Yahoo Finance MercadoLibre and Pfizer have been highlighted as Zacks Bull and Bear of the Day
For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – January 9, 2024 – Zacks Equity Research shares MercadoLibre MELI as the Bull of the Day and Pfizer PFE as the Bear of the Day. In addition, Zacks Equity Research provides analysis on Toyota's TM and Ford F.
Here is a synopsis of all four stocks:
Bull of the Day:
MercadoLibre is one of the largest e-commerce platforms in South America. The company is a market leader in e-commerce in Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Peru, Mexico, and Uruguay based on unique visitors and page views.
The stock is currently a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), with analysts raising their outlooks across all timeframes.
In addition, the company is part of the Zacks Internet - Commerce industry, currently ranked in the top 28% of all Zacks industries. Aside from the improved earnings outlook and favorable industry standing, let's take a closer look at a few other aspects of the company.
MercadoLibre
MELI shares have been red-hot over the last three months, adding more than 25% in value and widely outperforming relative to the S&P 500. Shares got a notable boost following its latest quarterly release, with buyers stepping up in a big way.
Concerning the release mentioned above, MELI posted a sizable 22.4% beat relative to the Zacks Consensus EPS Estimate and reported revenue 5% ahead of expectations, reflecting growth rates of 180% and 70%, respectively.
In addition, the company posted $685 million in income from operations, reflecting a quarterly record. Consumers continue to flock to the platform in a big way, with total items sold growing an impressive 26% from the year-ago period.
Shares presently trade at a 4.4X forward price-to-sales (F1), a fraction of the 10.3X five-year median and highs of 22.1X in 2020. While the multiple is undoubtedly rich, the company's high-growth nature helps explain, with earnings forecasted to climb 140% in its current year on 36% higher sales.
The stock sports a Style Score of "D" for Value.
Keep an eye out for MercadoLibre's upcoming release expected on February 22nd, as the Zacks Consensus EPS Estimate of $7.16 reflects growth of 120% from the year-ago period. Our consensus revenue estimate stands at $4.1 billion, suggesting an improvement of 40% year-over-year.
Bottom Line
Investors can implement a stellar strategy to find expected winners by taking advantage of the Zacks Rank – one of the most powerful market tools that provides a massive edge.
The top 5% of all stocks receive the highly coveted Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). These stocks should outperform the market more than any other rank.
MercadoLibre would be an excellent stock for investors to consider, as displayed by its Zack Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
Bear of the Day:
New York-based Pfizer markets a wide range of drugs and vaccines. Analysts have taken a bearish stance on the company's outlook, pushing the stock into an unfavorable Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).
In addition, the company is part of the Zacks Large Cap Pharmaceutical industry, currently ranked in the bottom 30% of all Zacks industries. Let's take a closer look at how the company currently stacks up.
Pfizer
Down more than 43% on a two-year basis, it's been anything but fun for PFE shares following their melt-up during 2021. Still, buyers have stepped up in a big way lately, with shares up more than 13% since their 2023 low in mid-December.
While the recent price action is undoubtedly inspiring, it'll likely be worthwhile to wait to see if positive earnings estimate revisions start trickling in to confirm the recent positivity.
The company's annual dividend yield has seen a big boost amid the adverse price action, with shares now yielding a sizable 5.6% annually. It's also worth noting that the company has shown a nice commitment to its shareholders, carrying a 3% five-year annualized dividend growth rate.
Pfizer has posted mixed quarterly results as of late, falling short of consensus revenue expectations in back-to-back releases. As shown below, the company's top line growth has stalled amid weakening vaccine sales post-pandemic.
Bottom Line
Negative earnings estimate revisions from analysts and weakening sales paint a challenging picture for the company's shares in the near term.
Pfizer is a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), indicating that analysts have taken a bearish stance on the company's earnings outlook.
For those seeking strong stocks, a great idea would be to focus on stocks carrying a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) – these stocks sport a notably stronger earnings outlook paired with the potential to deliver explosive gains in the near term.
Additional content:
Check Out the Winners of the 2023 NACTOY Awards
The 2024 NACTOY (North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year) awards were announced last Thursday. An independent jury of 50 automotive journalists determined the winners from the three finalists in each category (car, truck and utility vehicle). The list of finalists (initially announced in November) was again updated in December to replace Volvo EX30 with Hyundai Kona EV in the utility vehicle category.
Japan's auto giant Toyota's Toyota Prius and Prius Prime were named as North American Car of the Year, beating the other two finalists — Honda Accord and Hyundai Ioniq 6. None of the three finalists in the car segment were fully fossil-fuel-powered vehicles, underscoring the fact that the auto industry is fast advancing toward an e-mobility future. This was the second time that TM secured a NACTOY award, the first being for second-generation Toyota Prius in 2004. Last year, Honda's luxury brand Acura's Integra model had won the Car of the Year award.
TM currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
U.S. legacy automaker Ford took the Truck of the Year honor for its Ford Super Duty Truck, beating the other two finalists —Chevrolet Colorado and Chevrolet Silverado EV. This marks the company's fourth consecutive NACTOY win in the truck category. Ford took home the North America Truck of the Year award for F-150 Lightning, Maverick and F-150 in 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Ford now has a total of 16 NACTOY awards, solidifying its position as the most honored brand in the history of the awards.
South Korea-based Kia's Kia EV9 claimed the Utility Vehicle of the Year, marking the second time Kia won a NACTOY award for its EV model. Last year, Kia EV6 was the winner in this category. It was the third time in five years that NACTOY presented Kia with the North American Utility Vehicle of the Year award. The other finalists in this segment were the Genesis Electrified GV70 and the Hyundai Kona/ Kona EV.It should be noted that all three finalists in the utility vehicle category were battery-powered.
EVs are disrupting the auto space with novel designs and technologically advanced features. Auto biggies are investing large sums of money to shift gears to electric. At the 2022 NACTOY awards, it was the ICE models that had made a clean sweep. While EV finalists made their way to the runners-up position, they could not get the trophy home. But the NACTOY 2023 awards were dominated by green vehicles. Two of the three NACTOY winners were EVs. At the NACTOY 2024 awards, Ford Super Duty Truck was the sole ICE win. EVs made up more than half of the finalists this year as well.
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Pfizer Inc. (PFE) : Free Stock Analysis Report
MercadoLibre, Inc. (MELI) : Free Stock Analysis Report
