Historically, October is a very volatile month for the markets. However, these stocks are relatively stable and can help investors ride out wild swings. Since 1950, the S&P 500 has moved an average of 1.3% daily each month, either higher or lower. Even excluding the Black Monday crash of 1987, October remains the most stormy month for the stock market. With that in mind, CNBC Pro has shortlisted some safe-haven stocks where investors can seek calm during turbulent times. Here are the criteria for stocks: Low volatility: 3-year beta below 1 Median gain over the past 10 months of 3% or above No decline of more than 1.5% at any time over the past 10 months Take a look at five stocks were downgraded, along with Wall Street’s forecasts for their future. Electric utilities make up the bulk of the list. Rate-sensitive utility stocks have outperformed the broader market in recent weeks as investors seek a lower interest rate environment. The sector is up nearly 27% so far this year, outpacing the S&P 500’s 20% gain. NextEra Energy, FirstEnergy, American Electric Power and PPL all posted median gains of more than 3.5% over the past 10 months. Meanwhile, their three-year betas have reached 0.75 or lower, indicating they are less volatile. NextEra Energy has gained nearly 39% so far this year. According to the London Stock Exchange, two-thirds of analysts have a buy or strong buy rating on the stock. The stock is currently trading 0.3% above the consensus price target, which means the stock may be headed for a pullback soon. Analysts are also bullish on FirstEnergy, with the company’s stock price rising by about 20% in 2024. Meanwhile, Wall Street remains on the sidelines on American Electric Power Co., with a consensus rating of Hold. Shares are up nearly 25% year to date, but are 1% above the average price target. PPL is up about 22% this year and also offers investors an attractive dividend yield of 3.2%. Truist Financial is the only non-utility company on the list. Over the past 10 months, the bank’s average gain was 3.66% and its beta was 0.81. Shares have gained 15.6% so far this year. While more than half of analysts have a “hold” rating on the company, the consensus price target implies more than 9% upside potential from Thursday’s closing price, according to LSEG. 2024-Present TFC Mountain Area Truist Financial
