For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – November 18, 2024 – 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: Linde plc LIN, Verizon Communications Inc. VZ and AT&T Inc. T.

Here are highlights from Friday’s Analyst Blog:

Top Stock Reports for Linde, Verizon and AT&T

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 Linde plc, Verizon Communications Inc. and AT&T Inc. These research reports have been hand-picked from roughly 70 reports published by our analyst team today.

You can see all of today’s research reports here >>>

Linde’s shares have outperformed the Zacks Chemical – Specialty industry over the past two years (+35.9% vs. -0.6%). The Zacks analyst believes that Linde’s long-term contracts with key on-site clients featuring minimum purchase agreements have helped stabilize earnings during economic downturns. Also, a robust business model has ensured that it has continued to reward its shareholders with dividends.

However, increasing competition for new projects and volatility of energy prices, particularly for natural gas and diesel fuel, presents a significant concern for profitability.

(You can read the full research report on Linde here >>>)

Verizon’s shares have underperformed the Zacks Wireless - National industry over the last six months (+1.5% vs. +25.4%). The Zacks analyst believes that lower wireline and wireless equipment revenues are major concerns for the company. Huge promotional expenses, lucrative discounts to expand the customer base, high capital expenditures for continuous network upgrades and fiber deployment are also acting as major headwinds.

Yet, customer-focused planning and disciplined engineering and steady infrastructure investments have helped. Also, by pioneering new technologies, Verizon is well-positioned to bridge the digital divide and enhance the connectivity landscape nationwide.

(You can read the full research report on Verizon here >>>)

Shares of AT&T have outperformed the Zacks Wireless - National industry over the last six months (+28.7% vs. +25.4%). Per the Zacks analyst, the company is likely to benefit from the increased deployment of mid-band spectrum and greater fiber densification. A planned commercial-scale open radio access network across the country will also help build a more robust ecosystem of network infrastructure providers and suppliers.