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Starter Stock Portfolio: 10 Safe Stocks To Invest In Now

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In this article, we will take a look at the starter stock portfolio: 1o safe stocks to invest in now.

The Market Outlook for the Rest of 2024

A probable rate cut has provided hope for the economy. Despite that, the impact on financial markets and stocks remains uncertain. On September 4, Adam Parker, Trivariate Research founder and CEO, appeared in an interview on CNBC. Parker was not surprised that tech stocks were down by close to 4% at the beginning of September, that too right before an impending rate cut. Parker highlights that the inconsistency in the market at the moment is not normal, and with multiple rate cuts over the next two years, he has no reason to hold a positive economic outlook. He suggests that eight probable rate cuts indicate that the economy is slowing, consumer spending is declining, and unemployment is rising, all of which are not good signs for the market. The interviewer counter questions that eight rate cuts with a 25 basis point reduction are not as disastrous to presume a faltering economy. Parker then highlights that rate cuts in the past have been supported by consistent data, an incremental fiscal, and an expansion of the balance sheet, all of which are currently out of the picture. You can also read our piece on the best battery stocks to buy according to short sellers.

The Possible Impact of Rate Cuts on Stocks

On September 2, CNBC published a detailed report on the impact of rate cuts on the stock market in the United States. The Fed, in the footsteps of countries in Europe and Asia, recently announced an easing cycle, after a long period of high interest rates. As per current pricing data, the Fed is expected to have three 25-basis point cuts by the end of this year. Speaking of the global economic outlook, 2025 will see a lower-rate environment followed by easing inflationary pressures. However, the fear of recession in the United States tells another story. Analysts believe that the last four months of 2024 will be considerably weak and choppy amid geopolitical factors, uncertainty from the AI sector, corporate earnings, and most importantly, an overdue consolidation correction.

On September 3, JP Morgan reported that investors must not expect the cutting cycle to provide a fresh start to stocks. Leading strategists at the firm suggested that the rate cut cycle is rather reactive and is in response to a wilting economy, having little to no impact on stocks. Paul Christopher, head of global investment strategy, on the other hand, suggested that the market environment today resembles the market in 1995, increasing hopes for a market upside amid stable GDP strength and forecasts.

Bear market or bull market, certain stocks deserve a place in every investor’s portfolio. These are long-term opportunities to hold and will continue to provide superior returns, as they have for decades. With that let’s take a look at the 10 safe stocks to invest in now.

A trader in a financial institution using fundamentals analysis to select stocks for a portfolio.

Our Methodology

To come up with the 10 safe stocks to invest in now, we looked for well-established companies in the energy, finance, healthcare, technology, and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industries. These stocks have a history of performing well and boasting consistent financial results, making them ideal and safe long term investments for beginners. We then picked the top 10 stocks that were the most widely held by money managers and ranked them in ascending order of the number of hedge funds that have stakes in them, 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).

Starter Stock Portfolio: 10 Safe Stocks To Invest In Now

10. Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 100

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) ranks as the 10th safest stock to invest in now. Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) is a pharmaceutical company that sells products to 125 countries and has offices in 18 countries. The company produces and sells various medicines for serious illnesses including Mounjaro, Zepbound, and Verzenio, also referred to as the “blockbuster” medicines in the US.

Eli Lilly’s Zepbound, a medicine for patients with obesity or excess weight, brought in $1.2 billion in sales in the second quarter of 2024. Similarly, Mounjaro, an injection for adults with type 2 diabetes, logged in $3.1 billion in sales. With solid investments in research and development, Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) has also been running trials to assess whether Tirzepatide can prevent the development of type 2 diabetes, rather than just treating it. Current trials reveal that the drug presented a 94% lower risk of progressing to diabetes among pre-diabetic adults who were overweight or obese.

In the second quarter of 2024, Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) reported revenue worth $11.3 billion, up by 36% year-over-year, beating analyst estimates by $1.34 billion. The United States is the major market and accounted for nearly 64% of the company’s sales in 2023. In addition to that, the company’s products are gaining immense traction across the globe. Its new drug, Tirzepatide received approval on July 19th from National Medical Products Administration in China. Previously, the drug was approved by the European Union in April 2024, a breakthrough in the world of medicine.

Overall, Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) is consistent with its financial performance and is also the giant behind some of the most important medicines in the United States. The company is notorious for rolling out new drugs regularly, which shows its commitment to healthcare.

Analysts are bullish on LLY and their 12-month high price target of $1,025 points to a 7% upside from current levels.  In Q2 2024, 100 hedge funds owned stakes in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY), with total stakes amounting to $16 billion. With nearly 5 million shares, Fisher Asset Management was the company’s leading stakeholder.

Baron Funds mentioned Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) in its Q2 2024 investor letter:

“Shares of global pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and Company increased on continued investor enthusiasm around GLP-1 drugs for diabetes and obesity. We remain shareholders. Lilly’s Mounjaro/Zepbound not only offers superb blood sugar control for diabetics but can drive 20%-plus weight loss and likely improve cardiovascular outcomes in both diabetic and non-diabetic obese patients. Lilly is developing next generation drugs, including retatrutide, which drives approximately 25% weight loss, and orforglipron, a daily pill that produces approximately 15% weight loss. In the U.S. alone, there are 32 million Type 2 diabetics and an additional 105 million obese patients who we estimate would qualify for GLP-1 drugs. Although supply and access are limited near term, we think GLP-1 drugs will become standard of care for both diabetes and obesity and will become a $150 billion-plus category. We see Lilly setting a high efficacy bar and capturing significant long-term market share. We think the adoption of GLP-1s will drive Lilly to triple total revenue by 2030.”

9. JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 111

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) is one of the safest stocks to buy. The multinational finance company is headquartered in the United States, serving millions of customers in over 100 countries and territories. The company provides investment banking solutions, risk management services, and capital-raising services to companies, institutions, and the government. JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) runs several subsidiaries including Chase Bank, Global Shares, Nutmeg, WePay, and Chase Paymentech, to name a few.

As of March 31, JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) has $4.1 trillion in assets and $3.6 trillion in assets in management, making it the largest bank in the United States, ahead of its competitors including Bank of America and Wells Fargo. During the first three months of 2024, the company raised $655 in total credit and capital for consumers, small businesses, government entities, and nonprofit entities.

Financial results aside, the company understands the dire need to integrate technology for operational efficiency. Earlier in August, JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) launched a generative AI assistant that helps over 60,000 employees complete tedious tasks such as drafting emails and reporting. On the customer front, the company introduced in-store pay-by-face biometric payment solutions for merchants in the US. Additionally, earlier in May, the company launched a new data-managed service for institutional investors allowing them to streamline their operating models for consistent data.

JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s (NYSE:JPM) strong customer base is a testament to its financial performance, which is also its economic moat. Overall, JPM was held by 111 hedge funds in the second quarter of 2024, with total stakes worth $6.98 billion.  Fisher Asset Management is the top shareholder of the company with a position worth $2.58 billion.

Carillon Tower Advisers’s Carillon Eagle Growth & Income Fund stated the following regarding JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) in its first quarter 2024 investor letter:

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) contributed positively to performance following solid financial results and positive guidance for the remainder of 2024. Moreover, growing chatter around rising capital markets activity likely contributed to the stock’s strong performance relative to other banks. Recall that JPMorgan has a robust capital markets franchise.”

8. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 114

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) ranks eighth on our list of the safest stocks to invest in. It is a multinational health insurance and services company based in the United States. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) owns a range of subsidiaries including UnitedHealthcare Servic LLC, Optum, Change Healthcare, and United Health Foundation, to name a few.

In less than a decade, UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) has grown its revenue from $101 billion in 2011 to $372 billion in 2023. The company currently provides health coverage to over 50 million people in the United States, indicative of its crucial position. In the past year, UnitedHealth’s professionals made 2.5 million home visits, enabling the swift identification of health emergencies that would have gone undiagnosed otherwise. Over 75% of patients received a follow-up within 90 days of the original visit in a clinical setting.

In the second quarter of 2024, UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) logged $98.9 billion in revenue, up by nearly $6 billion. The company’s financial results were led by Optum and UnitedHealthcare. UnitedHealthcare, its healthcare benefits subsidiary, reported revenue worth $74.1 billion, up by $4 billion, year-over-year. Overall, customers in the segment grew by 2.3 million to reach 29.6 million in the United States. Optum, the company’s global healthcare services provider which uses data to optimize care quality, reduce costs, and improve performance, logged $62.9 billion in revenue, up by $6 billion year-over-year.

The healthcare market in the United States is currently valued at $5 trillion, providing a golden opportunity to UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH). That said, the company believes it holds a strong position to post strong results in 2025, which is evident from its 148 million strong client base.

Analysts are bullish on UNH and their 12-month median price target of $620 points to a 4% upside from current levels. Overall, 114 investors were bullish on the stock at the end of Q2 2024, with total stakes amounting to $12.5 billion. As of June 30, Fisher Asset Management was the largest shareholder with a position worth $1.57 billion.

Invesco Distributors, Inc. stated the following regarding UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) in its Q2 2024 investor letter:

“UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH): Like many managed care providers, United Health has come under pressure from rising medical costs and higher-than-expected utilization. The stock is currently undervalued based on our analysis. We view the company as a high-quality compounder with secular growth opportunities in the managed care segment. The US Presidential election may cause additional near-term uncertainty, but we believe United Health will be able to rebound once pricing and utilization issues normalize.”

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AI, Tariffs, Nuclear Power: One Undervalued Stock Connects ALL the Dots (Before It Explodes!)

Artificial intelligence is the greatest investment opportunity of our lifetime. The time to invest in groundbreaking AI is now, and this stock is a steal!

AI is eating the world—and the machines behind it are ravenous.

Each ChatGPT query, each model update, each robotic breakthrough consumes massive amounts of energy. In fact, AI is already pushing global power grids to the brink.

Wall Street is pouring hundreds of billions into artificial intelligence—training smarter chatbots, automating industries, and building the digital future. But there’s one urgent question few are asking:

Where will all of that energy come from?

AI is the most electricity-hungry technology ever invented. Each data center powering large language models like ChatGPT consumes as much energy as a small city. And it’s about to get worse.

Even Sam Altman, the founder of OpenAI, issued a stark warning:

“The future of AI depends on an energy breakthrough.”

Elon Musk was even more blunt:

“AI will run out of electricity by next year.”

As the world chases faster, smarter machines, a hidden crisis is emerging behind the scenes. Power grids are strained. Electricity prices are rising. Utilities are scrambling to expand capacity.

And that’s where the real opportunity lies…

One little-known company—almost entirely overlooked by most AI investors—could be the ultimate backdoor play. It’s not a chipmaker. It’s not a cloud platform. But it might be the most important AI stock in the US owns critical energy infrastructure assets positioned to feed the coming AI energy spike.

As demand from AI data centers explodes, this company is gearing up to profit from the most valuable commodity in the digital age: electricity.

The “Toll Booth” Operator of the AI Energy Boom

  • It owns critical nuclear energy infrastructure assets, positioning it at the heart of America’s next-generation power strategy.
  • It’s one of the only global companies capable of executing large-scale, complex EPC (engineering, procurement, and construction) projects across oil, gas, renewable fuels, and industrial infrastructure.
  • It plays a pivotal role in U.S. LNG exportation—a sector about to explode under President Trump’s renewed “America First” energy doctrine.

Trump has made it clear: Europe and U.S. allies must buy American LNG.

And our company sits in the toll booth—collecting fees on every drop exported.

But that’s not all…

As Trump’s proposed tariffs push American manufacturers to bring their operations back home, this company will be first in line to rebuild, retrofit, and reengineer those facilities.

AI. Energy. Tariffs. Onshoring. This One Company Ties It All Together.

While the world is distracted by flashy AI tickers, a few smart investors are quietly scooping up shares of the one company powering it all from behind the scenes.

AI needs energy. Energy needs infrastructure.

And infrastructure needs a builder with experience, scale, and execution.

This company has its finger in every pie—and Wall Street is just starting to notice.

Wall Street is noticing this company also because it is quietly riding all of these tailwinds—without the sky-high valuation.

While most energy and utility firms are buried under mountains of debt and coughing up hefty interest payments just to appease bondholders…

This company is completely debt-free.

In fact, it’s sitting on a war chest of cash—equal to nearly one-third of its entire market cap.

It also owns a huge equity stake in another red-hot AI play, giving investors indirect exposure to multiple AI growth engines without paying a premium.

And here’s what the smart money has started whispering…

The Hedge Fund Secret That’s Starting to Leak Out

This stock is so off-the-radar, so absurdly undervalued, that some of the most secretive hedge fund managers in the world have begun pitching it at closed-door investment summits.

They’re sharing it quietly, away from the cameras, to rooms full of ultra-wealthy clients.

Why? Because excluding cash and investments, this company is trading at less than 7 times earnings.

And that’s for a business tied to:

  • The AI infrastructure supercycle
  • The onshoring boom driven by Trump-era tariffs
  • A surge in U.S. LNG exports
  • And a unique footprint in nuclear energy—the future of clean, reliable power

You simply won’t find another AI and energy stock this cheap… with this much upside.

This isn’t a hype stock. It’s not riding on hope.

It’s delivering real cash flows, owns critical infrastructure, and holds stakes in other major growth stories.

This is your chance to get in before the rockets take off!

Disruption is the New Name of the Game: Let’s face it, complacency breeds stagnation.

AI is the ultimate disruptor, and it’s shaking the foundations of traditional industries.

The companies that embrace AI will thrive, while the dinosaurs clinging to outdated methods will be left in the dust.

As an investor, you want to be on the side of the winners, and AI is the winning ticket.

The Talent Pool is Overflowing: The world’s brightest minds are flocking to AI.

From computer scientists to mathematicians, the next generation of innovators is pouring its energy into this field.

This influx of talent guarantees a constant stream of groundbreaking ideas and rapid advancements.

By investing in AI, you’re essentially backing the future.

The future is powered by artificial intelligence, and the time to invest is NOW.

Don’t be a spectator in this technological revolution.

Dive into the AI gold rush and watch your portfolio soar alongside the brightest minds of our generation.

This isn’t just about making money – it’s about being part of the future.

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A New Dawn is Coming to U.S. Stocks

I work for one of the largest independent financial publishers in the world – representing over 1 million people in 148 countries.

We’re independently funding today’s broadcast to address something on the mind of every investor in America right now…

Should I put my money in Artificial Intelligence?

Here to answer that for us… and give away his No. 1 free AI recommendation… is 50-year Wall Street titan, Marc Chaikin.

Marc’s been a trader, stockbroker, and analyst. He was the head of the options department at a major brokerage firm and is a sought-after expert for CNBC, Fox Business, Barron’s, and Yahoo! Finance…

But what Marc’s most known for is his award-winning stock-rating system. Which determines whether a stock could shoot sky-high in the next three to six months… or come crashing down.

That’s why Marc’s work appears in every Bloomberg and Reuters terminal on the planet…

And is still used by hundreds of banks, hedge funds, and brokerages to track the billions of dollars flowing in and out of stocks each day.

He’s used this system to survive nine bear markets… create three new indices for the Nasdaq… and even predict the brutal bear market of 2022, 90 days in advance.

Click to continue reading…