We recently compiled a list of the 8 Cheap Jim Cramer Stocks to Invest In. In this article, we are going to take a look at where LyondellBasell Industries N.V. (NYSE:LYB) stands against the other cheap Jim Cramer stocks.
On a recent episode of Mad Money, Jim Cramer criticized the semiconductor sector’s performance on Tuesday, particularly in light of a significant sell-off in semiconductor stocks following disappointing earnings from ASML, which wiped out over $50 billion from its market capitalization. Cramer argued that many on Wall Street fail to grasp the enduring significance of advanced graphics chips in artificial intelligence. He emphasized that as long as innovations and new applications for computing power continue to emerge, the demand for these chips will persist.
“I don’t think the need for speed is going away. In fact, it’s only going to increase, especially when tech companies and utilities are fiercely trying to put up nuclear power plants to meet the energy demands.”
Cramer expressed frustration at how quickly some investors rushed to declare the semiconductor sector in decline.
“There were many money managers and writers falling all over each other just at the close of yesterday, at the closing bell, to write the definitive obituary for this group, even as it’s less of a group than more of like a parliament of owls that’s somehow been combined with a pride of lions, two very different beasts. As I watched and listened, I said to myself, this terrible miss by some abstruse Dutch outfit is going to make people miss out on what could be the next leg of a powerful, semiconductor rally fueled by the wall of worry and skepticism that’s being built right in my face.”
He also pointed out that various industries are only beginning to experience “AI-powered revolutions.” He explained:
“… As Jensen told me, software never dies. As long as there are new inventions and new uses for computer power, there will be more need for these chips. And you can attach them to the software, no matter what the iteration. You just have to keep buying them because you have to keep up. Right now we have revolutions just starting in healthcare, manufacturing, climate change, cybersecurity, autonomous driving, and even robots.”
He further talked about how the current bull market could gain momentum if the tech sector maintains its strength. Cramer highlighted analysis from Jessica Inskip, noting that both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq-100 are showing promising charts. He pointed out that the market has expanded significantly compared to six months ago, but for this upward trend to persist, Inskip emphasized the need for substantial engagement from tech stocks.
Cramer discussed the weekly performance charts of the Nasdaq 100, which features some of the largest technology companies. Although the index remains in a positive trading cycle, it has not reached new highs like the S&P 500. Inskip mentioned that while the Nasdaq 100 is moving in a favorable direction, it must surpass its July peaks to stimulate a broader market rally. While Cramer acknowledged that tech might not need to lead the market, it still must closely follow the stronger sectors.
Our Methodology
For this article, we compiled a list of nearly 80 stocks that Cramer was bullish on during episodes of Mad Money aired in October. We narrowed the list to 8 stocks that had a forward price-to-earnings ratio of under 15 and were most widely held by institutional investors. We listed the stocks in ascending order of their hedge fund sentiment as of the second quarter, which was taken from Insider Monkey’s database of more than 900 hedge funds.
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 factory worker monitoring a conveyor belt of specialty chemicals being produced.
LyondellBasell Industries N.V. (NYSE:LYB)
Forward P/E: 12.17
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 41
While discussing his YEV stocks list on a recent episode of Mad Money, Cramer highlighted LyondellBasell Industries N.V. (NYSE:LYB) noting its yield of 5.62%. He pointed out that companies like this typically perform well when the global economy is robust but often face challenges during economic downturns.
“If there’s a perfect time to buy commodity chemical places like Dow and LyondellBasel, it starts when the Fed is cutting, which is right now… in the past two weeks, the Chinese government has announced the most aggressive stimulus efforts that [it] has put in place since the end of the pandemic. And for once, China is actually putting money in people’s pockets. For a communist regime, they seem to really hate handouts, but they’re finally taking action to bolster their ailing economy, which is good news both for their own companies and for cyclicals worldwide that are levered to the Chinese economy, including… LyondellBasel.
A couple of weeks ago, analysts at JPMorgan published a note on the chemicals group. Basically said that they expect these companies to report weak third-quarter results… The analysts at JPMorgan went on to explain that these stocks have been what we call de-risked, meaning the near-term earnings headwinds are already baked into the share price. If you’re willing to look past that and see further into the future, though… LyondellBasel should be on the road to recovery now that interest rates are coming down. You got to anticipate, anticipate, anticipate, that makes a lot of sense to me.
If, like me, you believe the Fed will continue cutting, then bond yields will come down, too, and economies around the world will reaccelerate, bolstering the commodity chemical business as a whole… LyondellBasel. Well, then you got to pull the trigger.
So here’s the bottom line: In this quiet period before earnings season gets crazy, okay? We got to search for new ideas. These are ideas that represent the highest quality stocks for the current moment, the ones that fit the YEV paradigm: yield, earnings growth, and value.”
LyondellBasell (NYSE:LYB) is engaged in the production of petrochemicals, polymers, and fuels. Recently, on October 17, the company announced its acquisition of APK AG, located in Merseburg, Germany, marking a significant step in its commitment to sustainability within the sector. With this move, the company has become the sole owner of APK, which will be integrated into its operations.
The acquisition is in line with LyondellBasell’s (NYSE:LYB) ambition to advance its innovative solvent-based technology for low-density polyethylene (LDPE). The company plans to further develop this technology, with aspirations to establish commercial plants that will enable the production of high-purity materials. These new materials are expected to cater to applications such as flexible packaging for personal care products, addressing the evolving needs of customers and brand owners in a market increasingly focused on sustainability.
Overall LYB ranks 5th on our list of the cheap Jim Cramer stocks to invest in. While we acknowledge the potential of LYB 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 LYB 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.
