Investors interested in stocks from the Medical Services sector have probably already heard of CVS Health (CVS) and Danaher (DHR) . But which of these two stocks is more attractive to value investors? We'll need to take a closer look to find out.There are plenty of strategies for discovering value stocks, but we have found that pairing a strong Zacks Rank with an impressive grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system produces the best returns. The proven Zacks Rank puts an emphasis on earnings es ...

Company Overview - Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) ended the latest trading session at $152.51, reflecting a -0.44% adjustment from the previous day's close, underperforming the S&P 500 which had a daily loss of 0.04% [1] - The stock has decreased by 1.42% over the past month, while the Medical sector gained 1.44% and the S&P 500 increased by 13.42% [1] Upcoming Financial Results - Analysts expect Johnson & Johnson to report earnings of $2.65 per share, indicating a year-over-year decline of 6.03% [2] - The consensus estimate for revenue is $22.77 billion, representing a 1.42% increase from the prior-year quarter [2] Annual Forecast - Zacks Consensus Estimates project earnings of $10.60 per share and revenue of $91.19 billion for the entire year, showing changes of +6.21% and +2.66% respectively compared to the previous year [3] - Recent revisions in analyst estimates are crucial as they reflect near-term business trends, with positive revisions indicating optimism about the company's profitability [3] Valuation Metrics - Johnson & Johnson is currently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 14.45, which is a premium compared to the industry average Forward P/E of 13.21 [6] - The company has a PEG ratio of 2.32, while the Large Cap Pharmaceuticals industry has an average PEG ratio of 1.21 [6] Industry Context - The Large Cap Pharmaceuticals industry, part of the Medical sector, holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 40, placing it in the top 17% of over 250 industries [7] - Research indicates that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1 [7]

Progressive (PGR) closed at $280.96 in the latest trading session, marking a -1.63% move from the prior day. The stock's change was less than the S&P 500's daily loss of 1.61%. Elsewhere, the Dow saw a downswing of 1.91%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq depreciated by 1.41%.Shares of the insurer witnessed a gain of 7.75% over the previous month, trailing the performance of the Finance sector with its gain of 9.17% and the S&P 500's gain of 12.65%.The investment community will be paying close attention to the ea ...

UiPath (PATH) closed the latest trading day at $12.44, indicating a -1.19% change from the previous session's end. This move lagged the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.39%. Meanwhile, the Dow lost 0.27%, and the Nasdaq, a tech-heavy index, lost 0.38%.The enterprise automation software developer's stock has climbed by 23.31% in the past month, exceeding the Computer and Technology sector's gain of 19.26% and the S&P 500's gain of 13.07%.The investment community will be paying close attention to the earnings perfor ...

PDD Holdings Inc. Sponsored ADR (PDD) closed the latest trading day at $117.38, indicating a -0.9% change from the previous session's end. This move lagged the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.39%. Meanwhile, the Dow lost 0.27%, and the Nasdaq, a tech-heavy index, lost 0.38%.The company's stock has climbed by 25.53% in the past month, exceeding the Retail-Wholesale sector's gain of 12.4% and the S&P 500's gain of 13.07%.The investment community will be paying close attention to the earnings performance of PDD Hold ...

The latest trading session saw AutoZone (AZO) ending at $3,880.15, denoting no adjustment from its last day's close. The stock exceeded the S&P 500, which registered a loss of 0.39% for the day. Meanwhile, the Dow experienced a drop of 0.27%, and the technology-dominated Nasdaq saw a decrease of 0.38%.Prior to today's trading, shares of the auto parts retailer had gained 8.71% over the past month. This has lagged the Retail-Wholesale sector's gain of 12.4% and the S&P 500's gain of 13.07% in that time.The u ...

Group 1 - Li Auto Inc. Sponsored ADR closed at $28.34, reflecting a -1.67% change from the previous session, underperforming the S&P 500's gain of 0.09% [1] - The stock has increased by 24.65% over the past month, which is lower than the Auto-Tires-Trucks sector's gain of 28.79% and higher than the S&P 500's gain of 13.05% [1] Group 2 - Li Auto Inc. plans to announce its earnings on May 29, 2025, with Zacks Consensus Estimates predicting earnings of $1.38 per share and revenue of $23.97 billion, indicating a 0% change in earnings and a +19.33% increase in revenue from the previous year [2] Group 3 - Recent changes in analyst estimates for Li Auto Inc. are important as they reflect near-term business trends, with upward revisions indicating analysts' positive outlook on the company's operations and profit generation [3] Group 4 - The Zacks Rank system, which incorporates estimate changes, provides an actionable rating system, with 1 stocks historically delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988 [4][5] - Li Auto Inc. currently holds a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold), with the consensus EPS estimate remaining unchanged over the last 30 days [5] Group 5 - Li Auto Inc. has a Forward P/E ratio of 20.93, which is a premium compared to the industry's average Forward P/E of 7.47, and a PEG ratio of 4.41, significantly higher than the industry's average PEG ratio of 1.44 [6] Group 6 - The Automotive - Foreign industry, part of the Auto-Tires-Trucks sector, has a Zacks Industry Rank of 209, placing it in the bottom 16% of over 250 industries, indicating weaker performance compared to higher-ranked industries [7]

Here are three stocks with buy ranks and strong growth characteristics for investors to consider today, May 19th:Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation (GLDD) : This dredging services company carries a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), and has witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 34.8% over the last 60 days.Great Lakes Dredge & Dock has a PEG ratio of 1.01 compared with 1.59 for the industry. The company possesses a Growth Score of A.Encompass Health Corporation (EHC) : T ...

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses potential investment opportunities in cheap dividend-paying stocks that yield between 5.3% and 7.6%, despite the broader market recovery. It highlights five specific companies that remain undervalued and offers insights into their financial metrics and challenges [1][2]. Group 1: Company Summaries - **Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY)**: A $90 billion pharmaceutical company with a low PEG of 0.12 and a cash-flow multiple of 7. It has a dividend yield of over 5% but faces profitability concerns due to competition affecting core drugs, leading to a 44% revenue drop for Revlimid in Q1 [3][5][6]. - **HF Sinclair (DINO)**: Formed from a merger, it operates seven U.S. refineries and has a crude oil processing capacity of 678,000 barrels per day. The stock has a PEG of 0.2 and a P/CF of 7.3, reflecting a more than 30% drop over the past year, primarily due to industry-wide challenges [7][10]. - **AES Corp. (AES)**: A utility company serving 2.7 million customers with a diverse energy portfolio. It has a PEG of 0.8 and a forward P/CF of 5, but has seen its stock lose over half its value in 2023 due to aggressive transitions to renewables and project delays [13][14][15]. - **Polaris (PII)**: A manufacturer of recreational vehicles, its stock has dropped over 70% since July 2023, resulting in a high dividend yield. The company has faced declining demand and significant revenue and profit drops, with a PEG of negative 1.6 [17][18][20]. - **Atlas Energy Solutions (AESI)**: An energy equipment and services company that has been increasing its dividends since its IPO in March 2023. It has a PEG of 0.2 and a forward P/CF of 5.5, but faces challenges due to fluctuating oil prices affecting demand [21][22][23]. Group 2: Financial Metrics - **Valuation Metrics**: All highlighted companies have a PEG below 1, indicating they are undervalued. The article emphasizes the importance of PEG and P/CF ratios in assessing investment opportunities [8][10]. - **Dividend Coverage**: Companies like DINO and AES have strong dividend coverage ratios, with DINO expected to have a coverage of 180% due to anticipated earnings growth in 2026 [12][16]. - **Market Challenges**: Each company faces unique challenges, such as competition, industry weakness, and fluctuating demand, which have impacted their stock performance and profitability [4][5][10][18].

Pure Storage (PSTG) closed at $55.48 in the latest trading session, marking a -1.7% move from the prior day. The stock trailed the S&P 500, which registered a daily gain of 0.41%. Elsewhere, the Dow gained 0.65%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 0.18%.Heading into today, shares of the data storage company had gained 36.79% over the past month, outpacing the Computer and Technology sector's gain of 15% and the S&P 500's gain of 9% in that time.The upcoming earnings release of Pure Storage will be of great in ...