Zacks Bull and Bear of the Day Highlights: United Therapeutics, Intel, CBS, News Corp and Comcast
CHICAGO, Aug. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Zacks Equity Research highlights United Therapeutics Corp. (Nasdaq:UTHR) as the Bull of the Day and Intel Corp. (Nasdaq:INTC) as the Bear of the Day. In addition, Zacks Equity Research provides analysis onCBS Corporation (NYSE:CBS), News Corporation (Nasdaq:NWSA) and Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq:CMCSA).
(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:
United Therapeutics Corp.'s (Nasdaq:UTHR) second quarter earnings of $1.43 per share were well above the year-ago earnings of $1.19 and the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.12. Higher revenues led to the improvement in earnings. The company maintained its guidance for 2012.
We believe the company is well-positioned to gain share in the pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) market. Lead product Remodulin continues to look very strong in both the intravenous (IV) and subcutaneous (SC) forms. With the approval of Adcirca and Tyvaso, the company has a varied range of therapies available for the treatment of PAH.
We believe the company's PAH product portfolio will drive strong top-and bottom-line growth. We maintain our Outperform recommendation on United Therapeutics, which carries a Zacks #2 Rank (short-term Buy rating).
Intel Corp. (Nasdaq:INTC) beat the Zacks Consensus by $0.04 in the second quarter, driven by strength in server and software businesses and supported by a moderate PC business. Guidance disappointed, however, due to lower builds at distributors.
Intel also remains a laggard in the mobile segment, and although its situation could improve by virtue of its Ultrabook and agreement with Google, Intel has yet to prove itself here. In the meantime, competition from ARM-based devices continues to intensify.
Therefore, given the PC market weakness and the fact that mobile devices will continue to eat into its client business, we downgrade Intel shares from Neutral to Underperform. We are setting a target price of $24.00, which is 10.0X our earnings expectations for 2012.
Latest Posts on the Zacks Analyst Blog:
Earnings Preview: CBS Corp.
CBS Corporation (NYSE:CBS), one of the leading media company in United States and worldwide, is expected to release its second-quarter 2012 financial results on Thursday, August 2, 2012, after the market closes.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second quarter 2012 stands at 58 cents, flat year over year. The estimate lies between a low of 54 cents and a high of 64 cents. Revenue, as per the Zacks Consensus Estimate, is pegged at $3,543 million.
First Quarter Highlights
CBS Corporation posted better-than-expected first quarter 2012 results. Quarterly earnings of 54 cents per share were way ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 44 cents and surged 86% from 29 cents earned in the year-ago quarter.
Revenues jumped 12% year over year to $3,924 million. The growth was due to a 39% rise in content licensing and distribution revenues to $1,017 million along with a 5% increase in advertising revenues to $2,398 million. Moreover, affiliate and subscription fees rose 7% to $455 million. Total revenue also exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3,780 million.
Agreement of Estimate Revisions
For the second-quarter of 2012, one and two estimates went up (out of 22) in the last 7 and 30 days, respectively, whereas two estimates were trimmed in the last 30 days. For fiscal 2012, out of 25 estimates, two and seven estimates were revised upwards over the last 7 and 30 days, respectively, and two estimates went down in the last 30 days.
Magnitude of Estimate Revisions
Due to the lack of near-term catalysts impacting the estimates directly or indirectly, the estimates remained unchanged at 58 cents over the last 7 and 30 days for the to-be-reported quarter, whereas for fiscal 2012, the estimates went up by a penny over the last 30 days.
Positive Earnings Surprise History
CBS Corporation has been performing well, reflected by the better-than-expected results over the last four quarters. With respect to earnings surprise, CBS Corp has outperformed the Zacks Consensus Estimate with an average of 17.0% over the last four quarters. Looking at the company's past performance, we expect CBS to top the estimates in the coming quarters as well.
Conclusion
CBS, which competes with News Corporation (Nasdaq:NWSA) and Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq:CMCSA), has been actively managing its cash flows by generating healthy free cash, making prudent capital investments and enhancing shareholders' return.
The company generated free cash flow of $607 million, incurred capital expenditures of $39 million, repurchased shares worth of $269 billion in the first quarter and ended with cash and cash equivalents of $794 million.
The company's decision to increase its share repurchases authorization and dividend clearly suggests the ability to generate liquidity and its potential to improve in the long run.
CBS remains well positioned to drive revenue growth in the coming quarters through its strategic initiatives and operating efficiencies. Management remains optimistic and expects growth momentum to continue in fiscal 2012 based on reverse compensation from affiliates, strong demand of its content and online video streaming, retransmission consent, and political advertising.
Based on better-than-expected results and ability to generate strong free cash flow, CBS Corporation carries Zacks #2 Rank, implying a short-term Buy rating. We also maintain our long-term Outperform recommendation on the stock.
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.
Share this article