Top 5 Construction Stocks For 2014

With shares of Home Depot (NYSE:HD) trading around $79, is HD an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE or STAY AWAY? Let�� analyze the stock with the relevant sections of our CHEAT SHEET investing framework:

T = Trends for a Stock’s Movement

Home Depot�is a home improvement retailer that operates Home Depot stores, which are full-service, warehouse-style stores. The company sells an assortment of building materials, home improvement, lawn and garden products, and provides a number of services.�Home Depot stores serve three primary customer groups: do-it-yourself customers, do-it-for-me customers, and professional customers. Construction and improvement of new and existing homes and businesses is on the rise as consumers and business owners are investing where they operate. Look for the home and business improvement trend to continue, and for Home Depot to be a leading provider of the products and services consumers and professionals demand.

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T = Technicals on the Stock Chart are Strong

Hot Airline Stocks To Watch For 2015: Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas SA (FCC)

Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas SA (FCC) is a Spain-based company, which is primarily engaged, together with its subsidiaries in the construction and environmental services sector. The Company�� activities include the collection, treatment and elimination of solid urban waste, street cleaning, sewer system maintenance, green areas and buildings maintenance, urban transport, treatment and elimination of industrial waste, full-service water supply management and cement manufacture. The Company is also active in the real estate development, as well as in the renewable energy industry. In addition, the Company is a parent of Grupo FCC, a group which comprises a number of controlled entities. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Quick Pen]

  The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Department of Justice (DoJ) do not want the number of players in the telecom sector to shrink below four ��Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile. To this Sprint�� Son argues that the industry already has four players ��Verizon that purchased Vodafone�� stake in it, AT&T which plans to acquire DirecTV (DTV), and Comcast (CMCSA); Sprint would be the fourth one. But these antitrust issues have been a challenge for Sprint.

• [By Live Investor]

  What does the FCC have to say? The regulator�� reaction is nothing surprising. After Son met the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to convince them about the prospects of the proposed deal, Reuters reported that FCC chairman Tom Wheeler wasn�� quite impressed and had dubious thoughts on it.

Top 5 Construction Stocks For 2014: Bouygues SA (BOUYF.PK)

Bouygues SA is a France-based group that operates in two sectors: Telecommunications and Media, and Construction. The Construction division comprises three core subsidiaries: Bouygues Construction, specializing in building and public works activities, notably in the areas of electrical engineering, and facility maintenance; Bouygues Immobilier, a property development company, whose activities include the development of residential, corporate and commercial properties, and the execution of urban development schemes, and Colas, engaged in the construction and maintenance of transport, urban development and leisure infrastructure. The Telecommunications and Media division of the Group comprises two companies: TF1, specializing in audiovisual and cinema production, the acquisition and sale of audiovisual rights, and the publishing and distribution of compact discs, among others, and Bouygues Telecom, which offers mobile telephone and broadband Internet services. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Mike Arnold]

  I normally don't look at charts much, but comparing Orange to its competitors in the French telecommunications market is quite fascinating. As one can see, incumbents Bouygues (BOUYF.PK) and Vivendi (VIVHY.PK) (owner of SFR) saw similar price declines. The market, on the other hand, rapidly bid up the price of new entrant Iliad SA (ILIAF.PK), as a result of forecasts for Iliad to capture significant mobile market share (which it did, around 10%). The wide divergence in price relative to changes in underlying value favor going long the incumbents, including Orange. Because this time it's different.

Top 5 Construction Stocks For 2014: Oci NV (OCI)

Oci NV is a Netherlands-based company, which divides its activities into two groups. The first group is engaged in the design, construction and maintenance of industrial and commercial infrastructures and buildings, such as roads, ports, railroads, hospitals, stadiums and water treatment units. The second group is engaged in the production of fertilizers, such as anhydrous ammonia, granulated urea, calcium ammonium nitrate and urea ammonium nitrate, among others. The Company is a subsidiary of Orascom Construction Industries SAE, an international fertilizer producer and construction contractor based in Cairo, Egypt. In September 2013, it announced spin-off of its subsidiary OCI Partners LP. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ahmed A. Namatalla]

  OCI attracted $2 billion in commitments from a group of investors including Cascade Investment LLC, Gates�� personal investments vehicle, to help finance the move to Amsterdam, which it said would lower borrowing costs and boost its global profile. Yesterday�� settlement prompted Cairo-based investment bank Pharos Holding to raise Orascom to buy from hold, saying the construction and fertilizer company would proceed with an offer to investors to buy its Cairo-listed shares or swap them with OCI NV (OCI) stock.

Top 5 Construction Stocks For 2014: Armstrong World Industries Inc (AWI)

Armstrong World Industries, Inc. (AWI), incorporated on December 30, 1891, is a global producer of flooring products and ceiling systems for use in the construction and renovation of residential, commercial and institutional buildings. The Company designs, manufactures and sells flooring products (resilient and wood) and ceiling systems (mineral fiber, fiberglass and metal) globally. The Company segments includes: Building Products, Resilient Flooring and Wood Flooring. The Company�� Building Products, Resilient Flooring, Wood Flooring and Cabinets segments sell products for use in the home. Its products are used in new home construction and existing home renovation work. Its products, primarily ceilings and Resilient Flooring, are used in commercial and institutional buildings. On September 1, 2012, it sold Patriot Flooring Supply, Inc. to The Belknap White Group. Effective October 31, 2012, the Company sold of its cabinets business to American Industrial Partners.

Building Products

Building Products produces suspended mineral fiber, soft fiber and metal ceiling systems for use in commercial, institutional and residential settings. In addition, its Building Products segment sources complementary ceiling products. Its products, which are sold globally, are available in colors, performance characteristics and designs, and offer attributes, such as acoustical control, rated fire protection and aesthetic appeal. Commercial ceiling materials and accessories are sold to ceiling systems contractors and to resale distributors. Residential ceiling products are sold in North America to wholesalers and retailers, including home centers. Suspension system (grid) products manufactured by Worthington Armstrong Venture (WAVE) are sold by both the Company and WAVE.

Resilient Flooring

Resilient Flooring produces and sources a range of floor coverings for homes and commercial and institutional buildings. Manufactured products in this segment include vinyl sheet, v! inyl tile and linoleum flooring. In addition, its Resilient Flooring segment sources and sells laminate flooring products, vinyl tile products, vinyl sheet products, adhesives, and installation and maintenance materials and accessories. Resilient Flooring products are offered in a range of types, designs, and colors. It sells these products globally to wholesalers, home centers, retailers, contractors and to the manufactured homes industry.

Wood Flooring

The Company�� Wood Flooring segment produces and sources wood flooring products for use in new residential construction and renovation, with commercial applications in stores, restaurants and offices. The product offering includes pre-finished solid and engineered wood floors in various wood species, and related accessories. All of its Wood Flooring sales are in North America. Its Wood Flooring products are sold to independent wholesale flooring distributors and home centers.

The Company competes with Saint-Gobain, Chicago Metallic Corporation, Georgia-Pacific Corporation, Knauf AMF GmbH & Co. KG, Lafarge SA, Odenwald Faserplattenwerk GmbH, Rockfon A/S, USG Corporation, Amtico International, Inc., Beaulieu International Group, N.V., Boa-Franc, Inc., Congoleum Corporation, Faus, Inc., Forbo Holding AG, Gerflor Group, Interface, Inc., IVC Group, Krono Holding AG, LG Floors, Mannington Mills, Inc., Metroflor Corporation, Mullican Flooring, L.P., Mohawk Industries, Inc., Nora Systems GmbH, Pfleiderer AG, Shaw Industries, Inc., Somerset Hardwood Flooring, Tarkett AG.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Armstrong World Industries (NYSE: AWI) cut its Q3 forecast citing price pressures in Europe and a market shift in North America. Armstrong World shares declined 4.58% to $46.50 in the after-hours trading session.

• [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 Armstrong World Industries (NYSE: AWI  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.