Best Bank Stocks To Invest In 2014

Like Frankenstein, too-big-to-fail banks didn't pop out of nowhere. We created them -- or, more specifically, financial lobbyists and our purported representatives in Washington did (to read about how this happened, read this article).

But aside from the sheer size of the nation's largest banks, one of the most startling facts is how quickly they consolidated power over the nation's financial assets. The chart below depicts just that. As you can see, starting in 1994 (the same year that Congress removed restrictions on interstate banking), the market share of big banks began an aggressive ascent that continues today, going from roughly 35% of industry assets to more than 80% at the end of last year.�

Lest there be any doubt, this is what the too-big-to-fail debate is all about. Do we want only a handful of lenders -- in this case, JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM  ) , Bank of America (NYSE: BAC  ) , Citigroup (NYSE: C  ) , and Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC  ) -- to control the narrows, if you will, of American finance? Is that a threat to our savings? Our economy? Or even our financial freedom? Chime in on these questions in the comment section below.

Best Bank Stocks To Invest In 2014: Eaton Vance Limited Duration Income Fund (EVV)

Eaton Vance Limited Duration Income Fund is a closed-ended fixed income mutual fund launched and managed by Eaton Vance Management. The fund invests in the fixed income markets of the United States. It seeks to invest in the securities of companies operating across the diversified sectors. The fund invests in senior, secured floating-rate loans, mortgage-backed securities, and corporate bonds that are rated below investment grade quality, known as junk bonds with an average duration of 3.47 years and average quality BBB/BBB-. It benchmarks the performance of its portfolio against the S&P/LSTA Leveraged Loan Index, the Merrill Lynch U.S. High Yield Index, and the Barclays Capital U.S. Intermediate Government Bond Index. Eaton Vance Limited Duration Income Fund was formed on May 30, 2003 and is domiciled in the United States.

Best Bank Stocks To Invest In 2014: Petroamerica Oil Corp (PTA.V)

Petroamerica Oil Corp., a junior oil and gas exploration company, through its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition and exploration of oil and gas properties in Colombia. The company has interests in LLA-10, CPO-1, Balay, Arauca, El Porton, El Eden, and Los Ocarros blocks located in the Llanos Basin; and Block 5 in the Lower Magdalena Basin. Its properties cover approximately 450 thousand net acres of land. The company is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

Top 10 Net Payout Yield Companies To Own In Right Now: Stone Energy Corporation(SGY)

Stone Energy Corporation, an independent oil and natural gas company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, exploitation, development, and operation of oil and gas properties in the Gulf of Mexico and the Appalachia region. As of December 31, 2010, it had estimated proved oil and natural gas reserves of approximately 473.9 billion cubic feet of gas equivalent. The company was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Lafayette, Louisiana with additional offices in New Orleans, Louisiana; Houston, Texas; and Morgantown, West Virginia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matthews]

  Stone Energy (SGY) is trading at $19.88. Stone is an oil and gas drilling company with projects in the Gulf of Mexico, Appalachia, and Texas. These shares have traded in a range between $14.21 to $35.94 in t he last 52 weeks. The 50-day moving average is $24.54 and the 200-day moving average is $27.49. SGY is estimated to earn $3.58 per share in 2011 and $3.64 in 2012. In terms of PE ratios, this appears to be one of the cheapest oil stocks in the market. In July, Dahlman Rose set a $38 price target for SGY shares and Ladenburg Thalmann has a $30 target.