AMD - Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
| Previous Close | 54.53 |
| Open | 55.19 |
| Bid | 55.34 x 1000 |
| Ask | 55.35 x 900 |
| Day's Range | 54.56 - 55.40 |
| 52 Week Range | 21.04 - 55.40 |
| Volume | 52,365,370 |
| Avg. Volume | 53,436,008 |
| Market Cap | 64.694B |
| Beta (5Y Monthly) | 3.10 |
| PE Ratio (TTM) | 184.37 |
| EPS (TTM) | 0.30 |
| Earnings Date | Apr 27, 2020 - May 03, 2020 |
| Forward Dividend & Yield | N/A (N/A) |
| Ex-Dividend Date | Apr 26, 1995 |
| 1y Target Est | 48.59 |
- MarketWatch
It isn’t 1999—the party’s not over for tech stocks yet, Goldman says
Goldman Sachs analysts believe there’s still upside in tech stocks, even if other observers compare the current moment to the bursting of the dot-com bubble two decades ago.
- MarketWatch
If you could buy only one stock for 5G and artificial intelligence, this would be it
During the California gold rush, many miners went bankrupt. However many merchants who were selling picks and shovels became rich. Most investors recognize that the gold rush is on in 5G and artificial intelligence.
- InvestorPlace
Stock Market Today: Nvidia Rips, Roku Dips
If one simply opened up their investing app or glanced at a financial news summary for Friday, it would look like a quiet session in the stock market today.The S&P 500 was up less than 0.02%, in what appeared to be a sleepy trading session ahead of a three-day holiday weekend. However, it was a much different mood under the surface. With several large earnings movers, there were plenty of debates to be had on Friday. Earnings RoundupIt has been a long time coming, but Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) shares are finally hitting new all-time highs. Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD), the Nasdaq and big tech have been doing it for months now, but Nvidia hadn't made a new high since October 2018.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsPatient investors are finally being rewarded. Nvidia beat on earnings and revenue expectations, and even after accounting for a $100 million revenue hit in fiscal Q1, the midpoint of management's sales outlook still topped expectations. Nvidia's charts have momentum, and so too does it business.The company is already seeing a multitude of price target hikes following the report (with 14 calls at $300 or higher on Friday alone). The highest came from RBC and Merrill Lynch, with both targets at $350. * 15 Stocks to Buy Based On The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election Roku (NASDAQ:ROKU) was a different story. The company beat on earnings and revenue expectations, as the streaming theme continues to drive growth. Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Disney (NASDAQ:DIS) launching new platforms didn't hurt, either.Guidance was solid, but management is foregoing profits at the moment and chasing growth. While long-term investors seem okay with the plan, short-term investors and analysts are bemoaning the lower-than-expected EBITDA outlook. While shares gapped north of $150 in morning trading, the stock reversed and declined notably lower on the day, down about 7% ahead of the close.Then there's Canopy Growth (NYSE:CGC). The stock is ripping more than 15% after better-than-expected fiscal third-quarter results. A loss of 35 cents CAD per share beat estimates by 14 cents, while revenue of 123.76 million CAD grew 49% year-over-year and beat estimates by almost 19 million CAD.Both Roku and Canopy Growth made our Top Stock Trades column on Friday. Movers in the Stock Market TodayA plethora of 13F filings should be rolling in soon, but we've got a look at Dan Loeb's Third Point holdings. The firm took new positions in Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) and Ferrari (NYSE:RACE), as well as Charles Schwab (NYSE:SCHW) and TD Ameritrade (NASDAQ:AMTD), which are in a takeover deal.Also noteworthy, Loeb's fund exited Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL), among others.Video games sales just can't catch a break. Sales experienced a year-over-year decline for the sixth straight month, falling 26% in January. Hardware sales struggled too, falling 35% to $129 million, while software dropped more than 30% to $311 million.Activision Blizzard's (NASDAQ:ATVI) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare came in at No. 2, following Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot as No. 1. Electronic Arts' (NASDAQ:EA) Madden 20 and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order came in at No. 3 and No. 4, respectively.SmileDirectClub (NASDAQ:SDC) plunged more than 15% following an NBC news report highlighting some customers' problems with the company's dental aligners. It has faced negative press in the past, drawing on some members of Congress to request an investigation about potential misleading customers.The company has since pushed back on the report, but it doesn't matter. Shares are getting whacked as a result.Whoops. Bernstein analysts previously estimated that Beyond Meat (NYSE:BYND) could generate $168 million in sales with a McDonald's (NASDAQ:MCD) partnership. After crunching some more numbers though, they took that sales figure up to a range of $227 million to $306 million.As a result, they raised their price target to $117 from $106, while Beyond Meat stock climbed more than 3.5% on the day.Bret Kenwell is the manager and author of Future Blue Chips and is on Twitter @BretKenwell. As of this writing, Bret Kenwell is long NVDA and ROKU. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 7 Exciting Stocks to Buy for Aggressive Investors * 20 Stocks to Buy From the Law of Accelerating Returns * 7 U.S. Stocks to Buy on Coronavirus Weakness The post Stock Market Today: Nvidia Rips, Roku Dips appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- InvestorPlace
4 Reasons Why the Rally In Intel Stock Might Slow Down
Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) has seen its value drop precipitously on several occasions over the past two years. In the summer of 2018, it began a steep decline that lasted well into the fall. Last April, Intel stock dropped 25% in little over a month. However, since then, the stock has been on a tear.Source: Pavel Kapysh / Shutterstock.com It's up 50% since last August. Now trading at $67.46, it has posted a gain of nearly 13% so far in 2020 alone -- helped by a big Q4 earnings beat in January.The question is, will Intel continue to shine in 2020? Or is it due for another one of those big corrections? Here are four factors that have the potential to trip up the company's current run.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips Advanced Micro DevicesAdvanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD) has been a thorn in Intel's side for the past several years. AMD has been cutting into Intel's marketshare in desktop computer PCs.At CES it unveiled new Ryzen mobile processors that seriously outperform Intel's offerings, and announced that over 100 laptops are already signed up to ship with "AMD Inside" in 2020. AMD has also launched an assault on Intel's data center business.Last fall, the company announced second generation Epyc processors that are now being used in data centers by high profile clients, including Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Alphabet's (NASDAQ:GOOG, NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google. AppleThe last big drop in Intel stock was last April, and it kicked off shortly after news that Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) was dumping Intel modems in the iPhone in favor of a return to Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM).Rumors have been growing that Apple is planning to dump Intel processors in its MacBooks this fall in favor of its own ARM-designed chips. If that happens, it would be another Apple-induced blow to Intel. If Apple is successful, it could also tempt other PC manufacturers to follow suit. ChinaIntel sees 24% of its revenue generated by the Chinese market. Because of that exposure, it's one of the American chipmakers that saw its stock hit by the launch of the trade war between the U.S. and China in 2018.The company has also benefited from the thawing of trade relations between the two countries, especially since the fall of 2019, when a Phase One trade deal was first announced. However, if the trade war should heat up again, Intel is exposed. Another risk is China's slowing economy, with growth recently nearing a 30-year low. CoronavirusA wild card in the 2020 mix for Intel is the coronavirus from China. So far, it's having an impact on the Chinese economy, and there have been plant closures.Should the coronavirus breakout spread further in China, it could result in PC manufacturers closing factories and halting production, slowing demand for Intel chips. In the bigger picture, if the coronavirus turns into a worldwide epidemic, it could trigger a global recession. That would be bad news for virtually all stocks, including shares of Intel. Bottom Line on Intel StockInvestment analysts polled by The Wall Street Journal are taking a cautious line on Intel stock, giving it a consensus "hold" rating. Their median 12-month price target of $66.41 shows no confidence that Intel stock is going to continue its current gains through 2020. Among the 40 in the group, the highest price target is $85, which represents 26% upside. On the other side of the equation, InvestorPlace Markets Analyst Luke Lango has Intel in his list of Strong Value Stocks for 2020. He notes Intel's "combination of big growth exposure and dirt cheap valuation" will help it to out-perform.What will Intel's story end up being for 2020?AMD is a real threat, but other factors are conjecture at this point. If any of them end up coming into play, Intel could stumble. If they don't, Intel stock could very well continue its growth streak and perform well in 2020. As of this writing, Brad Moon did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 7 Exciting Stocks to Buy for Aggressive Investors * 20 Stocks to Buy From the Law of Accelerating Returns * 7 U.S. Stocks to Buy on Coronavirus Weakness The post 4 Reasons Why the Rally In Intel Stock Might Slow Down appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- TheStreet.com
AMD Gets Boost as RBC Lifts Target After Nvidia Report
Advanced Micro Devices should benefit after Nvidia posted strong earnings results, said an RBC Capital Markets analyst, who raised AMD's price target for the second time in a week.
- Barrons.com
Buy AMD Stock If You Like Nvidia’s Earnings, Analyst Says
Advanced Micro Devices shares are getting a bump Friday from RBC Capital analyst Mitch Steves, who lifted his price target to a Street-high $66, from $63, citing yesterday’s better-than-expected results from rival Nvidia.
- InvestorPlace
7 U.S. Stocks to Buy on Coronavirus Weakness
[Editor's note: This story has been updated to include Johnson & Johnson and CVS Health Corp. It removes Crocs Inc. and Skechers USA.]The outbreak of China's coronavirus is a big deal. To date, it has infected over 40,000 people across the globe, and killed at least 1,100. Even if the disease stopped spreading today -- which it won't -- this outbreak will still go down as one of the most pervasive epidemics in modern world history.And yet, markets don't seem to care. U.S. stocks dropped big on Friday, Jan. 31, on coronavirus concerns. And that was it. Ever since, stocks have been in rally mode, with the S&P 500 cruising to fresh all-time highs in early February.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsWhy? Because, while the coronavirus outbreak is a big deal, it's also a short-term deal. Outbreaks happen all the time. They never last more than a few months. They hit, they spread, they peak, they go down and within a few months, they're gone. Their impact on the economy, while severe for a few months, is short-lived, and economic activity always rebounds sharply as soon as the virus disappears.It also helps that: 1) the Wuhan coronavirus isn't as deadly as other viruses with a mere 2% fatality rate (SARS, by comparison, had a 10% fatality rate), 2) it's largely contained to China, 3) significant progress has been made on a potential treatment or cure, and 4) in response to the virus outbreak, China has injected tons of fiscal stimuli and halved tariffs on U.S. goods.Consequently, when it comes to the coronavirus, you have a short-term problem. The best investment game-plan is to buy the short-term weakness in long-term winners, not to chase short-term strength in short-term winners.As Clinical Professor of Finance David Kass at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business wrote in an email to InvestorPlace:"The worldwide fear of the coronavirus is likely to result in the outperformance of health stocks in the near future … [but] biotech stocks trying to develop a vaccine for this virus … have already had large stocks moves to the upside. Instead of those highly visible potential beneficiaries of the spreading of this disease, I suggest looking elsewhere within the healthcare sector."I already picked some Chinese stocks to buy once coronavirus fears fade. Now, I'm picking seven U.S. stocks to buy on coronavirus weakness. * 20 Stocks to Buy From the Law of Accelerating Returns Without further ado, let's take a look at those names. Stocks to Buy: Apple (AAPL)Source: View Apart / Shutterstock.com Global technology giant Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) has been hit hard from multiple angles thanks to the coronavirus outbreak in China. First, the company closed all corporate offices, stores and contact centers in mainland China until Feb. 9. Second, many of Apple's suppliers have been ordered to reduce or altogether halt production until Feb. 10. Third, thanks to the production pause, Apple's AirPods may have a supply shortage for the new few weeks.None of that is great news, especially since China is a big part of the Apple growth narrative. As such, it should be no surprise that Apple stock dropped 5% Jan. 31 on coronavirus fears.But, Apple will be just fine. This is true for a few reasons. First, the App Store will get a big boost during the outbreak (there are hundreds of millions of Chinese consumers stuck at home, desperate for ways to entertain themselves). Second, February typically isn't a big month for iPhone sales. Third, because an iPhone is a big-ticket purchase, any lost demand during February won't forever disappear -- it will just shift into March or April. Fourth, Apple's big iPhone launch comes in the back half of 2020. By then, the outbreak should be old news.All in all, Apple will weather the coronavirus storm just fine, and the company is still staring at huge growth potential in the back half of the year. Nike (NKE)Source: Square Box Photos / Shutterstock.com Shares of global athletic apparel giant Nike (NYSE:NKE) dropped about 8% in late January on concerns that the coronavirus outbreak could materially impact the company's operations in China.Those concerns were confirmed in early February, when management said in a press release that they expect the outbreak to have a "material impact" on operations in China. The company said it has shut down about half of its stores in China. Those that remain open are operating at reduced hours with lower-than-usual traffic volumes.That's not great news for Nike. A slowdown in this big and hyper-growth segment will have ripple effects across Nike's entire business. * 7 Large-Cap Stocks to Buy For Insulation From Volatility But, this negative impact will be short-lived. During the SARS epidemic, retail sales in China slowed during the outbreak, but as soon as the outbreak cleared up, retail sales trends came roaring back to life in a hurry. The same thing should happen this time around, especially since the People's Bank of China (PBOC) has injected stimulus packages and tariffs on U.S. goods have been halved. Thus, once the outbreak ends, retail sales in China will accelerate meaningfully, and Nike's China business will get back to firing on all cylinders. Advanced Micro Devices (AMD)Source: Joseph GTK / Shutterstock.com In the last week of January, shares of red-hot chip maker Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD) dropped about 10% amid concerns that the coronavirus outbreak would dampen chip demand in China. To make matters worse, AMD reported mixed fourth-quarter numbers in late January that included a light first-quarter revenue guide.But, these concerns seem overstated.As I've written before, global epidemics historically tend not to have an impact on the semiconductor market. SARS didn't hit the semiconductor market in 2002. On the contrary, global semiconductor sales actually rose during the SARS outbreak. Similarly, during the H7N9 outbreak in the 2010s, global semiconductor sales rose.The same thing should happen this time, especially since U.S-China trade tensions are easing while central banks through Asia are rushing to inject stimulus packages and support their economies. Once this outbreak ends, corporate spending on things like semiconductor chips should roar higher. AMD's numbers will charge even higher, since this company remains the market share leader in critical verticals of the semiconductor market.Big picture -- coronavirus weakness in AMD stock is overstated. Over the next few months, the fundamentals underlying AMD will improve, not deteriorate. As they do, AMD stock will go higher, not lower. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)Source: Raihana Asral / Shutterstock.com Professor Kass from the University of Maryland is bullish on healthcare stocks, with the rationale being that the coronavirus outbreak will create a multi-year tailwind for healthcare spending in the United States."… several stocks that are currently under the radar for this possible epidemic should do very well as healthcare spending in the years ahead is likely to increase substantially," said Kass.One of his top stock picks in the healthcare industry is Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), and I agree that the coronavirus outbreak will create a long-term tailwind for Jonson & Johnson stock.The thinking is pretty simple. Johnson & Johnson sells a variety of everyday healthcare products to U.S. consumers. While U.S. consumers at large weren't directly impacted by the coronavirus, they were indirectly impacted through a elevated sense of personal health caution. This elevated sense of caution will inevitably result in consumers spending more on things like hand-wash, wipes, sanitizers, disinfectants, etc.Johnson & Johnson sells a lot of that stuff. Consequently, demand for Johnson & Johnson products should rise over the next few years as consumers become for health-conscious. "[Johnson & Johnson] is likely to continue experiencing rapid growth in revenues and earnings in the foreseeable future," says Professor Kass. * 7 Low-Volatility Stocks to Buy In Jittery Times I couldn't agree more. And this sustained revenue and earnings growth lays a foundation for Johnson & Johnson stock to head higher. Intel (INTC)Source: JHVEPhoto / Shutterstock.com The bull thesis on global semiconductor giant Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) is very similar to the bull thesis on Advanced Micro Devices.Specifically, Intel stock dropped about 8% in late January on fears that the coronavirus outbreak in China would dampen global semiconductor demand. But, historically speaking, Chinese-originated global epidemics don't have a meaningful impact on global semiconductor demand. On the contrary, global semiconductor sales rose in 2002-03 amid the SARS outbreak, and in the 2010s amid the H7N9 outbreak.Meanwhile, Intel just reported a blowout fourth-quarter earnings report and delivered a robust first-quarter guide, the sum of which imply that demand in the company's core data-centric markets is rebounding, not falling.It will take more than a short-term epidemic in China to derail these rebounding demand trends. Plus, once the epidemic fades, these data-centric demand trends will actually accelerate higher, because of stimulus from Asian central banks as well as accelerated U.S.-China trade war deescalation.Broadly, then, the most likely path forward for Intel stock in 2020 is higher, not lower. Starbucks (SBUX)Source: Grand Warszawski / Shutterstock.com Much like Nike, global coffee house operator Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) has been forced to close about half of its cafes in China, with an unclear timeline as to when those stores will re-open. Also, echoing what management at Nike said, Starbucks management said that they expect the outbreak to have a "materially" negative impact on current quarter and full-year numbers.In response to that news, Starbucks stock has shed about 10% off its mid-January highs.But, while China remains a very important piece of the Starbucks growth narrative, the country accounts for only about 10% of Starbucks' total revenue. So, the negative impacts won't be that big. Further, they will be ephemeral. They won't have any impact on the long-term growth narrative, which is centered around increasing coffee consumption, urbanization and a rising middle class in China.If anything, tons of fiscal stimulus from the PBOC will only accelerate those longer-term trends once the outbreak passes. * 7 Stocks to Buy for February Contrarians As such, if Starbucks stock keeps dropping on coronavirus fears, that weakness will ultimately be nothing more than a good buying opportunity into a long-term winner. Estee Lauder (EL)Source: Ken Wolter / Shutterstock.com One of the companies hit hardest by the coronavirus outbreak in China has been multinational beauty care giant Estee Lauder (NYSE:EL), who derives a whopping 17% of its sales from China.Thanks to the broad exposure, Credit Suisse estimates that Estee Lauder could see 3% to 5% decrease in earnings per share this quarter. This profit risk is why Estee Lauder stock dropped more than 10% in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.But, Estee Lauder just reported fourth-quarter numbers. They were quite good, beating on both the top and bottom lines. And, while management said that retail store closures, reduced retail hours, lower store traffic volumes and travel restrictions will weigh on near-term operating results, management also sounded confident in their ability to weather the storm and mitigate adverse impacts.Specifically, instead of running away from China, Estee Lauder is doubling down on China. It is going to up research and development spending. It is going to build a new innovation center, launch new fragrance products this year and continue to build-out the online channel.Management's confident tone breathed life back into bulls. Estee Lauder stock rallied after the print. And, it appears that so long as the coronavirus outbreak doesn't get worse from here, this stock is on course to rebound over the next few months. CVS Health (CVS)Source: Roman Tiraspolsky / Shutterstock.com Another healthcare stock which Professor Kass is bullish on in the near-term is CVS Health (NYSE:CVS):"As the nation's foremost integrated health-care services provider, its revenues and profits are projected to grow at a rapid rate in the years ahead."I agree with Professor Kass. CVS is positioned for big revenue and profit growth over the next few years, and big gains in CVS stock will follow suit.The bull thesis here really breaks down into two parts. First, CVS has figured out how to differentiate itself in the pharmacy retail game with its new HealthHUBs, which are essentially CVS stores that include personalized healthcare stations. These HealthHUBs are turning CVS stores into one-stop-shops for all things pharmacy retail. Consumers are resonating with this value prop. Largely thanks to further expansion of HealthHUBs, CVS just reported yet another double beat earnings report. Continued expansion of HealthHUBs will lead to more double beat reports in the years ahead. * 10 Strong Lottery Ticket Stocks That Could Soar in 2020 Second, heightened U.S. consumer anxiety regarding the coronavirus outbreak -- which has run concurrent to a really bad flu season in America -- will lead to increased consumer spend on everyday healthcare products. CVS sells all of those products. Consequently, as consumers up their spend on everyday healthcare products over the next few quarters, traffic and revenue trends at CVS should pick up.As of this writing, Luke Lango was long AAPL. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 7 Utility Stocks to Buy That Offer Juicy Dividends * 10 Gold and Silver Stocks to Profit Off 2020's Fear Trade * 3 Top Companies That Should Be More Careful With Your Data The post 7 U.S. Stocks to Buy on Coronavirus Weakness appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- Investor's Business Daily
Dow Jones Today, Stocks Flatten: Nvidia, AMD Boost Chips; Expedia Rockets
Nvidia, Expedia and Roku jumped, while Cisco dragged on the Dow Jones today as the stock market looked to wrap up a solid week.
- MarketWatch
AMD stock could hit $66, says Wall Street’s most upbeat analyst
Shares of Advanced Micro Devices Inc. are up 1.6% in premarket trading Friday after RBC Capital Markets analyst Mitch Steves raised his price target on the stock to $66, which is now the highest target among analysts who cover the stock.
- Yahoo Finance
Nvidia reports record data center revenue, but warns of coronavirus impact
Nvidia announced its Q4 earnings on Thursday, beating on the top and bottom lines.
- Investopedia
AMD Beats Earnings Estimates and Shares Set New High
Shares initially slumped on weak guidance but then recovered. With a steep valuation, this is not a stock for value investors.
- Zacks
Top Stock Analyst Reports for Merck, Philip Morris & American Tower
Top Stock Analyst Reports for Merck, Philip Morris & American Tower
- Yahoo Finance
Big tech stocks like Amazon may be in a gigantic bubble
Tech stocks have come on fast of late. Perhaps too fast.
- MarketWatch
Money flows into tech stocks are stronger than ever, a possible contrarian indicator
Popular technology stocks are leading the U.S. stock market higher. A way to understand the strength in those tech stocks is segmented money flows, which are like an X-ray of stocks. About a month ago I wrote that something rare had just happened in popular tech stocks.
- Investor's Business Daily
AMD Stock Rises On Prospects For More Market Share Gains
Advanced Micro Devices is likely to continue to take market share from rival Intel in the year ahead, a Wall Street analyst said in a report. AMD stock surged into record high territory.
- InvestorPlace
Is Cisco Stock Worth Buying Now?
Major benchmarks have become volatile in the past few days, and 2020 has not treated Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) stock all that well compared to many other tech names. In 2020, the stock is up about 2%. On the other hand, the PowerShares QQQ ETF (NASDAQ:QQQ) has risen about 8%. CSCO is expected to report its Q2 earnings after the market closes on Feb. 12.Source: Ken Wolter / Shutterstock.com During this new decade, I expect the stock markets to be led by tech stocks, and I think CSCO shares have value for long-term investors. However, just before the company's earnings report, its shares are likely to be volatile with a downward bias. Therefore, I'd urge investors to be cautious about Cisco in the near-term. What to Expect from CSCO's Earnings ReportThe company dominates the networking and communications equipment markets. Its products and services help customers transport data, voice and video traffic.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsWhen it reported its Q1 earnings in November, its revenue and earnings exceeded analysts' average expectations. In Q1, its revenue grew 1% year-over-year to $13.2 billion.Product sales account for about 75% of its revenue and Services generate about 25% of its sales. * 7 U.S. Stocks to Buy on Coronavirus Weakness In Q1, the revenue of all of its Product categories increased YoY, with Applications jumping 18%, Security surging 11%, and Infrastructure Platforms climbing 9%.Overall, the company's Q1 results were solid. In Q1, Cisco paid off more than $6 billion of its debt, reducing its interest expenses in the process.However, CSCO predicted that its revenue would decline in Q2 as its customers hit the pause button. Orders from emerging markets were especially weak, as many of Cisco's customers were not ready to make big investments in networking infrastructure.When a tech company cuts its guidance, its stock drops rapidly. And that is exactly what happened to CSCO in November following its earnings report.Cisco's shares are likely to be volatile following its Q2 results as investors compare its performance with its guidance. The Tailwinds Behind CSCO StockOver the past decade, Cisco has, at times, found it difficult to grow its top line. And its stock price reflects its growth challenges, as in the past 12 months, the shares have been virtually flat.Yet Cisco's management is working to transform its business, as the company is diversifying into software and cloud support services. Many analysts have welcomed this strategic move that is likely to increase the company's revenue, with most of those gains coming from recurring, high-margin, cloud-related, subscription services.The company's goal is to generate about 30% of its total sales from software by the end of FY20. Its Q2 results will enable the Street to measure its progress towards that goal.Also, since 2020 is expected to be the year when 5G becomes more mainstream, demand for products that support 5G wireless systems is expected to boost networking vendors. Cisco stock should benefit from that trend in the long-run.CSCO has more than $33 billion of cash and short-term investments enabling it to make acquisitions that could help it increase its revenue. Recently, the company has closed on acquisitions of customer experience management company CloudCherry and speech recognition company Voicea. CSCO's past and future acquisitions will help it expand its ecosystem.As its global geographical reach is rather broad, the company may be spared any further damage that may be caused by negative developments related to China, be it further trade wars or the most recent viral epidemic. For example, the company is expecting to triple its customer base in India, where about two-thirds of all small- and medium-enterprises (SMEs) have no online presence.Going forward, in addition to Cisco's strong balance sheet, its management's strategic efforts to increase its revenue and customer base are likely to act as powerful catalysts for the shares. CSCO Stock's ValuationThe stock's trailing P/E ratio of about 17 has also put it on my radar screen. In comparison, the trailing P/E ratios of Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD), Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA), and Texas Instruments (NASDAQ:TXN) are 170, 72, and 25, respectively.Furthermore, CSCO stock's current annual dividend yield of 2.9% makes it attractive for dividend investors, for whom valuation matters. Since the company's earnings and free cash flow will enable it to easily pay its dividends, I do not expect it to cut its dividend in coming quarters.However, I am a bit concerned about the stock's current price-sales ratio of over 3.9. Analysts prefer a low P/S multiple and ideally like the ratio to be below one. However, a P/S ratio between one and two is more common. To put the metric into perspective, the S&P 500's average P/S ratio is 2.3.Cisco stock could decline if the company's Q2 results were badly impacted by China's current difficulties. But any significant decline by CSCO stock would create a buying opportunity. The Bottom LineI am bullish on the long-term outlook of Cisco stock, as its growing subscription revenue will likely help boost the shares. However, although the fundamentals of Cisco may look quite appealing, I'm expecting tech stocks to be hurt by volatility and profit taking in the short-term.The shares may soon drop towards $45. If the company's earnings report is weak, they may even trend closer to $42.5 level.But I expect Cisco to bounce back from any potential decline before too long.As of this writing, Tezcan Gecgil holds CSCO covered calls (Feb. 14 expiry). More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 7 U.S. Stocks to Buy on Coronavirus Weakness * 7 Strong Value Stocks to Buy for 2020 * Are All the Top 10 Warren Buffett Stocks Worth a Buy? The post Is Cisco Stock Worth Buying Now? appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- TheStreet.com
Advanced Micro Devices Price Target Raised at RBC
Advanced Micro Devices should see continued gains in PCs, pushing its market share in that area to the mid-20% range, RBC analyst Mitch Steves says, lifting his price target 19%.
- TheStreet.com
Can Nvidia Shares Hit an All-Time High on Earnings?
Nvidia continues to cruise higher, hitting new 52-week highs. Will Thursday's earnings report propel the stock to an all-time high?
- Investor's Business Daily
Dow Pares Gains On FTC Probe Of Big-Cap Techs, But Nasdaq, S&P 500 At New High
The Dow Jones Industrial Average clung to a small gain midday after the Federal Trade Commission announced a probe into acquisitions by Apple and other big-cap techs.
- Barrons.com
The S&P 500 Closed at a Record High. The Dow Did Not.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average did not. The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 174.31 points, or 0.6%, to 29,276.82, while the S&P 500 rose 0.7% today to 3352.09, and the Nasdaq Composite gained 1.13% to 9628.39.
- GlobeNewswire
Introducing AMD Radeon™ Pro W5500 Workstation Graphics: Groundbreaking Technology for Modern Design and Engineering Professionals
— AMD RDNA architecture, industry-leading 7nm process technology and advanced software features deliver leadership multitasking performance, energy efficiency, and rock-solid.
- Investor's Business Daily
AMD Stock Rises As Chipmaker Gains Market Share In PCs, Servers
Advanced Micro Devices is the IBD Stock Of The Day as new data show the chipmaker continues to gain market share in personal computers and servers. AMD stock rose on Friday.
- Zacks
Nvidia Q4 Earnings Preview: Will NVDA Stock Continue to Soar?
Investors need to understand if Nvidia stock looks poised to continue its climb, with the chip company set to report its fourth-quarter fiscal 2020 results on Thursday, February 13...
