The stock market is having a great 2023. And what better way to start off 2024 right than to secure your portfolio with some promising end-of-year stock choices. The S&P 500 is up 21% this year, though that’s mostly on the backs of the so-called Magnificent 7 stocks. Combined, those stocks are up around 70% year-to-date. Eliminate them and the popular index is only 6% higher for the year.
Despite the lopsided returns, there are plenty of must-buy stocks to pick up now to close out the trading year. Even amongst the Mag 7 there are stocks worth buying although their valuations rocketed this year. With that in mind what follows are end-of-year stock choices that you can buy now to round out a successful 2023.
Amazon (AMZN)
Right out of the gate I’ll point to Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) as a must-buy stock for year-end investing. The e-commerce giant wasn’t the best-performing Magnificent 7 stock, but with shares up 75% with two weeks to go in 2023, it’s doing pretty well.
There are three distinct reasons to add Amazon to your portfolio, e-commerce, cloud computing and digital advertising. These, of course, are the core of Amazon’s business and the juggernaut will keep them expanding even if some are growing at a slower rate.
That was the reason Amazon’s stock got cut in half in 2022. Fears that slowing online sales would cause the business to fall apart had investors fleeing the stock. What they ended up discovering was artificial intelligence actually made the e-commerce business more relevant than ever. Amazon just deployed AI tools for third-party sellers to help them write better, more engaging product descriptions. Marketers also will be able to use the tools to create better, more effective ads.
That brings up the advertising component. Digital ads are growing again after advertisers reined in spending. Amazon reported ad revenue was up 25% in the third quarter year-over-year. Look for it to grow this segment even more over the coming years.
Cloud services are also a growing operation, though more slowly than in the past. It still commands the largest share of the market and it added AI tools for cloud customers too. It all means there is lots more growth in store.
Costco (COST)
Warehouse club leader Costco (NASDAQ:COST) needs to be on your end-of-year shopping list. The economy is acting a lot like the S&P 500 index. It gives off signs of broad-based growth, but really we’re experiencing just pockets of excellence.
Consumers are growing increasingly defensive about their spending. No longer flush with cash from stimulus checks, they’re focused on making every purchase count. That means they’re primarily buying everyday essentials, which is where Costco excels. It makes bulk-buying of basic goods a smart, money-saving strategy and customers are responding.
Comparable store sales grew 11.2% globally in Q1 2024, though were softer in the U.S., up just 2%. Yet the retailer saw more customer traffic even as they made smaller purchases. Because Costco operates on high volume, low margin purchases this worked to the retailer’s advantage. Profits soared 16% year over year.
That could happen again next year too. Costco hasn’t increased its membership fees in quite a few years and says it’s not merely a matter of if it does so again, but rather when. 2024 seems the logical choice because it would be in line with its historical trend and the increased fees will go right to Costco’s bottom line.
Since Costco members are insanely loyal to the retailer it won’t have to worry about losing many because membership is becoming too expensive. Even better, Costco recently entered China, the biggest consumer market. It only has five stores there now suggesting it has a massive opportunity that investors should capitalize on by buying in now.
Coca-Cola (KO)
Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) remains one of the top 10 brands globally and is the most valuable food and beverage company in the world. Marketing analysts at Interbrand peg Coke’s value north of $58 billion, up 1% from 2022. Although its value suffered over the past decade as consumer preferences have changed around soda, that it’s able to maintain its status indicates just how powerful the brand is.
And Coke is changing with the times too. It is adding more health minded beverages to its lineup, including juice, dairy, tea, water and more. It resonates with consumers, too, as organic sales grew 11% and earnings per share were up 9%. That’s one of the reasons Warren Buffett bought the stock decades ago and never sold. It’s a cash-generating machine.
That also makes Coca-Cola a reliable dividend stock. It has paid a dividend every quarter since 1920 and raised the payout every year since 1963. That 60-year track record put Coke into the elite group of dividend kings, or companies that annually hike their payout for 50 years or more. Few companies have as long of a history of raising their dividend as Coca-Cola, which currently yields 3% annually.
Coca-Cola shares are down 6% in 2023 making the iconic brand one of the best ideal end-of-year stock choices.
On the date of publication, Rich Duprey held a LONG position in KO stock. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.
