Health care and biotech companies have had some big moves over the past year, but seem to be settling back into the relative underperformance that marked the pre-pandemic era. That’s also applied to pharmaceutical companies too, including those who have developed Covid vaccines. The drug industry’s historically rapid development of a vaccine seems to be no longer impressive. Neither does the likely profits to be had thanks to government support and backing. Case in point?Pfizer (PFE). Shares have shed more than 20 percent from a peak in early December, marking a bear market. Other bi...

Stock buybacks and dividends were slashed or eliminated last year. Many firms are starting to resume either or both, and point to which companies are likely to continue to fare well in the post-pandemic world. One company just reported strong growth following a merger, and surprised even more with the possibility that a buyback of up to $60 billion would occur within the next few years. The company?T-Mobile (TMUS). The telecom company merged with Spring last year, just in time for the pandemic. But with higher growth prospects on the way, the big news is that a bigger share buyback i...

Tech stocks may be off their lows, but traders aren’t quite ready to embrace the space quite yet. That’s resulted in a few relative bargains. Especially when a company is capable of posting massive growth right now. That’s the case withOracle (ORCL). The software giant has been shifting to a subscription revenue model, which has made for stronger and more consistent earnings. Profits are now up 20 percent compared to a year ago. Besides trouncing on earnings, the company just boosted its dividend by 33 percent and expanded a share buyback plan. Yet shares fell on the news, as some tr...

One of the casualties of the pandemic has been consumer spending—at least plus or minus any stimulus programs. That’s resulted in reduced shopping and reduced transactions. That’s made it tougher for the credit card networks. However, with a recovering economy and likely more spending across a larger number of goods and services, the traditional card networks are likely to see a comeback in volume. That’s why a number of analysts are upgrading the space. While newer Fintech companies still pose a threat to the card companies, the shift towards those firms may slow on an economic reop...

Many blue-chip companies have been faring well in recent weeks—especially the ones outside of tech. A few companies that have been seen as typical safe-havens during a market crisis have fared a little worse this time around during the pandemic. One such area has been beverage companies. While people have to drink, they don’t have to at restaurants, which tend to have higher profit margins on beverages. While that’s one area that’s lagged, analysts are starting to get bullish on the space yet again thanks to relative valuation and a move higher in shares. One such example isCoca-C...

Markets are forward looking. And when looking at retail plays, they see things getting worse, not better, for a number of big-box stores. Why? Same-store sales trends. The big players saw a surge higher as mom and pop stores closed, and that trend may unwind slightly, which could hurt future trends. That’s led to a number of big-name retailers decline even after posting great sales and earnings numbers. The latest victim of this trend isCostco (COST). The warehouse giant knocked its earnings and revenue out of the park. But, like other retailers, it didn’t provide much in the way of ...

With the stock market in full meltdown mode, companies reporting great earnings numbers are being totally ignored. The chipmakers are one such place, where great earnings have been met with massive hits to share prices. While valuations may have been high going in to this correction, for growing companies dealing with more demand than can be met in the short-term, this looks like one of the first places in tech likely for a strong rebound. Case in point?Broadcom (AVGO). The company reported earnings on Thursday, and saw shares take a massive drop, adding to prior sessions. However, s...

Stock market volatility has been rising in recent sessions, and few spaces look immune to potential wild daily swings. For the semiconductor space, however, a supply crunch is likely to limit potential downside damage. That’s especially true forMicron (MU). The company beat on earnings estimates, and raised its forecast for the year for earnings, margin, and revenue. While shares sank when reporting earnings on Wednesday, and on Thursday's market meltdown, the longer-term uptrend looks intact. Shares have also benefitted in recent weeks from a series of upgrades by analysts, who have...

Shares of rideshare firmLyft (LYFT) are set to move higher yet again. That’s thanks to the company’s latest ride numbers, which are now on par with March 2020. Average daily rides are up 4 percent, and volumes are up 5.4 percent from the previous month. That’s a great trend, and one likely to continue to rise over time, as economies look to end restrictions and reopen. And with shares already near all-time highs, there’s room for a surge higher. The rideshare company has seen a 42 percent rally over the past year, coming quickly off of last year’s market drop. While the company’s rev...

The latest retail company to report earnings has continued the trend of failing to report guidance. And that’s once again spooked the market into a selloff. With where stocks are at right now, the move has created some opportunities to buy near the lows of the year. The latest player?Target (TGT). The company earned $2.73 per share for the last quarter of 2020, a massive jump from the $1.65 per share in the fourth quarter of 2019. Yet despite those massive numbers, including a 21 percent jump in revenue, the market didn’t like the lack of guidance for the quarter ahead. Neverthele...