Best Performing Stocks To Invest In 2014

For the big streaming players, Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX  ) , Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN  ) , and Hulu, the early years of the technology have not required much in the way of advertising. Word-of-mouth and a hunger for on-demand content brought most customers to the services, not the other way around. But, as mentioned recently in Advertising Age, that will likely change soon. While content costs are the discussion du jour for streaming companies, what will happen when the companies' marketing budgets blow up?

Ad war
Consumers are used to seeing ad wars in many areas of technology. Apple often targets Android and Samsung in the cellphone game. And who could forget the "I'm a Mac, I'm a PC" campaign? Meanwhile, fast-food companies spend millions trying to convince us one french fry is better than the other, while Cadillac shows us an American sports sedan outperforming the iconic German driving machines.

It seems likely that, at some point, consumers will need to be pulled in one direction over another for their streaming dollars.

10 Best Stocks To Invest In 2015: First Connecticut Bancorp Inc (FBNK)

First Connecticut Bancorp, Inc. (FCB) is a stock holding company. FCB has been formed in connection with the conversion of First Connecticut Bancorp, Inc. a mutual holding company (MHC), from the mutual to the stock form of organization. As of December 31, 2009, MHC owned all of the outstanding stock of Farmington Bank, a savings bank. The MHC will cease to exist as a result of the conversion, and FCB will own all of the common stock of Farmington Bank. As of December 31, 2009, FCB was not engaged in any business. Farmington Bank is a full-service, community bank with 15 full-service branch offices and four limited service offices, including its main office, located throughout Hartford County, Connecticut.

Farmington Bank provides a diverse range of commercial and consumer services to businesses, individuals and governments across Central Connecticut. Farmington Bank provides a range of banking services to businesses, individuals and governments in Central Connecticut. It also offers a range of residential mortgage loan services. Farmington Bank�� subsidiaries include Farmington Savings Loan Servicing, Inc., Village Investments, Inc., Village Corp., Limited, 28 Main Street Corp., Village Management Corp. and Village Square Holdings Inc.

Farmington Savings Loan Servicing, Inc. operates as Farmington Bank�� passive investment company (PIC). Village Investments, Inc. offers brokerage and investment advisory services through a contract with Infinex Financial Services, a registered broker-dealer. Village Corp., Limited was established to hold certain commercial real estate acquired through foreclosures, deeds in lieu of foreclosure, or other similar means. Village Square Holdings, Inc. holds certain commercial real estate of Farmington Bank, formerly used as Farmington Bank�� operations center prior to its relocation to One Farm Glen Boulevard, Farmington, Connecticut. As of December 31, 2009, 28 Main Street Corp and Village Management Corp were inactive.

Len! ding Activities

Farmington Bank�� primary lending activities consists of the origination of one-to-four family residential real estate loans that are primarily secured by properties located in Hartford County and surrounding counties in Connecticut. During the year ended December 31, 2009, the Bank originated $75.8 million of fixed-rate one-to-four family residential loans. The Bank also offers adjustable-rate mortgage loans for one-to-four family properties, with an interest rate that adjusts annually based on the one-year Constant Maturity Treasury Bill Index, after a one, three, four, five, seven or nine-year initial fixed-rate period. Its adjustable rate mortgage loans generally provide for maximum rate adjustments of 200 basis points per adjustment, with a lifetime maximum adjustment up to 6%, regardless of the initial rate. Its adjustable rate mortgage loans amortize over terms of up to 30 years. During 2009, it originated $49.2 million adjustable rate one-to-four family residential loans and purchased $33 million adjustable rate mortgages.

Farmington Bank originates commercial real estate loans and loans on owner-occupied properties used for a variety of business purposes, including office buildings, industrial and warehouse facilities and retail facilities. As of December 31, 2009, the Bank�� owner-occupied commercial mortgage loans constituted the largest portion of its commercial real estate portfolio. During 2009, commercial mortgage loans totaled $265.5 million and owner-occupied commercial real estate loans totaled $133.3 million of its commercial real estate portfolio.

Farmington Bank offers construction loans, including commercial construction loans and real estate subdivision development loans, to developers, licensed contractors and builders for the construction and development of commercial real estate projects and residential properties. During 2009, the Bank�� loans outstanding, including commercial and residential, totaled $68.7 million! . The Ban! k also originates construction loans to individuals and contractors for the construction and acquisition of personal residences.

Farmington Bank�� commercial business loan portfolio comprises both middle market companies and small businesses located primarily in Connecticut. Farmington Bank�� Resort (Timeshare) Loans include receivables loans, pre-sale loans, inventory loans, acquisition and development loans, and homeowner association loans. During 2009, its timeshare loans totaled $82.8 million. Farmington Bank also offers home equity loans and home equity lines of credit, both of which are secured by owner-occupied one-to-four family residences. At December 31, 2009, home equity loans and equity lines of credit totaled $66.7 million.

Farmington Bank also offers various types of consumer loans, including installment, demand, revolving credit and collateral loans, principally to customers residing in its primary market area with acceptable credit ratings. Its installment and collateral consumer loans generally consist of loans on new and used automobiles, loans collateralized by deposit accounts and unsecured personal loans.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  First Connecticut Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq:FBNK) reported that its Board of Directors has voted to pay a cash dividend in the amount of $0.03 per share on June 14, 2012 to all shareholders of record as of June 4, 2012.

Best Performing Stocks To Invest In 2014: Duke Energy Corp (DUK)

Duke Energy Corporation (Duke Energy) is an energy company. Duke Energy�� segments are U.S. Franchised Electric and Gas (USFE&G), Commercial Power and International Energy. The remainder of Duke Energy�� operations is presented as Other. Its regulated utility operations serve four million customers located in five states in the Southeast and Midwest United States. Its Commercial Power and International Energy business segments own and operate diverse power generation assets in North America and Latin America, including a portfolio of renewable energy assets in the United States. Duke Energy operates in the United States primarily through its direct and indirect wholly owned subsidiaries, Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (Duke Energy Carolinas), Duke Energy Ohio, Inc. (Duke Energy Ohio), which includes Duke Energy Kentucky, Inc. (Duke Energy Kentucky), and Duke Energy Indiana, Inc. (Duke Energy Indiana), as well as in Latin America through Duke Energy International, LLC. In December 2012, the Company acquired a commercial solar power project located within the University of Arizona's (UA) Science and Technology Park. In August 2011, its Duke Energy Renewables purchased the Ajo Solar Project and Bagdad Solar Project from Recurrent Energy. Effective July 2, 2012, the Company merged with Progress Energy Inc. In July 2012, the Company acquired Chilean Campanario power plant. In December 2012, the Company's subsidiary acquired CGE Group's Iberoamericana de Energia Ibener S.A. (Ibener) subsidiary in Chile.

The remainder of Duke Energy�� operations is presented as Other. Other primarily includes Bison Insurance Company Limited (Bison), Duke Energy�� wholly owned, captive insurance subsidiary, contributions to the Duke Energy Foundation, Duke Energy�� effective 50% interest in DukeNet Communications, LLC (DukeNet) and related telecom businesses, and Duke Energy Trading and Marketing, LLC (DETM), which is 40%-owned by Exxon Mobil Corporation and 60%-owned by Duke. Bison�� principal activities! as a captive insurance entity include the indemnification of various business risks and losses, such as property, business interruption, workers��compensation and general liability of subsidiaries and affiliates of Duke Energy. DukeNet develops, owns and operates a fiber optic communications network, primarily in the southeast United States, serving wireless, local and long-distance communications companies, Internet service providers and other businesses and organizations.

U.S. Franchised Electric and Gas

USFE&G generates, transmits, distributes and sells electricity in central and western North Carolina, western South Carolina, central, north central and southern Indiana, and northern Kentucky. USFE&G also transmits, distributes and sells electricity in southwestern Ohio. Additionally, USFE&G transports and sells natural gas in southwestern Ohio and northern Kentucky. It conducts operations primarily through Duke Energy Carolinas, the regulated transmission and distribution operations of Duke Energy Ohio, including Duke Energy Kentucky, and Duke Energy Indiana (Duke Energy Ohio, Duke Energy Indiana and Duke Energy Kentucky collectively referred to as Duke Energy Midwest). Its service area covers 50,000 square miles. USFE&G supplies electric service to four million residential, general service and industrial customers. USFE&G provides regulated transmission and distribution services for natural gas to 500,000 customers in southwestern Ohio and northern Kentucky. Electricity is also sold wholesale to incorporated municipalities, electric cooperative utilities and other load serving entities.

Electric energy for USFE&G�� customers is generated by three nuclear generating stations with a combined owned capacity of 5,173 megawatts, including Duke Energy�� 19.25% interest in the Catawba Nuclear Station; 14 coal-fired stations with an overall combined owned capacity of 12,977 megawatts, including Duke Energy�� 69% interest in the East Bend Steam Station, and 5! 0.05% int! erest in Unit 5 of the Gibson Steam Station; 31 hydroelectric stations (including two pumped-storage facilities) with a combined owned capacity of 3,321 megawatts, 15 combustion turbine (CT) stations burning natural gas, oil or other fuels with an overall combined owned capacity of 5,012 megawatts, and two Combined Cycle (CC) stations burning natural gas with an owned capacity of 905 megawatts. In addition, USFE&G operates a solar Distributed Generation program with nine megawatts of capacity.

Commercial Power

Commercial Power owns, operates and manages power plants and engages in the wholesale marketing and procurement of electric power, fuel and emission allowances related to these plants, as well as other contractual positions. Commercial Power�� generation operations, excluding renewable energy generation assets, consist primarily of coal-fired and gas-fired non-regulated generation assets, which are dispatched into wholesale markets. These assets are comprised of 7,550 net megawatts of power generation primarily located in the Midwestern United States. The asset portfolio has a diversified fuel mix with base-load and mid-merit coal-fired units, as well as combined cycle and peaking natural gas-fired units. Commercial Power also has a retail sales subsidiary, Duke Energy Retail Sales, LLC (Duke Energy Retail).

Duke Energy Retail serves retail electric customers in southwest, west central and northern Ohio with energy and other energy services. Through Duke Energy Generation Services, Inc. (DEGS), Commercial Power engages in the development, construction and operation of renewable energy projects. In addition, DEGS develops commercial transmission projects. DEGS also owns and operates electric generation for energy consumers, municipalities, utilities and industrial facilities. DEGS managed approximately 3,700 megawatts of power generation at various sites throughout the United States during the year ended December 31, 2011.

International Energy

! International Energy principally operates and manages power generation facilities and engages in sales and marketing of electric power, natural gas, and natural gas liquids outside the United States. It conducts operations through Duke Energy International, LLC (DEI) and its affiliates and its activities principally target power generation in Latin America. Additionally, International Energy owns a 25% interest in National Methanol Company (NMC), a producer of methanol and methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) located in Saudi Arabia. International Energy has a 25% interest in Attiki Gas Supply S.A. (Attiki), a natural gas distributor located in Athens, Greece. International Energy�� customers include retail distributors, electric utilities, independent power producers, marketers and industrial/commercial companies. International Energy owns, operates or has interests in approximately 4,600 gross megawatts of generation facilities.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Duke Energy Corp. (NYSE: DUK) was raised to Buy from Hold at Deutsche Bank.

  J.B. Hunt Transportation Services Inc. (NASDAQ: JBHT) was started as Outperform at BMO Capital Markets.

Best Performing Stocks To Invest In 2014: Hess Corporation (HES)

Hess Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an independent energy company worldwide. It operates in two segments, Exploration and Production (E&P), and Marketing and Refining (M&R). The E&P segment explores for, develops, produces, purchases, transports, and sells crude oil and natural gas. This segment conducts exploration and production activities principally in Algeria, Australia, Azerbaijan, Brunei, China, Denmark, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, France, Ghana, Indonesia, the Kurdistan region of Iraq, Libya, Malaysia, Norway, Peru, the Russian Federation, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The M&R segment purchases, markets, and trades in refined petroleum products, natural gas, and electricity. This segment serves motoring public, wholesale distributors, industrial and commercial users, other petroleum companies, governmental agencies, and public utilities. It also operates terminals and retail gasoline stations, which include convenience stores located on the East Coast of the United States. As of December 31, 2012, the company operated 1,361 HESS gasoline stations in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida, Massachusetts, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Hess Corporation was founded in 1920 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Grace L. Williams]

  Last but not least, there’s Hess (HES), where the chairman transacted his first purchase. Mark Williams bought 12,000 shares for $980,200. InsiderScore writes: “The longtime energy sector insider took the position last year after a hedge fund successfully forced the split of the CEO and chairmen roles.”

• [By Monica Wolfe]

  Hess (HES)

  Manning & Napier�� second largest holding is in Hess Corp where the fund holds on to 9,529,403 shares of the company�� stock. This position makes up for 3.3% of the fund�� total portfolio and 2.78% of the company�� shares outstanding. During the first quarter Manning & Napier cut their position in Hess -14.04% by selling a total of 1,556,257 shares. They sold these shares in the first quarter price range of $73.92 to $83.96, with an estimated average quarterly price of $79.40. Since then the price per share has increased approximately 10.8%. Manning & Napier�� historical holding history:

• [By Wallace Witkowski]

  Energy-services companies reporting this week include National Oilwell Varco Inc. (NOV) �and Ensco PLC (ESV) .�Other energy earnings this week include ConocoPhillips (COP) ,�Valero Energy Corp. (VLO) , Hess Corp. (HES) , Phillips 66 (PSX) , and Marathon Petroleum Corp. (MRO) �

Best Performing Stocks To Invest In 2014: Daimler AG (DDAIY)

Daimler AG (Daimler), incorporated on May 6, 1998, develops, manufactures, distributes and sells a range of automotive products, mainly passenger cars, trucks, vans and buses. It also provides financial and other services relating to its automotive businesses. The Company offers its automotive products and related financial services primarily in Western Europe and in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) region, which consists of the United States, Canada and Mexico. During the year ended December 31, 2009, the Company derived approximately 46% of its revenue from sales in Western Europe and 21% from sales in the United States. It operates in five segments: Mercedes-Benz Cars, Daimler Trucks, Mercedes-Benz Vans, Daimler Buses and Daimler Financial Services. Its other business interests consist primarily of its equity investments in the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS N.V. (EADS) and in Tognum AG. In October 2009, Deutsche Bank AG completed the disposal of its interest in the Company. In June 2011, Daimler AG and Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC had secured around 94% interest in Tognum AG-DJ.

Mercedes-Benz Cars

Mercedes-Benz Cars designs, produces and sells Mercedes-Benz passenger cars, Maybach luxury sedans and smart micro compact passenger cars. During 2009, Mercedes-Benz Cars contributed approximately 51% of the Company�� revenue. The Company offers Mercedes-Benz passenger cars with a range of diesel and gasoline engines. Under the AMG brand, it offers versions of Mercedes-Benz vehicles with V8 or V12 engines in all classes, except in the A-, B-, R-, GL- and GLK-Classes. The Mercedes-Benz passenger car product range consists of S-Class, E-Class, C-Class, A-/B-Classes and ML-/R-/G-/GL-/GLK-Classes.

The S-Class is a line of luxury sedans, which are available in short and long wheelbase versions. In June 2009, the Company introduced a new generation of the S-Class sedans, including a hybrid version, the new S 400 BlueHYBRID. The S-Class sed! ans are complemented by the CL, a top-of-the-line two-door coupe, and the SL, a luxury roadster. The E-Class is a line of luxury sedans, coupes, convertibles and station wagons. It also offers the CLS, a four-door coupe based on the E-Class. The C-Class is a line of compact luxury sedans and station wagons. The CLC Sports Coupe and the SLK, a two-seat roadster, complement the C-Class product family.

The A-Class is a front wheel drive compact and the B-Class is a front wheel drive 4-door Compact Sports Tourer (CST). The Company does not offer the A- and B-Classes in the United States. The ML-Class is a line of sport utility vehicles with permanent all-wheel drive. The R-Class is a line of SUV Tourers, which is available in a short and a long wheelbase version. The GL-Class is a line of seven seat luxury sport utility vehicles. The GLK-Class is a line of compact sport utility vehicles. The G-Class is a line of cross country vehicles with permanent four-wheel drive that come in a short and a long wheelbase version, and as a convertible. Under the Maybach brand, the Company offers a line of luxury sedans with outstanding luxury, comfort, and individuality. Maybach sedans are available in a short and a long wheelbase version, including the Maybach 57S and 62S as sportier variations. The smart brand represents a micro compact car concept. It offers two models, the smart fortwo coupe and the smart fortwo cabrio.

Daimler Trucks

Daimler Trucks manufactures and sells trucks and specialty vehicles under the brand names Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner, Western Star, Thomas Built Buses and Fuso. During 2009, Daimler Trucks contributed approximately 21% of its revenue. During 2009, the Company ceased production of trucks under the Sterling brand name. The Company�� European Mercedes-Benz truck lines consist of the Actros and the Axor in the heavy-duty category, the Atego in the medium-duty category, and the specialty vehicles Econic and Zetros. The Unimog, a four-wheel drive ve! hicle for! special purpose applications, complements the line-up. In Turkey and Brazil, it manufactures heavy-duty and medium-duty trucks for the respective local and certain export markets. Its Mercedes-Benz trucks range from 6 metric tons gross vehicle weight (GVW) to 41 metric tons GVW.

The Company�� United States subsidiary, Daimler Trucks North America LLC, manufactures trucks and buses (based on truck chassis) in Classes 3 through 8 (from 9,000 lbs. GVW to 160,000 lbs. GVW) and sells them under the Freightliner, Western Star, and Thomas Built Buses brand names, primarily in the NAFTA region. It also manufactures chassis for trucks, buses, walk-in vans and motor homes in Classes 3 through 7 (from 10,000 lbs. GVW to 33,000 lbs. GVW). During 2009, Freightliner introduced a new version of the Coronado, an on-highway truck. It Japan-based subsidiary, Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC), offers a truck portfolio and several bus lines, primarily for the Japanese and other Asian markets. The line-up includes the Canter trucks (light-duty), the Fighter trucks (medium-duty) and the Super Great trucks (heavy-duty) and also certain bus models (Rosa and Aero). MFTBC also sells trucks in Africa, Australia, Europe, Latin America and the United States.

Mercedes-Benz Vans

Mercedes-Benz Vans designs, manufactures and sells vans under the brand names Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner. During 2009, Mercedes-Benz Vans contributed approximately 8% of its revenue. The Company offers three lines of Mercedes-Benz vans between 1.9 metric tons (t) and 7.5t gross vehicle weight (GVW): the Vario, the Vito/Viano and the Sprinter. In the NAFTA region it sells the Sprinter under the Freightliner brand name and, since January 1, 2010, also under the Mercedes-Benz brand name. As of December 31, 2009, subsidiaries of Chrysler Holding LLC sold the Sprinter in the United States under the Dodge and Freightliner brand names, and in Canada under the Dodge brand name.

Daimler Buse! s

!

Daimler Buses is a global supplier in the worldwide bus market. During 2009, Daimler Buses contributed approximately 5% of the Company�� revenue. Its product portfolio includes city buses, coaches, intercity buses, midi buses and bus chassis. It sells complete buses under the Mercedes-Benz and Setra brands in Europe, under the Mercedes-Benz brand name in Mexico, and under the Setra and Orion brand names in the United States and Canada. In addition, Daimler Buses produces and sells worldwide a range of bus chassis under the brand name Mercedes-Benz.

Daimler Financial Services

The Company�� financial services activities contributed approximately 15% of its revenue during 2009. It consists principally of financing and leasing services supporting its Mercedes-Benz and other vehicle businesses. The financial services the Company offers consist mainly of customized financing and leasing packages for its retail and wholesale customers in the automotive sector. It also provides financing to its dealers for vehicle inventory and property, plant and equipment purchases, and it offers insurance brokerage and fleet management services, including dealer property and casualty insurance. In Germany, the Company operates a licensed bank, the Mercedes-Benz Bank. The Mercedes-Benz Bank offers financial services to its customers and employees in Germany. These services include leasing and sales financing services, car savings plans, credit cards and demand deposit accounts. In addition, the Mercedes-Benz Bank operates branches in Great Britain and Spain to refinance the local dealer portfolios.

The Company competes with BMW, Volkswagen, Fiat, Ford, General Motors, PSA, Renault, Tata Motors, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Suzuki, Scania, Iveco, Volvo, DAF, Navistar International, Paccar, Hino, Isuzu, MAN Commercial Vehicles, Irisbus and Agrale.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  allOver images/Alamy Electric-car maker Tesla (TSLA) reported a loss of $74.6 million for the third quarter, double its loss of $38.5 million for the same time a year ago. Tesla attributed the loss to increased expenses to meet the rising demand for the Model S Sedan, as operating expenses rose to $291 million. The company lowered their forecast for deliveries of the Model S Sedan by 2,000 vehicles, to about 33,000 vehicles for 2014, citing delays in a planned revamp of a factory. Forecasts for deliveries in 2015 remained the same. Overall, sales rose to $932 million compared to $603 million in the first nine months of 2013. The introduction of the Model X crossover is now projected for the third quarter of 2015 -- one quarter later than last announced -- coming on top of several other delays in the past year-and-a-half. Tesla's challenge is not demand, but rather production capacity issues, which account for the postponement in delivery time. Cash fell to $2.4 billion from $2.7 billion at the end of the second quarter, due to capital expenditures and the operating losses noted above, while expenses for Research and Development rose 28 percent in the third quarter. This earnings release follows the earnings announcements from the following peers of Tesla: Daimler (DDAIY), Ford (F), General Motors (GM), Honda (HMC), Toyota (TM) and Volkswagen (VLKPY) Highlights Summary numbers: Revenues of $ 851.8 million, Net Earnings of $ -74.6 million and EPS of $ -0.60. Performance focus more on revenue than bottom-line: Increase in revenue of 97.5 percent vs. change in earnings of -94.1 percent, compared to same period last year Gross margins widened to 37.2 percent from 30.4 percent for the same period last year; operating margins (EBITDA margins) now an improved 3.0 percent from -0.5 percent

Best Performing Stocks To Invest In 2014: Clean Energy Fuels Corp.(CLNE)

Clean Energy Fuels Corp., together with its subsidiaries, provides natural gas as an alternative fuel for vehicle fleets in the United States and Canada. The company designs, builds, operates, and maintains fueling stations, as well as supplies compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel for medium and heavy-duty vehicles. Its CNG is used in automobiles, light to medium-duty vehicles, refuse trucks, and transit buses as an alternative to gasoline and diesel. The company also sells non-lubricated natural gas compressors and related equipment used in CNG and LNG stations; and produces renewable natural gas, which is used as vehicle fuel or sold for power generation. In addition, it offers vehicle finance services for the purchase of natural gas vehicles, as well as for the conversion of gasoline or diesel powered vehicles to operate on natural gas. Further, the company provides natural gas conversions, alternative fuel systems, application engineering, service and warranty support, and research and development services for natural gas vehicles. As of December 31, 2011, it served approximately 530 fleet customers with approximately 25,000 natural gas vehicles; and owned, operated, or supplied 273 natural gas fueling stations in 23 states within the United States, and British Columbia and Ontario within Canada, as well as in Peru. Clean Energy Fuels Corp. was incorporated in 2001 and is headquartered in Seal Beach, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tyler Crowe]

  What a Fool believes
  The idea of energy independence and lower oil prices do not go hand in hand. Whether it be the high cost of our newfound resources, or the high prices others are willing to pay for them, it is highly unlikely that U.S. production will lead to a sustained drop in oil prices. Consumers who want to lower their energy costs should look toward other fuels to meet their energy needs. Clean Energy Fuels (NASDAQ: CLNE  ) boasts that a gallon equivalent of natural gas is $1.50 less than diesel, and this 40% cost reduction is causing the U.S. trucking industry to take a hard look at converting long distance fleets to natural gas.

• [By Garrett Cook]

  Energy shares rose by 1.89 percent in today’s trading. Top gainers in the sector included Harvest Natural Resources (NYSE: HNR), up 22.3 percent, and Clean Energy Fuels (NASDAQ: CLNE), up 12.4 percent.

• [By Doug Ehrman]

  Last week, the Potential Gas Committee released a new report that estimates the potential natural gas resources available in the U.S. at 2,384 trillion cubic feet, an eye-popping 26% increase over the group's late 2010 calculation. While reduced natural gas prices have led to such projects as the Clean Energy Fuels (NASDAQ: CLNE  ) America's Natural Gas Highway and Berkshire Hathaway's (NYSE: BRK-A  ) BNSF Railway pilot program to test liquefied natural gas (LNG) locomotives, the price of the commodity has also put downward pressure on natural gas stocks in general ��Chesapeake Energy (NYSE: CHK  ) , for example, is down about 40% over the last two years.

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  On the other hand, one company has already built the highway of the future. Clean Energy Fuels (NASDAQ: CLNE  ) expects to have 150 natural gas refueling stations open by the end of the year as part of its plan to build America's Natural Gas Highway. These stations would refuel a truck in the same amount of time as conventional gasoline. So when compared with Tesla, which currently has only about two dozen Supercharger stations open, natural gas is faster and more readily available.