We recently compiled a list of the Best Future Stocks For The Long-Term. In this article, we will look at where Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) ranks among the best future stocks for the long term.
A Soft Landing is More than Likely
The Fed plans to initiate rate cuts for the first time in over four years and investors do not know what to expect of the financial markets moving forward. On September 17, Stephen Juneau, Bank of America US economist, appeared in an interview on Yahoo Finance to discuss the impact of an unexpected growth in consumer spending on the economy.
Juneau reiterated that economic data is highly volatile and that the retail data released this morning will not impact the Fed’s rate cut decision tomorrow, and he expects the Fed to stick to a 25-basis point cut. As for consumer behavior, the economy is finally moving toward normalization and the consumer’s basket of goods reflects that. These indications, the increasing labor demand, and a stable investment outlook hint that a hard landing is highly unlikely.
The Outlook of Investing Amid Rate Cuts
On September 17, Eric Freedman, US Bank Asset Management Group CIO, appeared in an interview on Yahoo Finance to discuss the rate cut and how investors view investing. Freedman said that the rate cut depends on the Fed’s path, therefore an accurate prediction may not be possible at the moment.
Freedman talks about investment from an individual perspective, suggesting investors must move out of the front end of the yield curve. He then pointed to sectors that are currently providing value to investors, including the consumer discretionary sector, some parts of the energy sector, and tech, especially because investments in the sector are predicted to grow rapidly, well into 2025.
He then discussed what companies need to do to attract investors. Freedman emphasized the need for strong financials and suggested that companies should engage in buybacks or consider increasing dividends. The perfect combination of stocks, according to Freedman, includes companies that are returning cash and seeing strong organic growth.
The future of the economy and the financial market is quite unpredictable. However, some stocks can influence the market not just now, but also in the future. With that, let’s take a look at the best future stocks for the long term.
Our Methodology
To come up with the 10 best future stocks for the long term we looked up growth stocks in the AI, Cloud, Cybersecurity, Biotechnology, Electric Vehicle, and Renewable Energy industries. We then ranked the stocks with the highest number of hedge funds 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).
Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 84
Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) is one of the best future stocks for the long-term and we say that because at the end of Q2 2024, 84 hedge funds were bullish on PFE with total stakes amounting to $3.62 billion. Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) is a leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology company based in New York, United States.
Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) is a leader in biotechnology. Previously in March, the company acquired Seagen, a biotechnology firm, for $43 billion. The acquisition is projected to deliver more than $10 billion in revenues by 2030. Fast forward to August, Pfizer and its biotechnology partner were granted approval by the FDA to roll out their new shots before winter arrives.
On the operational front, the company is currently undergoing a Manufacturing Optimizing Program focused on enhancing efficiency. By the end of phase 1, Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) will be able to deliver $1.5 billion in savings by the end of 2027. It currently has over 25,000 clinical researchers who test new and innovative medicines every day.
Overall, Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) is not just a biotechnology leader. The company is also capitalizing on improving its operations, making it one of the best stocks in the long run. During the second quarter of 2024, the company logged $13.3 billion in revenue, representing operational revenue growth of 3%.
Parnassus Investments’ Parnassus Value Equity Fund stated the following regarding Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) in its first quarter 2024 investor letter:
“During the quarter, we added new positions in Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE), NICE and Charter Communications. We purchased Pfizer to capture the potential upside from any turnaround following the COVID-induced boom-bust cycle of the last few years. Pfizer’s stock price sank by more than 40% in 2023 as COVID-19 vaccine revenues rolled off, providing an attractive entry point for us. The company completed its acquisition of Seagen, which should strengthen Pfizer’s pipeline in antibody-drug conjugates (ADC). Pfizer also offers an attractive dividend yield.”
Overall, PFE ranks 6th on our list of the best future stocks for the long-term. While we acknowledge the potential of PFE as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than PFE but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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Disclosure: None. This article was originally published on Insider Monkey.