4 Stock Plays for the Government Shutdown

The opinions expressed below are solely those of Brent Wilsey, president of Wilsey Asset Management.

Brent Wilsey, president of Wilsey Asset Management, says these four stocks stand to gain in the face of government gridlock. The above interview took place on Oct. 14.

“If things come through badly, I want companies that will handle the storm, if things come through good, I want companies that will go up also,” says Wilsey.

In that vein, he says he looked for “companies that weren’t wayward valued, that had strong financial fundamentals, companies that could do real well with good or bad news.”

Here are Wilsey’s four picks for weathering the shutdown storm in Washington, D.C.

Semiconductor sweetspot

Dow-component Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) is the first company Wilsey says investors might want to consider during the government shutdown. With Intel, you will “get paid while you’re waiting,” he says.

He says Intel is ripe for picking due to its strong balance sheet, 4% dividend payouts and an 18% profit margin. This is a stock that Wilsey believes will “weather the storm” and do well down the road, regardless of when or how the government shutdown ends. (Brent Wilsey and Wilsey Asset Management both own INTC.)

Health-care opportunity

No matter what happens with ObamaCare, Wilsey says Wellcare Health Plans (NYSE:WCG) stands to benefit from the evolving U.S. health-care system. He says he likes the company because it is trading at 13 times forward PE, its sales have increased by 24% year-over-year and it has a healthy balance sheet. As a managed-care company, Wilsey believes WCG will have a bright future as the population’s average lifespan increases, and he says now is a good time to buy it as it is “a very strong company [that’s] not very expensive.”

Retail cha-ching

Kohl’s Corp (NYSE:KSS) is a retail pick that Wilsey believe is a “shareholder-friendly company” because “over the last 4 years they have bought back 25% of their stock, they own a third of their own real estate” and because “their sales are up 25%.” Even though this stock has been on many short lists lately, it is a company Wilsey believes you should hold onto and will profit from in the long run.

Gunmaker bargain

Lastly, Wilsey says Smith & Wesson Holding Corp (NASDAQ:SWHC) is “an undiscovered gem” with its low price and growth potential. Wilsey believes this company will continue to profit and won’t stay cheap to invest in for long.