Barron's Latest Picks And Pans: Amazon, Dollar General, EQT, Planet Fitness And More

The cover story in this weekend's Barron's offers 10 ways to cash in on the shortage of just about everything.

Other featured articles discuss why bad news for big oil is good news for investors and how to play the semiconductor shortage.

Also, see the prospects for a furniture maker, a gym operator, a natural gas play, a discount retailer and more.

"10 Ways to Cash In on the Shortage of Just About Everything" by Jack Hough points out that the causes of today's copious shortages in materials and labor are numerous, varied and changing. See how Barron's recommends investors prepare their portfolios with stocks ranging from Apple Inc AAPL to Whirlpool Corporation WHR.

Max A. Cherney's "The Chip Shortage Is a Good Reason to Buy These Stocks" makes a case that as U.S. companies search for scarce chips, investors have an easier task: find the arms dealers tasked with helping the industry catch up. Find out whether that includes Applied Materials, Inc. AMAT or Lam Research Corporation LRCX.

In "Why This Furniture Maker Stock Has Plenty of Cushion," Daren Fonda discusses why Michigan-based Herman Miller, Inc. MLHR is expected to benefit from changes in workplaces, demand for home offices and an expansion in retail as the pandemic ends. Find out why Barron's believes that investors should consider this stock now.

The stock of fitness center operator Planet Fitness Inc PLNT has enjoyed a stunning recovery since its pandemic lows, but winning back customers will not be easy, according to "Planet Fitness Stock Could Drop 50% as Growth Slows" by R Bill Alpert. Discover why some expect the shares to trade as much as 50% lower as growth slows.

In Andrew Bary's "Natural Gas Prices Are Rising. Here Is the Stock to Play It," discover why Barron's thinks that investors in oil-and-gas companies who are paying as much attention to cash flow as they are to what comes out of the ground should turn their sights to EQT Corporation EQT, the leader in the industry. Will the company initiate a dividend as soon as next year?

"Big Oil's Bad Week Is Good News for Investors" by Carleton English suggests that by pushing Chevron Corporation CVX, Exxon Mobil Corporation XOM and other oil giants to embrace more-sustainable strategies, shareholders and regulators are strengthening the companies.

See also: Benzinga's Bulls And Bears Of The Week: AMC, Apple, Coinbase, CVS, Ford And More

MGM has not had the resources to compete in a streaming world where annual content budgets top $10 billion. With the resources of Amazon.com, Inc. AMZN, James Bond has a fighting chance. So says Eric J. Savitz's "In Streaming, Amazon Is Playing Another Long Game." Find out whether Barron's believes the almost $9 billion deal was worth it.

In "Dollar General Had Strong Earnings. It Can Weather Postpandemic Pressures Too," Teresa Rivas discusses why Dollar General Corp. DG stock looks better positioned than the discount retail competition to withstand rising wages, tough comparisons and inflation that may be coming.

Nicholas Jasinski's "A Pandemic Recovery Stock Play With Inflation Protection Built In" makes the case that Axalta Coating Systems Ltd AXTA, a leading player in the coatings industry, is poised to grow as the global economy recovers. Given the relatively small number of coatings suppliers, the industry has pricing power.

Also in this week's Barron's:

• The lasting impact of the Tulsa massacre
• Whether tax hikes alone can pay for Biden's budget plan
• Why a peak good news market is reason to worry
• Why renewable energy investments should boost silver prices
• How China could derail the commodities supercycle
• A Nobel Prize winner on bringing discipline to decision-making
• How the theory at the heart of modern portfolios is leading investors astray
• A way to limit the chances of a dividend stock shock
• The use 529 plans as wealth transfer tool
• The e-commerce boost in wine and spirits sales that drives deals
• Private equity-owned wealth managers seeking to sell minority stakes

At the time of this writing, the author had no position in the mentioned equities.

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