Friday, November 12, 2021

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 McDonald's Corporation (MCD), United Parcel Service, Inc. (UPS), and Philip Morris International Inc. (PM). 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 McDonald's have outperformed the Zacks Restaurants industry in the past three months (+5.3% vs. -3.6%). The Zacks analyst believes that MCD is poised to benefit from the mass digitalization wave. McDonald’s launched its first-ever loyalty program in the United States and has been making every effort to achieve steady growth in international markets.

Robust drive-thru presence, and investments in improving the delivery system over the past few years have helped it counter the adverse effects of the pandemic. In the recently reported third-quarter 2021 results, McDonald’s earnings and revenues surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the third straight quarter. However, pandemic-related woes continue to weigh on its margins.

(You can read the full research report on McDonald's here >>>)

United Parcel shares have gained +29.6% in the year to date period against the Zacks Transportation - Air Freight and Cargo industry’s gain of +12%. The Zacks analyst appreciates UPS' efforts to reward its shareholders through dividends and buybacks even during such uncertain times.

United Parcel exited the September quarter with cash and equivalents worth $10,560 million, which is above its current debt levels of $1,268 million. UPS also increased shipping prices on the back of higher e-commerce demand and is likely to significantly benefit from the upcoming holiday season. High operating expenses and supply chain issues, however, continue to remain as the top headwinds for UPS.

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

Shares of Philip Morris have gained +33% over the past year against the Zacks Tobacco industry’s gain of +20.5%. The Zacks analyst believes that Philip Morris continues to benefit from efficient cigarette pricing and advancement in the RRPs category. The popularity of IQOS has also been a catalyst for growth.

Philip Morris has been on track with its plan to transform into a majority smoke-free company and is making every effort possible to launch relevant products and engage in acquisitions. The global shortage of semiconductor devices, however, remains a major concern for PM as it has been impacting the supply of IQOS devices.

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

Other noteworthy reports we are featuring today include Cigna Corporation (CI), Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. (MUFG) and Emerson Electric Co. (EMR).

Sheraz Mian

Director of Research

Note: Sheraz Mian heads the Zacks Equity Research department and is a well-regarded expert of aggregate earnings. He is frequently quoted in the print and electronic media and publishes the weekly Earnings Trends and Earnings Preview reports. If you want an email notification each time Sheraz publishes a new article, please click here>>>