Last year, macroeconomic uncertainties kept the stock market under pressure. Furthermore, tech stocks bore the brunt of the market sell-off, which led to the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite to decline over 25% over the past year.
However, inflation has come down significantly from its peak. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for December 2022 increased 6.5% year-over-year and decreased 0.1% over the prior month. Post CPI report, a 25-basis-point rate hike is expected at the Fed’s February meeting. A slowdown in the rate hikes could bode well for the stock market.
Moreover, Alan Blinder, a Princeton University economist who formerly served as vice chairman of the Fed, commented, “The sooner the inflation rate falls, the sooner the Fed will ease up, and therefore, the less the chance of a recession.”
Amid rebounding investor sentiment, fundamentally strong Nasdaq stocks Comcast Corporation (CMCSA), Honeywell International Inc. (HON), and Biogen Inc. (BIIB) might be solid additions to your portfolio in 2023.
Comcast Corporation (CMCSA)
CMCSA operates as a media and technology company worldwide. It operates through Cable Communications; Media; Studios; Theme Parks; and Sky segments.
On January 5, Xumo, a streaming platform joint venture between Charter Communications, Inc. (CHTR) and CMCSA, and Element Electronics announced their plans to launch a new line of 4K Ultra HD smart TVs across the United States in 2023. The portfolio expansion should benefit the company.
On December 12, 2022, CMCSA launched the world’s first live, multigigabit symmetrical internet connection powered by 10G and Full Duplex DOCSIS 4.0. 10G technology. This technology is expected to offer customers next-level net speed and performance, bolstering CMCSA’s product portfolio.
The company is expected to pay a quarterly dividend of $0.27 on January 25, 2023. CMCSA has paid dividends for 13 consecutive years. This reflects the company’s robust cash-generation abilities.
CMCSA’s revenue came in at $29.85 billion for the third quarter that ended September 30, 2022, down marginally year-over-year. However, its Cable Communications revenue came in at $16.54 billion, up 2.6% year-over-year.
Moreover, its adjusted net income came in at $4.22 billion, up 4.5% year-over-year, while its adjusted EPS came in at $0.96, up 10.3% year-over-year. Also, its adjusted EBITDA came in at $9.48 billion, up 5.9% year-over-year.
Street expects CMCSA’s EPS to increase 5.8% year-over-year to $0.91 for the fiscal first quarter ending March 2023. Furthermore, revenue for the same quarter is expected to come in at $29.83 million. It surpassed EPS and revenue estimates in all four trailing quarters, which is impressive.
The stock has gained 29.6% over the past three months and 12.9% over the past month to close the last trading session at $38.93.
CMCSA’s POWR Ratings reflect its promising outlook. It has an overall B rating, representing Buy in our proprietary rating system. The POWR Ratings assess stocks by 118 different factors, each with its own weighting.
CMCSA has a B grade for Quality. It is ranked #1 among nine stocks in the Entertainment – TV & Internet Providers industry. Click here to see the additional POWR Ratings for CMCSA (Growth, Value, Momentum, Stability, and Sentiment).
Honeywell International Inc. (HON)
HON is a diversified technology and manufacturing company providing services worldwide. It operates in four segments, Aerospace; Honeywell Building Technologies; Performance Materials and Technologies; and Safety and Productivity Solutions.
On November 16, 2022, HON announced that it would enable NASA's Artemis I launch and several other aspects of planned NASA missions to bring astronauts to the moon and Mars by providing a full navigation and guidance system for the Artemis I launch vehicle.
In addition, it is also expected to provide 14 product types for crewed Artemis missions III through V, including both hardware and software solutions, to support NASA's lunar missions.
On November 1, HON and Aramco announced the signing of a joint venture agreement to provide a set of end-to-end business process automation solutions under the Aramco Namaat Industrial Investments Program.
Digital delivery expertise, coupled with HON’s proven experience in industrial software and big data analytics solutions, should unlock tremendous value for the industry.
HON executed their capital deployment strategy, deploying $1.2 billion in the quarter that ended September 30, 2022, including $0.4 billion of share repurchases and raising their dividend for the 13th time over 12 consecutive years.
A quarterly dividend of $1.03 per share was paid to shareholders on December 2, 2022, indicating a 5.1% increase from its previous dividend. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Darius Adamczyk said, "Our robust balance sheet, diligent cost management and focus on sustainable, profitable growth will allow us to continue creating value for our shareholders."
HON’s net sales came in at $8.95 billion for the third quarter that ended September 30, 2022, up 5.6% year-over-year. Net income attributable to HON came in at $1.55 billion, up 23.5% year-over-year, while its adjusted earnings per share came in at $2.25, up 11.4% year-over-year.
Analysts expect HON’s revenue to increase 2.6% year-over-year to $8.60 billion in the fiscal first quarter ending March 2023. The company’s EPS is estimated to grow 6.9% year-over-year to $2.04 in the same quarter. It surpassed EPS estimates in all four trailing quarters.
Over the past three months, the stock has gained 24.4% to close the last trading session at $216.61. It has also gained 3.3% over the past month.
HON’s strong fundamentals are reflected in the POWR Ratings system. The company has an overall rating of B, equating to Buy in our proprietary rating system.
HON has a B grade for Growth, Stability, and Quality. Within the B-rated Industrial – Machinery industry, it is ranked #16 out of 80 stocks. Click here for the additional POWR Ratings for Value, Momentum, and Sentiment for HON.
Biogen Inc. (BIIB)
BIIB discovers, develops, manufactures, and delivers therapies for treating neurological and neurodegenerative diseases. It offers TECFIDERA, AVONEX, PLEGRIDY, FAMPYRA, etc., for treating MS; SPINRAZA for SMA treatment; ADUHELM for treating Alzheimer’s; and FUMADERM for the treatment of severe plaque psoriasis.
On January 16, Eisai Co., Ltd. and BIIB announced that Eisai had submitted a marketing authorization application for lecanemab, an investigational anti-amyloid beta protofibril antibody to treat mild cognitive impairment (MCI), to the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA). The commercialization of the treatment should be beneficial for the company.
On January 4, BIIB and Alcyone Therapeutics announced their license and collaboration agreement to evaluate a novel device to improve patient experience and access to neurological ASO therapies.
Through this agreement, BIIB aims to leverage the ThecaFlex DRx system to improve the patient treatment experience and accessibility for a broader population suffering from neurological disorders, such as spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
In the third quarter that ended September 30, 2022, BIIB’s income before income tax expense and equity in loss of investee, net of tax, increased 371% year-over-year to $1.37 billion. The total cost and expenses declined 54.3% year-over-year to $1.14 billion. Its non-GAAP total net income attributable to BIIB came in at $691.20 million, while its non-GAAP total earnings per share came in at $4.77.
Analysts expect BIIB’s EPS to increase 11.3% year-over-year to $4.03 for the fiscal first quarter ending March 2023. Its revenue is expected to come in at $2.32 billion for the same quarter. BIIB surpassed the consensus EPS estimates in three of the trailing four quarters.
Shares of BIIB have gained 32.7% over the past six months to close the last trading session at $288.04. It had also gained 1.1% over the past month.
BIIB’s solid prospects are reflected in its POWR Ratings. It has an overall A rating, which translates to a Strong Buy in our proprietary rating system.
It has an A grade for Value, Sentiment, and Quality. It is ranked #3 out of 397 stocks in the Biotech industry. To see the other ratings of BIIB for Growth, Momentum, and Stability, click here.
CMCSA shares fell $0.16 (-0.41%) in premarket trading Tuesday. Year-to-date, CMCSA has gained 12.19%, versus a 4.20% rise in the benchmark S&P 500 index during the same period.
About the Author: Sristi Suman Jayaswal
The stock market dynamics sparked Sristi's interest during her school days, which led her to become a financial journalist. Investing in undervalued stocks with solid long-term growth prospects is her preferred strategy. Having earned a master's degree in Accounting and Finance, Sristi hopes to deepen her investment research experience and better guide investors.
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