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Research Daily

Sheraz Mian

Top Research reports for Apple, Merck, BlackRock & Kraft Heinz

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Trades from $3

Friday, October 14, 2016

Today's Research Daily features new research reports on 16 major stocks, including Kraft Heinz's (KHC), Merck (MRK), BlackRock (BLK) and Apple (AAPL).

Strong Buy rated Kraft Heinz shares have handily beat the consumer staples sector as well as the broad market (the stock is up more than 19% year-to-date), reflecting the market's appreciation for the company’s cost-saving initiatives including the integration of Kraft Foods and Heinz. Cost savings have led to better margins, mainly in the developed markets of the U.S. and Europe. The company is also working for whitespace expansion of the Kraft and Heinz brands in both food services as well as international channels. (You can read the full research report on Kraft Heinz here>>)

Buy rated Merck shares continue to shine despite the macro headwinds facing the broader pharmaceutical space given politically-inspired pricing uncertainty (the stock is up more than 18% year-to-date), reflecting the company's efforts to expand its pipeline and focus on core areas of expertise. Estimates for the September quarter have remained stable lately, but they are steadily going up for next.  Merck has also been pursuing acquisitions and business development deals to boost its pipeline. Merck will also continue to look toward cost-cutting initiatives to drive the bottom-line. (You can read the full research report on Merck here>>)

BlackRock shares have lagged the broader market, but outperformed both the asset management industry as well as the Finance sector. Buy-rated BlackRock's dominant ETF franchise stands out. But it has a fairly diversified mix of businesses beyond ETFs, ranging from one of the largest fixed income platforms to significant presence in equities, alternative assets and cash products. Opportunities in international markets add to the company's long-term attractiveness. (You can read the full research report on BlackRock here>>)

Apple shares struggled earlier in the year on the company's long-term growth prospects as well as China uncertainties. But those worries appear to have faded lately, helping the stock handily beat the broader Tech sector over the last three months. While headlines about the Irish tax issue aren't helpful, but sentiment about China appears to have stabilized and the company is expected to benefit from the upgrade cycle initiated with the launch of the iPhone7 even in mature markets. (You can read the full research report on Apple here>>)

Other noteworthy reports we are featuring today include Alibaba (BABA), Bank of New York Mellon (BK), and ADP Inc. (ADP).  

You can find all of today's stock research reports here>>

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Sheraz Mian

Director of Research

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