The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Cisco Systems, Sanofi, Charles Schwab, Target and ConocoPhillips

In this article:

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – May 24, 2021 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Cisco Systems, Inc. CSCO, Sanofi SNY, The Charles Schwab Corporation SCHW, Target Corporation TGT and ConocoPhillips COP.

Here are highlights from Friday’s Analyst Blog:

Top Analyst Reports for Cisco, Sanofi and Charles Schwab

The Zacks Research Daily presents the best research output of our analyst team. Today's Research Daily features new research reports on 16 major stocks, including Cisco Systems, Sanofi and The Charles Schwab Corporation. These research reports have been hand-picked from the roughly 70 reports published by our analyst team today.

You can see all of today’s research reports here >>>

Shares of Cisco have modestly outperformed the Zacks Computer - Networking industry in the year-to-date period (+18.1% vs. +16.9%). The Zacks analyst believes that Cisco’s Q3 performance benefited from robust adoption of identity and access, advanced threat and unified threat management security solutions amid high growth in Internet traffic.

Ongoing momentum in Webex video conferencing and business productivity offerings on account of COVID-19 induced work-from-home demand environment remains noteworthy. Moreover, strong demand for Catalyst 9000 family of switches amid an expected increase in enterprise IT spending, and recovery across Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), holds promise. The buyout of Acacia Communications also bodes well for the long haul.

Nonetheless, coronavirus crisis-led supply chain constraints are likely to weigh on the performance, at least in the near term. Weak demand for servers remains an added concern.

(You can read the full research report on Cisco here >>>)

Shares of Sanofi have gained +11.3% in the year-to-date period against the Zacks Large Cap Pharmaceuticals industry’s gain of +7.7%. Additionally, Sanofi’s Q1 earnings and sales beat estimates. The Zacks analyst believes that Dupixent has become the key top-line driver for Sanofi. With outside U.S. revenues accelerating and multiple approvals for new indications expected in the near future, its sales are expected to be higher.

Further, the 2020 Synthorx and Principia acquisitions have strengthened its R&D pipeline. Its cost-savings and efficiency initiatives are supporting bottom-line growth. However, headwinds include weak performance of the Diabetes unit, generic competition for many drugs and slower-than-expected uptake of products like Praluent. Meanwhile, COVID-19 has resulted in a slowdown in new patient starts of some drugs.

(You can read the full research report on Sanofi here >>>)

Shares of Charles Schwab have outperformed the Zacks Financial - Investment Bank industry in the last three-month period (+12.3% vs. +9.6%). The company also has an impressive earnings surprise history. In fact, strategic acquisitions have reinforced the company’s position as a leading brokerage player, and will be accretive to earnings and also result in cost savings, per the Zacks analyst.

Moreover, its efficient capital deployment activities reflect a solid balance sheet position. However, continued near-zero interest rates and no chance of any increase in the same in the near term remain a major concern. Also, persistently increasing costs will hurt profitability to some extent. But offering commission-free trading has been leading to rise in client assets and brokerage accounts. This, in turn, will continue improving its trading revenues.

(You can read the full research report on Charles Schwab here >>>)

Other noteworthy reports we are featuring today include Target Corporation and ConocoPhillips.

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Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.


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Target Corporation (TGT) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Sanofi (SNY) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
ConocoPhillips (COP) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
The Charles Schwab Corporation (SCHW) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
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