5 Best Financial Stocks To Own For 2014

The selling pressure on mREITs continues. As investors voice concerns over firms' ability to navigate a changing interest rate environment, many mREIT stocks have been pummeled.

One of the biggest movers today is Armour Residential REIT (NYSE: ARR  ) , falling over 6% at one point. Two mREITs run by Gary Kain, American Capital Agency (NASDAQ: AGNC  ) and American Capital Mortgage (NASDAQ: MTGE  ) , were also trading lower.

In this video, Motley Fool financial analysts David Hanson and Matt Koppenheffer discuss the mREIT industry and what they will be watching going forward.

The largest player in the mREIT space is Annaly Capital, and there's no question its double-digit dividend is eye-catching. But can investors count on that payout sticking around? With the Federal Reserve keeping interest rates at historically low levels, Annaly has had to scramble to defend its bottom line. In The Motley Fool's premium research report on Annaly, senior analysts Ilan Moscovitz and Matt Koppenheffer uncover the key challenges the company faces and divulge three reasons investors may consider buying it. Simply click here now to claim your copy today!

5 Best Financial Stocks To Own For 2014: Hong Fok Corporation Ltd (H30.SI)

Hong Fok Corporation Limited, an investment holding company, engages in property investment, property development and construction, property management, investment trading, and investment holding and management businesses. It develops retail, commercial, and residential units, as well as sells residential units. The company�s investment properties include International Building, a 12-storey commercial building; the Concourse, a 41-storey office tower block with 2 basements; and Concourse Skyline, a retail unit, as well as a vacant land at Claymore Hill. It is developing Concourse Skyline, a part 4/part 7-storey podium car park and apartments with commercial units on the 1st storey, 2 blocks of part 20/part 28-storey, and part 34/part 40-storey housing a total of 360 residential units and 9 retail units. The company�s development properties also comprise Jewel of Balmoral, a 10-storey residential development; and ten@suffolk, a part 13/part 15-storey residential developme nt. Hong Fok Corporation Limited is based in Singapore.

5 Best Financial Stocks To Own For 2014: Ramco-Gershenson Properties Trust(RPT)

Ramco-Gershenson Properties Trust, a real estate investment trust (REIT), engages in the ownership, development, acquisition, management, and leasing of community shopping centers, single tenant retail properties, and one regional mall in the Midwestern, Southeastern, and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. As of December 31, 2007, the company owned interests in 89 shopping centers, which included 65 community centers, 21 power centers, 2 single tenant retail properties, and 1 enclosed regional mall. Ramco-Gershenson Properties has elected to be a taxable REIT for federal income tax purposes. As a REIT, it would not be subject to federal income taxes, if it distributes approximately 90% of its taxable income to its shareholders. The company was founded in 1988 and is based in Farmington Hills, Michigan with additional office in Boca Raton, Florida.

Top Stocks To Buy: Associated Banc-Corp(ASBC)

Associated Banc-Corp, a bank holding company, offers various banking and financial services to individuals and businesses primarily in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Minnesota. Its Banking segment provides loans and deposit products to businesses, governments, and consumers. Its products and services include checking, savings, money market deposit, and IRA accounts, as well as certificates of deposit and safe deposit boxes; and home equity loans and lines of credit, residential mortgage loans and mortgage refinancing, education loans, and personal and installment loans. This segment?s products and services also include business checking accounts, business loans, real estate financing, construction loans, letters of credit, revolving credit arrangements, business credit cards, equipment and machinery leases, night depository, cash management, international banking, check clearing, safekeeping, and other banking-based services. The company?s Wealth Management segment provides va rious fiduciary, investment management, advisory, and corporate agency services for individuals, corporations, small businesses, charitable trusts, endowments, foundations, and institutional investors. This segment also offers life, property, casualty, and credit and mortgage insurance, as well as fixed annuities and employee group benefits consulting and administration services; investment brokerage, variable annuities, and discount and online brokerage services; and trust/asset/investment management, administration of pension, profit-sharing and other employee benefit plans, personal trusts, and estate planning services. The company offers its products through branch facilities, loan production offices, supermarket branches, a customer service call center, an interstate automated teller machine network, and Internet banking services. As of December 31, 2010, its banking subsidiary had 280 offices in approximately 150 communities. The company was founded in 1964 and is base d in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

5 Best Financial Stocks To Own For 2014: Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior S.A. (BLX)

Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S.A. provides trade financing to commercial banks, middle-market companies, and corporations primarily in Latin America and the Caribbean. The company operates in three segments: Commercial, Treasury, and Asset Management. The Commercial segment offers deposits and loans for foreign trade transactions. This segment also provides various products, services, and solutions relating to foreign trade, which include co-financing arrangements, underwriting of syndicated credit facilities, structured trade financing, asset-based financing in the form of factoring, vendor financing and leasing, and other fee-based services, such as electronic clearing services. The Treasury segment offers liquidity management and investment securities activities, including management of interest rate, liquidity, price, and currency risks. The Asset Management segment provides asset management services, including investment advisory services for funds and managed accounts. This division is involved in trading foreign exchange, interest rate swaps, and derivative products. The company was formerly known as Banco Latinoamericano de Exportaciones, S.A. and changed its name to Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S.A. in June 2009. Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S.A. was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Panama City, the Republic of Panama.

5 Best Financial Stocks To Own For 2014: The NASDAQ OMX Group Inc.(NDAQ)

The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. provides trading, clearing, exchange technology, securities listing, and public company services worldwide. It offers trading across various asset classes, including cash equities, derivatives, debt, commodities, structured products, and exchange traded funds; capital formation solutions; financial services and exchanges technology; market data products; and financial indexes, as well as clearing, settlement, and depository services. The company also provides broker services comprising technology and customized securities administration solutions, such as back-office systems to financial participants. In addition, it offers global listing services; technology solutions for trading, clearing, settlement, and information dissemination; and facility management integration, surveillance solutions, and advisory services, as well as develops and licenses NASDAQ OMX branded indexes, associated derivatives, and financial products. As of December 31, 2010 , a total of 2,778 companies listed securities on The NASDAQ Stock Market. The NASDAQ OMX Group supports the operations of approximately 70 exchanges, clearing organizations, and central securities depositories. The company was formerly known as The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. and changed its name to The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. in February 2008. The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. was founded in 1971 and is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dividend]

  NASDAQ OMX Group (NDAQ) has a market capitalization of $4.07 billion. The company employs 2,503 people, generates revenue of $3.438 billion and has a net income of $383 million. The firm’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) amounts to $787 million. The EBITDA margin is 22.89 percent (the operating margin is 19.72 percent and the net profit margin 11.14 percent). 
  
  Financial Analysis: The total debt represents 15.02 percent of the company’s assets and the total debt in relation to the equity amounts to 42.54 percent. Due to the financial situation, a return on equity of 7.98 percent was realized. Twelve trailing months earnings per share reached a value of $1.99. Last fiscal year, the company paid $0.00 in the form of dividends to shareholders. 
  
  Market Valuation: Here are the price ratios of the company: The P/E ratio is 12.41, the P/S ratio is 1.18 and the P/B ratio is finally 0.86. The dividend yield amounts to 2.11 percent and the beta ratio has a value of 0.84.