The easy gains that came at the start of this new bull market are fading away fast. In fact the stock market (SPY) has become quite volatile with gains harder to come by. Gladly there are solutions as will be shared in this commentary to get you on the right path to outperform the market through the end of 2021 and beyond. Read the rest below.

shutterstock.com – StockNews

There is not much argument these days about market direction. We are still in the early stages of a bull market as we recover from the devastations of 2020.

Let’s also remember that the average bull market lasts for over five years and the current one is only 18 months into its journey. So there is still plenty of time on the clock.

Unfortunately one should not fool themselves into thinking that the north of 100% gain since the beginning will be the pace of gains going forward. As we have seen the last several months gains have slowed down considerably along with an serious spike in volatility.

For some investors this means the solution is to buy index funds and let the chips fall where they may. However, for most of us, we want to find an edge to outperform to enjoy superior results. That is the focus of my commentary today.

Research Method 1.0

In order to tell you the solution, I first need to point out the problem. And that is the flawed way that most of us research stocks. For that purpose I will give you an outline on how the average person handles this vital task…then I will point out a better path.

Let’s say you read an article where some expert is touting 3 stocks they think are terrific. From there we will likely surf your favorite investment websites for additional information which is some combination of the following:

• What does the company do? (Industry/Sector)
• Review recent price action
• Explore a few key metrics on growth, value or company financials
• Read additional articles that tell us a bit more of the growth story for the company that gives us confident it is an attractive investment going forward.

So what’s the problem with this approach?

First it’s pretty time consuming as you realize this manual method will be applied to every stock under review.

Second, and most importantly, you are really not covering that much ground. Meaning there are literally thousands of data points that you could investigate for every stock to appreciate how healthy they are…and how they stack up to the competition.

Yet if we are being honest, this antiquated method only leads to a review of 5-10 aspects of a company before we decide to place a trade. It’s simply not a complete enough review to put the odds in your favor which leads to…

Research Method 2.0

The solution is to automate this approach. Like using computer models to scan more factors of these companies in milliseconds. This is why so many investors have turned to quantitative ratings as a means to find the best stocks.

In that realm our proprietary POWR Ratings model is helping thousands of investors do exactly that. To scan each stock based upon 118 different factors in a range of areas from growth to value to sentiment to momentum to stability and fundamental strength (quality).

Why these 118 factors?

Because the Data Scientist who created the POWR Ratings proved that each of these individual 118 factors leads to stocks more likely to outperform the market. So what we are saying this model gives you 118 advantages to find stocks that should rise above the pack.

The proof of that statement is clearly verified in the following performance chart where our top rated stocks have outpaced the overall market by a wide margin:

Yes, I could end the article here. Because using our POWR Ratings will fulfill the promise of this article…to help you find stocks to outperform in the year ahead.

However, there is still one glaring problem left to solve. That’s because using the above method will still leave you with about 1,300 Buy rated stocks to review. Just too many for the average person to sort in reasonable time frame. That is why we created…

Research Method 3.0

I realized as the CEO of StockNews.com that we needed to go further for clients. To breakdown these 1,300 stocks into a more digestible form so investors can more easily enjoy outperformance.

This came together in creating an array of market beating newsletters that harness the POWR Ratings for the main styles of stock investing. See the list of newsletters below and the current # of picks in each service to appreciate what I mean:

 That is only 44 stocks in total. All computed as winners by our proven quant model. All hand-picked by our Editors to be the best of the best.

Here is 1 More Innovation

Historically we had customers take 30 day trials to each newsletter individually because that is the standard industry practice. But what if you are curious in seeing all the services to appreciate which are the best ones for you in the future?

And that is why we created POWR Platinum. This is a bundle that gives you access to all of our services at one time.

Not just the four newsletters and their 44 stock picks noted above. POWR Platinum also includes 2 other newsletters with active trading ideas:

• POWR Charts– Legendary trader, Christian Tharp, combines the POWR Ratings with the best chart patterns to find stocks ready to break higher.
• POWR Trends– In depth commentaries and top picks from the most exciting growth trends from EV to Space Exploration to Internet of Things to Genomics and more.

Plus, as an extra bonus you also get a subscription to POWR Ratings Premium, giving full access to our coveted POWR Ratings for over 5,300 stocks and 2,000 ETFs. This is the perfect complement to the 6 newsletters making POWR Platinum a complete investment resource.

There really is something here for every style of investor. Whether you want growth, value, technical analysis, market timing and more.

$1 for a 30 Day Trial of POWR Platinum

Yes, only $1 for a 30 day trial to all our market beating services. And while it’s not going to be $1 forever, you’ll be amazed by the low-cost options after the trial concludes.

I truly believe POWR Platinum with its 7 market beating services is the ultimate investor toolkit and a real game changer for individual investors.

In fact, I believe so strongly that POWR Platinum has the ability to significantly impact your investing results, and help you outperform the market the rest of the year, that I want to remove all possible barriers so you can experience it first hand and risk-free.

If you chose to continue after the 30 day trial (and we think you will), I’m offering a 100% money-back guarantee after the trial converts to a paid subscription.

Put another way, if 30 days doesn’t feel like long enough to make a decision on whether POWR Platinum is the best value investment resource out there, then take up to 90 days longer to decide, at no-risk to you.

I think the choice is clear. So get started with your trial today!

Start My No-Risk 30 Day Trial for Just $1 >>

Wishing you a world of investment success!

Steve Reitmeister

…but everyone calls me Reity (pronounced “Righty”)
CEO, Stock News Network and Editor, Reitmeister Total Return

SPY shares closed at $443.91 on Friday, up $0.73 (+0.16%). Year-to-date, SPY has gained 19.89%, versus a % rise in the benchmark S&P 500 index during the same period.

About the Author: Steve Reitmeister

Steve is better known to the StockNews audience as “Reity”. Not only is he the CEO of the firm, but he also shares his 40 years of investment experience in the Reitmeister Total Return portfolio. Learn more about Reity’s background, along with links to his most recent articles and stock picks.

More…

The post How to Beat the Market the Rest of the Year? appeared first on StockNews.com

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/387737

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/387717

The widespread adoption of technologies and massive spending to address the growing demand for healthcare services from an aging population should drive the healthcare industry’s growth. So, we think fundamentally sound small-cap healthcare stocks Semler Scientific (SMLR) and IRadimed (IRMD) are poised to deliver solid upside in the near term. Read on.

shutterstock.com – StockNews

The rapid adoption of technologies and a push to develop therapeutics to serve an aging population have catalyzed the healthcare sector’s growth. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S. national healthcare expenditure is expected to reach $6.2 trillion by 2028. Moreover, the global healthcare and pharma market is expected to reach $1.58 trillion by 2027, registering a 4% CAGR.

Investor’s interest in the healthcare sector is evidenced by the Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund’s (XLV) 16% gains year-to-date. Furthermore, a growing trend in preventive healthcare because the COVID-19 pandemic has made people more conscious about their health and medical needs should bode well for healthcare providers.

Therefore, we believe small-cap healthcare stocks Semler Scientific, Inc. (SMLR) and IRadimed Corporation (IRMD) could be solid long-term bets because of their solid fundamentals.

Click here to checkout our Healthcare Sector Report for 2021

Semler Scientific, Inc. (SMLR)

SMLR develops, manufactures, and markets products and services for treating chronic diseases. In addition, the San Jose, Calif.-based company provides technology solutions for clinical effectiveness. The company’s product portfolio includes its QuantaFlo System, a four-minute in-office blood flow test to identify flow abnormalities associated with peripheral arterial disease (PAD). It has a $790.22 million market capitalization. SMLR’s revenues increased 124.6% year-over-year to $14.31 million in the second quarter, ended June 30, 2021. The company’s net income rose 522.1% from its year-ago value to $6.69 million. Its EPS grew 538.5% from the prior-year quarter to $0.83. Also, the company’s income from operations increased 573.3% year-over-year to $6.46 million.

Analysts expect SMLR’s revenue to increase 52.8% year-over-year to $59 million in its fiscal year 2021. In addition, the company surpassed consensus EPS estimates in each of the trailing four quarters. SMLR’s EPS is expected to grow 60.3% in the current year. The stock has gained 29.5% in price over the past nine months and 124% over the past year.

SMLR’s strong fundamentals are reflected in its POWR Ratings. The stock has an overall B rating, which equates to a Buy in our proprietary rating system. The POWR Ratings assess stocks by 118 distinct factors, each with its own weighting.

SMLR is also rated an A grade for Sentiment and Quality. In addition, , within the Medical – Diagnostics/Research industry, it is ranked #8 of 57 stocks.

To see additional POWR Ratings for Value, Growth, Stability, and Momentum for SMLR, click here.

IRadimed Corporation (IRMD)

With a $414.99 million market capitalization, IRMD is an MRI patient care innovator that offers MRidium MRI-compatible intravenous (IV) infusion pump system with associated disposable IV tubing sets, and an MRI compatible patient vital sign monitoring system. The company also provides mountable non-magnetic vital sign monitors and portable MRI monitors.

During the second quarter, ended June 30, 2021, IRMD’s revenue increased 44.4% year-over-year to $9.81 million. The company’s gross profit grew 48.7% from its year-ago value to $7.33 million. Its net income came in at $1.47 million, compared to a $211 million net loss in the prior-year quarter. Also, the company’s EPS came in at $0.12, compared to a $).17 loss per share in the second quarter of 2020.

IRMD’s revenue is expected to increase 26.6% year-over-year to $40.16 million in its fiscal year 2021. The company has an impressive earnings surprise history; it beat the consensus EPS estimates in three of the trailing four quarters. IRMD’s EPS is expected to increase 55% in the current year and 142.9% in the current quarter. The stock has climbed  42.7% in price over the past six months and 60.2% over the past year.

IRMD’s POWR Ratings reflect this promising outlook. The stock has an overall A rating, which equates to a Strong Buy in our proprietary rating system. IRMD also has an A grade for Sentiment and Quality. In the Medical – Devices & Equipment industry, it is ranked #6 of 181 stocks.

In addition to the POWR Rating grades I’ve just highlighted, one can see IRMD’s ratings for Momentum, Value, Growth, and Stability here.

Click here to checkout our Healthcare Sector Report for 2021

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SMLR shares were trading at $117.00 per share on Friday morning, down $0.00 (0.00%). Year-to-date, SMLR has gained 24.47%, versus a 19.56% rise in the benchmark S&P 500 index during the same period.

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About the Author: Priyanka Mandal

Priyanka is a passionate investment analyst and financial journalist. After earning a master’s degree in economics, her interest in financial markets motivated her to begin her career in investment research.

More…

The post 2 Small-Cap Healthcare Stocks to Buy and Hold for Years appeared first on StockNews.com

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/387581

Cheniere Energy Inc. LNG obtained permission from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to introduce feed gas to commission certain portions of Train 6 at the Sabine Pass liquefied natural gas export facility in Louisiana.

– Zacks

The approval was in response to Cheniere’s request to introduce gas and enable the Train 6 fuel gas system. Feed gas is processed natural gas from pipelines, which will be converted into liquefied natural gas.

The company expects Train 6 to complete in the first half of 2022. However, most analysts opine that the facility will start producing liquefied natural gas in test mode later this year. Once Train 6 is completed, the facility will have a production capacity of about 30 million metric tons per year of liquefied natural gas.

Cheniere is a major liquefied natural gas exporter and the largest buyer of natural gas in the United States. Notably, feed gas deliveries to the company’s Sabine Pass facility hit their highest level since May, when the terminal was allowed to begin flows to Train 6 as part of commissioning.

Beside Sabine Pass, Cheniere also owns the Train 3 at its Corpus Christi liquefied natural gas export plant in Texas. With scheduled facility or pipeline maintenance affecting two other export terminals, the company’s Sabine Pass and Corpus Christi facilities combined for more than 60% of the total 10.2 billion cubic feet per day of feed gas demand in the United States.

Once fully operational, Cheniere’s ninth overall liquefaction unit across its two terminals in Sabine Pass and Corpus Christi will bring its total capacity to 45 million metric tons per year. The company expects to make a final investment decision in 2022 on a 10-million-metric-ton year expansion with the help of mid-scale units at the site of its Texas facility.

Company Profile

Headquartered in Houston, TX, Cheniere primarily engages in businesses related to liquefied natural gas.

Zacks Rank & Other Stocks to Consider

The company currently carries a Zack Rank #2 (Buy).

Some other top-ranked players in the energy space are Earthstone Energy, Inc. ESTE, Phillips 66 Partners LP PSXP and Schlumberger Limited SLB, each currently carrying a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Earthstone’s earnings for 2021 are expected to increase 52.6% year over year.

Phillips 66’s earnings for 2021 are expected to rise 51.6% year over year.

Schlumberger’s earnings for 2021 are expected to increase 45.1% year over year.

Time to Invest in Legal Marijuana

If you’re looking for big gains, there couldn’t be a better time to get in on a young industry primed to skyrocket from $17.7 billion back in 2019 to an expected $73.6 billion by 2027.

After a clean sweep of 6 election referendums in 5 states, pot is now legal in 36 states plus D.C. Federal legalization is expected soon and that could be a still greater bonanza for investors. Even before the latest wave of legalization, Zacks Investment Research has recommended pot stocks that have shot up as high as +285.9%.

You’re invited to check out Zacks’ Marijuana Moneymakers: An Investor’s Guide. It features a timely Watch List of pot stocks and ETFs with exceptional growth potential.

Today, Download Marijuana Moneymakers FREE >>

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
 
Schlumberger Limited (SLB): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Cheniere Energy, Inc. (LNG): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Phillips 66 Partners LP (PSXP): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Earthstone Energy, Inc. (ESTE): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/387563

The crisis triggered by fears over the potential collapse of a debt-ridden Evergrande Group has shaken the global stock markets. As a result of this cascading effect of the troubles in China’s property market, major indexes in the United States continue to suffer. Per a CNBC report, the S&P 500, the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite and the Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 1.7%, 2.2% and 1.8%, respectively, on Sep 20. While the S&P 500’s performance on Sep 20 was the worst (on a daily basis) since May 12, the Dow posted its biggest one-day loss since Jul 19.

– Zacks

The Evergrande crisis apart, U.S. investors are worried about the rapid spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19, which is threatening to derail economic growth witnessed prior to the transmission of this deadly strain.

However, irrespective of the prevalent market conditions, investors strive to design a winning basket of stocks. They are after all putting their hard-earned money into stocks. Amid the existing uncertainties, it is almost impossible for individual investors to come up with a promising portfolio of stocks without proper guidance. Therefore, it is in the best interest of investors to seek advice from “experts in the field.”

Who Are the Experts & Why?

The “experts” in the field of investing are brokers who are equipped with thorough knowledge about the space. Brokers, irrespective of their types (sell-side, buy-side or independent), have at their disposal a lot more information on a company and its prospects than individual investors.

To attain their objective, they go through minute details of the publicly available financial documents apart from attending company conference calls and other presentations. Broker opinion should thus act as a valuable guide for investors while deciding their course of action (buy, sell or hold) on a particular stock.

Since brokers meticulously follow the stocks in their coverage, they revise their earnings estimates after carefully examining the pros and cons of an event for the concerned company. Naturally, their estimate revisions serve as an important pointer regarding the price of a stock. To take care of the earnings performance, we designed a screen based on improving broker recommendations and upward estimate revisions over the last four weeks.

Do not Ignore the Top Line

However, designing a strategy based solely on the bottom line is unlikely to result in a rewarding approach. Actually, according to many market watchers, a revenue beat is more creditable for a company than a mere earnings outperformance. To address the top-line concerns, we included in our screen the price/sales ratio, which serves as a strong complementary valuation metric.

Screening Criteria

# (Up- Down Rating)/ Total (4 weeks) =Top #75 (This gives the list of top 75 companies that have witnessed net upgrades over the last 4 weeks).

% change in Q (1) est. (4 weeks) = Top #10 (This gives the top 10 stocks that have witnessed earnings estimate revisions over the past 4 weeks for the upcoming quarter).

We have also added the following screening parameters to ensure that the strategy is a winning one:

Price-to-Sales = Bot%10 (The lower the ratio the better, companies meeting this criteria are in bottom 10% of our universe of over 7,700 stocks with respect to this ratio).

Price greater than 5 (as a stock trading below $5 will not likely create significant interest for most of the investors).

Average Daily Volume greater than 100,000 shares over the last 20 trading days (Volume has to be significant to ensure that these are easily traded).

Market value ($ mil) = Top #3000 (This gives us stocks that are the top 3000 in terms of market capitalization).

Com/ADR/Canadian= Com (This takes out the ADR and Canadian stocks).

Here are five of the 10 stocks that made it through the screen:

Best Buy Company  BBY is a multinational specialty retailer of consumer electronics, home office products, entertainment software, communication, food preparation, wellness, heath, security, appliances and related services. The company continuously focuses on improving its digital capabilities. Best Buy, currently carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), is constantly conducting various tests and pilots to become a more customer-centric, digitally-focused, efficient company. Its liquidity position is also sound. Backed by these tailwinds, the stock has seen the Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings move 16.92% north over the past 60 days. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Peabody Energy BTU: St Louis, MO-based Peabody Energy engages in the coal-mining business and has both thermal and metallurgical operations to manage. Revival in the domestic and international coal markets augurs well for this currently Zacks #2 Ranked stock that outperformed on earnings in three of the last four quarters (lagging the consensus mark in the remaining one).

Citi Trends CTRN is a leading value-priced retailer of urban fashion apparel and accessories including nationally recognized brands, private-label products and a limited assortment of home décor items. The company primarily targets fashion conscious African-American customers, offering branded merchandise at about 20-70% discount compared with the regular prices at department and specialty stores. The company is being well-served by the increase in sales. Efforts to reward its shareholders through share buybacks are also commendable. The stock currently sports a Zacks Rank #1.

Caleres CAL: This Saint Louis-based company, currently sporting a Zacks Rank of 1, engages in the retail and wholesale of footwear. Strong performance of its Famous Footwear and Brand Portfolio segments are driving the top line. The company outperformed on earnings in each of the last four quarters, the average being in excess of 100%.

Commercial Metals Company CMC manufactures, recycles and markets steel and metal products, related materials and services. This Irving, TX-based company is presently Zacks #1 Ranked. Growth in the construction markets in the United States and Europe and favorable market conditions in Poland bode well for Commercial Metals. Investment in capacity and acquisitions is likely to drive growth. The company outperformed on earnings in each of the last four quarters, the average being 17.51%.

You can get the rest of the stocks on this list by signing up now for your 2-week free trial to the Research Wizard and start using this screen in your own trading. Further, you can also create your own strategies and test them first before taking the investment plunge.  

The Research Wizard is a great place to begin. It’s easy to use. Everything is in plain language. And it’s very intuitive. Start your Research Wizard trial today. And the next time you read an economic report, open up the Research Wizard, plug your finds in, and see what gems come out.

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

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.

More Stock News: This Is Bigger than the iPhone!

It could become the mother of all technological revolutions. Apple sold a mere 1 billion iPhones in 10 years but a new breakthrough is expected to generate more than 77 billion devices by 2025, creating a $1.3 trillion market.

Zacks has just released a Special Report that spotlights this fast-emerging phenomenon and 4 tickers for taking advantage of it. If you don’t buy now, you may kick yourself in 2022.

Click here for the 4 trades >>

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
 
Peabody Energy Corporation (BTU): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Best Buy Co., Inc. (BBY): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Citi Trends, Inc. (CTRN): Get Free Report
 
Commercial Metals Company (CMC): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Caleres, Inc. (CAL): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
 
Zacks Investment Research

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/387241

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – September 23, 2021 – 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: United Parcel Service, Inc. UPS, ServiceNow, Inc. NOW, CVS Health Corporation CVS, Booking Holdings Inc. BKNG and Altria Group, Inc. MO.

– Zacks

Here are highlights from Wednesday’s Analyst Blog:

Top Stock Reports for UPS, ServiceNow and CVS Health

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 United Parcel Service, ServiceNow, and CVS Health. 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 United Parcel Service have outperformed the Zacks Transportation – Air Freight and Cargo industry over the past year (+17.2% vs. +14.1%). The Zacks analyst appreciates UPS’ efforts to reward its shareholders through dividends and buybacks and acknowledges the fact that the company paid out dividends worth $3.6 billion despite the coronavirus rout.

The company’s board also approved a new share repurchase program worth $5 billion in August, while maintaining its pro-shareholder stance. UPS’ solid liquidity position and an environment-friendly approach is also impressive. High operating expenses at UPS are a concern though.

(You can read the full research report on United Parcel Service here >>>)

ServiceNow shares have gained +38.5% in the last six months against the Zacks IT Services industry’s gain of +18.7%. The Zacks analyst believes that its dominant position in the ITSM, ITOM markets, growing fortune 500 customer base, and product enhancements via strategic acquisitions are key catalysts for growth. 

ServiceNow has also been benefiting from a robust growth in subscription revenues. Based on strong adoption of its digital workflow solutions, it expects 2021 subscription billings to grow year over year. Stiff competition in non-ITSM product segments, as well as stretched valuation are major headwinds for the company.

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

Shares of CVS Health have gained +1.7% in the past three months against the Zacks Retail Pharmacies and Drug Stores industry’s loss of -2.2%. The Zacks analyst believes that an increasing demand for PBM and specialty pharmacy coupled with substantial growth in the retail business remain as key positives.

Second-quarter revenues across all three operating segments surpassed the company’s expectations. Increased full-year guidance also reflects that this bullish trend is likely to continue throughout 2021. Pressure to reduce reimbursement rates for generic drugs, a dismal retail performance, and pressure on margins are some of the major headwinds though.

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

Other noteworthy reports we are featuring today include Booking Holdings and Altria Group.

Media Contact

Zacks Investment Research

800-767-3771 ext. 9339

support@zacks.com

https://www.zacks.com

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.

More Stock News: This Is Bigger than the iPhone!

It could become the mother of all technological revolutions. Apple sold a mere 1 billion iPhones in 10 years but a new breakthrough is expected to generate more than 77 billion devices by 2025, creating a $1.3 trillion market.

Zacks has just released a Special Report that spotlights this fast-emerging phenomenon and 4 tickers for taking advantage of it. If you don’t buy now, you may kick yourself in 2022.

Click here for the 4 trades >>

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
 
United Parcel Service, Inc. (UPS): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Altria Group, Inc. (MO): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
CVS Health Corporation (CVS): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
ServiceNow, Inc. (NOW): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Booking Holdings Inc. (BKNG): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
 
Zacks Investment Research

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/387242

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – September 23, 2021 – Zacks.com announces the list of ETFs featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. ETFs recently featured in the blog include: SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Value ETF SPYV, Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Value ETF SCHV, Vanguard Value ETF VTV, Vanguard Mega Cap Value ETF MGV, Vanguard Russell 1000 Value ETF VONV and Vanguard S&P 500 Value ETF VOOV.

– Zacks

Here are highlights from Wednesday’s Analyst Blog:

A Bunch of Dirt-Cheap Value ETFs to Buy Now

The global stock market has been caught in a nasty web of woes that led to a broad sell-off. The biggest culprit is the fear over the potential collapse of property developer China Evergrande Group. The China-based real estate juggernaut, which has been sitting on a huge debt of more than $300 billion, could default on its interest payment of $150 million due later this week, potentially triggering a global financial meltdown like the post Lehmann Brothers collapse.

Ongoing debates over the debt limit in Washington and the Fed’s taper talks added to the market uncertainty. The White House warned that failure by the U.S. Congress to extend the debt limit could push the economy into a recession and lead the country to default on its payment obligations. The U.S. House is set to vote this week on the debt ceiling.

Additionally, concerns over accelerating coronavirus infections, renewed inflation fears, signs of a slowdown in China, and potential for high corporate tax rates have been making investors jittery in recent weeks (read: September’s Weak History Turning True: 5 ETF Buying Zones).

However, the wider spread of COVID-19 vaccines, a greater vaccination push, improving economic growth, an expanded stimulus, and the resumption of corporate earnings growth have been fueling a rally in the stock market this year and will likely continue doing so. The latest batch of data also painted an upbeat picture of U.S. consumers. Retail sales unexpectedly jumped in August as a pickup in purchases across most categories more than offset the weakness at auto dealers, showing resilient consumer demand for merchandise.

Amid such a scenario, value investing seems appealing to investors.

Why Value?

Value stocks have strong fundamentals — earnings, dividends, book value, and cash flow — that trade below their intrinsic value and are undervalued by the market. These seek to capitalize on the inefficiencies in the market and have the potential to deliver higher returns with lower volatility compared with their growth and blend counterparts.

Additionally, value stocks are less susceptible to trending markets and their dividend payouts offer safety in times of market turbulence (read: Value ETFs Looking Attractive Now: Let’s Explore).

Notably, these stocks outperform the growth ones across all asset classes when considered on a long-term investment horizon. Honing in on lower expense ratio ETFs in this space will be an ideal choice. With an ongoing price war, expense ratio is the biggest crowd puller in the ETF world. Funds with low expense ratios significantly outperform their expensive counterparts when other factors remain constant.

Given this, we have presented a bunch of ETFs with a solid Zacks ETF Rank #2 (Buy) and a lower expense ratio of under 15% that will likely outperform in the coming weeks, especially in a shaky market.

SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Value ETF – Expense Ratio: 0.04%

With AUM of $12.4 billion, this ETF tracks the S&P 500 Value Index. It holds 431 stocks in its basket with each making up for no more than 3% share. The product sees average daily volume of 2.1 million shares.

Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Value ETF – Expense ratio: 0.04%

This is also a large-cap centric fund that targets the value segment by tracking the Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Value Total Stock Market Index. It holds well diversified 541 stocks in its basket and has amassed assets worth $9.7 billion. The fund trades in volume of around 324,000 shares a day on average.

Vanguard Value ETF – Expense ratio: 0.04%

This ETF follows the CRSP US Large Cap Value Index, holding 352 stocks in its basket with each accounting for less than 3% share. VTV has AUM of $83.7 billion and an average daily volume of 2.1 million shares (read: Volatility ETFs Spike on Evergrande Collapse Fears).

Vanguard Mega Cap Value ETF – Expense ratio: 0.07%

This fund offers diversified exposure to 146 largest value stocks in the U.S. market by tracking the CRSP US Mega Cap Value Index. It has been able to manage assets worth $4.5 billion and trades in average daily volume of 106,000 shares.

Vanguard Russell 1000 Value ETF – Expense ratio: 0.08%

With AUM of $6.5 billion, this ETF follows the Russell 1000 Value Index and holds 844 stocks in its basket. The product trades in average daily volume of 402,000 shares.

Vanguard S&P 500 Value ETF – Expense ratio: 0.10%

This fund seeks to track the S&P 500 Value Index, holding 433 stocks in its basket. It has AUM of $2.3 billion and sees average daily volume of 68,000 shares.

Media Contact

Zacks Investment Research

800-767-3771 ext. 9339

support@zacks.com

https://www.zacks.com

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.

More Stock News: This Is Bigger than the iPhone!

It could become the mother of all technological revolutions. Apple sold a mere 1 billion iPhones in 10 years but a new breakthrough is expected to generate more than 77 billion devices by 2025, creating a $1.3 trillion market.

Zacks has just released a Special Report that spotlights this fast-emerging phenomenon and 4 tickers for taking advantage of it. If you don’t buy now, you may kick yourself in 2022.

Click here for the 4 trades >>

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Vanguard Value ETF (VTV): ETF Research Reports
 
Schwab U.S. LargeCap Value ETF (SCHV): ETF Research Reports
 
Vanguard Russell 1000 Value ETF (VONV): ETF Research Reports
 
SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Value ETF (SPYV): ETF Research Reports
 
Vanguard S&P 500 Value ETF (VOOV): ETF Research Reports
 
Vanguard Mega Cap Value ETF (MGV): ETF Research Reports
 
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
 
Zacks Investment Research

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/387243

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – September 23, 2021 – 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: Moderna, Inc. MRNA, Quanta Services, Inc. PWR, Avantor, Inc. AVTR, ON Semiconductor Corporation ON and KLA Corporation KLAC.

– Zacks

Here are highlights from Wednesday’s Analyst Blog:

Top 5 High-Flying Stocks that Survived September Mayhem

September – historically the worst-performing month on Wall Street – is likely to maintain its trend this year too. The broad-market rally has stopped completely this month, with just seven days of trading left.

The three major stock indexes — the Dow, the S&P 500, and the Nasdaq Composite — have tumbled 4.1%, 3.7%, and 3.4%, respectively. The small-cap-centric Russell 2000 is down 3.9%. The U.S. stock markets are currently suffering from several near-term concerns.

Fed’s FOMC Meeting

The two-day FOMC meeting of the Federal Reserve started on Sep 21. The outcome of this meeting will impact financial markets immensely. At present, economists and financial researchers are divided whether the central bank will give any definite sign, if not the timeline, related to the tapering of its existing $120 billion per month bond-buy program.

After its last FOMC meeting in June, Fed chairman Jerome Powell gave a signal that the Fed may start tapering this year although he maintained an extremely cautious view.

However, the rapid spread of the Delta variant of coronavirus and a possible slowdown of U.S. economic growth, highly disappointing job additions in August, and a marginal decline in inflation rates in the last couple of months have compelled many experts to believe that the Fed may restrain itself from shifting from its ongoing ultra-dovish monetary policies.

Evergrande Crisis

Global stock markets including the U.S. stock markets fell sharply on Sep 20 following the news that a large China-based property developer, the China Evergrande Group, is in possible bankruptcy. The company faced a debt payment on its offshore bonds last week and said that it is suffering from unprecedented difficulties. It has more than $300 billion of offshore bonds.

U.S. markets continued to suffer on Sep 21 due to the news as a section of investors believe that the default on debt servicing may have a rippling effect on the global financial sector. Moreover, a recession in the Chinese property development market will significantly reduce demand for metal and industrial products.

Government Debt Ceiling in Focus

On Sep 21, the House of Representatives passed a bill in majority voting that will prevent a government shutdown and suspend the debt limit to prevent an economic disaster. However, the Republicans have threatened to block the bill in Senate.

The Congress needs to pass a funding plan by Sep 30 to prevent a government shutdown. The clearance of the bill in the House will enable the government to run up to Dec 3 and suspend the debt ceiling till December 2022.

Spread of the Delta Variant

The spread of the Delta variant remains a threat to the robust U.S. economic recovery. Some recently released economic data has shown that the Delta variant has taken a toll on the economy and it may get worse in the upcoming winter months. Investors remain concerned although the infection rate has dropped marginally this month.

Not All Stocks Have Suffered This Month

Despite several immediate concerns and the historical downtrend of September, a number of stocks have popped this month. Among those winners, there are a handful of large-cap (market capital > $15 billion) stocks with a favorable Zacks Rank. Large-cap stocks generally have a solid business foothold. Investment in these stocks may be fruitful going forward.

Our Top Picks

We have narrowed down our search to five large-cap stocks that have gained nearly 5% or more than 5% month to date. These stocks have strong growth potential for the rest of 2021 and have seen positive earnings estimate revisions in the past 60 days. Each of our picks carries either a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Moderna is a biotechnology company, which develops therapeutics and vaccines based on messenger RNA for the treatment of infectious diseases, immuno-oncology, rare diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and auto-immune diseases.

The company’s COVID-19 vaccine demonstrated strong uptake in multiple countries where it received authorization for temporary use in the past few months. It expects more than $19 billion in vaccine sales in 2021. Advance purchase agreements with several countries worth $20 billion in aggregate for 2022 are already in place.

This Zacks Rank #2 company has an expected earnings growth rate of more than 100% for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 0.4% over the past 30 days. The stock price has jumped 15.2% month to date.

Quanta Services is a leading national provider of specialty contracting services, and one of the largest contractors serving the transmission and distribution sector of the North American electric utility industry.

The company expects utility, communications, certain pipeline and industrial infrastructure services — which currently account for approximately 80-90% of revenues — to remain robust in 2021. Quanta Services’ optimism stems from healthy backlog levels which are expected to grow further. Also, rising renewable energy generation and associated demand bode well for the company.

This Zacks Rank #2 company has an expected earnings growth rate of 19.9% for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 0.4% over the past 30 days. The stock price has climbed 12.5% month to date.

Avantor provides products and services to customers in biopharma, healthcare, education and government, advanced technologies, and applied materials industries in the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.

The company offers materials and consumables, such as purity chemicals and reagents, lab products and supplies, formulated silicone materials, customized excipients, customized single-use assemblies, process chromatography resins and columns, analytical sample prep kits, education and microbiology products, and clinical trial kits.

This Zacks Rank #1 company has an expected earnings growth rate of 51.7% for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 7.1% over the past 60 days. The stock price has appreciated 8.6% month to date.

ON Semiconductor Corp. is seeing strengthening demand across most end markets as evident from its booking trends over the last few quarters. It has a well-diversified business generating a significant percentage of revenues from each of the computing, consumer, industrial, communications, and automotive end markets.

ON Semiconductor continues to gain traction among electric vehicle manufacturers. It witnessed a solid demand environment in the second quarter, particularly for its power and sensing products, which it expects will continue in the near term.

This Zacks Rank #2 company has an expected earnings growth rate of more than 100% for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings has improved 0.4% over the past 30 days. The stock price has advanced 7.5% month to date.

KLA Corp. designs, manufactures, and markets process control and yield-management solutions for the semiconductor and related nano-electronics industries worldwide. KLA is benefiting from solid momentum across the process control market. Moreover, growing Foundry and Logic investments remain major positives.

Its transition to advanced nodes and the insertion of EUV lithography are expected to drive growth in the near future. Enhanced wafer cleanliness and geometry specifications in the bare wafer market are driving demand for the company’s wafer products. Additionally, the Services business is likely to grow, driven by expanding installed base and higher utilization rates. High exposure to 5G infrastructure and the smartphone market is another positive.

This Zacks Rank #2 company has an expected earnings growth rate of 32.7% for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings has improved 12.5% over the past 60 days. The stock price has risen 4.9% month to date.

Media Contact

Zacks Investment Research

800-767-3771 ext. 9339

support@zacks.com

https://www.zacks.com

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.

More Stock News: This Is Bigger than the iPhone!

It could become the mother of all technological revolutions. Apple sold a mere 1 billion iPhones in 10 years but a new breakthrough is expected to generate more than 77 billion devices by 2025, creating a $1.3 trillion market.

Zacks has just released a Special Report that spotlights this fast-emerging phenomenon and 4 tickers for taking advantage of it. If you don’t buy now, you may kick yourself in 2022.

Click here for the 4 trades >>

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
 
Quanta Services, Inc. (PWR): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
KLA Corporation (KLAC): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Moderna, Inc. (MRNA): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
ON Semiconductor Corporation (ON): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Avantor, Inc. (AVTR): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
 
Zacks Investment Research

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/387244

On Sep 22, Wall Street closed sharply higher ending its 4-day losing streak and recouped some of the losses it has suffered in September. The three major stock indexes — the Dow, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite — rallied 1% each, while the small-cap-centric Russell 2000 surged 1.5%.

– Zacks

U.S. stock markets rebounded following Fed Chairman Jerome Powell’s confirmation that a shift from the central bank’s ultra-dovish monetary policy is not immediate. The Fed will maintain its monetary stimulus and stick to a near-zero short-term benchmark interest rate at least for the time being.

Powell Maintains Dovish Stance

In his statement after the conclusion of the two-day FOMC meeting, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said “If progress continues broadly as expected, the Committee judges that a moderation in the pace of asset purchases may soon be warranted.”

Fed Chairman made the point that it is “more important to do it right than fast.” “While no decisions were made, participants generally viewed that so long as the recovery remains on track, a gradual tapering process that concludes around the middle of next year is likely to be appropriate,” he said.

Powell said that the central bank’s further progress test has been met regarding its inflation target. He added “My own view is the test for substantial further progress on employment is all but met.” However, Powell made it clear “For me it wouldn’t take a knockout, great, super strong employment report. It would take a reasonably good employment report for me to feel like that test is met.”

Fed’s latest dot plot for rate projection is showing nine out of18 members believing that the first rate cut will come in the second half of 2022. This number was just seven after June’s FOMC meeting. However, Powell had commented in June that dot plots should be taken with a “big grain of salt.” It is “not a great forecaster of future rate moves.” Fed’s policy will be guided by the actual outcome of economic variables and not by its officials’ expectations about the future.

Tapering Likely Priced in Market Valuation

The Fed Chairman has said repeatedly that the central bank will give enough indication to market participants before it actually starts tapering in order to minimize volatility.

Although the Fed has restrained from providing any timeline as to when the tapering of the monthly $120 billion bond-buy program will start, many economists and financial researchers believe that the announcement will come in the next FOMC meeting in November and the process will start from December.

Despite this, yesterday’s rally indicates that the impact of tapering seems already factored in market valuations. The central bank had taken this extraordinary measure last year to tackle an extraordinary health hazard-led economic devastation. Everyone knows that this monetary stimulus will fade out gradually with the pace of U.S. economic recovery.

Therefore, a possible tapering of the Fed’s monthly $80 billion Treasury Notes and $40 billion mortgage-backed bond-buying program this year may not shake market participants’ confidence. The important point is that the Fed has taken an extremely cautious approach to tapering its quantitative easing program.

Stock Selection Criteria

At this stage, it will be prudent to invest in stocks of U.S. corporate behemoths (market capital > $100 billion) that have performed better than the market’s benchmark — the S&P 500 Index — in the past month, amid September’s volatility.

The stocks must carry a favorable Zacks Rank. These companies have highly established business models spread across the world, lucrative product pipelines, globally acclaimed brand recognition and robust financial positions, which will help them to cope with a higher interest rate.

Accordingly, we have narrowed down our search to five U.S. corporate behemoths that have strong growth potential for the rest of 2021. These stocks have seen positive earnings estimate revisions in the last 60 days. Each of our picks carries either a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

The chart below shows the price performance of our five picks in the past month.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Apple Inc.‘s AAPL Services and Wearables businesses are expected to drive top-line growth in fiscal 2021 and beyond. Although Apple’s business primarily runs around its flagship iPhone, the Services portfolio has emerged as the company’s new cash cow. Its focus on autonomous vehicles and augmented reality/virtual reality technologies presents growth opportunities in the long haul.

This Zacks Rank #1 company has an expected earnings growth rate of 2.2% for next year (ending September 2022) after estimated 70.4% growth in the current year (ending September 2021). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for next year improved 6.3% over the last 60 days.

Microsoft Corp. MSFT is introducing new and improved Surface devices that could encourage enterprises to stick with Windows as they move toward BYOD and cloud computing. Microsoft’s advantages in this respect are two-fold.

First, the company has a very large installed base of Office users. Most legacy data are based on Office, so enterprises are usually reluctant to use other productivity solutions. Second, the BYOD model is dependent on security and cloud integration, both of which are Microsoft’s strengths.

This Zacks Rank#2 company has an expected earnings growth rate of 8.4% for the current year (ending June 2022). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings improved 3.7% over the last 60 days.

NVIDIA Corp. NVDA is benefiting from the coronavirus-induced work-from-home and learn-at-home wave. It is also benefiting from strong growth in GeForce desktop and notebook GPUs, which are boosting gaming revenues.

Moreover, a surge in Hyperscale demand remains a tailwind for the company’s Data Center business. The expansion of NVIDIA GeForce NOW is expected to drive its user base. Further, a solid uptake of artificial intelligence-based smart cockpit infotainment solutions is a boon.

This Zacks Rank #2 company has an expected earnings growth rate of 68% for the current year (ending January 2022). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 5.8% over the last 60 days.
Danaher Corp. DHR is poised to gain from Danaher Business System (“DBS”), the policy of rewarding shareholders through dividend payments, synergistic benefits from acquired assets and investment in product innovation in the quarters ahead.

The company anticipates core revenue growth in the mid to high-teens range for the third quarter of 2021 and in the high-teens for 2021. The pandemic-led tailwinds are expected to boost core sales by high-single digits in the third quarter and by 10% in 2021.

This Zacks Rank #2 company has an expected earnings growth rate of 50.4% for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 1% over the last 30 days.

Costco Wholesale Corp. COST operates membership warehouses in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Japan, Korea, Australia, Spain, France, Iceland, China, and Taiwan. It offers branded and private-label products in a range of merchandise categories.

Its growth strategies, better price management, decent membership trend and increasing penetration of e-commerce business reinforce its position. The strategy to sell products at discounted prices has helped to draw customers seeking both value and convenience. These factors have been aiding in registering impressive sales numbers.

This Zacks Rank #2 company has an expected earnings growth rate of 7.9% for the current year (ending August 2022). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 1.1% over the last 30 days.

More Stock News: This Is Bigger than the iPhone!

It could become the mother of all technological revolutions. Apple sold a mere 1 billion iPhones in 10 years but a new breakthrough is expected to generate more than 77 billion devices by 2025, creating a $1.3 trillion market.

Zacks has just released a Special Report that spotlights this fast-emerging phenomenon and 4 tickers for taking advantage of it. If you don’t buy now, you may kick yourself in 2022.

Click here for the 4 trades >>

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
 
Apple Inc. (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Microsoft Corporation (MSFT): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Danaher Corporation (DHR): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
 
Zacks Investment Research

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/387245

As the pandemic halted in-store shopping, people resorted to shopping online and preferred digital or contactless payments as a safer method for transacting. Safety has become a priority among consumers around the world and businesses have been adopting contactless payment methods to meet the growing demand. Per the Back to Business Study report by Visa Inc. V, 48% of consumers said that they wouldn’t shop at a store unless it offered some form of contactless payment, as mentioned in a Vending Market Watch article.

– Zacks

In fact, a survey conducted by the National Retail Federation and Forrester in the United States last year found that 67% of the retailers surveyed were accepting some form of contactless payment. This included 58% of retailers that accept contactless cards that can be waved past or tapped on card readers compared to 40% in 2019, while 56% reported taking digital wallet payments on mobile phones, rising from 44% in 2019.

Apart from being contactless, digital payments offer other benefits which can ensure that their demand continues to accelerate even beyond the pandemic. Digital payments provide faster and hassle-free transactions. Consumers don’t have to carry cash with them and can also complete transactions via their smartphones. Merchants and financial institutions too offer certain discounts upon purchases as well as other offers, making it even more exciting for consumers. It also helps consumers to easily keep track of how much they are spending and where, as the details of the transactions are readily available.

Several forms of digital payments are available and while credit and debit cards have been popular choices, other methods like quick response (“QR”) code scanning are gaining traction. This is because consumers simply have to scan the merchant’s QR code to initiate the payment process, making it even more convenient. In fact, per a Juniper Research report, the number of QR code payments users is expected to exceed 2.2 billion in 2025, from 1.5 billion in 2020, and amount to 29% of mobile users worldwide.

Reflective of the positive developments that digital payments have been witnessing, the digital payments market is expected to grow. Per a report by ReportLinker, the digital payments market is expected to witness a CAGR of 13.7% from 2021 to 2026, as mentioned in a GlobeNewswire article.

5 Stocks to Watch

The popularity of digital payments is set to accelerate further, thanks to the myriad conveniences they offer. This seems then a good time to look at companies offering digital payment solutions that stand to benefit from this potential. We have selected five such stocks that carry a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Apple Inc. AAPL offers Apple Card, a co-branded credit card; and Apple Pay, a cashless payment service. On Aug 19, the company announced that Apple Card, which is the only card issued by Goldman Sachs, ranked highest among the Midsize Credit Card segment in the J.D. Power 2021 U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study.

Shares of Apple have risen 9.9% year to date and it currently flaunts a Zacks Rank #1. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings increased 7.7% over the past 60 days. The company’s expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 70.4%.

Usio, Inc. USIO, together with its subsidiaries, provides integrated electronic payment processing services to merchants and businesses in the United States. The company offers various types of automated clearing house processing; and credit, prepaid card, and debit card-based processing services.

Shares of Zacks Rank #2 Usio have risen 125.1% year to date. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings improved 55.6% over the past 60 days. The company’s expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 82.6%.

EVERTEC, Inc. EVTC provides merchant acquiring services, which enable point of sales and e-commerce merchants to accept and process electronic methods of payment, such as debit, credit, prepaid, and electronic benefit transfer cards.

Shares of EVERTEC have risen 17.1% year to date. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings increased 13.8% over the past 60 days. This Zacks Rank #2 company’s expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 27.5%.

Visa facilitates digital payments among consumers, merchants, financial institutions, businesses, strategic partners, and government entities. On Apr 7, the company announced that it had processed one billion additional touch-free payments in Europe, within less than a year since contactless payment limits were increased across 29 countries in Europe due to the pandemic.

Shares of Visa have gained 7.1% over the past six months and it currently has a Zacks Rank #3. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings increased 3.4% over the past 60 days. The company’s expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 15.5%.

Alphabet Inc.’s GOOGL Google offers Google Pay, a digital payment app where users can send or receive money with ease. The app also supports QR code scan payments.

Shares of this Zacks Rank #3 company have risen 60.1% year to date. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings increased 13.3% over the past 60 days. The company’s expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 73.8%.

More Stock News: This Is Bigger than the iPhone!

It could become the mother of all technological revolutions. Apple sold a mere 1 billion iPhones in 10 years but a new breakthrough is expected to generate more than 77 billion devices by 2025, creating a $1.3 trillion market.

Zacks has just released a Special Report that spotlights this fast-emerging phenomenon and 4 tickers for taking advantage of it. If you don’t buy now, you may kick yourself in 2022.

Click here for the 4 trades >>

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
 
Apple Inc. (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Visa Inc. (V): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Evertec, Inc. (EVTC): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Usio Inc (USIO): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/387247