The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Microsoft, Alliant Energy, General Motors, Caterpillar And Deere & Company

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – August 28, 2019 – 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 Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) , Alliant Energy Corp. (NASDAQ:LNT) , General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) , Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) and Deere & Company (NYSE:DE) .

Here are highlights from Tuesday’s Analyst Blog:

Winners & Losers from the U.S.-China Trade Problem

U.S.-China trade war is showing no signs of cooling down. The trade tussle got intensified after President Trump urged American firms to start looking for an “alternative to China.” Trouble began after China announced that it is going to impose new tariffs of 5% and 10% on nearly $75 billion of U.S. products.

Beijing clarified that the move was due to the Trump administration’s intention to impose 10% tariffs on $300 billion of Chinese imports. Trump, in the meantime, reacted to China’s decision by saying that the United States will increase tariffs on $250 billion of Chinese goods to 30% from an earlier 25%. And tariffs on additional $300 billion imports from China would go up to 15% from 10%.

Some may argue that Trump has now said that China wants to return to the negotiating table. He, in fact, claimed receiving two “very good calls” from Beijing. However, the Chinese have downplayed the significance of such calls.

Global Times editor Hu Xijin added that “based on what I know, Chinese and U.S. top negotiators didn't hold phone talks in recent days. The two sides have been keeping contact at technical level, it doesn't have significance that President Trump suggested. China didn't change its position. China won't cave to US pressure.”

With U.S-China at loggerheads over trade issues, the stock market continues to gyrate. But not all stocks are facing the brunt. Let us, thus, look at the potential winners and losers from the trade war —

Potential Winners as Trade Issue Lingers

As uncertainty over the outcome of the Sino-American trade deal rises, investors should target tariff-proof stocks that stand to gain from an all-out trade war.

Service firms are safe bets because such firms are unperturbed by trade tensions as they have less foreign sales exposure compared to goods companies. Service stocks also have less foreign input costs that might be subject to tariffs. Such input costs mostly include direct materials, labor and factory overheads.

And the best service firm, no doubt, is Microsoft Corporation. The company currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings has advanced 2.3% over the past 60 days. The company’s expected earnings growth for the current year is 9.9%, compared with the Zacks Investment Research

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Written By: Zacks Investment Research