UBS Top Internet Stocks to Buy That May Deliver Solid Earnings

A new research report from the analysts at UBS maintains that during this earnings period, stock performance likely will be dictated by investor sentiment and company management commentary, especially when it comes to revenue growth and forward cost guidance. They stick to their year-long preference for the top large cap names in the industry that have reasonable valuations.

Here are four of the top Internet stocks rated Buy at UBS.

AOL Inc. (NYSE: AOL) makes the UBS list as a top name to buy. The stock has recovered from the spring sell-off but still offers a solid entry point. The purchase of Adap.TV, as well as a video ad platform and marketplace that AOL acquired last year, have paid off big. AOL paid $405 million for Adap.TV, and comScore reports that platform delivered 3.7 billion video ads in the U.S. earlier this year, topping even Google, which had 3.2 billion. There has also been some continued chatter of an AOL-Yahoo! merger. UBS has a price target of $47. The Thomson/First Call consensus estimate is $47.48. AOL closed Tuesday at $40.67 a share.

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Expedia Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPE) has absolutely exploded pricewise over the past year, and more gains are expected, especially after the company picked the pace in television advertising. Expedia provides travel products and services to leisure and corporate travelers, offline retail travel agents and travel service providers through a portfolio of brands, including Expedia.com, Hotels.com, Hotwire.com, Expedia Affiliate Network, Classic Vacations, Expedia Local Expert, Egencia, Expedia CruiseShipCenters, eLong and Venere.com. Investors are paid a 0.8% dividend. UBS has an $85 price target, while the consensus target is $79.75. Expedia closed Tuesday at $80.60.

Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ: FB) makes the UBS list, and the social media giant is on a roll. With mobile revenue and advertising numbers skyrocketing, the company has been a stellar performer the past year. With over a billion registered users around the world, the company is expected to earn $1.43 per share this year on $11.84 billion in revenue, and $1.83 on $15.59 billion in revenue in 2015. These staggering figures could prove to be low. The UBS price target for the stock is a huge $90, and the consensus target is $78.12. Shares closed trading Tuesday at $67.16.

LinkedIn Corp. (NYSE: LNKD) is not an e-commerce powerhouse by any means, but it is the leader for the interconnecting of business professionals. LinkedIn has more than 300 million members worldwide, with millions more being added every year, making it the most valuable social networking site for business-to-business marketing today.

LinkedIn recently announced it would acquire Newsle, a startup that highlights news about people in a user’s professional and social networks. This shows a commitment to expanding its brand and presence. The UBS price target for this former momentum darling is a stunning $225. The consensus target is up there as well at $223.08. Shares closed Tuesday at $158.51.

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UBS game plan is hardly shrouded in secrecy. Stay with the big-cap leaders that are dominating what they do. This makes even more sense if investors are thinking of buying these stocks in front of the second-quarter earnings print.