Top Clean Energy Companies To Watch For 2014

Being the largest provider of hydraulic fracturing services in the world means that Halliburton's (NYSE: HAL  ) actions resonate throughout the energy industry. For those who are worried about the effect of natural gas fracking on the environment, this is a great thing. With its "Frac of the Future" initiative, Halliburton will begin supplying its customers with some of the most environmentally friendly equipment the business has ever seen.�

Whether its the Q10 pumps, which can operate on either liquefied or compressed natural gas in lieu of gasoline or diesel, or the solar powered SandCastle PS-2500 sand storage and delivery system, Halliburton has efficiency and the environment on its mind. A Noble Energy (NYSE: NBL  ) vice president even publicly praised the operations and its ability to minimize the company's "footprint both physically and with emissions".

Does the combination of big energy and clean energy pique your interest?
Domestic oil and gas service companies have taken a hit due to a slowdown in the natural gas drilling boom of the last couple of years. As this market looks to rebound, investors would be wise to consider Halliburton, one of the top companies in the business and one of those most in tune with the domestic market. To access The Motley Fool's new premium research report on this industry stalwart, simply click here now and learn everything you need to know about how Halliburton is positioning itself both at home and abroad.

Top Clean Energy Companies To Watch For 2014: Citigroup Inc.(C)

Citigroup, Inc., a global financial services company, provides consumers, corporations, governments, and institutions with a range of financial products and services. The company operates through two segments, Citicorp and Citi Holdings. The Citicorp segment operates as a global bank for businesses and consumers with two primary businesses, Regional Consumer Banking and Institutional Clients Group. The Regional Consumer Banking business provides traditional banking services, including retail banking, and branded cards in North America, Asia, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The Institutional Clients Group business provides securities and banking services comprising investment banking and advisory services, lending, debt and equity sales and trading, institutional brokerage, foreign exchange, structured products, cash instruments and related derivatives, and private banking; and transaction services consisting of treasury and trade solutions, and securiti es and fund services. The Citi Holdings segment operates Brokerage and Asset Management, Local Consumer Lending, and Special Asset Pool businesses. The Brokerage and Asset Management Business, through its 49% stake in Morgan Stanley Smith Barney joint venture and Nikko Cordial Securities, offers retail brokerage and asset management services. The Local Consumer Lending business provides residential mortgage loans, retail partner card loans, personal loans, commercial real estate, and other consumer loans, as well as western European cards and retail banking services. The Special Asset Pool business is a portfolio of securities, loans, and other assets. Citigroup Inc. has approximately 200 million customer accounts and operates in approximately 160 countries. The company was founded in 1812 and is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jessica Alling]

  Wednesday

  Bank Reserve Settlement: Every two weeks, the Federal Reserve has a checkup with banks to see their capital balances. You may see some movements in the federal funds rate as banks lend to each other at the last minute to meet their requirements. There has been some talk of raising capital requirements to a flat 6% of a bank's assets regardless of size, leaving JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM  ) , Bank of America (NYSE: BAC  ) , and Citigroup (NYSE: C  ) to worry that their current reserves are far below the proposed flat rate. For now, however, there is little to worry about, as each of the banks has shown that they meet current requirements through stress tests.
  MBA purchase applications: This is a weekly look at the mortgage application activity from the Mortgage Bankers Association. We've seen a decline in the overall rate of new applications, largely because increasing interest rates are deterring new refinancing activity. But this week's numbers may reflect the upswing seen in other housing data released of late.

  Thursday

Top Clean Energy Companies To Watch For 2014: Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc. (MMC)

Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc., a professional services company, provides advice and solutions in the areas of risk, strategy, and human capital. It operates in two segments, Risk and Insurance Services, and Consulting. The Risk and Insurance Services segment provides risk management and insurance broking, reinsurance broking, and insurance program management services for businesses, public entities, insurance companies, associations, professional services organizations, and private clients. The Consulting segment offers advice and services to the managements of organizations in the area of human resource consulting, comprising retirement and investments, health and benefits, outsourcing and talent; and strategy and risk management consulting, such as management, economic, and brand consulting. The company also provides investment consulting services for endowments and foundations in the United States; health and benefit recordkeeping, and employee enrollment technology; human resource knowledge, data, and solutions for professionals in various industries; and Medicaid policy consulting services. It principally serves customers in the United States, the United Kingdom, the Asia Pacific, and Continental Europe. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. was founded in 1871 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Reuters]

  Wendy Maeda/The Boston Globe via Getty Images NEW YORK -- Walgreen is moving 120,000 employees to a private health insurance exchange from coverage provided directly from carriers, the company will announce Wednesday. The pharmacy chain will join 17 other large employers on the Aon Hewitt Corporate Health Exchange as part of a growing movement to offer employees fixed dollar amounts to purchase their own plans on such exchanges. The end-cost to employees depends on the plan chosen, but they typically get more options than under traditional arrangements. Private exchanges mimic the coverage mandated as part of the Affordable Care Act. Enrollment in the public exchanges starts Oct. 1. "What happens to employer contributions over time? Will they put in as much as they put in the past? These are unanswered questions but potential negatives," says Paul Fronstin, a senior research associate with the Employee Benefit Research Institute. The benefit to Walgreen and other employers is unknown at this point, as their cost-savings aren't clear. Of the 180,000 Walgreen (WAG) employees eligible for health care insurance, 120,000 opted for coverage for themselves and 40,000 family members. Another 60,000 employees, many of them working part-time, weren't eligible for health insurance. Aon Hewitt (AON) says other participants in its program include retailer Sears Holding (SHLD) and Darden Restaurants (DRI). These new additions raise enrollment to 330,000 from 100,000 last year, and Aon Hewitt estimates enrollment will jump to 600,000 next year, a fivefold increase from 2012. By 2017, nearly 20 percent of employees nationwide could get their health insurance through a private exchange, according to Accenture Research (ACN). A recent report by the National Business Group on Health said that 30 percent of large employers are considering moving active employees to exchanges by 2015. Other major providers of private exchanges include Mercer, a division of Marsh & Mc

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  The real test for Obamacare
  In any event, the biggest challenge that Obamacare faces is getting its Health Insurance Marketplace up and running by Oct. 1. Although private exchanges from Marsh & McLennan (NYSE: MMC  ) subsidiary Mercer as well as Towers Watson (NYSE: TW  ) have done a good job of getting Aetna, UnitedHealth, and other popular insurers to participate in their programs, the reception that public exchanges have gotten has been far less favorable. Without a smooth launch in less than three months, Obamacare could find itself facing much greater criticism than it is today.

• [By CRWE]

  Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC) held its annual meeting of shareholders, at which the Company announced that its Board of Directors has voted to increase the Company�� quarterly cash dividend by 5 percent to $.23 per share on outstanding common stock.

Hot Dividend Companies To Watch In Right Now: DepoMed Inc.(DEPO)

Depomed, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company, develops and commercializes pharmaceutical products based on its proprietary oral drug delivery technologies. It sells Glumetza metformin hydrochloride extended-release tablets that are used as a once-daily treatment for adults with type 2 diabetes in the United States and Canada. The company also focuses to commercialize Gralise gabapentin tablets for the management of postherpetic neuralgia. Its products under development include Serada, which is in Phase III clinical trials for the treatment of menopausal hot flashes; DM-1992 that completed second Phase I study for the treatment of Parkinson's disease; and DM-3458, which completed proof of concept studies for gastroesophageal reflux disease. The company sells its Glumetza to wholesalers and retail pharmacies. It has collaboration or license arrangements with Santarus, Inc.; Merck & Co., Inc.; Covidien, Ltd.; Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V.; Boehringer Ingelheim International GMBH; and PharmaNova, Inc. The company was founded in 1995 and is based in Menlo Park, California.

Top Clean Energy Companies To Watch For 2014: Cascade Bancorp(CACB)

Cascade Bancorp operates as the holding company for Bank of the Cascades that offers a range of commercial and retail banking services. The company?s deposit products include checking, money market, time deposit, and savings accounts. Its loan portfolio comprises commercial real estate loans, real estate construction and development loans, commercial and industrial loans, and residential mortgage loans, as well as consumer installment, line-of-credit, credit card, and home equity loans. Cascade Bancorp also provides investment and trust related services, cash management services, Internet banking, automated teller machines, safe deposit facilities, electronic bill payment, and remote deposit services. The company operates 32 full service branches in central Oregon, southern Oregon, Portland/Salem, and Boise/Treasure Valley. It serves small to medium-sized businesses, municipalities and public organizations, and professional and consumer relationships. The company was foun ded in 1977 and is headquartered in Bend, Oregon.

Top Clean Energy Companies To Watch For 2014: Oshkosh Truck Corporation(OSK)

Oshkosh Corporation designs, manufactures, and markets a range of specialty vehicles, and vehicle bodies worldwide. Its Defense segment manufactures severe-duty, heavy, and medium-payload tactical trucks for the Department of Defense, including hauling tanks, missile systems, ammunition, fuel, and troops and cargo for combat units. The company?s Access Equipment segment offers aerial work platforms and telehandlers used in a range of construction, agricultural, industrial, institutional, and general maintenance applications. This segment also manufactures towing and recovery equipment and related parts; and leases equipments for short-term to rental companies. The company?s Fire and Emergency segment provides custom and commercial fire apparatus, and emergency vehicles, including pumpers, aerial and ladder trucks, tankers, rescue vehicles, wildland rough terrain response vehicles, mobile command and control centers, bomb squad vehicles, hazardous materials control vehicl es, and other emergency response vehicles. This segment also offers snow removal vehicles in airports; custom ambulances for private and public transporters, and fire departments; mobile medical trailers for medical centers and service providers; mobile command and control centers and simulation units; and vehicles for broadcasters, TV stations, broadcast production, and radio stations. Oshkosh Corporation?s Commercial segment manufactures refuse collection vehicles for the waste services industry; front and rear discharge concrete mixers, and portable and stationary concrete batch plants for the concrete ready-mix industry; and field service vehicles and truck-mounted cranes for the construction, equipment dealer, building supply, utility, tire service, and mining industries. The company was formerly known as Oshkosh Truck Corporation and changed its name to Oshkosh Corporation in February 2008. Oshkosh Corporation was founded in 1917 and is based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  The Department of Defense issued some 22 separate contract awards Thursday, totaling just under $1 billion in combined value. Not all of them went to publicly traded defense contractors, of course, but enough of them did to be worth mentioning. Here are a few of the lucky winners:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Stocks have battled back to little changed after falling this morning, as stocks like World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and Oshkosh (OSK) make big moves.

Top Clean Energy Companies To Watch For 2014: Echelon Corporation(ELON)

Echelon Corporation develops, markets, and supports energy control networking solutions worldwide. Its solutions enable everyday devices, such as air conditioners, appliances, electricity meters, light switches, thermostats, and valves to be inter-connected; and energy control networking platform powers energy-savings applications for smart grid, smart cities, and smart buildings. The company?s product portfolio includes twisted pair smart transceivers that can be embedded into building automation devices, such as sensors, thermostats, motion detectors, air handlers, and chillers; SmartServer controller, a system manager and field controller for building networks and smart-energy applications; LonWorks control networks software (LNS) and OpenLNS operating system, which are development and integration tools; and third party energy management or grid analytics software, and apps for the SmartServer in hosted or server-based configurations. It also offers PL/RF Bridge to con nect segments of streetlights to a SmartServer; smart meters that provide load profiling, time-of-use, display of energy consumption, and prepaid metering payment capabilities; edge control nodes that connect smart meters and open smart grid protocol (OGSP) -based grid devices; and networked energy system software to retrieve data from smart meters and other OSGP-based devices. In addition, the company provides Element Manager, a browser based software that provides network analysis, graphed statistics, and automated network management; and control point modules that enable original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to build OSGP compliant smart grid devices. It serves OEMs and systems integrators in the building, industrial, transportation, utility/home, and other automation markets through direct sales organization, electronics representatives, value-added resellers, and distributors. Echelon Corporation was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in San Jose, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Although small cap smart metering stock Silver Spring Networks Inc (NYSE: SSNI) recently soared on earnings, it also plunged yesterday�after loosing�out on important contract ��meaning it might be time to take a closer look at it along with other smart metering stocks like Itron, Inc (NASDAQ: ITRI) or Echelon Corporation (NASDAQ: ELON) to see if they are smart investments.