The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Facebook, Microsoft, Qualcomm, Paypal And AT&T

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – Feb 1, 2018 – 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 Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) , Microsoft (NYSE:T) , Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) , Paypal (NASDAQ:PYPL) and AT&T (NYSE:T) .

Today, Zacks is promoting its ''Buy'' stock recommendations. Get #1Stock of the Day pick for free.

Here are highlights from Wednesday’s Analyst Blog:

Truckload of Q4 Earnings: FB, MSFT, QCOM & More

Plenty of earnings reports hit the tape after the market closed Wednesday. Let's get everyone up to speed on the results, and see how the stocks are trading in the after-market:

Facebook posted a typically strong quarter for its Q4 2017, with $2.21 per share and $12.98 billion in revenues not only beating the respective Zacks consensus estimates of $1.96 per share and $12.58 billion but also posting 50% growth year over year on the top line and even a bigger percentage on the bottom.

The social media colossus posted 14% growth in both Daily Active Users (DAU, 1.40 billion) and Monthly Active Users (MAU, 2.13 billion), with Mobile Ad Revenue now making up 89% of total ad revenue for the company. This is a 5% jump from the year-ago total. Yet shares were trading down in the after-market today, roughly 4.8% and sinking. For more on FB's earnings, click here.

Microsoft also topped expectations on both top- and bottom-lines this afternoon, with 96 cents per share beating the 86 cents in the Zacks consensus, and $28.9 billion in quarterly sales outpacing the $28.35 billion expected. These are up significantly from year-ago levels, and Microsoft is another company that routinely beats earnings estimates. Shares were also trading down on the news, near -2%. For more on MSFT's earnings, click here.

Qualcomm put up an 8-cent beat to 98 cents per share, with $6.1 billion in revenues beating the $5.95 billion expected and swinging to growth year over year. This marks the fourth straight earnings beat for Qualcomm, even though earnings are actually negative year over year. After-hours activity was only slightly to the negative -- only about a quarter of a percentage point. For more on QCOM's earnings, click here.

Paypal also outperformed expectations for earnings and revenues -- 55 cents per share and $3.74 billion compared favorably to the 52 cents and $3.63 billion Zacks consensus -- as well as posted big growth numbers year over year. Yet guidance was below analyst estimates for both its top- and bottom-lines; as a result, we saw PayPal shares selling off 3.9% in late trading Wednesday. For more on PYPL's earnings, click here.

Finally AT&T put out its impressive earnings and revenue beats this afternoon, with 78 cents per share easily surpassing the 65 cents expected (and also swinging from a negative growth estimate year over year to a positive one) on $41.7 billion in revenues that beat our estimated $41.2 billion. Full-year earnings was estimated at $3.50 per share, and the company reported strong quarterly cash flow. Shares were up 2.8% in the after-market. For more on T's earnings, click here.

The Hottest Tech Mega-Trend of All

Last year, it generated $8 billion in global revenues. By 2020, it's predicted to blast through the roof to $47 billion. Famed investor Mark Cuban says it will produce "the world's first trillionaires," but that should still leave plenty of money for regular investors who make the right trades early.

See Zacks' 3 Best Stocks to Play This Trend >>

Today, Zacks is promoting its ''Buy'' stock recommendations. Get #1 Stock of the Day pick for free.

About Zacks Equity Research

Zacks Equity Research provides the best of quantitative and qualitative analysis to help investors know what stocks to buy and which to sell for the long-term.

Continuous coverage is provided for a universe of 1,150 publicly traded stocks. Our analysts are organized by industry which gives them keen insights to developments that affect company profits and stock performance. Recommendations and target prices are six-month time horizons.

Strong Stocks that Should Be in the News

Many are little publicized and fly under the Wall Street radar. They're virtually unknown to the general public. Yet today's 220 Zacks Rank #1 "Strong Buys" were generated by the stock-picking system that has nearly tripled the market from 1988 through 2015. Its average gain has been a stellar +26% per year.See these high-potential stocks free >>.

Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/zacksresearch

Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Zacks-Investment-Research/57553657748?ref=ts

Zacks Investment Research is under common control with affiliated entities (including a broker-dealer and an investment adviser), which may engage in transactions involving the foregoing securities for the clients of such affiliates.

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.