7 Safe Stocks To Buy With High Quality Ratings

Courtesy of this week's issue of U.S. News Invested, here is another short list of winning stocks right now that should fit any portfolio.  As always, for more detail on any of these stocks, click on the link provided.  Enjoy the weekend. At tomorrow should be nice.  

OCTOBER 29, 2021 Invested Advice, rankings and stock market news for investors.

Happy Friday, investors! Facebook goes Meta and the earnings-driven stock rally continues. TODAY'S FEATURED STORY 7 Safe Stocks To Buy With High Quality Ratings U.S. stocks have had a huge rally off of 2020 lows, but near-term risks are elevated heading into the end of the year. Inflation is eating into corporate profit margins, the Federal Reserve is set to taper its monthly asset purchases, supply chain disruptions have created market uncertainty and a labor shortage is pressuring many U.S. companies. Investors are understandably looking for safe stocks to buy just in case any of these headwinds worsen heading into 2022. Here are seven safe stocks CFRA Research analysts recommend that also have an S&P Capital IQ quality rating of A+. 1. UnitedHealth Group Inc. (ticker: UNH). UnitedHealth is the largest U.S. managed health care company. Analyst Paige Meyer says the recent news that UnitedHealth will expand its Affordable Care Act exchanges to seven new states is bullish for investors. Meyer says UnitedHealth has "solid growth prospects," and its $8 billion buyout of Change Healthcare is a significant near-term catalyst given the potential for cost synergies and product expansion in its Optum division. While UnitedHealth faces ongoing pandemic headwinds, Meyer says the company's goal of at least 13% annual earnings per share growth is achievable. CFRA has a "strong-buy" rating for UNH stock. 2. Home Depot Inc. (HD). Home Depot is a leader in U.S. home improvement retail. Analyst Kenneth Leon says Home Depot has been a top performer in the past two years thanks to its ability to gain wallet share in a retail sector that has generally struggled to compete with Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) and other e-commerce leaders. Leon says home improvement retailers will face extremely difficult year-over-year comparisons over the next couple of quarters. However, overall trends should remain strong in an environment of elevated demand from both do-it-yourself projects and professional contractors. CFRA has a "buy" rating for HD stock. Click here to continue reading. Top safe stocks to buy now: UnitedHealth Group Inc. (UNH) Home Depot Inc. (HD) Mastercard Inc. (MA) Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (TMO) Lowe's Companies Inc. (LOW) Northrop Grumman Corp. (NOC) General Dynamics Corp. (GD)