Halloween is now over, and the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays are lurking right around the corner. For investors, this could be the time to grab some stocks that have serious upside potential and put them in portfolio in the hope of a seasonally strong run to finish 2015. A new research report from SunTrust Robinson Humphrey focuses on three top companies that could have significant upside potential.
The SunTrust analysts are looking past not only some near-term obstacles, but some big picture issues that could have a meaningful impact. Two of the stocks have issues that if resolved to their advantage could be huge, and another posted outstanding earnings and could reclaim or exceed old highs.
All three stocks are rated Buy at SunTrust.
This stock was hit hard earlier this year, but the third-quarter earnings could be a game changer. LinkedIn Corp. (NASDAQ: LNKD) continues to dominate the interconnecting of business professionals with over 300 million members worldwide, but uneven earnings and some corporate missteps turned the stock into a volatility victim. An improving economy and demand for highly skilled workers have provided the impetus for earnings surprises like the one registered last week.
The company posted results that handily beat expectations. The new Sales Navigator product, which was launched last year, showed solid improvement. LinkedIn has ramped sales selling the product, with field sales having an increasingly rising impact, as field sales has accounted for an increasing amount of overall company revenue.
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The SunTrust price target on the stock is raised to $280 from $275. The Thomson/First Call consensus price target is $275.07. The stock closed Friday up big to $240.87.
NXP Semiconductors
This company is considered a top play for investors looking for a chip stock with Internet of Things exposure. The NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ: NXPI) merger with Freescale Semiconductor was widely applauded on Wall Street, and many analyst believe the merger can transform the company into a powerhouse. It made NXP the fourth largest semiconductor company in the industry. It is also important to note that the combined company would be the number one supplier in auto semiconductors, number one supplier in global microcontrollers and a dominant supplier in mobile payments.
NXP is getting its chips into high-growth areas such as contactless mobile payments, the Internet of Things, mobile-phone charging, increased cellular data consumption and LED lighting. The two business segments that cover these products grew 39% and 29% year over year, very impressive numbers.
The company reported very mixed third-quarter results, and the forward guidance was way below what Wall Street was looking for. The SunTrust team maintains that if management can successfully convince investors that its long-term growth targets, which are 10% sales growth and 20% earnings-per-share growth, are still viable and intact, the huge sell-off could wind up looking like an outstanding buying opportunity.
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The SunTrust price target is lowered to $98 from $125, and the consensus target is $103.70. The stock closed Friday at $78.35, up over 7%.
Yahoo
This company has continued to report so-so quarters, and some investors are starting to tire of Marissa Mayer’s stint as the CEO, as the stock is down over 30% since last November. Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO) provides search and display advertising services on Yahoo properties and affiliate sites worldwide.
Yahoo recently acquired Polyvore, a leading social shopping site. The acquisition is expected to help enhance Yahoo’s consumer and advertiser offerings. Polyvore will strengthen Yahoo’s digital magazines and verticals through the incorporation of community and commerce, and together Yahoo and Polyvore will power native shopping ads that drive traffic and sales to retailers.
The SunTrust team points to the tax-free spin-off of the company’s gigantic Alibaba stake as a potential game changing event for the company. Analyst Bob Peck notes that the tax risks are significant if tax-free spin does not go through; however, he thinks that it will. He also feels that Marissa Mayer may be put in charge of the spin unit and may not be at Yahoo in a year. Many on Wall Street feel new leadership at the company is long overdue.
The SunTrust price target is $40, but the consensus target is $42.11. The stock closed Friday at $35.62.
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Aggressive accounts looking for some technology stocks to offer some positive end-of-the-year alpha should consider these SunTrust recommendations. They may be just the ticket to help light up a slow 2015.
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