Thursday, March 2, 2017

Today's Research Daily features new research reports on 16 major stocks, including American Express (AXP), Emerson Electric (EMR) and Salesforce (CRM).

Buy rated American Express’ fourth-quarter earnings came in below expectations. The company also continues to witness mounting loan loss provisions. Moreover, a strong U.S. dollar, loss of Costco as a client and intense competition remain major near-term concerns. However, the company has raised its guidance for 2017.

Additionally, over the last year, the company has gained +41%, higher than the broader finance sector’s gain of +26.5%. The analyst also likes its solid market position, strength in card business and significant opportunities from the secular shift toward electronic payments. (You can read the full research report on American Express here.)

Buy-rated Emerson Electric shares have outperformed the Zacks classified Machinery-Electrical industry over the last six months, gaining +15.1% vs. +6.2%. Emerson’s first-quarter fiscal 2017 earnings exceeded estimates and increased year-over-year on the back of improving macro environment, restructuring benefits and lower expenses.

Going forward, the company’s aggressive restructuring actions and strategic divestures are likely to boost margins. Moreover, recent acquisitions, such as the Pentair and Permasense, look promising. The thriving HVAC and refrigeration business, buoyant construction markets in the U.S. & Asia, and high global infrastructure spending are expected to stoke growth. (You can read the full research report on Emerson Electric here.)

Salesforce’s shares have gained +11.7% over the last six months, outperforming the Zacks categorized Computer - Software industry which gained +8.9% over the same period. Though, Salesforce disappointed on the earnings front during the fourth quarter, it continues to witness strong growth in revenues. Moreover, the upbeat revenue guidance for fiscal 2018 is encouraging.

The Zacks analyst likes Salesforce’s sustained focus on strategic acquisitions and believes this will drive its top-line over the long run. However, currency fluctuations and stepped-up investments on international expansions and data centers could impact near-term results. (You can read the full research report on Salesforce here.)

Other noteworthy reports we are featuring today include Consolidated Edison (ED), Sherwin-Williams (SHW) and PetroChina (PTR).

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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 >>>