Top 7 Research Reports For July 29, 2016

Friday, July 29, 2016

Today's must-read reports are for Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) (AMGN), JPMorgan (NYSE:JPM) (JPM) and Mondelez (MDLZ).

Zacks Rank # 2 (Buy) rated Amgen’s strong Q2 earnings report earlier this week - it beat on the top- and bottom-lines and guided higher - has helped the stock's positive momentum in recent weeks that followed a weak start earlier. The stock has gained in excess of 12% over the last four weeks, bringing it's year-to-date performance about in-line with the broader market. The analyst likes the company’s cost cutting initiatives, share buybacks and strong performance of key products. Amgen’s pipeline is also progressing well with quite a few regulatory and data updates scheduled for the coming quarters.(You can read the full research report on AMGN here.)

J.P. Morgan shares are down on the year, but they have gained some ground lately, particularly following the Q2 earnings report. The banking giant not only beat expectations, but also reiterated their outlook for the rest of the rest of the year despite a variety of new headwinds. Improvement in trading revenue, rise in mortgage banking fees and higher net interest income supported top line growth. The analyst likes the synergies gained from improving retail banking performance and cost-containment efforts, which will help the company improve its profitability. Further, approval of its 2016 capital plan is indicative of a strong balance sheet.(You can read the full research report on JPM here.)

Mondelez beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings, but missed on revenues in the second-quarter report that added worries about the company's exposure to an uncertain macro environment in emerging markets. These near-term headwinds notwithstanding, the analyst likes the fact that margins have remained consistently strong backed by cost savings and productivity gains. Additionally, the company is refreshing its brand portfolio through product innovation and extending its brands to newer geographies and platforms. Mondelez is keen on expanding its business through acquisitions and has been regularly divesting non-core underperforming businesses (You can read the full research report on MDLZ here.)

Other noteworthy reports we are featuring today include Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) (ORCL), Thermo Fisher (TMO) and Toyota (TM).

• Oracle (ORCL) to Buy NetSuite
• Thermo Fisher (TMO) Beats Q2 Estimates
• Lily (LLY) Up to Zacks Rank # 2 (Buy)
• Toyota (TM) Down to Zacks Rank # 4 (Sell)

You can find all of today's stock research reports here.

Sheraz Mian

Director of Research

Note: Sheraz Mian regularly provides earnings analysis on Zacks.com and appears frequently in the print and electronic media. His weekly earnings related articles include Earnings Trends and Earnings Preview. He also provides weekly commentary to Zacks Premium subscribers and manages the Zacks Focus List and Top 10 portfolios.

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