Best Blue Chip Companies To Buy For 2014

With no compelling reason to be pessimistic today, Wall Street started the week off strong Monday, bidding stocks higher as Europe took further steps to stop the bleeding in Greece. Data today also show an abrupt jump in consumer borrowing, with Americans taking nearly $20 billion worth of debt in May, up sharply from the $10.9 billion more citizens borrowed in April. When all was said and done, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) tacked on 89 points, or 0.6%, to end at 15,225.�

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH  ) led all blue chips higher Monday, adding 2.1%, as the health insurer enjoyed the benefits of a favorable article in Barron's, making the case for a 40% run-up in the stock over the next several years. The staggered rollout of Obamacare is cited as the major catalyst for the stock's potential in the bullish piece, which Wall Street clearly paid attention to. Shares even hit a 52-week high during trading today.

Big-box retailer Wal-Mart Stores (NYSE: WMT  ) also outperformed, jumping 2% Monday. It's easy to see how Wally World could benefit from today's intel on consumer credit; in a consumer-driven economy, a rapid increase in personal debt is one surefire way to increase spending, and the ubiquitous retailer is no stranger to that concept. The third-largest company in the Dow has recently gotten creative in terms of how to ramp up in-store purchases, and it now even offers its own credit card and banking solutions.�

Hot Small Cap Companies To Own For 2015: Visa Inc.(V)

Visa Inc., a payments technology company, engages in the operation of retail electronic payments network worldwide. It facilitates commerce through the transfer of value and information among financial institutions, merchants, consumers, businesses, and government entities. The company owns and operates VisaNet, a global processing platform that provides transaction processing services. It also offers a range of payments platforms, which enable credit, charge, deferred debit, debit, and prepaid payments, as well as cash access for consumers, businesses, and government entities. The company provides its payment platforms under the Visa, Visa Electron, PLUS, and Interlink brand names. In addition, it offers value-added services, including risk management, issuer processing, loyalty, dispute management, value-added information, and CyberSource-branded services. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lennox Yieke]

  In light of this, payments bigwigs Visa (NYSE: V  ) and MasterCard (NYSE: MA  ) have increased their presence in the continent. Not only have Visa and MasterCard increased issuance of plastic money, but they have also made bold mobile money initiatives. Could this spur the next round of prolonged growth for the two bigwigs?

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  The Dow was weighed down by Nike, which fell 3% to $76.84 ahead of next week’s earnings, while United Health dropped 2.6% to $72.14 and Pfizer declined 2.2% to $30.65. Only five Dow components finished in the green, including Visa (V), which rose 3.1% to $205.66 after Mastercard’s (MA) big dividend/buyback/stock-slit announcement.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  After announcing last Friday that they would not be processing any transactions for Russian banks, Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) and MasterCard Inc. (NYSE: MA) restarted payment processing on Saturday. Payment processing was halted following the inclusion of individuals who own banks on a list of 20 Russian officials and businesspeople who have been identified as targets of U.S. sanctions related to Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

Best Blue Chip Companies To Buy For 2014: Apple Inc.(AAPL)

Apple Inc., together with subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and markets personal computers, mobile communication and media devices, and portable digital music players, as well as sells related software, services, peripherals, networking solutions, and third-party digital content and applications worldwide. The company sells its products worldwide through its online stores, retail stores, direct sales force, third-party wholesalers, resellers, and value-added resellers. In addition, it sells third-party Mac, iPhone, iPad, and iPod compatible products, including application software, printers, storage devices, speakers, headphones, and other accessories and peripherals through its online and retail stores; and digital content and applications through the iTunes Store. The company sells its products to consumer, small and mid-sized business, education, enterprise, government, and creative markets. As of September 25, 2010, it had 317 retail stores, including 233 stores in the United States and 84 stores internationally. The company, formerly known as Apple Computer, Inc., was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Cupertino, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Daniel Sparks]

  Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) is struggling to keep its lead in smartphones as competition -- particularly Samsung and its Google-powered (NASDAQ: GOOG  ) �Android operating system -- continues to bring the heat. In the video below, Fool contributor Daniel Sparks explains how competition has weighed on Apple shares, and why the company needs a successful iPhone 5S for the stock to have any hope of reviving itself.

• [By Markos Kaminis]

  Since the news about the metadata sharing was made public, rumors rose about another secret government program said to be named PRISM, which many major media providers are saying today is more than rumor. Under such a supposed program, the NSA is alleged to have access to emails and other Internet data. However, major service providers in the field have denied any knowledge of any such program and any participation in such a program. Apple (AAPL) says it does not provide any government agency with direct access to its servers. Google (GOOG) says it does not have a back door for the government to access data. Microsoft (MSFT), Facebook (FB) and Yahoo (YHOO) have also all denied being a party to any such effort. Still, at least one name remains tied to what many Americans seem to be feeling is an infringement on their privacy, and that is Verizon.

• [By Evan Niu, CFA, CFA, Erin Kennedy, and Eric Bleeker, CFA]

  Investors already know that�Apple� (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) has one or two iPhones in store for Tuesday's media event. What's less clear is whether the Mac maker will show off any new iPads. There have been conflicting reports.

Best Blue Chip Companies To Buy For 2014: Philip Morris International Inc(PM)

Philip Morris International Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products in markets outside of the United States. Its international product brand line comprises Marlboro, Merit, Parliament, Virginia Slims, L&M, Chesterfield, Bond Street, Lark, Muratti, Next, Philip Morris, and Red & White. The company also offers its products under the A Mild, Dji Sam Soe, and A Hijau in Indonesia; Diana in Italy; Optima and Apollo-Soyuz in the Russian Federation; Morven Gold in Pakistan; Boston in Colombia; Belmont, Canadian Classics, and Number 7 in Canada; Best and Classic in Serbia; f6 in Germany; Delicados in Mexico; Assos in Greece; and Petra in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It operates primarily in the European Union, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Canada, and Latin America. The company is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Philip Morris International (NYSE: PM) is expected to report its Q3 earnings at $1.43 per share on revenue of $7.94 billion.

  Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) is estimated to report its Q3 earnings at $0.74 per share on revenue of $30.16 billion.

Best Blue Chip Companies To Buy For 2014: McDonald's Corporation(MCD)

McDonald?s Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a worldwide foodservice retailer. It franchises and operates McDonald?s restaurants that offer various food items, soft drinks, coffee, and other beverages. As of December 31, 2009, the company operated 32,478 restaurants in 117 countries, of which 26,216 were operated by franchisees; and 6,262 were operated by the company. McDonald?s Corporation was founded in 1948 and is based in Oak Brook, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Divine]

  Leading all Dow decliners, however, were McDonald's (NYSE: MCD  ) shares, which slumped 2.7% after a quarterly earnings miss and the forewarnings of future headwinds in the business moving forward. The fast food giant's CEO even made the concession that the company no longer had "as much pricing power" because of stiff price competition and customers who are willing to eat somewhere else if it saves them a few cents. The restaurateur lamented global economic struggles and the high price of marketing new, healthier options as it warned investors of the challenging fiscal year ahead.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Yet even if the economy is poised for a slowdown, certain stocks will likely benefit. McDonald's (NYSE: MCD  ) is up more than 1% this morning, climbing above the $100 mark and approaching all-time highs. Even as the company faces a strike in New York City by workers who want better pay, McDonald's attracts defensively minded investors because of its record of holding up well in past downturns. The fast-food giant was one of the few stocks that actually rose during 2008's bear market, and with stocks teetering at current high levels, investors want that kind of protection again.

• [By Tom Reese]

  Shares of fast food giant McDonald’s Corporation (MCD) peaked in mid-April 2013 and have been on a steady decline since then. Let’s explore what’s in store for the company over the next 12 months, with a focus on dividends.

  McDonald’s's Current Dividend Policy

  MCD currently pays a quarterly dividend of 84 cents per share, or $3.24 on an annualized basis. Its dividend yield sits around 3.4%, which is toward the top of its historic range. Analysts expect 7% earnings growth for the company in 2014. Based on those projections, the company’s 2014 payout ratio is a healthy 54%. Thus, we see no stumbling blocks for McDonald’s to raise its dividend once again next year, likely beginning with its Q4 2014 payout.

  Dividend.com DARS Ratings for McDonald’s Overall Rating:Neutral (3.4/5) Metric Rating Explanation Relative Strength Stock is performing in-line with the market or better. Overall Yield Attractiveness Stock’s dividend yield is adequate. Dividend Reliability This rating is related to the length and consistency of a company’s dividend payouts, as well as our opinion on how likely the company is to continue payouts in the future. Dividend Uptrend Dividend payouts are consistent, but increases small. Earnings Growth Earnings estimates are uptrending.
• [By Douglas A. McIntyre]

  And Starbucks will be nagged forever by the fact it was flanked by McDonald’s Corp. (NYSE: MCD) in the coffee business. Wall Street has not forgotten that one of America’s oldest fast-food companies trumped one of its newest ones using distribution heft, brand and a huge store chain size to stagger Starbucks within the business in which it claimed to be the leader.

Best Blue Chip Companies To Buy For 2014: Colgate-Palmolive Company(CL)

Colgate-Palmolive Company, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and markets consumer products worldwide. It offers oral care products, including toothpaste, toothbrushes, and mouth rinses, as well as dental floss and pharmaceutical products for dentists and other oral health professionals; personal care products, such as liquid hand soap, shower gels, bar soaps, deodorants, antiperspirants, shampoos, and conditioners; and home care products comprising laundry and dishwashing detergents, fabric conditioners, household cleaners, bleaches, dishwashing liquids, and oil soaps. The company offers its oral, personal, and home care products under the Colgate Total, Colgate Max Fresh, Colgate 360 Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Bob Ciura]

  Investors often flock to consumer staples companies because of their stable businesses that produce reliable profits, year-in and year-out. Even when the economy takes a nosedive, companies like The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE: PG  ) and Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE: CL  ) see their earnings stay afloat. After all, even when consumers are under economic distress, they still have to buy everyday household items like toothpaste, soap, and paper towels.