KO - The Coca-Cola Company
| Previous Close | 47.72 |
| Open | 47.82 |
| Bid | 47.47 x 4000 |
| Ask | 49.00 x 900 |
| Day's Range | 47.65 - 48.29 |
| 52 Week Range | 41.45 - 50.84 |
| Volume | 12,058,273 |
| Avg. Volume | 14,729,429 |
| Market Cap | 205.462B |
| Beta (3Y Monthly) | 0.42 |
| PE Ratio (TTM) | 73.36 |
| EPS (TTM) | 0.66 |
| Earnings Date | Feb 14, 2019 |
| Forward Dividend & Yield | 1.56 (3.27%) |
| Ex-Dividend Date | 2018-11-29 |
| 1y Target Est | 51.88 |
- Zacks•13 hours ago
Coca-Cola (KO) Outpaces Stock Market Gains: What You Should Know
Coca-Cola (KO) closed at $48.27 in the latest trading session, marking a +1.15% move from the prior day.
- American City Business Journals•13 hours ago
Coca-Cola CEO: Expecting less growth in 2019, must continue to 'kill off the zombies'
Coke had a busy year in 2018, but the company's CEO and chairman said it's anticipating less growth in 2019 and must continue to "kill off the zombies" in order to unclutter its multitude of brands.
- InvestorPlace•16 hours ago
5 Best Stocks to Buy and Hold for the Long Term
One of the core philosophies of Berkshire Hathaway's (NYSE:BRK.A, NYSE:BRK.B) Warren Buffett is the importance of taking a buy-and-hold approach to investing. About long-term stocks, he once famously said: "I never attempt to make money on the stock market. I buy on the assumption that they could close the market the next day and not reopen it for five years." No doubt, this focus on long-term stocks has worked out extremely well for him. Buffett is worth a staggering $81 billion. He has also done this by generally avoiding the high-growth areas of the markets, such as tech stocks. * 7 Stupidly Cheap Stocks to Buy Now OK then, in light of all this, what are some stocks to buy right now -- and to hold on to for the long term? Let's take a look at five: InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips Source: Shutterstock ### Best Long-Term Stocks To Buy: Alibaba (BABA) Lately the Chinese economy has come under pressure as President Trump's tariffs have taken a toll. But the long-term prospects still look bright. The number of people in China's middle class is expected to hit 600 million by 2022 (this compares to the total population in the US of 320 million). In fact, according to research from Standard Chartered Bank, China is on track to become the world's largest economy next year. A good way to play this? Alibaba (NYSE:BABA), which is the largest e-commerce operator in China. Even with the slowdown in the country, Alibaba is still finding ways to keep up the heady growth. In the latest quarter, revenues spiked by 56% to $10.5 billion. Over the years, BABA has expanded away from just e-commerce. It's as if the company has been following the Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) playbook. For example, BABA has a thriving cloud computing business. During Q3, revenues soared by 90% to $825 million. Despite all the growth, BABA stock still is relatively cheap (primarily because the shares have taken a big hit during the market selloff). Note that the forward price-to-earnings multiples is 23X. To put things into perspective, JD.com (NADAQ:JD) trades at 40X and AMZN is at 63X. Source: Mike Mozart via Flickr ### Best Long-Term Stocks To Buy: AT&T (T) AT&T (NYSE:T) is certainly a company that has been durable. It helps that it has focused on businesses that provide recurring revenues. But T has also had a proven long-term track record of transforming itself, such as going from landlines to mobile. Despite all this, Wall Street has not been too upbeat about the company. Since late 2017, T stock has gone from $39 to $30. But I think this has set up a nice entry point -- at least for those looking for a long-term stock. The main reason is that T stock should benefit nicely from another transformation of the business: the $81 billion acquisition of Time-Warner. With the deal, the company gets a wide assortment of entertainment assets like the WB movie studios, HBO and Turner. These businesses will bring in over $31 billion in annual revenues, with high margins. But T has the benefit of its massive mobile footprint for distribution. And this will be key for its upcoming launch of a streaming platform, which will have three huge categories (movies, original programming and the Warner film library). As seen with the huge success of Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX), streaming is a strong secular growth trend as consumers want more choices and affordable prices. * 3 Blue-Chip Stocks That Will Power Through Market Turmoil Finally, T stock is trading at dirt-cheap levels, with the forward price-to-earnings multiple of 8.5x. There is also a juicy dividend yield of 6.7%. Source: Leo Hidalgo via Flickr (Modified) ### Best Long-Term Stocks To Buy: Coca-Cola (KO) With the trend towards healthier diets, Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) does seem vulnerable. But it is important to note that the company has been evolving. An example of this is Coca-Cola Zero. There has also been the reinvigoration of brands like Sprite and Fanta, which include no-or-low calorie recipes. But the company is also expanding into other drink categories. One is Smartwater, which has been a fast grower. Then there is the move into energy drinks as well as the acquisitions of Organic & Raw Trading (the developer of the MOJO kombucha brand), Tropico (the creator of various fruit-flavored beverages) and Costa (a UK-based retail coffee chain). All in all, the strategy has worked quite well. Just look at Q3, in which organic revenues increased by 6% and sales volume was up 2%. As for profits, they came to $1.88 billion, up from $1.45 billion on a year-over-year basis. Oh and of course, Buffett is the top holder of KO stock. He currently owns a hefty 400 million shares. Source: Mike Mozart via Flickr (Modified) ### Best Long-Term Stocks To Buy: Procter & Gamble (PG) Few companies have had the staying power of Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG), which got its start back in 1837. P&G initially focused on selling candles and soap, and the company would not reach $1 million in revenues until 1858. Fast forward to today: PG generates about $67 billion on the top line and has a market value of $225 billion. Granted, during the past few years, there has been issues at the company, which involved a tough fight with activist investor Nelson Peltz. Yet regardless of the drama, it looks like things are headed in the right direction. PG has been cutting costs, paring down the bureaucracy and focusing more on innovation. The result is that PG is posting strong growth. In the latest quarter, organic sales increased by 4% (this was the highest in four years). There was strength across all the categories. As for the profits, they rose by 12% to $3.2 billion or $1.22 per share. * 5 Terrific Tech Stocks That Will Make You Forget About FANG The dividend for PG stock is also attractive, at 3.2%. The company has increased the payout for 62 consecutive years. Source: Mike Mozart via Flickr (Modified) ### Best Long-Term Stocks To Buy: Exxon Mobil (XOM) The oil industry can be extremely volatile, as seen during the past year with crude prices. Yet Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) has a diverse, integrated platform that generally provides stability. The company has extensive upstream (oil exploration, extraction and production) and downstream (marketing, refining and retail) assets. Now it's true that when it comes to production, XOM has struggled. But the company is making progress. Keep in mind that there continues to be traction in the Permian basin as well as with offshore developments, such as in Brazil, Guyana and Angola. In the meantime, XOM continues to crank out significant profits. During the latest quarter, they spiked by 57% to $6.24 billion. The dividend is also standout, at 4.6%. The company has raised it an average of 6.2% a year for the past 36 years. Tom Taulli is the author of High-Profit IPO Strategies, All About Commodities and All About Short Selling. Follow him on Twitter at @ttaulli. As of this writing, he did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. ### More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 10 Consumer Stocks to Buy for Income * 7 Dark Horse Stocks You Really Need to Look at for 2019 * 7 Retail Stocks to Buy for the Rise of Menswear Compare Brokers The post 5 Best Stocks to Buy and Hold for the Long Term appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- InvestorPlace•16 hours ago
5 Large-Cap Stocks Blitzing Higher
U.S. equities are rebounding from Tuesday's ugliness with aplomb as Wall Street continues to feel the warm, positive vibes from newly dovish Federal Reserve chairman Jay Powell. Moreover, senior White House officials continue to soften their shutdown stance, with reports that green cards are on the table for DACA recipients, setting the stage for a breakthrough in the stalemate that could get hundreds of thousands of federal workers back on the job. * 10 Hot Stocks to Buy Right Now As a result, a number of large-cap stocks are pushing strongly higher as the major indices hold above critical resistance levels. The Dow Jones Industrial Average has spent three days above its 50-day moving average and looks ready to close in on its 200-day average next. InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips In anticipation, here are five large-cap stocks to watch: ### Comcast (CMCSA) Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) shares have punched up and over their 50-day moving average to return to the highs last seen in early December. This after a bounce on the 20-day average on Tuesday. Watch for a run at the prior high of $39.50, which would be worth a gain of roughly 7% from here. The company reported results before the bell this morning. Earnings of 64 cents per share beat estimates by a penny on a 26.1% rise in revenues thanks to a 5.2% increase in Cable Communications sales. Previously, the company reported on Oct. 25 with earnings of 65 cents per share beating estimates by 4 cents on a 5% rise in revenues. ### Procter & Gamble (PG) Shares of Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) are pushing to fresh highs, testing above the $96-a-share level, after reporting better-than-expected quarterly results and raising forward guidance. Earnings of $1.25 per share were a 5% increase from the prior year driven by a lower tax rate. Organic sales growth clocked in at 4%, which is healthy in this environment. * 10 Consumer Stocks to Buy for Income Looking ahead, management raised the upper end of their organic sales growth guidance by 1% to a range of 2% to 4% for fiscal 2019. The company seems to be avoiding issues such as price pressure and higher transport costs hitting competitors like Kimberly-Clark (NYSE:KMB). ### United Technologies (UTX) United Technologies (NYSE:UTX) shares are on the move in a big way, testing above their 50-day moving average and marking a near-20% rise off of the late December low. Watch for prices to chase down the 200-day average, which would be worth another 10% move from here. The company reported results this morning before the bell. Earnings of $1.95 per share beat estimates by 42 cents on a 15.1% rise in revenues. Forward guidance was raised above estimates as well. Previously, the company reported on Oct. 23 with earnings of $1.93 per share beating estimates by 42 cents on a 15.1% rise in revenues. ### Starbucks (SBUX) Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) shares have been a rare bright spot for the market, rising steadily since the summer, they have shrugged off the nastiness seen elsewhere. SBUX stock is back over its 50-day moving average and is closing in on its prior high set in November. This comes despite a downgrade by Goldman Sachs earlier this month. * 7 Stocks to Buy That Lost 20% Over Past 90 Days The company will next report results on Jan. 24 before the bell. Analysts are looking for earnings of 66 cents per share on revenues of $6.5 billion. When the company last reported on Nov. 1, earnings of 62 cents per share beat estimates by 2 cents on a 10.6% rise in revenues. ### Coca-Cola (KO) Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) shares are rising out of a two-month consolation base, setting the stage for a run at the 50-day moving average. A return to the prior highs would be worth a 4% gain from here. Analysts at UBS resumed coverage on the stock back in December with a Buy rating. CEO James Quincey was also on CNBC last month discussing the potential for a cannabis infused drink. The company will next report results on Feb. 14 before the bell. Analysts are looking for earnings of 43 cents per share on revenues of $7.1 billion. When the company last reported on Oct. 30, earnings of 58 cents per share beat estimates by 3 cents despite a 9.2% drop in revenues. As of this writing, William Roth did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. ### More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 10 Consumer Stocks to Buy for Income * 7 Dark Horse Stocks You Really Need to Look at for 2019 * 7 Retail Stocks to Buy for the Rise of Menswear Compare Brokers The post 5 Large-Cap Stocks Blitzing Higher appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- InvestorPlace•18 hours ago
5 Terrific Tech Stocks That Will Make You Forget About FANG
When it comes to tech stocks a lot of ink has been spilled on the so-called FANGs. And for good reason. Leaders like Facebook (NYSE:FB) or Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) have been dominant forces in the sector and have shaken-up their respective technology subsectors since the end of the great recession. The problem is, has we continue to focus on the FAANGs, plenty of other tech stocks have gone unnoticed. After all, there's more to the technology sector than just Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL). In fact, there's a lot more. Some of the best tech stocks continue to fly under the radar as the focus continues to be on FANG stocks. For investors, looking here could provide some of the best long-term growth potential around. but which firms have the goods to help you forget about the FANGs like Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) and NFLX? InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips * 7 Stupidly Cheap Stocks to Buy Now Here are five tech stocks worth a look. ### Tech Stocks That Are Not FANG: The Trade Desk (TTD) Source: Shutterstock Advertising today is nothing like an episode of Mad Men. As various digital platforms have exploded in use, marketers and advertisers have been forced to adapt to the shifting landscape. Helping them adapt to that shift and target the right customer at the right time is The Trade Desk (NYSE:TTD). The idea behind TTD is simple enough. Dubbed "programmatic advertising," Trade Desk will use high-speed computers and various algorithms to automate the process of ad buying in real time. By searching the nearly 20 digital-ad exchanges, TTD allows advertisers to instantly find exactly who they want to target their ad to -- whether that's on their computer, smartphone or other devices. Trade Desk's programs are so fast and successful, they are able to place roughly 9 million ads per second through their online auctions. In the end, it creates a much more efficient and cost-effective way for companies to reach consumers. For TTD, this creates plenty of revenues and growth. As Trade Desk has been able to score more customers, the Trade desk saw its revenue jump by 50% year-over-year during the third quarter. The best part of that jump was that two of firm's main growth engines -- video and connected TV advertising -- are just really getting started. That leaves plenty of room for TTD to continue its pace of huge revenue jumps. Even better, TTD stock is profitable. All in all, the Trade Desk has what it takes to be one of the best tech stocks outside the FANGs. ### Tech Stocks That Are Not FANG: Workday (WDAY) Source: Workday Cloud-computing has really changed the way we function these days. So, naturally, tech stocks leading the way into the cloud are worthy FANG replacements. And Workday (NASDAQ:WDAY) maybe one of the best. Human Resources is full of tedious tasks such as changing ACH payroll information, filling out expense reports or signing up for a retirement/401k plan. Often these things get in the way of allowing the HR staff to do meaningful work. WDAY makes a variety of applications for small or large businesses to cover these tasks. The best part is, like many cloud computing firms, a business can add as little or as much as they like. And rather than purchasing the service, they pay a reoccurring fee. For Workday, this has all added up to some great growth. During Q3, WDAY saw a huge 33.8% jump to its total revenues, while subscriptions revenues came in at $624.4 million -- a 34.7% year-over-year jump. The best part is that its subscription revenue backlog -- that is, sales that are not officially booked, but will be as because companies have signed up for multi-term products -- came in at over $5.9 billion. With key high-margined products -- such as WDAY's business intelligence offering, Prism Analytics -- growing like weeds, the pace of revenues should continue. Moreover, it should allow Workday to finally move into the black when it comes to GAAP accounting standards. * 3 Blue-Chip Stocks That Will Power Through Market Turmoil All in all, Workday is quickly becoming a go-to name in HR management. For investors, that makes one serious tech stock to have your portfolio. ### Tech Stocks That Are Not FANG: Twilio (TWLO) Source: Web Summit Via Flickr Want to forget the FANGs? A 278% return will help you do it. And that's just what investors in Twilio (NASDAQ:TWLO) were treated to last year. That return was one of the best among all tech stocks -- FANG's included. There's plenty of reasons why TWLO could see more gains ahead. Twilio designs cloud-based communications platforms that allow developers to send automated phone calls, text messages, and other communication functions. For example, when you're doing a bit of online shopping or banking and you see one of those chat boxes that allows you ask questions or find out more about a product or account, Twilio made that happen. The awesome part is that developers can simply take TWLO's APIs and apps, chuck them into their code and instantly get the ability to add these functions. TWLO collects a fee when consumers use the functions. And collect fees it does. As of the end of the third quarter, TWLO had roughly 61,000 different customers using their apps. Those customers have channeled revenue growth of 230% since Twilio when public back in 2016. Last quarter alone, revenues jumped by 68% as both organic and new customer growth surged. And there's still plenty of room to grow across a variety of customers. Given the ease of TWLO's products and the continued growth potential, it's easy to see how the tech stock will a giant over the long haul. That's assuming it doesn't get bought out first. ### Tech Stocks That Are Not FANG: Splunk (SPLK) Source: Web Summit Via Flickr As technology has invaded our lives, we create a lot of data. In fact, we make so much of it, a new term "Big Data" was invented to describe the billions of gigabytes of info we generate. The problem for businesses is how to comprehend that data and dig into it to gain actual knowledge. Software firm Splunk (NASDAQ:SPLK) hopes to provide the answers. At its core, Splunk provides a variety of tools and businesses intelligence software to collect, manage and analyze all the data various organizations make. This includes everything from machine learning and application analysis to cybersecurity and business analytics. The win is that SPLK's applications are set-up to use a simple website-style interface. You don't need to be a developer to use or understand the software. This ease of use and ability to comb through all the data has a lot of fans. Some of SPLK's customers include Zillow (NYSE:Z), Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) and AAA. Naturally, all of this love for Big Data has created some big revenues for the tech stock. Over the last quarter, revenues jumped over 40% year-over-year. This was now the 27th consecutive quarter of beating estimates. Moreover, the firm's loss per share has narrowed. * 7 Stocks to Buy That Lost 20% Over Past 90 Days When it comes to tech stocks, Splunk is the reigning big data king. ### Tech Stocks That Are Not FANG: Fortinet Inc (FTNT) Source: Dennis van Zuijlekom via Flickr Not to be confused with the popular video game Fortnite, Fortinet (NASDAQ:FTNT) could be one of the best tech stocks out there. And that's because of what it targets: cybersecurity. With hacks, data breaches and other cyber threats on the rise, protecting a network is of utmost importance. And it's only getting much more important as we move into the cloud, conduct more banking online and live more complicated digital lives. It's FTNT's job to make sure a company's or your data doesn't fall into the hands of hackers. It develops and markets various cybersecurity software as well as devices such as firewalls, anti-virus, intrusion prevention, VPNs and endpoint security products. Basically, all the stuff you'd need to build a secure network. And given the high-profile nature of several recent data breaches, FTNT is supplying a lot of stuff. Last quarter, non-GAAP revenue surged 71%, while revenues grew at 21%. More importantly, the pace of growth is accelerating. According to Fortinet's sales breakdown, $250,000-plus deals jumped more than 27%, while the number of $1 million-plus transactions surged 32%. Even better is that average contract lengths have increased more than two years. All of this will continue to bring in more revenues for the cyber-security firm. With digital threats continuing to grow, Fortinet is poised to be one of the biggest winners among tech stocks. Disclosure: As of the time of writing, Aaron Levitt held no position in any stock mentioned. ### More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 10 Consumer Stocks to Buy for Income * 7 Dark Horse Stocks You Really Need to Look at for 2019 * 7 Retail Stocks to Buy for the Rise of Menswear Compare Brokers The post 5 Terrific Tech Stocks That Will Make You Forget About FANG appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- Barrons.com•18 hours ago
Why Beverage Stocks Should Outperform Food Makers
Stronger brands, better global presence, and more-diversified customers can help drink makers in 2019, according to Guggenheim analysts.
- Zacks•22 hours ago
Here's Why Investing in Monster Beverage (MNST) Makes Sense
Monster Beverage (MNST) is poised to benefit from momentum in the energy drinks business and strong international presence. Innovative product launches are also likely to work in its favor.
- CNBC•22 hours ago
Coca-Cola CEO: More uncertainty is the 'biggest issue'
Coca-Cola CEO and incoming Chairman James Quincey says global uncertainty is a bigger issue than slowing growth, which has dominated the conversation at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
- American City Business Journals•2 days ago
Atlanta's Focus Brands adds Coca-Cola exec as part of Jamba Juice leadership restructuring
Jamba Juice is adding a former Coke VP to its refreshed leadership group. Focus Brands Inc. said Tuesday that it finalized the executive team for its recently purchased Jamba Juice brand, hiring former Coca-Cola marketer Geoff Henry as the company's president and Shivram Vaideeswaran as chief marketing officer.
- Markit•2 days ago
See what the IHS Markit Score report has to say about Coca-Cola Co.
# Coca-Cola Co ### NYSE:KO View full report here! ## Summary * Perception of the company's creditworthiness is negative * ETFs holding this stock are seeing positive inflows but are weakening * Bearish sentiment is low * Economic output in this company's sector is expanding ## Bearish sentiment Short interest | Positive Short interest is extremely low for KO with fewer than 1% of shares on loan. This could indicate that investors who seek to profit from falling equity prices are not currently targeting KO. ## Money flow ETF/Index ownership | Neutral ETF activity is neutral. The $3.55 billion in inflows that ETFs holding KO received over the last one-month is a decline from earlier in the period and among the weakest of the past year. ## Economic sentiment PMI by IHS Markit | Positive According to the latest IHS Markit Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) data, output in the Consumer Goods sector is rising. The rate of growth is strong relative to the trend shown over the past year, and is accelerating. ## Credit worthiness Credit default swap | Negative The current level displays a negative indicator. KO credit default swap spreads are near their highest levels for the past 1 year, which indicates the market's more negative perception of the company's credit worthiness. Please send all inquiries related to the report to score@ihsmarkit.com. Charts and report PDFs will only be available for 30 days after publishing. This document has been produced for information purposes only and is not to be relied upon or as construed as investment advice. To the fullest extent permitted by law, IHS Markit disclaims any responsibility or liability, whether in contract, tort (including, without limitation, negligence), equity or otherwise, for any loss or damage arising from any reliance on or the use of this material in any way. Please view the full legal disclaimer and methodology information on pages 2-3 of the full report.
- Bloomberg•2 days ago
Corporate America Tallies the Mounting Costs of Climate Change
The Walt Disney Co. is concerned its theme parks will get too hot for vacationers, while AT&T Inc. fears hurricanes and wildfires may knock out its cell towers. The Coca-Cola Co. wonders if there will still be enough water to make Coke. The documents reveal how widely climate change is expected to cascade through the economy -- disrupting supply chains, disabling operations and driving away customers, but also offering new ways to make money.
- Motley Fool•4 days ago
The 4 Best-Selling Sodas of 2018
All four are owned by either Coca-Cola or PepsiCo.
- InvestorPlace•6 days ago
5 Artificial Intelligence Stocks to Consider
Editor's Note: This article was previously published in November 2018. It has been updated to reflect changes in the market. I recently attended a meeting of startup founders who pitched their companies. Interestingly enough, many of them touted artificial intelligence. Yes, this technology has quickly become red hot. After all, the market opportunity is massive. Gartner estimates that spending will grow at an average compound annual rate of 18% to $383.5 billion by 2020. InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips Yet AI is not easy to develop. There needs to be access to huge amounts of data, so as to find patterns. What's more, AI requires top-notch data scientists. As should be no surprise, this kind of talent is in short supply nowadays. Because of all this, when it comes to finding artificial intelligence stocks, they are usually larger companies. * 10 Lithium Stocks to Buy Despite the Market's Irrationality OK then, which names are positioned to benefit? Well, let's take a look at five that stand out: Source: Shutterstock ### Alphabet (GOOG) Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG, NASDAQ:GOOGL) CEO Sundar Pichai refers to the company as "AI first." And this is certainly not hype. AI has become pervasive across the product line, such as with Gmail, YouTube, Maps, Photos, Google Cloud and so on. The company has also developed its own assistant, which connects with more than 5,000 devices in the home. Google has been creating industry standards for AI as well, primarily through its own language called TensorFlow. Just some of the companies that use it include Uber, eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY) and Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO). Something else: Google is a top player in autonomous vehicles. The company's Waymo unit could be worth as much as $175 billion, according to analysts at Morgan Stanley. Finally, the valuation of GOOG stock is at reasonable levels, with the forward price-to-earnings ratio is 23X, which is in-line with other mega tech operators like Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT). This puts it at the top of the heap among artificial intelligence stocks. Source: Nvidia ### Nvidia (NVDA) Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) is the pioneer of GPUs (Graphics Processing Units), which are chips that process large amounts of data cost-effectively. The technology was initially focused on the gaming market. But NVDA realized that GPUs were also ideal for AI. To this end, the company has leveraged these systems into areas like datacenters and autonomous vehicles. No doubt, it has been a very good move. Consider that NVDA has been on a strong growth ramp. In the latest quarter, revenues soared by 21% to $3.18 billion and earnings per share increased by 48% to $1.97. It's true that the valuation of NVDA stock is far from cheap, with the forward price-to-earnings ratio at 36X. But then again, a premium is to be expected for a company that is a leader in a massive industry. * 7 Dark Horse Stocks You Really Need to Look at for 2019 For example, Evercore ISI analyst C.J. Muse recently boosted the price target on NVDA stock to $400, which implies 41% upside. In his report, he noted that the company's technology is "becoming the standard AI platform." Source: Shutterstock ### IBM (IBM) AI is nothing new for IBM (NYSE:IBM). The company has been developing this type of technology for many years. For example, back in 1985, it developed its AI computer called Deep Blue. It would actually beat chess world champion Garry Kasparov in 1996. Then in 2011, IBM created Watson to take on the best players on the quiz show Jeopardy!. The computer won. Now, IBM has definitely had its troubles. But the investments in AI and other cutting-edge technologies have been making a difference. Note that during the trailing 12 months, IBM's Strategic Imperatives -- which include cloud computing, security, analytics, Big Data and mobile -- generated $39 billion, or about 48% of total revenues. This has helped improve the growth rate of the overall business. IBM stock also has an attractive dividend, which is at 5%. This is one of the highest in the tech industry. Oh, and the valuation is reasonable as well. Consider that the forward price-to-earnings ratio is only 11X. Source: Shutterstock ### Yext (YEXT) AI has been good to Yext (NYSE:YEXT). The reason: the company is a top data provider, with integrations of over 150 services from operators like Google, Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN), Microsoft, Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) and Tencent (OTCMKTS:TCEHY). Yext has also added context and intent to all this, which allows for more accurate real-time searches. On the latest earnings call, CEO Howard Lerman noted: "Today the world is moving to smart databases. AI powered services that do the thinking for you." * 10 High-Growth Stocks for the Return of the Bull Growth has been strong. In the latest quarter, revenues shot up by 33% to $58.7 million. The company has also been getting much traction with enterprise customers. Note that the quarter saw nearly 80 new logos. Source: Simone.Brunozzi Via Flickr ### Baidu (BIDU) When it comes to the search business, Baidu (NASDAQ:BIDU) remains the king in China. Over the years, the company has transitioned to mobile, which has been critical. But BIDU has also invested heavily in becoming an artificial intelligence stock. This has helped with personalizing the search experience as well as improving the impact of online ads. But AI has done more than just bolster BIDU's own platform. The company has created several platforms for third parties. One is DuerOS, which has an installed base of 100 million devices and processes over 400 million queries a month. Then there is Apollo. It is an AI system for autonomous vehicles. Recently, BIDU used this with King Long Motors to launch the first fully self-driving L4 minibus. The AI efforts have been paying off. In the latest quarter, revenues jumped by 27% to $4.1 billion and the adjusted EBITDA came to $988 million -- or about 24% of total revenues. Yes, BIDU has a highly scalable business model. BIDU stock has taken a hit over the past year, down 32%. Keep in mind that Chinese stocks have been in the bear phase and that there are concerns about the U.S. trade tensions. But for investors looking for a play on AI in China, BIDU stock does look attractive at these levels. Tom Taulli is the author of High-Profit IPO Strategies, All About Commodities and All About Short Selling. Follow him on Twitter at @ttaulli. As of this writing, he did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. ### More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 7 Companies Apple Should Consider Buying * 7 Beaten-Up Housing Stocks Due for a Bounce Back * Take Buffett's Advice: 5 Vanguard Funds to Buy Compare Brokers The post 5 Artificial Intelligence Stocks to Consider appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- American City Business Journals•6 days ago
Super Bowl puts Coke, UPS, AT&T and Mercedes in a difficult spot
Because their competitors are NFL sponsors, some giant Atlanta companies will just have to enjoy the Super Bowl festivities on the outside looking in.
- Zacks•7 days ago
3 Weight-Loss Stocks in Focus on Rising Obesity Fears
Three companies with bright prospects as the U.S. weight-loss industry keeps up its battle against obesity.
- Barrons.com•7 days ago
Monster Beverage Is Facing Brash Competition as Tastes Evolve Once Again
As carbonated drinks from (KO) (KO) and (PEP)(PEP) lost favor with millennials, Monster filled the void with jolts of caffeine. Descended from a family business that sold fresh juice in Los Angeles in the 1930s, Monster’s stock has outperformedCoke, Pepsi and the S&P 500 since the company de-emphasized its juice and soda businesses in mid-2015. Monster’s shares have fallen roughly 16% over the last year, and the stock, up about 10% in 2019, is around mid-2016 levels after closing Wednesday just below $54.
- Reuters•7 days ago
Whitbread shares hit by lacklustre outlook after Costa deal
Shares of the FTSE 100 company fell in morning trading as investors shrugged off a 2.4 percent increase in quarterly sales and focussed on the cautious outlook. The owner of the Premier Inn chain said it expected annual results to be in line with expectations in the current financial year that runs until around the start of March but added that there would be no progress in underlying profit before tax in 2019-20. Whitbread this month completed the sale of Costa to Coca-Cola Co (KO.N) for 3.9 billion pounds.
- Reuters•7 days ago
Whitbread shares hit by lacklustre outlook after Costa deal
Whitbread Plc warned that profit would not grow in 2019-20 as the British hotel owner, which has just sold its Costa coffee chain, faces an uncertain economic outlook. The owner of the Premier Inn chain said it expected annual results to be in line with expectations in the current financial year that runs until around the start of March but added that there would be no progress in underlying profit before tax in 2019-20. Whitbread this month completed the sale of Costa to Coca-Cola Co for 3.9 billion pounds.
- Reuters•7 days ago
Whitbread's quarterly sales rise 2.4 pct
British hotel owner Whitbread Plc on Thursday reported a 2.4 percent increase in third-quarter sales and expects 2019 results to be in-line with expectations, driven by new room additions at its Premier ...
- Zacks•8 days ago
Coca-Cola (KO) Stock Sinks As Market Gains: What You Should Know
In the latest trading session, Coca-Cola (KO) closed at $46.90, marking a -1.41% move from the previous day.
- American City Business Journals•8 days ago
Coca-Cola adds 2 more flavors in continued push to rejuvenate Diet Coke
Coca-Cola has added a pair of new flavors to its Diet Coke offerings —one year after launching a "brand rejuvenation" for the zero-calorie soda line.
- InvestorPlace•8 days ago
7 Stocks to Buy as the Dollar Weakens
The financial markets had a turbulent and volatile 2018, with many storylines and themes changing multiple times over the course of the year. But one financial market theme that remained constant through the volatility was a strong dollar. The U.S. Dollar Index, which measures the strength of the U.S. dollar against a basket of foreign currencies, bottomed around 90 in early 2018 during global financial market turmoil. Over the rest of the year, the U.S. Dollar Index steadily gained towards the upper 90's, even amid the big selloff in late 2018. This trend has changed course over the past month. Specifically, the U.S. Dollar Index peaked around 98 in mid-December, and has since consistently fallen towards 95, its lowest level since October. Why? There's renewed optimism regarding a trade war resolution, and hope that while the global economy is slowing, it's not slowing as much as feared. Also, the Fed has grown increasingly dovish over the past few weeks, signalling fewer rate hikes than previously anticipated. InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips But a weaker dollar is good news for some companies, such as multinationals with significant overseas sales exposure and foreign stocks with mitigated sales exposure to the U.S. Many of these stocks were hampered by a strong dollar in 2018. But, if the dollar continues to weaken in 2019, these stocks could have room to run higher as a major headwind is removed from the equation. * 10 Growth Stocks With the Future Written All Over Them With this in mind, let's take a look at seven stocks to buy as the U.S. dollar weakens. ### Stocks to Buy as the Dollar Weakens: McDonald's (MCD) Source: Shutterstock At the top of the list is McDonald's (NYSE:MCD), the multinational food giant which not only gets a majority of its revenue and profits from international markets, but whose international operations are also more profitable and growing faster. Therefore, as the dollar weakens and those businesses start to earn more in term of U.S. dollars, MCD stock should benefit. Last year, roughly 65% of the company's total revenues and nearly 60% of total operating profits came from outside of the U.S. Moreover, comparable sales growth in the U.S. was just 3.6% last year, versus 5% and up overseas. Also, U.S. company operated margins hovered around 16% in 2017. International company operated margins were north of 17%. Overall, as goes the international business, so goes McDonald's. Thus, as the international business becomes increasingly valuable against a weakening dollar, MCD stock should naturally rise. ### Stocks to Buy as the Dollar Weakens: Alibaba (BABA) Source: Shutterstock The plunge in Chinese stocks started in early 2018, when the U.S. dollar strengthened significantly against the Chinese yuan. That strengthening diluted the value of U.S. listed Chinese stocks, and that dilution -- on top of concerns regarding weakening growth -- caused all Chinese stocks to drop in a big way. That included shares of Chinese internet giant Alibaba (NYSE:BABA). But the fundamentals underlying Alibaba remain very strong. This is still the premiere e-commerce and cloud company in a 6%-plus growth economy supported by healthy demographic trends. Despite those tailwinds, the stock now trades at a rather anemic sub-30x forward multiple (revenues grew by over 50% last quarter). * 7 Oversold Small-Cap Stocks With Massive Profit Growth All this stock needs to explode higher is a few good catalysts. One such catalyst is a weakening dollar. The other is positive progress on U.S.-China trade talks. Those two are tied together, and both are starting to move in favor of Alibaba. As such, now seems like as good a time as any for a big BABA stock around. ### Stocks to Buy as the Dollar Weakens: Baidu (BIDU) Source: Shutterstock Another Chinese stock that plunged with a strengthening U.S. dollar but is now set to rebound as the dollar weakens is Baidu (NASDAQ:BIDU). For those who are unaware, Baidu is the company behind China's leading search engine, and as such, is often called the Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) of China. As the Google of China, Baidu has established itself as the backbone of China's burgeoning internet economy. There have been some hiccups in the road, but the company has always successfully navigated around them and -- much like Google- - Baidu has found itself as a largely consistent 20%-plus revenue grower. At current levels, BIDU stock is pretty cheap with a mere 15x forward multiple. Google trades at over 20x forward earnings, and Google is growing revenues at a slower clip than Baidu. Thus, the 15x forward multiple on BIDU stock doesn't make much sense and should ultimately be corrected with a few positive catalysts. One such positive catalyst will be the weakening of the U.S. dollar. If dollar weakness persists and U.S.-China trade talks continue to make progress towards a resolution, BIDU stock could be in store for a major rally from multi-year lows. ### Stocks to Buy as the Dollar Weakens: Coca Cola (KO) Source: Coca-Cola One multinational giant that is set to benefit in a sizable way from U.S. dollar weakness is Coca Cola (NYSE:KO). Much like McDonald's, most of Coca-Cola's revenues, profits, and growth come from international markets. Specifically, last year, only ~25% of the company's revenues came from North America. Presumably, most of that was from the United States. Still, at most, the U.S. represented just about 20% of Coca-Cola's total revenues in 2017. Roughly a third of operating profits came from North America, so maybe about 25% came from the U.S. Meanwhile, volume growth in North America was flat, while it was positive in some other international geographies. * Top 10 Global Stock Ideas for 2019 From RBC Capital Broadly speaking, then, the KO growth story is one led and driven by international growth. As the dollar weakens, that international growth becomes more valuable in terms of U.S. dollars, and the entire KO growth story becomes more valuable, too. As such, dollar weakness should lead to a KO stock rally. ### Stocks to Buy as the Dollar Weakens: Netflix (NFLX) Source: Shutterstock Although this stock is often viewed as being in a different category than McDonald's and Coca Cola, streaming giant Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) actually shares a few prominent parallels with the aforementioned consumer staples giants. Namely, all three are international driven growth stories that benefit from a weaker dollar. Netflix is still growing by leaps and bounds in the U.S. But, the majority of the growth is happening outside of the U.S. Last quarter, the U.S. streaming business grew revenues by 25% with just over 1 million net ads. In contrast, the international streaming business grew revenues by nearly 50% with almost 6 million net ads. Also, when investors and analysts talk about how big Netflix can be, those discussions almost entirely revolve around the international market, since the consensus belief is that the U.S. market is nearing saturation. Overall, Netflix is a multinational giant with an international driven growth story. As such, this company and stock are winners when the dollar weakens. ### Stocks to Buy as the Dollar Weakens: Tesla (TSLA) Source: Tesla When talking about growth giants with international driven growth stories, streaming giant Netflix and electric vehicle pioneer Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) fall into the same boat. Tesla had a breakthrough back half of 2018 as the company achieved a sizable profit for the first time in several years -- and did so while accelerating Model 3 production and delivery to mainstream levels. But all those positive developments happened almost entirely on the domestic front. The Model 3 has yet to really scratch the surface internationally. * 5 Fallen-Angel Stocks That Have Been Oversold That will change in 2019. One of Tesla's biggest focus is producing and delivering Model 3 vehicles all around the world this year. As the company does this, the TSLA growth narrative will become increasingly internationally driven. The more internationally driven this growth narrative becomes, the more a weak dollar will help TSLA stock. ### Stocks to Buy as the Dollar Weakens: Weibo (WB) Source: Shutterstock Back to the list of Chinese stocks to buy before they benefit from a weaker dollar. There is a lesser known but just as compelling Chinese stock: social-media giant Weibo (NASDAQ:WB). Many investors and analysts like to call Weibo the Twitter (NYSE:TWTR) of China, given overlaps in the companies' core social media platforms. Those comparisons make sense. But, Weibo is much bigger (nearly 450 million monthly active users versus under 330 million at Twitter). Weibo is also growing more quickly (44% revenue growth last quarter, versus 29% at Twitter), and is more profitable (42% adjusted EBITDA margins last quarter, versus 39% at Twitter). Despite Weibo being bigger, faster growing, and more profitable, Twitter stock is deemed more valuable and expensive by the market. Weibo has a $12 billion market cap. Twitter is valued at essentially twice that. Weibo stock trades at 17 forward earnings. Twitter's forward multiple is above 35. Overall, Weibo stock is just way too cheap to ignore here. And all it will take for a rip-your-face-off rally is a few positive catalysts. A weakening U.S. dollar is one. Positive trade talks is another. Stabilizing economic growth in China is a third. If all those boxes get checked off, this stock could soar in a big way. As of this writing, Luke Lango was long BIDU, GOOG, NFLX, TSLA, WB, and TWTR. ### More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * Top 10 Global Stock Ideas for 2019 From RBC Capital * 10 A-Rated Stocks the Smart Money Is Piling Into * 5 Best Bank ETFs for This Week's Earnings Avalanche Compare Brokers The post 7 Stocks to Buy as the Dollar Weakens appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- Zacks•8 days ago
Why Marijuana ETF is on a High in 2019
After being beaten down in the final quarter of 2018, pot stocks staged a nice comeback this year on the renewed appeal for riskier assets.
- CNBC Videos•23 hours ago
Coca-Cola CEO: More uncertainty is the ‘biggest issue’
Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey joins "Squawk Box" in Davos to discuss the company's growth in 2019 and the soft drink sector.
- Fox Business Videos•23 hours ago
Coca-Cola CEO: We expect to increase prices around the world
Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey on the economy, expanding the company's line of beverages, the pricing outlook, the Super Bowl, marketing, launching bottles and cans themed to the Korean boy band BTS and the company's 'World Without Waste' initiative.
