Top 5 Companies To Buy Right Now

Increased oil production in the U.S. is leading to fewer oil imports from OPEC nations. That's beginning to concern the organization, which is conducting a review of North American production to determine its potential impact. Several U.S.-based companies are leading the charge to kill OPEC's stranglehold of the global oil market. Following are just five of the companies that have seen a dramatic jump in oil production in 2012 over 2011 levels.

1.�Kodiak Oil & Gas� (NYSE: KOG  )
Few companies are growing oil production as fast as Kodiak Oil & Gas. Last year, the Bakken driller grew its oil production a staggering 250% as its total oil sales volume went from 1.34 million barrels in 2011 up to 4.7 million barrels last year. This surge was fueled by the $1.5 billion in capital the company spent on both drilling and acquisitions. Kodiak looks to spend about the same amount this year, as its capital plans call for $740 million to drill 75 wells, while Kodiak also�recently announced that it was spending�$660 million to acquire additional acreage and production in the play.�

Hot Restaurant Stocks To Watch For 2015: Rambus Inc.(RMBS)

Rambus Inc. engages in the creation, design, development, and licensing of patented innovations, technologies, and architectures to digital electronics products and systems. Its patented innovations include Dual Edge Clocking, which is designed to allow data to be sent on the clock pulse; Variable Burst Length that improves data transfer efficiency by allowing varying amounts of data to be sent per a memory read or write request in dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and flash memory; and FlexPhase technology, which synchronizes data output and compensates for circuit timing errors. The company also offers Channel Equalization to improve signal integrity and system margins in high speed parallel and serial link channels; Module Threading, which improves the power efficiency of a memory module by applying parallelism to module data accesses; and MicroLens optical design technology, which provides optimum utilization of high-brightness light-emitting diodes (LED) in edge-lit lighting applications. In addition, it licenses its architectures and industry-standard solutions for use in digital electronics products and systems, including XDR Memory Architecture enabling the production of DRAM; XDR2 Memory Architecture that incorporates DRAM micro-threading for graphics intensive applications, such as gaming and digital video; Mobile XDR Memory Architecture, which enables applications, such as HD video recording and 3D gaming on battery powered mobile devices; RDRAM Memory used in play stations, Intel-based personal computers, televisions, and routers; and FlexIO Processor Bus, a high speed chip-to-chip interface. Further, the company offers industry-standard chip interface solutions, including DDRx; digital logic controllers for peripheral component interconnect express and other industry standard interfaces; and custom solutions for displays, LED backlights, and general lighting. Rambus Inc. was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, Ca lifornia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James E. Brumley]

  They say a company is judged by the company it keeps. What's less said - though never disputed - is that a company is equally judged by the kind of talent it can attract... winning people tend to only work for winning companies. In that light, the fact that the newest chief of Endeavor IP Inc. (OTCBB:ENIP) is a former executive from the ranks of Rambus Inc. (NASDAQ:RMBS) and Tessera Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSRA) should underscore just how seriously the market should be taking ENIP. RMBS and TSRA didn't become large powerhouses by hiring folks who don't know what they're doing, and conversely, the fact that a former Rambus and Tessera Technologies guy was willing to step into the unknown and take the helm at Endeavor IP speaks volumes about the potential of the young company's IP portfolio.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Rambus (NASDAQ: RMBS) was down, falling 6.02 percent to $11.56 after the company reported Q1 earnings of $0.17 per share on revenue of $78.30 million. Rambus also expected Q2 sales of $69.0 million to $74.0 million, versus analysts' estimates of $74.50 million.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  The problem, though, is that Micron needs to boost its prospects if it wants to stand up to its competition. Use of flash memory and solid-state memory drives has greatly increased demand for memory generally, and rivals are working hard to make their own inroads into trying to maximize that demand as long as it lasts. SanDisk (NASDAQ: SNDK  ) has not only come out with its own solid-state drives but has also teamed up with hard-disk drive giant Western Digital to produce hybrid solid-state hard-disk drives that combine the benefits of solid-state memory with the cost-effectiveness of traditional hard drives. Even Rambus (NASDAQ: RMBS  ) has soared to almost two-year highs thanks to a recent victory in getting SK Hynix to settle a patent dispute with the company, helping Rambus to ease the sting of having lost its major suit against Micron last year.

Top 5 Companies To Buy Right Now: Wyndham Worldwide Corp(WYN)

Wyndham Worldwide Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides various hospitality products and services to individual consumers and business customers in the United States and internationally. It offers its products and services under the Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, Ramada, Days Inn, Super 8, Howard Johnson, Wyndham Rewards, Wingate by Wyndham, Microtel, RCI, The Registry Collection, ResortQuest, Landal GreenParks, Novasol, Hoseasons, cottages4you, James Villa Holidays, Wyndham Vacation Resorts, and WorldMark by Wyndham brand names. The company?s Lodging segment franchises hotels in the upscale, midscale, economy, and extended stay markets of the lodging industry, as well as provides hotel management services for full-service hotels. Its Vacation Exchange and Rentals segment provides vacation exchange products and services, as well as access to distribution systems and networks to resort developers and owners of intervals of vacation ownership interests (VOIs); a nd markets vacation rental properties primarily on behalf of independent owners, vacation ownership developers, and other hospitality providers. Wyndham Worldwide Corporation?s Vacation Ownership segment develops and markets VOIs to individual consumers; and provides consumer financing in connection with the sale of VOIs, as well as offers property management services at resorts. The company is headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Zacks Investment Research]

  But what if that company has put together a hot streak of earnings beats? What if a company has beaten not just two or three quarters in a row, but 20 quarters in a row - or 5 years - without a miss? Apple (AAPL) had put together just such an impressive earnings surprise streak until it finally missed in late 2011. In the 6 quarters since the miss, it has missed another 3 times. Share price, however, peaked in between the second and third miss.

  But during its earnings surprise streak, investors were handsomely rewarded. Perfection Isn't Easy Even with all of the unknowns in investing, I'd rather buy a company that is on an earnings hot streak, than one that is dead cold. Companies with a perfect earnings track record for the last 5 years are a small select group. It's incredibly difficult to keep beating for 5 years through all the ups and downs in the economy. Management has to manage expectations very, very well. There's little room for error. That takes skill (and maybe some luck.) These three companies haven't missed in 5 years. I featured two of these companies last quarter and they came through with another earnings beat. Of course, an earnings beat doesn't necessarily mean a stock will rise afterwards. Being light on guidance or an earnings/sales warning, for instance, could put the damper on an earnings beat. But I still like my chances with an earnings beat versus an earnings miss. Will their streaks continue this earnings season? 3 Companies With Perfect Earnings Surprise Track Records1. Wyndham Worldwide (WYN)Wyndham is one of the largest hospitality companies in the world. It operates about 630,000 hotel rooms worldwide and operates vacation rentals and exchanges with over 106,000 vacation properties in 100 countries. It also operates a network of 190 timeshare properties with about 915,000 owners.Forward P/E = 15.4Expected 2013 earnings growth = 15%Zacks Rank #3 (Hold)Reporting second quarter results on July 24 2. Jarden Corporation (JAH)Jarde
• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Wednesday

  Earnings Expected: Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT), GlaxoSmithKline PLC (NYSE: GSK), Morningstar, Inc. (NASDAQ: MORN), Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. (NYSE: SWK), AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T), Wyndham  Worldwide Company (NYSE: WYN) Economic Releases Expected: U.S. CPI, Japanese manufacturing PMI, Chinese HSBC manufacturing PMI

  Thursday

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Companies that have had earnings revisions rise during the second quarter and are likely to beat earnings include Wyndham Worldwide (WYN),�CBRE Group (CBG), Consol Energy (CNX), McKesson (MCK) and Boston Properties (BXP), Sneider says.

Top 5 Companies To Buy Right Now: American Homes 4 Rent (AMH)

American Homes 4 Rent, incorporated on October 19, 2012, is an internally managed Maryland real estate investment trust (REIT). The Company is focused on acquiring, renovating, leasing and operating single-family homes as rental properties.

As of September 30, 2013, the Company owned 21,267 properties in desirable markets in 22 states including Cincinnati, Ohio; Columbus, Ohio ; Raleigh, North Carolina, Charlotte, North Carolina, Houston, Texas , Chicago, Illinois; Indianapolis, Indiana; Nashville, Tennessee ; Dallas / Fort Worth, Texas , and Columbia, South Carolina. In addition to single-family properties, the Company also focuses to invest in condominium units, townhouses and real estate-related debt investments.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Mark Holder]

  After an initial bump in Silver Bay, the stock has had a horrible 2013, now trading close to all-time lows. Recently, a couple of other IPOs in the sector have come to market with weak receptions. Both American Homes 4 Rent (NYSE: AMH  ) and American Residential Properties (NYSE: ARPI  ) offer different twists to the general thesis of investing in single-family rental properties to take advantage of the weakness in housing prices and the increased demand for rentals.

• [By Matt Koppenheffer and David Hanson]

  In this segment of The Motley Fool's financials-focused show, Where the Money Is, analysts Matt Koppenheffer and David Hanson discuss some of their favorite tweets of the day. Among the companies covered are Silver Bay (NYSE: SBY  ) , American Homes 4 Rent (NYSE: AMH  ) , and Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT  ) .

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  We saw the analyst quiet period end for American Homes 4 Rent (NYSE: AMH) and we have seen some mixed coverage in the name: BofA/Merrill Lynch was at Neutral, Goldman Sachs was at Neutral, Wells Fargo was at Market Perform and J.P. Morgan was at Overweight.

Top 5 Companies To Buy Right Now: Total SA (FP)

Total SA is a France-based integrated international oil and gas company. It is an integrated international oil and gas company and a chemicals manufacturer. Total engages in all aspects of the petroleum industry, including Upstream operations (oil exploration and production, together with activities related to natural gas), Refining & Chemicals (refining, petrochemicals, speciality chemicals, crude oil trading and shipping) and Marketing & Services (focused on the supply and sale of petroleum products, together with activities related to renewable energy). In April 12, 2013, it inaugurated the partnership with Veolia Environnement SA the Osilub plant. In July 2013, it sold its TIGF (Transport et Infrastructures Gaz France), gas transport and storage business. In September 2013, it announced the transfer to The National Gas Company of Trinidad &Tobago of all of its E&P assets in Trinidad through the sale of Total E&P Trinidad B.V and Elf Exploration Trinidad B.V. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Namitha Jagadeesh]

  Telecom Italia (TIT) SpA gained 1.7 percent as Telefonica SA agreed to increase its stake in the phone operator. Nokia Oyj added 2.4 percent after a U.S. judge found that HTC Corp. violated two of its patents. Total (FP) SA climbed 2.6 percent after Barclays Plc raised its rating on the oil producer. Burckhardt Compression Holding AG slid 7.3 percent after saying fiscal first-half net income will decline from the year-earlier period.

• [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

  Lloyds dropped 3.5 percent after the U.K. government sold a 3.2 billion-pound ($5.1 billion) stake in the lender. Continental and Galp Energia SGPS SA fell at least 2.5 percent as investors sold shares in the companies. Total SA (FP) retreated 1.3 percent following a report that Groupe Bruxelles Lambert SA may dispose of its 4 percent stake in the French oil producer.