In this article, we will look at the 10 Worst Performing Large Cap Stocks to Buy According to Analysts.
How Did The Market Perform in Q4 2024?
On January 21, Russell Investment released its Equity Factor report highlighting key trends and performances in global equity markets during the fourth quarter of 2024. The period was marked by significant events, including the conclusion of the US presidential election, which led to heightened expectations of economic growth, deregulation, and lower taxes. These factors contributed to a robust return of 2.7% for the Russell 1000 Index, which tracks the performance of large-cap US companies by market capitalization.
READ ALSO: 10 Best Performing Large Cap Stocks to Buy According to Analysts and 10 Best Small-Cap Growth Stocks to Buy Now.
On the other hand, Developed ex-US Large Cap and Emerging Markets faced declines of 7.4% and 7.8%, respectively. This downturn was attributed to political instability in countries like France and Germany, as well as uncertainty surrounding potential US tariffs. The divergence in performance extended to small-cap stocks as well, with the Russell 2000 Index experiencing a slight increase of 0.3%, while the Developed ex-US Small Cap Index declined by 7.8%.
As per the report, Russell Investments’ global factor portfolios showed varied performance during the quarter. Meanwhile, the Global Large Cap Growth and Momentum portfolios outperformed their benchmarks with excess returns of 2.5% and 1.1%, respectively. On the other hand, the Global Large Cap Low Volatility, Size, Value, and Quality portfolios underperformed, with excess returns ranging from -1.4% to -0.2%. This marked a shift from the previous quarter, where Value and Low Volatility were the top performers.
Moreover, the performance of factor portfolios varied across regions. Meanwhile, the Momentum and Growth factors showed consistent outperformance across US and non-US markets, with Momentum delivering excess returns between +0.1% and +2.1%. However, Growth underperformed in Emerging Markets. On the other hand, the Low Volatility factor underperformed in all regions except Emerging Markets, where it outperformed by +1.0%.
With that let’s take a look at the 10 worst-performing large-cap stocks to buy according to analysts.
A Wall Street trading desk monitoring the performance of large-cap growth stocks.
Our Methodology
To curate the list of 10 worst-performing large-cap stocks to buy according to analysts, we used the Finviz stock screener. We aggregated a list of large-cap stocks that have performed negatively over the past year, however, analysts still see upside potential over the next 12 months. Next, we cross-checked the analyst upside potential of each stock from CNN and ranked these stocks in ascending order of analysts’ upside potential. We have also added the number of hedge funds holding each stock, sourced from Insider Monkey’s Q4 2024 database. Please note that the data was collected on February 28th, 2025.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here).
10 Worst Performing Large Cap Stocks to Buy According to Analysts
10. Nucor Corporation (NYSE:NUE)
Market Capitalization: $30.91 Billion
1-Year Performance: -27.91%
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 51
Analyst Upside Potential: 10.57%
Nucor Corporation (NYSE:NUE) is a company that primarily manufactures steel and various steel products. It produces different types of steel, such as sheet steel, plate steel, structural steel, and bar steel. Moreover, through its Raw Materials Segment, it produces direct reduced iron (DRI) and handles the trading of metals like iron and pig iron. The company sets itself apart by its data center racks and industrial garage doors.
During the fiscal fourth quarter of 2024, Nucor Corporation (NYSE:NUE) reported a revenue of $7.08 billion, indicating an 8% decline compared to the same period in 2023. Despite this decrease, the company exceeded analysts’ revenue expectations by $348 million. The company has been facing challenges due to weakness in steel demand, which contributed to the revenue decline. The management has noted that the market conditions have begun to improve now.
Nucor Corporation (NYSE:NUE) is positioned to benefit from several steel-intensive megatrends in the US economy. As one of the largest and most diversified steel producers in the country, the company is well-placed to capitalize on these opportunities as market conditions strengthen further in 2025. Due to a price drop of 27%, the company ranks as one of the worst-performing large-cap stock to buy according to analysts.
9. PPG Industries, Inc. (NYSE:PPG)
Market Capitalization: $40.76 Billion
1-Year Performance: -18.85%
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 36
Analyst Upside Potential: 14.82%
PPG Industries, Inc. (NYSE:PPG) specializes in creating and distributing a wide range of paints, coatings, and specialty materials. They operate through two main divisions: Performance Coatings and Industrial Coatings. It serves a broad customer base across the construction, consumer products, industrial, and transportation sectors. The company operates through several well-known brands like Glidden, Olympic, and Dulux.
On February 12, Jeffrey Zekauskas, an analyst at J.P. Morgan assigned a Hold rating for the stock with a price target of $115. The analyst noted that the company is experiencing difficulties in the automotive sector, where it is losing market share. This is a significant concern as the auto industry is a major consumer of PPG’s coatings and materials. Moreover, the European construction market, another key sector for PPG, is facing challenges. This impacts PPG’s sales and profitability in the region.
During the fiscal fourth quarter of 2024, PPG Industries, Inc. (NYSE:PPG) divested its silica products and architectural coatings businesses in the US and Canada. This was a strategic move to improve the company’s overall margin and growth profile, creating a more focused and efficient organization. It is one of the worst-performing large-cap stocks to buy according to analysts.
Carillon Eagle Growth & Income Fund stated the following regarding PPG Industries, Inc. (NYSE:PPG) in its Q2 2024 investor letter:
“PPG Industries, Inc. (NYSE:PPG) shares lagged in the second quarter as softening macroeconomic data across several of its end markets (including autos, housing, and industrial) drove concerns that the path to sustainable sales volume growth was growing more difficult.”
