Top 5 Quality Stocks To Own Right Now

High-quality technology stocks are often associated with Silicon Valley, but stellar tech plays can be found in most emerging market countries as well.

In a year when the emerging markets went from hot to not in the blink of an eye thanks to improved growth in the developed world, emerging market tech stocks defied the trend and broadly outperformed in 2013.

Growing labor costs in much of the developing world have contributed to the rise of the emerging market technology sector. Just as manufacturers in the US turned to automation to control labor costs back in the 1990s and 2000s, the same trend is emerging in China and many other developing markets.

Myriad technologies ranging from computer programming, hardware development and even web-based controls are required to support that shift, giving rise to new tech companies the world over.

While the rise of the Internet hasn’t been nearly as disruptive to the young economies of the East as it was to the old economies of the West, it has also spurred a wave of innovation.

Hot Defensive Companies To Invest In 2016: Ishares Trust Russell (IWD)

iShares Russell 1000 Value Index Fund (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the large-capitalization value sector of the United States equity market, as represented by the Russell 1000 Value Index (the Index). The Index is a subset of the Russell 1000 Index. The Index is a capitalization-weighted index and consists of those companies or portion of a company, with lower price-to-book ratios and lower forecasted growth within the Russell 1000 Index. The Index represents approximately 51% of the total market capitalization of the Russell 1000 Index.

The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to Index. iShares Russell 1000 Value Index Fund's investment advisor is Barclays Global Fund Advisors.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James Brumley]

  It’s been especially untrue the last few years. Since this point in the year back in 2003, the iShares Russell 1000 Growth Fund (IWF) has advanced 81%, while the iShares Russell 1000 Value Fund (IWD) has only advanced 67%.

Top 5 Quality Stocks To Own Right Now: Direxion Daily FTSE China Bear 3X Shares ETF (YANG)

Direxion Daily China Bear 3x Shares (the Fund) seeks daily investment results of 300% of the inverse (or opposite) of the price performance of the BNY China Select ADR Index (the China Index). The China Index is a free float-adjusted capitalization-weighted index designed by the Bank of New York to track the performance of a basket of companies who have their primary equity listing on a stock exchange in China and which also have depositary receipts that trade on a United States exchange or on the National Association of Securities and Dealers Automated Quotation. Under normal circumstances, it focuses on creating short positions, by investing at least 80% of its net assets in the equity securities that comprise its underlying index and/or futures contracts; options on securities, indices and futures contracts; equity caps, collars and floors; forward contracts; repurchase agreements, and reverse repurchase agreements. The Fund�� investment adviser is Rafferty Asset Management LLC. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By pamatlarge]

  Three short ETFs are designed to profit from China�� economic downward slide. The ProShares Short FTSE China 25 (YXI), an unleveraged ETF, holds shares in iShares FTSE China Large-Cap (FXI) swaps. Investors looking to magnify their returns can choose from two leveraged short ETFs: ProShares Ultra Short FTSE China 25 (FXP) and Direxion Daily China Bear 3x Shares (YANG). Both ProShares Ultra Short and Direxion Daily hold shares that increase in value three times faster than an unleveraged ETF. The downside is that the per share price of these leveraged ETFs also drops three times faster.

Top 5 Quality Stocks To Own Right Now: Black Hills Corporation (BKH)

Black Hills Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a diversified energy company in the United States. The company’s Electric Utilities segment generates, transmits, and distributes electricity to approximately 202,000 electric customers in South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, and Montana; and distributes natural gas to approximately 35,000 gas utility customers in Cheyenne, Wyoming. It owns 859 Megawatts of generation capacity and 8,530 miles of electric transmission and distribution lines. The company’s Gas Utilities segment distributes natural gas to approximately 532,000 natural gas utility customers in Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, and Kansas. It owns 624 miles of intrastate gas transmission pipelines and 19,979 miles of gas distribution mains and service lines. The company’s Oil and Gas segment is involved in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of crude oil and natural gas primarily in the Rocky Mountain region. This s egment’s principal assets include the operating interests in the properties in the San Juan basin, the Powder River basin, and the Piceance basin; and non-operated interests in wells located in the Williston, Wind River, Bear Paw Uplift, Arkoma, Anadarko, and Sacramento basins. As of December 31, 2012, it had total reserves of approximately 81 billion cubic feet equivalent of natural gas and crude oil. The company’s Power Generation segment produces electric power and sells the electric capacity and energy primarily to other utilities under long-term contracts. Its Coal Mining segment produces coal at its coal mine located near Gillette, Wyoming. The company also provides appliance repair services to approximately 62,000 residential customers; and constructs gas infrastructure facilities for gas transportation customers. Black Hills Corporation was founded in 1941 and is headquartered in Rapid City, South Dakota.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Marc Bastow]

  Diversified energy company Black Hills (BKH) raised its quarterly dividend 2.6% to 39 cents per share, payable on Mar. 1 to shareholders of record as of Feb. 14. This is the 44th consecutive annual dividend increase, proving why utilities make such consistent dividend stocks.
  BKH Dividend Yield: 2.84%

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Monday

  Earnings Releases Expected: Black Hills Corporation (NYSE: BKH), CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ: CME), Leapfrog Enterprises (NYSE: LF), Hill International, Inc. (NYSE: HIL) Economic Releases Expected: eurozone manufacturing PMI, British construction PMI, US factory orders, Chinese services PMI, Indian services PMI

  Tuesday

Top 5 Quality Stocks To Own Right Now: Wasgau Produktions & Handels AG (MSH)

Wasgau Produktions & Handels AG is a Germany-based retailer and producer of food articles. The Company divides its business activities into the two main segments Wholesale and Retail. The Wholesale�� businesses include seven Cash and Carry markets for restaurateurs and wholesale customers, as well as commercial businesses of the holding company WASGAU Produktions & Handels AG, which are supported by its subsidiary WASGAU Dienstleistungs & Logistik GmbH, active within warehouse management and transportation. The Operations within the Retail segment are mainly carried out through Company�� subsidiaries WASGAU Metzgerei GmbH and WASGAU Baeckerei & Konditorei GmbH, which produce and supply its stores with a variety of meats and bakery products, respectively. As of December 31, 2011, the Company operated through 24 affiliated companies and subsidiaries located in Germany. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Benjamin Pimentel]

  The Nasdaq Composite Index (COMP) �shed 0.2% to 3,811, while the Morgan Stanley High Tech 35 Index (MSH) �and the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) �were each off a fraction.

• [By Dan Gallagher]

  The Nasdaq Composite (COMP) � rose 0.9% to 3,807 while the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) � rose by 0.8% and the Morgan Stanley High-Tech Index (MSH) �rose by 0.9%.