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Buy 4 Discretionary Stocks With Upside as Inflation Continues to Cool

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Key Takeaways

  • Inflation rose less than expected in May, easing recession fears and boosting investor confidence.
  • U.S.-China trade deal and paused tariffs have improved sentiment toward consumer discretionary stocks.
  • NFLX, FOX, CCL and TILE saw positive earnings estimate revisions over the past 60 days.

Inflation is cooling at a faster rate than expected, much to the relief of millions of consumers who were reeling under the fears that the nation’s economy could slip into a recession as President Donald Trump’s tariffs could further weigh on the economy.

The fears have been largely alleviated over the past month after the tariffs were temporarily paused, and with the United States and China finally reaching a trade deal last week, investors’ confidence is finally rebounding.

Given the positive sentiment, it would be prudent to invest in consumer discretionary stocks such as Carnival Corporation & plc (CCL - Free Report) , Fox Corporation (FOX - Free Report) , Netflix, Inc. (NFLX - Free Report) and Interface, Inc. (TILE - Free Report) .

These stocks have seen positive earnings estimate revisions in the last 60 days. Each of our picks carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Inflation Continues to Cool

The Commerce Department reported last week that the consumer price index (CPI) rose 0.1% sequentially in May, lower than the consensus estimate of a 0.2% rise. Year over year, CPI increased 2.4%, which came in line with analysts’ expectations.

Core CPI, which excludes the volatile food and energy components, rose 0.1% sequentially in May and 2.8% from the year-ago levels, lower than analysts’ expectations of a rise of 0.3% and 2.9%, respectively.

One of the major reasons behind the decline was a 1% month-over-month drop in energy prices. New and used vehicle prices declined 0.3% and 0.5%, respectively.

Meanwhile, average hourly earnings increased 0.3% month over month in May and 1.4% on a year-over-year basis.

Rate Cut Hopes Rise, Trade Tensions Ease

Trump has been repeatedly calling for rate cuts to boost the economy. The Federal Reserve has maintained a cautious stance and has yet to signal a rate cut. The Fed last cut interest rate by 25 basis points in December before halting it this year as inflation showed signs of rising.

However, investors are hopeful that the Federal Reserve may finally resume its rate cuts in September as inflation has sharply declined over the past three months. Market participants are hopeful about two interest rate cuts of 25 basis points each this year.

Also, trade tensions have eased substantially, with the United States reaching a trade deal with China, its biggest trading partner, last week. Negotiations with other countries are also ongoing, and more trade deals are likely to be reached in the near term.

4 Discretionary Stocks With Growth Potential

Given the positive sentiment, it would be ideal to invest in consumer discretionary stocks.

Carnival Corporation & plc

Carnival Corporation & plc operates as a cruise and vacation company. As a single economic entity, CCL forms the largest cruise operator in the world. Carnival Corporation & plcis the world’s leading leisure travel firm and carries nearly half of the global cruise guests.

Carnival Corporation’s expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 31.7%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings improved 1.1% over the last 60 days. 

Fox Corporation 

Fox Corporation produces and distributes news, sports and entertainment content. FOX’s brand includes FOX News, FOX Sports, the FOX Network, the FOX Television Stations and sports cable networks FS1, FS2, Fox Deportes and Big Ten Network.

Fox Corporation’s expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 32.4%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current-year earnings has improved 1.1% over the past 60 days.

Netflix

Netflix, Inc. is considered a pioneer in the streaming space. NFLX has been spending aggressively on building its portfolio of original shows. This is helping Netflix sustain its leading position despite the launch of new services like Disney+ and Apple TV+, as well as existing services like Amazon Prime Video.

Netflix’s expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 27.7%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 3.3% over the past 60 days.

Interface

Interface, Inc. is the world's largest manufacturer of modular carpets, which it markets under the Interface and FLOR brands. TILE is committed to the goal of sustainability and doing business in ways that minimize the impact on the environment while enhancing shareholder value.

Interface’s expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 8.2%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved by 2.6% over the past 60 days.

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