Top 10 Cheapest Stocks For 2014

Cheap stocks: They give you more for your money, but they're just as much a mixed bag of strong and poor companies as pricey picks. The price-to-earnings ratio has long been used to judge the general price of a stock, but is this polarizing statistic a good way to value big pharma's ostensibly cheapest stocks?

Using data compiled by stock screening site Finviz, here are the three cheapest major pharmaceutical stocks sorted by P/E. Motley Fool contributor Dan Carroll tells you what you need to know about these picks -- and whether their businesses and outlooks really are worth your money.

While you can certainly make huge gains in biotech and pharmaceuticals, the best investing approach is to choose great companies and stick with them for the long term. The Motley Fool's free report "3 Stocks That Will Help You Retire Rich" names stocks that could help you build long-term wealth and retire well, along with some winning wealth-building strategies that every investor should be aware of.�Click here now�to keep reading.

Top 10 Cheapest Stocks For 2014: Peoples Educational Holdings Inc.(PEDH)

Peoples Educational Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiary, Peoples Education, Inc., develops and sells print and digital education products. It offers state-customized print and digital test preparation and assessment materials that enable teachers prepare students for school and for required state proficiency tests for grades 1-12; and state-customized print worktexts, and print and Web-based assessments for grades 1-8. The company also distributes and publishes instructional materials for high school honors, college preparation, and Advanced Placement courses; distributes high school material; and publishes proprietary college preparation supplements and ancillary materials. In addition, it distributes supplemental literacy materials for K-8, including a range of leveled reading materials; high-interest, engaging resources for striving readers; series that integrates reading, science, and social studies; and selections and strategies for students, who are in the process of learning English. The company sells its products through independent sales representatives, telemarketing, direct mail, and catalogs. Peoples Educational Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1989 and is based in Saddle Brook, New Jersey.

Top 10 Cheapest Stocks For 2014: Market Leader Inc(LEDR)

Market Leader, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides software-as-a-service-based business and marketing solutions for real estate professionals primarily in the United States and Canada. It offers real estate agents and brokerage companies with software-as-a-service based products, as well as online lead-generation, online prospect management, online real estate portal content and advertising, and customer coaching and training solutions. The company also offers consumers with free access to the information and tools they need throughout the home buying and selling process through its national consumer real estate sites. Its consumer Web sites include: JustListed.com, a service that notifies home buyers as soon as new homes hit the market; HouseValues.com, a service, which provides home sellers with market valuations of their current homes; and HomePages.com, a real estate portal that enables consumers to see the home listings in their area, view detailed neighbor hood and school data, compare recent home sales, find local real estate agents, and find the value of their own homes. In addition, the company offers Growth Leader, a Website and customer relationship management tool for real estate agents; RealtyGenerator, a lead-generation and lead management system for real estate brokerage offices; and ActiveRain.com that provides professional networking, referral, recruitment, content syndication, and online marketing services for professionals in real estate and related businesses. Market Leader, Inc. markets its products to individual agents and brokerage offices directly, as well as through marketing partnerships with real estate franchise networks. The company was formerly known as Housevalues, Inc. and changed its name to Market Leader, Inc. in November 2008. Market Leader, Inc. was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Kirkland, Washington.

Best International Stocks To Own For 2014: FEI Company(FEIC)

FEI Company supplies scientific instruments for nanoscale imaging, analysis, and prototyping that enable research, development, and manufacturing in industrial, academic, and research institutional applications. Its products include transmission electron microscopes and scanning electron microscopes (SEMs); DualBeam systems, which include a SEM and focused ion beam system (FIB) on a single platform; and stand-alone FIBs. The company?s Electronics segment offers products used in laboratories to enhance new product development and increase yields by enabling 3D wafer metrology, defect analysis, root cause failure analysis, and circuit edit for modifying device structures in the semiconductor equipment and related industries, such as manufacturers of data storage equipment, solar panels, and light-emitting diodes. FEI Company?s Materials Science segment provides atomic-level resolution images and permit development, analysis, and production of products that are used in mini ng for automated mineralogy, and oil and gas exploration to universities, and public and private research laboratories, as well as natural resources, petrochemicals, metals, automobiles, aerospace, and forensics industries. The company?s Life Sciences segment offers ultra-high resolution imaging products that allow structural and cellular biologists and drug researchers to create 3D reconstructions of biological structures, as well as used in particle analysis, and a range of pathology and quality control applications. FEI Company?s Service and Components segment provides technical support products and customers. The company sells its products through independent agents, distributors, and representatives in the United States, Canada, Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, and internationally. FEI Company was founded in 1971 and is headquartered in Hillsboro, Oregon.

Top 10 Cheapest Stocks For 2014: China Xiniya Fashion Limited(XNY)

China Xiniya Fashion Limited engages in the design and manufacture of men?s business casual and business formal apparel and accessories. It offers business casual apparel, including jackets, pants, shirts, T-shirts, sweaters, and overcoats; business formal apparel comprising suits, business pants, and dress shirts; and accessories consisting of ties, bags, belts, and shoes. The company sells its products under the Xiniya brand name to distributors and department store chains in the People?s Republic of China. China Xiniya Fashion Limited was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Jinjiang, the People?s Republic of China.

Top 10 Cheapest Stocks For 2014: AtriCure Inc.(ATRC)

AtriCure, Inc., a medical device company, develops, manufactures, and sells cardiac surgical ablation systems designed to create precise lesions, or scars, in cardiac tissue. Its primary product line includes isolator synergy bipolar radio-frequency ablation clamps for open-heart procedures and minimally invasive procedures; ablation and sensing unit, a compact power generator that delivers bipolar radio-frequency (RF) energy; AtriCure switch box, a compact switch box providing the technology needed for the dual pulsing electrodes, and the ability to connect and toggle between multiple RF devices; isolator multifunctional pen, a disposable RF device enabling surgeons to toggle back and forth between temporary pacing, sensing, and stimulation and ablation; and coolrail linear ablation device, a disposable linear RF ablation device, which allows physicians to create an expanded cardiac ablation lesion set during minimally invasive procedures. The company also offers cryoabla tion system, which consists of various reusable and disposable devices, including the Frigitronics CCS-200 product line for cardiac ablation; and Cryo1, a disposable cryoablation device, as well as AtriClip system, which is designed to exclude the left atrial appendage by implanting the device during concomitant open surgical procedures from the outside of the heart. In addition, it sells enabling technologies, including Lumitip dissector to separate tissues to provide access to key anatomical structures targeted for ablation; and MicroPace ORLab system, a stimulating, mapping, and recording system enabling physicians to confirm the ablation lines being created are forming electrical barriers or lines of block. The company sells its medical devices to hospitals and medical centers in the United States and internationally. AtriCure, Inc. is headquartered in West Chester, Ohio.

Top 10 Cheapest Stocks For 2014: Starpharma Holdings Ltd(SPL.AX)

Starpharma Holdings Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the development and commercialization of dendrimer products for pharmaceutical, life science, and other applications primarily in the United States and Australia. The company?s lead sexual health product under development is VivaGel, a vaginal microbicide to prevent the transmission of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV and genital herpes, as well as for the treatment and prevention of bacterial vaginosis. It also licenses VivaGel for use as a condom coating. In addition, the company develops dendrimer for drug delivery and life science applications, including drug targeting, drug solubilisation, diagnostics, and pharmaceutical excipients. Further, it explores use of dendrimer technology in materials science applications, such as cosmetics, agrochemicals, coatings, adhesives, and water. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia.

Top 10 Cheapest Stocks For 2014: pharmagene ord gbp0.05(ATD.L)

Asterand plc provides human tissue and human tissue-based research solutions to drug discovery scientists primarily in North America, the United Kingdom, and Japan. It offers human tissue samples, tissue derivatives, drug discovery services, and consulting services. The company also provides XpressBANK biobank that contains various specimens from a range of therapeutic areas. In addition, it offers custom isolations of specific cell lines and primary cells; custom designed tissue microarrays; and biofluids, including blood, serum, and plasma. Further, the company provides human tissue-based drug discovery research services comprising human gene expression in non-diseased and diseased tissues; human protein expression profiling; and human tissue-based and primary cell assays for metabolism and toxicity analysis. Additionally, it offers panel of human primary cell based disease systems that replicate the intricate cellular interactions present in inflammatory, autoimmune, re spiratory, and cardiovascular diseases through BioMAP platform; and ProCURE service, which collects human tissues and clinical data to meet research requirements within a range of disease categories. The company was founded in 2000 and is based in Royston, the United Kingdom.

Top 10 Cheapest Stocks 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 Cheapest Stocks For 2014: Nexen Inc.(NXY)

Nexen Inc. operates as an independent energy company worldwide. The company?s Conventional Oil and Gas segment explores for, develops, and produces crude oil and natural gas from conventional sources. This segment operates in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States, and offshore West Africa, Colombia, and Yemen. Nexen?s Oil Sands segment develops and produces synthetic crude oil from the Athabasca oil sands in northern Alberta. The company?s Shale Gas segment explores for and produces unconventional gas from shale formations in northeastern British Columbia. Nexen Inc. was founded in 1971 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

Top 10 Cheapest Stocks For 2014: Vectura Group Plc(VEC.L)

Vectura Group plc, a product development company, develops inhaled therapies principally for the treatment of respiratory diseases in the United Kingdom and internationally. It offers ADVATE, a serum-free recombinant factor VIII for haemophilia A; Adept, a 4% icodextrin solution used during surgery to reduce post-surgical adhesions; and Extraneal, a solution containing icodextrin for peritoneal dialysis, as well as Asmasal Clickhaler, Asmabec Clickhaler, Budesonide Clickhaler, Formoterol Clickhaler, and Meptin Clickhaler for the treatment of asthma. The company?s product pipeline comprises NVA237 and QVA149 for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); VR315, VR632, and Duohaler for asthma/COPD; VR496 for cystic fibrosis/COPD; VR040 for Parkinson?s disease; VR909 for lung transplant rejection; VR461 for Anti-fungal; and VR506 for asthma. It has development collaborations with Novartis, Sandoz, Baxter, and GlaxoSmithKline. Vectura Group plc was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Chippenham, the United Kingdom.