Top 10 Financial Companies To Buy For 2014

You can break the stock market into two categories: stocks that are on their way up, and stocks that are on their way out. In general, once a stock breaks, it takes a lot of effort to execute a solid turnaround and get the share price moving in the right direction again.

Yet just because it takes effort doesn't mean it can't be done. Today, let's look at four stocks in the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC  ) that sank to nearly the bottom of the index in terms of market capitalization, but which have since posted some impressive gains to get moving in the right direction once again.

First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR  ) , up 69% in the past year
The solar industry has gone through a huge amount of turmoil in the past year, as overcapacity from China and falling subsidies from across the world threatened the viability of many solar companies. But industry leader First Solar was able to weather the storm, using its size advantage and project backlog to help it stay profitable even in the face of bankruptcies and other financial difficulties among its Chinese rivals.

Top 10 Financial Companies To Buy For 2014: Royal Bancshares of Pennsylvania Inc.(RBPAA)

Royal Bancshares of Pennsylvania, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Royal Bank America, which provides various banking services to individual and corporate customers primarily located in the Mid-Atlantic states. Its deposit products include demand deposits; money market deposit, savings, and super negotiable order of withdrawal accounts; and time deposits. The company?s lending portfolio comprises commercial demand loans; commercial mortgage loans; residential mortgages consisting of home equity lines of credit; construction loans; real estate tax liens; asset based loans; small business leases; and installment loans, as well as home equity and SBA loans. It also offers safe deposit boxes, collections, Internet banking, and bill payment services, as well as drive-up, ATM, and night depository services. In addition, the company engages in the purchase and service of delinquent tax liens; and investment activities. It operates 15 branches in Montgomery, Philadel phia, and Berks counties in Pennsylvania; and New Jersey. The company serves customers located primarily in the Montgomery, Chester, Bucks, Delaware, Berks, and Philadelphia counties of Pennsylvania; and New Jersey. Royal Bancshares of Pennsylvania, Inc. was founded in 1963 and is headquartered in Narberth, Pennsylvania.

Top 10 Financial Companies To Buy For 2014: ASHMORE GROUP ORD GBP0.0001 WI(ASHM.L)

Ashmore Group plc is a publicly owned investment manager. The firm through its subsidiaries invests in the public equity, fixed income, and currency markets across the globe. It typically makes its fixed income investments in corporate and external debt. The firm makes its currency investments in domestic currency and domestic currency denominated debt. It also employs a special situation investing approach to invest in corporate restructurings through distressed debt, private and public equity, and equity-linked securities. The firm employs a top down and bottom up approach to make its investments. It obtains external research to compliment its in-house research. Ashmore Group Plc was founded in 1992 and is based in London, United Kingdom.

Hot Tech Companies To Buy Right Now: American Strategic Income Portfolio II (BSP)

American Strategic Income Portfolio Inc. II is a close-ended fixed income mutual fund launched and managed by U.S. Bancorp Asset Management, Inc. It is co-managed by Nuveen Fund Advisors, Inc. and Nuveen Asset Management, LLC. The fund invests in the fixed income markets. It invests in securities of companies operating across diversified sectors. The fund invests in whole-loan mortgages. It benchmarks the performance of its portfolio against the Lehman Brothers Mutual Fund Government/Mortgage Index. American Strategic Income Portfolio Inc. II was formed on July 30, 1992 and is domiciled in the United States.

Top 10 Financial Companies To Buy For 2014: Athens Bancshares Corporation(AFCB)

Athens Bancshares Corporation operates as the holding company for Athens Federal Community Bank that provides financial services to consumers and businesses primarily in McMinn, Monroe, and Bradley Counties, Tennessee. It accepts various deposit products that include non-interest-bearing demand deposits, such as checking accounts; interest-bearing demand accounts, such as NOW and money market accounts; regular savings accounts; and certificates of deposit. The company?s loan portfolio comprises one-to four-family residential loans; non-residential real estate loans; construction loans for one-to four-family homes, and commercial properties, including retail shops and office units, and multi-family properties; land and land development loans; multi-family real estate loans; consumer loans for home equity loans and lines of credit, automobile loans, and loans secured by deposits; and commercial business loans to small businesses. It also provides title insurance services. T he company operates through seven branches located in Athens, Sweetwater, Etowah, Madisonville, and Cleveland, Tennessee. The company is headquartered in Athens, Tennessee.

Top 10 Financial Companies To Buy For 2014: Pimco High Income Fund(PHK)

PIMCO High Income Fund is a closed ended fixed income mutual fund launched and managed by Allianz Global Investors Fund Management LLC. The fund is co-managed by Pacific Investment Management Company LLC. It invests in the public fixed income markets across the globe. The fund invests in U.S. dollar denominated high-yield corporate debt obligations. It employs fundamental analysis along with a top down stock picking approach to make its investments. PIMCO High Income Fund was formed on April 30, 2003 and is domiciled in the United States.

Top 10 Financial Companies To Buy For 2014: Unity Bancorp Inc.(UNTY)

Unity Bancorp, Inc. operates as the holding company for Unity Bank that provides various commercial banking services. It accepts various deposits, which include personal and business checking accounts, time deposits, money market accounts, and regular savings accounts. The company?s loan portfolio comprises commercial, small business administration, consumer, mortgage, home equity, and personal loans. It operated 14 branches in Clinton, Colonia, Edison, Flemington, Highland Park, Linden, Middlesex, North Plainfield, Phillipsburg, Scotch Plains, South Plainfield, Springfield, Union, and Whitehouse, New Jersey; and 2 branches in Forks Township and Easton, Pennsylvania. The company was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Clinton, New Jersey.

Top 10 Financial Companies To Buy For 2014: Ishares Trust Dow Jones Select Dividend (DVY)

iShares Dow Jones Select Dividend Index Fund (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Select Dividend Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of a selected group of equity securities issued by companies that have provided relatively high dividend yields on a consistent basis over time. The Index stocks are screened by dividend-per-share growth rate, dividend payout percentage and average daily dollar trading volume, and are selected based on dividend yield.

The Index consists of 100 of the highest dividend-yielding securities (excluding real estate investment trusts) in the Dow Jones U.S. Total Market Index, an index representative of the total market for United States equity securities. To be included in the Index, the securities must have had a flat to positive dividend-per-share growth rate for each of the last five years; must have an average five-year dividend payout ratio of 60% or less, and must have a minimum three-month average trading volume of 200,000 shares a day. The Index is reconstituted annually. The Fund uses a representative sampling strategy in seeking to track the Index. The Fund�� investment advisor is Barclays Global Fund Advisors.

Top 10 Financial Companies To Buy For 2014: Carver Bancorp Inc.(CARV)

Carver Bancorp, Inc. operates as the holding company for Carver Federal Savings Bank that provides various consumer and commercial banking services for consumers, businesses, and governmental and quasi-governmental agencies in New York. The company?s deposit products include demand, savings, and time deposits; non-interest-bearing accounts; negotiable order of withdrawal, savings and club, passbook and statement, and money market accounts; and certificates of deposit. Its loan portfolio comprises commercial, multi-family and residential mortgage, one-to four-family residential, construction, and business loans; consumer and other loans, such as credit card, personal, and home improvement loans; non-residential real estate loans; and church loans. The company also offers debit cards, as well as provides telephone banking, online banking, and automated teller machine (ATM) services. Carver Bancorp, Inc. provides services through two administrative offices, nine branches, an d nine separate ATM locations. The company was founded in 1948 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Top 10 Financial Companies To Buy For 2014: All In West! Capital Corporatio (ALW.V)

All in West! Capital Corporation engages in the ownership of hotels and independent living seniors� residences primarily in western Canada. Its hotel amenities comprise a coffee shop, a cocktail lounge, an observation room to enjoy the scenery, an exercise facility, a business center, a hot tub, sauna, a billiards and entertainment centre, and meeting rooms, as well as catering and banquet/conference facilities. As of September 30, 2010, the company owned four hotel properties in Alberta. All in West! Capital Corporation was founded in 2005 and is based in Winnipeg, Canada.

Top 10 Financial Companies To Buy For 2014: Investors Bancorp Inc.(ISBC)

Investors Bancorp, Inc. operates as the holding company for Investors Savings Bank that provides a range of banking services in the United States. The company accepts deposits and originates loans. Its deposit products include savings accounts, checking accounts, money market accounts, and certificates of deposit. The company offers commercial real estate, construction, multi-family, and commercial and industrial loans; and consumer loans, including home equity loans and home equity lines of credit, as well as mortgage loans secured by one-to four-family residential real estate. As of December 31, 2010, it operated 82 full-service branch offices located in Essex, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Union, and Warren Counties, New Jersey; Nassau and Queens, New York; and Massachusetts. The company was founded in 1926 and is headquartered in Short Hills, New Jersey. Investors Bancorp, Inc. is a subsidiary of Investors Bancorp, MHC.