MarketBeat Stock Market Review of the Week – 2/12 – 2/16

This week the markets faced reality. The latest inflation data showed that prices are rising. That dashed hopes about both the number and timing of interest rate cuts. Worse, investors are now grappling with the idea that any rate cuts will not signal a soft (albeit bumpy) landing, but that things are getting much worse.

Investors may have received a clue as to what “much worse” could mean as retail sales data came in weaker than expected. That number comes in ahead of big-name retailers Walmart Inc. New York Stock Exchange: WMT AND Home depot New York Stock Exchange: HD report next week. By next week, we’ll have a better idea of ​​how consumers feel about their financial situation.

U.S. markets are closed Monday for President’s Day. But the MarketBeat staff will continue to keep tabs on the stocks and stories that move the market. Here are some of this week’s most popular articles.

Articles by Jea Yu

Cybersecurity continues to be one of the hottest sectors for companies and investors. This week, Jea Yu summarized the findings of Tenable Holdings Inc. NASDAQ: TENB latest earnings report. The company is adding customers, seeing higher profitability and raising guidance, pushing TENB stock to a 52-week high.

Uber Technologies Inc. NYSE:UBER also reported this week. But as the company finally reported a GAAP profit from its core operations and quadrupled its earnings estimates for 2024, Yu explains why investors are keeping an eye on slowing booking growth.

Yu was also looking into the emerging and expensive field of gene editing. Many companies are introducing breakthrough therapies that only scratch the surface of what might be possible. But the high price of gene-editing therapies makes insurers and patients uncomfortable and should be something investors should keep an eye on.

Articles by Thomas Hughes

You may believe that cash is garbage. But after reading Thomas Hughes’ article on Waste Management Inc. NYSE:WM, you will have to admit that garbage is money. WM shares are rising after the company reported strong earnings and reminded investors why they might want to get involved in this evergreen and undervalued sector.

Hughes also explained why investors were pulling out Shopify Inc. NYSE: BUY after the earnings report. Revenue and earnings were fine, but analysts were uneasy about the company’s free cash flow (FCF) estimates. But as Hughes notes, the company’s balance sheet remains strong, meaning SHOP stock could return to a more attractive buy zone.

This week, investors heard PepsiCo Inc. NASDAQ:PEP. The consumer staples giant released a mixed report that sent shares lower. But Hughes explains that all the reasons why buy-and-hold investors love owning PEP stock remain in place, making any pullback a buy-the-dip opportunity.

Articles by Sam Quirke

As retail sales data showed this week, consumers may be cutting back in some areas. However, travel appears unaffected. This week, United Airlines Holdings Inc. NASDAQ: UAL has posted strong earnings and Sam Quirke explains why United is a must-see among airline stocks as analysts are now in recovery mode.

After a difficult 2023 for many growth stocks, especially solar ones, Enphase Energy Inc. NASDAQ: ENPH could be poised to make a comeback in 2024 after the company’s CEO said the company is seeing signs of demand picking up. Investors may need patience, but now is the time to put ENPH on your watch list.

Even though many investors believe stocks are overvalued, you can still find good value if you know where to look. As Quirke explains, the relative strength indicator (RSI) is a reliable barometer of a stock’s valuation. And Quirke points investors to three stocks that show signs of being severely oversold.

Articles by Chris Markoch

One of the top stories this week was how rising cocoa prices have made Valentine’s Day more expensive. It also hurt The Hershey Company NYSE:HSY action. The company is facing higher production costs and declining popcorn sales. However, Chris Markoch writes that the company’s fundamentals are still strong, making this a solid buying opportunity on a dip.

Markoch was also looking specifically at utility stocks Duke Energy Corp. NYSE: United Kingdom. Higher interest rates have hit the sector. But after a year of rangebound, the stock is trading at a more attractive valuation and looks like a stock that can help investors stay ahead of inflation.

Articles by Kate Stalter

The market pullback at the end of the week may have surprised some investors, but it was no surprise to Kate Stalter, who pointed to the outperformance of insurance stocks and concern about regional banks as two reasons, in addition to inflation, that a bullish trap could have. hidden in plain sight.

And while the broader market may be falling, the steady rise in crude oil prices bodes well for energy stocks. This week, Stalter highlighted three refinery stocks that could outperform the broader energy sector in the weeks and months ahead.

Stalter wrote about it too Arista Networks Inc. NYSE:ANETwhich continues to outperform its rival Cisco (CSCO) by a wide margin. As Stalter explains, much of the gains are attributed to Arista’s dominance in cloud computing.

Articles by Ryan Hasson

Ryan Hasson also focused on energy stocks this week as he steered investors towards the stock Energy Select SPDR Fund New York Stock Exchange: XLE. If the impact of rising oil prices is reflected in stocks, it will show up in the XLE and some of the major oil stocks held by the fund.

Stocks will continue to perform well into 2024. But if you’re looking for names priced lower than you’ll get from a name like Nvidia Corporation NASDAQ:NVDAHasson offers five semiconductor stocks you can buy for under $10.

Hasson is also one of several MarketBeat analysts to support the cause Pfizer Inc. NYSE:PFE. If you’re not interested in PFE stock as a long-term investment, you may be excited about it as a trade as the stock is hovering near a 10-year support level.

Articles by Gabriel Osorio-Mazilli

ARM Holdings plc NASDAQ: ARM it is one of the last chip stocks to double its price. If you missed it and are looking for high-growth stocks, Gabriel Osorio-Mazilli offers two stocks that could be next on the list of multi-bagger stocks in 2024.

Shake Shack Inc. NYSE: SHAK has been one of the top consumer discretionary stocks as investors salivated over robust earnings growth. But Osorio-Mazilli explains that some investors believe growth is a bit shaky. He goes on to explain why this works Wendy’s Company NASDAQ: WED a tasty choice for investors seeking growth in this sector.

Speaking of growth, Osorio-Mazilli underlines it The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company New York Stock Exchange: GT the shares are trading at an attractive level. The tire giant falls into the category of boring, defensive stocks that will see solid demand regardless of what happens with interest rates.

Articles by MarketBeat staff

The S&P 500 index hit record highs above the 5,000 level. Not surprisingly, MarketBeat staff pointed out to investors that the index’s top three performers come from the chip sector. With more benefits on the way, now may be the time to make sure one or more of these names is in your portfolio.

Moving on to the Nasdaq index, however, the story is a little different. As the staff writes this week, analysts still love stocks like Nvidia, but there are other underperforming Nasdaq stocks analysts like for their current growth potential.

And Valentine’s Day has passed. However, there’s still time to jump on the three stock picks that MarketBeat staff has identified as beneficiaries of the record $14.2 billion expected to be spent on Valentine’s Day gifts in 2024.

Before considering Walmart, you’ll want to hear it out.

MarketBeat tracks Wall Street’s highest-rated and best-performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market takes hold… and Walmart wasn’t on the list.

While Walmart currently has a “Moderate Buy” rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.

View the five stocks here