3 Stocks to Buy Now for Tariff Immunity

There’s a new commodity in the financial markets today, and that’s any stock (or business, for that matter) that carries a certain level of immunity to the recent trade tariffs rolled out by President Trump. With the level of uncertainty and volatility spreading across the S&P 500 index and other global markets, these stocks will be the most oversubscribed once more participants realize that safety and immunity will trade at a premium.

In today’s list, investors will have access to some of these stocks that promise a smoother ride for their portfolios moving forward. This can greatly affect their annual performance when these conflicts and negotiations are said and done. Of course, capital will be free to roll back into the more risky names after volatility returns to normal, but why risk the downside in the meantime?

By considering stocks like Waste Management Inc. (NYSE: WM), UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE: UNH), and even a name such as the Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE: GS), investors can rest assured in the fact that their potential investment will be somewhat safe from the uncertainties and economic effects that these tariffs are having on other sectors of the market.

Price Action Leads the Way for Waste Management Stock

There are several ways to gauge how the market may be feeling about a certain stock, and price action is typically one of the strongest ones. This is not only because it makes the most sense, but also because it is the factor that ultimately influences further participation in any market and any stock.

Today, this factor is strongly at play for shares of Waste Management stock, considering that they have outperformed the broader S&P 500 index by as much as 10% over the past month alone. This amplifies the upside moves and compresses the down moves during one of the most volatile weeks in stock market history.

The reason for this outperformance and safety lies in the fact that Waste Management’s services are in no way related to the trade tariffs being implemented, and this business model also begs to land on the side of being recession-proof as well. These two characteristics give investors one safe haven to consider for their portfolios today.

Wall Street analysts share this view, particularly those from Scotiabank, who reiterated their Sector Outperform rating on the stock, this time placing a price target of up to $260 per share. This valuation would call for as much as 13% upside potential from today's prices to add to this attractive proposition.

UnitedHealth Stock: The Deal of a Cycle

Now that shares of UnitedHealth stock trade at 68% of their 52-week highs, for $428 per share (a price not seen since 2021), it is an undeniable fact that this stock in the medical sector offers outsized return potential on top of the stability of being outside of the purview of these trade tariffs.

Wall Street analysts seem very well aware of this, as they have kept a consensus price target of up to $608 per share on the company, calling for an implied upside move as big as 41.3%. This is not usual for a name this big in such a stable sector. But then again, this is a realistic scenario, given that trade tariffs have nothing to do with healthcare providers in the United States.

If anything, the expected inflation effects of the tariffs should help UnitedHealth justify a boost in premiums charged for coverage and other services. Still, the markets don’t want to think that far into the future; rather, they want to fall complacent and sell everything at once until things calm down.

Unfortunately, once they calm down, it will likely be too late to take action for these stocks, as they would have effectively become commodities in the market.

The True Winner From Tariffs? Goldman Sachs

Indeed, banks won’t be affected by trade tariffs, but one in the financial sector stands out regarding how much benefit it can reap from this situation. This investment bank has already reported a record level of trading revenue aided by the recent market volatility, but that’s not all.

Businesses getting ready to get back in the game after trade tariffs subside have already run up their subscriptions for Goldman’s mergers and acquisitions (M&A) business and their initial public offering (IPO) departments, according to their latest earnings report.

What this means is that as soon as the uncertainty is put to the side, Goldman has a few billion in fees just waiting to be collected when clients decide the tide has shifted enough. This is perhaps why analysts at Barclays decided to reiterate their Overweight rating on Goldman Sachs stock as of mid-April 2025, this time also calling for 25.3% upside through their $650 per share price targets.

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The article "3 Stocks to Buy Now for Tariff Immunity" first appeared on MarketBeat.