Yahoo Finance Beat the Market Like Zacks: Goldman Sachs, Micron, Amgen in Focus
The three most widely followed indexes closed a winning week last Friday. The Nasdaq Composite, the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 2.4%, 1.3% and 0.3%, respectively.
The week’s proceedings were dominated by various jobs and employment numbers, which reflected a varied outlook. While a couple of significant jobs reports showed that employment openings were slowing down and jobless claims were rising, the nonfarm payrolls report depicted a far more resilient and robust labor market. While the manufacturing and construction sectors continued to show signs of a slowdown, the services sector posted numbers that far superseded expectations.
However, later in the week, investors seemed to suggest a lesser probability of a September rate cut, which pushed treasury yields higher. All eyes are currently set on the Fed and its monetary policy moves.
Regardless of market conditions, we, here at Zacks, provide investors with unbiased guidance on how to beat the market.
As usual, Zacks Research guided investors over the past three months with its time-tested methodologies. Given the prevailing market uncertainty, you may want to look at our feats to prepare better for your next action.
Here are some of our key achievements:
TransCode and Delcath Surge Following Zacks Rank Upgrade
Shares of TransCode Therapeutics RNAZ have gained 61.8% (versus the S&P 500’s 4.6% increase) since it was upgraded to a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) on April 5.
Another stock, Delcath Systems, Inc. DCTH, was upgraded to a Zacks Rank #2 on April 1 and has returned 37.3% (versus the S&P 500’s 2.5% increase) since then.
Zacks Rank, our short-term rating system, has earnings estimate revisions at its core. Empirical research shows a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements.
A hypothetical portfolio of Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks returned +20.63% in the year-to-date period through April 1st, 2024, vs. +11.3% for the S&P 500 index and +7.7% for the equal-weight S&P 500 index. This hypothetical portfolio returned +20.63% in 2023 vs. +24.83% for the S&P 500 index and +15% for the equal-weight S&P 500 index. The portfolio of Zacks Rank #1 stocks is an equal-weight portfolio, while the S&P 500 index is a market-cap-weighted index that has been notably distorted by the concentrated performance of mega-cap stocks since October 2022.
The Zacks Model Portfolio - consisting of Zacks Rank #1 stocks – has outperformed the S&P index by more than 16 percentage points since 1988 (Through April 1st, 2024, the Zacks # 1 Rank stocks generated an annualized return of +27.6% since 1988 vs. +11.1% for the S&P 500 index).You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks Rank #1 stocks here >>>
Check TransCode’s historical EPS and Sales here>>>
Check Delcath’s historical EPS and Sales here>>>
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Zacks Recommendation Upgrades LM Funding and Ouster Higher
Shares of LM Funding America, Inc. LMFA and Ouster, Inc. OUST have advanced 43.1% (versus the S&P 500’s 4.6% rise) and 14.9% (versus the S&P 500’s 3.4% rise) since their Zacks Recommendation was upgraded to Outperform on April 4 and April 3, respectively.
While the Zacks Rank is our short-term rating system that is most effective over the one- to three-month holding horizon, the Zacks Recommendation aims to predict performance over the next 6 to 12 months. However, just like the Zacks Rank, the foundation for the Zacks Recommendation is trends in earnings estimate revisions.
The Zacks Recommendation classifies stocks into three groups — Outperform, Neutral and Underperform. While these recommendations are determined quantitatively, our analysts have the flexibility to override them for the 1100+ stocks they closely follow based on their better judgment of factors such as valuation, industry conditions and management effectiveness than the quantitative model.
To access our research reports with Zacks Recommendations for the 1100+ stocks we cover, click here>>>
Zacks Focus List Stocks Micron, Sea Limited Shoot Up
Shares of Micron Technology, Inc. MU, which belongs to the Zacks Focus List, have gained 40.4% over the past 12 weeks. The stock was added to the Focus List on December 27, 2016. Another Focus-List holding, Sea Limited SE, which was added to the portfolio on March 26, 2020, has returned 24.7% over the past 12 weeks. The S&P 500 has advanced 4.7% over this period.
The Focus List portfolio returned +10.23% in 2024 Q1 vs. +10.56% for the S&P 500 index and +7.9% for the equal-weight S&P 500 index.
The 50-stock Zacks Focus List model portfolio returned +31.44% in 2023 vs. +26.28% for the S&P 500 index and +13.61% for the equal-weight S&P 500 index. In 2022, the portfolio produced -15.2% vs. the S&P 500 index’s -17.96%.
Since 2004, the Focus List portfolio has produced an annualized return of +11.91% (through March 31st, 2024). This compares to a +10.25% annualized return for the S&P 500 index in the same time period.
Unlock all of our powerful research, tools and analysis, including the Focus List, Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research Reports, Zacks Earnings ESP Filter, Premium Screener and more, as part of Zacks Premium. Gain full access now >>
Zacks ECAP Stocks Amgen and Mettler-Toledo Make Significant Gains
Amgen Inc. AMGN, a component of our Earnings Certain Admiral Portfolio (ECAP), has jumped 13.5% over the past 12 weeks. Mettler-Toledo International Inc. MTD has followed Amgen with 8.6% returns.
The Zacks Earnings Certain Admiral Portfolio (ECAP), which consists of 30 concentrated, ultra-defensive, long-term Buy-and-Hold stocks, returned +9.08% in the year-to-date period (through March 31st, 2024) vs. +10.42%. In 2023, the portfolio returned +12.17% vs. +26.28% for the S&P 500 index. The portfolio returned -4.7% in 2022 vs. the S&P 500 index’s -17.96%.
With little to no turnover and annual rebalance periodicity, the ECAP seeks to minimize capital loss by holding shares of companies whose earnings streams exhibit a proven 20+ year track record of surviving recessionary periods with minimal impact on aggregate earnings growth relative to the overall S&P 500.
The ECAP and many other model portfolios are available as part of Zacks Advisor Tools, a cloud-based solution to access Zacks award-winning stock, mutual fund and ETF research. Click here to schedule a demo.
Zacks ECDP Stocks Coca-Cola and Colgate-Palmolive Outshine Peers
The Coca-Cola Company KO, which is part of our Earnings Certain Dividend Portfolio (ECDP), has returned 6.7% over the past 12 weeks. Another ECDP stock, Colgate-Palmolive Company CL, has climbed 6.2% over the same time frame. Of course, the inclination of investors toward quality dividend stocks to secure an income stream amid heightened market volatility contributed to this performance.
Check Coca-Cola’s dividend history here>>>
Check Colgate-Palmolive’s dividend history here>>>
With an extremely low Beta and a history of minimum earnings variability over the last 20+ years, this 25-stock portfolio helps significantly mitigate risk.
The Zacks Earnings Certain Dividend Portfolio (ECDP) returned +4.47% in the year-to-date period (through March 31st, 2024) vs. +10.42% for the S&P 500 index (IVV) and +6.9% for the Dividend Aristocrats ETF (NOBL).
The portfolio returned -0.9% in 2023 vs. +26.28% for the S&P 500 index and +8.11% for NOBL. The portfolio returned -2.3% in 2022 vs. -17.96% for the S&P 500 index and -8.34% for NOBL.
Click here to access this portfolio on Zacks Advisor Tools.
Zacks Top 10 Stocks — Goldman Sachs Delivers Solid Returns
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. GS, from the Zacks Top 10 Stocks for 2024, has jumped 17.9% year to date compared with a 12.4% increase for the S&P 500 Index.
The Top 10 portfolio returned +19.56% in 2024 Q1 vs. +10.56% for the S&P 500 index and +7.9% for the equal-weight version of the index.
The Top 10 portfolio returned +25.15% in 2023 vs. +26.28% for the S&P 500 index. Since 2012, the Top 10 portfolio has produced a cumulative return of +1,060.9% through the end of 2023 vs. +360.1% for the S&P 500 index.
Since 2012, the Zacks Top 10 portfolio has produced an annualized return of +25.02% through the end of 2024 Q1 vs. +14.1% for the S&P 500 index and +12.7% for the equal-weight version of the index. The portfolio has produced a cumulative return of +1,442.3% vs. +403.03% for the S&P 500 index and +331.29% for the equal-weight index.
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
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (GS) : Free Stock Analysis Report
CocaCola Company (The) (KO) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Amgen Inc. (AMGN) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Micron Technology, Inc. (MU) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Sea Limited Sponsored ADR (SE) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Delcath Systems, Inc. (DCTH) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Mettler-Toledo International, Inc. (MTD) : Free Stock Analysis Report
LM Funding America, Inc. (LMFA) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Ouster, Inc. (OUST) : Free Stock Analysis Report
TransCode Therapeutics Inc. (RNAZ) : Free Stock Analysis Report
