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The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Amazon.com, Apple, Wal-Mart Stores, Best Buy and eBayCHICAGO, Nov. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- 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 Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN), Apple (Nasdaq:AAPL), Wal-Mart Stores (NYSE:WMT), Best Buy Co. (NYSE:BBY) and eBay Inc. (Nasdaq:EBAY). (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101027/ZIRLOGO) Get the most recent insight from Zacks Equity Research with the free Profit from the Pros newsletter: http://at.zacks.com/ id=5513 Here are highlights from Monday's Analyst Blog: How Hot Is Cyber Monday Going by the estimates recently announced by ComScore, "Cyber Monday" is pretty hot. ComScore sees a 20% increase in Cyber Monday sales from last year, which will have it touching $1.5 billion for the first time. This, however, doesn't beat the 26% increase in online sales on Black Friday. And guess which company has done its homework best, laying the groundwork to tap this potential Yes, it's online retail giant Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN). The company has gone all out to build its digital offerings (e-books, music and video), which appears to be the hottest-selling category this season. Its Kindles will also do well, despite strong competitive offerings from Apple (Nasdaq:AAPL). Amazon will also have a limited-period deal on its Kindle today, to ensure a little extra boost. Hot on its heels is traditional brick-and-mortar retailer Wal-Mart Stores (NYSE:WMT), which has prepped for the holiday season in its own way: with an improved online sales platform, a better assortment, new return policies and new deals for the season. The company's online store is a hot spot for game sales, and preliminary results for Black Friday indicate that the segment did not disappoint. Best Buy Co. (NYSE:BBY) was third on Black Friday. The company's online sales are on the rise and the current quarter is expected to benefit from new releases (iPhone 5, Win-8, iPad Mini, and Wii U). The gross margin could bear watching, however, since many of these consumer electronics items and smaller-screen TVs mean lower margins for the company. Nobody's talking about eBay Inc. (Nasdaq:EBAY), because it is itself a marketplace and not exactly a retailer. However, eBay's timely mobile promo saw PayPal generating a 173% increase in customers and 193% increase in mobile payment volumes on Black Friday. The Consumer Electronics Association has published strong numbers for the holiday season (dollar spending to be up 11% versus last year), with consumer electronics gifts topping consumer wish lists. Smartphones are clearly ahead of the pack, followed by tablets, notebooks and DVD/Blu-ray players. But unlike in the past, we're looking at smarter shoppers now, two-thirds of which will be comparing prices online, 41% using mobile devices to check online prices while in the store and 28% hunting down promos on social networking sites. At the moment the segment is, however, not such a good place to put your money. All these companies have issues: Amazon is investing tons in its overseas business, Wal-Mart's employees are taking it to task while the government is thinking of removing some tax breaks that would adversely impact the company, Best Buy's margins appear to be wearing thin, while Apple could be losing its touch. Best to go with a company like eBay, which is in a turnaround phase sporting a solid payments platform, the potential of which is not fully priced into the shares. That's the reason the Zacks Rank on eBay shares is #2 (Buy rating in the next 1-3 months), while both Wal-Mart and Amazon are ranked #3 (Hold) and Best Buy #4 (Sell). Want more from Zacks Equity Research Subscribe to the free Profit from the Pros newsletter: http://at.zacks.com/ id=5515. About Zacks Equity Research Zacks Equity Research provides the best of quantitative and qualitative analysis to help investors know what stocks to buy and which to sell for the long-term. Continuous coverage is provided for a universe of 1,150 publicly traded stocks. Our analysts are organized by industry which gives them keen insights to developments that affect company profits and stock performance. Recommendations and target prices are six-month time horizons. Zacks "Profit from the Pros" e-mail newsletter provides highlights of the latest analysis from Zacks Equity Research. Subscribe to this free newsletter today: http://at.zacks.com/ id=5517 About Zacks Zacks.com is a property of Zacks Investment Research, Inc., which was formed in 1978 by Leon Zacks. As a PhD from MIT Len knew he could find patterns in stock market data that would lead to superior investment results. Amongst his many accomplishments was the formation of his proprietary stock picking system; the Zacks Rank, which continues to outperform the market by nearly a 3 to 1 margin. The best way to unlock the profitable stock recommendations and market insights of Zacks Investment Research is through our free daily email newsletter; Profit from the Pros. In short, it's your steady flow of Profitable ideas GUARANTEED to be worth your time! Register for your free subscription to Profit from the Pros at http://at.zacks.com/ id=5518. Visit http://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release. Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/zacksresearch Join us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Zacks-Investment-Research/57553657748 ref=ts Disclaimer: Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investors should always research companies and securities before making any investments. Nothing herein should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security. Media Contact Zacks Investment Research 800-767-3771 ext. 9339 [email protected] http://www.zacks.com SOURCE Zacks Investment Research, Inc. |