2024 has seen some large inventory rallies, as investor curiosity in themes corresponding to AI has proven little signal of waning. As the year-end nears, CNBC Pro requested three fund managers what international shares they’re shopping for within the lead-up to 2025, as they try to get forward of the curve. Here are 5 of their prime picks: Novo Nordisk The Danish pharmaceutical firm — behind the famed Ozempic and Wegovy weight reduction medicine — is already widespread with buyers, with shares up nearly 14% this 12 months after rising over 50% in 2023. The agency stays a prime choose for Michele Schneider, chief market strategist at Marketgauge.com. Schneider famous {that a} current Gallup ballot indicated that 6% of Americans, or 15.4 million individuals, have used GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) injectables to shed weight. “The weight loss plan medicine have modified the meals we eat, the methods we rejoice, train, journey, and costume, and discuss well being and wonder,” she defined. “I’ve been on this theme since 2023, and now have it as one in every of my main funding themes for 2025. So far, she mentioned, Novo Nordisk has been an “underperformer.” Shares within the pharma big are listed on Denmark’s Nasdaq Copenhagen and commerce as an American Depositary Receipt (ADR) within the U.S. beneath ticker NVO . According to FactSet information, of 32 analysts protecting the inventory, 21 give it a purchase or obese ranking, seven have a maintain ranking and 4 have a promote or underweight ranking. Their common value goal is 988.93 Danish krone ($140.10), giving the inventory round 25% potential upside. Rivian Automotive Elsewhere within the hotly watched electrical car house, Schneider is betting on Rivian Automotive . The firm made headlines not too long ago following its $5.8-billion three way partnership with automaker Volkswagen . Rivian additionally stands to realize from a $6.6 billion conditional mortgage from the U.S. Department of Energy to construct a manufacturing facility in Georgia. Still, Schneider has considerations that the broader EV sector might be impacted by tariffs and the elimination of the tax credit given to EV purchasers by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. Shares in Rivian are down 44.6% for the reason that begin of the 12 months. Analysts are divided on the inventory, with lower than half giving it a purchase or obese ranking. The common value goal for Rivian is $14.74, based on FactSet information, giving it potential upside of 13.4%. Midea Group Wealth supervisor Tariq Dennison, in the meantime, is bullish on Chinese house equipment maker Midea Group . “Midea stays my largest A-share place largely as a result of I see them as one in every of China’s extra globally profitable manufacturers,” the co-founder and funding advisor at GFM Asset Management mentioned. However, with round 40% of gross sales generated outdoors China , Midea is now “instantly within the cross-hairs of renewed Trump commerce tensions,” Dennison famous. He added that the corporate additionally has difficulties in retaining shoppers amid slowing inhabitants development and a “slower price of latest family formation.” “Both of [these] are megatrends, [but] I’m eager to maintain following by means of this title,” Dennison mentioned. Midea made headlines in September after elevating $4 billion in its Hong Kong itemizing in an enlarged deal. Since then its shares, that are additionally listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, are up over 20%. All 30 analysts protecting the inventory give it a purchase or obese ranking at a median value of 97.89 Hong Kong {dollars} ($12.60), based on FactSet information. This provides it upside potential of 36.8%. Nestle Dennison can also be betting on Nestle , the title behind manufacturers like Smarties, Häagen-Dazs and Maggi. Calling it a “great enterprise,” the wealth supervisor mentioned the Swiss big is “nearly synonymous with established, international, high-quality blue chip inventory.” “I comply with it principally as a result of I’m all for studying the way it operates in 188 nations, which only a few different companies can do,” he famous. Nestle’s shares are actually buying and selling at a “truthful value” after falling over 40% previously three years “partly on the again of a powerful Swiss franc, and sure additionally because of the market remembering that this isn’t a development inventory,” Dennison added Over the previous 12 months, Nestle shares are down 22% in Switzerland. It additionally trades as an ADR beneath the ticker NSRGY . According to FactSet information, of 23 analysts protecting the inventory, 9 give it a purchase or obese ranking, whereas 13 have a maintain ranking and one has a promote name. Their common value goal is 88.70 Swiss francs ($101), giving it 17% potential upside. Kinh Bac City Development In Southeast Asia, Thea Jamison, managing director and portfolio supervisor at Change Global, likes Kinh Bac City Development. She describes the Vietnamese developer of high-tech industrial parks as “a number one participant with ample landbank to develop IT industrial parks for the subsequent 5 to 10 years.” Its purchasers embrace tech big Samsung Electronics and contract electronics producer Foxconn . Jamison expects this listing to increase given the “pattern towards elevated international investments in Vietnam .” However, as with all firms working in rising markets, KBC has difficulties executing its tasks rapidly whereas navigating advanced authorized and regulatory elements, Jamison famous. Its shares are listed on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange and are down round 10% for the reason that begin of the 12 months. All six analysts protecting the inventory have a purchase or obese ranking at a median value of 37,514.30 Vietnamese dong ($1.50), based on FactSet information, giving it round 30% upside potential.
