Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Today's must-read reports are for Lockheed Martin (LMT), Cisco (CSCO) and General Mills (GIS).

Shares of Lockheed Martin have made steady gains over the year up to now. This Zacks Rank # 2 (Buy)-rated stock is the largest defense contractor in the world. The analyst likes its platform-centric focus that guarantees a steady inflow of follow-on orders from a leveraged presence in the Army, Air Force, Navy and IT programs. Two strategic moves -- the spin-off sale of its government IT and technical services businesses and the acquisition of Sikorsky -- will further strengthen its competitive position. (You can read the full research report on LMT here.)

Zacks Rank #2 (Buy)-rated Cisco’s shares are also in the green year-to-date. The largest player in the networking space has increased its focus on wireless carriers of late, as evident by recent acquisitions. The analyst likes the company’s order growth in new markets and is encouraged by its market position, innovative prowess, product range, growth initiatives and dividend payout. (You can read the full research report on CSCO here.)

General Mills has gained substantially over the year and reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter fiscal 2016 results, beating estimates for both earnings and sales. It has an outstanding portfolio of growth products and brands, especially its healthy and convenience packages. The analyst is encouraged by the fact that the company’s robust restructuring savings are making up for slower revenue growth. (You can read the full research report on GIS here.)

Other noteworthy reports we are featuring today include United Technologies (ORCL), Tesla (TSLA) and Alibaba (BABA).

• United Technologies (UTX) Down to Zacks Rank # 4 (Sell)
• Tesla (TSLA) Misses Delivery Target
•  Alibaba (BABA) Plans to Fight Fake Products

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

Note: Sheraz Mian regularly provides earnings analysis on Zacks.com and appears frequently in the print and electronic media. His weekly earnings related articles include Earnings Trends and Earnings Preview. He also provides weekly commentary to Zacks Premium subscribers and manages the Zacks Focus List and Top 10 portfolios. If you want an email notification each time Sheraz publishes a new article, please click here.