Stocks To Buy

The information age has rewarded those who can package data in digestible ways. That’s rewarded companies like social media firms, which have allowed for users to share content with those in their networks. And it’s allowed bigger tech companies to consolidate data that can make analytical predictions about consumer tastes and behavior. In short, content is king – and only a few companies are able to consistently profit from it. In China, Baidu (BIDU) has a similar role to the one that ...
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While the market has had a strong start to the year, stocks are turning down again. That’s not a problem for investors who focus on value. That includes companies with strong brands, as well as on companies that can offer steady and growing dividend payouts. These companies may not always be big winners, but they tend to hold their own in down markets. And that can lead to winning performance over time. That’s particularly true for companies that can pass on higher ...
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Companies exist to provide a product or service. The best and most profitable companies do so in a way that solves a problem – real or perceived – for consumers. Creating new and simplified ways of doing business, for instance, can create a great investment opportunity. That’s because improving a process means that a company can profit from every transaction, even if it’s to such a small degree. This is the way that credit card companies have become a fantastic investment ...
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Utility companies tend to offer steady returns, but at a cost. Growth is limited, thanks to regulatory concerns. However, some utilities can fare better than others, either because they’re in growing markets, or because they face less regulatory scrutiny. One such area is in waste management, aka, garbage hauling. This service is often provided to municipalities by an oligopoly of companies. These companies are able to earn reasonable returns, particularly for patient investors. The biggest player in the space is Waste Management ...
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Stocks and sectors tend to ebb and flow. The unusual economy of the past few years has caused some sectors to get overly bullish, and now with the market pullback over the past year, overly pessimistic. That’s creating some reasonable values for long-term investors, particularly those who are patient waiting for growth trends to play out. That’s especially true with many tech stocks, which got hit hard in last year’s market selloff. In the tech space, chip manufacturers have a bright few  ...
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Investors have plenty of trends that they can follow to profits. One of the easiest – or at least biggest source—of profits to follow is the massive amount of government spending. That’s led to some people investing in highly regulated utilities, or even in aerospace and defense contractors for steady profits. However, times are changing. And the battlefields of the 21st century may not even have a physical location. There’s a tech-themed way to invest in this growing area of government ...
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Travel still remains below its pandemic levels, however, that could change this year. Companies in the travel and tourism space report robust demand, even with other parts of the economy showing a decline. One area with reasonable upside here is in hotel-related companies. That’s because booking trends have proven strong, even going into the new year and past the holiday season. Among the hotel stocks, Marriott (MAR) looks well-positioned here. The hotel chain just beat on earnings, and the stock is fairly ...
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It can be tough to decide what to buy in any market. Following last year’s bear market, which seems to be fading, one strategy might be to buy heavily shorted stocks. In the short-term, that may work. For longer-term investments, however, it may be prudent to invest in companies with solid growth and tremendous cash flow. That’s because cash flow can be used to grow the business, buy a competitor, or even reward shareholders with dividends or buybacks. Many large-cap energy companies ...
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