Zacks Investment Ideas feature highlights Tesla TSLA, Alphabet GOOGL, Apple AAPL and NVIDIA NVDA.

Buy These 3 Stocks with Fortress Balance Sheets

Companies with ample cash on their balance sheets boast a flexible nature, as they’re better equipped to weather a potential economic downturn, can capitalize on growth opportunities, and provide investors with peace of mind.

After all, cash is king.

And when it comes to stacking cash, three companies – Tesla, Alphabet and Apple – fit the criteria nicely. All three stocks have helped lead the market’s rebound in 2023, delivering outsized gains. Let’s take a closer look at each.

Apple

Apple has long been known as a cash-generating machine, reporting more than $110 billion in free cash flow throughout its FY22. As of its latest earnings report, the company had $62.5 billion in cash and equivalents.

In fact, Apple has regularly been able to boost its dividend payout thanks to its cash-generating nature, currently boasting a 6% five-year annualized dividend growth rate. Shares currently yield a respectable 0.6% annually.

It’s worth noting that AAPL shares remain relatively expensive, currently trading at a 28.7X forward 12-month earnings multiple. Still, the value is modestly off its 2023 high of 30.1X, and investors have had little issue forking up the premium given the company’s favorable financial standing.

Tesla

We’re all familiar with Tesla, the undisputed leader in EVs. The company exited its latest quarter with $23.1 billion in cash and cash equivalents, up slightly from the end of FY22. In addition, it’s worth noting that the company carries a minimal debt load.

The company saw slight negative coverage yesterday following the release of its EV production and delivery numbers. However, the negativity was certainly overblown, as the company mentioned a decline in volumes to be expected due to planned downtimes for factory upgrades in its latest earnings call.

Tesla shares have struggled to find momentum over the last three months despite posting results above expectations in its latest release, down roughly 12% and underperforming relative to the S&P 500. For those seeking discounted TSLA shares, now could be the time.

Alphabet

Like AAPL, Alphabet has long been known as a cash-generating machine, generating roughly $60 billion in free cash flow throughout FY22. The company exited its latest quarter with $118 billion in cash and equivalents, up 4% compared to FY22.

GOOGL shares don’t appear expensive given its forecasted growth, with earnings forecasted to see a 25% improvement in its current year (FY23) on 8.5% higher sales. Shares trade at a 20.7X forward 12-month earnings multiple, beneath the 23.2X five-year median.

Interestingly enough, it was unveiled in early September that NVIDIA has expanded its partnership with Alphabet’s Google Cloud to advance AI computing, software, and services. NVIDIA’s generative AI technology used by Google DeepMind and Google Research teams has been optimized and is now available to Google Cloud customers worldwide.

Bottom Line

Companies with favorable balance sheet characteristics are equipped to weather downturns, can pursue growth opportunities, and give peace of mind to investors.

And when it comes to favorable balance sheet characteristics, all three companies above fit the criteria nicely.
Apple Inc. (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report

NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA): Free Stock Analysis Report

Tesla, Inc. (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report

Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL): Free Stock Analysis Report

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