For 2014 Overall, 2013 was a very good year for the stock market. Individual stocks and sectors rose unexpectedly and rapidly. While most stocks experienced strong gains during the year, there were other stocks that underperformed their peers and the overall market. However, the new year may bring a reversal of fortunes for some of 2013’s underachievers. According to a research note from Goldman Sachs, some of the laggards from 2013 may be the best positioned stocks for growth in the first quarter of 2014. These stocks have lower valuations than sector peers that performed strongly in 2013 and are likely to be buoyed by strong economic growth and increased macroeconomic stability. Here are 40 stocks that underperformed in 2013, but that are poised to be great comeback stocks in 2014:
Stock, Sector, 2013 Return, Consensus 2014 Eps Growth
Alcoa , Aluminium, 24%, 17%
The J.M. Smucker, Packaged Foods & Meats, 23%, 8%
Citigroup, Other Diversified Financial Services, 32%, 14%
SunTrust, Regional Banks, 31%, 23%
Xcel Energy, Electric Utilities, 9%, 4%
Avon Products, Personal Products, 21%, 15%
Allegheny Technologies, Steel, 20%,NM
NM Chevron, Integrated Oil & Gas, 19%, 4%
XL Group, Property & Casualty Insurance, 29%, -1%
Freeport-McMoRan Cp & Gld, Diversified Metals & Mining, 19%, 25%
Kohl’s, Department Stores, 36%, 9%
Marathon, Oil & Gas Exploration & Products, 18%, 3%
Edison, Electric Services, 5%, 1%
Wal-Mart, Hypermarkets & Super Centers, 18%, 9%
PG&E, Multi-Utilities, 5%, 13%
Entergy Corp, Electric Utilities, 4%, 2%
Hospira, Pharmaceuticals, 32%, 4%
Express Scripts, Health Care Services, 30%, 14%
Cisco Systems, Communications Equipment, 17%, 1%
Tenet Healthcare, Health Care Facilities, 30%, 46%
Juniper Networks, Communications Equipment, 15%, 13%
Apache Corp., Oil & Gas Exploration & Products, 11%, -11%
Noble Corp., Oil & Gas Drilling, 10%, 49%
Exelon Corp., Electric Utilities, -3%, -10%
Abbott Laboratories, Health Care Equipment, 24%, 11%
Ford, Automobile Manufacturers, 22%, -5%
CenturyLink, Integrated Telecommunication Services, -13%, -2%
Quanta Services, Construction & Engineering, 16%, 17%
Stanley Black & Decker, Industrial Machinery, 12%, 10%
FirstEnergy Corp., Electric Utilities, -17%, -5%
D.R. Horton, Homebuilding, 13%, 18%
Deere & Co, Construction & Farm Machinery & Heavy Trucks, 8%, -8%
Newfield Exploration, Oil & Gas Exploration & Production, -8%, 5%
Target, General Merchandise Stores, 9%, 19%
LabCorp, Health Care Services, 5%, -3%
Jabil Circuit, Electronic Manufacturing Services, -8%, -32%
Family Dollar, General Merchandise Stores, 4%, 7%
Lennar Corp., Homebuilding, 3%, 15%
Quest Diagnostics, Health Care Services, -6%, 8%
Cliffs Natural Resources, Steel, -30%, -34%
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