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For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – April 21, 2025 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Apple Inc. AAPL, Philip Morris International Inc. PM, Sony Group Corp. SONY, and Vaso Corp. VASO
Here are highlights from Thursday’s Analyst Blog:
Top Analyst Reports for Apple, Philip Morris & Sony
The Zacks Research Daily presents the best research output of our analyst team. Today's Research Daily features new research reports on 16 major stocks, including Apple Inc., Philip Morris International Inc. and Sony Group Corp., as well as a micro-cap stock Vaso Corp. The Zacks microcap research is unique as our research content on these small and under-the-radar companies is the only research of its type in the country.
These research reports have been hand-picked from the roughly 70 reports published by our analyst team today.
You can see all of today's research reports here >>>
Ahead of Wall Street
The daily 'Ahead of Wall Street' article is a must-read for all investors who would like to be ready for that day's trading action. The article comes out before the market opens and attempts to make sense of that morning's economic releases and how they will affect that day's market action. You can read this article for free on our home page and can actually sign up there to get an email notification as this article comes out each morning.
You can read today's AWS here >>> Pre-Market Drama Shifts: Dow Lower on UNH Miss
Today's Featured Research Reports
Apple's shares have outperformed the Zacks Computer - Micro Computers industry over the past year (+16.8% vs. +15.2%). The company is benefiting from strong growth in Services revenues. It now has more than 1 billion paid subscribers across its Services portfolio, more than double what it had four years ago.
The expanding content portfolio of Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade helped in driving subscriber growth. Apple expects the March quarter's (second-quarter fiscal 2025) revenues to grow low to mid-single digits on a year-over-year basis. For the Services segment, it expects a low double-digit growth rate.
Introduction of Apple Intelligence, an advanced personal intelligence system seamlessly integrated into iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia will help Apple shares to push higher. However, weakness in iPhone sales particularly in China is a concern. Increasing regulatory headwinds is a headwind.
(You can read the full research report on Apple here >>>)
Shares of Philip Morris have outperformed the Zacks Tobacco industry over the past year (+83.9% vs. +71.7%). The company's strong pricing power and an expanding smoke-free product portfolio have been driving the company. For the fourth quarter of 2024, net revenues increased 7.3%, driven by higher combustible tobacco pricing and increased smoke-free product volumes.
Philip Morris has been making significant progress with its smoke-free transition, with products like IQOS and ZYN contributing to strong performance. In fact, Philip Morris aims to become substantially smoke-free by 2030.
However, foreign currency fluctuations are impacting earnings, with a projected 22-cent-per-share currency headwind in 2025. Despite regulatory challenges, including increased tobacco restrictions, the company's strategic cost-saving measures and operational efficiency continue to drive profitability.
(You canread the full research report on Philip Morris here >>>)
Sony's shares have outperformed the Zacks Audio Video Production industry over the past year (+42.6% vs. +36.9%). The company is poised to grow on strength across Game & Network Services (G&NS), Music and Financial Services amid woes in the Entertainment, Technology & Services (ET&S) unit. Financial Services revenues are benefiting from sales growth at Sony Life and higher investment gains from market volatility.
The Music unit's sales are backed by higher revenues from streaming services in Recorded Music and Music Publishing. Solid hardware and non-first-party game software sales and forex impacts are fueling the GN&S unit. Driven by momentum in Financial Services and G&NS units, it has raised its fiscal 2024 sales view to ¥13,200 billion from ¥12,710 billion.
However, a fall in television and smartphone sales due to lower unit shipments hurt ET&S. Soft sales of image sensors for mobile products and lower unit sales are likely to weigh on the I&SS unit.
(You can read the full research report on Sony here >>>)
Shares of Vaso have outperformed the Zacks Medical - Instruments industry over the year-to-date period (+10.4% vs. -12.6%). This microcap company with market capitalization of $23.26 million have diversified model across IT services, professional sales and medical devices which drove 2024 revenues by 7.1% to $86.8 million, with IT and GEHC sales growing 6.4% and 9.3%, respectively.
Strong IT and sales momentum, a $34.9 million deferred revenue base and seasonal fourth-quarter 2024 strength enhance visibility. Despite 80.2% lower net income, Vaso remains debt-free with $26.3 million in cash and $3.3 million in operating cash flow, enabling funding flexibility despite SG&A growth and a failed merger.
Challenges include cost inflation, overreliance on GEHC (47.6% of revenue), SaaS weakness and margin pressure. While investments aim to scale operations, profitability deterioration and M&A missteps pose execution risks amid rising competition in digital health. Vaso shares also suggest potential upside for value-focused investors.
(You can read the full research report on Vaso here >>>)