Technology

Stifel Has 6 Mega Cap Tech Stocks to Buy for Rest of 2017

Lee Jackson

Published: October 3, 2017 8:25 am

Last Updated: January 12, 2020 7:35 am

The fourth quarter is underway, and barring a major late year surprise, the market is poised for yet another solid year of gains. Many of the gains have been driven this year by the largest companies, and while valuations are stretched, if solid earnings and guidance are delivered during third-quarter reporting, you can bet that the top stocks can trade higher.

A new Stifel research report makes the case that the biggest companies in the technology world stand a very good chance in the coming years of getting substantially bigger. The report noted:

There are five U.S.-based technology companies, with market capitalizations ranging from $450 billion to $800 billion We are within 3-to-5 years of the possibility that the U.S. market could have five companies with $1 trillion market capitalizations. The shift to scale-based, tech-centric platforms is accelerating and some may argue that innovation and equality could suffer.

Stifel has six mega-cap tech favorites, all are rated Buy

Amazon

This is the absolute leader in online retail and a dominate player in cloud storage business, and it remains the top pick at Stifel. Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) serves consumers through retail websites that primarily include merchandise and content purchased for resale from vendors and those offered by third-party sellers.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is also the undisputed leader in the cloud now, and many top analysts see the company expanding and moving up the enterprise information value chain and targeting a larger total addressable market. The company serves developers and enterprises through AWS that provides compute, storage, database, analytics, applications and deployment services that enable virtually various businesses.

The Stifel price target for the shares is $1,100, and the Wall Street consensus target is $959.36. The shares closed Monday at $959.19.

Alibaba

Three years ago this was the hottest thing on the planet and getting ready to come public. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. (NYSE: BABA) runs the largest retail marketplaces (Taobao, TMall) and leading B2B sites (Alibaba.com, 1688.com) in China and Lazada in Southeast Asia. It collects revenues mainly from commissions, marketing services, subscription fees, cloud computing and software, as well as other value-added services. It also owns media and partners with logistics and payment companies to offer delivery, warehousing, payment and financing services for its market participants.

The company recently reported huge quarterly numbers, and the driving force for some of the outperformance included social features, customized mobile app for users, cross-platform user tracking and ad targeting for merchants. In fact, growth returned to the levels the company was at when it went public.

Stifel has a $190 price target, which is lower than the consensus estimate of $196.01. Shares closed Monday at $173.61.

Alphabet

The search giant continues to expand and is even working on a driverless car now. Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL) is a global technology company focused around key areas, such as search, advertising, operating systems and platforms, enterprise and hardware products. It generates revenue primarily by delivering online advertising and by selling apps and contents on Google Play, as well as hardware products. The company provides its products and services in more than 100 languages and in 190 countries, regions and territories.

Alphabet offers performance and brand advertising services. It operates through Google and Other Bets segments. The Google segment includes principal internet products, such as Search, Ads, Commerce, Maps, YouTube, Apps, Cloud, Android, Chrome and Google Play, as well as technical infrastructure and newer efforts, such as virtual reality.

The $1,075 Stifel price target compares with the consensus estimate of $1,093.90. Shares closed Monday at $967.47.

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Facebook

The huge social media leader has continued to post gigantic numbers, and it is the top pick in internet media for 2017 at Merrill Lynch. Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ: FB) operates as a mobile application and website that enables people to connect, share, discover and communicate each other on mobile devices and personal computers worldwide.

Its solutions also include Instagram, a mobile application that enables people to take photos or videos, customize them with filter effects, and share them with friends and followers in a photo feed or send them directly to friends; Messenger, a messaging application for mobile and web on various platforms and devices, which enable people to reach others instantly, as well as enable businesses to engage with customers; and WhatsApp Messenger, a mobile messaging application.

Stifel has set its price target at $200. The consensus target is $194.64, and shares closed on Monday at $169.47.

Netflix

This Wall Street darling and FANG constituent 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.

Consumers continue to abandon cable and satellite programming, and millennials are helping to lead the charge in the cord-cutting. JPMorgan feels the company likely will add more members this year than it did in 2016. The firm also notes the company’s strong original content line up, which includes “Narcos,” “Stranger Things,” “The Crown” and many others as a huge positive driving subscriber growth.

The Stifel price target is $200. The posted consensus target is $188, and shares closed Monday at $177.01.

Priceline

This internet travel leader gapped down big in August and is offering a much better price point. Priceline Group Inc. (NASDAQ: PCLN) is an online travel business offering price disclosed and opaque airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, vacation packages and cruises. The company generates over 85% of gross profit from its international brands. Priceline operates Priceline.com, Booking.com, Kayak.com, Agoda.com, Rentalcars.com and OpenTable.

Trading at a reasonable 21 times fiscal year 2018 earnings estimates, the travel giant is seen by many as an “open-ended” growth story. Many on Wall Street continue to see comparisons easing for international bookings and margins will improve in the rest of the year and into 2017.

The Stifel price objective of $2,100 compares with a $2,100.69 consensus price target and the most recent close at $1,857.57.

Six mega cap technology behemoths that all have a dominant share of business in their particular tech silos. While expensive, they all have the ability to drive revenue growth, which can send the shares even higher.