We recently compiled a list of the 10 Best Defensive Stocks According to Reddit. In this article, we will look at where Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL) stands against the other defensive stocks.
September is typically the worst month for the markets, however with a much anticipated rate cut, 2024 might be a different story. The current market environment is unpredictable. We’re seeing higher highs and lower lows in different categories and for risk-averse investors, defensive stocks are the best bets right now.
“Investors Must Consider Quality Stocks”
On September 7, Co-Chief Investment Strategist at John Hancock Investment Management Emily Roland appeared in an interview on Yahoo Finance to discuss the impact of the September jobs report on financial markets. Roland has a bullish view on the economy, overall, considering that only 142,000 jobs were added in August.
Roland talked about how NVIDIA is influencing the overall market condition, reiterating that the company held the power to bring the market down, followed by other giants such as Broadcom. She believes that anything more than 50 basis points does signal that the Fed may know something that the general public does not.
Roland further added that while we cannot predict a recession coming, the US economy is decelerating at an easy pace. She also pointed out that weak and incomplete economic data has added to the uncertainty, making it hard to predict economic outcomes in the short and long run.
Roland expects that the Fed will be taking cuts slowly and won’t implement drastic measures, to not spook out the market. She believes investors should refrain from taking massive risks and invest in solid quality stocks, with great balance sheets, high cash, and strong return on equity rates.
She’s particularly concerned about mega-cap tech stocks and highlighted that, while they may be attractive, these giants do have a valuation issue, with forward earnings going above and beyond 30. Roland suggests that investors must explore other quality areas of the equity market with reasonable prices such as healthcare, consumer defensive, and utility stocks.
Is a 50 Basis Points Rate Cut Needed?
To shed light on the economic conditions of the United States, New Century Advisors Chief Economist, Claudia Sahm, appeared in an interview on Yahoo Finance on September 7. Sahm was overly concerned about the number of jobs added in August and how they were not enough to outdo a mini-recession. Sahm emphasized that the status quo is giving a clear direction as to how the Fed should proceed. She suggests that the Fed should ease its policies, potentially cutting rates by at least 50 basis points, contrary to what Roland suggested.
Sahm also added that a possible explanation for the softening labor market are Fed’s policies to curb inflation, indicating the need for more economic data points. She emphasized that unemployment data alone is not enough to predict a lingering recession and that broader economic data should be taken into account.
An uncertain market calls for safe investing. With that let’s take a look at the 10 best defensive stocks according to Reddit. You can also take a look at the safest stocks to invest in now.
Our Methodology
We looked at the best stocks in the utilities, finance, healthcare, and technology sectors by sifting through multiple active subreddits. We compiled an initial list of 20 stocks and then picked the top 10 with the largest number of hedge fund holders, as of Q2 2024.
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).
An array of toothpaste, toothbrushes, and mouthwashes on a bright background, highlighting the company’s oral care products.
Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 52
Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL) is one of the best defensive stocks to buy according to Reddit. The manufacturing company is based in New York, United States, and owns some of the most popular fast-moving consumer goods brands in the world. These include Protex, Speed Stick, PCA Skin, and Sanex.
In the second quarter of 2024, the company logged $5.06 billion in net sales, up by 4.9% year-over-year. For the past four quarters, Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL) has been delivering double-digit growth rates in operating profits, net income, and earnings per share. For the complete fiscal year 2024, the company expects net sales to grow from somewhere between 2% and 5%. Additionally, the company saw an increase in organic sales by 9%, year-over-year. The company revised its full-year guidance of organic sales to 8% from the previously projected 7%.
Despite being based in the US, Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL) has a strong international presence, accounting for 70% of its revenue. The company believes that its core strategy lies in making reinvestments into the business. In its Q2 2024 earnings release, the company highlighted that its growing sales coupled with an increase in advertising by 18% secures the long-term expansion goals of the business.
Latin America is a major market for the company, accounting for 25% of the company’s sales. Sales from Latin America grew by 7.6% year-over-year, while organic sales expanded by 18.8%. The region also logged $417 million in operating profits, the highest among all divisions in terms of dollar value. The company’s position in this segment and global market share of 41.3% across 200 countries is proof of its dominant position in the industry.
At the end of Q2 2024, 52 hedge funds owned stakes in Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL), with total stakes amounting to $2.73 billion. Of this, First Eagle Investment Management was the largest shareholder with a position worth $875.86 million, as of June 30.
ClearBridge Investments’ ClearBridge Sustainability Leaders Strategy stated the following regarding Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL) in its Q2 2024 investor letter:
“Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL), added to the portfolio in 2023, started outperforming materially toward the tail end of last year as growth, margin and market share momentum began to turn favorably, and that momentum has continued year to date as the stock has nicely outperformed the large cap staples group. The fundamental upside has been driven by a combination of healthy organic growth (with positive volumes), good gross margin progression, and strong re-investment spending supporting market share gains and future growth.”
Overall CL ranks 10th on our list of the best defensive stocks to buy. While we acknowledge the potential of CL as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than CL but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
READ NEXT: $30 Trillion Opportunity: 15 Best Humanoid Robot Stocks to Buy According to Morgan Stanley and Jim Cramer Says NVIDIA ‘Has Become A Wasteland’.
Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
