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5 Hot Tech Stocks You Should Be Watching Ahead Of Earnings

Loading the player… Quarterly earnings reports almost always impact a company’s stock, whether good or bad. Here’s a look at five hot tech names with earnings due for you to keep an eye on: Fibit ( FIT ), NetEase ( NTES ), WebMD ( WBMD ), First Solar ( FSLR ) and Salesforce ( CRM ). Fitbit reports after the close on Monday. Analysts expect the bottom line to climb 32%, a healthy rise but still a second quarter of decelerating growth. Revenue is projected to pop 75%. Fitbit competes against the Apple ( AAPL ) Watch, and both were named hot gift items during the holiday quarter. Fitbit shares are trading below their IPO price of 20, and are trying to make their way off of their all-time low reached last week. The stock is trading nearly 70% below its all-time high reached last August. NetEase is projected to grow earnings by 52% in local currency when it reports after the close on Wednesday. Revenue is estimated to jump 121%. The stock was able to retake its 200-day line earlier this week. It’s trading about 17% below a potential buy point. NetEase is a member of the IBD 50 list of leading stocks, and so is WebMD. The health care information site is expected to see earnings jump 58% and sales rise 17% when it reports after the close on Tuesday. Both mark an acceleration of growth from last quarter. WebMD is currently trading about 8% below its intraday peak reached in mid-January. First Solar is not on the IBD 50 list, but it earns an IBD Composite Rating of 97 out of 99. The company reports its results after the close on Tuesday as well. Earnings are expected to fall 59% on an 8% dip in sales. The stock is working on a consolidation base and is currently trading about 13% below the pivot. And software giant Salesforce reports after the close on Wednesday. Earnings are expected to jump 36%, while revenue rises 24%. Shares have risen seven out of the last eight sessions as they work their way higher from about a 16-month low. Salesforce is about 25% below its November high.

Smartwatch Shipments Skyrocket In Q4, Passing Swiss Watches

Smartwatches surpassed Swiss watches in unit shipments for the first time in the fourth quarter, according to research firm Strategy Analytics. Global smartwatch shipments reached 8.1 million units in the December quarter, compared with 7.9 million Swiss watch shipments, Strategy Analytics reported Thursday. Shipments of smartwatches, led by the Apple ( AAPL ) Watch, surged 316% from 1.9 million in Q4 2014. Meanwhile shipments of Swiss watches fell 5% from 8.3 million in Q4 2014, the research firm said. “Global demand for Swiss watches is slowing down, and major players like Swatch ( SWGAY ) are struggling to find growth,” Strategy Analytics analyst Steven Waltzer said in a statement. Strategy Analytics Executive Director Neil Mawston concurred. “The Swiss watch industry has been very slow to react to the development of smartwatches,” Mawston said in a statement. “The Swiss watch industry has been sticking its head in the sand and hoping smartwatches will go away. Swiss brands, like Tag Heuer, accounted for a tiny 1% of all smartwatches shipped globally during Q4 2015, and they are long way behind Apple, Samsung and other leaders in the high-growth smartwatch category.” Smartwatches are growing rapidly in North America, Western Europe and Asia, the research firm said. Apple Watch captured 63% of the global smartwatch market in the fourth quarter, followed by Samsung with 16%. “Apple and Samsung together account for a commanding eight in 10 of all smartwatches shipped worldwide,” Strategy Analytics analyst Cliff Raskind said in a press release. Wall Street analysts estimate that Apple sold 4.9 million units of Apple Watch in the December quarter . Strategy Analytics estimates that Apple shipped 5.1 million units of Apple Watch in Q4. Apple is expected to unveil new Apple Watch software and wristbands at a media event next month. At the same event, Apple is likely to unveil a new 4-inch iPhone 5SE and iPad Air 3, according to 9to5Mac . It’s unknown when Apple will release a second-generation Apple Watch. But some are speculating that it could be soon because retailers are discounting many current Apple Watch models, presumably to clear out older inventory. The Apple Watch is being discounted by $100 at Best Buy ( BBY ), Target ( TGT ) and other stores. The entry-level Apple Watch Sport model is selling for $249, 29% off the regular price of $349. Image provided by Shutterstock .

Can Applied Materials’ Q1 Beat, Surprise Outlook Boost Chips?

Applied Materials ( AMAT ) stock popped late Thursday on Q2 guidance that indicates robust semiconductor demand despite chipmakers’ stumbling start to 2016 and the specter of Apple ‘s ( AAPL ) waning iPhone sales. In after-hours trading Applied stock jumped more than 7%, after closing up by a fraction in regular-session trading. Shares are down 8% for the year, reflecting a 9% depression in IBD’s 36-company Electronic-Semiconductor Equipment industry group. For fiscal Q1 ended Jan. 31, Applied reported $2.26 billion in sales and 26 cents earnings per share ex items. Both metrics were down 4% vs. the year-earlier quarter, but topped Wall Street expectations . The consensus of 22 analysts polled by Thomson Reuters was expecting $2.24 billion and 25 cents — in line with Applied’s three-months-ago view for $2.16 billion to $2.3 billion and 23-27 cents. Current-quarter guidance shattered estimates. Applied guided to $2.37 billion to $2.49 billion in sales and 30-34 cents EPS ex items. The low end of both guidance measures topped Wall Street’s model for $2.28 billion and 26 cents. Sales would be flat at the midpoint, and EPS minus items would soar 10% year over year. Applied’s guidance speaks well for the semiconductor community, which tripped early this year on lackluster iPhone sales, fears that Moore’s Law would compress growth, and macroeconomic weakness in China. IBD’s 41-company Electronic-Semiconductor Fabless industry group is down 10% thus far into 2016, matching the same plunge in IBD’s Electronic-Semiconductor Manufacturing industry group of 41 companies. Applied trails ASML Holdings ( ASML ) in market cap — $19.6 billion to $36.8 billion. Applied makes machines that manufacture semiconductors. ASML produces lithography gear, also used to make chips.