Top 50 stocks to buy in August

Could stocks be the safe haven?

The Standard & Poor's 500 Index ($INX 0.00%) declined each day during the last week of July as investors sought alternative places to ride out uncertainty over Washington's debt-ceiling feud. Some shunned Treasurys and shoveled money into corporate bonds; others put their faith in gold, the Swiss franc or cash.
But regardless of whether volatility is roiling the markets or ratings companies cut the United States' AAA rating, there should be pockets of the global economy, such as food, mining and energy, that continue to thrive and reward investors.http://money.msn.com/money-video/default.aspx?vid=ecff8d4a-c4fd-4ca8-b819-f3689ff65877&src=SLPl:share:email:uuids&from=email
For investors looking for what's working, StockScouter's Benchmark Portfolio for August is an ideal starting point for investment research.
The 50-stock portfolio was created using StockScouter, MSN Money's stock-picking tool.
Each month, StockScouter generates a list of 50 stocks whose business fundamentals, price behavior, valuation and stock-ownership characteristics appear to predict a rising price in the coming weeks, based on how those factors have influenced stock prices in the past.
Here are StockScouter's best investment ideas for August:

Benchmark Portfolio for August
Company	Sector	July 29 close	Scouter score
Waters (WAT 0.00%, news)	Technical instruments	$87.89	10
Williams Partners (WPZ 0.00%, news)	Natural gas storage and transmission	$55.80	10
Vanguard Natural Resources (VNR 0.00%, news)	Oil and natural gas	$30.53	10
Mead Johnson Nutrition (MJN 0.00%, news)	Infant formula	$71.37	10
Nu Skin Enterprises (NUS 0.00%, news)	Personal-care products	$37.54	10
Esterline Technologies (ESL 0.00%, news)	Aircraft components	$76.37	10
Fastenal (FAST 0.00%, news)	Building materials	$33.65	10
Newmont Mining (NEM 0.00%, news)	Mining	$55.61	10
Nordson (NDSN 0.00%, news)	Machinery	$51.03	10
Hansen Natural (HANS 0.00%, news)	Sodas, juices, teas	$76.62	10
Avery Dennison (AVY 0.00%, news)	Adhesive labels	$31.55	10
Core Laboratories (CLB 0.00%, news)	Oil-field services	$108.04	10
Vale (VALE 0.00%, news)	Iron ore	$32.44	10
W.R. Grace (GRA 0.00%, news)	Specialty chemicals	$50.44	10
Noble Energy (NBL 0.00%, news)	Oil and natural gas	$99.68	10
Timken (TKR 0.00%, news)	Machine tools and accessories	$43.67	10
Olin (OLN 0.00%, news)	Specialty chemicals	$20.91	10
Barrick Gold (ABX 0.00%, news)	Mining	$47.57	10
Agrium (AGU 0.00%, news)	Fertilizers	$87.38	10
Kayne Anderson Energy Development (KED 0.00%, news)	Asset management	$20.47	10
Fossil (FOSL 0.00%, news)	Fashion accessories	$125.67	10
FLIR Systems (FLIR 0.00%, news)	Sensors, imaging products	$27.46	10
Cinemark Holdings (CNK 0.00%, news)	Theaters	$19.49	10
EQT (EQT 0.00%, news)	Natural gas	$63.48	10
Rockwood Holdings (ROC 0.00%, news)	Specialty chemicals	$60.47	10
Alliance Holdings (AHGP 0.00%, news)	Coal	$50.02	10
Dresser-Rand Group (DRC 0.00%, news)	Oil-field equipment	$53.42	10
EV Energy Partners (EVEP 0.00%, news)	Oil and natural gas	$70.49	10
Hanesbrands (HBI 0.00%, news)	Apparel	$30.51	10
New Oriental Education & Technology Group (EDU 0.00%, news)	Education	$127.73	10
Iconix Brand Group (ICON 0.00%, news)	Brand licenses	$23.33	10
Concho Resources (CXO 0.00%, news)	Oil and natural gas	$93.58	10
Coach (COH 0.00%, news)	Handbags and accessories	$64.56	10
Alliance Resource Partners (ARLP 0.00%, news)	Coal	$76.81	10
NetEase (NTES 0.00%, news)	Online commerce	$50.52	10
Albemarle (ALB 0.00%, news)	Plastics	$66.58	10
National Oilwell Varco (NOV 0.00%, news)	Oil and gas drilling	$80.57	10
Cabot Oil and Gas (COG 0.00%, news)	Oil and natural gas	$74.08	10
Cummins (CMI 0.00%, news)	Engines	$104.88	10
Oceaneering International (OII 0.00%, news)	Oil and gas exploration	$43.20	10
OM Group (OMG 0.00%, news)	Specialty chemicals	$36.28	10
Goldcorp (GG 0.00%, news)	Mining	$47.81	10
B&G Foods (BGS 0.00%, news)	Processed foods	$18.79	10
Cosan (CZZ 0.00%, news)	Sugar cane	$12.33	10
McDonald's (MCD 0.00%, news)	Fast-food restaurants	$86.48	9
Campbell Soup (CPB 0.00%, news)	Soup	$33.05	9
ITC (ITC 0.00%, news)	Power transmission	$70.26	9
AT&T (T 0.00%, news)	Telecommunications	$29.26	9
Idacorp (IDA 0.00%, news)	Electric utilities	$39.21	9
Stericycle (SRCL 0.00%, news)	Medical wastes	$82.12	9

Put StockScouter to work

Investment research firm Gradient Analytics uses StockScouter to create daily and monthly stock lists. Writer Jon Markman, at the time a columnist for MSN Money, collaborated with the company to devise strategies for putting the tool to work.

Safe havens

One of Markman's strategies involved investing an equal amount of money in each of the stocks in the computer-generated portfolio, selling them six months later, then beginning the process again. For investors who prefer to handle fewer stocks, Markman recommended using the strategy with just the top 10 stocks on the list.
An investor who followed Markman's 10-stock strategy since it was launched in January 2001 would have realized a gain of 691% through June 30 of this year, according to Gradient Analytics, and had an average annual return of 22.8%.
Over the same period, the S&P 500 rose by 9%.

An innovative mix

StockScouter depends on advanced mathematics and software and an innovative mix of measurements and historical testing to forecast the short- and long-term outlook for all U.S. companies that have traded on the major exchanges for at least the past six months.
The analytical tools score stocks on fundamental, valuation, technical and ownership components.
This score is combined with each company's StockScouter rating to come up with the list in the above chart. Only stocks with a final closing price above $3 are eligible for the list.
by msnmoney.com

Mad Money Stock Picks August 2010 - Buy: KeyCorp (KEY),SanDisk (SNDK)

Jim Cramer’s Mad Money Stock Picks for Thursday August 12, 2010. These are all of Jim Cramer’s & Mad Money Fund stock picks that are a Buy!

Buy:


Fluor (FLR)

United Parcel Service (UPS)

Expeditors International (EXPD)

Medco Health (MHS)

Federal Realty Investment (FRT)

Cree (CREE)

Apple (AAPL)

3M (MMM)

Walt Disney (DIS)

Scotts Miracle-Gro (SMG)

Netflix (NFLX)

Agnico-Eagle Mines (AEM)

Eldorado Gold (EGO)

Buy:


KeyCorp (KEY)

SanDisk (SNDK)

Yamana Gold (AUY)





Sell:

Atlas Air Worldwide Holdi (AAWW)

Willbros Group (WG)





Buy:

Potash (POT)

Deere & Co (DE)

Medco Health (MHS)

Duke Energy (DUK)

Allergan (AGN)

Consolidated Edison (ED)

Centurytel (CTL)

CSX (CSX)

Union Pacific (UNP)

Windstream (WIN)

Caterpillar (CAT)

Tiffany & Co (TIF)

Coach (COH)

Intel (INTC)

Progress Energy (PGN)

Agnico-Eagle Mines (AEM)

Eldorado Gold (EGO)

NVIDIA (NVDA)

Chesapeake Energy (CHK)



Sell:

AirTran Holdings (AAI)

Saks (SKS)

WellPoint (WLP)

Best Buy (BBY)

Yamana Gold (AUY)

El Paso (EP)



Always do your own research as these are recommendations and I make no guarantees. No one cares about your money more than you do!

My penny Stock for August - i have a Buy rating on ABR ( Arbor Realty Trust, Inc )

Arbor Realty Trust, Inc ( ABR ) 1.81 a share 8/1/09 target price 2.25 a share by 2009

Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. is a specialized real estate finance company. The Company invests in a diversified portfolio of structured finance assets in the multi-family and commercial real estate markets. It invests primarily in real estate-related bridge and mezzanine loans, including junior participating interests in first mortgages, preferred and direct equity, and in limited cases, discounted mortgage notes and other real estate-related assets. The Company also invests in mortgage-related securities. It conducts all of its operations and investing activities through its operating partnership, Arbor Realty Limited Partnership, and its wholly owned subsidiaries. The Company serves as the general partner of its operating partnership, and owns a 100% partnership interest in its operating partnership as of December 31, 2008. The Company is externally managed and advised by Arbor Commercial Mortgage, LLC (ACM), a national commercial real estate finance company. This stocks looks undervalued. This stock should bounce back as soon the credit crisis comes to an end. Attention this is a risky and long term stock pick !While we're waiting for the recovery, I'll sit back and get fat off the dividends when they return shortly in 2010 . Regardless - this stock will rally up - make no mistake about it. I will enjoy my dividend :)The company will still do great in this real estate downturn.This should be a screaming buy....if not for the fact that management is trying as hard as possible to avoid mark-to-market, even when it comes to the detriment of tax liability. Any time management is that focused on finding loopholes in GAAP, you need to discount book value by at least 50%.However, in the near-term, Arbor will see great profits in swaps, due to LIBOR rates. This might be the thing that also kills them next year, when rates eventually will begin to rise, though, as the vast majority of their leverage is floating.Real Estate. . . has it hit bottom. . my money says that commercial has also ?? Strong mgmt in commercial REIT market; negative perception overdone. so buy 1/2 now and buy more if ABR dips lower !

August Top Stock Picks - Under Armour , Fuel Cell Energy , Chevron . ?

1. Fuel Cell Energy INC. ( FCEL ) 4.12 a share as of july 27 , target price 9.25 by End 2009

FuelCell Energy, Inc. (FuelCell Energy) is engaged in the development and manufacturing of fuel cell power plants for electric power generation. The Company’s products have generated over 260 million-kilowatt-hour of electricity and are operating at over 50 locations around the world. The fuel cell products Direct FuelCell or DFC Power Plants offer stationary power generation applications for customers. In addition to the commercial products, the Company develops next generation of carbonate fuel cell and planar solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology. The carbonate DFC power plants electrochemically (without combustion) produce electricity directly from hydrocarbon fuels, such as natural gas and biogas fuels. The Company’s customers include manufacturers, mission critical institutions, breweries, food processors and wastewater treatment facilities. Need for clean energy. I anticipate that their stock price will bounce once oil and nat. gas come off their lows...throw on top of that the Obama government, and some bailout $$ supporting green initiatives, and this stock appears to have nowhere to go but up. new renewable energy spending here we come $$$.Clean energy is a buzz right now and anything having to do with the media hype. Also With the energy & USA Car Makers crisis at hand, alternative fuel sources will be the future of the U.S. Cars, equipment, and other energy consumers will eventually depend on fuel sources other than overseas oil. This is a great long term buy so buy some FCEL and make some $$$.

2. Chevron Corporation ( CVX ) 68.54 a share as of July 27, target price is 88.00 in 2010 .

Chevron) manages its investments in subsidiaries and affiliates, and provides administrative, financial, management and technology support to the United States and International subsidiaries that engage in fully integrated petroleum operations, chemicals operations, mining operations of coal and other minerals, power generation and energy services. Exploration and production (upstream) operations consist of exploring for, developing and producing crude oil and natural gas, and also marketing natural gas. Refining, marketing and transportation (downstream) operations relate to refining crude oil into finished petroleum products; marketing crude oil and the many products derived from petroleum, and transporting crude oil, natural gas and petroleum products by pipeline, marine vessel, motor equipment and rail car. In April 2009.Chevron Corp. is an integrated oil producer. It markets crude oil, natural gas. It also refines crude and produces other petroleum products. I am bullish for two broad reasons. First, it has very good P/E, P/S, PEG, Grfeat dividend yield.undervalued stock looking to bounce back up w/ the usa,china & India . with Low valuation. Good growth rate. Low debt this is a screaming buy for the long term investors !Chevron pays a dividend that represents a 4% yield.Dividends Paid Since 1912,Seven years of consecutive dividend increases .oil going up, up, up w/ this stock so buy some CVX and make some money !

3. Under Armour ( UA ) 23.85 a share target price 45.00 a share by 2010.

(Under Armour), is engaged in the business of developing, marketing and distribution of branded performance apparel, footwear and accessories for men, women and youth. The Company product offerings consist of apparel, footwear and accessories for men, women and youth. During the year ended December 31, 2008, the sales of apparel, footwear and accessories represented approximately 80%, 12%, and 4% of net revenues, respectively. The Company’s products are sold in North America, United Kingdom, France and Germany. The Company’s products are offered globally in approximately 17,000 retail stores. Moving into athletic shoes to take on Nike. Great clothes, high profit margin, and all I see on Adults/Kids 35 or younger in leagues that only wear UA clothes. the nike of the new millenium . UA has quality product, buyer loyalty that will keep comeing back for more !This will be Nike's main competitor in 20 years - easy buy and hold. The popularity of this product is tremendous and has a strong youth following. Their new shoe products sold very well and I expect the trend to continue, keep in mind this company has little to no athletic endorsements nor does it have a very aggressive ad campaign.under-valued and will at least double if not triple within the next few years.I"m long with the company's high profit margin and market share. I'm goin' long on this one baby!

Barrons

TRADERS TAKE AUGUST OFF because they won't miss much, but these days the market stasis owes nothing to calm and everything to nervous paralysis.
The stock-market rally off its mid-July low was lubricated by falling oil prices, but its momentum has stalled now that oil's retreat has slowed. Aggressive government action may have turned the nation's "financial crisis into a crisis in the financials," according to Brown Brothers Harriman managing director Charles Blood. But continued mortgage losses and the uncertain fates of Fannie Mae (ticker: FNM) and Freddie Mac (FRE) remind investors how far the financial system is from rehabilitated.
Fannie shares, for example, tumbled 37% last week as a potential government bailout threatens the value of existing shares (See "Final Test for Fannie and Freddie"). Goldman Sachs cut estimates of big banks and brokerages and warned of intensifying mortgage-related losses in the third quarter -- a decline with no end yet in sight as mortgage rates remain above levels needed to revive the housing market.
Meanwhile, producer prices increased in July at the fastest annual pace in 27 years, and while this is a lagging indicator, and hopes run high that inflation will subside as oil pulls back, the differential between inflation felt by producers of goods and services and what they could pass on to consumers had reached 4.2 percentage points, its widest in more than three decades. "This is a serious cause for concern," notes Devina Mehra, chief strategist at First-Global Securities, since producers unable to pass on higher costs ultimately suffer compressed margins and weaker profits.
But if investors see little impetus to buy as the elusive economic recovery recedes further into the future, there is at least some comfort in stocks' marked-down prices and their relative value compared to overseas stock markets that have only just begun to grapple with slowing growth and still-tight monetary policies. For all their recent tumult, the U.S. stock indexes haven't fallen far below their January lows, as the increasingly drawn-out bottoming process eats up more of 2008.
Given the time it takes to repair household balance sheets and for prices of homes -- one of the slowest-moving assets -- to stabilize, the eventual U.S. recovery will be "lackluster" and is "unlikely to be driven by the consumer," says Ben Halliburton, chief investment officer of Tradition Capital Management. But he expects oil's recent retreat to hold, given increased Saudi production and the recent signs of demand destruction.
Last week's stock-market pullback might have been more severe if it weren't for Friday's bounce, which came after Ben Bernanke suggested that moderating inflation may allow the Federal Reserve to hold off raising interest rates. The looming prospect of a Lehman Brothers (LEH) takeover also lifted the stock and steadied the sector.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended the week down 32, or 0.3%, to 11628, its eighth decline in 10 weeks. The Standard & Poor's 500 gave up 6, or 0.5%, to 1292 and is 17% off its October peak. The Nasdaq Composite Index ended its five-week winning streak and fell 38, or 1.5%, to 2415, while the Russell 2000 halted its six-week run and surrendered 16, or 2.1%, to 738.
RADIOSHACK SHARES (RSH) have surged 57% in just six weeks, but what really has changed?
A sharp slide in oil prices might boost discretionary spending, but when was the last time you saw a good crowd at RadioShack? A 6.9% rebound in same-store sales surprised analysts and helped beat second-quarter estimates, but it remains to be seen if the knack for moving digital converter boxes at the height of tax-rebate season will translate into sustainable long-term growth.
A recent plan to buy back $200 million of shares prompted some short covering that helped nudge the stock higher. Speculation and high hopes that the Fort Worth company might begin selling Apple 's (AAPL) 3G iPhones were doused only so slightly after Best Buy (BBY) was recently given first crack at carrying the popular devices outside Apple and AT&T (T) stores. Its respected CEO, Julian Day, has cut costs, and the wireless business has improved. But it could still be a while before the turnaround turns RadioShack into a destination, if at all.
At almost 19, shares fetch 10.7 times 2008 profits, a justified discount to the 13.4 times for electronic retailers. Like the two parts of its throwback name, RadioShack is good for a little nostalgia, a reminder of what consumer electronic retailing once looked like. But unless cash-strapped, credit-deprived Americans begin buying up computers and stereos and batteries in droves -- and doing so at RadioShack! -- the only thing to marvel at in time might be the height of this dead cat bounce.
EXCHANGE STOCKS HAVE been hammered this year as investors brace for an extended spell of financial deleveraging, risk aversion and mousier trading. But this new age of fiscal propriety has been particularly harsh on the IntercontinentalExchange (ICE), a young, brash electronic commodities market so modern it dispensed with proper grammar when spelling its name.
ICE shares have lost nearly 60% of their value this year as lawmakers threaten to increase regulation of the energy market, and ICE is a big player in energy futures. ICE also ceded market share to rival Nymex (NMX) as oil companies hedged against a pullback using Nymex-traded options. And while second-quarter net income surged 58% amid a big jump in trading volume, the momentum appeared to have fizzled in July as the oil rally lost its sizzle.
Anxious Times: Friday's 1.7% bounce cut last week's loss in the Dow to 0.3%. Stocks perked up after the Fed's chief said that he expects inflation to moderate.
Still, has the pullback gone too far? At about 88, ICE shares fetch 13.5 times projected 2009 earnings. This, quite remarkably, is now on par with the valuation of Nasdaq OMX Group (NDAQ), a fine exchange that has made great strides with cost cuts and expansion but whose stocks can easily trade at rival markets -- unlike "non-fungible" derivatives that can only be bought and sold at the same futures market. The stock also trades at 17.6 times 2008 profits, compared with more than 20 times for specialized finance stocks.
Sandler O'Neill analyst Richard Repetto argues that ICE faces comparable risks as other U.S. exchanges. Yet its stock has suffered bigger declines, even with better growth so far this year in transaction revenue, operating income and per-share earnings.
To be sure, ICE may never see the staggering multiples it once commanded back when growth was unfettered and booming. But a pesky hurricane season could easily goose energy trading this fall and arrest the stock slide. So could mounting geopolitical tension surrounding Russia.
Helping to put a floor under the stock is the company's recent plan to buy back $500 million worth of shares over the next 12 months, which Repetto estimates would cover more than 8% of diluted shares outstanding. His price target: $165.

My Top August stock picks for 2008

1. ( RT ) RUBY Tuesday 8.28 a share , my target price 15.00 by April 2009.
The expansion was very good for the restaurant and they have struggled because they finished in time for the "credit crunch". However, I think that their balance sheet will turn around in the next few years to make them some great profits.Look for a steady improvement over the next year or so.Ruby Tuesday , Is making new strides and will be making money hand over fist within the next few years. They invested alot of money in there new simple Fresh American Dining & new decor look to there restaurants. 680 domestic restaurants , 54 international .
Brand new Ruby tuesday"s was packed & forget the dark dingy past, the new restaurants are bright , attractive, trendy & well designed decor. Free fresh abundant salad bar w/ a entree. p/e ratio 11.9 , pays a nice dividend ( 3.72 ).Near 52 week low . 2 million insider purchases in Oct. , would u buy that much stock in your own company , if it was ready to tank ? RT has a solid track record of earnings , 4 year low. classic example of an oversold neglected stock, which makes it a superior Buy & hold candidate for the long term . Great fresh , simple food & great new hand crafted beers offered ( Organic choices ) & Jones Soda that is also an option on there new menu and burger sliders are to die for !! W/ all this new changes this will lead to an higher average check and more money to the bottom line , so eat up & enjoy a ruby return within a few years !!!!!!!!!!!!!


2. ( MCD ) McDonald's 63.63 a share , my target price 75.00 by year end.
McDonald's has done a Great job of expanding sales to an international market and has expanded their menu as well. I also expect fast food to be a good investment as the unemployment rate and inflation increase. Once commodity prices drop, this company should earn even more. also they done a get job hedging against food inflation.MCD has great upside potential for next quarter from Olympic earnings.Strong company, pays dividend, and good to own during recession/inflation and during bull markets. Good stock to own as you diversify your portfolio. Another great long term play !! BUY,BUY,BUY !!!!!!