The stock market has stayed resilient (and quite hot) in the first two weeks of the second half. Still, there may be a bit of unease from certain market strategists and other pundits, many of whom doubt the market rally can last the year without a substantial pullback. Indeed, whenever you hear about a big-name analyst or strategist who’s calling for pain, it can be tempting to look through your portfolio in search of stocks to sell.
When it comes to big names on Wall Street, it doesn’t get much bigger than Mike Wilson, chief market strategist at Morgan Stanley. In the second half, Wilson sees a “highly likely” chance that the market are hit with a “10% correction.” Indeed, Wilson has been a notable skeptic and bear in recent years, and his track record (especially lately) is not flawless.
Though Wilson could be proven wrong as AI fuels the market run, it’s never terrible to have your seatbelt buckled for any such market bumps. Here are three that may get creamed if Wilson’s correction projections come true:
Nvidia (NVDA)
Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) is one of those once-in-a-generation companies that will go down in the record books. It’s a GPU pioneer with some of the best talent in the world and one of the biggest opportunities to cash in on the AI boom at the very top of the stream.
Though I don’t doubt Nvidia’s abilities to deliver several more blowout quarter earnings on the back of heated AI chip demand, I just don’t see NVDA stock walking away unscathed if the markets were to be slapped with a correction at some point this year.
Given the company’s explosive rally, any slight bit of market turbulence could be felt as an earthquake by NVDA stock. For opportunistic dip-buyers with a long-term view, such a selloff in the GPU maker would probably be a gift, especially if AI accelerator demand stays hot or gets even hotter.
With a history of rebounding very fast from its dips, though, the window to buy on weakness could come and go in a flash.
Tesla (TSLA)
Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) is another Magnificent Seven company that’s likely to be a magnificent long-term buy should any market-wide sell-off (likely led by tech) come to fruition later this year. Indeed, TSLA stock has been under pressure for many quarters before its latest spike. This makes the 34% past-month pop seem somewhat more palatable.
With such overbought conditions on the name, one can’t help but think getting into Tesla after a euphoric surge is like chasing some meme stock. Indeed, momentum tends to draw in crowds hunting down fast gains and the thrill of spinning the roulette table.
With UBS recently downgrading TSLA stock to a “Sell” over valuation concerns, perhaps Tesla is a stock to sell before excess euphoria turns and has a chance to reverse course.
Tesla is a fantastic company with unique growth drivers that could power long-term gains. But there will be better entry points in the future that won’t require you to “chase” after a sizeable spike.
Super Micro Computer (SMCI)
Super Micro Computer (NASDAQ:SMCI) is a great data center company with a management team that knows how to move rapidly in a fast-paced environment. As a top AI infrastructure stock to play the data center boom, it’s tempting to hold SMCI stock in spite of any potential pick-up in volatility.
At less than 25x forward P/E, shares of SMCI aren’t remotely rich. They look incredibly cheap and worth buying while off more than 21% from highs. That said, it’s not hard to imagine many investors out there who will be easily startled by the thought of Super Micro coming up a tad short of expectations in a future quarter.
If a stock can rise 200% in a year, as SMCI has, you can bet that it can also fall 66% in a similar, if not more concise, timeframe. Though I’m a believer in the company, the stock seems overextended and vulnerable to amplified downside should tech and the rest of the market be in for a pre-election correction.
On the date of publication, Joey Frenette did not hold (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.
On the date of publication, the responsible editor did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article.