Top 5 Blue Chip Stocks To Own For 2015

LONDON -- I'm always searching for shares that can help ordinary investors like you make money from the stock market.

So right now I am trawling through the FTSE 100 and giving my verdict on every member of the blue chip index. Simply put, I'm hoping to pinpoint the very best buying opportunities in today's uncertain market.

Today I am looking at�Reed Elsevier� (LSE: REL  ) (NYSE: RUK  ) to determine whether you should consider buying the shares at 734 pence.

I am assessing each company on several ratios:

Price-to-earnings �ratio:�Does the share look good value when compared against its competitors?

Price/earnings to growth:�Does the share look good value factoring in predicted growth?

Yield:�Does the share provide a solid income for investors?

Dividend cover:�Is the dividend sustainable?

So let's look at the numbers:

Price

3-Year EPS Growth

Top 5 Blue Chip Stocks To Own For 2015: McDonald's Corporation(MCD)

McDonald?s Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a worldwide foodservice retailer. It franchises and operates McDonald?s restaurants that offer various food items, soft drinks, coffee, and other beverages. As of December 31, 2009, the company operated 32,478 restaurants in 117 countries, of which 26,216 were operated by franchisees; and 6,262 were operated by the company. McDonald?s Corporation was founded in 1948 and is based in Oak Brook, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Diane Alter]

  Dividend Stocks That Increased Payout in September

  Accenture plc (NYSE: ACN) announced a 14.8%, or $0.12 per share, increase to its semiannual dividend. The management consulting firm will now pay a semiannual dividend of $0.93. Shares yield 2.53%. Agruim Inc. (NYSE: AGU) boosted its dividend by $1.00 per share to a total dividend of $3.00 on an annualized basis. Shares of the global retailer of agricultural products now sprout a 3.54% yield. Air Industries Group Inc. (NYSE: AIRI) doubled its dividend to $0.125 per share. The maker of airplane and helicopter parts now floats a lofty yield of 6.6%. Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc. (NYSE: ARE) upped its dividend 4.6% to $0.68 per quarter for a yield of 4.21%. Banner Corp. (Nasdaq: BANR) boosted its quarterly dividend 25% to $0.15 per share. The parent company of Banner and Islander Bank serves the Pacific Northwest region. Brady Corp. (NYSE: BRC) lifted its quarterly dividend 2.6% to $0.78 per share. It was the 28th straight dividend increase from the identification solutions company. Shares yield 2.57%. Campbell Soup Co. (NSE: CPB) raised its quarterly dividend to $0.31 per share, up from $0.29. The company last raised its dividend in November 2010. Shares yield a hearty 3.06%. CLARCOR Inc. (NYSE: CLC) raised its quarterly dividend 26% to $0.17 per share. It's the largest percentage increase from the Tennessee-based diversified marketer of mobile filtration and packaging products in the last 20 years, and it continues the company's consecutive streak of increasing dividends for the last 30 years. Franklin Resources Inc. (NYSE: BEN) boosted its quarterly dividend 2.6% to $0.10 per share. Frisch's Restaurants Inc. (NYSE: FRS) increased its quarterly dividend 12.5% to $0.18. Shares yield 3.10% The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (NYSE: GT), in a move that suggests good times are ahead, reinstated its dividend at $0.05 per share. Good

Top 5 Blue Chip Stocks To Own For 2015: International Business Machines Corporation(IBM)

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) provides information technology (IT) products and services worldwide. Its Global Technology Services segment provides IT infrastructure and business process services, including strategic outsourcing, process, integrated technology, and maintenance services, as well as technology-based support services. The company?s Global Business Services segment offers consulting and systems integration, and application management services. Its Software segment offers middleware and operating systems software, such as WebSphere software to integrate and manage business processes; information management software for database and enterprise content management, information integration, data warehousing, business analytics and intelligence, performance management, and predictive analytics; Tivoli software for identity management, data security, storage management, and datacenter automation; Lotus software for collaboration, messaging, and so cial networking; rational software to support software development for IT and embedded systems; business intelligence software, which provides querying and forecasting tools; SPSS predictive analytics software to predict outcomes and act on that insight; and operating systems software. Its Systems and Technology segment provides computing and storage solutions, including servers, disk and tape storage systems and software, point-of-sale retail systems, and microelectronics. The company?s Global Financing segment provides lease and loan financing to end users and internal clients; commercial financing to dealers and remarketers of IT products; and remanufacturing and remarketing services. It serves financial services, public, industrial, distribution, communications, and general business sectors. The company was formerly known as Computing-Tabulating-Recording Co. and changed its name to International Business Machines Corporation in 1924. IBM was founded in 1910 and is based in Armonk, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Cheryl Kaften]

  To remain relevant and competitive, current smart grid vendors -- among them ABB (NYSE: ABB  ) , General Electric (NYSE: GE  ) �, IBM� (NYSE: IBM  ) , �and�Siemens� (NYSE: SI  ) --�may have to make market adjustments, including partnerships, acquisitions, and advances of their own.

• [By Louis Navellier]

  As you can tell, Oracle is not the only major software player to have issues. Oracle competes with the likes of computing giants International Business Machines (IBM) and Microsoft (MSFT). If you plug all three of these companies in my Portfolio Grader tool, you can see that Microsoft is the strongest right now in terms of buying pressure and fundamentals. So of the three, MSFT is the only stock I’d recommend at current prices.

• [By Aaron Levitt]

  Buffett did Yacktman one step better and sunk a ton of money — $3.45 billion to be exact — into the integrated energy firm. That makes Berkshire�� buy of XOM the largest new holding since adding International Business Machines (IBM) back in 2011. Overall, the Oracle is now the proud owner of 40.1 million shares of Exxon.

Hot Industrial Conglomerate Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Apple Inc.(AAPL)

Apple Inc., together with subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and markets personal computers, mobile communication and media devices, and portable digital music players, as well as sells related software, services, peripherals, networking solutions, and third-party digital content and applications worldwide. The company sells its products worldwide through its online stores, retail stores, direct sales force, third-party wholesalers, resellers, and value-added resellers. In addition, it sells third-party Mac, iPhone, iPad, and iPod compatible products, including application software, printers, storage devices, speakers, headphones, and other accessories and peripherals through its online and retail stores; and digital content and applications through the iTunes Store. The company sells its products to consumer, small and mid-sized business, education, enterprise, government, and creative markets. As of September 25, 2010, it had 317 retail stores, including 233 stores in the United States and 84 stores internationally. The company, formerly known as Apple Computer, Inc., was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Cupertino, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Evan Niu, CFA]

  If Google intends to launch Android 5.0 along with the X Phone in October, it's going to be a busy fall. Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) is launching new products "this fall" and if the Mac maker sticks to an approximate one-year product cycle, we could be talking about new iPhones and iPads all due out at the same time. Apple just announced iOS 7, the next major version of its own mobile operating system, which will likely launch alongside the new hardware also.

• [By Dividends4Life]

  Memberships and Peers: MSFT is a member of the S&P 500. The company's peer group includes: Apple Inc. (AAPL) with a 2.5% yield, Oracle Corp. (ORCL) with a 1.5% yield and Google Inc. (GOOG) with a 0.0% yield.

• [By Doug Ehrman]

  The recent statistics released by Gartner�regarding the worldwide sale of devices including smartphones, tablets, and PCs, could lead you to conclude that Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT  ) is in trouble. Rather than accept this as pure reality, Fool.com contributor Doug Ehrman discusses different perspectives on the numbers in the video below. While it would be difficult to argue that Microsoft is keeping pace with either Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) or Google (NASDAQ: GOOG  ) on certain fronts, Microsoft continues to have its unique strengths.

• [By Mike Deane]

  In advance of Apple Inc.’s (AAPL) launch of the iPhone 5c and 5s in China, the technology giant has cut the price of the phones for the Chinese market.

  Apple’s China website has prices listed at 4,938 yuan for the iPhone 5s and 4,138 yuan for the 5c, marking a 350 yuan price cut from both prices. In Hong Kong, Apple has cut the prices by HK$390 to HK$5,198 for the 5s and HK$4,298 for the the 5c.

  Apple’s iPhones are expected to launch in China on January 17. Apple and China Mobile made a deal last month for the Chinese phone company to start carrying Apple’s phones.

  Apple shares were up $2.98, or 0.56%, in pre-market trading. The company is just 6.71% off its 52-week high.

Top 5 Blue Chip Stocks To Own For 2015: Colgate-Palmolive Company(CL)

Colgate-Palmolive Company, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and markets consumer products worldwide. It offers oral care products, including toothpaste, toothbrushes, and mouth rinses, as well as dental floss and pharmaceutical products for dentists and other oral health professionals; personal care products, such as liquid hand soap, shower gels, bar soaps, deodorants, antiperspirants, shampoos, and conditioners; and home care products comprising laundry and dishwashing detergents, fabric conditioners, household cleaners, bleaches, dishwashing liquids, and oil soaps. The company offers its oral, personal, and home care products under the Colgate Total, Colgate Max Fresh, Colgate 360 Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dividends4Life]

  Memberships and Peers: KMB is a member of the S&P 500, a Dividend Aristocrat, a member of the Broad Dividend Achievers��Index and a Dividend Champion. The company's peer group includes: The company's peer group includes: Procter & Gamble Co. (PG) with a 3.1% yield, Colgate-Palmolive Co. (CL) with a 2.3% yield, and Clorox Corporation (CLX) with a 3.4% yield.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Investors have always been interested in stocks that pay dividends, but lately, low interest rates on bonds and other fixed-income investments have made solid dividend payers even more valuable. Among the most promising dividend stocks in the market is Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE: CL  ) , and one big reason is that it is one of the few exclusive companies to make the list of Dividend Aristocrats. In order to become a member of this elite group, a company must have raised its dividend payouts to shareholders every single year for at least a quarter-century. Only a few dozen stocks manage to make the cut, and those that do tend to stay there for a long time.

Top 5 Blue Chip Stocks To Own For 2015: Philip Morris International Inc(PM)

Philip Morris International Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products in markets outside of the United States. Its international product brand line comprises Marlboro, Merit, Parliament, Virginia Slims, L&M, Chesterfield, Bond Street, Lark, Muratti, Next, Philip Morris, and Red & White. The company also offers its products under the A Mild, Dji Sam Soe, and A Hijau in Indonesia; Diana in Italy; Optima and Apollo-Soyuz in the Russian Federation; Morven Gold in Pakistan; Boston in Colombia; Belmont, Canadian Classics, and Number 7 in Canada; Best and Classic in Serbia; f6 in Germany; Delicados in Mexico; Assos in Greece; and Petra in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It operates primarily in the European Union, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Canada, and Latin America. The company is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Thursday

  Earnings Expected From: Credit Suisse Group (NYSE: CS), Expedia Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPE), Kellogg Company (NYSE: K), LinkedIn Corporation (NYSE: LNKD), Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE: PM) Economic Releases Expected: French trade balance, British trade balance, eurozone consumer confidence, German industrial production, Bank of England interest rate decision, European Central Bank interest rate decision, US initial and continuing jobless claims, Chinese trade balance

  Friday

• [By Dividend]

  Philip Morris International (PM) has a market capitalization of $135.05 billion. The company employs 87,100 people, generates revenue of $77.393 billion and has a net income of $9.154 billion. Philip Morris International�� earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) amounts to $14.827 billion. The EBITDA margin is 19.16 percent (the operating margin is 17.89 percent and the net profit margin 11.83 percent).

Top 5 Blue Chip Stocks To Own For 2015: Chevron Corporation(CVX)

Chevron Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in petroleum, chemicals, mining, power generation, and energy operations worldwide. It operates in two segments, Upstream and Downstream. The Upstream segment involves in the exploration, development, and production of crude oil and natural gas; processing, liquefaction, transportation, and regasification associated with liquefied natural gas; transportation of crude oil through pipelines; and transportation, storage, and marketing of natural gas, as well as holds interest in a gas-to-liquids project. The Downstream segment engages in the refining of crude oil into petroleum products; marketing of crude oil and refined products primarily under the Chevron, Texaco, and Caltex brand names; transportation of crude oil and refined products by pipeline, marine vessel, motor equipment, and rail car; and manufacture and marketing of commodity petrochemicals, plastics for industrial uses, and fuel and lubricant additives. It a lso produces and markets coal and molybdenum; and holds interests in 13 power assets with a total operating capacity of approximately 3,100 megawatts, as well as involves in cash management and debt financing activities, insurance operations, real estate activities, energy services, and alternative fuels and technology business. Chevron Corporation has a joint venture agreement with China National Petroleum Corporation. The company was formerly known as ChevronTexaco Corp. and changed its name to Chevron Corporation in May 2005. Chevron Corporation was founded in 1879 and is based in San Ramon, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tony Daltorio]

  Although it may be hard to believe, the shale revolution is not being led by the major oil companies such as Exxon Mobil Corp. (NYSE: XOM), Chevron Corp. (NYSE: CVX), and Royal Dutch Shell plc (NYSE: RDS.A).

• [By Jim Jubak]

  First, the jump in the stock was a recognition of the company's extraordinary exploration success over the last three years and its prospects going forward. In 2013, Statoil accounted for 10% of all new resources discovered by the entire global oil industry. In 2013, Statoil discovered new reserves of 1.25 billion barrels, a hefty amount for a company that produced 700 million barrels in 2013. For the last three years, the discoveries come to 3.9 billion barrels. Over that period, Statoil's average annual reserve replacement ratio is 119%. Among the global oil majors, only Chevron (CVX) has a higher reserve replacement ratio. And the company's success in finding more oil than it pumps looks set to continue going forward: Credit Suisse estimates that Statoil will grow production by 3.5% a year for the rest of the current decade. (Chevron is, again, the only global major projected to beat this production growth.)

Top 5 Blue Chip Stocks To Own For 2015: Visa Inc.(V)

Visa Inc., a payments technology company, engages in the operation of retail electronic payments network worldwide. It facilitates commerce through the transfer of value and information among financial institutions, merchants, consumers, businesses, and government entities. The company owns and operates VisaNet, a global processing platform that provides transaction processing services. It also offers a range of payments platforms, which enable credit, charge, deferred debit, debit, and prepaid payments, as well as cash access for consumers, businesses, and government entities. The company provides its payment platforms under the Visa, Visa Electron, PLUS, and Interlink brand names. In addition, it offers value-added services, including risk management, issuer processing, loyalty, dispute management, value-added information, and CyberSource-branded services. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chuck Carnevale]

  Visa Inc. (V)

  Even though Visa did not make my cut, I thought it would be interesting to showcase their phenomenal record. Therefore, dividend growth investors interested in total return might want to take a closer look at Visa.

• [By Sital S. Patel]

  Ellison wants to hear from management about how they plan to reinvent the bank in the next few years. Companies like The Blackstone Group (BX) �and BlackRock Inc. (BLK) � or some of the processors like Visa (V) �and Discover Financial Services (DFS) � are doing new, innovative things that are working, notes the portfolio manager.

• [By Sam Robson]

  LONDON: Following reports that�Verizon Communications (NYSE: V  ) �has hired advisors on a bid to buy out its stake in Verizon Wireless,�Vodafone (LSE: VOD  ) (NASDAQ: VOD  ) �soared in trading today, pushing 200p -- a height not previously seen since December 2001.