Here are our top picks for 2018

Article Excerpt

We have lots of attractive long-term buys among the stocks we cover, and we’re positive about the long-term outlook for stocks. We feel just as strongly about the need to diversify. That’s why we’ve chosen three top picks for 2018 from our Stock Pickers Digest recommendations. Each is a high-quality stock that offers particularly strong prospects based on a sound growth strategy. SYMANTEC CORP. $27.52 (Nasdaq symbol SYMC; TSINetwork Rating: Average) (650-527-8000; www.symantec.com; Shares outstanding: 620.0 million; Market cap: $17.1 billion; Dividend yield: 1.1%) sells computer- security technology, including antivirus and email-filtering software, to businesses and consumers. In 2016, the company bought Blue Coat for $4.65 billion. That firm’s products protect clients from cyberattacks through their websites and networks. Blue Coat is also a leader in security for companies that use the Internet to access data stored on remote servers. Its business clients now number over 15,000. The new operations give Symantec a big marketing and research edge over competitors Palo Alto Networks, FireEye…