• (0:20) - Where Should You Consider Investing Right Now?

• (2:10) - Top Stock Picks To Keep On Your Watchlist

• (27:45) - Episode Roundup: NSRGY, HSY, IONQ, SBUX, CVNA

• Poodcast@Zacks.com

 

Welcome to Episode #423 of the Zacks Market Edge Podcast.

Every week, host and Zacks stock strategist, Tracey Ryniec, will be joined by guests to discuss the hottest investing topics in stocks, bonds, and ETFs and how it impacts your life.

This week, Tracey is going solo to answer some of your questions about a variety of stocks. Leave your questions in the YouTube comments. Tracey looks at them and values your feedback.

People have left questions on YouTube about a bunch of different stocks recently, and combined with questions she got at football tailgating and from family and friends, she’s bringing you 5 stocks.

Drilling Down on the Zacks Rank and Earnings

What are these companies Zacks Rank? The Zacks Rank is a short-term recommendation of just 1 to 3 months. It is based on changes to analyst earnings estimates. It can change daily, and often does during earnings season.

The Zacks Rank of 1 is the highest Rank. That is a “Strong Buy” stock. The Zacks Rank of 5 is the lowest Rank. That is a “Strong Sell.”

About 5% of all stocks that have the Rank are a Strong Buy and 5% are a Strong Sell. A Rank of 3 is in the middle, as a “Hold.” About 80% of all stocks that have a Rank are Holds.

The Zacks Rank can help stock investors find hidden gems, or steer them away from a company that is struggling.

Are these popular stocks steals or misses?

5 Popular Stocks: Buy or Not?

1.      Nestle S.A. (NSRGY)

Nestle is a Swiss company with a market cap of $233 billion. It’s products include chocolate, drinks, pet care, coffee, cereals and others.

Shares of Nestle have fallen 13% over the last 5 years and are at 5-year lows. It trades with a forward Price-to-Earnings (P/E) ratio of 16.9. A P/E under 15 is considered a value stock. Nestle also pays a dividend, which is yielding 2.3% on Zacks.

Is Nestle a buy or not?

2.      The Hershey Company (HSY)

The Hershey Company, which is a food company specializing in snacks, especially of the chocolate kind, recently reported third quarter results. Hershey lowered full year guidance due to high cocoa prices and a challenging consumer environment.

Shares of Hershey are down 10% year-to-date. Is it cheap? Hershey has a forward P/E of 18.8. A P/E under 15 is considered to be a value stock. It pays a dividend, yielding 3.1%.