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☆ The S&P 500 could rise as high as 5600, and these 8 ETFs are poised for big upside along the way: Bank of America
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-18 | by ( Mark Reeth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

The S&P 500 has fallen below 5000, but that's to be expected if history is any indication. Bank of America's Steven Suttmeier says the index is on its way to new highs of up to 5600. Along the way, his charts say 8 ETFs are preparing for bullish moves upward as well. The S&P 500 recently became the S&P 5000, hitting a new all-time high only a few short weeks into the new year as the market's rally continued. The latest consumer-price inflation data put a damper on things, however, and the index returned below record levels.

Persons: of America's Steven Suttmeier, SPX, Steven Suttmeier Organizations: of America's, Bank of America, Business

☆ The 10 best undervalued small-cap stocks to buy now: Morningstar
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( Mark Reeth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

2023 was the year of large-cap stocks, but 2024 may go down as the year small caps made their comeback. Small stocks, big possibilitiesEarlier this year, Bank of America’s head of US small & mid-cap strategy Jill Carey Hall outlined her take on so-called “SMID-cap” stocks in 2024. Her argument is simple: small-cap stocks are cheap, particularly value stocks, and they’re well-positioned to capitalize on market trends this year. Therefore, while small-cap stocks seem substantially cheaper than their large-cap counterparts, careful asset selection is needed, and we think it’s important to focus on quality.”10 best undervalued small-cap stocks to buyThere’s clearly an opportunity to be had in small-cap value stocks, though that opportunity still comes with its own risks. She recently compiled advice from Morningstar analysts into a list of the 10 best small-cap stocks to buy.

Persons: Jill Carey Hall, “, ” Carey, ”, Dave Sekara, Wharton, Jeremey Siegel, I'm, ” Siegel, there’s, Sekara, Morningstar, Tyler Dann, Susan Dziubinski Organizations: Meta, Nvidia, Business, Bank of, ” Morningstar, CNBC, Morningstar

☆ A fund manager who has beaten 99% of his peers over the last decade breaks down how he finds value investments where others don't, and the 2 sectors he's looking for opportunities in this year
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Mark Reeth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Consistently beating the competition over a decade and a half is a sign that Bill Nygren is worth listening to. Instead, he uses good old-fashioned value investing techniques that have proven reliable for decades, even as they've evolved. Nygren added: "It's clearly not a value stock, but when you make those adjustments it sells at less than a market multiple. Advertisement2 sectors to invest in right nowThe average investor would be forgiven for looking around the market right now and struggling to find value. Advertisement"And I think value investors have been a natural home for a lot of the financial industry because the industry's typically traded at something like three-quarters of the S&P multiple," Nygren said.

Persons: Bill Nygren, Nygren, there'd, you've Organizations: Oakmark, Oakmark Fund, Business, Big Tech, Capital, Intercontinental Exchange, American International Group, AIG

☆ Buy these 17 stocks that have the best chance of beating analyst expectations this earnings season, according to Bank of America
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Mark Reeth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

While most of Wall Street expects good news this earnings season, so far results have been mixed. 17 small-cap earnings surprisesSpeaking of earnings, Carey Hall highlighted the best investment factors among small-cap stocks this earnings season. "So far in January, Estimate Revisions and Earnings Surprise have been two of the most alpha-generative small cap factors (long-short spreads of +4ppt/+3ppt, respectively)," Carey Hall wrote. To help find the stocks most likely to surprise to the upside during the rest of earnings season, Carey Hall screened for small- and mid-cap stocks that Bank of America analysts believe could see earnings come in above consensus estimates. Finally, she sorted through the results and highlighted only those stocks that were buy-rated by Bank of America.

Persons: Evercore ISI's Julian Emanuel, It's, you'd, Jill Carey Hall, Carey Hall, —, Outperformance, Russell, Carey, value's Organizations: Business, Bank of America, Big Tech, Federal Reserve

☆ A fund manager who has outperformed 95% of competitors over the last 5 years shares the one metric he looks for in his investments — and recommends 3 contrarian stock picks
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Mark Reeth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

With so much optimism infusing markets at the moment, it's almost refreshing to chat with a pessimist like Guy Pope, the manager of Columbia Threadneedle's Contrarian Core Fund. Employing a philosophy of finding out-of-favor contrarian investments, he doesn't use complicated algorithms or obscure metrics to find the stocks he adds to his fund. AdvertisementStart with pessimismWhen it comes to consistently outperforming the market, Pope credits his success to one main factor: searching areas that other people aren't focused on. That turned out to be a prescient move the following year, when the market tanked and the growth stocks that had been flying so high were brought low. Advertisement3 contrarian stock picksA straightforward strategy and a distinctly disciplined approach have combined to give Pope and his fund a leg up on the competition.

Persons: Guy Pope, He's, Russell, —, Pope, he's, Pope doesn't, it's, Elevance, lockdowns, Charles Schwab Organizations: Service, Columbia, Business, CNBC, Elevance, Nike

☆ The world's most accurate economist has already been proven correct about China this year. Here's what he says will happen next as the nation continues 'exporting deflation.'
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Mark Reeth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Considering how well the US market and economy performed in 2023, it's understandable that domestic investors would be optimistic about 2024. But on the other side of the globe, trouble has been brewing in China for some time now. On the surface, the world's second-largest economy seemed reasonably healthy last year, with Chinese GDP rising 5.2% year-over-year. The problems in China continue to growOf the many risks investors face this year, geopolitics consistently ranks as the one they fear the most . "In terms of negative surprises, I'm really keeping an eye on China and the fact that they're clearly experiencing some kind of deflation," he said.

Persons: Christophe Barraud, Barraud, Bloomberg —, I'm, That's, It's Organizations: Bloomberg, Market Securities, Business Locations: China

☆ The world's most accurate economist told us his forecasts for the US economy in 2024, the biggest risks he's watching, and a trade to take advantage of
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-20 | by ( Mark Reeth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Bloomberg ranked Barraud as the top forecaster of the US economy in 2022 and 2023 — and every year from 2012 through 2020. He was also the top forecaster of the Eurozone economy in 2022, and of China's economy from 2017 through 2020. The chief economist and strategist at Market Securities is looking to continue his hot streak of correct calls in 2024. He recently discussed with Business Insider his forecast for the US economy and how investors should approach the new year. Barraud agrees with surveys that show geopolitical tensions, particularly in the Middle East, represent the biggest threat to the global economy.

Persons: Christophe Barraud, Barraud, He's Organizations: Service, Bloomberg, Market Securities, Business, Federal, Fed, ECB

☆ The managers of a fund that beat 97% of competitors in 2023 explain how they have outperformed for over a decade, what they're looking for in an investment, and the stocks they're watching in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Mark Reeth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The Davenport Equity Opportunities Fund managers are unafraid to be different when it comes to finding high-quality investments to add to their fund. Beyond that, there's little restriction on the types of investments Pearson and Smith are looking at. Owner-operated businesses are a favorite for the fund managers, who prefer to find management that has skin in the game. AdvertisementFinally, the fund managers aren't afraid to hold onto their investments even if the market disagrees with their thesis. "Longer term, I think healthcare is an interesting place to invest just given the innovation, the stable demand, and the importance to society."

Persons: George Smith, Chris Pearson, Smith, who's, Pearson, we're, they're, Stocks, hasn't Organizations: Service, Business, The, The Davenport Equity, Fund, Opportunities Fund, Davenport Equity, Pearson, Nation Entertainment, Ticketmaster, Kinsale Capital Group, Clean Harbors Locations: The Davenport, Davenport, Kinsale, Richmond, Avantor

☆ Morningstar: The top 10 stocks to buy in December as the market rally continues into the new year
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Mark Reeth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

That's a far-cry from where many Wall Street pros thought stocks would end the year. Others, like analysts at Bank of America, BMO, and Deutsche Bank believe the market could roar to new all-time highs . Rather than try to guess where the market is heading next, investors would be better off finding high-quality stocks to invest in for the long run. Thankfully, Morningstar's Margaret Giles recently compiled a list of the stocks to buy now, drawn from analysts' larger collection of the best companies to own. These stocks have "predictable cash flows and are run by management teams that have a history of making smart capital-allocation decisions," she wrote.

Persons: Taylor Swift, JP Morgan, Morningstar's Margaret Giles Organizations: Business, JP, Bank of America, BMO, Deutsche Bank

☆ Bank of America unveils its top 10 trades for 2024, and 6 signs that would confirm a true bull market has arrived
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Mark Reeth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Here are the indicators he's watching in 2024, and the trades investors should make now so that when the bull market finally arrives, they will be well-positioned to profit. Bank of America, alongside BMO, believes that the S&P 500 could beat its all-time high and soar over 5,000 next year. But in the back half of 2024, Hartnett believes the "3Cs" and the "3Ps" will combine to kick off a bull market in the "3Bs": bonds, bullion, and breadth. "Bonds can easily deliver equity-like returns in 2024," Hartnett wrote, particularly if "a weaker US economy & Fed cuts delivers cyclical decline in bond yields & US dollar (+ve gold)." Hartnett wrote that any panic policy moves could be a "catalyst for outperformance of leverage over quality, small over large, value over growth, international over US."

Persons: Michael Hartnett, Hartnett, there's Organizations: Federal Reserve, Bank of America, Business, America's, BMO, SOX Locations: XBD, Japan, China

☆ Small-Cap Stocks: How to Pick Winners, 3 That Top-5% Fund Manager Owns
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Mark Reeth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Sauerbronn, a director at Brandes Investment Partners, has co-managed the Brandes Small Cap Value Fund for the last five years. Sauerbronn did note that ideally, he'd hold stocks for longer, and in fact there are some stocks in the fund that have been there for 10 years or more. 3 favorite stocks right nowAmong the holdings in Sauerbronn's fund, industrials stand head and shoulders above the rest. But Sauerbronn has focused on positioning the fund defensively, homing in on stocks with strong balance sheets in an industry that has grown used to easy money. As the name implies, the company manufactures composite materials for companies across the aerospace market, from drones to jet engines.

Persons: Luiz Sauerbronn, Sauerbronn, Patience, It's, Barber Nichols, tanking, Max Organizations: Brandes Investment Partners, Value Fund, Business, Graham Corp, US Navy, Navy, Aerospace, Park Aerospace, Airbus, Boeing, Moog Inc Locations: —

☆ Goldman Sachs: These are the 50 highest-quality stocks to buy heading into the new year
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( Mark Reeth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

With their well-entrenched businesses, high sales growth, and strong balance sheets he believes they will continue to outperform next year. Thankfully, Kostin wrote that "equity valuations appear less stretched in absolute and relative terms after adjusting for record high market concentration." "In a recession, we expect the S&P 500 would end 2024 at 3700 (-18%)," Kostin wrote. First, Kostin wrote investors should "own growth stocks with high returns on capital that typically outperform given stable economic growth and interest rates." To that end, Kostin shared Goldman Sachs' basket of 50 stocks the analysts there believe are the highest quality on the market.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, David Kostin, Kostin isn't, Kostin, Altman Organizations: Business

☆ Morgan Stanley: Buy these 9 stocks for safe, high-quality earnings heading into a volatile 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Mark Reeth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Morgan Stanley chief investment officer Michael Wilson is all too aware of these many problems the market is facing. But broadly, Wilson and his peers are hopeful that the economy will continue to grow next year, spurring earnings growth along with it, pushing stocks higher. Wilson believes that margin expansion will underpin earnings growth next year. "Once that happens, however, and demand begins to recover, positive operating leverage resumes and drives margin expansion and earnings growth." He narrowed his search to stocks in the top 20% of earnings stability, stocks in the top 20% of earnings quality, and stocks that were rated overweight by Morgan Stanley analysts.

Persons: bode, Morgan Stanley, Michael Wilson, that's, Wilson Organizations: Business, Companies

☆ The manager of the top-performing small-cap fund this year outlined his 4 criteria for finding strong investments — and revealed his 3 favorite hidden gem stock picks right now
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Mark Reeth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

With a name like the Needham Aggressive Growth Fund, you'd be forgiven for assuming portfolio manager John Barr hunts for growth at any cost. So yes, it's growth investing informed by value investing." The Needham Aggressive Growth Fund has returned over 25% year-to-date according to Morningstar, making it the best-performing small-cap fund on the market. Barr, a one-time software salesman turned investing pro, told Business Insider what he looks for in his investments, the market themes he's watching, and his favorite stock picks right now. But it's Barr's primary investment criteria that sets him apart from other growth-focused fund managers: finding "hidden-to-quality compounders."

Persons: you'd, John Barr, Barr, that's, Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett, Morningstar, I've, there's, —, they've Organizations: Berkshire Hathaway, Business, Fund, Micro, Google, Vishay, Vishay Group, Parsons Corporation, Missile Defense Agency, Department of Defense

☆ Morgan Stanley: These are the best 65 stocks to buy in 2024 as investors face macroeconomic headwinds, lower growth, and restrictive monetary policy
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( Mark Reeth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Here's how Morgan Stanley thinks the stock market will move in 2024, the economic warning signs investors should watch for, and which stocks are best positioned to outperform next year. A stronger stock market in 2024You'd think with the myriad problems stocks are facing right now that the market is in for a difficult year ahead. Wilson believes that earnings growth will accelerate as the year progresses. Morgan StanleyBeyond strong earnings growth for individual companies, Wilson expects that increased spending in a variety of industries will provide fiscal support across the market. Guided by the themes above, Wilson polled Morgan Stanley analysts for their top stock picks heading into 2024.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Michael Wilson, Morgan Stanley Wilson, Wilson, Jerome Powell Organizations: Business, Reserve, Walmart, Target, Fed, White House Locations: headwinds, bailouts

☆ Morgan Stanley: Forget ChatGPT and focus on the $4 trillion opportunity in enterprise AI — and the 16 stocks best positioned to profit from it
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Mark Reeth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

But Morgan Stanley chief investment officer Michael Wilson says the real opportunity lies in how AI will be used by companies, not by individuals. "Further our analysis suggests Generative AI technologies can impact the $2.1 trillion of labor costs attached to those jobs today, expanding to $4.1 trillion in three years in the US alone." But the slow and steady nature of business investments provides the enterprise AI longer staying power. That's why finding the best enterprise AI stocks now will pay dividends for the long-run: companies will stick with what they know, providing investors with strong returns for years to come. To that end, the 16 stocks below are Morgan Stanley's top enterprise AI picks right now.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Michael Wilson, Wilson, Morgan Organizations: Business, Bureau of Labor Statistics

☆ Want to know what Jerome Powell will do next? Here are the 10 academic journals the Federal Reserve pulls its inflation playbook from.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Mark Reeth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The key to those predictions is the Federal Reserve and the monetary policy Jerome Powell will enact next year as he fights to get inflation down to a target of 2%. Clearly, anticipating the Fed's next move is far from simple, even for Wall Street pros. While government data is clearly an important source of data for central bankers, a less-understood resource is academia. Understanding which of these resources central bankers rely on can provide insight into upcoming monetary policy moves. That way they could find the signal in all the noise and focus only on the academic journals really driving public monetary policy.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs Organizations: Wall, Business, Federal Reserve, UBS, Fed, Bank of International

☆ Bank of America: 20 stocks with secure dividends that can help you sleep better at night
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Mark Reeth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Our experts answer readers' investing questions and write unbiased product reviews (here's how we assess investing products). The stock market is limping into the end of the year, and investors are hard pressed to find safety. Bank of America found stocks with sustainable dividends to take advantage of a shift in markets. These 20 stocks with dividend yields of over 4% can help give investors peace of mind. The world is shifting underfoot seemingly day by day.

Persons: Jerome Powell Organizations: Bank of America

☆ Bank of America: 4 signs that a company might be acquired and see shares pop — and 12 stocks primed for a deal right now
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Mark Reeth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Our experts answer readers' investing questions and write unbiased product reviews (here's how we assess investing products). There are few catalysts that are almost guaranteed to juice a stock's value. One of the most surefire ways to send a company's stock soaring is for another company to acquire it. Unfortunately, if it were easy to predict mergers and acquisitions before they happened then everyone would be doing it. Among these is their "preferred M&A valuation metric: FCF/EV, where we screen for those trading below the universe median," Subramanian wrote.

Persons: Subramanian Organizations: Bank of America, Bank of

☆ Morningstar: These are 10 of the best stocks to buy in November, and all of them are way cheaper than they should be
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Mark Reeth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

It's never easy to find the best stocks to buy — particularly in today's economy. So is seeking out companies with solid fundamentals, such as strong margins, plenty of cash, and consistently rising sales and earnings. But it's still difficult to know where to look for great stock picks in today's market. She recently narrowed Morningstar's list of the best companies to own to the most undervalued handful, meaning these great stock picks are tantalizingly priced at the moment. The 10 companies that made the cut are below, along with each company's ticker, last closing price, price to fair value ratio, Morningstar's Uncertainty Rating, Morningstar's Capital Allocation Rating, and the industry the company operates in.

Persons: It's, nonfarm, it's, Margaret Giles Locations: today's

☆ Bank of America: Buy these 56 losing stocks that are on the verge of becoming winners, thanks to a little-known investing strategy that has consistently outperformed the market since 1986
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Mark Reeth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tax-loss harvesting is simple: investors reduce capital gains taxes by selling securities for a capital loss. Bank of America analysts led by head of US equity & quantitative strategy Savita Subramanian endorse a new twist on the strategy. In a recent note to clients, Subramanian identified what she calls TLCs: tax-loss candidates. "We've historically seen evidence of tax-loss selling by institutional investors in Oct. (peak outflows), and by retail investors in Dec. ahead of the Dec. 31 cut-off for individual investors," Subramanian wrote. Institutional investors must sell their losing stocks to claim the benefits of tax-loss harvesting by October 31, while retail investors have until December 31.

Persons: shrug, Subramanian, they've Organizations: Bank of America, 1.9ppt, Institutional

☆ Bank of America: Buy these 21 stocks that will profit if the Federal Reserve decides to keep hiking interest rates next month
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Mark Reeth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Investors breathed a sigh of relief late Wednesday after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell announced that interest rate hikes would remain paused. That pause was welcomed by the market after 11 interest rate hikes since March 2022 brought rates to their highest point in 22 years. But just because Powell decided to keep rate hikes paused for now doesn't mean they can't head higher from here. Higher interest rates tend to be a drag on stocks. Along with each company is its ticker, last closing price, sector, industry, and nominal interest rate beta.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Powell, there's, We're, Subramanian Organizations: Bank of, Bank of America

☆ An investment research veteran with 20 years of experience names 10 top contrarian stock picks that could see higher earnings ahead despite lower analyst expectations
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Mark Reeth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

As earnings season grinds on, Wall Street has been pleasantly surprised by the results. Sometimes the pros might be bearish on a stock, while simultaneously raising their earnings expectations for that very same company. Taking advantage of the difference between what Wall Street says will happen and where they expect earnings to go can prove a profitable trading strategy. Just ask Sam Burns, founder and chief strategist of Mill Street Research, an independent investment research firm geared towards institutional investors. Burns will then take those stocks and run them through his proprietary Monitor of Analysts' Earnings Revisions model.

Persons: Julian Emanuel, you'd, Sam Burns, Burns Organizations: Evercore ISI, Mill, Research, Wall, Analysts

☆ Bank of America: 12 stocks with inflation-protected dividend yields that can provide stability in an uncertain market
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Mark Reeth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Investors are holding their breath this week as Jerome Powell contemplates his next move in the ongoing battle against inflation. But for investors who'd rather tune out all the noise surrounding inflation and simply focus on finding profitable investments, Bank of America can help. First, they made sure the stocks were worthwhile, searching only for dividend yields that were greater than the 10-year Treasury yield. And finally, they looked for stocks with a positive relative beta to inflation. Along with each stock is its ticker, sector, dividend yield, dividend growth over the last four years, employees-to-sales ratio, relative beta compared to Bank of America's inflation composite, its analyst rating, and its last closing price.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Powell, who'd, Subramanian Organizations: Federal, Bank of America, Bank of

☆ Morningstar: These are the 33 top undervalued stocks to buy now that the market is finally cheap after last month's sell-off
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Mark Reeth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

"That represents an 8% discount to our fair value estimates." Sekara was among those who had to try and keep up with the surprising moves among growth stocks this year. Now, with growth stocks cheaper than they have been in months, he's back on the bandwagon. In a separate note published earlier this month, editor Susan Dziubinski polled Morningstar analysts for their top undervalued stocks to buy this quarter. The results are below, along with each company's ticker, latest closing price, price to fair value ratio, fair value uncertainty, and its economic moat rating.

Persons: David Sekara, Morningstar, Sekara, he's, Susan Dziubinski Organizations: Investor, Federal Reserve, Morningstar

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