5 Best Forestry Stocks To Own Right Now

DIVIDEND SPOTLIGHT

New Best Buy Pick in Telecommunications

By Richard Stavros

At 7.48%, this U.K.-based communications company is the new Best Buy in my conservative portfolio (which is made up of 10 safety-rated stocks).

With a solid base of over 100 million customers in Europe, they��e well positioned to safely expand globally. They��e conquering new markets by onboarding millions of customers in India, Turkey, and across Africa.

I continue to watch U.S.-based Verizon (NYSE:VZ); more updates later. I don�� currently recommend Spain-based Telef贸nica (NYSE:TEF), as Robert outlines below.

My Best Buy is without a doubt the safest dividend in telecommunications ��find out more here.

FEATURE INCOME ARTICLE

Go Global, But Don�� Go Crazy

By Robert Frick

Our credo here at Global Income Edge is you collect the best returns by going global��ut by best we also mean relatively safe. Simply chasing the highest yields without weighing risks can land you in some shaky investments.

Top Penny Stocks To Watch For 2015: Schnitzer Steel Industries Inc.(SCHN)

Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc. engages in recycling ferrous and nonferrous scrap metals, and used and salvaged vehicles; and manufacturing finished steel products. The company operates through three segments: Metals Recycling Business (MRB), Auto Parts Business (APB), and Steel Manufacturing Business (SMB). The MRB segment involves in the purchase, collection, processing, recycling, sale, and broking of ferrous scrap metals. It processes mixed and large pieces of scrap metal into smaller pieces by sorting, shearing, shredding, and torching. This segment?s products include ferrous products, including ferrous scrap metal, a feedstock used in the production of finished steel products; and nonferrous scrap metals, including aluminum, copper, stainless steel, nickel, brass, titanium, lead, high temperature alloys, and joint products, such as zorba (mixed nonferrous material) and zurik (stainless steel). The MRB segment sells its products to steel mills and smelters. The APB segment purchases used and salvaged vehicles and sells serviceable used auto parts from these vehicles through its 45 self-service auto parts stores, which are located across the United States and western Canada. It also sells other vehicles, including auto bodies; cores, such as engines, transmissions, alternators, and catalytic converters; and nonferrous materials to metal recyclers. The SMB segment engages in the purchase of recycled metal, and processing of the recycled metal and other raw materials into finished steel products. Its product portfolio comprises semi-finished goods and finished goods consisting of rebar, coiled rebar, wire rod, merchant bar, and other specialty products. This segment serves steel service centers, construction industry subcontractors, steel fabricators, wire drawers, and farm and wood product suppliers. The company exports its products worldwide. Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc. was founded in 1946 and is based in Portland, Oregon.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Another problem that ArcelorMittal and other steel companies have faced is the emerging Chinese steel industry. China subsidizes its steelmakers, and with Chinese infrastructure and construction activity being relatively weak, oversupply is spilling over and having an impact on world steel prices. Recycled scrap producer Schnitzer Steel (NASDAQ: SCHN  ) noted last month that market prices for its exports fell by $50 per ton during its most recent quarter, and given Schnitzer's exposure to Asia, those figures likely reflect China's contribution to the global weakness.

• [By Rich Smith]

  If you want to know what the future holds for global steel giants like Arcelor Mittal (NYSE: MT  ) , U.S. Steel (NYSE: X  ) , and Nucor (NYSE: NUE  ) , one of the best ways you can spend your time, I suspect, is by reviewing the earnings reports of another company entirely -- Schnitzer Steel (NASDAQ: SCHN  ) .

• [By Rich Smith]

  So what's going on with Steel Dynamics? Basically, it's exactly what I warned you about last month, after reviewing the disturbing news of weak demand for steel in China, revealed by Schnitzer Steel (NASDAQ: SCHN  ) in its earnings report. Steel Dynamics is hitting headwinds all around the globe:

5 Best Forestry Stocks To Own Right Now: National-Oilwell Inc.(NOV)

National Oilwell Varco, Inc. designs, constructs, manufactures, and sells systems, components, and products used in oil and gas drilling and production; provides oilfield services and supplies; and distributes products, and provides supply chain integration services to the upstream oil and gas industry worldwide. Its Rig Technology segment offers offshore and onshore drilling rigs; derricks; pipe lifting, racking, rotating, and assembly systems; rig instrumentation systems; coiled tubing equipment and pressure pumping units; well workover rigs; wireline winches; wireline trucks; cranes; and turret mooring systems and other products for floating production, storage and offloading vessels, and other offshore vessels and terminals. The company?s Petroleum Services & Supplies segment provides various consumable goods and services to drill, complete, remediate, and workover oil and gas wells and service pipelines, flowlines, and other oilfield tubular goods. It also manufacture s, rents, and sells products and equipment for drilling operations, including drill pipe, wired drill pipe, transfer pumps, solids control systems, drilling motors, drilling fluids, drill bits, reamers and other downhole tools, and mud pump consumables. In addition, this segment provides oilfield tubular services comprising the provision of inspection and internal coating services; equipment for drill pipe, line pipe, tubing, casing, and pipelines; and coiled tubing pipes and composite pipes. Its Distribution Services segment sells maintenance, repair and operating supplies, and spare parts to drill site and production locations. The company primarily serves drilling contractors, shipyards and other rig fabricators, well servicing companies, pressure pumping companies, oil and gas companies, supply stores, and pipe-running service providers. National Oilwell Varco, Inc. was founded in 1862 and is based in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By David Kerr]

  As odd as it is to see an article pertaining to quarterly earnings on our site, I just couldn�� resist. National Oilwell Varco (NOV) has officially put up some pretty impressive numbers. On Oct. 25, 2013, the company reported that for the third quarter ending on Sept. 30, 2013, it earned a net income of $636 million ($1.49 per share). If we compare this to last quarter, which earned a net income of $531 million, we can see that in just one quarter NOV experienced almost a 20% increase in revenue. Even if we take away the $10 million in pre-tax transaction charges and the $102 million in pre-tax gains that are results from the settlement of an outstanding legal claim, net income has still increased almost 8%. Part of this is due to operating profit increasing 3% (to 15% of sales) for the quarter.
  

• [By Daniel Gibbs]

  Over the past few years, there was a boom in the offshore drilling sector. Due to this, offshore drilling companies began construction on an enormous number of offshore drilling rigs. Naturally, this also led to an enormous demand for equipment for these rigs, such as that manufactured by National Oilwell Varco (NYSE: NOV  ) .

• [By GuruFocus]

  Added: National Oilwell Varco, Inc. (NOV)

  Tom Gayner added to his holdings in National Oilwell Varco, Inc. by 40.44%. His purchase prices were between $64.14 and $71.57, with an estimated average price of $68.35. The impact to his portfolio due to this purchase was 0.14%. His holdings were 191,000 shares as of 06/30/2013.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  National Oilwell Varco Inc. (NYSE: NOV) had a jump of 35.8% in short interest to 8.21 million shares, or about 1.9% of the company’s float. It is scheduled to report results on Friday, and analysts are estimating EPS at $1.39 on revenues of $5.86 billion. The revenue estimate is higher than last year’s fourth-quarter actual of $5.68 billion, but the EPS estimate is below last year’s total of $1.44.

5 Best Forestry Stocks To Own Right Now: Rollins Inc. (ROL)

Rollins, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides pest and termite control services to residential and commercial customers in North America. It offers pest control services, and protection against termite damage, rodents, and insects to homes and businesses, including hotels, food service establishments, food manufacturers, retailers, and transportation companies. The company also provides pest management and sanitation services and products to the food and commodity industries. It operates under the brand names of Orkin and PCO Services brand names, as well as under the Acurid service mark. The company also offers its services in Central America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Asia, the Mediterranean, and Europe. As of December 31, 2010, it had 56 domestic franchises and 16 international franchises. The company, formerly known as Rollins Broadcasting, Inc., was founded in 1948 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Pest control service provider�Rollins (NYSE: ROL  ) announced yesterday its third-quarter dividend of $0.09 per share, the same rate it's paid for the past two quarters after raising the payout 12.5% from $0.08 per share.

• [By Marc Bastow]

  Pest and termite control company Rollins (ROL) raised its quarterly dividend 16.6% to 10.5 cents per share, payable on Mar. 10 to shareholders of record as of Feb. 10.
  ROL Dividend Yield: 1.44%

• [By Alex Planes]

  A new kind of buyout
  The first leveraged buyout in American history �took place on June 19, 1964, when Rollins Broadcasting (NYSE: ROL  ) made a $62.4 million bid to acquire nationwide exterminator Orkin. The deal, later called "Jonah swallowing the whale" by BusinessWeek, saw a company with $7.9 million in annual revenue and $600,000 in annual net income put up virtually none of its own money to acquire a company with $37.3 million in annual revenue and $3 million in annual net income. Rollins/Orkin (the pairing has worked out for nearly five decades) quotes the particulars of the deal on its website:

5 Best Forestry Stocks To Own Right Now: Hampden Bancorp Inc.(HBNK)

Hampden Bancorp, Inc. operates as the holding company for Hampden Bank that provides banking products and services to individuals, families, and businesses in Hampden county, Massachusetts. The company?s deposit products include checking, regular savings, and money market deposits, as well as time deposits, including certificate of deposit accounts and individual retirement accounts. Its lending portfolio comprises commercial real estate loans, residential real estate loans secured by one-to-four-family residences, residential and commercial construction loans, commercial and industrial loans, home equity lines-of-credit, fixed rate home equity loans, and other personal consumer loans. The company also engages in buying, selling, holding, and dealing in securities. It offers its services through nine offices located in Hampden county, Massachusetts, as well as through Internet. Hampden Bancorp, Inc. was founded in 1852 and is headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  This industry tumbled 3.15% by 11:50 am. The worst stock within the industry was Berkshire Hills Bancorp (NYSE: BHLB), which fell 3.9%. erkshire Hills Bancorp and Hampden Bancorp (NASDAQ: HBNK) have signed a definitive merger agreement under which Berkshire will acquire Hampden and its subsidiary, Hampden Bank, in an all-stock transaction valued at around $109 million.