Picking stocks in a volatile market like the current one is a tricky business. Investors are being driven to distraction by an edgy market that overreacts to every whisper of news — plunging on inflation fears and recession worries, soaring on Fed meetings and earnings reports, plunging again when the government announces the latest economic statistic.
The good news is you can find bright spots in any market. And at InvestorPlaceBlogs.com, we have a whole community of investors researching stocks, making stock picks and writing about their decisions and their returns…returns that can be quite impressive.
This year they’ve delivered some promising gains in the face of an extremely complicated stock market. So, to help spread the word about what our stock pickers have to offer investors like you, I decided to scour their portfolios and blog posts to bring you the absolute best stocks they are buying now.
The Smart Money’s on Las Vegas Sands
One of the hottest stocks in 2007 was Las Vegas Sands (LVS). LVS owns and operates the Venetian Resort–Hotel–Casino and the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas. In Macao it owns and operates the Sands Macao Casino and is developing the Venetian Macao.
The stock dropped last year on recession fears, but frankly casino stocks tend to be recession proof. That irrational selling is an opportunity that bloggers appear to be jumping all over. I would do the same.
LVS is a speculative growth story and does entail risk, but that risk has been reduced by the sell-off, making the stock appealing. For more on LVS, check out this post on consumer stocks to buy even in the face of a potential recession in oversold consumer stocks.
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DryShips: Your Ship Has Come In
Like me, many of our bloggers have been fans of DryShips Inc (DRYS) for quite some time. In fact, when I put the question of whether or not to buy DRYS in front of the community, I had a hard time finding a bearish opinion on the stock!
DRYS is a worldwide dry bulk carrier. The company operates a fleet of 35 ships with a combined deadweight tonnage of 3 million. Some of the commodities it carries include coal, iron ore and grains. There is no speculation here. The company is a cash cow operating in an industry with tight supply and huge demand. Their earnings are growing like a weed and yet shares trade at current prices for just 6.5 times trailing earnings and 6 times forward earnings.
Get additional information on DryShips in the InvestorPlaceBlogs Bull/Bear Report “Should You Buy DRYS?”
Take a Bite of Apple
Apple Inc., (AAPL) has been a favorite with our stock pickers, continuously occupying a spot in our top five most widely held stock list. This year the company finally succumbed to recessionary fears combined with reduced guidance for 2008, and sold off hard in January and February.
That sliced nearly $80 off its share price, taking it low enough to make shares of AAPL intriguing again. Remember, this company is a gold mine. They are habitual innovators and fantastic marketers, and are capturing a larger piece of the PC market, the iPhone is growing globally, and then there’s the iPod. Will there be more innovations from Apple?
You bet there will!
The company deserves a premium valuation and in a stronger economic environment would be trading for much higher levels. You want to own this stock! To access the most up-to-date research, posts and articles on AAPL, visit our Apple Computer Stock Intelligence page.
At InvestorPlaceBlogs.com, we’re committed to ensuring that you don’t have to go it alone in this difficult-to-navigate, rapidly changing stock market. Our unique mix of investing experts and amateur stock pickers delivers a fresh take on investing and the best stocks to buy, sell, or hold. You’ll find in-depth discussions on stocks and the stock market that will help you be a more successful investor. Stop by InvestorPlaceBlogs.com for a look at which stocks our bloggers are talking about right now. You’ll be glad you did!
These three stocks were just a sampling of the ideas our community has for you. Get all 10 of the best stock picks from the InvestoPlaceBlogs.com portfolios right now in our brand-new report, The 10 Best Stock Opportunities in a Topsy-Turvy Market. In it you’ll find recommendations for value stocks, growth stocks, a REIT and even an ETF, plus diversification covering a number of different sectors. Access your FREE copy online today.
