MarketBeat: Week in Review 3/8 – 3/12

Are those animal spirits I smell? The market is a hot mess at the moment. It wants to go up. It probably needs to go down. But with some investors about to get their trading accounts stocked with $1,400 from Uncle Sam, it’s hard to see the market going anywhere but true north. Yes, the stimulus bill has passed. And for now that will override the other concerns about a market that continues to show more froth than a cold beer on a summer’s day.

But before we get to summer, we have to get through spring. And President Biden has said anyone that wants a vaccine will have the opportunity to get scheduled by May. So that means that we can all get back to our lives, which may be the only tonic the market really needs. In the meantime, the MarketBeat staff will be hard at work helping you identify and act on the trends that are moving the market. Here’s a sampling of what they saw this week.

Articles by Sean Sechler

Epicenter stocks is a trendy term to describe stocks in sectors that were severely affected by the pandemic that stand to get a big bounce in the recovery. Travel stocks fit this description and Sean Sechler identified three travel stocks that look ready to rally in March. On the other hand, tech stocks have had a rough go of it lately. As Sechler notes, this has been a buying signal for the last couple of years, but maybe not so much now. However, for those investors that have to scratch their tech stock itch, Sechler gives them three stocks that are selling at a discount. And for investors looking to stay away from volatility, Sechler highlights three Dow Jones stocks that give you a way to play the long game with less risk.

Articles by Jea Yu

Churchill Capital Corp. IV (NYSE:CCIV) recently confirmed it was bringing Lucid Motors public. However, shares of CCIV have dropped after the anticipated announcement. This was due, in part, to the air coming out of the electric vehicle (EV) bubble. But as Jea Yu points out Lucid still has one of the stronger business cases and investors who believe in that should look for an opportunity to buy the shares at a discount. Yu was also writing about the underperformance of the Nasdaq 100 Index (NASDAQ:QQQ). The index contains many of the stocks that were big winners during the pandemic. However, as Yu points out, the index should recover as investors realize that many of these stocks still stand to deliver solid gains in a post-pandemic environment. And speaking of companies that should be ready to deliver when we can gather for events, Yu was suggesting that investors take a close look at Anheuser-Busch InBev (NYSE:BUD) as a recovery stock.

Articles by Thomas Hughes

Thomas Hughes had avocados on his mind. Well, kind of. Hughes was looking at Calavo Growers (NASDAQ:CVGW) which provides, you guessed it, avocados. During the pandemic, the company was facing increasing demand with falling prices. But with the recovery beginning and more demand expected from the foodservice industry, CVGW stock looks like a stock to watch. Another stock that Hughes suggests you pay attention to is Green Power Motor (NASDAQ:GP). Demand for recreational vehicles is at a historic level. Green Power is an EV van and chassis manufacturing that is making inroads into the commercial end of the EV sector. When these two trends collide, the result should be explosive for GP stock. And Hughes was also advising readers to not give up on Oracle (NYSE:ORCL). The stock has dropped after earnings, but Hughes suggests that this is likely just a temporary bump in the road and opportunistic investors should look for an opportunity to take a position in the stock.

Articles by Nick Vasco

Nick Vasco had his eyes on three stocks that look set to continue their growth in a post-pandemic world. The first is Texas Roadhouse (NASDAQ:TXRH). The restaurant chain has survived the pandemic better than some of its peers. And with room for further expansion, TXRH stock looks like a solid buy. Another company that Vasco believes will benefit when we are all visiting and working somewhere other than our computer screens is Stitch Fix (NASDAQ:SFIX). The online personalized apparel retailer has an attractive business model that will be appealing as consumers look to freshen their wardrobe. A third stock Vasco was advising readers to consider was Costco (NASDAQ:COST). The warehouse store’s stock is dropping as many analysts think the run is over. But as Vasco points out, Costco has become a destination shopping location that has gained new customers and more revenue from its existing customers.

Articles by Sam Quirke

Chipotle (NYSE:CMG) delivered another stellar earnings report and received a price target upgrade. And as Sam Quirke writes, it was just the reason that investors needed to continue buying into a stock that looks more like a growth stock than a value stock. Quirke was also analyzing the resurgence in Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA). The stock continues to be a thrill ride for investors, but over time betting on Elon Musk has rewarded investors handsomely. One growth stock that hasn’t been feeling the love is Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM). The stock has dropped 25% as part of the tech sector malaise. However, Quirke cites reasons that the selloff in QCOM may be overdone and that risk tolerant investors should look for an opportune time to jump back into the stock.

Articles by Chris Markoch

Focusing on trends can be a profitable approach to investing. Chris Markoch had his eyes on a couple of them. First, the pandemic baby boom that was expected, perhaps naively didn’t occur. And so investors looking to buy The Children’s Place (NASDAQ:PLCE) stock need to hope the vaccine injects some hope into couples who are holding back on family planning. Markoch was also noting that returning to a more normal way of doing business doesn’t mean returning to things exactly as they were. That’s why DocuSign (NASDAQ:DOCU) should continue to benefit from the trend towards electronic signatures. Moving into the more mundane world of corporate taxes, Markoch likes Vertex (NASDAQ:VERX) as a play on the policy shift towards globalism that will affect the way companies prepare their taxes.

Articles by Steve Anderson           

Steve Anderson must have been gazing into a crystal ball when he was writing about AMC Entertainment (NYSE:AMC) as a recovery play. Granted, the stock’s recent win streak may have more to do with the meme stock ripples. However, if you believe that things can’t get worse than the company reported in 2020, dipping your toe in AMC stock makes some sense. Another recovery stock that Anderson was looking at is Del Taco Restaurants (NASDAQ:TACO). The fast-casual chain just reported a double beat in its latest earnings report. It could be an indicator that this sector will continue to benefit as the economy begins to reopen. A less familiar stock for investors is V.F. Corporation (NYSE:VFC). But as Anderson points out the manufacturer of some of the most popular fashion brands is getting positive attention from the analyst community and VFC stock is moving higher as a result.