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2 Shares traded at minimum prices; Analysts say ‘buy’
We are in a volatile period now, with stocks falling after starting the year on a strong note. Big Tech, which grew during the pandemic blockades and the shift to remote work, is leading the decline. Investors evaluated vaccination programs and now, driven by both belief and the hope that economies will soon return to a more normal equilibrium, they are looking for stocks that will gain from reversing a ‘pre-corona’ market situation. There is also inflation to be taken into account. Oil prices are on the rise this year, and it is a commodity whose price fluctuations are certain to affect the supply chain. Along with the increase in consumer demand, there is an expectation that prices will increase, at least in the short term. In short, this is the time to follow the old market advice: buy low and sell high. With stock prices falling for now and volatility increasing, the bearish is hedged. The key is to find the stocks that are ready to win when the bulls start running again. The Wall Street analyst body knows this and is not afraid to recommend actions that may have hit rock bottom. Using the TipRanks database, we identified two of these actions. Each has dropped significantly, but each also has sufficient upside potential to guarantee a Buy rating. TechnipFMC Plc (FTI) We will start in the hydrocarbon sector, where TechnipFMC operates two divisions in the oil and gas business: subsea and surface. The company’s projects, until recently, included oil and gas exploration and extraction, platform and platform operations, crude oil refining, petrochemical production (ethylene, benzene, naphtha, hydrogen) and onshore and liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants offshore. Earlier this month, petrochemical and LNG operations were spun off as Technip Energy, a separate independent trading company. TechnipFMC retains subsea and surface hydrocarbon activities, allowing the company to better focus its efforts. TechnipFMC may need this focus, as the company had a hard time gaining momentum in the stock markets. Like most of its competitors, TechnipFMC saw the stock price drop dramatically last winter, at the height of the coronavirus crisis, but since then, the stock has only recovered about half of the losses. In the past 12 months, FTI’s shares have fallen 53%. The fourth quarter results are expected to be released today, after the market closes, and should shed more light on the company’s annual performance. The company reported quarterly earnings in 2020 that are in line with the previous year’s results. The second quarter showed a year-over-year loss; Q1 and Q3 showed annual gains. Covering the FTI for JPMorgan, analyst Sean Meakim writes: “Since the Technip Energies spin-off was put back into motion on 1/7, after a considerably superior performance in the early days, FTI’s shares are now in low … With newly discovered visibility for a “Spin purgatory” exit, investors are taking a fresh look at FTI, with some still taking a “wait and see” approach until the post-spin… We see the conclusion spin as an opportunity for reclassification … allowing a broader investor participation. The monetization of TechnipFMC’s stake in Technip Energies helps the balance sheet and provides optional capital allocation. ”To this end, Meakim classifies the FTI as Overweight (ie Buy) and its target price of $ 20 suggests that the stock has room to more than double the following year, with a potential for upturn of 172%. (To see Meakim’s history, click here) Overall, there are 13 recent analyzes on the FTI, dividing 8 to 5 in favor of Buy versus Hold. This makes the analyst consensus to evaluate a moderate purchase and suggests that Wall Street generally sees opportunity here. The shares are quoted at $ 7.35, and the average target price of $ 12.18 implies an increase of approximately 65% in the next 12 months. (See FTI’s stock analysis at TipRanks) CoreCivic, Inc. (CXW) Next, CoreCivic, is a for-profit provider of detention facilities for law enforcement agencies, primarily the US government. The company owns and operates 65 prisons and detention centers with a total capacity of 90,000 inmates, located in 19 states plus DC. As of January 1 this year, the company completed its move from REIT to a taxable C-corporation. The move was made without fanfare, and the company released its fourth quarter and 2020 results – covering the period of preparation for the move – earlier this month. CXW posted revenue of $ 1.91 billion for the ‘corona year’ of 2020, a small drop (3%) from the $ 1.98 billion reported in 2019. The full year’s profit was 45 cents per share. During the fourth quarter, the company reported paying about $ 125 million of its long-term debt; CoreCivic’s current long-term liabilities are listed at $ 2.3 billion. The company showed net assets available at the end of 2020 as $ 113 million in cash, plus $ 566 million in available credit. The heavy debt burden can help explain the performance of the company’s shares, even though revenues and profits remain positive. The stock fell 50% in the past 12 months, never really recovering from the stock price losses suffered in the corona panic last winter. Noble Capital 5-star analyst Joe Gomes covers CoreCivic and remains optimistic about the stock, despite its apparent weaknesses. “We see the fourth quarter as a continuation of a trend in the last three quarters of 2020. Despite COVID, the large reduction in detainees, the reduction in normal judicial system operations and other impacts, CoreCivic recorded relatively stable revenue and growth sequentially adjusted EPS. We believe that this illustrates the strength of the Company’s operating model, ”noted Gomes. In line with his optimistic approach, Gomes maintains his Outperform rating (ie, Purchase) and target price of $ 15 as is. This target puts the upside potential at 97%. (To see Gomes’ history, click here) Some actions fly below the radar, and CXW is one of them. Gomes is the only recent review by analysts at this company and is decidedly positive. (See TipRanks CXW stock analysis) To find good ideas for trading defeated stocks with attractive valuations, visit TipRanks’ Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that brings together all TipRanks stock insights. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are exclusively those of the analysts presented. The content should be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investments.