2024 Stock Picks

[vanzandt]

I realize everyone's a genius in a bull market, but I just thought I'd point this one out since it's about as far from AI as a stock can get and it's been bouncing off an all-time high.

Folks can say what they want, but buying a stock is buying a part of a business. When a business is too cheap, you buy it. And wait.

Homework (and not hype).... always pays off in time. Sometimes sooner than later.

Hopefully someone bought this around $43 today. It still closed down though. $47.78. Decent bounce.They sand-bagged the guidance I'm sure. It's had a great run, and the sell-off was to be expected I guess, but the niche they operate in is high gear. Any and all cost increases they experience get passed on up the bidding food-chain. Build a hospital, school, data center or any other large project.... and you don't sub out to Joe's Mechanical LLC.

But we'll see. It is thinly traded.

There's a reason the chart looks like it does. Fundamentals.
LMB--->$58

 

[vanzandt]

Just dvr'd thru last night's Cramer show. The light finally came on. He said, and I quote: "The dollar stores are NOT cheap and those customers are using Walmart.

Hey Jim!!!
You're Welcome!
But I told you this 9 months ago.

Pay Attention here Stoney:

Ya know who's gonna get stung the most by Walmart's great report?
Dollar General and Dollar Tree.

These analysts come on and talk about these stores, I guess because they have the word "dollar" in their name... that consumers will shop there because they are "cheap". Pfff... they are ANYTHING but cheap.
These stores are about convenience, not price. I don't think these analysts have ever set foot in one.
Even Cramer is wrong about this.

 

[vanzandt]

I really should post these things in this thread so they don't get buried in 5 minutes on the kindergarten playground.

I really like CNXC for earnings!---> $57.75

Looking good. In the premarket at least. It's an off the radar tech name I've followed on and off over the years. Somewhat familiar with their story. It's been beat down enough. The report was solid, nothing great, but it wasn't ugly. At least they make money, PE's cheap, working on their debt.

 

[vanzandt]

Jeffries (JEF) reports after the bell tomorrow.
It may take a hit initially, but anything around $34-$36 would be a good buy if they do. I think they'll do well in 2024. Lots of mergers and acquisitions coming.

These guys reported last night too. Nice report. They beat revenues nicely on increased M&A like I figured they would (in the quote above from January)

It's a slow mover, but if for some reason it pulls back today, or down the road on a sector selloff, it's a solid stock. They upped the quarterly dividend by 16% too.

JEF--> $45.40

 

[vanzandt]

Happy Friday night. I know its late but I am in the mood to share...

As long as the overall tide stays in.... when a relatively new stock that has experienced the ups and downs of the classic shorts vs longs battle comes in with a great quarter, (and a great story that was already known but they finally delivered on and with great growth ahead)... this is a near term momo play for the adhd among you, and a long term buy and hold stock for those that have a bit more sense.

Now, the stock may in fact go down near term regardless of the tide...

But I am pretty sure, or damn close, the bottom going forward on this stock is finally in. Unless they're lying, $2MM per store is a golden goose that WS will buy into. Now with that said... part of me still doesn't trust them.... the new ceo said "it's all about the experience." Well, #1, that is a trite and worn out choice of verbiage, and #2... what "experience" does waiting in a drive-thru line offer?

BUT..... the fact remains, they made money... and I think they are being quite astute about expanding too fast without the behind the curtain metrics to match an aggressive growth strategy. So that's good, but lets never forget wholesale coffee prices are an important metric that they really have no control over, so there is always that. And labor... always an issue. (Until they go to the VZ patented labor-less kiosks powered by NVDA chips and VZ's new and improved robots with thumbs that work) labor force.

So.... as much as I hate to recommend a stock that is up over 30% in 10 days.... I am going to go out on a limb here and say.... drumroll please.... BROS is a long term buy and hold at $36.

The shorts will screw me near term.... but check back in 2 years.

Its been steadily creeping up.
52 week high today

BROS---> $42

 

[vanzandt]

PANW has great upside potential. $281.

I think most of the sellers are gone. Regardless of their last quarter, this thing, while still pricey, is not going away, and it's best of breed in cyber-security. I could see a 50% return easy in two years.

This is a top pick.

I hope this thread is helping some of you folks make a little money.
This one was a no-brainer really, all things considered.


PANW---> $343

 

[vanzandt]

Just as important as any TA or FA, and maybe even more important, is market psychology.

Prognosticating politics successfully is a lot like predicting markets. So much of it comes down to identifying key people and then reading the ones that can be read (not all can) in anticipation of future events well before the herd catches on. We are 7 weeks out from the Democratic National Convention and now in light of last week's debate, the talk of journalists, strategists, and academics alike... has all shifted to Jill... and what's really going on there.

Yeah but does it matter that she has no power base? What I'm saying is, even if the party begs and pleads with Joe to drop out right before the convention so they can install whoever... if Jill tells Joe not to for her own (perhaps selfish?) reasons... that's the only power base she needs.

 

[vanzandt]

SCOTUS overruling the Chevron Act should be good certain Fortune 500 companies. Neuter some of these agencies that have yielded too much power for too long. The energy sector Titans obviously, but there's companies in other sectors too. Abbott Labs opened at $103.78. That's a good price. It's $104.25 now, odds are it will drop back a little, but earnings are on 7/18. It should head above $110 pretty soon and unless they really disappoint on earnings, I don't see much downside risk.

I bet the folks in their legal department popped a few corks this weekend as they mused over their offensive game-plan going forward.

18 month target---> $127 at a minimum. (+2.12% dividend)*

*Ex-dividend 7/15
(Their 402nd consecutive quarterly dividend since 1924)

 

[vanzandt]

When's the best time to buy well run quality companies?

When they're hated the most.

ABBOTT will be north of $135 by 2026.

 

[vanzandt]

When's the best time to buy well run quality companies?

When they're hated the most.

ABBOTT will be north of $135 by 2026.

And it is hated apparently. Wait for $96 I guess (M.P. says $97.58). $103 now.
EDIT:
What's the sum of the parts on this dog? Maybe spin some stuff off?
$103 now.