6 Best Short-Term Stocks to Buy for Quick Returns

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  • These are the 6 best short-term stocks to buy for quick returns. Investors holding them should not expect to make much money holding them for the long term. There may be a short-term catalyst, such as a stock split, or dividend announcement, or a recent corporate change that may push the stock higher.
  • Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL) – Alphabet stock is going to do a 20-for-1 stock split effective on July 1. That will reduce the stock price by 95% from its price right before the split. In return, shareholders will receive 20 times the shares they held prior to that point. This could act as a short-term catalyst for the stock, especially if it encourages call option buying.
  • JPMorgan Chase (JPM)  – On Thursday, July 14, JPMorgan Chase will announce its Q2 earnings before the market opens. The stock is cheap with a forward P/E of 9.9x forward earnings and has a 3.57% dividend yield. This earnings release could confirm if bank earnings will slump this year, especially if the country is in a recession.
  • Netflix (NFLX) – Netflix is set to announce its earnings on Tuesday, July 19, after the market closes. Analysts will be looking to see if it is still losing subscribers as it announced with its Q1 earnings.
  • AT&T (T) will announce its first quarterly earnings on July 21 (pre-market) without its Time Warner division. This division was spun off and merged with Discovery Inc to form Warner Brothers Discovery (WBD) in early April.  It trades on a forward 8.2x multiple with a 5.26% dividend yield.
  • Int’l Business Machines (IBM) – IBM is forecast to announce earnings on July 18. Analysts earnings put the stock on a forward P/E of 14.1x for this year. Its dividend was recently raised to $1.65 quarterly, or $6.60 annually, putting it on an attractive yield of 4.78%.
  • Meta Platforms (META) – Meta is expected to announce its Q2 earnings on Wednesday, July 27, after the market closes. Meta stock is cheap on a forward P/E of 14.5x . However, if earnings rise 18.9% as analysts predict, this will lower its earnings multiple to 12.2x.
Best short-term stocks - 6 Best Short-Term Stocks to Buy for Quick Returns

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This article today is about the 6 best short-term stocks to buy for quick returns. Investors buying them may be interested in an upcoming short-term catalyst. For example, this could include a stock split, or dividend announcement, or a recent corporate change that may push the stock higher.

Most of these stocks have had a difficult Q2 and have fallen from their peaks in late 2021 or early 2022. Now they are at the point where new earnings announcements are coming out this month.

Often earnings releases can provide confirmation that a downtrend in earnings is ongoing. I suspect that most of these stocks on this list are not in bad shape as the market fears. If that is the case, the earnings releases could act as a catalyst since the market fears will be assuaged.

Let’s dive in and look at these stocks.

GOOG, GOOGL Alphabet $2,387.33
JPM JPMorgan Chase & Co. $114.36
NFLX Netflix $189.61
T AT&T $21.15
IBM International Business Machines $140.98
META Meta Platforms $171.41

Best Short-Term Stocks: Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL)

Alphabet Inc. (GOOG, GOOGL) and Google logos seen displayed on a smartphone
Source: IgorGolovniov / Shutterstock.com

Market Cap: $1,430 billion

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG, NASDAQ:GOOGL) plans on doing a 20-for-1 stock split effective on July 1. That will reduce the stock price by 95% from its price right before the split.

In return, shareholders will end up with 20 times the shares they held prior to that point. Shareholders on record as of July 1, 2022, will receive 19 additional shares of Alphabet stock for every one share they own after the market closes on July 15. This could act as a short-term catalyst for the stock. That is especially the case if it encourages people to buy more shares than they would otherwise.

The other practical effect is that investors may now more easily buy call and put options. The premiums for the call and put options will now be 20 times cheaper. This can help people do simple covered call sales of out-of-the-money call options.

Greater option activity will also increase the volatility in the stock price. So investors should expect to see higher peaks and lower troughs.

Moreover, Alphabet stock now seems very cheap. The average earnings estimate of 41 analysts puts the stock on a forward P/E of 20.7x this year’s earnings, and 17.4x next year’s earnings. This is well below its historical average.

For example, Morningstar reports that the average forward P/E multiple for Alphabet has been 26.4x in the last 5 years. That implies the stock could rise 51.7% from here just to get to the average midpoint of the last 5 years.

JPMorgan Chase (JPM)

Chase Bank logo and storefront
Source: Daryl L / Shutterstock.com

Market Cap: $335 billion

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) plans to release its Q2 earnings on Thursday, July 14 before the market opens. This could potentially boost the stock if earnings come in better than expected.

Analysts are expecting $2.93 per share in GAAP and non-GAAP EPS (earnings per share). This is higher than the prior quarter’s EPS of $2.63. Its forward P/E is low at 9.9x this year’s forward earnings forecast of $11.33 per share.

Moreover, the bank pays a $4 dividend quarterly. This gives JPM stock a run rate dividend yield of 3.57% at the closing price of $111.89 on July 6. For the past 5 years, the bank’s average yield has been 2.56% each year. This implies that the stock could rise 39.6% to $156.25, its target price if the stock were to have a 2.56% yield with a $4 dividend.

Last quarter the bank spent $1.7 billion on share buybacks, putting it on a $6.8 billion run rate for the year. It now has a new $30 billion share repurchase program as of May 2022. That could take several years. This works out to 9% of its stock market value. If Q2 shows the company is still on a run rate to do $7 billion in buybacks, that could help push the JPM stock higher.

Netflix (NFLX)

the netflix logo displayed on a tablet that a person is holding while laying down
Source: Kaspars Grinvalds / Shutterstock.com

Market Cap: $80.0 billion

Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) is set to announce its earnings on Tuesday, July 19, after the market closes. Analysts will be looking to see if it is still losing subscribers as it announced with its Q1 earnings.

For the first time in almost a decade, Netflix lost 200,000 subscribers in Q1. As a result, the stock fell dramatically. If this continues in Q2, the stock is likely to crater again. However, if the situation has stabilized, or analysts and/or the market perceive that this is the case, then NFLX stock could rise.

Moreover, analysts now project non-GAAP earnings of $2.97, much lower than its EPS last quarter of $3.53 per share. That could be from lower subscriber numbers. If that is the case, don’t expect to see NFLX stay at this level. This could mean that the stock is a short candidate or ripe for a further fall. In that case, put options on the stock might be warranted for a speculative investor.

AT&T (T)

Sign of AT&T (T) posted in a wooden wall
Source: Lester Balajadia / Shutterstock.com

Market Cap: $152.6 billion

AT&T (NYSE:T) will announce its Q2 earnings before the market opens on July 21. This will be the first full quarter for AT&T without its Time Warner division (HBO and the Warner Brothers studios). That division was merged with Discovery Inc and spun off to AT&T shareholders (71%) and Discovery shareholders (29%). It formed Warner Brothers Discovery (NASDAQ:WBD) in early April which has fallen from the mid-$25 range to just $14.27 as of July 6.

However, AT&T received $47 billion in cash from WBD as part of the transaction. That money was to be used by AT&T to pay down its debt. So theoretically that lowered the company’s interest costs during the quarter. If that is the case, the company could earn more. Analysts now project 62 cents in non-GAAP earnings per share for the quarter and an EPS of $2.56 this year. This puts T stock on a forward P/E of just 8.2x.

Moreover, with its $1.11 annual dividend, the yield is $5.26%. This makes AT&T stock a valid value stock with its low valuation metrics. Its Q2 earnings come out better than forecast, expect to see this undervalued stock rise.

Int’l Business Machines (IBM)

Photo of IBM (IBM) building as seen through the canopy of a tree. IBM logo is in large letters on side of building.
Source: shutterstock.com/LCV

Market Cap: $126.9 billion

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) is set to announce earnings on July 18. Analysts project that non-GAAP EPS will be $2.29 for the quarter. If earnings come in better than this expect to see the stock rise.

It also puts IBM stock on a run-rate forward P/E of just 14.1x for the year. And for next year, earnings are forecast to be 8.9% higher, according to the average of 15 analysts. That lowers its forward multiple to 13x. The problem is its 5-year average is just 11x, according to Morningstar. So, unless earnings come out better than forecast, the stock could falter if it declines to its average multiple.

Its dividend was recently raised to $1.65 quarterly or $6.60 annually. This gives IBM an attractive yield of 4.78%. This is roughly in line with its average 4.72% dividend yield. So, the stock may not have much upside based on this yield.

Best Short-Term Stocks: Meta Platforms (META)

META stock logo is shown on a device screen. Meta is the new corporate name of Facebook.
Source: Blue Planet Studio / Shutterstock.com

Market Cap: $447.5 billion

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META), which is the parent company of Facebook, will release its Q2 earnings on Wednesday, July 27, after the market closes. Last quarter it made $2.72 in EPS and analysts expect a slightly lower EPS of $2.63 this quarter.

Right now the stock is cheap on a forward P/E of 14.5x assuming a full-year EPS of $11.72. However, next year’s earnings are projected to rise 18.9% to $13.94, lowering its earnings multiple to 12.2x.

However, analysts will be watching to see if subscriber numbers fall as they did during Q4 of last year, although they stabilized during Q1. Its Daily Active Users (DAU) rose 1.6% to 1.96 billion from 1.929 billion at the end of Q4. That was when it declined from 1.93 billion DAUs in Q3 2021. So, even though Q1 showed the company was back on growth in subscribers, if this doesn’t keep growing in Q2, expect to see META stock take another dive like it did in Q1.

On the date of publication, Mark Hake did not hold (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.


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