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☆ These are JPMorgan's top stock picks for clients heading into May
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Pia Singh | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

JPMorgan spotlighted a fresh set of stocks, reflecting its analysts' top picks as May begins, including Caterpillar , Bank of America and TJX Companies . The firm's focus list includes its top equity ideas targeted around growth, income, value and short strategies. Nicholas Rosato, head of JPMorgan's North American Equity Research, said all the stocks on the list have an overweight rating. Here are some of the top picks: United Airlines shares are up about 25% in 2024, fueled largely by a strong second-quarter earnings forecast . No longer included in this month's focus list are CMS Energy and Prologis , both of which are still rated overweight by JPMorgan.

Persons: Nicholas Rosato, Morgan Stanley, Ravi Shanker, Jay Sole, Rosato Organizations: JPMorgan, Caterpillar, Bank of America, TJX Companies, North American Equity Research, United Airlines, Boeing, Investors, UBS, CMS Energy, Prologis, CMS Locations: Thursday's, Maxx

☆ Ride the bull market wave with these top stocks in March, Morgan Stanley says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-02 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Analysts at Morgan Stanley have named a slate of stocks to buy as March gets underway. The firm said investors should bet on the market's momentum by scooping up shares of undervalued companies. They include HashiCorp , Rivian Automotive , Dell Technologies, Sun Country Airlines and Huntington Bancshares. The stock is down 26% over the last 12 months, but the firm said investors should buy the dip. HashiCorp Analyst Sanjit Singh upgraded the cloud-computing infrastructure company to overweight from equal weight earlier this week.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, scooping, Ravi Shanker, Shanker, Sanjit Singh, Singh, Adam Jonas, —, Jonas, Rivian, Dell, …, Huntington, HBAN Organizations: CNBC, Rivian Automotive, Dell Technologies, Sun Country Airlines, Huntington, Amazon, Rivian, Airlines Locations: Huntington Bancshares

Shanker also raised his price target to $80 from $75, suggesting nearly 34% downside from Friday's close. — Spencer Kimball 8:16 a.m.: Loop Capital upgrades Corteva, touts growth acceleration in 2025 Corteva's stronger-than-expected 2024 full-year guidance will jumpstart a period of strong growth, according to Loop Capital. The firm upgraded the agricultural chemicals company to buy from hold and increased its price target to $65 from $57. Analyst Jay Sole upgraded Urban to neutral from sell and upped his 12-month price target by $20 to $41. Kaufman's $183 price target indicates roughly 6.3% downside for shares, which have fallen more than 18% over the past year.

Persons: headwinds, Morgan Stanley downgrades XPO, Morgan Stanley, Ravi, Shanker, — Michelle Fox, Julien Dumoulin, Smith, Duke's, — Spencer Kimball, Chris Kapsch, Kapsch, Brian Evans, Cassie Chan, they'll, Chan, —, Jay Sole, URBN, Sole, Urban's, — Pia Singh, Filippo Falorni, Falorni, Hershey, Stanley, Pamela Kaufman, Kaufman's, Hershey's, Kaufman, Graham Doyle, Doyle, Piper Sandler, David Amsellem, Amsellem, Amsellam, Christopher Horvers, Jan, Horvers, Fred Imbert, Dan Levy, Levy Organizations: CNBC, Barclays, Automotive, JPMorgan, Corp, Bank of America, Bank of America downgrades Duke Energy, Duke Energy, Duke, Wall, America, UBS, Urban Outfitters, Free People, Urban, Citi, PepsiCo, Citi Research, Pepsi, Hershey, GE Healthcare Technologies, UBS GE Healthcare Technologies, Pharmaceutical, Teva Pharmaceutical, Federal, Barclays downgrades Rivian, Rivian Automotive, North American EV Locations: Bank of America downgrades, GEHC, David Amsellem U.S

☆ Self-navigating ships could change the shipping industry. Here are the companies poised to benefit
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Hakyung Kim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Worldwide, the autonomous ships market reached $4.13 billion in 2022, and is forecasted to grow to $10.1 billion in 2032, according to Emergen Research . Avikus said this journey marked the first time autonomous navigation successfully enabled a large vessel to complete a trip over 10,000 kilometers. HiNAS 2.0 deployed a level-three autonomous navigation system, meaning that human intervention is only deployed in an emergency situation. The success of the HiNAS 2.0 and Prism Courage journey marked a foray into greater commercialization and implementation of autonomous ship navigation technology. The company is aiming for its fully autonomous ship technology to reach full-scale commercialization by 2025.

Persons: Patrick Ryan, Covid, Courage, Avikus, Carol Schleif, Rudy Negenborn, — Ryan, Ryan, BMO's, Morgan Stanley, Ravi Shanker, Shanker, Hunt, C.H, Robinson, Negenborn Organizations: Research, American Bureau of Shipping, Hyundai, Yara International ASA, Yara, BMO Family, Delft University of Technology, Moeller, Maersk, Yara International, Mitsui, Mitsui O.S.K, Royce, Shipbuilders, Expeditors International Locations: Covid, Avikus, Freeport, of Mexico, Panama, Korea, Red, Suez, U.S, Danish, American, ADRs, Japan

Some of the biggest analyst calls on Monday focused on a dollar store stock and a major U.S. airline. She assigned a $235 price target, which suggests shares could climb about 23.5%. The analyst maintained his buy rating and raised his price target by $30 to $455, which implies 15.4% potential upside from Friday's close. His $175 price target — down from $185 — implies 25.3% downside for the stock from Friday's close. The bank upgraded the airline to buy from neutral, raising its price target to $20 from $14.

Persons: Bernstein, Hershey, Alexia Howard, Howard, —, — Pia Singh, Jefferies, Brent Thill, Morgan Stanley, Norfolk, Ravi Shanker, Shanker, Raymond James Raymond James, Olivia Tong, Tong, Matthew Boss, Said, ̇, Boss, Stephen Trent, Fred Imbert Organizations: CNBC, JPMorgan, Citi, American Airlines, Hershey, Meta, Norfolk, Colgate, Palmolive, CL, American Airlines American Airlines Locations: U.S, Norfolk Southern

☆ Morgan Stanley says consumers looking for 30% discounts on holiday shopping before buying, sell retail stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Pia Singh | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Morgan Stanley highlighted several companies that are prepared to withstand — and even benefit from —consumers' shifting preferences this holiday season, as inflationary pressures dampen shoppers' budgets this quarter. According to Morgan Stanley's proprietary monthly survey, most holiday shoppers are looking to see 30% discounts, on average, before they begin spending this holiday season. A strong holiday season should benefit the entire airline industry given the ongoing demand for air travel among consumers across income brackets, according to Morgan Stanley. "Durable goods spending has slowed and that is expected to continue into the holiday season," Wilson said in the note. Toys could emerge as "relative winner" this season as they become a more top-of-mind purchase for parents during the holiday season, analyst Megan Alexander wrote.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Michael Wilson, Morgan, They're, Ravi Shanker, Wilson, Amazon's, Brian Nowak, Lauren Schenk, Chewy, Morgan Stanley's, Alex Straton, Megan Alexander Organizations: Consumers, Delta Airlines, American Airlines and United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Alaska Air Group, Apparel, Urban Outfitters, Abercrombie, Fitch Locations: Delta, U.S

☆ As the market enters correction territory, don't blame the American consumer
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Tim Mullaney | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +14 min

Amazon.com Inc | ReutersThe initial third-quarter report on gross domestic product showed consumer spending zooming higher by 4% percent a year, after inflation, the best in almost two years. How is this possible with interest rates on everything from credit cards to cars and homes soaring? But they were below expectations at electric-vehicle leader Tesla , which blamed high interest rates, and at Ford . "And as interest rates rise, the proportion of that monthly payment that is interest increases." At American Express , which saw U.S. consumer spending rise 9%, the mild surprise was the company's disclosure that young consumers are adding Amex cards faster than any other group.

Persons: Bill Ackman, CFRA, Sam Stovall, Ryan Marshall, Wells, Jackie Benson, Tesla, Elon Musk, GM, Mary Barra, Paul Jacobson, John Lawler, Musk, Brian Moynihan, Jeremy Barnum, Sachin Mehra, Zers, Guess they're, Stovall, chargeoffs, John Greene, Morgan Stanley, Ravi Shanker, Spirit, Sundaram, Ethan Allen, they've, Marc Bitzer, Arun Sundaram, Amanda Agati, there's Organizations: Amazon.com Inc, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Coldwell, Ford, General Motors, GM, United Auto Workers, UAW, Cox Automotive, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, MasterCard, American Express, Discover Financial Services, JetBlue, Whirlpool, Amazon, PNC, Federal, Asset Management Locations: Shakopee , Minnesota, U.S, Covid, PulteGroup, Vermont

☆ Morgan Stanley's stock playbook for this slowing, 'late-cycle' economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Pia Singh | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

To play this market, the firm recommended a "barbell" of traditional defensive stocks, some select growth opportunities and late-cycle cyclical names. Take a look below for some of Morgan Stanley's favorite stocks in this slow-growth environment. 1) Traditional Defensives Despite its year-to-date underperformance against the broader market, health care remains Morgan Stanley's preferred defensive sector. Still, popular consumer food companies Yum Brands and McDonald's are considered growth stocks based on their market cap and volatility. 3) Late-Cycle Cyclicals Several energy companies — including Marathon Oil , Valero Energy and ConocoPhillips — can shine in a late-cycle market environment, according to Morgan Stanley.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Andrew Pauker, Pauker, Morgan Stanley's, Fisher, Dr Pepper, Eli Lilly, Devin McDermott, Ravi Shanker Organizations: Walmart, Fisher, " Beverage, CenterPoint Energy, Costco, Colgate, Palmolive, Yum Brands, UnitedHealth, Marathon Oil, Valero Energy, ConocoPhillips, Swift Transportation, Defense, Northrop Grumman, Howmet Aerospace, Delta Airlines

☆ Morgan Stanley names Delta a top stock pick after 'enthusiastic' investor day
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Brian Evans | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Delta Air Lines could be in for big gains going forward, according to Morgan Stanley. The bank listed Delta as a top pick Wednesday, reiterating an overweight rating and a $70 per share price target. Analyst Ravi Shanker highlighted Delta's investor day on Tuesday, which underpinned the bank's bullish outlook on the stock. DAL YTD mountain Delta has added more than more than 40% from the start of the year. For the second quarter, Delta executives now expect year-over-year revenue to climb 17% to 18%, Shanker said.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Morgan Stanley's, Ravi Shanker, financials, Shanker, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Delta Air, Delta Locations: DAL, Delta

☆ A.I. could ‘remove all human touchpoints’ in supply chains. Here’s what that means
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Lucy Handley | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Ryan Collerd | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesArtificial intelligence is likely to shake up the transportation industry — transforming how supply chains are managed and reducing the number of jobs carried out by people, according to analysts and industry insiders. Sidewalk robots, self-driving trucks and customer service bots are on their way, along with generative AI that can predict disruptions or explain why sales forecasts may have been missed, according to industry executives. "AI may be able to totally (or nearly) remove all human touchpoints in the supply chain including 'back office' tasks," Morgan Stanley 's analysts led by Ravi Shanker stated in a research note last month. AI is the latest one of these potentially transformative technologies to emerge – and perhaps the most powerful to-date," the analysts added. This is a theme picked up by analysts at investment firm Jefferies, who made multiple predictions about the effect that generative AI will have on transportation and logistics.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Ryan Collerd, Ravi Shanker, Morgan, Jefferies, Stephanie Moore, Navneet Kapoor, Kapoor, Maersk, Igor Rikalo Organizations: Hershey Co, Bloomberg, Getty, EV, Trucking, Logistics, CNBC, Maersk, o9 Solutions Maersk Locations: U.S, Russia, Ukraine

☆ Here's why freight business could benefit from A.I.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHere's why freight business could benefit from A.I. Ravi Shanker, equity analyst at Morgan Stanley, joins ‘The Exchange’ to discuss how AI could benefit the freight business in the long term.

Persons: Ravi Shanker, Morgan Stanley

☆ Jim Cramer's top 10 things to watch in the stock market Tuesday: ServiceNow bump, Dimon speaks, DHR cut
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Baird upgrades software stock ServiceNow (NOW) to buy from hold, with a price target of $548, up from $475. Raises price target to $140 from $135. Barclays turns on life science tools and diagnostics sector, drops price target for Club favorite Danaher (DHR) to $270 from $290 and expects a "relatively light" first-quarter guide. Norfolk Southern (NSC) upgraded to hold from sell at Morgan Stanley with unchanged price target of $171. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade.

"We do not believe the optimism is yet justified," Morgan Stanley analyst Ravi Shanker wrote in a recent note. Those plans helped FedEx report better-than-expected fiscal second-quarter results on Dec. 20, sparking a stock rally that offset a swoon in mid-September, when the company retracted financial forecasts issued just three months earlier and blamed a swift pullback by customers. Analysts are skeptical that FedEx can deliver a repeat performance in the fiscal third quarter that ended on Feb. 28, as demand from e-commerce and other sectors remains soft. He expects FedEx to report adjusted earnings of $2.52 per share for the quarter - about 20 cents less than analysts' average estimate complied by Refinitiv IBES. Reporting by Kannaki Deka in Bengaluru and Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles; Editing by Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Morgan Stanley downgrades XPO, says logistics company is a 'show me story' after latest quarter
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

It's time for investors to move to the sidelines on XPO , according to Morgan Stanley. Analyst Ravi Shanker downgraded shares to equal weight from overweight following what he considered a lackluster quarter for the less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping company. While Shanker thinks XPO's valuation is still attractive against its peers, he cut his price target to $43 from $55. The new price target still implies shares can advance another 22% from Friday's closing price of $35.22. XPO shares rose more than 5% this year, after falling 27.6% in 2022.

☆ FedEx is slashing more Sunday deliveries, bolstering critics who say the strategy was a costly mistake
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Emma Cosgrove | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The company will end Sunday service in more zip codes to add to the savings, per an internal memo. Sunday service has been a pain point for both FedEx Ground and its 6,000 delivery contractors. A FedEx spokesperson told Insider via email that it will continue Sunday deliveries for "more than 50% of the U.S. population, primarily in densely populated areas with proven customer demand." Sunday service has been a point of tension for FedEx and the 6,000 delivery contractors that make doorstep deliveries for FedEx Ground, since many say demand for the service doesn't justify its cost. Multiple FedEx delivery contractors told Insider previous cuts to Sunday service made a noticeable positive difference in the health of their businesses.

☆ FedEx cost cuts stanch losses, analysts see need for more
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Shares in FedEx rose 4.7% to $172 at midday Wednesday, a level far below their 52-week high of $266.79. FedEx has been underperforming its unionized rival United Parcel Service (UPS.N), which is squeezing greater profit from its leaner, more streamlined operating structure. FedEx has outlined plans to integrate its disparate businesses, revive its long-troubled Europe operations and appease activist investor D.E. On Tuesday, FedEx issued a new 2023 profit forecast, signaling that it may be "finding the floor," Susquehanna analyst Bascome Majors said. Reporting by Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles; Editing by Cynthia OstermanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Morgan Stanley says the market is underestimating these 9 travel and leisure stocks for 2023 as the industry enters a 'Goldilocks' year with surging demand
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( William Edwards | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

But they will see more normalcy in 2023, Morgan Stanley says. But in 2023, things will get back to normal, Morgan Stanley analysts say, and investors are undervaluing stocks in the airline and hotel subsectors. The bank said the industries will be boosted by continued demand growth in business travel, and bigger travel budgets than existed in 2019. Below is data from a Morgan Stanley survey on corporate travel showing budget expectations for next year compared to 2019. Morgan StanleyThe analysts also expect Boeing, which manufactures airplanes, to benefit from increased flying demand.

☆ Morgan Stanley upgrades United Airlines, says 2023 could be 'goldilocks' year for airline
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

It's time to buy shares of United Airlines , which could soar more than 50% next year, according to Morgan Stanley. Analyst Ravi Shanker upgraded shares of United Airlines to overweight from equal weight, saying that 2023 could be a "goldilocks" year for the airline. Leisure demand will remain strong, while corporate travel is expected to return to and exceed prepandemic levels in early 2023, according to the analyst. All this means that the risk-reward for airlines is attractive, even in the face of continued recessionary concerns. Shares of United Airlines are up slightly in 2022.

☆ FedEx's Shopify strategy could prove costly as e-commerce cools and logistics firms fight over small business, analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Emma Cosgrove | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The logistics giants are taking different paths when it comes to e-commerce platforms like Shopify. "Every entity in the parcel-delivery market — i.e., UPS, FedEx, USPS, Amazon Logistics, and every third party out there — is looking to that SMB customer," Shanker said. UPS and FedEx are taking opposite approachesMany small e-commerce businesses buy their shipping services through the online platforms they use to sell their products. "They want you to click on the FedEx logo because you think FedEx is great." "I think while FedEx talks about its focus on SMB shippers, I think UPS is actually executing on it," said Rick Watson, the CEO of RMW Commerce Consulting.

☆ FedEx shares sink after company cites weakening global demand
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-15 | by ( Jack Stebbins | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Shares of FedEx closed down more than 21% Friday after the company posted bleak preliminary earnings, citing weakening demand in global shipment volumes. Morgan Stanley analyst Ravi Shanker said the report could indicate a return to normal as pent-up demand from the pandemic wanes. The updates from FedEx came alongside fiscal first-quarter earnings that fell well short of Wall Street expectations. The company was scheduled to release results and hold a conference call with executives next week, but issued the report early. For its fiscal second quarter the company expects adjusted earnings per share of at least $2.75 on revenue of between $23.5 billion to $24 billion.

☆ UPS is facing down a fight with its drivers' union over the weekend delivery it needs to compete with Amazon and FedEx
▼ + stars: | 2021-12-15 | by ( Emma Cosgrove | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Several regular drivers told Insider they'd be happy to work for the extra pay— but it's not worth the aggravation. Why Saturdays stinkWhile weekday drivers generally have an assigned route and learn it intimately, weekend drivers are often handed a new itinerary every shift, drivers said. He'll have at least some support there: Several drivers told Insider that getting rid of the 22.4 position should be the Teamsters' top priority. Any carrier that devotes capacity to weekend service will "lose a ton of money," Shanker said, if retailers don't take advantage. UPS' weekend strategy may soon get a shakeup from a newly emboldened union — and some seriously frustrated drivers.

☆ The biggest threat to UPS and FedEx isn't Amazon. It's the gig economy.
▼ + stars: | 2021-04-27 | by ( Emma Cosgrove | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Target's new delivery strategy shows FedEx and UPS are being disrupted by the gig economy. Top analysts see gig startups taking volume from UPS and FedEx. Gig delivery is leveling upOne gig driver delivering one order at a time isn't much of a competitive threat to the way UPS and FedEx move goods. Beyond same-day service, gig startups often offer live tracking and text updates for each order. On UPS' first quarter earnings call Tuesday, UPS CEO Carol Tomé acknowledged that gig logistics companies are competitors of UPS.

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