MarketBeat: Week in Review 4/12 – 4/16

This week investors got a reminder that not all big banks are created equal. While some banks delivered strong earnings, less came in mixed. Still, there was nothing in the numbers to suggest that the economic recovery is slowing down. But that was before the FDA ordered a pause for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Right now, a sense of cautious optimism prevails, but that could change. Perhaps investors will get a better sense of where things stand when JNJ reports earning on April 20. Of course there was no such caution about the IPO of the cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase which began publicly trading this week. Overall sentiment remains bullish and the MarketBeat staff will continue to help you identify the opportunities that can help grow your portfolio. Here’s a look at some of the stocks they analyzed this week.

Articles by Sean Sechler

You can’t keep good growth stocks down. That was Sean Sechler’s message to our readers. Despite taking it on the chin in the first quarter of 2021, some growth stocks are recovering. And, as Sechler points out they were the stocks that were showing solid fundamentals prior to the selloff. One specific growth stock that Sechler was looking at was Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA). The semiconductor company just completed its investor day presentation and analysts liked what they heard. Although NVDA stock is trading near all-time highs, Sechler outlines reasons why there’s still time to get on board. Of course, the flight to value is real. At some point, inflation is likely to rear its head and Sechler gave our readers three dividend stocks that can help position your portfolio as a hedge against inflation.

Articles by Jea Yu

Chinese stocks have been in a selloff after the forced liquidation of stocks exposed to Archegos Capital Management. As Jea Yu points out that hasn’t been the only problem for Tencent Music (NYSE:TME). The company also appears to be under the microscope of the Chinese government. And all of this is putting pressure on the stock price. However, while TME stock likely has further to fall, it can be an opportunity for risk-tolerant investors. Moving stateside, Yu was looking at Insteel Industries (NYSE:IIIN) as a pure-play on the Biden administration’s infrastructure plan. Insteel is the nation’s largest manufacturer of steel wire reinforcing products for concrete construction applications. And when it comes to our nation’s digital infrastructure, Yu suggests investors take a closer look at Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) which makes the routers and switches that connect the information superhighway.

Articles by Thomas Hughes

This week the “big four” banks reported earnings and leading the way was JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM). As expected, the bank delivered a strong earnings report. But Thomas Hughes writes that if you just look at the short term, you’ll miss the bigger story. The consumer appears to be ready to unleash their pent-up savings on the economy which could set off years of strong growth. One beneficiary of the recovering economy is the oil sector. And Hughes points out that for investors who have been on the fence will find that now is a good time to get back into oil stocks. Hughes also looked at Lovesac (NASDAQ:LOVE) which was one of the hottest growth stocks of 2020. As Hughes writes, there doesn’t seem to be anything to not like about the stock. However, analyst sentiment doesn’t reflect the company’s fundamentals, which creates a nice buying opportunity.

Articles by Nick Vasco

One theme of the last few weeks has been the emerging role that corporations are taking in framing, and steering, our public policy initiatives. Nick Vasco wrote about one step that BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) is taking by forming two exchange-traded funds (ETFs) focused on Environmental, Social, and Governmental (ESG) issues. It’s worth noting that BlackRock believes this could be a $1.2 trillion market by 2030. Another ongoing theme is the global chip shortage. And as Vasco points out this is setting the table for NXP Semiconductors (NASDAQ:NXPI) to have a big year in 2021. Vasco was also looking at McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD). The fast-food giant weathered the pandemic better than expected, and is now going to double down on its digital, delivery and drive-thru initiatives. As Vasco points out, that should make the company an appetizing play for growth as shares look to be consolidating for the next leg up.

Articles by Sam Quirke

You didn’t think that we wouldn’t touch on the Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) IPO, did you? Sam Quirke walked readers through the cryptocurrency exchange’s volatile first week and outlined the bullish opinions of analysts that suggest that a price target of $600 may be realistic. Quirke was also looking at recovery stocks. In terms of the airlines, Spirit Airlines (NYSE: SAVE) and JetBlue (NASDAQ: JBLU) are the latest airlines to get upgraded by analysts. As Quirke points out, the math for investors is simple. Airline traffic is increasing and it doesn’t have to get back to pre-pandemic levels to justify a significant increase in airline stocks. Now may be time to jump aboard. In a similar vein, Quirke was looking at Carnival Cruise Lines (NYSE:CCL) which may be one of the most unlikely recovery stories. The stock is up nearly 300% in the past 12 months. But as Quirke points out, the stock is still 60% below pre-pandemic levels with the ships still not sailing.

Articles by Chris Markoch

Chris Markoch also had his eyes to the skies as airlines began to report earnings. In this case, Markoch was looking at Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL). Delta has been affected by some unfortunate headlines regarding flight delays and more recently, the pause in the Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) vaccine. However, the long-term narrative for the airlines remains strong and investors can use this as a buy-the-dip opportunity. Markoch was also looking at Truist Financial (NYSE:TFC). Truist emerged as a super-regional bank in 2019 when Truist - formerly Branch Banking and Trust Company (BB&T) – merged with SunTrust Bank. Some analysts are more excited about regional banks than the big four, Markoch gave readers four reasons why Truist looks like a good bet in that sector.

Articles by Kate Stalter                     

The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated, not created, the digital economy. In the future, it will be nearly impossible for businesses to sell goods and services without being part of the digital marketplace. Kate Stalter analyzed three leaders in the digital marketplace. In the short-term they may still have some consolidating to do, but that just means opportunistic investors should put these companies on their watch list. A similar narrative is emerging with digital media stocks, and Statler gave investors three digital media stocks that are trading lower today but have strong long-term stories. Sticking in the digital world, Stalter turned her focus to e-commerce. In early April, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon pointedly remarked that fintech companies were an ongoing threat to traditional banks, particularly after consumers have adjusted their habits due to the Covid-19 pandemic. And Stalter gave investors three online payment stocks that are leading that charge.