Hot Beverage Stocks To Watch For 2014

Global beverage titan Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO  ) has for a long time been one of Warren Buffett's largest holdings at Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-B  ) . Buffett began purchasing Coke stock in 1988, and the stock saw tremendous gains for the next decade, leading some observers to call Coca-Cola one of his greatest investments. Yet the stock's performance since 1998 has been decidedly mediocre.

Coke stock has joined in the recent market rally, more than doubling off its Great Recession low. That said, I'm skeptical that the company will be able to grow its bottom line enough to justify its generous P/E ratio of 20.7. Coca-Cola may therefore continue its long run as one of the biggest dogs of Buffett's portfolio.

A love affair with Coke
Coca-Cola has been the largest holding in Berkshire Hathaway's equity portfolio for much of the past two decades. In the earliest 13F filing available online from the SEC -- for the first quarter of 1999 -- Berkshire Hathaway reported holding 200 million shares of Coke stock, valued at $61.375 a share, or more than $12 billion in total.

Hot Beverage Stocks To Watch For 2014: Bunge Limited(BG)

Bunge Limited, through its subsidiaries, engages in the agriculture and food businesses worldwide. Its Agribusiness segment is involved in purchasing, storing, transporting, processing, and selling agricultural commodities and commodity products, such as oilseeds and grains, primarily comprising soybeans, rapeseed or canola, sunflower seed, wheat, and corn. This segment serves animal feed manufacturers, wheat and corn millers, third party edible oil processing companies, and other oilseed processors, as well as livestock, poultry, and aquaculture producers. The company?s Sugar and Bioenergy segment produces and sells sugar and ethanol; generates electricity from burning sugarcane bagasse; and trades and merchandises sugar. As of December 31, 2011, this segment had a total installed capacity of approximately 144 megawatts; and sugarcane plantations of approximately 183,000 hectares under cultivation. Its Edible Oil Products segment offers packaged vegetable, including pack aged and bulk oils, shortenings, margarines, mayonnaise, and other products to baked goods companies, snack food producers, restaurant chains, foodservice distributors, and other food manufacturers. The company?s Milling Products segment produces and sells various wheat flours and bakery mixes; corn-based products; corn milling products primarily comprising dry milled corn meals, flours, and grits, as well as soy-fortified corn meal and corn-soy blend; and packaged milled rice. This segment serves industrial, bakery, and foodservice companies; and companies in food processing sector. Its Fertilizer segment produces, blends, and distributes nitrogen, phosphate, and potash formulations used for the cultivation of soybeans, corn, sugarcane, cotton, wheat, and coffee. This segment also produces single super phosphate; and ammonia, urea, and liquid fertilizers for the agriculture industry. Bunge Limited was founded in 1818 and is headquartered in White Plains, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By David Sterman]

  Bunge (NYSE: BG) is involved in a wide range of agricultural businesses, from fertilizer sales to oilseed processing to wholesale sales of cooking oil. Bunge’s revenue has grown at a rapid pace, and it has topped quarterly profit estimates by an average of 25% in the past four quarters. Shares are currently trading below tangible book value and sport a forward P/E of 8.3.

• [By Portfolio Grader]

  Bunge’s (NYSE:BG) ratings are looking better this week, moving up to a C from last week’s A. Bunge is a global agribusiness and food company that operates in the farm-to-consumer food chain. 

Hot Beverage Stocks To Watch For 2014: Midlands Minerals Corporation(MEX.V)

Midland Minerals Corporation, a junior exploration stage company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties. It engages in the exploration of gold, precious metals, diamonds, and other resources in the continent of Africa. It has interests in Sian-Praso property, which covers an area of approximately 157 square kilometers located on the northwest of Accra, Ghana; and Kaniago property that consists of an area of approximately 25.5 square kilometers located on the Asankrangwa Gold Belt, Ghana. The company also has interests in Lwenge, Kishapu, Lalago, Vukene, and Itilima properties in the Lake Victoria Goldfields area in Tanzania; and Tamota, Mziha East, Ruanda, and Turian East properties in the Handeni area in Tanzania. Midlands Minerals Corporation is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

Top 5 Recreation Stocks To Watch For 2014: People's United Financial Inc.(PBCT)

People?s United Financial, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for People?s United Bank that provides commercial banking, retail and business banking, and wealth management services to individual, corporate, and municipal customers. Its Commercial Banking segment provides commercial and industrial lending, commercial real estate lending, and commercial deposit gathering services, as well as equipment financing, cash management, correspondent banking, and municipal banking services. The company?s Retail and Business Banking segment offers consumer and business deposit gathering services; consumer lending products, including residential mortgage, home equity, and indirect auto lending; business lending; and merchant services. Its Wealth Management segment provides trust services, corporate trust, brokerage, financial advisory services, investment management services, and life insurance and other insurance services, as well as private banking services. The company also offers online and telephone banking, and investment trading services, and automated teller machine (ATM) services. As of March 31, 2011, it operated a network of approximately 341 branches, including full-service supermarket branches, investment and brokerage offices, and commercial banking offices, as well as approximately 518 automated teller machines in Connecticut, Vermont, New York, New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts. The company was founded in 1842 and is headquartered in Bridgeport, Connecticut.