We recently published a list of 7 Best ASX Stocks To Invest In Right Now. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Opthea (NASDAQ:OPT) stands against other ASX stocks to invest in right now.

Overview of the Australian Economy 

According to a report by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australia’s economy is growing at a sluggish pace as GDP for the June quarter increased by just 0.2%, bringing the annual growth rate to 1% for the year to June however, Australia continues to narrowly avoid a recession. According to Katherine Keenan, head of national accounts at the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the annual financial year economic growth was the lowest since 1991-92 excluding the Covid-19 pandemic period.

For the year to July, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) fell to 3.5%, from 3.8% in June which signals that inflation may be starting to ease. This reduction was largely attributed to energy rebates introduced by state and federal governments. In response, three of Australia’s big four banks have slashed interest rates on term deposits by as much as 80 basis points, signaling expectations of a significant rate cut in 2025. However, experts warn that inflation for the year to June remains “stubbornly high.” The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has an inflation target of 2%-3%, and economists predict that rate cuts will likely not occur before 2025 due to inflationary pressures. Jim Chalmers, Treasurer of Australia acknowledged the economic stagnation and attributed the slow growth to a combination of global economic uncertainty, and the burden of higher interest rates.

Despite the economic challenges, wages in Australia continue to rise steadily, with a 4.1% increase for the year to June, slightly lower than the 4.2% growth recorded at the end of 2023. Private sector wages grew by 0.7% during the June quarter, down from 0.9% in the March quarter, while public sector wages saw a 0.9% increase, up from 0.6%.

Australian Equities Amid Inflation and Rising Rates

According to Schroders’ head of Australian equity, Martin Conlon, Investor sentiment toward investing in Australia reflects a cautious yet strategically optimistic approach, over the past decade, Australian equities, particularly in technology, growth, and green energy sectors, have enjoyed significant growth driven by speculative investment and aggressive financial leverage due to low borrowing costs. However, with the recent return of inflation and the necessity of higher interest rates, this sentiment has tempered.

However, real economy sectors such as resources, energy, and materials have gained traction due to more favorable investment opportunities. The mining sector, which represents a significant portion of Australia’s economic output, remains particularly attractive. Australia’s iron ore exports have long been a cornerstone of the economy, and global demand remains robust. Some of the largest mining companies in Australia maintain competitive advantages due to their low-cost operations, especially in iron ore production, which continues to generate strong cash flows even as global commodity demand fluctuates. Furthermore, Australia’s reserves of critical minerals like lithium and rare earths, essential for renewable energy technologies, position the country at the forefront of this transformation.

Investors are now prioritizing sectors with reasonable valuation levels and sound fundamentals, particularly those with exposure to the real economy. Resource stocks stand to benefit from global deglobalization trends as Western economies reduce their reliance on Chinese manufacturing. This shift is expected to result in higher costs for goods, further supporting the case for investing in resource-heavy sectors.

Despite the economic slowdown and inflationary pressures, the country continues to narrowly avoid recession. However, Australia’s unique position as a major commodities exporter and its exposure to the energy transition present compelling opportunities.

Our Methodology

For this article, we used the Finviz and Yahoo Finance stock screeners plus online rankings to compile an initial list of the 20 largest companies in Australia by market cap. From that list, we narrowed our choices to the 7 stocks with the most hedge fund holders, as of Q2 of 2024. The list is sorted in ascending order of the number of hedge funds.

Why do we care about what hedge funds do? 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).

Opthea (NASDAQ:OPT) 

Number of Hedge Fund Investors in Q2 2024: 3

Opthea (NASDAQ:OPT) is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing new treatments for eye diseases, with a particular focus on wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD) and diabetic macular edema (DME). These conditions can lead to significant vision loss, and Opthea’s (NASDAQ:OPT) leading product, Sozinibercept, is undergoing advanced clinical trials to determine if it can enhance the effectiveness of existing treatments by offering better visual outcomes than standard therapies alone.

Sozinibercept is a groundbreaking, first-in-class VEGF-C/D inhibitor designed to boost the efficacy of anti-VEGF-A therapies used to treat wet AMD. Many patients with wet AMD become resistant to current treatments over time. By inhibiting VEGF-C and VEGF-D, both of which contribute to retinal angiogenesis and vascular leakage, Sozinibercept addresses the root causes of these retinal diseases. This novel mechanism could significantly improve visual outcomes for wet AMD patients, making it the first therapy in 20 years with the potential to enhance the quality of life and independence for those affected.

The journal “Ophthalmology and Therapy” has also highlighted the potential of Sozinibercept, noting the crucial roles that VEGF-C and VEGF-D play in retinal diseases. While current treatments mainly target VEGF-A, Sozinibercept’s approach could lead to improved treatment for broader outcomes. Wet AMD affects millions of individuals in the U.S. and Europe, and many patients do not experience optimal vision improvements with existing therapies, underscoring the need for innovative treatments like Sozinibercept.

With millions of patients affected by these debilitating conditions, the potential for Sozinibercept to improve their quality of life could be the first major breakthrough in two decades for wet AMD treatment. As of the second quarter, Opthea’s (NASDAQ:OPT) stock was held by 3 hedge funds with stakes totaling $9.94 million. VGI Partners is the largest shareholder, holding $5.61 million worth of stock as of June 30. Industry analysts maintain a consensus Buy rating for Opthea, with an average price target of $14.27, indicating a 125% upside potential from its current price.

Overall OPT ranks 6th on our list of best ASX stocks to invest in right now. While we acknowledge the potential of OPT 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 OPT 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.