We recently compiled a list of Jim Cramer’s 10 Stock Picks You Shouldn’t Miss. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Evergy Inc. (NYSE:EVRG) stands against Jim Cramer’s other top stock picks.
Jim Cramer reacted to Monday’s market by questioning if there’s any money left to invest and why mutual funds aren’t holding enough cash. The S&P 500 fell 17.77 points, or 0.3%, to 5,616.84. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 65.44 points, or 0.2% to 41,240.52. The Nasdaq composite fell 152.03 points, or 0.9%, to 17,725.76.
“What do we do if we’re out of money? Don’t mutual funds have enough cash? That’s my reaction to today’s market action. Right now, mutual funds know they have to pivot out of consistent growth stocks, especially tech stocks like software and semiconductors, which don’t benefit from rate cuts. They need to swap into companies that can supercharge their earnings as the Fed lowers rates. We all recognize that cyclical stocks, the ones that benefit from lower rates, can go higher, maybe much higher.”
Cramer pointed out that mutual funds now need to shift away from consistent growth stocks, particularly in tech sectors like software and semiconductors, which don’t benefit from interest rate cuts. Instead, they should move towards companies that can boost their earnings as the Federal Reserve reduces rates.
“What’s painful for many of you are the declines in stocks of companies with consistent earnings. These companies, especially tech firms, don’t really need lower rates, and they’re selling off as money managers raise capital to rotate into the rate-cut winners.
So, why don’t we go over the winners and talk about the losers? The rate-cut winners are divided into two camps: stocks with high dividend yields and cyclical companies with earnings that should go higher because lower rates will bolster various industries, especially housing.”
Cramer explained that cyclical stocks, which tend to perform better with lower rates, are likely to rise, possibly significantly. However, the decline in stocks of companies with stable earnings, especially in tech, is troubling for many investors. These stocks are being sold off as money managers raise capital to invest in those poised to benefit from rate cuts.
Cramer emphasized that it’s important to understand who the winners and losers are in this situation. The winners include two groups: high-dividend-yield stocks and cyclical companies expected to see earnings growth from lower rates, particularly in the housing sector.
Cramer noted that housing stocks, which had seen significant gains, were down on Monday because hedge funds and mutual funds had bought heavily before the Federal Reserve’s Jackson Hole meeting. While mutual funds are holding on, hedge funds are cashing in their profits, as these stocks had sharp increases before the event. For traders, taking profits after such a successful trade is standard practice.
“Let’s start with the most direct beneficiaries: housing. These stocks were all down today because hedge funds and mutual funds bought them aggressively ahead of Friday’s Jackson Hole verdict. Mutual funds are staying long, but hedge funds are ringing the register furiously because they’ve made so much money. Housing stocks had parabolic moves going into the Fed’s Jackson Hole conference, so now these portfolio managers are just taking profits. That’s what you’re supposed to do with a successful trade if you’re a trader.
Remember, these guys are traders, not investors. So, the housing trade is over, but what about the housing investment? I believe Toll Brothers, which just reported a stellar quarter last week, can go higher, maybe much higher. But this reversal is going to constrain the stock because people do not like the technical trends we just saw. We’ve seen multiple long-term reversals after these kinds of moves, and they rarely turn out to be buyable, even though in theory, this should be a great moment for the stock of all the homebuilders.”
Cramer believes that while the housing trade may be over for traders, the housing investment story isn’t finished. He also warned that the recent reversal in housing stocks could limit their potential, as investors are wary of the technical trends.
“It doesn’t matter, though. This kind of reversal I’m talking about can be hideous. Some of these stocks are very close to their highs, and I don’t like that.”
Cramer cautioned that these kinds of reversals can be severe and might discourage new buyers. He reminded everyone that by the time the Federal Reserve signals a clear path forward, it might be too late to buy the most obvious rate-cut winners. According to Cramer, it’s better to wait for these stocks to pull back and recharge before making a move.
“Those who have them can hold on, but they flew too close to the sun to attract new buyers. Remember, I’ve said all along that by the time the Fed gives the all-clear, it may be too late to buy the most obvious rate-cut winners. You have to let them recharge, let them come down, and then you can pull the trigger.”
Our Methodology
In this article, we analyzed a recent episode of Jim Cramer’s Mad Money and picked the ten notable stocks he mentioned. We also explore what hedge funds think about these stocks and rank them based on how many hedge funds own them, from the fewest to the most.
At Insider Monkey we are obsessed with 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).
A power line stretching across a sunbathed landscape with rural homes in the foreground.
Evergy Inc. (NYSE:EVRG)
Number of Hedge Fund Investors: 36
Evergy Inc. (NYSE:EVRG) is a leading energy company committed to providing reliable and sustainable power solutions. The recent passage of House Bill 2527 in Kansas sets up a competitive framework for electric infrastructure, helping to address regulatory delays and promote economic development. This legislative support signals a positive environment for Evergy Inc. (NYSE:EVRG).
In Missouri, Evergy Inc. (NYSE:EVRG) will likely benefit from lower fuel and power costs, which should lower customer rates and strengthen its market position through favorable rate changes and regulatory collaboration. Additionally, Evergy Inc. (NYSE:EVRG)’s focus on affordability, reliability, and sustainability enhances its growth potential. Evergy Inc. (NYSE:EVRG)’s efforts to keep rates competitive and its significant reduction in carbon emissions by 53% since 2005 showcase its commitment to long-term value and environmental responsibility.
Jim Cramer suggests Evergy Inc. (NYSE:EVRG) as a top utility stock to consider. While Dominion Energy has the highest yield among S&P 500 utilities, Cramer has concerns about its dividend. Instead, Evergy Inc. (NYSE:EVRG), which has a 4.34% yield, is recommended due to its promising future.
“Let’s look at a utility stock that can serve as a safety net if the Fed’s rate cuts fail to boost the economy. Even if the economy improves, utilities are set to benefit from the insane demand for electricity driven by the construction of data centers for AI workloads. Many high-quality utilities have yields that aren’t quite high enough to make this list, but we want stocks with yields higher than the 10-year Treasury.
Dominion Energy (NYSE:D) has the highest yield among utilities in the S&P 500, but I’m not confident in their dividend due to some ongoing issues. Instead, I recommend Evergy, the second-highest yielding utility in the S&P 500, with a 4.34% yield. Evergy, based in Kansas City, was formed by the merger of Great Plains Energy and Westar Energy in 2018. Although the stock has mostly traded sideways since the merger, there’s a new angle to the story that hasn’t yet been reflected in the stock price.
Evergy’s service area has announced three major projects that will eventually consume massive amounts of electricity: a $4 billion electric vehicle battery plant from Panasonic, the largest in the world when fully operational in 2026; an $800 million data center from Meta, expected to be fully online by 2027; and a billion-dollar data center from Google, expected to be online by 2028. Combined, these projects represent a staggering 750 megawatts of load. This is exactly what you want to see in a utility stock—a solid yield and potential for load growth.”
Artisan Value Income Fund stated the following regarding Evergy, Inc. (NASDAQ:EVRG) in its first quarter 2024 investor letter:
“In Q1, we added two utilities to the portfolio: Alliant Energy and Evergy, Inc. (NASDAQ:EVRG). Evergy serves more than 1.7 million customers in Kansas and Missouri. In addition to the aforementioned dynamics weighing on utilities share prices, Evergy had two key rate cases in 2023, one in Kansas and the other in Missouri, that presented risk for investors. The Missouri case went better than expected, but the returns allowed by the Kansas regulator were punishingly low. Though Evergy operates in a subpar regulatory environment, the utility is a good operator, with strong customer satisfaction scores, below-average capex needs and a clean balance sheet. The regulatory environment may improve at some point, but even if it does not, Evergy trades for just 13X 2024 earnings, which is below average relative to its history and peers— and pays a dividend yielding 4.7%.”
Overall EVRG ranks 8th on our list of Jim Cramer’s top stock picks. While we acknowledge the potential of EVRG as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that under the radar 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 EVRG but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
READ NEXT: $30 Trillion Opportunity: 15 Best Humanoid Robot Stocks to Buy According to Morgan Stanley and Jim Cramer Says NVIDIA ‘Has Become A Wasteland’.
Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.