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The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Microsoft, Cisco Systems, Facebook, Adobe Systems and DXC Technology
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For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – Feb 28, 2018 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include Microsoft (MSFT - Free Report) , Cisco Systems (CSCO - Free Report) , Facebook , Adobe Systems Inc. (ADBE - Free Report) and DXC Technology (DXC - Free Report) .
Mirroring a banner 2017, this year is likely to be a great one for mega tech stocks. Big tech companies are hitting record-highs of late, with shares outpacing the S&P 500 since its nadir on Feb 8.
President Trump has delivered historic relief to tech majors by lowering tax rates. This in turn is boosting profit margins. At the same time, Internet of Things (IoT), which connects various devices to the cloud, is expected to be a huge growth driver for tech majors. Given the bullishness, sound large-cap tech stocks continue to be popular among sell-side analysts.
How Did Tech Bigwigs Fare?
Tech heavyweights continue to influence the U.S. stock market, for good reason. Investing in large-cap tech stocks turned out to be a winning strategy, especially during the recent bout of gyration that sent the stock market into correction.
In fact, the much-loved tech sector rallied 9% year to date, while the broader S&P 500 went up just 3.4%. Mega-sized tech names like the FAANG stocks — Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix and Google-owner Alphabet — contributed the lion’s share and recently hit intraday record highs.
Amazon, in particular, jumped more than 30% since the start of the year and contributed almost fifth of the gains in the S&P 500, per Silverblatt.
Sell-Side Analysts Back Big Techs
Solid performance by tech bigwigs compelled sell-side analysts to root for them. These stocks are recording rapid earnings and revenue growth that forced brokerage firms to take note.
Lori Calvasina, head of U.S. equity strategy at RBC Capital Markets, wrote to investors “net buy ratings of major tech players remain extremely high relative to history.”
Giant Tech Stocks to Make Billions Under Tax Plan
The Republican tax overhaul policy is providing the much-needed windfall to large tech companies. The headline-grabbing move lowered the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%, while any income brought back from overseas is taxed 8% to 15.5%, instead of the current 35%. This extra cash is helping the companies pursue a combination of share buybacks, dividend payouts and M&A activities.
Let us not forget, tech behemoths Apple, Alphabet, Microsoft, Cisco and Oracle hold 88% of their money overseas to avoid paying hefty corporate taxes on earnings. Thus, they are positioned to gain immensely under the latest tax reduction plan.
The prospect of a cut in personal taxation is also a major driving force for big tech firms. With more cash in hand, investors have more room to invest.
Tech Companies to Get Bigger
Notable Internet companies like Amazon and Facebook are expected to grow at a fast pace on a significant rise in revenues in the near term. They are expected to take advantage of the large number of advertisements and e-commerce that will still move online.
Substantial growth in cloud computing and the IoT, artificial intelligence, gaming and the launch of complex smartphones and consumer electronics suggest that the good times for tech will keep rolling.
5 Tech Behemoths to Buy
Banking on the aforesaid positives, tech majors are poised to see higher earnings. These stocks have, thus, become a tempting option for investors. We have selected five of them that carry a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy).
Microsoftdevelops, licenses, and supports software products, services and devices worldwide. The stock has a Zacks Rank #2. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings increased 7.7% over the last 90 days. The stock is expected to return 9.9% this year versus the industry’s estimated return of 9.1%.
Cisco Systemsdesigns, manufactures, and sells Internet Protocol (IP)-based networking and other products related to the global communications and information technology industry. The company has a Zacks Rank #2. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings increased 4.1% over the last 90 days. The company is expected to return 7.1% this year, in contrast to the industry’s projected decline of 6.4%. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Facebook provides various products to connect and share through mobile devices, personal computers, and other surfaces worldwide. Facebook has a Zacks Rank #1. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings increased 9.8% over the last 90 days. The company is expected to return 16.7% this year versus the industry’s projected return of 15.8%.
Adobe Systems Inc.operates as a diversified software company worldwide. The stock has a Zacks Rank #2. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings increased 12.6% over the last 90 days. The stock is expected to return 42.9% this year versus the industry’s estimated return of 9.1%.
DXC Technology, together with its subsidiaries, provides information technology services and solutions. The stock has a Zacks Rank #2. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings rose 5.9% over the last 90 days. The company is expected to return more than 100% this year versus the industry’s estimated return of 9.6%.
Zacks Top 10 Stocks for 2018
In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-hold tickers for the entirety of 2018?
Last year's 2017 Zacks Top 10 Stocks portfolio produced double-digit winners, including FMC Corp. and VMware which racked up stellar gains of +67.9% and +61%. Now a brand-new portfolio has been handpicked from over 4,000 companies covered by the Zacks Rank. Don’t miss your chance to get in on these long-term buys.
Zacks Equity Research provides the best of quantitative and qualitative analysis to help investors know what stocks to buy and which to sell for the long-term.
Continuous coverage is provided for a universe of 1,150 publicly traded stocks. Our analysts are organized by industry which gives them keen insights to developments that affect company profits and stock performance. Recommendations and target prices are six-month time horizons.
Strong Stocks that Should Be in the News
Many are little publicized and fly under the Wall Street radar. They're virtually unknown to the general public. Yet today's 220 Zacks Rank #1 "Strong Buys" were generated by the stock-picking system that has nearly tripled the market from 1988 through 2015. Its average gain has been a stellar +26% per year.See these high-potential stocks free >>.
Zacks Investment Research is under common control with affiliated entities (including a broker-dealer and an investment adviser), which may engage in transactions involving the foregoing securities for the clients of such affiliates.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.
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The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Microsoft, Cisco Systems, Facebook, Adobe Systems and DXC Technology
For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – Feb 28, 2018 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include Microsoft (MSFT - Free Report) , Cisco Systems (CSCO - Free Report) , Facebook , Adobe Systems Inc. (ADBE - Free Report) and DXC Technology (DXC - Free Report) .
Today, Zacks is promoting its ''Buy'' stock recommendations. Get #1Stock of the Day pick for free.
Here are highlights from Tuesday’s Analyst Blog:
Sell-Side Recommends Big Tech: 5 Picks
Mirroring a banner 2017, this year is likely to be a great one for mega tech stocks. Big tech companies are hitting record-highs of late, with shares outpacing the S&P 500 since its nadir on Feb 8.
President Trump has delivered historic relief to tech majors by lowering tax rates. This in turn is boosting profit margins. At the same time, Internet of Things (IoT), which connects various devices to the cloud, is expected to be a huge growth driver for tech majors. Given the bullishness, sound large-cap tech stocks continue to be popular among sell-side analysts.
How Did Tech Bigwigs Fare?
Tech heavyweights continue to influence the U.S. stock market, for good reason. Investing in large-cap tech stocks turned out to be a winning strategy, especially during the recent bout of gyration that sent the stock market into correction.
In fact, the much-loved tech sector rallied 9% year to date, while the broader S&P 500 went up just 3.4%. Mega-sized tech names like the FAANG stocks — Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix and Google-owner Alphabet — contributed the lion’s share and recently hit intraday record highs.
Amazon, in particular, jumped more than 30% since the start of the year and contributed almost fifth of the gains in the S&P 500, per Silverblatt.
Sell-Side Analysts Back Big Techs
Solid performance by tech bigwigs compelled sell-side analysts to root for them. These stocks are recording rapid earnings and revenue growth that forced brokerage firms to take note.
Lori Calvasina, head of U.S. equity strategy at RBC Capital Markets, wrote to investors “net buy ratings of major tech players remain extremely high relative to history.”
Giant Tech Stocks to Make Billions Under Tax Plan
The Republican tax overhaul policy is providing the much-needed windfall to large tech companies. The headline-grabbing move lowered the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%, while any income brought back from overseas is taxed 8% to 15.5%, instead of the current 35%. This extra cash is helping the companies pursue a combination of share buybacks, dividend payouts and M&A activities.
Let us not forget, tech behemoths Apple, Alphabet, Microsoft, Cisco and Oracle hold 88% of their money overseas to avoid paying hefty corporate taxes on earnings. Thus, they are positioned to gain immensely under the latest tax reduction plan.
The prospect of a cut in personal taxation is also a major driving force for big tech firms. With more cash in hand, investors have more room to invest.
Tech Companies to Get Bigger
Notable Internet companies like Amazon and Facebook are expected to grow at a fast pace on a significant rise in revenues in the near term. They are expected to take advantage of the large number of advertisements and e-commerce that will still move online.
Substantial growth in cloud computing and the IoT, artificial intelligence, gaming and the launch of complex smartphones and consumer electronics suggest that the good times for tech will keep rolling.
5 Tech Behemoths to Buy
Banking on the aforesaid positives, tech majors are poised to see higher earnings. These stocks have, thus, become a tempting option for investors. We have selected five of them that carry a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy).
Microsoftdevelops, licenses, and supports software products, services and devices worldwide. The stock has a Zacks Rank #2. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings increased 7.7% over the last 90 days. The stock is expected to return 9.9% this year versus the industry’s estimated return of 9.1%.
Cisco Systemsdesigns, manufactures, and sells Internet Protocol (IP)-based networking and other products related to the global communications and information technology industry. The company has a Zacks Rank #2. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings increased 4.1% over the last 90 days. The company is expected to return 7.1% this year, in contrast to the industry’s projected decline of 6.4%. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Facebook provides various products to connect and share through mobile devices, personal computers, and other surfaces worldwide. Facebook has a Zacks Rank #1. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings increased 9.8% over the last 90 days. The company is expected to return 16.7% this year versus the industry’s projected return of 15.8%.
Adobe Systems Inc.operates as a diversified software company worldwide. The stock has a Zacks Rank #2. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings increased 12.6% over the last 90 days. The stock is expected to return 42.9% this year versus the industry’s estimated return of 9.1%.
DXC Technology, together with its subsidiaries, provides information technology services and solutions. The stock has a Zacks Rank #2. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings rose 5.9% over the last 90 days. The company is expected to return more than 100% this year versus the industry’s estimated return of 9.6%.
Zacks Top 10 Stocks for 2018
In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-hold tickers for the entirety of 2018?
Last year's 2017 Zacks Top 10 Stocks portfolio produced double-digit winners, including FMC Corp. and VMware which racked up stellar gains of +67.9% and +61%. Now a brand-new portfolio has been handpicked from over 4,000 companies covered by the Zacks Rank. Don’t miss your chance to get in on these long-term buys.
Access Zacks Top 10 Stocks for 2018 today >>
Today, Zacks is promoting its ''Buy'' stock recommendations. Get #1 Stock of the Day pick for free.
About Zacks Equity Research
Zacks Equity Research provides the best of quantitative and qualitative analysis to help investors know what stocks to buy and which to sell for the long-term.
Continuous coverage is provided for a universe of 1,150 publicly traded stocks. Our analysts are organized by industry which gives them keen insights to developments that affect company profits and stock performance. Recommendations and target prices are six-month time horizons.
Strong Stocks that Should Be in the News
Many are little publicized and fly under the Wall Street radar. They're virtually unknown to the general public. Yet today's 220 Zacks Rank #1 "Strong Buys" were generated by the stock-picking system that has nearly tripled the market from 1988 through 2015. Its average gain has been a stellar +26% per year.See these high-potential stocks free >>.
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Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.