Investors don’t need to look too far to find the source of the market rally in 2023. It has been driven mostly by the so-called “Magnificent Seven” stocks. Coined by Bank of America analyst Michael Hartnett, the stocks consist of Alphabet (GOOG , GOOGL), Amazon (AMZN), Apple (AAPL), Meta Platforms (META), Microsoft (MSFT), Nvidia (NVDA) and Tesla (TSLA).

Some investors who have missed the massive rally in 2023 are wondering whether there is still room for gains in 2024. Year to date, Apple — the largest of the bunch in terms of market cap — has retuned by 46%, while Microsoft the second largest, boasts an even more impressive gain of 59%. But the impressiveness doesn’t stop there when considering Tesla has doubled in value, while Meta has enjoyed a remarkable return of 180%.

Never missing an opportunity, even the ETF industry has hopped on the bandwagon. In November, the Roundhill Magnificent Seven ETF (MAGS), a portfolio consisting only of exposure to this basket of stocks, debuted on the market. There are a range of opinions as to whether there are value still be gained in these stocks, which have already been stellar performers, but while their collective valuation might have gotten a bit stretched, their leadership in the markets is undeniable.

The reason for their collective popularity, which can’t be overstated, stems from their exposure to high-growth technologies, such as high-end software and hardware, cloud computing and artificial intelligence. These seven stocks have more than doubled the return of the S&P 500 over the past decade. Armed with tons of cash on the balance sheet, strong cash flows and excellent leadership, they are well-positioned to continue leading their respective markets in 2024.

This belief requires an equal level of conviction in the durability of the current bull market, which has seen some doubters emerge lately. Part of their argument stems from what some perceive as limited stock participation in the S&P 500’s rally. For example, the top seven mega-cap technology companies currently account for the lion’s share of the S&P 500’s weight, or roughly 28%. Leading the way is Apple: the iPhone maker carries a S&P 500 weighting of 7.5%.

Microsoft is next with a weighting of 6.8% after rising to all-time highs. With a weighing of 3.8%, Alphabet is third after rising near 60% from its 52-week low. Rounding out the next four in order are Amazon (up 61% from its low) with a weighting of 3.1%, the aforementioned Nvidia (weight: 2.9%), Tesla (weight: 1.9%) and Meta Platforms (weight: 1.7%).

While these bearish arguments are fair to point out, it’s also worth noting that the Fed is likely done with its aggressive rate hike stance towards battling inflation. After all, rising interest rates is what triggered the bear market in 2022, applying pressure on businesses, forcing high growth names to borrow money at higher rates to fund their operations. Stocks got punished due to lack of liquidity. But the market is forward-looking and although the Fed signaled it is not done with the rate hike cycle, investors should nonetheless position their portfolios to be on the right side of the pivot in 2024, especially amid clearer signs of dampening inflation risk.

Combined with the fact that the recessionary risk is not where it was, it is appearing that this new bull market is here to stay. Armed with tons of cash on the balance sheet, strong cash flows and excellent leadership, the Magnificent Seven are well-positioned them to continue leading their respective markets in 2024. In other words, even as the Magnificent Seven stocks are at a combined market capitalization of more than $10 trillion, there are still many reasons to expect them to keep winning in 2024.

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Original: META Feed: What to Expect from the Magnificent Seven Stocks in 2024