Wednesday, November 11, 2020

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 Facebook (FB), Verizon Communications (VZ) and Toyota Motor (TM). 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 >>>

Facebook shares have outperformed the S&P 500 in the year-to-date period (+35% vs. +10.4%), with the company benefiting from steady user growth across all regions, particularly Asia Pacific.

Increased engagement for its products like Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger and Facebook Watch is a major growth driver. However, Facebook expects user-base growth to be flat or slightly down in the United States and Canada in the fourth quarter of 2020, sequentially.

The company expects ad-revenue growth on a year-over-year basis to be better than the third quarter’s growth rate, driven by continued strong advertiser demand during the holiday season. However, changes made by Apple and Google in their mobile operating systems and browser platforms have limited Facebook’s ability to track user-activity trend, which is a headwind. 

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

Shares of Verizon have gained +2.3% over the past year against the Zacks Wireless National industry’s fall of -0.7%. The Zacks analyst believes that Verizon is likely to benefit from a disciplined network strategy, including accelerated 5G deployment despite economic uncertainties stemming from the COVID-19 crisis.

The company has been building its 5G Ultra Wideband network to enable innovations that will support the evolving customer behavior. Verizon expects to witness strong 5G momentum heading into the fourth quarter of 2020 backed by customer-centric business model and diligent execution of operational plans.

The company updated its earlier guidance for 2020 based on the resilient earnings performance and projected trends. However, Verizon is facing challenges within the media business due to sluggish advertising trends. It operates in a fiercely competitive U.S. wireless market that strains margins. The company is spending heavily on promotion and lucrative discounts to attract customers, which further erodes profitability.

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

Toyota Motor shares have gained +19% over the past six months against the Zacks Foreign Automotive industry’s rise of +36.6%. The Zacks analyst believes that the Japan-based auto giant’s array of brands such as Lexus and Scio position it well and are expected to boost the top and bottom lines.

With electric vehicles (EV) becoming the hottest trend, Toyota aims to achieve half of the global sales from EVs by 2025. Toyota’s partnership with Subaru and Mazda is likely to drive its electrification plans. Amid the gradual recovery of the auto market, Toyota has boosted its fiscal 2021 guidance.

However, fiscal 2021 sales are still expected to decline year over year, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. High R&D expenses, as well as increased labor and raw material costs are likely to dent near-term margins. Elevated leverage and declining cash flows of the firm may restrict financial flexibility.

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

Other noteworthy reports we are featuring today include Novo Nordisk (NVO), Applied Materials (AMAT) and General Motors (GM).

More Stock News: This Is Bigger than the iPhone!

It could become the mother of all technological revolutions. Apple sold a mere 1 billion iPhones in 10 years but a new breakthrough is expected to generate more than 27 billion devices in just 3 years, creating a $1.7 trillion market.

Zacks has just released a Special Report that spotlights this fast-emerging phenomenon and 6 tickers for taking advantage of it. If you don't buy now, you may kick yourself in 2021.

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Sheraz Mian

Director of Research                                                             

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>>>