The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Target, Walmart, J & J Snack Foods and Hain Celestial

In this article:

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – May 27, 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: Target Corporation TGT, Walmart Inc. WMT, J & J Snack Foods Corp. JJSF and The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. HAIN.

Here are highlights from Wednesday’s Analyst Blog:

Online Grocery Sales Jump in April: 4 Solid Stocks to Buy

An increasing number of people have been shopping online, particularly necessities, over the past year as the pandemic has forced them to stay at home. This has seen online grocery sales grow at a rapid pace.

According to the latest Brick Meets Click/Mercatus Grocery Shopping Survey, online grocery sales increased once again in April. Although the vaccination drive is in full swing and restrictions are being eased, people have finally realized the comfort and convenience of shopping online.

Online Grocery Sales Continue to Grow

According to the latest Brick Meets Click/Mercatus Grocery Shopping Survey, online grocery sales jumped 16% in April on a year-over-year basis. Overall grocery sales reached $8.4 billion in April, which is almost four times the pre-pandemic level.

April’s jump came as 67.8 million households ordered groceries online. This marked a 12% decline year over year but that was because consumers placed more orders for pickup and delivery.

Online Grocery Sales to Grow

As the economy further reopens, people will be moving outdoors more confidently but they are likely tocontinue shopping online. Moreover, the coronavirus fears are far from over as a result of which people have time and again been stockpiling on necessary goods. This is helping grocers earn more revenues.

Also, grocers are increasingly shifting focus to pick-up and delivery facilities as people are hesitating to step out of their houses. According to eMarketer, online grocery sales are projected to reach 147.4 million by 2023.

Our Choices

Target Corp has evolved from just being a pure brick & mortar retailer to an omni-channel entity. The company has been investing in technologies, improving websites and mobile apps, and modernizing the supply chain to keep pace with the changing retail landscape and better compete with pure e-commerce players.

The company’s expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 20.3%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 31.9% over the past 60 days. Target sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Walmart  has evolved from just being a traditional brick-and-mortar retailer into an omnichannel player. In this regard, the acquisitions of Bonobos, Moosejaw and Parcel; partnership with Shopify and Goldman Sachs; delivery programs like Walmart + and Express Delivery; and investment in the online e-commerce platform Flipkart are noteworthy.

The company’s expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 7.1%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 7.7% over the past 60 days. Walmart has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

J & J Snack Foods Corp is an American manufacturer, marketer and distributor of branded niche snack foods and frozen beverages for the food service and retail supermarket industries.

The company’s expected earnings growth rate for the current year is more than 100%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 16.8% over the past 60 days. J & J Snack Foods has a Zacks Rank #1.

The Hain Celestial Group offers a wide range of popular better-for-you groceries, snacks and tea.

The company’s expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 72.6%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 5.8% over the past 60 days. The Hain Celestial Group holds a Zacks Rank #2.

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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
 
Walmart Inc. (WMT) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. (HAIN) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
J & J Snack Foods Corp. (JJSF) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
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