Top 5 Financial Companies To Invest In 2014

Stupidity is contagious. It gets us all from time to time. Even respectable companies can catch it. As I do every week, let's take a look at five dumb financial events this week that may make your head spin.

1. Facebook doesn't see the big picture
Video ads are coming to Facebook (NASDAQ: FB  ) , according to marketing trade periodical AdAge.

The leading social networking website is apparently selling four different summer slots to four different demographic groups. The 15-second ads will reportedly run no more than three times per user on any given day, and Facebook is asking as much as $1 million a day for any of the slots.

Why are these spots so valuable? Well, AdAge is also reporting that the video ads will play automatically.

Uh-oh.

Facebook has upset its membership base with small tweaks in the past. Just imagine how irate they will be at having video ads jumping out at them the moment they check their newsfeeds.

The numbers are tantalizing. Facebook could make nearly $1.5 billion in annual revenue if it were to actually sell all of the daily slots at $1 million apiece. However, getting marketers to be the first to try this -- knowing that Facebook members will be upset enough to potentially boycott the sponsors, or at the very least spread the word on Facebook -- will be a hard sell for the site.

Hot Building Product Companies To Buy For 2015: Housing Development Finance Corporation Ltd (HDFC)

Housing Development Finance Corporation Limited is financing by way of loans for the purchase or construction of residential houses, commercial real estate and certain other purposes in India. The Company has a network of approximately 330 offices (which includes 83 offices of its wholly owned distribution company HDFC Sales Private Limited) catering to over 2,400 towns & cities spread across the country. It also has offices in Dubai, London and Singapore and service associates in the Middle East region, to provide housing loans and property advisory services to Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs). Its product range includes loans for purchase and construction of a residential unit, purchase of plot, home improvement loans, home extension loans, non-residential premises loans for professionals and loan against property, while its flexible repayment options include Step Up Repayment Facility (SURF) and Flexible Loan Installment Plan (FLIP). Advisors' Opinion:

• [By MONEYMORNING.COM]

  Vanguard favors India with investments in Infosys Ltd. (NSE: INFY), Reliance Industries Ltd. (NSE: RELIANCE), and Housing Development Finance Corp. Ltd. (NSE: HDFC) ranking among its top 20.

Top 5 Financial Companies To Invest In 2014: Select Sector Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF)

Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide investment results that correspond to the price and yield performance of the Financial Select Sector of the S&P 500 Index (the Index). The Index includes financial service firms with diversified business lines ranging from investment management to commercial and investment banking.

The Fund utilizes a passive or indexing investment approach to invest in a portfolio of stocks that seek to replicate the Index. The Fund�� investment advisor is SSgA Funds Management, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Shares of Bank of America have gained 1% to $14.47 today, while JPMorgan Chase (JPM)� has risen 0.7% to $53.66, Citigroup (C) has ticked up 0.3% to $51.01 and Wells Fargo (WFC) is up 0.3% to $43.13. The Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) has gained 0.5% to $20.16.

• [By Holly LaFon]

  As the financial sector began to heal in 2012, it was reflected in the price of stocks ��the Financial Select Sector SPDR (XLF) increased 31% over the past year, more than doubling from its 2009 lows. It also catapulted Berkowitz�� fund to the top-performing percentile of mutual funds this year.

• [By Christina Rexrode]

  More broadly, the Financial Select Sector SPDR fund (XLF) �fell 0.3%.

• [By L.A. Little]

  The financial sector (XLF) �has been a mess for months now, failing to even try to follow the broader S&P 500 higher. It has died on each attempt to get over the breakdown bar for over a month.

Top 5 Financial Companies To Invest In 2014: iShares MSCI France ETF (EWQ)

iShares MSCI France Index Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of publicly traded securities in the aggregate in the French market, as measured by the MSCI France Index (the Index). The Index seeks to measure the performance of the French equity market. The Index is a capitalization-weighted index that aims to capture 85% of the (publicly available) total market capitalization. Component companies are adjusted for available float and must meet objective criteria for inclusion in the Index. The Index is reviewed quarterly.

The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. The Fund�� investment advisor is Barclays Global Fund Advisors.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jeff Reeves]

  So how can you play this trend? The iShares MSCI France ETF (EWQ) is one way, via a diversified fund that owns some of the biggest names in France. There�� also oil giant Total (TOT), which is headquartered in France but has a global flavor, as well as French healthcare giant Sanofi (SNY)

• [By Tom Aspray]

  A few weeks ago, I focused on some of the euro countries' debt levels, as well as the improvement in some of their manufacturing data. Their stock markets have continued to rally sharply as the iShares MSCI France (EWQ) is up over 13% since early July and is doing just slightly better than Germany (EWG).

Top 5 Financial Companies To Invest In 2014: Firstbank Corporation(FBMI)

Firstbank Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides commercial banking products and services. It accepts checking, savings, and time deposits. The company also provides commercial, mortgage, agricultural, real estate, real estate mortgage, real estate construction, home improvement, automobile, and consumer loans. In addition, it offers trust, security brokerage, and title insurance services, as well as armored car services. The company operates 53 branch offices in central Michigan. Firstbank Corporation was founded in 1894 and is headquartered in Alma, Michigan.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Louis Navellier]

  A great example of these small banks with big potential is Firstbank Corp. (FBMI), a $155 million market-cap stock that operates 53 branch offices in central Michigan. Firstbank provides commercial banking products and services, including traditional deposit accounts and loans tailored to meet the needs of its business customers. FBMI also offers trust, security brokerage and title insurance services, and even armored car services. This bank stock has been rated an “A” all year, and the fundamentals just keep getting better. FBMI shares remain a “strong buy” at current prices.