MarketBeat: Week in Review 11/29 – 12/3

A volatile week for stocks is ending on a sour note. After initially rallying on a weaker-than-expected job report the market had reversed and all major exchanges were in the red in midday trading. Many analysts suggested the initial jump was based on expectations that investors saw the week jobs report as a sign that the Federal Reserve would delay their efforts to slow down their tapering efforts. However, that sentiment quickly turned pessimistic as investors weighed uncertainty about the Fed’s plans with weakness in the tech sector as evidenced by the sharp decline in pandemic darling DocuSign (NASDAQ:DOCU). With much of earnings season behind it, the markets will have to find other ways to find direction. And, as always, you can count on the MarketBeat team to help you profit from the stocks and stories that are moving the market.

Articles by Sean Sechler                                                                                                                                                                

During times of market uncertainty, Sean Sechler reminds investors that a popular strategy is to find stocks that are showing relative strength compared to their sector. These stocks will frequently bounce back faster when the market does move higher. And Sechler gave our readers three stocks that are showing relative strength during this market downturn. Another strategy is to look for blue-chip companies because they can generate revenue in any economic environment. Sechler pointed to three blue-chip stocks that offer investors real value right now. For more risk-tolerant investors, Sechler was looking at the growing interest in the metaverse. This is a virtual space that will combine technology elements such as augmented reality, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and more. This sector is still in its infancy, and Sechler gave our readers three metaverse stocks that look like they will be around for the long haul.

Articles by Jea Yu

The hunger for data continues to grow and with it the need for data storage. That’s part of the bullish argument that Jea Yu lays out for Pure Storage (NYSE:PSTG). The company provides enterprise data storage solutions and continues to show strong growth on its top and bottom lines. One reason for that is the continued conversion of its customer base to a subscription model. Yu was also looking at LiveOne (NASDAQ:LVO). The digital media company formerly known as LiveXLive has had a rough year that only got more difficult after its anticipated social media boxing event turned into a flop. However, speculative investors may be attracted to the company’s growing content library in the streaming podcast sector. And that may be enough to allow risk-tolerant investors to keep LVO stock on their radar in 2022. And if you’ve overlooked Redbox (NASDAQ:RDBX), you’re probably not alone. Nevertheless, the company that is known for its signature red kiosks is still standing and in addition to being the only option for customers looking to rent physical DVDs, it has made a strategic move to compete in the streaming services sector.

Articles by Thomas Hughes

Thomas Hughes was looking at two stocks that remind investors that frequently a pullback can be a buying opportunity. In the case of Dollar General (NYSE:DG), the company’s earnings report came in as expected. In this market, that’s not good enough and the stock lacked a clear direction. However, Hughes points out several bullish items within the company’s report that suggests DG stock is in the early stages of executing its growth strategy. The reason why Salesforce.com (NYSE:CRM) is pulling back is a case of slowing growth. But Hughes points out the company still has high double-digit growth and expects its revenue to double in upcoming years. That kind of growth makes this look like an opportunity to buy CRM stock at a discount. One company that is giving investors no concerns about sustainable growth is Zscaler (NASDAQ:ZS). The company’s stock is soaring after posting strong earnings that confirm the need and demand for the company’s digital business security services. And Hughes says it’s not too late for investors to jump on ZS stock as it remains in a strong uptrend.

Articles by Sam Quirke

Since debuting in February 2021, Bumble (NASDAQ:BMBL) is having a hard time getting investors to make a commitment. However, after the company’s last earnings report, Sam Quirke notes that the bears may be running out of steam. If that’s true, and if the worst-case has already been priced in, BMBL stock may represent a sound buying opportunity for risk-tolerant investors. Quirke was also looking at Zoom Video (NASDAQ:ZM) as another stock that has been falling in 2021. The bearish argument against Zoom is that demand for its services would logically decrease as the economy reopened. Conversely, ZM stock got a brief boost on news of the Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus. Several analysts chimed in to say that the selloff looked overdone and pointed out that a hybrid model is likely to remain which should keep demand for the company’s services high.

Articles by Kate Stalter

Kate Stalter gave our readers the story behind the drop and then sharp rise in Snowflake (NYSE:SNOW) stock. The company delivered a solid earnings report but caught a bad break as the company’s report coincided with news about the emerging Omicron variant that caused a broad market selloff. However, as the market began to learn more about the variant, it sent stocks, including SNOW stock, higher. The fundamental business model for the company’s cloud-based data storage solution which is accessible on various public clouds gives the company an edge both in flexibility and ease of use. Stalter was also pointing readers to The Trade Desk (NASDAQ:TTD) which posted a 38% gain in November. That gain has moved TTD stock positive for the year. And as Stalter points out positive analyst sentiment may allow the technical and fundamental picture for the stock to align in a move higher. And with oil and gas stocks continuing to trend higher, Stalter gave our readers three oil and gas stocks that have found support at a key moving average and are setting up for a move higher.