All posts by Harriet Lefton

acb stock Aurora Cannabis stock — Source: Shutterstock

The cannabis market is buzzing right now. According to Cowen & Co’s Vivien Azer — aka the first pot analyst — U.S. marijuana sales are set to reach about $80 billion by 2030. Currently, U.S. legal and illicit sales total at least $50 billion. That’s on top of an estimated 12 billion Canadian dollars in revenue by 2025, for both recreational and medical use, and $31 billion by 2025 in the 43 countries that have legalized medical cannabis or are likely to do so. In short, cannabis stocks represent a very compelling investing opportunity.

But which cannabis stocks are worth your time and money? Because honestly some pot stocks look seriously overvalued. For example Canaccord Genuity just downgraded Cronos Group (NASDAQ:CRON) to ‘Sell’ because ‘valuation has gotten ahead of fundamentals.’ So using TipRanks Top Analysts Stocks tool, I pinpoint five cannabis stocks that still have plenty of upside ahead. I believe that all these stocks make very intriguing investments right now. Let’s take a closer look:

Aphria (APHA)

Source: ShutterstockAphria (NYSE:APHA) sells medical marijuana direct to registered patients across Canada. It was the first Canadian LP to exclusively use greenhouses and is still one of the lowest-cost producers in the Canadian industry.

In the last three years, shares have rocketed by over 700% to $9.32. So despite the extreme gains, this remains a fairly cheap cannabis option. And now Aphria is set to soar higher.

Year-to-date, APHA stock has already surged over 60% as the company turns its back on a disastrous 2018. At the end of last year, Aphria was embroiled in a sticky legal situation, which featured a hostile takeover attempt and the exit of its CEO. Most worryingly, a short-seller alleged that insiders profited from acquiring international businesses at highly inflated prices.

However, a special board committee has now found that the price paid was acceptable and that the assets are progressing according to plan. As a result, top-rated Clarus analyst Noel Atkinson (Track Record & Ratings) has reiterated his buy rating on APHA. That’s with a new price target of $22.75, up from $19.25 previously — suggesting upside potential of over 100%.

Now Aphria needs to get its mojo back by refocusing on key operational items. This includes Health Canada cultivation approvals for Leamington Part IV and the Aphria Diamond facility, EU GMP status for export, and the launch of softgels. Plus the company’s new CEO has extensive executive experience guiding multi-billion-dollar CPG companies.

“Aphria’s list of near-term operational milestones is significant, and successful execution in a timely fashion could transform the Company both in terms of financial results and investor sentiment. If management can execute, there is the potential for a very substantial re-rating of the stock price from current levels” Atkinson tells investors.

Overall the stock earns a ‘Strong Buy’ consensus from the Street. Out of 5 analysts covering the stock, 4 have published bullish ratings. Want to learn more about Aphria Inc? Get the free APHA Stock Research Report.

Zynerba (ZYNE)

Source: Zynerba PharmaceuticalsIf you haven’t heard of Zynerba Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ZYNE) before, listen up. This promising biotech is currently running clinical trials for a groundbreaking cannabinoid (CBD) gel. Yes that’s right, gel. This is the first and only patented permeation-enhanced CBD gel for delivery through the skin and into the circulatory system.

According to ZYNE, the gel delivers drugs without using the digestive process. In doing so, it minimizes psychoactive effects, limits drug-drug interaction, and avoids digestion of the drug by the liver. Zynerba wants to use this to help treat rare neuropsychiatric conditions like Fragile X syndrome and autism spectrum disorder.

As far as investing is concerned, the upside potential is jaw dropping. Five-star HC Wainwright analyst Oren Livnat (Track Record & Ratings) reiterated his buy rating on ZYNE with a $23 price target on March 18- indicating 324% upside potential lies ahead.

Livnat noted, “We reiterate our Buy, rating and see the current $105M market cap ($27M EV) leaving remarkable upside potential on positive data; as our $23 price target still reflects only a 35% probability of success in FXS.” So keep an eye out for pivotal data from ZYNE’s lead FXS program, due by 4Q19. “We remain optimistic for positive data” adds the analyst.

Only three Wall Street analysts are covering ZYNE stock right now. But all three are a ‘buy’. With shares trading at just $5.42, their $20 average price target suggests shares have huge upside potential of over 250%. Get the ZYNE Stock Research Report.

Tilray (TLRY)

Wait For Canopy Growth Stock To Fall To $40 Before Longer-Term Uptrend

Source: Shutterstock Tilray Inc (NASDAQ:TLRY) is one of the largest producers of medical cannabis in the world. The company is set to be a major player in the evolving cannabis space, with supply agreements for no less than 8 Canadian provinces for adult use, and medical products currently available in 12 countries worldwide.

In just one-year prices have exploded by 192%– leading to accusations that the stock is ‘ridiculously expensive’. But I disagree, and so does five-star Cowen & Co analyst Vivien Azer (Track Record & Ratings). She is one of the best consumer goods analysts around and has just reiterated a buy rating on the stock with a $150 price target. From current levels that means we are talking about a further 129% upside. In other words, share prices can more than double.

So what will push prices higher? Azer is bullish on Tilray’s new $419 million CAD acquisition, Manitoba Harvest. By snapping up the world’s largest hemp food company, Tilray can ramp up its position in the fast-moving U.S. Cannabidiol market. According to Azer, this should help Tilray stabilize its top line in the face of supply constraints for Canadian recreational weed use. She raised her sales estimate for the current fiscal year to $179.4 million from $119.5 million, while boosting her fiscal 2020 revenue forecast as well. “We continue to believe that TLRY can reach CPG-like margins of ~30% longer-term” the analyst concludes. Get the TLRY Stock Research Report.

Cara Therapeutics (CARA)

Source: ShutterstockFrom one of the world’s largest cannabis companies to one of the smallest. As far as cannabis stocks go, Cara Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CARA) continues to trade relatively under-the-radar. This clinical-stage biotech is busy developing a novel kappa opioid receptor agonist to change the way pain is managed.

Its lead drug candidate Korsuva has so far shown promising pain relief in clinical trials. Excitingly, this is without many of the traditional side effects that you see with mu opioids (morphine, oxycodone and hydrocodone) and NSAIDs (ibuprofen). That includes abuse liability. On top of this the company is developing a synthetic cannabinoid drug as a novel therapeutic approach for neuropathic pain.

“We believe that Cara is positioned to experience a transformational 2019, with the first few waves of major value inflection points that will bring it closer to a commercial stage company” cheers top Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Charles Duncan (Track Record & Ratings). He has just reiterated his CARA buy rating with a $27 price target.

Most notably, the company will reveal critical phase 3 data for chronic kidney disease associated pruritus in 2Q19. With strong results from previous trials, analysts are optimistic that the data will meet its desired targets. And a partnership with Fresenius (worldwide hemodialysis provider) provides further upside potential post-approval.

“We believe that IV KORSUVA will prove to be a commercially de-risked asset should it get approved in the U.S. and EU because of the company’s agreement with Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma,” states Duncan. Indeed, six out of seven analysts are bullish on Cara Therapeutics right now. That gives the stock its ‘Strong Buy’ Street consensus.

Shares are currently trading up 50% year-to-date. Get the CARA Stock Research Report.

Constellation Brands (STZ)

Source: ShutterstockAs we all know Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) is a drinks giant, with Corona one of the most popular beer brands under its umbrella. But thanks to its savvy Canopy Growth (NYSE:CGC) investment, STZ also provides unique exposure to the burgeoning cannabis market.

Following a $4 billion investment, STZ now owns a 38% stake in Canopy, one of the world’s largest cannabis companies. Canopy boasts a leading position in both the recreational and medical markets, and is now also aggressively expanding into U.S. hemp production.

“We continue to see compelling upside in STZ as we est. the base biz’s implied valuation has declined to ~12.5x NTM EV/EBITDA vs. its ~15.5x five-yr avg. and ~13.5x for staples, despite STZ’s much stronger financial profile” explains Jefferies analyst Kevin Grundy (Track Record & Ratings).

He calls Constellation his ‘top pick for 2019’. As well as a compelling valuation and weed exposure via Canopy, STZ also boasts continuing strong beer growth and achievable Street margin estimates. With this in mind, Grundy reiterates his buy rating with a $258 price target. From current levels, this means we are looking at substantial upside potential of around 45%.

Interestingly, Grundy adds that even without Canopy he would ascribe STZ a $233 price target. That still indicates 33% upside potential lies ahead. Basically STZ’s investment in Canopy is a free call option in the stock at these current levels. Get the STZ Stock Research Report.

TipRanks.com offers exclusive insights for investors by focusing on the moves of experts: Analysts, Insiders, Bloggers, Hedge Fund Managers and more. See what the experts are saying about your stocks now at TipRanks.com. As of this writing, Harriet Lefton did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.

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Source: Investor Place

Growth Stocks

7 Strong Buy Stocks With Over 20% Upside

February 15, 2019 Harriet Lefton

The 7 Best Long-Term Stocks for 2019 and Beyond — Source: Shutterstock

The general consensus: this rally has more room to run. And these are the “strong buy” stocks that are primed to outperform. With this article, I wanted to highlight stocks that fit the double whammy of 1) a bullish outlook from the Street and 2) serious upside potential left. That’s vital when it comes to raking in the profits.

So to find these stocks, I used TipRanks’ Stock Screener. I set the following filters: a “strong buy” consensus from the best-performing analysts and upside potential of over 20% from the current share price to the average analyst price target. Then it’s just a question of sitting back and letting the screener work its magic.

Well, almost. From the filtered stocks, I selected the ones that look the most compelling right now. And then I took a closer look at what the analysts have to say right now.

Let’s dive in to see if these top-notch stocks deserve a place in your portfolio:

Source: Shutterstock

Strong Buy Stocks: Turtle Beach (HEAR)

San Diego-based audio tech stock Turtle Beach (NASDAQ:HEAR) is making waves in the gaming world. Its market-leading headsets can be used for everything from Xbox One to tablets.

The company has just pre-announced strong earnings results for the fourth quarter. That’s down to continued share gain driving better-than-expected sales.

Revenue of $109 million-$111 million smashed prior guidance of $94 million. Similarly, adjusted EBITDA of approx $23 million-$25 million easily beats the previously guided $21 million.

“We believe the popularity of Battle Royale video games remains a tailwind for Turtle Beach due to their inherent requirement for team-based communication” says Oppenheimer’s Andrew Uerkwitz (Track Record & Ratings).

He believes Turtle Beach has multiple long-term tailwinds, including expansion of online multiplayer games, video game streaming and e-sports. Moreover, the recent surge in sales allows the company to significantly improve its balance sheet and invest in new products and new markets.

Source: Shutterstock

Alibaba (BABA)

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba (NYSE:BABA) looks appealing right now.

Trading at about 6x price-to-sales and about 19x EV/EBITDA on calendar year 2019 estimates with around 30% 3-year CAGRs through 2021, even on investment-depressed margins, the fundamental valuation looks attractive.

“Though Macros remain a big unknown, we view BABA’s Fundamental Risk/Reward as very compelling here” writes RBC’s Mark Mahaney (Track Record & Ratings).

Why? He explains: “Core China Commerce Comps ease into next year, including the Customer Management segment of China Retail that could further improve from recommendation feed changes.”

And in the near-term, investors can gain confidence in the improving profit growth from Alibaba’s core marketplace EBITA.

That’s thanks to continued investment in strategic initiatives (Ele.me, Lazada, New Retail and Cainiao) to improve their TAM and business moats. With a $210 price target, Mahaney is forecasting upside potential of 24%.

Source: Shutterstock

Cigna Corp (CI)

Health insurance giant Cigna Corporation (NYSE:CI) has a strong track record of growth in recent years. However it has traditionally traded at a discount to its peers.

At the end of 2018, Cigna received the regulatory approval for buying Express Scripts, the last major standalone pharmacy benefit manager (PBM).

Although there are both positives and negatives from the Express Scripts deal, ultimately it should pay strong long-term returns for shareholders. That’s thanks to a compelling opportunity to cross-sell its services, as well as a more equity-friendly capital structure.

“Overall, Cigna’s traditionally conservative management team continues to project robust growth from the ESRX deal, but we believe the stock still does not reflect the significant upside” reflects Oppenheimer’s Michael Wiederhorn (Track Record & Ratings).

“As a result, we maintain our Outperform rating and would continue to be buyers.” Indeed his $254 price target indicates shares can surge 32%.

Source: Shutterstock

Marathon Petroleum (MPC)

Ohio-based Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) is the largest refiner in the U.S., with over 3 million barrels per day of capacity across 16 refineries. On top of that it also has a network of nearly 4,000 company-owned retail stations.

Marathon recently snapped up Andeavor for a whopping $23 billion last year. In Q4 2018, MPC realized $160 million of synergies from the ANDV transaction. And that’s just the beginning. The company reiterated its goal of $600 million of synergies by the end of 2019 and $1.4 billion by the end of 2021.

“In our opinion, Marathon’s retail business, Speedway, is the most attractive retail franchise in our coverage universe, and the extension of the Speedway model to the acquired ANDV stores could provide meaningful upside” cheers RBC Capital’s Brad Heffern (Track Record & Ratings).

Overall, all four analysts covering the stock are bullish. Their $92 average analyst price target works out at 43% upside from the current share price.

Source: Amarin

Amarin Corp (AMRN)

Year-to-date, Amarin (NASDAQ:AMRN) stock is up nearly 20% due to Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) buyout chatter. According to rumors, the pharma giant is interested in making a bid for the fish oil drug maker. This would enable Pfizer to get its hands on Amarin’s fish-oil medication Vascepa.

This drug is the first Pure EPA prescription Omega-3 clinically proven to lower very high triglycerides without raising bad cholesterol.

Going forward, can the stock keep up the good times? Or should investors be cautious? Cantor Fitzgerald’s Louise Chen (Track Record & Ratings) has surveyed 50 physicians regarding Vascepa.

Following the survey she writes: “The results underscore our belief that the market opportunity is underappreciated. Therefore, we are reiterating our OW rating and 12-mo. PT of $35 ahead of what we expect to be an acceleration in the uptake of Vascepa in 2019+.”

In particular, the recent REDUCE-IT study positions Vascepa to be the first drug to cost-effectively help address cardiovascular risk beyond cholesterol management. Bear in mind that heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death among Americans, with around 800,000 deaths every year.

All five analysts covering AMRN rate the stock a buy. They see (on average) upside of over 70% for share prices over the next 12 months.

Source: MayApps207 via WikiMedia

Teladoc Health (TDOC)

Teladoc Health Inc (NYSE:TDOC) is the most widely used telehealth provider in the U.S., offering doctor services at any time 24/7/365, to resolve common medical issues via phone or online video chat.

Now that Teladoc has moved past its affair scandal (with the CFO resigning at the beginning of the year) the company once again looks like a very attractive investing proposition.

According to Premier, 4.3M, or 18%, of emergency department visits by chronically ill patients that could have been avoided, but instead cost the system $8.3 billion.

Piper Jaffray analyst Sean Wieland (Track Record & Ratings) tells investors this data point “attests to the need for increased access to care at lower costs, which can be addressed by telemedicine.” The analyst’s buy rating comes with an $88 price target (32% upside potential).

Similarly, Oppenheimer’s Mohan Naidu (Track Record & Ratings) writes “With an estimated annual $57B total addressable market (with Best Doctors) and low current penetration (estimated 0.2%), we believe there is significant runway for growth in telehealth.”

He expects increased membership and awareness to drive top-line growth for Teladoc from current levels.

Lumentum (LITE)

Optics maker Lumentum Holdings (NASDAQ:LITE) has had a challenging time recently. But it is not the end of the road. Far from it. In fact the Street is very upbeat about the company’s outlook. This “strong buy” stock has received seven recent buy ratings. The average price target of $64 indicates 40% upside potential.

Let’s start at the beginning. Shares dipped after the company reported disappointing fiscal Q2 results. However while the company’s datacom and 3D sensing segments are struggling, telecom and commercial lasers are really showing muscle right now.

Telecom in particular is booming: “Lumetum’s ROADM sales increased 110% y/y and 29% q/q in 2QFY19, and now are likely ~$90mn per quarter” notes MKM Partners’ Michael Genovese (Track Record & Ratings). “The company is sold out of ROADMs, and is still adding capacity at customers’ request. ROADM demand is also strong in the U.S. and EMEA.”

Plus there is hope for datacom and 3D sensing. First the company is trying to launch new products to resume Datacom business growth. And secondly, new Android wins could help make up for the Apple shortfall.

“We believe Lumentum’s 3D sensing business is on track, with potentially more design wins from the Android market in the March quarter” says Rosenblatt’s Jun Zhang.

Source: Investor Place

Growth Stocks

6 Stocks Set for Monster Growth in 2019

February 1, 2019 Harriet Lefton

[Editor’s Note: This article was previously published on November 2018. It has since been republished to reflect changes in upside potential.]

Although stocks have experienced a rough ride in 2018, some stocks still have a big chance to shine through 2019. The best stocks to buy now go above and beyond the normal growth prospects. While looking for these kinds of investments, I examined six of the best stocks to invest in, all with huge upside potential and support from the Street’s top analysts.

The best way to find these stocks is with TipRanks’ Top Analyst Stocks tool.

Why? Well, the tool reveals all stocks with strong buy ratings from Wall Street’s best-performing analysts. You can then sort the stocks by upside potential to pinpoint compelling investing opportunities.

At the same time, I was careful to avoid stocks that have big upside potential simply because share prices have crashed recently. Check the price movement over the last three months to be sure shares are moving in the right direction.

With that being said, let’s get straight down into taking a closer look at these six stocks to buy now — all of which I believe look undervalued.

Source: JD Hancock via Flickr

Cloudera (CLDR)

Big-Data cruncher Cloudera (NYSE:CLDR) has upside potential of 50% say the Street’s top analysts! Currently, the stock is trading at $13.04 but analysts see it hitting $19.40 in the coming months. The stock has experienced some volatility this year, but it is now in a very promising setup. Indeed, year-to-date, Cloudera has surged 20%.

Jack Andrews, a five-star analyst from Needham, upgraded Cloudera to a “buy” rating at $31.

We can see from TipRanks that this “Strong Buy” stock has a lot of Street support. Indeed, in the last three months, CLDR has received five buy ratings.

Source: Mike Mozart via Flickr

Dave & Busters (PLAY)

The hybrid game arcade and restaurant chain Dave & Buster’s Entertainment (NASDAQ:PLAY) scored a rebound this year, but more upside is to come. Specifically, analysts expect 26% from the current share price — all the way from $50.53 to $63.67.

Maxim Group’s Stephen Anderson is slightly more bullish than consensus — he believes the stock can soar to $64. Even though the stock has experienced some short-term sales volatility, he says that valuation remains very compelling.

Ealier, Anderson described PLAY stock as “deeply inexpensive relative to Casual Dining Peers” and ultimately: “Our core thesis on PLAY, which is comprised of; (1) high-margin entertainment revenue growth; (2) robust unit expansion; and (3) longer-term comp growth of at least 2%, remains intact.” PLAY should also benefit big-time from the upcoming tax reform.

In the last three months, PLAY has received an impressive eight consecutive buy ratings. As a result, the stock has a ‘Strong Buy’ analyst consensus. Out of these ratings, five come from best-performing analysts.

Source: NASA Blueshift via Flickr

CBS Corp (CBS)

Media stock CBS Corporation (NYSE:CBS) can climb nearly 31% in the next 12 months, say top analysts. This would see the stock trading at nearly $65 versus the current share price near $50.

A few months ago, Imperial Capital’s David Miller reiterated his “buy” rating. This was accompanied by a very bullish $76 price target. Miller expressed positivity in the outlook following strong fundamentals from “positive initiatives” put in place by the former CEO.

Previously, Benchmark’s Daniel Kurnos said, “that the demise of Network ad revenues is greatly exaggerated.” He even says that this bearish talk is overshadowing “the positive traction CBS is seeing in its ancillary revenue streams.” The underlying business model is very strong and “the pressure on the media sector has created a buying opportunity for the content leader.”

Meanwhile, out of 14 recent ratings on CBS, nine are buys. This means that in the last three months only five analysts have published hold ratings on the stock.

Source: Shutterstock

Neurocrine (NBIX)

Neurocrine Biosciences’ (NASDAQ:NBIX) top analysts believe this biopharma still has serious growth potential left to run in 2019. Specifically, the Street sees NBIX rising from $88.48 to $104.71, or near-20% upside.

The Street is buzzing about Neurocrine’s Ingrezza drug. This is the first FDA-approved treatment for adults with tardive dyskinesia (TD). A side effect of antipsychotic medication, TD is a disorder that leads to unintended muscle movements. Stifel analyst Paul Matteis is very optimistic, reiterating his recommendation with a price target at $115.

Encouragingly, the stock has received no less than 12 buy ratings from analysts in the last three months. Six out of the 12 of these buy ratings are from top-performing analysts.

Source: Shutterstock

Sinclair Broadcast (SBGI)

Sinclair Broadcast Group (NASDAQ:SBGI) is one of the U.S.’s largest and most diversified television station operators. SBGI stock has had a rough 2018, but top analysts see strong upside potential ahead.

Benchmark Capital previously named SBGI as one of its Best Ideas for 1H18. Five-star Benchmark analyst Daniel Kurnos says “We see SBGI as one of the best values in the entire media landscape.” He is now eyeing $39 as a potential price target, a double-digit gain from its current perch of $31.11.

According to Kurnos, Sinclair has multiple upcoming catalysts over the next six months. This includes the pending mega-deal between Sinclair and Tribune. Sinclair is currently waiting for regulatory approval for the $3.9 billion takeover that would give Sinclair control of 233 TV stations.

Top analysts are united in their bullish take on this strong buy stock. In the last three months, four analysts have published buy ratings on Sinclair.

Source: Shutterstock

Laureate Education (LAUR)

Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR) is the largest network of for-profit higher education institutions. This Baltimore-based stock owns and operates over 200 programs (on campus and online) in over 29 countries. Analysts believe impressive upside is on the way. Currently, this is still a relatively cheap stock to buy at just $15.91.

Barrington analyst Alexander Paris, just today, reiterated his “buy” rating on LAUR stock at $20, meaning upside of 25%!

Previously, Stifel Nicolaus analyst Shlomo Rosenbaum notes that Chile’s election result is a “material positive” for Laureate. He says new President Sebastian Pinera is less likely to support legislation for free post-secondary education — the prospect of which has dampened prices to date. Rosenbaum currently has a $19 price target on the stock.

Overall, Laureate certainly has the Street’s seal of approval. The stock has scored three top analyst buy ratings recently. This includes a bullish call from one of TipRanks’ Top 20 analysts for 2017, BMO Capital’s Jeffrey Silber.

TipRanks offers investors the latest insight into eight different sectors by tracking the activity of 4,500 analysts, 5,000 financial bloggers and even 37,000 corporate insiders. As of this writing, Harriet Lefton did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.

Source: Investors Alley

Uncategorized

7 Stupidly Cheap Stocks to Consider Now

January 29, 2019 Harriet Lefton

Where should you look for the best stock opportunities right now? With all the volatility recently, there are some top-notch stocks that appear woefully under-priced. That’s according to recent reports from top analysts. I used TipRanks market data to pinpoint cheap stocks that analysts believe are bargains right now, ones that and are primed for a strong 2019. Indeed, as you will see, the upside potential from the current share price is extremely encouraging.

As Blackstone’s investment strategist Joseph Zidle told CNBC, “This is a buying opportunity. We see the market (the S&P 500 index) up 15% in 2019. This is just not a recessionary environment.”

With this bullish analysis in mind, let’s take a closer look at these seven cheap stock picks now:

Gilead (GILD)

Source: Shutterstock

There’s no denying it, Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) is a stock with a rocky past. But it’s now at the point where it’s starting to look compelling all over again. So are you ready to take a fresh punt on this biopharma?

Maybe this will convince you — Oppenheimer’s Hartaj Singh (Track Record & Ratings) has just boosted his GILD rating from “hold” to “buy.” He explained his upgrade as a result of multiple catalysts set to take place in 2019.

Prepare yourself for 1) the addition of a savvy industry veteran in Daniel O’Day as the new CEO (announced 12/10/18), (2) year-on-year sales growth, and (3) important mid/late-stage clinical readouts for budding franchises in inflammation (filgotinib) and NASH (selonsertib, NASH combination trials).

Net-net Gilead is poised to get its mojo back. That’s because the combination of all the factors above “could start to rerate a biotech bellwether, a name that is among the cheapest in large-cap biotech” says Singh.

He has an $85 price target on the stock (24% upside potential), with the Street even slightly more bullish at $88 (29% upside). Note that shares lost 13% in December, but are already up 9% in 2019. Interested in Gilead stock? Get a free GILD Stock Research Report.

Source: Shutterstock

Shares in Goldman Sachs Group (NYSE:GS) surged 11% after its excellent earnings report.

The move caused Oppenheimer’s Chris Kotowski (Track Record & Ratings) to exclaim: “We went to business school like most analysts and have a general faith in efficient markets, but the past six weeks tests our faith.”

Goldman did print a good quarter of $6.04 versus consensus $5.61, but, the analyst asks, was that really enough for a 9.5% gain on the day and a 30% gain off the Dec. 24 low?

“No, it wasn’t the quarter. Rather it was that the December 24 low was (in our view) what we would technically term “stupid cheap,” and so it was this morning and after this move the stock is way too cheap” Kotowski tells investors.

Indeed, even after this move, the stock is still 28% below its March high, even though consensus estimates are now higher than in March.

Plus Kotowski’s $272 price target indicates shares have a further 37% upside potential left to run. Get the GS Stock Research Report.

Source: Shutterstock

Buy low buy now buy ‘nets. That’s the word from top-ranked RBC Capital analyst Mark Mahaney (Track Record & Ratings).

He spies an “unusually positive valuation set-up” for internet stocks right now. And none more so than Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG, NASDAQ:GOOGL). The stock is currently trading within 10% of 52-week lows.

“Amongst large cap ‘Nets [internet stocks] in our coverage universe, 7 are trading at or within one turn of 3-year trough multiples” says the analyst. He has a $1,400 price target on the stock (28% upside potential).

The analyst continues on this bullish note: “We note the last time the ‘Net was close to being ‘on sale’ like this was at the beginning of ’16. This set-up could cause FANG Trounce – FANG to materially outperform S&P 500, as it has done 3 of past 4 years.”

As for Alphabet specifically, this is a company with extremely consistent fundamental trends and $100 billion-plus of net cash on its balance sheet — dry powder for extra confidence amid market turbulence.

Meanwhile the stock has a strong set up for the future. Investments in Hardware, Cloud, internet-connected homes, and Autonomous Vehicles set GOOGL up for more years of premium growth & profits. Get the GOOGL Stock Research Report.

Philip Morris (PM)

Source: Shutterstock

So the staples stocks may not be the most appealing group of stocks right now. The macro outlook is weak and some valuations appear pretty stretched right now.

But there are still compelling opportunities to be found- you just need to know where to look.

“We still see pockets of opportunity in Staples, particularly in the beaten down Tobacco sector — our sub-sector rankings remain No. 1: Tobacco; No. 2: Beverages; and No. 3: HPC” says Wells Fargo’s Bonnie Herzog (Track Record & Ratings).

Her number one top stock pick is Marlboro maker Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM). The company is diversifying into “heat not burn” smokeless cigarette devices IQOS. According to Philip Morris, its goal is to replace cigarettes with these smoke-free products.

Shares are down 19% on a three-month basis, but have rallied 8% since the start of the year.

Indeed Herzog believes the stock has now reached an inflection point. She believes the set-up for 2019 is positive due to: easy comps, right sized iQOS inventories in Japan, new iQOS innovation and strong cigarette fundamentals/pricing. This is reflected in her $100 price target.- 36% upside potential from the current share price.

“We reiterate our bullish outlook on the Tobacco sector given very attractive valuations, pricing power, strong & recurring cash flow streams, attractive dividend yields and upside from reduced-risk products” explains Herzog. Get the PM Stock Research Report.

Cheap stocks to buy: Pinnacle Financial (PNFP)

Nashville-based Pinnacle Financial Partners (NASDAQ:PNFP) bank has just released its fourth-quarter earnings results.

Operating EPS of $1.25 beat Street estimates of $1.23, while the quarter also included core NIM expansion (+6bps) for the first time in several quarters.

Additionally, PNFP repurchased $21 million of its $100 million buyback authorization during the quarter.

“Despite softer 4Q loan growth, we were impressed with the ~16% annualized core NII growth during the quarter and continue to view the stock as too cheap given this core top-line growth and core profitability profile” commented Stephens’ Tyler Stafford (Track Record & Ratings) post-results.

Stafford has a $60 price target on PNFP right now. Plus, in a further sign of confidence, two analysts also ramped up their price targets on the stock in the last week.

Also note — UBS has just upgraded the stock from “sell” to “hold.” While this isn’t quite a full blown shout of confidence, it’s still a worthy start! Get the PNFP Stock Research Report.

Source: Shutterstock

Our second internet stock on this list is file sharing site Dropbox (NASDAQ:DBX). Welcome to a stock that offers both internet scalability and SaaS predictability.

Now there are some investors who don’t like Dropbox. They believe that Dropbox is not well differentiated vs. peers such as Microsoft & Google. Other sceptics argue that storage is a commoditized product, and that it comes for free with other offerings such as Microsoft 365 and G Suite.

But I would argue that these concerns are overplayed. First of all, the company believes that they have built the best product for end users. Their product is operating system agnostic, and indeed, users like to use their product better than peers.

In fact, this dynamic has now evolved into a partnership, with G Suite & Microsoft being two of their largest partners.

RBC’s Mark Mahaney (Track Record & Ratings) is firmly on-side. His $37 price target translates into extremely attractive upside potential of 61%. That’s with shares down 7% on a three-month basis.

“Each quarter, we have become increasingly impressed with DBX’s business and financial model. Best of breed FCF margins (33% in Q3) coupled with robust, consistent revenue growth.”

DBX’s freemium model enables highly cost-efficient customer acquisition, very high customer retention levels, and substantial revenue visibility with plenty of upsell opportunities he concludes.

Overall, the Street has a “strong buy” consensus on DBX with a $34.50 price target (50% upside potential). Get the DBX Stock Research Report.

Constellation Brands (STZ)

Source: Shutterstock

Last but not least comes drinks giant Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ). In the last three months, the stock has plunged 26%. That’s despite healthy momentum in beer (as just revealed at a beer segment update in Chicago) and a neat play on cannabis.

Top-rated Jefferies analyst Kevin Grundy (Track Record & Ratings) calls STZ his top pick for 2019. He finds an attractive buying opportunity in the stock’s near-term weakness.

Right now the base business (ex.Canopy) is trading at 12.5x NTM EV/EBITDA (staples 13.5x) despite best-in-class financial profile.

Here Grundy tells investors why they should be diving into STZ right now. “We model <10% beer sales growth over the next 3-5yrs with strong growth for Mexican imports. Reasonable margin ests, and Canopy stake provides unique exposure to the cannabis market.”

Indeed, his $258 price target works out at upside potential of 56%. Also notice that Goldman Sachs’ Judy Hong has just upgraded STZ from hold to buy. “Importantly, we believe Constellation Brand shares could outperform even if investors assign $0 to its investment in Canopy,” Hong said. Get the STZ Stock Research Report.

Bear

7 Long-Term Value Stocks to Buy Now

January 15, 2019 Harriet Lefton

Let’s take a longer-term investing perspective. Which are the stocks you should be buying now for maximum long-term gains? This is the question asked by analysts over at Mizuho Securities.

“We challenged each of our analysts to select the stock that he/she believes would most likely provide long-term value for our clients” says the firm. The result: a highly valuable report revealing each analyst’s top stock pick. These names range from a $65 billion biotech company to a $48 billion industrial company. And with prices generally depressed right now, many of these stocks are trading at bargain levels.

Here we delve into why each analyst is so bullish on their chosen stock. Let’s take a closer look at these top long-term stocks to buy now:

Source: Biogen via YouTube

Biogen (NASDAQ:BIIB) has a dominant position in neuroscience. The company has a leading portfolio of medicines to treat multiple sclerosis (MS). It also offers the only FDA-approved treatment for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).

To top it off, Biogen also boasts an extensive pipeline of new medicines in development. This includes Aducanumab for Alzheimer’s disease. It is estimated that over 25 million individuals are living with Alzheimer’s worldwide.

The memory loss of Alzheimer’s disease is linked to amyloid plaques, abnormal protein deposits that build up in the brain. Aducanumab is an antibody that binds to and may reduce amyloid plaques from the brain, potentially slowing the disease.

“2019 will likely be a big year for BIIB as investors prepare for Aducanumab’s Phase 3 data in Alzheimer’s, slated to be released at the end of 2019/early 2020. This will likely be an incredibly high profile catalyst, not just for Biogen, but for the therapeutics space in general” writes Mizuho’s Salim Syed (Track Record & Ratings).

If the trial works, it could send BIIB stock up $100-plus (about $33%) from current levels. “Potential moves of this magnitude are rarely seen in Large-Cap Biotech and, in our view, sets up the possibility of FOMO (fear of missing out) trade” he says. According to Syed, Aducanumab’s profile is the most compelling, with a 70% success probability. Interested in Biogen stock? Get a free BIIB Stock Research Report.

Source: Shutterstock

Ok so Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) had a pretty challenging 2018. The New York Times published a blockbuster expose recently. They claimed that the social network knew about Russian interference in the U.S. elections, but held back the information for “over a year.” Facebook has denied these claims.

Whether or not this is true, James Lee (Track Record & Ratings) still selects FB as his top long-term value pick. He has a buy rating on the stock with a $220 price target. From current levels, that works out at juicy upside potential of close to 55%. Lee is sticking with his bullish thesis on FB for three main reasons:

The transition to FB Stories is on track for success based on increased demand and pricing leverage for Instagram stories;
The recent price weakness resulting from the Times articles is overstated. He does not expect advertisers to meaningfully alter their ad budgets on FB (because of the platform’s scale and efficiency); and
The valuation is very compelling at 7x 2020 EBITDA. “This is a steep discount to the firm’s estimated growth rate of 20% and below Google’s multiple” writes Lee.

The analyst concludes: “We expect products yet to fully monetize to deliver a 60% upside over our estimated 2020 ARPU, the highest in our coverage universe.” Get the FB Stock Research Report.

Long-Term Stocks To Buy: FirstEnergy (FE)

Source: Erik Drost via Flickr

Arizona based FirstEnergy (NYSE:FE) is an electric services company worth following. In 2018, while the rest of the market faltered, FE put on a 23% sprint.

“We are recommending FirstEnergy as our top large-cap utility pick because of the above-average long-term 6%-8% EPS growth and a dividend policy to match” writes Mizuho’s Paul Fremont (Track Record & Ratings).

At its EEI conference, FE reaffirmed this growth rate and announced a lucrative new dividend policy of 6% increases. This is with a targeted payout ratio of 55-65%. Indeed, the company currently pays out a quarterly dividend of $0.38.

Also worth bearing in mind is a slew of significant regulatory milestones. These include a settlement in Ohio in the Grid Modernization and Tax Reform proceedings as well as an approval from the Bankruptcy Court on FES in September.

“With these regulatory milestones in the past, we believe FirstEnergy can focus on its fully regulated utility strategy with significant growth in its Transmission & Distribution business segments” writes Fremont. The company is currently modelling for strong Transmission & Distribution earnings and Rate Base Growth of 11% and 5% respectively. Get the FE Stock Research Report.

Source: Shutterstock

GrubHub (NYSE:GRUB) is a web commerce platform for ordering and delivering take-out food. And with over 50,000 restaurants in 1,100-plus cities, GRUB means food delivery or takeout is just a click away.

“We remain convinced that GrubHub will emerge as the primary winner in online delivery over the next decade” cheers Mizuho Securities analyst Jeremy Scott (Track Record & Ratings). His $145 price target translates into massive upside potential of 90%.

Perhaps what’s most compelling about GrubHub is its unique focus. “As the company’s competitors have zigged into building out new expensive verticals, Grub has zagged into redoubling its efforts to drive a stronger connection with its restaurant partners.” the analyst explains.

Ultimately these investments should solidify its standing as the most effective and least conflicted partner for chained restaurants. “It’s a key, yet we believe underestimated competitive advantage, and it drives our call that GrubHub will be the primary winner of delivery disruption” sums up Scott. Get the GRUB Stock Research Report.

Long-Term Stocks To Buy: Occidental Petroleum (OXY)

Source: Hayden Irwin via Flickr

Texas-based Occidental Petroleum (NYSE:OXY) is an international oil and gas exploration and production company with operations across the U.S., the Middle East and Latin America.

With a 4%-plus dividend yield, visibility on free cash flow and capital spending through 2022, and high-quality Permian assets, this is a top stock to track.

“Having reached its cash neutrality target earlier in the year, we think the company will begin growing dividends more aggressively starting next year, and we think this is underappreciated by investors” states Mizuho’s Paul Sankey (Track Record & Ratings).

As dividend growth becomes more meaningful, shares will re-rate towards their historical premium, says Sankey. Right now the company pays out 78 cents per quarter, on a yield of 4.7%. Compare that to the average basic materials dividend yield of 2.64%.

“Our top pick in E&P” adds the analyst. “That’s with an $82 price target, suggesting around 30% upside from current levels. OXY is trading at a ~0.3x turn discount to our US E&P basket, vs. a ~0.5 turn relative premium over the past one and three years.” Get the OXY Stock Research Report.

Long-Term Stocks To Buy: Williams Companies (WMB)

Source: Shutterstock

Williams Companies (NYSE:WMB) boasts 33,000 miles of pipelines — including America’s largest-volume and fastest- growing pipeline — providing natural gas for clean power generation, heating, and industrial use.

According to the company, demand for natural gas is tremendous and continues to grow. This is because gas is cleaner, less expensive and more efficient than other fuels capable of meeting around-the-clock energy demand.

“Strategically, the company is likely to stick to its focus on natural gas infrastructure, and we think its growth outlook will support an attractive double-digit dividend growth CAGR’ says Mizuho’s Gabe Moreen (Track Record & Ratings). That’s with a price target of $32 (36% upside potential).

He sees the possibility of additional asset sales as a positive catalyst for the stock. Selling non-core assets can both free up capital and de-lever the balance sheet. “We think it is likely that WMB elects to sell some of its West segment’s gathering systems, which could fetch attractive valuations” says Moreen. Get the WMB Stock Research Report.

Long-Term Stocks To Buy: FibroGen (FGEN)

Source: Shutterstock

FibroGen (NASDAQ:FGEN) creates first-in-class medicines to treat life-threatening conditions such as anemia, pulmonary fibrosis, and pancreatic cancer.

The stock has the thumbs up from Mizuho’s Difei Yang (Track Record & Ratings). This top-rated analyst singles out FibroGen with a $74 price target (63% upside potential). With shares trading at just $45, she spies meaningful upside on the back of upcoming potential catalysts.

Right now that involves the biotech’s lead product candidate, roxadustat. Yang believes this is likely to be a first-in-class for the treatment of anemia in chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Indeed the company has just announced positive top-line efficacy results. That’s from not one but three global phase III trials of the drug at the end of December. The next step- and potentially sizable catalyst- is the upcoming MACE event. This is the read-out of cardiovascular safety data due in 1H19.

“We believe the MACE data will likely be share moving in 2019 and has potential to differentiate roxadustat from a commercial standpoint vs. competitors” writes Yang. She has an 85% probability of success for roxadustat, and estimates $734 mil peak-sales in 2025. Get the FGEN Stock Research Report.

Source: Investor Place

Uncategorized

10 Stocks That Are Screaming Buys Right Now

December 31, 2018 Harriet Lefton

Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on March 2018 but has since been updated and republished to reflect new developments.]

Buckle up — the market is looking jittery right now. If it’s not the threat of further Federal interest rate hikes, it’s the possibility of a ~~full-blown~~ prolonged trade war with China and Europe. As James Brumley notes, however, if geopolitical risks were actually a deterrent to investing in today’s best stocks to buy, “nobody would ever put a penny in stocks”.

For investors prepared to put in the work, there are plenty of gems to be found. I set out to pinpoint the best stocks to buy right now using the best analysts on Wall Street as guidance. TipRanks tracks and measures the performance of over 4,700 analysts enabling investors to identify consistently outperforming experts.

Analysts are ranked based on two crucial factors: success rate and average return-per-recommendation. Following top analysts is an easy way to identify stocks that experts believe have strong investing potential. That’s why I’m only including companies with a ‘Strong Buy’ top analyst consensus based on the past three months of ratings.

Using this consensus, investors can be reassured that these stocks are the crème-de-la-crème as far as the Street is concerned.

Bearing this in mind, let’s dive in and take a closer look at the top 10 best stocks to buy right now:

Facebook (FB)

Source: Shutterstock

Social media giant Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) is one of the best stocks to invest in right now. Shares are cheap at $131. And now we have a clear buying opportunity on our hands according to two top analysts.

Looking at TipRanks best-performing analysts, FB stock is expected to see upside of 43%, with prices spiking to $188.10. Meanwhile, top-100 analyst KeyBanc analyst Andy Hargreaves adds, “We believe this provides an opportunity to purchase above-average growth at Facebook for a price that is well below average.” He believes investors are heavily discounting FB’s growth prospects and extraordinary core momentum. His $245 price target suggests even greater upside potential with FB rising to $195.

Boeing (BA)

Source: Phillip Capper via Flickr

One of the world’s largest aerospace companies, shares in Boeing (NYSE:BA) slipped this year on trade war fears. But Head of Research at Fundstrat Tom Lee believes the market overreacted.

He has calculated that Boeing actually has a trade war exposure of just 35.2%. To calculate this figure, Lee looked at the company’s overseas sourcing as a percentage of cost of goods sold and exports as a percentage of sales. A percentage under 40% means the company has a low trade war exposure, according to Lee.

And in this case, despite all the trade war noise, I would recommend carefully considering Boeing right now. After all, BA stock has received 11“buy” ratings in the past four months, with three analysts on the sidelines. With a $436 average price target, upside potential stands at 38%. But some analysts are much more bullish than consensus.

For example, five-star Cowen & Co analyst Cai Rumohr singles out BA as one of the best stocks to buy. He has a bullish $445 price target.

Alexion Pharmaceuticals (ALXN)

Source: Alexion Pharmaceuticals

Alexion Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ALXN) is a U.S. pharma company best known for its development of Soliris, a drug used to treat rare blood disorders. And top Oppenheimer analyst Hartaj Singh selected ALXN as his top stock to buy for February-March. Bear in mind this is a five-star analyst with a top-200 ranking on TipRanks (out of over 4,700).

Singh is confident that Alexion can explode more than 40% from just $116 to $165. He says the stock’s risk/reward profile is oriented to the upside making this a top stock to invest in right now.

He concludes: “With a robust rare disease platform, a slowing yet cash-generating asset in Soliris, and two newly launched products in Strensiq and Kanuma, we believe that it is not a question of if, but rather when, the shares positively re-rate.”

In total, Alexion has scored seven buy ratings and only two hold ratings from best-performing analysts in the past three months. These analysts predict that Alexion will rise roughly 41% to reach $164.44.

Pioneer Natural (PXD)

Source: Shutterstock

Texas-based Pioneer Natural Resources (NYSE:PXD) is on the cusp of great things. The company is divesting all non-Permian assets. This asset sale should raise PXD about $1 billion and it transforms PXD into a pure-play on the Permian Basin. Given that this is one of the world’s most lucrative oil fields, that’s no bad thing.

B. Riley FBR analyst Rehan Rashid applauds the company’s “strategic realignment.” He says the move will enable PXD to ramp up its investment in its Permian assets.

“We believe this platform and the substantial resource base it has to offer are simply not replicable. We reiterate our ‘buy’ rating and $305 price target and add PXD to the B. Riley FBR Alpha Generator list” says Rashid. He calculates “new” resource potential of nearly 20 billion BOE (barrels of oil or equivalent).

TipRanks shows that Pioneer has received 11 buy ratings and one hold ratings from analysts. Considering that the stock is now at $151, analysts are projecting (on average) upside potential of 58%.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX)

Source: Shutterstock

Global biotech stock Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) is a prime investing pick right now with a growing portfolio of cystic fibrosis (CF) drugs. This is a genetic disorder that causes severe damage to the lungs, digestive system and other organs in the body.

The company scored a key approval from the FDA for its third CF drug, Symdeko, earlier this year. The approval came two weeks earlier than expected and “potentially speaks to the FDA’s growing comfort with the suite of VRTX medicines” says JP Morgan’s Cory Kasimov. Management is now anticipating a “strong launch” for Symdeko with E.U. approval on track for the second half of 2018.

“We continue to believe that VRTX’s dominance in the CF space, compelling bottom-line growth trajectory (43% CAGR through 2022), and significant free cash flow generation could potentially allow the company to substantially expand the breadth of its investor base” cheers Kasimov. So watch this space.

Overall, this “strong buy” stock scored 13 top buy ratings and just one “hold” rating in the past few months. Meanwhile, the average analyst price target of $208 works out to 30.7% upside from current share levels.

Raytheon (RTN)

Source: Shutterstock

Defense giant Raytheon Company (NYSE:RTN) is the world’s largest producer of guided missiles. As with Boeing, you may be concerned that this stock would suffer in the event of a trade war. However, you can rest easy.

According to research firm Fundstrat, it actually has a trade-war exposure percentage of 35.2% (again, anything under 40% is considered low). And from a Street perspective, the outlook on RTN is also very bullish right now.

“Strong broad order momentum, a large Patriot backlog, and untapped financial firepower give RTN extended EPS and cash flow per share growth potential” cheers five-star Cowen & Co. analyst Cai Rumohr. He notes that the Harpoon replacement missile bid, a massive $8 billion opportunity, could be decided as soon as fall 2018.

With a strong outlook for 2018 and the subsequent years, RTN has received four buy ratings from the best analysts in the last three months. In this same period, two analysts have remained on the sidelines. The average analyst price target indicates 27% upside potential from the current share price.

Alibaba (BABA)

Source: Shutterstock

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba (NYSE:BABA) has a “moderate buy” analyst consensus rating with big upside potential of 30%. The Street is unanimous in its take on BABA as one of the best stocks to invest in right now.

I say that because in the last ten months, this stock has received no hold or sell ratings from the Street. Just 100% buy ratings.

Key growth drivers to keep a close watch on include rural/cross-border/cloud/logistics. For example, AliCloud (Alibaba’s answer to Amazon Web Services) revenue is soaring with triple-digit year-over-year growth.

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Skechers USA (SKX)

Source: Shutterstock

Skechers (NYSE:SKX) is primed for significant expansion. Even after a 60% rise last year, the company remains notably undervalued compared to its athletic retail peers. Top Susquehanna analyst Sam Poser recently reiterated a target of $29. The new target indicates a further near-20% upside from the current share price.

Following a blowout fourth-quarter earnings report, Poser is confident that the stock’s solid momentum is here to stay. “Another significant earnings beat reinforces our belief that SKX is at the beginning of a multiyear run of superior earnings growth and outsized investor returns,” he said.

According to Poser, SKX is now seeing strength in “all its businesses.” The company’s domestic wholesale business is inflecting while the potential for growth in international markets is robust. He predicts that strong Chinese growth will enable management to meet its targeted $6 billion in revenue by 2020. This suggests an impressive CAGR rate of roughly 13%.

“A premium multiple is warranted as we are confident that the SKX business is on the verge of a material positive inflection,” Poser concludes in his Feb. 9 report. On Skechers specifically, Poser has a 75% success rate and 37.6% average return across 43 stock ratings.

In the last three months, Skechers has received five buys and five holds, and an average price target of $31.

2U Inc (TWOU)

Source: Shutterstock

Online education platform 2U (NASDAQ:TWOU) received a slew of price target increases from the Street this year. On May 3, the company reported Q4 results ahead of expectations. This marks its sixteenth consecutive quarter of outperformance. 2U’s Q4 organic revenue growth accelerated to about 30% year-over-year, and 2018 guidance implies another year of “Tier 1” industry revenue growth.

But for top Oppenheimer analyst Brian Schwartz it’s not just about 2018 — it’s about the changes sweeping through the education industry. He sees a “high migration” likelihood toward the digital channel for students and learning over the next decade.

“We believe long-term investors will be rewarded over the years as 2U disrupts and transforms the post-secondary education landscape with little credible threat over the medium term” states Schwartz. This top-10 analyst has a $70 price target on TWOU.

In the last three months, this stock to buy boasts five buy ratings from the Street’s best analysts.

MasTec (MTZ)

Source: Shutterstock

Last but not least of all the best stocks to invest in for 2018, we have Florida-based specialty contractor engineer MasTec (NYSE:MTZ). The company’s work spans electric power infrastructure, oil and natural gas pipelines, renewable energy facilities and wireless networks. Strength across the board has resulted in 100% Street support with four top analysts publishing recent buy ratings. These analysts spy near-60% upside potential for MTZ.

The company has released very strong Q4 results last month. Notably, cash flow and liquidity remained strong, giving MTZ flexibility for organic and acquisitive growth.

“Guidance for 2018 was solid and suggests another record year for the company, with strong market trends across all of its segments. We believe MTZ is well positioned across all of its end markets to benefit from multiple opportunities for long-term growth” states top B.Riley FBR analyst Alex Rygiel.

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Source: Investors Place

Growth Stocks

6 Stocks Set for Monster Growth in 2019

December 26, 2018 Harriet Lefton

Although stocks have experienced a rough ride in 2018, some stocks still have a big chance to shine through year-end. The best stocks to buy now go above and beyond the normal growth prospects. While looking for these kinds of investments, I examined six of the best stocks to invest in, all with huge upside potential and support from the Street’s top analysts.

The best way to find these stocks is with TipRanks’ Top Analyst Stocks tool.

With that being said, let’s get straight down into taking a closer look at these six stocks to buy now — all of which I believe look undervalued.

Source: JD Hancock via Flickr

Stocks to Buy Now: Cloudera (CLDR)

Big-Data cruncher Cloudera (NYSE:CLDR) has upside potential of 100% say the Street’s top analysts! Currently, the stock is trading at $11.37 but analysts see it hitting $22.88 in the coming months. The stock has experienced some volatility this year, but it is now in a very promising setup. Indeed, since its downturn in April, Cloudera has surged 50%!

Michael Turits, a five-star analyst from Raymond James, reiterated his Cloudera “buy” rating yesterday at $24.

We can see from TipRanks that this ‘Strong Buy’ stock has a lot of Street support. Indeed, in the last three months, CLDR has received five buy ratings, including an upgrade from D.A. Davidson.

Source: Mike Mozart via Flickr

Stocks to Buy Now: Dave & Busters (PLAY)

The hybrid game arcade and restaurant chain Dave & Buster’s Entertainment (NASDAQ:PLAY) scored a rebound this year, but more upside is to come. Specifically, analysts expect 20.5% from the current share price — all the way from $59.18 to $71.29.

However, Maxim Group’s Stephen Anderson is more bullish than consensus — he believes the stock can soar to $71. Even though the stock has experienced some short-term sales volatility, he says that valuation remains very compelling.

In the last three months, PLAY has received an impressive seven consecutive buy ratings. As a result, the stock has a ‘Strong Buy’ analyst consensus. Out of these ratings, five come from best-performing analysts.

Source: NASA Blueshift via Flickr

Stocks to Buy Now: CBS Corp (CBS)

Media stock CBS Corporation (NYSE:CBS) can climb nearly 20% in the next 12 months, say top analysts. This would see the stock trading at nearly $70 versus the current share price under $60.

Just a couple of days ago, Imperial Capital’s David Miller reiterated his “buy” rating. This was accompanied with a very bullish $71 price target. Miller expressed positivity in the outlook following strong fundamentals from “positive initiatives” put in place by the former CEO.

Meanwhile, out of nine recent ratings on CBS, six are buys. This means that in the last three months only three analysts have published hold ratings on the stock.

Source: Shutterstock

Stocks to Buy Now: Neurocrine (NBIX)

Encouragingly, the stock has received no less than 10 consecutive buy ratings from analysts in the last three months. Seven out of the 10 of these buy ratings are from top-performing analysts.

Source: Shutterstock

Stocks to Buy Now: Sinclair Broadcast (SBGI)

Benchmark Capital previously named SBGI as one of its Best Ideas for 1H18. Five-star Benchmark analyst Daniel Kurnos says “We see SBGI as one of the best values in the entire media landscape.” He is now eyeing $38 as a potential price target, a double-digit gain from its current perch of $30.37.

Top analysts are united in their bullish take on this strong buy stock. In the last three months, five analysts have published buy ratings on Sinclair.

Source: Shutterstock

Stocks to Buy Now: Laureate Education (LAUR)

Barrington analyst Alexander Paris, just today, reiterated his “buy” rating on LAUR stock at $20, meaning upside of 34%!

Previously, Stifel Nicolaus analyst Shlomo Rosenbaum notes that Chile’s election result is a “material positive” for Laureate. He says new President Sebastian Pinera is less likely to support legislation for free post-secondary education- the prospect of which has dampened prices to date. Rosenbaum currently has an $18 price target on the stock.

Overall, Laureate certainly has the Street’s seal of approval. The stock has scored four top analyst buy ratings recently. This includes a bullish call from one of TipRanks’ Top 20 analysts for 2017, BMO Capital’s Jeffrey Silber.Pay Your Bills for LIFE with These Dividend Stocks

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Growth Stocks

7 Safe Haven Stocks for a Treacherous Market

December 21, 2018 Harriet Lefton

The market is a perilous place right now. Most stocks are firmly in the red. And the jury is out on what’s coming next. Some say we are heading for a full-blown bear market. Others believe the old bull market is lurking just around the corner.

“Our best analysis — as we look at markets and as we look at the economy — is that things are stable,” Federated Investors’ Steve Chiavarone has just told CNBC. “We’re confident where markets are going to go over the next 12 months.”

Even so, it’s best to be prepared. Whatever happens next you don’t want to get caught out. That’s why I put together this list of solid stock picks for whatever the market will throw at us in 2019. As you will see these stocks also get the thumbs up from the Street. That’s an encouraging start. Here I use data from TipRanks to get some idea of the upside potential analysts see coming our way.

Let’s take a closer look now:

United Health (UNH)

Source: bradleypjohnson via Flickr

Can this healthcare giant do no wrong? “Not surprised, just impressed” cheered five-star Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Steve Halper (Track Record & Ratings). He’s out with a bullish rating on the stock following UnitedHealth Group’s (NYSE:UNH) annual investor conference.

At its event, UNH demonstrated the robust savings driven by Optum’s investments in technology. These investments should establish UNH as a leader in the shift to value-based care. Halper continues: “Given its nicely diversified health insurance business and Optum, which now accounts for more than 40% of operating profit, UNH should be a core holding in all large-cap growth portfolios.”

And he isn’t the only one. UNH has racked up 12 back-to-back analyst buy ratings in the last three months. That’s pretty impressive whichever way you look at it.

Meanwhile the $309 average analyst price target suggests 22% upside lies ahead. That’s just a shade under Halper’s own price target of $310.

“Although the shares are not inexpensive, we maintain our view that the current share price does not fully reflect the company’s long-term growth and free cash flow growth potential” concludes the Cantor analyst. Interested in UNH stock? Get a free UNH Stock Research Report.

T Mobile (TMUS)

Source: Mike Mozart via Flickr (modified)

T-Mobile (NYSE:TMUS) is the third-largest wireless carrier in the U.S., capturing virtually all of the industry growth since 2013.

According to Oppenheimer’s Tim Horan (Track Record & Ratings), these share gains are down to a greatly improved network and innovative marketing to under-served niches, in both urban and rural areas. He has a buy rating on the stock with a bullish $90 price target (37% upside potential).

“We believe the key to the stock’s performance lies in improved network (lower churn), innovative marketing, expansion into rural areas and cost controls, while at the same time trying to leverage its 4G advantage versus its prepaid competitors” Horan explains.

Most encouragingly, he is growing more confident (~90% likelihood) that the Sprint(NYSE:S)/TMUS merger will be approved by regulatory authorities. That’s with divestitures that could spawn a new, fourth competitor. That’s good news because the merger can generate an estimated $6 billion in synergies.

Net-net: “We expect TMUS to outperform as it continues to take share and see margin improvement.” Overall, this “strong buy” stock scores seven recent buy ratings vs just one hold rating. That’s with an $82 average price target for 24% upside. Get the TMUS Stock Research Report.

Altria Group (MO)

Source: Peyri Herrera via Flickr (Modified)

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) is one of the world’s largest producers and marketers of tobacco, cigarettes and related products. The company owns Philip Morris (NYSE:PM), maker of the famous Marlboro cigarettes.

And now it’s expanding into new territory. The company is buzzing on the news that it has acquired a major stake in pot stock Cronos Group (NASDAQ:CRON). Altria is now Cronos’ exclusive partner in the cannabis sector — and is poised to gain as new markets for medical and recreational weed open up around the world.

Specifically, Altria is investing C$2.4 billion ($1.8 billion) to acquire a 45% stake in Cronos and will also receive warrants that, if exercised, would increase that stake to 55% for a further C$1.4 billion.

So far the reaction from the Street is upbeat. Wells Fargo analyst Bonnie Herzog (Track Record & Ratings) called the deal “very positive” as it significantly expands Altria’s total addressable market. “Overall, we applaud MO’s decision to pivot fast and to move into a new adjacent category (cannabis) that is complimentary to its core tobacco business,” she said.

Herzog doesn’t have a price target on MO’s stock, but we can see that the average target of $68 indicates 35% upside potential. Plus the top analyst consensus is “strong buy” with five recent buy ratings. Get the MO Stock Research Report.

Stocks to Buy: HCA Healthcare (HCA)

Source: Shutterstock

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) is the largest hospital operator in the U.S. It provides services through a network of acute care hospitals, outpatient facilities and other settings.

Oppenheimer’s Michael Wiederhorn (Track Record & Ratings) is one of the top 50 analysts tracked by TipRanks, so he tends to get it right when it comes to stock picking. Right now Wiederhorn is betting on HCA as a solid long-term stock pick.

First, the hospital industry should continue to benefit from improved admissions growth and payer mix thanks to policy initiatives from the Affordable Care Act.

Plus, HCA has continued to boast stronger operations than peers over the long term, given robust same-store growth and strong cost management. For example, HCA generated impressive free cash flow of $900 million compared to $300 million in the year-ago period.

“Given that these trends show no signs of slowing … we believe HCA remains the premier hospital company and maintain an Outperform rating” sums up the analyst. His $142 price target suggests 12% upside lies ahead.

And the Street is even more bullish. This “strong buy” stock has a $156 average price target (25% upside potential). Get the HCA Stock Research Report.

Visa (V)

Source: Shutterstock

Strong growth continues over at credit card giant Visa (NYSE:V). And the company has multiple tailwinds ahead. Don’t just take my word from it. This is the advice of top-rated Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Joseph Foresi (Track Record & Ratings).

“We like Visa’s opportunity to capitalize on the global conversion of cash into credit, international opportunities, and digital payment tailwinds” writes the analyst. Most notably, Visa Direct, contactless payments and B2B are all potential price catalysts.

For example, Visa Direct is growing rapidly, with volumes continuing to increase by more than 100% year over year. This is fueled by increased activities by end users alongside expansion of reach and scale.

Following a 4QFY18 beat, Foresi sets out his bullish thesis as so: “Our Overweight rating is based on the company’s leading position in the card network industry and its significant opportunities for growth internationally and digitally.”

As for share price: “We value Visa at a premium to the group, due to its above-average industry growth rates, superior margins, and business profile.”

Indeed, this “strong buy” stock boasts a $168 average analyst price target. Given shares are currently trading at $135 this means 25% upside is on the cards right now. Get the V Stock Research Report.

Home Depot (HD)

Source: Shutterstock

Home Depot (NYSE:HD) is the U.S.’s largest home improvement retailer, with over 2,200 retail stores.

Even if the housing market slows, Home Depot is nevertheless a strong stock to buy.

“HD believes it can post healthy comps today despite a softer housing market, owing to a strong consumer, healthy secular/housing dynamics (aging, formation, appreciation, etc.) and market share gain” explains Top-100 analyst, Scot Ciccarelli (Track Record & Ratings) of RBC Capital.

He notes that sales at Home Depot have remained strong and broad-based. According to Ciccarrelli, Home Depot should benefit from better customer service, improved merchandising, additional supply-chain enhancements, and strong returns to shareholders.

Indeed the company has just increased its FY18 share repurchase outlook to $10 billion from $8 billion. The upshot of this is: buy.

“We view HD as a long-term winner and near-term outperformer, with strong execution and ample growth drivers (Pro, Omnichannel, supply chain, etc.) for market share gains and higher share of the Pro wallet.” wrote Ciccarelli.

He has a $191 price target on the stock, just a shade lower than $201 average analyst price target for 18% upside. Bear in mind 10 out of 14 top analysts are bullish on the stock right now. Get the HD Stock Research Report.

Merck (MRK)

Source: Shutterstock

Merck (NYSE:MRK) is one of the world’s largest pharma companies, delivering revenue in 2017 of over $40 billion. The pharmaceutical giant is seeing big and steady sales of its cancer drug Keytruda.

Keytruda works by aiding the body’s own immune system to fight and kill cancer cells. “Merck has distinguished itself with excellent IO [immunotherapy] execution” cheered top BMO Capital analyst Alex Arfaei (Track Record & Ratings) on Nov. 16.

The analyst adds: “If Merck maintains ~40% long-term share of the U.S. IO market, this would imply sales potential of $9.4Bn by 2030. That is plausible given Merck’s strong execution in IO so far.” He is currently forecasting U.S. Keytruda sales of $7.4Bn by 2030, but says this seems conservative given recent trends, especially given the recent FDA approval for Keytruda + chemotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

At the 2018 American Society of Clinical Oncology Conference, the “beautifully positive” KN407 was widely recognized as establishing Keytruda plus chemo as the new standard of care in 1L squamous NSCLC.

Arfaei currently has an $80 price target on “strong buy” rated Merck. Indeed, in the last three months, Merck has received seven consecutive buy ratings from analysts. This is with an average analyst price target of $83 (11% upside potential).

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Uncategorized

10 Stocks That Can Move Higher Whatever Happens

December 12, 2018 Harriet Lefton

As we move nearer to 2019, market sentiment is growing increasingly cautious. And that’s fair enough. Talks of inverted yield curves and the ongoing U.S.-China trade war certainly aren’t boosting sentiment. But even within these conditions, there are still stellar stocks to buy out there.

I mean stocks with strong fundamentals and high growth potential. And the best part is, you don’t even have to look that far to find them. Morgan Stanley has just released a report revealing its stock picks for 2019. They see 2019 as a year of consolidation for the stock market. Consolidated stocks typically trade within limited price ranges and offer relatively few trading opportunities.

However, the names singled out in the report are capable of growing earnings even if the economy slows and the market tumbles.

Here I pinpoint 10 of the firm’s most compelling stock picks. As you will see all 10 stocks boast a “strong buy” analyst consensus rating (according to TipRanks research tools), and their upside potential doesn’t look too bad either. With that in mind, let’s see why Morgan Stanley is such a fan of these stocks right now:

Alphabet (GOOGL)

Source: Shutterstock

All’s well that ends well. Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG, NASDAQ:GOOGL) may have endured a rocky trading period recently, but the future remains bright according to Morgan Stanley.

“As the dominant player in paid search, Google continues to benefit from secular growth as advertising dollars shift into digital,” the firm’s Brian Nowak (Track Record & Ratings) said.

Most notably, Google also owns YouTube, the leader in online video advertising. Indeed, Novak sees video advertising expanding nearly 25% from 2017 to 2020 to roughly $22 billion in the U.S. alone.

The Street shares this upbeat outlook. With a “strong buy” analyst consensus, the company’s $1,349 average price target speaks of 24% upside potential ahead. Get GOOGL Research Report.

Amazon (AMZN)

Source: Shutterstock

Also on Nowak’s stocks-to-buy list: Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN). “As the dominant player in U.S. eCommerce, Amazon continues to experience secular growth as retail dollars shift online,” the analyst explained.

He believes the e-commerce giant has a “significant opportunity” to capture a larger piece of the roughly $1 trillion worldwide eCommerce market (ex China). This is thanks to 1) the company’s growing logistics network and 2) its expanding Prime membership program.

Indeed, an impressive 37 out of 38 analysts covering the stock are bullish. That’s with a $2,154 average price target (27% upside potential). Bear in mind that while GOOGL stock might be struggling, AMZN is still enjoying strong momentum. Shares are up 40% year-to-date. Get the AMZN Research Report.

Expedia (EXPE)

Source: Shutterstock

Let’s stay in internet land for our third stock: leading online travel player Expedia Group (NASDAQ:EXPE). Like other web stocks, Expedia continues to benefit from secular growth as travel dollars shift online.

“The $1.3 trillion global travel industry remains a highly fragmented market and both BKNG and EXPE look well positioned given their scale advantages and portfolio of brands” writes Morgan Stanley’s Brian Nowak.

In all, over the next three years he expects EXPE’s bookings to grow at an aggressive 11% CAGR.

Indeed, while some skeptics may call the stock overvalued, the Street is forecasting a 23% rise in share prices for EXPE. That’s with 12 buy ratings vs three hold ratings over the last three months. Get the EXPE Research Report.

Illumina (ILMN)

Source: Konrad Forstner

Genetic sequencing stock Illumina (NASDAQ:ILMN) gets the thumbs up from Morgan Stanley’s Steve Beushaw (Track Record & Ratings). This is a stock that’s already up 55% year-to-date, boosted by the savvy acquisition of Pacific Biosciences in December.

“As the dominant provider of technology to sequence DNA, ILMN stands to benefit from a series of market developments and policy changes that have emerged over the last year,” Beuchaw said.

Here are a few positive catalysts to consider: 1) The success of DNA-driven drug administration in immunotherapy by Merck 2) Stronger global pharma and government funding for DNA analysis 3) Growing consumer interest in DNA-derived applications; and 4) Growing global research funding for genomic research.

In terms of share price, the Street is modelling for 8% upside ahead. This would take this “strong buy” stock to buy to $367. Get the ILMN Research Report.

Intuitive Surgical (ISRG)

Source: Jon Fingas via Flickr (Modified)

Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ:ISRG) specializes in robots — robotic surgeries to be precise. Its da Vinci robotic system has already racked up a whopping five million procedures. That’s with 44,000 da Vinci surgeons trained worldwide.

“Intuitive Surgical is the leader in robotic surgery,” states the firm’s David Lewis (Track Record & Ratings) said. The system allows doctors to carry out minimally invasive procedures. It does this by translating the surgeon’s hand movements into smaller, precise movements of tiny instruments inside the patient.

Lewis added: “The company has gained significant adoption within urology and gynecology and is still in the relatively early stages of penetration internationally and within broader procedures (including general surgery).”

With eight buy ratings vs two hold ratings, analysts forecast 24% upside for shares. Get the ISRG Research Report.

National Vision Holdings (EYE)

Source: Shutterstock

National Vision Holdings (NASDAQ:EYE) is one of the largest and fastest-growing optical retailers in the U.S. It already boasts 1,000 stores in over 40 states.

“We believe EYE offers a unique blend of defensiveness and growth vis-à-vis its focus on value within the non-cyclical optical retail segment and ~50% unit growth runway,” Morgan Stanley’s Simeon Gutman (Track Record & Ratings) said.

The numbers speak for themselves. As Gutman points out, “EYE has delivered 67 consecutive quarters of positive SSS [same store sales] and is expected to grow square footage ~10% annually over the next several years.”

Plus the upside potential looks very compelling. Analysts see shares exploding by nearly 50% to $49. Get the EYE Research Report.

Palo Alto (PANW)

This cybersecurity stock is primed for success. So says Keith Weiss (Track Record & Ratings). He sees Palo Alto Networks (NYSE:PANW) as well-positioned for future industry trends.

“To garner more effectiveness and efficiency in information security architectures, we believe the key secular trend in security will be the consolidation of spending towards integrated security platforms” revealed this five-star analyst.

And Weiss believes PANW can emerge victorious: “Palo Alto Networks stands well positioned to excel within that trend given its leadership in core network security and growing traction into areas such as Endpoint, Cloud, and Security Analytics.”

Encouragingly, its $240 average price target suggests 24% upside potential for this “strong buy” stock. Get the PANW Research Report.

Pluralsight (PS)

Source: Hillary via Flickr

Despite what its name might suggest, this isn’t another vision-related stock. Pluralsight (NASDAQ:PS) is an online education company that provides IT and software video training courses through its website. The company is seeing “exceptional” business-to-business activity, with Q3 with billings growth over 50%.

“We believe Pluralsight is well positioned to help enterprises address the need for IT knowledge while managing an accelerating industry-wide talent gap,” commented Brian Essex (Track Record & Ratings).

He continues, “The platform is driven by machine learning technology that not only enables a more efficient learning process at the individual level but also enables enterprises to efficiently quantify, develop, and manage talent across technology platforms.”

Five analysts have rated the stock in the last three months. All named it a stock to buy. They see 30% upside potential ahead. Get the PS Research Report.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX)

Stocks to Buy: Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX)

Source: Shutterstock

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) is a biotech that focuses primarily on cystic fibrosis (CF). Word on the Street: This is a stock with some of the best growth prospects in large-cap biotech.

“The company’s CF therapies Kalydeco and Orkambi collectively generated ~$2.2B in sales in 2017, and a third therapy (Symdeko) was approved in early 2018, which we believe could generate ~$750M in sales for 2018E” comments Morgan Stanley’s Matthew Harrison.

Plus Vertex is also developing a triple combination therapy for cystic fibrosis. According to Harrison, this triple therapy has generated strong late-stage data and “could address a large portion of the CF market.”

In total, 12 out of 13 analysts rate this “strong buy” stock a buy, with 17% upside potential from current levels. Get the VRTX Research Report.

Visa (V)

Stocks to Buy: Visa (V)

Source: Shutterstock

Last but not least we have financial giant Visa (NYSE:V). Trends are looking strong going into 2019.

“Visa is a key beneficiary of robust consumer spending worldwide, the ongoing migration from cash to electronic payments, and broadening merchant acceptance,” sums up Morgan Stanley analyst James Faucette.

This should power the stock higher despite forex headwinds.

“Global Personal Consumption Expenditure and secular growth drivers should support high-single-digit volume growth and low double-digit revenue growth in the near-to-medium term” he adds. Europe, India and Visa Direct are all potential upside drivers.

All told, 15 analysts rate this a stock to buy with only two analysts staying sidelined. Their average price target indicates 19% upside potential. Get the V Research Report.

Source: Investor Place

Growth Stocks

10 Goldman Sachs Top Stock Picks for 2019

November 30, 2018 Harriet Lefton

Well that came around quickly! We are now drawing to the end of 2018. And that can only mean one thing: it’s time to think about 2019. Chances are high that the volatility plaguing the markets in 2018 isn’t going anywhere next year. With that in mind, you need to be extra careful about how you re-balance your portfolio for the new year. Luckily Goldman Sachs is here to help. It recently released a report of exactly the kind of stocks you want to be thinking about right now.

These are ‘high quality’ stocks specially selected by the firm. And by ‘high-quality’ Goldman Sachs means stocks that meet the following 5 factors: strong balance sheets, stable sales growth, low deviation in operating income, low stock drawdown risk, and return-on-equity that exceeds peers. In other words these stocks are the best-positioned to 1) withstand an economic slowdown; and 2) diminishing equity returns. That sounds good to me!

On top of that I used TipRanks‘ stock data to find out what other top analysts have to say on these stocks.
That way I can highlight stocks with the most bullish Street consensus from Goldman Sachs’ list.

Let’s take a closer look at these top stock picks for 2019 now:

Stock Picks for 2019: Comcast (CMCSA)

Source: Mike Mozart via Flickr

I’m with Goldman Sachs on this one. Blue chip telecoms giant Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA) is a worthy 2019 stock pick. CMCSA stock has an extremely stable portfolio and growing free cash flow.

Not only is its credit high-quality, but its dividend is ‘sacrosanct’, and it repurchases shares when it’s not deleveraging from strategic M&A.

“CMCSA is arguably more a safety stock than a growth stock. While its valuation is modest we’d argue so is its risk” writes RBC Capital’s Steven Cahall (Track Record & Ratings).

He has just ramped up his price target to $45, citing the recent $15 billion deal for Sky. From current levels this means we are looking at upside potential of 19%.

“Excuse Me While I Kiss the Sky” Cahall calls his report, adding “We see the strategic merits of Sky being better appreciated in time.”

True CMCSA paid a hefty multiple, but Cahall sees long-term strategic benefits from Sky, ranging from a bigger subscriber base for emerging tech investments to savings on content acquisition and accelerated advanced advertising.

This ‘Strong Buy’ stock scores 15 buy ratings vs 3 hold ratings. Its $44 average analyst price target suggests 16% upside potential. Interested in CMCSA stock? Get a free CMCSA Stock Research Report.

Stock Picks for 2019: Visa (V)

Source: Shutterstock

This financial stock continues to outperform. Year-to-date, Visa Inc (NYSE:V) shares have surged over 19%.

And looking forward to 2019, I see no reason why Visa’s outperformance can’t continue.

Indeed, top-rated Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Joseph Foresi (Track Record & Ratings) has just reiterated his V Buy rating. This comes with a bullish $160 price target — 18% upside potential.

“Strong growth continues” cheers Foresi, before writing: “We remain attracted to Visa’s dominant position in the global card network market and to its strong, recognizable international brand.”

Notably, Foresi highlighted Visa’s opportunity to capitalize on the global conversion of cash into credit, international opportunities, and digital payment tailwinds.

Meanwhile Visa Direct, contactless payments, and B2B all have the potential to drive share prices higher.

Out of 18 analysts polled on this ‘Strong Buy’ stock, 17 are bullish. This is with a $167 average analyst price target. Get the V Stock Research Report.

Stock Picks for 2019: Alphabet (GOOGL)

Source: Shutterstock

Tech stocks may be going through a rough patch, but here’s one mega cap Goldman Sachs thinks is still worth buying for 2019.

Trading at ~11x 2019 EV/EBITDA, Alphabet Inc’s (NASDAQ:GOOGL) valuation looks compelling, says Brent Thill (Track Record & Ratings) of Jefferies. He picks GOOGL as his Franchise Pick i.e. a high conviction stock. This is with a juicy $1,450 price target (37% upside potential).

So what justifies this bullish call?

“The Internet Team remains bullish on Alphabet due to continued expected mobile search growth and a positive stance on YouTube” explains Thill.

Online video is lining up as the biggest online ad growth driver — with GOOGL’s YouTube capable of driving meaningful upside by stealing ad budgets away from television.

Meanwhile, “mobile search has been the number one driver of revenue growth for the past several quarters and the team sees continued opportunity given the ubiquity of smartphones and the important location and contextual signals from mobile devices” writes Thill.

Plus, Alphabet also boasts its fast-growing Google Cloud, and a strong leadership position in both AI and autonomous vehicles. Its Waymo vehicles have driven many millions of miles on public roads more than peers.

Taking a step back, we can see that out of 31 analysts polled recently, 28 are bullish on the stock. This is with a $1,346 average price target (28% upside potential). Get the GOOGL Stock Research Report.

Stock Picks for 2019: O’Reilly Auto (ORLY)

Source: Shutterstock

O’Reilly Automotive Inc (NASDAQ:ORLY) is one of the largest specialty retailers of auto parts in the US, with over 5,000 stores. Already, year-to-date, shares are exploding by over 45%. And the stock has a long growth runway ahead.

Alongside Goldman Sachs, RBC Capital’s Scot Ciccarelli (Track Record & Ratings) is also a big fan of the stock.

“O’Reilly is a net market share gainer in an attractive industry,” says the analyst. And he sees four key reasons why ORLY is set to outperform. Namely: 1) strong pricing power, 2) little threat from e-commerce because the parts are too complex, 3) increasing number and age of vehicles and 4) a highly fragmented industry.

Further, steady ORLY stock performance suggests that the company is feeling little effect from price transparency/ e-commerce competition.

“Given the company’s highly consistent top/ bottom line growth we remain buyers of ORLY,” sums up Ciccarelli. He sees shares surging 10% to hit $389.

Now if we look at all analysts, the consensus is a cautiously optimistic Moderate Buy. However, if we shift to only the Street’s best-performing analysts, then the consensus also upgrades to Strong Buy. This is with a $380 average analyst price target (8% upside potential). Get the ORLY Stock Research Report.

Stock Picks for 2019: Booking Holdings (BKNG)

Source: Shutterstock

If you’re planning a holiday right now, chances are you’ll turn to Booking Holdings Inc(NASDAQ:BKNG). From a small Dutch startup, BKNG is now one of the world’s largest travel e-commerce companies. It holds Booking.com, Priceline.com, Kayak.com, Cheapflights, OpenTable and more.

From a Street perspective, what stands out is a recent upgrade from Wells Fargo’s Robert Coolbrith (Track Record & Ratings). Analysts usually reiterate their stock ratings — so when a stock is upgraded to Buy that definitely tells us something.

Plus Coolbrith simultaneously ramped up his price target from $2,150 to $2,200. From current levels, this means we are now looking at upside of close to 18%.

In this case Coolbrith cites the company’s Q3 performance and Q4 guide as well as management’s 2019 long-term strategy. This breaks down to: 1) platform investment, 2) above-market top-line growth and 3) a close focus on EBITDA dollar growth.

And crucially, even though shares are over $1,800, Coolbrith sees an appealing entry point right now. Shares are currently trading down over 5% in the last three months. “We note that shares remain significantly below historical valuation averages — BKNG’s current NTM EV/EBITDA is 12% below its 3-year median.”

Overall, BKNG stock earns a Moderate Buy analyst consensus. This comes with a $2,242 average price target — which means 23% upside potential lies ahead. Get the BKNG Stock Research Report.

Stock Picks for 2019: Dollar Tree (DLTR)

Source: Shutterstock

When trading is rough, defensive stocks tend to do well. And bargain retail store Dollar Tree, Inc. (NASDAQ:DLTR) is a perfect example of a defensive stock. Everything in the store sells for $1 or less.

On October 16, the NY Post reported that Carl Icahn is accumulating a stake in Dollar Tree. Apparently, we are looking at a ‘significant’ stake. On the news, DLTR stock jumped 6.8%. Icahn is an activist investor, known for pushing for changes at the company leadership level.

Five-star Oppenheimer analyst Rupesh Parikh (Track Record & Ratings) has an Outperform rating on the discount giant. He writes: “We continue to see meaningful optionality with the DLTR story from either an improving fundamental longer-term outlook or optionality with the Family Dollar asset.”

Encouragingly, he believes the stock is trading at attractive levels. This is in part down to the market undervaluing American variety store chain Family Dollar.

“At a low $80s stock price, the implied Family Dollar valuation is just a low single-digit EBITDA multiple” points out Parikh. And as for Icahn joining the team, he gives this reaction: “We await more details on Icahn’s stake and the proposed actions that could potentially unlock shareholder value from here.”

With a Moderate Buy consensus, the stock’s $94.18 average analyst price target works out at 15% upside potential from current levels. Get the DLTR Stock Research Report.

Stock Picks for 2019: Biogen (BIIB)

Source: Shutterstock

Biogen Inc (NASDAQ:BIIB) has a dominant position in neuroscience. The company has a leading portfolio of medicines to treat multiple sclerosis (MS) as well as the only FDA-approved treatment for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).

The memory loss and functional decline of Alzheimer’s disease have been linked to amyloid plaques, abnormal protein deposits that build up in the brain. Aducanumab is an antibody that binds to and may reduce amyloid plaques from the brain, potentially slowing the progress of the disease.

“We believe Biogen shares are undervalued based on our view that the company’s leadership position in neuroscience should deliver long-term growth. A business supporting high-risk, high reward studies puts BIIB in the lead to develop a potentially disease-modifying AD drug,” states Oppenheimer’s Jay Olson (Track Record & Ratings).

He has a buy rating on the stock with a $380 price target. According to Olson, BIIB has achieved a critical mass in neuroscience that enables high-risk programs with sufficient cash flow to embark on high-risk programs.

Overall this ‘Moderate Buy’ stock has scored 8 buy ratings vs 3 hold ratings in the last three months. Meanwhile the $391 average analyst price target works out at over 20% upside potential. Get the BIIB Stock Research Report.

Stock Picks for 2019: Cognizant (CTSH)

Source: Shutterstock

Goldman Sachs has just upgraded software stock Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp (NASDAQ:CTSH) from Hold to Buy. The firm’s James Schneider (Track Record & Ratings) also raised his price target for the shares to $84 from $81. He now predicts shares have 20% upside ahead.

Improving revenue growth brings prospects for a stock “re-rating,” Schneider told investors. Plus a rebound in the company’s Financial Services vertical should drive improved revenue growth in the near term.

This bullish analysis is echoed by other analysts. For example, Loop Capital’s Joseph Vafi has a Street-high $94 price target on shares (35% upside potential). Following the company’s upbeat analyst day, Vafi is even more confident in the company’s unique offer of a “full spectrum of services demanded by Fortune 500 CIOs”.

CTSH has now “successfully pivoted its business to the most leading-edge service capabilities,” and the bear case should be “put to bed”, especially given the forecast of improving margins in 2019.

Meanwhile valuation provides a positive risk/reward opportunity, with a roughly 60% multiple discount to Accenture’s PE in 2019, despite similar aggregate growth rates and higher margins.

Stock Picks for 2019: TJX Companies (TJX)

Source: Mike Mozart via Flickr

Owner of the discount TJ Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods stores and others, TJX Companies (NYSE:TJX) is a leading off-price retailer of home and fashion goods. Basically, if you’re looking for a bargain, TJX could be for you.

“Off-price remains one of our favored industries given its positive traffic, market share gains, and strong cash flow generation,” gushes five-star Guggenheim analyst Robert Drbul (Track Record & Ratings). And TJX is one of his top stock picks in this space.

“Despite expense headwinds, TJX continues to report enviable comps, one of the highest across retail landscape, fueled by traffic increases and share gains” the analyst writes. He now sees TJX delivering an impressive $50B revenues over the next five years.

Plus, TJX is a great stock for shareholders. This is thanks to its 1.7% dividend payout — a dividend which has now recorded 21 years of consecutive growth.

“Beyond the share gains and stable EPS growth, we believe with the increased dividend and the buyback program, TJX once again underlines FCF generating ability of the business model,” writes Drbul. He expects TJX to generate $2.5B of FCF and combined with $1B of repatriated cash, return all of it to shareholders with dividends and buybacks.

From top analysts, the stock scores a ‘Strong Buy’ consensus. This is with a $56 average analyst price target so we are looking at 24% upside ahead.

Stock Picks for 2019: MSCI Inc (MSCI)

Source: Shutterstock

Last but not least, comes a stock I only discovered recently, index provider MSCI Inc(NYSE:MSCI).

MSCI is a global provider of equity, fixed income, hedge fund stock market indexes and multi-asset portfolio analysis tools. It publishes the MSCI BRIC, MSCI World and MSCI EAFE Indexes.

“We continue to view the index business as a key catalyst that should produce solid top-line results (in the upper-single-to-low double digits)” is how Cantor Fitzgerald’s Joseph Foresi (Track Record & Ratings) describes the stock’s outlook.

The company is experiencing strong growth in its index business while margins are also expanding.

Foresi sums up as follows: “We expect shareholders to benefit over the long term from growth in indexing, recent investments/reorganization, margin expansion, and capital allocation.”

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Intuitive Surgical (ISRG)

National Vision Holdings (EYE)

Palo Alto (PANW)

Pluralsight (PS)

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX)

Visa (V)

Stock Picks for 2019: Comcast (CMCSA)

Stock Picks for 2019: Visa (V)

Stock Picks for 2019: Alphabet (GOOGL)

Stock Picks for 2019: O’Reilly Auto (ORLY)

Stock Picks for 2019: Booking Holdings (BKNG)

Stock Picks for 2019: Dollar Tree (DLTR)

Stock Picks for 2019: Biogen (BIIB)

Stock Picks for 2019: Cognizant (CTSH)

Stock Picks for 2019: TJX Companies (TJX)

Stock Picks for 2019: MSCI Inc (MSCI)

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