Benzinga's 'Stock Whisper' Index: Five Stocks Investors Secretly Monitor But Don't Talk About Yet
Each week, Benzinga’s Stock Whisper Index uses proprietary data and pattern recognition to highlight five stocks just under the surface that deserve attention.
Investors are constantly on the hunt for undervalued, under-followed and emerging stocks. Retail traders have countless methods at their disposal. Sifting through available information to uncover new opportunities and understand why certain stocks matter can be challenging.
Here’s a look at the Benzinga Stock Whisper Index for the week ending Oct. 16:
Prologis Inc (NYSE:PLD): The industrial real estate investment trust saw strong interest last week, which comes after the company reported third quarter financials. The company beat analyst estimates for earnings per share and missed estimates for sales. The stock fell on the results and on the company narrowing its earnings per share guidance. Prologis’ CEO Daniel Letter said the company signed leases covering 60 million square feet during the quarter, totaling around $2.3 billion in transactions. Shareholders approved the company’s deal to acquire SEGRO, which is expected to strengthen its presence in Europe. BTIG maintained a Buy rating with a $170 price target. The analyst sees the recent post-earnings pullback as a "compelling entry point."
KLA Corporation (NASDAQ:KLAC): The semiconductor stock saw strong interest from readers during the week, which comes ahead of first-quarter financial results set for Oct. 28. The company’s latest financials have been mixed. The company has missed analyst estimates for earnings per share in eight of the last 10 quarters, including eight straight misses before the beat in the fourth quarter. The company has beaten analyst estimates for revenue in more than 10 straight quarters. With the mixed earnings, investors may be waiting to see how first-quarter results turn out. The stock remains one to watch.
Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM): Investors showed strong interest in the international tobacco company during the week. The company has gained positive momentum on a dividend increase and reports that regulators will approve more vapes and pouches in the United States. The company is set to report third-quarter financial results on Oct. 21. The company has beaten analyst estimates for earnings per share in 10 straight quarters and for revenue in eight of the last 10 quarters, including two straight quarters.
IES Holdings (NASDAQ: IESC): The data center-related company saw strong reader interest last week, continuing its strong momentum this year. With shares down 9% last week, the pullback could be a good buying opportunity for investors who see the company as a winner in the data center buildout.
Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:MPC): The oil company’s shares continued to gain last week, adding to a 190%+ surge year-to-date. The higher share price and likely increased attention from Benzinga readers were analyst actions. Analysts issued several price target increases. These weren’t small price target increases, but rather the target going up over $100 from analysts at Citigroup, Wells Fargo, Barclays and Evercore ISI. Marathon Petroleum remains one of the hottest oil stocks this year and a name to watch.
Stay tuned for next week’s report, and follow Benzinga Pro for all the latest headlines and top market-moving stories here.
Read the latest Stock Whisper Index reports here: