10 Best Financial Stocks To Buy For 2014

These days it seems difficult to be a Marvell Technology (NASDAQ: MRVL  ) investor. Naysayers are quick to claim the semiconductor maker's competition is too great, and that the company is dying along with the PC industry. It also doesn't help that in December 2012, Marvell's share price reached $7.26, its lowest point in two years. But after the company's Q1 earnings call on May 23, it looks like Marvell might be staging a comeback. Here's why.

Changing the conversation
While quarterly revenue declined to $734 million, Marvell still beat many analyst expectations, which were around $720 million. According to CEO Dr. Sehat Sutardja, this was because of a "better than normal seasonal demand" in the company's networking and storage markets.

Though its financials have a lot of room for improvement, Marvell is still generating revenue as the PC market declines, while also reaching into the mobile processor arena. The latest offering to come through the pipeline has been Marvell's PXA1088 chip, which boasts processing capabilities, HD video, and Internet connectivity for tablets and smartphones. As fellow Fool Michael Lewis put it, if the company was really going down with the PC ship,�it would have been done for a long time ago. Instead, Marvell has grown annually at roughly 10.6% over the past five years.

10 Best Financial Stocks To Buy For 2014: IRSA Inversiones Y Representaciones S.A. (IRS)

IRSA Investments and Representations Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in a range of diversified real estate investment and related activities in Argentina. The company is involved in the acquisition, development, and operation of shopping centers, offices, and other non-shopping center properties primarily for rental purposes; development and sale of residential properties; acquisition and operation of luxury hotels; and acquisition of undeveloped land reserves for future development purpose. It also engages in consumer financing activities, including credit card products to its consumers at shopping centers, hypermarkets, and street stores. IRSA Investments and Representations, Inc. was founded in 1943 and is headquartered in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

10 Best Financial Stocks To Buy For 2014: Colony Bankcorp Inc.(CBAN)

Colony Bankcorp, Inc. operates as a bank holding company for Colony Bank that provides commercial, consumer, and mortgage banking services for consumers and small to medium size businesses in the middle and south Georgia. It offers various deposit products, including demand, savings, and time deposits. The company also provides loans to small and medium-sized businesses; residential and commercial construction, and land development loans; commercial real estate loans; commercial loans; agri-business and production loans; residential mortgage loans; home equity loans; and consumer loans. In addition, it offers Internet banking services, electronic bill payment services, safe deposit box rentals, telephone banking, credit and debit card services, and remote depository products; and access to a network of ATMs. The company provides its banking services through its 30 offices located in the cities of Fitzgerald, Warner Robins, Centerville, Ashburn, Leesburg, Cordele, Albany, T homaston, Columbus, Sylvester, Tifton, Moultrie, Douglas, Broxton, Savannah, Eastman, Chester, Soperton, Rochelle, Pitts, Quitman, and Valdosta, Georgia. Colony Bankcorp, Inc. was founded in 1975 and is headquartered in Fitzgerald, Georgia.

Hot Blue Chip Stocks To Buy Right Now: ECB Bancorp Inc(ECBE)

ECB Bancorp, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for The East Carolina Bank, which provides general and community-oriented commercial and consumer banking services to small and medium-sized businesses and individuals in North Carolina. The company?s deposit products include business and individual checking accounts, negotiable order of withdrawal accounts, money market checking accounts, savings accounts, and certificates of deposit. Its loan products portfolio comprises term and installment loans, business and personal lines of credit, equity lines of credit, overdraft checking credit, real estate and construction loans, and commercial and industrial loans, as well as credit cards and related plans. As of March 31, 2011, the company operated 25 full service banking offices and 1 mortgage loan origination office. ECB Bancorp, Inc. was founded in 1919 and is headquartered in Engelhard, North Carolina.

10 Best Financial Stocks To Buy For 2014: Fortune Real Estate Inv Trust (F25U.SI)

Fortune Real Estate Investment Trust, through its subsidiaries, engages in the ownership and investment of retail shopping malls in Hong Kong. As of December 31, 2008, it holds a portfolio of 11 retail malls and properties located in Hong Kong. The company was founded in 2003 and is based in Singapore, Singapore.

10 Best Financial Stocks To Buy For 2014: Freight Links Express Holdings (F01.SI)

Freight Links Express Holdings Limited, an investment holding company, provides integrated logistics services worldwide. It offers freight forwarding services, such as ocean and air freight services, consolidation and deconsolidation, transshipment, project cargo, shipment documentation, customs clearance, transportation, and inland trucking. The company also offers project logistics services; chemical logistic solutions, such as warehousing and storage of dangerous and non dangerous goods, drumming, container haulage and packaged goods transportation, plant management logistics, emergency recovery, and safety escort services. In addition, it provides various logistics solutions, such as warehousing storage with inventory tracking, pick-pack services, transport and distribution, and customs brokerage; zero-GST warehouse storage, air-conditioned temperature control storage, and online warehouse management; and automated storage and retrieval system. Further, the company off ers integrated marketing services, including exhibition design and construction, event management, advertising, public relations, and interior design; and record management services, such as document storage, safe document destruction, and urgent document retrieval. Additionally, it operates heavy vehicles parking lot; and provides real estate fund and property management services. The company was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Singapore. Freight Links Express Holdings Limited is a subsidiary of Vibrant Capital Pte Ltd.

10 Best Financial Stocks To Buy For 2014: iShares Global Consumer Discretionary ETF (RXI)

iShares S&P Global Consumer Discretionary Sector Index Fund (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Standard & Poor�� Global Consumer Discretionary Sector Index (the Index).

The Index is a subset of the Standard & Poor�� Global 1200 Index, and measures the performance of companies that Standard & Poor�� deems to be part of the consumer discretionary sector of the economy. Component companies include manufacturing and service companies. The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index.

10 Best Financial Stocks To Buy For 2014: Realogy Holdings Corp (RLGY)

Realogy Holdings Corp., incorporated on December 14, 2006, is an integrated provider of residential real estate services in the United States. The Company is the franchisor of residential real estate brokerages with some of the recognized brands in the real estate industry, the owner of United States residential real estate brokerage offices, the global provider of outsourced employee relocation services and a provider of title and settlement services. The Company's operating platform is supported by the Company's portfolio of industry franchise brokerage brands, including Century 21 , Coldwell Banker , Coldwell Banker Commercial , ERA , Sotheby's International Realty and Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate and the Company also owns and operates the Corcoran Group and CitiHabitats brands. In October 2013, Realogy Holdings Corp's Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate LLC announced that it has acquired the assets of Coldwell Banker Cocoa Beach Realty's two offices in Cocoa Beach, Fla. In October 2013, Realogy Holdings Corp's NRT LLC announced the acquisition of Frank Howard Allen Realtors Company-owned operations in Northern California.

The Company operates in four segments: Real Estate Franchise Services (RFG), Company Owned Real Estate Brokerage Services (NRT), Relocation Services (Cartus) and Title and Settlement Services (TRG).As of December 31, 2012 , the Company's franchise systems had approximately 13,600 franchised and company owned offices and 238,900 independent sales associates operating under its franchise and brands in the United States and 101 other countries and territories around the world, which includes approximately 710 of its company owned and operated brokerage offices.

Real Estate Franchise Services

The Company is the franchisor of residential real estate brokerages in the world through its portfolio of well known brokerage brands, including Century 21 , Coldwell Banker , Coldwell Banker Commercial , ERA , Sotheby's International Realty an! d Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate. The Company derives substantially all of its real estate franchising revenues from royalty fees received under long-term (typically ten year) franchise agreements with its franchiseesThe Company's franchisees pay the Company fees for the right to operate under one of the Company's trademarks and to enjoy the benefits of the systems and business enhancing tools provided by its real estate franchise operations.

As of December 31, 2012 , the Company's real estate franchise systems had approximately 13,600 offices worldwide in 102 countries and territories, including approximately 6,100 brokerage offices in the United States and approximately 238,900 independent sales associates worldwide (which included approximately 41,300 independent sales agents working with its company owned brokerage offices) including approximately 166,000 sales associates operating under its franchise and brands in the United States, with an average tenure among United States franchisees of approximately 19 years as of December 31, 2012 .

Company Owned Real Estate Brokerage Services

The Company owns and operates the residential real estate brokerage business in the United States under the Coldwell Banker , Sotheby's International Realty , ERA , Corcoran Group and CitiHabitats brand names. The Company offers full-service residential brokerage services through approximately 710 company owned brokerage offices in more than 35 metropolitan areas of the United States. In addition, the Company participates in the mortgage process through its 49.9% ownership of PHH Home Loans LLC (PHH Home Loans), its home mortgage venture with PHH. The Company's home mortgage joint venture with PHH is the recommended provider of mortgages for the Company's real estate brokerage and relocation service customers (unless exclusivity is waived by PHH). The Company also assists landlords and tenants through property management services. In addition, as a full-service real estate br! okerage c! ompany, the Company promotes the complementary services of its relocation and title and settlement services businesses, in addition to PHH Home Loans.

Relocation Services

The Company is a global provider of outsourced employee relocation services. The Company is the provider of such services in the United States and also operates in key international relocation destinations. The Company offers a range of employee relocation services designed to manage all aspects of an employee's move to facilitate a smooth transition in what otherwise may be a complex and difficult process for the employee and employer. The Company's relocation services business serves corporations, including over 64% of the Fortune 50 companies, as well as affinity organizations such as insurance companies and credit unions that provide the Company's services to their members. During the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company assisted in over 158,000 relocations in more than 150 countries for approximately 1,500 active clients and as of December 31, 2012, its top 25 relocation clients had an average tenure of 17 years with the Company.

The Company primarily offers corporate clients employee relocation services, such as homesale assistance, including the evaluation, inspection, purchasing and selling of a transferee's home; the issuance of home equity advances to transferees permitting them to purchase a new home before selling their current home (these advances are generally guaranteed by the client); certain home management services; assistance in locating a new home; and closing on the sale of the old home, generally at the instruction of the client; expense processing, relocation policy counseling, relocation-related accounting, including international assignment compensation services, and other consulting services; arranging household goods moving services, with approximately 72,000 domestic and international shipments in 2012 , and providing support for all aspects of moving a transferee'! s househo! ld goods, including the handling of insurance and claim assistance, invoice auditing and quality control; coordinating visa and immigration support, intercultural and language training, and expatriation/repatriation counseling and destination services, and group move management services providing coordination for moves involving a number of transferees to or from a specific regional area over a short period of time.

Title and Settlement Services

The Company assists with the closing of real estate transactions by providing full-service title and settlement, which is closing and escrow services to customers, real estate companies, including its Company-owned real estate brokerage and relocation services businesses, as well as a targeted channel of financial institution clients, including PHH. In 2012, TRG was involved in the closing of approximately 194,000 transactions of which approximately 54,000 related to NRT. In addition to the Company's own title and settlement services, the Company also coordinates a nationwide network of attorneys, title agents and notaries to service financial institution clients on a national basis. The Company also serves as an underwriter of title insurance policies in connection with residential and commercial real estate transactions. As of December 31, 2012 , the Company had approximately 340 offices, approximately 200 of which are co-located within one of its company owned brokerage offices.

The Company competes with HSF Affiliates LLC, Brookfield Residential Property Services, HomeServices of America, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices; RE/MAX International, Inc.; and Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Traders Reserve]

  Realogy Holdings (RLGY) is a real estate services provider that owns a huge corner of the market with Century 21, Coldwell Banker, ERA and Sotheby�� International Realty (BID). In 2012, the company had a sales volume three times that of its nearest domestic competitor, accounting for 26% of all broker-assisted transactions in the U.S. It has 239,000 agents working in every corner of the world.

• [By Lisa Abramowicz]

  Drugstore chain Rite Aid Corp. (RAD) and residential property firm Realogy Corp. (RLGY) are two of the 283 junk-rated borrowers identified in March 2009 by Moody�� Investors Service as being at the highest risk of default that have since sold bonds.

• [By Monica Wolfe]

  Realogy Holdings (RLGY)

  Paulson�� third largest holding goes to Realogy Holdings. The guru holds on to 12,957,700 shares, representing 4.4% of his total portfolio and 8.87% of the company�� shares outstanding.

10 Best Financial Stocks To Buy For 2014: Lon.fin & Inv Grp(LFI.L)

London Finance & Investment Group PLC, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an investment finance and management company. It primarily invests in smaller U.K. quoted companies, which are balanced by a general portfolio that consists of investments in U.K. and European equities. The general portfolio includes interest in food and beverage, oil, natural resources, chemicals, and tobacco sectors. The firm is based in London, the United Kingdom.

10 Best Financial Stocks To Buy For 2014: CMS Bancorp Inc.(CMSB)

CMS Bancorp, Inc. operates as the holding company for Community Mutual Savings Bank, which provides various banking services to individuals and small businesses primarily in Westchester County and the neighboring areas in New York State. It offers various deposit products, including savings deposits consisting of passbook and statement savings accounts; interest- and non-interest-bearing demand accounts; money market accounts; and time deposits. The company also provides loan products comprising residential, commercial real estate, and consumer loans, as well as multi-family, non-residential, construction, home equity, and second mortgage loans. In addition, it invests in various assets, including securities of various government-sponsored enterprises and mortgage-backed securities. As of September 30, 2010, CMS Bancorp operated 1 corporate office in White Plains and 5 retail banking offices in Westchester County, New York. The company is headquartered in White Plains, New York.

10 Best Financial Stocks To Buy For 2014: Capitaland Limited (C31.SI)

CapitaLand Limited, an investment holding company, engages in the real estate development, investment in real estate financial products and real estate assets, and management of serviced residences, as well as provision of advisory and management services. Its real estate and hospitality portfolio includes homes, offices, shopping malls, serviced residences, and mixed developments. The company is involved in the development and sale of residential properties; residential, commercial, and integrated property development; ownership and management of commercial and industrial properties; management of real estate funds and real estate investment trusts; and provision of financial advisory services. CapitaLand Limited operates primarily in Singapore, China, Australia, Europe, and other Asian countries. The company is headquartered in Singapore.