Megacap stocks dominate their sectors and their actions influence economies worldwide. The flip side though is that their sheer size means they have less room for explosive growth as scale works against them.
Sound complicated? With StockStory, it doesn’t have to be. Our job is to find you high-quality companies that can win regardless of the conditions. Keeping that in mind, here are two industry titans whose competitive advantages create flywheel effects and one whose momentum may slow.
Market Cap: $195.4 billion
With its iconic yellow machinery working on construction sites, Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) manufactures construction equipment like bulldozers, excavators, and parts and maintenance services.
Why Are We Cautious About CAT?
Core business is underperforming as its organic revenue has disappointed over the past two years, suggesting it might need acquisitions to stimulate growth
Demand will likely be soft over the next 12 months as Wall Street’s estimates imply tepid growth of 4.4%
Earnings growth underperformed the sector average over the last two years as its EPS grew by just 2.7% annually
At $417.31 per share, Caterpillar trades at 21x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why CAT doesn’t pass our bar.
Market Cap: $2.38 trillion
Started by Stanford students Larry Page and Sergey Brin in a Menlo Park garage, Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) is the parent company of the eponymous Google Search engine, Google Cloud Platform, and YouTube.
Why Are We Backing GOOGL?
Alphabet’s dominant Google Search sits on the pantheon of the best businesses ever. This is reflected in its robust long-term revenue growth and elite operating margin.
The company’s profit margins have become even higher over time, speaking to its scale advantages and operating efficiency not only in its core Search business but also in Google Cloud Platform and YouTube.
Revenue growth and increasing operating margins are the key ingredients for strong EPS growth. Google has these, and when also factoring in its share repurchases, you can see why EPS has exploded over the long term.
Alphabet’s stock price of $201.24 implies a valuation ratio of 20.5x forward price-to-earnings. Is now the time to initiate a position? Find out in our full research report, it’s free.
Market Cap: $222 billion
With over 100 million people served across its various businesses and a workforce of more than 400,000, UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) operates a health insurance business and Optum, a healthcare services division that provides everything from pharmacy benefits to primary care.
