After suffering its worst first half in more than 50 years, the stock market started the second half of the year on a positive note. On July 1, the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 rose 1.1% each, while the Nasdaq Composite was up by 0.9%.

The Fed’s hawkish stance on fighting the multi-decade high inflation raises the odds of the economy tipping into a recession. Therefore, it could be wise to consider investing in large-cap stocks that typically survive a market slump better than small and mid-cap stocks because of the underlying companies' substantial market reach, pricing power, and liquidity.

Wall Street analysts expect large-cap stocks Diamondback Energy, Inc. (FANG), Marathon Petroleum Corporation (MPC), and E.ON SE (EONGY) to rally more than 30% from their current price levels. So, these stocks could be excellent additions to your watchlist.

Diamondback Energy, Inc. (FANG)

FANG is an independent oil and natural gas company that acquires, develops, and explores unconventional and onshore oil and natural gas reserves in the Permian Basin in West Texas. The stock has a market capitalization of $21.28 billion.

In June, FANG announced an enhancement in its capital return program. Beginning from the third quarter of this year, the company intends to increase its return of capital commitment to at least 75% of Free Cash Flow.

Additionally, it intends to increase its base dividend to $3.00 per common share annually, beginning with the second quarter of 2022. This reflects on the company’s shareholder return ability.

In May, FANG and Rattler Midstream LP (RTLR) announced that they had entered into a definitive agreement for FANG to acquire all of the publicly held common units representing the limited partner interests in RTLR not already owned by the company and its subsidiaries. This is expected to benefit the companies from the scale of the combined firm.

FANG’s total revenue increased 103.4% year-over-year to $2.41 billion in the first quarter ended March 31. Its income from operations grew 190.7% from the year-ago value to $1.66 billion, while its net income improved 260.1% year-over-year to $803 million over the period. The company’s earnings per common share increased 227.8% from its year-ago value to $4.36.

The consensus EPS estimate of $6.55 for the fiscal second quarter (ended June 2022) indicates a 172.9% improvement year-over-year. The consensus revenue estimate of $2.37 billion for the same quarter reflects a 41.3% increase from the same period last year.

The company has an impressive earnings surprise history, as it surpassed the consensus EPS estimates in each of the trailing four quarters.

The stock has gained 23.6% over the past year and 12.4% year-to-date to close its last trading session at $121.21.

The 17 Wall Street analysts that rated FANG have rated it Buy. The 12-month median price target of $187.88 indicates a 55% potential upside. The price targets range from a low of $148.00 to a high of $236.00.

Marathon Petroleum Corporation (MPC)

MPC operates as an integrated downstream energy company. It operates in two segments, Refining & Marketing and Midstream. The company has a market capitalization of $45.70 billion.

In June, Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) and MPC announced that they had broken ground at their North Dakota soybean processing facility. About this, Dave Heppner, MPC’s senior vice president of Strategy and Business Development, said, “The Green Bison Soy Processing facility will help us further optimize our renewable feedstock sourcing, and we are excited about the opportunity to partner with ADM and the state of North Dakota as we move forward with the development of this facility.”

On April 27, MPC declared a dividend of $0.58 per share on its common stock, which was payable to shareholders on June 10. This reflects upon the company’s ability of cash generation and shareholder returns.

In the first quarter ended March 31, MPC’s total revenues and other income increased 67.7% year-over-year to $38.38 billion. Its net income rose to $1.17 billion, representing an increase of 1,731.3% year-over-year. The company’s net income per share increased 502.7% from the previous-year quarter to $1.49.

Analysts expect MPC’s revenue for the quarter ended June 2022 to be $42.83 billion, indicating 43.6% year-over-year growth. The company’s EPS for the same quarter is expected to increase 778.8% from the prior-year quarter to $5.89. Moreover, MPC has topped consensus EPS estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, which is impressive.

MPC has gained 38.3% over the past year and 32% year-to-date to close its last trading session at $84.48.

Of the 12 Wall Street analysts that rated MPC, ten have rated it Buy, and two have rated it Hold. The 12-month median price target of $111.08 indicates a 31.5% potential upside. The price targets range from a low of $94.00 to a high of $135.00.

E.ON SE (EONGY)

EONGY operates as an international energy company that operates through two segments Energy Networks and Customer Solutions. The company is headquartered in Essen, Germany. EONGY has a $22.41 billion market capitalization.

On March 23, EONGY announced that it had recently issued two green bond tranches with a combined volume of €1.50 billion($1.56 billion). The transaction is expected to cover a majority of the company’s anticipated refinancing needs for 2022.

For the first quarter of 2022, EONGY’s sales increased 60.3% year-over-year to €29.51 billion ($30.76 billion). Its cash provided by financing activities rose 309.1% from the year-ago value to €3.49 billion ($3.64 billion). Its EPS grew 3.2% from the prior-year quarter to €0.32.

The consensus revenue estimate of $84.64 billion for the fiscal year 2023 indicates a 4.3% year-over-year increase.

EONGY’s stock has gained 2.4% intraday to close its last trading session at $8.58.

The Wall Street analyst that rated the stock has rated it Buy. The 12-month median price target of $13.56 indicates a 58% potential upside.

FANG shares were trading at $116.81 per share on Tuesday morning, down $4.40 (-3.63%). Year-to-date, FANG has gained 11.40%, versus a -20.60% rise in the benchmark S&P 500 index during the same period.

Anushka is an analyst whose interest in understanding the impact of broader economic changes on financial markets motivated her to pursue a career in investment research.

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