Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Today's Research Daily features new research reports on 16 major stocks, including Pepsi (PEP Quick QuotePEP - Free Report) , Philip Morris (PM Quick QuotePM - Free Report) and Dow Chemical (DOW Quick QuoteDOW - Free Report) .

Buy rated Pepsi shares have benefited from the beverage giant's reported better-than-expected quarterly results last week, where it beat on the top- and bottom-lines and raised guidance. Drivng the momentum is the company's Frito-Lay North America and North American beverages businesses, but the company's new product line-up, aggressive marketing, productivity improvement and cost-saving initiatives are also helping. The company is on track to deliver $1 billion in productivity savings in 2016 and $7 billion in free cash flow. (You can read the full research report on Pepsi here>>)

Philip Morris shares have outperformed the peer group this year on the back of strong momentum in its unconventional tobacco products portfolio. The analyst likes the Buy-rated stock’s strong brand portfolio which is crucial in helping it command a leading market share in the tobacco industry. Additionally, the company's efforts to launch new products to cater to changing consumer tastes are also encouraging. The company has also done an excellent job of maintaining margins through effective cost controls despite continued volume pressures. (You can read the full research report on Philip Morris here>>)

Dow Chemical shares have been laggards lately, reflecting global macro uncertainties about the economically sensitive chemicals space as a whole. Estimates have been moving up lately, largely reflecting improvements in productivity, aggressive portfolio management actions as well as strategic investments. This has pushed the stock to a Zacks Rank # 2 (Buy). The DuPont merger is expected to create significant synergies and free cash flows in the long run. (You can read the full research report on Dow Chemical here>>)

Other noteworthy reports we are featuring today include Priceline , Bank of America (BAC Quick QuoteBAC - Free Report) and 3M (MMM Quick QuoteMMM - Free Report) .

Today's Private Buys & Sells from Zacks Research
While we share the above news with the public, our sensitive recommendations are hidden from everyone but selected members. Would you like to peek behind the curtain and view them? Starting today, for the next month, you can follow all Zacks' private buys and sells in real time from value to momentum  . . . from stocks under $10 to ETF and option moves . . . from insider trades to companies that are about to report positive earnings surprises (we've called them with 80%+ accuracy). You can even look inside portfolios so exclusive that they are normally closed to new investors. Click here for Zacks' secret trades >>

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

Sheraz Mian

Director of Research

Note: If you want an email notification each time Sheraz publishes a new article, please click here>>>