We recently compiled a list of the 8 Best Bargain Stocks To Buy in October. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Schlumberger Limited (NYSE:SLB) stands against the other bargain stocks.

The Aftermath of an Easing Cycle

September has historically been sluggish for stocks. However, with an easing cycle and an upcoming election in store, the results this year may be untypical. On September 26, Tom Lee, Fundstrat Global Advisors managing partner and head of research, appeared in an interview on CNBC to discuss the market outlook ahead of the easing cycle.

Lee suggests that an easing cycle indefinitely improves the performance of markets, especially from a historical standpoint, hinting that with 40 days to the election, the market may change its course of action accordingly. While stocks reposition themselves positively after an easing cycle, the markets may see delays, especially because investors are more likely to wait until after the results are out.

Lee added that rallies in November and December will be significantly high, especially when markets have been up more than 10% in the first half of the fiscal year 2024. While the economy is not officially in a recession, the number of investors and analysts who believe the economy is going down is immense. Therefore, to get investors on the move evidence has to be better than expected.

What do the Elections Mean for Markets?

The 50 basis point cut may have redeemed positive results for the market. On September 28, Matt Powers, Powers Advisory Group managing partner, appeared in an interview on Yahoo Finance to discuss the plausible sectors to target as elections approach.

Powers shared that inflation numbers validated the 50 basis point cut, showing positive economic signs. However, he does reiterate that there will be some short-term volatility, especially in October.

According to him, investors must focus more on stocks in the defensive sectors, including utilities, consumer staples, and financials. Powers advises investors to spare some short-term equity but focus on long-term and medium-term results. Overall, he believes that the market is more balanced and a reallocation to the dividend stocks and dividend ETFs is highly probable.

Now that we have studied the aftermath of the easing cycle and the market outlook before an impending election, let’s take a look at the 8 best bargain stocks to buy in October according to analysts.

Our Methodology 

To come up with the best bargain stocks in October, we used the Finviz screener to find stocks trading at a forward P/E of less than 20. We sorted our screen by market cap and went through the 30 biggest stocks. We then shortlisted the stocks that were the most popular among hedge funds, as of Q2 2024, and that analysts saw the most upside to. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of analysts’ upside potential.

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).

Schlumberger Limited (NYSE:SLB)

Forward P/E as of September 28, 2024: 12.09

Analyst Upside Potential as of September 28, 2024: 53%

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 67

Schlumberger Limited (NYSE:SLB) is a technology company in the energy sector. It provides a range of solutions to aid the exploration and development of oil and gas. It has operations across 120 countries.

The company is committed to fueling innovation across the industry, reaching net-zero targets, and creating a balanced planet. For the past 80 years, the company has been supporting the delivery of sustainable energy in Africa. In addition to that, Schlumberger Limited (NYSE:SLB) makes up 80% of the world’s geothermal projects. As of today, the company has over 13,000 active patents and more than 65 research and development centers.

Schlumberger Limited (NYSE:SLB) is one of the best bargain stocks to buy and we say that because of its solid partnerships with large entities. On September 19, the company collaborated with NVIDIA to make AI solutions for companies in the energy sector across the lines of exploration, operations, and data management. In addition to that, on September 18, the company partnered with Aramco to prevent greenhouse gas emissions in the industrial sector.

Schlumberger Limited (NYSE:SLB) is not only trading at a bargain but it is also set to benefit from the technology and AI wave. At the moment, the company is advancing in the production of robotic inspections and innovative energy systems.

Overall SLB ranks 1st among the 8 best bargain stocks to buy in October. While we acknowledge the potential of SLB 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 time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than SLB 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.