Wall Street analysts last week designated a select few stocks as their own stocks for the second half of the year. Analysts said these defensive companies have characteristics that will carry them through any additional economic and market turmoil. CNBC recently worked through Wall Street research to find the top buying opportunities as the second half of 2022 gets underway. Picks include: AbbVie, Eli Lilly, Amazon, Kroger, Levi’s and Pioneer Resources. Amazon’s Amazon shares are down 34% this year, but Jefferies analyst Brent Thiel said in a note earlier this week that investors shouldn’t give up on the stock. In fact, Thill is expecting a big second half for the e-commerce giant. He expects the stock to outperform by the end of the year and cited a myriad of positive catalysts for his thesis, including easy comparisons with last year’s results, strong growth in Amazon Web Services, and a discounted multiple. Thill acknowledged that e-commerce traffic is down on many retail platforms, but he says it really has nothing to do with the loss of market share. “Over the long term, we believe ecommerce will continue to gain broad retail share and AMZN will continue to gain share within ecommerce driven by unparalleled assortment, brand awareness and logistics.” Thill advises to remain calm and take advantage of rare buying opportunities, especially if the stocks remain in a tight range. “We see a better set-up in the second half because the compass is easily in place,” he added. Levi’s Denim Jeans Company was recently named top second half by Bank of America. The firm said in a recent note that there is no shortage of positive catalysts ahead for the levy. “We think Levi has multiple growth engines to help it navigate this challenging consumer background,” said analyst Christopher Nardone. The number of company stores continues to grow, and Nardon sees Levi’s rapidly taking market share. “Other growth drivers include gaining deeper penetration among top and women, expanding internationally and their recent acquisitions beyond yoga,” she added. Nardon praised Levy’s strong management, noting that it is well positioned to weather an economic storm and has an experienced team to do so. He added that Levi’s has a very diverse supply chain, which is important in the face of increasing competition. Shares of the company have fallen about 36% this year, but Nardone says the stock is too “forced” to pay attention to these levels. According to investment firm Scotiabank, Kroger inflation is penetrating nearly every sector of the economy, but the grocery chain company is in good shape. “Over the past several years, the company has, through strong strategic execution, distanced itself from the competitive set-up and strengthened its market position,” analyst Patricia Baker wrote in a recent note to clients. According to the investment firm, the company was already off to a strong start in 2022 and the rest of the year should be even better for Kroger. “KR’s focused execution, fast cost controls and competitive advantages, including data and own brands, allow it to continue to strategically invest in value to grow the business over the long term,” she said. Baker brushed off inflation fears and said he sees solid momentum as groceries roll out even more digital capabilities and new options for consumers. In addition, the company is coming out with a strong fiscal first quarter earnings report. In mid-June, it raised its forecast by beating estimates on the top and bottom line. The firm noted that the results were particularly impressive as market conditions remained uncertain. Shares of the company have risen more than 6% this year, but the stock undoubtedly deserves a higher multiplier, Baker wrote. “We expect Kroger to maintain its solid position in the market,” she said. Amazon – Jefferies “Over the long term, we believe ecommerce will continue to gain broad retail share and AMZN will continue to gain share within ecommerce driven by unparalleled assortment, brand awareness and logistics. …. Let’s look at the better sets – as easy as possible in the second half.” Levi’s – Bank of America “We think Levi’s has multiple growth engines to help it navigate this challenging consumer background. … top other growth drivers and gain deeper penetration among women, expanding internationally . . . LEVI recently announced that the long-term financial outlook is compelling, and in our view, garnering more attention as the company continues to execute. should.” Pioneer Resources – Goldman Sachs “However, we see attractive upside, with an overall 29% return in Large Cap Energy following the pullback, and highlighting that buying each of the last three equity dips yielded strong returns. On a risk-adjusted basis, our top picks include, but are not limited to: SU in Canada, PXD between US E&PS… We believe the underperformance in PXD is an attractive entry point. represents, in particular, with the shares trading at a dividend yield of approximately 15% per annum, on average, over our annual projections of 2022-2024.” AbbVie, Eli Lilly and Royalty Pharma – Morgan Stanley “During the pre-recession, historic US drug volume growth slowed ~1-3% but remained positive. Revenue growth may have been slightly slower than lower net prices due to patient assistance programs.” Companies maintain pre-recession operating margin and cash-flow profile. Therefore, we expect biopharma revenues to remain resilient if economic activity slows down. We prefer growth over value with our focus on pharma companies which can grow in the 2h of the decade (ABBV, LLY and RPRX).” Kroger – Scotiabank “Over the past several years, the company, through strong strategic execution, has distanced itself from the competitive set-up and strengthened its market position. … KR’s focused execution, fast cost controls and competitive advantages, including data and own brands, make it possible to continue investing in value strategically to grow the business over the long term. Allow. … We expect Kroger to continue its solid position in the market. Will maintain the status quo.”