Top Analysts Say These 3 “Strong Buy” Dow Stocks are Heating Up

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The Dow Jones Industrial Average is on the move thanks to an improved trade war outlook after China offered to increase purchases of U.S. agricultural products if the U.S. lessened restrictions on Huawei last week.

The index, which is comprised of 30 American blue chip stocks, has climbed 3% in the last five days. This has not escaped the Street’s attention, with analysts saying that a few Dow stocks are heating up.

“It seems like the tone on trade has gotten better. As long as we don’t have another tweet storm around trade, I think the market can stay in the upper end of this range,” said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at National Securities.

Using the TipRanks Stock Comparison tool, we were able to see how a few of the index’s stocks measure up against each other. We just typed in up to seven tickers and the tool compared each of the stocks based on market cap, PE ratio, analyst consensus and average analyst price target.

Based on the results from the comparison, we were able to find 3 Dow stocks that have garnered substantial support from Wall Street with a “Strong Buy” analyst consensus. This is based on the last three months’ worth of ratings from all other analysts.

Let’s take a closer look.

Visa Inc.

Visa Inc. (VGet Report) has had a tough week, with the payments processor seeing shares plummet almost 6% in the last three days. A few analysts say that the stock market's "sector rotation" as investors rotate out of big winners and into the biggest underperformers ahead of year end was to blame for this dip. That being said, some analysts are telling investors that its core strategy will pay off long-term.

Even with the pullback Visa shares have gained 33% year-to-date, with the company standing to reap the benefits as the world goes cashless. According to its July 23 fiscal Q3 2019 earnings release, the company looks solid. Total payments volume, the dollar amount of purchases made with cards carrying Visa’s branding, jumped almost 9% year-over-year to reach $2.23 trillion on a constant dollar basis.

To further capitalize on the cashless payments movement, the company recently partnered with MoneyGram (MGI) on a peer-to-peer (P2P) transfer option that lets customers in the U.S. send money domestically through the MGI website or app to an eligible debit card. The product, which was unveiled on September 9, starts at $1.99 and enables 24-7 transfers using Visa’s real-time push payment platform, Visa Direct.

Adding to the good news, the Foreign Trade Commission (FTC) granted antitrust clearance for Visa’s acquisition of Verifi. The deal will give V access to improved dispute management technology.

One top analyst points out that its substantial efforts to expand its business to business (B2B) payments arm are especially exciting, highlighting its July PayMate investment and Rambus acquisition back in June. As a result, Guggenheim analyst Jeff Cantwell reiterated his Buy rating and $199 price target on August 28. The five-star analyst sees potential for 14% upside.

All in all, Wall Street agrees with Cantwell. Visa boasts a ‘Strong Buy’ analyst consensus as well as a $202 average price target, indicating 14% upside potential.

McDonald's Corporation

With the fast food company already gaining 18% year-to-date, some analysts believe investors should still put McDonald’s Corporation (MCDGet Report) on their plates.

While MCD is known as a burger chain, the company is making a name for itself as a tech company thanks to its significant focus on digitization. These efforts include products to speed up ordering and fulfillment such as self-ordering kiosks in many of its locations. Management noted in its July 26 Q2 earnings release that its global comparable sales growth shows the kiosks are already paying off, as customers tend to order more food or extra side items when compared to traditional ordering.

With its mobile app, diners have the option to choose the time and pickup method. Not to mention the app can be synced with a user’s digital payment wallet. To further strengthen its delivery options, MCD announced its partnership with online food delivery service DoorDash in July.

Most exciting though is the fast food giant’s foray into the world of artificial intelligence (AI). The company announced on September 10 that it’s set to acquire voice-based AI startup Apprente in order to improve the drive-thru experience. The startup, which will be housed under the new “McD Tech Labs” unit, will allow MCD to create voice-activated drive-thrus, speeding up the process as well as requiring less staff to operate restaurants. This is on top of its $300 million acquisition of online personalization company Dynamic Yield back in March.

While some investors originally expressed concerns over MCD’s discounted pricing, SunTrust Robinson analyst Jake Bartlett believes the above factors will keep MCD on an upward trajectory. “We think the MCD buy-one-get-one for $1 promotion shows an effort to drive traffic, but also highlights the restaurant chain's focus on franchisee profitability,” he explained. As a result, he reiterated his Buy rating and $246 average price target on August 27. The five-star analyst believes shares could gain 17% over the next twelve months.

With 16 Buy ratings vs 5 Holds assigned in the last three months, the word on the Street is that MCD is a ‘Strong Buy’. Its $231 average price target suggests 9% upside potential.

The Walt Disney Company

Disney (DIS- Get Report) has attracted substantial buzz from the Street thanks to its new streaming service, Disney+, with shares already gaining 24% year-to-date. That being said, the house of mouse has seen shares dip 2% in the last three days thanks to Apple’s (AAPL) product update on September 10.

Apple announced at its September 2019 Keynote that its new streaming service, Apple TV+, will start at a much lower price point than previously expected. After its November 1 launch, Apple TV+ will be available starting at $4.99 per month. This directly undercuts Disney as its own service will start at $6.99 per month, with the premium bundle running at $12.99 per month. It should be noted that Apple’s streaming service will feature less content than Disney’s.

One top analyst believes that competition from Apple doesn’t change Disney’s strong long-term growth narrative. Credit Suisse’s Douglas Mitchelson conducted a survey of 40 investors in order to measure investor sentiment. The headline results were resoundingly bullish, with 58% now overweight vs 37% pre-Analyst Day in April as the Disney+ launch on November 12 is expected to be a major catalyst. That being said, in order to see significant upside Disney will need a big launch.

DIS should also get a boost from its collaboration with Target (TGT) that includes the opening of 25 Disney stores within TGT locations on October 4. Investors have yet another reason to be excited as the company has an ambitious plan to give its Epcot theme park a major upgrade with new interactive elements, show space and new rides based on popular Disney films.

Based on all of the above factors, Mitchelson reiterated his Buy rating and $150 price target. The 4.5-star analyst thinks shares could surge 10% over the next twelve months.

10 Buy ratings and 2 Holds assigned in the last three months add up to a ‘Strong Buy’ analyst consensus. Its average price target of $158 implies 16% upside potential.

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