10 Best Stocks To Own Right Now

It takes money to make money. Most investors know that, but with business media so focused on the "how much," very few investors bother to ask, "How fast?"

When judging a company's prospects, how quickly it turns cash outflows into cash inflows can be just as important as how much profit it's booking in the accounting fantasy world we call "earnings." This is one of the first metrics I check when I'm hunting for the market's best stocks. Today, we'll see how it applies to Ruth's Hospitality Group (Nasdaq: RUTH  ) .

Let's break this down
In this series, we measure how swiftly a company turns cash into goods or services and back into cash. We'll use a quick, relatively foolproof tool known as the cash conversion cycle, or CCC for short.

Why does the CCC matter? The less time it takes a firm to convert outgoing cash into incoming cash, the more powerful and flexible its profit engine is. The less money tied up in inventory and accounts receivable, the more available to grow the company, pay investors, or both.

10 Best Stocks To Own Right Now: Washington Banking Company(WBCO)

Washington Banking Company operates as the bank holding company for Whidbey Island Bank that provides community commercial banking services in northwestern Washington. Its deposit products include interest-bearing demand and money market accounts, saving deposits, time deposits, NOW accounts, and noninterest-bearing demand deposits. The company?s portfolio of loans comprises secured and unsecured commercial loans for working capital and expansion; real estate mortgage loans, including one-to-four family residential and commercial real estate loans; and real estate construction loans, such as commercial real estate, one-to-four family residential construction, and speculative construction loans. Its consumer loan portfolio include automobile loans, boat and recreational vehicle financing, home equity and home improvement loans, and other secured and unsecured personal loans, as well as SBA guaranteed loans for small and medium sized businesses. In addition, the company pro vides non-deposit managed investment products and services, and sweep investment options. As of December 31, 2010, it operated 30 branches in 6 counties located in northwestern Washington. The company was founded in 1996 and is based in Oak Harbor, Washington.

10 Best Stocks To Own Right Now: Nymox Pharmaceutical Corporation(NYMX)

Nymox Pharmaceutical Corporation, a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the research, development, and marketing of drugs and diagnostic devices. The company?s products include AlzheimAlert, a urinary test that aids physicians in the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease; and NicAlert and TobacAlert tests that use urine or saliva to detect the use of and exposure to tobacco products. Its products under development comprise NX-1207, a drug in phase III clinical trials for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia, as well as in human clinical trials for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma and localized prostate cancer; and NXC-4720, a antibacterial agent for the treatment of E. coli O157:H7 bacterial contamination in hamburger meat and other food and drink products, and for the treatment of urinary tract and other bacterial infections in humans. The company?s products under development also include NXB-4221 for the treatment of chronic and persistent urinary tract infections; NXB-5886 for the treatment of streptococcal infection; and NXT-1021 for the treatment of staphylococcal infection. In addition, its research and development programs include drug development programs aimed at treatments for Alzheimer's disease and other indications; research and development of drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer?s disease that targets spherons; and development of neural thread protein-based drugs and oncology drugs. The company markets its products primarily in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Nymox Pharmaceutical Corporation was founded in 1989 and is based in St Laurent, Canada.

Top Railroad Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Paragon Care Ltd (PGC.AX)

Paragon Care Limited engages in the supply of durable medical equipment to the health and aged care markets in Australia and New Zealand. It supplies stainless steel healthcare equipment; patient treatment, examination, and surgical stretchers and couches; medical and medication carts; and children�s and maternity equipment to public and private hospitals, general practitioners, and medical centers. The company also distributes bedding, furniture, and specialized seating products; integrated bed motor systems and modular bedside supply systems for the hospital, aged care, and home markets; and various wire shelving and basket systems, medical refrigeration systems, service carts, and single/multi deck trolleys, as well as storage systems. In addition, it is involved in the manufacture and sale of precision designed stainless steel and other medical related products. The company is based in Nunawading, Australia.

10 Best Stocks To Own Right Now: Kokanee Minerals Inc(KOK.V)

Kokanee Minerals Inc., a development stage company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of gold and base metal properties. The company primarily focuses on gold exploration projects in Tanzania. It has 2 option agreements with AFGF (Tanzania) Limited to acquire an 80% interest in the Handeni North 500 property located in the Handeni area of east Tanzania; and to acquire an 80% interest in the MEG South property located in the Morogoro area of east central Tanzania. The company was incorporated in 2005 and is based in Vancouver, Canada.

10 Best Stocks To Own Right Now: Petrolympic Ltd(PCQ.V)

Petrolympic Ltd., a junior oil and gas company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of petroleum and natural gas properties in Canada. It holds an interest in a total 753,406 hectares of oil and gas exploration permits that include holdings in the St. Lawrence Lowlands and Gaspe Peninsula in the Appalachian Basin of Quebec. Petrolympic Ltd. is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

10 Best Stocks To Own Right Now: Formation Capital Com Npv(FCO.TO)

Formation Metals Inc. engages in the exploration, development, and refining of mineral properties in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. The company owns 100% interest in the Idaho Cobalt project, which consists of 241 claims covering an area of approximately 4,080 acres located in Lemhi County, Idaho; and the Big Creek Hydrometallurgical refining complex located in Shoshone County, near the town of Kellogg, Idaho. It also explores for silver, gold, copper, uranium, lead, zinc, and rare earth elements, as well as base and precious metals. The company was formerly known as Formation Capital Corporation and changed its name to Formation Metals Inc. in November 2009. Formation Metals Inc. was incorporated in 1988 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

10 Best Stocks To Own Right Now: High Liner Foods Com Npv(HLF.TO)

High Liner Foods Incorporated engages in manufacturing and marketing prepared and packaged frozen seafood products in North America. It provides breaded and battered fish and other seafood products; raw fillets and shellfish; cooked shellfish; and value-added products, such as sauced, glazed, breaded, and battered seafood, as well as breaded cheese sticks, entrees, and breaded chicken. High Liner Foods Incorporated offers its products under High Liner, FPI, Mirabel, Royal Sea, Sea Cuisine, Fisher Boy, Viking, Icelandic Seafood, Samband of Iceland, Seastar, and Seaside names, as well as under private labels. The company sells its products directly and through distributors to retail stores, club stores, hotels, restaurants, and health care and educational organizations. High Liner Foods Incorporated was founded in 1899 and is headquartered in Lunenburg, Canada.

10 Best Stocks To Own Right Now: Odyssey Resources Limited(ODX.V)

Odyssey Resources Limited, a junior exploration company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral resource properties, primarily precious metals properties. The company was incorporated in 1994 and is based in Longueuil, Canada.

10 Best Stocks To Own Right Now: Lions Gate Energy Inc (LG.V)

Lions Gate Energy Inc., an exploration stage company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of precious and base metal mineral deposits in Canada. It owns a 100% interest in the El Toro project, a copper-gold-silver property that covers an area of 34,356 hectares in the Omineca mining division of British Columbia. The company was incorporated in 1981 and is based in Vancouver, Canada.

10 Best Stocks To Own Right Now: Agenus Inc.(AGEN)

Agenus Inc., a biotechnology company, engages in developing and commercializing technologies to treat cancers and infectious diseases. It offers Oncophage vaccine for the treatment of adjuvant renal cell carcinoma. The company?s products under development include Prophage series of cancer vaccines, which has been tested in Phase III clinical trials for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and metastatic melanoma, as well as has been tested in Phase I and Phase II clinical trials in various indications; and under Phase II clinical trials in glioma, a type of brain cancer, and adjuvant renal cell carcinoma. The Prophage series of cancer vaccines include R-series candidates in RCC, M-series candidates in melanoma, and G-series candidates in glioma. Its product candidate portfolio includes QS-21 Stimulon adjuvant, which is in Phase III clinical trials for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer, melanoma, malaria, and shingles, as well as in for the treatment of va rious infectious diseases and Alzheimer?s disease; and HerpV that completed Phase 1 clinical trial for the treatment of genital herpes. The company was formerly known as Antigenics Inc. and changed its name Agenus Inc. in January 2011 to reflect its existing product pipeline. Agenus Inc. was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Lexington, Massachusetts.