The largest companies in the S&P 500 Index have witnessed “unrelenting” outperformance over the past decade. However, history shows that mega-cap stocks typically fail to keep up their market-beating run, as per the asset allocation team at Jeremy Grantham’s GMO, an investment management firm.
By some measures, “big is generally anything but beautiful,” GMO’s co-head of asset allocation, Ben Inker and team member John Pease, said in the investment firm’s first-quarter 2024 letter to clients. “Nine of the top 10 have underperformed on average.”
The biggest stocks usually become the biggest by “way of becoming expensive, and this anti-value tilt has historically been quite costly, explaining most of these companies’ poor relative returns,” said Ben Inker and John Pease. “Since 1957, the 10 largest stocks in the S&P 500 have underperformed an equal-weighted index of the remaining 490 stocks by 2.4% per year.”
“But the last decade has been a very notable departure from that trend, with the largest 10 outperforming by a massive 4.9% per year on average,” they wrote.
Magnificent And Concentrated
According to the GMO team, the S&P 500 has become an increasingly concentrated index over the past decade, with the top seven stocks, Microsoft Corporation (MSFT), Apple Inc. (AAPL), NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA), Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL), Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN), Meta Platforms, Inc. (META), and Tesla, Inc. (TSLA), now have surged to 28% of the total, from 13% a decade ago, as their returns are outpacing that of the average stock in the index.
These Big Tech stocks, also known as the Magnificent Seven, are being closely watched by investors after skyrocketing in 2023.
“Biasing portfolios against the very largest stocks” over the past decade has been “a disaster,” particularly last year; however, it’s been “lucrative” for most of history, as per the GMO letter.
Despite recent trends indicating their continued growth and resilience, betting against mega-cap stocks or engaging in short selling or other strategies that profit from a decline in the stock prices of these largest companies has historically been considered a profitable strategy for reasons including valuation concerns, market cycles and mean reversion, and regulatory and antitrust risks.
“The break in the consistent downward trend of cap-weighted underperformance reflects the magnificence of the Magnificent Seven,” the letter stated. “In 2023, as their monicker became part of the common lexicon, they outperformed the S&P 500 by an almost unimaginable 60%.”
The S&P 500 index gained about 24.2% in 2023, climbing on the back of Big Tech’s gains. Big Tech stocks’ gains were primarily driven by immense investor enthusiasm surrounding AI.
The broad S&P 500 index briefly crossed 5,000 during intraday for the first time in history last Thursday, and on Friday, it ended above the level, marking its tenth record close of 2024 at 5,026. That puts the stock market benchmark up more than 5% since the start of the year, on top of its impressive 24% gain last year.
“As far as mega caps go, they have been practically unparalleled in their outperformance” over the past decade, but 2022 was the only year when they failed to outperform the market, added Inker and Pease. In 2022, the Magnificent Seven saw significant losses of nearly 40%, mainly due to monetary tightening and interest rate hikes that adversely impacted tech-related stocks.
“This performance came in part from the unusual cheapness of mega caps at the start of the decade,” as per the letter. For instance, Apple, Microsoft, and Google boasted a combined P/E ratio of 15x in 2013; in contrast, the market’s P/E was around 25% higher.
Also, these companies managed to grow earnings “at a breakneck pace.” Inker and Pease said, “Microsoft and Amazon did so by reinventing themselves. Apple, Alphabet, Meta, Nvidia, and Tesla took over their primary industries. The medium-sized businesses among them became huge, and the large ones became giants.”
“Ten years ago, the index was more than twice as diversified,” they wrote. “We have never seen – over any 10-year period – a decline (or increase) in diversification of the magnitude we have just witnessed.”
Comprehensive Analysis of the Magnificent Seven Stocks:
Microsoft Corporation (MSFT)
With a market cap of $3.02 trillion, Microsoft is a leading software company that operates through Productivity and Business Processes; Intelligent Cloud; and More Personal Computing segments.
In terms of forward non-GAAP P/E, MSFT is trading at 35.03x, 36.1% higher than the industry average of 25.74x. The stock’s forward Price/Sales of 12.46x is 319.8% higher than the industry average of 2.97x. Likewise, its forward Price/Book of 11.28x is 172.2% higher than the industry average of 4.15x.
MSFT is considered relatively expensive by some valuation metrics compared to its industry peers. But it’s essential to consider that what might appear costly based on traditional valuation metrics may be justified by the company’s solid fundamentals, growth trajectory, and competitive advantages.
During the fiscal 2024 second quarter that ended December 31, 2023, MSFT’s total revenue came in at $62.02 billion, beating the analysts’ estimate of $61.13 billion. That was up 17.6% from the previous year’s quarter. Its gross margin grew 20.2% from the year-ago value to $42.40 billion.
In addition, the company’s operating income increased 32.5% year-over-year to $27.03 billion. Its net income rose 33.2% from the prior year’s period to $21.87 billion. Microsoft reported earnings per share of $2.93, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.20, and up 33.2% year-over-year.
For the third quarter of 2024, Microsoft expects revenue between $60 billion and $61 billion. The software maker sees lower-than-expected cost of revenue and operating expenses during the quarter.
Analysts expect MSFT’s revenue and EPS for the third quarter ending March 2024 to increase 15.2% and 15.5% year-over-year to $60.87 billion and $2.83, respectively. Further, the company’s revenue and EPS for the fiscal year 2025 are expected to increase 14.2% and 13.7% from the previous year to $278.98 billion and $13.29, respectively.
Shares of MSFT have surged nearly 26% over the past six months and more than 50% over the past year.
Apple Inc. (AAPL)
AAPL is a leading tech company with a market cap of $2.84 trillion. Its primary products and services include iPhone, Mac, iPad, Apple Watch, and digital services, such as the App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV+, and AppleCare, among others.
In terms of forward non-GAAP P/E, AAPL is trading at 28.10x, 9.1% higher than the industry average of 25.74x. Its forward EV/Sales of 7.15x is 141.4% higher than the industry average of 2.96x. Also, its forward Price/Sales of 7.32x is 146.8% higher than the industry average of 2.97x.
Along with valuation metrics, determining whether AAPL is expensive or cheap requires analysis of other factors, such as growth prospects and market conditions.
AAPL’s net sales increased 2.1% year-over-year to $119.58 billion in the fiscal 2024 first quarter that ended December 30, 2023. Its operating income grew 12.1% year-over-year to $40.37 billion. The tech giant’s net income and earnings per share came in at $33.92 billion and $2.18, up 13.1% and 16% from the prior year’s period, respectively.
“Today Apple is reporting revenue growth for the December quarter fueled by iPhone sales, and an all-time revenue record in Services,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, in its last earnings release. “We are pleased to announce that our installed base of active devices has now surpassed 2.2 billion, reaching an all-time high across all products and geographic segments.”
Street expects AAPL’s revenue and EPS for the fiscal year (ending September 2024) to grow 1.4% and 6.9% year-over-year to $388.47 billion and $6.55, respectively. For the fiscal year 2025, the company’s revenue and EPS are expected to increase 6.2% and 9% from the prior year to $412.46 billion and $7.14, respectively.
AAPL’s stock has gained more than 6% over the past six months and approximately 18% over the past year.
NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA)
NVDA, with a $1.80 trillion market cap, NVDA is a prominent tech company that specializes in graphics processing units (GPUs), AI, and semiconductor technologies. It serves the gaming, data center, automotive, and professional visualization industries.
NVDA’s forward non-GAAP P/E of 58.79x is 127.5% higher than the 25.85x industry average. Moreover, the stock’s forward Price/Sales and Price/Book multiples of 30.33 and 40.86 are significantly higher than the respective industry averages of 2.99 and 4.17. NVIDIA is trading at a premium relative to its industry peers.
If NVDA’s growth prospects are strong, investors may be willing to pay a premium for the stock despite its higher valuation multiples.
During the fiscal 2024 third quarter ended October 29, 2023, NVIDIA posted a record revenue of $18.12 billion, an increase of 206% from the prior year’s period. Its non-GAAP operating income rose 652% year-over-year to $11.56 billion. Also, the company’s non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP EPS were $10.02 billion and $4.02, up 588% and 593% year-over-year, respectively.
For the fiscal year ending January 2024, the consensus revenue and EPS estimates of $59.18 billion and $12.36 indicate an improvement of 119.4% and 270.1% year-over-year, respectively. Further, analysts expect NVDA’s revenue and EPS for the fiscal year 2025 to increase 58.2% and $21.18 year-over-year to $93.60 billion and $21.18, respectively.
The stock has climbed more than 65% over the past six months and 218% over the past year.
Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL)
With a market cap of $1.78 trillion, GOOGL is a tech giant renowned for its internet-related products and services. Its business segments include Google Services; Google Cloud; and Other Bets. The company continues to maintain its dominance in the global online search market, boasting more than 90% market share, according to SimilarWeb data.
In terms of forward non-GAAP P/E, GOOGL is trading at 21.11x, 37.7% higher than the industry average of 15.33x. The stock’s forward Price/Sales of 5.18x is 315% higher than the industry average of 1.25x. Similarly, its forward Price/Book of 5.19x is 152.9% higher than the industry average of 2.05x. In addition to valuation metrics, assessing GOOGL’s growth prospects is crucial.
In the fourth quarter that ended December 31, 2023, GOOGL’s revenues increased 13.5% year-over-year to $86.31 billion. Its operating income grew 30.5% from the year-ago value to $23.70 billion. In addition, the company’s net income and EPS rose 51.8% and 56.2% from the prior year’s quarter to $20.69 billion and $1.64, respectively.
Street expects GOOGL’s revenue for the fiscal year 2024 to increase 11.4% year-over-year to $342.41 billion. Likewise, the consensus EPS estimate of $5.75 for the current year indicates a 16.6% rise from the prior year. Moreover, the company surpassed its consensus revenue and EPS estimates in all four trailing quarters, which is impressive.
Furthermore, the tech company’s revenue and EPS are estimated to grow 10.5% and 15.5% year-over-year to $378.35 billion and $7.81, respectively, for the fiscal year ending December 2025.
GOOGL’s shares are up more than 10% over the past six months and nearly 45% over the past year.
Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN)
With a market capitalization of $1.76 trillion, AMZN has grown to become one of the most influential tech companies, offering a wide range of products and services in areas including e-commerce, cloud computing, digital streaming, and AI. Its products and services include amazon.com, the world’s largest online retailer; Amazon Web Services (AWS); Amazon Prime, a subscription service; and more.
Amazon is relatively expensive compared to its industry peers. AMZN’s forward non-GAAP P/E of 40.50x is 155.3% higher than the 15.87x industry average. The stock’s forward Price/Sales and Price/Book multiples of 2.75 and 6.36 are considerably higher than the respective industry averages of 0.95 and 2.66.
Now, let’s talk about the company’s growth prospects. AMZN’s total net sales increased 13.9% year-over-year to $169.96 billion for the fourth quarter that ended December 31, 2023. Its operating income grew 382.6% from the year-ago value to $13.21 billion. The company’s net income and EPS significantly grew year-over-year to $10.62 billion and $1, respectively.
Analysts expect AMZN’s revenue for the fiscal year 2024 to increase 11.6% year-over-year to $641.44 billion. The company’s EPS for the ongoing year is expected to grow 44.6% from the previous year to $4.19. Also, the company topped consensus revenue and EPS estimates in each of the trailing four quarters.
AMZN’s stock has surged nearly 23% over the past six months and more than 65% over the past year.
Meta Platforms, Inc. (META)
Formerly known as Facebook, Inc., META, with a market cap of $1.23 trillion, is a technology conglomerate with key products, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger.
In terms of forward non-GAAP P/E, META is trading at 28.10x, 9.1% higher than the industry average of 25.74x. Its forward EV/Sales of 7.15x is 141.4% higher than the industry average of 2.96x. Also, its forward Price/Sales of 7.32x is 146.8% higher than the industry average of 2.97x.
META posted revenue of $39.17 billion for the fourth quarter that ended December 31, 2023, up 24.7% year-over-year. Its income from operations rose 156% year-over-year to $16.38 billion. Its net income grew 201.3% from the year-ago value to $14.02 billion. The company reported earnings per share attributable to Class A and Class B common stockholders of $5.33, up 202.8% year-over-year.
For the first quarter of 2024, META expects total revenue to be in the range of $34.50-37 billion. For the full year 2024, the management expects total expenses to be in the range of $94-99 billion, unchanged from the prior outlook.
Street expects Meta’s revenue and EPS for the fiscal year (ending December 2024) to grow 17.4% and 32.4% year-over-year to $158.39 billion and $19.69, respectively. For the fiscal year 2025, the company’s revenue and EPS are expected to increase 12.2% and 15.2% from the previous year to $177.68 billion and $22.96, respectively.
The stock has gained approximately 45% over the past three months and more than 170% over the past year.
Tesla, Inc. (TSLA)
With a $638.39 billion market cap, TSLA designs, develops, manufactures, leases, and sells electric vehicles (EVs) and energy generation and storage systems internationally. The company operates in two segments: Automotive; and Energy Generation and Storage.
In terms of forward non-GAAP P/E, TSLA is trading at 62.61x, 294.6% higher than the industry average of 15.87x. The stock’s forward Price/Sales of 5.75x is 507.9% higher than the industry average of 0.95x. Likewise, its forward Price/Cash Flow of 48.16x is 282.9% higher than the industry average of 10.54x. Along with valuation metrics, assessing TSLA’s fundamentals and growth prospects is essential.
During the fourth quarter that ended December 31, 2023, TSLA’s revenues decreased 3% year-over-year to $25.17 billion. Its income from operations declined 47% from the year-ago value to $2.06 billion. Its adjusted EBITDA was $3.95 billion, down 27% from the prior year’s period.
In addition, the company’s non-GAAP net income and EPS declined 39% and 40% from the prior year’s quarter to $2.49 billion and $0.71, respectively. But its free cash flow came in at $2.06 billion, an increase of 45% year-over-year.
Analysts expect TSLA’s revenue for the first quarter (ending March 2024) to increase 9.3% year-over-year to $25.49 billion. However, the consensus EPS estimate of $0.68 for the current quarter indicates a 20.5% decline year-over-year. Additionally, the company missed consensus revenue and EPS estimates in three of the trailing four quarters, which is disappointing.
For the fiscal year 2024, the company’s revenue and EPS are expected to grow 14.7% and 2.6% from the prior year to $110.97 billion and $3.20, respectively. TSLA’s shares have surged nearly 20% over the past nine months.
Bottom Line
Over the past decades, mega-cap stocks have demonstrated periods of outperformance and underperformance, reflecting several shifts in market dynamics and economic conditions.
While the largest companies in the S&P 500 have seen “unrelenting” outperformance over the past decade, history shows the biggest stocks generally fail to keep up their market-beating run. Citing data from 1957-2023, co-head of asset allocation Ben Inker and team member John Pease found that nine of the ten largest S&P 500 stocks underperformed on average.
“The historical underperformance of the top 10 comes down to the two main sources of return – valuation expansion and fundamental growth – being harder to achieve than for your average company. The largest stocks generally become the largest by way of becoming expensive, and this anti-value tilt has historically been quite costly, explaining most of these companies’ poor relative returns,” Inker and Pease wrote.
Since 1957, the ten biggest stocks in the S&P 500 underperformed an equal-weighted index of the remaining 490 stocks by 2.4% per year. However, the last decade seems to notably depart from that downtrend, with the largest ten outperforming by an impressive 4.9% per year on average.
So far, in 2024, the following four stocks in the Magnificent Seven are beating the S&P 500: Nvidia, Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft.
For investors considering buying, holding, or selling the Magnificent Seven stocks, it is crucial to assess each stock individually based on its fundamentals, valuation, growth prospects, and risk factors.
