Stocks to Buy Now

Three Biotech Stocks to Buy Now

By , Contributing Writer, Money Morning -

If you're looking to hit a home run over the next 12 months, your best bet for stocks to buy now is biotechnology companies - especially those focused on cancer research.

Here's why: biotech stocks have been in a stealth bull market in 2012.

In fact, the values of the 230 publicly-traded biotech companies tracked by the BioWorld Stock Report have jumped by an average 38% year-to-date.

The third quarter was especially hot. The Nasdaq Biotechnology Index rose 10% over that time frame and is up a healthy 37% this year.

And, nothing is hotter than companies focused on the battle against cancer.

Take Medivation Inc. (Nasdaq: MDVN), for example. This California-based biotech has jumped from $23 to $46 a share, largely on the approval of Xtandi, its novel prostate cancer drug.

Thousands of other experimental drugs are going through various stages of clinical trials, and the largest category in the pipeline is cancer drugs. With that in mind, it's safe to say that if you're looking for a stock with big upside potential, cancer-driven biotech stocks should be high on your list. Biotech Stocks: Cancer Research is Paying Off

A cancer diagnosis was once a death sentence -- especially if you were diagnosed with the disease in its late stages.

But, both government and industry have spent vast sums in the last decade researching how cancers develop and spread.

And now all that investment is starting to pay off -- recent clinical trials and treatment breakthroughs show real promise.

The newest cancer research focuses on three fronts.

To continue reading, please click here...

Stock Market Today: This Stock Wins With or Without QE3

By , Money Morning -

The major headlines in the stock market today include the Fed's decision to implement QE3, increased producer prices, and higher jobless claims.

  • QE3 a 99% certainty?... Not quite- When the Federal Open Market Committee makes its statement at 12:30 p.m. EDT every investor will be waiting to hear if QE3 has finally arrived. After what seems like two years of speculation since QE2 was announced will we finally get QE3? According to Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C) a gauge of indicators of market expectations for additional central bank stimulus rose to a record 99% in August. Yet many economists do not expect QE3 to be announced today for many reasons. If the Fed takes action it will be viewed as highly political coming just months before Election 2012. Even if the Fed announces QE3 but says it will delay QE3 purchases until after the election as it did with QE2, the political implications will still be there. Other reasons are the lack of progress the previous rounds of QE have had in turning around the economy - and not just the stock market. "The Fed continues to want the economy to grow faster and specifically, to grow more jobs, but the ability of QE to do that is extraordinarily limited," Catherine Mann, a finance professor at Brandeis and former Federal Reserve economist told CNN. "We know that QE reduced interest rates, but we also know that has not led to more construction, more mortgages, more business investment, or more lending. Since it hasn't done any of that, it probably hasn't created jobs either."
  • Producer prices rise most in three years- Wholesale prices, measured by the producer price index, climbed 1.7% in August - the most since June 2009 - due to higher gasoline and natural gas prices. This was a faster increase than the 0.3% reported in July and ahead of the median forecast for a gain of 1.3%. Food prices rose 0.9% due to a rise in dairy and egg prices. The core producer price index which excludes food and energy rose 0.2%, which was in line with expectations. Tomorrow's consumer price index will be a good indicator if higher wholesale prices have translated into increased consumer prices.

Click here to see what Zuckerberg revealed...

Stock Market Today: U.S. Credit Rating At Risk Again

By , Money Morning -

The major headlines in the stock market today (Tuesday) include Moody's warning it might lower America's AAA rating, the trade deficit and a financial shakeup:

  • U.S. Credit Rating at Risk- In a statement released Monday, ratings agency Moody's said the United States is in danger of losing its AAA credit rating if Congress cannot come up with a solid plan to lower the debt-to-GDP ratio. "If those negotiations lead to specific policies that produce a stabilization and then downward trend in the ratio of federal debt to GDP over the medium term, the rating will likely be affirmed and the outlook returned to stable," Moody's said in an e-mailed statement. "If those negotiations fail to produce such policies, however, Moody's would expect to lower the rating, probably to Aa1."

    Currently Moody's rates the U.S. AAA credit rating with a negative outlook. Standard & Poor's last year downgraded the U.S. to AA+ which is the equivalent to Moody's Aa1. Both agencies cite the political bickering in Congress and inability to deal with fiscal situations as the main reasons for the downgrades. S&P has mentioned that those risks could lead to another downgrade. When President Obama updated his federal budget in August the debt-to-GDP ratio was projected to be 75% by 2022, currently it is just over 1.04%. If lawmakers decide to go off the fiscal cliff as a debt reduction measure Moody's said it will maintain its current rating and negative outlook and then wait to see results of the fiscal cliff before deciding to return to a stable outlook.

To continue reading, please click here...

What Stocks to Buy Now

By , Money Morning -

What Stocks to Buy Now

Money Morning's Shah Gilani appeared on Fox Business' "Varney and Co." this morning (Tuesday) to discuss the slow growing U.S. economy and its effect on the stock market.

Host Stuart Varney asked Gilani if there are any stocks worth buying given the recent economic indicators and 1.5% growth rate in the U.S. Gilani didn't disappoint and offered a couple of stocks to buy now - one of which he is picking up himself.

You can see all of Gilani's analysis in the accompanying video.

Read More…

Two Stocks to Buy in Uncertain Times

By , Money Morning -

Europe’s debt problems are hitting a breaking point, U.S. economic growth is slowing and the Dow is down about 7% in the past month – so investors want to know what to do. Money Morning Capital Waves Strategist Shah Gilani is doing just that – sharing the stocks he thinks will provide safety in these uncertain times. He joined Fox Business’ “Varney & Co.” Tuesday morning to share with host Stuart Varney two investments he has recommended to his Capital Wave Forecast subscribers. One is a solid pharmaceutical company with blockbuster drugs barreling down the pipeline and 4.8% dividend yield. The other is an alternative utility-based investment with 5.8% dividend yield. Watch this clip to learn more.

Read More…