5 Best Food Stocks For 2014

LONDON -- The FTSE 100 (FTSEINDICES: ^FTSE  ) continues its slow recovery, having put on another 0.21% to reach 6,401 points by 8 a.m. EDT. The blue-chip index has been boosted by a 3% rise in the Marks & Spencer price after the retail chain reported its best-ever Easter Week for food. But on the downside, a number of our largest miners have begun to slip after a good couple of days.

But what of companies in the news? Here are three from the various indexes that are looking good today.

Mothercare (LSE: MTC  )
Mothercare shares have leapt 7.2% to 313 pence after the firm told us its U.K. store closure plan is ahead of schedule and sales have stabilized in its fourth quarter. While like-for-like sales are flat, the firm's Direct Internet business saw an 18.2% rise in sales, prompting chief executive Simon Calver to say, "We can look ahead to the new year with confidence."

With international sales rising by 15.5% during Q4 and the firm's focus firmly on cash gross margin, Mothercare was able to confirm that underlying pre-tax profit for the full year is in line with market expectations.

5 Best Trucking Stocks To Watch For 2015: Post Holdings Inc (POST)

Post Holdings, Inc., incorporated on September 22, 2011, is a holding company. The Company is a manufacturer, marketer and distributor of branded ready-to-eat cereals in the United States and Canada. The Company�� portfolio of brands includes Honey Bunches of Oats, Pebbles, Great Grains, Grape-Nuts, Shredded Wheat, Raisin Bran, Golden Crisp, Alpha-Bits and Honeycomb. It markets and sells ready-to-eat cereal products in three different categories: sweetened, balanced and unsweetened. Its sweetened products include Pebbles, Honeycomb, Golden Crisp, Alpha-Bits and Waffle Crisp. Its balanced products include Honey Bunches of Oats, Post Selects, Great Grains and Shreddies. The Company�� unsweetened products include Post Shredded Wheat, Post Raisin Bran and Grape-Nuts. Effective January 1, 2014, the Company announced it has completed the acquisition of private label pasta manufacturer Dakota Growers Pasta Company, Inc. Effective January 2, 2014, Post Holdings Inc acquired Agricore United Holdings Inc from Viterra Inc, a unit of Glencore Xstrata PLC, and the transaction also included Dakota Growers Pasta Company, Inc. Effective January 1, 2014, Post Holdings Inc acquired Dymatize Enterprises LLC, a Farmers Branch-based manufacturer and wholesaler of nutrition supplement. Effective January 1, 2014, it acquired Dymatize Enterprises LLC and Golden Boy Foods Ltd.

Honey Bunches of Oats is in the ready-to-eat cereal market. The Company�� Pebbles brands include Cocoa and Fruity Pebbles. The products are manufactured through a flexible production platform consisting of four owned primary facilities and sold through a variety of channels, such as grocery stores, mass merchandisers, club stores, and drug stores.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Michael Calia]

  Post Holdings Inc.(POST) agreed to acquire the PowerBar and Musashi brands from Nestle SA(NESN.VX), further expanding the cereal maker’s position in the active nutrition category.

• [By Maureen Farrell]

  The first bit came from Herbalife bull William Stiritz, the CEO of Post Holdings(POST).

  The market has viewed Post as a potential buyer of Herbalife, after Post’s CEO William Stiritz personally purchased a 6.7% stake in Herbalife. Last week one of�Wall Street’s most bullish analysts�on Herbalife joined Post Holdings as an adviser, raising even more questions about whether the cereal company might bid for Herbalife.

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Post Holdings (NYSE: POST  ) reported earnings on May 13. Here are the numbers you need to know.

  The 10-second takeaway
  For the quarter ended March 31 (Q2), Post Holdings missed estimates on revenues and missed estimates on earnings per share.

• [By John Kell and Lauren Pollock var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); ]

  Post Holdings Inc.(POST) lowered its fiscal-year adjusted profit view, as the company flagged cereal-demand weakness but also said results would include contributions from some recent acquisitions.

5 Best Food Stocks For 2014: Biosev SA (BSEV3)

Biosev SA, formerly LDC Bioenergia SA, is a Brazil-based company active in the sugar and energy business. It is primarily engaged in the sugarcane processing. The Company produces sugar and ethanol, and supplies its products to domestic and international markets. Its refined sugar is sold under the Estrela brand name on the Brazilian retail market. The ethanol products comprise: hydrous ethanol, anhydrous ethanol and neutral ethanol. Other products from its plants include animal feed, dry yeast, molasses powder and bioelectricity from sugarcane bagasse. The Company�� customers include Nestle, Coca-Cola, AmBev, Kraft, Dori and Unilever, among others. The Company's production units are present in five Brazilian states: Mato Grosso do Sul, Sao Paulo, Minas Gerais, Paraiba and Rio Grande do Norte. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lucia Kassai]

  Biosev SA (BSEV3), Louis Dreyfus Holding BV�� Brazil unit, tumbled in its debut after giving investors in its initial public offering a money-back guarantee.

5 Best Food Stocks For 2014: Hellenic Sugar Industry SA (HSI)

Hellenic Sugar Industry SA is a Greece-based company engaged in the production and trade of white crystal sugar and its by-products, such as molasses and sugar beet seed. Its principal activities include the manufacture of all types of sweetener products and general kneading products; the production and processing of sugar beet and other plants; the production of raw materials for sugar production; the establishment, equipping and exploitation of sugar producing factories; conducting scientific research in all fields of activity of the Company; the trade and standardization of sugar products, by-products, raw materials, multiple materials, agricultural products and machinery, and carrying out agro-industrial activities in Greece and abroad. The Company has five sugar factories and one seed processing factory in Greece. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Kana Nishizawa]

  The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index (HSCEI) of mainland companies traded in the city declined 0.5 percent to 10,785.58 at the close, its biggest drop since April 23. About nine stocks fell for every seven that gained on the Hang Seng Composite Index, the city�� broadest equity measure. Mainland equity markets are closed through May 1 for public holidays. The benchmark Hang Seng Index (HSI) gained 0.2 percent, with trading volume 21 percent less than the 30-day intraday average.

• [By Adam Haigh]

  Hong Kong�� Hang Seng Index (HSI) fell 2.8 percent this week, a fifth week of declines, making it the worst performer among the world�� developed equity markets, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The Hang Seng China Enterprises gauge fell 5.1 percent, taking the decline to 21 percent, and pushing the so-called H-shares into a bear market.

• [By Adam Haigh]

  Hong Kong�� Hang Seng Index (HSI) dropped 1.3 percent with volume 12 percent below the 30-day average for the time of day. China�� Shanghai Composite Index fell 2.4 percent.

• [By Kana Nishizawa]

  The H-share index entered a bull market this week after rebounding more than 20 percent from a June low, while the Hang Seng Index (HSI) erased its 2013 loss. Stocks climbed as data showed China�� inflation remained subdued in August, while export growth, factory output and retail sales beat expectations. Hong Kong�� equity benchmark traded at 10.9 times estimated earnings, compared with a multiple of 15.2 for the Standard & Poor�� 500 Index.

5 Best Food Stocks For 2014: 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 Morgan Stanley High Tech 35 Index (MSH) �fell 0.3%, while the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) �rose 0.4%.

• [By Benjamin Pimentel]

  The Nasdaq Composite Index (COMP) �gained 6 points, or 0.1%, to close at 4,358. The Morgan Stanley High Tech 35 Index (MSH) �and the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) �were each up a fraction.

• [By Benjamin Pimentel]

  But the Nasdaq Composite Index (COMP) �edged higher by 0.2% to close at 4,276, even as the Morgan Stanley High Tech 35 Index (MSH) �and the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) were each down a fraction.

• [By Benjamin Pimentel]

  The Nasdaq Composite Index (COMP) �was up 0.3% to close at 3,986. The benchmark ended the week up 1.7%. The Morgan Stanley High Tech 35 Index (MSH) �and the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) �were each up a fraction.