8 Stocks to Buy Now... and 5 to Sell

These shares are poised for gains in 2021.

By Nellie S. Huang and Anne Kates Smith

HILTON WORLDWIDE HOLDINGS (SYMBOL HLT, $93)

Hilton is a bet on a post-COVID recovery. “Demand will pick up as the pandemic fades,” says Matt Gershuny, comanager of Parnassus Mid Cap, who recently bought shares in the hotelier. There’s no denying the virus’s damage to Hilton, on track to report a 50% decline in sales and a 64% drop in earnings for 2020. Revenue per available room was $47 in late 2020, down from $102 in 2019. But Wall Street analysts expect earnings to gain ground in 2021. And a cash pot of $3.5 billion will see Hilton through. (Prices are as of November 6.)

JPMORGAN CHASE (JPM, $103)

Shares in JPMorgan Chase, the financial services giant, have fallen 20% over the past 12 months. The stock trades on par with the typical big bank, a bargain for “the best of the best” of banks, says John Buckingham, editor of The Prudent Speculator newsletter. Low interest rates have reduced the bank’s net interest income— the difference between the interest it earns from lending money and what it pays depositors. But record revenues in 2020 from investment banking and trading have been a boost. JPM is well positioned for an economic rebound. In the meantime, the shares yield 3.5%.

PINTEREST (PINS, $65)

Pinterest is a social-networking app that allows users to share images grouped by key words. But it’s really about finding inspiration. Pinterest makes money from advertising. Its new ad technology platform, in partnership with Shopify, allows advertisers to upload catalogs to Pinterest. Users can buy items with just a few clicks, a development Baron Opportunity fund manager Michael Lippert says will transform Pinterest’s business. He thinks the shares could gain 25%, on average, over each of the next four years. Pinterest isn’t profitable yet, but Wall Street analysts expect it will be in 2021.

STRYKER (SYK, $213)

Stryker’s medical devices range from implants used in joint replacements and spinal surgeries to surgical equipment and navigation systems. Analysts at Canaccord Genuity say Stryker should be “a core position for growth-oriented investors.” New patient demand remains in question as long as COVID-19 infection rates remain high, but hospitals are adapting their infection-prevention protocols, and the rate of elective procedures has started to accelerate. Strong markets include the U.S., Australia, Germany, Canada and, especially, China. Canaccord sees the stock at $234 over the coming year.

TENNANT (TNC, $62)