Top 5 Financial Companies To Invest In 2014

Until recently, I would have avoided regional banks. However, the green shoots of the U.S. recovery are now sturdy enough that select financial institutions are showing highly bullish charts backed by strong fundamentals. Both the technicals and fundamentals tell me there is a good trading opportunity at hand.

According to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC), the number of bank failures has dropped dramatically since June 2011. At this time two years ago, 48 banks had entered receivership. By this time in 2012, the number dropped to 31. So far this year, only 16 banks have failed -- one-third the number of failures compared with 2011.

 

Moreover, revenue and earnings prospects for select regional banks should continue to improve. For starters, the Federal Reserve's pledge to keep interest rates near record lows means low-cost loans for consumers, and that translates to strong loan demand at banks. According to Reuters, demand for commercial and industrial loans is on the rise. Continued economic growth should spur consumer spending and further increase demand for loans.

Top 5 Financial Companies To Invest In 2014: Mcan Mortgage Corp (MKP.TO)

MCAN Mortgage Corporation operates as a mortgage investment corporation in Canada. The company invests its funds in a portfolio of mortgages, including single-family residential, residential construction, non-residential construction, and commercial mortgages, as well as other types of loans and investments, real estate, securitization investments, and marketable securities in the form of corporate bonds, and real estate investment, income, and royalty trusts. The company was formerly known as MCAP Inc. and changed its name to MCAN Mortgage Corporation in September 2006. MCAN Mortgage Corporation was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

Top 5 Financial Companies To Invest In 2014: Waterfront Capital Corporation(WFG.V)

Waterfront Capital Corporation provides merchant banking services to public and non-public companies. It offers a range of financial and communications services to companies in various industry sectors. The company serves as a strategic partner and provides various services in the areas of venture capital, initial public offerings, secondary financings, mergers and acquisitions, and public market administration, as well as media and investor relations. Waterfront Capital Corporation was founded in 1987 and is based in West Vancouver, Canada.

Top Growth Companies To Own For 2014: Union Bankshares Inc.(UNB)

Union Bankshares, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Union Bank, which provides commercial and retail banking services in northern Vermont and northwestern New Hampshire. Its deposit products include personal and business checking, NOW, savings, money market, individual retirement/SEP/KEOGH, and health savings accounts, as well as certificates of deposit. The company?s retail loan portfolio consists primarily of residential mortgage loans, construction loans, home equity loans or lines of credit, traditional installment loans, and personal lines of credit; commercial loan portfolio comprises term loans, lines of credit, commercial construction loans, commercial and multi-family real estate loans, loans for plant and equipment, working capital, real estate renovation, and other business purposes; and municipal loan portfolio includes term loans and construction financing, as well as SBA guaranteed and home improvement loans, and overdraft checking privileges. It also offers online cash management services, including account reconciliation, credit card depository, automated clearing house origination, wire transfers, and night depository; and other services, such as standby letters of credit, travelers or bank checks, and safe deposit boxes. In addition, the company provides merchant credit card, automated teller machine (ATM), telephone and Internet banking, and trust and asset management services, as well as debit and ATM cards. Union Bankshares, Inc. offers its retail banking services to individuals; and commercial banking services to small and medium-sized corporations, partnerships, sole proprietorships, nonprofit organizations, local municipalities, and school districts. As of July 20, 2011, it operated 13 banking offices, a loan center, and 29 ATM facilities in Vermont; and 4 branches and ATM facilities in New Hampshire. The company was founded in 1891 and is headquartered in Morrisville, Vermont.

Top 5 Financial Companies To Invest In 2014: Donegal Group Inc.(DGICB)

Donegal Group Inc., through its subsidiaries, offers personal and commercial lines of property and casualty insurance to businesses and individuals in the United States. The company?s personal lines of insurance products include private passenger automobile insurance, which provides protection against liability for bodily injury and property damage arising from automobile accidents, and protection against loss from damage to automobiles owned by the insured; and homeowners insurance that offers coverage for damage to residences and their contents from a range of perils, including fire, lightning, windstorm, and theft, as well as covers liability of the insured arising from injury to other persons or their property. Its commercial lines of insurance products comprise commercial automobile policies that provide protection against liability for bodily injury and property damage arising from automobile accidents, and protection against loss from damage to automobiles owned by the insured; commercial multi-peril policies, which offer protection to businesses against various perils primarily combining liability and physical damage coverages; and workers? compensation policies that provide benefits to employees for injuries sustained during employment. Donegal Group Inc. markets its insurance products through a network of approximately 2,200 independent insurance agencies. As of December 31, 2010, it wrote business in 22 states of the United States. The company was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Marietta, Pennsylvania.

Top 5 Financial Companies To Invest In 2014: BCSB Bancorp Inc.(BCSB)

BCSB Bancorp, Inc. operates as the holding company for Baltimore County Savings Bank, F.S.B. that provides various banking and financial services for consumers and businesses in the Baltimore Metropolitan Area. The company?s deposit products include checking accounts, money market accounts, statement and passbook savings accounts, individual retirement accounts, and certificates of deposit. Its loan portfolio comprises single-family residential mortgage loans; real estate loans comprising construction, single-family rental property, and commercial real estate loans; consumer loans, including automobile loans and home equity lines of credit; and commercial lines of credit. The company also offers life and annuity insurance products. As of September 30, 2009, it operated 18 branch offices in Baltimore County, Harford County, Howard County, and Baltimore City, Maryland. The company was founded in 1955 and is based in Baltimore, Maryland.