Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C) will release earnings results for the third quarter, before the opening bell on Tuesday, Oct. 14.Analysts expect the New York-based company to report quarterly earnings at $1.76 per share, up from $1.51 per share in the year-ago period. Citigroup projects quarterly revenue of $21.12 billion, compared to $20.32 billion a year earlier, according to data from Benzinga Pro.On Sept. 24, Citigroup announced $2.75 billion redemption of 5.610% Fixed Rate/Floating Rate Notes due 2026.Shares o ...

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) will release earnings results for the third quarter, after the closing bell on Thursday, Oct. 9.Analysts expect the San Francisco, California-based company to report quarterly earnings at 31 cents per share, down from 33 cents per share in the year-ago period. Levi Strauss projects quarterly revenue of $1.50 billion, compared to $1.52 billion a year earlier, according to data from Benzinga Pro.On Aug. 19, Levi Strauss named Chris Callieri as senior vice president and chief sup ...

Market Overview - U.S. stocks closed higher, with the Nasdaq Composite gaining approximately 0.3% and the Dow Jones reaching a new closing high [1] - Major indices saw gains in September, with the S&P 500 increasing over 3%, the Dow rising nearly 2%, and the Nasdaq jumping 5.6% [1] Analyst Ratings and Insights - Benzinga's Analyst Ratings API provides high-quality stock ratings through partnerships with major sell-side banks, offering daily updates three hours before the U.S. market opens [2] - Analyst insights from Benzinga Pro subscribers have been identified as effective trading indicators that can outperform the stock market [2] Top Analyst Picks - John Todaro, Trevor Walsh, Nick McKay, and Asiya Merchant are noted as some of the most accurate Wall Street analysts according to Benzinga [3] Individual Analyst Ratings - **Needham**: Maintained a Buy rating on Robinhood Markets Inc (NASDAQ:HOOD) with a price target increase from $120 to $145, indicating about 2% upside [4] - **JMP Securities**: Reiterated a Market Outperform rating on Axon Enterprise Inc (NASDAQ:AXON) with a price target of $825, suggesting around 15% upside [4] - **Freedom Capital Markets**: Downgraded Electronic Arts Inc (NASDAQ:EA) from Buy to Hold, raising the price target from $185 to $195, anticipating a 3% decline [4] - **Citigroup**: Maintained a Buy rating on TE Connectivity PLC (NYSE:TEL) with a price target increase from $230 to $250, expecting around 14% gain [4] - **Mizuho**: Initiated coverage on Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) with an Outperform rating and a price target of $295, predicting a 22% gain [7]

Core Viewpoint - The market has been misjudging Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) as a victim, while the company has strong fundamentals that warrant a Strong Buy recommendation [1]. Group 1: Company Analysis - Alphabet Inc. has been recommended as a Strong Buy in previous analyses, indicating confidence in its market position and growth potential [1]. - The company is perceived to have strong fundamentals that are not being accurately reflected in its market valuation [1]. Group 2: Market Context - The article suggests that the market's perception of Alphabet Inc. is flawed, implying that external factors may be influencing investor sentiment negatively [1].

Group 1: United States Antimony Corporation - United States Antimony Corporation has been awarded a sole-source contract by the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency for up to $245 million [1] - The contract involves the purchase of antimony metal ingots to support the replenishment of the National Defense Stockpile [1] - Shares of United States Antimony increased by 2.2% to settle at $6.39 on Monday [4] Group 2: Amphenol Corporation - Amphenol Corporation is recognized as a strong company, with analysts expressing positive sentiments [2] - Goldman Sachs analyst Mark Delaney maintained a Buy rating on Amphenol and raised the price target from $124 to $139 [2] - Citigroup analyst Asiya Merchant also maintained a Buy rating and increased the price target from $125 to $145 [2] - Shares of Amphenol fell by 1.3% to settle at $121.01 on Monday [4]

Core Viewpoint - Nike, Inc. is expected to report a significant decline in quarterly earnings and revenue compared to the previous year, with analysts projecting earnings of 27 cents per share and revenue of $11.00 billion [1]. Earnings Expectations - Analysts anticipate Nike's earnings per share to drop to 27 cents from 70 cents in the same quarter last year [1]. - The projected quarterly revenue is $11.00 billion, down from $11.59 billion a year earlier [1]. Historical Performance - Nike has consistently exceeded analyst estimates for earnings per share in eight consecutive quarters and in nine of the last ten quarters overall [2]. Stock Performance - Nike's shares increased by 0.4%, closing at $69.55 on Monday [3]. Analyst Ratings and Price Targets - Morgan Stanley maintained an Equal-Weight rating and raised the price target from $64 to $70 [8]. - UBS kept a Neutral rating and increased the price target from $63 to $71 [8]. - Barclays maintained an Equal-Weight rating with a price target increase from $64 to $65 [8]. - Citigroup held a Neutral rating and raised the price target from $68 to $74 [8]. - TD Cowen upgraded the stock from Hold to Buy and raised the price target from $62 to $85 [8].

Group 1 - Carnival Corporation is set to release its third-quarter earnings results on September 29, with analysts expecting earnings of $1.32 per share, an increase from $1.27 per share in the same period last year [1] - The company projects quarterly revenue of $8.11 billion, up from $7.9 billion a year earlier [1] - In the second quarter, Carnival reported adjusted earnings per share of 35 cents, exceeding the analyst consensus estimate of 24 cents, with quarterly sales of $6.328 billion surpassing expectations of $6.207 billion [2] Group 2 - Analysts have provided various ratings and price target adjustments for Carnival Corporation, with Stifel maintaining a Buy rating and raising the price target from $34 to $38 [8] - Barclays also maintained an Overweight rating, increasing the price target from $33 to $37 [8] - JP Morgan, Tigress Financial, and B of A Securities have similarly maintained positive ratings and raised their price targets, indicating a generally favorable outlook for the stock [8]

Core Viewpoint - Analyst recommendations play a significant role in influencing stock prices, but their reliability is questionable, particularly for XPeng Inc. (XPEV) [1][5][10] Group 1: Analyst Recommendations - XPeng has an average brokerage recommendation (ABR) of 1.88, indicating a consensus between Strong Buy and Buy, based on 20 brokerage firms [2][4] - Out of the 20 recommendations, 11 are Strong Buy and 2 are Buy, representing 55% and 10% of total recommendations respectively [2] Group 2: Limitations of Brokerage Recommendations - Studies indicate that brokerage recommendations have limited success in guiding investors towards stocks with the highest price increase potential [5] - Analysts often exhibit a positive bias due to the vested interests of brokerage firms, leading to a disproportionate number of favorable ratings [6][10] - For every "Strong Sell" recommendation, there are five "Strong Buy" recommendations, suggesting a misalignment of interests with retail investors [6] Group 3: Zacks Rank vs. ABR - The Zacks Rank, which is based on earnings estimate revisions, is a more reliable indicator of near-term stock price performance compared to ABR [8][11] - Zacks Rank is displayed in whole numbers (1 to 5) and is updated more frequently, reflecting timely changes in earnings estimates [9][12] - XPeng currently holds a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold), indicating cautious sentiment despite the favorable ABR [13][14]

Group 1 - On September 24, a total of 17 stocks received buy ratings from brokerages, with 4 stocks announcing target prices [1] - Based on the highest target prices, Dongcai Technology, Rongchang Bio, and Changan Automobile ranked highest in target price increase, with expected increases of 51.19%, 32.4%, and 26.54% respectively [1] - Among the stocks receiving buy ratings, the sectors with the most stocks were technology hardware and equipment (3 stocks), pharmaceuticals (2 stocks), biotechnology and life sciences (2 stocks), and food, beverage, and tobacco (2 stocks) [1] Group 2 - 11 stocks maintained their ratings, while 6 stocks received ratings for the first time [1]

Core Viewpoint - The average brokerage recommendation (ABR) for AppFolio (APPF) is 1.86, indicating a consensus between Strong Buy and Buy, based on recommendations from seven brokerage firms [2] Brokerage Recommendation Trends - The current ABR of 1.86 is derived from seven recommendations, with four classified as Strong Buy, accounting for 57.1% of the total recommendations [2] - Despite the positive ABR, caution is advised as studies indicate limited success of brokerage recommendations in predicting stock price increases [5][10] Zacks Rank vs. ABR - Zacks Rank categorizes stocks into five groups based on earnings estimate revisions, with a strong correlation to near-term stock price movements [8][11] - The Zacks Rank for AppFolio is 3 (Hold), indicating a more cautious outlook compared to the ABR [15] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AppFolio's current year earnings remains unchanged at $5.36, suggesting stable analyst views on the company's earnings prospects [14] Analyst Bias - Analysts from brokerage firms tend to exhibit a positive bias in their ratings due to vested interests, often issuing more favorable ratings than warranted [6][10] - This bias can mislead investors, making it essential to use brokerage recommendations as a validation tool rather than a sole decision-making factor [7][11]