11 of the Best Stocks to Buy Now in U.S. Markets and Abroad

Best stocks to buy for the week ending Aug. 22, 2014:Last week for Money Morning Members we highlighted 11 top stock picks across the globe.

One value buy is a Calif.-based biotech firm that works in cancer treatment technology using genome sequencing - currently a $20 billion market. Another is a more than 100-year-old German company that's about to unlock its stock's value in a spin-off.

And two stocks to buy react to recent world events. Our Resource Specialist recommended a European stock that's a hedge against the conflict with Russia and its move to devalue the U.S. dollar. And last week's release of the FOMC meeting minutes for July revealed a sooner-than-expected interest rate hike, and so our Chief Investment Strategist gave readers three picks that'll benefit when rates rise.

You can find all of last week's tips and recommendations here in our newest list of the best stocks to buy now.

Money Morning's Latest "Best Stocks to Buy" List

• Aug. 20 marked the release of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) July minutes. Therein, the Committee indicated that the U.S. Federal Reserve may raise interest rates earlier than expected. The move prompted Money Morning Chief Investment Strategist Keith Fitz-Gerald to remind readers that some companies that will actually benefit from rising interest rates, including these three "global challengers" - they are tapped into global money flows that continue unabated, while also featuring strong cash flow, experienced management, and powerful brands...

• "Over the counter" (OTC) stocks have been making headlines recently, and not in a good way. In July, the FBI divulged details of its "Operation: Pennypincher" sting targeting OTC stock manipulators. Through it, 22 people were charged criminally for various counts of fraud related to OTC trades in the last year. But not all OTC are high risk. For instance, consider that OTC Markets actually have three "marketplaces," only one of which caters to the "pink sheet" penny stocks that attract stock manipulators. Additionally, about 3,000 foreign firms trade as OTC stocks, and many of them are global household names, including China's Lenovo Group Ltd. (OTCMKTS ADR: LNVGY), and Japan's Toshiba Corp. (OTCMKTS: TOSYY). Last week, Money Morning Defense & Tech Specialist Michael A. Robinson shared his "secret to finding winners trading OTC." He also recommended a 100-year-old OTC stock to get readers started - this Germany-based company is poised for a spin-off (a restructuring move that's historically beaten the overall market by as much as 30%)...

• The story's been the same for a few weeks now - Russia refuses to quell unrest in Ukraine, and the West responds by issuing sanctions on the former Soviet nation. But what's going on behind the scenes is more insidious - and has a greater effect on your wallet. Russian President Vladimir Putin has been making moves to devalue the U.S. dollar by trading for energy without using the petrodollar. For instance, in late May, Russia agreed to a 30-year $400 billion deal to supply natural gas to China. He then struck a second deal between one of the largest Russian banks, VTB Bank, and Bank of China, in which the nations will sidestep the U.S. dollar entirely and instead pay each other in domestic currencies for transactions. And only two weeks ago, Putin said Russia should aim to sell its oil and gas for rubles globally because the dollar monopoly in energy trade was damaging Russia's economy, according to Reuters. These Russian attempts to weaken the dollar are not going away - they're only gaining momentum with each new round of Western sanctions. That's why Money Morning Resource Specialist Peter Krauth recommended an investment that lets you hedge against the intensifying conflict...

• Genome sequencing - the process of decoding human DNA - is a $20 billion market. From the discovery of new drugs, tests to identify people at risk for diseases, and novel ways to treat illnesses, the field is ripe with promising companies on the cusp of scientific breakthroughs. Last week, Money Morning Bioscience Investment Specialist Ernie Tremblay recommended an affordable entry in this market for investors - at $8.66 a share, this Santa Clara, Calif.-based company has seen its share price grow almost two-and-a-half times in the last 24 months, and it's not even close to finished. Tremblay expects the stock to leap "much higher over the next 24 months" due to its work in cancer treatment and its recent restructuring. "It would be hard to find a more promising company in any sector of the stock market," Tremblay said...

• After 30 years of one of the bitterest tech rivalries, Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) and IBM (NYSE: IBM) announced on July 15 that they've teamed up. IBM will utilize its business presence and highly capable sales force to sell Apple products to the corporate world - where Apple has historically struggled to gain market share. And instead of launching its own mobile division, IBM will glom onto Apple, the world's leader in mobile tech. The Apple-IBM deal is great for both firms, because it unites the best of both companies. But for investors, one stock is the clear winner...

• Money Morning Chief Investment Strategist Keith Fitz-Gerald made a bold statement last week - he believes Tesla Motors (Nasdaq: TSLA) stock will double within the next 12 months. "This company is on track to see a stock explosion that will make its surge back in the spring of 2013 look like a speed bump," Fitz-Gerald said. "We are on the cusp of a few key developments that will make electric cars in general and Tesla in particular the wave of the future." You can get the full story here...

• Pot stocks are here to stay, with industry numbers like this - the latest data from Colorado revealed that June was the best-selling month ever for recreational marijuana for the state, bringing in a whopping $24.7 million in total sales. So far in 2014, the state has pulled in a total of $29.8 million in pot-related taxes on both medical and recreational use, from $308 million in sales. And in Washington, July sales reached nearly $4 million, creating more than $1 million in tax revenue - higher than Colorado's first month of recreational sales. Our experts agree there's a "king of the crop" when it comes to investing in pot stocks - with a market capitalization of $1.79 billion, this drug-developer "is in its own cannabis class"...

• Two of the best Chinese stocks to buy right now come from the country's surging e-commerce industry - an industry that alone is expected to be worth $540 million by 2015, according to business intelligence firm China Briefing. And the best news is, the market is still early in its growth process. "China is still very much an online market in development - meaning the profit opportunities are huge," Money Morning Executive Editor William Patalon III told readers this month. "The impact of social media in China is four times what it is here in the U.S. market." Patalon recommended two Chinese e-commerce stocks he predicts will soar. One is a car-pricing site that posted a huge earnings beat this month, while the other provides investors with a more diversified approach to the industry. You can get both of Patalon's picks here...