4 Must Own Technology Networking Stocks Seeing Huge Demand

By Lee Jackson Updated Jan 13, 12:41PM EST · Published Feb 26, 9:50AM EST

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4 Must Own Technology Networking Stocks Seeing Huge Demand — © Thinkstock

It’s all around us, just look. Everywhere people are looking at phones and tablets. Networks are streaming their programming so it can be watched through the apps anywhere and just about at any time. The huge proliferation in streaming, cloud storage, data on demand and much more is forcing everybody from the telecom companies to the cable companies to expand and increase their resources to deliver what the consumer wants.

In a new Deutsche Bank research report focuses on the stocks the analysts feel are benefiting the most from this huge and ever increasing demand. With service providers increasing orders, the top networking stocks are generating business from an increasing number of information technology engagements in software and cloud-based mobile packet core, digital video, business services and more.

Deutsche Bank has four top companies rated Buy that make very good sense for aggressive growth accounts looking to add networking technology companies.

Cisco

This is one of the top technology stock picks on Wall Street and is Deutsche Bank’s top mega-cap pick in networking. Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) posted outstanding earnings earlier this month, and many on Wall Street have significantly raised their price targets for the networking giant. Cisco is also one of the 24/7 Wall St. top 10 stocks to own for the next decade.

Cisco won an important contract last year for the Verizon build-out of the company’s next-generation 100G metro network. While Cisco’s optical business is small as a part of total revenue, this win is seen by Wall Street as a significant endorsement of the investments Cisco has made into its optics business.

Analysts across Wall Street point to an estimated double-digit bookings momentum for Cisco’s Meraki Cloud Services. Many think that Meraki is likely to be a $1 billion or more run-rate business this year, with an incredible 50% to 70% compounded annual growth rate. A jump from 40 GE to 100 GE data center switching and next generation security are also adding to the total sales profile and product mix.

The company recently introduced its new network functions virtualization infrastructure solution, combining virtual and physical environments, as well as providing all the necessary compute, storage and networking infrastructure to run NFV network services. The ability to stay ahead of competition keeps Cisco at the forefront of technology.

Cisco investors are paid a very solid 3.95% dividend. The Deutsche Bank price target for the stock is $33, and the Thomson/First Call consensus price target is set at $31.02. The shares closed most recently at $26.60.
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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) is a provider of high-performance network infrastructure to service providers and enterprises. Its key products include IP-based routers for service provider core and edge networks, security solutions and high-end enterprise routing equipment. Juniper’s products support converged data, voice, video and wireless applications across extended networks.

The stock has taken a big hit since printing highs in November and is back to a very solid support level for investors looking to buy shares. For the fourth quarter, the company posted solid numbers, but the forward guidance left much to be desired, and the stock was hit hard yet again. Much of the lowered guidance was attributed to currency issues, and Deutsche Bank sees the company as another that will benefit from the big data center refresh this year.

Juniper Networks investors are paid a 1.61% dividend. Deutsche Bank has a $31 price objective, and the consensus target price is at $28.93. The stock closed Thursday at $24.96 per share.
Akamai Technologies

This company posted very solid fourth-quarter results and the stock has rallied back nicely from multi-year lows hit recently. Akamai Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM) is the self-described global leader in content delivery network (CDN) services. Akamai makes the Internet fast, reliable and secure for its customers. The company’s advanced Web performance, mobile performance cloud security and media delivery solutions are revolutionizing how businesses optimize consumer, enterprise and entertainment experiences for any device, anywhere.

The Deutsche Bank team has made the company one of its top large cap ideas for 2016. The analysts point to huge financial opportunity in what they term over the top linear and on-demand TV, as the media companies generate the next 10% of Internet video traffic. They point out that this is above and beyond the 37% of Internet traffic volumes generated by Netflix. Also, trading at less than eight times 2017 estimated EBITDA, the stock is dirt cheap.

The Deutsche Bank price target is posted at $75, well above the $61.58 consensus target. The shares closed Thursday at $54.96.

CommScope

This is another top play for investors, though it may be somewhat more under the radar. CommScope Holding Co. Inc. (NASDAQ: COMM) provides connectivity and infrastructure solutions for wireless, business enterprise and residential broadband networks in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia-Pacific, Central and Latin America and Canada.

The company operates in three segments: Wireless, Enterprise and Broadband. The company’s network infrastructure solutions help customers increase bandwidth, maximize existing capacity, improve network performance and availability, increase energy efficiency and simplify technology migration

The analysts feel that the company will benefit from the low teens spending growth in data center optical connectivity. And trading at nine time estimated 2017 earnings, the stock is also very cheap. While the company reported fourth-quarter sales that were up 38% year over year, the rest of the report was pretty much in line with expectations. and the net loss reported reflects purchase accounting charges, transaction and integration costs and other special items. Adjusted net income, excluding special items, was up 11% year over year.

The $33 Deutsche Bank price target compares with the consensus estimate of $30.71. The stock closed on Thursday at $24.84.
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This huge spending growth could continue for years to come as demand across all of the sector grows. These top stocks to buy for 2016 and beyond are more suitable for aggressive growth accounts that can tolerate a degree of volatility.

About the Author Lee Jackson →

Lee Jackson has covered Wall Street analysts' equity and debt research and equity strategy daily for 24/7 Wall St. since 2012. His broad and diverse career, which included a stint as the creative services director at the NBC affiliate in Austin, Texas, gives him unique insight into the financial industry and world.

Lee Jackson's journey in the financial industry spans over 30 years, with nearly two decades as an institutional equity salesperson at Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, and Morgan Stanley. His career was marked by his presence on the sell side during pivotal Wall Street events, from the dot.com rise and bubble to the Long Term Capital Management debacle, 9/11, and the Great Recession of 2008. This is a testament to his resilience and adaptability in the face of market volatility.

Lee Jackson’s practical financial industry experience, acquired from a career at some of the biggest banks and brokerage firms, is complemented by a lifetime of writing on various platforms. This unique combination allows him to shed light on the intricacies and workings of Wall Street in a way that only someone with deep insider experience and knowledge can. Moreover, his extensive network across Wall Street continues to provide direct access for him and 24/7 Wall St., a privilege few firms enjoy.

Since 2012, Jackson’s work for 24/7 Wall St. has been featured in Barron’s, Yahoo Finance, MarketWatch, Business Insider, TradingView, Real Money, The Street, Seeking Alpha, Benzinga, and other media outlets. He attended the prestigious Cranbrook Schools in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and has a degree in broadcasting from the Specs Howard School of Media Arts.