The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Coca-Cola, BP, Alibaba Group, U.S. Bancorp and Vale

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – October 10, 2017 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog includeCoca-Cola(NYSE: KO – Free Report), BP (NYSE: BP – Free Report), Alibaba Group Holdings (NYSE: BABA – Free Report), U.S. Bancorp (NYSE: USB – Free Report) and Vale S.A. (NYSE: VALE – Free Report).

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Here are highlights from Monday’s Analyst Blog:                  

Top Analyst Reports for Coke, BP and Alibaba

The Zacks Research Daily presents the best research output of our analyst team. Today's Research Daily features new research reports on 16 major stocks, including Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO – Free Report), BP (NYSE: BP – Free Report) and Alibaba Group Holdings (NYSE: BABA – Free Report). These research reports have been hand-picked from the roughly 70 reports published by our analyst team today.

You can see all of today’s research reports here >>>

Shares of Coca-Cola have underperformed the Zacks Soft Drinks Beverages industry since the beginning of the year, (+9.7% vs. +11%). Coca-Cola’s sales are affected by declining demand in certain emerging and developing markets and a shift in consumer preference. Also, severe macroeconomic challenges in certain international markets have impacted results for the cola giant, which generates about half of its sales abroad.

However, Coca-Cola’s increased marketing investments are driving volume growth in stable markets like North America. Moreover, the company is on track to achieve total annualized productivity saving target of approximately $3.8 billion by 2019 from the initiatives implemented under this program since its beginning. Also, Coca-Cola’s new revenue platforms should drive growth over the long term.

(You can read the full research report on Coca-Cola here >>>).

BP has gained +2.3% year to date, outperforming the Zacks Oil & Gas-International Integrated industry’s +0.2% gain. BP recently commenced natural gas production at the Khazzan field in Oman. The company is one of the largest integrated energy firms in the world, with a strong and diversified portfolio of development projects.

The project, expected to have an inventory of 300 drilling wells, is the largest start-up by BP in 2017. Also, it is the sixth project start-up among the seven new key developments of the company this year. All the projects are likely to take the energy giant closer to its target of adding 800,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day by 2020.

However, the oil spill incident of 2010 in the BP-operated Macondo Prospect continues to affect the company. Although BP has cleared the substantial litigation expenses related to the spill, it had to divest some of its best operating properties. 

(You can read the full research report on BP here >>>).

Buy-rated Alibaba's shares have outperformed the Zacks Electronic Commerce industry, on a year-to-date basis, gaining +104.1% vs. +51.9%. Alibaba Group is a Chinese e-Commerce giant which caters mainly to its native market. The company’s fiscal first-quarter results exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate on revenues and earnings.

Alibaba’s strong core e-commerce business, its continued efforts to develop new products, international growth opportunities, strong financial position and and growing cloud computing services are positives. However, macro headwinds, continued investments and increasing competition from Tencent Holdings and Baidu remain the overhangs.

(You can read the full research report on Alibaba here >>>).

Other noteworthy reports we are featuring today include U.S. Bancorp (NYSE: USB – Free Report) and Vale S.A. (NYSE: VALE – Free Report).

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Strong Stocks that Should Be in the News

Many are little publicized and fly under the Wall Street radar. They're virtually unknown to the general public. Yet today's 220 Zacks Rank #1 "Strong Buys" were generated by the stock-picking system that has nearly tripled the market from 1988 through 2015. Its average gain has been a stellar +26% per year.See these high-potential stocks free >>.

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U.S. Bancorp (USB) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Alibaba Group Holding Limited (BABA) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Coca-Cola Company (The) (KO) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
VALE S.A. (VALE) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
BP p.l.c. (BP) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
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