Group 1 - Leading Wall Street firms have released their top stock picks for 2026, focusing on companies with strong upside potential and solid dividends [1][3] - Raymond James has identified four quality stocks for growth and income investors, emphasizing the importance of total return strategies [5] - The Raymond James Best Picks List has historically outperformed the Russell 2000 in 20 of its 30 years, indicating a strong track record for selected stocks [7] Group 2 - CDW Corp. is highlighted as a key stock, offering a dependable 1.89% dividend and providing IT solutions across various sectors in North America [6]

Core Insights - CDW Corporation, based in Vernon Hills, Illinois, is set to announce its fiscal Q4 earnings for 2025, with a current market cap of $17.3 billion [1] Financial Performance - Analysts anticipate a profit of $2.30 per share for the upcoming quarter, reflecting a 4.2% decrease from $2.40 per share in the same quarter last year [2] - For the current fiscal year ending in December, CDW is expected to report a profit of $9.36 per share, which is a 1.3% increase from $9.24 per share in fiscal 2024, with further growth projected to $10.03 per share in fiscal 2026, representing a 7.2% year-over-year increase [3] Stock Performance - CDW shares have declined by 26.6% over the past 52 weeks, significantly underperforming the S&P 500 Index's 17.5% return and the State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF's 24.8% increase during the same period [4] - On November 4, despite reporting better-than-expected Q3 results with an adjusted EPS of $2.71 and revenue of $5.7 billion, CDW's shares fell by 8.5%, likely due to a 12.9% rise in selling and administrative expenses and decreased demand in data storage and server sectors [5] Analyst Ratings - Wall Street analysts maintain a "Moderate Buy" rating for CDW, with six out of twelve analysts recommending "Strong Buy," one suggesting "Moderate Buy," and five advising "Hold." The average price target for CDW is $180.60, indicating a potential upside of 35.6% from current levels [6]

Group 1 - The stock selection process showed positive momentum in December, with an average gain of 0.83% for the selected 15 stocks [1] - The SPDR® S&P 500® ETF was mentioned as a benchmark for performance comparison [1] Group 2 - The analyst holds long positions in various companies, including ZTS, MSCI, DPZ, and others, through stock ownership, options, or derivatives [2] - The article reflects the analyst's personal opinions and is not influenced by compensation from any company mentioned [2]

Core View - CDW Corporation is recognized for its consistent dividend payments and strong performance in the IT sector, despite a mixed spending environment [1][3]. Financial Performance - In the third quarter, CDW generated $5.7 billion in net sales, reflecting a 4% increase year-over-year, while gross profit rose by 5% to $1.3 billion [3]. - The company expects gross profit in the second half of the year to be slightly higher than in the first half, although the distribution will be less balanced than the historical pattern [5]. Market Segments - CDW's strengths are evident in government and education sectors, with small business revenue and gross profit showing double-digit growth, driven by increased demand for AI workstations [4]. - The corporate segment also performed well, with revenue growth at a mid-single-digit pace and gross profit growth in the low single digits, primarily due to security and cloud projects [4]. Future Outlook - Management has reaffirmed its 2025 outlook, anticipating growth in the US IT market in the low single digits and projecting to outperform by 200 to 300 basis points [5]. - Gross margins for 2025 are expected to remain in line with those of 2024 [5].

Core Viewpoint - Nasdaq announced changes to the Nasdaq-100 index, with six companies being added and six companies being removed, effective December 22 [1] Group 1: Companies Added - The following six companies will be added to the Nasdaq-100 index: - Enliven Therapeutics - Ferrovia Group - Insmed - Monolithic Power Systems - Seagate Technology Holdings - Western Digital [1] Group 2: Companies Removed - The following six companies will be removed from the Nasdaq-100 index: - Biogen - CDW - GlobalFoundries - Lululemon Athletica - ON Semiconductor - The Trade Desk [1]

Core Viewpoint - CDW Corporation, a leading IT solutions provider with a market cap of $19 billion, is experiencing significant stock price declines despite reporting better-than-expected earnings and revenue for Q3 2025 [1][5]. Company Overview - CDW Corporation is based in Vernon Hills, Illinois, and serves corporate, small business, and public sector clients across the U.S., U.K., and Canada [1]. - The company offers a wide range of IT solutions, including hardware, software, hybrid infrastructure, digital experience, and security solutions [1]. Stock Performance - CDW shares have fallen 34.4% from their 52-week high of $222.92 and have declined 12.9% over the past three months, underperforming the Dow Jones Industrials Average, which rose by 5.2% in the same period [3]. - Year-to-date, CDW stock is down nearly 16%, lagging behind the Dow's 12.5% gain, and has dipped 18.8% over the past 52 weeks compared to the Dow's 7.2% return [4]. - The stock has been trading mostly below its 50-day and 200-day moving averages since last year [4]. Financial Performance - In Q3 2025, CDW reported an adjusted EPS of $2.71 and revenue of $5.74 billion, which were better than expected [5]. - However, the stock tumbled 8.5% following the earnings report due to concerns over a 12.9% increase in selling and administrative expenses and a decline in demand in key areas, including an 8.5% revenue drop in the Education segment [5]. Competitive Landscape - In comparison, IBM has outperformed CDW, with its shares climbing 31.4% over the past 52 weeks and 42.3% year-to-date [6]. - Despite CDW's weak performance, analysts maintain a moderately optimistic outlook, with a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a mean price target of $182, representing a 24.9% premium to current levels [6].

Core Viewpoint - CDW Corporation, valued at $18.3 billion, provides a diverse range of IT solutions across North America and the UK, serving various sectors including corporate, small business, government, education, and healthcare [1] Performance Summary - Over the past 52 weeks, CDW stock has decreased by 21.5%, underperforming the S&P 500 Index, which has risen by 12.3% [2] - Year-to-date, CDW shares have dropped 19.7%, while the S&P 500 has gained 12.5% [2] - CDW has also underperformed the Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund, which increased by 21.6% over the past year [3] Financial Results - In Q3 2025, CDW reported adjusted EPS of $2.71 and revenue of $5.74 billion, exceeding expectations; however, shares fell by 8.5% due to rising selling and administrative expenses and declining demand in key segments [4] - The Education segment experienced an 8.5% revenue decline, alongside softness in data storage and servers [4] Future Outlook - For the fiscal year ending December 2025, analysts project a 1.4% year-over-year increase in EPS to $9.37, with a positive earnings surprise history [5] - The consensus rating among 12 analysts is a "Moderate Buy," with five "Strong Buy" ratings, two "Moderate Buys," and five "Holds" [5] Analyst Ratings - BofA analyst Ruplu Bhattacharya has reduced CDW's price target to $170 while maintaining a "Neutral" rating [6] - The mean price target of $182 indicates a 30.2% premium to current price levels, while the highest target of $225 suggests a potential upside of 60.9% [6]

Core Insights - Commvault announced the winners of the inaugural Commvault Fearless Awards 2025, recognizing partners who have demonstrated resilience against cyber threats and business disruptions [1][2][8] - The awards highlight a customer-first mindset and a unified, cloud-native approach to resilience among 24 standout partners globally [2][3] Award Winners - The Global Champion Award was awarded to HPE, with CDW, Softcat, and Logicalis Australia receiving regional champion awards for AMER, EMEA, and APAC respectively [6][12] - Other notable awards included Global AI Innovation Award to AWS, Global Cloud Partner of the Year to Microsoft, and Global Cyber Readiness Award to Bytes [7] Partner Statements - HPE emphasized the importance of comprehensive cyber resilience and data protection, reflecting a shared vision with Commvault [4] - Softcat highlighted the strength of their long-standing partnership with Commvault, focusing on innovation and customer-centric solutions [4] - Logicalis Australia expressed commitment to helping customers strengthen resilience and navigate complexity in the APAC region [4] Event Context - The awards were unveiled at SHIFT NYC, which also featured significant announcements including the Commvault Cloud Unity platform release [9][11] - The Commvault Fearless Awards aim to honor partners who show unwavering commitment to resilience amid evolving threats [8]

Core Viewpoint - The analyst previously rated CDW Corp as a buy due to its attractive valuation at 16x forward PE and strong growth drivers, but has now downgraded it to a hold rating due to reduced conviction in the investment thesis [1]. Summary by Relevant Sections - **Valuation and Growth Drivers** - CDW Corp was initially considered undervalued at a forward PE of 16x, indicating potential for growth [1]. - The growth drivers for the company were identified as clear and strong, supporting the initial buy rating [1]. - **Change in Rating** - The downgrade to a hold rating reflects a shift in the analyst's confidence regarding the investment in CDW Corp [1].

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the recent volatility in the stock market and highlights four companies that have recently increased their dividends, providing potential investment opportunities for cautious investors seeking steady income amidst economic uncertainty [2][3]. Economic Context - Major stock indexes have reached all-time highs, but investor sentiment remains low due to a lack of economic data from the government shutdown, the impact of tariffs imposed by President Trump, and uncertainty regarding a potential interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve [2][4]. - The Federal Reserve recently cut interest rates by 0.25 percentage points, but this did not positively affect stock prices, as Chairman Jerome Powell expressed doubts about further cuts this year [4][5]. - The ongoing government shutdown has deprived investors of key economic data, contributing to fears of a recession as the labor market continues to shrink [6]. Company Highlights - **CDW Corporation**: Announced a dividend of $0.63 per share, with a dividend yield of 1.76%. Over the past five years, CDW has increased its dividend six times, with a payout ratio of 26% of earnings [9][8]. - **California Resources Corporation**: Declared a dividend of $0.41 per share, yielding 3.32%. The company has increased its dividend four times in the last five years, with a payout ratio of 34% of earnings [11][10]. - **Exxon Mobil Corporation**: Announced a dividend of $1.03 per share, yielding 3.47%. Exxon has increased its dividend five times over the past five years, with a payout ratio of 57% of earnings [13][12]. - **Entergy Corporation**: Declared a dividend of $0.64 per share, yielding 2.49%. Entergy has increased its dividend six times in the last five years, with a payout ratio of 59% of earnings [14][12].