Thursday, July 21, 2016
We have hand-picked 14 research reports in today's Research Daily write-up from the roughly 80 reports issued by our analysts team today. This includes the 6 research reports featured below about Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) (JNJ), Citigroup (NYSE:C) (C), Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) (FB), Novartis (NVS), Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) (TSLA) and BHP Billiton (LON:BLT) (BHP).
Zacks Rank # 2 (Buy) rated Johnson & Johnson shares are up more than 20% year-to-date, with the momentum expected to continue to following the company's strong June quarter results. The analyst likes the company’s strategy of entering into several deals that hold the potential to boost its top line. The Cougar Biotechnology acquisition has allowed Johnson & Johnson to strengthen its oncology portfolio. A diversified business model, financial strength, new products and a deep pipeline are key elements of the JNJ story. (You can read the full research report on JNJ here.)
Citigroup shares have struggled this year, as have those of its peers, given the tough interest rate backdrop and uncertainty about the global ecnomic outlook. But the stock has got some of it mojo back following the better than expected second-quarter 2016 earnings report. The analyst likes the financial major’s capital strength, proven by the fact that it successfully cleared the 2016 Dodd-Frank Act Stress Test. A diverse business model, gradual offloading of non-core assets and streamlining of international businesses keep Citigroup's growth momentum alive. (You can read the full research report on C here.)
Facebook has been riding high on its growing user and advertisers’ base along with its other offerings like Instagram, Oculus, Messenger and WhatsApp. Recently, Messenger crossed the 1 billion user milestone, joining the likes of Facebook and WhatsApp. The analyst is encouraged by higher online and mobile advertising spending on the social network, its strong user base and robust balance sheet. (You can read the full research report on FB here.)
Other noteworthy reports we are featuring today include Novartis (NVS), Tesla (TSLA) and BHP Billiton (BHP).
- Novartis (NVS) Beats Q2 Earnings
- Tesla’s (TSLA) Master Plan Encouraging
- BHP Billiton (BHP) Upgraded to Zacks Rank # 2 (Buy)
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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Today's Must Read
Featured Reports
Novartis (NVS) Tops Q2 Earnings & Revenues on New Drugs
The Zacks analyst believes that growth from other drugs helped Novartis offset the loss from generic competition for Gleevec and beat both top and bottom-line estimates in the second quarter.
McDonald's (NYSE:MCD) Poised on Various Strategic Initiatives
The covering analyst thinks McDonald's turnaround plan announced by CEO Steve Easterbrook in May 2015 and the sales initiatives are paying off and should aid in countering macroeconomic headwinds.
Mondelez (MDLZ) Sales Trends Improving, Margins Strong
The Zacks analyst thinks Mondelez's organic sales trends have improved since 2015 backed by marketing support funded by cost savings.
St. Jude Medical's (STJ) Q2 Earnings In Line, Sales Beat
St. Jude's expanding product portfolio, new product launches and frequent regulatory approvals are the key catalysts, according to the covering analyst.
Tesla's (TSLA) New Master Plan Inspires Optimism
The Master Plan will expand Tesla's product & services portfolio and diversify revenue sources.
Silicon Motion (SIMO) Seeing Robust SSD Controllers Demand
The Zacks analyst thinks Silicon Motion will gain from surging demand for SSD controllers from NAND flash partners.
New Upgrades
BHP Billiton (BHP) Eyes Growth Despite Weak Q4 Production
The covering analyst thinks BHP's Billiton growth prospects remain bright despite weak Q4 production results on the back of asset portfolio solidification, new innovations and manufacturing projects.
Waters Corp. (NYSE:WAT) Thriving on Pharma Business Strength
Waters Corp is riding high on strong pharmaceutical end markets, striking growth in recurring-revenue products and robust traction in China and India. These persistent trends look set to drive growth.
Stericycle (NASDAQ:SRCL) Remains Poised for Holistic Growth
The Zacks analyst stresses that Stericycle's network is the largest in the industry and provides it with routing efficiencies for its vehicles to compete effectively on both service and price.
New Downgrades
IMAX (IMAX) Q2 Earnings Miss, Falls Y/Y on Low Office Revenues
The Zacks analyst believes that the second quarter earnings underperformance would continue unless IMAX gets a successful blockbuster while expansion efforts could boost top-line.
Molina Healthcare (MOH) Hurt by High Expenses, Rising Medical Costs
The covering analyst thinks high interest expenses, surging medical care costs and the adverse effects of healthcare reform are likely to weigh on financials.
TESLA MOTORS (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report
NOVARTIS AG-ADR (NVS): Free Stock Analysis Report
JOHNSON & JOHNS (JNJ): Free Stock Analysis Report
IMAX CORP (IMAX): Free Stock Analysis Report
FACEBOOK INC-A (FB): Free Stock Analysis Report
CITIGROUP INC (C): Free Stock Analysis Report
BHP BILLITN LTD (BHP): Free Stock Analysis Report
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