Tag Archives: amzn

Apple, Amazon Lead 5 Tech Stocks Making Notable Moves

Loading the player… Apple ( AAPL ), Amazon ( AMZN ), Tesla ( TSLA ), Fitbit ( FIT ) and Yahoo ( YHOO ) are five big-name tech stocks making notable moves in the stock market today as the major indexes rally for a second session. The Nasdaq is trading at its highest level this year, and the S&P 500 is trading higher than the levels it saw in late December. Apple Retakes 200-Day Line Apple hit resistance at its 200-day moving average for the past week and a half, but looks like it may be able to close above that level today with a 1.5% gain in above-average turnover. Apple hasn’t traded above the 200-day since November, and that was only briefly. The stock is now 16% below its late-April peak. The consumer tech giant is set to report quarterly results in a few weeks. Analysts have been expecting lower iPhone demand this year, but some say there may be a pickup once the iPhone 7 is launched. Amazon Breaks Out Amazon is breaking out of a cup-with-handle base with a 603.34 buy point, rising 1.6%. Volume is tracking above average. The stock tried to edge into buy range the last two sessions but closed below the pivot. Shares are now trading 12% below their high reached in late December. Citi on Tuesday said Amazon is one Internet stock that has the greatest opportunity to produce better-than-expected Q1 results, which the e-commerce giant will report later this month. Tesla To End Losing Streak? Tesla is looking to end its four-session losing streak as it climbs back above the 250 price level with a 2.4% rise. But volume is not strong. The electric car maker is trading 11% below its July high. On Tuesday, Tesla introduced a few upgrades to its Model S, and Global Equities Research says this will improve the car’s production rate by 10%. That could be a good sign as Tesla is ramping up production of its Model X and prepping production for its Model 3. Fitbit Surges On Bullish Report Fitbit is jumping 12.7% in big volume, hitting a more than two-month high. The stock is trading 67% below its all-time high. Citi issued a bullish report on the stock, saying that Blaze and Alta sales could fuel upside to Q1 results and a positive Q2 outlook. The maker of fitness trackers said late last month that it sold 1 million units of each of the two new models in their first month of availability. Fitbit also reports earnings later this month. Will Yahoo Hit 8-Month High? Yahoo may be able to close at an eight-month high, climbing 1.2%, but volume is tracking lighter than average. Shares are 19% below their 52-week peak. Suntrust Robinson Humphrey raised its price target on Yahoo, which is looking to be acquired.

Netflix Stock Surges Ahead Of Q1 Earnings Report Next Week

Netflix ( NFLX ) stock surged on Wednesday after a series of positive analyst reports on the Internet TV service ahead of the company’s first-quarter earnings report, scheduled for Monday after the market close. Netflix jumped as much as 4% in morning trading Wednesday. In afternoon trading on the stock market today , Netflix shares were up 1.5%, near 109. On Tuesday, Netflix stock rose 4.2% and retook its critical 200-day line. Shares are up more than 35% since early February. BTIG analyst Richard Greenfield on Wednesday reiterated his buy rating on Netflix stock and raised his 12-month price target to 150 from 136. He also raised his Netflix subscriber growth forecasts and reduced his expectations for international losses. “We believe the cadence and consumer appeal of Netflix’s original/licensed content is leading to greater than expected global net subscriber additions,” Greenfield said in a research report. “The combination of a global shift to on-demand streaming video, an increasingly diverse slate of programming that appeals to all members of a household and best-in-class technology is propelling Netflix’s gross subscriber adds and reducing churn.” Greenfield is now forecasting Netflix to have 127 million global subscribers by the end of 2018 and, conservatively, 150 million by 2020. And those forecasts don’t include Netflix entering China, he said. Netflix ended 2015 with 74.76 million subscribers worldwide. Netflix Tops HBO In Consumer Survey In survey results released Monday by Morgan Stanley, consumers ranked Netflix as No. 1 for original programming, putting it above Time Warner ( TWX )-owned HBO for the first time in the six years it’s tracked consumer preferences in video services. Some 29% of survey respondents said Netflix was best in original programming, up from 23% last year, while HBO came in second place at 18% (compared with 31% last year), Morgan Stanley said. Amazon.com ( AMZN ), Hulu and CBS ( CBS )-owned Showtime were each near 5%. Late Tuesday, Piper Jaffray analyst Michael Olson reiterated his overweight rating on Netflix stock, with a price target of 122. Piper’s spring survey of U.S. teenagers found that Netflix holds a massive lead in video services among young consumers. Netflix has a 64% usage share among teens, well ahead of competing services from Amazon and Hulu at 4% and 3%, respectively. But not all Wall Street analysts are sold on Netflix. Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter on Wednesday maintained his underperform rating on Netflix stock with a 12-month price target of 45. Pachter expects solid Q1 results but says Netflix will see high subscriber churn in the U.S. in Q2 and Q3 as it institutes staggered price increases for longtime users. Dougherty analyst Steven Frankel reiterated his neutral rating on Netflix stock on Tuesday. Netflix’s “path to respectable profitability remains difficult to determine,” Frankel said. The company is spending aggressively on original content and international expansion, but needs to prove that it can ramp up profits to justify its valuation, he said.

PayPal, Visa Could Be In Talks About A Possible Partnership: Analyst

PayPal ( PYPL )and Visa ( V ) apparently are in talks about a possible partnership, but whether the companies can reach an agreement remains to be seen, investment bank SunTrust said Wednesday. At the moment, PayPal attempts to push its customers into using cheap funding sources such as direct access to bank accounts and funds stored in PayPal accounts. But, should the company strike a deal with Visa (or MasterCard ( MA )) and present credit cards as an equal option, the company would likely see a $300 million transaction-expense increase, SunTrust analyst Robert Peck wrote in a research note. To offset the increased expense, Peck says PayPal would have to either negotiate for some kind of expense offset, see a 7% lift in payment volume funded by credit cards, or see a 3% lift in volume from its cheapest funding sources. San Jose, Calif.-based PayPal, through a spokesperson, declined to comment. PayPal stock was up about 2%, below 39, in afternoon trading on the stock market today . PayPal found support at its 50-day moving average Wednesday, a positive move just when the stock needed one. The stock is still below a buy point at 40.03 but above a 38.62 entry. The company has an IBD Composite Rating of 91, where 99 is the highest, putting it among the top 9% of all stocks on key metrics such as earnings and sales growth. In his research note, Peck upped his price target on PayPal stock to 44 from 38, citing better market conditions. Peck maintained a buy rating on the stock. Peck says that there are “breadcrumbs” that indicate a solid Q1 for the company. PayPal is set to report results April 27 after the close . Last week, e-commerce leader  Amazon.com ( AMZN ) announced new features for its languishing payments platform that take aim at PayPal, and rivals such as Square ( SQ ).