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The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights Meta Platforms, Walmart, Pfizer, Intel and Ecolab

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For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – November 15, 2023 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Meta Platforms, Inc. (META - Free Report) , Walmart Inc. (WMT - Free Report) , Pfizer Inc. (PFE - Free Report) , Intel Corp. (INTC - Free Report) and Ecolab Inc. (ECL - Free Report) .

Here are highlights from Tuesday’s Analyst Blog:

Top Analyst Reports for Meta Platforms, Walmart and Pfizer

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 Meta Platforms, Inc., Walmart Inc. and Pfizer Inc. 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 >>>

Shares of Meta Platforms have outperformed the Zacks Internet - Software industry over the past six months (+37.8% vs. +15.8%). The company is benefiting from steady user growth across all regions, particularly Asia Pacific. Increased engagement for its offerings like Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger and Facebook has been a major growth driver.

Meta Platforms' is leveraging AI to recommend Reels content, which is driving traffic on Instagram and Facebook. Its innovative portfolio, which includes Threads, Reels and Llama 2, is likely to aid prospects.

However, challenging macroeconomic conditions remain a headwind for Meta's advertising revenues, along with targeting and measurement headwinds due to Apple's iOS changes. Slow monetization of Reels, along with mounting operating losses at Reality Labs, are concerns.

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

Walmart shares have outperformed the Zacks Retail - Supermarkets industry over the past six months (+10.8% vs. +8.1%), with the outperformance expected to continue on the back of another strong result later this week. Robust omnichannel operations aimed at improving the overall shopping experience is driving the company's financials. Walmart's strategic focus on enhancing delivery services has been especially rewarding.

This is evident from the constant increase in the market share for groceries, which boosted U.S. comparable sales in the second quarter of fiscal 2024. During the quarter, the top and bottom lines grew year over year, encouraging management to raise its guidance for fiscal 2024.

Strong comp sales growth globally and e-commerce growth across all units were upsides. While the gross margin increased year over year, it was partly hurt by an adverse category mix, which is likely to linger in the third quarter. Management also expects variable pay expenses to increase year over year in the third quarter.

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

Shares of Pfizer have underperformed the Zacks Large Cap Pharmaceuticals industry over the past six months (-20.0% vs. +2.1%). The company's top line is declining in 2023 due to steep declines in revenues from its COVID-19 products, Comirnaty vaccine and Paxlovid oral pill, on lower demand.

In October, Pfizer slashed its previously issued revenue guidance for 2023 due to lower-than-expected demand for Comirnaty and Paxlovid. Nonetheless, Pfizer boasts a diversified portfolio of innovative drugs and vaccines, including Ibrance and Prevnar.

Pfizer is witnessing solid pipeline progress and is launching some key non-COVID products in 2023, which can drive long-term sales and profit growth. Huge profits from its COVID products strengthened its cash position. Estimates have declined sharply of Q3 earnings. Pfizer has a positive record of earnings surprises in the recent quarters.

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

Other noteworthy reports we are featuring today include Intel Corp. and Ecolab Inc.

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Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.

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