5 Best US Stocks To Own Right Now

With shares of Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) trading around $167, is GS an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE, or STAY AWAY? Let�� analyze the stock with the relevant sections of our CHEAT SHEET investing framework:

T = Trends for a Stock’s Movement

Goldman Sachs is engaged in investment banking, securities, and investment management. It provides a range of financial services to a substantial and diversified client base that includes corporations, financial institutions, governments, and high net worth individuals. The company operates in four segments: investment banking, institutional client services, investing and lending, and investment management. Through its segments, Goldman Sachs provides invaluable investment services to consumers and companies worldwide.

Recently, Goldman Sachs’ offices in Z眉rich had a visit by regional labor department inspectors regarding a complaint about overtime hours. Spokeswoman Irene Tschopp for Z眉rich canton�� labor department said that, “There was a complaint from the bank employees union and we��e obligated to investigate complaints,” by phone Thursday, confirming a previous report in the Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger. Tschopp declined to divulge the contents of the complaint or the inspectors��findings, due to data protection rules, while Goldman Sachs spokeswoman Monika Schaller would not comment. It is alleged that the bank failed to record employees��working hours or compensate them for overtime, a violation of Swiss law, Tages-Anzeiger reported.

Top 5 Paper Companies To Invest In Right Now: Hillenbrand Inc(HI)

Hillenbrand, Inc. designs, manufactures, distributes, and sells funeral service products to licensed funeral directors operating licensed funeral homes. The company?s products include burial caskets, cremation caskets, containers, vaults, urns, and selection room display fixturing for funeral homes, as well as other personalization and memorialization products and services, including Web-based applications, and the creation and hosting of Websites for licensed funeral homes. It markets its products under the Batesville and Options brand name through direct sales force in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and Australia. The company also designs, produces, markets, sells, and services bulk solids material handling equipment and systems for various industrial markets, including plastics, food, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, power generation, coal mining, pulp and paper, frac sand, industrial minerals, agribusiness, recycling, wood and forest pr oducts, and biomass energy generation. It offers feeders and pneumatic conveying equipment under the K-Tron brand name; and size reduction equipment, such as hammer mills, double-roll crushers, wood and bark hogs, chip sizers, screening equipment, pneumatic and mechanical conveying systems, storage/reclamation systems, and specialty crushers and other equipment under the Pennsylvania Crusher, Gundlach, and Jeffrey Rader brand names. In addition, the company manufactures dry material separation machines that sort dry, granular products based on the particle?s size serving various industries, including frac sand, potash, urea, phosphates, chemical, agricultural, plastics, and food processing. The company sells its material handling equipment and systems worldwide through a combination of a direct sales force, and a network of independent sales representatives and distributors. Hillenbrand, Inc. was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in Batesville, Indiana.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Tuesday

  Earnings Expected: Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc. (NASDAQ: BWLD), Hillenbrand Inc (NYSE: HI), Sirius XM Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRI) Economic Releases Expected: German retail sales, French consumer confidence, German unemployment rate, eurozone CPI, eurozone PPI, US trade balance, US redbook

  Wednesday

• [By GURUFOCUS]

  Hillenbrand Inc. (HI), a diversified industrial company, makes and sells business-to-business products and services for various industries worldwide. Dec. 4, the company increased is quarterly dividend 1.3% to $0.1975 per share. the dividend is payable Dec. 31, 2013, to shareholders of record at the close of business on Dec. 17, 2013. The yield based on the new payout is 2.8%.

5 Best US Stocks To Own Right Now: V.F. Corporation(VFC)

V.F. Corporation designs and manufactures, or sources from independent contractors various apparel and footwear products primarily in the United States and Europe. The company offers apparel, footwear, outdoor gear, skateboard-inspired and surf-inspired footwear, backpacks, luggage, handbags and accessories, outdoor apparel, travel accessories, and women?s active wear primarily under the Vans, The North Face, JanSport, Eastpak, Kipling, Napapijri, Reef, Eagle Creek, and lucy brands; and denim and casual bottoms, and tops principally under Wrangler, Lee, Riders, Rustler, and Timber Creek by Wrangler brands. Its products also include occupational, athletic, and licensed apparel primarily under the Red Kap, Bulwark, Majestic, MLB, NFL, and Harley-Davidson brands; men?s fashion sportswear, denim bottoms, sleepwear, underwear, as well as handbags, luggage, backpacks, and accessories principally under the Nautica and Kipling brands; and denim and casual bottoms, sportswear, acce ssories, men?s apparel and footwear, and women?s sportswear primarily under the 7 For All Mankind, John Varvatos, Splendid, and Ella Moss brands. The company sells its products to specialty stores, department stores, national chains, and mass merchants primarily through its sales force, independent sales agents, and distributors. V.F. Corporation was founded in 1899 and is based in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Mike Deane]

  Before the opening bell on Friday morning, VF Corp (VFC) reported its fourth quarter earnings, posting higher revenues and earnings from last year’s Q4, but still missing analysts’ expectations.

  VFC’s Earnings in Brief

  VFC reported fourth quarter revenues of $3.258 billion, which are up 9% from last year’s Q4 revenues of $3.003 billion. Net income for the quarter came in at $367.7 million, up 10% from the $334 million reported for last year’s Q4. VF Corp reported Q4 EPS of 82 cents, up 9% from the 75 cents reported for last year’s Q4. VFC missed analysts’ EPS estimates of 84 cents, and came in slightly below revenue views of $3.34 billion. Looking ahead to FY2014, VFC sees EPS in the range of $3 to $3.05, which is below analysts’ expectations of $3.09.

  CEO Commentary

  VF’s chairman and CEO, Eric Wiseman, had the following to say about the company’s earnings:���013 was a terrific year for VF with record gross margin and earnings per share. The combined power of our brands and platforms remains our greatest competitive advantage enabling us to push the envelope on product innovation to connect even more intensely with consumers and providing stellar returns to our shareholders.”

  VFC Declares Dividend

  VF Corp declared its quarterly dividend of 26.25 cents, which is payable on March 20, 2014 to all shareholders on record as of March 10.

  Stock Performance

  VFC stock was down $3.59, or 5.99%, in pre-market trading. YTD, the company’s stock is down 3.99%.

5 Best US Stocks To Own Right Now: Kayne Anderson Energy Total Return Fund Inc (KYE)

Kayne Anderson Energy Total Return Fund, Inc. (the Fund) is a non-diversified closed-end investment company. The Fund�� investment objective is to obtain a high total return with an emphasis on current income. The Fund seeks to achieve this objective by investing primarily in securities of companies engaged in the energy industry, principally including publicly-traded energy-related master limited partnerships and limited liability companies taxed as partnerships (MLPs), MLP affiliates, energy-related United States and Canadian royalty trusts and income trusts and other companies that derive at least 50% of their revenues from operating assets used in, or providing energy-related services for, the exploration, development, production, gathering, transportation, processing, storing, refining, distribution, mining or marketing of natural gas, natural gas liquids (including propane), crude oil, refined petroleum products or coal.

Effective December 31, 2006, Kayne Anderson assigned the Investment Management Agreement to its subsidiary, KA Fund Advisors, LLC (the Adviser). The Fund focuses on investing at least 80% of the aggregate of its net assets and borrowings (total assets) in securities of Energy Companies. The Fund invests in equity securities, such as common stocks, preferred stocks, convertible securities, warrants, depository receipts, and equity interests in MLPs, MLP affiliates, royalty trusts and other Energy Companies.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Robert Rapier]

  We got several questions about Kayne Anderson Energy Total Return Fund (NYSE: KYE) during the chat. The main advantage of closed-end MLP funds is the diversification they provide, along with the convenience of a 1099 miscellaneous income tax form instead of having to deal with K-1 forms from each individual MLP. This makes a closed-end MLP fund a more attractive option for an IRA.

5 Best US Stocks To Own Right Now: ThyssenKrupp AG (TKA)

ThyssenKrupp AG is a Germany-based technology holding company operating in seven business areas. The Steel Europe division produces carbon steel flat products. The Steel Americas division is engaged in production, processing and marketing of high-grade carbon steels. The Materials Services division is engaged in global distribution of materials and the provision of complex technical services for the production and manufacturing sectors. The Elevator Technology division is engaged in the area of passenger transportation systems. The Plant Technology division focuses on specialty and large-scale plant construction. The Components Technology division is engaged in manufacturing components for the automotive, construction and engineering sectors as well as for wind turbines. The Marine Systems division focuses on naval and civil shipbuilding. Apart from its business areas, it provides business services, which are diversified into Business Services and Information Technology (IT) Services. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Corinne Gretler]

  Telekom Austria (TKA) slid 1.6 percent to 5.63 euros. Second-quarter earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization fell to 330.3 million euros ($439 million) from 364.8 million euros a year earlier. That compared with the average 332.7 million-euro analyst estimate.

• [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

  ThyssenKrupp AG (TKA), Germany�� largest steelmaker, rose to a five-week high. YOC AG (YOC) surged the most in more than three months after the mobile-phone advertising company said it sold 1.3 million euros ($1.7 million) of shares to increase capital. Lanxess AG (LXS), the chemical maker that joined the DAX in September, retreated 3.4 percent.

• [By Corinne Gretler]

  ThyssenKrupp AG (TKA) slumped 9.3 percent after Germany�� largest steelmaker raised 882.3 million euros ($1.21 billion) through a share sale. Standard Chartered Plc lost 8.1 percent. Sage Group (SGE) Plc, the U.K.�� biggest software maker, rose 6.8 percent after reporting revenue growth that exceeded analysts��estimates. AZ Electronic Materials SA surged 43 percent after Merck KGaA (MRK) agreed to buy it for about 1.6 billion pounds ($2.6 billion).