We recently compiled a list of the 10 Best US Stocks to Buy Under $10. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Warner Bros Discovery Inc. (NASDAQ:WBD) stands against the other US stocks.
Value in Small-Caps
As the market continues progressing, there is a cautiously optimistic sentiment surrounding small-cap stocks. While many investors are comfortable with economic fundamentals, concerns about high valuations persist. Although the overall market may seem expensive, this is primarily due to the largest market-cap stocks, leaving room for growth in smaller companies.
As global markets improve amid a broader easing cycle, these stocks could play an essential role in portfolio diversification. The focus should be on identifying value beyond mega-cap stocks to uncover opportunities in various sectors and regions. This strategic positioning was highlighted by Sebastien Page of T. Rowe Price on CNBC just a few days ago. We covered his opinions regarding small caps in our article on the 10 Most Promising Penny Stocks According to Hedge Funds. Here’s an excerpt from that:
“Page highlighted that their current strategy includes a slight overweight of half a percent in stocks compared to bonds, which marks an increase in risk appetite compared to previous conversations over the last 18 months. He acknowledged that while the overall market multiple may appear expensive, it is skewed by the largest market-cap stocks. This suggests that there are still opportunities beyond mega-cap names, which have become too consensus-driven and costly.
Addressing concerns about valuations, Page pointed out that while the price-to-earnings ratio appears high, it is essential to consider the context. He mentioned that if one adjusts for return on equity, current valuations may fall below historical medians. Additionally, he noted that the average stock globally trades at a P/E of about 13, which aligns with its long-term average. This indicates that while some segments may seem overvalued, many stocks are positioned reasonably relative to their historical performance.”
On October 11, CNBC’s Mike Santoli and Northwestern Mutuals’ Brent Schutte, joined ‘Power Lunch’ on CNBC to discuss the CPI report numbers and the market reaction. Brent Schutte believes that small and mid-cap stocks offer value regardless of the Fed’s landing.
He expressed concerns about the potential for a wage-price spiral, particularly in light of significant wage increases expected for major employers. He highlighted that these wage hikes could contribute to continued inflation, especially as the economy is already in a late-cycle with fewer available workers. Although unemployment has slightly increased, he emphasized that if demand picks up, it would be challenging to keep inflation in check. He pointed out that rising wages represent a critical factor for the Fed as it navigates monetary policy.
Schutte noted that historically, the Fed has struggled with balancing inflation and employment signals, often reacting too late to emerging trends. He indicated that while there are signs of weakening in the labor market, the current inflationary pressures are still significant. He referred to recent data showing that median CPI rose by 0.4%, which suggests that the path forward may be more complicated than investors currently anticipate.
Mike Santoli added to the conversation by discussing what will dominate market focus in the coming weeks. He mentioned earnings reports as a key factor, alongside economic data and potential impacts from the upcoming elections, acknowledging that while stickier inflation could eventually pose challenges for the Fed, he doesn’t believe this will happen immediately given current interest rates between 4.57% and 5%. He suggested that the stock market might not react negatively to less Fed accommodation if it coincides with a stronger economy.
Discussing large-cap stocks and their performance in this late-cycle phase of the economy, Santoli expressed concern about whether small-cap stocks would eventually take over as leaders in the market. He drew parallels to past market conditions where narrow leadership was evident during economic slowdowns. He noted that small and mid-cap stocks have been priced for recession, and their performance on days when rates rise indicates they are under pressure compared to larger stocks.
Schutte then talked about the implications of persistent inflation on small-cap earnings, highlighting that Russell 2000 earnings had been flat for 3 years amid rising rates. He questioned how much of this scenario is already priced into the market and pointed out that many investors have gravitated towards mega-cap stocks due to their perceived stability amidst economic uncertainty.
Schutte emphasized the importance of monitoring economic indicators to make decisions on small-caps among other stocks, but to ease up the search for you, we’re here with a list of the 10 best US stocks to buy under $10.
Methodology
We used the Finviz screener to compile a list of 30 large US stocks that were trading below $10. We then selected the 10 stocks that were the most popular among elite hedge funds and that analysts were bullish on. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of the number of hedge funds that have stakes in them, as of Q2 2024. The hedge fund data was sourced from Insider Monkey’s database which tracks the moves of over 900 elite money managers.
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 movie theater auditorium filled with an audience enjoying a blockbuster film.
Warner Bros Discovery Inc. (NASDAQ:WBD)
Share Price as of October 16: $7.60
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 48
Warner Bros Discovery Inc. (NASDAQ:WBD) is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate that owns and operates a vast portfolio of entertainment brands, including Warner Bros., HBO, Discovery Channel, and CNN, among others. It produces and distributes a wide range of content, including movies, TV shows, documentaries, news, and sports.
The company’s revenue comes from network businesses (49%), movie studios (26%), and D2C products (25%). The firm teamed up with Charter Communications to offer Discovery Max and Discovery+ to Charter customers free of charge. Warner Bros. Discovery’s shares jumped by 7% on the announcement. The company’s shares tanked by 10% in August after advertising uncertainty prompted a massive $9.1 billion impairment of TV assets.
Revenue for the second quarter of 2024 was $9.71 billion, although recording a year-over-year decline of 6.23%. There was a 6% increase in subscriber-related revenues, driven by advertising revenues. Content revenue declined 70% due to the timing of licensing deals. Domestic net ad trends remained similar to recent quarters, with growth in retail Max space offset by linear wholesale headwinds. Churn increased after March Madness and the conclusion of the NBA and NHL seasons. Streaming ad revenues doubled year-over-year on continued strong demand for Max inventory and the addition of sports content. Network distribution revenues decreased by 8%.
Recently, Warner Bros Discovery Inc. (NASDAQ:WBD) deployed a new, AI-powered captioning solution built using Google Cloud AI. This solution utilizes Google Cloud’s Vertex AI platform to dramatically improve captioning efficiency, cutting production time and costs. This data-driven approach enables the company to continuously refine and train the caption AI workflow, further reducing errors and striving to deliver consistently precise captions.
The company’s diversified revenue streams, coupled with its ongoing efforts to enhance operations through AI and strategic partnerships, position the company for long-term growth and success in the competitive media and entertainment industry.
Bonhoeffer Capital Management stated the following regarding Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (NASDAQ:WBD) in its first quarter 2024 investor letter:
In remembrance of Charlie Munger, I listened to and read his investment speeches in Poor Charlie’s Almanac. His speech to the University of Southern California business school specifically dealt with the application of worldly wisdom to investment management and business. There were five ideas presented by Munger in that speech which are particularly relevant in the Bonhoeffer portfolio. First, over the long term, it’s hard for a stock to earn more than the underlying business earns. As an illustration of this principle, we examined two firms, Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) and Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (NASDAQ:WBD).
WBD is an example of a value stock whose value has been impaired by a declining intrinsic value over time. Historically, WBD has been consolidating media content and distribution firms. However, the media content and distribution industry has been fragmenting over the past 20 years, with many new competitors and lower barriers to entry. Based upon Morningstar’s estimates, WBD is almost always undervalued, but stock price declined by 13.4% per year less than intrinsic value which declined by 5% per year, which is still a disaster compared to the index which increased by 12.7% per year. The average RoE was 7.2% and was declining through the period and ended negative. The chart below shows both the stock and Morningstar’s estimate of its intrinsic value over time.
These trends of growth and their effects on returns are reflected in the new investments we have invested in and those firms we have sold recently. We have sold most of our telecom and media firms (which have had flat to declining intrinsic values over time). These firms have been replaced by consolidating capital light distribution firms and specialized financial services firms (which have had increased intrinsic value over time) one of which is described below.
Overall WBD ranks 1st on our list of the best US stocks to buy under $10. While we acknowledge the growth potential of WBD as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold great promise for delivering high returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than WBD 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.
