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☆ This fund manager says a bull market might be on the horizon — and names her top stock picks
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Zavier Ong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Stock markets seem to be slowing after a strong start to the year. But though bearish sentiment has seeped into the market, fund manager Barbara Doran is taking a contrarian view. Part of that was just bear market positioning but with the breadth that we saw in January, this is feeling like the start of, dare I say, a bull market," Doran told CNBC's " Street Signs Asia " last week. Stock picks One of Doran's top stock picks is Uber — and she's given the stock upside of between 25% and 50%. And the stock is in the camp where there is no [price-to-earnings] because there's no earnings, but I think there's substantial upside here," she said.

☆ Morgan Stanley is bullish on this Chinese tech giant — giving it upside of nearly 20%
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Zavier Ong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Chinese tech giant Tencent is ramping up its efforts to monetize its fast-growing short video function, and Morgan Stanley is bullish on that. Other key growth drivers Morgan Stanley said it believes global gaming will be another key growth driver for Tencent, though it will be a "much longer-term growth story." Another longer-term growth driver is Tencent's software-as-a-service products, namely Tencent Meeting, Tencent Docs and Tencent Cloud. "We believe it will take 2-3 more years for Tencent to reach breakeven in cloud businesses and for them to become a long-term growth driver," the bank said. Morgan Stanley has raised its price target on Tencent to 450 Hong Kong dollars ($57.30) from 420 Hong Kong dollars — an implied upside of about 20% to the stock's closing price on Feb. 13.

☆ A corner of tech is up 50% from its 2022 lows — and strategists recommend these stocks to play it
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Zavier Ong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The semiconductor sector has seen quite a turnaround of late. Chip stocks were among the worst performers last year, with the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) shedding more than 35% of its value. Despite this, chip stocks have flown somewhat under the radar since the beginning of the year as the buzz around artificial intelligence and a recovery in Big Tech dominated investor attention. While the semiconductor sector is notorious for its cyclicality and boom-bust cycles, several Wall Street pros are urging investors to take a longer-term view. Europe stock ideas In Europe, a raft of chip stocks made Bank of America 's list of "2023 European Best Stock Ideas."

☆ Is it time to buy Disney? Two market pros make their case for and against the stock
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Zavier Ong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Disney beat Wall Street expectations for its first-quarter earnings , but it was its vast restructuring plan that stole the headlines. Two investors faced off on CNBC's " Street Signs Asia " on Thursday to make their case for and against buying the stock. "Man, when you do a restructuring of that size with a company this big, it's not going to be easy. He believes the company is a "great business" and investors should take a long-term view. "Kids are thrown into the Disney franchises and the Disney business model will stay with them for life.

☆ Vietnamese EV maker VinFast says job cuts won't derail plans to start U.S. production
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Sheila Chiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"We still plan to start the trial production in 2024 as originally planned," Le said. The annual production capacity of the plant is 150,000 electric vehicles, according to the company's release. The next markets VinFast plans to target will be in Europe, namely Germany, France and the Netherlands, said the CEO. However, VinFast vehicles do not currently qualify for the $7,500 tax credit in the U.S. because they are not built in the country, but are built in Vietnam. "I believe that in the long run [we are] going to concentrate the manufacturing of electric vehicles as well as the key components of electric vehicles in the U.S.," Le added.

☆ Emerging markets are getting attention. Morgan Stanley names the 'highest quality' stocks to play it
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Zavier Ong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Emerging market stocks are piquing investor interest. Against that backdrop, Morgan Stanley named a raft of EM stocks it says are of the "highest quality" and are trading at reasonable prices. Morgan Stanley said valuations look "attractive" for the 29 stocks that turned up on its screen. Morgan Stanley likes Alibaba as a play on China's reopening and consumption recovery. Singapore-based utilities firm Sembcorp Industries is another Morgan Stanley favorite.

☆ Singapore relaxes COVID travel curbs, mask rules further
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Chen Lin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

However, masks will still be mandatory in healthcare settings, where there is interaction with patients and in indoor patient-facing areas. "Within Singapore our COVID situation has remained stable over the recent months, despite increased travel over the year-end holidays and China's shift from zero COVID," Lawrence Wong, deputy prime minister and co-chair of the virus taskforce, told a media briefing. But we managed to reach this point together because we all did our part," Wong said. Since April last year, Singapore had lifted most of its COVID-19 restrictions with many international events returning to the city-state, attracting tourists and businesses. The Asian financial hub is expecting the tourism sector to recover to pre-pandemic levels by 2024.

☆ Wall Street pros reveal their top defense stocks — and the same names keep coming up
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Zavier Ong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA), which tracks the performance of U.S.-listed aerospace and defense stocks, rose 8.8% in 2022 and is up more than 2% this year. He said defense stocks are "one way to protect the other parts of the portfolio that are under pressure." "I'm bullish on aerospace and defense stocks, and I think those are names that should be in a longer-term portfolio. The investment bank described Moog as a "transition story" that will benefit from an "extended defense spending lift." Other South Korean stocks with exposure to the defense sector include Hyundai Heavy Industries and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering.

☆ Market veteran is still bullish on tech despite earnings upset, and reveals his other top picks
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Zavier Ong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Last week was a big one for tech earnings, but it ended on a whimper as a series of disappointments left market watchers questioning the strength of the tech rally. But market veteran Kenny Polcari, chief market strategist at SlateStone Wealth, is still bullish on Big Tech. "We added Big Tech on weakness, like Apple and Amazon, these stocks are getting arbitrarily dislocated. So, I do think there's [an] opportunity for sure, but I don't think you can go all in on Big Tech just yet," he said. STPN – 'Stuff that people need' But tech isn't Polcari's only way to play the market.

☆ Time to buy the tech rally? Wall Street pros weigh in with their top stock picks
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Zavier Ong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Investors are flocking back into tech, after shunning the sector for the better part of 2022 amid broad risk-off sentiment. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite has been the best-performing Wall Street index in 2023, having gained about 15.6% since the start of the year. This could be the rebound," Wang told CNBC's "Street Signs Asia" on Thursday. " Some 87% of analysts covering the stock rate it a "buy," according to FactSet data, and give it average upside of 10.3%. Christopher Crawford, managing partner at Crawford Fund Management, told CNBC's "Street Signs Asia" on Tuesday that his firm is overweight tech "for the first time in our 10-year history."

☆ Buy this Chinese tech giant to play a $284 billion video gaming opportunity: Goldman Sachs
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Zavier Ong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. giants Activision Blizzard and Roblox have long been investor favorites for exposure to the video gaming sector, but Goldman Sachs has an alternative pick to play the sector. Alternative pick Against this backdrop, Goldman is betting on tech giant Tencent to play the sector's rapid growth in China – the world's largest online game market. Tencent is expected to grow its game revenue by 9% annually into 2024, according to Goldman, with international gaming revenue making up about 30% of Tencent's total revenue by 2030. While a number of factors have undermined global games revenue growth in 2022, Goldman expects the market to rebound by 5% and 7% in 2023 and 2024, respectively. As such, the bank said the industry is set for exponential growth into 2026 and has forecast global online game revenue to expand at a compounded rate of 4.4% annually to $284 billion in 2026.

☆ Worried about Alibaba’s share price slump? Analysts name 4 alternatives in China tech
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Zavier Ong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

No Chinese tech stock has generated as much excitement as Alibaba , one of the most recognizable names in the Chinese internet sector. More than 76% of analysts covering the stock rate it a "buy," giving it average upside of 31%, according to FactSet data. Kuaishou is rated buy or overweight by 94% of analysts covering the stock, who give it average upside of around 24.4%. It is rated buy by 88% of analysts covering it, and has average upside of 37.7%, according to FactSet data. Rounding off the list is food delivery giant Meituan , with average upside of 32.5%.

☆ Wall Street is bullish on Europe — but analysts warn investors to avoid these 5 stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Zavier Ong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

And Wall Street is calling Europe a better bet than the U.S. right now . "The region also remains cheap and under-owned unlike the U.S." Amid this bullishness on Europe, however, a number of investment banks have named stocks in the region they think investors should avoid. Underweight stocks One such stock is Danish shipping firm Maersk , which is on Barclays' list of underweight stock calls for the first quarter of 2023. Barclays' price target of 140 Swedish krona ($13.50) on the stock suggests the stock has potential downside of almost 25% to its Jan. 30 closing price. The bank has ascribed a price target of 145 Swedish Krona on the stock, which implies potential downside of 30%.

☆ Can Chinese stocks rally further? One investment bank thinks so — and names its top stock picks
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Zavier Ong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The recovery in Chinese stocks gained steam on Monday, as China's benchmark index came within striking distance of a bull market. Chinese stocks have been buoyed by Beijing's easing of Covid-19 restrictions and a waning regulatory crackdown. "We started the year with an overweight call on China, and while that is a consensus view, there are now concerns on China rally being too sharp/too quick. The extreme inflows in the past 3 months, indeed, pose a threat to the continuity of market rally for next 3 months," Bernstein analyst Rupal Agarwal wrote in a note on Jan. 27. Bernstein's screen for undervalued stocks that have underperformed the market rally tuned up a raft of names.

☆ Goldman Sachs names tech stocks with a 'strong runway' for growth — giving one upside of nearly 70%
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

One corner of tech, software, might be seeing "limited appetite" from the market, according to Goldman Sachs. Goldman analysts forecast in a Jan. 23 note that the earnings per share (EPS) growth of software stocks may outpace the broader S & P 500 index this year. It gave Datadog a "buy" rating and a price target of $128, or an upside of nearly 70%. Software stocks were an investor favorite during the pandemic, but their popularity waned as economies reopened. Nevertheless, the tech sub-sector remains a key part of several long-term secular trends, such as cloud computing and artificial intelligence.

☆ Wall Street says Europe's a better bet than the U.S. right now — and names its top stock picks
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Zavier Ong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

European stocks are are having a good year so far. While the underperformance has been marginal, the outlook for U.S. stocks is decidedly more muted — Wall Street is still wary of a recession. European stocks are therefore worth a look in the near term, according to Bernstein, which expects more upside for them. Stock picks One of Bernstein's top plays is low leverage stocks, which the bank defines as stocks with a low net debt to equity ratio. Bank of America has a number of European picks with exposure to higher Chinese consumer spending and improving overall demand in light of China's reopening.

☆ Morgan Stanley has a ‘simple’ tech playbook, names TSMC and others as stocks to buy right now
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Zavier Ong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Despite the recent rally, few believe the downturn in tech has bottomed — but Morgan Stanley believes investors should not sit on the sidelines. Stay invested even if a recession strikes Morgan Stanley believes investors should continue to selectively own Asia tech names even if a widely anticipated recession materializes, given the sector's historical resilience. Stock picks Morgan Stanley recommends investing in commodity and consumer cyclical companies "that will likely be first to come out of the downturn." Morgan Stanley also likes Samsung Electronics on the back of its market share gains, dividend support and potential for growth through M & A. Morgan Stanley has a price target of 700 Taiwan dollars ($23.10) on TSMC, which implies an upside of around 40%.

☆ Want to cash in on China's reopening? Bank of America and UBS have some less obvious stock picks
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Zavier Ong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

China's unwinding of its strict Covid-19 controls has got analysts scrambling to identify reopening beneficiaries in the stock market. But there could be another way to play the reopening, with Bank of America and UBS having identified a raft of less obvious beneficiaries outside of China. UBS' stock picks Thai hospitality group Minor International is one of UBS' top picks. Within Thailand, UBS also named rail transit operator BTS Group, expressway and metro operator Bangkok Expressway & Metro, as well as Bangkok Bank as reopening beneficiaries. Student placement provider IDP Education, as well as property groups Lendlease Group and Mirvac Group also made the UBS list.

☆ Wall Street is excited about Chinese tech — and loves one mega-cap stock in particular
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Zavier Ong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A growing number of positive analyst calls has reinforced optimism in the sector, with recent share price gains reflecting renewed interest. How is Wall Street playing the resurgence in Chinese tech? Morgan Stanley too, has named Alibaba its "top pick" in the Chinese tech sector — for the first time in three years. Cohen is reported to have told Alibaba executives that he thought the company could reach double-digit sales growth and nearly 20% free cashflow growth over the coming five years. He said he would "not be surprised" to see Alibaba's share price rise to $140 to $150 — a "significant amount of upside" from current levels.

☆ Wall Street likes software stocks for the long term. Here are top picks from Goldman, Citi and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Zavier Ong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Citi is also sounding a cautious tone on the sector, calling 2023 a "year of dichotomy in software." Stock picks CNBC Pro had a look at Wall Street research to find the banks' top stock picks to play the software sector. The bank said the company's already "healthy" operating margins could grow about 20%. Goldman also likes tax technology software firm Vertex for its potential to "drive higher cloud margins over time." German software firm SAP is one of Bank of America 's top picks in European software.

☆ Morgan Stanley says China's market will be the biggest winner in 2023 and these stocks stand out
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Zavier Ong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Since the turn of the year, investment banks have become increasingly bullish on the world's second-largest economy, upgrading their outlook on its stocks. But Morgan Stanley is going even further: It's predicting that Chinese stocks will beat global markets this year. "This actually implies that the Chinese equity market will top global equity market performance for 2023. So, this is the time to get back into China," Wang said. Stock picks Wang said the "number one trade" she would recommend to investors is to buy "large-cap, highly liquid" Chinese internet names.

☆ Veteran investor says 'tech is dead,' names safer stocks to weather the 'current storm'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Zavier Ong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Stock picks Against that backdrop, Landsberg said he favors the consumer staples and health care sectors. Consumer staples will therefore be a better trade than discretionary stocks as consumer spending power is reined in, he added. They are still going to have to buy some of these things, and that's going to be a spot that's going to hold up better." It is a leading player in consulting but more importantly in tech consulting, which is cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and defense," Landsberg said. "With cyberattacks around the world that's going to continue, I don't see them really having a problem getting more business and continuing the business that they have," he added.

☆ Morgan Stanley’s Slimmon says stocks will surprise Wall Street in 2023 — and names two he likes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Zavier Ong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Wall Street strategists expect this year to end on a much better note than 2022 — but they still warn that the path ahead looks volatile. However, Morgan Stanley's Andrew Slimmon said he believes stocks are going to do "far better" than most expect. Slimmon also likes Pool Corp , a Louisiana-based company that sells swimming pool supplies. Fed pivot in the works His relatively positive read on the economy is a big reason for his optimism about the market. But Slimmon said he believes the bond market is signaling that the U.S. Federal Reserve will pivot "sooner than it expects."

☆ 'Absolutely unique': Fund manager names 2 stocks to play the semiconductor sector
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Zavier Ong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The iShares Semiconductor ETF is up 11% this year, in stark contrast to the index's 35.8% decline in 2022. Semiconductor chips are an important component of EVs, and it is for that reason that veteran fund manager Trent Masters is bullish on Arizona-based semiconductor supplier company ON Semiconductor . Masters said a driver-assisted traditional vehicle has about $150 worth of electronic content, while a "Level 5" autonomous vehicle has about $1,600 worth of electronic content. An 'absolutely unique' business Masters is also a fan of Dutch chip firm ASML . The company sells $200 million extreme ultraviolet lithography machines , which are required to make the most advanced chips, to semiconductor manufacturers like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company.

☆ Wall Street veteran whose fund returned 160% in 2022's bear market shares his trading 'bible'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Zavier Ong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Last year's bear market left many investors deep in the red, but hedge fund manager Neal Berger bucked the trend. 'My bible is the price action' That's why the veteran fund manager is sticking to his tried-and-proven playbook. "As a trader, my bible is the price action. I'm a student of price action and I'm going to be trading the market in accordance with the longer-term trends," he said. He noted that the one-year trend of all asset prices, such as stocks, bonds and crypto, is pointing downward.

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