Best Stocks to Buy Now

Our list of the best stocks to buy now reflect the lesson of the past few years: Be ready for anything.

gold, silver and bronze medals
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Kiplinger's annual investing outlook, which includes the best stocks to buy, has been a feature for our readers since 2012. As executive editor for Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine, I have authored the piece since then, surveying the stock market and economy and synthesizing my findings into key takeaways. 

That's no small task, given the broad and dynamic nature of the market. Along with conducting plenty of research, I rely on my  experience to draw out the most important trends and likely winners for the best stocks to buy in the coming year. This is my 13th year writing this story, but I've been an investing writer for far longer. I've seen investors through a lot of bull and bear markets

How you can choose the best stocks to buy

When gathering research for this year's article, I quickly encountered broad acknowledgement that the best line of defense for investors in the uncertain macroeconomic environment that we currently find ourselves in is being disciplined and selective when seeking out high-quality companies. 

That means when investors are attempting to find the best stocks to buy now, they should look beyond factors such as company size (small-capitalization and large-capitalization stocks, for instance) or investing style (such as growth or value) and search for stocks of companies with consistent profits, good cash flow and other indicators that reflect quality.

"If a company generates more cash than it needs to run its business, it can do a number of useful things with it, such as pay dividends, buy back its stock, acquire other companies, expand its business and knock out its debts," writes Kiplinger contributor Will Ashworth on the importance of good cash flow.

And while Kiplinger's outlook provides context and advice related to general market trends, individual investors must consider their own risk tolerance and time horizon when deciding what works best for them and their own personal financial goals. 

With that in mind, here are eight of the best stocks to buy now. 

Anne Kates Smith
Executive Editor, Kiplinger's Personal Finance

Anne Kates Smith brings Wall Street to Main Street, with decades of experience covering investments and personal finance for real people trying to navigate fast-changing markets, preserve financial security or plan for the future. She oversees the magazine's investing coverage,  authors Kiplinger’s biannual stock-market outlooks and writes the "Your Mind and Your Money" column, a take on behavioral finance and how investors can get out of their own way. Smith began her journalism career as a writer and columnist for USA Today. Prior to joining Kiplinger, she was a senior editor at U.S. News & World Report and a contributing columnist for TheStreet. Smith is a graduate of St. John's College in Annapolis, Md., the third-oldest college in America.

 

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