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International Seaways and Whirlpool Corporation have been highlighted as Zacks Bull and Bear of the Day

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For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – October 26, 2022 – Zacks Equity Research shares International Seaways (INSW - Free Report) as the Bull of the Day and Whirlpool Corporation (WHR - Free Report) as the Bear of the Day. In addition, Zacks Equity Research provides analysis on Boeing (BA - Free Report) , General Dynamics (GD - Free Report) and Teledyne Technologies (TDY - Free Report) .

Here is a synopsis of all five stocks:

Bull of the Day:

International Seaways, a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), is one of this year's biggest market winners. INSW hit an all-time high in price this month in a sign of strength, all while most stocks hover in bear market territory. The company's longevity and continued stock price ascent speak to management's ability to adapt to the ever-changing market landscape. INSW sports a 'B' rating for our Zacks Momentum Style Score, indicating a strong likelihood that the stock propels higher on the powerful combination of positive earnings estimate revisions and stock price performance.

International Seaways is part of the Zacks Transportation – Shipping industry, which is currently ranked in the top 16% out of over 250 industries. This group has widely outperformed the market with a 29% return year-to-date.

Despite shipping rates coming down from their peak, companies within the shipping industry have continued to flourish. While an absence of high congestion has established a path to lower rates, any changes in China's Covid-zero policy or possible ceasefire agreements in the Russia-Ukraine war have the potential to lift rates again.

Why has this group continued to shine despite lower shipping rates? Two reasons – accelerated earnings growth and relative undervaluation. Historical research has illustrated that roughly half of a stock's future price movement can be attributed to its industry group. Because it is ranked in the top half of all Zacks Ranked Industries, we expect this group to outperform over the next 3 to 6 months. By focusing on stocks within the top industries, we can provide a constant 'tailwind' to our investing success.

The industry also boasts a large number of highly ranked stocks per our Zacks Rank, serving as another confirmation signal that this group is a great place to be. Let's take a deeper look at this leading stock.

Company Description

International Seaways owns and operates a fleet of over 80 oceangoing vessels and is engaged in the global transportation of crude oil and petroleum products. INSW serves independent and state-owned oil companies, oil traders, refinery operators, and international government entities.

As we saw in recent weeks with the release of September's CPI data, inflation is going to linger. While the Fed has gone into overdrive with rate hikes, even committee officials have acknowledged that they've done little to stem a 40-year high in inflation. That's good news for shipping companies, as they're able to charge higher rates and pass along the higher costs of doing business.

Earnings Trends and Future Estimates

INSW has surpassed earnings estimates in three of the past four quarters, delivering a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 8.31%. The shipping company most recently reported Q2 EPS back in August of $1.43/share, a 17.21% beat over the $1.22 consensus estimate. Consistently beating earnings estimates by a wide margin will generally help boost the stock price over time.

Analysts have increased their EPS estimates for INSW across the board. For the third quarter, estimates have been revised upward by 13.85% in the past 30 days. The Q3 Zacks Consensus EPS Estimate is now $2.22 per share, translating to astonishing potential growth of 452.37% relative to the same quarter last year.

What the Zacks Model Unveils

The Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) identifies companies that have recently witnessed positive earnings estimate revision activity. The idea is that this more recent information can serve as a better predictor of the future, giving investors a leg up during earnings season. When combining a Zacks Rank #3 or better with a positive Earnings ESP, stocks produced a positive surprise 70% of the time according to our 10-year backtest.

With an Earnings ESP +3.34% and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) rating, another earnings beat may be in the cards for INSW investors when the company reports Q3 results on November 8th.

Let's Get Technical

INSW shares have advanced nearly 180% this year. Only stocks that are in extremely powerful uptrends are able to make this type of price move while the market makes a series of lower lows. This is the kind of stock we want to include in our portfolio – one that is trending well and receiving positive earnings estimate revisions.

Both the 50-day and 200-day moving averages slope up and have acted as support this year throughout the bullish move. The stock has been making a series of higher highs. With both strong fundamentals and technicals, INSW is poised to continue its outperformance.

Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. And as we know, International Seaways has recently witnessed positive revisions. As long as this trend remains intact (and INSW continues to deliver earnings beats), the stock will likely continue its bullish run. Cautious investors may feel hesitant about investing in a stock that has come this far, but the fact is this elite company is still outperforming.

Bottom Line

Solid institutional buying should continue to provide a tailwind for the stock price. With a robust earnings history and an improving future outlook, INSW represents a great opportunity. The Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stock is a compelling investment with strong price momentum.

Healthy fundamentals combined with a strong technical trend certainly justify adding shares to the mix. Backed by a leading industry group and a lengthy history of earnings beats, it's not difficult to see why this company is a compelling investment. If you're looking for a way to diversify your portfolio, make sure to put INSW on your shortlist.

Bear of the Day:

Whirlpool Corporation manufactures and markets home appliances and related products globally. The company's principal products include refrigerators, freezers, ice makers, water filters, laundry appliances, and dishwasher appliances. WHR distributes its products under well-known brands such as Maytag, KitchenAid, Whirlpool, Everydrop, and Royalstar brands. The company sells its products to retailers, distributors, dealers, builders, and directly to consumers.

The Zacks Rundown

WHR has been severely underperforming the market over the past year. A Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) stock, WHR experienced a climax top in May of last year and has been in a price downtrend ever since. The stock is hitting a series of 52-week lows and represents a compelling short opportunity as the market continues its volatile start to the year.

Whirlpool is part of the Zacks Household Appliances industry group, which currently ranks in the bottom 9% out of approximately 250 industries. Because this industry is ranked in the bottom half of all Zacks Ranked Industries, we expect it to underperform the market over the next 3 to 6 months. The industry has fallen nearly 49% this year, widely underperforming the market.

While individual stocks have the ability to outperform even when included in poor-performing industries, their industry association serves as a headwind for any potential rallies. Also note the unfavorable characteristics for this group below:

Weak Foundation: Falling Short on Earnings and Deteriorating Forecasts

Earnings misses have been a sore spot for WHR lately. The household appliances company most recently reported Q3 earnings results last week of $4.49/share, a -19.68% miss versus the $5.59 consensus estimate. Revenues of $4.78 billion also missed the mark by -8.62%, and WHR has missed on revenue projections for the last five quarters. Consistently missing expectations by a wide margin is a recipe for stock price underperformance.

Analysts have revised Q4 earnings estimates down by -8.81% in the past week. The Zacks Consensus Estimate now stands at $5.38/share, reflecting negative growth of -12.38% relative to the same quarter last year. Revenues are seen slipping -6.98% to $5.41 billion. These are the types of negative trends that the bears like to see.

Technical Outlook

WHR stock has been steadily falling since last year and has now established a well-defined downtrend. Shares have declined nearly 40% in the past year, and the stock continues to trade below both moving averages.

While not the most accurate indicator, WHR has also experienced what is known as a 'death cross,' wherein the stock's 50-day moving average crosses below its 200-day moving average. WHR would have to make a serious move to the upside and show increasing earnings estimate revisions to warrant taking any long positions in the stock. The stock is making a series of lower lows – another good sign for the bears.

Final Thoughts

A deteriorating fundamental and technical backdrop shows that this stock doesn't deserve a spot in the household portfolio. The fact that WHR is included in one of the worst-performing industry groups provides yet another headwind to a long list of concerns. Falling future earnings estimates will likely serve as a ceiling to any potential rallies, nurturing the stock's downtrend.

WHR is rated a 'C' in our Zacks Style Score Growth category, indicating more weakness ahead. Potential investors may want to give this stock the cold shoulder, or perhaps include it as part of a short or hedge strategy.

Additional content:

What to Expect from Aerospace Q3 Earnings?

The third-quarter 2022 earnings cycle has started for aerospace and defense stocks, with Lockheed Martin reporting better-than-expected earnings. Some major industry players like Boeing, General Dynamics and Teledyne Technologies are set to reveal their Q3 numbers tomorrow.

Factors that Influenced Aerospace & Defense Stocks

Growing global air travel demand, driven by a steady recovery in the domestic space as well as improving trends observed in international air travel, is expected to significantly boost the Q3 results of aerospace and defense stocks, particularly those engaged in commercial aviation. Evidently, Boeing witnessed a solid year-over-year surge of 31.8% in its commercial shipments during the third quarter.

With Boeing the largest jet maker in the nation, we expect the Q3 results of the remaining aerospace majors to reflect a similar improvement in delivery trends. Such solid deliveries must have boosted the overall top-line growth of the Aerospace sector, which houses all aerospace and defense stocks.

Stocks in this industry that are more focused on combat must have gained as a result of steady government support. Moreover, a steady order flow observed in the past couple of quarters, along with improving delivery trends in recent times, buoyed by recovering economic trends are projected to have bolstered Q3 revenues of aerospace and defense stocks.

However, persistent headwinds like supply chain disruption along with some unfavorable project timing as the result of coronavirus might have an adverse impact on the Q3 bottom line of the industry.

Q3 Projections

Aerospace sector Q3 earnings are expected to slip 0.7% from the prior-year quarter's reported figure, while revenues are projected to improve 8.2%.  

For more details on quarterly releases, you can go through the latest Earnings Preview.

Aerospace & Defense Stocks to Watch

Let's take a look at three defense companies that are scheduled to report third-quarter 2022 earnings on Oct 26 and find out how things have shaped up prior to the announcements.

Boeing's third-quarter deliveries reflected a solid 31.8% surge in commercial shipments from the year-ago reported figure, while defense deliveries declined 2.7%. Such mixed delivery numbers from manufacturing companies like Boeing are likely to contribute moderately to the jet maker's overall third-quarter results.

Strong cargo markets with several Boeing-converted freighter and materials management agreements must have added an impetus to the company's Q3 revenues. However, the discontinuation of an engine distribution agreement since the second quarter might have impacted BA's government service revenue profile, thereby partly hampering its overall performance in Q3 (read more: Rise in Aftermarket Service to Aid Boeing in Q3 Earnings?).

According to the Zacks model, the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Boeing currently has an Earnings ESP of -1,900% and a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they're reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

General Dynamics' Q3 results are expected to reflect the solid performance of most of its segments. While increased air travel demand is projected to have boosted Aerospace unit's performance, increased demand volume for shipbuilding is expected to have benefited the Marine Systems segment. Increased revenues from U.S. Stryker wheeled combat vehicles are anticipated to have benefited the Combat Systems unit, while strong order activity might have boosted the performance of the Technologies segment.

However, the shortage of chips may have continued to plague the company's ability to deliver certain products in the third quarter as well, thereby partly impacting overall results.

General Dynamics has an Earnings ESP of -0.41% and a Zacks Rank #3 (read more: Will Segment Sales Aid General Dynamics Q3 Earnings?).

Teledyne's Q3 results are likely to reflect solid segmental performance from the majority of its business units. While higher sales of electronic tests and measurement instrumentation, marine instrumentation and environmental instrumentation are projected to have boosted the top line of the Instrumentation segment, the FLIR acquisition along with strong sales growth of the industrial and scientific sensors, cameras and X-ray products must have bolstered the Digital Imaging unit's revenues. Also, higher sales of energy systems amid lower sales of engineered products must have benefited Engineered Systems' performance.

Nevertheless, the dual impact of inflation as well as supply-chain constraints might have adversely impacted TDY's soon-to-be-reported quarterly earnings.

Teledyne currently has an Earnings ESP of -1.20% and a Zacks Rank #3 (read more: Will Strong Sales Momentum Boost Teledyne's Q3 Earnings?)

Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.

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