The 10 stocks preferred by large investors

The 10 stocks favored by large investors belong to key sectors of the economy that could offer attractive returns during 2024.
Technology, energy, finance and media are just some of the sectors that stand out for their promising prospects.
Against this backdrop, institutional investors have identified a number of stocks that could emerge as favorites in investors' portfolios in 2024.
We take a closer look at these stocks and the reasons behind their picks, offering a detailed overview of the most attractive investment opportunities for this year.
1) NVIDIA Nvidia, the undisputed protagonist of the technology sector, cannot be missing at the top of the favorite stocks among large investors.
The graphics card giant stunned the market this week, briefly overtaking Amazon in market capitalization and ranking behind Alphabet, Google's holding company.
This momentum pushed Nvidia's stock value to record highs of $746, with the company's total valuation at $1.82 trillion.
Investors are showing great interest in Nvidia, with high expectations for its quarterly results coming February 21st.
Since the beginning of the year, Nvidia shares have recorded an increase of 47%, registering the best performance among the components of the S&P 500.
The company, which stands out for its supply of microchips to established companies and startups that develop artificial intelligence products generative, still has ample room to establish itself as a leader in the sector.
2) Bbva The BBVA Group, one of the main players in the European banking sector, achieved extraordinary results during 2023.
With a net profit of 8,019 million euros, the company highlighted a significant growth of 22.3% compared to 'last year.
This remarkable success was mainly driven by the performance of recurring banking income, with particular emphasis on net interest income.
The increase in loans to customers, recorded at 5.7% compared to the previous year, was one of the key factors of this performance, highlighting a robust growth in retail loans at Group level (+7.2%).
Furthermore, the CET1 capital ratio, which stands at 12.67%, underlines the company's financial solidity and ability to effectively manage its capital.
The decision to distribute a cash dividend of 0.55 euros per share, totaling more than 4 billion euros to shareholders, reflects confidence in the company and the desire to maximize value for investors.
BBVA has also initiated a €781 million share buyback programme, demonstrating confidence in the company and desire to maximize shareholder value.
The company saw loans increase nearly 8% year over year, adding more than 11 million new customers to its portfolio.
Furthermore, with an increasingly strong sustainable footprint, BBVA has committed €70 billion to sustainable activities in 2023, surpassing the €200 billion mark since it was founded.
The Spanish bank has a market capitalization of $58.2 billion and trades at 6.5 times earnings.
The financial strength, solid growth prospects and commitment to sustainability make purchasing BBVA shares an interesting opportunity for large managers.
The combination of a strong balance sheet, strong growth and a commitment to sustainability offers long-term growth potential for investors, making BBVA shares an attractive choice for institutional investors' portfolios.
3) Bank Central Asia The Indonesian bank has a market capitalization of approximately $76 billion.
Bank Central Asia (BBCA) has demonstrated solid performance throughout 2023, with financial results in line with analysts' expectations.
The company reported earnings for FY23 at Rp 48.6 trillion, highlighting an increase of 19.4% year-on-year.
This success was supported by a stable Net Interest Margin (NIM), which increased both quarterly and annually by 10% and 20% respectively.
Robust loan growth of 14% year-over-year was one of the performance highlights, driven by the acceleration of loan disbursement in the fourth quarter of 2023.
2024 guidance calls for loan growth in the range of 9-10% , confirming confidence in the robustness of the bank's business model.
Based on these strong fundamentals, analysts maintain a “buy” rating for BBCA, with a price target of 10,875 Indonesian rupees.
The bank continues to stand out in the industry thanks to its strong franchise, ample liquidity and tight credit management, which should support loan growth in line with or above management guidance.
4) TotalEnergies Total Energies represents an attractive investment opportunity for investors seeking exposure to the energy sector with a stable company and solid market position.
With a production of almost 2.8 million barrels of oil per day, Total Energies occupies a leading position in the European energy market.
Despite the recent drop in oil prices and the profit warning that has weighed on the stock in recent weeks, large investors continue to consider Total Energies an attractive investment opportunity.
Regardless, Total Energies continues to demonstrate strong financial results, with fourth-quarter revenues of $59.3 billion, albeit down from a year earlier due to fluctuating oil prices.
Looking at the full year, despite declines in revenue and adjusted EBITDA, Total Energies maintained sustainable profitability, reflecting its resilience even in times of uncertainty.
With a proposed dividend of 3.01 euros per share, Total Energies continues to offer investors an attractive potential return, despite the current challenges in the energy sector.
5) Chevron Investing in Chevron shares represents a strategic move supported by the solid position in the energy sector and the resilience demonstrated even in challenging times.
Although fourth quarter 2023 financials showed a decline in earnings compared to the prior year, due to impairment charges and decommissioning obligations, the company continued to demonstrate robust performance.
Full-year 2023 net profit was $21.4 billion, with global net annual oil equivalent production rising.
According to consensus estimates, the oil giant could earn around $14 per share this year, confirming its profitability and growth potential.
President and CEO, Mike Wirth, highlighted the significant return to shareholders and the achievement of record production, pointing to efficient management of resources and a solid future growth outlook.
Considering the crucial role of energy in the global economic landscape and Chevron's ability to adapt to changing market conditions, purchasing shares of the company is a rational choice for investors seeking stability and long-term growth potential.
6)Pfizer Investing in Pfizer shares in 2024 represents a thoughtful choice supported by the solid operational base and growth prospects in the pharmaceutical sector.
After the dismal performance of pharmaceutical stocks during 2023, things could change this year.
Despite a decrease in revenue due to expected declines in its Comirnaty and Paxlovid products, the company showed operational growth of 7% excluding contributions from these two products.
Non-COVID product performance in the fourth quarter of 2023 was particularly encouraging, with significant contributions from new launches and robust year-on-year growth for several major brands.
The company received a record number of nine new FDA approvals during the year, meaning a positive impact on future performance is possible.
Pfizer confirmed its guidance for 2024, with estimated revenues of $58.5 billion to $61.5 billion and adjusted EPS of $2.05 to $2.25.
Notably, revenues include expected revenue from various products, confirming Pfizer's portfolio diversification and its ability to maintain stable financial guidance over the long term.
With an ever-expanding product pipeline and a robust research and development strategy, Pfizer is positioned as an attractive option for investors seeking growth and resilience in the pharmaceutical sector.
7)Estée Lauder Estée Lauder is catching up after a difficult 2023.
The group's latest financial results highlight a 9% contraction in revenue due to challenges in the retail sector in Asia and China.
This decline is also reflected in its second quarter 2024 results, with revenue decreasing 7% year-over-year to $4.28 billion.
The restructuring plan for the years 2025 and 2026 announced by the CEO of Estée Lauder, Fabrizio Freda, aims to improve the competitiveness of the company by the end of the fiscal year 2026.
This plan involves a reduction in staff of between 3% and 5%, together with a downsizing of some divisions and simplifications of company processes.
Despite the challenges, the company highlighted progress in several strategic priorities in the first half, including inventory management in the travel retail sector in Asia and improved working capital.
Freda expressed confidence in returning to organic sales growth and increasing profitability in the second half of fiscal 2024.
The restructuring strategy is aimed at improving gross margin and reducing expenses, with the aim of achieving a greater operating leverage in the future.
The restructuring program is expected to begin in the third quarter of 2024, with key objectives of reorganisation, downsizing and business simplification to deliver stronger and more sustainable profitability in the future.
8) Cnh Industrial Cnh Industrial emerges as a favorite among large investors thanks to its recent positive quarterly results and solid leadership in the sector.
In the fourth quarter, the company reported net income of $617 million, beating analysts' forecasts, up 4% from the same period a year earlier.
Although revenues fell slightly by 2%, the adjusted margin recorded growth, reaching 13.5%.
Looking to the full year 2023, CNH Industrial achieved record net profit of $2.38 billion, highlighting solid financial management and steady growth.
CEO Scott Wine highlighted successes in exceeding margin targets in the Agriculture and Construction sectors, as well as record revenues and net profits.
The corporate simplification strategy, the integration of advanced technologies and attention to customers have been the pillars of CNH's success, which has maintained strong commercial discipline despite market challenges.
The company anticipated net sales revenue growth in 2023 and generated significant industrial free cash flow.
Wine expressed confidence in CNH's future, underlining its continued commitment to reducing costs and expanding margins to ensure long-term sustainable growth.
The combination of strong financial results, effective leadership and a future-oriented strategic vision makes CNH Industrial an attractive option for investors seeking stability and growth potential in the industrial sector.
For analysts, the stock should be accumulated with a target price of 13.25 euros.
9) Toast Investing in Toast shares represents a strategic and potentially profitable choice for several reasons.
First, the company offers a complete suite of hardware and software solutions for restaurants, simplifying a number of crucial operations for owners and managers.
These integrative solutions effectively solve a critical problem in the restaurant industry, offering convenience and efficiency.
Despite macroeconomic challenges, Toast has demonstrated impressive growth since its founding in 2012, with revenue rising 37% year-over-year in the third quarter of 2023.
However, the stock performed modestly last year, not managing to reach the guidance on average revenue per user in the second half of the year.
Despite this, future prospects remain promising, with forecasts of 25% revenue growth in the coming years.
The stock is expected to earn 75 cents to $1 per share by 2027.
With a large customer base of 99,000 restaurants and a still significant potential market, Toast has plenty of room for growth.
Furthermore, the continuous development of new features indicates an ongoing commitment to innovation and maintaining a leading position in the industry.
Furthermore, considering the current stock valuation, which reflects a significant discount to the company's historical average, investing in Toast presents attractive appreciation potential for investors seeking long-term growth.
10) HubSpot Buying HubSpot shares represents an attractive opportunity for investors looking to benefit from growth in the developer and marketer software sector.
Founded in 2014 and going public the same year, HubSpot offers software solutions for B2B companies with between 25 and 2,000 employees.
What sets HubSpot apart from the competition is its organic platform, built on a unique code base, making its software more user-friendly and less expensive to manage.
Despite macroeconomic challenges, HubSpot recorded a notable revenue increase of 25% in 2023, demonstrating its resilience and growth potential in the market.
Analysts expect HubSpot to generate approximately $1 billion in Ebitda by 2026, reflecting the company's medium-term growth prospects.
Currently, HubSpot's PEG ratio stands at 3.06, indicating earnings growth potential from its current valuation.
In the context of the Internet – Software industry, HubSpot stands out as one of the best stocks with a chance to double in 2024.
The company's financial results for the fourth quarter of 2023, released on February 14, were extremely positive.
Revenue reached $581.91 million, up 23.9% from the same period a year earlier, while EPS was $1.76, up from $1.11 in the prior year.
The company beat analysts' EPS estimates by +14.29%, with a consensus estimate of $1.54.
HubSpot has a strong history of exceeding Wall Street expectations, averaging 4.2% above revenue estimates over the past two years.
Even when comparing results to competitors in the sales and marketing software industry, HubSpot continues to stand out.
Despite the recent positive trend in the segment, HubSpot's growth outlook and its analyst price target of $622.2 suggest potential for stock appreciation in the medium to long term.
DISCLAIMER The information and considerations contained in this article should not be used as the sole or primary support on which to make investment decisions.
The reader maintains full freedom in his own investment choices and full responsibility in making them, since he alone knows his risk propensity and his time horizon.
The information contained in the article is provided for informational purposes only and its disclosure does not constitute and should not be considered an offer or solicitation to public savings.