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This week marked halfway point of the earnings season, with 50% of S & P 500 companies having now posted their quarterly results. Amid the flurry of news, certain stocks — in particular, consumer names — outperformed the market. The major averages were all on pace for weekly gains. The S & P 500 is up about 0.7% week to date through Friday afternoon trading. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was headed for a similar gain, while the Nasdaq Composite was up 1%. Those gains came as earnings ramped up, with several Big Tech names and industrial giants posting their latest figures. Investors were also looking ahead to next week’s Federal Reserve announcement. As of Friday afternoon, there was an 86% probability of the central bank raising rates by 25 basis points, according to the CME Group’s FedWatch tool. Here are of the stocks that saw the largest gains this week, and where analysts see them going forward. Toymaker Hasbro’ s shares jumped 18% this week after its first-quarter revenue came above analysts’ estimates. The company also announced a multiyear licensing agreement with its rival Mattel, as they both make efforts to expand the reach of their intellectual property. Almost 70% of analysts covering Hasbro are bullish on shares, according to FactSet dating. The stock’s consensus price target implies 22.4% upside over the next 12 months. Another consumer-oriented company on the list was Chipotle Mexican Grill . The fast-casual restaurant’s stock surged 12.9% week to date. Chipotle reported a quarterly earnings and revenue beat that was driven by better-than-expected same-store sales growth. To be sure, analysts only see 0.3% upside from the stock’s current levels. Chipotle shares have already soared nearly 50% year to date. Technology companies Meta Platforms and CoStar also made the list of this week’s biggest gainers. Meta shares rose 11.5% this week after the company reported its first sales increase in four quarters, as well as higher-than-expected quarterly earnings. Analysts see shares gaining an additional 11.3% over the next 12 months. Investors have responded favorably to CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s plans for a “year of efficiency” in 2023, leading to a 97% year-to-date pop in shares. CoStar’s shares rallied more than 10% week to date. Almost three-quarters of analysts covering the stock rate it a buy. Shares are estimated to rise 10.3% over the next 12 months, according to FactSet data. Telecommunications names Charter Communications and Comcast also outperformed this week, gaining 9.7% and 8.3%, respectively. The stock is estimated to have almost 9% upside, according to analysts’ consensus price estimates. Other companies on this week’s list of large gainers include Molina Healthcare and Allegion . Consumer names Mondelez International and Pentair also outperformed. Half of the analysts covering Comcast have a buy rating on shares. Disclosure: Comcast owns NBCUniversal, the parent company of CNBC.
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