3 Stocks To Watch In The Coming Week: Alphabet, Disney, Merck
Investing.com | Feb 02, 2020 23:51
Right now, equity investor sentiment is singularly focused on the deadly coronavirus as markets remain concerned about the ability of global companies to function normally if the virus continues to spread.
The worldwide hit from the viral outbreak could be three to four times larger than the $40 billion blow from SARS, according to a Bloomberg report which cited Warwick McKibbin, a professor of economics at Australian National University.
Pressured by these potential damages, on Friday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average had its worst day since August, falling almost 2.1%. The NASDAQ and S&P 500 were each down more than 1.5%.
While the virus continues to remain the most important worry for markets, there are still some closely followed, large cap companies scheduled to release quarterly earnings in the week. Here are three that might see their stock prices move after they report:
h2 1. Alphabet/h2Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL), Google's parent company, will be reporting fourth quarter 2019 earnings on Monday, Feb. 3, after the market close. On average, expectations are for earnings per share of $12.51 on revenue of $46.91 billion.
Shares of Google have lagged their closest peers during 2019. An array of worries have weighed on the internet content and information behemoth—including regulatory scrutiny and increasing competition for online advertising. The stock closed on Friday at $1,432.78, down more than 1%, after rising 27% in the past 12 months.
Google’s earnings momentum is also showing signs of having peaked. Alphabet’s advertising revenue for the third quarter rose to a record $33.9 billion, but missed analyst expectations amid the company’s heavy investment in its cloud-computing business—seen as critical to future growth for the company. Nonetheless, Alphabet's offering in this segment is still running a distant third in the marketplace, behind competitors Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) and Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT).
Distressing investors further: along with competitive pressures, a variety of U.S. regulatory agencies have initiated probes into what's alleged to be the Mountain View, CA-based company’s anticompetitive practices .
h2 2. Disney/h2Shares of the Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS), which have struggled this year, could face another bumpy ride on Tuesday, Feb. 4, when the House of Mouse reports Q1 2020 earnings after the market close. Expectations are for an EPS of $1.46 on revenues of $20.81B.
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Analysts anticipate the company's bottom line could be hurt, as it ramps up spending on its new TV-streaming service, Disney Plus, after it entered the market in November as a direct challenger to Netflix's (NASDAQ:NFLX) dominance.
After a strong run in 2019, the entertainment conglomorate's stock is struggling to produce a powerful rally. It closed on Friday at $138.31, up about 0.4%.
When the company reports on Tuesday, the impact of the coronavirus-induced shutdowns of its theme park in China and the number of subscribers to its streaming Disney+ service will be the two main items investors will be focusing on.
h2 3. Merck & Company/h2Health care powerhouse Merck & Company (NYSE:MRK), will report Q4 2019 earnings on Wednesday, Feb. 5, before the market open. The drugmaker is expected to report $1.15 a share profit on sales of $11.95 billion.
The pharmaceuticals company is benefiting from its top-selling cancer drug Keytruda. While announcing its third quarter earnings in October, Merck raised its full-year sales and profit forecast for the third time in a row, after its market-leading cancer drug Keytruda handily beat analysts’ estimates.
With strong earnings momentum, a growing dividend which currently yields 2.82% and ongoing share buybacks, Merck is proving a good long-term healthcare stock for investors. Shares closed Friday's session at $85.44, down more than 1% for the day, but up more than 40% over the past five years.
With competitors reporting positive clinical trial results for their lung cancer drug offerings, investors will be keen to know what plans Merck has to maintain its dominance in this field.
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