CHICAGO, April 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Zacks Equity Research highlights: Invesco, Ltd. (NYSE: IVZ) as the Bull of the Day and Philips Electronics N.V. (NYSE: PHG) as the Bear of the Day. In addition, Zacks Equity Research provides analysis on Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ), Dell Inc (Nasdaq: DELL) and Apple Inc (Nasdaq: AAPL).
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101027/ZIRLOGO)
Full analysis of all these stocks is available at http://at.zacks.com/?id=2678.
Here is a synopsis of all five stocks:
We are upgrading our recommendation on Invesco, Ltd. (NYSE: IVZ) to Outperform based on its sustained earnings and healthy asset under management. The company's fourth quarter 2011 earnings inched past the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Results were aided by enhanced interest and dividend income as well as lower interest expense.
An uptrend in the global equity markets helped in improving the long-term investment performance of the company, which is further expected to uplift the company's operating results. Moreover, the operating leverage is expected to improve significantly over the long term due to its cost-control initiatives.
Invesco is well-positioned to benefit from improved global investment flows, resulting from its broad diversification. Our six-month target price of $28.00 per share equates to about 14.5x our earnings estimate for 2012. Combined with the annual dividend of $0.49 per share, this target price implies an expected total return of 13.8% over that period.
We are downgrading our Neutral recommendation on Philips Electronics N.V. (NYSE: PHG) to Underperform with a $16 target price. The company had a very modest fourth quarter with revenues marginally up by 3.3%, primarily driven by moderate growth across its segments. The company posted a net loss of $160 million due to a higher loss from the company s discontinued television business.
The net cash flow also declined compared to the prior year, attributable to higher working capital outflow related to higher vendor payments. The stock is currently trading at a premium to the peer group, based on 2011 forward earnings estimates.
Our long-term Underperform recommendation on the stock indicates that it will perform below the broader U.S. equity market over the next six to twelve months. Our target price is $16.00 or 18.8X 2012 EPS -- well within the historical range -- supports our downgrade.
Latest Posts on the Zacks Analyst Blog:
Upbeat PC Shipment Numbers for Q1
Market research firms IDC and Gartner recently came out with encouraging personal computer (PC) shipment numbers for the first quarter of 2012. As per the recent disclosure, worldwide personal computer shipments increased more than IDC's expectation during the first quarter.
However, the research firm believes that although the PC shipments surged during the quarter, the challenges facing the PC industry remain intact.
In a recent statement, Gartner Inc. noted that around 89.0 million PCs were shipped during the first quarter of the year, an increase of 1.9% from the prior-year period and was also higher than the research firm's expectation of 1.2%.
IDC witnessed that PC shipments were up 2.3% for the quarter, although the firm expected a 0.9% decline. However, this estimate beat does not indicate the revival of the PC industry.
On the contrary, industry experts are of the opinion that PCs have taken a backseat amid the growing popularity of tablet devices like iPad in the U.S. and other developed nations. Gartner also found that the demand for PCs was trending down in important markets, such as China and India.
This is a sort of a warning bell for the PC industry, which shows that PC makers cannot rely heavily on growth in these regions. The analysts are also of the opinion that PC vendors typically witness a dip in sales during the first quarter, which comes just after the holiday season. On the other hand, Gartner's results reveal that shipments were in fact impacted by growing consumer demand for smaller, sleeker devices.
As per Gartner, technology major Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ) was the top PC vendor, with 15.31 million units shipped during the quarter. Shipments improved 3.5% year over year to 17.2%. Lenovo was placed in the second position with 13.1% market share, up 28.0% year over year.
Third-placed Dell Inc's (Nasdaq: DELL) market share dropped slightly from 11.4% to 11.0%, on the back of a 1.6% year-over-year decline in volume. Acer, which grabbed the fourth spot, witnessed a 9.2% drop in volume, that pulled down the market share to 10.9% from 12.2% a year-ago. This apart, Asustek Computer saw a 21% rise in volume. Also, the company's market share rose to 6.0% from 5.1% a year earlier.
Apple Inc's (Nasdaq: AAPL) market share climbed from 9.8% to 10.6%, on a 3.8% increase in volume.
In terms of geographical shipments, PC shipments declined 3.5% in the U.S., which is better than the 6.1% decline anticipated. Moreover, shipments to Asia spiked 2.0%, weighed down by weak demand in India and China.
On the other hand, shipments to Latin American declined 3.2%. This apart, shipments to Japan rose 11.5% and those to the larger Europe and Middle East region increased 6.7%. So, mixed numbers from different geographical regions reveal the fact that the replacement of PCs with other mobile devices has yet to catch up across geographies.
Although the industry witnessed a shortage of hard drives, it was not a hindrance for the larger players.
Get the full analysis of all these stocks by going to http://at.zacks.com/?id=2649.
About the Bull and Bear of the Day
Every day, the analysts at Zacks Equity Research select two stocks that are likely to outperform (Bull) or underperform (Bear) the markets over the next 3-6 months.
About the Analyst Blog
Updated throughout every trading day, the Analyst Blog provides analysis from Zacks Equity Research about the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets.
About Zacks Equity Research
Zacks Equity Research provides the best of quantitative and qualitative analysis to help investors know what stocks to buy and which to sell for the long-term.
Continuous analyst coverage is provided for a universe of 1,150 publicly traded stocks. Our analysts are organized by industry which gives them keen insights to developments that affect company profits and stock performance. Recommendations and target prices are six-month time horizons.
Zacks "Profit from the Pros" e-mail newsletter provides highlights of the latest analysis from Zacks Equity Research. Subscribe to this free newsletter today by visiting http://at.zacks.com/?id=7158.
About Zacks
Zacks.com is a property of Zacks Investment Research, Inc., which was formed in 1978 by Leonard Zacks. As a PhD from MIT Len knew he could find patterns in stock market data that would lead to superior investment results. Amongst his many accomplishments was the formation of his proprietary stock picking system; the Zacks Rank, which continues to outperform the market by nearly a 3 to 1 margin. The best way to unlock the profitable stock recommendations and market insights of Zacks Investment
Research is through our free daily email newsletter; Profit from the Pros. In short, it's your steady flow of Profitable ideas GUARANTEED to be worth your time! Register for your free subscription to Profit from the Pros at http://at.zacks.com/?id=4582.
Visit http://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/zacksresearch
Join us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Zacks-Investment-Research/57553657748?ref=ts
Disclaimer: Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investors should always research companies and securities before making any investments. Nothing herein should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security.
Media Contact
Zacks Investment Research
800-767-3771 ext. 9339
[email protected]
http://www.zacks.com
SOURCE Zacks Investment Research, Inc.
WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM?
Newsrooms &
Influencers
Digital Media
Outlets
Journalists
Opted In
Share this article