5 Best Performing Stocks To Buy Right Now

Despite trading lower for most of the morning, the markets made an about-face around 2 p.m. ET, and the three major indexes all closed higher. The S&P 500 was the big winner of the day, after rising 9 points, or 0.63%, but the Nasdaq wasn't far behind, as it increased 0.57% during the day. Lagging behind was the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) , which posted a gain of 48 points, or 0.33%, and now sits at 14,613.

The biggest Dow loser today was Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ  ) , as shares were cut by 1.13%, the direct result of a JPMorgan Chase downgrade. The analyst did, however, raise the price target from $77 per share to $83, while currently shares trade at $81.11. So why the lower rating? Valuation. The stock is one of the top-performing Dow components in 2013, as shares have risen 15.71% year to date.�

Another health care-related stock falling today was UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH  ) . After rising 8.5% this past week, and more than 5% the week before that, shares dropped 0.34% today. The decline is probably just a case of taking money off the table following the stock's performance over the past two weeks. The stock still probably has some room to move higher, and it now seems Obamacare will help rather than hurt the company. In addition, shares seem rather cheap, as the stock's current price-to-earnings ratio is only 11.72 and its future P/E is only 10.35.

5 Best Performing Stocks To Buy Right Now: Kilo Goldmines Ltd (KGL.V)

Kilo Goldmines Ltd., a development stage company, engages in the exploration and development of gold properties in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The company holds interests in 3 joint ventures in a land package totaling approximately 7,000 square kilometers located in the Archaean Kabalian greenstone geological formation primarily in the Orientale province. It also explores for iron ores. The company is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

5 Best Performing Stocks To Buy Right Now: Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc(TMO)

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. provides analytical instruments, equipment, reagents and consumables, software, and services for research, manufacture, analysis, discovery, and diagnostics. Its Analytical Technologies segment offers analytical instruments to analyze prepared samples, software interpretation tools, laboratory information management systems, and laboratory automation systems; environmental instruments and integrated systems for environmental monitoring, safety, and security applications; and process instruments, integrated systems, and measurement solutions. It also provides diagnostics products used in healthcare laboratories to prepare and analyze patient samples; and biosciences products comprising reagents and consumables used in life science research, drug discovery, and biopharmaceutical production. The company?s Laboratory Products and Services segment offers laboratory equipment, including sample preparation, environment storage and handling equipment, and laboratory workstations; laboratory consumables; research market solutions consisting of chemicals, instruments and apparatus, liquid handling pumps and devices, and capital equipment and consumables; and healthcare market products comprising analytical equipment, diagnostic tools, and reagents and consumables. It also provides workplace and first responder equipment, protective gear, and apparel; and packaging, warehousing, distribution, labeling, pharmaceutical and biospecimen storage, and analytical laboratory services in the area of drug discovery and pharmaceutical clinical trials. The company serves pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, hospitals and clinical diagnostic labs, universities, research institutions, government agencies, and environmental and industrial process control settings primarily in the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. was founded in 1956 and is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  No sooner had Life Technologies Corp. (NASDAQ: LIFE  ) announced its successful purchase of KDR Biotech last week, then out came Thermo Fisher Scientific (NYSE: TMO  ) with a $13.6 billion bid to buy Life Technologies itself.

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Thermo Fisher Scientific (NYSE: TMO  ) is continuing to roll out dividends for its shareholders. The company has declared a quarterly disbursement of $0.15 per share, to be paid on October 15 to shareholders of record as of September 16. That amount matches each of the firm's previous three distributions, the most recent of which is to be dispensed on July 15. Prior to that, Thermo Fisher Scientific handed out $0.13 per share.

• [By David Williamson]

  Shares of Life Technologies (NASDAQ: LIFE  ) jumped in January, when the company announced it was looking for a potential buyer, and it may now be close to a decision, with solid offers having come in both from Blackstone Group (NYSE: BX  ) and Thermo Fisher Scientific (NYSE: TMO  ) . What will this biotech decide, and how will it affect investors? In this video, Motley Fool health-care analyst David Williamson gives us a breakdown of the offers on the table, and how investors could be affected depending on the outcome.

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Thermo Fisher Scientific (NYSE: TMO) is estimated to report its Q3 earnings at $1.28 per share on revenue of $3.18 billion.

  General Dynamics (NYSE: GD) is expected to report its Q3 earnings at $1.68 per share on revenue of $7.76 billion.

10 Best Insurance Stocks To Watch For 2014: Covidien PLC (COV)

Covidien Public Limited Company is engaged in the development, manufacture and sale of healthcare products for use in clinical and home settings. It operates its businesses through three segments: Medical Devices, which includes the development, manufacture and sale of endomechanical instruments, energy devices, soft tissue repair products, vascular products, oximetry and monitoring products, airway and ventilation products; Pharmaceuticals, which includes the development, manufacture and distribution of specialty pharmaceuticals and active pharmaceutical ingredients, and Medical Supplies, SharpSafety products and original equipment manufacturer products. In May 2012, it acquired Newport Medical Instruments, Inc. In May 2012, it acquired superDimension, Ltd. In June 2012, the Company acquired Oridion Systems Ltd. In October 2012, its Mallinckrodt acquired CNS Therapeutics, Inc. In January 2013, the Company acquired CV Ingenuity. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Yet the episode led to criticism of Intuitive Surgical in other arenas. Last month, the president of a major group of OB/GYNs said that using robotic systems for hysterectomy procedures -- a significant area of potential growth for the company -- lacked data showing its usefulness and made procedures far more expensive. That could reduce sales and have an impact not just toward the end of last quarter but for future periods as well. Moreover, you can expect traditional medical-instrument makers Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ  ) and Covidien (NYSE: COV  ) to step in to take advantage of the situation, as they stand to benefit substantially if robotics are shown to be inferior. Both J&J and Covidien supply more traditional instruments and supplies for surgical procedures, and regulators are more familiar with their safety profiles.

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Covidien Ltd. (NYSE: COV) was started as Buy at Needham & Co.

  Halliburton Co. (NYSE: HAL) was reinstated as Outperform and added to the U.S. Focus List with a new price target of $58 (versus $48.30 now) at Credit Suisse, and it was reiterated as Buy and the price target was raised to $63 from $58 by Sterne Agee.

5 Best Performing Stocks To Buy Right Now: (AUQ)

AuRico Gold Inc. engages in the exploration, development, and production of gold and silver projects and properties in Canada, Mexico, and Australia. Its principal property includes the Ocampo mine covering approximately 15,000 hectares located in Chihuahua State. The company was formerly known as Gammon Gold Inc. and changed its name to AuRico Gold Inc. in June 2011. AuRico Gold Inc. was founded in 1986 and is based in Toronto, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Selena Maranjian]

  AuRico Gold (NYSE: AUQ  ) plunged 44%, having posted some disappointing results lately, and is also suffering from a competitive disadvantage, with its costs above those of some peers. On the plus side, though, the company recently initiated a dividend, which now yields about 2.8%.

• [By Sean Williams]

  Then there's the company's El Cubo mine, which it purchased in 2012 from AuRico Gold (NYSE: AUQ  ) with a combination of its own shares and cash for up to $250 million ($50 million is contingent on mine productivity over a three-year period). As fellow Fool Christopher Barker has commented previously, AuRico did a disastrous job of managing the El Cubo mine, which leaves Endeavour with a tremendous opportunity to reap the rewards of AuRico's failures.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Gold miner�AuRico Gold (NYSE: AUQ  ) announced today�its second-quarter dividend of $0.04 per share, the second dividend payment it's made since initiating the program earlier this year.�The board of directors said the quarterly dividend is payable on July 29 to the holders of record at the close of business on July 15.�

5 Best Performing Stocks To Buy Right Now: Tyco International Ltd.(Switzerland)

Tyco International Ltd. provides security products and services, fire protection and detection products and services, valves and controls, and other industrial products worldwide. The company?s Tyco Security Solutions segment designs, sells, installs, services, and monitors electronic security, productivity, and lifestyle enhancement systems for residential, commercial, industrial, and governmental customers. This segment also designs, manufactures, and sells security products, including intrusion, security, access control, electronic article surveillance, and video management systems. Its Tyco Fire Protection segment designs, manufactures, sells, installs, and services fire detection and fire suppression systems, and building and life safety products for commercial, industrial, and governmental customers. The company?s Tyco Flow Control segment designs, manufactures, sells, and services valves, pipes, fittings, valve automation, and heat tracing products for general proce ss, energy, and mining markets, as well as the water and wastewater markets. Tyco International Ltd. was founded in 1960 and is based in Schaffhausen, Switzerland.