While tracking the new addition to the UBS list, we also screened the list for the other top consumer discretionary stocks that make the grade at UBS. There is a good reason why. As of the close Friday, consumer discretionary stocks were the second top performing sector in the S&P 500, up a whopping 4.29%, just barely trailing health care.
Here is the new addition to the equity focus list, Lululemon Athletica Inc. (NASDAQ: LULU), along with the other top consumer discretionary stocks to buy at UBS: Comcast Corp. (NASDAQ: CMCSA), Delphi Automotive PLC (NYSE: DLPH), Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE: HLT) and Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE).
Comcast
This is a leading media stock on the Equity Focus list, and the company is growing earnings substantially with extremely strong content revenue growth. Increased revenue at NBC Universal is also giving the company some earnings tailwinds, and a growing sports lineup is adding to revenues.
After over a year of haggling with regulators, the company recently abandoned plans to acquire Time Warner Cable. It will prove interesting to see if the company will end up with additional cable assets as another competitor makes a play for the company. Comcast reported better-than-expected profit and revenue growth in its first quarter, as its broadband division logged its strongest revenue growth in more than four years.
Comcast investors are paid a 1.71% dividend. The UBS price target for the stock is $66, and the Thomson Reuters consensus price target is $66.92. Comcast closed trading Monday at $58.78 per share.
ALSO READ: New SunTrust Analyst Starts 5 Top Software Stocks at Buy
Delphi Automotive
This company is a leader in the automotive original equipment manufacturing segment and is on the list. The company added a separate production line last fall to expedite the supply of replacement parts for the huge GM recalls. The UBS team believes the current strong automobile cycle has further upside, especially in Europe where Delphi has substantial exposure. They also expect the company to benefit from growth in China and secular shifts in the industry
Investors are paid a 1.2% dividend. The UBS price target is $99, but the consensus estimate is lower at $93.85. Shares closed Monday at $86.04.Hilton Worldwide
This company is expected to have 2014 to 2016 earnings growth of a very solid 21.5%, and it is the world’s largest hotel operator. Hilton announced plans earlier this year to buy San Francisco’s Parc 55 and four other properties for $1.76 billion to help defer capital gains taxes from its sale of New York’s Waldorf Astoria. In addition to the Parc 55 purchase, the company is buying two hotels in Orlando, Fla., and two in Key West that are already managed by Hilton. The sellers in the transaction include Hilton’s majority owner, Blackstone Group.
The UBS price target is $35, and the consensus target is posted at $32.95. Shares ended the day Monday at $29.39.
ALSO READ: 5 Oil and Gas Stocks Analysts Want You to Buy
Lululemon Athletica
This stock is the new addition to the UBS Equity Focus list. Lululemon Athletica is a yoga-themed athletic apparel retailer. It a top stock from March 2009 to May 2012. But from May 2012 to June 2014, the company suffered from upheavals at the CEO slot and other corporate issues that bogged down growth. The company finally achieved comparable store sales growth of 5% at brick-and-mortar locations recently, its first quarter of positive growth for the metric in more than a year. At the same time, Lululemon demonstrated broad strength from not only its core women’s line, but also in its men’s business and kid-centric ivivva brand.
The specialty retailer does an outstanding 19% of total store sales via e-commerce. That is the second highest among companies in the luxury and accessories category.
The UBS price target is $63, and the consensus target is higher at $66.97. Shares closed most recently at $64.76.
Nike
This worldwide athletic giant makes the list as a top consumer discretionary name, and it posted very strong fiscal third-quarter earnings back in March. The company also has outstanding potential upside from a turnaround in its China business, improvements in gross margins and continued innovation-driven market share gains in both basketball and running footwear. With one of the most recognizable brands in the world, long-term investors may do very well adding shares here despite the big move up in the stock this year.
Nike investors are paid a 1.11% dividend by the sporting apparel giant. The UBS price target is $110, and the consensus target is $108.68. Nike closed at $100.83 a share Monday.
ALSO READ: 2 Biotech Buyout Candidates as Antibiotics Stop Working
Clearly consumers are feeling better about their finances, as these top stocks are continuing to do well with earnings. Should the economy continue to improve over the course of this year, expect the sector to churn even higher.
Top Gaining Stocks
Top Losing Stocks