Top 10 Penny Companies To Watch For 2014

It's been more than three years since the spill at the Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico, and day by day the prospects for oil exploration there seem to get better. A recent report by Wood MacKenzie shows that production in the Gulf went up 6% last year, and another 4% is expected this year. By 2018, the research group�believes�that the Gulf will be back to its pre-Macondo-spill high in�production�of 2 million barrels per day. �

For this to happen, though, exploration and production companies will need to spend a pretty penny. Between now and 2015, E&P companies are expected to spend somewhere around $20 billion. In this video, fool.com contributor Tyler Crowe looks at what this could mean for oil services companies that specialize in offshore regions such as the Gulf.

Top 10 Penny Companies To Watch For 2014: China Sky One Medical Inc.(CSKI)

China Sky One Medical, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the development, manufacture, marketing, and sale of over-the-counter, branded nutritional supplements, and over-the-counter plant and herb-based pharmaceutical and medicinal products primarily in the People?s Republic of China. The company?s product line includes ointments, sprays, medicated skin patches, injections, capsules, suppositories, tablets, and granules. It offers compound camphor cream that is used for the treatment of various pathogens on the skin surface, such as mycete, trichopytic, staphylococcal bacteria aureus, bacillus coli, and candida albicans; Hemorrhoids ointment, which is made in soft ointment form and is effective in sterilizing and relieving hemorrhoid symptoms, including itching, distending pain, burning, and bleeding; Sumei slim patch, a natural treatment for weight loss; and pain relief patch used for various ailments, including fever, headache, heart dysentery, diarrhea, and sti ffness and pain caused by hypertension. China Sky One also provides anti-hypertension patch that stimulates blood capillaries, improves circulation, and reduces blood pressure; QiXue asthma patch, which is designed for the treatment of chronic inflammation of the airways and lungs; Stomatitis spray used for the treatment of dental ulcers, pharyngitis, and faucitis; Naphazoline Hydrochloride eye drops for the temporary relief of eye redness associated with minor irritations; cardiac arrest early examination kit used for early stage diagnosis of myocardial infarction; and Naftopidil dispersible tablet designed to treat benign enlargement of the prostate among middle age males, as well as various wash fluids, tablets, liniments, syrups, capsules, granules, injections, aerosols, and oral liquids. The company sells its products through Chinese domestic pharmaceutical chains. China Sky One Medical, Inc. is headquartered in Harbin, the People?s Republic of China.

Top 10 Penny Companies To Watch For 2014: New York Mortgage Trust Inc.(NYMT)

New York Mortgage Trust, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a real estate investment trust (REIT) in the United States. The company engages in acquiring, investing, financing, and managing mortgage-related assets. It primarily invests in agency residential adjustable-rate, hybrid adjustable-rate, and fixed-rate mortgage-backed securities (RMBS); non-Agency RMBS; prime adjustable-rate residential mortgage loans held in securitization trusts; commercial mortgage-backed securities; commercial mortgage loans; and other commercial real estate-related debt investments. The company has elected to be taxed as a REIT and will not be subject to federal income tax if it distributes at least 90% of its REIT taxable income to its stockholders. New York Mortgage Trust, Inc. was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Top 5 Undervalued Stocks To Buy Right Now: Alpha and Omega Semiconductor Limited(AOSL)

Alpha and Omega Semiconductor Limited engages in the design, development, and supply of a range of power semiconductors worldwide. The company offers power discrete product line comprising trench MOSFETs, electrostatic discharge, protected MOSFETs, and SRFETs; and power ICs. Its products are used in notebooks, netbooks, flat panel displays, mobile phone battery packs, set-top boxes, portable media players, and power supplies. The company sells its products to distributors. Alpha and Omega Semiconductor Limited is based in Hamilton, Bermuda.

Top 10 Penny Companies To Watch For 2014: RF Industries Ltd.(RFIL)

RF Industries, Ltd. provides interconnect products and systems for radio frequency (RF) communications devices and wireless digital transmission systems in the United States and internationally. Its Connector and Cable Assembly division designs, manufactures, and distributes coaxial connectors and cable assemblies that are integrated with coaxial connectors. The company?s Aviel Electronics division engages in the design, manufacture, and distribution of specialty and custom RF connectors primarily for aerospace and military customers. Its Oddcables.com division primarily sells coaxial, fiberoptic, and other connectors and cable assemblies on a retail basis to local multi-media and communications customers. The company?s Bioconnect division manufactures and distributes cabling and interconnect products to the medical monitoring market. Its Neulink division engages in the design, manufacture, and sale of RF data links and wireless modems for receiving and transmitting contro l signals for remote operation and monitoring of equipment, and personnel and monitoring services. The company?s RadioMobile division provides original equipment manufacturing services of end-to-end mobile management solutions implemented over wireless networks that supplement the operations of its Neulink division. RF Industries markets and distributes its products through warehousing distributors, original equipment manufacturers, hospital suppliers, dealers, distributors, directly or manufacturers representatives, system integrators, value added resellers, and dealers, as well as through the operation of an e-commerce Website, known as OddCables.com. The company was formerly known as Celltronics, Inc. and changed its name to RF Industries, Ltd. in November 1990. RF Industries, Ltd. was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.

Top 10 Penny Companies To Watch For 2014: Imperial resources, Inc.(IPRC)

Imperial resources, Inc., through its subsidiary, Imperial Oil & Gas Inc., engages in the exploration and development of oil and gas assets in the onshore United States. It holds a 14.9% working interest in the oil, gas, and mineral leases in the Greater Garwood hydrocarbon exploration project, which covers an area of approximately 2,244 acres and is located in Colorado County, Texas. The company also has agreements to acquire 50% working interest in Chisholm Trail Prospect in Oklahoma; and a majority participation interest in a salt water disposal well. Imperial resources, Inc. was founded in 2007 and is based in Austin, Texas.

Top 10 Penny Companies To Watch For 2014: Westell Technologies Inc.(WSTL)

Westell Technologies, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the design, distribution, marketing, and servicing a range of broadband, digital transmission, remote monitoring, power distribution, and demarcation products used by telephone companies and other telecommunications service providers. It operates in three segments: Customer Networking Systems (CNS) equipment, Outside Plant Systems (OSP) equipment, and ConferencePlus services. The CNS equipment segment provides networking and high-speed transmissions products, such as modems, routers, versatile gateway devices, and wireless broadband home routers that allow service providers to deliver broadband services over existing copper, fiber, coax, or wireless infrastructures. The OSP segment offers next generation outdoor cabinets; enclosures; power distribution; fiber, Ethernet, and coax edge connectors; remote monitoring equipment; and DS1 and DS3 transmission plugs. This segment also markets and sells power distribu tion and remote monitoring solutions. The ConferencePlus services segment provides audio, Web, and video conferencing services to businesses and individuals. This segment sells its services directly to Fortune 1000 companies, and indirectly through its private reseller programs. The company offers its products through field sales organizations and selected distributors in the United States, as well as in Canada and Europe. Westell Technologies, Inc. was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Aurora, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  Late last month, the networking equipment maker had to scramble when its acting chief financial officer, Tom Minichiello, announced plans to retire on July 12 to become the new CFO at Westell Technologies (NASDAQ: WSTL  ) . On Friday, though, just as the deadline was happening, Tellabs announced that it has found a replacement.

• [By Geoff Gannon]

  1. Steel Excel (SXCL)
  2. FormFactor (FORM)
  3. Imation (IMN)
  4. Tuesday Morning (TUES)
  5. Pacific Biosciences (PACB)
  6. Maxygen (MAXY)
  7. Westell (WSTL)
  8. Volt Information Sciences (VISI)
  9. Yasheng Group (YHGG)

Top 10 Penny Companies To Watch For 2014: Star Gas Partners L.P.(SGU)

Star Gas Partners, L.P., through its subsidiaries, operates as a home heating oil distributor and services provider in the United States. It provides its services to residential and commercial customers to heat their homes and buildings. As of March 31, 2011, the company served approximately 408,000 full-service residential and commercial home heating oil, and propane customers. It also sold home heating oil, gasoline, and diesel fuel to approximately 40,000 customers. In addition, Star Gas Partners installed, maintained, and repaired heating and air conditioning equipment, as well as provided ancillary home services, including home security and plumbing to approximately 11,000 customers. Kestrel Heat, LLC operates as the general partner of the company. Star Gas Partners, L.P. was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  Stamford, Conn.-based Star Gas Partners (NYSE: SGU  ) is about to get a new CEO.

  The company (which, despite the name, actually spends more time delivering oil than gas for home heating), announced Tuesday that Chief Executive Officer Dan Donovan intends to retire on Sept. 30. When that happens, Chief Operating Officer Steve Goldman will move up to take the CEO's chair.

Top 10 Penny Companies To Watch For 2014: Integrated Silicon Solution Inc.(ISSI)

Integrated Silicon Solution, Inc., a fabless semiconductor company, designs and markets integrated circuits for digital consumer electronics, networking and telecommunications, mobile communications, automotive electronics, and industrial markets. Its primary products include low and medium density DRAM; and high speed and low power SRAM. The company?s low and medium density DRAM products are used in wireless local area networks (WLANs), base stations, networking switches and routers, fiber to the home (FTTH), DSL and cable modems, set top boxes, digital cameras, MP3, flat panel TVs, LCD TVs, HDTVs, video phones, Voice over Internet Protocol, printers, disk drives, tape drives, audio/video equipment, instrumentation, global positioning systems (GPS), telematics, infotainment, smart meters, and other applications. Its SRAM products are used in WLANs, cell phones, base stations, networking switches and routers, FTTH, DSL modems, LCD TVs, set-top boxes, GPS systems, instrumen tation, engine control systems, medical equipment, telematics, audio and video equipment, satellite radio, POS terminals, fax machines, copiers, tape drives, and other applications. Integrated Silicon Solution, Inc. also designs and markets application specific standard products, including high performance serial EEPROMs for use in TVs, networking systems, modems, telephone sets, security systems, video games, automobiles, and other consumer products; and SmartCards that have applications in transportation passes, payment cards, health care cards, and other cards that store secure data. The company markets and sells its products in Asia, the United States, and Europe through direct sales force, independent sales representatives, and distributors. Integrated Silicon Solution, Inc. was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in San Jose, California.

Top 10 Penny Companies To Watch For 2014: Black Diamond Inc.(BDE)

Black Diamond, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures, and distributes outdoor recreation equipment and active lifestyle products in the United States and internationally. It provides climbing products, including belay/rappel devices, bouldering products, carabiners and quickdraws, chalk, chalk bags, climbing packs, crampons, crash pads, dogbones and runners, harnesses, ice axes and piolets, ice and rock protection devices, and various other climbing accessories; and skiing products comprising backpacks, winter packs for skiing and snowboarding, bindings, boots, poles, skis, skins, snow gloves, snow packs, and snow safety devices. The company also offers mountaineering line products, such as backpacks for alpine expeditions, backcountry excursions, overnight trips, and day hikes; and bivy sacks, rain sacks, gaiters, gloves, headlamps, lights, tents, trekking poles, and other hiking and mountaineering accessories. In addition, it provides hydration pac ks for trail running and cycling; travel and lifestyle products, which include duffle bags, messenger bags, and small bags and pouches carry electronics and other accessories; and various apparel and accessory products. The company sells its products to mountain climbers, winter outdoor enthusiasts, backpackers and campers, cyclists, top endurance trail runners, and outdoor-inspired consumers under the Black Diamond and Gregory brands through sporting goods and outdoor recreation stores, retail stores, and consumer catalogs, as well as through blackdiamondequipment.com. Black Diamond, Inc. is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Top 10 Penny Companies To Watch For 2014: WSI Industries Inc.(WSCI)

WSI Industries, Inc. engages in precision contract metal machining business in the United States. The company offers metal components in medium to high volumes requiring tolerances in accordance with customer specifications. It primarily serves aerospace/avionics/defense, recreational vehicles, energy, and bioscience industries. The company was founded in 1950 and is headquartered in Monticello, Minnesota.