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Sumo Logic and Jones Lang LaSalle have been highlighted as Zacks Bull and Bear of the Day

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For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – January 26, 2023 – Zacks Equity Research shares Sumo Logic as the Bull of the Day and Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL - Free Report) as the Bear of the Day. In addition, Zacks Equity Research provides analysis on Benson Hill, Inc. (BHIL - Free Report) , Corteva, Inc. (CTVA - Free Report) and Freshpet, Inc. (FRPT - Free Report) .

Here is a synopsis of all five stocks:

Bull of the Day:

Sumo Logic is a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and it sports an F for Value and a C for Growth.  This stock has recently been designated as a potential target of two Private Equity companies and that has caused the stock to spike. Let's explore more about this company in this Bull of The Day article.

Description

Sumo Logic Inc. provides software solutions. The company's Sumo Logic Continuous Intelligence Platform (TM) automates the collection, ingestion and analysis of application, infrastructure, security, and IoT data to derive actionable insights. Sumo Logic Inc. is based in CA, United States.

Private Equity Interest

Late in the day on Monday, January 23 an article was published that suggested that Thoma Bravo, Vista Equity Partners and Francisco Partners have all approached the software company. 

Brent Thill, covering analyst at Jefferies, wrote that the company could be worth as much as $17 per share if it were taken private. The low end of his take out multiple values the stock at $10.20.

Earnings History

When I look at a stock, the first thing I do is look to see if the company is beating the number. This tells me right away where the market's expectations have been for the company and how management has communicated to the market. A stock that consistently beats has management communicating expectations to Wall Street that can be achieved. That is what you want to see.

For Sumo Logic, I see four straight beats of the Zacks Consensus Estimate. That is not great to see, but by itself that is not enough to make the company a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

The average positive earnings surprise over the course of the last year works out to be 3.6%.

Earnings Estimates Revisions

The Zacks Rank tells us which stocks are seeing earnings estimates move higher. 

Over the last 60 days, earning estimates have moved up for SUMO.

This quarter has moved up from a loss of $0.17 to a loss of $0.09.

The full fiscal year 2023 has increased from a loss of $0.55 to a loss of $0.36 over the last 60 days. 

Next fiscal year is up from a loss of 55 cents to a loss of 32 cents.

Positive movement in earnings helped move this stock to a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

Valuation

The valuation for this name is low even with the solid growth. There is no PE because earnings are negative.  We do have a price to book multiple of 3.5x which is very low considering the fact that this is an asset slim business.

Operating margins have improved by 450 basis points over the last few quarters which is great to see. The price to sales multiple of 4.6x is low given the 27% topline growth that we saw in the most recent quarter.

Bear of the Day:

Jones Lang LaSalle is a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) saw earnings estimates slip after a miss in early November.  The company is expected to report again at the end of February and right now has a strong Earnings ESP of 9.8%  This article will look at why this stock is a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) as it is the Bear of the Day.

Description

Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated, a professional services company, provides real estate and investment management services worldwide. The company offers a range of real estate services, including agency leasing and tenant representation services; and capital market services, such as debt advisory, loan sales, equity advisory, loan servicing, merger and acquisition, corporate advisory, and investment sales and advisory services.

The company was formerly known as LaSalle Partners Inc. and changed its name to Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. in March 1999. Jones Lang LaSalle was incorporated in 1997 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.

Earnings History

When I look at a stock, the first thing I do is look to see if the company is beating the number.  This tells me right away where the market's expectations have been for the company and how management has communicated to the market.  A stock that consistently beats has management communicating expectations to Wall Street that can be achieved.  That is what you want to see.

In the case of JLL, I see three beats and one miss of the  Zacks Consensus Estimate.  This alone does not make the stock a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and it doesn't make it a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) either.

The Zacks Rank does care about the earnings history, but it is much more heavily influenced by the movement of earnings estimates.

Earnings Estimates

The Zacks Rank tells us which stocks are seeing earnings estimates move higher or in this case lower.  For Jones Lang LaSalle I see annual estimates moving lower of late.

The current fiscal year consensus number moved lower from $16.17 to $15.81 over the last 60 days. 

The next year has moved from $15.70 to $14.65.  That move lower is probably the biggest deciding factor for this stock to be a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).

Negative movement in earnings estimates like that is why this stock is a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).

It should be noted that a majority of stocks in the Zacks universe are seeing negative earnings estimate revisions.  That means that the stocks that are seeing small but negative earnings estimate revisions are falling to a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).

Additional content:

3 Food Stocks Ready to Dish Out an Earnings Beat This Season

The earnings cycle is back and food players look fairly placed. While input cost inflation remains a hurdle, favorable demand, efficient productivity and saving measures are likely to have aided companies' performances.

Companies have been benefiting from continued recovery in the foodservice channel. Traffic has been picking up at restaurants, cafes and other foodservice joints, which is favoring companies catering to them. Demand from retailers has also been above the pre-pandemic levels, thanks to increased at-home consumption.

Notably, the pandemic has made society even more aware of the importance of consuming healthy and nutritious food by cooking at home. As a result, the demand for organic and fresh food products has been high, acting as an upside for players in the natural food products industry. Increased at-home consumption has also been working well for companies offering packaged food and snacks, ready-to-cook meals, meat-based food offerings as well as confectionery and bakery items.

Companies have been making the most of the favorable demand trends through constant innovation, product upgrades and portfolio refinement via meaningful acquisitions and divestitures. Companies are also focused on making capacity expansions and technology investments to enhance efficiency in their operations. Apart from this, companies have been coming up with organic and nutrient-rich food options as health and wellness have gained further importance amid the pandemic.  A number of companies have been developing their digital capabilities as well, with online shopping gaining prominence.

That being said, escalated input costs remain a concern. Increased raw material costs have been putting pressure on companies' margins. Supply-chain hiccups across some markets have also led to higher warehouse, packaging and other logistics expenses. Nonetheless, companies have been undertaking prudent pricing and saving measures to combat the cost headwinds. On that note, let's take a look at a few companies from the food space, which are likely to post an earnings beat this earnings season.

How to Make the Right Choice?

Our research shows that for stocks with the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold), the chance of an earnings surprise is as high as 70%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they're reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Per the latest Zacks Earnings Outlook, the Consumer Staples sector (which houses food stocks) is likely to witness a top-line decline of 5.1%, whereas the bottom line is expected to increase 4.7% this earnings season.

3 Prominent Picks

Benson Hill, Inc., with an Earnings ESP of +9.09% and a Zacks Rank #2, is worth a look. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its fourth-quarter 2022 earnings is pegged at a loss of 17 cents. The consensus mark for Benson Hill's bottom line has improved by a penny in the past 30 days. This food technology company has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of about 18%, on average.

The company's Ingredients segment has been performing well. On its third-quarter 2022 earnings call, Benson Hill raised its Ingredients segment full-year guidance on the back of robust demand for non-proprietary ingredient soy and yellow pea products.  BHIL also pulled up its gross profit view owing to accelerated top-line growth and expectations of enhanced operating efficiencies. Focus on innovation also keeps the company well-placed for growth. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Corteva, Inc. also deserves a mention. The stock has an Earnings ESP of +33.33% and a Zacks Rank #2. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Corteva's fourth-quarter 2022 earnings per share has remained unchanged over the past 30 days at 6 cents. This agriculture business operator has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 19.8%, on average.

The company continues to gain on its efficient global execution and strong customer demand. Solid pricing has also been an upside. Apart from this, portfolio reshaping actions have been working well for Corteva, which is battling cost inflation. CTVA is scheduled to release results on Feb 1.

Freshpet, Inc. is likely to register top- and bottom-line growth when it reports fourth-quarter 2022 results. This manufacturer and marketer of natural fresh meals and treats for dogs and cats has an Earnings ESP of +2.04% and a Zacks Rank #3. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Freshpet's bottom line has remained unchanged at a loss of 8 cents in the past 30 days.

FRPT has a trailing four-quarter negative earnings surprise of roughly 88%,on average. The company has been benefiting from its robust pricing actions. Focus on innovation and favorable distribution gains are also working well for Freshpet.

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

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