Nasdaq Stocks

Fintel reports that on March 1, 2024, B of A Securities upgraded their outlook for Vertex (NasdaqGM:VERX) from Underperform to Neutral .

Fintel reports that on March 1, 2024, Wolfe Research initiated coverage of Axalta Coating Systems (NYSE:AXTA) with a Peer Perform recommendation.

Celsius Holdings ( NASDAQ:CELH ) has comfortably outperformed the stock market over several years. Shares are up by 159% over the past year and have a five-year gain of more than 6,800%. CELH stock also jumped 20% after a successful earnings report. The sports beverage company has been gaining market share at a rapid pace, but the stock still looks like an enticing long-term Buy. I am bullish on Celsius Holdings due to its high revenue growth, double-digit net profit margins, and penetration into international markets. Domestic Revenue Growth Remains Strong Celsius Holdings’ main driver is currently domestic (revenue generated in North America) growth. The sports beverage company delivered on this front with 97% year-over-year domestic revenue growth in the fourth quarter of 2023. Overall sales growth came in at 95% year-over-year. High North America segment revenue growth is the key to strong financials at the moment. However, International segment growth is the company’s long-term opportunity. Celsius Holdings only made $8.7 million in International sales compared to $169.3 million in domestic sales. The differences between these revenue numbers demonstrate how little Celsius Holdings has tapped into international markets. Despite being in the early innings, Celsius Holdings achieved 68% year-over-year International sales growth. Given the company’s high domestic sales numbers, Celsius drinks can continue to grow at a robust pace in international markets for several years. Net Profit Margins Still Remain High Celsius generated $39.1 million in net income in the fourth quarter. That’s a big turnaround from a $28.2 million net loss in the same period last year. The company’s net income growth resulted in an 11.3% profit margin.  Celsius Holdings has regularly received comparisons to Monster Beverage ( NASDAQ:MNST ). Monster is more established and has successfully penetrated international markets. It also regularly generates net profit margins above 20%. Meanwhile, Celsius is poised to expand its margins as its revenue increases. Consistently reporting net profit margins above 20% will strengthen the stock’s valuation. The stock trades at a 59.2x forward P/E ratio. Further penetration into international markets presents an opportunity for higher profits and a lower P/E ratio. Not everyone will like the valuation, but it will get better over the years. Investors who can buy this stock with a five-to-10-year horizon will have an easier time overlooking the high valuation and understanding what it can become in the future. Celsius Holdings has always been known for its lofty valuation, but the stock continues to deliver because of its vast potential and impressive financial growth. What Makes Celsius Holdings Different from Other Beverage Companies? Consumers are seeking healthier foods and beverages, and they are willing to pay higher prices for them. Celsius Holdings plays nicely into this trend, as the drink omits many of the unhealthy ingredients that are traditionally in sports beverages. Celsius beverages do not contain sugar, high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors, or aspartame. The drink also has seven essential vitamins, accelerates metabolism, and burns body fat and calories.  The unique value proposition has helped Celsius tap into several markets, such as convenience stores, grocery stores, drug stores, fitness centers, e-commerce platforms, mass market stores, and other retailers.  Celsius has a portfolio of more than 15 beverages and uses stevia to sweeten its drinks. The company also has powder sticks. You can take these with you on the go, add water, and then enjoy a cup of Celsius.  The product mix has worked well for the company and its investors. As more consumers look for healthier alternatives, Celsius should continue to perform well. The company also has strong brand loyalty among its customers based on consistently high revenue growth. If someone drinks a Celsius beverage, it can quickly turn into a habit. Is CELH Stock a Buy, According to Analysts? Celsius Holdings hasn’t received many price target updates after reporting earnings. Nonetheless, the stock is currently rated as a Strong Buy based on nine Buys and two Hold ratings assigned in the past three months. The average CELH stock price target of $86.55 implies 9.2% upside potential. The Bottom Line on Celsius Holdings Stock Celsius Holdings is tapping into several tailwinds. Consumers are seeking healthier sports drinks and like how Celsius beverages taste. It’s a good dynamic that has experienced a lot of success in North America. The ongoing international rollout should lead to meaningful revenue growth in future quarters.  Additionally, International sales were up by 68% year-over-year. While those sales still make up a small number of total sales, Celsius Holdings has many opportunities to expand. The company’s domestic sales are still going strong, and by the time these sales slow down, international growth can take over and present more growth for investors. Overall, Celsius is positioned to thrive in the long run. CELH has already outpaced most stocks and remains an enticing long-term opportunity, in my view. Disclosure

The soybean futures market ended the last trade day of the week with double digit gains for old crop and 6 to 7 cent gains in new crop. The May contract finished the week with a net 9 ½ cent gain. Nov soybeans were a net 8 ¼ cents higher...

Feeder cattle prices led the way higher on Friday, ending up by as much as 1.7%. Despite the strong finish to the week, March feeders were still down $1.60 wk/wk. Fat cattle rallied $1.50 to $3.10 on the day, pushing the April contract to a net 55 cent gain for...

Friday’s double digit selloff flipped the week’s move to net lower across the U.S. wheat futures. Chicago prices were down by 17 to 18 ½ cents on the day. That left May SRW at a net 15c loss for the week. KC wheat futures weakened by 3.2% to 3.9% by...

The corn market faded on Friday with 12 ¾ to 5 cent losses across the front months. May futures were still up by a net 11 cents for the week, and Dec prices were up by a net 9 ½ cents on the week. Weekly CFTC data showed managed money...

Front month lean hog futures were up by $1.32 to $1.85 on the last trade day of the week. That left the April contract at a net 87c gain for the week. USDA’s National Average Base Hog price was dropped $2.82 on Friday afternoon to $72.67. The CME Lean Hog...

Old crop cotton futures will see expanded 5 cent limits on Monday after ending the Friday session down the limit. Board strength earlier in the week kept prices 2c higher for the week’s net move. New crop futures were 86 points lower on Friday and a net 44 points weaker...

Gold reached a new record high in 2023 and was the only precious metal with a significant gain last year. While the $2,000 level was a technical resistance level over the past years, it has become technical support in 2024.

Innovative Industrial Properties stock ( NYSE:IIPR ) has faced scrutiny by investors over the past couple of years, particularly when it comes to its dividend coverage. The cannabis-specialized REIT was trading at a dividend yield in the double-digits a few months ago, with Mr. Market essentially pricing in the possibility of a dividend cut due to tenant issues. However, IIPR stock has recently turned around, with its Q4 report instilling confidence in the dividend's durability. Consequently, I remain bullish on IIPR stock. Q4 Results: A Review of an Excellent Quarter Innovative Industrial Properties managed to largely extinguish investors' concerns regarding the coverage of its dividend by delivering excellent Q4 results. The company's report was marked by prudent capital management, strong top- and bottom-line numbers, and the absence of any tenant issues, as was the case previously. Let's take a deeper look at the company's report to get a better understanding. Prudent Capital Management To begin with, in stark contrast to the acquisition spree observed by IIPR from its IPO in 2016 to 2022, the REIT refrained from acquiring any properties in 2023. The year ended with IIPR managing 108 properties in its portfolio, the same as last year, essentially putting a pause on significant expenditure commitments. I found this to be a very thoughtful decision, particularly considering the ongoing market landscape throughout the year. The surge in interest rates in 2023 would have imposed substantial costs if IIPR chose to raise funds through additional borrowings. Given the specialized and higher-risk nature of IIPR, focusing on cannabis-production properties, creditors might have insisted on highly unfavorable terms, hampering profitability. Alternatively, seeking funds through equity issuance would have been an even more impractical route. In 2023, IIPR stock featured a yield in the high-single to low double-digits, making the cost of equity for potential acquisitions prohibitively expensive and, therefore, a highly risky venture. For this reason, I appreciate the prudent stance taken by management in navigating these challenges. Robust Revenue & AFFO Growth With no expansionary efforts concerning IIPR's management, all focus in 2023 went into ensuring its property portfolio operates smoothly. By that, I mean minimizing the threat of problematic tenants, maximizing rent collection rates, and urging all rental escalations as their underlying leasing contracts allow. Accordingly, for Q4, despite the lack of any acquisitions to help boost the top line, IIPR achieved revenues and normalized AFFO/share of $79.2 million and $2.28, up 12% and 8%, respectively. It's interesting to note that despite most REITs seeing their profitability decline in 2023 due to rising interest rates, IIPR's interest expenses actually declined by 8.2% to $4.15 million for the quarter, since its 2024 and 2026 notes, which comprise almost all of the company's borrowings, feature fixed interest payments. I find it impressive that IIPR, despite being perceived as one of the riskier REITs, is consistently posting growing revenues and, more notably, its AFFO per share. It's sort of paradoxical, given that in this market, even some of the supposedly safer REITs have experienced notable declines in their financials. Finally, one of the most important highlights of IIPR's Q4 report, and a strong factor that contributed to bolstering investors' confidence in the dividend, is that the rent collection for the period was 100%. Given that the company had experienced some tenant issues in the earlier quarters, which I talked about in my previous IIPR article here, seeing collections rebound to 100% is very encouraging regarding the REIT's overall prospects. Dividend Increase Silences Dividend Coverage Concerns In addition to strong results and an excellent rent collection rate, IIPR announced its seventh consecutive annual dividend increase in tandem with its Q4 report. This move by management likely aims to silence any lingering concerns about its dividend coverage. As it's usually said, the safest dividend is one that has just been raised. While the 1.1% dividend hike may not be substantial monetarily, it carries weight in making a statement. Given the rather tough real estate environment, it makes sense to see management opting for a soft increase. Nonetheless, the decision to increase the dividend at all signifies confidence in IIPR's ability to maintain its hefty payouts. In the meantime, the post-hike annualized dividend rate of $7.28 implies a healthy coverage against FY2023's AFFO/share of $9.08, while the 7.4% yield appears attractive. Is IIPR Stock a Buy, According to Analysts? Taking a look at Wall Street's view on the stock, Innovative Industrial Properties features a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on one Buy and a one Hold rating assigned in the past three months. At $109.00, the average IIPR stock price target implies 11% upside potential. The Takeaway To sum up, I believe that IIPR successfully addressed investor worries regarding the underlying health of its dividend. Its Q4 results boasted prudent capital management, strong numbers, and no tenant issues. Finally, management's decision to once again increase the dividend was the cherry on top in terms of reassuring investors of IIPR's dividend prospects. With IIPR's revenues and AFFO/share treading upwards and the 7.4%-yielding dividend appearing quite attractive, I believe that the ongoing bullish momentum driving shares higher in recent weeks is likely to persist. Disclosure

Northrop Grumman (NOC) ended the recent trading session at $454.90, demonstrating a -1.33% swing from the preceding day's closing price. The stock's change was less than the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.8%. On the other hand, the

The most recent trading session ended with Carrols Restaurant Group (TAST) standing at $9.46, reflecting a -0.11% shift from the previouse trading day's closing. The stock's change was less than the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.8

The most recent trading session ended with Fidelity National Information Services (FIS) standing at $69.21, reflecting a +0.03% shift from the previouse trading day's closing. The stock's change was less than the S&P 500's dai

Hershey (HSY) closed the most recent trading day at $188.05, moving +0.07% from the previous trading session. The stock's performance was behind the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.8%. On the other hand, the Dow registered a gain of

W.W. Grainger (GWW) ended the recent trading session at $980.90, demonstrating a +0.76% swing from the preceding day's closing price. This move lagged the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.8%. Elsewhere, the Dow gained 0.23%, while th

AngioDynamics (ANGO) closed the latest trading day at $5.50, indicating a +0.18% change from the previous session's end. This move lagged the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.8%. Meanwhile, the Dow experienced a rise of 0.23%, and th

Southern Co. (SO) closed the latest trading day at $66.86, indicating a -0.58% change from the previous session's end. The stock's change was less than the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.8%. Elsewhere, the Dow saw an upswing of 0.2

After its removal from the Dow 30 and a recent dividend cut, WBA stock seems to be going through a turnaround year. Is the beaten-down stock a value buy - or a falling knife to avoid?

Live cattle futures are trading with triple digit gains to finish the week and begin the new month. April is up by $1.65 and August is 92 cents higher so far. Midday feeder cattle are 0.75% to 1.2% higher with gains of as much as $3. USDA had Thursday’s cash...