[cnxvideo id=”509258″ placement=”ros”]The good news for all of us is that in about seven weeks the political cycle will be over, at least as far as the presidential election is concerned, and we can concentrate more on other fall activities. While the polls have the race pretty tight, one thing is for sure: a victory by Donald Trump would favor a far different group of stocks than a victory by Hillary Clinton.
In an effort to be balanced, earlier we presented a selection of stocks that could have a favorable reaction to a Trump victory, so it’s only fair to put out the companies that could benefit if Mrs. Clinton emerges the victor. In a new research report from Deutsche Bank, they make the case that certain outcomes of the election could ratchet up the volatility big-time. For years Wall Street has always seemed to be happiest when power was split to some degree, and there was an element of gridlock.
The Deutsche Bank team has a 15 stock basket for a Clinton victory, we picked five that we think may do okay either way and some pay dividends as well.
Citigroup
This top bank stock is still down over 15% from highs that were posted last summer, and the company also posted very solid second-quarter results. Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C) has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions. It provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services and wealth management.
Trading at a very cheap 9.8 times estimated 2016 earnings, this stock looks very reasonable in what is becoming a pricey stock market. A continuing stock buyback program at the bank is a positive. The company’s institutional clients group appeared to be holding its ground last quarter. While investment banking revenue was down in an unsure macro environment, trading revenue remained strong, up 2% from last year.
Citigroup investors receive a 1.35% dividend. The Wall Street consensus price objective for the stock is $54.07. Shares closed most recently at $46.59.
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The huge social media leader has posted gigantic quarterly numbers that truly blew most of Wall Street away. Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ: FB) operates as a mobile application and website that enables people to connect, share, discover and communicate each other on mobile devices and personal computers worldwide.
Its solutions also include Instagram, a mobile application that enables people to take photos or videos, customize them with filter effects, and share them with friends and followers in a photo feed or send them directly to friends; Messenger, a messaging application for mobile and web on various platforms and devices, which enable people to reach others instantly, as well as enable businesses to engage with customers; and WhatsApp Messenger, a mobile messaging application.
Facebook also develops Oculus VR technology and content platform, which allows people to enter an immersive and interactive environment to play games, consume content and connect with others.
As of December 31, 2015, Facebook had 1.04 billion daily active users (DAUs) and 934 million DAUs who accessed Facebook from a mobile device. Most Wall Street analysts point to the fact that Facebook remains the top beneficiary of the adoption of mobile internet trends with total U.S. internet time spent on Facebook and Messenger.
The consensus price target is $155.34. Shares closed Monday at $128.65.
First Solar
This is a top stock that has been mauled since hitting highs back in March. First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) operates through two segments. The Components segment designs, manufactures and sells solar modules, such as CdTe modules that convert sunlight into electricity for project developers, system integrators and operators of photovoltaic (PV) solar power systems.
The Systems segment provides turnkey PV solar power systems or solar solutions, such as project development; engineering, procurement and construction; operating and maintenance; and project finance services to investor-owned utilities, independent power developers and producers, commercial and industrial companies, and PV solar power system owners.
The consensus price objective is posted at $54.74. The shares closed on Monday at $34.42.
Netflix
This Wall Street darling also has been battered and is down over 25% from highs printed last December but could offer solid upside. Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) is the world’s leading internet television network, with more than 70 million members in over 190 countries enjoying more than 125 million hours of TV shows and movies per day, including original series, documentaries and feature films. Members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, on nearly any internet-connected screen. Members can play, pause and resume watching, all without commercials or commitments.
Netflix is available on virtually any device with an internet connection, including personal computers, tablets, smartphones, smart TVs and game consoles, and it automatically provides the best possible streaming quality based on available bandwidth. Many titles, including Netflix original series and films, are available in high-definition with Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 surround sound and some in Ultra HD 4K. Advanced recommendation technologies with up to five user profiles help members discover entertainment they’ll love.
The consensus price objective is $104.14. The stock ended Monday at $98.06.
UnitedHealth Group
This is a top stock to buy in the rapidly consolidating managed health sector. UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE: UNH) offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 850,000 physicians and care professionals and 6,000 hospitals and other care facilities. The company offers a broad spectrum of products and services through two distinct platforms: UnitedHealthcare, which provides health care coverage and benefits services, and Optum, which provides information and technology-enabled health services.
The company has posted outstanding earnings over the past year, and it is one of the companies that limited exposure to the public exchanges. Trading at 3.5 times book value, and offering investors a good entry point, the stock makes great sense now, especially with solid enrollment increase for the fourth and first quarter. The analysts also note that the OptumCare opportunity is under-appreciated as the business can expand into more markets and note the value proposition is resonating with managed care organizations.
UnitedHealth investors receive a 1.82% dividend. The consensus price target is $152.43. The stock closed Monday at $137.68.
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Clearly the stocks that favor a Clinton victory are a far different group that those that would favor a win by Trump. Either way, the election could produce some volatility in the markets after the final decision is in, so it may make sense to buy partial positions now and see what the ultimate outcome is.
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Top Losing Stocks