Want a recession-proof portfolio? Fund manager names two stocks that could fit the bill

Published Thu, Jan 12 20237:56 PM ESTUpdated Fri, Jan 13 20233:56 AM EST

Investors looking for stocks to ride out a recession may want to consider NextEra Energy and cyber security firm Fortinet , according to one fund manager. Trent Masters of investment management firm Alphinity noted that about 60% of NextEra's revenues come from its regulated utility subsidiary, which can raise prices at a fixed rate above inflation each year. The remaining 40% of revenues come from its NextEra Energy Partners subsidiary, one of the biggest wind and solar generators in the United States. Masters told CNBC's Pro Talks that the Inflation Reduction Act had helped "cement the forward growth profile" for NEEP as the U.S. government is expected to direct nearly $400 billion in tax credits to clean energy projects in an effort to cut carbon emissions drastically by 2030. When asked by CNBC's Mandy Drury to name recession-proof stocks, Masters said NextEra Energy fit the bill. He said the company is "very well positioned as we move forward into what could be a more challenging economic environment." Shares of NextEra have remained flat over the past year, but analysts expect the stock to rise by 13% over the next 12 months to $96 a share, according to data compiled by FactSet. The stock ended Wednesday at $85. NEE 1Y line Chart showing share price of NextEra Energy over the past year Masters, whose team manages 4 billion Australian dollars ($2.8 billion) worth of assets, also discussed Fortinet, a cyber security company, with CNBC's Amanda Drury on Thursday. The fund manager said Fortinet would likely see revenue growth this year despite a global recession as companies fear being hacked amid an increase in online crime. "You don't want to be the [chief information officer] that cuts the security spending and then have a massive breach," said Masters. Fortinet has consistently taken market share from competitors in previous years, according to Masters, and was recently named the "top vendor" by Gartner in its Magic Quadrant for Network Firewall report. Tech giants Cisco and Juniper Networks dominated this report until a few years ago. However, Masters expressed some concern over headwinds for Fortinet's growth, suggesting that companies may not be willing to upgrade their existing firewall if what they have is working. The median price target of analysts compiled by FactSet gives the stock 31% upside over the next 12 months to $64 a share. The stock ended Wednesday at $49. Masters manages the Alphinity Global Equity Fund, which outperformed the MSCI World Index last year.