Cigna (CI) Outpaces Stock Market Gains: What You Should Know

This story originally appeared on Zacks

In the latest trading session, Cigna (CI) closed at $225.89, marking a +1.6% move from the previous day. The stock outpaced the S&P 500’s daily gain of 0.62%. Meanwhile, the Dow gained 0.55%, and the Nasdaq, a tech-heavy index, lost 0.03%.

– Zacks

Heading into today, shares of the health insurer had gained 5.58% over the past month, outpacing the Finance sector’s loss of 1.19% and the S&P 500’s gain of 0.39% in that time.

Investors will be hoping for strength from Cigna as it approaches its next earnings release. The company is expected to report EPS of $4.58, up 30.48% from the prior-year quarter. Meanwhile, our latest consensus estimate is calling for revenue of $44.04 billion, up 5.7% from the prior-year quarter.

For the full year, our Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $20.41 per share and revenue of $172.37 billion, which would represent changes of +10.62% and +7.69%, respectively, from the prior year.

Investors should also note any recent changes to analyst estimates for Cigna. These revisions help to show the ever-changing nature of near-term business trends. As such, positive estimate revisions reflect analyst optimism about the company’s business and profitability.

Based on our research, we believe these estimate revisions are directly related to near-team stock moves. To benefit from this, we have developed the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model which takes these estimate changes into account and provides an actionable rating system.

The Zacks Rank system ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell). It has a remarkable, outside-audited track record of success, with #1 stocks delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Within the past 30 days, our consensus EPS projection remained stagnant. Cigna is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

Digging into valuation, Cigna currently has a Forward P/E ratio of 10.89. Its industry sports an average Forward P/E of 9.44, so we one might conclude that Cigna is trading at a premium comparatively.

Meanwhile, CI’s PEG ratio is currently 0.98. The PEG ratio is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but this metric also takes the company’s expected earnings growth rate into account. CI’s industry had an average PEG ratio of 1.08 as of yesterday’s close.

The Insurance – Multi line industry is part of the Finance sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 194, putting it in the bottom 24% of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Be sure to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and many more, on Zacks.com.

Infrastructure Stock Boom to Sweep America

A massive push to rebuild the crumbling U.S. infrastructure will soon be underway. It’s bipartisan, urgent, and inevitable. Trillions will be spent. Fortunes will be made.

The only question is “Will you get into the right stocks early when their growth potential is greatest?”

Zacks has released a Special Report to help you do just that, and today it’s free. Discover 7 special companies that look to gain the most from construction and repair to roads, bridges, and buildings, plus cargo hauling and energy transformation on an almost unimaginable scale.

Download FREE: How to Profit from Trillions on Spending for Infrastructure >>

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
 
Cigna Corporation (CI): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/409976




Spotify (SPOT) Stock Sinks As Market Gains: What You Should Know

This story originally appeared on Zacks

In the latest trading session, Spotify (SPOT) closed at $235.16, marking a -1.24% move from the previous day. This move lagged the S&P 500’s daily gain of 1.02%. Elsewhere, the Dow gained 0.74%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 0.38%.

– Zacks

Prior to today’s trading, shares of the music-streaming service operator had lost 2.02% over the past month. This has was narrower than the Business Services sector’s loss of 2.81% and lagged the S&P 500’s loss of 0.91% in that time.

Investors will be hoping for strength from Spotify as it approaches its next earnings release. On that day, Spotify is projected to report earnings of -$0.44 per share, which would represent year-over-year growth of 44.3%. Our most recent consensus estimate is calling for quarterly revenue of $3.08 billion, up 19.2% from the year-ago period.

Looking at the full year, our Zacks Consensus Estimates suggest analysts are expecting earnings of -$1.32 per share and revenue of $11.19 billion. These totals would mark changes of +62.71% and +24.21%, respectively, from last year.

It is also important to note the recent changes to analyst estimates for Spotify. These recent revisions tend to reflect the evolving nature of short-term business trends. With this in mind, we can consider positive estimate revisions a sign of optimism about the company’s business outlook.

Based on our research, we believe these estimate revisions are directly related to near-team stock moves. We developed the Zacks Rank to capitalize on this phenomenon. Our system takes these estimate changes into account and delivers a clear, actionable rating model.

Ranging from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), the Zacks Rank system has a proven, outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks returning an average of +25% annually since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate remained stagnant. Spotify currently has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

The Technology Services industry is part of the Business Services sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 174, putting it in the bottom 32% of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our individual industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Make sure to utilize Zacks.com to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and more, in the coming trading sessions.

Infrastructure Stock Boom to Sweep America

A massive push to rebuild the crumbling U.S. infrastructure will soon be underway. It’s bipartisan, urgent, and inevitable. Trillions will be spent. Fortunes will be made.

The only question is “Will you get into the right stocks early when their growth potential is greatest?”

Zacks has released a Special Report to help you do just that, and today it’s free. Discover 7 special companies that look to gain the most from construction and repair to roads, bridges, and buildings, plus cargo hauling and energy transformation on an almost unimaginable scale.

Download FREE: How to Profit from Trillions on Spending for Infrastructure >>

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
 
Spotify Technology (SPOT): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
 
Zacks Investment Research

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/404357




Atlassian (TEAM) Outpaces Stock Market Gains: What You Should Know

This story originally appeared on Zacks

Atlassian (TEAM) closed at $388.05 in the latest trading session, marking a +1.95% move from the prior day. This move outpaced the S&P 500’s daily gain of 1.02%. Meanwhile, the Dow gained 0.74%, and the Nasdaq, a tech-heavy index, lost 0.38%.

– Zacks

Coming into today, shares of the company had lost 2.28% in the past month. In that same time, the Computer and Technology sector lost 3.79%, while the S&P 500 lost 0.91%.

Atlassian will be looking to display strength as it nears its next earnings release. On that day, Atlassian is projected to report earnings of $0.38 per share, which would represent year-over-year growth of 2.7%. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenue is projecting net sales of $638.58 million, up 27.37% from the year-ago period.

Looking at the full year, our Zacks Consensus Estimates suggest analysts are expecting earnings of $1.57 per share and revenue of $2.59 billion. These totals would mark changes of +12.14% and +23.81%, respectively, from last year.

Investors might also notice recent changes to analyst estimates for Atlassian. These recent revisions tend to reflect the evolving nature of short-term business trends. As such, positive estimate revisions reflect analyst optimism about the company’s business and profitability.

Based on our research, we believe these estimate revisions are directly related to near-team stock moves. Investors can capitalize on this by using the Zacks Rank. This model considers these estimate changes and provides a simple, actionable rating system.

The Zacks Rank system ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell). It has a remarkable, outside-audited track record of success, with #1 stocks delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate remained stagnant. Atlassian currently has a Zacks Rank of #5 (Strong Sell).

In terms of valuation, Atlassian is currently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 242.44. For comparison, its industry has an average Forward P/E of 63.82, which means Atlassian is trading at a premium to the group.

Meanwhile, TEAM’s PEG ratio is currently 10.78. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company’s expected earnings growth rate. TEAM’s industry had an average PEG ratio of 3.75 as of yesterday’s close.

The Internet – Software industry is part of the Computer and Technology sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 189, putting it in the bottom 26% of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Make sure to utilize Zacks.com to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and more, in the coming trading sessions.

Infrastructure Stock Boom to Sweep America

A massive push to rebuild the crumbling U.S. infrastructure will soon be underway. It’s bipartisan, urgent, and inevitable. Trillions will be spent. Fortunes will be made.

The only question is “Will you get into the right stocks early when their growth potential is greatest?”

Zacks has released a Special Report to help you do just that, and today it’s free. Discover 7 special companies that look to gain the most from construction and repair to roads, bridges, and buildings, plus cargo hauling and energy transformation on an almost unimaginable scale.

Download FREE: How to Profit from Trillions on Spending for Infrastructure >>

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
 
Atlassian Corporation PLC (TEAM): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/404362




V.F. (VFC) Stock Sinks As Market Gains: What You Should Know

This story originally appeared on Zacks

V.F. (VFC) closed the most recent trading day at $69.47, moving -0.64% from the previous trading session. This move lagged the S&P 500’s daily gain of 1.02%. Elsewhere, the Dow gained 0.74%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 0.38%.

– Zacks

Heading into today, shares of the maker of brands such as Vans, North Face and Timberland had lost 8.31% over the past month, lagging the Consumer Discretionary sector’s loss of 6.46% and the S&P 500’s loss of 0.91% in that time.

Investors will be hoping for strength from V.F. as it approaches its next earnings release. In that report, analysts expect V.F. to post earnings of $1.21 per share. This would mark year-over-year growth of 30.11%. Our most recent consensus estimate is calling for quarterly revenue of $3.62 billion, up 21.81% from the year-ago period.

For the full year, our Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $3.18 per share and revenue of $11.99 billion, which would represent changes of +142.75% and +29.79%, respectively, from the prior year.

Investors might also notice recent changes to analyst estimates for V.F.These recent revisions tend to reflect the evolving nature of short-term business trends. With this in mind, we can consider positive estimate revisions a sign of optimism about the company’s business outlook.

Our research shows that these estimate changes are directly correlated with near-term stock prices. We developed the Zacks Rank to capitalize on this phenomenon. Our system takes these estimate changes into account and delivers a clear, actionable rating model.

The Zacks Rank system, which ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 0.06% higher. V.F. currently has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

Valuation is also important, so investors should note that V.F. has a Forward P/E ratio of 21.97 right now. Its industry sports an average Forward P/E of 15.26, so we one might conclude that V.F. is trading at a premium comparatively.

Meanwhile, VFC’s PEG ratio is currently 0.93. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company’s expected earnings growth rate. The Textile – Apparel was holding an average PEG ratio of 1.05 at yesterday’s closing price.

The Textile – Apparel industry is part of the Consumer Discretionary sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 53, putting it in the top 21% of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our individual industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Be sure to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and many more, on Zacks.com.

Infrastructure Stock Boom to Sweep America

A massive push to rebuild the crumbling U.S. infrastructure will soon be underway. It’s bipartisan, urgent, and inevitable. Trillions will be spent. Fortunes will be made.

The only question is “Will you get into the right stocks early when their growth potential is greatest?”

Zacks has released a Special Report to help you do just that, and today it’s free. Discover 7 special companies that look to gain the most from construction and repair to roads, bridges, and buildings, plus cargo hauling and energy transformation on an almost unimaginable scale.

Download FREE: How to Profit from Trillions on Spending for Infrastructure >>

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
 
V.F. Corporation (VFC): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/404360




Find Strong Stocks for 2022 with Return on Equity

The market bounced back in a big way Tuesday, with investors sending the S&P 500 back above its 50-day moving average. The level has been breached three times in the past month, with investors buying the dip every time. The tech-heavy Nasdaq is also now on the verge of climbing back above its 50-day.

– Zacks

Much of yesterday’s selling was hung on another round of major lockdowns in parts of Europe. Luckily for the economy and the market, President Biden addressed the country Tuesday afternoon, with his focus on beefing up at-home testing and providing help for possibly overburdened hospitals.

The buying started to ramp up mid-morning as it became clear sweeping lockdowns in the U.S. weren’t on the table. Alongside new covid fears, the market was due for a broader downturn and Wall Street has used the end of the year to take home profits and conduct other portfolio housekeeping efforts.

Despite the more volatile fourth quarter, the Nasdaq is still up 18% this year, with the S&P 500 24% higher. Plus, the overall earnings and interest rate environment is bullish for U.S. equities next year, even in the face rate hikes.

With this in mind, some investors might want to add to their portfolios for 2022. Today, we utilized a Zacks screen to help find highly-ranked stocks that have proven they can turn assets into profits…

ROE

Return on Equity or ROE helps investors understand if a firm’s executives are creating assets with investors’ cash or burning it. ROE shows a company’s ability to turn assets into profits. Put another way, this vital metric measures the profits made for each dollar of shareholder equity.

ROE is calculated as net income / shareholder’s equity. For example: if $0.10 of assets are created for each $1 of shareholder equity that would equal a ROE of 10%.

Overall, Return on Equity is a great item to use regardless of what type of investor you are since it provides insight into management’s ability to create value and keep costs under control. Plus, if ROE slips, it can alert us to potential problems.

With all that said, let’s take a look at this screen’s parameters and see the companies proving they can return value to shareholders instead of churning through their cash…

• Zacks Rank equal to 1

The Zacks Rank looks at upward earnings estimate revisions, among other metrics, in order to find companies that are projected to see their earnings get stronger. In fact, beginning with a Zacks Rank #1 can be a great starting point because it boasts an average annual return of over 25% per year during the last 30 years.

• Price greater than or equal to 5

Today we ruled out any stocks that are trading for less than $5 a share because they can be more volatile and speculative.

• Price/Sales Ratio less than or equal to 1

On top of that, we are looking for a low price to sales ratio. Today we went with 1 or below as this range is usually thought to provide better value since investors pay less for each unit of sales.

• % (Broker) Rating Strong Buy equal to 100 (%)

In this screen, we decided to go with companies that brokers are fully on board with since ratings are typically skewed strongly toward ‘buy’ and ‘strong buy.’

• ROE greater than or equal to 10

Lastly, but most importantly for today’s screen, we got rid of any companies with Return on Equity of less than 10 because the median ROE value for all of the stocks in the Zacks Universe is under 10.

Here are two of the dozen stocks that made it through today’s screen…

Citi Trends CTRN

Citi Trends, Inc. is a growing specialty value retailer of apparel, accessories, and home trends. Citi Trends boasts that it sells “for way less spend primarily for African American and Latinx families in the United States.”

Citi Trends currently operates roughly 600 stores across 33 states. CTRN’s Q3 revenue popped 14.5% and its adjusted earnings skyrocketed to $1.03 a share, which helped it crush our EPS estimate. Plus, Citi Trends’ gross margin came in at 40.3%. Plus, the Citi Trends board approved a new share repurchase program of $30 million.

Bluegreen Vacations Holding Corporation BVH

Bluegreen Vacations is a leading vacation ownership company. Bluegreen Vacations markets and sells vacation ownership interests (“VOIs”) and manages resorts in popular leisure and urban destinations.

Bluegreen Vacations has blown away our adjusted Zacks earnings estimates in the trailing four quarters, with an average beat of 695%. Bluegreen Vacations is projected to post a huge comeback year in 2021 and then follow it up with higher revenue and earnings in 2022.

Get the rest of the stocks on this list and start looking for the newest companies that fit these criteria. It’s easy to do. And it could help you find your next big winner. Start screening for these companies today with a free trial to the Research Wizard. You can do it.

Click here to sign up for a free trial to the Research Wizard today.

Want more articles from this author? Scroll up to the top of this article and click the FOLLOW AUTHOR button to get an email each time a new article is published.

Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material.

Disclosure: Performance information for Zacks’ portfolios and strategies are available at: https://www.zacks.com/performance/

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
 
Citi Trends, Inc. (CTRN): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Bluegreen Vacations Holding Corporation (BVH): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
 
Zacks Investment Research

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/404115




DuPont de Nemours (DD) Gains But Lags Market: What You Should Know

This story originally appeared on Zacks

DuPont de Nemours (DD) closed at $76.49 in the latest trading session, marking a +1.7% move from the prior day. This move lagged the S&P 500’s daily gain of 1.78%. Meanwhile, the Dow gained 1.61%, and the Nasdaq, a tech-heavy index, added 0.95%.

– Zacks

Heading into today, shares of the specialty chemicals maker had lost 5.06% over the past month, lagging the Basic Materials sector’s loss of 2.07% and the S&P 500’s loss of 2.63% in that time.

Wall Street will be looking for positivity from DuPont de Nemours as it approaches its next earnings report date. On that day, DuPont de Nemours is projected to report earnings of $1.01 per share, which would represent year-over-year growth of 6.32%. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenue is projecting net sales of $4 billion, down 23.89% from the year-ago period.

DD’s full-year Zacks Consensus Estimates are calling for earnings of $4.22 per share and revenue of $16.37 billion. These results would represent year-over-year changes of +25.6% and -19.75%, respectively.

Any recent changes to analyst estimates for DuPont de Nemours should also be noted by investors. These revisions help to show the ever-changing nature of near-term business trends. As such, positive estimate revisions reflect analyst optimism about the company’s business and profitability.

Based on our research, we believe these estimate revisions are directly related to near-team stock moves. To benefit from this, we have developed the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model which takes these estimate changes into account and provides an actionable rating system.

The Zacks Rank system ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell). It has a remarkable, outside-audited track record of success, with #1 stocks delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate remained stagnant. DuPont de Nemours is currently a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Investors should also note DuPont de Nemours’s current valuation metrics, including its Forward P/E ratio of 17.84. For comparison, its industry has an average Forward P/E of 12.91, which means DuPont de Nemours is trading at a premium to the group.

Meanwhile, DD’s PEG ratio is currently 1.51. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company’s expected earnings growth rate. Chemical – Diversified stocks are, on average, holding a PEG ratio of 1.11 based on yesterday’s closing prices.

The Chemical – Diversified industry is part of the Basic Materials sector. This industry currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 93, which puts it in the top 37% of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank includes is listed in order from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

To follow DD in the coming trading sessions, be sure to utilize Zacks.com.

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
 
DuPont de Nemours, Inc. (DD): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
 
Zacks Investment Research

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/404105




Electronic Arts (EA) Gains But Lags Market: What You Should Know

This story originally appeared on Zacks

Electronic Arts (EA) closed at $132.17 in the latest trading session, marking a +1.73% move from the prior day. This move lagged the S&P 500’s daily gain of 1.78%. Elsewhere, the Dow gained 1.61%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq added 0.95%.

– Zacks

Prior to today’s trading, shares of the video game maker had gained 2.88% over the past month. This has outpaced the Consumer Discretionary sector’s loss of 9.2% and the S&P 500’s loss of 2.63% in that time.

Wall Street will be looking for positivity from Electronic Arts as it approaches its next earnings report date. The company is expected to report EPS of $3.20, up 3.56% from the prior-year quarter. Meanwhile, our latest consensus estimate is calling for revenue of $2.66 billion, up 11.02% from the prior-year quarter.

For the full year, our Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $7.05 per share and revenue of $7.67 billion, which would represent changes of +22.4% and +23.95%, respectively, from the prior year.

It is also important to note the recent changes to analyst estimates for Electronic Arts. Recent revisions tend to reflect the latest near-term business trends. As a result, we can interpret positive estimate revisions as a good sign for the company’s business outlook.

Our research shows that these estimate changes are directly correlated with near-term stock prices. To benefit from this, we have developed the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model which takes these estimate changes into account and provides an actionable rating system.

Ranging from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), the Zacks Rank system has a proven, outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks returning an average of +25% annually since 1988. The Zacks Consensus EPS estimate remained stagnant within the past month. Electronic Arts is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Investors should also note Electronic Arts’s current valuation metrics, including its Forward P/E ratio of 18.43. For comparison, its industry has an average Forward P/E of 17.99, which means Electronic Arts is trading at a premium to the group.

The Toys – Games – Hobbies industry is part of the Consumer Discretionary sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 66, putting it in the top 26% of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank includes is listed in order from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

To follow EA in the coming trading sessions, be sure to utilize Zacks.com.

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
 
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/404104




Scotts Miracle-Gro (SMG) Gains But Lags Market: What You Should Know

This story originally appeared on Zacks

In the latest trading session, Scotts Miracle-Gro (SMG) closed at $153.51, marking a +0.88% move from the previous day. This change lagged the S&P 500’s 1.78% gain on the day. At the same time, the Dow added 1.61%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq gained 0.95%.

– Zacks

Prior to today’s trading, shares of the lawn and garden products company had lost 7.66% over the past month. This has lagged the Basic Materials sector’s loss of 2.07% and the S&P 500’s loss of 2.63% in that time.

Scotts Miracle-Gro will be looking to display strength as it nears its next earnings release. The company is expected to report EPS of -$0.60, down 253.85% from the prior-year quarter. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenue is projecting net sales of $605.72 million, down 19.09% from the year-ago period.

SMG’s full-year Zacks Consensus Estimates are calling for earnings of $8.50 per share and revenue of $4.92 billion. These results would represent year-over-year changes of -7.91% and -0.11%, respectively.

Investors should also note any recent changes to analyst estimates for Scotts Miracle-Gro. These revisions typically reflect the latest short-term business trends, which can change frequently. As a result, we can interpret positive estimate revisions as a good sign for the company’s business outlook.

Our research shows that these estimate changes are directly correlated with near-term stock prices. To benefit from this, we have developed the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model which takes these estimate changes into account and provides an actionable rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, which ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Within the past 30 days, our consensus EPS projection remained stagnant. Scotts Miracle-Gro currently has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

In terms of valuation, Scotts Miracle-Gro is currently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 17.89. This valuation marks a premium compared to its industry’s average Forward P/E of 17.71.

The Fertilizers industry is part of the Basic Materials sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 5, putting it in the top 2% of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank includes is listed in order from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Make sure to utilize Zacks.com to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and more, in the coming trading sessions.

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
 
The Scotts MiracleGro Company (SMG): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/404107




CSX (CSX) Outpaces Stock Market Gains: What You Should Know

This story originally appeared on Zacks

In the latest trading session, CSX (CSX) closed at $35.95, marking a +1.81% move from the previous day. This move outpaced the S&P 500’s daily gain of 1.78%. Meanwhile, the Dow gained 1.61%, and the Nasdaq, a tech-heavy index, added 0.95%.

– Zacks

Heading into today, shares of the freight railroad had lost 2.05% over the past month, outpacing the Transportation sector’s loss of 3.91% and the S&P 500’s loss of 2.63% in that time.

CSX will be looking to display strength as it nears its next earnings release. On that day, CSX is projected to report earnings of $0.42 per share, which would represent year-over-year growth of 20%. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenue is projecting net sales of $3.32 billion, up 17.68% from the year-ago period.

For the full year, our Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $1.55 per share and revenue of $12.41 billion, which would represent changes of +27.05% and +17.23%, respectively, from the prior year.

Any recent changes to analyst estimates for CSX should also be noted by investors. Recent revisions tend to reflect the latest near-term business trends. As a result, we can interpret positive estimate revisions as a good sign for the company’s business outlook.

Our research shows that these estimate changes are directly correlated with near-term stock prices. To benefit from this, we have developed the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model which takes these estimate changes into account and provides an actionable rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, which ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 0.36% lower. CSX is holding a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold) right now.

Looking at its valuation, CSX is holding a Forward P/E ratio of 22.72. For comparison, its industry has an average Forward P/E of 23.31, which means CSX is trading at a discount to the group.

We can also see that CSX currently has a PEG ratio of 1.9. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company’s expected earnings growth rate. The Transportation – Rail was holding an average PEG ratio of 2.12 at yesterday’s closing price.

The Transportation – Rail industry is part of the Transportation sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 215, putting it in the bottom 16% of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank includes is listed in order from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Make sure to utilize Zacks.com to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and more, in the coming trading sessions.

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
 
CSX Corporation (CSX): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/404106




Honeywell International Inc. (HON) Gains But Lags Market: What You Should Know

This story originally appeared on Zacks

Honeywell International Inc. (HON) closed the most recent trading day at $201.67, moving +0.91% from the previous trading session. This change lagged the S&P 500’s 1.78% gain on the day. Meanwhile, the Dow gained 1.61%, and the Nasdaq, a tech-heavy index, added 0.95%.

– Zacks

Prior to today’s trading, shares of the company had lost 8.38% over the past month. This has lagged the Conglomerates sector’s loss of 4.68% and the S&P 500’s loss of 2.63% in that time.

Wall Street will be looking for positivity from Honeywell International Inc. as it approaches its next earnings report date. In that report, analysts expect Honeywell International Inc. to post earnings of $2.09 per share. This would mark year-over-year growth of 0.97%. Meanwhile, our latest consensus estimate is calling for revenue of $8.77 billion, down 1.41% from the prior-year quarter.

HON’s full-year Zacks Consensus Estimates are calling for earnings of $8.06 per share and revenue of $34.51 billion. These results would represent year-over-year changes of +13.52% and +5.73%, respectively.

Investors should also note any recent changes to analyst estimates for Honeywell International Inc.These revisions help to show the ever-changing nature of near-term business trends. As a result, we can interpret positive estimate revisions as a good sign for the company’s business outlook.

Our research shows that these estimate changes are directly correlated with near-term stock prices. To benefit from this, we have developed the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model which takes these estimate changes into account and provides an actionable rating system.

Ranging from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), the Zacks Rank system has a proven, outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks returning an average of +25% annually since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 0.12% lower. Honeywell International Inc. is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

Digging into valuation, Honeywell International Inc. currently has a Forward P/E ratio of 24.8. This valuation marks a premium compared to its industry’s average Forward P/E of 17.5.

Meanwhile, HON’s PEG ratio is currently 2.38. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company’s expected earnings growth rate. The Diversified Operations was holding an average PEG ratio of 1.64 at yesterday’s closing price.

The Diversified Operations industry is part of the Conglomerates sector. This industry currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 56, which puts it in the top 23% of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank includes is listed in order from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

To follow HON in the coming trading sessions, be sure to utilize Zacks.com.

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
 
Honeywell International Inc. (HON): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
 
Zacks Investment Research

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/404108