Build Up Your "Winter Storm Juno" Portfolio With These 5 Stocks

Residents in the Northeast are hunkering down in anticipation of Winter Storm Juno, as blizzard warnings have been issued for parts of seven states in the region. The Weather Channel is forecasting more than two feet of snowfall for certain areas over the next three days. Here’s a look at five stocks that could benefit from the storm:
1. United States Natural Gas Fund LP ETF UNG
It’s no secret that cold weather boosts demand for natural gas. During last year’s unseasonably cold winter, UNG surged more than 46 percent from the beginning of November to the end of February.
Potential UNG investors should, however, be cautious in the current commodity environment. The price of natural gas is down 43 percent over the past year due to oversupply conditions.
So far, investors seem to be dismissing Juno’s potential effect on gas demand, as UNG is down more than three percent in trading on Monday. However, if Juno ends up being the beginning of a severe late winter, investor sentiment could change quickly.
2. Compass Minerals International CMP
If there’s one problem that every winter snow storm causes, it’s snowy, icy roads. That’s where Compass Minerals comes in, one of the nation’s largest suppliers of highway salts.

Last year’s harsh winter led to a shortage of highway salt in several major cities, and local officials will likely not want a repeat of that scenario this year. Look for cities to be extra cautious and over-stock on the salt this time around. Compass Minerals’ stock climbed 20 percent from December to March last year.
3. The Toro Company TTC
Imagine Juno just dropped two feet of snow on your home. What next? It’s likely that you would whip out one of Toro’s snowblowers, salt spreaders or other related winter accessories. And if you didn’t have them, you’d probably buy them.

Toro’s stock is up more than eight percent over the past three trading days on anticipation of Juno. Toro stock climbed more than 13 percent from November to April last year.
4. Hertz Global Holdings Inc HTZ
Many travelers in the Northeast will likely be looking at cancelled flights and/or trains this week. If staying put is not an option, renting a car from Hertz or Avis Budget Group Inc CAR may be the only way for many travelers to reach their destination.
Starting on October 27, 2012, more than 20,000 flights were cancelled due to Superstorm Sandy. Hertz stock spiked nearly 18 percent over the following month.
5. Netflix Inc NFLX
If school or work is cancelled and the driveway is covered in snow, what’s left to do other than watch TV or movies? Assuming most residents’ power stays on, Netflix could indirectly benefit from widespread winter storm boredom and see an uptick in subscriptions in the Northeast.

During last year’s chilly winter, Netflix stock rose more than 35 percent from November to March.

While many Northeasterners will be watching the Weather Channel all week, some savvy traders may spend just as much time watching their Winter Storm Juno stock tickers.