7 Best Stocks to Own Right Now in 2018

Posted on Sunday, November 18th, 2018 by MarketBeat Staff

Today, we are inviting you to view our list of the seven best stocks to own for the next thirty days.

Why is it worth looking into these stocks? Some of Wall Street's most respected and most accurate research analysts have been upgrading these stocks and raising their price targets for these companies.

No, we're not talking recommendations from some no-name blogger or a junior analyst from a brokerage you've never heard of. These stocks have received multiple positive recommendations in the last 30 days from analysts that have received four star and five star rankings from MarketBeat's proprietary brokerage ranking system.

Analysts given four star and five star ratings from MarketBeat consistently issue accurate price targets and their buy recommendations often outperform the market by double digits. Buy recommendations from our current top-rated brokerage, National Securities, have gone up by an average of 47.5% in the 12 months after they were issued.

We've reviewed every research report published by these top-rated analysts in the last 90 days and have identified seven stocks that these analysts are poised for an immediate breakout.

#1 - Lululemon Athletica (NASDAQ:LULU)

Upgrades from Top-Ranked Analysts: 14 (in the last 90 days)
Consensus Rating: Buy
Rating Score: 2.6
Ratings Breakdown: 22 Buy Ratings, 13 Hold Ratings, 0 Sell Ratings.
Consensus Price Target: $153.5313 (14.1% Upside)

lululemon athletica inc., an athletic apparel company, together with its subsidiaries, designs, distributes, and retails athletic apparel and accessories for women, men, and female youth. It operates through two segments, Company-Operated Stores and Direct to Consumer. The company offers pants, shorts, tops, and jackets for healthy lifestyle and athletic activities, such as yoga, running, and training, as well as other sweaty pursuits; and athletic wear for female youth. It also provides fitness-related accessories, including bags, socks, underwear, yoga mats and equipment, and water bottles. The company sells its products through a chain of company-operated stores; outlets and warehouse sales; a network of wholesale accounts, such as yoga studios, health clubs, and fitness centers; temporary locations, including seasonal stores; license and supply arrangements; and showrooms, as well as directly to consumer through mobile apps, and lululemon.com and ivivva.com e-commerce sites. As of January 28, 2018, it operated 404 company-operated stores under the lululemon and ivivva brands in the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, China, Singapore, Japan, Ireland, South Korea, Germany, and Switzerland. lululemon athletica inc. was founded in 1998 and is based in Vancouver, Canada.

Recent Recommendations for Lululemon Athletica:

• Lululemon Athletica inc. (NASDAQ: LULU) was upgraded by analysts at Wedbush from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating. They now have a $176.00 price target on the stock. (10/15/2018)
• Lululemon Athletica inc. (NASDAQ: LULU) had its price target raised by analysts at Royal Bank of Canada from $160.00 to $185.00. They now have an "outperform" rating on the stock. (10/2/2018)
• Lululemon Athletica inc. (NASDAQ: LULU) had its price target raised by analysts at Wedbush from $110.00 to $176.00. They now have a "neutral" rating on the stock. (10/2/2018)
• Lululemon Athletica inc. (NASDAQ: LULU) was given a new $174.00 price target on by analysts at MKM Partners. They now have a "buy" rating on the stock. (10/2/2018)
• Lululemon Athletica inc. (NASDAQ: LULU) had its price target raised by analysts at Oppenheimer Holdings Inc. from $180.00 to $190.00. They now have an "outperform" rating on the stock. (9/27/2018)
• Lululemon Athletica inc. (NASDAQ: LULU) had its price target raised by analysts at CIBC from $180.00 to $190.00. They now have an "outperform" rating on the stock. (9/27/2018)
• Lululemon Athletica inc. (NASDAQ: LULU) is now covered by analysts at DA Davidson. They set a "neutral" rating and a $155.00 price target on the stock. (9/25/2018)

#2 - Palo Alto Networks (NYSE:PANW)

Upgrades from Top-Ranked Analysts: 12 (in the last 90 days)
Consensus Rating: Buy
Rating Score: 2.8
Ratings Breakdown: 32 Buy Ratings, 6 Hold Ratings, 1 Sell Ratings.
Consensus Price Target: $241.0294 (42.1% Upside)

Palo Alto Networks, Inc. provides security platform solutions worldwide. The company provides firewall appliances and software; Panorama, a security management solution for the control of appliances deployed on an end-customer's network as a virtual or a physical appliance; and Virtual System Upgrades, which are available as extensions to the virtual system capacity that ships with physical appliances. It also offers subscription services covering the areas of threat prevention, uniform resource locator filtering, malware and persistent threat, laptop and mobile device protection, and firewall, as well as cyber-attack, threat intelligence, and content control. In addition, the company provides support services; and professional services, including application traffic management, solution design and planning, configuration, and firewall migration, as well as online and classroom-style education training services. Palo Alto Networks, Inc. sells its products and services through its channel partners, as well as directly to medium to large enterprises, service providers, and government entities operating in various industries, including education, energy, financial services, government entities, healthcare, Internet and media, manufacturing, public sector, and telecommunications. The company was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California.

Recent Recommendations for Palo Alto Networks:

• Palo Alto Networks Inc (NYSE: PANW) had its "hold" rating re-affirmed by analysts at Zacks Investment Research. They now have a $212.00 price target on the stock. (11/14/2018)
• Palo Alto Networks Inc (NYSE: PANW) is now covered by analysts at Wedbush. They set a "neutral" rating and a $225.00 price target on the stock. (10/18/2018)
• Palo Alto Networks Inc (NYSE: PANW) was upgraded by analysts at Zacks Investment Research from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating. They now have a $238.00 price target on the stock. (10/9/2018)
• Palo Alto Networks Inc (NYSE: PANW) had its price target raised by analysts at Morgan Stanley to $276.00. They now have a "top pick" rating on the stock. (10/8/2018)
• Palo Alto Networks Inc (NYSE: PANW) was downgraded by analysts at Zacks Investment Research from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating. (9/12/2018)
• Palo Alto Networks Inc (NYSE: PANW) was upgraded by analysts at Zacks Investment Research from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating. They now have a $264.00 price target on the stock. (9/11/2018)
• Palo Alto Networks Inc (NYSE: PANW) had its price target raised by analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. to $282.00. They now have an "overweight" rating on the stock. (9/7/2018)

#3 - Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX)

Upgrades from Top-Ranked Analysts: 11 (in the last 90 days)
Consensus Rating: Buy
Rating Score: 2.6
Ratings Breakdown: 30 Buy Ratings, 9 Hold Ratings, 3 Sell Ratings.
Consensus Price Target: $382.2683 (33.6% Upside)

Netflix, Inc., an Internet television network, engages in the Internet delivery of television (TV) shows and movies on various Internet-connected screens. It operates in three segments: Domestic Streaming, International Streaming, and Domestic DVD. The company offers TV shows and movies, including original series, documentaries, and feature films. It offers members with the ability to receive streaming content through a host of Internet-connected screens, including TVs, digital video players, television set-top boxes, and mobile devices. The company also provides DVDs-by-mail membership services. As of January 22, 2018, it had approximately 117 million members in 190 countries. Netflix, Inc. was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Los Gatos, California.

Recent Recommendations for Netflix:

• Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) had its price target raised by analysts at MKM Partners from $395.00 to $415.00. They now have a "buy" rating on the stock. (11/16/2018)
• Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) was upgraded by analysts at Buckingham Research from an "underperform" rating to a "buy" rating. They now have a $406.00 price target on the stock, up previously from $349.00. (11/5/2018)
• Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) was given a new $370.00 price target on by analysts at Nomura. They now have a "neutral" rating on the stock. (10/29/2018)
• Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) was given a new $410.00 price target on by analysts at Oppenheimer Holdings Inc.. They now have a "buy" rating on the stock. (10/18/2018)
• Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) had its price target raised by analysts at Wedbush from $125.00 to $150.00. They now have an "underperform" rating on the stock. (10/17/2018)
• Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) had its price target raised by analysts at Buckingham Research from $305.00 to $349.00. They now have an "underperform" rating on the stock. (10/17/2018)
• Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) had its price target raised by analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. to $450.00. They now have an "overweight" rating on the stock. (10/17/2018)

#4 - salesforce.com (NYSE:CRM)

Upgrades from Top-Ranked Analysts: 10 (in the last 90 days)
Consensus Rating: Buy
Rating Score: 2.9
Ratings Breakdown: 34 Buy Ratings, 5 Hold Ratings, 0 Sell Ratings.
Consensus Price Target: $167.1351 (26.1% Upside)

salesforce.com, inc. develops enterprise cloud computing solutions with a focus on customer relationship management. The company offers Sales Cloud to store data, monitor leads and progress, forecast opportunities, and gain insights through analytics and relationship intelligence, as well as deliver quotes, contracts, and invoices. It also provides Service Cloud, which enables companies to deliver personalized customer service and support, as well as a field service solution that enables companies to connect agents, dispatchers, and mobile employees through a centralized platform, which helps to schedule and dispatch work, and track and manage jobs in real-time. In addition, the company offers Marketing Cloud to plan, personalize, and optimize one-to-one customer marketing interactions; Commerce Cloud, which enables companies to enhance engagement, conversion, revenue, and loyalty from their customers; and Community Cloud that enables companies to create and manage branded digital destinations for customers, partners, and employees. Further, it provides Quip collaboration platform, which combines documents, spreadsheets, apps, and chat with live CRM data; Salesforce Platform for building enterprise apps, as well as artificial intelligence (AI), no-code, low-code, and code development and integration services, including Trailhead, Einstein AI, Lightning, Internet of Things, Heroku, Analytics, and AppExchange; and solutions for financial services, healthcare, and government. Additionally, the company offers cloud services, such as consulting and implementation services; training services, including instructor-led and online courses; and support and adoption programs. It provides its services through direct sales; and consulting firms, systems integrators, and other partners. salesforce.com, inc. has a partnership with Apple Inc. to develop customer relationship management platform. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

Recent Recommendations for salesforce.com:

• salesforce.com, inc. (NYSE: CRM) had its "hold" rating re-affirmed by analysts at Zacks Investment Research. (11/12/2018)
• salesforce.com, inc. (NYSE: CRM) is now covered by analysts at Nomura. They set a "buy" rating and a $181.00 price target on the stock. (10/29/2018)
• salesforce.com, inc. (NYSE: CRM) had its "buy" rating re-affirmed by analysts at Rosenblatt Securities. They now have a $178.00 price target on the stock. (10/2/2018)
• salesforce.com, inc. (NYSE: CRM) had its price target raised by analysts at Piper Jaffray Companies from $180.00 to $190.00. They now have an "overweight" rating on the stock. (9/28/2018)
• salesforce.com, inc. (NYSE: CRM) had its price target raised by analysts at Oppenheimer Holdings Inc. from $160.00 to $180.00. They now have an "outperform" rating on the stock. (9/27/2018)
• salesforce.com, inc. (NYSE: CRM) had its price target raised by analysts at Royal Bank of Canada to $182.00. (9/27/2018)
• salesforce.com, inc. (NYSE: CRM) had its "outperform" rating re-affirmed by analysts at Wedbush. They now have a $170.00 price target on the stock. (9/26/2018)

#5 - Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST)

Upgrades from Top-Ranked Analysts: 10 (in the last 90 days)
Consensus Rating: Buy
Rating Score: 2.6
Ratings Breakdown: 16 Buy Ratings, 11 Hold Ratings, 0 Sell Ratings.
Consensus Price Target: $96.4167 (1.2% Upside)

Ross Stores, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates off-price retail apparel and home fashion stores under the Ross Dress for Less and dd's DISCOUNTS brands in the United States. It primarily offers apparel, accessories, footwear, and home fashions. The company's Ross Dress for Less stores sell its products at department and specialty stores primarily to middle income households; and dd's DISCOUNTS stores sell its products at department and discount stores regular prices to customers from households with moderate income. As of October 15, 2018, it operated Ross Dress for Less stores in 1,483 locations in 38 states, the District of Columbia, and Guam; and 237 dd's DISCOUNTS stores in 18 states in the United States. The company was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Dublin, California.

Recent Recommendations for Ross Stores:

• Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ: ROST) had its "buy" rating re-affirmed by analysts at Zacks Investment Research. They now have a $113.00 price target on the stock. (11/15/2018)
• Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ: ROST) had its price target raised by analysts at Bank of America Corp from $105.00 to $115.00. They now have a "buy" rating on the stock. (11/14/2018)
• Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ: ROST) was downgraded by analysts at Zacks Investment Research from a "buy" rating to a "sell" rating. (10/24/2018)
• Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ: ROST) was downgraded by analysts at Zacks Investment Research from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating. (10/5/2018)
• Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ: ROST) was upgraded by analysts at Zacks Investment Research from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating. They now have a $108.00 price target on the stock. (10/4/2018)
• Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ: ROST) had its price target raised by analysts at Loop Capital from $100.00 to $110.00. They now have a "buy" rating on the stock. (10/3/2018)
• Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ: ROST) is now covered by analysts at DA Davidson. They set a "neutral" rating and a $96.00 price target on the stock. (9/25/2018)

#6 - Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO)

Upgrades from Top-Ranked Analysts: 10 (in the last 90 days)
Consensus Rating: Buy
Rating Score: 2.6
Ratings Breakdown: 14 Buy Ratings, 10 Hold Ratings, 0 Sell Ratings.
Consensus Price Target: $87.2857 (-5.8% Upside)

Tractor Supply Company operates rural lifestyle retail stores in the United States. The company offers a selection of merchandise, including equine, livestock, pet, and small animal products necessary for their health, care, growth, and containment; hardware, truck, towing, and tool products; seasonal products, such as heating products, lawn and garden items, power equipment, gifts, and toys; work/recreational clothing and footwear; and maintenance products for agricultural and rural use. As of December 30, 2017, it operated 1,853 retail stores in 49 states. The company operates its retail stores under the Tractor Supply Company, Del's Feed & Farm Supply, and Petsense names. It also operates e-commerce Websites, TractorSupply.com and Petsense.com. The company sells its products to recreational farmers, ranchers, and others, as well as tradesmen and small businesses. Tractor Supply Company was founded in 1938 and is headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee.

Recent Recommendations for Tractor Supply:

• Tractor Supply (NASDAQ: TSCO) was downgraded by analysts at Zacks Investment Research from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating. They now have a $105.00 price target on the stock. (11/17/2018)
• Tractor Supply (NASDAQ: TSCO) had its "outperform" rating re-affirmed by analysts at Telsey Advisory Group. They now have a $92.00 price target on the stock, up previously from $85.00. (10/27/2018)
• Tractor Supply (NASDAQ: TSCO) had its price target raised by analysts at Wells Fargo & Co from $98.00 to $102.00. They now have an "outperform" rating on the stock. (10/26/2018)
• Tractor Supply (NASDAQ: TSCO) was upgraded by analysts at Wedbush from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating. They now have a $100.00 price target on the stock, up previously from $80.00. (10/26/2018)
• Tractor Supply (NASDAQ: TSCO) was upgraded by analysts at Bank of America Corp from an "underperform" rating to a "neutral" rating. They now have a $95.00 price target on the stock, up previously from $67.00. (10/26/2018)
• Tractor Supply (NASDAQ: TSCO) had its price target raised by analysts at Loop Capital to $93.00. They now have a "hold" rating on the stock. (10/26/2018)
• Tractor Supply (NASDAQ: TSCO) was upgraded by analysts at Royal Bank of Canada from a "sector perform" rating to an "outperform" rating. (10/25/2018)

#7 - Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL)

Upgrades from Top-Ranked Analysts: 9 (in the last 90 days)
Consensus Rating: Hold
Rating Score: 2.4
Ratings Breakdown: 24 Buy Ratings, 20 Hold Ratings, 3 Sell Ratings.
Consensus Price Target: $224.4474 (16.0% Upside)

Apple Inc. designs, manufactures, and markets mobile communication and media devices, and personal computers. It also sells various related software, services, accessories, and third-party digital content and applications. The company offers iPhone, a line of smartphones; iPad, a line of multi-purpose tablets; and Mac, a line of desktop and portable personal computers, as well as iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS operating systems. It also provides iTunes Store, an app store that allows customers to purchase and download, or stream music and TV shows; rent or purchase movies; and download free podcasts, as well as iCloud, a cloud service, which stores music, photos, contacts, calendars, mail, documents, and others. In addition, the company offers AppleCare support services; Apple Pay, a cashless payment service; Apple TV that connects to consumers' TVs and enables them to access digital content directly for streaming video, playing music and games, and viewing photos; and Apple Watch, a personal electronic device, as well as AirPods, Beats products, HomePod, iPod touch, and other Apple-branded and third-party accessories. The company serves consumers, and small and mid-sized businesses; and education, enterprise, and government customers worldwide. It sells and delivers digital content and applications through the iTunes Store, App Store, Mac App Store, TV App Store, Book Store, and Apple Music. The company also sells its products through its retail and online stores, and direct sales force; and third-party cellular network carriers, wholesalers, retailers, and resellers. Apple Inc. was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Cupertino, California.

Recent Recommendations for Apple:

• Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) had its "overweight" rating re-affirmed by analysts at Morgan Stanley. They now have a $253.00 price target on the stock. (11/15/2018)
• Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) had its "hold" rating re-affirmed by analysts at Zacks Investment Research. They now have a $249.00 price target on the stock. (11/12/2018)
• Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) was given a new $266.00 price target on by analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co.. They now have a "buy" rating on the stock. (11/12/2018)
• Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) had its price target raised by analysts at Morgan Stanley from $226.00 to $253.00. They now have an "overweight" rating on the stock. (11/8/2018)
• Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) had its "neutral" rating re-affirmed by analysts at Nomura. They now have a $185.00 price target on the stock. (11/5/2018)
• Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) was downgraded by analysts at Rosenblatt Securities to a "hold" rating. They now have a $200.00 price target on the stock. (11/5/2018)
• Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) had its price target lowered by analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $272.00 to $270.00. They now have an "overweight" rating on the stock. (11/2/2018)