What are the top stocks for a long term investment

[Teak]

Originally Posted by chet everett

No offense, but lists like that are ALWAYS just a snapshot AT A SINGLE POINT IN TIME!!!!

Far more useful would be the SCREENING CRITERIA that was used to come up with such a list. There is no way that such a list heavy with consumer consumables will be the best for long term growth. When I ran some screenings on finance.google.com based on growth (earnings, earnings per share) none of those were more than "middle of the road" and some were negative...

What were you screening for?

I use dividend growth rate as my main metric. I want companies that can and will raise their dividend payments every year. To do so means that the companies are in stable industries and have sufficient cash flow to reward their shareholders.

Wealth can be built over a long period of time with the compounding effect of dividends. Dividends can be reinvested in the company OR taken as cash and reinvested somewhere else. But the miracle of compounding is what long-term investors use to their advantage.

[Teak]

Originally Posted by Wellness

I have roughly 8k in a Roth IRA on the sidelines.
I thinking of buying aapl and F...
I think stocks are the better route then mutual funds.
What are some top inflation stocks to get into.
Are dividend stocks the best way to go?
I am absolutely confused and don't want to trade
stocks bi-weekly and chase.
Thank you.

Yes, dividend stocks are the best way to go.

Buy a company that leads in their business sector, and make that sector something that people will always need. Consumer staples (food, beer, cigarettes), pharmaceuticals, energy and such are essentials. Consumer discretionary (cars, airline travel, consumer electronic junk) are NON-essentials.

Some companies have been around so long, and continue to dominate their markets that you can buy and almost forget. No need to trade-and-chase, which you stated as something you want to avoid.

[Wellness]

Just bought 100 shares of aapl...
Thanks for all your out put!

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by Wellness

Just bought 100 shares of aapl...
Thanks for all your out put!

Ha, sounds just like my kids

If you got your 100 shares AAPL for the $8000 that you felt needed a home you did REAL good (that is where my kids bought AAPL ~ $80, 1 yr ago.)

Looking at the DMA charts and the support levels, best wishes on your investment, hope you do well. (and Steve Jobs keeps well)