The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights Alphabet, Blackstone, KLA and Crawford United

For Immediate ReleaseChicago, IL – February 4, 2025 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Alphabet Inc. GOOGL, Blackstone Inc. BX, KLA Corp. KLAC and Crawford United Corp. CRAWA.Here are highlights from Monday’s Analyst Blog:Q4 Earnings Scorecard & Analyst Reports for Alphabet, Blackstone and KLAThe Zacks Research Daily presents the best research output of our analyst team. Today's Research Daily features a real-time scorecard of the Q4 earnings season and new research reports on 16 major stocks, including Alphabet Inc., Blackstone Inc. and KLA Corp., as well as a micro-cap stock Crawford United Corp. The Zacks microcap research is unique as our research content on these small and under-the-radar companies is the only research of its type in the country.These research reports have been hand-picked from the roughly 70 reports published by our analyst team today.You can see all of today’s research reports here >>>Ahead of Wall StreetThe daily 'Ahead of Wall Street' article is a must-read for all investors who would like to be ready for that day's trading action. The article comes out before the market's open and attempts to make sense of that morning's economic releases and how they will affect that day's market action. You can read this article for free on our home page and can actually sign up there to get an email notification as this article comes out each morning.You can read today's AWS here >>> Trade War Reality Sets into Pre-MarketsQ4 Earnings Season ScorecardIncluding all the results that came out today, we now have Q4 results from 181 S&P 500 members or 36.2% of the index's total membership. Total earnings for these companies are up +7.4% from the same period last year on +5.1% higher revenues, with 80.7% beating EPS estimates and 67.4% beating revenue estimates. This is better results from these 181 index members relative to other recent periods.Looking at Q4 as a whole, combining the actual results from the 181 index members with estimates for the still-to-come companies, total earnings are expected to be up +10.2% from the same period last year on +5.2% higher revenues.For more details on the evolving earnings picture as a result of this earnings season, please check out our weekly Earnings Trends report here >>>>Broad-Based Sector Growth Expected in 2025Today's Featured Research ReportsShares of Alphabet have gained +28.5% over the past six months against the Zacks Internet - Services industry’s gain of +29.2%. The company is riding on strong cloud and search growth. Google Cloud is benefiting from accelerated growth across AI infrastructure, enterprise AI platform Vertex, generative AI solutions and core Google Cloud Platform products.GOOGL’s strong AI portfolio is helping it attract new customers, win larger deals, and deepen product adoption among existing customers. Alphabet’s expanding GenAI capabilities present a potential catalyst for future growth. Its dominant position in the search engine market is a strong growth driver.Major search updates and removal of bad ads to enhance the search results continue to boost traffic on Google’s search engine. However, increasing litigation issues and expenses remain concerns. Rising cloud competition from Microsoft and Amazon is a concern.(You can read the full research report on Alphabet here >>>)Blackstone shares have outperformed the Zacks Financial - Miscellaneous Services industry over the past six months (+37.4% vs. +23.7%). The company’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in two of the trailing four quarters. Its fourth-quarter 2024 results showed a rise in asset under management (AUM) balance.A strong revenue mix, global footprint, diversified products, superior position in the alternative investments space and solid total and fee-earning AUM balances are expected to aid its financials. Robust fundraising ability and significant available capital for deployment will support top-line expansion.Blackstone has a solid balance sheet position, enabling it to address its debt obligations. However, rising consolidated expenses will likely hamper Blackstone’s bottom-line expansion. The low sustainability of its capital distribution activities, given volatile earnings, is worrisome.(You can read the full research report on Blackstone here >>>)Shares of KLA have outperformed the Zacks Electronics - Miscellaneous Products industry over the past year (+21.1% vs. -28.2%). The company reported steady growth in the second quarter of fiscal 2025, with both earnings and revenues increasing year over year. This growth was driven by positive performance in the Semiconductor Process Control, Specialty Semiconductor Process, and PCB, Display and Component Inspection segments, which showed gains both year over year and sequentially.Despite facing challenges from new U.S. export controls, KLA is benefiting from strong demand for high bandwidth memory (HBM) and advanced packaging solutions. Also, the expansion of AI, HPC and DRAM investments continues to fuel demand in high-performance and advanced packaging.However, geopolitical uncertainties and supply chain disruptions, particularly in regions like China and Taiwan where much of the semiconductor production is concentrated, could pose challenges.(You can read the full research report on KLA here >>>)Crawford United’s shares have outperformed the Zacks Manufacturing - General Industrial industry over the past year (+22.9% vs. +15.4%). This microcap company with market capitalization of $152.26 million demonstrates consistent growth, with third-quarter 2024 revenues up 9.2% year over year to $36.7 million and year-to-date sales rising 2.5% to $112.8 million.Year over year, operating income rose 22.4% to $5.3 million, and net income grew 19.7% to $3.4 million in third-quarter 2024, reflecting strong cost management. In third-quarter 2024, gross margins reached 29.1%, and EBITDA grew 10.1% to $6.8 million year over year, showcasing robust cash generation.Strategic acquisitions like Advanced Industrial Coatings bolstered aerospace and defense offerings while diversified markets in healthcare and transportation mitigated risks. Challenges include slower revenue growth, dependence on cyclical aerospace and defense markets, rising costs, acquisition integration risks, competitive pressures and macroeconomic uncertainty.(You can read the full research report on Crawford United here >>>)Why Haven't You Looked at Zacks' Top Stocks?Since 2000, our top stock-picking strategies have blown away the S&P's +7.0 average gain per year. Amazingly, they soared with average gains of +44.9%, +48.4% and +55.2% per year.Today you can access their live picks without cost or obligation.See Stocks Free >>Media ContactZacks Investment Research800-767-3771 ext. 9339support@zacks.comhttps://www.zacks.comPast performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.Research Chief Names "Single Best Pick to Double"From thousands of stocks, 5 Zacks experts each have chosen their favorite to skyrocket +100% or more in months to come. From those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian hand-picks one to have the most explosive upside of all.This company targets millennial and Gen Z audiences, generating nearly $1 billion in revenue last quarter alone. A recent pullback makes now an ideal time to jump aboard. Of course, all our elite picks aren’t winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks’ Stocks Set to Double like Nano-X Imaging which shot up +129.6% in little more than 9 months.Free: See Our Top Stock And 4 Runners UpWant the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Blackstone Inc. (BX): Free Stock Analysis Report KLA Corporation (KLAC): Free Stock Analysis Report Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL): Free Stock Analysis Report Crawford United Corporation (CRAWA): Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks