MarketBeat: Week in Review 8/2-8/6

This week was about jobs, jobs, and jobs. Equity markets dropped briefly as early indications suggest that the number may disappoint. But as investors waited for the first Friday jobs report, they had other concerns. Two of those concerns are the Delta variant which is causing some parts of the nation to contemplate reissuing mask mandates as businesses wrestle with requiring their employees to be vaccinated as a condition of returning to the office.  And on the other hand, earnings season continues to meet expectations and factory orders managed a slight gain. Next week will bring another round of earnings including everyone’s favorite meme stock, AMC Entertainment, which will report on August 9. And the MarketBeat team is here for all of the news that impacts the equity markets. Here’s a look at some of the stocks they analyzed this week.

Articles by Sean Sechler                                                                                                                                                                

The dog days of August are typically marked by low volume in equities trading. But with earnings season in full swing, now is a time for investors to consider getting their portfolios ready for a strong finish to the year. With that in mind, Sean Sechler gave readers his picks for the top three stocks to buy in August. One way to find great stocks is to pay attention to trending sectors. The semiconductor sector has been one such sector largely because it affects so many other sectors. With that in mind, Sechler gave readers three semiconductor stocks that are showing signs that they’re ready to soar. One stock that is not on that list, but may have some gas in the tank is Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) which has some potential catalysts including its pending acquisition of ARM Holdings that could propel the stock higher.

Articles by Jea Yu

This week’s jobs report puts the labor shortage brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic in sharp focus. And that’s why Jea Yu thinks it’s essential that investors give Zip Recruiter (NYSE:ZIP) a close look. The online recruiter’s artificial intelligence (AI) engines are in demand as employers find that it’s more important than ever to find the right match. One company that may be using Zip Recruiter’s services is Denny’s (NASDAQ:DENN). Restaurant stocks are trying to staff up at the same time that the Delta variant is threatening local and regional shutdowns. Still, Jea Yu believes that the technical indicators are favorable for DENN stock to move higher. Yu was also looking at the online legal and compliance solutions platform Legal Zoom (NYSE:LZ). The company is still in the price discovery phase as it just went public on June 30, 2021. However the analyst community recently initiated coverage on the stock leading Yu to believe the stock is ready to take off.

Articles by Thomas Hughes

Great minds think alike. That’s the reason we’re using to highlight the fact that Thomas Hughes agreed with Sean Sechler about the short-term outlook for ON Semiconductors (NASDAQ:ON). The company made Sechler’s list of three semiconductor stocks that are poised for growth. And Hughes puts more flesh on the bullish case for ON Semiconductors particularly for its exposure to the OEM auto market and the fact that it’s a U.S. manufacturer. Hughes provides five reasons he is bullish on KLA Corporation (NASDAQ:KLAC) which manufacturers and services the equipment needed to make microchip wafers. Switching gears to consumer stocks, Hughes was eyeing the recent dip in Clorox (NYSE:CLX) stock. While a dip was warranted with Covid-19 hoarding winding down. However, Hughes makes the case that the stock appears to have a bottom, which could be a buying opportunity for opportunistic investors.

Articles by Sam Quirke

Sam Quirke was focused, and bullish, on a pair of e-commerce stocks this week. In the case of Alibaba (NYSE:BABA), investors may be hesitant because Alibaba is a Chinese company at a time when the Chinese government has been cracking down on Chinese stocks. But with the stock down more than 40% since October, Quirke believes that the risk may be worth the reward. Quirke found it easier to make the bullish case for Square (NYSE:SQ) which has recently pushed back a level of resistance to trade at an all-time high.

Articles by Chris Markoch

Chris Markoch was also looking at the semiconductor sector. In this case, Markoch was comparing the recent fortunes of Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) and Texas Instruments (NASDAQ:TXN) and analyzing which stock would be the better buy. In this case, Markoch found that Texas Instruments presents investors with a few less questions than Texas Instruments while also offering a richer dividend.  Moving  from growth to value, Markoch was encouraging investors to be bullish on American Water Works (NYSE:AWK) which has rewarded investors with a 107% gain in the last five years in addition to a steady, solid dividend. And Markoch couldn’t resist offering an opinion on Robinhood (NASDAQ:HOOD) which is getting the meme stock treatment in a moment that can only be looked at as a “what did you think would happen moment.”