1924 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By RichardCox]

  Most of the evidence supporting positions in SPY over QQQ can be seen in the earnings performance so far this season. In the S&P as a whole, roughly 3/4 of the reporting companies have posted results that are better than analyst estimates. When looking at revenues in isolation, slightly more than half of those companies have passed market projections. But these numbers would be much improved without the major earnings misses that have been seen in the large-cap tech space. Examples seen so far include Intel Corp.(INTL), Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), and, more recently, Google(GOOG), and Microsoft (MSFT).

10 Best Defensive Stocks For 2014: FuelCell Energy Inc.(FCEL)

FuelCell Energy, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the development, manufacturing, and sale of high temperature fuel cells for clean electric power generation primarily in South Korea, the United States, Germany, Canada, and Japan. The company offers proprietary carbonate Direct FuelCell Power Plants that electrochemically produce electricity from hydrocarbon fuels, such as natural gas and biogas. Its fuel cells operate on a range of hydrocarbon fuels, including natural gas, renewable biogas, propane, methanol, coal gas, and coal mine methane. The company also develops carbonate fuel cells, planar solid oxide fuel cell technology, and other fuel cell technologies. It provides its products to universities; manufacturers; mission critical institutions, such as correction facilities and government installations; hotels; and natural gas letdown stations, as well as to customers who use renewable biogas for fuel, including municipal water treatment facilities, br eweries, and food processors. The company was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in Danbury, Connecticut.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Shares of Tesla have gained 0.8% to $232.83 at 12:18 p.m. That’s not bad considering that Plug Power (PLUG) is unchanged at $6.71, Ballard Power Systems (BLDP) has dropped 2.8% to $5.53 and FuelCell Energy (FCEL) has fallen 4.3% to $2.89.

• [By Monica Gerson]

  FuelCell Energy (NASDAQ: FCEL) shares gained 16.79% to $4.59 in the pre-market after the company reported Q1 results. FuelCell posted its quarterly net income of $0.02 per share on revenue of $24.2 million.

10 Best Defensive Stocks For 2014: Berkshire Bancorp Inc.(BERK)

Berkshire Bancorp Inc. operates as the bank holding company for The Berkshire Bank that provides community banking services to businesses, professionals, and retail customers primarily in New York City metropolitan area and the Villages of Goshen and Harriman. The company offers various deposit products, including statement savings accounts, NOW accounts, money market deposits accounts, checking accounts, time deposits, and certificates of deposit. Its loan portfolio comprises commercial mortgage loans secured by office buildings, retail establishments, multi-family residential real estate, and other types of commercial property; commercial loans to businesses for inventory financing, working capital, machinery and equipment purchases, expansion, and other business purposes; and residential mortgage loans secured by first liens on one-to-four family owner-occupied or rental residential real estate, as well as residential single family construction, home equity, and short-t erm fixed-rate consumer loans. Berkshire Bancorp Inc. also offers title insurance agency services. The company operates seven deposit-taking offices in New York City; four deposit-taking offices in Orange and Sullivan Counties, New York; one deposit taking office in Ridgefield, New Jersey; and one deposit taking office in Teaneck, New Jersey. The company was founded in 1979 and is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tim Melvin]

  One interesting bank that is seeing insider buying activity is Berkshire Bancorp (BERK). The company has recently switched from the Nasdaq to OTC markets, but that has not stopped director Moses Marx from consistently buying BERK stock. Berkshire does business in the already overbanked New York and New Jersey markets, and the stock is very cheap at just 82% of book value. Insiders won more than 60% of the bank, so investors are on the same side of the table as management.

10 Best Defensive Stocks For 2014: Kaman Corporation (KAMN)

Kaman Corporation operates in the aerospace and industrial distribution markets. The company?s Industrial Distribution segment distributes products, including bearings, mechanical and electrical power transmission, fluid power, motion control, and materials handling components. The segment offers its products through approximately 200 branches, distribution centers, and call centers in the United States, including Puerto Rico, as well as in Canada and Mexico. Its Aerospace segment produces and/or markets proprietary aircraft bearings and components; and complex metallic and composite aerostructures for commercial, military, and general aviation fixed and rotary wing aircraft. This segment also provides safing and arming solutions for missile and bomb systems for the U.S. and allied militaries; support for its maritime helicopters and medium-to-heavy lift helicopters; and offers engineering design, analysis, and certification services, as well as subcontracts helicopter wor k. Kaman Corporation also operates in the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand. The company was founded in 1945 and is headquartered in Bloomfield, Connecticut.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  Bloomfield, Conn.-based Kaman Corporation (NYSE: KAMN  ) looks likely to land a sizable contract with the New Zealand Ministry of Defense, the company announced late Thursday.

• [By Rich Smith]

  Bloomfield, Conn.-based Kaman Corporation (NYSE: KAMN  ) will have a new Chief Financial Officer soon.

  On Thursday, the aircraft parts-maker announced that when current CFO William C. Denninger retires on June 30, he will quickly be succeeded (the very next day, in fact) by newly promoted Senior Vice President and CFO Robert D. Starr.

• [By Stephen Simpson, CFA]

  Along those lines, neither ITT, RBC Bearings, nor Kaman (KAMN) are up much on this news - some of that may be due to the fact that the whole space (including Kaydon) was near a 52-week high, but some of it may also be due to the fact that Kaydon was a pretty rare asset in the space and there likely aren't enough strategic buyers to justify pumping up the fair values of those companies on the basis of what a strategic acquirer could (or might) pay.