[cnxvideo id=”625493″ placement=”ros”]If there is one thing that investors look for in growth stocks it is consistency. Companies that can continue to put out solid metrics over long periods make good additions to portfolios that have a long-term outlook. Plus, it is also important to remember that solid track records help when the inevitable market sell-off hits, as investors are far less likely to sell stocks that have performed well year in and year out.
A new JPMorgan research report highlights a basket of large cap secular growth stocks that all have passed muster as companies that have shown strong and consistent revenue growth over the past 10 years, even during the recession. The stocks also satisfied strict criteria laid down by JPMorgan that included metrics like high five-year sales compounded annual growth rates and low mergers and acquisitions contributions.
We further screened these stocks for those rated Overweight at JPMorgan and found four outstanding stocks to buy that had the largest upside to their price targets.
Amazon
This company has finally put all the pieces together and has become an earnings juggernaut. Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) engages in the retail sale of consumer products in North America and internationally. It operates through the North America, International and Amazon Web Services (AWS) segments.
The company sells merchandise and content purchased for resale from vendors, as well as those offered by third-party sellers through retail websites. It also manufactures and sells electronic devices, including kindle e-readers, fire tablets, fire TVs and echo, as well as fire phones. It provides Kindle Direct Publishing, an online platform that allows independent authors and publishers to make their books available in the Kindle Store.
Amazon also serves developers and enterprises through the aforementioned Amazon Web Services, which provides compute, storage, database, analytics, applications and deployment services that enable virtually various businesses. AWS is the undisputed leader in the cloud now, and analysts see the company expanding and moving up the enterprise information value chain and addressing a larger total addressable market. The company has had numerous recent product announcements, including Aurora for relational database engine, Quicksight for business intelligence and AWS Database Migration Support Service.
The company’s revenue exploded in the first quarter, and top analysts noted that after years of very uneven profitability, they feel the company is really focusing on the bottom line. Amazon absolutely annihilated analysts’ expectations on both its top and bottom lines for the first quarter, thanks mostly to its growing retail business and new cloud services.
The JPMorgan price target for the stock is $915. The Thomson/First Call consensus price target is $801.95. Shares closed Wednesday at $713.23. There is almost 30% upside to the JPMorgan price target.
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Biogen
Many on Wall Street remain very bullish on this large cap biotech, and the stock is down a stunning 43% from highs printed in March of last year. Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ: BIIB) discovers, develops and delivers to patients worldwide innovative therapies for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, hematologic conditions and autoimmune disorders. Founded in 1978, Biogen is one of the world’s oldest independent biotech companies, and patients worldwide benefit from its leading multiple sclerosis (MS) and innovative hemophilia therapies.
Some analysts have acknowledged in the past that the company’s core MS drug market is facing challenges going forward, with most diagnosed patients now treated, payers limiting net benefits from price increases and competing entrants expected. With those issues in mind, the firm is still positive on Tysabri, especially for secondary-progressive multiple sclerosis, with upcoming clinical data a big factor.
The combination of cost reductions, in tandem with the still strong MS franchise, may not be as challenged by competitors as some on Wall Street think, but can help the company beat earnings estimates this year. With a strong pipeline the stock is a solid choice for aggressive growth investors. Biogen posted outstanding earnings for the most recent quarter and it remains a solid choice.
JPMorgan has a gigantic $401 price target. The consensus target is $345.50, and the stock closed Wednesday at $267.25. Biogen has almost 47% upside to the JPMorgan price target.
Celgene
This company is another of JPMorgan’s top biotech picks and many feel this large cap stock has solid upside potential for 2016. Celgene Corp. (NASDAQ: CELG) has an outstanding partnered pipeline, which most think is low risk and has the potential to yield several blockbuster drugs. Certain Wall Street analysts also think the company can grow earnings 15% on a compounded annual growth rate basis going forward.
The company provided strong guidance earlier this year surrounding its Otezla launch and encouraging feedback from doctors on the potential of new triplet regimens in myeloma. Analysts across Wall Street have raised their estimates for the drug as after a little more than a year on the market, Otezla, which treats psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, has achieved considerable prescriptions among physicians.
Celgene’s blockbuster blood cancer drug Revlimid continues to dominate. Pomalyst sales also continue to be solid. Cancer drug Abraxane is also growing at a respectable rate, so the company continues to have a strong lineup of top-selling drugs.
The stock jumped recently when Celgene and Natco came to a patent settlement, which removed a huge overhang on the stock that has been there for some time. Revlimid makes up over 60% of the company’s total revenue, and the analysts note that typically first quarter is seasonally soft for the drug. Plus some on Wall Street think that the terms of the settlement are incrementally more favorable than many expected.
The JPMorgan price target is $146. The consensus target is lower at $136.82. The shares closed Wednesday at $100.25. The stock has 41% upside to the JPMorgan price target.
Netflix
This Wall Street darling has been mauled since early December, down almost 30% and could offer solid upside. Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) is the world’s leading internet television network, with more than 70 million members in over 190 countries enjoying more than 125 million hours of TV shows and movies per day, including original series, documentaries and feature films. Members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, on nearly any internet-connected screen. Members can play, pause and resume watching, all without commercials or commitments.
Netflix is available on virtually any device with an Internet connection, including personal computers, tablets, smartphones, smart TVs and game consoles, and it automatically provides the best possible streaming quality based on available bandwidth. Many titles, including Netflix original series and films, are available in high-definition with Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 surround sound and some in Ultra HD 4K. Advanced recommendation technologies with up to five user profiles help members discover entertainment they’ll love.
The $126 JPMorgan price objective compares with the consensus estimate of $119.85. Shares closed Wednesday at $90.02. The stock has a potential of 36% upside to the price target.
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While the proverbial “Past performance is not guarantee for future results” is certainly in play here, given some of the discounts to the price targets, and the quality of the stocks, they are good additions to aggressive growth accounts looking for solid additions.
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