Best International Stocks To Invest In 2014

Trading in the Chinese yuan has picked up significantly in recent years.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) The Chinese yuan was the ninth most traded currency in the world in the most recent ranking by the Bank for International Settlements, the first time the currency has broken into the top 10.

The Chinese government has traditionally worked to keep the currency pegged to the dollar as a way of promoting manufacturing in its export-driven economy. That has prompted charges by critics that it is involved in currency manipulation.

Pressure from other nations has led the Chinese government to allow more movement in the value of the yuan in recent years, which in turn has increased the trading activity.

The currency was involved in 2.2% of foreign exchange trading worldwide in April, the period examined by this week's report. That's more than twice the share of the foreign exchange trading it participated in April 2010. The dollar was involved in 87% of all trades, the euro was part of 33% of trades, and the Japanese yuan was involved in 23%.

Top 10 Valued Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Tractebel Energia SA (TBLE3)

Tractebel Energia SA (Tractebel Energia) is a Brazil-based company involved in the energy sector. The Company is engaged in the generation and sale of electric power generated by its assets or acquired through near and long-term agreements. In addition, it provides online customer services to its customers. Tractebel Energia operates power plants in the Brazilian states of Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul, Parana, Sao Paulo, Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso, Goias, Ceara, Piaui, Minas Gerais, Tocantins and Maranhao. The Company generates energy through hydroelectric power plants, thermoelectric plants, small hydroelectric power plants, wind farms and biomass fired power plants. The Company is controlled by GDF SUEZ Energy Latin America Participacoes Ltda. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Patricia Lara]

  The state-run water company�� market value rose to a record $11.1 billion at the end of last month, narrowing the gap to generator Tractebel Energia SA (TBLE3) to about $360.7 million, data compiled by Bloomberg show. That�� down from $1 billion at the end of last year and $3.89 billion at the start of 2012.

Best International Stocks To Invest In 2014: Kohl's Corporation(KSS)

Kohl?s Corporation operates department stores in the United States. The company?s stores offer private and exclusive, as well as national branded apparel, footwear, and accessories for women, men, and children; soft home products, such as sheets and pillows; and housewares primarily to middle-income customers. As of January 29, 2011, it operated 1,089 stores in 49 states. The company also offers on-line shopping on its Web site at Kohls.com. Kohl?s Corporation was founded in 1962 and is headquartered in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  [W]e expect this slowdown to be short-lived and we look for consumer spending to rebound strongly in the coming months.

  "Given the strong gains in labor market activity, along with other indications of strengthening domestic growth momentum, we expect this slowdown to be short-lived and we look for consumer spending to rebound strongly in the coming months," said Millan Mulraine, deputy chief economist at TD Securities in New York. Economists had forecast sales, which account for a third of consumer spending, increasing 0.2 percent last month. The economy has experienced six consecutive months of job growth above 200,000. Layoffs and job openings are back to their pre-recession levels. Data on manufacturing and services sectors have suggested the economy was growing solidly. Still, the pause in retail sales could give the Federal Reserve ammunition to maintain its very easy monetary policy stance for a while. The U.S. central bank has kept its benchmark overnight interest rate near zero since December 2008. "It will provide Fed Chair Janet Yellen with some of the rationale she needs to justify why the Fed should move gradually and keep interest rates low for longer than hawks within the Fed would like," said Diane Swonk, chief economist at Mesirow Financial in Chicago. Separately, retailer Macy's (M) cut its full-year same-stores sales forecast after second-quarter sales fell short of expectations, another cloud over the retail sector. Macy's shares fell more than 5 percent, while shares of retailers Tiffany (TIF), Kohl's (KSS) and Nordstrom (JWN) also were down sharply. The S&P retail index was up at midday, but lagged the broader stock index, which was trading higher as tensions in Ukraine and Iraq eased. The dollar was little changed against a basket of currencies, while prices for U.S. government debt rose. Core Sales Barely Rise So-called core retail sales, which strip out automobiles, gasoline, building materials and food services edged up

Best International Stocks To Invest In 2014: Lexington Realty Trust (LXP)

Lexington Corporate Properties Trust operates as a self-managed and self-administered real estate investment trust (REIT). The company acquires, owns, and manages a portfolio of office, industrial, and retail properties net-leased to corporate tenants in the United States. It also provides investment advisory and asset management services to institutional investors in the net lease area. As of June 30, 2005, the company operated 185 properties and managed 2 properties. Lexington Corporate Properties Trust has elected to qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes. As a REIT, it would not be taxed on the portion of its income, which is distributed to shareholders, provided it distributes at least 90% of its taxable income. The company was founded in 1991 and is based in New York City.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  Lexington Realty Trust (NYSE:LXP), a real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on single-tenant real estate investments, reported that it would release its third quarter 2012 results the morning of Tuesday, November 6, 2012. Lexington will conduct a teleconference that same day at 11:00 a.m., Eastern Time.

• [By Brad Thomas]

  Compared with the public REIT peers, I believe that Chambers Street will compare favorably to W.P. Carey (WPC) and Lexington Realty Trust (LXP). Both of these REITs own larger box assets and they both have conservative and well-positioned balance sheets. Here is a snapshot of Chambers Street's capitalization:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Lexington Realty Trust (NYSE: LXP  ) is acting like a relaxed landlord that doesn't want or need to modify the rent. The company is maintaining its dividend policy by declaring a $0.15-per-share distribution for its current quarter, to be paid on or about July 15 to shareholders of record as of June 28. That amount matches the firm's previous three distributions, the most recent of which was paid in April. Prior to that, the real estate investment trust dispensed $0.125 per share.

Best International Stocks To Invest In 2014: Acorda Therapeutics Inc.(ACOR)

Acorda Therapeutics, Inc., a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company, engages in the identification, development, and commercialization of novel therapies for multiple sclerosis (MS), spinal cord injury (SCI), and other central nervous system disorders primarily in the United States. Its marketed products include Ampyra (dalfampridine), a potassium channel blocker for improving walking in patients with MS; and Zanaflex Capsules and Zanaflex tablets (tizanidine hydrochloride), a short-acting drug for the management of spasticity. The company also markets products for the improvement of walking in adult patients with MS with walking disability under the Fampyra name internationally. Its lead research and development programs include three biologic therapeutic approaches for restoring neurologic and cardiac function, which comprise Neuregulin Program for developing Glial Growth Factor 2, a molecule in the Phase I clinical trial for the treatment of heart failure; Remyelina ting Antibodies Program for developing rHIgM22, an antibody in the preclinical stage for treating MS; and Chondroitinase Program, a research stage program focused on developing chontroitinase as a therapeutic to break down inhibitory factors in the scar tissue that develops as a result of an injury to the CNS. In addition, the company has in-licensed a clinical-stage program, AC105, to develop an acute treatment for neurological trauma. It has collaboration agreement with Biogen Idec International GmbH to develop and commercialize products containing aminopyridines to the treatment of MS. Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. was incorporated in 1995 and is headquartered in Hawthorne, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Acorda Therapeutics (NASDAQ: ACOR  ) today announced its selection of a new�CFO. Michael Rogers replaces David Lawrence, who has been named chief of business operations. �

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Acorda Therapeutics (ACOR) has dropped today after announcing the results of a clinical trial.

  Getty Images

  From Accorda’s press release:

  Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. today announced data from a Phase 2 proof-of-concept study of dalfampridine extended release tablets, 10 mg (dalfampridine-ER) in people with post-stroke deficits. In the study, treatment with dalfampridine-ER was well-tolerated and improved walking, as measured by the Timed 25-Foot Walk test (T25FW).

  RBC Capital Markets’ Michael Yee and team put the news in context:

  In the short-term, ACOR’s scripts look a bit mediocre tracking a tad shy of Q3 consensus, and overall new scripts are down too. Longerterm, we believe value creation will need to come from 1) expanding the label to a new indication in “post-stroke” pts which is going into Phase II/III and could theoretically double the commercial sales, 2) its re-myelinating antibody rHigM22 in Phase I might get attention because Biogen’s Phase II LINGO re-myelinating program could be very intriguing in H2:14. Risks are that a Paragraph IV should be expected in January 2014 around the corner and the “post-stroke” data is interesting but not as compelling versus the MS indication. Overall, however this will take some time to play out as the next post-stroke study doesn’t even begin until Q2:14 so data not until at least 2015+. That said, expectations are pretty low and we think the stock is pretty cheap at $1.1B EV or ~3x sales plus all potential upside from label expansion or pipeline.

  MannKind (MNKD), meanwhile, has gained after asking the FDA to approve its inhaled diabetes drug Afrezza. The Associated Press has the details:

  MannKind has no drugs on the market. It first filed for Food and Drug Administration approval of Afrezza in March 2009, and in early 2011 the FDA told the company to run more clinical studies. The agency wanted MannKind to use the stu

• [By Anna Prior]

  Acorda Therapeutics Inc.(ACOR) said Monday that its Phase 3 study of its dalfampridine-QD treatment in people with post-stroke walking deficits will start later than originally expected. Shares of the biotechnology company fell 3.4% to $34 in premarket trading.

Best International Stocks To Invest In 2014: Medical Properties Trust Inc (MPW)

Medical Properties Trust, Inc., incorporated on August 27, 2003, is a self-advised real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on investing in and owning net-leased healthcare facilities. The Company conducts substantially all of its business through MPT Operating Partnership, L.P. The Company acquires and develops healthcare facilities and leases the facilities to healthcare operating companies under long-term net leases, which require the tenant to bear the costs associated with the property. The Company also makes mortgage loans to healthcare operators collateralized by their real estate assets. In addition, the Company selectively makes loans to certain of its operators through its taxable REIT subsidiaries. In September 2013, Medical Properties Trust Inc completed the acquisition of the real estate of three acute care hospitals operated by IASIS Healthcare LLC.

As of February 18, 2013, the Company's portfolio consists of 82 properties: 69 facilities (of the 74 facilities that the Company owns) are leased to 23 tenants, five are under development, and the remainder are in the form of mortgage loans to three operators. The Company's owned facilities consist of 27 general acute care hospitals, 24 long-term acute care hospitals, 15 inpatient rehabilitation hospitals, two medical office buildings, and six wellness centers. The non-owned facilities on which the Company has made mortgage loans consist of three general acute care facilities, two long-term acute care hospitals, and three inpatient rehabilitation hospitals. At December 31, 2012, no one property accounted for more than 5% of the Company's total assets.

At December 31, 2012, the Company had leases with 22 hospital operating companies, eight mortgaged loans, six under development, and one property under re-development covering 82 facilities. Ernest leased 12 of these facilities pursuant to a master lease agreement. The master lease agreement has a 20-year term with three five-year extension options and provides for ! an initial rental rate of 9%, with consumer price-indexed increases, limited to a 2% floor and 5% ceiling annually thereafter. At December 31, 2012, these facilities had an average remaining lease term of approximately 19 years. In addition to the master lease, the Company holds a mortgage loan on four facilities owned by affiliates of Ernest.

Affiliates of Prime Healthcare Services, Inc. (Prime) leased 11 facilities pursuant to master lease agreements. The master leases are for 10 years commencing July 3, 2012 and contain two renewal options of five years each. The initial lease rate is generally consistent with the blended average rate of the prior lease agreements. However, the annual escalators, which in the prior leases were limited, have been increased to reflect 100% of CPI increases, along with a 2% minimum floor. The master leases include repurchase options substantially similar to those in the prior leases, including provisions establishing minimum repurchase prices equal to the Company's total investment. In addition to leases, the Company holds mortgage loans on three facilities owned by affiliates of Prime.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  It was an impressive quarter for Medical Properties Trust (NYSE: MPW  ) . In its Q1 report, revenues amounted to $58 million, up 42% from the $41 million in the same period the previous year. Attributable net profit advanced much more strongly, growing 148% to $26 million ($0.18 per diluted share) from Q1 2012's figure of $11 million ($0.08). Funds from operations -- a key metric for real estate investment trusts -- came in at $35 million ($0.25 per diluted share) on a normalized basis, compared with $22 million ($0.18) in the year-ago quarter.

Best International Stocks To Invest In 2014: Gem International Resources Inc (GI)

Gem International Resources Inc. (Gem International) is a Canada-based junior natural resource company. The Company is primarily engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties with its principal focus on diamond, gold and other precious metals. The Company is in exploration-stage and has interest in mineral properties located in Canada and Tanzania. The Company owns more than 105 mining claims comprised of approximately 240,172 acres located in the Lac de Gras Property located approximately 260 kilometers northeast of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. Its Kolandoto Diamond Property is located in the Shinyanga region of Tanzania. Kolandoto property consists of approximately10 primary mining licenses covering a total area of approximately 247 acres. The Shinyanga Property consists of more than 105 primary mining licenses covering a total area of approximately 2,743 acres. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Victor Selva]

  In January 2014, Forest acquired Toronto-based Aptalis, a privately held U.S.-based specialty Gastrointestinal (GI) and Cystic Fibrosis Company, for $2.9 billion in cash from its shareholders, including TPG, the global private investment firm. The deal looks attractive especially keeping in mind the fact that Namenda will be facing generic competition from 2015. The acquisition will also give Forest the opportunity to build its presence in Europe and strengthen its GI and CF portfolios.