Technology

Jefferies Out With 10 Incredible Internet Predictions for 2018

Lee Jackson

Published: January 10, 2018 7:40 am

Last Updated: January 12, 2020 4:39 am

Needless to say, the internet has become a ubiquitous and integral part of our lives, and with the applications and innovations spiraling higher every year, the parabolic growth rate looks to continue far into the future. One of the amazing attributes of the internet is the incredible growth each year over a multitude of platforms, and while one would sense there is a degree of oversaturation in the cards, the fact of the matter is that seems very unlikely.

Each year in January, the internet team at Jefferies comes out with the firm’s top predictions and stocks for the new year, and 2018 is no exception. Given the huge outperformance of the group last year, the Jefferies analysts continue to remain bullish, but they also feel that it makes sense to stick with the large cap leaders as valuations are stretched.

Here are the Jefferies top 10 internet predictions for 2018.

1. Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL) will outperform Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ: FB) and Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN).

2. Amazon breaks into digital advertising in a much bigger way in 2018. The analysts think worldwide advertising revenues jump a spectacular 50% and they grow to number three spot in the market.

3. Marketers continue the push to digital video, as advertising dollars close the gap to consumption, with Facebook and Google’s YouTube as the big winners.

4. Large cap internet stocks outperform small and mid-cap stocks.

5. Amazon Web Services moves up the stack into the application layer, thereby doubling its market opportunity.

6. The recent U.S. tax reform package could drive a 15% to 20% earning tailwind for Amazon and Intuit Inc. (NASDAQ: INTU).

7. Autonomous rides are on the way to a town near you soon. Waymo’s option value jumps for Google.

8. Video game digital and microtransaction tailwinds continue full speed ahead. Activision Blizzard Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI) and Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO) outperform Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) in 2018.

9) While Priceline Group Inc. (NASDAQ: PCLN) and Expedia Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPE) continue to dominate online travel, Google Travel starts to make inroads.

10) Match Group Inc. (NASDAQ: MTCH) continues to do well and is a top mid-cap company to Buy at Jefferies. The analysis notes the massive 40% short interest, which Jefferies feels gets washed out as new monetization opportunities arise.

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There you have it, the top calls from the internet analysts at Jefferies for 2018. One thing is for sure, as the internet age has started to grow beyond infancy, the leaps and bounds in technology and applications continue to come at a furious rate. It’s a good bet that trend stays in place for decades to come.