Merrill Lynch Out With Huge Internet Catalysts for July and Beyond

By Lee Jackson Updated Jan 12, 10:51AM EST · Published Jun 21, 8:10AM EDT

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The first day of summer is here and it’s hard to believe that almost half the year is already over. With the third quarter less than 10 days away, many of the major firms on Wall Street that we cover here at 24/7 Wall St. are busy putting out reports on second-half activity and expectations. After a solid first half, it will be interesting to see how the market responds to not only earnings and guidance, but numerous other potential catalysts.

In a new Merrill Lynch report, Justin Post and his internet team feature what could prove to be a slew of potential catalysts in what they term as the “catalyst matrix.” While that sounds intriguing, the fact of the matter is they have as many as 56 potential internet catalysts on their radar for the second half of 2017. Here we focused in on the big catalysts for July and the third quarter.

1. Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) has its Prime Day. Prime Day is a one-day-only global shopping event exclusively for Prime members. With thousands of deals worldwide, members get exclusive access to the biggest discounts on things across nearly every product category.

2. The lock-up on shares of Snap Inc. (NASDAQ: SNAP) means a deluge of stock could hit the tape, and with current price back near the IPO level, things could get interesting.

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3. The merger between Angie’s List Inc. (NASDAQ: ANGI) and IAC/InterActiveCorp (NASDAQ: IAC) Home Adviser. After two years of wooing, Angie’s List has finally agreed to be acquired by IAC. After the deal closes, Angie’s List will be combined with HomeAdvisor, IAC’s home services marketplace, into a new public company called ANGI Homeservices.

4. Destiny 2 is set to be one of the biggest video games of the year, building on the ideas and universe established in Bungie’s online console shooter that debuted back in 2014. The incredibly popular game returns to both PS4 and Xbox One, and it is making its series debut on PC. Many of the higher level details about the story, environments and a bevy of new and returning features are already known. However, there are a few things gamer’s don’t know quite yet, such as how the all-important end-game raid will play out. The start time for those who preorder is expected to be July 18.

5. Amazon will begin streaming NFL football games in 2017, and this could have a huge impact for the millennial generation, many of whom eschew cable or satellite programming and stream all their content.

6) Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL) launches the Android O, which is the code name of an upcoming release of the Android mobile operating system. It was first released as an alpha quality developer preview on March 21, 2017. The second developer preview was released on May 17, 2017, and it is considered beta quality.

7) Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) launches new content, which will be closely tracked by Wall Street. Titles include “The Standups,” “Castlevania,” “Friends From College,” “To the Bone,” “Ari Shaffir: Double Negative (2 Specials)” and many more.

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The bottom line is that the excitement around July will certainly be getting bigger as we get closer. The big reality is that the internet and the new applications, content and mergers and acquisitions still make it the most exciting and innovative place for investors with risk tolerance to look. More importantly, the top companies in the industry are just scratching the surface of what is to come.

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.