MarketBeat: Week in Review 1/10 – 1/14

Inflation once again took center stage for investors this week. The Consumer Price Index rose to its highest level in 40 years. And the Federal Reserve is pledging to deliver a more aggressive response to combat the rising prices. In fact, the latest Fed proclamation is saying that four interest rate hikes are likely to occur in 2022 with the earliest hike to happen perhaps as early as March. And on Friday, the U.S. Census Bureau released December retail sales which showed a 1.9% decline compared to a seasonally adjusted November number. Investors will have a long holiday weekend to mull over that news as well as the earnings reports from several of the big banks. The markets will be open again on January 18, and the MarketBeat team will be writing about the stocks and stories that can help you be a profitable trader or investor.

Articles by Sean Sechler                                                                                                                                                                

This week ended with the unofficial start of earnings season and that means investors get their first look at bank stocks. A continued economic recovery and impending interest rate hikes are bullish indicators for this sector and Sean Sechler gave investors three best-in-breed bank stocks to buy now. Sechler also points out that investors can find quality stocks at different price points. With that in mind, Sechler gave our readers three must-have stocks to buy that are currently trading under $100. And in 2022, investors are seeing a shift from growth to value stocks which, by definition, are undervalued relative to their earnings and future growth potential. Sechler gave investors three of his top value stocks to buy in January.

Articles by Jea Yu                                                                     

The sell-off in Nikola (NASDAQ:NKLA) stock early in 2022 served as a cautionary tale for investors. The company went public via a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) at a time when SPAC investments were very popular with investors. But after the company’s former CEO was ousted amidst fraud allegations, NKLA stock took a sharp drop. However, with the company anticipating a settlement with the SEC, Jea Yu believes it may be time for investors to give Nikola stock a closer look as it begins to deliver vehicles in 2022. Yu was also looking at another stock that is taking a drop for other reasons. Docusign (NASDAQ:DOCU) sold off on expectations for slower growth. But as Yu points out, DOCU stock is setting up as an opportunistic buy at current levels. Another stock that looks to be oversold is Thor Industries (NYSE:THO). The maker of recreational vehicles continues to post strong earnings and has a record $18.07 billion backlog along with a favorable outlook from analysts.

Articles by Thomas Hughes                                                 

Thomas Hughes was taking a look at a trio of stocks and was bullish on them for different reasons. Looking at Lululemon Athletica (NASDAQ:LULU), Hughes believes the sell-off in LULU stock is finding a strong level of support. And after concerns related to the Omicron variant pass, the company will likely get back to blowing past revenue and earnings estimates. Turning his attention to Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT), Hughes points to slow, steady growth that is likely to push CAT stock back to its all-time high set in 2021. And for WD-40 Company (NASDAQ:WDFC), the company’s recent earnings report was not spectacular, but it was good enough to cause some short covering which Hughes believes will be the fuel to send the stock back to all-time highs set in 2021.

Articles by Sam Quirke

Sam Quirke was offering investors some perspective on the recent activity in Take-Two (NASDAQ:TTWO). The video game maker announced it was acquiring Zynga (NASDAQ:ZNGA) which, to date, is benefiting ZNGA shareholders more than holders of TTWO stock. As Quirke points out, the short-term outlook is a bit cloudy, but over the long-term it’s hard not to see TTWO stock moving higher.

Articles by Chris Markoch

If you’re reading this article, there’s a strong likelihood that you’re one of the nearly 15 million individuals who visit Marketbeat.com every month. And hopefully, you already appreciate the value provided by MarketBeat. However, if you need any more convincing, Chris Markoch gave readers 22 reasons why MarketBeat is a go-to, one-stop resource for investors of all types.

Articles by Kate Stalter

Shutterstock (NYSE:SSTK) has been delivering slow, steady growth in the 10 years it’s been trading publicly. But after several years of lackluster growth the marketplace for digital images is looking ready to continue its strong move higher.  Stalter points to the company’s increasing base of monthly subscribers which accounts for about 60% of the company’s revenue. Opportunistic investors should consider adding SSTK stock to their portfolio as it is likely to climb higher based on bullish analyst sentiment.

Articles by Melissa Brock

As investors scramble to find value in the market, Melissa Brock gives investors several reasons aside from the coronavirus to invest in health care stocks in 2022. Brock also gives investors three specific health care stocks to add to your portfolio. Another sector that is likely to show strength as investors look for value are consumer staples. These stocks are defensive in nature, which means that they offer investors growth especially if inflation continues to be at record levels. Another option for investors looking for value is to buy the stocks of Dividend Aristocrats. These are companies that have increased their dividend in at least each of the last 25 years.