Chicago, IL – December 13, 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 including Mastercard Inc. MA, The Procter & Gamble Co. PG, Novartis AG NVS, IDT Corp. IDT and GSI Technology, Inc. GSIT.
Here are highlights from Friday’s Analyst Blog:
Top Stock Reports for Mastercard, Procter & Gamble and Novartis
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 Mastercard Inc., The Procter & Gamble Co. and Novartis AG, as well as two micro-cap stocks, IDT Corp. and GSI Technology, 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 >>>
Mastercard shares outperformed Visa shares over the past year (+25.6% vs. +19.9%), but lagged the broader market over the same time period (+25.6% vs. +30.5%). The Zacks analyst notes that numerous acquisitions are helping Mastercard to grow addressable markets and drive new revenue streams. Mastercard expects low-teens net revenue growth in the fourth quarter of 2024. The accelerated adoption of digital and contactless solutions is providing an opportunity for its business to expedite its shift to the digital mode.
However, steep operating expenses might stress its margins in the future. High rebates and incentives may weigh on net revenues.
(You can read the full research report on Mastercard here >>>)
Procter & Gamble shares have outperformed the Zacks Consumer Products - Staples industry over the past year (+14.9% vs. +10.1%). The Zacks analyst believes that the company has been gaining from a strategy that focuses on sustainability and adaptability, responding to the evolving demands of consumers and society. It has been focused on productivity and cost-saving plans to boost margins.
Yet, PG has been witnessing headwinds related to the market issues in Greater China, geopolitical tensions, and financial impacts from currency volatility.
(You can read the full research report on Procter & Gamble here >>>)
Shares of Novartis have underperformed the Zacks Large Cap Pharmaceuticals industry over the past two years (+8.7% vs. +15.0%). Per the Zacks analyst, the loss of patent protection for some of the key drugs in Novartis’ portfolio is a concern. Gleevec/Glivec, Diovan and Exforge face continued and increasing generic competition in major markets. Novartis has continued to suffer legal setbacks in its attempt to block the entry of a generic version of its blockbuster heart drug Entresto. The company has also suffered quite a few pipeline setbacks.
However, Novartis maintains strong momentum on the back of a strong and diverse portfolio with drugs like Entresto, Kesimpta, Kisqali, Cosentyx, Pluvicto and Leqvio. The label expansion of Kisqali further fuels sales of this drug. Approval of new drugs and label expansion of existing drugs should aid.
(You can read the full research report on Novartis here >>>)
IDT’s shares have outperformed the Zacks Diversified Communication Services industry over the last six months (+40.5% vs. -1.5%). The Zacks analyst believes that IDT's growth strategy centers on high-growth segments like NRS, BOSS Money, and net2phone, which are expanding in digital payments, international remittances, and cloud communications. IDT's cost controls boosted profitability. Positioned in digital and cashless payment trends, IDT leverages BOSS Money and NRS's strong merchant network.
Yet, competition and regulatory compliance pressures may impact profitability. The legacy communications segment's decline and fintech competition pose challenges for sustaining revenue growth. Other challenges include regulatory pressures, currency volatility and scaling investments.
(You can read the full research report on IDT here >>>)
GSI Tech’s shares have outperformed the Zacks Computer – Storage Devices industry over the last six months (+4.1% vs. -26.5%). The Zacks analyst believes that introduction of Gemini-I APU servers has boosted the company’s prospects. Expansion into government contracts through SBIR initiatives diversifies revenue and enhances defense sector credibility. The company's next development, Gemini-II, aims to enhance data processing efficiency, promising significant market penetration.
Yet, challenges arise from a significant drop in core SigmaQuad sales and dependency on major customers like Nokia, introducing revenue volatility. Competitive pressures in the rapidly evolving HPC market necessitate continuous innovation.
(You can read the full research report on GSI Tech here >>>)
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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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