Top Life Sciences Companies To Watch For 2014

Another week of new all-time highs for the Dow Jones Industrial Average coupled with a good start to earnings season has given optimists little reason to fret. For skeptics like me, that's an opportunity to see whether companies have earned their current valuations.

Keep in mind that some companies�deserve�their current valuations. Life sciences company Life Technologies�jumped to new highs this week following word that Thermo Fisher Scientific�will make a bid for the company, and that other private-equity firms are finalizing their bids.�With Life Technologies having publicly announced a strategic review in January, it seems like a long-awaited buyout could be right around the corner for shareholders.

Still, other companies might deserve a kick in the pants. Here's a look at three companies that could be worth selling.

Top Life Sciences Companies To Watch For 2014: China Farm Equipment Limited (A8J.SI)

China Farm Equipment Limited, an investment holding company, engages in the design, development, production, and sale of farm equipment and diesel engines. Its products include combine harvesters, rotary plough machines and components, and soil tillages, as well as air cooling and water cooling diesel engines. The company offers combine harvesters and plough machines under the Dragon Boat brand name to farmers; and diesel engines under the Binhu and Dragon Boat brand names to the manufacturers of automobiles, plough machines, harvesters, grinders, water pumps, rice mills, road rollers, spiral propellers, and electric generators. China Farm Equipment Limited sells its products through distributors in the People�s Republic of China, as well as exports its products to Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand, and Bangladesh. The company was incorporated in 2006 and is based in Miluo City, the People�s Republic of China. China Farm Equipment Limited is a subsidiary of China Longzhou Techn ologies Holdings Co., Ltd.

Top Life Sciences Companies To Watch For 2014: Noble Corp (NE)

Noble Corporation is an offshore drilling contractor for the oil and gas industry. The Company performs contract drilling services with its fleet of 79 mobile offshore drilling units and one floating production storage and offloading unit (FPSO) located globally. As of December 31, 2011, its fleet consisted of 14 semisubmersibles, 14 drillships, 49 jackups and two submersibles. Its fleet includes 11 units under construction, which include five ultra-deepwater drillships, and six jackup rigs. As of February 15, 2012, approximately 84% of its fleet was located outside the United States in areas, which included Mexico, Brazil, the North Sea, the Mediterranean, West Africa, the Middle East, India and the Asian Pacific. During the year ended December 31, 2011, it completed construction on the Noble Bully I, a drillship, owned through a joint venture with a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell plc; completed construction on the Noble Bully II, a drillship, and it completed construction of Globetrotter-class drillship. As of February 15, 2012, it had 10 rigs under contract in Mexico with Pemex Exploracion y Produccion (Pemex).

During 2011, the Company conducted offshore contract drilling operations, which accounted for over 98% of its operating revenues. It conducts its contract drilling operations in the United States Gulf of Mexico, Mexico, Brazil, the North Sea, the Mediterranean, West Africa, the Middle East, India and the Asian Pacific. During 2011, revenues from Shell and its affiliates accounted for approximately 24% of its total operating revenues. During 2011, revenues from Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. (Petrobras) accounted for approximately 18% and 19% of its total operating revenues. Revenues from Pemex accounted for approximately 15%, 20% and 23% of its total operating revenues.

Semisubmersibles

Semisubmersibles are floating platforms which, by means of a water ballasting system, can be submerged to a predetermined depth so that a substantial portion of the hull is b! elow the water surface during drilling operations. As of December 31, 2011, the semisubmersible fleet consisted of 14 units, including five Noble EVA-4000 semisubmersibles; three Friede & Goldman 9500 Enhanced Pacesetter semisubmersibles; two Pentagone 85 semisubmersibles; two Bingo 9000 design unit submersibles; one Aker H-3 Twin Hull S1289 Column semisubmersible, and one Offshore Co. SCP III Mark 2 semisubmersible.

Drillships

The Company�� drillships are self-propelled vessels. These units maintain their position over the well through the use of either a fixed mooring system or a computer controlled dynamic positioning system. Its drillships are capable of drilling in water depths from 1,000 to 12,000 feet. The maximum drilling depth of its drillships ranges from 20,000 feet to 40,000 feet. As of December 31, 2011, the drillship fleet consisted of 14 units, including four drillships under construction with Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ltd. (HHI); three Gusto Engineering Pelican Class drillships; two Bully-class drillships to be operated by it through a 50% joint venture with a subsidiary of Shell; one dynamically positioned Globetrotter-class drillship that left the shipyard during the fourth quarter of 2011; one Globetrotter-class drillship under construction; one moored Sonat Discoverer Class drillship capable of drilling in Arctic environments; one NAM Nedlloyd-C drillship, and one moored conversion class drillship.

Jackups

As of December 31, 2011, the Company had 49 jackups in its fleet, including six jackups under construction. The rig hull includes the drilling rig, jacking system, crew quarters, loading and unloading facilities, storage areas for bulk and liquid materials, helicopter landing deck and other related equipment. All of its jackups are independent leg and cantilevered. Its jackups are capable of drilling to a maximum depth of 30,000 feet in water depths up to 400 feet.

Submersibles

The Company has two su! bmersible! s in the fleet, which are cold-stacked. Submersibles are mobile drilling platforms, which are towed to the drill site and submerged to drilling position by flooding the lower hull until it rests on the sea floor, with the upper deck above the water surface. Its submersibles are capable of drilling to a depth of 25,000 feet in water depths up to 70 feet.

Best Value Stocks To Buy Right Now: Hanmi Financial Corporation(HAFC)

Hanmi Financial Corporation operates as the holding company for Hanmi Bank that provides general business banking products and services in the United States. Its deposit product line comprises business and personal checking accounts, savings accounts, negotiable order of withdrawal accounts, money market accounts, and certificates of deposit. The company?s loan portfolio includes real estate loans, such as commercial property, construction, and residential property loans; commercial and industrial loans comprising commercial term loans, commercial lines of credit, small business administration loans, and international trade finance; and consumer loans consisting of automobile loans, secured and unsecured personal loans, home improvement loans, home equity lines of credit, overdraft protection loans, and unsecured lines of credit and credit cards. It also offers various insurance products, such as life, commercial, automobile, health, and property and casualty. The company serves the Korean-American community, as well as other communities in the multi-ethnic populations of Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Bernardino County, San Diego County, the San Francisco Bay area, and the Silicon Valley area in Santa Clara County. As of December 31, 2010, it operates a branch network of 27 full-service branch offices in California and one loan production office in Washington. Hanmi Financial Corporation was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Los Angeles, California.

Top Life Sciences Companies To Watch For 2014: Portland General Electric Company (POR)

Portland General Electric Company operates as an integrated electric utility in Oregon. The company engages in the generation, purchase, transmission, distribution, and retail sale of electricity. Its generating portfolio consists of thermal, hydro, and wind resources. The company also sells electricity and natural gas in the wholesale market to utilities, brokers, and power marketers in the western United States and Canada. As of March 31, 2011, it served approximately 821,193 residential, commercial, and industrial customers. The company was founded in 1930 and is headquartered in Portland, Oregon.

Top Life Sciences Companies To Watch For 2014: Luxottica(LUX.MI)

Luxottica Group S.p.A., together with its subsidiaries, provides fashion, luxury, and sports eyewear worldwide. The company operates in two segments, Manufacturing and Wholesale Distribution, and Retail Distribution. The Manufacturing and Wholesale Distribution segment engages in the design, manufacture, wholesale distribution, and marketing of house brand and designer lines of prescription frames and sunglasses; sports eyewear products; and men?s and women?s apparel, footwear, and accessories. This segment offers its products under house brands, such as Ray-Ban, Oakley, Arnette, ESS, K&L, Luxottica, Mosley Tribes, Oliver Peoples, Persol, Revo, Sferoflex, and Vogue; and licensed brands comprising Anne Klein, Brooks Brothers, Bvlgari, Burberry, Chanel, Chaps, Club Monaco, D&G, Dolce & Gabbana, DKNY, Donna Karan, Miu Miu, Polo Ralph Lauren, Paul Smith, Prada, Ralph Lauren, Ralph, Salvatore Ferragamo, Stella McCartney, Tiffany & Co., Tory Burch, Versace, and Versus. This se gment serves retailers of mid- to premium-priced eyewear, such as independent opticians, optical retail chains, specialty sun retailers, department stores, and duty-free shops, as well as independent optometrists and ophthalmologists. The Retail Distribution segment operates optical retail stores under the brand names of LensCrafters, Pearle Vision, Sears Optical, Target Optical, OPSM, Laubman & Pank, Budget Eyewear, and GMO; and sunglass and luxury retail stores under the brand names of Sunglass Hut, ILORI, Optical Shop of Aspen, Oliver Peoples, David Clulow, Bright Eyes, and Oakley O' Stores and Vaults. This segment operates approximately 7,100 optical and sun retail stores. Luxottica Group also operates E-commerce Web sites, including sunglasshut.com, oakley.com, and ray-ban.com. The company was founded in 1961 and is headquartered in Milan, Italy. As of January 31, 2012, Luxottica Group S.p.A. operates as a subsidiary of Delfin S.�r.l.