Top 10 Dow Dividend Companies To Own In Right Now

The average target-date fund posted returns of close to 4% return in the second quarter of 2014, according to Morningstar. The funds were buoyed by U.S. large-cap, emerging market and real estate equities, the research firm says in a report released Wednesday.

“During the second quarter of 2014, the average target-date fund gained 3.8%, falling in between the returns of the S&P 500 and the Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Indexes,” explained Jeremy Stempien and Cindy Galiano in the report, which was compiled by Ibbotson Associates and tracks 451 funds from 50 fund families.

In the quarter, emerging market equities rose 6.7%. Real estate equities improved 7.1%

For the 12-month period, the target-date funds had average returns in the high-teens territory; these results were tied to strong equity gains in the period. The average return was 17% compared to 24.6% for the S&P 500.

The major U.S. equity categories have improved 22.5% and up over the past 12 months, while emerging market equities rose 14.7%. Large-cap growth equities, for instance, jumped 26.9%. During the period, high-yield bonds increased 11.7%.

Top 5 Recreation Companies To Own For 2015: Escalade Incorporated (ESCA)

Escalade, Incorporated engages in the manufacture and sale of sporting goods, and information security and print finishing products worldwide. It operates in two segments, Sporting Goods, and Information Security and Print Finishing. The Sporting Goods segment manufactures, imports, and distributes family recreation, fitness, training, and hunting products. It offers archery products under the Bear Archery, Trophy Ridge, and Whisker Biscuit brands; table tennis under the STIGA and Ping-Pong brands; basketball backboards and goals under the Goalrilla, Goaliath, and Silverback brands; play systems under the Woodplay and Childlife brands; fitness products under The STEP and USWeight brands; hockey and soccer game tables under the Harvard Game, Atomic, and Accudart brands; and pool tables and accessories under the Mosconi and Mizerak brands. This segment offers its products through traditional department stores, mass merchandise retailers, and sporting goods specific retailers . The Information Security and Print Finishing segment offers shredders, disintegrators, degaussers, paper folders, letter openers, and paper cutters/trimmers under the martin yale, intimus, and papermonster brands. It offers products and services directly to end-users, as well as through retailers, wholesalers, catalogs, specialty dealers, and business partners. This segment focuses on corporate customers, governments, and strategic business partners. Escalade, Incorporated was founded in 1922 and is headquartered in Evansville, Indiana.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Escalade (NASDAQ: ESCA) shares gained 1.51% to reach a new 52-week high of $14.80. Escalade shares have jumped 140.20% over the past 52 weeks, while the S&P 500 index has gained 16.64% in the same period.

Top 10 Dow Dividend Companies To Own In Right Now: Ecolab Inc (ECL)

Ecolab Inc. (Ecolab), incorporated in 1924, develops and markets products and services for the hospitality, foodservice, healthcare and industrial markets. The Company provides cleaning and sanitizing products and programs, as well as pest elimination, equipment maintenance and repair services primarily to customers in the foodservice, food and beverage processing, hospitality, healthcare, government and education, retail, textile care, commercial facilities management and vehicle wash sectors. The Company business segments include United States Cleaning & Sanitizing segment, United States Other Services segment, International segment, Water Services segment, Paper Services segment and Energy Services segment. In April 2013, it acquired Champion Technologies and its related company Corsicana Technologies. In August 2013, Ecolab Inc. sold all the capital equipment design and build business of its Mobotec air emissions control business to The Power Industrial Group.

In March 2011, the Company purchased the assets of O.R. Solutions, Inc. In December 2011, it merged with Nalco Holding Company. In December 2011, the Company acquired Esoform. In December 2011, the Company acquired the InsetCenter pest elimination business in Brazil. In March 2012, it acquired Econ Industria e Comercio de Produtos de Higiene e Limpeza Ltda. On December 1, 2012, the Company's Vehicle Care division was purchased by a wholly owned subsidiary of Zep Inc.

United States Cleaning & Sanitizing Segment

The United States Cleaning & Sanitizing segment consists of six business units, which provide cleaning and sanitizing products and programs to United States markets. The Institutional Division sells specialized cleaners and sanitizers for washing dishes, glassware, flatware, foodservice utensils and kitchen equipment (warewashing), for on-premise laundries (typically used by hotel and healthcare customers) and for general housekeeping functions, as well as food safety products and equipment, dish! washer racks and related kitchen sundries to the foodservice, lodging, educational and healthcare industries. The Institutional Division also provides pool and spa treatment programs for hospitality and other commercial customers, as well as a range of janitorial cleaning and floor care products and programs to customers in hospitality, health care and commercial facilities. The Institutional Division develops and markets various chemical dispensing device systems, which are made available to customers, to dispense its cleaners and sanitizers. In addition, the Institutional Division markets a lease program consisted of dishwashing machines, detergents, rinse additives and sanitizers, including full machine maintenance.

The Food & Beverage division addresses cleaning and sanitation at the beginning of the food chain to facilitate the processing of products for human consumption. The Division provides detergents, cleaners, sanitizers, lubricants and animal health products, as well as cleaning systems, electronic dispensers and chemical injectors for the application of chemical products, primarily to dairy plants, dairy farms, breweries, soft-drink bottling plants, and meat, poultry and other food processors. The Food & Beverage Division is also a developer and marketer of antimicrobial products used in direct contact with meat, poultry, seafood and produce during processing in order to reduce microbial contamination. The Food & Beverage Division also designs, engineers and installs clean-in-place (CIP) process control systems and facility cleaning systems for its customer base.

Ecolab�� Kay business unit supplies cleaning and sanitizing chemical products and related items primarily to regional, national and international quick service restaurant (QSR) chains and to regional and national food retailers (supermarkets and grocery stores). Its products include specialty and general purpose hard surface cleaners, degreasers, sanitizers, polishes, hand care products and assorted clea! ning tool! s and equipment, which are primarily sold under the Kay and Ecolab brand names. Kay supports its product sales with employee training programs and technical support designed to meet the needs of its customers.

Both Kay�� QSR business and its food retail business utilize a corporate account sales force, which establishes relationships and negotiates contracts with customers at the corporate headquarters and regional office levels and a field sales force, which provides program support at the individual restaurant or store level. Customers in the QSR market segment are primarily supplied through third-party distributors. The Healthcare Division provides infection prevention and other healthcare related offerings to acute care hospitals, surgery centers, dental offices and veterinary clinics. The Healthcare Division�� infection prevention products (hand hygiene, hard surface disinfectants, instrument cleaners, patient drapes, fluid control and equipment drapes) are sold primarily under the Ecolab and Microtek brand names to various departments within the acute care environment (Infection Control, Environmental Services, Central Sterile and Operating Room).

The Textile Care Division provides chemical laundry products and dispensing systems, as well as related programs, to large industrial and commercial laundries. The Textile Care Division�� customers include free-standing laundry plants used by institutions, such as hotels, restaurants and healthcare facilities, as well as industrial and textile rental laundries. Products and programs include laundry cleaning and specialty products, related dispensing equipment, plus water and energy management. The Vehicle Care Division provides vehicle appearance products, which include soaps, polishes, sealants, wheel and tire treatments and air fresheners. Products are sold to vehicle rental, fleet and consumer car wash and detail operations. Brand names utilized by the Vehicle Care Division include Blue Coral, Black Magic and Rain-X.

United States Other Services Segment

The United States Other Services segment consists of two business units: Pest Elimination and Equipment Care. The Pest Elimination Division provides services designed to detect, eliminate and prevent pests, such as rodents and insects, in restaurants, food and beverage processors, educational and healthcare facilities, hotels, quick service restaurant and grocery operations and other institutional and commercial customers. Equipment Care Division provides equipment repair and maintenance services for the commercial food service industry. Repair services are offered for in-warranty repair, acting as the manufacturer�� authorized service agent, as well as after warranty repair. In addition, Equipment Care operates as a parts distributor to repair service companies and end use customers.

International Segment

The Company conducts business in approximately 74 countries outside of the United States through wholly owned subsidiaries or, in the case of Venezuela, through joint ventures with local partners. In other countries, selected products are sold by the Company�� export operations to distributors, agents or licensees. Its International operations are located in Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Canada, with smaller operations in Africa and the Middle East.

Water Services and Paper Services Segments

The Water and Process Services business consist of two segments: Water Services, which focuses on customers across industrial and institutional markets, and Paper Services, serving the pulp and paper industries. It serve customers in the aerospace, chemical, pharmaceutical, mining and primary metals, power, food and beverage, medium and light manufacturing and pulp and papermaking industries as well as institutional clients such as hospitals, universities, commercial buildings and hotels. The Paper Services segment offers a portfolio of programs that are used in all principal steps of the papermak! ing proce! ss and across all grades of paper, including graphic grades, board and packaging, and tissue and towel.

It provides water treatment capabilities to a range of industries. The water treatment applications include cooling water applications, boiler water applications, raw water/potable water preparation, wastewater applications and water reuse and recycling. Its cooling water treatment programs are designed to control the main problems associated with cooling water systems, such as corrosion, scale and microbial fouling and contamination in open recirculating, once-through and closed systems. Its three dimensional (3D) TRASAR technology for cooling water is automated system for simultaneous control of corrosion, scale and microbial fouling and contamination. It also provides pulp and papermaking applications.

Energy Services Segment

The Energy Services Division provides on-site, technology-driven solutions to the global drilling, oil and gas production, refining, and petrochemical industries. In addition to recovery, production and process enhancements, it delivers a range of water treatment offerings to refineries and petrochemical plants. The Energy Services Division is divided into an Upstream group composed of its Adomite, Oil Field Chemicals and Enhanced Oil Recovery businesses and a Downstream refinery and petrochemical processing service business.

The Adomite group offers a range of product solutions. It supplies chemicals for the cementing, drilling, fracturing and acidizing phases of well drilling and stimulation. The Oilfield Chemicals business provides solutions to the oil and gas production sector. It focuses in crude oil and natural gas production, pipeline gathering/transmission systems, gas processing, and heavy oil and bitumen upgrading. TIORCO business globally markets custom-engineered chemical solutions. Its services include reservoir screening, target validation, laboratory and reservoir simulation work, secondary flood optimization! , tertiar! y recovery flood design and implementation and when needed, a produced water treatment solution. It provide total water management solutions to customers��refining and chemical processing needs, including boiler treatment, cooling water treatment and wastewater treatment.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By guruek]

  According to GuruFocus Insider Data, these are the largest insider buys during the past week: Kimberly-Clark Corporation (KMB), Ecolab Inc. (ECL), Delta Air Lines Inc. (DAL), Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (GMCR), and NiSource Inc. (NI).

• [By Mani]

  Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) has generated consistently strong earnings growth over the past two decades. Its robust and durable competitive advantages derive from its heavy R&D focus, innovative products, and sizable highly-trained sales force.

Top 10 Dow Dividend Companies To Own In Right Now: Rubicon Minerals Corp(RBY)

Rubicon Minerals Corporation, a mineral exploration company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties in Canada and the United States. It primarily explores for gold and base metal deposits. The company?s key asset is the Phoenix Gold Project located in the Red Lake gold camp, in the Province of Ontario. As of March 31, 2010, it controlled approximately 65,000 acres of prime exploration ground in the prolific Red Lake gold district of Ontario, Canada, as well as approximately 380,000 acres surrounding the Pogo Mine in Alaska and approximately 225,000 acres in northeast Nevada. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sean Williams]

  Another reason this fund looks attractive (at least to me) is that Rubicon Minerals (NYSEMKT: RBY  ) is one of its largest holdings at 6.02% of its assets as of May 10, 2013. Rubicon is in the late stages of the development process for the F2 Gold System, which has yielded drilling assessments as high as 767 grams/ton. F2 appears to be just as bountiful in gold well below the surface as it is near the surface, which could mean a very long and profitable mine life for Rubicon.

Top 10 Dow Dividend Companies To Own In Right Now: American Science and Engineering Inc.(ASEI)

American Science and Engineering, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells X-ray inspection and other detection products for detection and security screening solutions in the United States and internationally. It offers cargo inspection systems comprising non-intrusive inspection products, which are primarily used for the screening of trucks, cars, cargo containers, pallets, and air cargo at border crossings, seaports, military bases, airports, and cargo and transportation hubs. The cargo inspection systems include OmniView gantry system, a cargo and vehicle inspection system; Z Portal system, a drive-through inspection system for scanning cargo and vehicles; Z Gantry system, a Z Backscatter inspection system for scanning cars, vans, trucks, and their cargo; Sentry Portal system, a drive through transmission X-ray inspection system; and MobileSearch High-Energy, a mobile inspection system for scanning trucks, cargo containers, and ve hicles. The company also provides Z Backscatter systems, including Z Backscatter Van, a mobile X-ray screening system to produce photo-like images of plastic explosives or other anomalies; and ZBV Military Trailer, a rugged X-ray screening system built on military trailer. In addition, it offers parcel and personnel screening inspection system that comprises Gemini system, a parcel and baggage inspection system; and SmartCheck system, a personnel screening system for screening threats hidden under a person?s clothing. Further, the company provides contract research and development programs for agencies of the United States government; and maintenance, warranty, engineering, and training services. It serves authorities responsible for port and border security, customs agencies, military organizations, high threat commercial and government facilities, aviation security agencies, and law enforcement agencies. The company was founded in 1958 and is headquartered in Billerica, M assachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James E. Brumley]

  For tech-savvy investors who know which companies make them, when they hear the words "weapons detection" or "body scanners", they tend to think of companies like American Science & Engineering, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASEI) and OSI Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:OSIS). And well they should. OSIS and ASEI are two of the biggest North American providers of the kind of equipment you might see being used by airport security personnel screening passengers before allowing them to their gate. There's just one challenge in the average school system tapping OSI Systems or American Science & Engineering to help defend their school grounds.... their hardware starts with a six-figure price tag, and rapidly works its way up to higher-capacity and more powerful versions. For a school with multiple doors, it's simply not feasible. View Systems Inc. is a viable alternative.

Top 10 Dow Dividend Companies To Own In Right Now: Alstom SA (AOMFF)

Alstom SA is a France-based company that specializes in the manufacture of transport and energy infrastructure. The Company divides its activity into three sectors. The Power Sector offers a range of power generation solutions from integrated power plants for all types of fuel to a range of services, including plant modernization, maintenance and operational support. The Transport Sector serves the rail passenger travel and freight markets with rail transport products, systems and services. Alstom SA designs, develops and manufactures trains, and develops and implements system solutions for rail control. It also designs and manages the creation of new railway lines, and offers maintenance and renovation programs. The Grid Sector designs and manufactures equipment and engineered turnkey solutions to manage power grids and transmit electricity from the power plant to the user. In January 2013, the Company acquired Tidal Generation Limited. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By reports.droy]

  Investors need to take note of GE�� expectations from the industrial segment. The company hopes that industrial segment would comprise 75% of its earnings by 2017. GE is also working on the approval process to acquire Alstom (AOMFF) Power and Grid businesses for about $16 billion. The deal would possibly add close to $0.06 to $0.09 per share in 2016, since it�� expected to close by end of next year.

Top 10 Dow Dividend Companies To Own In Right Now: Alliance Capital Management Holding L.P. (AB)

AllianceBernstein Holding L.P. provides investment management and related services in the United States and internationally. It offers institutional services, including separately-managed accounts, sub-advisory relationships, structured products, collective investment trusts, mutual funds, hedge funds, and other investment vehicles to unaffiliated corporate and public employee pension funds, endowment funds, domestic and foreign institutions, and governments. The company also provides retail services comprising retail mutual funds, sub-advisory relationships with mutual funds sponsored by third parties, and separately managed account programs sponsored by various financial intermediaries and other investment vehicles. In addition, it provides separately managed accounts, hedge funds, mutual funds, and other investment vehicles for private clients, including high-net-worth individuals, trusts and estates, charitable foundations, partnerships, and private and family corporat ions. Further, AllianceBernstein Holding L.P. offers research services to institutional investors through research, portfolio analysis, and brokerage-related services; and equity capital markets services to issuers of publicly-traded securities. Additionally, it provides distribution, shareholder servicing, and administrative services to its sponsored mutual funds. AllianceBernstein Corporation serves as the general partner of the company. AllianceBernstein Holding L.P. was founded in 1987 and is based in New York, New York. AllianceBernstein Holding L.P. operates as a subsidiary of AXA.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  In the following video, Dan Caplinger, The Motley Fool's director of investment planning, goes through a few situations where an IRA rollover might not be ideal. Dan notes that Franklin Templeton (NYSE: BEN  ) , AllianceBernstein (NYSE: AB  ) , Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS  ) , and other companies often offer cheaper class of mutual funds that would otherwise carry sales loads or higher fees outside a 401(k). Dan also talks about company stock and the special rules for 401(k)s that own it, as well as the importance of looking at overall fees to decide if your 401(k) is the best place to invest or whether an IRA rollover will help you more.

Top 10 Dow Dividend Companies To Own In Right Now: CRB Futures Index(CR)

Crane Co. manufactures and sells engineered industrial products in the United States and internationally. The company operates in five segments: Aerospace & Electronics, Engineered Materials, Merchandising Systems, Fluid Handling, and Controls. The Aerospace & Electronics segment offers pressure, fuel flow, and position sensors and subsystems; brake control systems; coolant, lube and fuel pumps; and seat actuation products. This segment also provides power supplies and custom microelectronics for aerospace, defense, medical, and other applications; and electrical power components, power management products, electronic radio frequency, and microwave frequency components and subsystems for the defense, space, and military communications markets. The Engineered Materials segment manufactures fiberglass-reinforced plastic panels for the truck trailer and recreational vehicle markets, industrial markets, and the commercial construction industry. The Merchandising Systems segmen t offers vending solutions, such as food, snack, and beverage vending machines; and vending machine software and online solutions, as well as payment solutions, including coin accepters and dispensers, coin hoppers, coin recyclers, bill validators, and bill recyclers. The Fluid Handling segment manufactures and sells various industrial and commercial valves and actuators; provides valve testing, parts, and services; manufactures and sells pumps and water purification solutions; distributes pipe, pipe fittings, couplings, and connectors; and designs, manufactures, and sells corrosion-resistant plastic-lined pipes and fittings. The Controls segment produces ride-leveling, air-suspension control valves for heavy trucks and trailers; pressure, temperature, and level sensors; ultra-rugged computers, measurement and control systems, and intelligent data acquisition products; and water treatment equipment. Crane Co. was founded in 1855 and is based in Stamford, Connecticut.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Basic guidelines
  In this series, I examine inventory using a simple rule of thumb: Inventory increases ought to roughly parallel revenue increases. If inventory bloats more quickly than sales grow, this might be a sign that expected sales haven't materialized. Is the current inventory situation at Crane (NYSE: CR  ) out of line? To figure that out, start by comparing the company's inventory growth to sales growth. How is Crane doing by this quick checkup? At first glance, OK, it seems. Trailing-12-month revenue increased 0.6%, and inventory decreased 2.4%. Comparing the latest quarter to the prior-year quarter, the story looks decent. Revenue dropped 2.8%, and inventory contracted 2.4%. Over the sequential quarterly period, the trend looks OK but not great. Revenue dropped 0.4%, and inventory grew 2.0%.