Our latest list of the best stocks to buy now comes out as the Dow Jones Industrial Average teeters around its psychologically significant 17,000 level.
The Dow rose 62 points Friday after a strong U.S. jobs report. The index closed at 17,006.77.
According to the latest look at employment, the United States added 242,000 jobs in February, beating economists' expectations of 190,000.
The last time the Dow closed above 17,000 was on Jan. 5, when it hit 17,158. That was right in the middle of the Dow's worst 10-day calendar start in U.S. history.
It's unclear whether the Dow will stay above 17,000. Its latest four-day rally this week of 490 points comes after a series of upswings and dips this year. This volatility has investors and traders unsure what to expect from one week to another.
Their uncertainty is reflected in the VIX (INDEXCBOX: VIX) - a measure of volatility and fear in the markets, which is up 15% year over year.
But don't let other investors' fear scare you out of markets. Investors looking for long-term profits will miss some of the strongest opportunities if they bail on markets now.
"The markets remain the single most powerful wealth-creation tool at your disposal," said Money Morning Chief Investment Strategist Keith Fitz-Gerald, "and that means you can't ignore them in any mission to protect and grow your retirement."
Every week, our investing gurus choose the best stocks to buy now given current market conditions.
This week, Defense & Tech Specialist Michael Robinson favors a "triple play" in the pharmaceutical industry, as the sector stages a comeback from the market downturn in early January.
We highlight an oil stock that's been incredibly resilient over the past year despite plummeting oil prices...
And we give you three of the best picks to collect dividends. That's money you get no matter what the market does.
It's all here - and more - in our latest list of the best stocks to buy now...
Money Morning's Best Stocks to Buy Now
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- Drug firms took a beating during this year's market downturn. The Dow Jones Pharmaceuticals Index fell nearly 10.3% before it bottomed out on Feb. 11. Now it's back on the rise. Even so, drug companies are still trading at a discount right now. Money Morning Defense & Tech Specialist Michael Robinson likes three pharmaceutical companies with new drugs and a lot of potential in 2016. These companies are proven winners and have produced drugs with billion-dollar sales in the past. Now these companies are rolling out new drugs that could easily pass the $1 billion sales threshold to become new "blockbusters."
- Not many oil stocks can say they survived this past year relatively unscathed. But Money Morning Associate Editor Dave Zeiler told us last week about an oil stock that is up over 6.5% year over year. That's during the same time that the iShares Dow Jones U.S. Oil & Gas Exploration and Production ETF (NYSE Arca: IEO) fell 39%. This oil stock is drawing a lot of attention - including from legendary investor Warren Buffett, who just purchased more than $1 billion of this stock...
- Investors have been taking shelter in dividend stocks this year, especially after the volatile market dips and upswings we've been having recently. Dividend stocks are some of the most stable ways to make money right now. The S&P High Dividend Index, which tracks 80 high-yielding public companies, is up 1.6% so far this year, compared to the S&P 500's nearly 2% loss. Money Morning Associate Editor Alex McGuire has researched three of the best dividend stocks to add to your portfolio in 2016....
- Bonus Pick: We released this $3 stock pick earlier this year. In case you missed it, this company is a major player in the mobile gaming industry. The mobile game developer has over 100 applications available globally through 90 mobile carriers. Mobile game revenue is projected to spike from $29 billion in 2015 to $45 billion by 2018. Our pick is a tour-de-force in this rapidly expanding mobile market. And you can still grab it before other investors catch on...
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