Friday, November 8, 2024

The Zacks Research Daily presents the best research output of our analyst team. Today's Research Daily features new research reports on 16 major stocks, including Oracle Corp. (ORCL), Micron Technology, Inc. (MU) and Medtronic plc (MDT), as well as a micro-cap stock The Cato Corp. (CATO). The Zacks microcap research is unique as our research content on these small and under-the-radar companies is the only research of its type in the country.

These research reports have been hand-picked from the roughly 70 reports published by our analyst team today.

You can see all of today’s research reports here >>>

Oracle’s shares have outperformed the Zacks Computer - Software industry over the year-to-date period (+78.9% vs. +18.8%). The company’s stock hit record high of $160.52 a share following strong fiscal Q1 2025 results, driven by solid adoption of strategic cloud applications, autonomous database offerings and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure and recovery in cloud revenue growth. 

ORCL’s continued investment in cloud infrastructure positions it well for sustained growth in the dynamic software industry. The recent partnership with Amazon for Oracle Database@AWS and general availability of Oracle Database@Google bodes well. Oracle’s Gen 2 Cloud is driving AI clientele.  Its share buybacks and dividend policy are noteworthy. 

The Zacks analyst expect fiscal 2025 net sales to grow 8.7% from fiscal 2024. However, higher spending on product enhancements, especially toward the cloud platform amid increasing competition in the cloud domain. is likely to limit margin expansion.

(You can read the full research report on Oracle here >>>)

Shares of Micron Technology have outperformed the Zacks Computer - Integrated Systems industry over the year-to-date period (+33.3% vs. +18.1%). The company is gaining from improved market conditions, strong sales executions and robust growth across multiple business units. The positive impact of inventory improvement in the data center and stabilization in other end markets, such as automotive, industrial and others, is adding to top-line growth. 

Micron expects the pricing of DRAM and NAND chips to surge next year, which will boost its revenues. The pricing benefits should mainly be driven by the high demand for AI servers, which are causing a scarcity in the availability of DRAM and NAND supply. 

Also, 5G adoption in the Internet of Things devices and wireless infrastructure is expected to spur demand for memory and storage. However, the United States and China’s tit-for-tat trade war is a major threat to the company.

(You can read the full research report on Micron Technology here >>>)

Medtronic’s shares have gained +9.7% over the year-to-date period against the Zacks Medical - Products industry’s gain of +15.0%. The company is strategically expanding its global presence to address the unmet demand for advanced medical devices. Within Cardiovascular, Medtronic is gaining market share, banking on product launches in CRM and Structural Heart. 

Hypertension has brought up multibillion-dollar opportunities for MDT. In MedSurg, Medtronic is scaling the production of Hugo RAS. The Surgical and Neuroscience portfolios continues to contribute positively. Further, the company’s Pacing business continued to drive strong growth banking on strong global growth of its Micra leadless pacemaker. 

Innovations and market expansion efforts are helping it offset the impact of the inflation and supply disruptions. Medtronic’s strong liquidity position should allow it to meet its near-term debt obligations. All these factors support our bullish stance on the stock.

(You can read the full research report on Medtronic here >>>)

Shares of Cato have gained +2.5% over the past year period against the Zacks Retail - Apparel and Shoes industry’s gain of +26.6%. This microcap company with market capitalization of $129.79 million have strong financial position, with $30.8 million in cash and $69.9 million in working capital, enhances its operational stability and ability to invest in future growth. 

Improved cost control, with a 7% reduction in SG&A expenses, has bolstered profitability, and net income nearly doubled to $11.1 million for the first half of 2024. The company's disciplined inventory management minimizes markdown risk, preserving margins. Cato’s consistent dividend payments underscore its financial health. Additionally, it is well-positioned to benefit from expected growth in the global apparel market. 

However, challenges persist with an 8% sales decline due to store closures, weak e-commerce performance (less than 5% of total sales) and inflationary pressures affecting consumer spending. Cato’s reliance on physical stores and exposure to economic cycles further heighten risks.

(You can read the full research report on Cato here >>>)

Other noteworthy reports we are featuring today include Canadian National Railway Co. (CNI), Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (AJG) and Coinbase Global, Inc. (COIN).

Mark Vickery
Senior Editor

Note: Sheraz Mian heads the Zacks Equity Research department and is a well-regarded expert of aggregate earnings. He is frequently quoted in the print and electronic media and publishes the weekly Earnings Trends and Earnings Preview reports. If you want an email notification each time Sheraz publishes a new article, please click here>>>