MarketBeat: Week in Review 7/27 - 7/31

Earnings from big tech were not enough to get the markets shooting higher on Friday. Blow-out reports from Apple and Google along with less-robust but still, better-than-expected reports from Facebook and Amazon failed to spark a major rally but the news is not all bad. Friday’s market action may have started off slow but by the end of the day, bullish momentum had the S&P 500 trading at the highs of the session. 

The takeaway for investors and traders is this: the market did not want to be short going into the weekend. While not a guarantee of future results, it suggests a generally bullish attitude and an expectation the indices will begin moving higher in the coming days. The next major hurdle for the market will be next week's economic data. The key read will come on Friday with the non-farm payrolls report and there is a growing concern the labor markets have deteriorated over the last month.

Here's a look at the stock we covered this week

Overstock.com (NASDAQ: OSTK) Stock: A Strong E-Commerce Alternative

By Sean Sechler

Overstock (NASDAQ:OSTK) is a nice alternative to the bigger e-commerce players and it is a stock that has generated jaw-dropping returns for investors this year.

Kemper (NYSE: KMPR) Looks Like an Excellent Value Play

By Nick Vasco

Kemper (NYSE: KMPR), a provider of property, casualty, life, and health insurance in the United States is sitting near 2020 highs, but investors may want to wait until the company reports earnings on August 3.

Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) Is No Bubble

By Thomas Hughes

Digital entertainment is one of the biggest winners from the pandemic and Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) results prove it. 

Weyerhaeuser (NYSE:WY) Is A Surprisingly Good Buy

By Thomas Hughes

The quick actions taken by Weyerhaeuser (NYSE: WY) at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic have set the company up for a rebound in earnings that they would not have seen otherwise.

Lumber Liquidators Holdings (NYSE: LL) Stock: Remodeling Your Portfolio

By Sean Sechler

The outlook was bleak for Lumber Liquidators Holdings stock (NYSE: LL) in early 2020. However, with more consumers using the pandemic to do home improvement projects, the narrative has turned bullish.

Hibbett Sports (NASDAQ: HIBB) Stock Provide Opportunity to Sell the News

By Jea Yu

Much anticipation for the start of fall and winter sports leagues has been the underlying force driving up Hibbett Sports (NASDAQ: HIBB) and peers. 

Cars.com (NYSE: CARS) Zooming Higher After Earnings

By Thomas Hughes

Cars.com (NYSE: CARS) is rocketing higher after a stellar earnings report. The question is why it’s taken the market this long to get interested.

Teladoc's Growth Prognosis is Strong Following Q2 Results

By MarketBeat Staff

Virtual health care provider Teladoc (NYSE: TDOC) has become synonymous with a group of "stay-at-home" stocksthat have drastically outperformed the broader market in 2020. And it’s far from done.

Nokia is in a tug-of-war with China and 5G

By Chris Markoch

Among 5G stocks, Nokia (NYSE: NOK) is caught in the middle of the escalating tensions between China and the United States. And it’s creating an interesting puzzle for investors to solve as the company gets ready to report earnings.

New Price Targets on Shopify (NYSE: SHOP) Hit After Winning Quarter

By Steve Anderson

After delivering an earnings report that beat on the top and bottom lines, Shopify (NYSE: SHOP) is receiving upgraded price targets from analysts.

3 High-Yielding Stocks To Buy Right Now

By Thomas Hughes

In volatile markets, high-yield dividend stocks are a solid investment. Here are several high-yielding stocks that just released earnings proving their worth for today’s investors.

Starbucks Set To Continue Recovery Into Q3

By Sam Quirke

It’s been a rocky start to 2020 for Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) but its recent earnings report gives hints that things are stabilizing at last.

Is It Time To Buy Aphria (NYSE: APHA) Now?

By Thomas Hughes

Despite becoming more efficient, Aphria (NYSE: APHA) is still losing money which shows the lingering problem of supply and demand in the cannabis industry.

Penske Automotive Group (NYSE: PAG) is a Fantastic Value, but the Chart Has Some Work to Do

By Nick Vasco

Despite the April and May weakness, June’s results show that Penske Automotive Group (NYSE: PAG) is positioned for a solid second-half of 2020.

PayPal Is A Buy No Matter What The Earnings Say

By Sam Quirke

As the market leader in the digital payments revolution, PayPal (NASDAQ: PYPL) has capitalized on e-commerce growth in recent years, and is positioned itself to continue leading from the front.

Premiere Inc. (NASDAQ: PINC) Stock an Apex Restart Rollback Healthcare Play

By Jea Yu

Premiere (NASDAQ: PINC) is perched to benefit from rollbacks as well as the continuation of restart initiatives as it continues to leverage data analytics and supply chain economies of scale to bolster margins and optimize efficiencies.

Biogen Is The Comeback Story To Watch

By Sam Quirke

Biogen (NASDAQ: BIIB) has definitely had a bad run of luck and much of the company’s revenues are under threat. However, their price-to-earnings ratio is only 8.2 so it could be said that shares are trading at a significant discountrelative to biotech peers.

Why Wingstop (NASDAQ: WING) May Stay Hot After Q2 Earnings

By MarketBeat Staff

The Covid-19 pandemic has not stopped Wingstop (NASDAQ: WING) from delivering strong performance. In fact, it has only become stronger.

Eastman Kodak (NYSE: KODK) Develops Monster Comeback With New Fed Loans

By Steve Anderson

Up until about two days ago, Eastman Kodak (NYSE: KODK) looked like one of the biggest dogs the stock market had ever known. But after a $765 million loan from the federal government the company's stock more than tripled to hit a new 30-month high.

Juniper Networks (NYSE: JNPR) Is About To Break Out

By Thomas Hughes

Digital technology, is taking over the world and that trend was only accelerated by the pandemic. Add to that the rise of 5G and the subsequent revolution in IoT it is expected to unleash and the future of Juniper Networks (NYSE: JNPR) is all but assured.

Aaron’s, Inc (NYSE: AAN) Twice The Stock It Used To Be And A Hot Buy

By Thomas Hughes

Aaron’s, Inc (NYSE: AAN) delivered better than expected results and announced a business decision that it believes will prove the sum of the parts is worth more than the whole.

First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR) Has More Tailwinds Than Headwinds: Consider Pulling the Trigger Going Into Earnings

By Nick Vasco

First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR) has managed to increase volumes in a high-growth industry however, the commodification of its offerings continue to put serious pressure on the company’s margins.

Expect Yum Brands (NYSE: YUM) to Struggle After Earnings

By Chris Markoch

Yum Brands (NYSE: YUM) reported earnings on June 29. Regardless of the report, it looks like it’s going to be a rough summer for the parent company of several well-known fast-food chains.

Blue Apron is Officially a Winner of the Pandemic

By Chris Markoch

Blue Apron (NYSE: APRN) has been a company that appeared to be on the road to nowhere. However, after reporting its first profitable quarter on July 29, it is becoming a stock to buy.

Slack Technologies (NASDAQ: WORK) Stock Pullbacks a Buy into Earnings

By Jea Yu

Slack Technologies (NASDAQ: WORK) stock has been underperforming other work-at-home technology stocks. But that may be an opportunity for investors who subscribe to the “new normal” post-COVID-19 work environment.

Gold Rush 2020: 3 Stocks to Capitalize on the Precious Metal’s Rally

By Sean Sechler

With the spot price of gold reaching new all-time highs of over $1,900 per ounce, it’s safe to say that the gold and precious metals market is heating up. These three gold stocks are a way to invest in a rally that may be just getting started.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Stock (NYSE:TSM): Why Its Market Value is Surging

By Sean Sechler

Like all semiconductor stocks, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE: TSM) is thriving due to demand for semiconductor products as more people work remotely, the 5G build-out continues, and major companies move to the cloud.

History Shows Why Pfizer Needs Its Vaccine Candidate to Grow

By Chris Markoch

Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) stock is up 3% and closing in on its year-to-date high set back in January. But it may not be able to go much higher without winning the race for a vaccine.

A Second Look at Sherwin-Williams (NYSE: SHW) It's Still a Buy

By MarketBeat Staff

Sherwin-Williams (NYSE: SHW) is trading at historic highs. But for investors who are wondering if it’s still a stock to buy, the answer appears to be yes.

Alexion Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ALXN) Bounces Into Earnings

By Sam Quirke

Alexion Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ALXN) beat on earnings this week which may put the biotech stock’s recent 10% decline in the rear-view mirror.

Where To Now For Intel?

By Sam Quirke

A tough year looks to continue to get tougher for Intel (NASDAQ: INTC). Although the company recently broke $60 a share, the stock is back is below $50 and may be range-bound for some time.

Sin Stocks … Love It Or Hate It, Altria Pays A Safe 8.0%

By Thomas Hughes

Altria (NYSE:MO) is a high-yielding dividend-paying stock that falls into the category of a sin stock. And with a safe 8.0% yield, it’s a great stock to own in times of economic downturn and often pay great dividends.

Simpson Manufacturing (NYSE: SSD) Is On Break-Out Watch After Earnings

By Thomas Hughes

Simpson Manufacturing Company (NYSE: SSD) is emerging as a sleeper stock as more people stay home fixing up their homes.

Even at 52-Week Highs, Whirlpool (NYSE: WHR) Still a Value Play

By Nick Vasco

The market had priced in an extremely poor year for Whirlpool (NYSE: WHR). Now that Whirlpool, a leader in the home appliance industry, sees brighter days ahead, shares have responded positively.

Is Dunkin Brands a Buy Ahead of This Week's Earnings?

By MarketBeat Staff

Pent up demand for Dunkin Brands (NASDAQ: DNKN) coffee and baked goods along with increasing customer adoption of digital sales channels suggest Dunkin Brands may have a more flavorful than expected outlook. 

It’s Time to Take a Bite of McDonald’s Stock

By Chris Markoch

McDonald’s (NYSE: MCD) appears to be a solid buy even though the company’s earnings are expected to reflect how deeply the Covid-19 pandemic affected every part of our economy.

Is It Time to Gamble on Boyd Gaming Stock?

By Chris Markoch

Nobody knows for sure if the worst is over for Boyd Gaming (NYSE: BYD). But with casinos opening, and the company getting a large share of business from local and regional traffic, it’s a better bet than other gaming stocks.

Xerox Limps Into Earnings (NYSE: XRX)

By Sam Quirke

After rallying more than 100% in the twelve months prior to February of this year, shares of Xerox (NYSE: XRX) lost 65% of their value in just five weeks. 

Albertsons Companies (NYSE: ACI) Is A Buy, Buy, Buy

By Thomas Hughes

Albertsons Companies (NYSE: ACI) shares publicly debuted a month ago. Now after releasing Q1 results, the stock is down about 5.0% begging the question is it a stock to buy?

Moderna (NASDAQ: MRNA) Makes Gains on Phase 3 Testing

By Steve Anderson

Moderna (NASDAQ: MRNA) has been one of the front-runners in the race to develop a vaccine for COVID-19 and recently saw some gains on the strength of several new developments.

Don't Think Twice About Take-Two Stock

By Sam Quirke

It’s been a phenomenal few months for the video game holding company Take-Two (NASDAQ: TTWO) and there are no signs of its current rally slowing down.

Hasbro (NASDAQ: HAS) Is A 2nd-Half Winner Trading At A 10% Discount

By Thomas Hughes

Hasbro (NASDAQ: HAS) reported terrible second-quarter results as supply chain woes took away any pandemic gains. However with demand still strong, Hasbro looks ready to bounce back.

El Pollo Loco (NASDAQ: LOCO) Stock is an En Fuego Buy

By Jea Yu

Spanish chicken restaurant chain operator El Pollo Loco (NASDAQ: LOCO) shares have recovered to pre-pandemic levels after collapsing to multi-year lows during the March 2020 sell-off with the benchmark S&P 500 index (NYSEARCA: SPY).

Texas Roadhouse’s (NASDAQ: TXRH) Track Record Provides Confidence for Better Days Ahead

By Nick Vasco

Texas Roadhouse (NASDAQ: TXRH) saw a significant slowdown in its business at the onset of the pandemic. But huge growth in its To-Go business and dining rooms re-opening, Texas Roadhouse looks set to weather the storm.

HubSpot (NYSE: HUBS) Offers Dynamic Growth at High Price: Is It Worth the Risk?

By Nick Vasco

HubSpot (NYSE: HUBS) stock is trading at around 12x projected 2020 revenue. It raises the question of if the company has a path to grow into its valuation?