Best Defense Stocks To Watch For 2014

Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC  ) landed a sizable Pentagon defense contract�on Monday.

The award, worth $113.7 million, is an "advance acquisition contract" with fixed-price line items funding Northrop's purchase of long-lead materials necessary for it to begin Full Rate Production of five E-2D Advanced Hawkeye Lot 2 airborne early warning aircraft for the U.S. Navy.�Northrop is expected to complete work on the contract by March 2014.

Northrop describes the Advanced Hawkeye as the "digital quarterback"�of a Navy carrier strike group. Its role is to sweep the battlefield ahead of a strike force with its powerful airborne radars, detecting threats and assigning assets to meet these threats. In battle, the Advanced Hawkeye "manages" the Navy's warplanes in the air, identifying and keeping track of friendly and unfriendly aircraft and warning the seaborne fleet away from danger.

Best Defense Stocks To Watch For 2014: Dynavax Technologies Corporation(DVAX)

Dynavax Technologies Corporation, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, discovers and develops novel products to prevent and treat infectious diseases. The company's lead product candidate includes HEPLISAV, a Phase 3 investigational adult hepatitis B vaccine designed to provide protection with fewer doses than current licensed vaccines. It also develops Universal Flu vaccine, a Phase 1b clinical trial vaccine for influenza prevention; SD-101, a Phase Ib clinical trial hepatitis C therapy; DV-601, a Phase Ib clinical trial hepatitis B therapy; AZD1419, a preclinical asthma therapy; and DV1179, a Phase 1 trial autoimmune and inflammatory disease therapy. Dynavax Technologies Corporation has strategic alliance with GlaxoSmithKline plc to discover, develop, and commercialize DV1179 and other endosomal toll-like receptor inhibitors for diseases, such as lupus, psoriasis, and rheumatoid arthritis; and develop a TLR8 inhibitor for the treatment of multiple autoimmune and i nflammatory diseases, as well as has research and license agreement with AstraZeneca to discover and develop TLR9 agonist-based therapies for the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The company was founded in 1996 and is based in Berkeley, California.

Best Defense Stocks To Watch For 2014: Batm Advanced Communications(BVC.L)

BATM Advanced Communications Ltd. engages in the research, development, production, and marketing of data communication products in the field of local and wide area networks, and premises management systems worldwide. The company offers Ethernet/MPLS aggregation, Ethernet demarcation, multi-service access, fiber-to-the-home and fiber-to-the-business, optical transportation, and wavelength multiplexing products. It also provides TDM products, including multiplexers, SONET products, multi-service IADs, and E/O converters; NMS/EMS products; rugged Ethernet systems; and ATCA hub blades. The company?s data communication products are used by telecommunication carriers and service providers, utilities, municipalities, and government agencies. In addition, the company involves in the research, development, production, marketing, and distribution of medical products, primarily laboratory diagnostic equipment. Further, it offers software services and sterilization products. BATM Ad vanced Communications Ltd. was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in Kfar Netter, Israel.

Best Telecom Companies To Buy For 2014: BB&T Corp (BBT)

BB&T Corporation (BB&T) is a financial holding company. BB&T conducts its business operations primarily through its commercial bank subsidiary, Branch Banking and Trust Company (Branch Bank), which has offices in North Carolina, Virginia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, South Carolina, Alabama, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas, Washington D.C and Indiana. In addition, BB&T�� operations consist of a federally chartered thrift institution, BB&T Financial, FSB (BB&T FSB), and a number of nonbank subsidiaries, which offer financial services products. BB&T�� operations are divided into six business segments: Community Banking, Residential Mortgage Banking, Dealer Financial Services, Specialized Lending, Insurance Services, and Financial Services. Branch Bank provides a range of banking and trust services for retail and commercial clients in its geographic markets, including small and mid-size businesses, public agencies, local Governments and individuals, through 1,779 offices as of December 31, 2011. During the year ended December 31, 2011, BB&T announced the acquisitions of Liberty Benefit Insurance Services, Atlantic Risk Management Corporation and the Precept Group. In April 2012, it acquired the life and property and casualty insurance operating divisions of Roseland, New Jersey - based Crump Group Inc. On July 31, 2012, it acquired BankAtlantic.

As of December 31, 2011, the principal operating subsidiaries of BB&T included Branch Banking and Trust Company, Winston-Salem, North Carolina; BB&T Financial, FSB, Columbus, Georgia; Scott & Stringfellow, LLC, Richmond, Virginia; Clearview Correspondent Services, LLC, Richmond, Virginia; Regional Acceptance Corporation, Greenville, North Carolina; American Coastal Insurance Company, Davie, Florida, and Sterling Capital Management, LLC, Charlotte, North Carolina. Branch Bank�� principal operating subsidiaries include BB&T Equipment Finance Corporation, BB&T Investment Services, Inc., BB&T Insurance Services, Inc., Stanley, Hunt, DuPree! & Rhine (a division of Branch Bank), Prime Rate Premium Finance Corporation, Inc., Grandbridge Real Estate Capital, LLC, Lendmark Financial Services, Inc., CRC Insurance Services, Inc. and McGriff, Seibels & Williams, Inc.

Community Banking

BB&T�� Community Banking serves individual and business clients by offering a range of loan and deposit products and other financial services. As of December 31, 2011, Community Banking had a network of 1,779 banking.

Residential Mortgage Banking

Residential Mortgage Banking segment retains and services mortgage loans originated by Community Banking, as well as those purchased from various correspondent originators. Mortgage loan products include fixed and adjustable rate Government and conventional loans for the purpose of constructing, purchasing or refinancing residential properties. Substantially all of the properties are owner occupied. BB&T retains the servicing rights to all loans sold. Residential Mortgage Banking earns interest on loans held in the warehouse and portfolio, fee income from the origination and servicing of mortgage loans and recognizes gains or losses from the sale of mortgage loans. BB&T�� mortgage originations totaled $23.7 billion in 2011. BB&T�� residential mortgage servicing portfolio, which includes both retained loans and loans serviced for third parties, totaled $91.6 billion in 2011.

Dealer Financial Services

Dealer Financial Services originates loans to consumers on a prime and nonprime basis for the purchase of automobiles. Such loans are originated on an indirect basis through approved franchised and independent automobile dealers throughout the BB&T market area and nationally through Regional Acceptance Corporation. This segment also originates loans for the purchase of boats and recreational vehicles originated through dealers in BB&T�� market area. In addition, financing and servicing to dealers for their inventories is provided through a ! joint rel! ationship between Dealer Financial Services and Community Banking.

Specialized Lending

BB&T�� Specialized Lending consists of eight business units that provide specialty finance products to consumers and businesses. The internal business units include Commercial Finance that contains commercial finance and mortgage warehouse lending; and, Governmental Finance that is responsible for tax-exempt Government finance. Operating subsidiaries include BB&T Equipment Finance which provides equipment leasing within BB&T�� banking footprint; Sheffield Financial, a division of FSB Financial, a dealer-based financer of equipment for both small businesses and consumers; Lendmark Financial Services, a direct consumer finance lending company; Prime Rate Premium Finance Corporation, which includes AFCO and CAFO, insurance premium finance business units that provide funding to businesses in the United States and Canada and to consumers in certain markets within BB&T�� banking footprint, and Grandbridge Real Estate Capital, a commercial mortgage banking lender providing loans on a national basis.

Insurance Services

BB&T Insurance Services provides property and casualty, life and health insurance to businesses and individuals. It also provides small business and corporate products, such as workers compensation and professional liability, as well as surety coverage and title insurance. In addition, Insurance Services also underwrites a limited amount of property and casualty coverage.

Financial Services

Financial Services provides personal trust administration, estate planning, investment counseling, wealth management, asset management, employee benefits services, corporate banking and corporate trust services to individuals, corporations, institutions, foundations and Government entities. Financial Services also offers clients investment alternatives, including discount brokerage services, equities, fixed-rate and variable-rate annuiti! es, mutua! l funds and governmental and municipal bonds through BB&T Investment Services, Inc., a subsidiary of Branch Bank. Financial Services includes Scott & Stringfellow, LLC, a brokerage and investment banking firm. Scott & Stringfellow provides services in retail brokerage, equity and debt underwriting, investment advice, corporate finance and equity research and facilitates the origination, trading and distribution of fixed-income securities and equity products in both the public and private capital markets. Scott & Stringfellow also has a public finance department that provides investment banking services, financial advisory services and municipal bond financing. Scott & Stringfellow�� investment banking and corporate and public finance areas conduct business as BB&T Capital Markets. This segment includes BB&T Capital Partners that is a group of BB&T-sponsored private equity and mezzanine investment funds that invest in privately owned middle-market operating companies. Financial Services also includes the Corporate Banking Division that originates and services corporate relationships, syndicated lending relationships and client derivatives.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Elissa]

  BB&T Corporation is a full-range financial company that provides commercial and retail services. Unlike other banks, BB&T is organized by community banks, and each group has a regional president. This enables simple changes that affect clients in a local area.

• [By Michael Brush]

   BB&T (BBT) has a dividend yield of 2.5%

  The regional bank has 1,800 branches in the Southeast and Washington, D.C. Even during the worst of the credit meltdown, BB&T was profitable. The company used its financial clout to attract customers from competitors and purchase the assets of a failed bank in Florida from regulators.

  As the economy improves and loan business grows, Wordell believes the bank could see annual earnings as high as $3.50 a share, from $1.21 recently. Wordell expects the bank to raise dividends as earnings and loan quality improves.

• [By Louis Navellier]

  BB&T (NYSE:BBT) owns the commercial banking subsidiary, Branch Banking and Trust Company, and has posted a gain of 16% since last March. BB&T stock gets an “A” grade for operating margin growth, an “A” grade for earnings growth, a “B” grade for earnings momentum, an “A” grade for the magnitude in which earnings projections have increased over the past months, and a “B” grade for cash flow.