Top Consumer Stocks To Buy For 2014

While in many ways alternative energy remains in its infancy, continuing developments have put the U.S. in a better position relative to energy independence than seemed even thinkable a decade ago. The advent of hydraulic fracturing -- known as fracking -- has opened up a significant oil and gas supply that continues to lower the need to import resources from abroad. Similarly, advances in solar energy are making it an increasing viable solution, and positive guidance from the solar sector supports this belief. Finally, the U.S. is sitting on huge deposits of kerogen that could contain as much as 6 trillion barrels of oil if it could be extracted.

A case for liquefied natural gas
While thus far liquefied natural gas, or LNG, has remained impractical and unavailable in smaller, non-commercial vehicles, there has been an increasing push toward adopting this fuel for larger applications. Within the past month, Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-A  ) announced that it's rolling out a pilot program to test the viability of using LNG to power locomotives at its BNSF Railway. The rail company is the second largest consumer of diesel in the country, using more fuel than any entity other than the U.S. Navy. If rail could effectively switch to LNG, the reduction in oil consumption would be dramatic.

Top Consumer Stocks To Buy For 2014: (PRU.TO)

Perseus Mining Limited engages in the exploration, evaluation, development, and production of gold properties in West Africa. It primarily holds a 90% interest in the Edikan Gold Mine that covers an area of approximately 650 square kilometers located in the Republic of Ghana; an 85% interest in the Sissingu茅 gold deposit, a development stage gold project, which covers an area of 885 square kilometers situated in the north of Cote d�Ivoire; and a 90% interest in the Kayeya gold deposit, an exploration stage gold project located in the Republic of Ghana. The company has a strategic alliance with Burey Gold Limited. Perseus Mining Limited was incorporated in 2003 and is based in Subiaco, Australia.

Top Consumer Stocks To Buy For 2014: Westar Energy Inc.(WR)

Westar Energy, Inc., an electric utility company, engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity. It produces electricity through various sources, including coal, wind, nuclear, natural gas, oil, and diesel. As of October 26, 2011, it served approximately 687,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in Kansas; and had approximately 7,100 megawatts of generating capacity, as well as operated and coordinated approximately 34,000 miles of electric distribution and transmission lines. Westar Energy, Inc. also engages in energy marketing, and in the purchase and sale of electricity. It serves public streets, highways, electric cooperatives, municipalities, and other electric utilities in central and northeastern Kansas, including the cities of Topeka, Lawrence, Manhattan, Salina, and Hutchinson. The company was founded in 1924 and is headquartered in Topeka, Kansas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Richard Young]

  With a service area of roughly 10,130 square miles in Kansas, Westar Energy uses its 19 power plants to generate more than 27 million megawatt-hours of electricity per year. That electricity is deployed along 35,000 miles of transmission lines to 687,000 customers. My relative strength chart shows Westar’s strong outperformance of the S&P over the last four years.

Hot Managed Healthcare Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Astea International Inc.(ATEA)

Astea International Inc. develops, markets, and supports service management software solutions worldwide. The company licenses its solutions to various companies that sell and service equipment, and/or sell and deliver professional services. It offers Astea Alliance suite that includes series of applications to address lead generation, project quotation, service and billing, and asset retirement services. Astea International Inc. integrates and optimizes business processes for campaigns, call center, depot repair, field service, logistics, projects, and sales and order processing applications; provides mobile, dynamic scheduling, portals, and business intelligence solutions; and offers infrastructure tools and services. It also provides FieldCentrix Enterprise suite, a service management solution that runs on various mobile devices, such as handheld computers, laptops and PCs, and pocket PC devices, as well as integrates with CRM and ERP applications; and features a Web-ba sed customer self-service portal, workforce optimization capabilities, and equipment-centric functionality. In addition, the company offers consulting, implementation, training, and maintenance services. Its solutions are used in information technology, medical devices and diagnostic systems, industrial controls and instrumentation, retail systems, office automation, imaging systems, facilities management, telecommunications, and other industries with equipment sales and service requirements. Astea International Inc. markets its products through a network of direct and indirect sales and services offices; and through distributors consisting of value-added resellers, system integrators, and sales agents, as well as original equipment manufacturer partners. The company was formerly known as Applied System Technologies, Inc. and changed its name to Astea International Inc. in 1992. Astea International Inc. was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Horsham, Pennsylvania.