Topic: How To Invest

Finding top stocks to buy right now is possible—but you’ll need to be aware of these safeguards (and pitfalls!)

top rising stocks

Investing in the top stocks to buy right now will put a mix of blue chips, value and growth stocks in your portfolio. Learn what to look for in these stocks now

Investors learning how to find the top stocks to buy right now should look to tap the long-term growth that inevitably comes to well-established companies when they operate in relatively free economies.

We continue to think investors will profit most—and with the least risk—by buying shares of well-established companies with strong business prospects and strong positions in healthy industries.

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Look for blue chip companies in your search for the top stocks to buy right now 

We believe that investors should devote the biggest part of their portfolios to large, well-established “blue chip” securities. At the same time, though, a strong portfolio anchored with blue chip stocks offers the opportunity to invest a smaller part of your portfolio in promising smaller companies without subjecting yourself to excessive overall risk. And the best of these smaller companies may one day grow into blue chips themselves.

Shares of large, well-established companies generally have a market “cap” (that’s short for “capitalization,” or total value of shares outstanding) of billions of dollars. They usually rebound better than other stocks from downturns.

To succeed in today’s volatile markets, you’ll need to own shares in a variety of companies of varying sizes. But here’s one thing your best choices will have in common: each will be about the right size to succeed in the business it is in.

Look at the historical record of dividend payments to find the top stocks to buy right now

When you pick the best high-quality stocks, you are, for the most part, investing in the safest and most secure companies. That’s in large part because of the dividends that the best income stocks pay. Dividends, after all, are much more stable than earnings projections. What’s more, dividends are impossible to fake; either the company has the cash to pay dividends or it doesn’t.

Canadian dividend stocks are an important contributor to your long-term gains, and dividend-paying stocks tend to expose you to less risk than non-dividend-payers. That’s why the majority of your stocks should be dividend-payers at all times. As you get older and closer to retirement, you should raise the proportion of dividend-paying stocks in your portfolio, to cut risk and improve the stability of your investment results.

What’s more, Canadian taxpayers who hold Canadian dividend stocks get a special bonus. Their dividends can be eligible for the dividend tax credit in Canada. This dividend tax credit will cut your effective tax rate.

Learn how to spot the characteristics of the top stocks to buy right now for growth

The tips below for lowering your growth investing risk have long been part of the advice we give you in our investment services and newsletters, including our flagship publication, The Successful Investor.

  • Don’t overindulge in more aggressive investments.
  • Be skeptical of companies that mainly grow through acquisitions.
  • Keep stock market trends in perspective, and realize that while the market often anticipates trends, no trend lasts forever.
  • Balance your cyclical risk by investing in some growth stocks that have freedom from business cycles.
  • Keep an eye on a growth stock’s debt.
  • Look for growth stocks that have ownership of strong brand names and an impeccable reputation.
  • Industry prominence, if not dominance, should be a factor in choosing growth stocks to invest in.
  • Dependable investments have the ability to serve all shareholders.
  • Hidden value in undetected assets can lead to greater long-term returns.
  • Top growth stocks have brand loyalty behind them.
  • The best growth stocks should have the ability to profit from secular trends.

Some of the top stocks to buy right now are value stocks  

The core of the long-term value investing approach is identifying well-financed companies that are well established in their businesses and for the most part have a history of earnings and dividends. They are likely to survive any economic setback that comes along, and thrive anew when prosperity returns, as it inevitably does.

When you look for stocks that are undervalued, it’s best to focus on shares of quality companies that have a consistent history of rising sales, if not earnings, as well as a strong hold on a growing clientele.

High-quality value stocks like these are difficult to find. But when you know what stocks to look for, you can discover them. Here are three of the financial ratios we use to spot them: 

  • Price-earnings ratios
  • Price-to-sales ratios
  • Price-to-cash flow ratios

Use our three-part Successful Investor approach to find the top stocks to buy right now 

  1. Hold mostly high-quality, dividend-paying stocks.
  2. Spread your money out across most if not all of the five main economic sectors: Manufacturing & Industry, Resources & Commodities, Consumer, Finance and Utilities.
  3. Downplay or stay out of stocks in the broker/media limelight. 

What industries do you target the most when you look for top stocks to buy?

Do you stick to blue chip stocks in your portfolio or do you like to invest in smaller companies that look promising?

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