We recently compiled a list of the 7 Best Cheap Stocks To Buy Today Under $10. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Itau Unibanco (NYSE:ITUB) stands against the other cheap stocks to buy under $10.
On September 30, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell addressed the National Association for Business Economics (NABE) Annual Meeting in Nashville, TN, and expressed his views on the economy, highlighting both positive and negative trends. On the positive side, he noted that the economy has shown resilience and is still growing at a solid pace, with the labor market remaining strong. He also mentioned that the recent upward revisions to GDP and GDI have removed a downside risk to the economy and that the savings rate has increased, indicating that consumers have more savings on their balance sheets.
However, Powell also pointed out that the labor market has cooled, with the unemployment rate rising to 4.2% and the job finding rate decreasing. He noted that this cooling is not necessarily a bad thing, as it may be a sign of a more sustainable labor market. Additionally, he mentioned that the housing market is still a concern, with housing inflation running at around a 3% annualized pace, which is contributing to overall inflation.
In terms of monetary policy, Powell indicated that the Fed is committed to using its tools to achieve its inflation target of 2%. He noted that the Fed has made progress in reducing inflation but still has work to do. He also stated that the Fed will be monitoring the data closely and will adjust its policy stance as needed to maintain the strength of the economy.
Jamie Dimon: Fed Rate Cut Was Necessary
In an interview with CNBC on 29 September, Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, discussed the recent interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve, saying that it was a necessary move to adjust to slowing economic growth and decreasing inflation. He notes that the economy is still strong but that there are underlying concerns about inflation and geopolitics that could impact the market. In terms of geopolitics, Dimon expresses concern about the ongoing war in Ukraine and notes that it is likely to get worse. He believes that the US and its allies need to be prepared for a longer war and that more military help will be needed to support Ukraine. Dimon also touches on the topic of the US presidential election, saying that he is not endorsing any candidate at this time and is instead focusing on policy issues that can help both the world and the US.
With the Fed’s ongoing efforts to balance growth and inflation, the economy appears poised to continue its steady expansion; with that in context, let’s take a look at the 7 best cheap stocks to buy today under $10.
Our Methodology
To compile our list of the 7 best cheap stocks to buy today under $10, we used the Finviz and Yahoo stock screeners to find the largest companies with stock prices under $10. From that list, we selected companies that are trading at a forward P/E ratio of under 15, as of October 1. We then narrowed our choices to 7 stocks that were the most widely held by hedge funds. The list is sorted in ascending order of their hedge fund sentiment, as of the second quarter, which we sourced from our database.
Why do we care about what hedge funds do? 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).
An executive in a suit walking through a lobby of *Regional Bank* building.
Itau Unibanco (NYSE:ITUB)
Number of Hedge Fund Investors: 25
Forward P/E Ratio as of October 1: 8.54
Itau Unibanco (NYSE:ITUB) is the largest private-sector bank in Brazil and one of the largest financial institutions in Latin America. The bank offers a wide range of financial services, including retail banking, investment banking, and insurance.
In Q2, Itau Unibanco (NYSE:ITUB) reported a net income of $1.85 billion, up 15.2% year over year, outperforming its peers and solidifying its position as one of the most profitable banks in Brazil. The company’s net income has been growing consistently over the past few years, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.28% over the past five years.
Itau Unibanco’s (NYSE:ITUB) strong financial performance is driven by its high-quality loan portfolio, which has a low non-performing loan (NPL) ratio of 2.7%. The company’s loan portfolio is diversified across different segments, including corporate, retail, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
In addition to its strong financial performance, Itau Unibanco (NYSE:ITUB) has a solid market position in Brazil, with a large customer base and a wide range of financial products and services. The company has a strong brand reputation and is widely recognized as one of the most reliable and trustworthy banks in Brazil.
Itau Unibanco (NYSE:ITUB) presents a solid investment opportunity for investors looking for a reliable and profitable bank with a strong market position. The bank’s stock is trading at a forward PE of 8.54, a 28.46% discount to its sector median of 11.94. Analysts expect the company to increase its earnings by 9.27% this year.
Overall ITUB ranks 5th on our list of the best cheap stocks to buy under $10. While we acknowledge the potential of ITUB 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 ITUB 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 is originally published at Insider Monkey.