5 Top Stocks for February

We're kicking off a new month with fresh stock suggestions... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [View this email in your browser]( We're kicking off a new month with fresh stock suggestions, a look at the wide-ranging impact of China's economic slowdown, and hoping everyone in the polar vortex is starting to thaw out. Stay warm, everyone! – Katie Carrera, Stock Up Editor 5 Top Stocks for February --------------------------------------------------------------- The market rebounded in January after closing out 2018 in a slump, but there are still some bargains to be found. - Synchrony Financial ([NYSE:SYF]( The highly profitable bank is a leader in store credit cards and high-yield online savings accounts. Although it lost Walmart as a co-branding partner, the bank recently shared good news: It will retain Sam's Club products and the world's largest retailer agreed to drop a mismanagement lawsuit against Synchrony. - Hess ([NYSE:HES]( After their recent nosedive it's impossible to know where oil prices will head next, but as oil stocks crashed it's made for some intriguing options. Hess is a few years into a massive restructuring that has the company spinning off assets, cutting costs, paying down debt, and ramping up production in profit-friendly fields - IBM ([NYSE:IBM]( The legacy tech company's revenue has slumped as it invests in growth projects (think cloud computing, AI, blockchain), but there's reason to believe that the company can return to sustainable growth. - Amazon.com ([NASDAQ:AMZN]( If you've been waiting on the sidelines waiting for Amazon's share price to drop, the nearly 8% drop over the past month might be the chance you were looking for. The e-commerce giant's core business keeps rolling along and the company continues to expand in new directions. - Booking Holdings ([NASDAQ:BKNG]( The online travel giant's portfolio of websites — including Priceline.com, Kayak.com, and OpenTable — have become a trusted resource for millions of people, and its sales and earnings continue to grow at a brisk pace. [Read the rest]( for more on each of these companies. --------------------------------------------------------------- Already subscribed to a premium service? [Click here]( to view your subscriptions. Not a member yet? [Click here]( to sign up! --------------------------------------------------------------- Watch: How to Invest in Biotech — Safely --------------------------------------------------------------- [How to Invest in Biotech...Safely]( Biotech is notoriously risky. The odds of a drug getting FDA approval are staggeringly low, and even then companies aren't in the clear. Industry Focus: Healthcare host Shannon Jones and contributor Brian Feroldi offer some ways to approach the volatile sector. --------------------------------------------------------------- A Far-Reaching Slowdown: More Companies Blame China for Shortfalls Graphics card maker NVIDIA lowered its guidance at the start of the week and promptly saw the bad news reflected in its stock price. In the update, the company's management stated what is becoming a frequent refrain: Slowing economic growth in China dampened their outlook. Over the past month, several high-profile companies have revised their growth expectations and blamed the shortfall on the Chinese economy. Apple kicked things off in early January when CEO Tim Cook said "over 100 percent of our year-over-year worldwide revenue decline, occurred in Greater China across iPhone, Mac, and iPad. Heavy-equipment manufacturer Caterpillar and the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company attributed their recent losses to the slowdown in China as well, proving that this phenomenon isn't necessarily limited to tech companies. [Read the rest here.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Smart Speaker] Not sure what to ask your smart speaker? Keep up with what's happening in the market by adding our daily flash briefing to your home assistant. Just look for The Motley Fool on your Amazon Alexa or Google Home app, click subscribe, and then you're good to go. --------------------------------------------------------------- How Does Your 401(k) Match Stack Up? Many employers offer a 401(k) match to attract and retain employees but they can determine their matching formula in a variety of ways. Some offer a dollar-for-dollar match, others match $0.50 per dollar, and others have profit-sharing methods of determining what a company contributes. The good news? Companies are shifting toward more generous approaches, according to a recent survey by the Plan Sponsor Council of America (PSCA). By taking a look at these findings you can see how your company's offering stacks up and determine if you should consider using other retirement savings vehicles as well. The survey found that as of 2017, 63% of employers offered some type of match and that dollar-for-dollar matching above 3% increased by nearly 50% from 2016 to 2017. Employer contributions to plans are up to a new high of 5.1%. [Read the rest.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- FEATURED PODCAST --------------------------------------------------------------- [Motley Fool Answers]( Are You Paranoid or Complacent? Award-winning financial columnist Morgan Housel joins host Chris Hill to tackle big questions about the recent stock market volatility and whether one mindset (paranoia or complacency) is better for investors than the other. [Subscribe on iTunes]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Quick Reads - [Apple's key catalyst shows its value:]( We knew that iPhone revenue was declining, but this week's earnings showed the importance of Apple's services business. - [Looking for dividend stocks with a solid track record?]( Here are seven with 60-year streaks of increasing their payouts. - [Watching for updates from Disney:]( The multimedia giant reports earnings on Tuesday Feb. 5 and it may also share details on the status of its streaming services and acquisition of assets from Twenty-First Century Fox. --------------------------------------------------------------- TWEET OF THE WEEK --------------------------------------------------------------- [When buying shares, ask yourslef, would you buy the whole company? - Rene Rivkin]( [See all our Tweets]( Join the 1,300,000+ people who follow us! 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