Top 5 Recreation Companies To Watch For 2014

When Tranzbyte Corp. (OTCMKTS:ERBB) and Medbox Inc. (OTCMKTS:MDBX) both announced they would be unveiling vending machines to dispense medical marijuana and/or recreational marijuana, fans and supporters of hemp/pot applauded the ease of access, but even some of the most die-hard supporters saw potential problems. Although the machines made by MDBX and ERBB would only dispense marijuana if a strong verification procedure had been successfully performed, there was just something a little un-nerving about an un-manned metal box that - given the right hacking capabilities - could be fooled into giving marijuana to someone who shouldn't have it. Or barring that, the machines (which are admittedly solid and stout) could still be vandalized, broken, or even outright stolen if left unprotected. Those are long shots, granted, but thieves know few bounds.

Top Information Technology Companies To Invest In Right Now: Marine Products Corp (MPX)

Marine Products Corporation (Marine Products), incorporated on August 31, 2000, designs, manufactures and sells recreational fiberglass powerboats in the sportboat, deckboat, cruiser, sport yacht and sport fishing markets. The Company sells its products to a network of 135 domestic and 69 international independent authorized dealers. The Company focuses to remain a manufacturer of recreational powerboats for sale to a range of consumers globally. The Company manufactures Chaparral sterndrive and inboard-powered pleasure boats including H2O Sport and Fish & Ski boats, SSi and SSX Sportboats, Sunesta Sportdecks and Xtreme Tow boats, Signature Cruisers, Premiere Sport Yachts and Robalo outboard sport fishing boats. The Company offers a range of products to the family recreational, cruiser and sport yacht markets through its Chaparral brand, and to the sport fishing market through its Robalo brand.

The Company's products include Chaparral - H2O Sport Series, which is a fiberglass multipurpose runabouts; Chaparral - SSi Wide tech, which is a fiberglass closed deck runabouts; Chaparral - SSX Sportdecks, which is a fiberglass bowrider crossover sportboats; Chaparral - Sunesta Xtreme Tow Boats, which is a fiberglass pleasure boats; Chaparral - Signature Cruisers, which is a fiberglass, accommodation-focused cruisers; Chaparral - Premiere Sport Yacht, which is a fiberglass sport yacht, and Robalo - Sport Fishing Boats, which is a sport fishing boats for freshwater lakes or saltwater use. Domestic sales are made through approximately 74 Chaparral dealers, 16 Robalo dealers and 45 dealers that sell both brands located in markets throughout the United States. Marine Products also has 69 international dealers.

The Company competes with Sea Hunt, Sea Fox, Grady-White, Boston Whaler, Everglades and Parker.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Calling all cash flows
  When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Marine Products (NYSE: MPX  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

• [By Sean Williams]

  Sink or swim
  Sometimes the best short-sale opportunities are small, under-the-radar companies. One that I feel fits the bill perfectly is fiberglass boat maker Marine Products (NYSE: MPX  ) .

Top 5 Recreation Companies To Watch For 2014: Nikon Corp (NINOF)

NIKON CORPORATION is mainly engaged in the manufacture and sale of image and video equipment. The Company operates in four business segments. The Precision Equipment segment offers semiconductor exposure apparatus and liquid crystal (LC) exposure apparatus. The Image segment provides digital single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras, compact digital cameras and interchangeable lens. The Instruments segment offers microscopes, measuring machines and semiconductor inspection equipment. The Others segment provides LC photomask substrates and optical components. As of March 31, 2013, the Company has 87 subsidiaries and 10 associated companies. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By MARKETWATCH]

  LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Japanese stocks opened lower Thursday, as gains for the yen and losses for Wall Street conspired to drive the Nikkei Stock Average (JP:NIK) down 1.2% to 15,333.35, extending Wednesday's 0.6% loss. The Topix fell 0.7%, with the U.S. dollar (USDJPY) slipping to 102.46 yen, down from around 楼102.80 at the start of the previous session, but off its lows in late Wednesday trade. Electronics firms and other techs helped lead the loss, with Sony Corp. (JP:6758) (SNE) falling 1.4%, Nikon Corp. (JP:7731) (NINOF) off 2.4%, and Alps Electric Co. (JP:6770) 1.8% lower. The Nikkei Asian Review reported Thursday that Japan looked set to post its first trade deficit for electronics goods this year. Shares of Yahoo Japan Corp. (JP:4689) (YAHOF) lost 1.4%, even as Bloomberg reported the firm was offering its stake in market-research firm Macromill Inc. (JP:3730) to U.S. private-equity firm Bain Capital at a premium to its most recent close. Shares of Macromill were untraded. Among gainers, Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp. (JP:9432) (NTT) rose 2.1%, following a 1.1% gain for its U.S.-listed shares.

• [By MARKETWATCH]

  LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- With the yen holding on to its gains and investors cautious as earnings season kicks off, Japanese stocks slid lower Friday after closing the previous day with some late-session gains. The Nikkei Stock Average (JP:NIK) fell 0.9% to 14,358.28, with the Topix down 0.8%, as the dollar bought 97.36 yen, little changed from 24 hours earlier. The relatively strong yen weighed on some names with high global exposure, as Sharp Corp. (JP:6753) (SHCAF) lost 1%, Pioneer Corp. (JP:6773) (PNCOF) dropped 1.6%, and Bridgestone Corp. (JP:5108) (BRDCF) fell 1.2%. An outlook cut from Canon Inc. (JP:7751) (CAJ) helped send its shares down 1%, while rival Nikon Corp. (JP:7731) (NINOF) lost 1.8%, though Olympus Corp. (JP:7733) (OCPNF) gained 1%. Telecoms were weak, with Softbank Corp. (JP:9984) (SFTBF) falling 2.5%, KDDI Corp. (JP:9433) (KDDIF) down 1.7%, and NTT DoCoMo Inc. (JP:9437) (NTDMF)

Top 5 Recreation Companies To Watch For 2014: Smith & Wesson Holding Corp (SWHC)

Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation (Smith & Wesson), incorporated on June 17, 1991, is a manufacturer of firearms. The Company manufactures a range of handguns, modern sporting rifles, hunting rifles, black powder firearms, handcuffs, and firearm-related products and accessories for sale to a range of customers, including gun enthusiasts, collectors, hunters, sportsmen, competitive shooters, individuals desiring home and personal protection, law enforcement and security agencies and officers, and military agencies in the United States and globally. It sell its products under the Smith & Wesson brand, the M&P brand, the Thompson/Center brand, and the Walther brand. The Company manufactures its firearm products at its facilities in Springfield, Massachusetts and Houlton, Maine. On July 26, 2012, it sold all of the assets of Smith & Wesson Security Solutions, Inc.

Firearms

During the fiscal year ended April 30, 2012 (fiscal 2012), the Company introduced multiple new handgun and modern sporting rifle models, and one new bolt action rifle platform. The Company's rifle introductions included the addition of the M&P15 300 Whisper to the Company's line of modern sporting rifles. As of April 30, 2012, the Company participated in three categories of the long-gun market and both core categories of the handgun market.

Handguns

The Company manufactures an variety of handgun models that include revolvers and pistols. A revolver is a handgun with a cylinder that holds the ammunition in a series of rotating chambers that are successively aligned with the barrel of the firearm during each firing cycle. There are two general types of revolvers: single-action and double-action. The Company's small-frame revolvers have been carried by law enforcement personnel and personal defense-minded citizens. The Company's revolvers are available in a variety of models and calibers, with applications in virtually all professional and personal markets.

The Company�� M! &P15 Series of modern sporting rifles are designed to satisfy the functionality and reliability needs of global military, law enforcement, and security personnel. These rifles are also popular as sporting target rifles and are sold to consumers through the Company's sporting good distributors, retailers, and dealers. The Company has a range of product portfolio of modern sporting rifles, which includes a lower price-point, sport model, a .22 caliber model, and a fully automatic model designed for the exclusive use of military and law enforcement agencies throughout the world.

Hunting Firearms

The Company manufactures three lines of bolt-action rifles under its Thompson/Center brand consisting of several models in each line. The Company's hunting rifles are offered in 16 different calibers. Bolt-action rifles operate by the cycling of a bolt handle that allows for both the loading and unloading of rounds through a magazine fed system.

During fiscal 2012, the Company introduced the Dimension bolt action rifle platform. Under the Company's Thompson/Center brand, the Company also offers seven models of American-made single shot black powder, or muzzle loader, firearms. The Company offers eight models of interchangeable, single shot firearm systems that deliver numerous gun, barrel, caliber configurations, and finishes. These systems can be configured as a center-fire rifle, rim-fire rifle, shotgun, black powder firearm, or single-shot handgun for use across the entire range of big- and small-game hunting.

Handcuffs

The Company manufactures handcuffs and restraints in the United States. The Company fabricates these products from the carbon or stainless steel.

Smith & Wesson Academy

Through the Smith & Wesson Academy, the Company offers instruction designed to meet the training needs of law enforcement and security customers worldwide. Classes are conducted at the Company's facility in Springfield, Massachusetts or o! n locatio! n around the world.

Specialty Services

The Company's services include forging, heat treating, finishing, and plating. It provides services to third-party customers.

The Company competes with Ruger,Taurus, Beretta, Glock, Heckler & Koch, Sig Sauer, Springfield Armory, Bushmaster, Rock River, Stag Arms, DPMS, Browning, Marlin, Remington, Ruger, Savage, Weatherby, CVA, Traditions, and Winchester.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Traders Reserve]

  Smith & Wesson (SWHC) has seen stock appreciation of 56% in the last year and is optimistic about the near future, raising its fiscal year 2014 revenue guidance to $615 million and earnings per share between $1.30 and $1.35.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  After the rapid-fire growth it experienced last year, the firearms industry is ready for a breather. Both Sturm, Ruger (NYSE: RGR  ) and Smith & Wesson Holding (NASDAQ: SWHC  ) still look like they're shooting out the lights, but with FBI background checks for gun applications cooling down considerably, investors might want to lower their sights for gunmakers just a bit.

• [By Garrett Cook]

  Shares of Smith & Wesson Holding (NASDAQ: SWHC) were 10.47 percent to $15.22 after the company issued downbeat forecast for the first quarter and fiscal year.

• [By James Brumley]

  Shares of Sturm, Ruger & Company (RGR) are up 65% year-to-date, and that’s with the sizable pullback from November’s highs. Smith & Wesson Holding (SWHC) has doled out a 57% reward for shareholders this year, with a big chunk of that coming in just the past few weeks. Those performances are far better than the market’s gain for the year.

Top 5 Recreation Companies To Watch For 2014: Dover Motorsports Inc (DVD)

Dover Motorsports, Inc. is a marketer and promoter of motorsports entertainment in the United States. The Company, through its subsidiaries, owned and operated Dover International Speedway in Dover, Delaware and Nashville Superspeedway near Nashville, Tennessee. During the year ended 2011, the Company�� facilities promoted 10 events under the auspices of the sanctioning body, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). During 2011, the Company promoted 2 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events, 4 NASCAR Nationwide Series events, 3 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series events, and 1 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East event.. On January 31, 2011, the Company sold its Memphis Motorsports Park facility.

Dover International Speedway

The Company has promoted NASCAR-sanctioned racing events at Dover International Speedway. As of December 31, 2011, it promoted six NASCAR-sanctioned events at the facility annually. Two races are in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series professional stock car racing circuit, two races are in the NASCAR Nationwide Series racing circuit, one race is in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series racing circuit and one race is in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East racing circuit. Each of the NASCAR Nationwide Series events and the Camping World Truck Series event at Dover International Speedway are conducted on the days before a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event. Dover International Speedway is one of only seven speedways in North America that presents two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events and two NASCAR Nationwide Series events each year. Additionally, it is one of only five tracks to host three NASCAR events at one facility on the same weekend.

Dover International Speedway, known as the Monster Mile, is a high-banked, one-mile, concrete superspeedway with permanent seating capacity of approximately 132,000. The superspeedway facility also features the Monster Bridge. The climate controlled bridge spans across the width of the superspeedway at a height of 29 feet ! and houses 50-luxury seats, a refreshment bar and other amenities.

Nashville Superspeedway

Nashville Superspeedway (Nashville) is a motorsports complex approximately 35 miles from downtown Nashville in Wilson County, Tennessee. The 1.33-mile concrete superspeedway has 25,000 permanent grandstand seats with an infrastructure in place to expand to 150,000 seats as demand requires. Additionally, construction included lights at the superspeedway to allow for nighttime racing and the foundation work for a dirt track, short track and drag strip. Nashville Superspeedway promoted two NASCAR Nationwide Series events and two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event, during 2011. The facility also hosted other regional and national touring events, as well as track rentals.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  Dover Motorsports, Inc. (NYSE:DVD) Board of Directors today declared an annual cash dividend on both classes of common stock of $.04 per share. The dividend will be payable on December 10, 2012 to shareholders of record at the close of business on November 10, 2012. Due to the seasonal nature of our business, we will evaluate dividends annually.