The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights UnitedHealth Group, Accenture, Union Pacific, The Boeing Company and Prologis

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – March 10, 2022 – 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: UnitedHealth Group Inc. UNH, Accenture plc ACN, Union Pacific Corp. UNP, The Boeing Company BA and Prologis, Inc. PLD.

Here are highlights from Wednesday’s Analyst Blog:

Top Research Reports for UnitedHealth, Accenture and Union Pacific

The Zacks Research Daily presents the best research output of our analyst team. Today's Research Daily features new research reports on 16 major stocks, including UnitedHealth Group Inc., Accenture plc and Union Pacific Corp. These research reports have been hand-picked from the roughly 70 reports published by our analyst team today.

You can see all of today’s research reports here >>>

Shares of UnitedHealth have outperformed the Zacks Medical - HMOs industry over the past year (+34.5% vs. +30.6%). The company’s top line has been growing, and the Zacks analyst believes that the momentum should continue in the years ahead on the back of a strong market position and an attractive core business that continues to be driven by new deals, renewed agreements and expansion of service offerings.

For 2022, the company expects revenues in the range of $317-$320 billion. Its solid health services segment provides diversification benefits. The firm's government business remains well-poised for growth. A sturdy balance sheet and solid cash generation abilities enable investments and prudent capital deployment through share buybacks and dividends.

However, softness in commercial business due to the COVID-induced volatilities persists. Also, rising operating costs are hurting its profits. As such, the stock warrants a cautious stance.

(You can read the full research report on UnitedHealth here >>>)

Shares of Accenture have outperformed the S&P 500 index over the past year (+18.6% vs. +7.6%), with the stock benefiting partly due to earnings and revenue beat in the past four quarters. The Zacks analyst believes that the company has been steadily gaining traction in its outsourcing and consulting businesses. The company has been strategically enhancing its cloud and digital marketing suite through buyouts and partnerships.

The company’s strong operating cash flow has helped it reward its shareholders in the form of dividend payments and share repurchases, and pursue opportunities in areas that show true potential. On the flip side, pricing pressure due to significant competition from strong companies like Genpact, Cognizant and Infosys, remains a concern. Global presence exposes it to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations. Buyout-related integration risks continues to remain a concern.

(You can read the full research report on Accenture here >>>)

Shares of Union Pacific have outperformed the Zacks Transportation - Rail industry over the past year (+19.7% vs. +8.7%). The Zacks analyst believes that Union Pacific's efforts to reward its shareholders through dividends and buybacks even in the current uncertain scenario is indeed commendable. The company hiked dividend twice in 2021. Union Pacific is also active on the buyback front. Management anticipates share repurchases in 2022 to be in line with the 2021 levels of $7.3 billion. The company's strong free cash flow generating ability supports its shareholder-friendly activities.

However, escalation in fuel costs (up 56% in 2021) as oil prices move north induced a 7% rise in operating expenses. High debt/EBITDA ratio and tepid automotive demand are further concerns. Moreover, the company's operations in the near term are likely to be impacted by the omicron-induced volatility.

(You can read the full research report on Union Pacific here >>>)

Other noteworthy reports we are featuring today include The Boeing Company and Prologis, Inc.

5 Stocks Set to Double

Each was handpicked by a Zacks expert as the #1 favorite stock to gain +100% or more in 2021. Previous recommendations have soared +143.0%, +175.9%, +498.3% and +673.0%.

Most of the stocks in this report are flying under Wall Street radar, which provides a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor.

Today, See These 5 Potential Home Runs >>

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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.

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The Boeing Company (BA) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Accenture PLC (ACN) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UNH) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Prologis, Inc. (PLD) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Union Pacific Corporation (UNP) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
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