Dj Progressive Corp. Stock Outperforms Competitors On Strong Trading Day

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – November 12, 2024 – Stocks in this week’s article are Sprouts Farmers Market Inc. SFM, Mission Produce Inc. AVO, Stride Inc. LRN and The Progressive Corp. PGR.

Buy 4 Low-Beta Stocks to Beat Market Volatility

While U.S. markets have gained from investor optimism following the election, the lack of substantial fiscal support from China has disappointed investors. This could limit global economic growth, affecting U.S. companies with international exposure. Given the backdrop, constructing a portfolio of low-beta stocks may be prudent, as the market may witness volatility.

In this regard, stocks like Sprouts Farmers Market Inc., Mission Produce Inc., Stride Inc. and The Progressive Corp. are worth betting on.

What Does Beta of a Stock Measure?

Beta measures the volatility or risk of a particular asset compared to the market. In other words, beta measures the extent of a security’s price movement relative to the market. In this article, we are considering the S&P 500 as the market.

If a stock has a beta of 1, then the price of the stock will move with the market. So, the stock is more volatile than the market if its beta is more than 1. In the same way, the stock is not as volatile as the market if its beta is less than 1.

For example, if the market offers a return of 20%, a stock with a beta of 3 will return 60%, which is overwhelming. Similarly, when the market slips 20%, the stock will sink 60%, which is devastating.

Here are four among 16 stocks that qualified the screening:

Sprouts Farmers Market

Increasing customer engagement and solid comparable store sales are benefiting Sprouts Farmers Market. SFM is positioning itself for continued growth with plans to open 33 new stores in 2024 and a projected comparable store sales growth of 8% to 10% for the fourth quarter of 2024.

Mission Produce

As a global leader in the avocado industry, Mission Produce is well-positioned to capitalize on the growing consumer demand for healthy eating. Avocados, rich in more than 20 vitamins and minerals, offer significant health benefits for the heart, skin and weight management, making them an increasingly popular choice among health-conscious consumers.

Stride

Stride maintains a stable business model by revolutionizing the educational experiences of individuals through the utilization of innovative, high-quality and technology-enabled educational solutions.

The Progressive Corporation

In the domestic market, The Progressive Corporation is among the largest auto insurers. The company continues to bank on increasing average earned premiums per policy and is expected to witness earnings growth of 115.2% this year.

You can get the rest of the stocks on this list by signing up now for your 2-week free trial to the Research Wizard and start using this screen in your own trading. Further, you can also create your own strategies and test them first before taking the investment plunge.

The Research Wizard is a great place to begin. It's easy to use. Everything is in plain language. And it's very intuitive. Start your Research Wizard trial today. And the next time you read an economic report, open up the Research Wizard, plug your finds in, and see what gems come out.

Click here to sign up for a free trial to the Research Wizard today.

For the rest of this Screen of the Week article please visit Zacks.com at: https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2368428/buy-4-low-beta-stocks-sfm-avo-lrn-pgr-to-beat-market-volatility?art_rec=quote-stock_overview-zacks_news-ID02-txt-2368428

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Here are three stocks with buy ranks and strong growth characteristics for investors to consider today, November 12:

Interface, Inc. TILE: This modular carpet products company carries a Zacks Rank #1, and has witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 7% over the last 60 days.

Interface, Inc. Price and Consensus

Interface, Inc. price-consensus-chart | Interface, Inc. Quote

Interface has a PEG ratio of 1.22 compared with 1.31 for the industry. The company possesses a Growth Score of A.

Interface, Inc. PEG Ratio (TTM)

Interface, Inc. peg-ratio-ttm | Interface, Inc. Quote

The Progressive Corporation PGR: This insurance holding company carries a Zacks Rank #1, and has witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 5.8% over the last 60 days.

The Progressive Corporation Price and Consensus

The Progressive Corporation price-consensus-chart | The Progressive Corporation Quote

The Progressive Corporation has a PEG ratio of 0.72 compared with 1.39 for the industry. The company possesses a Growth Score of A.

The Progressive Corporation PEG Ratio (TTM)

The Progressive Corporation peg-ratio-ttm | The Progressive Corporation Quote

Vertiv Holdings Co VRT: This company that provides shipping containers and related services carries a Zacks Rank #1, and has witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 4.3% over the last 60 days.

Vertiv Holdings Co. Price and Consensus

Vertiv Holdings Co. price-consensus-chart | Vertiv Holdings Co. Quote

Vertiv Holdings has a PEG ratio of 1.36 compared with 13.52 for the industry. The company possesses a Growth Score of A.

Vertiv Holdings Co. PEG Ratio (TTM)

Vertiv Holdings Co. peg-ratio-ttm | Vertiv Holdings Co. Quote

See the full list of top ranked stocks here.

Learn more about the Growth score and how it is calculated here.

Zacks Investment Research

Key Takeaways

• These four stocks with low volatility risk are worth considering as markets gyrate in recent weeks.
• SFM, AVO, LRN and PGR shares all have a "low beta," meaning they are less volatile than many other stocks.
• Register now to see our 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days report - free today!

While U.S. markets have gained from investor optimism following the election, the lack of substantial fiscal support from China has disappointed investors. This could limit global economic growth, affecting U.S. companies with international exposure. Given the backdrop, constructing a portfolio of low-beta stocks may be prudent, as the market may witness volatility.

In this regard, stocks like Sprouts Farmers Market Inc. SFM, Mission Produce Inc. AVO, Stride Inc. LRN and The Progressive Corporation PGR are worth betting on.

What Does Beta of a Stock Measure?

Beta measures the volatility or risk of a particular asset compared to the market. In other words, beta measures the extent of a security’s price movement relative to the market. In this article, we are considering the S&P 500 as the market.

If a stock has a beta of 1, then the price of the stock will move with the market. So, the stock is more volatile than the market if its beta is more than 1. In the same way, the stock is not as volatile as the market if its beta is less than 1.

For example, if the market offers a return of 20%, a stock with a beta of 3 will return 60%, which is overwhelming. Similarly, when the market slips 20%, the stock will sink 60%, which is devastating.

Screening Criteria Using Research Wizard:

We have taken a beta between 0 and 0.6 as our prime criterion for screening stocks that are less volatile than the market. However, this should not be the only factor to be considered while selecting a winning strategy. We need to take into account other parameters that can add value to the portfolio.

Percentage Change in Price in the Last 4 Weeks Greater Than Zero: This ensures that the stocks saw positive price movement over the last month.

Average 20-Day Volume Greater Than 50,000: A substantial trading volume ensures that the stocks are easily tradable.

Price Greater Than or Equal to $5: They must all be trading at a minimum of $5 or higher.

Zacks Rank Equal to 1: Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks indicate that they will significantly outperform the broader U.S. equity market over the next one to three months. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Here are four among 16 stocks that qualified the screening:

Sprouts Farmers Market

Increasing customer engagement and solid comparable store sales are benefiting Sprouts Farmers Market. SFM is positioning itself for continued growth with plans to open 33 new stores in 2024 and a projected comparable store sales growth of 8% to 10% for the fourth quarter of 2024.

Mission Produce

As a global leader in the avocado industry, Mission Produce is well-positioned to capitalize on the growing consumer demand for healthy eating. Avocados, rich in more than 20 vitamins and minerals, offer significant health benefits for the heart, skin and weight management, making them an increasingly popular choice among health-conscious consumers.

Stride

Stride maintains a stable business model by revolutionizing the educational experiences of individuals through the utilization of innovative, high-quality and technology-enabled educational solutions.

The Progressive Corporation

In the domestic market, The Progressive Corporation is among the largest auto insurers. The company continues to bank on increasing average earned premiums per policy and is expected to witness earnings growth of 115.2% this year.

You can get the rest of the stocks on this list by signing up now for your 2-week free trial to the Research Wizard and start using this screen in your own trading. Further, you can also create your own strategies and test them first before taking the investment plunge.

The Research Wizard is a great place to begin. It's easy to use. Everything is in plain language. And it's very intuitive. Start your Research Wizard trial today. And the next time you read an economic report, open up the Research Wizard, plug your finds in, and see what gems come out.

Click here to sign up for a free trial to the Research Wizard today.

Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material.

Disclosure: Performance information for Zacks’ portfolios and strategies are available at: https://www.zacks.com/performance.

Zacks Investment Research