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ASML announces new buyback program

The Netherlands-based ASML Holding NV, Europe’s largest chip maker, increased its second-quarter net profit and improved its annual revenue forecast, and announced a share buyback program of up to € 9 billion by the end of 2023. ASML’s revenue last quarter was € 4.02 billion, up from € 3.33 billion in the same period in 2020. The market consensus assumed the figure at the level of 4.09 billion eurosю

Southwest Airlines Returns to Profits in Q2

Southwest Airlines recorded net income of $ 348 million, or $ 0.57 per share, in the second quarter of 2021, thanks to a one-off payment of $ 724 million received under the government’s anti-crisis employment program. A year earlier, Southwest Airlines had a net loss of $ 915 million, or $ 1.63 per share. The loss excluding one-off factors in April-June amounted to $ 206 million, or $ 0.35 per share. Market consensus assumed a loss of $ 0.23 per share. Southwest is the largest local airline in the United States and is considered by many to be the industry’s pricing trendsetter. We maintain a positive outlook on the company’s business.

Johnson & Johnson increased quarterly revenue in all divisions

Johnson & Johnson posted strong 2Q2021 results. The company increased its net profit in the second quarter of 2021 by 73% thanks to the growth of revenue in all major divisions. J&J’s quarterly revenue increased 27% to $ 23.312 from $ 18.336 billion. The consensus forecast for this indicator was $ 22.49 billion. According to a J&J press release, net profit in April-June rose to $ 6.278 billion, or $ 2.35 per share, up from $ 3.626 billion, or $ 1.36 per share, in the same period the previous year. Profit excluding one-off factors was $ 2.48 per share, beating the market average forecast of $ 2.29 per share.

Snap doubled its quarterly revenue

Snap, the owner of the Snapchat app, posted excellent quarterly results. The company reduced its net loss in the second quarter of 2021 and more than doubled its revenue as the advertising market continues to recover. The company’s revenue in the second quarter was $ 982 million, compared with $ 454 million a year earlier. The indicator exceeded the consensus forecast of analysts at $ 846 million. Snap’s net loss in April-June decreased by 53% – to $ 151.6 million compared to $ 326 million in the same period last year. Loss on a per share basis declined to $ 0.1 from $ 0.23 on the average market forecast of $ 0.21.

Markets Peak Again Despite Delta Strain

Last week, the main indices completely won back the correction of the week before last and again reached their absolute historical values. The capitalization of the S&P 500 increased by 2%, and the index itself rose to the level of 4,412 points. The Nasdaq 100 rose 3% and finally broke through the 15,000 mark, consolidating at 15,112. Investors started buying tech stocks again amid optimism about the sector’s growth ahead of reports from some of the industry’s biggest names. We previously noted that we expect the technology sector to outperform the broad market.

A bet on the hydrogen economy

Air Products and Chemicals (APD) posted marginally gains following positive management communication. The press release states that the Jazan and Lu’An projects have returned to normal operating rhythm. This is a positive signal, which should lead to a positive revision of the forecast for the company’s financial indicators and an increase in capitalization. We believe that the comments regarding Lu’An were not understood by all market participants, therefore the news was not taken into account by the market in full. However, the fact that the Jazan project has been relaunched and is likely to be operational by the end of this year is great news that has yet to be played out. We raise our target price for the stock from $ 340 to $ 360.

DraftKings Will Maintain Its Leadership Position

Following the release of the quarterly results, we have raised our estimate of the company’s revenues for fiscal 2021, reflecting strong first quarter financial results and higher management forecasts. With a conservative outlook for estimated 2H21 earnings, continued legalization of sports betting in individual states and the takeover of betting technology provider SBTech.

Luxury Goes Digital

We’re highlighting Farfetch because we focus on the fast-growing online luxury goods market. The company operates a leading platform connecting luxury brands and boutiques. The global luxury goods market is undergoing a structural shift towards digitalization and we believe that Farfetch will be the main beneficiary of the $ 300 billion market transformation. The company’s management predicts revenue growth of an average of 16% per year over the next ten years, primarily due to growth demand from China and other emerging markets.

Fortinet. Strong Quarterly Results

We believe Fortinet will pleasantly surprise investors in the second quarter. We expect to see strong quarterly earnings that exceed market expectations. Strong demand for network security products and cloud solutions is having a positive effect on the company’s business. Fortinet records high demand in all regions of its presence. The company plans to publish its financial statements on August 6. We raise our target valuation for the company’s shares from $ 250 to $ 270.

The week ended with insignificant growth

The market capitalization of the major American indices S&P 500, Dow Jones and NASDAQ 100 over the past week increased by 0.5%, 0.6% and 0.7%, respectively. On Wednesday, following the publication of the Beige Book, major indicators closed the session near record levels. The document says that economic activity in the United States from early April to late May grew at a moderate pace, slightly higher than earlier this year. However, the next day, the market corrected on positive data on initial claims for unemployment, which continue to decline and update the minimum levels before the pandemic. On Friday, an important package of May data on the US labor market was released. The statistics turned out to be worse than expected, which was greeted with optimism by market participants. Weak numbers indicate that the labor market is far from ideal, so the Fed should not tighten monetary policy prematurely.