Choosing Stocks to Buy Now

Finding places to invest your money in today’s struggling economy can be difficult, and the tumultuous nature of the market doesn't make it any easier to decide what stocks to buy now. There are always inspirational stories of microcap, or penny stock investors striking it rich by holding a long position their holdings, or savvy options players who leveraged huge gains in the market, but these stories are the exception to the rule. They require constant and diligent maintenance and research that the average investor doesn’t have time to apply. To find the right financial stocks to buy now, start with a solid strategy that won’t be deviated from. The first step in this plan is to avoid overcomplicating your approach. Too much research and analysis can become a substitute for real action. Worse yet, a person can research a stock until they convince themselves it’s worth buying. The best stock to buy now has the signs of still being the best in the near or far future. To find companies that have this attribute, look for those paying strong dividends over the long term. Even in a negative return market, factoring in dividend returns can create a positive. This was true in 2004 for both the DOW Jones and the S & P 500. The attraction of dividends is their exponential rates of return compared with non-dividend paying companies. Companies with a long record of paying out to their stockholders are the priority to look into. Newer companies may seek to reduce dividend payments to expand the company. One of the best stocks to buy right now is Johnson & Johnson, who have been paying dividends as high as 3.3% for decades. The opposite is true of Whole Foods, who decided to cut dividends to put the money into growing the company. One of the best stocks to buy right now is Johnson & Johnson, who have been paying dividends as high as 3.3% for decades. The opposite is true of Whole Foods, who decided to cut dividends to put the money into growing the company. Johnson & Johnson has been paying out and raising their dividend since 1944. In general, a good stock to buy now has great cash flow so there aren’t any concerns about receiving dividend payments in the future. The next part of this simple strategy is to hold on to a dividend paying company’s stock indefinitely. After enough time passes, the dividend payments surpass the original amount invested. and this process can be sped up by reinvesting your dividend payments to buy more shares and receive larger payouts at the quarterly dividend payment. Other stocks to buy right now are Hansen Natural Corp, a beverages manufacturer and distrubutor, and Intuitive Surgical, a company that blew up as a microcap and now sells for over $300. Hot stocks to buy now may be a sell or a hold tomorrow. Keep the cashflow, the reputation, and the experience of the management team in mind when researching opportunities.