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☆ Tuesday's analyst calls: Nvidia to get a boost from new chip, Ralph Lauren poised to jump
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Tuesday's analyst calls focused on red-hot tech giant Nvidia, which is seen as benefitting from the release of its new Blackwell chip, the GB200. 7:02 a.m.: Deutsche Bank sees 33% upside for Live Nation on strong fundamentals Strong fundamentals could spell further upside for shares of Live Nation Entertainment , according to Deutsche Bank. Soff also applauded the company for expanding into new add-on services, including providing upselling opportunities and selling advertising on the Live Nation app. Although a potential regulatory investigation could curtail the stock, Soff doesn't believe that Live Nation stock will ultimately take much damage. 6:03 a.m.: Jefferies initiates Ralph Lauren at a buy, sees momentum with younger consumers Ralph Lauren is shaping up to be a quality growth stock, according to Jefferies.

Persons: Blackwell, Jefferies, Ralph Lauren, Benjamin Soff's, Soff, shouldn't, — Lisa Kailai Han, Airbnb, James Lee, Lee's, headwinds, Brent Thrill, Ashley Helgans, Ralph Lauren's, Helgans, Taylor Swift, Timothy Acuri, Acuri, Hopper, — Lisa Kailai Han — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: CNBC, Nvidia, UBS, Deutsche Bank, Nation, Live Nation Entertainment, Mizuho, Paris, tailwinds, Paris Olympics, Chegg, Blackwell, Microsoft, Oracle Locations: Europe

☆ Analyst says buying Nvidia is 'no brainer' as tech companies 'spend like crazy' in AI race
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Brian Evans | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Nvidia is proving itself a key beneficiary as technology companies "spend like crazy" to take advantage of artificial intelligence, according to Melius Research. "Sometimes a no brainer is a no brainer," analyst Ben Reitzes wrote on Monday. Reitzes' bullish take is tied to how aggressively he says technology companies and fellow chipmakers are pursuing artificial general intelligence, or artificial intelligence most closely akin to human reconnaissance. Nvidia will remain an essential piece of any tech firm's AI pursuits, he said. NVDA YTD mountain Nvidia stock.

Persons: Ben Reitzes, Reitzes, Blackwell, Nvidia's Blackwell, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Nvidia, Research, Microsoft

☆ Wolfe Research says to play enduring inflation through energy stocks — these 2 in particular
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Investors should look to energy stocks as stubborn inflation weighs on the stock market amid growing anxiety over whether the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates at all this year, according to Wolfe Research. "This inability to adequately tame inflation of course coincides with the reacceleration of Oil and Energy stocks over the past few months," analysts Rob Ginsberg and Read Harvey told clients in a Monday note. The Wolfe analysts said investors should take advantage of any near-term overbought consolidations and make a play for the stock to rise back into the mid $40s. Crude oil and the 10-year breakeven inflation rate, meanwhile, are both on the upswing from multiyear bases, according to the Wolfe analysts. "Needless to say, we want to keep playing Oil and Energy stocks to the upside over near – mid term, which should in turn put continued upward pressure on inflation," the Wolfe analysts said.

Persons: Rob Ginsberg, Read Harvey, Ginsberg, Harvey, Halliburton, EQT, Wolfe, CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Federal Reserve, Wolfe Research, Oil, Energy, Halliburton, EQT Corporation, HAL, Securities Locations: –

☆ Citi says investors should focus on dividends, lists several buy-rated income stocks to buy
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Therefore, investors would be more incentivized to buy companies that have a strong record of dividend payments. The strategist expects more companies to add dividends payouts going forward, as firms begin to increasingly understand the appeal for investors. The stocks had to meet the following criteria: Buy-rated by Citi Research 3-year dividend per share with a compound annual growth rate above 5% Above median expected dividend growth Potential dividend per share upside Reasonable payout ratio Reasonable dividend yield One name on the list was Visa , which currently has a dividend yield of 0.7%, according to Citi Research. Semiconductor firm Lam Research also made the list, with a dividend yield of 0.9%. More than half of analysts covering the stock rate it a buy or strong buy and see a potential upside of nearly 6%.

Persons: Scott Chronert, Chronert, TD Cowen, Bryan Bergin, Riley, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Federal Reserve, Citi, Fed, Citi Research's, Citi Research, Visa, LSEG, Mastercard, Semiconductor, Lam Research, Research Locations: Asia, Europe

☆ Why Eli Lilly's earnings are no sure thing for traders despite obesity drug momentum
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Christina Cheddar Berk | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Tirzepatide is the active ingredient in both Eli Lilly's diabetes treatment Mounjaro and its anti-obesity drug Zepbound. Based on that calculation, earnings will be lower by about 13 cents per share, he said, in research published last Tuesday. "Strong demand for Mounjaro & Zepbound can easily pull through in 2H24 and make up for any 1H24 shortfalls." For the week ended April 19, combined prescriptions of Mounjaro and Zepbound rose 63% year over year, according to IQVIA. Wells Fargo Mohit Bansal said he expects investors to look past any Trulicity shortfalls as the focus is firmily on Zepbound and Mounjaro for Lilly's future growth.

Persons: Eli Lilly, Eli, James Shin, Lilly, Shin, David Risinger, Zepbound, Wells, Bansal, Jo Walton, Walton, Lilly's, Tirzepatide, Deutsche Bank's Shin, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Drug Administration, Deutsche Bank, IMS, UBS, Research, Deutsche, FDA Locations: 2H24, U.S

☆ Bitcoin showing similarities to small caps as it struggles to break through $70,000, says Wolfe Research
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

"Bitcoin continues to demonstrate its inability to successfully get through that stubborn $70k resistance level," Wolfe's Rob Ginsberg said in a note Wednesday. "It reminds us of another group that has been unable to overcome its own resistance level ... small caps," he continued. Now, bitcoin has retested its highs while small caps have barely proved they can stay above $2,000 in [the Russell 2000 ]." BTC.CM= .RUT 6M mountain Bitcoin and Russell 2000 Bitcoin has been meandering in the $60,000 level since the beginning of March. All of the major stock indexes are down for the month, and the small-cap Russell 2000 is tracking for a deeper loss of about 6%.

Persons: Bitcoin, Rob Ginsberg, bitcoin, Russell, Ginsberg, Michael Bloom Organizations: Wolfe Research, Federal Reserve

☆ Goldman Sachs likes these 2 mobile gaming stocks set for 'blockbuster' launches, gives one 40% upside
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Amala Balakrishner | In Amala-Balakrishner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Investors seeking exposure to China's growing mobile gaming industry should look at technology giants Tencent and NetEase , according to Goldman Sachs. The investment bank expects "China to see faster growth from mid 2024 supported by game launches and a loosening regulatory environment." Tencent Tencent's game sales were up 14% year on year domestically in March and 36% internationally. NetEase NetEase posted a 16% year-on-year rise in domestic sales growth and 1% rise in international sales growth last month, Goldman's analysts noted. Domestic mobile game sales fell by 12% year-on-year Japan in the first quarter of the year.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, 2Q24, Lincoln Kong, FactSet, NetEase NetEase, Michael Bloom Organizations: Street, Hong, Nasdaq, Hong Kong Stock Exchange, China, Domestic Locations: China, Tencent, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea

☆ Alphabet soars 10% on strong earnings, first-ever dividend, $70 billion buyback
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Alex Koller | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai during the Google I/O developers conference in Mountain View, California, on May 10, 2023. Alphabet shares shot up 10% Friday morning after the company posted better-than-expected first-quarter results and greenlit its first-ever dividend and a $70 billion buyback. Earnings of $1.89 per share eclipsed the $1.51 in earnings per share expected by Wall Street. The company said the board also approved the repurchase of an additional $70 billion in stock. Among other price target boosts for the stock following Alphabet's earnings, JPMorgan increased its price target to $200 from $165, while Evercore ISI upped its target to $200 from $160.

Persons: Sundar Pichai, Oppenheimer, Morgan Stanley, durably, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Google, LSEG, Wall, YouTube, Barclays, —, JPMorgan Locations: Mountain View , California

☆ Morgan Stanley Wealth Management buys the dip in Nvidia
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Nvidia is poised for even bigger gains from current prices, according to Morgan Stanley Wealth Management. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management currently has an overweight rating on Nvidia. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management's $1,000 price target implies that the stock could rise another 21%. Nvidia shares sell for a "valuation in line with historical trough multiples," and its growth potential justifies a higher valuation, Morgan Stanley said. Additionally, a growing AI tailwind could provide even more ammunition for Nvidia stock to balloon.

Persons: Morgan, Morgan Stanley, NVDA, Michael Bloom Organizations: Nvidia, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, Morgan, Morgan Stanley Wealth

☆ Meta tumbles 12% on weak revenue forecast and Zuckerberg's comments on spending
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Alex Koller | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Meta shares tumbled 12% Thursday morning after the company issued weak revenue guidance that overshadowed its first-quarter earnings beat. ET, wiping out roughly $161 billion in market cap from its $493.5 closing price before earnings on Wednesday. Meta expects second-quarter revenue of $36.5 billion to $39 billion. Barclays analysts maintained an overweight rating of Meta stock and lowered their price target to $520 from $550 in an investor note Wednesday. "If there is anything META has proven over the years, it's extremely good at executing during big platform shifts in tech, arguably the best," the Barclays analysts wrote.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Bernstein, Zuckerberg, Michael Bloom Organizations: U.S . Capitol, Meta, JPMorgan, Barclays Locations: Washington , U.S

☆ Microsoft earnings are coming up. Here’s what traders are looking for in the report
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Jesse Pound | In Jesse-Pound | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Investors will be looking to see if Microsoft's report can restart the rally, but the bar for success might be high. The AI narrative Microsoft is viewed as one of the companies best-positioned to take advantage of recent advances in artificial intelligence. Another area is Copilot , the AI tool that Microsoft is packaging with its Office suite of software products. "That said, we expect AI contribution to Azure growth to increase w/ our checks pointing to strong demand for Azure AI services & elevated workloads as more models go into production. Wall Street is overwhelmingly positive on the stock, with more than 90% of the analysts covering Microsoft giving it a rating of "buy" or "strong buy," according to LSEG.

Persons: Jefferies, Brent Thill, MSFT's, LSEG, Brad Reback, Reback, MSFT, Guggenheim, John DiFucci, DiFucci, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Microsoft, Investors, Wall Street Locations: MSFT, F4Q

☆ Tesla surges after Elon Musk says new affordable EV models coming
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Alex Koller | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Elon Musk speaks onstage during The New York Times Dealbook Summit 2023 at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City, Nov. 29, 2023. Tesla shares surged 15% on Wednesday morning after CEO Elon Musk said the electric-vehicle company plans to begin production of new affordable EV models by early 2025. Musk's comments came during Tesla's earnings call on Tuesday after the company reported disappointing first-quarter numbers. The company previously expected to start production of the new EV models in the second half of 2025. UBS analysts on Tuesday reiterated their neutral rating of Tesla stock and lowered their price target to $147 from $160, saying they remain skeptical of the company's talk.

Persons: Elon Musk, Tesla, Musk's, Tesla's, Michael Bloom Organizations: New York Times, Jazz, Lincoln Center, Revenue, Bank of America, UBS Locations: New York City

☆ Here's why this financial technology fund could break out during earnings season
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Jesse Pound | In Jesse-Pound | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Technical analyst Rob Ginsberg said in a note to clients Wednesday that the Global X FinTech ETF (FINX) looks attractive after a long period of underperforming the broader market. "Now that we're past much of the big bank earnings, there are a number of fintech and financial service names on the docket this week and next. FINX 5Y mountain The FINX ETF has shown early signs of a rebound in 2024. Ginsberg wrote that the ETF has some positive technical signals of its own. To be sure, earnings reports could prove to be a downside catalyst for financial technology stocks and the fund.

Persons: Rob Ginsberg, Ginsberg, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: titans, Wolfe Research, Paypal Locations: Fintech, FINX

☆ Ford is set to report earnings after the bell. Here's what Wall Street expects
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

DETROIT — Ford Motor is announcing first-quarter earnings after the markets close Wednesday. The automaker's 2024 guidance released in February included adjusted earnings before interest and taxes, or EBIT, of between $10 billion and $12 billion; adjusted free cash flow of $6 billion to $7 billion; and capital spending of $8 billion to $9.5 billion. There is less consensus on Wall Street around Ford's performance than there was for its crosstown rival General Motors , which on Tuesday reported strong first-quarter results and raised its full-year guidance. Ford is Morgan Stanley's "top pick," but others on Wall Street are less bullish on the company. Ford has faced years of inflated warranty costs, including $1.9 billion in 2023, which have affected its earnings.

Persons: Ford's, Ford, Morgan Stanley's, Joseph Spak, Jim Farley's, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: New York, DETROIT, Motors, UBS

☆ Buy these gold and copper stocks to ride AI, China demand and more, say fund managers
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Gold and copper have been on fire, as geopolitical tensions mount, central banks buy up gold, and AI demand for copper grows. Copper, too, has done well, with copper futures hitting their highest level since 2022 last weekend. Stock picks He named Australian gold miner Northern Star and copper miner Southern Copper as stocks he's bullish on right now. He said against that backdrop, he's getting back into some gold mining stocks such as Gold Fields and K92 Mining. It said that copper demand will already "significantly exceed" supply starting this year — and that's not even accounting for demand growth from data centers.

Persons: Kingsley Jones, Jevons, CNBC's, Jones, Kamil Dimmich, Dimmich, he's, that's, Jefferies, Teck, Ian Roper, Michael Bloom Organizations: Wall Street, U.S . Federal Reserve, Stock, Northern Star, South, K92 Mining, Jefferies, JPMorgan, Teck Resources, North, Astris Advisory Japan KK, CNBC Locations: USA, Europe, South Capital, East, China, Freeport, McMoRan, Lundin, Teck, North America

☆ Wells Fargo becomes bullish on this biotech company
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Hakyung Kim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Neurocrine Biosciences ' drug pipeline is turning a corner and the company will be "knocking on the doors of the large-cap club" soon, according to Wells Fargo. Bansal forecasts the company's congenital adrenal hyperplasia treatment, crinecerfont, will achieve $1.5 billion in peak sales, topping his prior $1.1 billion estimate. "We think [the] Crinecerfont [opportunity] is underappreciated as the Street is only giving credit for $500-$700M peak opportunity." Bansal said this drug could open "a whole new chapter" of a $1.2 billion peak sales opportunity. The NBI-'845 treatment could be "another blockbuster opportunity," Bansal said, citing the treatment's once-daily administration as a factor in his assessment.

Persons: Mohit, Bansal, Takeda, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Biosciences Locations: Wells Fargo

☆ Forget Nvidia: Morgan Stanley says Intel's much-hyped AI chip will boost 3 global stocks
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The launch of Intel 's latest artificial intelligence chip is expected to benefit three global semiconductor companies, according to Morgan Stanley. The semiconductor giant said the latest chip is twice as power-efficient and can run AI models one-and-a-half times faster than Nvidia's H100 GPU – the flagship product from the current AI chip market leader. In a research note Monday, the Wall Street bank said Taiwanese companies TSMC , Alchip , and Wistron are likely to be the biggest beneficiaries of the demand for Intel's Gaudi chips. In its note, Morgan Stanley reiterated its overweight rating on Alchip and TSMC, considering them long-term winners of AI semiconductor demand. The analysts are overweight on Wistron too, noting that Nvidia's new Blackwell GB200 AI chip will also drive immediate growth for the Taiwanese electronics manufacturer.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Gaudi, Alchip, Wistron, Morgan Stanley's, Charlie Chan, Blackwell, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Intel, Gaudi, Dell, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Lenovo, Microsoft, Google Locations: United States

☆ Tesla shares slide to 15-month low ahead of earnings, as Wall Street frets over price cuts, layoffs
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Lora Kolodny | In Lorakolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Tesla shares fell for a seventh straight day, reaching their lowest since January 2023, as further price cuts over the weekend added to mounting concerns heading into the company's first-quarter earnings report Tuesday. Tesla also lowered the price of its premium driver assistance system by one-third. The price cut follows a monthlong free trial that Tesla pushed out to customers throughout North America starting in late March. "Since late 2023, sentiment on Tesla (TSLA) has deteriorated," John Murphy, an analyst at Bank of America, wrote in a note on Monday. WATCH: Tesla stock hits 52-week low ahead of earnings

Persons: Elon Musk, Tesla, John Murphy, Murphy, Joseph Spak, Spak, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: New York Times, Jazz, Lincoln Center, North America, National, Traffic Safety Administration, CNBC, Bank of America, Reuters, UBS, EV, Traders, S3 Partners, Apple Locations: New York City, U.S, China, Europe

☆ Hong Kong’s biggest stock is ready for a turnaround, analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-21 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The firm is overweight on Tencent shares, with a price target of 400 Hong Kong dollars ($51). Also helping analysts' optimism on the stock are Tencent's share buybacks. HSBC has a buy rating on Tencent, with a target price of 385 Hong Kong dollars. Pan said that low liquidity in Hong Kong has also affected share prices in that market, but he hopes that can improve with a new CEO. The Hong Kong exchange's co-COO Bonnie Chan is set to become head of the business in late May.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Gary Yu, Morgan Stanley's Yu, Tencent, Prosus, Charlene Liu, HSBC's, Grant Pan, Noah Holdings, Pan, Hong Kong exchange's, Bonnie Chan, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Hong, Jefferies, Naspers, Internet, Gaming Research, HSBC Locations: Hong, Hong Kong, Asia, Japan, Netherlands, Tencent, 1Q24, Asia Pacific, HKD500m, China

☆ Insurance stocks are rallying as a way to play one of the hottest spots for inflation
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Jesse Pound | In Jesse-Pound | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The stubbornly high inflation readings to start 2024 are good news for one group of stocks — insurance companies. Stocks to watch In general, Wall Street analysts are buying the underlying story for these insurance stocks. For a slightly different angle, Wells Fargo analyst Elyse Greenspan upgraded Hamilton Insurance Group to overweight last week. Potential downsides To be sure, there are several factors that could derail the rally for insurance stocks. Another concern is so-called "social inflation," in which legal trends or regulatory changes can drive costs higher for insurance companies.

Persons: Goldman, Robert Cox, Stocks, Goldman's Cox, Cox, Wells, Elyse Greenspan, Hamilton, HG, Greenspan, Jimmy Bhullar, Andrew McGee, McGee, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Allstate, Wall Street, PGR, Progressive, Hartford Financial Services, Hamilton Insurance Group, U.S . Insurance, JPMorgan, CNBC Locations: Northbrook , Illinois, Wells Fargo

☆ JPMorgan likes these mining stocks to play the upcoming bitcoin halving
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

While most of the public cryptocurrency miners are positioned to survive the supply shock of the bitcoin halving, JPMorgan has named its top picks. "With the bitcoin halving on the horizon, we expect heightened volatility and trading volume in both bitcoin and mining stocks," Reginald Smith, an analyst at JPMorgan, said in a note this week. The bitcoin halving is estimated to take place in the next couple of days , and mining companies are preparing for reduced rewards revenue that will follow the event. Nevertheless, uncertainty ahead of the halving has pressured mining stocks, most of which are down double digits for the year. The halving occurs when incentives for bitcoin miners shrink to 3.125 newly created bitcoins — or about $20,000 at Thursday morning's prices — from 6.25, as mandated by the code of the bitcoin blockchain.

Persons: Reginald Smith, Smith, Iris, Iris Energy, MARA, CleanSpark, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: JPMorgan, Iris Energy, Iris

☆ Goldman Sachs names 4 global defense stocks to watch as geopolitical risks rise
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Amala Balakrishner | In Amala-Balakrishner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Several countries have been beefing up their defense budgets in light of mounting geopolitical tensions, and Goldman Sachs has named several European stocks to play the theme right now. European defense stocks "have closely tracked super-cycles and are now "trading at peak multiples (20x 12-month forward price-to-earnings) vs history," which translates to a 45% premium to the benchmark Stoxx 600 index , the bank's analysts noted. Stocks Goldman's analysts said they "increasingly favour stocks exposed to long-term secular growth themes with superior visibility on growth." Other stocks with an exposure to the defense industry on Goldman's buy-rated list include aerospace names Rolls-Royce Holdings (also on its "conviction list") and Airbus . The bank has increased its 12-month price target on the stock by close to 60% to 606 euros, giving it nearly 13.4% upside potential.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Victor Allard, Goldman, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Stocks, Thales, Royce Holdings, Airbus, Rheinmetall

☆ This language app is JPMorgan's favorite online education play with nearly 40% upside
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

JPMorgan listed Duolingo as its best idea in online education ahead of the Pittsburgh-based tech firm's first-quarter earnings report in early May. With the mild downdraft since Duolingo's fourth-quarter earnings report, JPMorgan analyst Bryan Smilek said the stock's risk/reward ratio looks attractive at its current prices. DUOL YTD mountain DUOL YTD chart Smilek also said there may be additional room for potential upside to Duolingo's full-year 2024 outlook as part of its first-quarter numbers. Smilek praised Duolingo's strong advertising presence, saying it's resulted in rising user growth. As a result, passive index funds that track the midcap index and its value or growth subsets will be forced to buy Duolingo.

Persons: Duolingo, Bryan Smilek, Smilek, it's, Goldman Sachs, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: JPMorgan, 2Q, Allen, Co Locations: Pittsburgh, Wednesday's

☆ These three restaurant stocks are poised for an earnings boost, Jefferies says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

After a slow start to the year, several restaurant chains are due to emerge as the winners this earnings season, according to Jefferies. First of all, same-store sales only modestly recovered in March to around flat, while the key metric was down 4.5% in January and 0.6% in February, analyst Andy Barish wrote. He added customer traffic remains challenged as well, although this varies from restaurant brand to restaurant brand, while consumers have simultaneously grown more cautious about their spending. Jefferies believes that the restaurant chain's earnings per share will come in line, while same-store sales are more likely to have some upside. Barish sees first-quarter U.S. same-store sales and earnings per share estimates coming in line with analyst expectations, while EBITDA could surprise to the upside.

Persons: Andy Barish, Barish, BJ's, Jefferies, EBITDA, McDonald, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Jefferies, Investors, BJ's Locations: California, CA, remodels, Brazil, McDonald's

☆ Morgan Stanley has named its top global dividend stocks for this quarter
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Amala Balakrishner | In Amala-Balakrishner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The unpredictability has led some analysts to reiterate their recommendation to buy dividend stocks. According to Morgan Stanley, the MSCI Asia Pacific ex-Japan High Dividend Index outperformed the MSCI Asia Pacific ex-Japan index in the first quarter of the year, albeit by only 0.58%. The cautious investors' sentiment also drives allocation toward Quality Dividend stocks," the investment bank's analysts wrote in an Apr. These translate into a higher UST bond yields and particularly favoring dividend stocks to outperform." The latter has a forward dividend yield of 8%, according to Morgan Stanley, comfortably higher than the average of 5.1% on the screen.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Morgan, CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: MSCI Asia, Asia, UST, U.S . Treasury, China Overseas Property Holdings, China Medical System Holdings, Bank of China Locations: Japan, Asia, Pacific, China, Taiwan

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