8 Stocks To Sell Into The Market Rally

All of a sudden, renewed optimism about the government stimulus package and a handful of data points suggesting the spread of COVID-19 may be slowing has the S&P 500 up 10.3% since April 1. Unfortunately, the economy and the market are not out of the woods just yet.

It may be years before some businesses get back to normal, and some may never recover. Given most stocks have rallied significantly off their lows so far this month, it may be a good time to cash out of some of the dead weight in your portfolio while the prices are decent.

Here are the eight Underperform-rated stocks with the most potential downside, according to Bank of America.

Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc DO

Travel restrictions amid the COVID-19 shutdown have crippled global crude oil demand. At the worst possible time, Saudi Arabia and Russia have entered a pricing war that has pushed oil prices to fresh 20-year lows.

Analyst Chase Mulvehill says oil prices will likely drop even further once global storage capacity is completely used up, essentially forcing production to stop. Diamond may struggle to sustain its cash flow, bringing its $2 billion in debt into focus.

Bank of America has an Underperform rating and 25-cent price target for DO stock.

See Also: 8 Best Investment Strategies During A Recession

YPF SA YPF

YPF is an Argentinian oil E&P, refining and distribution company.

Analyst Frank McGann recently cut his price target for YPF and other Latin American oil and gas producers due to an increasingly bearish outlook for crude oil prices. McGann said YPF will likely cut capex and operating costs, but it will not be able to offset the negative impact on earnings and cash flow. He said YPF is exposed both to oil price weakness and regulatory risk given the stressed economic environment.

Bank of America has an Underperform rating and $1 price target for YPF stock.

Covia Holdings Corp CVIA

Covia is a leading provider of frac sand and resin coated proppants for the oil & gas industry.

Mulvehill says there’s a reasonable argument that U.S. oil and gas E&Ps shouldn’t be completing wells at all in the current environment. Bank of America is forecasting a 70% drop in U.S. onshore well completion and a 40% decline in rig activity in the second quarter. Furthermore, Mulvehill says that decline will likely continue into at least the third quarter.

Bank of America has an Underperform rating and 10-cent price target for CVIA stock.

Southwestern Energy Company SWN

Southwestern Energy is one of the largest U.S. natural gas producers.

Analyst Doug Leggate says the outlook for gas and natural gas liquids remains pressured, the core of the Super Rich Window of the Marcellus shale has limited remaining inventory and Southwestern is overleveraged in an environment of weak commodity prices. Leggate says Southwest could outspend its cash flow by $368 million in 2020. Given Southwestern shares have rallied 77.1% in the past month, now might be a good time to cash out on any gains.

Bank of America has an Underperform rating and 55-cent price target for SWN stock.

Tilray Inc TLRY

Tilray is one of the largest Canadian legal cannabis producers.

Analyst Christopher Carey says Tilray’s diversified portfolio of assets is appealing, but its financial performance has been inconsistent and its balance sheet is looking increasingly risky given its cash burn. Given the difficult financial situation, Carey says investors should be prepared for more dilution ahead.

Tilray completed an equity raise on March 13, and released 11 million shares from lock-up on March 31. Carey says investors should expect at least another 37.5 million shares to be released in the next year.

Bank of America has an Underperform rating and $2 price target for TLRY stock.

Qurate Retail QRTEA

Qurate is the parent company of home shopping networks HSN, Cornerstone and QVC US.

Analyst Heather Balsky says Qurate hasn’t seen any positive or negative impact on demand following the COVID-19 outbreak, even in Japan and Italy. At this point, Balsky said the company’s biggest coronavirus-related risk is a prolonged recession given the company’s exposure to discretionary spending. Unfortunately, even prior to the outbreak, Balsky said Qurate was struggling with margin and sales headwinds. She said a boost in capital returns would be a good sign.

Bank of America has an Underperform rating and $5.50 price target for QRTEA stock.

See Also: 7 Media And Entertainment Stocks To Buy, Sell And Hold

Range Resources Corp. RRC

Range Resources is a natural gas producer in Louisiana and Appalachia.

Leggate says Range’s commitment to cut its 2020 budget by $90 million to $430 million may not be enough given the unprecedented climate. At this point, Range still claims it can maintain flat production in 2020 and 2021, but investors may question how the company can somehow significantly cut spending but not production guidance. Leggate is bearish on the long-term outlook for natural gas and LNG pricing and says Range’s leverage is much too high.

Bank of America has an Underperform rating and $1.05 price target for RRC stock.

Chesapeake Energy Corporation CHK

Chesapeake Energy is one of the largest natural gas-focused U.S. E&Ps. The stock has rallied 14% so far in April, but it's still down 95% in the past year and trading at just 17 cents. At that price, the stock may seem like a bargain at first glance, but Leggate says the best option for Chesapeake at this point given its extremely leveraged balance sheet may be bankruptcy restructuring.

Incredibly, Chesapeake’s market cap is down to just $331 million, while its net debt stands at about $9 billion, highlighting the potentially hopeless situation.

Bank of America has an Underperform rating and six-cent price target for CHK stock.