Plus, the 25 best stocks to buy in January
Yesterday, chip stock Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO) was down 3.4% at its intraday low, as a warning on iPhone X shipments pressured stocks of Apple (AAPL)-adjacent companies. While AVGO has lost more than 6% this month, it may be time to buy the dip on the semiconductor name. Based on historical price data, the chip stock tends to outperform during the first month of the year.
The 25 S&P 500 Index (SPX) stocks listed in the table below have been the best to own during January over the past 10 years, according to Schaeffer's Senior Quantitative Analyst Rocky White. To make the list, the equities had to have at least eight years of returns. Notably, Broadcom is the only semiconductor stock to make the cut, with the majority of the January standouts concentrated in the drugs, healthcare, biotech, and real estate sectors.
Broadcom stock has ended January higher 75% of the time over the past 10 years, averaging a monthly gain of 4.7%. At last check, AVGO is up 0.7% to trade at $259.95. A 4.7% rally from here would place the shares around $272.17 by the end of January.
Taking a broader look at the stock's price action, AVGO has gained a robust 47% in 2017. The shares have pulled back just about 10% from their Nov. 27 record high of $285.68, with the recent lows contained by the 126-day moving average (equivalent to roughly half a year's worth of trading days) and former resistance in the $255-$260 region.
Traders looking to capitalize on AVGO's strong January seasonality and its convincing test of multi-tiered chart support can buy call options on the stock at attractive premiums right now. With no quarterly earnings slated until late February, 30-day at-the-money implied volatility on Broadcom options currently stands at 25.5%, in the 44th annual percentile -- on the low side of average.