Nasdaq Stocks

Delta (NYSE: DAL) reported its Q4 results earlier this month, with revenues and earnings beating the consensus estimates. The company reported adjusted revenue of $13.7 billion, up 11% y-o-y and above the $13.5 billion consensus estimate. Its adjusted earnings of $1.28 per share

Global oilfield services giant Schlumberger ( NYSE:SLB ) looks poised for a turnaround. Despite an 8.4% decline in the past year, significantly underperforming the S&P 500's ( SPX ) 21% return, primarily due to weak sentiment in the energy and oilfield services sector, I remain bullish on the stock. I will buy SLB at its current levels because of the company's appealing valuation, robust growth strategy, and positive outlook based on expectations of increased drilling activity and capacity expansions globally. Additionally, SLB's digital growth initiatives are expected to play a pivotal role in driving future performance, adding another layer of optimism for potential investors. Q4 Beat & Bullish Outlook SLB’s Q4 adjusted earnings of $0.86 per share beat analysts’ estimates of $0.83 per share. Impressively, the company reported an earnings beat for the 16 th consecutive quarter. In addition, total net revenue jumped 14% year-over-year to $8.99 billion and exceeded the consensus estimate of $8.96 billion. For FY2023, revenue grew 18% to $33.14 billion, with EBITDA growing by 25%. Driving the quarterly beat was robust momentum in international and offshore markets, as well as digital initiatives and its joint venture with Aker Solutions and Subsea7. Notably, SLB is quickly making its foray into the digital and AI world. By adopting the latest technology, it aims to make operations autonomous and enhance efficiency in the oil fields across drilling and production and other major areas. Importantly, International revenue remained robust and jumped 18% year-over-year, outperforming North American revenue, which remained flat. A slowdown in North American revenues is a point of concern for many investors. However, North America comprises just 20% of SLB's business and is being offset by high-teens growth in international and offshore regions. Positively, the company reaffirmed its bullish outlook for both FY2024 and beyond. For Fiscal Q1 2024, SLB expects low-teens growth in revenues and mid-teens growth in EBITDA. Further, management expects a rebound in activity during the second quarter, with accelerated growth coming in the second half of the year. Specifically, SLB expects the record growth in the Middle East to continue beyond 2025. Importantly, during the earnings call, CEO Olivier Le Peuch pointed out huge growth potential based on robust final investment decisions (FIDs) globally. He stated, “We see the potential for more than $100 billion in global offshore FIDs in both 2024 and 2025, underscoring the enduring strength of the offshore markets and supporting a very favorable subsea outlook for years to come.” He also highlighted that during FY2023, SLB reported better revenue and margin growth, as well as the strongest free cash flow generation ($4 billion) since 2015. Impressive Dividends & Share Repurchases Backed by Solid Cash Flows During Q4, SLB increased its quarterly dividend by 10% to $0.275. The dividend is payable on April 4 to shareholders of record on February 7. It's worth noting that SLB's dividends have more than doubled in the past three years. However, they remain much lower than the 50 cents levels maintained for the five years between 2015 and 2020. This implies that there is significant room for improvement in dividends in the coming quarters. On top of that, the company plans to increase its current share repurchase program and plans to return $2.5 billion to shareholders during FY2024. This represents 3.5% of the current market cap. During FY2023, SLB returned $2 billion to its shareholders via dividends and buybacks, representing a 2.7% return. It's important to note that the company has ample cash flows to support the dividends and buybacks. During 2023, SLB registered a free cash flow yield of 5.6% of the current market cap, which is impressive. Furthermore, the company returned value to shareholders after reducing its net debt by $1.4 billion. This is extremely commendable and makes me more confident about the strong business fundamentals and solid cash flows. SLB is Trading at an Attractive Valuation SLB is currently trading at a forward P/E ratio of 14x, reflecting a huge 48% discount from its five-year average of 27x. The discounted valuation potentially presents a great buying opportunity for SLB, given the strong growth potential in revenue and earnings in the coming years. Is Schlumberger a Good Stock to Buy, According to Analysts? The Wall Street community is clearly optimistic about SLB stock. Overall, it commands a Strong Buy consensus rating based on 10 unanimous Buys. Schlumberger stock's average price target of $68.60 implies an impressive 30.7% upside potential from current levels. Conclusion: Consider Near-Term Weakness as a Buying Opportunity SLB looks set for accelerated growth in the coming years, supported by a solid business strategy and an expected surge in international and offshore activity (offsetting lackluster growth in the U.S.). This momentum is further strengthened by its enhanced digital offerings and AI capabilities. Therefore, I maintain a bullish outlook on the stock and view the near-term weakness as a compelling buying opportunity. Disclosure

Heritage Commerce (HTBK) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.22 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.24 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.34 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-rec

Wheats closed the Thursday session with gains. Chicago ended the day a penny to 1 ¾ cents in the front month contracts. HRW futures were up by 3 to 8 cents after the March contract’s 11 ¼ cent gain. MGE spring wheat futures closed 3 ¾ to 4 ½ cents...

The Thursday session ended with corn futures off their lows but still fractionally to 1 ¾ cents lower. March ended the session above the $4.50 mark after battling there for most of the session. The weekly FAS data had corn bookings at 955k MT for the week of 1/18. That...

After seeing the weak ethanol output and assuming a similar slump for soy crushers, the bean market dropped double digits to finish 10 ¾ to 17 ¼ cents in the red on Thursday. Soymeal futures also dropped by $4.10 to $5.10 on Thursday. Front month Soy oil futures closed 70...

Old crop cotton futures were 36 to 38 points higher on Thursday, while new crop prices were 5 points weaker at the close. That left the Mar-Dec spread at 461 points. USDA reported 207,044 RBs of cotton were sold for exports. That was down from 42k RBs the week prior....

Nearby hog futures ended the day $0.37 to $0.52 higher after a back and forth session from -28c to +70c from the Feb contract. USDA’s National Average Base Hog price increased $1.53 to $54.63 for Thursday. The CME Lean Hog Index another 64 cents higher to $69.39 on 1/23. The...

Front month fat cattle futures were triple digits higher on Thursday led by a 1.4% gain in the Feb contract. Feeders closed 1.7% to 1.9% higher leading the way for the market with over $4 gains. Cash sales for Thursdsy were confirmed $1.50 stronger to near $175 in the South....

Primis Financial (FRST) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.35 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.28 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.03 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recu

Flushing Financial (FFIC) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.25 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.23 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.57 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-re

Global growth is set to stay resilient this year and only pick up pace a bit in 2025, according to a Reuters poll of economists, a stable outlook at odds with still-relatively aggressive interest rate cut bets in financial markets.

Costco ( NASDAQ:COST ) and Lululemon ( NASDAQ:LULU ) are two standout performers that finished last year with a bang. With shares now up around 40% and 53%, respectively, over the past year, questions linger as to whether they can post another strong year of gains. Indeed, valuations have swollen quite a bit in recent months, as each company impressed investors with their recent quarters. Despite this, there are many growth levers each firm can pull to keep growth going strong in a year that could see market gains broaden beyond the leading AI stocks. China, in particular, is a market that holds tremendous promise as each firm looks to expand its footprint at the international level. Therefore, let's check out TipRanks' Comparison Tool to see how the two stocks stack up with analysts for the year ahead. Costco (NASDAQ:COST) Costco is a big-box retailer that the late Charlie Munger praised on numerous occasions in the past. And it's really not hard to understand why Munger was such a big fan of the company. Apart from being a place for consumers to go to save a few bucks amid inflation and other economic headwinds, Costco has been a rather exciting place to scratch that "treasure hunter" itch. Additionally, the firm is incredibly well-run, such that Munger once said he wished "everything else in America was working as well as Costco does." As a fan of the firm and what it has to offer to the average budget-constrained consumer, I remain a raging bull on COST stock for the long haul. Undoubtedly, every visit to Costco stands to be just a bit different as new discretionary merchandise (gold bullion, anyone?) is introduced into the mix alongside must-have pantry staples. Let's say you go to the local Costco for a bulk haul of peanut butter. You may walk out with a bar of gold and perhaps even that massive Teddy Bear plush. It's Costco's ability to seamlessly meld discretionary goods alongside everyday low-cost staples that enables the firm to win in all sorts of economic conditions. In 2023, Costco members may have come for the savings. In 2024 and 2025, when consumers begin to heal, they'll probably stick around for the fairly-priced discretionary goods. Indeed, the store layout, abundance of bargains, and free samples galore are just some of the reasons it's tough to avoid crowds over at the local Costco. With the company experiencing early success in its Chinese expansion, there are many reasons to think the epic Costco stock rally can continue for years to come. Reportedly, Mainland Chinese consumers have welcomed the first Costco store with open arms. The crowds over at Costco were so massive that crowd control measures were needed. If that's not a profoundly good sign of what to expect from a continued expansion into China, I don't know what is. As it turns out, Chinese consumers love the Costco shopping experience just as much as Americans and Canadians. With a massive runway in the Chinese market and the potential for China's economy to heal at the hands of a bit of government stimulus, I'd not dare bet against Costco, even after its impressive run to new highs. If anything, I believe the Chinese opportunity makes Costco stock — which looks quite rich at 46.9 times trailing price-to-earnings (P/E) — a pretty good deal for growth-oriented investors. Apart from having massive growth prospects in the Chinese market, the firm has some of the most admirable managers in the entire retail scene. What is the Price Target for COST Stock? Costco stock is a Strong Buy, according to analysts, with 21 Buys and seven Holds assigned in the past three months. The  average COST stock price target of $683.93 implies 0.4% downside potential. Lululemon (NASDAQ:LULU) The consumer seems to be alive and well, at least through the eyes of certain top-tier apparel companies, like Lululemon, which recently upped its sales estimates. Undoubtedly, not all apparel companies have been riding high in recent quarters, as consumers appear to be gravitating toward some brands and away from others. And price seems to have little to do with the shift. All things considered, I have to stay bullish on LULU stock as it continues flooring it for investors. It's not hard to imagine many Nike ( NASDAQ:NKE ) customers going over to the Lululemon retail store to get their sportswear. Yes, Lululemon remains expensive, with discounts that tend to be stretched quite thin (forgive the pun, please). Still, consumers continue to buy Lululemon items with both hands, and they've shown they're more than willing to pay a premium sticker price, even with fears that a recession could be around the corner. In 2023, I would have thought consumers seeking yoga wear would have traded down from Lululemon for cheaper alternatives. Trading down to more affordable comparable goods has been a common theme at grocery stores in recent years. So, what exactly happened with Lululemon? The apparel landscape appears to be shifting in favor of Lululemon. In a prior piece, I highlighted the company's unique social-media-heavy marketing strategy as a source of strength over rivals like Nike. As Lululemon continues to do everything right, I believe a consumer sentiment recovery could place an amplifier on recent dynamics that have helped LULU stock hit new highs in a fairly mixed year for apparel companies. Add recent strength in China into the equation, and the stock seems like a freight train capable of picking up speed from here. I wouldn't bet against the stock. What is the Price Target for LULU Stock? Lululemon stock is a Moderate Buy, according to analysts, with 21 Buys, five Holds, and one Sell assigned in the past three months. The  average LULU stock price target of $525.00 implies 10.7% upside potential. Better Buy: COST or LULU Stock? Costco and Lululemon are great retail companies that still have so much growth left in the tank. As China recovers and each firm looks to expand its footprints into the region, I'd be willing to bet that shares of both firms will be much higher five years from now. Nonetheless, of the two, analysts see more upside (10.7%) in LULU stock for the next year. Disclosure 

The latest trading session saw QuantumScape Corporation (QS) ending at $6.65, denoting no adjustment from its last day's close. This move lagged the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.53%. Meanwhile, the Dow gained 0.64%, and the Nasda

HubSpot (HUBS) closed the latest trading day at $585.73, indicating a +0.01% change from the previous session's end. This change lagged the S&P 500's 0.53% gain on the day. On the other hand, the Dow registered a gain of 0.64%

What you need to know… The S&P 500 Index ($SPX ) (SPY ) on Thursday closed up +0.53%, the Dow Jones Industrials Index ($DOWI ) (DIA ) closed up +0.64%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX ) (QQQ ) closed up +0.10%. Stocks on Thursday closed moderately higher as signs...

Walt Disney (DIS) closed at $94.86 in the latest trading session, marking a +1.45% move from the prior day. The stock's performance was ahead of the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.53%. Meanwhile, the Dow experienced a rise of 0.64%

The latest trading session saw Enphase Energy (ENPH) ending at $106.83, denoting a -1.15% adjustment from its last day's close. The stock fell short of the S&P 500, which registered a gain of 0.53% for the day. Meanwhile, the

The latest trading session saw Costco (COST) ending at $679.90, denoting a -0.96% adjustment from its last day's close. This move lagged the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.53%. On the other hand, the Dow registered a gain of 0.64%,

The latest trading session saw InterDigital (IDCC) ending at $105.37, denoting a +0.21% adjustment from its last day's close. This move lagged the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.53%. On the other hand, the Dow registered a gain of