5 of the Best Stocks to Buy Now

best stocks to buy When looking for the best stocks to buy now, I turned to Money Morning Director of Tech & Venture Capital Research Michael A. Robinson, who's an expert at identifying the best stocks to own for long-term growth.

Over the last year, Robinson's five picks have returned impressive results.

  • Stock No. 5 has climbed 26% in the last 12 months.
  • Stock No. 4 has climbed 24% in the last 12 months.
  • Stock No. 3 has climbed 71% in the last 12 months.
  • Stock No. 2 has climbed 110% in the last 12 months.
  • Stock No. 1 has climbed 122% in the last 12 months.

But if you missed out on these gains, don't worry. Robinson believes the stock prices for these five companies will continue to climb in 2017 and beyond.

In fact, he has a very bold price target that's near the triple digits for the first stock we'll discuss today.

Here's more on Robinson's first pick, Facebook Inc. (Nasdaq: FB).

Best Stocks to Buy Now No. 5: Facebook Inc.

Facebook stock is one of Robinson's favorite long-term investments.

That's because Facebook offers must-have services that people use, no matter what is happening in politics or in the global economy.

"The major fear among investors is that Trump's trade and immigration policies will mean lower earnings for multinational tech firms like Facebook. But Team Zuckerberg is going to keep thriving by continuing to create pioneering new products and services - like those Messenger chatbots - no matter who sits in the Oval Office," Robinson said on Dec. 5, 2016.

You see, CEO Mark Zuckerberg is quietly building massive revenue sources outside of selling ad space on Facebook.

By 2020, Deutsche Bank AG (USA) (NYSE: DB) projects Facebook's messaging services, WhatsApp and Messenger, will generate a combined $10 billion in revenue annually.

Outside of WhatsApp and Messenger, Facebook's picture app Instagram could account for as much as 10% of Facebook's global revenue this year.

Facebook is also selling its virtual reality (VR) headset Oculus Rift for close to $600. Market intelligence firm Tractice projects sales revenue from VR content, accessories, and head-mounted displays will reach $21.8 billion by 2020.

And Robinson's bullish price target for Facebook accounts for this tremendous growth...

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By 2020, Robinson believes Facebook stock will trade for $250 per share. From today's opening price of $132.24, that's a potential profit of 89% in just three years.

Robinson's next pick is a tech company he calls a "dominant" player in an emerging market...

Best Stocks to Buy Now No. 4: Intel Corp.

Intel Corp. (Nasdaq: INTC) is known as the world's largest semiconductor chipmaker. But Intel is also a leader in the lucrative and emerging Internet of Things (IoT) market.

With IoT devices, users can control their thermostat or start a car through a smart device like a phone or tablet.

"Intel is simply dominant in the Internet of Things sphere, and it's making almost everything we touch every day smarter and more useful," Robinson said on Jan. 23.

In its Q4 2016 earnings report (Jan. 26), analysts expected Intel to report IoT sales of $703.6 million. Instead, Intel reported $726 million in sales. That was a 16% year-over-year (YOY) increase.

And IoT sales will only keep climbing...

From 2016 to 2021, Business Insider projects $6 trillion will be spent on IoT solutions. BI also projects 24 billion IoT devices will be connect to the Internet by 2020.

"I couldn't be more excited to recommend these shares," Robinson said.

According to FactSet, the INTC stock price has a one-year price target of $40.79. From today's opening price of $36.45, that's a potential profit of 11%.

On top of that, Intel also pays a dividend of $0.26, which is a yield of $2.86.

Robinson's next pick is in an overlooked market that's worth billions...

Best Stocks to Buy Now No. 3: Paycom Software

Paycom Software Inc. (NYSE: PAYC) provides cloud-based human capital management (HCM) software solutions.

"First, Paycom supplies clients with payroll services that reduce the time, cost, and risk of errors that come with getting everyone paid, Robinson said on Jan. 24.

This may sound like a "sleepy market," but the market payroll management sector is huge.

IDC projects the payroll management market will be worth $17.8 billion in 2017.

Paycom also offers a human resources (HR) platform that tracks employees throughout their "life cycle." Companies receive analytics from Paycom on how to train and retain staff, as well as news on labor laws and regulatory compliance.

"Here's the beauty of Paycom's business model. Its sales force starts out by hooking new clients up with inexpensive payroll services (their 'loss leader') - and then upsells those clients high-margin human capital management tools," Robinson said on Jan. 24.

According to FactSet, the PAYC stock price has a one-year price target of $56. From today's opening price of $44.93, that's a potential profit of 24%.

Robinson believes this next pick can grow its earnings by double digits in 2017...

Best Stocks to Buy Now No. 2: Applied Materials Inc.

When I asked Robinson about the best stocks for long-term growth, he wanted to make sure I told Money Morning readers about Applied Materials Inc. (Nasdaq: AMAT).

Applied Materials provides manufacturing equipment, services, and software to the global semiconductor industry.

It makes chips for:

  • Electronics
  • Computer displays
  • Televisions
  • Smartphones
  • Solar energy products

Robinson believes Applied Materials can grow its earnings by 25% in 2017.

"Everybody needs their equipment right now," Robinson said on Jan. 4 on CNBC World.

And investment bank UBS seems to agree with Robinson's bullish projections. On Feb. 6, it raised its price target for AMAT stock from $37.50 per share to $40 per share.

From today's opening price of $35.38, that's a potential profit of over 13%.

Applied Materials also pays out a dividend of $0.10, which is a yield of 1.13%.

The stock price for Robinson's last pick has already climbed 122% in the last 12 months, and Robinson believes it's one of the best stocks to own for long-term growth...

Best Stocks to Buy Now No. 1: InterDigital Inc.

InterDigital Inc. (Nasdaq: IDCC) is a wireless technology company that holds over 20,000 patents and patent applications.

InterDigital's technology can be found in:

  • Cellphones
  • Tablets
  • Notebook computers
  • Wireless personal digital assistants
  • Wireless infrastructure equipment

Right now, the company's big push is in 5G, the new proposed standard for telecommunications. Through 5G, there will be more mobile broadband users per area unit, and coverage will be improved.

Robinson said that 5G will be needed for everything, such as connected cars, mobile gaming, mobile video, and machine learning.

According to its website, InterDigital believes it is well-positioned to bring strong contributions to the design of 5G.

Over the last 12 months, the IDCC stock price has climbed over 123%. In comparison, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is up just 24.19%.

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