2024's Potential Stock Surprises: Goldman Sachs Unveils S&P 500 Laggards For Major Gains

Benzinga - by Piero Cingari, Benzinga Staff Writer.

Investors are always on the lookout for untapped opportunities, especially in stocks that have been heavily discounted and now present promising opportunities for those prepared to wager on a recovery.

As the new year looms, a seasoned strategy, known as the “Laggards” trade, is witnessing a revival.

In its recent analysis, Goldman Sachs has shone a light on stocks that have trailed the broader market significantly on a year-to-date basis. Despite their underperformance, these Buy-rated securities hold considerable potential for robust gains in the upcoming year.

Laggards can often represent contrarian investment opportunities, as they may not have garnered bullish sentiment from investors yet, or the prevailing analyst consensus might be so low that even minor positive changes in fundamentals could result in significant performance gains.

The Laggard Phenomenon: The year 2023 has been a turbulent one for many stocks, with some sectors witnessing declines reminiscent of the tumultuous years of 2007 and 2020. However, history suggests a silver lining – the laggards of one year often emerge as leaders in the first quarter of the next.

Goldman Sachs’ equity strategists, Deep Mehta and Tarun Lalwani, CFA, explained that despite a 37% YTD underperformance relative to the S&P 500 index, 2023’s laggards could be next year’s leaders, as “the market rally in November suggests signs of an early reversal.”

Sector Shift: This year’s laggards differ from those of 2022, with Healthcare, Financials, and Industrials taking the lead. These stocks align with several key investment themes: low financial returns, lower quality scores, affordable valuations, and high growth prospects.

Goldman Sachs Unveils 5 Clusters Of Stocks In The “Laggards Trade”

• Moderna Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA): Upside to target 189%, YTD underperformance vs. S&P 500 -75%
• Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE): Upside to target 66%, YTD underperformance vs. S&P 500 -63%
• Enphase Energy Inc. (NYSE:ENPH): Upside to target 48%, YTD underperformance vs. S&P 500 -79%

• Darling Ingredients Inc. (NYSE:DAR): Upside to target 86%, YTD underperformance vs. S&P 500 -47%
• Shoals Technologies Group (NASDAQ:SHLS): Upside to target 89%, YTD underperformance vs. S&P 500 -60%
• ANGI Homeservices Inc. (NASDAQ:ANGI): Upside to target 84%, YTD underperformance vs. S&P 500 -16%

3) Growth at Reasonable Valuations: These are Buy-rated laggards projected to have double-digit topline growth in 2024 and 2025, with a Price-Earnings-Growth ratio below 1.0. Included in this group are the following notable stocks:

• Array Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:ARRY): Upside to target 89%, YTD underperformance vs. S&P 500 -60%
• First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR): Upside to target 72%, YTD underperformance vs. S&P 500 -13%

• Bath & Body Works Inc. (NYSE:BBWI): Upside to target 45%, YTD underperformance vs. S&P 500 -39%
• Sensata Technologies Holding (NYSE:ST): Upside to target 45%, YTD underperformance vs. S&P 500 -37%

• Aptiv PLC (NYSE:APTV): Upside to target 52%, YTD underperformance vs. S&P 500 -29%
• Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (NYSE:BMY): Upside to target 38%, YTD underperformance vs. S&P 500 -50%

Photo: Shutterstock

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