Top 5 Shipping Stocks To Watch Right Now

The recent strength from Sino-Global Shipping America, Ltd. (NASDAQ:SINO) and the now-renewed strength from Safe Bulkers, Inc. (NYSE:SB) would suggest those two stocks are among the very best ways to play the rebound currently unfurling in the shipping sector. And to be fair, both are fine companies in their own right. The top play in the dry goods maritime shipping arena, however, may well be Diana Shipping Inc. (NYSE:DSX). No, DSX isn't one of the fun and exciting small caps in the maritime shipping space. But, there's a lot to be said for size and stability, which SB and SINO can't offer.

First things first. The rising tide that's lifting all these boats is the strong improvement in the Baltic Dry Index. The Baltic Dry Index, or BDI, is a measure of the daily charter rates shipping companies like Safe Bulkers or Diana Shipping command. It's currently at 1922, up from only 1420 on November 22nd. This is also the second wave of bullishness from the Baltic Dry Index. The first wave was the rise from 805 in June to September's peak of 2115 in early October. That surge alone snapped the BDI out of a long-term funk, but if there was any doubt about the longevity of a much strong charter-rate environment, the current surge should quell it. The rebound is for real.

10 Best Biotech Stocks To Buy Right Now: Electro-Sensors Inc.(ELSE)

Electro-Sensors, Inc. engages in the manufacture and distribution of industrial production monitoring and process control systems; and the development and distribution of PC-based software for automated survey processing and hand printed character recognition. Its Production Monitoring Division manufactures and sells various monitoring systems that measure actual machine production and operation rates, as well as systems that regulate the speed of related machines in production processes. This division?s products comprise speed monitoring systems, including a line of digital products, which translate sensor impulses from its production monitoring systems into digital readouts indicating production counts or rates, such as parts, gallons, or board feet; alarm systems, tachometers, and other devices that translate impulses from the sensors into alarm signals, computer inputs, or digital displays; and drive control system products, which monitor machine operation levels and r egulate the speed of motors on related machines in a production sequence. It serves grain, feed, biofuels, food processing, chemicals, agricultural, mining, utility, forest products, steel, tire, glass, and electronics industries. This division sells its products through home office sales force, manufacturer?s representatives, and distributors in the United States, Mexico, China, Canada, Peru, Chile, Bolivia, Colombia, Thailand, Israel, Malaysia, Singapore, the Great Britain, and South Africa. The company?s AutoData Systems Division designs and markets desktop software based systems that read handprinted characters, checkmarks, and bar code information from scanned or faxed forms, as well as collects and reports data from Web forms. This division markets its products primarily through home office sales personnel, as well as through value-added resellers in the United States, Canada, and western Europe. Electro-Sensors, Inc. was founded in 1968 and is based in Minnetonka, Min nesota.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By victorselva]

  The current dividend yield is 3.1% outperforming not just the industry average (1.91%), but also the company Electro-Sensors, Inc. (ELSE) with a 3% dividend yield. So dividends are considered good to protect the purchasing power and might attract investors, because is a good option for them to receive cash while they are waiting for more upside appreciation.

Top 5 Shipping Stocks To Watch Right Now: ArcelorMittal SA (MT)

ArcelorMittal, incorporated on June 8, 2001, is a global steel producer. During the year ended December 31, 2010, ArcelorMittal had steel shipments of approximately 85 million tons and crude steel production of approximately 90.6 million tons. ArcelorMittal produces a range of finished and semi-finished products. ArcelorMittal produces flat products, including sheet and plate, long products, including bars, rods and structural shapes, and stainless steel products. The Company operates in five segments: Flat Carbon Americas; Flat Carbon Europe; Long Carbon Americas and Europe; Asia, Africa and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) (AACIS), and Distribution Solutions. ArcelorMittal also produces pipes and tubes for various applications. ArcelorMittal sells its products in local markets and through its centralized marketing organization to a range of customers in approximately 174 countries, including the automotive, appliance, engineering, construction and machinery industries. On February 18, 2011 ArcelorMittal and Nunavut Iron Acquisition Inc. announced they had taken up over 93% of the Baffinland Iron Mines Corporation (Baffinland) under their joint offer. On January 25, 2011, ArcelorMittal approved the spin-off of ArcelorMittal�� stainless and specialty steels business into Aperam. On September 20, 2010, ArcelorMittal Poland completed the acquisition of Zaklady K Zdzieszowice. On July 23, 2010, the Company completed the acquisition of ArcelorMittal Ostrava. On July 5, 2010, the Company completed a disposition of the Anzherskaya coal mine in Russia.

Flat Carbon Americas

ArcelorMittal�� Flat Carbon Americas segment has production facilities in both North and South America, including the United States, Canada, Brazil and Mexico. As of December 31, 2010, ArcelorMittal USA had 18 production facilities, consisting of four integrated steel-making plants, one basic oxygen furnace/compact strip mill, six electric arc furnace plants, five finishing plants, and two coke-makin! g operations. ArcelorMittal USA�� operations include both flat carbon and long carbon production facilities. ArcelorMittal USA�� main flat carbon operations include integrated steel-making plants at Indiana Harbor, Burns Harbor and Cleveland. ArcelorMittal USA, through various subsidiaries, owns interests in joint ventures, including ArcelorMittal Tek, ArcelorMittal Kote, Double G Coatings, PCI Associates, and Hibbing Taconite Company. ArcelorMittal USA also owns several short-line railroads that transport materials among its facilities, as well as raw material assets. ArcelorMittal USA operates an iron ore mine through its wholly owned subsidiary ArcelorMittal Minorca. ArcelorMittal Coal Group USA, LLC and its subsidiaries operate surface mines and deep mines in McDowell County, as well as a surface mine in Tazewell County.

ArcelorMittal Tubarao (AMT), a wholly owned subsidiary of ArcelorMittal Brasil, has two production facilities: the Tubarao integrated steel making facility and the Vega finishing complex. ArcelorMittal Lazaro Cardenas (AMLC) is a steel producer in Mexico. AMLC operates a pelletizer plant, two direct reduced iron plants, electric arc furnace-based steel-making plants and continuous casting facilities. ArcelorMittal Dofasco Inc. (Dofasco) is a North American steel solution provider and manufacturer of flat rolled steels. Its products include hot-rolled, cold rolled, galvanized and tinplate, as well as tubular products and laser-welded blanks. ArcelorMittal Mines Canada is a North American producer of iron ore products, including concentrate and several types of pellets. During 2010, the mines in aggregate produced 15.1 million tons of pellets and concentrates.

Flat Carbon Europe

ArcelorMittal�� Flat Carbon Europe segment has production facilities in Western and Eastern Europe, including Germany, Belgium, France, Spain, Italy, Luxembourg, Romania, Poland, Macedonia, Estonia and the Czech Republic. ArcelorMittal�� Flat Carbon Europe segm! ent has p! roduction facilities in Western and Eastern Europe, including Germany, Belgium, France, Spain, Italy, Luxembourg, Romania, Poland, Macedonia, Estonia and the Czech Republic. During 2010, ArcelorMittal Bremen GmbH produced 3.3 million tons of crude steel. The facilities of ArcelorMittal Liege Upstream are located in two main plants along the Meuse River: the Seraing-Ougree plant, which includes a coke plant, a sinter plant and two blast furnaces, and the Chertal plant, which includes a steel shop with three converters, a ladle metallurgy, two continuous caster machines and a hot strip mill. During 2010, ArcelorMittal Liege Upstream produced 0.9 million tons of crude steel. ArcelorMittal Atlantique is part of ArcelorMittal Atlantique et Lorraine, which is wholly owned by ArcelorMittal France. It has four plants in the north of France, located in Dunkirk, Mardyck, Montataire and Desvres. During 2010, ArcelorMittal Atlantique et Lorraine S.A.S. produced 5.3 million tons of crude steel.

During 2010, ArcelorMittal Eisenhuttenstadt GmbH produced 1.9 million tons of crude steel. It produces and sells a range of products, including hot-rolled, cold-rolled, electrical and hot dip galvanized and organic-coated rolls to automotive, distribution, metal processing, construction and appliances industry customers in Germany, Central and Eastern Europe. ArcelorMittal Mediterranee S.A.S. operates a flat carbon steel plant in Fos-sur-Mer. It also operates a finishing facility for electrical steel located in Fos-sur-Mer. ArcelorMittal Mediterranee S.A.S.�� principal equipment consists of one coke oven plant, one sinter plant, two blast furnaces, two basic oxygen furnaces, two continuous slab casters, one hot strip mill, one pickling line, one cold rolling mill and two continuous annealing lines. ArcelorMittal Mediterranee�� products include coils to be made into wheels, pipes for energy transport and coils for finishing facilities for exposed and non-exposed parts of car bodies, as well as the constructio! n, home a! ppliance, packaging, pipe and tube, engine and office material industries. ArcelorMittal Gent is an integrated coastal steelworks. ArcelorMittal Liege produces a range of steel grades, including a range of construction steels and micro-alloyed grades.

ArcelorMittal Piombino manufactures galvanized and organic-coated steel products. During 2010, it operated one pickling line, four-stand tandem mill, three hot dip galvanizing lines and three organic coating lines. ArcelorMittal Piombino�� products are sold to European customers, primarily in the distribution, appliance and construction industries. During 2010, ArcelorMittal Dudelange operated two hot dip-coating lines, producing Alussi and Aluzinc, and two electro galvanizing lines for appliances and industries. ArcelorMittal Sagunto is a flat steel finishing products. The facilities consist of a pickling line, a regeneration plant for hydrochloric acid and a full continuous five stands tandem mill. ArcelorMittal Sestao�� equipment consists of two electric arc furnaces, two continuous slab casters, one hot rolling mill and one pickling line. During 2010, ArcelorMittal Sestao produced 1.3 million tons. ArcelorMittal Sestao is a supplier of hot-rolled, pickled and oiled coils to the Spanish market. Its range of production includes cold forming and drawing steels, structural steels, cold for re-rolling, direct galvanization, dual phase, weather resistance and floor plates.

ArcelorMittal Poland S.A. (AMP) is a steel producer in Poland. AMP�� Zdzieszowice Coke Plant produces and supplies coke to ArcelorMittal subsidiaries and third parties. AMP produces coke and a range of steel products, including both long products and flat products. Its product range includes slabs, billets, blooms, sections, rails, hot-rolled sheets and strips, cold rolled sheets and strips, galvanized sheets, heavy plates, wire-rods, wires and other wire products and coated sheets and coils. During 2010, ArcelorMittal Galati S.A. produced 1.9 million tons! of crude! steel which were sold as plates, hot-rolled coil, cold rolled coil and galvanized products for the Romanian, Turkish and Balkan markets. ArcelorMittal Ostrava a.s. produces both flat and long carbon products. ArcelorMittal Annaba produces both flat and long carbon products.

Long Carbon Americas and Europe

ArcelorMittal�� Long Carbon Americas and Europe segment has production facilities in North and South America and Europe, including the United States, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Costa Rica, Mexico, Trinidad, Spain, Germany, France, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania, Morocco, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Czech Republic. ArcelorMittal Brasil S.A. is a long-rolled steel producer and the wire steel producer in Latin America in terms of both capacity and sales. During 2010, ArcelorMittal Brasil S.A.�� steel production facilities included one integrated plant, one semi-integrated steel plant, three mini-mills, nine wire plants and three plants that produce transformed steel products. In addition, ArcelorMittal Brasil S.A., through its subsidiary, produces charcoal from eucalyptus forestry operations that is used to fuel its furnaces in Juiz de Fora and or to exchange for pig iron with local producers, and through the jointly controlled entity Guilman Amorin, produces energy used to supply the Joao Monlevade plant. During 2010, it produced 3.4 million tons of crude steel and a total of 3.3 million tons of rolled products, of which 0.6 million tons were processed to manufacture wire products. Andrade Mine is an iron ore producer located in the Minas Gerais state of Brazil. In 2010, Andrade Mine produced 1.6 million tons of iron ore.

ArcelorMittal Mineracao Serra Azul is an iron ore producer located in the Minas Gerais state of Brazil. It supplies sinter feed to ArcelorMittal plants in Europe and domestic market and also lump ore for local pig iron producers and certain ArcelorMittal Brasil integrated plants. During 2010, ArcelorMittal Mineracao Serra Azul produ! ced 3.3 m! illion tons of iron ore. It produces rebars, wire rod, merchant bars, special bar quality (SBQ), wires, wire mesh, cut and bend and drawn bars. Acindar�� own distribution network can also service end-users. ArcelorMittal Point Lisas Ltd. is a steelmaker in the Caribbean. During 2010, ArcelorMittal Point Lisas exported substantially all of its wire rod shipments, to steel manufacturers in South and Central America, the Caribbean and the United States. ArcelorMittal USA produces both flat and long carbon products. During 2010, ArcelorMittal Montreal Inc. produced 1.8 million tons of crude steel. ArcelorMittal Duisburg GmbH�� production facilities are located in Ruhrort and Hochfeld, Germany. During 2010, ArcelorMittal Duisburg GmbH produced 1.2 million tons of crude steel. During 2010, ArcelorMittal Hamburg GmbH produced one million tons of crude steel. ArcelorMittal Poland S.A. produces both flat carbon and long carbon products. ArcelorMittal Ostrava�� production facilities are located in Ostrava, Czech Republic. As of December 31, 2010, ArcelorMittal Energy Ostrava had 11 boilers. During 2010, ArcelorMittal Rodange & Schifflange produced 0.7 million tons of crude steel. During 2010, ArcelorMittal Warszawa S.p.z.o.o. produced 0.5 million tons of crude steel. During 2010, ArcelorMittal Madrid produced 0.4 million tons of crude steel.

ArcelorMittal Zaragoza is located in Aragon, in northeastern Spain. During 2010, ArcelorMittal Zaragoza produced 0.5 million tons of crude steel. During 2010, ArcelorMittal Zenica produced 0.6 million tons of crude steel. During 2010, ArcelorMittal Prijedor produced 1.4 million tons of iron ore. ArcelorMittal Annaba produces both long and flat products. Its flat product range includes slabs, hot rolled and cold-rolled coils and sheets, hot-dipped galvanized products and tin plates, and its long product range includes billets, wire-rods, rebars and seamless tubes. Societe Nationale de Siderurgie (Sonasid) is a steel producer in Morocco and has facilities in! Nador, J! orf and Lasfar. Its facilities consist of one electric arc furnace, one continuous caster, one wire rod and one bar mill. Sonasid produces steel bars and rods. These products include reinforcing bars, wire rods and merchant bars. During 2010, Sonasid produced 0.5 million tons of crude steel. ArcelorMittal Hunedoara�� facilities are located in Romania. Its production facilities are one electric arc furnace, two continuous casters and a sections rolling mill. During 2010, Arcelor Mittal Hunedoara produced 0.1 million tons of crude steel. During 2010, ArcelorMittal Tubular Products division operated 19 operating units in Europe, North America, South America, CIS and Africa. The division caters to the energy, mechanical and automotive tubing and components markets. The facilities include four facilities producing seamless tubes, three facilities producing large diameter welded tubes, 10 facilities producing electric resistance welded (ERW) tubes, one facility producing cold drawn tubes and two facilities producing automotive components using welded tubes.

AACIS

ArcelorMittal�� AACIS segment has production facilities in Asia and Africa, including Kazakhstan, Ukraine, South Africa and Russia. During 2010, ArcelorMittal South Africa Ltd. produced 5.5 million tons of crude steel. OJSC ArcelorMittal Kryviy Rih�� integrated steel plant consists of six coke oven plants, three sintering plants, six blast furnaces, six basic oxygen furnaces, two open hearth furnaces, two blooming mills and six light section / bar mills and three wire rod mills. ArcelorMittal Temirtau�� wholly owned integrated steel plant located in the Karaganda region of Kazakhstan, consists of six coke oven batteries of which six are operating, three sinter plants, four blast furnaces (three of which are operational), three basic oxygen furnaces, two continuous slab casters, one hot strip mill, two cold rolling mills and three tinning lines, one hot dip galvanizing and one aluminum-zinc coating lines, one color ! coating l! ine, two welded pipe mills and a bar mill.

JSC ArcelorMittal Temirtau�� products includes pig iron, continuous caster slabs, hot- and cold-rolled coils and sheets, black plates, covers, tin plates, hot dipped galvanized products, color coated products and welded pipes, bars, sections and re-bars. JSC ArcelorMittal Temirtau has four iron ore mines in central Kazakhstan. ArcelorMittal Northern Kuzbass in Siberia, Russia includes the Berezovskaya and Pervomayskaya mines, as well as the Severnaya coal washery. The main consumers of the coking coal produced are OJSC ArcelorMittal Kryviy Rih and some local coke producers.

Distribution Solutions

Distribution Solutions is primarily the in-house trading and distribution arm of ArcelorMittal. It also provides steel solutions. It services a range of customer industries, including automotive, construction, household appliances, public works, civil engineering and general industry. The range of Distribution Solutions is offered through a network covering 30 countries, while specific solutions are dispatched in five business units: ArcelorMittal Construction Solutions, ArcelorMittal International, ArcelorMittal Projects, ArcelorMittal Total Offer Processing, ArcelorMittal Wire Solutions. The range of distribution solutions is organized across geographical areas through locally empowered management: Benelux, Central and Eastern Europe, France, Germany/Switzerland, Iberia, Italy, the Maghreb, Turkey/Mediterranean, South America, Poland, the United Kingdom/Scandinavia. The processing facilities provide services for flat and long carbon steel, as well as for specialty products, from light finishing work on beams to an integrated offer of slit coils, sheets and blanks.

ArcelorMittal Construction Solutions provides its customers with steel-based solutions for cladding, roofing, flooring and structure. ArcelorMittal International is the global sales network supplying ArcelorMittal products from over 30 mills outside ! of their ! home markets. ArcelorMittal Projects provides distribution solutions and services for projects in foundation solutions, infrastructure, oil and gas and building related steel constructions. ArcelorMittal Total Offer Processing provides a global offer in steel processing, ranging from design to production and from the logistics of steel components to steel solutions for industrial accounts. ArcelorMittal Wire Solutions is a global industrial wiredrawer, serving sectors, such as agriculture, automotive, construction, energy and general industry.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tim Melvin]

  After the strong performance of domestic markets last year, many think that the international markets will lead the way in 2014. There is a feeling that many European and Asian economies are a couple of years behind the U.S. and will begin to gain ground, and thus those equity markets should begin to outperform U.S. markets for a period of time. I have no idea whether this macro picture will play out, but I do know that the value stocks that fit the Novy-Marx qualification of profit and book value can give us superior performance — no matter where they are located.

  ArcelorMittal (MT)

  ArcelorMittal (MT) is an integrated steel company based in France that sells to a wide range of industries in more than 170 countries around the world. Over the past year, the company has earned gross profits of $74 billion on total assets of $122 billion, so it qualifies as a high-profit company using Novy-Marx�� definition. MT stock currently fetches just 65% of book value, so it’s definitely a bargain issue at this price. Anticipating a stronger steel market in 2014, brokerage and research firm Cowen recently raised its rating on MT stock to “buy,” and also upgraded U.S. Steel (X).

• [By Selena Maranjian]

  Among holdings in which Passport Capital increased its stake were Yamana Gold�and Solazyme. Passport Capital reduced its stake in lots of companies, including Southern Copper�and global steel giant Arcelor Mittal (NYSE: MT  ) , the latter of which has been facing a weak steel market, especially in Europe, and carries a lot of debt, while not producing gobs of free cash flow lately. Still, some see it as promisingly priced now, with a forward P/E near 9, and a global economic recovery likely. Rising auto sales bode well for the steel company, too. Its stock is yielding about 5.6%.

Top 5 Shipping Stocks To Watch Right Now: Sunshine Heart Inc (SSH)

Sunshine Heart, Inc., incorporated on August 22, 2002, is an early-stage medical device company focused on developing, manufacturing and commercializing its C-Pulse Heart Assist System for treatment of Class III and ambulatory Class IV heart failure. The C-Pulse Heart Assist System utilizes the scientific principles of intra-aortic balloon counter-pulsation applied in an extra-aortic approach to assist the left ventricle by reducing the workload required to pump blood throughout the body, while increasing blood flow to the coronary arteries. As of December 31, 2011, the Company was in the process of obtaining regulatory approvals necessary to sell its product.

The Company has developed tools to allow the C-Pulse to be implanted through a small pacemaker-like incision between the patient�� ribs and sternum rather than a sternotomy. Patients implanted through its minimally invasive procedure require a hospital stay of four to seven days in connection with implantation of the C-Pulse System, after which they return home. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company completed enrollment and implantation of 20 patients in the North American feasibility phase of its trial. In April 2011, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved an expansion protocol to allow the Company to implant up to 20 additional patients and add two additional centers to its feasibility study.

The Company competes with Thoratec Corporation, HeartWare International Inc., CircuLite, Inc., CardioKinetix, Inc., AbioMed, Inc., Jarvik Heart, Inc., MicroMed Technology, Inc., SynCardia Systems, Inc., Terumo Heart, Inc., WorldHeart Corporation in the United States and Europe, and Berlin Heart GmbH in Europe.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap heart stocks Sunshine Heart Inc (NASDAQ: SSH), Abiomed, Inc (NASDAQ: ABMD) and AtriCure Inc (NASDAQ: ATRC) each find different ways go to the heart of the problem for cardiac�patients and have all been good performers for investors this year. After all and according to statistics collected by the CDC, heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women as about 600,000 people die of heart disease in the United States every year���accounting�for 1 in every 4 deaths. Moreover, roughly 715,000 Americans have a heart attack every year and�ff these, 525,000 are a first heart attack and 190,000 happen to people who have already had one. In other words, there is a big market for the following small cap heart stocks to address:

Top 5 Shipping Stocks To Watch Right Now: MFS Intermediate Income Trust (MIN)

MFS Intermediate Income Trust (the Trust) is a diversified closed-end management investment company. The Trust seeks to preserve capital and provide high current income. It maintains a portfolio that includes investments in short and intermediate-term United States Government and foreign high-grade securities.

MFS Intermediate Income Trust's portfolio includes non-United States Government bonds, mortgage-backed securities, the United States Government agency securities, the United States Treasury securities, emerging market bonds, commercial mortgage-backed securities, residential mortgage-backed securities and high-grade corporate securities. The Trust can invest in foreign securities, including securities of emerging market issuers. The Trust's investment advisor is Massachusetts Financial Services Company.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Akaralph]

  I have written about MFS Intermediate Income Fund (MIN) on a few previous occasions, most recently here. I have extolled its virtues as a defensive play in a bear market scenario.