The Motley Fool's Weekly Editors' Picks
Fools were out and about this past week in an investing world jam-packed with actions and ideas. Here are three articles you might find useful as you decide how to invest your money.
6 Reasons to Buy Ford Now
Ford (NYS: F) has notched an impressive turnaround, but investing is all about what your stocks do tomorrow. To help figure out whether Ford is right for your portfolio now, turn your attention to Fool contributor John Rosevear, who lays out six reasons to buy stock in the company and a few things to watch out for.
Items in the plus column include Ford's expansion in emerging markets including Russia, India, and China; its competitive array of models; and the deep executive bench at the company. "Ford's ace CFO, Lewis Booth, announced his retirement [last week], as did Global Product Development Chief Derrick Kuzak," John noted. "Ford has been preparing for these departures for some time, and their capable successors ... should have seamless transitions."
In the keep-in-mind column, John lists overseas operations as weighing on earnings and notes that "Ford's strategy of adding premium features to bread-and-butter models to command premium pricing may not be working quite as planned."
Read the article for the full rundown on Ford's prospects.
Diversify With These 5 DividendsDividend stocks can add balance to your portfolio, but it's also important to diversify among different types of stocks that offer a payout, Fool contributor Patrick Martin noted. For example, he said, investors shouldn't get stuck with just consumer-goods companies or just utilities.
He offered up five suggestions, including four that he already owns shares of. Johnson & Johnson (NYS: JNJ) makes the list, of course, for its consumer-goods products but also for its pharmaceuticals and medical devices, which generate most of its revenue. "Basically, the stock is an easy way to get exposure to a wide swath of the health-care industry," Patrick wrote.
Going in another direction, Intel (NAS: INTC) makes Patrick's list because of its growth in emerging markets, including China. "The best part of it, though, is the market doesn't seem to have caught on," Patrick wrote. "Intel trades at a forward P/E of just over 10 and pays a 3.1% dividend. Add that to its low payout ratio of 33% and the company starts to look like a bargain."
Read the article to see all of Patrick's stock suggestions.
Electric Vehicles May Be Worth Another LookFool contributor Travis Hoium brought investors a nugget of truth that could help them figure out whether and when to jump on the electric-vehicle bandwagon. "It's an age-old adage but it's true today for EVs: Sex sells."
"Some manufacturers are figuring out that EVs shouldn't look like something undesirable, and maybe the opposite should be the reason people are attracted to EVs," Travis wrote.
Tesla Motors (NAS: TSLA) is leading the way when it comes to combining looks and performance, according to Travis. "The company set out to build a performance machine and put it in a body that would catch the eye of any car lover," he wrote. "The Model S ... is more comparable to a BMW 5-series than a Toyota Camry in styling," while the Model X could have a 300-mile range.
Read the article for more, and leave a comment on that page telling your fellow Fools whether you agree with Travis that "EVs may be leaving their pimply, teenage years and entering a more mature stage of development."
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At the time thisarticle was published Fool online editor Kris Eddy owns no shares of any stocks mentioned in this article.The Motley Fool owns shares of Ford, Johnson & Johnson, and Intel.Motley Fool newsletter serviceshave recommended buying shares of Johnson & Johnson, Intel, Ford, and Tesla Motors, as well as creating a diagonal call position in Johnson & Johnson and a synthetic long position in Ford. Try any of our Foolish newsletter servicesfree for 30 days. We Fools don't all hold the same opinions, but we all believe thatconsidering a diverse range of insightsmakes us better investors. The Motley Fool has adisclosure policy.
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