Best Value Stocks to Buy

With a possible economic slowdown on the horizon, investors would be wise to consider stable, yield-friendly value stocks.

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(Image credit: Getty Images)

The stock market has fared well over the past year or so thanks to market participants' increased appetite for riskier assets. But for those with a long-term investing horizon, Wall Street's best value stocks continue to be an attractive place to plunk down their money. 

In a go-go market, it's often possible to simply look at the top momentum stocks or high-flying companies that are topping Wall Street forecasts. But when things get less certain, it becomes harder to depend on growth stocks.

Value stocks, on the other hand, are companies that are built on a solid foundation of sales and profits. They are also some of the best dividend stocks around, proving to shareholders that their operations are secure. 

Additionally, unlike cheap stocks that tend to be risky and volatile, the best value stocks are often stable additions to portfolios that provide steady returns over time.

And with some expecting the U.S. economy to fall into a recession at some point within the next year or at least a short-lived economic slowdown, investors would be wise to keep value stocks on their radar. This is because value investing typically involves companies that fare better during periods of economic uncertainty due to their dependable business models. 

With that in mind, here are seven of the best value stocks to buy now. To put together our list of the best stocks to buy, we focused on companies that span a variety of sectors, but boast rock-solid fundamentals, strong balance sheets and a commitment to rewarding shareholders. 

Data is as of March 15. Dividend yields are calculated by annualizing the most recent payout and dividing by the share price. 

Jeff Reeves
Contributing Writer, Kiplinger.com

Jeff Reeves writes about equity markets and exchange-traded funds for Kiplinger. A veteran journalist with extensive capital markets experience, Jeff has written about Wall Street and investing since 2008. His work has appeared in numerous respected finance outlets, including CNBC, the Fox Business Network, the Wall Street Journal digital network, USA Today and CNN Money.