Top New Companies To Watch For 2014

If you're feeling good about the market, you're not alone. Take my hand as we go over some of this week's more uplifting headlines.

1. Cool beans
Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN  ) is a distant second when it comes to video-streaming smorgasbords, but the leading online retailer isn't afraid to bid up exclusive content.

Amazon has a deal in place with NBC for Amazon Prime members to stream some of the network's most recent shows -- Grimm, Suits, Covert Affairs, Hannibal, and Defiance -- on an exclusive basis.

In another smart move, Amazon jumped into the virtual currency market by giving Kindle Fire 500 coins for free. Amazon Coins can be used for apps and games, with Amazon keeping nearly a third of the revenue. This isn't an easy market to crack, but the e-tailer is smart for handing out $5 worth of the new currency to tablet owners who are already familiar with Amazon's digital ecosystem. Educating the consumer and encouraging them to lean on Amazon Coins for future virtual purchases sometimes needs that little push to get it going.

Top New Companies To Watch For 2014: EverBank Financial Corp (EVER.N)

EverBank Financial Corp, incorporated in 2004, is an unitary savings and loan holding company. The Company provides a range of financial products and services directly to customers through multiple business channels. Its operating subsidiary is EverBank. As of December 31, 2011, EverBank had $ 10.3 billion deposits. EverBank offers a range of banking, lending and investing products to consumers and businesses. EverBank provides services to customers through Websites, over the phone, through the mail and at 14 Florida-based Financial Centers. The Company operates in two operating business segments: Banking and Wealth Management, and Mortgage Banking. Its Banking and Wealth Management segment includes earnings generated by and activities related to deposit and investment products and services and portfolio lending and leasing activities. Its Mortgage Banking segment consists of activities related to the origination and servicing of residential mortgage loans. In April 201 2, the Company acquired MetLife Bank�� warehouse finance business. In October 2012, it acquired Business Property Lending, Inc.

Asset Origination and Fee Income Businesses

The Company has a range of asset origination and fee income businesses. The Company generates generate fee income from its mortgage banking activities, which consist of originating and servicing one-to-four family residential mortgage loans. It originates prime residential mortgage loans using a centrally controlled underwriting, processing and fulfillment infrastructure through financial intermediaries (including community banks, credit unions, mortgage bankers and brokers), consumer direct channels and financial centers. Its mortgage origination activities include originating, underwriting, closing, warehousing and selling to investors prime conforming and jumbo residential mortgage loans. From its mortgage origination activities, it earns fee-based income on fees charged to b orrowers and other noninterest income from gains on sales ! fr! om mortgage loans and servicing rights. During the year ended December 31, 2011, it originated six billion dollars of residential loans. It generates mortgage servicing business through the retention of servicing from its origination activities, acquisition of bulk mortgage servicing rights (MSR) and related servicing activities.

The Company�� mortgage servicing business includes collecting loan payments, remitting principal and interest payments to investors, managing escrow funds for the payment of mortgage-related expenses, such as taxes and insurance, responding to customer inquiries, counseling delinquent mortgagors, supervising foreclosures and liquidations of foreclosure properties and otherwise administering its mortgage loan servicing portfolio. It earns mortgage servicing fees and other ancillary fee-based income in connection with these activities. It services a portfolio by both product and investor, including agency and private pools of mortgages secured by properties throughout the United States. As of December 31, 2011, its mortgage servicing business, which services mortgage loans for itself and others, managed loan servicing administrative functions for loans with unpaid principal balance (UPB) of $54.8 billion.

The Company originates originate equipment leases nationwide through relationships with approximately 280 equipment vendors with networks of creditworthy borrowers and provide asset-backed loan facilities to other leasing companies. Its equipment leases and loans finance essential-use health care, office product, technology and other equipment. Its commercial financings range from approximately $25,000 to $1.0 million per transaction, with typical lease terms ranging from 36 to 60 months. Its commercial finance activities provide it with access to approximately 25,000 small business customers nationwide, which creates opportunities to cross-sell its deposit, lending and wealth management pro ducts. It focuses to offer warehouse loans, which are s! hort-! te! rm revo! lving facilities, primarily securitized by agency and government collateral. It provides financial advisory, planning, brokerage, trust and other wealth management services to its mass-affluent and high-net-worth customers through its registered broker dealer and recently-formed registered investment advisor subsidiaries.

Interest-Earning Asset Portfolio

As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� interest-earning assets were $11.7 billion. As of December 31, 2011, its loan and lease held for investment portfolio was $6.5 billion. As of December 31, 2011, the carrying values of its interest-earning assets are: residential, government-insured (residential), securities, commercial and commercial real estate, Bank of Florida (covered), lease financing receivables, and other.

Residential includes primarily prime loans originated and retained from its mortgage banking activities, acquired from third parties or held for sale to other investors. government-insured (residential) includes Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA) pool buyouts with government insurance, sourced from its mortgage banking segment and third-party sources. Securities include non-agency residential mortgage-backed securities (MBS) and collateralized mortgage obligation (CMO) purchased at significant discounts. This portfolio includes protection against credit losses from purchase discounts, subordination in the securities structures and borrower equity. Commercial and commercial real estate includes a range of commercial loans, including owner-occupied commercial real estate, commercial investment property and small business commercial loans. As of December 31, 2011, Bank of Florida (Covered) includes commercial, multi-family and commercial real estate loans with $71.3 million of purchase discounts. Lease financing receivables include covered lease financing receivables. As of December 31, 2011, the lease portfolio had $64.7 million of total discounts. Other includes home equity loan! s and lin! ! es of cre! dit, consumer and credit card loans and other investments.

Deposit Generation

As of December 31, 2011, the Company had approximately $10.3 billion in deposits. Its market-based deposit products, consisting of its WorldCurrency, MarketSafe and EverBank Metals Select products, provide investment capabilities for customers seeking portfolio diversification with respect to foreign currencies, commodities and other indices. Its financial portal includes online bill-pay, account aggregation, direct deposit, single sign-on for all customer accounts and other features. Its Website and mobile device applications provide information on its product offerings, financial tools and calculators, newsletters, financial reporting services and other applications for customers to interact with it and manages all of their EverBank accounts on a single integrated platform. Its new mobile applications allow customers using iPhone, iPad, Android and Blackberry devices to view account balances, conduct real time balance transfers between EverBank accounts, administer billpay, review account activity detail and remotely deposit checks.

The Company generates deposit customer relationships through its consumer direct, financial center and financial intermediary distribution channels. Its consumer direct channel includes Internet, e-mail, telephone and mobile device access to product and customer support offerings. Its direct distribution with a network of 14 financial centers in Florida metropolitan areas, include Jacksonville, Naples, Ft. Myers, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Tampa Bay and Clearwater. As of December 31, 2011, its financial centers had average deposits of $130.5 million, which is approximately double the industry average. In addition, it generates noninterest-bearing escrow deposits from its mortgage servicing business.

Top New Companies To Watch For 2014: Vringo Inc. (VRNG)

Vringo, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the innovation, development, and monetization of mobile technologies and intellectual property. Its intellectual property portfolio consists of approximately 500 patents and patent applications covering telecom infrastructure, Internet search, and mobile technologies. The company operates a platform for the distribution of mobile social applications and services, including Facetones and Video Ringtones that transform the basic act of making and receiving mobile phone calls into a visual, social experience. Its Video Ringtones platform allows users to create, download, and share mobile entertainment content in the form of video ringtones for mobile phones; and Facetones is a social ringtone platform that allows users to create social picture ringtone and ringback content in the form of animated slideshows sourced from friends� social networks. The company also provides Fan Loyalty platform that allows users to obtain video and video ringtones, view information on reality television series and stars, and vote for contestants; and Video ReMix platform, which allows users to download an application for iPhone, iPad, iPod, or Android phones, and create their own music video by tapping on various music beats and video files. Vringo, Inc. is headquartered in New York, New York.

Top Information Technology Stocks For 2014: Trustmark Corporation(TRMK)

Trustmark Corporation operates as the bank holding company for Trustmark National Bank, which provides banking and financial solutions to individuals and corporate institutions in Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas. It operates in three segments: General Banking, Insurance, and Wealth Management. The General Banking segment provides commercial and consumer banking products and services, including checking accounts, savings programs, overdraft facilities, commercial loans, installment and real estate loans, home equity loans and lines of credit, drive-in and night deposit services, and safe deposit facilities. The Insurance segment provides retail insurance products, including commercial risk management products, bonding, group benefits, and personal lines coverage. The Wealth Management segment offers private banking, money management, full-service brokerage, financial planning, personal and institutional trust, and retirement services, as well as life insurance an d risk management services. This segment also acts as an agent to provide life, long-term care, and disability insurance services for wealth management customers. The company operates 140 full-service branches, 17 limited-service branches, 1 in-store branch, and an ATM network with 132 ATMs at on-premise locations and 67 ATMs located at off-premise sites. Trustmark Corporation was founded in 1889 and is headquartered in Jackson, Mississippi.