Fourth quarter earnings season has finally arrived and that means it will kick off with a lot of the big banks. And while those companies are important to watch, there are a dozen or so other companies, which are not banks, that will also report this week.
These non-banks are in a diverse group of industries and should provide key insights into what is going on in the economy, with inflation and the consumer.
More Than Just Banks This Week
What should you be watching? One of the companies has a perfect earnings surprise track record while another is coming out of a brutal period with 7 misses in a row. Will it see better days in 2025?
It’s not easy to beat every quarter, or nearly every quarter, for years. Several of these companies have done that.
5 Stocks You Must Watch for Earnings This Week
1. JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM)
JPMorgan is the big bank to watch this week. It has beat on earnings 9 quarters in a row. Shares of JPMorgan are up 3% over the last month.
JPMorgan isn’t cheap. It trades with a price-to-book ratio of 2.1. Bank analysts say investors should buy a bank with a price-to-book ratio near 1.0 and sell near 2.0. JPMorgan is now trading above that key range.
Will JPMorgan beat again this quarter?
2. BlackRock, Inc. (BLK)
BlackRock has an excellent earnings surprise track record. It has beat 9 quarters in a row, like JPMorgan has, but it only has 2 misses in the last 5 years.
Shares of BlackRock are down 8.8% over the last month. But it’s not cheap. BlackRock trades with a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 20. A price-to-earnings ratio under 15 is usually considered a value.
Will BlackRock beat again?
3. UnitedHealth Group, Inc. (UNH)
UnitedHealth Group is an earnings all-star. It has not missed on earnings in the last 5 years, which included the start of the pandemic.
UnitedHealth Group is a Dow Industrials component, and given its price over $500 per share, it often moves the Dow Industrials average, which is price weighted. Shares of UnitedHealth Group are up 4.5% in the last month.
Will UnitedHealth Group keep its earnings surprise streak going this week?
4. J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (JBHT)
J.B. Hunt has a terrible earnings surprise track record, with just 1 beat in the last 8 quarters. That beat came last quarter. But the transportation sector, especially trucking, has been in a recession the last few years. Some analysts believe trucking will come out of it in 2025.
Shares of J.B. Hunt are up 1% over the last month. The shares are not cheap. J.B. Hunt trades with a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 23.9.
Is now the time to buy a trucking company stock like J.B. Hunt?
5. Fastenal Co. (FAST)
Fastenal has beat on earnings three of the last four quarters. It has an outstanding 5-year record, which includes the pandemic, of just 2 misses.
Fastenal is a bellwether for manufacturing and construction. Shares are down 6% in the last month. Fastenal is not a cheap stock, however. It trades with a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 33. A price-to-earnings ratio under 15 is considered a value.
Manufacturing has been in a multi-year recession. Will Fastenal see a recovery in 2025?
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J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (JBHT) : Free Stock Analysis Report
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