Stocks To Buy For Mother's Day, Plus Imports/Exports

Friday, May 11, 2018

New Import and Export prices for the month of April have come out ahead of today’s opening bell, with cooler-than-expected results on the Import side and hotter for Exports. Headline for Imports reached +0.3% last month, while Exports doubled this figure, to +0.6%, and double what analysts had been expecting.

Most of the increases in Imports came from the volatile Petroleum (oil & gas energy) segment; without it, Imports were only +0.1%. Year over year, Imports hit +3.3%, and downward revisions for March brought that month’s figure down 0.5% to 3.3%, as well. Exports year over year were up sequentially, from (unrevised) 3.4% in March to 3.8% in April. Thus we see Exports posting the more aggressive upward numbers over the past couple months, but neither Imports nor Exports — like we’ve seen in PPI/CPI data earlier this week — are indicating any sort of major shift into a new high-inflation trading environment.

Of course, all these metrics may be subject to change in future months, considering the new steel and aluminum tariffs, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) under intense scrutiny and a still-looming potential trade war with the world’s second-largest economy, China. None of this macro pricing data has illustrated any of these elements so far, but we expect to see notable shifts in future reads as new agreements (or lack thereof) make their way into the actuals.

Mother’s Day Stocks

This Sunday is Mother’s Day, of course, and as such we like to take a look at stocks that might be positively affected by this. In fact, we already have a new article out this morning on this topic: 5 Delectable Restaurant Stocks Ahead of Mother’s Day

Taking Mom out to a Sunday brunch, perhaps? Currently, Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) , owner of Chili’s and Maggiano’s franchises, has yet to report quarterly earnings results (click here for a list of reporting companies by week, as well as quarterly earnings analyses https://www.zacks.com/newsroom/commentary/archive.php?id=24), but the stock is currently a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), with a Zacks Style Score (Value - Growth - Momentum) of A.

1-800-FLOWERS.com (NASDAQ:FLWS) , of course, is also a seasonal favorite. The company’s Q1 bottom-line results missed estimates by a penny, but it currently also carries a Zacks Style Score of A, along with a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

And crafts-oriented ecommerce company Etsy (NASDAQ:ETSY) may also be an option this year, depending on your Mom’s taste in gifts. Following that company’s big Q1 earnings beat (+100% positive surprise), the stock zoomed to an all-time high. Even still, it has a Zacks Style Score of B with a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). For more on ETSY, click here.

Mark Vickery
Senior Editor

Questions or comments about this article and/or its author? Click here>>

5 Medical Stocks to Buy Now

Zacks names 5 companies poised to ride a medical breakthrough that is targeting cures for leukemia, AIDS, muscular dystrophy, hemophilia and other conditions.

New products in this field are already generating substantial revenue and even more wondrous treatments are in the pipeline. Early investors could realize exceptional profits.

Click here to see the 5 stocks >>

Etsy, Inc. (ETSY): Free Stock Analysis Report

Brinker International, Inc. (EAT): Free Stock Analysis Report

1-800 FLOWERS.COM, Inc. (FLWS): Free Stock Analysis Report

Original post

Zacks Investment Research