5 Best Financial Stocks To Watch Right Now

Holmdel, N.J.-based Vonage (NYSE: VG  ) has a new Chief Financial Officer.

On Friday, Vonage closed out the trading week with an announcement that it's hired away David T. Pearson from Deutsche Bank�to become its new Treasurer and CFO. At Deutsche, Pearson spent nine years working as a managing director and head of the bank's Global Media & Telecom Group. Before that, he worked in Goldman Sachs' Technology, Media & Telecommunications�group.

So he's got impeccable investment banking credentials ... for which Vonage is paying through the nose. In an SEC filing today, Vonage revealed that it's paying Pearson $475,000 in base salary, plus:

an annual cash bonus targeting 100% of base salary and two million stock options -- an equity award equal to nearly 1% of Vonage's shares outstanding

That last number is pretty staggering in size, and Vonage's share price is looking a little wobbly today, perhaps because of it. In fact, as of this writing Vonage's share price is down almost precisely in line with the size of the stock dilution expected from Pearson's hiring -- 1%.

Top Healthcare Technology Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Credit Suisse Group(CS)

Credit Suisse Group AG, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a financial services company. The company operates in three segments: Private Banking, Investment Banking, and Asset Management. The Private Banking segment offers advisory services and a range of wealth management solutions, including pension planning, life insurance products, tax planning, and wealth and inheritance advice for the high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals. This segment also supplies banking products and services to affluent, high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, and corporates and institutions. The Investment Banking segment provides investment banking and securities products and services to corporations, governments, pension funds, and institutions. Its products and services include debt and equity underwriting, sales and trading, mergers and acquisitions advice, divestitures, corporate sales, restructuring, and investment research. The Asset Management segment offe rs integrated investment solutions and services to institutions, governments, foundations and endowments, corporations, and individuals. It provides access to a range of investment classes across alternative investment, asset allocation, and traditional investment strategies. The company operates in Switzerland, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas, and the Asia Pacific. Credit Suisse Group AG was founded in 1856 and is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  The joint book-running managers of the offering are Bank of America (NYSE: BAC  ) unit Merrill Lynch, Citigroup (NYSE: C  ) , Barclays (NYSE: BCS  ) , Credit Suisse (NYSE: CS  ) , Leucadia's (NYSE: LUK  ) Jefferies, UBS, and JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM  ) division J.P. Morgan.

• [By MONEYMORNING]

  The stock will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "KING," with J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM), Credit Suisse Group AG (NYSE: CS), and Bank of America Merrill Lynch (NYSE: BAC) leading the process.

• [By Jeff Reeves]

  Swiss financials Credit Suisse (CS) and UBS as well as U.K. banks like Lloyd's (LYG) have delivered returns significantly better than the S&P 500 this year. Optimism regarding consumer and business lending has lifted shares, and the trend looks to continue in 2014. If you're a believer in the EU recovery, financial stocks are a great way to be at the center of an economic turnaround.

5 Best Financial Stocks To Watch Right Now: CBOE Holdings Inc.(CBOE)

CBOE Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates markets for the execution of transactions in exchange-traded options. The company offers marketplaces for trading of options on individual equities, various market indexes, exchange-traded notes, and exchange-traded funds, as well as futures contracts and cash equities. It has strategic relationships with Standard & Poor's Corporation; Dow Jones & Co.; NASDAQ; and Frank Russell Co. The company was founded in 1973 and is based in Chicago, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Kaitlyn Kiernan]

  The Chicago Board Options Exchange(CBOE)�� Short-Term Volatility Index, which measures expectations for volatility over the next nine days, rose nearly twice as much Monday as the regular Volatility Index, the CBOE�� widely watched 30-day anxiety gauge. That divergence comes as investors prepare for additional fallout in U.S. stocks should military action in Ukraine escalate in the days ahead, but shows that they are less concerned about the longer-term consequences of the crisis.

5 Best Financial Stocks To Watch Right Now: PIMCO Municipal Income Fund III(PMX)

PIMCO Municipal Income Fund III is a closed ended fixed income mutual fund launched and managed by Allianz Global Investors Fund Management LLC. The fund is co-managed by Pacific Investment Management Co LLC. It invests in fixed income markets. The fund invests in a portfolio of municipal bonds, including long and short U.S. Treasury Notes, and U.S. Treasury Bond Futures. PIMCO Municipal Income Fund III was formed in 2002 and is domiciled in United States.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By maarnio]

  Spectral is focused on the development and commercialization of a treatment for severe sepsis utilizing its Endotox in Activity Assay (EAA) and the Toraymyxin therapeutic (PMX). If approved, this will be the first theranostics product, a targeted therapy guided by a specific diagnostic, in the area of sepsis. The company also manufactures and sells certain proprietary reagents.

5 Best Financial Stocks To Watch Right Now: Fidus Investment Corp (FDUS)

Fidus Investment Corporation, incorporated on February 14, 2011, provides customized mezzanine debt and equity financing solutions to lower middle-market companies. The Company�� investment objective is to provide attractive risk-adjusted returns by generating both current income from its debt investments and capital appreciation from its equity related investments.

The Company seeks to maintain a diversified portfolio of investments in order to help mitigate the potential effects of adverse economic events related to particular companies, regions or industries. The Company�� investment advisor is Fidus Capital, LLC.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By BDC Buzz]

  Fidus Investment (FDUS) is one of the newer business development companies ("BDCs") but its stock performance has been strong with a steady climb to higher than average multiples. This is most likely due to its higher than average 'total return' of around 16%. Last quarter FDUS grew its net asset value ("NAV") per share more than any of the other 25 BDCs that I follow and announced a special dividend on top of its regular dividends which is currently yielding around 8%. The company announced that it received approval for a second SBIC license giving it access to cheap long-term growth capital to grow the portfolio and dividends. FDUS also reported realized gains in Q3 from exited investments that could provide for some large upcoming special dividends. I believe that investors should look beyond the current lower than average dividend yield and higher than average pricing multiples, and consider the potential total return for FDUS over the coming quarters. I will also address my key concerns for the company and some things to watch for through the end of the year.