It may seem counterintuitive during times of stress and worry, but bear markets provide investors with many great opportunities to find high-quality stocks to buy on the dip.
Consider Warren Buffett, arguably the most successful investor of all time. During the bull market of the past decade, Buffett was harshly and frequently criticized for not buying any stocks or companies even as his holding company, Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK.B), accumulated a cash hoard that, at its peak, totaled $149 billion.
However, during the bull run, Buffett repeatedly complained that stock prices were overvalued and that he didn’t see any deals to be had. But this year, when the benchmark S&P 500 index suffered its worst first half performance since 1970, Buffett bought more than $50 billion worth of stocks — the most he has purchased since the financial crisis of 2008-09.
Buffett took new positions in companies such as Occidental Petroleum (NYSE:OXY) and Ally Financial (NYSE:ALLY), and beefed up his existing holdings in companies such as Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), finding high-quality stocks to buy on the dip while prices were low and valuations were cheap.
If there’s one thing Buffett doesn’t want to miss it is an opportunity to buy great stocks that are on sale. Other investors should follow suit and also take advantage of this year’s market downturn. Here are seven stocks that you should buy on the dip. If you don’t, you’ll be kicking yourself later on.
| GOOGL | Alphabet | $108.50 |
| AAPL | Apple | $155.25 |
| F | Ford | $15.32 |
| NVDA | Nvidia | $135.80 |
| NKE | Nike | $107.75 |
| DIS | Disney | $109.66 |
| SBUX | Starbucks | $87.88 |
Alphabet (GOOGL)
At the end of June, one share of technology giant Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) cost nearly $1,800.00. Today investors can buy the stock for a little over $105 per share. Two things have made the parent company of search engine Google’s stock more affordable. The first was a 20-for-1 stock split that occurred in July. The second is the fact that GOOGL stock has declined 27% this year as the market has turned south. The end result is that investors can now buy this top-shelf technology stock for $106.27 per share.
Consider also that Alphabet looks to be fairly valued right now, with the stock’s price-earnings ratio sitting at 20, its lowest level in a decade. Add in continued strong earnings and a likely rebound in online advertising at its flagship Google search engine, and buying GOOGL stock at its current levels seems like a no-brainer. The current median price target on the stock among 44 professional analysts who cover the company is $140, versus the stock’s current level of just under $110..
In the past five years, Alphabet’s stock has gained 126%.
Apple (AAPL)
Another heavyweight tech stock that is on sale right now is consumer electronics giant Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL). As I mentioned earlier, Warren Buffett has used the downturn of AAPL stock this year to bolster his holdings.
Buffett’s company –Berkshire Hathaway — bought $600 million worth of Apple shares in Q1 when AAPL was trading near $150 a share. The current value of Berkshire Hathaway’s AAPL stock is $141.28 billion. The shares are worth more than any other single stock owned by Berkshire.
AAPL stock has fallen to $155 recently. In 2022, the stock has declined about 15% and looks like a bargain at its current levels. The company’s P/E ratio appears to be fair at 25.7, and Apple is one of the few mega-cap technology stocks that actually pays a dividend, as it currently yields 0.60%.
Among the 37 analysts who cover Apple, the median price target on the stock is $185.00. Apple’s share price has gained 289% in the last five years.
Ford Motor Co. (F)
Ford’s (NYSE:F) stock is down 26% so far this year and trading at just $15 a share. The stock is now 42% below its 52-week high of $25.87 a share. While the share price should be attractive to most retail investors, consider also that Ford’s stock looks woefully undervalued with a current P/E ratio of only 5.22, well below the average P/E among S&P 500 stocks of 19.83. Investors should also like that Ford pays an outsized dividend that currently yields 4%, also much better than the average dividend yield among S&P 500 companies of 1.69%.
If a beaten down stock price, low P/E ratio, and high dividend yield aren’t enticing enough, consider also that Ford is aggressively, and successfully, transforming itself into an electric-vehicle company. In an effort to catch-up to industry leader Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA), Ford has announced that it will spend $50 billion on its electric vehicle transition through 2026, up from a previous commitment of $30 billion.
Ford has also moved to separate its EV unit from its combustion engine business, a decision that has been applauded by analysts. F stock has gained 32% in the past five years, including a 16% gain over the last 12-months.
Nvidia (NVDA)
The stocks of microchip and semiconductor makers have been brutalized this year as investors flee from specialty tech securities and head for the relative safety of blue-chip consumer staples. Case in point: Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA), whose share price is down 55% so far this year and trading at $136 a share. The stock is 60% below its 52-week high.
Investors who are in it for the long haul should take full advantage of the downturn in NVDA stock and buy its shares hand-over-fist. The California-based company remains a leader in the chip and semiconductor space, and its products are used to power everything from supercomputers to artificial intelligence.
The company’s share price has been knocked lower this year after it was forced to pre-announce earning and lower its guidance due to ongoing supply chain problems and softening consumer demand for its chips that are used to power personal computers and video game consoles. NVDA stock also took a gut punch after the U.S. government restricted the sale of some of its chips to China, citing national security concerns.
But despite these challenges, Nvidia’s long-term outlook is strong. In spite of this year’s plunge, the stock remains up 231% over the past five years, and the median price target on the stock is currently $207.50.
Nike (NKE)
The shares of athletic footwear and apparel brand Nike (NYSE:NKE) have been in investor jail for the better part of a year now. The Oregon-based company’s stock price slump 35% in the past 12-months, sliding down to their current level of $107.75 per share. NKE stock barely budged during the July market rally and it has been trading around the $105 mark since May of this year. Investors have sold off the stock on concerns about its manufacturing base in Southeast Asia, excess supplies in the U.S., and slowing demand within China. However, none of these issues appears to have impacted Nike’s earnings.
At the end of June, the company reported fiscal fourth quarter earnings that trounced analysts’ average expectations, announcing earnings per share of 90 cents compared to the 81 cents that was expected, on average, among analysts. Its revenues totaled $12.23 billion versus the $12.06 billion that was expected.
While its sales have declined in China, Nike has managed to make up the shortfall with increased sales in its home market of the U.S. and elsewhere around the globe. The company continues to expand its digital and online sales channels. The median price target on the stock is $129 a share.
Disney (DIS)
Speaking of companies that delivered better-than-expected quarterly prints, Walt Disney Co. (NYSE:DIS) just delivered stellar financial results, beating analysts’ average estimates on the top and bottom lines and successfully growing its streaming subscribers. Plus, Disney theme parks, hotels and cruises are back to operating at full capacity for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic began in 2020, and the company has had several hit movies released in theaters this year, including Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Death on the Nile. Yet despite all these successes, DIS stock is trading 40% lower than where it was a year ago at $109.66 per share.
Apparently investors remain reticent about the growing competition in the streaming space, as well as the potential impact that upcoming price hikes could have on Disney+ subscribers. Plus, some analysts have raised red flags about the $33 billion that Disney is spending on content for its streaming platform this year.
And uncertainty looms regarding what this fall and winter will bring regarding Covid-19 outbreaks and the potential for renewed lockdowns that could impact Disney’s theme parks around the world. Worries aside, investors with a long-term horizon might want to buy DIS stock while it’s on sale. The median price target on the stock is $140.
Starbucks (SBUX)
Seattle-based coffee retailer Starbuck’s stock got kicked down a few rungs this past spring when interim CEO Howard Schultz announced that he was suspending the company’s $20 billion share buyback program, and as several of the company’s workers around the U.S. moved to unionize themselves. All the drama has conspired to send SBUX stock down 25% on the year to its current price of $87.88 a share. However, after months of turmoil and strife, Starbucks looks to be turning a page by announcing the appointment of a new permanent CEO and the realignment of its retail network.
Starbucks just named Laxman Narasimhan as its new leader. He most recently served as CEO of health and hygiene company Reckitt Benckiser (NYSE:RKT), which owns brands such as Lysol and Mucinex. He will join Starbucks in October and learn about the company before assuming the CEO job next April.
Until then, Howard Schultz will remain the interim CEO. Schultz will also remain on Starbucks’ board of directors after Narasimhan succeeds him in the top job. New management could be just the thing to help the ailing Starbucks. Analysts’ median price target on SBUX stock is $91 a share, for 8% potential upside.
On the date of publication, Joel Baglole held long positions in AAPL, GOOGL, NVDA and DIS. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.