Forget FANG: These Hidden Stock Gems Are Crushing It

• (0:30) - Ignored Stocks In The Market
• (5:30) - Hidden Gems Revealed: Timeshare Industry (VAC, HGV)
• (10:00) - Industrial Stocks: JBT
• (14:45) - Rental Equipment: URI, HEES
• (19:00) - Discretionary Buying: Pool Corporation (POOL)
• (23:30) - Episode Roundup: Podcast@Zacks.com

Welcome to Episode #121 of the Zacks Market Edge Podcast.

Every week, host and Zacks stock strategist, Tracey Ryniec, will be joined by guests to discuss the hottest investing topics in stocks, bonds and ETFs and how it impacts your life.

In this episode, Tracey goes solo to discuss some of her favorite “unknown” companies that are reporting stellar earnings and revenue.

Usually, there are a couple dozen companies that take up all the oxygen in the room. You know the ones: Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL), Facebook (NASDAQ:FB), Nvidia etc. These are the companies everyone is talking about and these are the stocks most investors gravitate towards.

And for good reason.

But with the US economy heating up, the recent corporate tax cuts and the strongest job market in two decades, there are other companies that you may not have even have heard of that are also out performing.

Hidden Gems are Right Before Our Eyes

Have you ever looked around your home town to see what publicly traded companies are headquartered there? You may be surprised.

Tracey was surprised by one of the stocks on this list which is headquartered in her hometown of Chicago. Yet it is rarely mentioned in the local press.

These companies are just going about their business and that business is growing earnings and revenue.

Stocks are Also Out Performing

But don’t get it wrong. These stocks aren’t being sold off by investors.

Quite the opposite.

These aren’t beaten down value stocks that investors are running away from.

No, these stocks all outperformed the S&P 500 in the last year as well. It’s just that no one knows about it.

They are truly hidden gems.

Perhaps it’s time to take a look at companies beyond the FANGs.

5 Hidden Gems that are Crushing It

1. Marriott Vacations Worldwide ( (NYSE:VAC) ) sells timeshares. Timeshares, you may ask? Who cares about timeshares? But as the global economy heats up, consumers buy discretionary items including a share in a vacation destination. In 2017, North American contracts were up 13%, and would have been up more if not for the impacts of Hurricanes Irma and Maria. In 2018, it sees further growth, with contract sales up another 7% to 12%. Shares are up 45% in the last year.

2. John Bean Technologies ( (NYSE:JBT) ) operates in three segments: Foodtech, Aerotech and Automated Systems. It provides methods for washing fruits and vegetables, pasteurizing, high pressure processing and ovens and cookers. On the Aerotech side, it makes the ground support vehicles you see at the airport including those that take bags to the planes. In 2018, it expects revenue growth between 10-13% after growing it 21% in 2017. Shares are up 30% in the last year.

3. United Rentals ( (NYSE:URI) ) is the largest rental equipment company in North America with business in the United States and Canada. With a market cap of $15.3 billion, earnings are expected to rise 45% in 2018 as non-residential construction continues to boom and the energy markets recover. Shares are up 41% in the last 52-weeks.

4. H&E Equipment Services ( (NASDAQ:HEES) ) is the much smaller competitor to United Rentals. It has a market cap of just $1.4 billion but it pays a dividend, which is currently yielding a solid 2.8%. 2018 estimates are on the rise in the last week. Shares have soared in the prior year, jumping 48%.

5. Pool Corporation ( (NASDAQ:POOL) ) is the world’s largest distributor of swimming pool supplies and equipment. It has 160,000 products including things you may not even think of, like fencing. It’s a global company with business in Australia, Europe, South and North America. It’s a mid-cap with a market cap of $5.7 billion. 2017 was a record year for the company in margins and earnings. It gave 2018 earnings guidance of a range between 27%-33%. The shares are up 20.5% in the last year.

There are plenty of other companies that also get lost in the shuffle but shouldn’t. These are just a few of the hidden gems that are out there.

What else should you know about finding hidden stock gems?

Tune into this week’s podcast to find out.

[In full disclosure, the author of this article owns shares of URI in her personal portfolio.]

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