Top analysts report on Alphabet, Oracle, and Merck, highlighting strengths and challenges
From Nasdaq: 2024-12-10 15:43:00
Today’s Research Daily from Zacks features reports on 16 major stocks, including Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL), Oracle Corporation (ORCL), and Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK), as well as two micro-cap stocks, Canterbury Park Holding Corporation (CPHC) and CompX International Inc. (CIX). Alphabet’s lagging performance is attributed to regulatory uncertainty, but its Google Cloud Platform products are seeing accelerated growth. Oracle’s solid adoption of cloud applications and partnerships with Amazon are driving its growth, while Merck faces challenges from generic competition and declining sales in China. Canterbury Park’s weak casino revenues and legal challenges are impacting its performance, while CompX benefits from a diversified customer base and growth in its Security Products segment. Wells Fargo & Company (WFC), Morgan Stanley (MS), and Southern Copper Corporation (SCCO) are also featured in today’s reports. Director of Research Sheraz Mian is known for his expertise in aggregate earnings and heads the Zacks Equity Research department. To stay updated on his articles, readers can subscribe to email notifications.
In other news, Alphabet (GOOGL) is benefiting from its cloud and search initiatives, Oracle (ORCL) is gaining from cloud suite adoption and partnerships, and Keytruda is expected to remain the key driver for Merck (MRK). Kinder Morgan (KMI) is relying on secured take-or-pay contracts for steady earnings, while Southern Copper (SCCO) is facing cost challenges despite expansion actions. Pilgrim’s Pride (PPC) is focusing on operational excellence to boost sales, and Molina Healthcare (MOH) is benefiting from rising premiums but facing high medical care ratios. Morgan Stanley (MS) is being aided by restructuring efforts and acquisitions, while Wells Fargo (WFC) is seeing growth from deposit balances despite lower loan balances. Royal Caribbean (RCL) is expected to benefit from solid bookings and fleet expansion, Triumph Group (TGI) is likely to gain from defense orders, and Plexus (PLXS) is seeing strength in its aerospace unit. Veracyte (VCYT) is experiencing robust Afirma sales, while Ironwood (IRWD) is facing challenges due to overdependence on Linzess. Enphase (ENPH) is grappling with unfavorable demand and supply issues, and Knight-Swift (KNX) is dealing with rising operating expenses.
Looking ahead, Zacks is preparing to name its Top 10 Stocks for 2025, expected to be released on January 2. These stocks have historically shown outstanding performance and are carefully selected by Zacks experts. Readers can sign up to receive early tips on these top picks. For more information and free stock analysis reports, readers can visit the Zacks website.
Read more at Nasdaq: Top Analyst Reports for Alphabet, Oracle & Merck