Top 10 Oil Service Stocks To Invest In 2014

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Schlumberger (SLB) rose 1% to $90.10 on Tuesday following a positive note about the oil services sector from Deutsche Bank analysts.

Despite fears of weakening U.S. oil prices, the analysts predict North American leverage will outperform next year. The analysts also set higher price targets for Baker Hughes (BHI), Halliburton (HAL), Hercules Offshore  (HERO) and Nabors Industries (NBR). The firm's $27 target for Nabors is 60% higher than the stock's current value.

Patterson-UTI Energy (PTEN) and Pioneer Energy (PES) were also mentioned as companies that could see gains in the coming year.

TheStreet Ratings team rates Schlumberger as a "buy" with a ratings score of B-. TheStreet Ratings Team has this to say about their recommendation:

Top 10 Oil Service Stocks To Invest In 2014: Statoil ASA (STO)

Statoil ASA (Statoil), incorporated on September 18, 1972, is an integrated energy company primarily engaged in oil and gas exploration and production activities. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had business operations in 41 countries and territories. Effective from January 1, 2011, the Company�� segments were Development and Production Norway; Development and Production International; Marketing, Processing and Renewable Energy; Fuel & Retail, Other. As of 31 December 2011, the Company had proved reserves of 2,276 million barrels (mmbbl) and 3,150 billion cubic meters (bcm) (equivalent to 17,681 trillion cubic feet (tcf)) of natural gas, corresponding to aggregate proved reserves of 5,426 mmboe. In December 2011, the Company acquired Brigham Exploration Company. On April 14, 2011, Statoil's formation of a joint venture and sale of 40% of the Peregrino field off the coast of Brazil to the Sinochem Group was closed. With effect from January 2011, Statoil formed a joint venture with PTTEP of Thailand in its oil sands business and, as part of that transaction, sold PTTEP a 40% interest in the leases in Alberta, Canada. Statoil retains 60% ownership and operatorship of the oil sands project. In June 2012, the Company divested its 54% interest in Statoil Fuel & Retail ASA to Alimentation Couche-Tard.

Development and Production Norway

Development and Production Norway (DPN) consists of the Company�� field development and operational activities on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS). Development and Production Norway is the operator of 44 developed fields on the NCS. Statoil's equity and entitlement production on the NCS was 1.316 mmboe per day in 2011, which was about 71% of Statoil's total production. Acting as operator, DPN is responsible for approximately 72% of all oil and gas production on the NCS. In 2011, its average daily production of oil and natural gas liquids (NGL) on the NCS was 693 mboe, while its average daily gas production on the NCS was 99.1 mmcm (3.5 b! illion cubic feet (bcf)). The Company has an ownership interests in exploration acreage throughout the licensed parts of the NCS, both within and outside its production areas. It participates in 227 licenses on the NCS and is the operator for 171 of them. As of 31 December 2011, Statoil had a total of 1,369 mmbbl of proved oil reserves and 444 bcm (15.7 tcf) of proved natural gas reserves on the NCS. Total entitlement liquids and gas production in 2011 amounted to 1,316 mmboe per day.

Statoil's NCS portfolio consists of licenses in the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea. It has organized its production operations into four business clusters: Operations South, Operations North Sea West, Operations North Sea East and Operations North. The Operations South and Operations North Sea West and East clusters cover its licenses in the North Sea. Operations North covers the Company�� licenses in the Norwegian Sea and in the Barents Sea, while partner-operated fields cover the entire NCS and are included internally in the Operations South business cluster. During 2011, it two Statoil-operated oil discoveries: the Aldous discovery (PL265) in the North Sea and the Skrugard discovery (PL532) in the Barents Sea. The Aldous Major South discovery in PL265 on the Utsira Height in the Sleipner area is situated 140 kilometers west of Stavanger and 35 kilometers south of the Grane field. The Skrugard discovery is located about 250 kilometers off the coast from the Melkoya LNG plant in Hammerfest.

As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� fields under development included the Gudrun, Valemon, Visund South, Hyme, Stjerne, Vigdis North-East, Skuld, Vilje South, Skarv, and Marulk. In 2011, the Company�� total entitlement oil and NGL production in Norway was 252 mmbbl, and gas production was 36.2 bcm (1,287 bcf). The main producing fields in the Operations South area are Statfjord, Snorre, Tordis, Vigdis, Sleipner and partner-operated fields. Operations North Sea East is a gas area tha! t also co! ntains quantities of oil. The area includes the Troll, Fram, Vega, Oseberg and Tune fields. The Company�� producing fields in the Operations North area are Asgard, Mikkel, Yttergryta, Heidrun, Kristin, Tyrihans, Norne, Urd, Alve, Njord, Snohvit and Morvin.

Development and Production International

Development and Production International (DPI) is responsible for the development and production of oil and gas outside the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS). In 2011, the segment was engaged in production in 12 countries: Canada, the United States, Brazil, Venezuela, Angola, Nigeria, Iran, Algeria, Libya, Azerbaijan, Russia and the United Kingdom. In 2011, DPI produced 28.9% of Statoil's total equity production of oil and gas. Statoil has exploration licenses in North America (Gulf of Mexico, Canada and Alaska), South America and sub-Saharan Africa (Brazil, Cuba, Suriname, Venezuela, Angola, Mozambique and Tanzania), Middle East and North Africa (Libya and Iran) and Europe and Asia (the Faeroes, Greenland, the United Kingdom, Azerbaijan and Indonesia). The main sanctioned development projects in which DPI is involved are in the United States, Angola and Canada. The Brigham Exploration Company acquisition added production of approximately 21 mboe per day (as of December) to Statoil's production and gave access to 1,500 square kilometers (375,000 acres) in the Bakken and Three Forks formations in the Williston Basin.

The Company has exploration licenses in North America (Gulf of Mexico, Canada and Alaska), South America and sub-Saharan Africa (Brazil, Cuba, Suriname, Venezuela, Angola, Mozambique and Tanzania), Middle East and North Africa (Libya and Iran), and Europe and Asia (the Faroes, Greenland, the United Kingdom, Azerbaijan and Indonesia). It completed 16 wells in 2011. Five were announced as discoveries: the Mukuvo and Lira discoveries in Angola, the Gavea and Peregrino South discovery in Brazil and the Logan discovery in Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Statoil acquired in! terests i! n six new licenses in Indonesia in 2011. Statoil has activities in the United States, with approximately 300 exploration leases in the GoM and 66 in Alaska. It is also an operator and partner in exploration licenses off the coast of Newfoundland in Canada. Statoil is operator and partner in exploration licenses off the coast of Newfoundland (11,138 square kilometers). It has exploration licenses in Brazil, Cuba, Suriname, Venezuela, Angola, Mozambique and Tanzania. The Company has licenses in Libya, Iran, Faroes, Greenland, the United Kingdom, Azerbaijan and Indonesia. In 2011, Statoil's petroleum production outside Norway amounted to an average of 334 mboe per day of entitlement production and 534 mboe per day of equity production.

The Company has activities in the United States Gulf of Mexico, the Appalachian region, south-west Texas, the Williston Basin, off the East Coast of Canada and in the oil sands of Alberta, Canada. It also has a representative office in Mexico City. Offshore, the Company has production interests in Hibernia and Terra Nova, and interests in two development projects. Its development and production activities in South America and sub-Saharan Africa comprise the Peregrino operatorship in Brazil, the Petrocedeno project in Venezuela, the Agbami offshore field in Nigeria and four Angolan offshore blocks. Statoil's development and production in the Middle East and North Africa in 2011, primarily encompassed Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Iran and Iraq. The Company�� Development and Production in Europe and Asia primarily comprises Azerbaijan, Russia, United Kingdom and Ireland.

Marketing, Processing and Renewable Energy

Marketing, Processing and Renewable Energy (MPR) is responsible for the transportation, processing, manufacturing, marketing and trading of crude oil, natural gas, liquids and refined products, and for developing business opportunities in renewables. It runs two refineries, two gas processing plants, one methanol plant and three crude! oil term! inals. MPR is also responsible for marketing gas supplies originating from the Norwegian state's direct financial interest (SDFI). In total, it is responsible for marketing approximately 80% of all Norwegian gas exports. In 2011, Statoil sold 36.1 bcm (1.3 tcf) of natural gas from the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS) on its own behalf, in addition to approximately 33.5 bcm (1.2 tcf) of NCS gas on behalf of the Norwegian state. Statoil's total European gas sales, including third-party gas, amounted to 79.8 bcm (2.9 tcf) in 2011, of which 39.5 bcm (1.4 tcf) was gas sold on behalf of the Norwegian state. The Natural Gas business cluster is responsible for Statoil's marketing and trading of natural gas worldwide, for power and emissions trading and for overall gas supply planning. In 2011, the Company sold 36.1 bcm (1.3 tcf) of natural gas from the NCS on its own behalf, in addition to approximately 33.5 bcm (1.2 tcf) of NCS gas on behalf of the Norwegian state. Statoil's total European gas sales, including third-party gas, amounted to 79.8 bcm (2.9 tcf) in 2011, of which 39.5 bcm (1.4 tcf) was gas sold on behalf of the Norwegian state. In addition, it sold 5.5 bcm (0.2 tcf) of gas originating from its international positions, mainly in Azerbaijan and the United States, of which 2.7 bcm (0.1 tcf) was entitlement gas. As technical service provider (TSP), Statoil is responsible for the operation, maintenance and further development of the Karsto gas processing plant on behalf of the operator Gassco.

Statoil is the seller of crude oil, operating from sales offices in Stavanger, Oslo, London, Singapore, Stamford and Calgary and selling and trading crude oil, condensate, NGL and refined products. Statoil holds the lease for the South Riding Point crude oil terminal in the Bahamas, which includes, oil storage as well as loading and unloading facilities. It also operates the Mongstad terminal and has shared ownership with Petoro. The Company is a majority owner (79%) and operator of the Mongstad ref! inery in ! Norway, which has a crude oil and condensate distillation capacity of 220,000 barrels per day. It is the sole owner and operator of the Kalundborg refinery in Denmark, which has a crude oil and condensate distillation capacity of 118,000 barrels per day. In addition, it has rights to 10% of production capacity at the Shell-operated refinery in Pernis in the Netherlands, which has a crude oil distillation capacity of 400,000 barrels per day. The Company�� methanol operations consist of an 81.7% interest in the gas-based methanol plant at Tjeldbergodden, Norway, which has a design capacity of 0.95 million tons per year. It also operates the Oseberg Transportation System (36.2% interest), including the Sture crude oil terminal.

Technology, Projects and Drilling

Technology, Projects and Drilling (TPD) is responsible, as a global service provider to Statoil, for delivering projects and wells and for providing support through global expertise, standards and procurement. TPD is also responsible developing and implementing new technological solutions. Statoil's research and development portfolio is organized in seven programs covering the upstream building blocks. The research and development organization operates and develops laboratories and test facilities and has an academia program that addresses cooperation with universities and research institutes.

Global Strategy and Business Development

Global Strategy and Business Development (GSB) was established in 2011, with its main office in London. GSB sets the direction for Statoil and identifies, develops and delivers opportunities for global growth.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  General Electric (NYSE: GE  ) is helping Norway's Statoil ASA (NYSE: STO  ) go green -- and make some green in the process.

Top 10 Oil Service Stocks To Invest In 2014: Ashley(l)

Laura Ashley Holdings plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, manufacture, sourcing, distribution, sale, and licensing of clothing, accessories, and home furnishings in the United Kingdom and internationally. It offers various furniture products, including beds, upholstered furniture, mirrors, and cabinet furniture; home accessories, such as lighting products, gifts, bed linen, rugs, throws, cushions, and children?s accessories; and decorative products comprising curtains, blinds, fabrics, paints, decorative accessories, and wall coverings. The company also offers fashion products, such as clothing that include dresses, knitwear, tops, blouses, skirts, trousers, leggings, coats, jackets, swimwear, and shoes, as well as accessories comprising bags, purses, jewellery, and scarves. In addition, it provides design services for homes; and licenses various products, such as stationery, wooden flooring, blinds, interior window shutters, carpets, nursery produ cts, fireplaces, garden products, eyewear, tiles, promotional gifting, toiletries, shoes, and Fairtrade clothing. The company sells its products through retail stores, online, and mail order. As of January 29, 2011, it operated 217 stores, including 138 mixed product stores, 55 home stores, 22 home concession stores, 1 gifts and accessories store, and 1 clearance outlet in the United Kingdom; and 240 franchised stores in 29 countries. The company is based in London, the United Kingdom.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Julius Ferraro]

  Diamond offshore is a $9 billion dollar offshore driller that is currently 50.4% owned by Loews Corporation (L). I like that the Tisch family has a significant ownership because in the case of an economic downturn, Diamond Offshore can be provided with the capital that it may need by some of Loews other businesses. Its Expected to earn $4.80 for this year and trades at a fair valuation of 11.8 times earnings. In addition, out of all of the offshore drillers Diamond is the most conservative with $1.2 billion in cash and $1.5 billion in debt. Diamond Offshore is the only A rated drilling contractor.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Looking for the next Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-B)? You could do worse than Loew’s Corp. (L), Deutsche Bank says.

  Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

  Both companies own insurance companies. And both use the cash spun off by those operations to invest elsewhere. Deutsche Bank dubs them “investor insurers,” and right now Loew’s looks cheap, the German investment bank’s analysts argue in a report starting Loew’s as a buy.

Hot Cheap Stocks To Own For 2015: Fortress Investment Group LLC (FIG)

Fortress Investment Group LLC (Fortress) is a global investment management firm. Its offering of alternative investment products includes private equity funds, liquid hedge funds and credit funds. In addition, it offers traditional investment products. As of December 31, 2011, it managed alternative assets in three businesses: Private Equity, Liquid Hedge Funds and Credit Funds. Private Equity is a business, which manages assets under management (AUM) consisted of two business segments: private equity funds, which make investments in debt and equity securities of public or privately held entities in North America and Western Europe, and publicly traded alternative investment vehicles, which it refer to as Castles, which invest in real estate and real estate related debt investments. Liquid Hedge Funds invest globally in fixed income, currency, equity and commodity markets and related derivatives. Credit Funds is a business, which manages AUM consisted of two business segments: credit hedge funds which make investments in assets, opportunistic lending situations and securities, on a global basis and throughout the capital structure, as well as non-Fortress originated funds, for which Fortress has been retained as manager as part of an advisory business, and credit private equity (PE) funds, which are consisted of a family of credit opportunities funds focused on investing in distressed and undervalued assets, a range of long dated value funds focused on investing in undervalued assets with cash flows and long investment horizons, a range of real assets funds focused on investing in tangible and intangible assets in four principal categories (real estate, capital assets and natural resources), a family of Asia funds, including Japan real estate funds and an Asian investor based global opportunities fund, and a range of real estate opportunities funds.

Private Equity Funds

The Company�� private equity business is made up of a series of funds named the Fortress Investment Funds! and organized to make control-oriented investments in cash flow generating, asset-based businesses in North America and Western Europe. Investors in its private equity funds contractually commit capital at the outset of a fund, which is then drawn down as investment opportunities become available, generally over a one to three year investment period. Management fees of 1% to 1.5% are generally charged on committed capital during the investment period of a new fund, and then on invested capital (or net asset value (NAV), if lower). It also earns a 10% to 25% share of the profits on each realized investment in a fund.

The Company manages two companies: Newcastle Investment Corp. and Eurocastle Investment Limited, which it calls its Castles. It earns management fees from each Castle equal to 1.5% of the company�� equity. In addition, it earns incentive income equal to 25% of the company�� funds from operations (FFO) in excess of specified returns to the Company�� shareholders. In addition to these fees, it also receives from the Castles, for services provided, options to purchase shares of their common stock in connection with each of their common stock offerings.

Liquid Hedge Funds

The Fortress Macro Funds, and Fortress�� legacy macro-strategy funds, the Drawbridge Global Macro Funds, apply an investment process based on macroeconomic fundamental, market momentum and technical analyses. The funds have the flexibility to allocate capital dynamically across a range of global strategies, markets and instruments as opportunities change, and are designed to take advantage of a range of sources of market, economic and pricing data to generate trading ideas. The fund invests in developed markets; they also invest in emerging markets if market conditions present opportunities for attractive returns. The funds pursue global macro directional and relative value strategies. Management fees are charged based on the AUM of the Fortress Macro Funds at a rate between 1.5%! and 2% a! nnually, depending on the investment and liquidity terms elected by investors. It earns incentive income of between 15% and 25% of the fund�� profits, generally payable annually, depending on the investment and liquidity terms elected by investors. In other words, an incentive income payment establishes a high water mark, such that the fund must earn a cumulative positive return from that point forward in order for Fortress to earn incentive income. Investors in the Fortress Macro Funds may invest with the right to redeem without paying any redemption fee either monthly, quarterly, or annually after three years. Investors with three-year liquidity may redeem annually before three years, subject to an early redemption fee payable to the funds.

The Fortress Asia Macro Funds invest in global fixed income, commodities, currency and equity markets, and their related derivatives, thematically related to the Asia-Pacific region through a fundamental macroeconomic strategy, which focuses on liquid investments. The funds��investment program focuses on global trading and capital flows. Management fee rates for these funds range from 1.5% to 2% and it earns incentive income equal to 20% of their profits. Commodities Funds invests across multiple sectors within the commodity asset class ranging from energy to metals to agriculture and within the cyclical, industrial, and commodity equity universe. Management fee rates for these funds range from 1.5% to 2% and it earns incentive income equal to 20% of their profits. The Fortress Partners Fund�� investments are made both in Fortress Funds and in funds managed by other managers, and in direct investments that are sourced either by Fortress personnel or by third parties with whom it has relationships. Management fee rates for these funds range from 1% to 1.5% and it earns incentive income generally equal to 20% of the profits from direct investments only.

Credit Funds

The Company�� credit hedge funds are designed to exploi! t pricing! anomalies, which exist between the public and private finance markets. It has developed a network consisted of internal and external resources to source transactions for the funds. The funds are able to invest in a range of financial instruments, ranging from assets, opportunistic lending situations and securities throughout the capital structure with a value orientation.

The Drawbridge Special Opportunities Funds form the core of the Company�� credit hedge fund investing strategy. The funds acquire a portfolio of investments throughout the United States, Western Europe and the Pacific region. Management fees are charged based on the AUM of the Drawbridge Special Opportunities Funds at a rate generally equal to 2% annually. It earns incentive income of 20% of the fund�� profits, payable annually, and subject to achieving cumulative positive returns since the prior incentive income payment. Investors in the Drawbridge Special Opportunities Funds may redeem annually on December 31. The Worden Funds invest in a portfolio of undervalued and distressed investments in North America and Western Europe, but also in Australia, Asia and elsewhere on an opportunistic basis. Management fees are charged based on the AUM of the Worden Funds at a rate generally equal to 2% annually. It earns incentive income of 20% of the funds��profits.

The Company�� credit PE funds are of families of funds. They have management fee rates between 1% and 1.5% and generate incentive income of between 10% and 20% of a fund�� profits subject to the fund achieving a minimum return as a whole. Fortress through Fortress Credit Opportunities Funds make opportunistic credit-related investments. In addition to its Fortress Investment Fund family of funds, it has a private equity fund product, the Long Dated Value family of funds, which focuses on making investments with long dated cash flows. Its Real Assets Funds invest in tangible and intangible assets. The investment program of these funds focuses on di! rect inve! stments in four principal investment categories: real estate, capital assets and natural resources, but also may include indirect investments in the form of interests in real estate investment trusts (REITs), master limited partnerships, corporate securities, debt securities and debt obligations, including those that provide equity upside, as well as options, royalties, residuals and other call rights. The investments are located in North America and Western Europe. Fortress Japan Opportunity Funds focus to invest in Japanese real estate-related performing, sub-performing and non-performing loans, securities and similar instruments. Real Estate Opportunities Funds make opportunistic commercial real estate investments.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Will Ashworth]

  Nonetheless, it�� my job to come up with “cheap” stocks — that is, stocks with a low nominal share price — that are also value plays — meaning they’re trading at a low P/E multiple. I’m limiting my field to stocks trading for less than 10 — it won�� be easy, but here goes.

  Cheap Stocks to Buy: Fortress Investment Group (FIG)

  If you look at the major publicly traded investment managers who invest in private equity ��Blackstone Group (BX), KKR (KKR), Apollo Global Management (APO) and Carlyle Group (CG) ��you��l notice that all but Fortress have stock prices in the $20s and $30s. FIG is one of those cheap stocks that�� traded below $10 since September 2008. It went public at $18.50 in February of that year, hitting its all-time high of $37 in its first day of trading. It�� been downhill ever since.

• [By Amanda Alix]

  This turn of events worked in favor of Fortress Investment Group's (NYSE: FIG  ) portfolio, which held the former Centex Corp, the subprime mortgage lending unit of a Texas homebuilder. That company is now Nationstar, which is definitely doing its fair share to add to its parent's bottom line. Also owned by Fortress is Newcastle Investment (NYSE: NCT  ) , the diversified REIT with an involvement in almost anything to do with real estate, whether residential or commercial.

Top 10 Oil Service Stocks To Invest In 2014: Cinemark Holdings Inc(CNK)

Cinemark Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiaries engage in the motion picture exhibition business. As of June 30, 2011, it operated 436 theatres with 4,983 screens in 39 states of the United States, as well as in Brazil, Mexico, and 11 other Latin American countries. The company is headquartered in Plano, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  The shares of small cap IMAX Corporation (NYSE: IMAX) have slipped more than 10% this week on growth concerns - meaning it might be a good idea to take a closer look at the stock plus its performance�verses other cinema stocks like Carmike Cinemas, Inc (NASDAQ: CKEC), Cinemark Holdings, Inc (NYSE: CNK) and Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC) along with the PowerShares Dynamic Leisure & Entertainment ETF�(NYSEARCA: PEJ).

• [By Sue Chang]

  Cinemark Holdings Inc. (CNK) : The movie theater company is well positioned to capitalize on the film�� popularity with movie goers with operations both in the U.S. and Latin America. Shares of Cinemark are up 26% so far this year.

• [By Rich Smith]

  As movie-theater operator Cinemark (NYSE: CNK  ) exits the Mexican market, another "gringo" is expanding to fill the gap -- from even farther north of the border.

Top 10 Oil Service Stocks To Invest In 2014: Barrick Gold Corporation (ABX)

Barrick Gold Corporation engages in the production and sale of gold, as well as related activities, such as exploration and mine development. The company has a portfolio of 25 operating mines and a pipeline of projects located in North America, South America, the Australia Pacific region, and Africa. It also produces copper and holds interests in oil and gas properties located in Canada. The company was founded in 1983 and is based in Toronto, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Doug Ehrman]

  Gold reacts
  Gold, as represented by the SPDR Gold Trust (NYSEMKT: GLD  ) , fell quickly on the remarks, but bounced back to unchanged in short order. The gold miners -- including Barrick (NYSE: ABX  ) , Goldcorp (NYSE: GG  ) , and Newmont Mining (NYSE: NEM  ) had similar reactions (see chart). Looking ahead, the Fed is expecting U.S. GDP growth of 2.3% to 2.6% in 2013, accelerating to 3% to 3.5% in 2014. This growth is expected to come against a backdrop of falling unemployment, and an inflation rate in line with the targeted 2% rate set by the Fed.

Top 10 Oil Service Stocks To Invest In 2014: Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE)

Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide investment results that correspond to the price and yield performance of the Energy Select Sector of the S&P 500 Index (the Index). The Index includes companies that primarily develop and produce crude oil and natural gas, and provide drilling and other energy-related services.

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 David Fabian]

  After a frightening dip in January, that tested the 200-day moving average, the Energy Select Sector SPDR (NYSE: XLE) has rocketed to new all-time highs.� In fact, XLE has now gained over four percent in the month of April and more than 13 percent since its February low.�

Top 10 Oil Service Stocks To Invest In 2014: Lee Enterprises Incorporated (LEE)

Lee Enterprises, Incorporated provides local news, information, and advertising services primarily in midsize or small markets in the United States. The company publishes 50 daily and 39 Sunday newspapers, 300 weekly newspapers and classified, and niche publications in 22 states; and provides retail, classified, digital, and national advertising services. It also provides digital infrastructure and digital publishing services for approximately 1,500 daily and weekly newspapers and shoppers. The company was founded in 1890 and is based in Davenport, Iowa.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Mike Arnold]

  I look at Glacier as one part Lee Enterprises (LEE) (community newspapers), one part Daily Journal Corp. (DJCO) (business/trade publications) with a splash of web start up. If Glacier were a drink, it would make for a delectable cocktail. Instead, its shares make for compelling investment aperitif at current prices.

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Another newspaper publishing player that looks ready to trigger a major breakout trade is Lee Enterprises (LEE), which is a provider of local news and information and a platform for advertising, in primarily midsize markets. This stock has been on fire so far in 2013, with shares up big by 154%.

  >>Hack Earnings Season With These Serial Surprisers

  If you take a look at the chart for Lee Enterprises, you'll notice that this stock is just starting to spike higher back above its 50-day moving average of $2.89 a share with strong upside volume. Volume already today has registered over 360,000 shares, which is quickly approaching its three-month average action of 399,735 shares. This move is quickly pushing shares of LEE within range of triggering a major breakout trade.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in LEE if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $3.14 a share to its 52-week high at $3.20 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 399,735 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then LEE will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $4 to $5 a share.

  Traders can look to buy LEE off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below some key near-term support levels at $2.71 or at $2.60 a share. One could also buy LEE off strength once it takes out those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.