Last week alone, the S&P 500 hemorrhaged more than $1.737 trillion thanks to the coronavirus. Not to be outdone, the Dow Jones fell 3,142 points (10.84%) in just four days. All these losses have, understandably, caused investors to scramble for the nearest safe haven stocks.
Finding the right haven, however, is far more important than finding the quickest. When the market is in free-fall, too many investors throw their money at the usual suspects like gold or defense stocks. At best, that’ll keep your portfolio out of the storm.
But what about putting your portfolio up in a five-star hotel? What about using the storm of fear and confusion created by COVID-19 to treat your portfolio to something special?
Unlike the rest of the market, these safe haven stocks actually showed growth last week. And, more importantly, they’ll likely continue growing whether or not the coronavirus storm blows over. Why? Because they aren’t medical stocks.
According to a poll by Morning Consult, 69% of adults in the US are concerned about the economic impact of the epidemic. That means they won’t be rushing to the hospital, they’ll be staying indoors and reading about the markets on their phones.
So while major players like Apple, Nike, and Microsoft prepare investors for the worst—and as Goldman Sachs lowers its forecast of corporate profits for both 2020 and 2021—consider these stocks.
Safe Haven Stocks: Netflix
Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) falls into the category of “stay-at-home stocks” that see a boost during public health scares. Others, like Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ:ATVI) and Peleton, were included with Netflix on a list of companies that will rise amidst a broader sell-off compiled by MKM Partners.
NFLX shares jumped 5% between Tuesday and Wednesday last week. The stock will likely continue to climb as users reconsider canceling their subscriptions amidst reports of worldwide event cancelations.
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In addition, Netflix added 8.8 million new subscribers last quarter. This destroyed analyst expectations by more than a million, indicating that reports of NFLX’s demise due to competitors like Disney+ were greatly exaggerated.
Safe Haven Stocks: Zoom
Zoom Video Communications (NASDAQ:ZM) allows users to video conference with each other. It beats the better-known telecommunication service Skype by enabling more users to join in without downgrading the quality of the call.
Last week, Zoom jumped 16%, as conducting meetings from home is a bit safer than gathering publicly. Overall, the number of Zoom sessions per day grew by 17%. This caused Bernstein analyst Zane Chrane to raise his price target on ZM from $107.00 to $125.00.
But this isn’t a one-time jump. A relatively young stock that enjoyed a great IPO, Zoom has been rocketing despite a slight dip in December.
Safe Haven Stocks: Alibaba
Alibaba Group Holding (NYSE:BABA) might not seem like an obvious play during the coronavirus downturn. Like any Chinese company, it stands to lose the most from the xenophobic reactionism of the market. As expected, when the markets opened last Monday morning, BABA fell 4.5%.
But following that, the stock actually started showing modest gains. Also worth noting is that last month, after an initial COVID-19 scare brought the stock down, BABA almost immediately corrected. Some analysts are now predicting that the virus might actually be a good thing for the Chinese conglomerate.
Why? Well, Alibaba Group is still considered one of the best tech stocks on the market. Most likely, investors are seeing the weakened share price as a great opportunity to invest. This brings the price right back up.
Plus, Alibaba is an e-commerce site, meaning it benefits from the same stay-at-home boost that Netflix does. As China moves more and more towards a digital economy, it’s fair to expect big things from the company already being touted as “the Amazon of China.”
Featured image: DepositPhotos © Feverpitch
