Hot Warren Buffett Stocks To Own For 2014

"Nepotism has never been unknown in American banking," Martin Mayer wrote in The Greatest-Ever Bank Robbery, his 1990 book about the savings-and-loan crisis. While Mayer was referring to American Continental, the notoriously corrupt holding company run into the ground by the infamous Charles Keating in the 1980s, his point rings true today in the case of Annaly Capital Management (NYSE: NLY  ) and its publicly traded portfolio company Chimera Investment (NYSE: CIM  ) .

Not all nepotism is necessarily bad
While few people would disagree with the idea that nepotism is a disgraceful practice at publicly traded companies -- it's totally different, of course, for privately controlled businesses, where the owners are the managers and vice versa -- there are nevertheless some less deplorable uses of it.

One example that comes to mind is Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-A  ) .

At the end of 2011, Buffett announced on 60 Minutes that his son Howard would succeed him as chairman of Berkshire's board -- or, more specifically, as the "non-executive" chairman, meaning that the younger Buffett won't direct strategy or exercise day-to-day managerial power. His role will instead be largely ceremonial -- and, importantly, unpaid -- as that of a "guardian" over the company's "values."

5 Best Supermarket Stocks To Buy Right Now: American Equity Investment Life Holding Company (AEL)

American Equity Investment Life Holding Company, through its subsidiaries, operates in the insurance business in 50 states and the District of Columbia. The company underwrites fixed annuities, including fixed index annuities and fixed rate annuities, as well as single premium immediate annuities. It also offers life insurance products comprising traditional ordinary and term, universal life, and other interest-sensitive life insurance products. The company markets its products through a brokerage distribution network of approximately 60 national marketing organizations and approximately 24,000 independent agents. American Equity Investment Life Holding Company was founded in 1995 and is based in West Des Moines, Iowa.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Louis Navellier]

  American Equity Life (AEL) specializes in fixed-rate and index annuities, and business has been booming as cautious investors and savers look for places to put their money. The company has posted four consecutive positive earnings surprises, causing analysts to raise their estimates for 2014 in the past few months. The shares are still cheap when viewed thought the lenses of the P/E ratio, but more importantly, AEL has the type of solid fundamentals and investor demand that signify a potential winning stock. Shares of American Equity were upgraded to an ����grade back in August, and AEL remains a ��trong buy.��/p>

• [By CRWE]

  American Equity Investment Life Holding Company (NYSE:AEL), a leading underwriter of index and fixed rate annuities, reported that Wendy C. Waugaman, Chief Executive Officer and President, will take a medical leave of absence, effective immediately. She will remain on American Equity�� Board of Directors and will participate in certain management and strategic discussions as her health permits.

• [By U.S. News]

  In at least one Texas bank and one Ohio credit union, 3D video banking is currently undergoing testing, according to TheFinancialBrand.com, a website for bank and credit union marketing executives. Three-dimensional video banking is similar to a consumer video conference with a bank representative –- only in this case, the executive looks like a living, breathing person sitting across from you. Thanks to theater surround sound, the representative also sounds as if they're in the same room. And since the consumer is interacting with a real person and not an automated hologram, the experience apparently isn't much different than the real thing. Banking and managing money isn't what it used to be. The 1970s and 1980s brought us the rise of the ATM. Consumers became acquainted with online banking during the 1990s and the first decade of the 2000s. The 2010s are shaping up as the era of mobile banking. That was underscored Sept. 10-11 in New York City when Mitek Systems Inc. (MITK), a San Diego-based technology company, debuted its Mobile Photo Account Opening product at Finovate, a trade show where banking tech products are often unveiled. The product allows consumers to open a bank account within 60 seconds. If you have your bank's app, you can use your smartphone's camera to take a photo of the front and back of your driver's license, and presto, your new checking, savings or credit card account is open. Here's a look at other financial products and services personal financial experts think we'll be using in the future. Within 10 years. "The economic payments system will begin to 'know us,' either through biometrics, optical sensor or facial recognition," says Joshua Siegel, managing principal of StoneCastle Partners, a New York-based asset management firm that invests in banks. That's already happening to some extent with smartphones –- the new Apple (AAPL) iPhone 5S, for example, uses fingerprint scanning to unlock the phone. Meanwhile, some fi

Hot Warren Buffett Stocks To Own For 2014: LifePoint Hospitals Inc.(LPNT)

LifePoint Hospitals Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates general acute care hospitals in non-urban communities in the United States. The company?s hospitals provide a range of medical and surgical services comprising general surgery, internal medicine, obstetrics, emergency room care, radiology, oncology, diagnostic care, coronary care, rehabilitation services, and pediatric services, as well as specialized services, such as open-heart surgery, skilled nursing, psychiatric care, and neuro-surgery. Its hospitals also offer outpatient services, including one-day surgery, laboratory, x-ray, respiratory therapy, imaging, sports medicine, and lithotripsy. As of December 31, 2009, LifePoint Hospitals owned or leased 47 hospitals with a total of 5,552 licensed beds in 17 states. The company was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee. Lifepoint Hospitals Inc. (NasdaqNM:LPNT) operates independently of HCA Inc. as of May 11, 1999.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Keith Speights]

  The fun wasn't just limited to the big three hospital operators. Lifepoint Hospitals (NASDAQ: LPNT  ) stock jumped 5% on the CMS news, reflecting a $109 million market cap expansion. Likewise, Vanguard Health Systems (NYSE: VHS  ) shares climbed 5%, bumping its market cap up by�$55 million.

Hot Warren Buffett Stocks To Own For 2014: Bank of America Corporation(BAC)

Bank of America Corporation, a financial holding company, provides banking and nonbanking financial services and products to individuals, small- and middle-market businesses, large corporations, and governments in the United States and internationally. The company?s Deposits segment generates savings accounts, money market savings accounts, certificate of deposits, and checking accounts; and Global Card Services segment provides the U.S. consumer and business card, consumer lending, international card and debit card services. Its Home Loans & Insurance segment offers consumer real estate products and services, including mortgage loans, reverse mortgages, home equity lines of credit, and home equity loans. It also provides property, disability, and credit insurance. The company?s Global Commercial Banking segment offers lending products, including commercial loans and commitment facilities, real estate lending, leasing, trade finance, short-term credit, asset-based lending, and indirect consumer loans; and capital management and treasury solutions, such as treasury management, foreign exchange, and short-term investing options. Its Global Banking & Markets segment provides financial products, advisory services, settlement, and custody services; debt and equity underwriting and distribution, merger-related advisory services, and risk management products; and integrated working capital management and treasury solutions. The company?s Global Wealth & Investment Management segment offers investment and brokerage services, estate management, financial planning services, fiduciary management, credit and banking expertise, and asset management products. Bank of America Corporation serves customers through a network of approximately 5,900 banking centers and 18,000 automated teller machines. It was formerly known as NationsBank Corporation and changed its name on October 1, 1998. Bank of America Corporation was founded in 1874 and is based in Charlott e, North Carolina.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sean Williams]

  Bank of America (NYSE: BAC  ) -- up 400%
  Look away from the hideous first-quarter earnings report that was laden with charges and caused Bank of America to miss Wall Street's estimates by $0.10 and instead focus on the fact that shareholders, like me, will now be receiving $0.05 for each share as opposed to the $0.01 per share that we've been getting for years.

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

  Bank of America Corp.(BAC) on Wednesday said it would pay about $9.5 billion to settle all litigation by a top U.S. federal regulator over mortgage securities sold to Fannie Mae(FNMA) (FNMA) and Freddie Mac(FMCC) (FMCC). Shares edged up 13 cents to $17.31 premarket.

Hot Warren Buffett Stocks To Own For 2014: Atrion Corp (ATRI)

Atrion Corporation (Atrion), and its subsidiaries, develop and manufacture products, primarily for medical applications. The Company�� medical products range from fluid delivery devices to ophthalmic and cardiovascular products. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company�� fluid delivery products accounted for 38% of the Company�� revenues. These products include valves that promote infection control and needle safety. The Company has developed a variety of luer syringe check valves and one-way valves designed to fill, hold and release controlled amounts of fluids or gasses on demand for use in various intubation, catheter and other applications. The Company also makes tubing clamps in a variety of materials and colors that are compatible with various grades of tubing and sterilization processes, and produce specialized intravenous sets for use in numerous applications, including anesthesia and oncology.

The Company�� cardiovascular products accounted for 29% of its revenues during 2011. The Company's principal cardiovascular product is the Myocardial Protection System (MPS2), a technology that delivers essential fluids and medications to the heart during open-heart surgery. The MPS2 integrates key functions relating to the delivery of solutions to the heart, such as varying the rate and ratio of oxygenated blood, crystalloid, potassium and other additives, and controlling temperature, pressure and other variables to allow simpler, more flexible management of this process, indicating improved patient outcomes. The MPS2 is the device used in open-heart surgery that allows for the mixing of drugs into the bloodstream without diluting the blood. The MPS2 employs advanced pump, temperature control and microprocessor technologies and includes a line of disposable products. It also develops and manufactures other cardiovascular products that include cardiac surgery vacuum relief valves; Retract-O-Tape silicone vessel loops for retracting and occluding vessels in minimally inva! sive surgical procedures; inflation devices for balloon catheter dilation, stent deployment and fluid dispensing, and Clean-Cut rotating aortic punch and PerfectCut Aortotomy System, both of which are used in heart bypass surgery to make a precision opening in the heart for attachment of the bypass vessels.

The Company�� ophthalmic products accounted for 17% of its revenues during 2011. The Company is a manufacturer of contact lens disinfection cases. It also manufactures a line of balloon catheters used in the treatment of nasolacrimal duct obstruction in children and adults. The Company�� other medical and non-medical products accounted for 16% of its revenues during 2011. These product lines consist of instrumentation and associated disposables used to measure the activated clotting time of blood. In addition, it manufactures and sells a line of products designed for safe needle and scalpel blade containment. It is also the manufacturer of inflation systems and valves used in marine and aviation safety products. The Company manufactures inflation systems and valves for products, such as life vests, life rafts, inflatable boats, survival equipment and other inflatable structures. The Company also produces one-way and two-way pressure relief valves for use on electronics cases, munitions cases, pressure vessels, transportation container cases, escape slides, and many other medical and non-medical applications.

The Company market components to other equipment manufacturers for incorporation in their products and sell finished devices to physicians, hospitals, clinics and other treatment centers. It sells its products through a sales force which consists of direct sales personnel, independent sales representatives and distributors. It offers customer service, training and education, and technical support such as field service, spare parts, maintenance and repair for certain of its products. The Company�� medical products and other components are produced at facilities in ! Florida, ! Alabama and Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  There's no foolproof way to know the future for ATRION (Nasdaq: ATRI  ) or any other company. However, certain clues may help you see potential stumbles before they happen -- and before your stock craters as a result.