Top 5 Information Technology Companies For 2014

Unless you��e in the industry, understanding the business behind ServiceNow (NOW) is likely to be a little challenging. It calls itself ��he Enterprise IT Cloud Company,��but decoding that jargon is tricky.

Its goals include, ��ransform enterprise IT,����utomate and standardize business procedures��and ��onsolidate global IT to a single system of record.��But what does that mean? Here�� the way I see it.

All over the world, information technology (IT) departments are overwhelmed by complexity, just as many of us individual users are overwhelmed by complexity.

Top 5 Information Technology Companies For 2014: Oxford Resource Partners LP(OXF)

Oxford Resource Partners, LP, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the production of steam coal and surface mined coal in the United States. It holds interests in approximately 21 active surface mines that are managed as 8 mining complexes located in Northern Appalachia and the Illinois Basin to serve its primary market area of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. The company sells its coal primarily to utilities with coal-fired, base-load scrubbed power plants under long-term coal sales contracts, as well as to municipalities, cooperatives, and industrial customers. Oxford Resource Partners, LP was founded in 1985 and is based in Columbus, Ohio.

Top 5 Information Technology Companies For 2014: Canadian Overseas Petroleum Lim (XOP.V)

Canadian Overseas Petroleum Limited, an oil and gas company, engages in the identification, acquisition, exploration, and development of oil and natural gas offshore reserves in offshore West Africa and in the United Kingdom North Sea. The company was formerly known as Velo Energy Inc. and changed its name to Canadian Overseas Petroleum Limited in July 2010. Canadian Overseas Petroleum Limited is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

10 Best Retail Stocks To Own For 2014: Ross Stores Inc.(ROST)

Ross Stores, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates off-price retail apparel and home accessories stores under the Ross Dress for Less and dd?s DISCOUNTS brand names in the United States. Its Ross Dress for Less brand stores sell brand and designer apparel, accessories, footwear, and home fashions for the entire family at everyday savings of 20 to 60 percent off department and specialty store regular prices; and dd?s DISCOUNTS brand stores sell apparel, accessories, footwear, and home fashions for the entire family at everyday savings of 20 to 70 percent off moderate department and discount store regular prices. As of January 29, 2011, the company operated 1,055 stores, of which 988 were Ross Dress for Less brand stores in 27 states and Guam, and 67 were dd?s DISCOUNTS brand stores in 6 states. Its Ross Dress for Less brand stores primarily target middle income households and dd?s DISCOUNTS brand stores target moderate income households. Ross Stores, Inc. was found ed in 1957 and is headquartered in Pleasanton, California.

Top 5 Information Technology Companies For 2014: MAKO Surgical Corp.(MAKO)

MAKO Surgical Corp., a medical device company, markets its advanced robotic arm solution and orthopedic implants for orthopedic procedures in the United States and internationally. The company offers MAKOplasty, a restorative surgical solution that enables orthopedic surgeons to treat patient specific osteoarthritic disease. It also provides robotic arm interactive orthopedic system (RIO) consisting of a tactile robotic arm utilizing an integrated bone cutting instrument; and a patient specific visualization component, which offers pre-operative and intra-operative guidance to the orthopedic surgeon, enabling tissue sparing bone removal, and accurate implant insertion and alignment. The company?s MAKOplasty partial knee arthroplasty solution enables resurfacing of one or two specific diseased compartments of the joint, preserving more soft tissue and healthy bone of the knee; and MAKOplasty Total Hip Arthroplasty, a surgical solution that enables orthopedic surgeons to pe rform total hip arthroplasty. In addition, it offers tactile guidance system, which allows orthopedic surgeons to treat degenerative knee osteoarthritis from early-stage unicompartmental degeneration through mid-stage multicompartmental degeneration with a modular knee implant system; and RESTORIS family of implants for use in single and bicompartmental knee resurfacing procedures. The company markets its products through direct sales force, as well as through independent orthopedic product agents and distributors. MAKO Surgical Corp. was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Hilary Kramer]

  Mako Surgical (NASDAQ:MAKO) is adding to its game-changing knee-replacement surgery with a hip-replacement procedure that will soon be sold to surgeons. While the company has yet to achieve profitability, MAKO is gaining scale at a rapid rate, with revenues expected to grow 80% in 2011 to $79 million and another 60% in 2012.

Top 5 Information Technology Companies For 2014: LaCrosse Footwear Inc.(BOOT)

LaCrosse Footwear, Inc. engages in the design, development, manufacture, and marketing of footwear for the work and outdoor markets. The company offers its products under the DANNER and LACROSSE brand names. Its Danner?s product offerings include product categories, such as uniform, hunting, work, hiking, and related accessories; and LaCrosse?s product offerings comprise product categories, such as hunting, work, cold weather, and related accessories. The company markets its products through employee field sales staff, independent distributors, sporting goods and outdoor retailers, general merchandise and independent shoe stores, wholesalers, industrial distributors, independent distributor and dealer networks outside the United States, Internet Websites, and a factory store in Portland, Oregon, as well as through federal, state, and other government agencies. LaCrosse Footwear, Inc. was founded in 1897 and is headquartered in Portland, Oregon.