Benzinga's 'Stock Whisper' Index: 5 Stocks Investors Secretly Monitor But Don't Talk About Yet

Each week, Benzinga’s Stock Whisper Index uses a combination of proprietary data and pattern recognition to showcase five stocks that are just under the surface and deserve attention.

Investors are constantly on the hunt for undervalued, under-followed and emerging stocks. With countless methods available to retail traders, the challenge often lies in sifting through the abundance of information to uncover new opportunities and understand why certain stocks should be of interest.

Here's a look at the Benzinga Stock Whisper Index for the week ending March 7:

Barrick Gold GOLD: The gold company saw increased interest from Benzinga readers during the week. The biggest reason for the increased attention was likely a UBS analyst upgrade on the stock going from Neutral to Buy with a $22 price target. Benzinga recently shared that the company is getting closer to resolving a dispute in Mali, an item that has hurt the company's financials. Gold stocks could also be seeing increased attention from investors as a possible hedge against tariffs and growing macroeconomic concerns.

The stock was up 3% over the last week as shown on the Benzinga Pro chart below and shares are up 17% over the last year.

Alamos Gold Inc AGI: Another gold stock seeing increased attention from Benzinga readers during the week was Alamos Gold. The company recently reported a record 2024 performance and predicted that production growth will grow 24% annually through 2027 with continued expansion. The company's fourth-quarter earnings per share and revenue each beat Street consensus estimates. The company has now beaten earnings per share estimates in eight of the last 10 quarters and revenue estimates in seven of the last 10 quarters overall.

Realty Income Corporation O: The real estate investment trust saw strong interest from readers during the week. The company recently reported fourth-quarter financial results with adjusted funds from operations per share up 4% year-over-year to $1.05, falling shy of analyst estimates of $1.07. The company owns or holds interest in more than 15,000 properties and pays a monthly dividend, which could be a reason for the increased interest. Investors could be looking for investment income and high dividends to offset concerns from tariffs and macroeconomic concerns.

Honeywell International HON: The industrial company saw increased interest from Benzinga readers during the week, which could be related to recent financial results and an acquisition. Honeywell announced a $2.2 billion deal to acquire Sundyne from Warburg Pincus. The acquisition will expand Honeywell's industrial equipment portfolio. Honeywell has now announced $9 billion in acquisitions since December 2023.

The company recently announced it would separate into three business units as part of a portfolio transformation. The move will include tax-free spinoffs for shareholders.

Honeywell's fourth-quarter revenue and earnings per share beat analyst estimates. The company has beaten earnings per share estimates in more than 10 straight quarters. Honeywell's revenue has beaten analyst estimates in four of the last 10 quarters overall.

The stock traded flat on the week and shares are up around 6% over the last year.

Accenture Plc ACN: The IT Services company saw strong interest from readers during the week, which comes after it announced acquisitions and ahead of quarterly financial results. The company announced the acquisition of Denmark-based AI company Halfspace. The acquisition is expected to boost the company's presence in the Nordic and European regions and boost the company's overall AI capabilities. Halfspace, which was founded in 2015, develops AI solutions and products that can be used by companies. Accenture is also acquiring Altus Consulting, a company that provides advisory services. The acquisition is expected to add to Accenture's insurance division and boost its presence in the United Kingdom.

Accenture will report second-quarter financial results on March 20. Analysts expect the company to report revenue of $16.63 billion, up from $15.80 billion in last year's second quarter and earnings per share of $2.82, up from $2.77 in last year's second quarter. The company has beaten estimates for revenue in two straight quarters and seven of the last 10 quarters overall. The company has beaten earnings per share estimates in two straight quarters and nine of the last 10 quarters overall.