Billionaire Carl Icahn warns ‘you possibly can’t remedy’ sizzling inflation — however when an viewers member requested him for inventory picks, he gave these 2 ‘low-cost and viable’ names

Simple financial coverage might sound enjoyable firstly, however it has penalties.

Whereas asset costs shot up in 2020 and 2021, they pulled again considerably in 2022. In the meantime, inflation stays close to 40-year highs and the Fed has to lift rates of interest aggressively to convey value ranges underneath management.

“We printed up an excessive amount of cash, and simply thought the social gathering would by no means finish. And the social gathering’s over,” Billionaire investor Carl Icahn says at MarketWatch’s Greatest New Concepts in Cash Competition on Wednesday by way of a distant feed.

Nonetheless, though many traders suffered painful losses in 2022 — the S&P 500 had its worst first half of the 12 months since 1970 — Icahn shouldn’t be one in every of them. At his firm Icahn Enterprises, the web asset worth went up about 30% within the first six months of this 12 months.

Wanting forward, his outlook isn’t precisely optimistic.

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“The worst is but to return,” Icahn says, whereas cautioning that “inflation is a horrible factor” and “you possibly can’t remedy it.”

That mentioned, he doesn’t counsel it is best to bail on shares utterly.

“I believe a variety of issues are low-cost, and so they’re going to get cheaper,” he says.

Given Icahn’s massively profitable profession as an investor, folks need to know the place he sees alternative proper now.

“I’m simply curious what shares look low-cost and viable proper now,” an viewers member requested him throughout the Q&A session.

Icahn offered two names.

CVR Power (CVI)

Power was by far the S&P 500’s best-performing sector in 2021, returning a complete of 53% vs the index’s 27% return. And that momentum has carried into 2022.

Yr up to now, the Power Choose Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) is up a stable 35%, in stark distinction to the broad market’s double-digit decline.

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Icahn’s choose within the power area is CVR Power (CVI), which is especially within the refinery enterprise. He says that the inventory “is sort of low-cost, though it’s come up loads.”

CVR Power shares have surged 50% 12 months up to now and 74% over the past 12 months.

As you’d count on from this sort of share value efficiency, the corporate is firing on all cylinders.

In Q2 of 2022, CVR Power introduced in $3.1 billion of web gross sales, up from $1.8 billion within the year-ago interval.

The enterprise bought extra profitable, too, because the refining margin per complete throughput barrel improved to $26.10 in Q2, marking an enormous improve from $6.72 in the identical interval final 12 months.

The corporate not too long ago declared a particular dividend of $2.60 per share — on high of its common quarterly money dividend of 40 cents per share.

Ichan additionally likes the enterprise as a result of “you possibly can’t construct one other refinery on this nation.”

Learn extra: What do Ashton Kutcher and a Nobel Prize-winning economist have in frequent? An investing app that turns spare change right into a diversified portfolio

CVR Companions LP (UAN)

CVR Companions is a grasp restricted partnership created by CVR Power to personal, function, and develop its nitrogen fertilizer enterprise.

Whereas the 2 entities are associated — CVR Power subsidiaries personal 37% of the frequent models of CVR Companions — CVR Companions can be publicly traded. Its ticker image is UAN.

“[The] fertilizer enterprise, to me, is a superb enterprise at this time,” Icahn says.

CVR Companions’ manufacturing amenities primarily produce ammonia and urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) fertilizers, and people issues are in sturdy demand.

In Q2, the partnership’s common realized gate value for UAN shot up 134% 12 months over 12 months to $555 per ton. For ammonia, the typical realized gate value rose 193% 12 months over 12 months to $1,182 per ton.

Unsurprisingly, CVR Companions has been one other stellar performer on this ugly market because the inventory is up 29% 12 months up to now.

It’s straightforward to see why the enterprise is interesting to Icahn.

“You want fertilizer if you wish to eat,” he says.

Certainly, in order for you the final word hedge towards all of the uncertainties the world is dealing with at this time, agriculture deserves a severe look, even when you recognize nothing about farming.

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This text offers info solely and shouldn’t be construed as recommendation. It’s offered with out guarantee of any sort.