5 Best Bank Stocks To Buy For 2014

Stocks treaded water most of the day before dipping late in the session on remarks from the Fed about cutting its stimulus program. The�Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) finished down 42 points, or 0.3%.

San Francisco Federal Reserve President John Williams said the central bank could begin to cut its bond purchases if the economy continues to improve. The comments turned off investors, as the Fed's $85-billion monthly bond-buying program is seen as a central component to the market rally and the economic recovery. Other remarks from the Fed last Friday also indicated that it was preparing to scale back the stimulus, but a time frame has not been set.

Earlier in the day, investors managed to shake off some concerning economic reports. First, after two straight weeks at five-year lows, the initial unemployment claims tally jumped from 328,000 last week all the way up to 360,000. Analysts had expected just 330,000. Data from just one week is sometimes dismissed as an aberration, as the statistic is volatile, but the numbers could reveal a slowdown in the labor market. Elsewhere, housing starts plunged to 853,000 in April, from 1,021,000 in March, badly missing estimates of 970,000. However, building permits, a leading indicator for housing starts, came in significantly higher than estimated. The Philadelphia Fed also reported a contraction in manufacturing activity in the mid-Atlantic region when an expansion was expected, and the consumer price index showed a greater decline than expected, at -0.4%.

Best Forestry Companies For 2015: KS Bancorp Inc (KSBI)

KS Bancorp, Inc. serves as the holding company for KS Bank, Inc. (the Bank). The Bank is a community financial institution, which is locally owned and operated. The Bank offers a range of traditional deposit and loan products for consumers and businesses. The Bank offers a range of loans that include Personal Loans, Fixed Rate and Adjustable Rate Home Mortgage Loans, Consumer Loans, Reverse Mortgages, Home Construction Loans, Auto Loans, Boat Loans and Education Loans.

The Bank focuses on attracting retail deposits and using such deposits to make mortgage loans, construction loans, business loans, consumer loans and equity line loans. KS Bank conducts its operations through eight full service retail offices located in Johnston, Wake, Wilson, and Wayne counties in North Carolina.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  Today, KSBI remains (0.00%) +0.000 at $7.50 thus far (ref. google finance 9:49AM EDT July 23, 2013).

  KS Bancorp, Inc. previously reported unaudited net income available to common shareholders of $200,000, or $.15 per diluted share, for the three months ended June 30, 2013, compared to a net income available to common shareholders of $86,000, or $.07 per diluted share, for the three months ended June 30, 2012. For the six months ended June 30, 2013, the Company reported net income available to common shareholders of $325,000, or $.25 per diluted share, compared to $314,000, or $.24 per diluted share, for the six months ended June 30, 2012

5 Best Bank Stocks To Buy For 2014: Housing Development Finance Corporation Ltd (HDFC)

Housing Development Finance Corporation Limited is financing by way of loans for the purchase or construction of residential houses, commercial real estate and certain other purposes in India. The Company has a network of approximately 330 offices (which includes 83 offices of its wholly owned distribution company HDFC Sales Private Limited) catering to over 2,400 towns & cities spread across the country. It also has offices in Dubai, London and Singapore and service associates in the Middle East region, to provide housing loans and property advisory services to Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs). Its product range includes loans for purchase and construction of a residential unit, purchase of plot, home improvement loans, home extension loans, non-residential premises loans for professionals and loan against property, while its flexible repayment options include Step Up Repayment Facility (SURF) and Flexible Loan Installment Plan (FLIP). Advisors' Opinion:

• [By MONEYMORNING.COM]

  Vanguard favors India with investments in Infosys Ltd. (NSE: INFY), Reliance Industries Ltd. (NSE: RELIANCE), and Housing Development Finance Corp. Ltd. (NSE: HDFC) ranking among its top 20.

5 Best Bank Stocks To Buy For 2014: Banco Macro SA (BMA)

Banco Macro S.A. (the Bank), incorporated on November 21, 1966, is a bank in Argentina. The Bank provides standard banking products and services to a nationwide customer base. The Bank has two categories of customers: retail customers, which include individuals and very small companies, and corporate customers, which include small, medium and large companies and major corporations. In addition, it provides services to four provincial governments. The Bank offers a range of standard products, which are available to both its retail and corporate customers. Retail customers are individuals, entrepreneurs and very small companies (companies with less than Pesos one million in sales per year). It provides services to them throughout Argentina, in particular outside of the City of Buenos Aires, which has higher concentrations of low- and middle-income individuals who are traditionally underserved by large private banks. The Bank serves its retail customers through its nationwide branch network. Approximately 94% of the Bank�� branches are located outside of the City of Buenos Aires.

The Bank offers its retail customers traditional banking products and services, such as savings and checking accounts, time deposits, credit and debit cards, consumer finance loans (including personal loans), mortgage loans, car loans, overdrafts, credit-related services, home and car insurance coverage, tax collection, utility payments, automated teller machines (ATMs) and money transfers. The Bank offers personal loans, document discounts, (housing) mortgages, overdrafts, pledged loans and credit card loans to its retail customers.

The Bank provides its corporate customers with traditional banking products and services, such as deposits, lending (including overdraft facilities), check cashing advances and factoring, guaranteed loans and credit lines for financing foreign trade and cash management services. It also provides them trust, payroll and financial agency services, corporate credit cards a! nd other specialty products. The corporate business is focused on the classification by sizes and sectors. The Bank has four categories for its corporate customers: small companies, which register up to Pesos 52 million in sales per year; medium companies, which register more than Pesos 52 million and less than Pesos 150 million in sales per year; major companies, which register more than Pesos 150 million in sales per year, and agro companies, which operate in agriculture or in the commerce of its products (approximately 97% of its corporate customers are small businesses).

The Bank�� lending activities to the corporate sector (defined here as firms with loans outstanding in excess of Pesos 20,000) totaled Pesos 4,985 million. Most of its lending activity consists of working capital loans to small and medium-sized businesses. The Bank offers short-term and medium- to long-term corporate lending products. Short-term products include credit lines for up to 180 days and consist mainly of overdraft facilities, corporate credit and debit cards and factoring, as well as foreign trade related financing, such as pre-export, post-shipment and import financing. Medium-to long-term products include credit lines and specific lending facilities of more than 180 days.

The Bank offers transaction services to its corporate customers, such as cash management, customer collections, payments to suppliers, payroll administration, foreign exchange transactions, foreign trade services, corporate credit cards and information services, such as its Datanet and Interpymes services. The Bank�� payments to suppliers��services enable its customers to meet their payment obligations to their suppliers on a timely basis through a system. This service also provides payment liquidations, tax payment receipts, invoices and any other documents required by the payer.

The Bank�� collection services include cash or check deposits at its 408 branches, automatic and direct debits from checking ! or saving! s accounts and the transportation of funds collected from corporate customers to its branches for deposit. The Bank provides its corporate clients with access to the Datanet service, which is an electronic banking network linking member banks in Argentina. These services permit its clients to obtain reliable online information on a real-time basis from their bank accounts in Datanet, as well as perform certain transactions. The Bank also provides tax collection and financial agency services to four provinces.

The Bank competes with Santander Rio, Banco de Galicia y Buenos Aires S.A., BBVA Banco Frances S.A., HSBC Argentina S.A. and Banco Patagonia S.A.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Federico Zaldua]

  Despite growing expenses, in local currency terms, the bank's net income improved 16% year-over-year (yoy) while Non-Performing-Loans (NPL) have been kept below 4%. Hence, through Galicia, you can invest in an operationally healthy bank that shall behave in line with government bonds. Trading at 3 times P/E and 75% book value I think Galicia is good bet within the space.
  
  High Exposure to Public Debt
  
  Banco Macro (BMA) has been one of the highest growing banks during the last two decades. One interesting thing about Banco Macro is that the bank owns approximately $400 million of government related securities when the bank's total market capitalization is now just above $1 billion. On the other hand, Banco Macro is growing earnings aggressively at a 39% year over year rate in local currency terms with a very low (and stable) 1.6% NPL rate. Banco Macro is slightly more expensive than Galicia trading at 80% its book value and 3.2 times P/E.

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Marco Bank (BMA) offers a range of traditional banking products and services to corporates, SME's and individuals in Argentina. This stock closed up 5.6% at $20.93 in Monday's trading session.

  Monday's Volume: 404,000
  
  Three-Month Average Volume: 78,386
  
  Volume % Change: 504%

  From a technical perspective, BMA jumped sharply higher here right above some near-term support at $19 with strong upside volume. This stock has been uptrending strong for the last two months and change, with shares moving higher from its low of $13.63 to its recent high of $21.73. During that move, shares of BMA have been making mostly higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of BMA within range of triggering a big breakout trade. That trade will hit if BMA manages to take out its 52-week high at $21.73 with high volume.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in BMA as long as it's trending above some key near-term support levels at $19 to $18.29 and then once it sustains a move or close above its 52-week high at $21.73 with volume that's near or above 78,386 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then BMA will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $25 to $27.

5 Best Bank Stocks 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 Monica Gerson]

  BB&T (NYSE: BBT) is estimated to report its Q1 earnings at $0.70 per share on revenue of $2.31 billion.

  Posted-In: Earnings scheduleEarnings News Pre-Market Outlook Markets

• [By Amanda Alix]

  The best, and the worst
  For the fourth year in a row, BB&T (NYSE: BBT  ) has taken the top spot for the highest consumer approval rating among mortgage servicers -- scoring 765 out of a possible 1,000 points -- though it did register a drop from last year's grade of 803. At the very bottom of the pile, servicers Ocwen and Nationstar still reside: Ocwen improved by 36 points, though Nationstar lost 11 points.