Ever heard of Warren Buffet? The savvy investor whose company, Berkshire Hathaway, owns 700 million shares of the BAC stock? He has thrived by investing wisely in stocks that show the most potential. His ability to spot not-so-hot stocks with the greatest promise has made him one of the richest people in the world. The same could be your story if you invest in the following ten hot stocks that are active today.
1. AT&T
A holding company, the core business of AT&T, Inc. is to provide a telecommunications media service. Its main segments of operations are Latin America and Communications. The company offers services directly to consumers and businesses in the United States and internationally. In Latin America, the company provides entertainment services and, internationally, wireless services. It was established in 1983 and currently has its headquarters in Dallas, TX.
But why does AT&T make it to the list of hot stocks active today? It’s considered a safe stock buy, despite the high-interest rates responsible for its huge total debt of $143.3 billion by June 2023. Besides this not-so-good news and the concerns over the telecom’s use of lead-clad cables, the AT&T stock is expected to come out of the challenging environment shining. Here’s why you should trust this stock: since the WarnerMedia spin-off in April 2022, the company’s balance sheet has consistently improved.
Remember when Discovery and WarnerMedia came together to create Warner Bros? Discovery did not only pay AT&T, but it also assumed the existing debt lots. The cash payment and assumed debt came to $40.4 billion. With its net debt plunging by $37 billion to $132 billion, the 7.4% dividend offered by AT&T this year is safe and sustainable.
The increased use of 5G technology with much higher download speeds will see more wireless users consume more data. Add to this the fact that the company has been implementing a five-year strategy to bring on board at least a million subscribers to its net broadband subscribers base, and you have a killer stock. Therefore, the current P/E ratio 6, buoyed by the 5G revolution, makes this stock a definite buy. This may be the time to consider adding a cell tower lease to your property to take advantage of AT&T’s growing market share.
2. Exxon Mobil
An American multinational trading in gas and oil, ExxonMobil is the most noticeable descendant of Standard Oil, founded by D. Rockefeller in 1870. It has its headquarters in Irving, Texas, and easily makes the list of stocks that are the most active today. The company operates in natural gas and crude oil exploration and production in the U.S. and globally.
It operates through various segments, namely specialty products, chemical products, energy products, and Upstream. The latter explores and produces natural gas and crude oil. The company offers licensing, catalysts, aromatics, and fuels products in the energy products segment.
Conversely, the chemical products segment is responsible for marketing and manufacturing petrochemicals, including intermediates and polyolefins. The company offers resins, elastomers, synthetics, waxes, base stocks, and lubricants in the Special Products category. The company’s key operations include petrochemicals, petroleum products, natural gas, crude oil sales, transport, trade, and manufacturing. It also pursues entrepreneurship opportunities in the lower-emission category. These include lower-emission fuels, hydrogen, and carbon capture and storage.
Oil prices are at a 10-month high, buoyed by voluntary cuts extension by OPEC+ members and Saudi Arabia and Russia. The spike in oil prices has been bad news for high inflation levels, but Texas isn’t complaining, as CLV23 is up by 2.4%. With demand expected to outstrip supply into 2024, oil prices will likely keep heading north for some time.
3. Pfizer
Pfizer (PFE) trades in various medicine types across various treatment areas, including oncology and autoimmune diseases. If you can spot a hospital or pharmacy near you, you’ll see Pfizer products on display. Pfizer is famous for her role in the 2019 campaign to produce a coronavirus vaccine. That vaccine is responsible for the company’s record-breaking annual revenue of over $100 billion last year.
However, the record-breaking hiatus hasn’t been witnessed this year as the Pfizer stock has tanked about 35% of its value. The decline in Pfizer’s revenue is attributed to concerns by investors about the company’s vaccine sales in a post-pandemic world, significantly since vaccine demand is declining. Other challenges facing Pfizer include patent expiration on several crucial products, which will translate into further revenue loss.
Pfizer, however, isn’t sitting pretty as its revenues receive a bashing. It’s actually in the process of transitioning to better times. For instance, mainly due to windfalls from the coronavirus vaccine treatment, Pfizer was able to fund acquisitions and other programs that should keep its balance sheet healthy into the foreseeable future.
This big pharma has acquired Global Blood Therapeutics, Biohaven, ReViral, and Arena Pharmaceuticals. Pfizer expects to reap over $10 billion in revenues from these acquisitions by 2030. Besides, should the company close on Seagen, an oncology specialist, that’ll be an additional $10 billion by 2030. Indeed, these are good reasons for investing in this stock, making it among the most active today.
4. Amazon
Amazon is one of the world’s top ten most profitable companies, with a market cap of $1.3 Trillion. In 2022, Amazon had revenues of $513.98 B, up from $469.82 B. Its current revenue is $513.98B, but that’s three months from the end of 2023. Amazon.com, Inc. is a U.S. online retailer trading with various products. The company prides itself as a market leader in internet trade.
Amazon operates from Seattle, Washington. The online platform sells various products, such as books, movies, music, electronics, commercial office supplies, and other products. Amazon is the maker of the Kindle, a world-leading ebook reader that has fueled the rapid growth of the ebook publishing industry, making Amazon.com a major disruptor of the book-publishing market.
Amazon is not an ‘active today gone tomorrow’ company. It’s a resilient firm that has weathered the online marketplace challenges to emerge as a global leader. Although at $127, its stock isn’t cheap, it’s one of those companies that have recorded consistent growth over the years, making it a sure bet for investors looking for stable companies to invest in.
5. Ford
Founded in 1903 by Henry Ford, Ford is an American multinational car maker. Ford’s vision was to make affordable cars that the upper and middle class could afford. He is the one who came up with the concept of the assembly line vehicle production. Ford vehicles directly compete with Ferrari, Chevrolet, FCA US, Tesla, GM, Suzuki, Volkswagen, Hyundai, Honda, BMW, Toyota, and Mercedes-Benz. Among the services offered by Ford are financing car dealers and car sales. The company also designs and manufactures a full line of sports utility cars, trucks, and other cars. You’re likely to find a Ford truck shop not far from you.
With 5.6% of the international motor vehicle market share, Ford was the second-largest car brand in 2019. The company makes most of its income from car sales, and its competition comes from this segment. Ford’s revenue comes from three main segments: mobility, Ford Credit, and automotive, with the sale of cars bringing in the most money for the company.
The Ford stock trades at $11.99, making it highly affordable. Its stock trades under ticker symbol ‘F’ on NYSE. Ford experienced a mixed bag in sales and operating income in 2023 as inflationary pressures dampened profits. During the first half of 2023, Ford’s equity grew by over 1%, largely due to long-term debt and increased working capital. Nonetheless, Ford is facing trouble from three sides: high interest rates, a declining market share, and issues with the labor union, which will likely affect the company’s ability to pay dividends. These issues notwithstanding, the Ford stock is one of the most active today.
6. Tesla
The Tesla stock has been on a roll. It has been rewarding investors with great dividends. Tesla shares have weathered economic headwinds and bad press to remain among the top chased-after stocks active today. At $261.16, its stock isn’t the most affordable but very popular among investors. If you’re looking for one of the best-rated stocks by the S&P 500, Tesla is a sure bet.
One of Tesla’s advantages is that the company focuses on one product at a time. It’s the leading electric car manufacturer in the world. Today, courtesy of Tesla, you will likely find a mechanic shop featuring Tesla parts.
7. Palantir
Another candidate for your list of stocks that are active today is a software company based in Denver. Palantir, also known as Palantir Technologies Inc., is a leading developer of data fusion platforms. It facilitates human-driven and machine-assisted data analysis. Among its platforms are Palantir Foundry, Plantir Apollo, and Palantir Gotham.
Palantir claims to create the best user experience while working with data. From security gate systems and other applications, the company seeks to empower users to ask and answer all complex questions without having to master the command line, statistical modeling, or querying languages. The government is Palantir’s biggest customer.
8. Bank of America
A financial holding company that also doubles as a bank, the Bank of America Corp provides nonbank and banking services such as mortgage loans. Its stock is among the most active today. It operates through global markets, global banking, GWIM (global wealth and investment management), consumer banking, and the All Other segments. Going by assets, the Bank of America is the second-largest in the U.S.
Although its stock is way below the pre-financial crisis of 2008, it has steadily grown since turning around in 1980. The history of the bank dates back over 200 years. It started as the Bank of Italy but, in 1922, expanded into the U.S. market.
The BAC ticker debuted on the NYSE in 1980, and the bank’s shares started chugging along. One of the lowest moments of BAC was in 1982, when the stock price plummeted to never-seen-before levels, closing at $1.47, lower than the initial IPO price of $1.94. Throughout the 1980s, the BAC price remained relatively flat until the 1990s, which saw an economic recovery that brought the stock to Wall Street’s attention.
In 1998, the bank became the largest in the U.S., achieving a long-held vision. This, however, happened after it was bought by NationsBank, which it was trailing. The merger adopted the name Bank of America, signaling a period of growth as BAC shares rose more than six-fold.
9. Carnival Corp
Carnival Corp’s core business is cruise ship operations. It has four business segments: Cruise Support, Europe, and Asia (E.A.) Cruise Operations, North America and Australia (NAA) Cruise, and Tour and Others. Carnival Corp was started in 1972 with headquarters in Miami. It’s an ideal stock in the travel and entertainment industry.
Trading as CCL, you can buy the Carnival stock on the NYSE and the London Stock Exchange. If you’ve ever thrown a spa party or been in one on a cruise ship, this is the ideal stock for you, although it may not be one of the most active today. With a price tag below $14, CCL stock is one of the most affordable.
10. Verizon
Income-focused investors are attracted by Verizon’s (V.Z.) stock largely because of the dividends despite the company’s poor S&P 500 ratings. Since 2023, V.Z. shares have pulled back 15%. If you’re looking for a bargain stock with vast prospects of a windfall in the coming years, that stock is V.Z. Faced with stiff competition from T-Mobile U.S. and AT&T, Verizon has been losing lately, mainly due to the slowdown in the wireless industry. Better prospects, however, lie ahead for the stock when 5G synergies finally kick in.
However, it’s a wait-and-see game for now as revenues from 5G services over private networks continue to disappoint. We’re way behind the full adoption of the cloud phone system. Nonetheless, with its 5G network featuring over 200 million people in the U.S., once the 5G synergies kick in, the return on investing in a V.Z. stock today will be impressive.
There you have them: ten of the hottest stocks still active today. While investing in any of these is a personal decision, the information provided here is for guidance only, not foolproof advice on investing in stocks. Nonetheless, those listed above meet the dynamics of stocks with the greatest growth potential.
