Why You Should Watch FB, GOOGL, AMZN Ahead Of Earnings
Loading the player… Three top tech stocks are trading very near buy points as handles have formed on their bases: Facebook ( FB ), Google owner Alphabet ( GOOGL ) and Amazon ( AMZN ). And with each company reporting earnings in the coming weeks, these stocks deserve a watchful eye. JPMorgan noted Thursday that while FANG stocks (Facebook, Amazon, Netflix ( NFLX ) and Google/Alphabet) have somewhat underperformed so far this year, their fundamentals are still solid. After rising nearly 18% from its February low, Facebook was trading 3% below a 117.09 buy point Thursday as it dipped less than 0.1%. If and when the stock breaks out, look for heavy volume, which signals institutional support. A catalyst for a Facebook breakout could be the company’s quarterly earnings report on April 27. Earnings are projected to jump 48%, marking a third straight quarter of faster growth. Revenue is also expected to rise 48%, a slowdown from the prior quarter’s 52% growth. Alphabet was trading 2% below a cup-with-handle buy point of 777.41, and closed down 1%. It’s 6% below its high reached in early February. Alphabet reports quarterly results on April 21. Analysts expect earnings growth of 23%, slower than the last quarter’s 28% gain. Revenue is estimated to climb 17%, slightly slower than the 18% gain it saw in Q4. Facebook and Alphabet are both members of the IBD 50 list of leading stocks and earn a highest-possible IBD Composite Rating of 99. Amazon has an 81 Composite Rating. The stock is trading 2% below a 603.34 buy point and 15% below its late December high. Shares fell 1.8% Thursday. The e-commerce giant’s bottom line is projected to skyrocket 583% when it issues its quarterly report in a couple of weeks. That would mark a second quarter of accelerating growth. The top line is estimated to climb 23%, faster than Q4’s 22% rise. Meanwhile, the fourth FANG stock, Netflix, is trading more than 20% below its high set in early December. Shares, which have been hitting resistance at the critical 200-day moving average, dipped 0.4% Thursday. Netflix reports its quarterly results on April 18.