Top Stock Reports For Texas Instruments, Statoil & Comcast
Zacks Investment Research | Feb 26, 2018 05:36AM ET
Monday, February 26, 2018
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 Texas Instruments (TXN), Statoil (OL:STL) (STO) and Comcast (CMCSA). These research reports have been hand-picked from the roughly 70 reports published by our analyst team today.
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Buy-rated Texas Instruments’ shares have gained +9.5% over the last three months, outperforming the Zacks General Semiconductor industry which has gained +9.2% over the same period. The Zacks analyst likes its prudent R&D investments in several high margin, high-growth areas of the analog and embedded processing markets. This is gradually increasing its exposure to industrial and automotive markets and dollar content at customers, while reducing exposure to volatile consumer/computing markets.
Margins continue to expand on secular strength in the auto and industrial markets and manufacturing efficiencies that include growing 300-millimeter Analog output. Continuous dividend hikes are a big positive. However, increasing competition, unfavorable currency effect and a high debt load remain concerns.
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Shares of Strong Buy-rated Statoil are up +32.7% over the last one year, outperforming the Zacks International Integrated Oil industry (up +9.3%). Statoil is one of the major carbon-efficient producers of oil and natural gas in the world. In fact, the company’s production, especially in the Norwegian Continental Shelf, emits the lowest carbon in the industry.
During the fourth-quarter, Statoil’s earnings beat expectations and revenues increased annually. The growth can be attributed to higher equity and entitlement production along with increased realized liquids prices. The company’s Board of directors has also proposed to increase dividend for the fourth quarter by 4.5%.
The Zacks analyst expects growth from new upstream projects in various prospective fields of Norway. The company’s strong cost-control efforts amid weak oil and gas pricing environment are a big positive. During fourth-quarter 2017, Statoil managed to lower its exploration expenses by 55%.
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Comcast’s shares have outperformed the Zacks Cable Television industry in the last three months, gaining +11.3% vs. +6.3%. Comcast has started the nationwide rollout of the DOCSIS 3.1 technology, with its latest xFi Advanced Gateway. Moreover, Comcast completed the nationwide rollout of its wireless services under the Xfinity Mobile brand, with plans to include YouTube in its X1 video platform.
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Additionally, Comcast is venturing into residential solar programs with Sunrun. It is also working towards 5G network deployment and expanding its theme park business. However, the Zacks analyst remains concerned about the company’s operations in a saturated and competitive multi-channel U.S. video market.
Comcast lost 33,000 video customers and 13,000 voice customers in the fourth quarter of 2017, due to cord-cutting and stiff competition. Additionally, the company's high debt levels and consolidation-related woes are potential hazards.
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Other noteworthy reports we are featuring today include Zoetis (ZTS), Lam Research (LRCX) and HP (HPQ).
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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
Today's Must Read/h6
Featured Reports/h6
Per the Zacks analyst, Zoetis' industry leading portfolio with products like Apoquel and Cytopoint, Simparica, and several other new companion animal products will drive further growth in 2018.
Per the Zacks analyst, acquisition of Europe's Alliance Automotive Group (AAG) will aid Genuine Parts to spread out its business through the former's large chain of stores in the continent.
Per the Zacks analyst, higher demand for media services, speedy growth of technologies and massive proliferation of channels are likely to drive Omnicom's growth despite stiff competitive pressures.
The Zacks analyst is impressed by the company's efforts to reward shareholders.
The Zacks analyst believes that Lam's exposure to memory manufacturers (a segment with multi-year growth prospects), and strengths in logic and foundry segments will continue to drive its top line.
Per the Zacks analyst, Markel is poised to deliver solid results banking on the strength of its underwriting, investment and Markel Ventures operations.
Per the Zacks analyst, HP's sustained focus on innovation, pricing, marketing and sales activities are driving PC and printing business growth.
Per the Zacks analyst, Zoetis' industry leading portfolio with products like Apoquel and Cytopoint, Simparica, and several other new companion animal products will drive further growth in 2018.
Per the Zacks analyst, acquisition of Europe's Alliance Automotive Group (AAG) will aid Genuine Parts to spread out its business through the former's large chain of stores in the continent.
Per the Zacks analyst, higher demand for media services, speedy growth of technologies and massive proliferation of channels are likely to drive Omnicom's growth despite stiff competitive pressures.
The Zacks analyst is impressed by the company's efforts to reward shareholders.
The Zacks analyst believes that Lam's exposure to memory manufacturers (a segment with multi-year growth prospects), and strengths in logic and foundry segments will continue to drive its top line.
Per the Zacks analyst, Markel is poised to deliver solid results banking on the strength of its underwriting, investment and Markel Ventures operations.
Per the Zacks analyst, HP's sustained focus on innovation, pricing, marketing and sales activities are driving PC and printing business growth.
New Upgrades/h6
The Zacks analyst believes that HollyFrontier's incentive distribution rights (IDR) simplification deal with its partnership will help it to manage operations efficiently and improve payout.
Per the Zacks analyst, Verisk continuously seeks to expand its portfolio by leveraging its deep knowledge and embedded position to develop new, proprietary data sets and predictive analytics.
Per the Zacks analyst, robust traction of U.S. Mechanical Construction segment, coupled with high project activity in health care, hospitality & commercial sectors will lend momentum to EMCOR.
The Zacks analyst believes that HollyFrontier's incentive distribution rights (IDR) simplification deal with its partnership will help it to manage operations efficiently and improve payout.
Per the Zacks analyst, Verisk continuously seeks to expand its portfolio by leveraging its deep knowledge and embedded position to develop new, proprietary data sets and predictive analytics.
Per the Zacks analyst, robust traction of U.S. Mechanical Construction segment, coupled with high project activity in health care, hospitality & commercial sectors will lend momentum to EMCOR.
New Downgrades/h6
Per the Zacks analyst, since Emergent derives the majority of its revenues from BioThrax, any production hiccup or competition from other biodefense products could hamper the company's growth.
Per the Zacks analyst, Achillion's Factor D pipeline candidates are in an early stage of clinical development, which is a concern as the company has no approved products.
Per the Zacks analyst, soft comparable sales performance remains a concern for Rent-A-Center. The company has been witnessing dismal comps in the Core U.S. and Mexico segments for quite some time now.
Per the Zacks analyst, since Emergent derives the majority of its revenues from BioThrax, any production hiccup or competition from other biodefense products could hamper the company's growth.
Per the Zacks analyst, Achillion's Factor D pipeline candidates are in an early stage of clinical development, which is a concern as the company has no approved products.
Per the Zacks analyst, soft comparable sales performance remains a concern for Rent-A-Center. The company has been witnessing dismal comps in the Core U.S. and Mexico segments for quite some time now.
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