Jim Cramer: Buying the tech dip is a mistake when these 4 stocks offer ‘easier money’
After last week’s omicron-triggered selloff, many stocks are trading well below their 52-week highs — particularly in the technology space.
But doing the obvious and buying the dip on your favorite tech companies could mean missing out on “easier money,” Jim Cramer says.
“I’d rather find companies that did well in earnings season and got trampled on unjustly in the last few weeks because they weren’t part of the Nasdaq stampede,” the Mad Money host said on his show last week.
“That way you can fall back on the fundamentals — those still matter — and buy more if they end up going lower.”
Here are Cramer’s four stock picks for this market rotation, any one of which could be a lucrative buy — especially if you’re investing for free.
Morgan Stanley (MS)
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Like its financial-sector peers, Morgan Stanley had a solid bull run from last November to this August.
More recently, though, shares weren’t able to maintain that upward momentum. In fact, the stock is down about 10% from its August high.
“This company has done everything right during this period, but because of the inane rotation out of the financials, the stock has been crushed,” Cramer says.
He points out that the investment banking giant was trading at just 12 times earnings, a very inexpensive valuation in today’s market — especially compared to the high-flying tickers on the Nasdaq.
Centene (CNC)
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Cramer says Centene has been one of his favorite health insurers “for ages.”
Centene stock is up 17.6% in 2021, which lags behind the S&P 500’s 28.5% gain year-to-date.
Yet Cramer argues that because Centene mostly manages government-run health plans, it would “benefit enormously” from any expansion in Medicare or Medicaid, which the Biden administration supports.
In the third quarter, the company’s revenue grew 11% year-over-year to $32.4 billion. Management expects full-year revenue to come in between $125.2 billion and $126.4 billion.
If you’re unsure about Cramer’s picks — or picking individual stocks in general — some investing services can build you a blue-chip portfolio automatically just by using leftover change from your everyday purchases.
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)
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Johnson & Johnson has pulled back about 12% from its high in August, and its recently announced plan to split into two companies didn’t do much to help the stock price.
Still, Cramer likes the health-care giant for its dividend yield, which stands at 2.7% at the moment.
He also points out the potential of JNJ’s pharmaceutical business after the company spins off its consumer products division.
“The pure-play drug business that will be left will be the fastest-growing big pharma company in the universe. It should become an instant market darling,” he says.
United Parcel Service (UPS)
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E-commerce was already one of the fastest-growing segments in the market, and the pandemic-induced stay-at-home environment only made online shopping more popular.
Cramer points out that freight companies like UPS are what make e-commerce possible in the first place.
UPS posted solid earnings last month. In the third quarter, consolidated revenue grew 9.2% year-over-year to $23.2 billion. Meanwhile, adjusted earnings per share rose 18.9% to $2.71.
Management has projected a strong holiday quarter, and that’s got Cramer giddy.
“With the rails roaring, I think that UPS is now going to catch fire, a fire that burns for days if not weeks into the Christmas holiday,” he says.
Yes, UPS currently trades at nearly $200 per share. But you can still get a piece of the company using a popular app that allows you to buy fractions of shares with as much money as you are willing to spend.
A fine asset with market-beating performance
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Picking stocks is not easy, and even experts like Cramer don’t get it right 100% of the time.
If you want to invest in something with huge upside potential that also has little correlation with the ups and downs of the stock market, you might consider another overlooked asset: fine art.
According to the Citi Global Art Market chart, contemporary artwork has outperformed the S&P 500 by a commanding 174% over the past 25 years.
Investing in fine art by the likes of Banksy and Andy Warhol used to be an option only for the ultra-rich. But with a new investing platform, you can invest in iconic artworks, too, just like Jeff Bezos or Peggy Guggenheim.
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
