Jubak Picks

Palo Alto Networks beats on earnings, raises guidance, cybersecurity stock rallies strongly today–raising target price in Jubak Picks and adding to Millennial Portfolio

Palo Alto Networks beats on earnings, raises guidance, cybersecurity stock rallies strongly today–raising target price in Jubak Picks and adding to Millennial Portfolio

Yesterday, May 20, after the market closed, Palo Alto Networks (PANW) reported third-quarter fiscal 2021 non-GAAP earnings of $1.38 per share. That beat the Wall Street consensus by almost 8%. Last earnings for the third quarter of the fiscal year were $1.17. Revenue gained 24% year over year to $1.07 billion. That was slightly above the Wall Street projection of $1.06 billion. After the earnings announcement the company raised guidance for the fiscal 2021 fourth quarter to project earnings per share of $1.42 to $.44 and year over year revenue growth of 23$ to 24% to $1.65 billion to $1.715 billion. For all of fiscal 2021 the company forecast adjusted earnings of $5.97 to $5.99 a share. That was up from an earlier projection of $5.80 to $5.90 a share.

I’ll be buying Call Options on Disney for the Volatility Portfolio on Monday–even if I won’t know the exact option until Monday morning’s trading

I’ll be buying Call Options on Disney for the Volatility Portfolio on Monday–even if I won’t know the exact option until Monday morning’s trading

Shares of Disney (DIS) dropped like a stone when the company reported after the close on May 13 that subscriptions to its Disney+ streaming service fell short of Wall Street projections for the March quarter. The shares closed at $178.37 on May 13 before the report and then opened the next morning at $169.57. They recovered some ground during the day and closed at $173.70 on Friday, May 14, down another 2.60% on the day. I’ve been arguing recently and repeatedly that I think Disney is one of the best stocks to own for a post-vaccine recovery economy. Sure, the subscription gains for Disney+ are likely to slow now that we’re not all locked in our homes and going stir-crazy. But the company’s most profitable unit–the big entertainment parks have been just about shut down during the pandemic and the California parks just started to reopen at the very end of April. I see the drop on the March quarter results as a substantial buying opportunity.

My pick for rising farm commodity prices is Deere; adding it to Jubak Picks Portfolio

My pick for rising farm commodity prices is Deere; adding it to Jubak Picks Portfolio

Wheat prices hit new highs at $7.46 a bushel at the end of April. That the highest since February 2013. Corn climbed to a new eight year high. The day soybeans rose for a tenth straight session to reach on eight year high.
When the prices of farm commodities climb, it’s tough times ahead at the grocery store for consumers. But it’s good times ahead for farmers and that means increasing sales of tractors and other farm equipment for Deere (DE). I’m adding the shares to my 12-18 month Jubak Picks Portfolio

Trick or Trend: The secret message in the first quarter’s 6.4% GDP growth–buy stocks in the service sector for the June quarter

Trick or Trend: The secret message in the first quarter’s 6.4% GDP growth–buy stocks in the service sector for the June quarter

When it comes down to company earnings, we’re seeing a huge lag in revenue growth for companies in the service sector. Wyndham Hotels and Resorts (WH),for example, which reported first quarter results today, April 30, saw revenue fall to $303 million in the first quarter of 2021 from $410 in the first quarter of 2020. But, and I think this is the clear implication of the first quarter GDP numbers, those service companies will close that gap in the June quarter as companies open more services–Disney (DIS) opened its California theme parks today, for example–and consumers feel safer in going to theme parks or restaurants or gyms.

Selling Freeport McMoRan Copper and Gold out of Jubak Picks on valuation

Selling Freeport McMoRan Copper and Gold out of Jubak Picks on valuation

Copper has rallied–again–to a new 10-year high and that has taken Freeport McMoRan Copper and Gold to $39.53 today, April 28, as of 3:50 p.m.. That’s above my target price in my Jubak Picks Portfolio of $34. So today I’m selling this position. The stock is up 39.34% as of 3:50 p.m. New York time since I added it to the portfolio on January 6, 2021. I still have substantial exposure to copper through my positions in Southern Copper (SCCO) in my long-term 50 Stocks Portfolio and in my Dividend Portfolio.

Selling Intuitive Surgical out of Jubak Picks as it holds above target price

Selling Intuitive Surgical out of Jubak Picks as it holds above target price

Today, April 28, I’m selling Intuitive Surgical out of my Jubak Picks Portfolio with a 9.39% gain since February 15. I think the shares are fully valued here (or perhaps over-valued if there is such a thing anymore in this market) and I’d like to have some more cash just in case”something” creates a little volatility in the financial markets.

Microsoft’s earnings report:  When great isn’t good enough

Microsoft’s earnings report: When great isn’t good enough

Great wasn’t good enough for a stock that had climbed 10.6% in the last month, 17.84% for 2021 as of the close on April 26, and 51.07% in the last year. And Microsoft shares fell in after-hours trading after reporting earnings and revenue above Wall Street estimates. Does the drop set the stage for other BIG TECH stock reporting this week–Alphabet (GOOG) today, Apple (AAPL) and Facebook (FB) tomorrow, and Amazon (AMZN) on Thursday.

Intuitive Surgical earnings surprise as recovery from pandemic faster than expected

Intuitive Surgical earnings surprise as recovery from pandemic faster than expected

Yesterday, April 20, after the market close Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) reported first quarter GAAP earnings of $3.51 a share, $1.47 a share above Wall Street estimates. Non-GAAP earnings of $3.52 were 89 cents a share above analyst expectations. Revenue for the quarter climbed to $1.3 billion, up 18% from the first quarter of 2020. In 2020 sales of the company’s robotic surgery systems, dropped to $4.4 billion from $4.5 billion in 2019 as hospitals halted elective surgeries during the pandemic. I added the shares to my Jubak Picks Portfolio on February 15, 2021 on expectations with in a post-vaccine global economy sales of its da Vinci Surgical Systems would rebound strongly. In the first quarter the company shipped 298 de Vinci systems versus 237 in the first quarter of 2020. As of 3:45 p.m. New York time today, Intuitive Surgical share were up 9.50% to $888.10. That exceeds my target of $860 a share and I’ll be looking to sell the shares sometime in the next couple of weeks after I’ve received the full benefit from a positive earnings season for BIG TECH stocks.

Microsoft’s earnings report:  When great isn’t good enough

What a difference a week makes: stocks look ahead to BIG TECH earnings next week

Today, April 21, as of 3 p.m. New York time, the major indexes were on track to break their three-day losing streak. At 3 p.m. the Standard & Poor’s 500 was ahead 0.65% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average had gained 0.74%. The NASDAQ Composite was higher by 0.73% and the small cap Russell 2000 had moved up 1.94%. Why the big change in tone from earlier in the week?

Taiwan Semiconductor says the auto chip shortage will be done by the end of the third quarter

Taiwan Semiconductor says the auto chip shortage will be done by the end of the third quarter

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM), the globes biggest independent chip foundry, said last week that it expects the chip shortage that has left automakers scrambling for silicon and cutting back production will be over by the end of the third quarter. Whether that’s good news or not depends on how much weight you give to this company’s projections.