The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Walt Disney, Union Pacific, Petrobras, PNC Financial Services and Marriott International

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – January 29, 2020 – 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: Walt Disney Company DIS, Union Pacific UNP, Petrobras PBR, PNC Financial Services PNC and Marriott International MAR.

Here are highlights from Tuesday’s Analyst Blog:

Top Stock Reports on Disney, Union Pacific and Petrobras

The Zacks Research Daily presents the best research output of our analyst team. Today's Research Daily features new research reports on 16 major stocks, including Walt Disney Company, Union Pacific and Petrobras. These research reports have been hand-picked from the roughly 70 reports published by our analyst team today.

You can see all of today’s research reports here >>>

Disney’s shares have underperformed the Zacks Media Conglomerates industry over the past year (+22.5% vs. +29.3%). The Zacks analyst believes that Disney will benefit from its solid slate of theatrical releases in fiscal 2020.

The upcoming movies, including Mulan, Free Guy and Black Widow, are anticipated to aid the Studio Entertainment top line. The success of Frozen 2 (global box office collection of more than $1 billion) and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is positive for the company’s first-quarter fiscal 2020 results. Moreover, growing popularity of Disney+ is a key catalyst.

However, the company anticipates higher operating losses in the DTC & International segment due to the ongoing investments. Moreover, increasing operating expenses related to domestic parks and resorts are expected to negatively impact profitability.

Shares of Union Pacific have gained +0.5% in the past six months against the Zacks Rail industry's rise of +3.4%. The Zacks analyst is impressed with Union Pacific's initiatives to reward its shareholders. Since November 2017, the company has raised its quarterly dividend payout five times.

It is also active on the buyback front. Initiatives to control costs in order to drive the bottom line are also impressive. The company’s operating ratio, which improved 210 basis points (bps) year over year to 60.6% in 2019, has been benefiting mainly owing to its cost-cutting initiatives. Operating ratio is anticipated to improve further in the days to come.

However, sluggish overall volumes (down 11% in fourth-quarter 2019) due to freight-related weakness are a major headwind. Its escalated debt levels are concerning too. Also, the massive capex might be a spoilsport.

Petrobras’ shares have lost -11.4% over the past three months against the Zacks Emerging Markets Integrated Oil industry's decline of -5.8%. The Zacks analyst believes that the medium- to long-term outlook of Petrobras looks very positive thanks to its encouraging portfolio of investments, particularly in Brazil’s pre-salt reservoirs.

Petrobras, burdened with huge debt load, has laid strong emphasis on its debt reduction in its recent five-year Business Management Plan (2020-2024) to strengthen its credit rating. However, its involvement in the Operation Carwash scandal has been a major overhang for the company, which has turned it into the world's most-indebted oil company.

Petrobras carries a net debt of more than $75 billion. As such, leverage remains a key area of concern for the firm. Years of mismanagement & corruption have also taken their toll. Hence, the stock warrants a cautious stance.

Other noteworthy reports we are featuring today include PNC Financial Services and Marriott International.

5 Stocks Set to Double

Each was hand-picked by a Zacks expert as the #1 favorite stock to gain +100% or more in 2020. Each comes from a different sector and has unique qualities and catalysts that could fuel exceptional growth.

Most of the stocks in this report are flying under Wall Street radar, which provides a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor.

Today, See These 5 Potential Home Runs >>

Media Contact

Zacks Investment Research

800-767-3771 ext. 9339

support@zacks.com                    

https://www.zacks.com

Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
 
Union Pacific Corporation (UNP) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc (PNC) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
The Walt Disney Company (DIS) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras (PBR) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Marriott International, Inc. (MAR) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
 
Zacks Investment Research