Friday, October 21, 2016

Today's Research Daily features new research reports on 16 major stocks, including Abbott(ABT), Goldman Sachs (GS), Verizon (VZ) and Union Pacific (UNP).

Goldman Sachs shares have lagged the peer group as well as the broader market, though sentiment appears to be shifting following the strong Q3 report. Estimates are going up following the Q3 strength, which has pushed the stock to Zacks Rank # 2 (Buy). The analyst likes Goldman’s industry leading investment banking franchise and its approach of capitalizing on growth opportunities through strategic moves, like its new digital consumer lending platform. Further, the company is poised to benefit from its disciplined expense management and solid capital position.  (You can read the full research report on Goldman Sachs here>>)

Abbott shares have struggled this year, as have most of its peers, given the political/regulatory overhang on the space. On top of the macro worries, the company is also dealing with its Chinese nutrition business that played a role in its lowered guidance for the year. In the updated research report issued today, the Zacks analyst discusses the pros & cons of investing in Abbott shares; the analyst highlights management's efforts to reshape the business portfolio through strategic acquisitions and divestitures. (You can read the full research report on Abbott here>>)

Verizon shares have lost ground lately, inline with the market's reduced interest in telecom stocks over the last couple of months; the mixed Q3 earnings report didn't help either. These issues notwithstanding, the Zacks analyst likes the manner in which Verizon is systematically diversifying its businesses into related fields. The company is set to launch super-fast 5G wireless network in 2017. Following this launch, Verizon will target the vast market opportunity of Internet of Things (IoT). (You can read the full research report on Verizon here>>)

Union Pacific shares fell sharply following the weak Q3 report and soft guidance for the current period, though the stock is still more than 15% year-to-date. Apart from coal, decreasing volumes of industrial products, automotive, chemicals and intermodal also hurt results. But the analyst likes the company's prudent cost management. The company, which achieved an operating ratio of 62.1% in the third quarter, is on track to achieve its guidance of around 60% by 2019. (You can read the full research report on Union Pacific here>>)

Other noteworthy reports we are featuring today include Morgan Stanley (MS), Kinder Morgan (KMI) and Yahoo (YHOO).    

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

Sheraz Mian

Director of Research

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