Insider Monkey·2026-01-21 19:50Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the growing interest in cheap stocks as investors seek to avoid high valuations in equity markets, highlighting a shift towards value stocks that have underperformed in recent years and are showing signs of recovery [1]. Group 1: Market Trends - The iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF increased by 3.9% in the fourth quarter, while the iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF gained only 2.3%, indicating a renewed focus on value stocks [2]. - The S&P 500 is expected to continue its double-digit rallies, but future gains may be more challenging, with a potential shift towards value stocks as the Federal Reserve may cut interest rates [2]. - Dennis DeBusschere, chief market strategist at 22V Research, noted that productivity improvements could allow the economy to grow at 2.5% without inflation issues, benefiting fundamental factors and procyclical equities [3]. Group 2: Investment Methodology - The methodology for identifying the best cheap stocks involved selecting U.S.-listed stocks with a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of less than 15 and an upside potential of over 60% as of January 16, focusing on those popular among elite hedge funds [6]. - The strategy of imitating top stock picks from hedge funds has historically outperformed the market, with a quarterly newsletter returning 427.7% since May 2014, surpassing its benchmark by 264 percentage points [8]. Group 3: Company Highlights - VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ:VEON) has a forward P/E of 13.77 and an upside potential of 60.23%, with 12 hedge fund holders. The company confirmed that its subsidiary Kyivstar has over 3 million registered users for satellite connectivity in Ukraine [9][10]. - Playtika Holding Corp. (NASDAQ:PLTK) has a forward P/E of 6.98 and an upside potential of 105.13%, with 27 hedge fund holders. The company announced a cost-cutting initiative, laying off 15% of its workforce to transition to leaner teams utilizing AI and automation [16][17].