We recently published a list of 11 Best Beginner Stocks To Invest In Now. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) stands against other best beginner stocks to invest in now.
The Downsides to Stocks Rallying Higher
Stocks in the United States are rallying high, but some strategists are eyeing a few risks. On December 5, Max Kettner, Chief Multi-Asset Strategist at HSBC, appeared in an interview on Yahoo Finance to discuss the market outlook heading into 2025. Kettner shared that investors and analysts alike hold extremely bullish expectations of the market in 2025. While that may likely be true, an extremely bullish market may pose a significant risk and have multiple downsides.
He stated that the market will likely see strong upsides on the earnings front, leading to higher yields, which will leave a question on the future of the cutting cycle and whether the Fed will have to commence a rate hike again. He emphasized that higher terminal rates will bring in bond volatility and impact nearly every risk asset in the market.
Speaking of positives, Kettner highlighted that the next few quarters exhibit pretty low growth expectations and earnings expectations for the S&P. He reiterated that with a much lower growth rate, the cutting cycle will be executed as planned. As for inflation, he highlighted the importance of super core inflation, also referred to as underlying inflation. He believes super core inflation is more likely to decline, especially in the first half of the year, adding that he is not as worried about inflation as he was almost three to four months ago.
Kettner stated that the next six to seven months will deliver a supportive market environment for equities in the S&P, especially for global equities. He also believes that the market will see a 12% to 13% upside in the next 12 months until the end of 2025. While Kettner remained inclined to tech stocks, he added that other sectors, such as industrials, will also see a “mini re-acceleration.”
He emphasized that the market rally will go beyond the S&P especially with the current “goldilocks” backdrop, high growth projections, and consensus expectations, benefiting other asset classes. Kettner shared that the ideal portfolio for investors will be tech stocks and a combination of stocks in other sectors, especially industrials and US banks. He added that these sectors are likely to benefit from regulatory changes and the current economic backdrop.
As economic and political turmoil encapsulates the market, some stocks have been performing consistently well over the years, positioned as solid investments, especially for new investors. That said, let’s take a look at the 11 best beginner stocks to invest in now.
Our Methodology
To come up with the 11 best beginner stocks to invest in now, we compiled a list of the top blue chip stocks. We then tracked the hedge fund sentiment of each stock and picked the most popular ones. Our list is in ascending order of the number of hedge fund holders as of Q3 2024, according to Insider Monkey’s database.
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).
Why Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) Is The Best Beginner Stock To Invest In Now?
A close-up of a person's hand holding a bottle of pharmaceuticals.
Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) is a pharmaceutical company headquartered in the United States. The company specializes in the production of vaccines and the provision of hospital care services. In the third quarter of 2024, Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) logged $16.7 billion in total sales, up by 4% from the third quarter in 2023. Its star cancer drug, KEYTRUDA saw an increase in sales by 17% to reach $7.4 billion, accounting for nearly 50% of the revenue.
The company is a long-standing entity with a strategic position to expand. During the quarter, Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) also completed the acquisition of Investigational B-Cell Depletion Therapy, CN 201, from Curon Biopharmaceutical. In addition to that, the company also presented data for four approved medicines and six pipeline candidates providing coverage for more than 20 types of cancer. Besides its expansion plans, Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) also received regulatory approvals and made significant advancements for its existing drug pipeline over the past few months.
For the complete financial year 2024 outlook, Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) expects revenue to range between $63.6 billion and $64.1 billion. The company is positioned to become a market leader in the biopharmaceutical industry attributable to its increasing popularity, expanding drug pipeline, and growing financial performance. Analysts are also bullish on the stock and their median price target of $130 represents an upside of 25% from current levels.
Oakmark Equity and Income Fund stated the following regarding Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) in its Q3 2024 investor letter:
“Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) is a global pharmaceutical firm with leading oncology, vaccine and animal health franchises. Premier products in Merck’s portfolio include Keytruda, Gardasil, Winrevair and Bravecto. Outsized contributor Keytruda is an immuno-oncology drug that treats several cancers and tumors. Keytruda is an astounding clinical and commercial success that is on track to become one of the best-selling prescription drugs to date. Investor angst surrounding Keytruda’s pending U.S. patent expiration in 2028 presented a chance to buy shares at a discounted valuation. We believe opportunities to extend Keytruda’s duration through life cycle management are underappreciated. More importantly, discounted cash flows from products already on market cover today’s entire stock price, meaning there is minimal value ascribed to a promising pipeline with strong sales potential. We believe Merck is led by a capable management team that looks to reinvest these cash flows in an accretive manner.”
Overall, MRK ranks 10th on our list of best beginner stocks to invest in now. While we acknowledge the potential of MRK to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that certain AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than MRK but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
