Although the concept of stocks to buy at the ‘midterm elections’ bottom seems farfetched considering the broader volatility this year, the calendar might provide a change of heart. According to The New York Times, the U.S. equities sector generally follows election-related patterns.
“The months leading up to midterm elections have generally been the worst in what is known as the four-year presidential election cycle. But the stock market is about to enter a sweet spot. Stocks have usually rallied in the year after the midterms — no matter which side wins.” Fundamentally, that might be great news for stocks to buy.
As well, the latter point may give investors relief. To no one’s surprise, the campaign cycle features incredible vitriol all over the map. And with major geopolitical events in the background, this year’s midterms may be more significant than others. However, if stocks to buy will rise irrespective of which party wins, that’s one factor to help people sleep better.
Still, some ideas may be better than others. Therefore, the stocks to buy on this list feature a combination of undervalued profiles and fiscal resilience.
| GOOG GOOGL | Alphabet | $95.28 |
| NVDA | Nvidia | $135.26 |
| META | Meta Platforms | $94.62 |
| ADBE | Adobe | $320.32 |
| EW | Edwards Lifesciences | $71.99 |
| TTD | Trade Desk | $53.42 |
| TROW | T. Rowe Price | $107.57 |
Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL)
One of the hardest-hit majors in the broader technology space, Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG, NASDAQ:GOOGL) finds its equity value chopped by more than a third since the start of the year. Fundamentally, this volatility might be overdone. As stated before, the company’s Google ecosystem dominates the internet. For instance, it commands over 92% market share in the search engine sector.
Financially, Gurufocus.com labels GOOG and GOOGL as significantly undervalued based on its proprietary calculations. To be fair, under standard assessments, GOOG/GOOGL is priced at 17 times forward earnings, which is middling for the industry.
However, Alphabet brings excellent income statement-related strengths to the mix. For instance, its three-year revenue growth rate stands at 25%, better than about 75% of its peers. And its net margin pings at nearly 24%, rating higher than nearly 85% of the competition. Finally, Alphabet allows long-term stakeholders to sleep easier at night due to its balance sheet. Specifically, its Altman Z-Score hits nearly 10 points, reflecting very low bankruptcy risk.
Nvidia (NVDA)
Semiconductor specialist Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) is hurting, and it’s no surprise why. In 2021, the company flourished with certain growth sectors like cryptocurrencies absolutely booming. Unfortunately, cryptos deflated badly this year, applying pressure on NVDA. In addition, the company suffered from the usual suspects like global supply chain problems and monetary policy fluctuations. Still, for the patient, NVDA represents one of the stocks to buy on discount.
Per Gurufocus.com, Nvidia is significantly undervalued based on proprietary calculations. Based on traditional metrics, it runs a premium, such as its 30-times forward earnings price. However, investors also need to consider its income statement. For instance, its three-year revenue growth rate stands at 31%. Its net margin pings at 26%. Both stats rank well above their respective industry median levels.
Just as importantly, Nvidia enjoys a stable balance sheet. While it carries a middling cash-to-debt ratio, its Altman Z-Score rates at 12.8. This reflects extremely low bankruptcy risk, providing a discount you can believe in.
Meta Platforms (META)
Although Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) made a big fuss about its transition to the metaverse, both investors and analysts remain unimpressed. For the former category, META dropped nearly 71% of equity value on a year-to-date basis. Clearly, investors aren’t enamored with the pivot. Regarding the latter category, analysts criticized the emphasis on the metaverse.
With people asking really basic questions (such as what’s the point?) Meta faces a difficult road ahead. That is, a difficult road for the metaverse. Relating to its massive social media footprint, that’s where the money is. Sure, Meta warned earlier this year about the slowdown in the digital advertising market. However, companies will still need to advertise somewhere. Meta brings nearly a three-billion-strong active user base to the picture. As well, Elon Musk’s Twitter possibly about to nuke its attractiveness, the safe space that is its Facebook platform could be very enticing.
META also represents a steal. With strong income-statement metrics, a stable balance sheet and a forward price-earnings ratio of just under 12 times (compared to the industry median 15.5 times), you don’t want to ignore META as one of the potential stocks to buy.
Adobe (ADBE)
On the surface, the volatility toward Adobe (NASDAQ:ADBE) might appear rational. Though a compelling tech play, Adobe largely generated its reputation with creatives-related programs. The market for such services seemingly may be at risk considering economically deflationary risks. However, the burgeoning gig economy may help to bring in demand over the next several years.
Further, the loss of over 42% of equity value since the beginning of the year may be too much. We’re not talking about some junk company that’s tethered to aspirational projections. Rather, the enterprise features compelling attributes sold at discount. For instance, Adobe’s earnings yield based on investor Joel Greenblatt’s model stands at 4%. In contrast, the median for the industry is 1.3%.
Along with that, Adobe’s income statement-related metrics, including three-year revenue growth rate and net margin stand above industry norms, especially for profitability. Factor in the strong balance sheet (with an Altman Z-Score of over 10) and you have a great case for stocks to buy on discount.
Edwards Lifesciences (EW)
A medical technology firm, Edwards Lifesciences (NYSE:EW) specializes in artificial heart valves and hemodynamic monitoring. To be fair, EW represents one of the riskiest stocks to buy, in part because of its recent earnings report. Per Investor’s Business Daily, Edwards slashed its profit guidance due to U.S. hospital staffing challenges and a strong dollar. Since the beginning of this year, EW dropped almost 45% of equity value.
Aside from the recent downgrade, the overall picture for EW remains attractive for speculators. For instance, Gurufocus.com rates Edwards as a significantly undervalued business. For example, the company’s earnings yield (Greenblatt model) is 4.15%. In contrast, the industry median is only 0.6%.
On the income statement, Edwards features a three-year revenue growth rate of 12.6%, beating out over 64% of its peers. The company’s net margin stands at 27%, beating out over 90% of its rivals in the medical devices segment. Finally, the company features an Altman Z-Score of over 13, reflecting great stability in the balance sheet.
Trade Desk (TTD)
Another high-risk, high-reward idea among stocks to buy during the possible midterms bottom, Trade Desk (NASDAQ:TTD) specializes in real-time programmatic marketing automation technologies, products, and services, designed to personalize digital content delivery to users, per its corporate profile. However, the fundamental headwind to TTD stems from the digital ad space market. Suffering deflationary forces, Trade Desk doesn’t bring a confident canvas to the table.
However, it’s also important to point out that entertainment streaming services appear to be enjoying an uptick in demand. This dynamic isn’t just significant for the companies directly involved. Rather, the consumption of entertainment may be pivoting back to the living room. Part of this may center on economic pressures. People still want to be entertained, it’s just that they must seek cheaper alternatives.
Well, that spells music to Trade Desk’s ears due to its programmatic marketing specialty. As well, the company brings a stable balance sheet to the picture, with an Altman Z-Score of 9.45.
T. Rowe Price (TROW)
In 2020 and 2021, with worker bees operating remotely, people couldn’t get enough of the equities market. Fast forward to this year and the term stocks to buy might represent fighting words to some folks. Not surprisingly, T. Rowe Price (NASDAQ:TROW), an investment management firm, feels the pressure. Since the beginning of this year, TROW slipped over 44% of equity value.
Admittedly, it’s not a great look for stocks to buy. With the Federal Reserve committed to a hawkish monetary policy, it rendered limitations for investment opportunities. I don’t want to get bogged down here but the basics is this: higher costs of borrowing generally reduces investor sentiment and confidence. However, if you can get past this little detail, TROW brings an attractive profile to the stage.
Based on its price-earnings-growth (PEG) ratio of 0.67 (with the industry median being 1.43) you can make the argument that TROW is undervalued. The company also features a stable growth trek and profitability margins. Further, its return on equity is 28%, reflecting a high-quality business. As well, T. Rowe features an Altman Z-Score of nearly 10, signifying a resilient enterprise.
Plus, investors will still invest, making T. Rowe one of the best among the troubled.
On the date of publication, Josh Enomoto did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.