Thursday, January 9, 2025

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 JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM), Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (CMG) and Workday, Inc. (WDAY), as well as two micro-cap stocks, Kingsway Financial Services Inc. (KFS) and Frequency Electronics, Inc. (FEIM). These research reports have been hand-picked from roughly 70 reports published by our analyst team today.

You can see all of today’s research reports here >>>

JPMorgan’s shares have outperformed the Zacks Financial – Investment Bank industry over the past two years (+75.4% vs. +51.9%). The Zacks analyst believes that relatively higher interest rates, strategic acquisitions, branch openings and a decent loan balance are expected to support the company. A resurgence in deal-making activities and JPMorgan’s leading position in investment banking (IB) are expected to aid related fee income.

However, the volatile nature of capital markets and high mortgage rates will likely hurt fee income growth.

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

Chipotle's shares have outperformed the Zacks Retail - Restaurants industry over the past year (+29.0% vs. +5.6%). The Zacks analyst believes that the company is benefiting from its focus on service digitization, new menu offerings and bringing back customer favorites, and new restaurant openings, especially with drive-thru Chipotlanes. Anticipation regarding the augmented make line by Hyphen and Autocado are encouraging for the company’s future sales growth.

Yet increased input costs, along with labor inflation, are concerns.

(You can read the full research report on Chipotle Mexican Grill here >>>)

Shares of Workday have underperformed the Zacks  Internet - Software industry over the past two years (+59.0% vs. +133.3%). Per the Zacks analyst, growing competition in the human capital and financial management software market could lead to pricing pressure and impede profits. Continuous investments to achieve long-term growth are hurting its margins in the short term. The lack of geographical diversity remains a concern.

However, solid customer wins across various industries, including education, financials and healthcare are driving growth for the company. A robust cash balance and strong cash flows are tailwinds. Workday is set to be included in the S&P 500 index, a very positive development as it indicates overall stability and growth for the company.

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

Kingsway Financial’s shares have underperformed the Zacks Insurance – Property and Casualty industry over the last six months (-1.0% vs. +9.5%). The Zacks analyst believes that the company’s high debt levels pose risks. Limited cash flow, sluggish revenue growth and execution challenges in acquisitions add pressure. There are also concerns about the company’s inability to integrate recent acquisitions successfully.

Yet there is optimism around its acquisition-driven strategy. The Extended Warranty segment is highly profitable, provides recurring income and has expanded beyond auto warranties to include heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC) and plumbing.

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

Frequency’s shares have outperformed the Zacks Instruments – Control industry over the past year (+64.6% vs. +5.5%). The Zacks analyst believes that U.S. government programs have been helping the company expand into the fast-growing satellite market, including low-cost synchronization systems for LEO satellites. This positions the company to capitalize on rising demand for smaller, faster-deployed satellites. Additionally, FEI’s quantum technology initiatives, such as magnetometers, provide growth potential.

Risks include backlog decline, negative operating cash flow, rising R&D expenses, and heavy reliance on government contracts, which could introduce revenue volatility.

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

Other noteworthy reports we are featuring today include The Travelers Companies, Inc. (TRV), eBay Inc. (EBAY) and EQT Corp. (EQT).

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>>>