Best Dividend Companies For 2014

Most of the 30 stocks in the Dow Jones Industrials (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) have reported their first-quarter earnings results. Overall, the positive surprises have outnumbered the negative ones, with the general assessment of the season having been favorable.

But a few stocks haven't been able to match the expectations that investors put on them. Let's take a closer look at five companies that missed their earnings expectations.

Bank of America (NYSE: BAC  )
Any time a company's profit quadruples from year-ago levels, you'd think it'd be cause for celebration. But for Bank of America, it wasn't quite enough, as the bank missed estimates by $0.02 per share.

Yet on the whole, there was a lot of good news for B of A. First-lien mortgage activity was up sharply, its global investment banking division performed well, and it has managed to put some big litigation risks as well as nonperforming assets behind it. With the foresight to give up on boosting its dividend in favor of getting itself even stronger from a capital standpoint, B of A's disappointment seems like a short-term issue.

Best Dividend Companies For 2014: Stellar Biotechnologies Inc (KLH.V)

Stellar Biotechnologies, Inc., produces and markets keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH), as well as develops technology related to the culture and production of KLH and KLH subunit formulations in the United States and Europe. The company�s KLH is an immunogenic high-molecular-weight protein, which is used in cancer and therapeutic vaccines for lymphoma, bladder, breast, colon, sarcoma, small cell lung cancer, Alzheimer�s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and post traumatic stress disorder chemical dependencies. It offers Stellar KLH protein for vaccine conjugation, immunotoxicology, and immunological research; Stellar KLH ELISA kits; and custom solutions, which comprise custom KLH formulations, KLH conjugation strategies, KLH assays, protocol development, regulatory dossier support, and reference standards. The company serves medical, academic, and research markets. Stellar Biotechnologies, Inc. is headquartered in Port Hueneme, California.

Best Dividend Companies For 2014: Aehr Test Systems(AEHR)

Aehr Test Systems designs, engineers, and manufactures test and burn-in equipment for use in the semiconductor industry. The company primarily offers the advanced burn-in and test systems for performing tests during burn-in on logic and memory packaged ICs; the FOX full wafer contact parallel test and burn-in systems for making contact with pads of a wafer simultaneously to enable full wafer parallel test and burn-in; the MAX burn-in systems for burn-in and functionally testing of devices, such as digital signal processors, microprocessors, microcontrollers, and systems-on-a-chip; WaferPak cartridges for use in testing wafers in FOX systems; the DiePak carriers, a reusable, temporary package that enables IC manufacturers to perform final test and burn-in of bare die; and test fixtures, which hold the devices undergoing test or burn-in and electrically connect the devices under test to the system electronics. It also offers customer service and support programs, including s ystem installation, system repair, applications engineering support, spare parts inventories, customer training, and documentation. The company markets and sells its products through a network of distributors and sales representatives to semiconductor manufacturers, semiconductor contract assemblers, electronics manufacturers, and burn-in and test service companies. It has operations in the United States, Asia, and Europe. The company was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Fremont, California.

5 Best Stocks To Invest In Right Now: AmTrust Financial Services Inc (AFSI.O)

Amtrust Financial Services, Inc., incorporated on November 7, 1990, is a holding company. The Company is a multinational specialty property and casualty insurer focused on generating consistent underwriting profits. The Company operates in four business segments: small commercial business, specialty program and personal lines reinsurance. The Company transacts business through 11 insurance company subsidiaries: Technology Insurance Company, Inc. (TIC), Rochdale Insurance Company (RIC), Wesco Insurance Company (WIC), Associated Industries Insurance Company, Inc. (AIIC), Milwaukee Casualty Insurance Company (MCIC), Security National Insurance Company (SNIC), AmTrust Insurance Company of Kansas, Inc. (AICK) and AmTrust Lloyd�� Insurance Company of Texas (ALIC). In January 2013, the Company acquired First Nonprofit Companies, Inc. In February 2013, the Company's subsidiary acquired Car Care Plan (Holdings) Limited (CCPH) from Ally Insurance Holdings, Inc.

Sma ll Commercial Business

Small Commercial Business segment provides workers��compensation to small businesses that operate in low and medium hazard classes, such as restaurants, retail stores, physicians and other professional offices, and commercial package and other property and casualty insurance products to small businesses. The Company is authorized to write its Small Commercial Business products in all 50 states. The Company distributes its policies through a network of over 8,100 select retail and wholesale agents who are paid commissions based on the annual policy premiums written. Commercial package products provide a range of insurance to small businesses, including commercial property, general liability, inland marine, automobile, workers��compensation, and umbrella coverage.

The Company maintains Small Commercial Business property and casualty claims operations in several of its domestic offices and the commercial package claims opera tion is separated into four processing units: casualty, pr! op! erty, cost-containment/recovery and a fast-track physical damage unit. As of December 31, 2012, its Small Commercial Business property and casualty claims were approximately 61% automobile and 13% property and inland marine with the remaining 26% involving general liability and umbrella losses.

Specialty Risk and Extended Warranty

The Company��Specialty Risk and Extended Warranty segment provides coverage for consumer and commercial goods and custom designed coverages, such as accidental damage plans and payment protection plans offered in connection with the sale of consumer and commercial goods in the United States and Europe, and certain niche property, casualty and specialty liability risks in the United States and Europe, including general liability, employers��liability and professional and medical liability. specialty risk business primarily covers, such as legal expenses in the event of unsuccessful litigation; property damage for resid ential properties; home emergency repairs caused by incidents affecting systems, such as plumbing, wiring or central heating; latent defects that materialize on real property after building or completion; payment protection to insureds if they become unable to meet financial obligations under finance contracts; guaranteed asset protection (GAP) to cover the difference between an insurer�� settlement and the asset value in the event of a total loss, and general liability, employers��liability, public liability, negligence of advisors and liability of health care providers and medical facilities.

The Company's extended warranty business covers selected consumer and commercial goods and other risks, including personal computers; consumer electronics, such as televisions and home theater components; consumer appliances, such as refrigerators and washing machines; automobiles (excluding liability coverage); furniture, and heavy equipment. The Company also serve a s a third party administrator to provide claims handli! ng and! c! all cen! ter services to the consumer products and automotive industries in the United States and Canada. It underwrites the specialty risk coverage on a coverage plan-level basis, which involves substantial data collection and actuarial analysis, as well as analysis of applicable laws governing policy coverage language and exclusions.

Specialty Program

The Company�� Specialty Program segment provides workers��compensation, package products, general liability, commercial auto liability, excess and surplus lines programs and other specialty commercial property and casualty insurance to a narrowly defined, homogeneous group of small and middle market companies. The type of risk covered by this segment is similar to the type of risk in Small Commercial Business but also covers, to a small extent, certain higher risk businesses. The coverage is offered through accounts with various agents to multiple insureds. Policyholders in this segment primarily include industries, such as retail, wholesale, service operations, artisan contracting, trucking, light and medium manufacturing, habitational and professional employer organizations. As of December 31, 2012, the Company underwrote 77 programs through 44 independent wholesale and managing general agents. Workers��compensation insurance consists approximately 33% of this business during the year ended December 31, 2012.

Personal Lines Reinsurance

The Company�� Personal Lines Reinsurance Segment has a 20% participation in the Personal Lines Quota Share, by which it receive 10% of the net premiums of the personal lines business. The Personal Lines Quota Share provides that the reinsurers, severally, in accordance with their participation percentages, will receive 50% of the net premium of the GMACI Insurers and assume 50% of the related net losses.