It's a new month, and hope literally springs eternal this time of year. April has been one of the better months for the stock market in recent years, but naturally there will always be unique factors weighing on any particular month's chances to deliver superior investing returns.
Walt Disney (DIS 1.54%), Carnival (CCL 3.57%) (CUK 3.71%), and Celsius Holdings (CELH 3.21%) are three stocks that I feel are well positioned to climb higher this month. Let's see why these are three stocks that can make you richer this month.
Image source: Getty Images.
Disney
One of the more obvious post-pandemic reopening plays is Disney, but the media giant is trading lower for the second year in a row. Disney stock is now 33% below the all-time high it hit 13 months ago.
There's a lot to like when it comes to Disney. It's the undisputed leader of theatrical content, putting out all six of the country's highest grossing films in 2019. The four biggest hits at the box office last year were all based on Disney's Marvel catalog of superheroes. Disney's domestic theme parks are generating record revenue and operating income, even with travel restrictions in place during its latest quarter and a short leash on daily attendance caps.
If you don't want to go to the local multiplex or an international theme park Disney is still a leader in home entertainment with ABC, majority stakes in ESPN and Hulu, and a streaming juggernaut with Disney+ at nearly 130 million subscribers. There are some headwinds of course. CEO Bob Chapek is coming under fire from politicos on the right after upsetting inclusion activists on the left. Shareholders haven't received a dividend payment since the end of 2019. This continues to be a dominant player in entertainment, and in a world where content is king, this is a royalty stock that rarely stays down for long.
Carnival
Cruise lines finally started sailing again in 2021, but investors didn't buy it. Cruise line stocks began showing signs of life in early 2021, but largely faded by the end of year. After back-to-back years of declining stock prices, is 2022 the year that Carnival finally begins cruising in the right direction?
The world's largest cruise line operator is doing a lot of things right as it brings its massive fleet back online, and the operating climate is getting kinder. Just last week we saw the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cut its risk assessment on the dangers of cruise travel, also retracting its Travel Health Notice that advised travelers to steer clear of cruising vacations regardless of vaccination status. With pent-up travel demand and healthy future bookings it's surprising to see that Carnival stock is roughly where it was when the calendar year began.
Celsius Holdings
Packing more growth than Disney or Carnival is Celsius Holdings, a distributor of fruit-flavored canned sparkling beverages that also happen to be calorie-burning functional energy drinks. Originally a stronghold of gyms, fitness centers, and nutritional stores -- as the drinks' body fat burning prowess is tied to improving metabolism when combined with exercise -- Celsius is now found at most supermarket chains, convenience stores, and mass market retailers.
Sales growth is on a tear. Celsius went from increasing its top line at an impressive 43% clip in 2019 to 74% in 2020. Sales then exploded last year, nearly doubling with its 140% year-over-year burst. Last year was capped off with a stunning 192% increase in the fourth quarter. You won't find many beverage stocks growing faster than Celsius. Growth will inevitably slow at this point, but the recent sell-off makes it very attractive here. Celsius has shed nearly half of its value since peaking in November, and is down more than 20% in 2022. Like its signature beverage, it seems as if Celsius stock itself has burned off a lot of fat in recent months. It's growing too fast to ignore in April.
