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The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights S&P Global, Sony Group, 3M, Northrop Grumman and Shopify

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For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – August 11, 2022 – 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: S&P Global Inc. (SPGI - Free Report) , Sony Group Corp. (SONY - Free Report) , 3M Co. (MMM - Free Report) , Northrop Grumman Corp. (NOC - Free Report) and Shopify Inc. (SHOP - Free Report) .

Here are highlights from Thursday’s Analyst Blog:

Top Analyst Reports for S&P Global, Sony and 3M

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 S&P Global Inc., Sony Group Corp., and 3M Co.. 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 >>>

S&P Global shares have declined -9.5% over the past year against the broad market's -8.3% decline, reflecting the data vendor's exposure to an uncertain macroeconomic environment. While the company is faced with a number of near-term challenges, it is well placed to gain from the growing demand for business information services.

Buyouts help innovate, increase differentiated content and develop new products. Effective management execution has helped it generate solid cash flow which is utilized for growth initiatives. Dividend payments and share buybacks boost investors' confidence and positively impact earnings per share.

(You can read the full research report on S&P Global here >>>)

Sony shares have declined -16.4% over the past year against the Zacks Audio Video Production industry's decline of -19.8%. The Zacks analyst believes that due to weak macro-economic conditions, the company trimmed its operating income guidance for fiscal 2022. Operating income is now projected to decline 8% against earlier projected decline of 3.5%.

The company expects operating margin for the fiscal year to be likely affected by decline in G&NS segment operating income. Stiff rivalry and high cost of goods sold pose concerns. However, Q1 performance gained from increases in revenues from Music and Pictures' segments. It remains focused on the premium segment of the branded products market to maximize growth.

For fiscal 2022, the company now expects sales to improve 16% due to higher Music, Pictures and E&TS segment sales. Strategic acquisitions and joint ventures bode well in the long haul. The company continues to expect 18-million-unit sales for its PlayStation 5.

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

3M's shares have declined -23.2% over the past year against the Zacks Diversified Operations Services industry's decline of -20.4%. The Zacks analyst believes supply-chain disruptions, raw material and logistics cost inflation are weighing on 3M's operations. Foreign-currency headwinds are impacting the company's top line.

The company has reduced its sales and earnings forecast for 2022. Due to these headwinds, shares of the company have lost 17% so far this year. However, strong demand across most end markets is supporting 3M's growth. The company's pricing actions and restructuring initiatives are supporting its margin performance.

Improvement in abrasives, electrical markets, roofing granules, automotive aftermarket and industrial adhesives businesses bode well for the company. Strength in separation and purification business, owing to strong demand for biopharma filtration solutions for COVID-related vaccines is driving the Healthcare segment's performance.

(You can read the full research report on 3M here >>>)

Other noteworthy reports we are featuring today include Northrop Grumman Corp. and Shopify Inc.

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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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