Best US Companies For 2014

Although business headlines still tout earnings numbers, many investors have moved past net earnings as a measure of a company's economic output. That's because earnings are very often less trustworthy than cash flow, since earnings are more open to manipulation based on dubious judgment calls.

Earnings' unreliability is one of the reasons Foolish investors often flip straight past the income statement to check the cash flow statement. In general, by taking a close look at the cash moving in and out of the business, you can better understand whether the last batch of earnings brought money into the company, or merely disguised a cash gusher with a pretty headline.

Calling all cash flows
When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Key Energy Services (NYSE: KEG  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

Best US Companies For 2014: New Hampshire Thrift Bancshares Inc.(NHTB)

New Hampshire Thrift Bancshares, Inc. operates as the holding company for Lake Sunapee Bank, fsb that provides banking and other financial services in New Hampshire and Vermont. The company accepts various deposit products, including business checking, money market accounts, savings, negotiable order of withdrawal, and certificate accounts. Its loan portfolio comprises real estate loans, real estate construction loans, consumer loans, commercial loans, and municipal loans. The company also sells brokerage, securities, and insurance products. It operates 28 branches in Grafton, Hillsborough, Sullivan, Chester, and Merrimack counties in west central New Hampshire; and in Rutland and Windsor counties in Vermont. The company was founded in 1868 and is headquartered in Newport, New Hampshire.

Best US Companies For 2014: Mercury Computer Systems(MRCY)

Mercury Computer Systems, Inc. designs, manufactures, and markets high-performance embedded, real-time digital signal and image processing systems and software for specialized defense and commercial computing markets. The company operates in two segments, Advanced Computing Solutions (ACS) and Mercury Federal Systems (MFS). The ACS segment provides high-performance computing solutions, such as single board computers, digital signal processors, and integrated subsystems to the aerospace and defense, semiconductor, and commercial computing markets. This segment also provides microwave sub-assemblies to address needs in EW, SIGINT, ELINT, and high bandwidth communications subsystems; and software and customized design services for military and commercial applications. The MFS segment focuses on services and support work with the Department of Defense and federal intelligence and homeland security agencies, including designing and engineering intelligence, surveillance, and re connaissance (ISR) capabilities to address threats to the U.S. forces. It offers a range of engineering architecture and design services that enable clients to deploy computing capabilities for ISR systems on an accelerated time cycle. The company has operations in the United States, Europe, and the Asia Pacific. The company was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Chelmsford, Massachusetts.

Top 10 Shipping Companies To Buy Right Now: Claude Resources Com Npv(CRJ.TO)

Claude Resources Inc. engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of precious metal properties in Canada. It explores for gold mineral reserves and mineral resources in northern Saskatchewan and northwestern Ontario. The company principally holds a 100% interest in the Seabee gold mine covering an area of 14,400 hectares located at Laonil Lake, northern Saskatchewan. It is also involved in the production and marketing of minerals. Claude Resources Inc. was founded in 1980 and is based in Saskatoon, Canada.