These are Wells Fargo's top stock ideas for the first quarter

Published Thu, Jan 4 20243:10 PM ESTUpdated Thu, Jan 4 20243:33 PM EST

The stock market may have had a dismal start to the year, but there are still several opportunities for a good return over the next few months. The S & P 500 ended 2023 with a nine-week win streak and a 24% gain, but stocks faltered to begin the new year while some investors began to question whether the market is getting ahead of itself . Wells Fargo, however, has a batch of high-conviction ideas for the first quarter where investors might put their money as they wait to see broader market action unfold. It includes 12 names spanning 10 industries and all with significant catalysts to drive prices. Among them are the credit bureau company Equifax , cybersecurity name CrowdStrike , building company Toll Brothers , petroleum refinery PBF Energy and shipping giant UPS . CrowdStrike is coming off a winning year with a 142% gain for 2023 and could get another bump after its upcoming earnings report, according to Wells Fargo analyst Andy Nowinski. He said it has favorable annual recurring revenue comps and that guidance "should be solid." The firm's $315 price target implies roughly 28% upside from Wednesday's close. Meanwhile, UPS' shares were off by nearly 10% in 2023. The shipping company is poised to get a boost due to domestic tailwinds, price discipline and volume growth. Wells Fargo sees the stock running 11% higher from here. "UPS's investments in its network, including the consolidation and modernization of their network, will enable UPS to rationalize costs to unlock latent margin expansion," analyst Allison Poliniak-Cusic said. "UPS could pull gains forward ahead of its analyst day to be held March 26. Furthermore, with the labor agreement in place, inflationary pressures are now a tailwind to UPS margins as we move through 2024." Elsewhere, homebuilder Toll Brothers also had a winning year, rising more than 100% in 2023. Wells Fargo sees it gaining another 21% from Wednesday's close, with earnings coming up in February. "We see TOL as a relative outperformer vs peers in '24 via a combo of doable guide, pricing power & solid execution. In short, at 8x P/E there's more room to run," analyst Sam Reid said. — CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed reporting.