Be greedy in a fear-filled September by buying 15 stocks that have outperformed lately

US cash with stock graph
US stocks have a promising setup despite a rocky start to September.
  • As expected, the S&P 500 has struggled in September so far.
  • But while US stocks may be overextended, there's reason to believe they'll bounce back.
  • Here are 15 stocks on a large-cap list that has outperformed recently and since 2008.

The most predictable market pullback of the year is underway.

US stocks are getting hit hard in September, as they have in each of the past four years. The S&P 500 has fallen in each of the first three days of the month, like it did in August. However, it's only down 2.6% this time, which is much milder than August's startling 6.1% three-day selloff.

BMO Septembers

Large single-day declines have been rare this year, as the S&P 500 has only slipped by 2% or more in three sessions in 2024, according to BMO Capital Markets. But the firm's strategists say a pullback shouldn't be surprising.

In a typical year, stocks have historically fallen by 10%, BMO noted, and they only receded 8.5% from their peak last month. That suggests the market may be overdue for a drawdown.

"We never like when investors lose money, but at the same time, we are not totally surprised by the latest weakness given the lack of a meaningful pullback YTD," wrote Brian Belski, the chief investment strategist at BMO, in a September 4 note.

Despite seasonal weakness, the bull market has legs

Although history seems to be against US stocks — based on both their recent September showings and their tendency to suffer a 10% correction — that's not the full story.

When the S&P 500 rises as much as it has this year through eight months, it has built on its gains in the last third of the year without exception, according to BMO data since 1990. The market has lost ground in September in two of those four scenarios, so a loss this month wouldn't be unprecedented, though it isn't guaranteed either.

BMO last third performance

Besides, bull markets usually last at least five years, and Belski noted that this long-term uptrend isn't even in its third year. Returns in the middle of a bull market tend to be softer, but BMO is still optimistic about the S&P 500's chances to build on its year-to-date gains.

BMO bull market length

"We continue to view periods of weakness as dip-buying opportunities," Belski wrote.

BMO bull market third year

15 stocks to buy for continued gains

Investors who follow BMO's advice should consider the 15 stocks on the firm's US large-cap list, which beat the S&P 500 by 2.2% last month and has topped the index by over 2% in 2024. The list also has a strong track record, as it has trounced the broader market since 2008.

BMO large-cap list track record

Below are those 15 companies listed alphabetically, along with the ticker, market capitalization, price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio, and sector for each.

1. AbbVie
1. AbbVie

Ticker: ABBV

Market cap: $339.5B

P/E ratio: 64.5x

Sector: Healthcare

2. Alphabet
2. Alphabet

Ticker: GOOGL

Market cap: $1,940B

P/E ratio: 22.6x

Sector: Technology

3. Amazon
3. Amazon

Ticker: AMZN

Market cap: $1,870B

P/E ratio: 42.6x

Sector: Consumer Discretionary

4. AvalonBay Communities
4. AvalonBay Communities

Ticker: AVB

Market cap: $32.2B

P/E ratio: 38.3x

Sector: Real Estate

5. Avery Dennison
5. Avery Dennison

Ticker: AVY

Market cap: $17.6B

P/E ratio: 28.1x

Sector: Consumer Discretionary

6. Constellation Brands
6. Constellation Brands

Ticker: STZ

Market cap: $45.2B

P/E ratio: 18.5x

Sector: Consumer Staples

7. Costco
7. Costco

Ticker: COST

Market cap: $392.8B

P/E ratio: 54.9x

Sector: Consumer Staples

8. Eli Lilly
8. Eli Lilly

Ticker: LLY

Market cap: $867.6B

P/E ratio: 112.4x

Sector: Healthcare

9. Microsoft
9. Microsoft

Ticker: MSFT

Market cap: $3,040B

P/E ratio: 34.6x

Sector: Technology

10. Netflix
10. Netflix

Ticker: NFLX

Market cap: $293.4B

P/E ratio: 42.7x

Sector: Communication Services

11. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals
11. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals

Ticker: REGN

Market cap: $126.8B

P/E ratio: 30.5x

Sector: Healthcare

12. Schlumberger
12. Schlumberger

Ticker: SLB

Market cap: $58.5B

P/E ratio: 13.5x

Sector: Energy

13. TJX Companies
13. TJX Companies

Ticker: TJX

Market cap: $133.1B

P/E ratio: 28.5x

Sector: Consumer Discretionary

14. Union Pacific
14. Union Pacific

Ticker: UNP

Market cap: $153.2B

P/E ratio: 23.6x

Sector: Industrials

15. Walmart
15. Walmart

Ticker: WMT

Market cap: $618.6B

P/E ratio: 40x

Sector: Consumer Staples

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