The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Walmart, NVIDIA, Procter & Gamble, Phillips 66 and AstraZeneca

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – November 21, 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 include Walmart WMT, NVIDIA NVDA, Procter & Gamble PG, Phillips 66 PSX and AstraZeneca AZN.

Here are highlights from Monday’s Analyst Blog:

Top Research Reports on Walmart, nVIDIA and Procter & Gamble

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 Walmart (WMT), NVIDIA (NVDA) and Procter & Gamble (PG). 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 >>>

Buy-rated Walmart’s shares have been strong performers lately, with the stock up +24.1% over the last six months, outperforming the S&P 500's +7.8% gain in the same time period. The Zacks analyst likes Walmart’s solid earnings and comps record. The company has been gaining from constant e-commerce initiatives, like buyouts, alliances, and improved delivery systems.

These trends, along with solid traffic drove Walmart’s third-quarter fiscal 2018 performance, wherein both earnings and revenues rose year over year and beat estimates. Notably, this marked Walmart’s ninth and 13th straight quarter of positive earnings surprise and U.S. comps growth, respectively.

Also, the company’s international performance gained from strength in food categories. All these factors encouraged management to raise its view. However, stiff competition from brick and mortar and online retailers remains a concern. Also, macroeconomic woes like volatile consumer spending poses threats.

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

Shares of Strong Buy-rated NVIDIA have surged over the last year, gaining in excess of +127.4% versus the Zacks Semiconductor - General industry’s +52% gain. NVIDIA posted impressive third-quarter fiscal 2018 results and provided encouraging fourth quarter revenue guidance.

Also, the company registered year-over-year growth on both counts, primarily due to growth across all its four platforms. Better-than-expected demand for gaming chips helped the company post encouraging results.

The Zacks analyst likes NVIDIA’s sustained efforts toward attaining robust position in several emerging industries such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), deep learning and driverless cars. NVIDIA’s innovative product pipeline and strength in gaming and high-end notebook GPUs remain the positives. The company’s focus on GRID platforms can increase GPU adoption in data centers, giving it an advantage against its competitors.

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

Procter & Gamble's shares have underperformed the Zacks Soap and Cleaning Materials industry so far this year (+5.2% vs. +14.2%). P&G reported first-quarter fiscal 2018 results, wherein earnings and revenues surpassed expectations. Adjusted earnings increased 6% from the year-ago level aided by productivity cost savings.

Overall organic sales were up 1%, comprising 1% volume growth despite decelerating market growth and a 30 bps headwind from natural disasters. The Zacks analyst likes the company’s focus on balanced growth through improved product, packaging, and marketing initiatives and its productivity cost saving plan.

However, core gross and operating margin weakness was notable in the quarter that decreased 40 bps each. Lower pricing, higher commodity costs, increased competition and an unfavorable mix continued to hurt profitability. Again, decelerating organic sales growth in developed and developing markets raise concerns.

(You can read the full research report on Procter & Gamble here >>>).

Other noteworthy reports we are featuring today include Phillips 66 and AstraZeneca.

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Astrazeneca PLC (AZN) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Phillips 66 (PSX) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (WMT) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Procter & Gamble Company (The) (PG) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
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