Chicago, IL – December 30, 2022 – 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: ServiceNow, Inc. NOW, Schlumberger, Ltd. SLB, MetLife, Inc. MET, Marriott International, Inc. MAR and Shopify Inc. SHOP.
Here are highlights from Thursday’s Analyst Blog:
Top Stock Reports for ServiceNow, Schlumberger and MetLife
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 ServiceNow, Inc., Schlumberger, Ltd. and MetLife, Inc. 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 >>>
Shares of ServiceNow have lagged the Zacks Tech sector (-40.7% vs. -39.1%) and the S&P 500 index (-40.7% vs. -22.3%) over the past year. Negative sentiment on the stock and other 'growthy' Tech stocks in the wake of the Fed's extraordinary tightening cycle is the primary reason for its underperformance. The Zacks analyst has also flagged high inflation, unfavorable forex and challenging macro-economic environment, in addition to stiff competition, as some of the other headwinds.
However, ServiceNow did benefit from robust growth in subscription revenues as reflected by the strong third-quarter 2022 results. The company is riding on the increasing adoption of its workflows by enterprises undergoing digital transformation. Further, its expanding global presence, solid partner base and strategic buyouts are expected to bolster growth prospects. Strategic alliances with the likes of Microsoft remain tailwinds.
(You can read the full research report on ServiceNow here >>>)
Schlumberger shares have outperformed the Zacks Oil and Gas - Field Services industry over the past year (+76.4% vs. +56.1%). The Zacks analyst believes that Schlumberger, being the leading provider of technology for complex oilfields, is well-poised to take up new offshore projects in international markets. The significant increase in oil prices is aiding its overall business. Increased participation in growth of drilling and completion activities across the world brightened the company’s outlook.
Also, it boasts of becoming the first company in the energy service industry to add Scope 3 emissions ambition in the net-zero emission target. However, the company’s balance sheet has massive debt exposure compared with the composite stocks in the industry. Also, the aggressive capital spending budget remains a headwind for the company.
(You can read the full research report on Schlumberger here >>>)
Shares of MetLife have outperformed the Zacks Insurance - Multi line industry over the past year (+14.8% vs. -1.1%). The Zacks analyst believes that MetLife continues to be driven by growing premiums, an ongoing expense discipline and the benefits of its diverse set of market-leading businesses and capabilities.
Several accretive acquisitions led to business diversification and solidified inorganic growth for the company. It resorts to partnerships for strengthening its capabilities and global presence. Business streamlining has aligned MET with high-growth operations. Its strong balance sheet supports shareholder value-boosting efforts.
However, reduced variable investment income might raise concerns. The continued incidence of COVID-related mortality claims continues to bother the Group Benefits business. Constant pressure on the EMEA segment’s earnings is worrisome.
(You can read the full research report on MetLife here >>>)
Other noteworthy reports we are featuring today include Marriott International, Inc. and Shopify Inc.
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Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.
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