Top insider stock picks for 2025: NKE, FDX, OXY – Magic Post

The new year has just begun, meaning investors need to start off on the right foot during the first quarter so that they can spend the rest of the year as an open field to take on more positions and ideas, not only trusting but the financial space they would have created for themselves after the shake-up at the start of the year. To do this, investors must align themselves with what some Wall Street firms are doing right now.

This is where today’s list is Insider buying activity That comes into play, as investors can reverse-engineer the reasons behind why these big companies are buying stock and, if justified enough, get some of it for themselves. This could ensure that their portfolios start the new year strong, leaving plenty of room to maintain momentum for the rest of the year.

Stocks like Nike company New York Stock Exchange: OF, FedEx company New York Stock Exchange: FDXAnd even Occidental Petroleum Company New York Stock Exchange: Oxy All of them have caught the attention of institutional buyers and investors recently. Wall Street analysts appear to agree with the fundamental stories behind these companies, which are strong enough to warrant a double-digit rise in the coming months.

Nike shares decline: a rare opportunity

It’s not often that a blue-chip stock like Nike trades at such low levels, even if the stock is in the highly cyclical consumer discretionary sector. After a few controversial quarters, which showed some weakness in its Chinese subsidiaries, Nike shares sold off to a low of 68% from their 52-week high.

A slowdown in numbers abroad may have partly justified this discount. However, at this point, most market players can agree that it is greatly overdone. This school of thought is led by billionaire investor Bill Ackman, who has amassed a stake of… 3 million shares of Nike stock.

With a multi-million-dollar position, Ackman is betting that the company’s international exposure and brand recognition will not only help the stock get back on its feet and command a premium for its presence, but will also mitigate most — if not all — of the risks associated with a potential downturn. In economics.

Wall Street analysts, especially those from Robert W. Baird, decided to share the optimism on Nike stock as of December 2024. With an outperform rating on the stock, their new stock price target of $105 shows a net upside potential of 43.2% from where the stock is trading today.

Business, delivered by FedEx Stock

Although FedEx shares aren’t as big a discount as Nike, at 87% from their 52-week high, they still carry enough upside to attract recent insider buying activity. Those from State Street, who led the purchase, decided to accumulate up to $2.6 billion in FedEx stock, or a 3.8% ownership in the company.

Knowing that with the Federal Reserve lowering interest rates, business activity will likely start to pick up again. Among the many industries that could benefit from this transformation, the transportation sector is at the heart of most businesses and their needs when it comes to transportation. This is where the appeal of FedEx stock comes into play.

Wall Street analysts may agree with this theme, as JPMorgan Chase analysts decided to repeat their overweight rating on the stock, this time keeping its rating at $370. To prove the validity of these new targets, FedEx shares would have to see a 35% rise from today’s prices, which would justify the recent purchases made by these institutions.

Warren Buffett is back with OXY

Following the theme of increased business activity, investors should not be surprised to see renewed optimism around the energy sector. But this time, the confirmation couldn’t be stronger. Warren Buffett has decided to buy up to 29% of Occidental Petroleum shares, and these metrics will support his decision.

First, the stock is trading at a significant discount on a price-to-book (P/B) basis today. Compared to the average energy sector valuation of 3.6x, Occidental Petroleum’s stock multiple of 2.0x gives Buffett the kind of discount he’s known for pursuing and one that investors shouldn’t ignore today.

With the stock now 71% off its 52-week high, target prices are more valuable than ever; For example, Mizuho analysts now see a fair valuation for the stock at a high of $70 per share. This view would venture the stock is up as much as 38.6% from where it is trading today, another run for investors to record this year.

Before you consider FedEx, you’ll need to hear this.

MarketBeat tracks the highest-rated and best-performing research analysts on Wall Street and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches up… and FedEx wasn’t on the list.

While FedEx currently has a “Moderate Buy” rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.

View the five stocks here

MarketBeat analysts just released their top five short plays for January 2025. Find out which stocks have the highest short interest and how to trade them. Click on the link below to see which companies made the list.

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