Investors looking for big gains while also resting easy at night can look at these stocks, Goldman Sachs says. Wall Street is wrapping up the first half of 2023 with a big win for tech stocks. While the market rally stalled somewhat last week, the Nasdaq Composite remains higher by 28% in 2023, while the S & P 500 has notched a 13% gain. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is higher by nearly 2%. At the same time, volatility has fallen to levels from before the pandemic. The Cboe Volatility Index , often referred to by investors as Wall Street’s “fear gauge,” is hovering around 13 after spiking to 27 this year around the time of the regional banking crisis. Still, investors seeking to ready their portfolios for further volatility ahead could search for risk-adjusted returns using the Sharpe ratio. The Sharpe ratio looks at what the return of an asset is relative to its volatility. In other words, Goldman proposes these stocks will give the biggest returns while allowing you to sleep easier at night. Goldman Sachs revisited its High Sharpe Ratio basket, adding 39 new stocks, and retaining 11 holdings. It found the median stock in the rebalanced basket has underperformed this year, dropping 9% year to date, while the typical S & P 500 stock gained 3%. “However, looking forward, the median constituent is expected to generate nearly 3x the return of the median S & P 500 stock during the next 12 months (32% vs. 11%) with a similar level of implied volatility (28 vs. 25),” David Kostin, the bank’s chief U.S. equity strategist, wrote Friday. “As a result, based on consensus targets, the basket is projected to generate a significantly higher risk-adjusted return than the S & P 500 (1.2 vs. 0.5).” To be sure, the basket does not contain any of the seven mega-cap tech stocks. Goldman said that poses a risk should the narrow market rally continue. Here are some of the stocks making up the basket, which was rebalanced as of Friday. Newell Brands is a new addition on the list. The consumer goods company behind Rubbermaid and Yankee Candle is down 38% year to date, yet it has 74% upside to its consensus price target. Disney remains a holding in the High Sharpe Ratio basket. It’s only eked out a 2% gain in 2023, but it could rise 33% from here. On Monday, Loop Capital maintained its buy rating on the stock, though it slightly trimmed its price target, saying it “arguably has the best IP in the media business” and “appears to be one of the long-term winners in the streaming business.” It’s also trading at a discount to the market, the firm said. Cisco is a new addition. The communications technology firm has 9% upside to its consensus price target. On Monday, Bank of America said it maintains its buy rating on the stock, saying it has a “solid portfolio.” — CNBC’s Michael Bloom contributed to this report.
