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☆ Goldman and Citi love these two beaten-down tech giants and expect them to rebound in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Carmen Reinicke | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Top pick - Amazon Amazon has enjoyed bullish ratings from Wall Street even as it's plunged roughly 45% year to date. In addition, "adoption of AWS can accelerate through improved operating efficiencies and hiring freezes can deliver improving operating income," Arounian wrote. Citi has a buy rating and $145 price target on the stock. Goldman Sachs also sees a buying opportunity for Amazon as one of its own top picks, with a buy rating. Top pick - Meta Meta Platforms is Citi's second pick in technology – the company has a buy rating and $168 price target on the stock.

☆ Neil Shah: Small cap companies are 'interestingly valued'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | 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 EmailNeil Shah: Small cap companies are 'interestingly valued'Neil Shah, director at the investment research group Edison Group, explains why he likes one mining company that extracts metals such as platinum, palladium, and chrome.

☆ Here are Tuesday's biggest analyst calls: Amazon, Tesla, Home Depot, Pfizer, Pinterest, Nike & more
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Goldman Sachs upgrades Pfizer to buy from neutral Goldman said that it's bullish Pfizer's upcoming pipeline. Citi downgrades Robinhood to neutral from buy Citi said that Robinhood's outlook is too murky right now. Goldman Sachs upgrades Humana to buy from neutral Goldman upgraded the healthcare company and says it sees "improved competitive positioning." Citi initiates Wayfair and Etsy as buy Citi said it sees an attractive risk/reward outlook for Wayfair and Etsy . Citi initiates Carvana as neutral Citi said the online used car company needs to focus on profitability.

☆ Here are Monday's biggest analyst calls: Apple, Netflix, Disney, Microsoft, Robinhood, Gap & more
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Stifel names Microsoft a top 2023 pick Stifel said it likes Microsoft's "strong product portfolio" for 2023. Goldman Sachs downgrades Ulta to neutral from buy Goldman said in its downgrade of the stock that it sees difficult comps. Evercore ISI names Netflix a top idea for 2023 Evercore said it sees "robust revenue growth" for Netflix in 2023. " Goldman Sachs upgrades Gap to buy from neutral Goldman said in its upgrade of the stock that it sees accelerated earnings growth. Cowen names Take-Two a top 2023 pick Cowen said the video game maker has a great "long-term track record."

We're selling 150 shares of Cisco Systems (CSCO) at roughly $49 each. In addition, we are selling 75 shares of Qualcomm (QCOM) at roughly $121 each. To be fair to Cisco, the quarter was a clean revenue and earnings-per-share beat, with a raise to the full-year outlook. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio.

☆ The managers of a $5.8 billion fund that's beaten 99% of competitors in the past 15 years share how to find winning value stocks in 2023 using this simple, timeless process
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The Tweedy, Browne International Value Fund has outperformed 99% of peers over the past 15 years. Few funds have been a better bet than the Tweedy, Browne International Value Fund (TBGVX) over the past three decades. Perhaps most impressive is that the $5.8 billion Tweedy, Browne International Value Fund has topped 99% of funds in its category in the past 15 years, according to Morningstar. Insider spoke with Wyckoff, Shrager, and Hill about their investing process and where they see opportunities for international stocks in 2023. Value stocks and international companies should outperform their growth and US-based peers, in his view.

☆ An uphill battle could await activist Trian as the firm snaps up a stake in Disney
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( Kenneth Squire | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Trian calls itself a "constructivist," implying a more friendly activist investor. Trian, like most activist investors, intends to be friendly and always starts off that way, and then it is up to the company to respond. The firm is an activist investor, plain and simple. On Nov. 21, The Wall Street Journal reported that Trian Fund Management took an approximately $800 million stake in Disney. In this situation, Trian seems to be looking for a board seat and is urging Disney to make operational improvements and reduce costs.

Dec 2 (Reuters) - Analysts have upgraded forecasts for Chinese corporate earnings in 2023, on expectations that its economy will benefit from stimulus measures and the easing of COVID-19 restrictions. Analysts raised forward 12-month earnings of companies on the MSCI China index (.dMICN00000PUS) by 2% in November, data from IBES estimates showed. They had earlier cut the forward 12-month earnings by 15% between January and October this year on concerns over slowing growth. We forecast earnings growth of 15%-20% for MSCI China, which would be underpinned by lower commodity prices, improved economic growth and lower asset write-downs," said James Wong, strategist at UBS. Breakdown by country for Asian companies' earnings growth in 2023China's COVID-19 cases remain near record highs.

☆ Expanding equity income strategies in a rising rate environment
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Kevin Schmidt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Amplify Enhanced Dividend Income ETF (DIVO ) ranks in the top 5% of all ETFs in terms of inflows in 2022. As dividend ETFs continue to outperform the S&P 500 this year, Todd Rosenbluth of VettaFi said that advisers are consistently seeking alternatives to traditional fixed income — including dividend income strategies and covered call strategies. VettaFi recently surveyed advisers to canvas their views on dividend strategies and discovered a possible shift in how they approach the funds. "Instead of looking at it from an income component that they've historically done throughout 2022 in the rising rate environment, they're now looking for more growth from these strategies," Rosenbluth explained. As a result, VettaFi expects dividend growth products to garner more attention, like the WisdomTree US Quality Dividend Growth ETF (DGRW ) and Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index ETF (VIG ).

REUTERS/Maja Smiejkowska/File PhotoCommodity trade finance covers many types of loans, typically from banks, that facilitate global movement of goods from wheat to gasoline. Most trade finance loans are short-term, less than a year. Traders’ credit lines became strained last year when natural gas prices sky-rocketed in the fourth quarter. ‘DESIRE TO DIVERSIFY’Lending for commodity trade finance has become more diverse, with non-bank financial institutions (NBFI) stepping in. The underlying issue was the retreat of major banks from commodity financing after some 2020 defaults in the sector while Russian banks Sberbank and Gazprombank that were set to expand have now been shut out of Europe.

Commodity trade finance covers many types of loans, typically from banks, that facilitate global movement of goods from wheat to gasoline. Most trade finance loans are short-term, less than a year. The involvement of hedge funds in commodity trade finance has created a lifeline for smaller firms, deemed to be higher risk for banks due to strict capital requirements and clean energy goals. 'DESIRE TO DIVERSIFY'Lending for commodity trade finance has become more diverse, with non-bank financial institutions (NBFI) stepping in. The Swiss firm specialises in financing small to mid-sized commodity merchants and has achieved returns between 6% to 10% over the last 10 years.

[1/2] Raindrops hang on a sign for Wall Street outside the New York Stock Exchange in Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S., October 26, 2020. "At best it reduced the likelihood of a three-quarter point rate hike in December and brought it down to a half-point hike. ET, Dow e-minis were up 148 points, or 0.44%, S&P 500 e-minis were up 19 points, or 0.48%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 69 points, or 0.59%. Shares of megacap companies extended gains in premarket trading, with Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O) up 0.8% after a near 9% surge in the previous session. Reporting by Shubham Batra, Sruthi Shankar and Devik Jain in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak DasguptaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Futures point to fresh gains on Wall Street
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Raindrops hang on a sign for Wall Street outside the New York Stock Exchange in Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S., October 26, 2020. The S&P 500 has now rallied over 10% from its mid-October closing lows, while the Nasdaq has climbed nearly 8%, aided by better-than-expected earnings reports and hopes of a Fed slowdown. ET, Dow e-minis were up 130 points, or 0.39%, S&P 500 e-minis were up 16.25 points, or 0.41%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 66 points, or 0.57%. Shares of megacap companies extended gains in premarket trading, with Apple Inc (AAPL.O) up 0.5% after a near 9% surge in the previous session. Reporting by Shubham Batra and Sruthi Shankar in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak DasguptaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

"It takes off the table the risk that the Fed will have to overtighten and break the economy." The inflation data prompted traders to adjust their rate hike bets, with odds of a 50-basis point rate hike in December jumping to more than 80% from 52% before the data was released. The CBOE volatility index (.VIX), also known as Wall Street's fear gauge, fell to a near two-month low of 23.4 points. Wall Street's main indexes have suffered sharp losses this year as investors feared the U.S. central bank's aggressive rate hikes to tame decades-high inflation will tip the economy into recession. The S&P index recorded 13 new 52-week highs and no new low, while the Nasdaq recorded 70 new highs and 93 new lows.

☆ Analysis: Heavily discounted UK Plc may have further to fall
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Joice Alves | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Hani Redha, global multi-asset portfolio manager at U.S. investment firm PineBridge, said that UK valuations do not look cheap when looking at a multi-year timeframe and the "structural issues facing the UK economy". UK stocks (.FTAS) are already trading at a record discount to their global peers (.MIWD00000PUS), Refinitiv data shows, but investors expect new lows next year. UK discountThe domestic-orientated FTSE 250 mid-cap index (.FTMC) has broken three consecutive quarterly declines after new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak dumped most of his predecessor's market-crushing fiscal plan. Half of all borrowing by UK non-financial companies is in dollars, totalling about 350 billion pounds ($399.5 billion), according to S&P Global. "Bearing in mind in what state the UK economy is right now, I would stay clear of UK small-caps," he said.

☆ Wells Fargo says buy small caps over large caps. Here are 10 favorites
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Small-cap stocks in Wells Fargo's portfolio are poised to outperform their larger counterparts. "Last year we said small-cap Quality was historically mispriced, but did not think the macro environment favored small caps over large caps," he said in a Monday note to clients. "Going forward, we still believe in a High Quality approach, and we now expect small caps to outpace large caps." Harvey said small caps are technically oversold, but they are beginning to "bounce" while having "more attractive" valuations. The portfolio includes about three dozen stocks that Wells Fargo calls "high quality" small caps.

☆ A fund manager with 50 years' experience is beating the S&P 500 this year. How he did it and the stocks he's watching
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

That bear market perspective is setting the Wall Street veteran apart in a bleeding red year for the stock market. Kornitzer said the fund could buy in again, depending on how they move in the bear market. The Buffalo flexible fund currently holds 57 stocks, with Microsoft as its largest position, accounting for 7.5% of the portfolio. Calling it an "odd creature," he said the Buffalo fund has moved from being thought of as a "60/40" fund split between stocks and bonds, to pure equity. A bear market doesn't have to be devastating, he said, if you can find hidden value stocks amid the carnage.

Further, in the midst of chaos, the stock market crashed, resulting in a global bear market that lasted from 1973 to 1974. In my 52 years of investing, I have never seen anyone consistently and accurately predict what the economy or the stock market was going to do. They acquired weaker competitors at bargain prices or gained market share as their rivals faltered. The stock market crash of 1987, the dot-com bubble burst of 2000-2001, the 2007-2008 financial crisis, and now. We seek to accomplish that by investing for the long term in companies we believe are competitively advantaged and managed by exceptional people.

☆ A CEO and activist investor who moved into micro caps after two decades picking stocks at BlackRock and Merrill Lynch told us his process for finding companies that can double their worth in 3 years
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Marley Jay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Kevin Rendino led big value funds for Merrill Lynch and BlackRock, but changed course. He's now an activist micro cap investor and CEO of turnaround firm 180 Degree Capital. Rendino spent 24 years at Merrill Lynch and then BlackRock, as an analyst and then as a portfolio manager. At different stages, he managed a large cap value fund for six years and oversaw an equity value team that ran 11 funds that held a combined $13 billion. The firm specializes in investing in micro cap companies and helping them turn their businesses around.

☆ UK companies see tough conditions enduring in months ahead: CBI
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Oct 30 (Reuters) - British businesses think the gloom hanging over their prospects will persist in the coming months, according to an industry survey published on Sunday. The Confederation of British Industry's (CBI) gauge of private sector growth in the three months to October rose to -15 from -19 in the three months to September, still in contraction territory. "Notwithstanding a mixed picture across sectors, the private sector continues to face considerable headwinds," said Alpesh Paleja, CBI lead economist. "Amid rising costs, labour shortages and demand waning, businesses foresee a continued fall in activity over the next three months." The CBI survey was based on responses from 624 companies, surveyed between Sept. 26 and Oct. 13.

☆ Amazon slumps as tech selloff worsens
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The dour outlook worsened this week's tech selloff amid fears of a looming recession, weighing on shares of Meta Platforms Inc (META.O), Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O) and Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O). Amazon's shares, which were down 12.8% at $96.77, were trading at their lowest since March 2020. "Despite accelerating revenues, Amazon has been cut down to size by the market after missing expectations. While the cloud services segment has been one of high and sustained growth for tech companies, indications for Amazon, Microsoft and Intel Corp (INTC.O) this week point to lower investments as costs rise. Reporting by Akash Sriram and Chavi Mehta in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak DasguptaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Amazon shares slump, Big Tech peers stay afloat
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 28 (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc's (AMZN.O) shares fell about 8% on Friday after forecasting holiday-quarter sales below Wall Street estimates, while its Big Tech peers recovered from a bruising selloff this week. The online retailer, whose market cap briefly fell below $1 trillion, was last down 8.4% at $101.66, after hitting its lowest since April 2020. Apple Inc (AAPL.O), however, shone bright amid a crowd of dimming lights in the Big Tech space, as the iPhone maker reported revenue and profit that topped analysts' estimates. Microsoft, Alphabet and Meta gained between 1.2% and 3.1% after their shares were battered this week following gloomy outlook from the companies. The Big Tech stocks are on track to lose more than $400 billion this week.

"From a markets perspective, you have to be cautious going forward," said Michael O'Rourke, chief market strategist at JonesTrading. "They're the biggest stocks in the market, and we really haven't had much of anything good come out of any of them." The Fed has already raised rates by 300 basis points this year as it fights the worst inflation in decades. "The big technology companies like Amazon continued hiring to support a business that looks like the year 2021, and it's not 2021. Despite the big stock price drops, some investors see more pain for the big tech-focused names.

Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) posted its lowest sales growth in five years and forecast second-quarter revenue below Wall Street estimates, while Alphabet (GOOGL.O) reported downbeat ad sales and warned of a slowdown in advertising spending. Shares of ad revenue dependent social media firms Meta Platforms (META.O) fell 4.4%, while Pinterest (PINS.N) dropped 3.9%. ET, Dow e-minis were down 70 points, or 0.22%, S&P 500 e-minis were down 31.75 points, or 0.82%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were down 213.5 points, or 1.82%. Kraft Heinz Co (KHC.O) gained 2.5% after the packaged food maker beat third-quarter sales estimates, helped by higher product prices. Reporting by Amruta Khandekar and Shreyashi Sanyal in Bengaluru; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty and Arun KoyyurOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Nasdaq futures drop over 1% as weak tech earnings fan slowdown fears
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Amruta Khandekar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Shares of Meta Platforms (META.O) fell 3.9% and Pinterest (PINS.N) 4.1% as they rely on ad revenue. U.S.-listed shares of Spotify Technology dropped 5.7%, as margins came under pressure from a slowdown in ad growth. ET, Dow e-minis were down 37 points, or 0.12%, S&P 500 e-minis were down 27 points, or 0.7%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were down 186 points, or 1.59%. A bright spot was Visa Inc (V.N), whose shares rose 1.3% after the payments processor topped quarterly profit estimates on strong travel demand. Reporting by Amruta Khandekar and Shreyashi Sanyal in Bengaluru; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty and Arun KoyyurOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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