Investing
The Five Most Undervalued DJIA Stocks for 2013 (MSFT, UNH, AA, GE, KO)
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We have identified the five most undervalued of the 30 DJIA stocks. These include Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT), UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE: UNH), Alcoa Inc. (NYSE: AA), General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) and The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO). If that is not an unusual list, then what is?
Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) is shocking to see on the list as the most undervalued DJIA stock according to analysts. Despite the weak environment and despite Windows 8 not living up to expectations, analysts are more bullish on Microsoft than they were even a year ago. The $26.71 price at the end of 2012 implies upside of 28.9% to that $34.44 price target. This was truly a surprise to see as the most expected upside of the 30 components and perhaps it shows that “upside” calls may often be a series of outliers rather than a series of assurances. That $34.44 target is even higher than the 52-week high of $32.95. Microsoft pays a dividend of 3.5%.
UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE: UNH) is the newest of the DJIA components, now that Kraft has split itself up. The health insurance giant closed out 2013 at $54.24, and that was well off the 52-week high as its range in the past year was $49.82 to $60.75. Analysts believe that the stock will rise some 23.4% to $66.97 by the end of 2013. The insurer has a lower dividend than most DJIA stocks, at only about 1.6%, and its market value is close to $55 billion. UnitedHealth so far has recovered only about half of its losses from last summer.
Alcoa Inc. (NYSE: AA) is basically right back where it was a year ago. This expected upside appears to be even less than it was a year ago, as analysts now have a consensus target of $10.41. That would represent upside of 20.3% from the current $8.65 share price. For Alcoa, the challenges and the opportunities are often the same. The company keeps suggesting that the aluminum market will double on a global basis by 2020. Alcoa is the smallest of the DJIA stocks in market value, with a $9.5 billion market cap. Due to its very low share price, it also impacts the DJIA the least. Alcoa’s dividend yield is also on the low side at only 1.4%.
General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) is the conglomerate with the most upside in the 30 DJIA stocks. After closing at $20.99 in 2012, analysts see upside of some 17.7% to the consensus price target of $24.71. That target is also above the 52-week high of $23.18, and GE now pays a 3.7% dividend yield. With a dividend that is 1% higher than other DJIA conglomerates, and with so many units it can still spin off, GE might not just make it to the target. Longer term, this could recover to $30 if the United States avoids a recession and if Europe and Asia can reach the end of their woes.
The Coca-Cola Co. (NYSE: KO) was just shocking to see on this list. A beverage company? After closing out 2012 at $36.26 after splitting its stock in 2012, analysts see upside of 16.9% to a consensus price target of $42.38. The 52-week high is $40.67, and Coca-Cola yields 2.8%. Without making the analogy of Pepsi and an investor taste test, what else is there to say? Analysts expect that PepsiCo Inc. (NYSE: PEP) will rise more than 12% in 2013.
Consensus estimates came from Thomson Reuters, and the price, dividend and historical prices came from Yahoo! Finance.
Here is how we came to a DJIA peak target price of 14,590 for a gain of 11.34% in 2013.
JON C. OGG
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