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The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Amazon, JPMorgan, Pfizer, Salesforce and Chevron

Zacks Equity Research
·6-min read

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – January 25, 2021 – 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: Amazon.com, Inc. AMZN, JPMorgan Chase & Co. JPM, Pfizer Inc. PFE, salesforce.com, inc. CRM and Chevron Corporation CVX.

Here are highlights from Friday’s Analyst Blog:

Q4 Earnings Season Scorecard and Analyst Reports for Amazon, JPMorgan and Pfizer

The Zacks Research Daily presents the best research output of our analyst team. Today's Research Daily features a real-time update on the Q4 earnings season, in addition to new research reports on 16 major stocks, including Amazon, JPMorgan and Pfizer. These research reports have been hand-picked from the roughly 70 reports published by our analyst team today.

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

Q4 Earnings Season Scorecard

As of Friday, January 21st, we have seen Q4 results from 66 S&P 500 members, with another 113 index members on deck to report results next week.

Total earnings for the 66 index members that have reported are up +0.3% from the same period last year on +0.6% higher revenues, with 87.9% beating EPS estimates and 78.8% beating revenue estimates.

This is better growth numbers than we saw from the same group of companies in the first three quarters of 2020, while the proportion beating EPS and revenue estimates is one of the highest in years.

Looking at Q4 as a whole, combining the actuals that have come out with estimates for the still-to-come companies, total earnings are now expected to be down -5.3% on +0.6% higher revenues.

Estimates for the current period (2021 Q1) have been steadily going up, a trend that has been in place since July 2020. Total earnings for 2021 Q1 are now expected to be up +13.8%, which is up from +11.7% on December 9th.

Amazon shares have outperformed the S&P 500 over the past year (+74.5% vs. +17.9%) on the back of solid Prime momentum owing to ultrafast delivery services and strong content portfolio.

Further, a coronavirus-led spike in online orders continues to be a major tailwind. Also, solid growth in its online stores sales remains a positive. Moreover, the surge in online grocery shopping is another positive. Additionally, the strong adoption rate of AWS is aiding the company's cloud dominance.

Moreover, expanding the AWS services portfolio is continuously helping Amazon in gaining further momentum among the customers. Further, improving Alexa skills and expanding smart home products portfolio are positives. However, accelerating coronavirus related expenses remain risks for the company's margin expansion in the near term. Also, rising cloud competition poses risk.

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

Shares of JPMorgan have gained +35.4% in the last six months against the Zacks Major Banks industry's gain of +30.3%. The Zacks analyst believes that branch openings in new regions, inorganic expansions and strong mortgage banking business are likely to continue supporting financials.

The company's earnings have outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters. Its fourth-quarter 2020 results reflect reserve releases, solid fee income performance, and adverse impact of low rates and weak loan demand.

While the Fed's accommodative policy and near-zero rates are expected to hurt interest income and margins, and coronavirus-induced economic downturn has hampered business activities, thereby hurting loan demand, gradual economic recovery amid vaccine breakthroughs will aid. Additionally, the company's enhanced capital deployments reflect earnings strength and solid balance sheet.

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

Pfizer shares have lost -4.5% over the past three months against the Zacks Large-Cap Pharmaceuticals industry's rise of +10.2%. The Zacks analyst believes that currency headwinds and pricing pressure are top-line headwinds for the company.

However, Pfizer expects strong growth of key brands like Ibrance, Inlyta and Eliquis to drive sales. Its COVID-19 vaccine candidate is now approved for emergency use in several countries. However, coronavirus-related business disruption hurt sales in Q2 and Q3. The pace of recovery of COVID-19 impact is slower than expected.

Meanwhile, currency headwinds and pricing pressure are other top-line headwinds. Estimates have gone down ahead of Q4 earnings. Pfizer has a mixed record of earnings surprises in the recent quarters.

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

Other noteworthy reports we are featuring today include salesforce.com and Chevron.

More Stock News: This Is Bigger than the iPhone!

It could become the mother of all technological revolutions. Apple sold a mere 1 billion iPhones in 10 years but a new breakthrough is expected to generate more than 27 billion devices in just 3 years, creating a $1.7 trillion market.

Zacks has just released a Special Report that spotlights this fast-emerging phenomenon and 6 tickers for taking advantage of it. If you don't buy now, you may kick yourself in 2021.

Click here for the 6 trades >>

Media Contact

Zacks Investment Research

800-767-3771 ext. 9339

support@zacks.com                       

https://www.zacks.com

 

Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.


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JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Chevron Corporation (CVX) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Pfizer Inc. (PFE) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
salesforce.com, inc. (CRM) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
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Zacks Investment Research