10 stocks that make Goldman’s conviction list

Goldman Sachs’ list of conviction stocks has just been updated. Here are some choice selections for you to keep an eye on.

Goldman Sachs conviction stocks

The conviction list is Goldman’s selection of equities it believes will overperform this year. All of the stocks that make the grade hold a buy rating.

As ever with these things, the companies Goldman highlights come from a mixture of different sectors. A slew of new equities have been added to the list for 2021, from tech, energy and beyond.

Let’s take a look at some standout picks.

Energy stocks

Houston, Texas-based NRG Energy made the list in June and currently holds a $53 target price. The bank cites elevated cash flows in 2022 and a compelling valuation as reasons why the gas & electricity supplier is a conviction stock. NRG stock could jump 25% in the coming months, according to Goldman.

Elsewhere, Targa Resources, another North American energy supplier, cemented its place on Goldman’s conviction list in March. In an investment note, the bank dubbed Targa “one of the most compelling companies in our midstream energy coverage.”

Targa’s “significant” buyback programme and double dividend attracted Goldman’s eye, suggesting the energy supplier’s profits and cash flows are on the up.

Another midstream firm, Michigan’s DTE Energy, also makes the list, with Goldman Sachs liking the oil transporter/processor’s decarbonisation efforts.

FMCG & consumer-focussed stocks

Switching to a more consumer-bent, a number of companies are fresh additions to the conviction list.

Let’s start with Chipotle. The Mexican fast-food joint has been called a “clear digital leader” by the bank. An easy-to-use app, strong online presence, new menu items, and a solid loyalty programme all underpin Chipotle’s fundamentals. Development of new drive-thru “Chipotlanes” also help the stock’s favourable rating.

Sportswear retailer Lululemon gained conviction status in July. Post-pandemic growth opportunities help the stock on its way, as well as the nature of its direct-to-customer online business which cuts out the middleman.

Constellation Brands, which owns Corona and Modelo beers, was a February conviction addition. When added to the list, Goldman praised Constellation’s strong fundamentals.

“We believe Constellation Brands remains one of the best growth stories across the U.S. Staples universe and is advantageously levered to the most attractive opportunities in alcoholic beverages – premium import beer, hard seltzers, and premium wines and spirits,” the bank stated in an investment note.

Technology stocks

Goldman joins Jeffries in signalling a number of different tech equities that could perform well for investors.

“Microsoft stands out very uniquely in the technology world given its strong presence across all layers of the cloud stack including applications platforms and infrastructure,” a Goldman investment note said.

With the bank believing the Seattle computing giant will post a strong fourth quarter, Microsoft makes its conviction list.

Salesforce also makes it. Goldman was attracted to Salesforce’s commitments to aiding worldwide digital transformation – something which greatly picked up during the pandemic – naming the brand as one of the standouts in the $1 trillion global cloud technical account management market.

Financial equities

Finally, let’s look at two financial stocks Goldman likes.

The first is investment firm Evercore Partners. Goldman believes Evercore is about to benefit greatly from upcoming M&A activity and continued profits from fees generated through advising special-purpose acquisition vehicles (SPACs).

“We see potential upside surprise vs. consensus on capital distributions, due to the stronger earnings we forecast, coupled with a robust cash position,” Goldman said.

Fifth Third Bank could also benefit from rising interest rates once the Fed ups its current historically-low cash rate.

“We believe it will see top quartile performance when rates rise and it leverages the benefits of medium term cost cuts,” said Goldman.