Zacks Analyst Highlights: Tech Giants, Healthcare Innovators, and Market Leaders

The Zacks Analyst Blog ASML, SAP, Nvidia, Vertex and EssilorLuxxottica

Chicago, IL - July 16, 2024 - Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: ASML ASML, SAP SAP, Nvidia NVDA, Vertex Pharma VRTX and EssilorLuxxottica ESLOY. Don't race off for that summer break just yet. Next are Reuters' five world market themes, reordered for equity traders -- (1) Lots going on in the United States this week. It's a big week in the United States with politics, retail sales, the Fed and bank earnings in focus. Inflation and higher rates have tested the resilience of households as signs of a cooling economy and inflation bolster expectations for rate cuts to start in September. Tuesday's retail sales data could show whether slowing growth is reflected in the consumer sector. Federal Reserve Chief Jerome Powell speaks in Washington on Monday, while some of the biggest banks on Wall Street report Q2 earnings in the early part of this week. And markets have one eye on the looming U.S. presidential election, with Biden facing doubts about his re-election chances. His rival, former president Donald Trump, will be officially nominated at the four-day Republican National Convention, starting Monday. The influence of big tech firms on the overall market is a talking point. After all, stellar gains in U.S. Big Tech, led by AI chipmaker Nvidia, have skewed the overall performance picture for the S&P500 and much rides on their results. The S&P is up +17% this year, but an equivalent equal-weight index (EWGSPC) is up just +3.8%. No doubt, market breadth is a factor in Europe too. Europe's equity market may be smaller than the U.S., but the love is spread more widely. (3) On Thursday, the European Central Bank (ECB) keeps its policy rate steady. The ECB is all but certain to keep rates steady on Thursday, a month after its first rate cut in five years. Attention is on whether policymakers say more about further rate cuts. Eurozone inflation eased for the first time in three months in June, but rose in the dominant services sector, where it has not dropped this year. Some policymakers felt uneasy about June's rate cut, regretting committing weeks in advance. So officials are in no hurry to flag what's next, and will scrutinize data out before the September meeting. No doubt, ECB President Christine Lagarde will be quizzed about whether the bank is ready to step in and buy French and other government bonds in the event of further turmoil. That looks unlikely unless there are much bigger market swings, or serious contagion to other countries' debt. (4) In the U.K., the King's speech announces the full Labour legislative agenda. King Charles will announce the full legislative agenda of the new government of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at 1200 GMT on Wednesday. But investors are likely to be watching more keenly for inflation data out earlier that day. Headline inflation eased back to the Bank of England's 2% target in May but policymakers are watching services prices most closely -- they've been rising nearly 6% in annual terms. BoE Chief Economist Huw Pill said he was unlikely to be swayed by one set of data, puncturing bets in financial markets on a rate cut as soon as the BoE's next scheduled monetary policy announcement on Aug. 1st. The latest U.K. jobs data on Thursday will also be key for the BoE, which is worried about the strong pace of wage growth. (5) On Monday, China's 3rd plenum, an event held every five years, kicks off. China's third plenum, a seminal event typically held every five years and originally expected late last year, kicks off on Monday. Reforms top the agenda: they could include the most significant overhaul of the fiscal system in three decades to try to redirect income from Beijing to cash-strapped regional governments. A parade of top-tier Chinese data releases meanwhile spans GDP, retail sales and industrial output. While strong exports provided respite in the first half, sluggish domestic demand and a shrinking property sector could prove challenging for the rest of the year. Deflation is a worry, and central bank efforts to support long-term bond yields could also hamper growth. Still, investors are hopeful that new stimulus can lift market sentiment. Chinese blue chips (CSI300) have edged higher, after notching up seven straight weeks of losses. Zacks #1 Rank (STRONG BUY) Stocks (1) Vertex Pharma: This is a $492 stock with a market cap of $127B. It is found in the Medical-Biomedical and Genetics industry in the USA. I see a Zacks Value score of C, a Zacks Growth score of B and a Zacks Momentum score of D. Boston, MA-based Vertex Pharmaceuticals is focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of small molecule drugs targeting serious diseases. The company's main area of focus is cystic fibrosis (CF). The company's lead marketed products are: They are collectively approved to treat nearly 75% of the 92,000 people with CF in North America, Europe and Australia. Trikafta/Kaftrio (brand name of Trikafta in EU), Vertex's triple combination regimen, is approved for the treatment of CF in people aged 2 years and older who have at least one F508del mutation in the United States and for CF patients aged 6 and above in countries outside the United States. In 2023/early 2024, Vertex received regulatory approvals for its one-shot gene therapy Casgevy for treating two debilitating blood disorders, sickle cell disease (SCD) and transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia (TDT), in the United States and European Union and some other countries like Great Britain, Bahrain and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. While CF remains the main area of focus, Vertex is also developing treatments for Pimodivir/VX-787, for the treatment of influenza, was out-licensed to Janssen in 2014 while oncology candidates VX-970, VX-984 and VX-803 were divested to Merck KGaA in 2017. (2) EssilorLuxxottica: This is a $109 stock with a market cap of $99.3B. It is found in the Medical Products industry in the USA. I see a Zacks Value score of C, a Zacks Growth score of C and a Zacks Momentum score of A. EssilorLuxottica Societe is involved in the design, manufacture, and distribution of ophthalmic lenses, frames and sunglasses. EssilorLuxottica Societe, formerly known as Essilor International Societe Anonyme, is based in Paris, France. Today you can access their live picks without cost or obligation. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) : Free Stock Analysis Report Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (VRTX) : Free Stock Analysis Report EssilorLuxottica Unsponsored ADR (ESLOY) : Free Stock Analysis Report The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights Amazon, Apple Walmart and Chevron

Chicago, IL - July 15, 2024 - Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Amazon.com Inc. AMZN, Apple Inc. AAPL, Walmart Inc. WMT and Chevron Corp. CVX. Here are highlights from Monday's Analyst Blog: 4 Blue-Chip Stock Picks to Strengthen Your Portfolio U.S. stock markets have been on an impressive bull run over the past 18 months. However, the Dow, despite participating in the rally, lagged its peers, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite. Wall Street's blue-chip index is up 5.4% year to date. On the other hand, the broad-market S&P 500 Index and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite have climbed 17.8% and 23.8%, respectively. Meanwhile, the Dow recorded its all-time high of 40,077.40 on an intraday basis on Mar 20 and 40,003.59 on a closing basis on May 17. Technically, at its current level of 39,753.75, the Dow is well above its 50-day and 200-day moving averages of 39,035.26 and 37,365.23, respectively. The 50-day moving average line is generally recognized as a short-term trendsetter in financial literature, while the 200-day moving average is considered a long-term trendsetter. Historically it has been noticed in the technical analysis space that whenever the 50-day moving average line surges ahead of the 200-day moving average line, a long-term uptrend for the asset (in this case the Dow Index) becomes a strong possibility. Our Top Picks We have narrowed our search to four Dow stocks that have strong earnings growth potential for the rest of 2024. These stocks have seen positive earnings estimate revisions in the last 60 days. Finally, each of our picks carries either a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Amazon.com Inc. is gaining on solid Prime momentum owing to ultrafast delivery services and a strong content portfolio. A deepening focus on generative AI is a major plus. Strengthening relationships with third-party sellers is a positive for AMZN. The strong adoption rate of AWS is aiding AMZN's cloud dominance. Improving Alexa skills along with robust smart home offerings are tailwinds. The advertising business is also pretty robust. AMZN enjoys a strong global presence and solid momentum among small and medium businesses. Growing capabilities in grocery, pharmacy, healthcare and autonomous driving are its other positives. Zacks Rank #2 Amazon.com has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 11% and 57.9%, respectively, for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 0.9% over the last 60 days. Apple Inc. has been playing catch-up in the AI space compared with Alphabet, Microsoft and Amazon, its peers in the "magnificent seven" group. Following the launch of Apple Intelligence, AAPL's competitive position is expected to improve. Moreover, AAPL is benefiting from increasing customer engagement in the services segment. The expanding content portfolio of Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade helped drive subscriber growth. AAPL's top-line benefits from strong growth in emerging markets and growing adoption of its devices among enterprises. Zacks Rank #2 Apple has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 0.8% and 7.5%, respectively, for the current year (ending September 2024). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 0.2% over the last 30 days. Walmart Inc. has been gaining from its highly diversified business with contributions from various segments, channels and formats. WMT has been benefiting from an increase in in-store and digital channel traffic due to its robust omnichannel initiatives. Store-fulfilled delivery sales jumped 50% in the first quarter of fiscal 2025. Walmart's strategic focus on enhancing delivery services has also been rewarding, as evidenced by the constant increase in the market share for groceries. Upsides like these, along with growth in the advertising business, fueled WMT's first-quarter results and led to an encouraging fiscal 2025 view. Zacks Rank #1 Walmart has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 4.3% and 9.5%, respectively, for the current year (ending January 2025). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 3% over the last 60 days. Chevron Corp. is positioned as one of the top global integrated oil firms, set for sustainable production growth, particularly due to its dominant position in the lucrative Permian Basin. Further, the recent acquisition of Hess Corporation is expected to significantly strengthen CVX's presence in oil-rich Guyana. CVX seems one of the best-placed global integrated oil companies to achieve sustainable production ramp-up. We expect the company's average output during 2024 to rise 4-7% year over year, due to the PDC Energy acquisition and robust output in the showpiece Permian Basin region. Zacks Rank #2 Chevron has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 2.3% and 0.4%, respectively, for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 0.1% over the last 30 days. Today you can access their live picks without cost or obligation. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Chevron Corporation (CVX) : Free Stock Analysis Report The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Zacks Investment Ideas feature highlights: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing and Netflix

Chicago, IL - July 15, 2024 - Today, Zacks Investment Ideas feature highlights Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. TSM and Netflix NFLX. 2 Great Stocks to Buy on the Dip Before Q2 Earnings Today's episode of Full Court Finance at Zacks explores where the stock market stands to start Q2 earnings season. The episode then digs into Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and Netflix stock ahead of their Q2 earnings releases on July 18 to see if investors should consider buying these two great tech stocks now or wait until the stocks pull back. Jay Powell's dovish turn was the biggest news of the week. Wall Street upped its bets that the Fed will start cutting rates in September. Powell appears convinced that the Fed has done all it can to bring down inflation. The central bank will turn its attention to the other side of its dual mandate and try to prevent higher rates from leading to rising unemployment. Despite the euphoria ahead of Q2 earnings season, investors should not panic if the market experiences a pullback. Some profit-taking appears due with the Nasdaq trading far above its 21-day and 21-week moving averages and at heavily overbought RSI levels. The Nasdaq experienced a bit of sell-the-news profit-taking on Thursday after the cooler-than-projected inflation data. With this in mind, investors should start looking ahead to big tech earnings season and possibly waiting for pullbacks to buy some of the best-in-class tech stock on the dip. Taiwan Semiconductor Stock - Earnings Thursday, July 18 Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., better known as Taiwan Semi or TSMC, is the largest and most dominant global chip manufacturer, proving it a massive moat. Taiwan Semiconductor physically builds the most cutting-edge semiconductors that drive AI and all advanced technologies. Taiwan Semiconductor's key tech giant clients such as Nvidia and Apple have almost nowhere else to turn for next-gen chip manufacturing. Taiwan Semiconductor stock is one of the only pure-play chip manufacturers, and it's actively expanding outside of Taiwan into the U.S. and elsewhere to combat geopolitical tensions. TSMC averaged 18% sales growth between FY18 and FY22, including 29% expansion in 2022, before suffering a cyclical downturn in 2023. TSMC is projected to grow sales by roughly 21% in FY24 and FY25 to help boost its EPS by 18% and 27%, respectively. TSMC's upward EPS revisions help the stock earn a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). Taiwan Semiconductor stock has doubled the Zacks Tech sector over the last 10 years, soaring over 70% YTD. TSM stock trades at a 7% discount to the Zacks Tech sector at 27.5X forward 12-month earnings, 42% below Nvidia, and 19% below its 10-year highs. Taiwan Semiconductor pays a dividend (0.9% yield) and boasts a robust balance sheet. Plus, eight of the 10 brokerage recommendations Zacks has are "Strong Buys." Taiwan Semiconductor is one of the most straightforward buy-and-hold options in all of technology alongside the likes of Nvida NVDA and others because chips are the lifeblood of the economy and TSM is the semiconductor manufacturer. Any near-term pullback down to some of Taiwan Semiconductor stock's key shorter-dated or longer-dated moving averages could mark a screaming buy signal for long-term investors. Netflix Stock - Earnings Thursday, July 18 Netflix permanently changed entertainment. The streaming TV pioneer has stayed ahead of Disney, Apple, Amazon, and countless others through successful pushes into new content such as reality TV and various other initiatives. Netflix's lower-cost ad-based tier is gaining traction and its efforts to cut down on account sharing has helped improve its business. Netflix has also landed live-streaming deals with the WWE and the NFL as it prepares to thrive in the next streaming frontier. Netflix crushed Wall Street subscriber projections the past two quarters, adding over 22 million users during that stretch to close Q1 with 269.60 million paid memberships. Netflix surprised Wall Street last quarter when it said it would stop providing quarterly membership data starting in the Q1 FY25, several years after it stopped providing subscriber guidance. Netflix will instead report "major subscriber milestones" as it focuses on cash flow, profitability, and more. Netflix is projected to grow its sales by 15% in 2024 and 12% next year to soar from $33.72 billion in 2023 to over $43 billion in 2025. Netflix is set to boost its adjusted earnings by 52% and 21%, respectively. Netflix's recently stagnant earnings revisions help it earn a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), but its overall EPS outlook has jumped significantly over the last six months. Netflix stock has climbed 940% in the last 10 years vs. Tech's 350%, Apple's AAPL 860%, and Disney's DIS 11%. NFLX stock has soared around 280% off its 2022 lows, but it got rejected near its all-time highs recently. Netflix shares trade at a 90% discount to NFLX's 10-year highs at 33.4X forward earnings and 50% below its median. As with TSM stock, any downturn to Netflix's 50-day, 21-week, or other key moving averages could offer long-term investors an amazing buying opportunity. Today you can access their live picks without cost or obligation. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) : Free Stock Analysis Report The Walt Disney Company (DIS) : Free Stock Analysis Report Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. (TSM) : Free Stock Analysis Report The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

The Zacks Analyst Blog DexCom, Hologic, Alcon Intuitive Surgical and Thermo Fisher Scientific

Chicago, IL - July 16, 2024 - Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: DexCom Inc. DXCM, Hologic Inc. HOLX, Alcon Inc. ALC, Intuitive Surgical Inc. ISRG and Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. TMO. Here are highlights from Tuesday's Analyst Blog: Buy 5 Medical Devices Stocks to Enhance Your Portfolio in 2H The Medical Instruments industry is highly fragmented, with participants engaged in research and development (R&D) in therapeutic areas. The industry has been witnessing a gradual transition from remote healthcare and contactless services during the pandemic to its original space of point-of-care testing, heavy as well as minimally invasive implants, elective procedures, and so on and so forth. The medical instruments space has been benefiting from the ongoing merger and acquisition trend. The smaller and mid-sized industry players have been trying to compete with the big shots through consolidation. This trend is more visible after the pandemic-led downturn. The big players are also attempting to enter new markets by acquiring niche products. Moreover, since the beginning of 2023, this industry has been witnessing massive adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Medical Things in the form of digital healthcare options in hospitals and other healthcare settings. Digital enhancement, while optimizing costs, proves to be better for clinical outcomes. With an increase in the adoption of digital platforms within the medical device space, robotic surgeries, big-data analytics, bioprinting, 3D printing, electronic health records, predictive analytics, real-time alerting and revenue cycle management services are gaining prominence in the United States. However, the Medical Instruments players are suffering from logistical challenges and higher unit costs. The pandemic-led devastation of the global supply-chain management system and the effects of monetary policy tightening by the Fed to combat a record-high inflation rate and the withdrawal of fiscal support amid high debt are negatively impacting the industry. Our Top Picks We have narrowed our search to five Medical Instruments stocks with strong potential for the rest of 2024. These stocks have seen positive earnings estimate revisions in the last 60 days. Each of our picks carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. DexCom Inc. has benefited from an impressive contribution from the Sensor segment and domestic and international revenue growth were the key catalysts. DXCM's prospects with Stelo as an OTC monitor for type 2 diabetes bode well. DXCM made continued advancements concerning key strategic objectives and ended the quarter with new patient additions. DXCM's slew of tie-ups with AID systems are encouraging. A solid international foothold and robust product portfolio augur well. A strong solvency position is an added plus. DexCom has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 19.4% and 17.1%, respectively, for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 1.7% over the last 60 days. Hologic Inc. continues to witness revenue growth with a recovery in procedural volumes and an acceleration in new business lines. HOLX's GYN Surgical business is registering growth driven by contributions from MyoSure Fluent Fluid Management and Laparoscopy. HOLX's expanded global installed base of Panthers instruments represents the catalyst for sustained growth in Diagnostics. HOLX's international business continues to drive strong top-line growth. To streamline its operations and reduce the cost of revenues, Hologic has been adopting strategies that are likely to drive future growth. Hologic has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 0.1% and 3%, respectively, for the current year (ending September 2024). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 0.2% over the last 60 days. Alcon Inc. is witnessing strength in the Surgical and Vision Care segments backed by healthy markets. Within Surgical, ALC continues to gain market share driven by strong consumables and equipment sales. ALC's flagship lenses, Vivity and PanOptix and monofocal torics continue to lead the category globally. In Vision Care, ALC is registering solid growth, banking on strong sales of its contact lenses and ocular health products. In contact lenses, ALC is successfully executing its strategy of investing in fast-growing market segments. ALC is witnessing a strong uptake of its specialty daily lenses, including DAILIES Total1 Toric, DAILIES Total1 Multifocal and Precision1 Toric. Alcon has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 6.1% and 11.3%, respectively, for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 0.1% over the last 60 days. Intuitive Surgical Inc. has benefited on the back of continued growth in the company's da Vinci procedure volume, coupled with strong Ion procedure growth. ISRG's initiative to increase the pricing of procedures should also continue to aid in sales growth in 2024. Improving procedure volume along with better system placements and services across all markets will drive top-line growth of ISRG this year. The launch of da Vinci SP in Europe and da Vinci 5 in the U.S. market should drive ISRG's system placements higher. Intuitive Surgical has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 12.5% and 9.6%, respectively, for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 1.5% over the last 60 days. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is braving the ongoing tough economic conditions by utilizing the PPI (Practical Process Improvement) Business System, resulting in strong financial performance. TMO's growth strategy is further bolstered by the introduction of the Axiom PangenomiX Array, a high-throughput array designed for global genomic studies. TMO's consistent efforts to expand bioproduction purification resin capacity, which is used in the mRNA manufacturing process, look encouraging. TMO continues to prioritize its partnership with customers to drive innovation and improve patient care, which bodes well. A strong solvency position is an added advantage. Thermo Fisher Scientific has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 0.2% and 0.5%, respectively, for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 0.6% over the last 60 days. Today you can access their live picks without cost or obligation. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (ISRG) : Free Stock Analysis Report Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (TMO) : Free Stock Analysis Report The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.