Top Food Companies To Own For 2014

Star Trek tech is here.

It was probably only a matter of time before someone took the parallels between three-dimensional object "printing" by companies such as Stratasys (NASDAQ: SSYS  ) and 3D Systems (NYSE: DDD  ) , and the "food synthesizer" technology of sci-fi icon Star Trek -- and made the connection overt.

As it happens, 3D was first out of the gate, with today's announcement that it will begin customized 3-D printing of Star Trek products and collectibles via its Projet(R)�660Pro 3-D printers.

In this week's news, 3D announced that it has signed a licensing agreement with CBS's (NYSE: CBS  ) consumer-products division, which owns the rights to Star Trek. With this agreement in place, 3D can now to allow Cube owners to use an app on the company's Cubify website to design and build a "full-color, personalized 3-D printed figurine of themselves in a�Star Trek�uniform from the original series by simply uploading two photographs of their face."

Top Food Companies To Own For 2014: Sysco Corporation(SYY)

Sysco Corporation, through its subsidiaries, distributes food and related products primarily to the foodservice or food-away-from-home industry in North America and Europe. The company offers a line of frozen foods, such as meats, fully prepared entrees, fruits, vegetables, and desserts; a line of canned and dry foods; fresh meats, custom-cut fresh steaks, other meat, seafood, and poultry; dairy products; beverage products; imported specialties; and fresh produce. It also supplies various non-food items, including paper products, such as disposable napkins, plates, and cups; tableware, which include china and silverware; cookware comprising pots, pans, and utensils; restaurant and kitchen equipment and supplies; and cleaning supplies. In addition, the company offers personal care guest amenities, equipment, housekeeping supplies, room accessories, and textiles to the lodging industry. It serves restaurants, hospitals and nursing homes, schools and colleges, hotels and mote ls, lodging establishments, and other foodservice customers. Sysco Corporation was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tom Bishop]  

  Sysco Corporation provides food and related products in the United States. SYY recently traded at $27 and has a 3.9% dividend yield. SYY lost 1.8% during the past 12 months. The stock has a market cap of $15.8 billion, P/E ratio of 13.8 and forward P/E ratio of 12.9. The stock has total debt/equity ratio of 0.64 and Beta of 0.69.

Top Food Companies To Own For 2014: Flowers Foods Inc (FLO)

Flowers Foods, Inc. (Flowers Foods), incorporated in October 2000, is a producer and marketer of bakery products in the United States. The Company is the producer and marketer of packaged bakery foods for retail and foodservice customers in the United States. Flowers Foods operates 44 bakeries that produce a range of bakery products, which include breads, buns, rolls, snack cakes, and pastries. These products are sold through a direct-store-delivery network with access to approximately 70% of the United States population in the East, South, and Southwest, as well as in certain markets in California. Select Flowers products are sold nationwide through customers' delivery systems. Among the Company�� top brands are Nature�� Own and Tastykake. The Company has two business segments: direct-store-delivery (DSD segment) and warehouse delivery segment (warehouse segment). In May 2011, the Company acquired Tasty Baking Company. In July 2012, it acquired Lepage Bakeries, Inc.

The DSD segments focuses on the production and marketing of bakery products to United States customers in the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, Northeast and Southwest, as well as select markets in California and Nevada primarily through its DSD system. The warehouse segment produces snack cakes and breads and rolls that are shipped both fresh and frozen to national retail, foodservice, vending, and co-pack customers through their warehouse channels. The Company�� brands include Whitewheat, Cobblestone Mill, Blue Bird, ButterKrust, Dandee, Mary Jane, and Mary Jane and Friends. During the year ended December 31, 2011, it introduced the new products under this brand, including Nature�� Own Whitewheat Sandwich Rounds; Nature�� Own Whole Grain Sandwich Rolls and Hot Dog Rolls; Nature�� Own Cinnamon Raisin Thin Sliced Bagels; Nature�� Own Soft Oatmeal Specialty Bread; Nature�� Own 100% Whole Grain Specialty Bread, and Nature�� Own Honey Wheat Berry Specialty Bread. In addition to Nature�� Own, its DSD segment also marke! ts: a range of specialty breads and rolls under the Company-owned Cobblestone Mill brand; white breads and buns under regional company owned and franchised brands, such as Sunbeam, Bunny, Aunt Hattie��, Holsum, and ButterKrust; Tastykake and Blue Bird branded snack cakes and pastries; flour, white, and corn tortillas under the Mi Casa and Frestillas brands, and fresh packaged bakery products under store brands for retailers.

The Company�� warehouse segment markets a range of specialty breads and rolls under the European Bakers brand, breads, buns, and rolls for specific foodservice customers, and tortillas and tortilla chips under Leo�� Foods and Juarez. This segment�� snack cakes are sold under the Mrs. Freshley��, Broad Street Bakery, and store brands. Its warehouse segment products are distributed nationally through retail, foodservice and vending customer warehouses.

The Company competes with Grupo Bimbo S.A. de C.V./Bimbo Bakeries, Hostess Brands, Inc., Sara Lee Corporation, Campbell Soup Company, McKee Foods Corporation, Cloverhill Bakery, Hostess Brands, Inc., Alpha Baking Co., Inc., Rotella�� Italian Bakery, United States Bakery, Turano Baking Company and All Round Foods, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Portfolio Grader]

  This week, Flowers Foods’ (NYSE:FLO) ratings are up from a B last week to an A. Flowers Foods produces and markets packaged bakery foods for retail and foodservice customers. Wall Street has pushed the stock higher by 6.1% over the past month. 

Best Up And Coming Stocks To Buy For 2014: 1-800 FLOWERS.COM Inc.(FLWS)

1-800-Flowers.com, Inc. together with its subsidiaries, operates as a florist and gift retailer in the United States. The company offers a range of products, including fresh-cut flowers, floral arrangements and plants, gifts, popcorn, gourmet foods and gift baskets, cookies, chocolates, candy, and wine through its telephonic and online sales channels, company-owned and operated retail floral stores, and franchised stores. It provides gourmet gifts, such as popcorn and specialty treats through thepopcornfactory.com; cookies and baked gifts through cheryls.com; chocolates and confections through fanniemay.com and harrylondon.com; gift baskets and towers through 1800baskets.com; Celebrations brand party ideas and planning tips through celebrations.com; and customizable invitations, announcements, and greeting cards through finestationery.com. As of July 3, 2011, the company operated 2 floral retail stores, 1 fulfillment center, and approximately 100 franchised stores located within the United States. It has strategic online relationships with Facebook, Google, AOL, Yahoo!, and Microsoft. The company was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Carle Place, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Curtis Hesler]

  1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. is a florist and gift shop. The company offers a range of products, including fresh-cut flowers, floral arrangements and plants, gifts, popcorn, gourmet foods and gift baskets, cookies, chocolates, candy and wine. Its EPS forecast for the current year is 0.05 and next year is 0.12. According to consensus estimates, its topline is expected to decline 1.91% current year and grow 4.91% next year. It is trading at a forward P/E of 26 Out of four analysts covering the company, one is positive and has a buy recommendation and three have hold ratings.

Top Food Companies To Own For 2014: Terra Nitrogen Company L.P.(TNH)

Terra Nitrogen Company, L.P. engages in the production and sale of nitrogen fertilizer products for agricultural and industrial applications. The company primarily offers anhydrous ammonia and urea ammonium nitrate solutions. Its customers for fertilizer products include dealers, national farm retail chains, and distributors. Terra Nitrogen GP Inc. serves as the general partner of the company. Terra Nitrogen Company, L.P. was founded in 1991 and is based in Deerfield, Illinois. Terra Nitrogen Company, LP. operates as a subsidiary of Terra Industries Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Smith]

  Terra Nitrogen is a master-limited partnership (MLP) and a leading U.S. producer of nitrogen fertilizer. The company has annual capacity to produce 1.9 million tons of nitrogen fertilizer and 1.1 million tons of ammonia, a key fertilizer ingredient. In the past year alone, prices for Terra Nitrogen's fertilizers have increased 47%, and sales have dramatically improved. In the first six months of 2011, Terra Nitrogen's sales rose 38% year-over-year to $394.6 million, while earnings climbed a whopping 148% to $249.8 million.
  
  Earnings growth has accelerated recently, but Terra Nitrogen has been a stellar long-term performer as well. My colleague Carla Pasternak, editor of High-Yield Investing, recently highlighted Terra Nitrogen as the best-performing high-yield stock of the past decade. The reason is clear: the stock has soared more than 6,000% in 10 years. A $1,000 investment in Terra Nitrogen 10 years ago, for instance, would be worth nearly $65,000 today. 
  
  As an MLP, Terra Nitrogen is required to distribute the majority of its earnings to unit holders. The company declared a cash distribution of $3.75 per unit in this year's second quarter. On a forward basis, this works out to an annual distribution payment of $15 per unit and a generous yield of 8%.
  The company is financially sound, with zero debt and a 147% return on equity (ROE). In addition, profit margins have been exceptional, exceeding 52%, mainly because Terra Nitrogen's raw material costs are falling. The main ingredient for producing nitrogen fertilizer, natural gas, has plummeted from $14 per million BTU three years ago to roughly $4 per million BTU today. Insiders also clearly like the company's prospects; they hold 51% of the company's shares.

Top Food Companies To Own For 2014: CVR Partners LP(UAN)

CVR Partners, LP engages in the production of nitrogen fertilizers including ammonia and urea ammonium nitrate. The company was incorporated in 2007 and is based in Sugar Land, Texas. CVR Partners, LP operates as a subsidiary of CVR Energy, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Smith]

  CVR Partners is a new MLP that went public in April 2011 when CVR Energy spun off the fertilizer side of its business. The company is the only fertilizer producer in North America that uses petroleum coke (a byproduct of crude-oil refining) to make nitrogen-based fertilizer. CVR Partners secures its petcoke supplies from a nearby CVR Energy refinery. This reliable feedstock supply gives CVR Partners a nice low-cost advantage, since petcoke is much cheaper than natural gas. 
  
  CVR Partners produced 350,000 tons of urea and ammonium nitrate (UAN) fertilizer during the first six months of 2011 and already has plans to expand output. The company benefits from increased UAN prices, which are 46% higher this year than last year. As a result, CVR Partners' revenue rose 46% year-over-year in the first six months of 2011 to $138 million. Earnings rose 111% in the same period to $54.9 million. The company is also financially strong, with cash of $280 million and only $125 million of debt
  
  CVR Partners paid a cash distribution of $0.41 per unit in the June quarter of 2011, which covered the period from the April 13 initial public offering (IPO) closing through the end of June. More importantly, the company reaffirmed guidance for distributions totaling $1.92 for the 12 months ending March 2012. Based on the promised $1.92 distribution, the stock yields 7.4%. With just two quarters of reported earnings, the company doesn't have a measurable price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio yet, but CVR Partner shares have gained 50% since its debut at $18 per share on the New York Stock Exchange.

Top Food Companies To Own For 2014: Mondelez International Inc (MDLZ.O)

Mondelez International, Inc. (Mondelez International), formerly Kraft Foods Inc., incorporated on December 7, 2000, is a maker of chocolate, biscuits, gum, candy, coffee and powdered beverages. The Company consists of the global snacking and food brands. Mondelez International's portfolio includes several brands, such as Cadbury and Milka chocolate, Jacobs coffee, LU, Nabisco and Oreo biscuits, Tang powdered beverages and Trident gums. The Company�� products include chocolates, cookies, gums, beverages and crackers. Alpen Gold is a chocolate brand in Russia. Alpen Gold is available in chocolate bars, boxed chocolates and creamy, mouth-watering pralines. Its markets include Poland, Russia and Ukraine. Bubbaloo is a gum brand sold in more than 25 countries and three different continents, including India, Mexico, Portugal and Spain. Belvita are breakfast biscuits made with wholegrain, cereals and fiber. It is sold in Belgium, France, Netherlands, United Kingdom and the U nited States.

The Cadbury Creme Egg brand is available annually from New Year�� Day to Easter Day. It is sold in Australia, Canada, New Zealand the United Kingdom and the United States. Carte Noire is the coffee brand in France. It is sold in France, Ireland, Russia, Ukraine and the United Kingdom. Chips Ahoy! cookies are chocolate chip cookies packed with chocolate chips. It is sold in Brazil, Canada, China, Ecuador, Mexico, Philippines, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Spain, the United States and Venezuela. Club Social is a cracker in Brazil and Latin America. The newest addition to the Club Social family is Club Social chips in Argentina, available in original, parmesano, and cream and onion flavors. Cote d'Or is a chocolate brand sold in Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Middle East, Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Cadbury Dairy Milk is a milk chocolate bar sold in 33 countries, including Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, and available in more ! t! han 23 varieties, like fruit and nut, WholeNut, Snack, Caramello and Breakaway. Dentyne is a gum to aid in oral hygiene sold in Canada and the United States.

Cadbury Flake is chocolate bars sold in Australia, Egypt, Ireland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Gevalia brand offers more than 50 varieties of coffee and 20 choices of tea, and sold in the United States, Denmark, Finland, Sweden and the United States. Grand Mere coffee brand is sold at France. Green & Black�� is a chocolate brand and also includes gift chocolates, ice cream, biscuits and hot beverages. Halls is sold as a cold relief product. Halls is used as a refreshing candy. Halls products are available in more than 26 flavors.

Hollywood gum is a chewing gum in France. Jacobs coffee is sold throughout Europe and the Middle East, and in Austria, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Ukraine. Jacobs is available in roast and ground, whole beans, soluble crystals, coffee pods and flavored mixes. Kenco coffee is a coffee brand sold in Ireland and the United Kingdom. Lacta is a chocolate in Brazil. It also includes Bis chocolate wafers, Sonho de Valsa pralines and Lacta white chocolate.

LU biscuits are available in 100 countries. Other international brands under the LU name include Petit Dejuener, Mikado, Pepito (Mini Stars), Cracotte, Ourson and Tuc. Milka is a European chocolate. Marabou is a chocolate brand in Sweden. Nabisco�� brands include cookies and crackers. Nabisco 100 Calorie Packs includes 12 varieties, such as Chips Ahoy! Thin Crisps, Oreo Thin Crisps, Lorna Doone Shortbread Cookie Crisps, Ritz Snack Mix, Planters Peanut Butter Cookie Crisps, Kraft Cheese Nips Thin Crisps, Wheat Thins Multigrain Chips, Ritz Chips, Honey Maid Cinnamon Thin Crisps, Mini Teddy Grahams Cinnamon Cubs, Alpha-Bits Mini Cookies and Barnum�� Animals Choco Crackers.

Nutter Butter are sandwich cookies sold in the United States. Nill a wafers include original, reduced-fat and mini wafers. ! Newt! ons! are w! holesome snack made with real fruit. It also offers Newtons Fruit Thins and Fruit Crisps. The Natural Confectionery Company is a candy product. Onko offers coffee mixes in cappuccino flavors.

Oreo is a milk favorite cookie. Oreo is available in many flavors and varieties, such as chocolate covered, wafers, pie crusts and soft snack cakes. Premium saltine crackers come in six varieties, including unsalted tops, original, fat-free, low-sodium, soup and oyster and multi-grain. Prince biscuits are available in more than eight countries, including Algeria, Austria, Belgium, China, France, Germany, Netherlands and Spain. Prince biscuits come in creme-filled sandwiches, rolls and chocolate-covered varieties.

Stimorol is a chewing gum brand in Northern Europe, as well as 40 other markets from Greenland to Fiji. Simmenthal is a canned meat in jelly. Simmenthal�� products include beef in jelly with chili and chicken in jelly with curry. Tang is available in more than 30 countries and is a powdered beverage. Tassimo is a hot beverage system, which helps in making coffee, tea, hot chocolate, cappuccino, espresso and lattes. Toblerone is a Swiss chocolate bar made with honey and almond nougat. Trakinas is a creme-filled sandwich cookie.

Trident is a chewing gum brand in the world. Triscuit varieties include original, reduced fat, cheddar, cracked pepper and olive oil, fire roasted tomato and olive oil, garden herb, deli-style rye, roasted garlic, thin crisps, and rosemary and olive oil. Wheat Thins are wheat crackers in a variety of flavors, including sundried tomato and basil, multigrain and parmesan basil.