We recently compiled a list of the 9 Best Gun Stocks to Buy Now. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Vista Outdoor Inc. (NYSE:VSTO) stands against the other gun stocks.

Gun Culture in the United States

Civilians can own guns in over 175 countries of the world, albeit with laws and regulations restricting certain firearms. Ten of these countries had enshrined the right to own and bear arms in their constitution at some point in their history. Four still do – the United States, Mexico, Haiti, and Guatemala.

The most notable of these four is the United States. The country has the highest gun ownership in the world, with an estimated 393 million firearms owned by civilians, which translates to 120.5 guns per 100 people in the country, as we mentioned in the article 25 Countries with Highest Gun Ownership in 2024. The number of firearms in the United States outnumbers the country’s overall population. Moreover, despite Americans representing only 5% of the world’s population, the country is home to 40% of the world’s civilian-owned firearms.

The nation has a deep connection to guns, dating back to its earliest days. While there is mixed opinion over the right to own a gun and the laws that regulate its use in modern times, most gun owners consider the weapon an integral part of their freedom. The demand for weapons continues to remain on the higher side, which has given rise to a thriving firearms industry that employs thousands of Americans and generates billions of dollars in tax revenue for the government every year.

Gun and Ammunition Industry

America’s gun market is a significant contributor to the country’s economy. In 2023, the sector was responsible for over $90 billion of all economic output in the United States, according to The Firearm Trade Industry Association. This figure was 12% higher compared to 2022 when the economic activity from guns was valued at $80.7 billion. The industry in recent years has witnessed extraordinary growth, as more Americans choose to exercise their right to own guns, with 4.3 million citizens becoming new gun owners last year alone.

The report further mentioned that the market has created hundreds of thousands of jobs in the United States, directly in the guns and ammunition industry and indirectly in the ancillary and supplier industries. As of last year, 384,437 jobs in the country were tied to the sector, earning nearly $26 billion in combined wages. As a result, companies in the industry and their employees pay over $10 billion in taxes each year to federal and state governments.

Gun sales are soaring in 2024 as well. According to the FBI, an estimated 5.5 million new guns were bought during the first four months of the year. California, Florida, and Texas contributed 22% of all guns purchased during this period. SafeHome.org, a security and safety website, believes the upcoming 2024 presidential election in the US is a factor driving up gun sales in the country with varying opinions on strict gun laws among candidates running for the White House.

Gun stocks surged in July this year after the assassination attempt on presidential candidate, Donald Trump, which increased expectations of his victory. Trump has vowed to protect gun rights and oppose any firearm limits if he is elected this November. The assassination attempt was not the first instance of gun stocks spiking after a security crisis, mass shooting, or civil unrest. The demand for guns and ammunition has seen an uptick every time there has been a law and order incident or a fear that their availability will be limited through strict gun laws.

Methodology

We scanned Insider Monkey’s database of 912 hedge funds for the second quarter of 2024 to identify gun and ammunition manufacturing companies. From that list, we picked 9 gun companies with the highest number of hedge funds having stakes in them. The best gun stocks to buy now are ranked in ascending order of hedge fund holders in each company. In the case where two or more stocks were tied on the number of hedge fund holders, we outranked one over the other on market capitalization.

Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

Vista Outdoor Inc. (NYSE:VSTO)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 36

Vista Outdoor Inc. (NYSE:VSTO) manufactures and markets sporting and outdoor products through more than three dozen brands under two operating segments: Revelyst and The Kinetic Group. It is one of the best gun stocks to buy now with 36 hedge funds holding stakes in the company at the end of Q2 2024, as per Insider Monkey’s database.

The first-quarter earnings call for FY25 revealed mixed results for Vista Outdoor Inc. (NYSE:VSTO), as overall sales declined 7.1% year-over-year to $644.2 million, while EPS also dipped 6.5% to $1.01 per share. Revenue at The Kinetic Group was reported at $370 million, whereas Revelyst generated $274 million in total revenue. The company faced challenges with the supply chain, timings of new product launches, and increased input costs of essential manufacturing materials.

That said, there are still enough reasons to be bullish on Vista Outdoor Inc. (NYSE:VSTO). The GEAR Up program at Revelyst has already saved $5 million this year, which has put the company on the path to meet the targeted savings of between $25-30 million during FY25. Moreover, its products continue to be recognized. The United States military announced a $3.6 million contract for Vista’s 7.62×51 Long Range ammunition this year. The company’s share price surged by 34.83% so far this year, amid rising bid offers for its acquisition. The stock has a Buy rating, with a share price target of $41.25, representing an upside of 3.46% from its current trading value.

Overall VSTO ranks 3rd among the best gun stocks to buy now. While we acknowledge the potential of VSTO as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than VSTO but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.