It is not easy to pick stocks for tomorrow’s success but some companies do have certain elements that make them clear winners and ideal stocks to buy, no matter the market situation. We have had a mixed earnings season. While the future looks promising, there is still a lot of uncertainty due to the recent interest rate hike and looming recession concerns.
However, we try to look for companies that look promising in 2023 and are ready to spur a new phase of growth. Watch out for these stocks to ensure that you make the most of the gains they post when the market improves. Having reported strong quarterly results, these are three stocks to buy before they soar to new heights this year.
Visa (V)
There are several reasons I think Visa (NYSE:V) is one of the best stocks and could be a long-term winner. The company already has a tremendous history of success and has produced exceptional results in the last five years. I believe Visa is at a stage where it can take risks and hit record revenues. The company has seen a massive net income margin going from 36% in 2017 to 51% in 2022. More importantly, its total payment volume went from $10.2 trillion in 2017 to $14.1 trillion in 2022. V stock is trading at $225.98 today and is up 8.97% year-to-date.
The company recently reported better-than-expected quarterly results. It earned $2.09 a share and hit a revenue of $7.98 billion. Visa has seen an increase in digital payments and the post-pandemic rise in travel has led to solid earnings and sales growth. Its payment volume grew 10% year-over-year and services revenue grew 7% year-over-year. Considering the volatility of banks today, consumers see Visa as a very secure alternative. It has a dividend yield of 0.80% and the current dividend is $0.40. It ended the March quarter with $13.8 billion in cash. Visa is spearheading the transition towards a cashless society. While it may take some time for many countries to go digital, there is a massive growth opportunity lying ahead.
Barclay analyst Ramsey El-Assal has a price target of $272 for the stock with an Overweight rating. Further, Truist analyst Andrew Jeffrey has also raised the price target to $270 with a buy rating after the robust Q2. Looking at the company’s fundamentals and valuation, it is ready to skyrocket in the near term. This is a world-class business you are getting at a fair valuation.
Apple (AAPL)
Considering its past performance and growing market capitalization, Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) could soon become one of the biggest tech stocks to own. Besides being a high dividend growth stock, it is also one stock that continues to perform, no matter the market condition. The company is constantly expanding with innovation and has reported healthy earnings in the past. One of the high growth stocks, AAPL is trading for $167 today and is up 33.89% year to date. Apple is one of the best stocks to buy before the company reports earnings on May 4.
The company has entered the financial service segment with the new high-yield savings account in partnership with Goldman Sachs. This project it has attracted $1 billion in deposits in just 4 days. AAPL stock pays a dividend of 92 cents and has enough cash flow to continue rewarding investors. It is a cash flow machine and generates impressive free cash flow each year. The company has recently opened two new stores in India and is shifting its focus there due to the massive middle-class segment. India is one of the most populous nations in the world and Apple already generates $6 billion in annual revenue in the country.
The company is expecting to grow annual sales t0 $20 billion and grab a larger market share by 2025 in India. Additionally, its services segment has shown impressive growth potential and I believe it will rake in big numbers this quarter as well. Apple’s massive growth in the market is here to stay and the stock could hit big numbers this year.
General Motors (GM)
Electric cars are everywhere and we are constantly hearing about EV incentives. General Motors (NYSE:GM) may not be an EV leader, it sure is growing on the right track. The company has the advantage of owning some of the top brands and it is aggressively charging forward in the EV space. It may not be as big as Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) yet but this doesn’t mean the company isn’t doing well. It is planning to transition from internal combustion engine vehicles to EVs through 2035. GM stock is trading at $32.48 today and is down 16.72% in the past six months. This is an ideal buying opportunity for one of the top soaring stocks.
GM’s solid financials make it one of the best stocks to buy. It reported an EPS of $2.21 and a revenue of $39.99 billion. The management raised adjusted earnings expectations to a range of $11 to $13 billion. To achieve its production goals, the company, with South Korea-based Samsung SDI plans to invest $3 billion to build a new battery cell manufacturing plant.
General Motors will see three models that qualify for the full $7,500 in credit and this will lead to a higher demand for GM EVs this year. It aims to produce 1 million vehicles by 2025 and this number might look ambitious but the company does have a lot laid out. It has a solid balance sheet to support this goal and $24 billion in cash on hand.
On the date of publication, Vandita Jadeja did not hold (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.
