Tuesday, April 14, 2026

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 Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL), Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) and Shell plc (SHEL). 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 >>>

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You can read today's AWS here >>> PPI Wholesale Inflation Highest in 3 Years

Today's Featured Research Reports

Alphabet’s shares have outperformed the Zacks Internet - Services industry over the past year (+106.3% vs. +93.8%). The company is benefiting from accelerated growth across AI infrastructure, Google Cloud, and Search. Google Cloud ended the fourth quarter of 2025 with $240 billion in backlog, up 55% sequentially. 

GOOGL has more than 325 million paid subscriptions across consumer services with strong adoption for Google One and YouTube Premium. Gemini app now has over 750 million monthly active users and the company sold more than 8 million paid seats of Gemini enterprise in Q4. Search is benefiting from AI Overviews and AI Mode that has driven growth in overall queries. 

Launching personal intelligence in AI Mode in search and the Gemini app bodes well for Alphabet’s prospects. YouTube is benefiting from the growing demand for shorts. However, stiff competition in cloud computing has been concerning.

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

Shares of Meta Platforms have outperformed the Zacks Internet - Software industry over the past year (+22.1% vs. +1.1%). The company is benefiting from increasing AI-infusion across its services which currently reach more than 3.58 billion people daily. META’s improved recommendation system is driving up user engagement. Instagram Reels had a strong fourth-quarter, with watch time up more than 30% year-over-year in the United States. 

Facebook video time continued to grow double-digits year-over-year in the United States. Recommendation improvement drove 20% lift in time spent on Threads. AI usage is making META a popular name among advertisers. 

Meta Platforms now expects to invest significantly more over the next few years in developing more advanced models and the largest AI services in the world. However, monetization of these AI services will take considerable time, which is a concern. Increasing regulatory challenges is a headwind for investors.

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

Shell’s shares have gained +53.4% over the past year against the Zacks Oil and Gas - Integrated - International industry’s gain of +61.8%. The company being a London based oil supermajor, looks fairly balanced at the moment. Shell demonstrated resilient cash generation in 2025, delivering robust operating and free cash flows, supporting shareholder returns. 

Its LNG franchise remains a long-term strength, with solid sales growth and clear demand visibility. Structural cost reductions achieved ahead of schedule and portfolio simplification have improved efficiency and balance-sheet flexibility. 

However, earnings and revenue declined year over year, highlighting exposure to commodity price cycles. Net debt increased, while Chemicals and Renewables continue to weigh on returns amid weak margins. Potential LNG oversupply and geopolitical volatility add uncertainty. Overall, strengths are offset by cyclical and segment-specific risks, justifying a neutral stance.

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

Other noteworthy reports we are featuring today include Arista Networks, Inc. (ANET), Ecolab Inc. (ECL) and Block, Inc. (XYZ).

Mark Vickery
Senior Editor

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>>>