6 Stocks To Consider Buying Before Year-End

January Effect and Seasonal Trends - The January Effect, a seasonal trend where stocks, especially small-cap equities, tend to outperform, is approaching [1] - The S&P 500 Small-Cap Stock Index (SML) underperformed the S&P 500 Large-Cap Index (SPX) by -2.49% in December, making it an opportune time to invest in stocks poised for a January rally [2] - Stocks like Intel (INTC), Etsy (ETSY), and MarineMax (HZO) are highlighted as potential beneficiaries of the January Effect due to their recent pullbacks [2][5] Top Stocks to Consider - Six stocks recommended by industry experts for potential January rallies: Intel (INTC), Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA), Etsy (ETSY), Boot Barn Holdings (BOOT), Photronics (PLAB), and MarineMax (HZO) [4] - Intel (INTC) is down 58% in 2024, making it a contrarian play, while Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) is down 57% but saw a stock price surge on Dec 10 due to acquisition talks [5][6] - Etsy (ETSY) is down 34% over the past three years but up 14% over the past three months, with its marketplace thriving post-holiday [7][8] - Boot Barn Holdings (BOOT) has a year-to-date return of 93.97%, driven by its lifestyle branding [9] - Photronics (PLAB) is down 15.52% year-to-date but up 13.59% over the past three months, positioned at the heart of the semiconductor supply chain [10][11] - MarineMax (HZO) has a negative total return of 17.58% year-to-date but is up 9.08% over the past month, dominating the recreational boating market [11][12] Small-Cap and Mid-Cap Opportunities - Small-cap stocks, typically with market capitalizations of $250 million to$2 billion, are not the only equities worth considering, as mid-cap stocks like Etsy (ETSY) and Boot Barn Holdings (BOOT) also show potential [4][7][9] - Etsy (ETSY) is a mid-cap e-commerce marketplace operator with a market capitalization of $6.9 billion, showing signs of recovery from a slump [7][8] - Boot Barn Holdings (BOOT) has jumped 10.27% in the past month, driven by its lifestyle branding and resonance with country music trends [9] Semiconductor Industry Insights - Photronics (PLAB), a small-cap semiconductor equipment maker, is critical to the semiconductor supply chain, with global demand for semiconductors driving its potential growth [10][11] - Intel (INTC), despite being down 58% in 2024, remains a key player in the semiconductor industry, with potential for a rebound [5] Tax-Loss Harvesting and Stock Selection - Tax-loss harvesting in December, followed by repurchasing in January, may contribute to the January Effect by boosting stock prices [13] - Key financial metrics for selecting stocks with potential January rallies include year-to-date total return (down 40% or more), market capitalization, dividend payments, EPS growth (above 10%), return on equity (over 15%), and a debt-to-equity ratio below 1 [14][15] Online Brokers and Stock Screeners - Top online brokers like Fidelity Investments, Charles Schwab, and Interactive Brokers offer tools for tax-loss harvesting and stock screening [13][16] - Stock screeners like Trade Ideas, FINVIZ, and Zacks provide advanced filtering options for identifying stocks with potential January rallies [17]