We recently compiled a list of the 13 Best American Tech Stocks To Buy According to Short Sellers. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBE) stands against the other American tech stocks.
Tech stocks have outperformed the stock market for several years and account for over 30% of the market’s overall holdings. With market values estimated at trillions of dollars, the majority of the lauded Magnificent Seven stocks are American tech companies that are still expanding. Technology is constantly evolving, and investors have a lot of opportunities because of this ongoing advancement.
This dynamic progress was reflected in the US stock market when it rose more than 3% in the second quarter of 2024. In terms of the trade in artificial intelligence, technology companies remained at the top, and this trend did not appear to be slowing down throughout the quarter. The largest companies have outperformed the market this year, which has been a remarkable trend. The 500 largest companies’ large-cap market saw gains of 4.4% in Q2 YoY, increasing its 2024 return to above 15%. In contrast, the small-cap market saw a 3.3% drop, translating into a 1.6% 2024 return.
Even though technology companies outperformed in Q2 FY2024, Main Street Research’s James Demmert cautions investors not to treat all of them the same. Instead, they should prioritize those tech firms that can deliver consistent earnings, especially in an uncertain economy.
Investors should also stay informed about the 2024 tech industry statistics. According to the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, almost one-third of the growth in the US economy is attributed to the IT sector, which is the main driver of the country’s economy. Similarly, the United States accounts for one-third of the world’s information technology market, according to the International Trade Administration, making it the largest tech market in the world. Computer and IT jobs reported a median annual wage of $104,420 in May 2023, while 108,503 college graduates with bachelor’s degrees in computer and information sciences graduated in 2022, a 3.5% increase YoY. The average yearly salary for tech majors is $90,000.
According to a report, tech trends in 2023 were dominated by electrification/renewables and generative AI. Internet searches for generative AI increased by 700%, and the area received significant funding as huge language models processed more data and expanded modalities. Even while global IT investment declined, electrification and renewables continued to draw large amounts of capital. These industries continue to have a high volume of job postings, signifying potential for long-term growth.
Looking forward, according to the Deloitte 2024 technology industry outlook, in the wake of current macroeconomic headwinds such as high inflation and supply chain disruptions, the technology industry confronts a cautious 2024 recovery. As per Deloitte’s Q4 2023 study, 62% of tech executives believe the industry is “healthy,” with growth anticipated in the areas of cybersecurity, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence. By late 2024, generative AI is expected to have a major impact on enterprise software and elevate operational efficiency. Tech companies and startups are investing more in AI, but enterprise adoption is still sluggish. However, this is predicted to change in the second half of 2024. Market expansion is anticipated to be propelled by enterprise expenditure on AI and IT services. Nonetheless, regulations in the EU and the US focusing on data privacy, sustainability, and AI ethics continue to provide challenges, forcing companies to follow regulations while leveraging these for competitive advantage. To reduce geopolitical risks and guarantee uninterrupted growth, supply networks will need to strategically change, and effective operations will need to be prioritized.
Methodology:
We sifted through holdings of tech ETFs and online rankings to form an initial list of 25 American tech stocks. Then we selected the 13 stocks that had the lowest percentage of their shares shorted. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of the lowest percentage of their shares shorted.
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 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points. (see more details here)
A team of engineers and scientists collaborating at a workstation surrounded by their applications and solutions.
Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBE)
% of shares shorted: 1.18%
Since Photoshop and Illustrator are now part of the larger Creative Cloud, Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBE) has become the industry leader in content production tools. Through both organic growth and strategic acquisitions, the company has expanded the array of tools used in the creation of print, digital, and video content by adding new products and features. The company’s pipeline is further expanded with the December 2021 debut of Adobe Express, which offers free and less expensive versions of the popular Creative Cloud capabilities.
Firefly’s launch in 2023 signifies a significant artificial intelligence solution that should attract new consumers. Adobe is concentrating on bringing in new users, and converting these users will become increasingly crucial over time, per analysts.
Following the strong Q2 2024 results, more Wall Street analysts believe the content production tools company can benefit from the generative AI revolution. The firm anticipates $5.38 billion in revenue for the third quarter, which would represent 12.1% year-over-year growth and sequential acceleration.
JPMorgan has increased its price objective for Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBE) to $580 from $570 and upgraded the company from Neutral to Overweight. According to analysts, the stock is expected to outperform the overall market and has considerable upside potential as it is expected to rebound to its former highs. They believe that investor fears at the moment, especially those related to the Firefly product, may be exaggerated, and that monetization may begin to improve in the second half of this year and the first part of next.
Polen Global Growth Strategy stated the following regarding Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBE) in its Q2 2024 investor letter:
“With Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBE), in some ways, we see it as a microcosm of the market’s “shoot first, ask questions later” approach to categorizing AI winners and losers. In the early part of last year, Adobe came under pressure with a perception that generative AI (GenAI) would represent a material headwind to their suite of creative offerings. In short order, the company introduced its GenAI offering, Firefly, which shifted the narrative to Adobe as a beneficiary with a real opportunity to monetize GenAI in the near term. Earlier this year, that narrative was again challenged as the company reported a slight slowdown in revenue growth. Results in the most recent quarter were robust as the company raised its full-year forecast across a number of key metrics and showcased better-than-expected results.”
Although momentum in Creative Cloud is slowing following a period of rapid development, owing partly to the model shift to software as a service, Adobe remains the leader in content creation tools and PDF file editing, which it invented and continues to dominate.
Overall ADBE ranks 7th on our list of the best American tech stocks to buy according to short sellers. While we acknowledge the potential of ADBE as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than ADBE but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
