Cash In Today with Our Latest List of Best Stocks to Buy Now By Tara Clarke

Best stocks to buy for the week ending August 1, 2014: Last week saw the Dow slump more than 300 points on Thursday - but Money Morning Members weren't worried; they were prepared.

Our investing experts delivered a solid list of market winners, stocks that will thrive even amidst a market sell-off.

Our Defense & Tech Specialist Michael A. Robinson told readers about a tech giant that has rolled out a groundbreaking new technology, making the stock one of today's best tech plays.

Also, we reviewed two stocks that are ripe for merger activity, plus picked a winner in the Twitter stock vs. Facebook stock debate.

We also highlighted the five best contenders for future Bitcoin IPOs. These companies will give retail investors the chance to get in early on the digital currency revolution.

You can find all of last week's tips and recommendations here in our newest list of the best stocks to buy.

• Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE: HPQ) is up more than 170% since bottoming out around $12 in November 2012 - and it's already up nearly 4% since Money Morning Defense & Tech Strategist Michael A. Robinson recommended it to readers on July 3. Chief Executive Officer Meg Whitman remains ruthlessly devoted to the bottom line. She continues to cut costs and employee overhead wherever possible. But Whitman is doing more than that. She's preparing for - and producing - the next generation of technological advances. HP calls it "The Machine." We call it the future of computing.

• More than $2 trillion in transactions have been announced in global mergers and acquisitions year to date - an amount not seen since 2007. Penny stock investors have been among the biggest winners in M&A activity because deals can result in huge share-price gains. For example, ZipRealty Inc. (Nasdaq: ZIPR) shares skyrocketed 122% on July 16, surging from $3.02 to $6.70, after real estate broker Realogy Holdings Corp. (Nasdaq: RLGY) announced it would buy ZIPR for $6.75 per share. We've found two penny stocks that are prime candidates for the next big takeover. They're niche micro-caps with strong track records of revenue growth...

• Which social media powerhouse - Facebook Inc. (Nasdaq: FB) or Twitter (NYSE: TWTR) - is a better stock to buy? Last week, TWTR delivered a great earnings report that pushed Twitter stock up more than 20% in Wednesday trading. Facebook stock surged the week before following earnings, and was still up 8%. But one stock is the better bet. Money Morning's Robinson delivered the winner for investors when he appeared on FOX Business' "Varney & Co." on Tuesday.

• While there are no imminent plans for a Bitcoin IPO - the first major public offering of a Bitcoin-based company - the steady growth of the Bitcoin economy means it's just a matter of time. So far in 2014, Bitcoin startups have attracted more than $158 million, well above the $92 million total for all of last year. The top contenders for the first Bitcoin IPO have all attracted at least $20 million in venture capital funding (according to CoinDesk's running tally), and all have current estimated valuations of $100 million or more. Savvy investors that get into these companies early when they go public could be poised for tremendous upside, so we've picked the five Bitcoin IPO contenders with the best chance to make Bitcoin history...

• According to the latest data from S&P Dow Jones Indexes, dividend income made up 5.64% of U.S. per capita personal income in 2012, compared with 4.39% in the previous 10 years and 3.51% in the last 20 years. The rise is fueled by the 696 dividend boosts that were reported in Q2 2014 (compared to the 591 hikes posted in the same quarter last year). A whopping 80 companies sweetened the dividend pot in the week ending July 25, and we tracked the 30 most notable boosts. One came from the world's largest airline carrier by traffic - it boosted its first quarterly common stock dividend for the first time in 34 years. Another marked the 339th consecutive regular stock dividend paid out from a popular chocolate industry leader...

• Bonus Content: On Friday, Executive Editor Bill Patalon compiled a list of 12 books that belong on every investor's reading list. From the top Warren Buffett biography to a Jim Rogers favorite, put these "investing classics" in your summer reading lineup for some long-term payoff...

• Bonus Content X2: Despite bringing 13,813% in total return since its 1997 IPO, this popular stock is not a buy - but some investors keep loading up. Money Morning Small-Cap Investing Specialist Sid Riggs warned readers about following the herd. He listed five reasons investors should steer clear of this overpriced online retailer giant - and provided a quick way to find stocks that have better prices and superior risk-reward scenarios...