Hot Prefered Companies To Watch For 2014

Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, life and health reinsurer Reinsurance Group of America (NYSE: RGA  ) has earned a coveted five-star ranking.

With that in mind, let's take a closer look at RGA's business and see what CAPS investors are saying about the stock right now.

RGA facts

Headquarters (Founded)

Chesterfield, Mo. (1973)

Market Cap

$4.7 billion

Industry

Reinsurance

Trailing-12-Month Revenue

$10.1 billion

Best Communications Equipment Companies For 2015: Embarr Downs Inc (EMBR)

Embarr Downs, Inc. is a development-stage company. The Company's business is the buying, selling and racing of thoroughbreds that can race in the allowance and stakes levels of thoroughbred racing. The Company intends to acquire 4-6 horses in its claiming division before acquiring horses for its allowance/stakes division. These 4-6 horses will provide the Company with revenue and a foundation to build out a stakes level stable. The Company�� main focus will be acquiring horses that will be capable of racing in stake races throughout the Country. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap stocks IDGlobal Corp (OTCMKTS: IDGC), Embarr Downs Inc (OTCMKTS: EMBR) and SourcingLink.net, Inc (OTCMKTS: SNET) have been getting some extra attention in various investment newsletters or investor alerts lately as at least two of these stocks have been the subject of paid promotions or other types of investor relations activities. Of course, there is nothing wrong with properly disclosed promotions or investor relations activities. But just how hot are these two small cap stocks? Here is a closer look and a quick reality check:

Hot Prefered Companies To Watch For 2014: Ashley(l)

Laura Ashley Holdings plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, manufacture, sourcing, distribution, sale, and licensing of clothing, accessories, and home furnishings in the United Kingdom and internationally. It offers various furniture products, including beds, upholstered furniture, mirrors, and cabinet furniture; home accessories, such as lighting products, gifts, bed linen, rugs, throws, cushions, and children?s accessories; and decorative products comprising curtains, blinds, fabrics, paints, decorative accessories, and wall coverings. The company also offers fashion products, such as clothing that include dresses, knitwear, tops, blouses, skirts, trousers, leggings, coats, jackets, swimwear, and shoes, as well as accessories comprising bags, purses, jewellery, and scarves. In addition, it provides design services for homes; and licenses various products, such as stationery, wooden flooring, blinds, interior window shutters, carpets, nursery produ cts, fireplaces, garden products, eyewear, tiles, promotional gifting, toiletries, shoes, and Fairtrade clothing. The company sells its products through retail stores, online, and mail order. As of January 29, 2011, it operated 217 stores, including 138 mixed product stores, 55 home stores, 22 home concession stores, 1 gifts and accessories store, and 1 clearance outlet in the United Kingdom; and 240 franchised stores in 29 countries. The company is based in London, the United Kingdom.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Looking for the next Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-B)? You could do worse than Loew’s Corp. (L), Deutsche Bank says.

  Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

  Both companies own insurance companies. And both use the cash spun off by those operations to invest elsewhere. Deutsche Bank dubs them “investor insurers,” and right now Loew’s looks cheap, the German investment bank’s analysts argue in a report starting Loew’s as a buy.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Big Earnings Movers: Petroleo Brasileiro SA (NYSE: PBR) is up 9.1% at $17.35 after reporting earnings and getting a ratings boost. Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE: MRK) is down 2.5% at $45.39 as the company struggles to boost revenues. Burger King Worldwide Inc. (NYSE: BKW) is up 5.8% at $20.91 as franchise revenues rose much faster than costs. Loews Corp. (NYSE: L) is down 0.2% at $48.70.

Hot Prefered Companies To Watch For 2014: Universal Forest Products Inc (UFPI)

Universal Forest Products, Inc., incorporated on February 9, 1955, is a holding company that provides capital, management and administrative resources to c and market wood and wood-alternative products for retail building home centers and other retailers, structural lumber and other products for the manufactured housing industry, engineered wood components for the residential construction market, and specialty wood packaging and components and packing materials for various industries. Its operating segments consist of the Eastern, Western, Site-Built, Consumer Products and Distribution divisions. The Company�� subsidiaries also provide framing services for the residential market and forming products for concrete construction. The Company's consumer products operations offer a portfolio of outdoor living products, including wood composite decking, decorative balusters, post caps and plastic lattice. Its lawn and garden group offers an array of products, such as trellises and arches, to retailers nationwide. In January 2013, the Company�� subsidiary acquired Custom Caseworks, Inc.

In Retail Building Materials Market the Company offers composite wood and plastic products. The Company also sells engineered wood products to this market, which include roof trusses, wall panels and engineered floor systems. In Residential and Commercial Construction Markets, the Company supplies builders engaged in multi-family and commercial construction. It supplies wood forms and related products to set or form concrete for various structures, including garages, stadiums and bridges. The Company also provides framing services. In Manufactured Housing Market the Company distributes certain products, such as siding, electrical and plumbing to manufactured housing and RV customers. The Company define its industrial market as industrial manufacturers and agricultural customers who use pallets, specialty crates and wooden boxes for packaging, shipping and material handling purposes.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Marc Bastow]

  Universal Forest Products (UFPI), which provides capital and resources to the wood product industry, raised its semiannual dividend 5% to 21 cents per share, payable Dec. 15 to shareholders of record as of Dec. 1.
  UFPI Dividend Yield: 0.89%

Hot Prefered Companies To Watch For 2014: Flexsteel Industries Inc.(FLXS)

Flexsteel Industries, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture, import, and market of residential and commercial upholstered and wooden furniture products in the United States. Its upholstered and wooden furniture products include sofas, loveseats, chairs, reclining and rocker-reclining chairs, swivel rockers, sofa beds, convertible bedding units, occasional tables, desks, dining tables and chairs, and bedroom furniture. The company distributes its products for use in home, office, hotel, and other commercial applications through its sales force and various independent representatives, as well as to various national and regional chains. Flexsteel Industries, Inc. was founded in 1929 and is based in Dubuque, Iowa.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dividends4Life]

  Memberships and Peers: LEG is a member of the S&P 500, a Dividend Aristocrat, a member of the Broad Dividend Achievers��Index and a Dividend Champion. The company's peer group includes: Hooker Furniture Corp. (HOFT) with a 2.4% yield, Flexsteel Industries Inc. (FLXS) with a 2.7% yield and Ethan Allen Interiors Inc. (ETH) with a 1.4% yield.

• [By Dividends4Life]

  Memberships and Peers: LEG is a member of the S&P 500, a Dividend Aristocrat, a member of the Broad Dividend Achievers��Index and a Dividend Champion. The company's peer group includes: Hooker Furniture Corp. (HOFT) with a 2.7% yield, Flexsteel Industries Inc. (FLXS) with a 1.8% yield and Ethan Allen Interiors Inc. (ETH) with a 1.6% yield.

• [By Peter Graham]

  The Q4 2014 earnings report for La-Z-Boy Incorporated (NYSE: LZB), a potential peer of other furniture stocks like Hooker Furniture Corporation (NASDAQ: HOFT) and Flexsteel Industries, Inc (NASDAQ: FLXS), is due out after the market closes on Tuesday. Aside from the La-Z-Boy Incorporated earnings report, it should be said that Hooker Furniture Corporation reported Q1 2015 on June 5th (they reported a double-digit income rise on higher sales in first quarter) and Flexsteel Industries, Inc reported Q3 2014 earnings on April 16th (they record net sales and net income). However and the last time around, investors did not like it when La-Z-Boy Incorporated reported quarterly profit of 32 cents a share that missed forecasts calling for a profit of 35 cents a share and they really did not like revenue�missing expectations by 7.7%. The company is also doing some restructuring.

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Calling all cash flows
  When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Flexsteel Industries (Nasdaq: FLXS  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.