One of the key metrics the Oppenheimer team looks at is market breadth, which is a technique used in technical analysis that attempts to gauge the direction of the overall market by analyzing the number of companies advancing relative to the number declining. Advancing stocks that are also rated Outperform hit the analysts’ screens, and we picked four stocks that also reported solid earnings in the second quarter.
Amazon
This is the absolute leader in online retail, and it is also a dominant player in cloud storage business and just crushed earnings last week. Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) serves consumers through retail websites, such as Amazon.com and Amazon.ca, which primarily include merchandise and content purchased for resale from vendors and those offered by third-party sellers. In addition, the company serves developers and enterprises through Amazon Web Services (AWS) that provides compute, storage, database, analytics, applications and deployment services that enable virtually various businesses.
Despite its huge run up in July, the Oppenheimer team and other Wall Street analysts say investors can still buy the stock. Even with currency headwinds that amounted to $1.4 billion, the company still had worldwide unit growth that grew 22% in the quarter. Plus, AWS revenues increased an astounding 81% to $1.8 billion, and that was much more than the analysts’ estimates.
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The Oppenheimer price target for the stock is $640, and the Thomson/First Call consensus target is $647.92. The stock closed Thursday at $529.46.
AT&T
This company posted solid second-quarter numbers in July. AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) has to be one of the most ignored dividend plays on Wall Street. In fact, AT&T is the third-most underweighted security, as well as the most underowned by active fund managers, according to Wall Street data. While growth has been admittedly slower over the past few years, the company continues to expand its user base, and strong product introductions from smartphone vendors have not only driven traffic, but increased device financing plans. That is an area that many on Wall Street believe could lead to some earnings weakness.
Many on Wall Street think that finally closing the DirecTV deal will remove a lot of lingering questions, especially where the company’s big dividend is concerned. It is a good bet that the synergies created by the deal are being underestimated by Wall Street. And many analysts see upside to wireless margins, which were a positive earnings driver in the second quarter.
AT&T investors are paid an outstanding 5.44% dividend. The Oppenheimer price target is set at $40, and the consensus estimate is $36.98. Shares closed Thursday at $34.24.
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Juniper Networks
This is a solid technology stock that has been on a long roller-coaster ride for investors over the past two years. Juniper Networks Inc. (NYSE: JNPR) has seen the combination of positive activist shareholder moves combined with a solid product cycle that has made the stock a recent favorite again. So its trip to the woodshed last year may be just the ticket for investors looking to buy some, despite the big move made off the lows that were printed last fall. The company has a big presence in network and enterprise security and could possibly be a merger or straight out takeover target.
Juniper reported a solid second-quarter earnings beat last month, as it reported $0.41 in earnings per share on revenue of $1.22 billion. The Wall Street consensus was for $0.31 per share on $1.10 billion for the quarter.
Investors are paid a 1.42% dividend. The Oppenheimer price objective of $32 is higher than the consensus target of $29.52. The stock closed Thursday at $28.01.
Valero Energy
This is a large refiner that posted very solid second-quarter earnings. Valero Energy Corp. (NYSE: VLO) has 56% of companywide refining capacity located in the U.S. Gulf Coast, which makes Valero well positioned to benefit from the ongoing infrastructure debottlenecking of inland crude oil supply in 2015 and beyond. Some Wall Street estimates have the company generating an astounding free cash flow compounded annual growth rate of 24% between now and 2016.
Wall Street loves the big pile of cash the company has, and many are especially interested in possible mergers and acquisition activity in both refining and midstream assets. The Oppenheimer analysts were very enthusiastic after the earnings report and cited a strong industry outlook and Valero’s competitive dividend growth and share repurchase plan for their bullishness. Valero recently increased its buyback allotment from $2.5 billion to $2.9 billion.
Investors are paid a 2.47% dividend. The Oppenheimer price target is increased from $70 to $80, and the consensus target is $76.93. Valero closed Thursday at $65.68.
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Each of the Oppenheimer stocks has traded outstandingly, posted very good earnings, are in solid sectors and, best of all, have true upside potential going forward. They are not only good August picks, they are good picks for the rest of 2015 and beyond.
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