5 Stocks to Buy Before Stagflation Begins

1. Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 83      

Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU) markets memory and storage products. Amid rising chip prices, hedge funds have been loading up on the stock. At the end of the fourth quarter of 2021, 83 hedge funds in the database of Insider Monkey held stakes worth $5.5 billion in Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU), compared to 63 in the previous quarter worth $3.8 billion. 

On March 16, Bernstein analyst Mark Li upgraded Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU) stock to Outperform from Underperform and raised the price target to $94 from $58, noting that the Ukraine war was unlikely to affect the supply or demand for the chip industry and the valuations of chip stocks seemed favorable given recent corrections. 

In its Q1 2021 investor letter, Bonsai Partners, an asset management firm, highlighted a few stocks and Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU) was one of them. Here is what the fund said:

“Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU) is a manufacturer of memory semiconductor chips. Micron appreciated 17.3% during the quarter.

With the semiconductor cycle in full swing, sentiment continued to improve for major DRAM and NAND suppliers. Spot pricing for DRAM continues its upward march due to supply shocks across the industry and sustained demand levels that continue to outstrip supply.

As a result, Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU) showed improving results for the fiscal first quarter, raised guidance intra-quarter for the fiscal second quarter, and offered strong guidance for the fiscal third quarter in both growth and margins.

While the cyclical nature of DRAM hasn’t changed, the cycles themselves continue to become more benign, leading to long-term economic improvement across these businesses. Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU) is now continuously profitable, with industry players in a dramatically stronger position than even just five years ago.

The biggest negative surprise in the quarter came from Micron’s exit from its 3D XPoint hybrid memory business. The company also announced its decision to sell its accompanying Utah fab. Fortunately, this development does not alter the investment thesis much since 3D XPoint was an option ticket for future growth. While it’s unfortunate this product didn’t pan out, now is an excellent time to sell a fab, so perhaps it is a blessing in disguise?” 

You can also take a peek at 10 Stocks Reddit’s WallStreetBets is Buying in July 2021 and Top Robinhood Stocks Popular on Reddit.

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