More than half of the S&P 500 is in a correction, and that has bargain hunters looking at three names
While the stock market's gut-wrenching volatility appears to have subsided, nearly two-thirds of the S&P 500 still remains in correction territory, a technical term for a 10 percent decline. And that has some strategists bargain hunting.
Miller Tabak equity strategist Matt Maley says three disparate names share one common trait: attractive-looking charts. Specifically, he likes delivery company UPS UPS , oil company Anadarko Petroleum APC and fertilizer company Mosaic MOS .
UPS, his first pick, is in a bear market after falling 22 percent from its 52-week high set a month ago. The bulk of losses were seen in February when shares plummeted 17 percent, putting the stock on track for its second-worst monthly performance on record. UPS is among the 50 worst S&P 500 performers in 2018.
"This has taken it from ridiculously overbought to somewhat oversold," Maley told CNBC's " Trading Nation " on Tuesday. "It has taken it down to its 200-week moving average. This line has provided unbelievable support going all the way back to 2011. I think it could hold this level."
Mark Tepper , president of Strategic Wealth Partners, is also bullish on UPS' prospects. Tax reform and signs of wage inflation should give consumers the propensity to spend online, giving the delivery service a boost. On a valuation basis, its price-to-earnings ratio of 14 times forward earnings sits below the S&P 500's 17 times.
Maley's next pick, Anadarko, has weathered broader market conditions relatively well over the past week and is generally an outperformer in its sector.
"As it's rolled back over, it hasn't retraced anywhere near as much as the rest of the energy sector," said Maley. If oil bounces, "this should be a stock that could again make another higher low-higher high move."
Anadarko is off 13 percent from a 52-week high set in February last year. Its shares remain 9.5 percent higher for the year, one of the S&P 500's top 50 best performers in 2018. Anadarko is down just 2.2 percent in February, roughly one-fifth the losses seen on the XLE Energy Sector ETF.
Tepper also sees potential for Anadarko as part of his broader bullish case for energy stocks. Anadarko does have some competitive advantages over its peers, though.
"The stock is trading at an enterprise value to EBITDA discount relative to its peers, margins are expanding, international growth is strong, revenues are up 12 percent year over year," said Tepper. "We would buy that one."
On to a riskier pick, Maley says Mosaic has some potential upside ahead. Mosaic has been on a downward trend for a number of years, though Maley sees it possibly bouncing back to its 2011 levels alongside a rebound in commodities.
"If this stock can break above its trendline, its weekly trendline that I've provided on the chart, and you think commodities could move higher, this could be a stock that will surprise everybody to the upside," said Maley.
Mosaic sits 24 percent lower than the 52-week high set a year ago. Its shares trade at $25.70 as of Wednesday, though they traded roughly double those levels in 2013.
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