Latest news with #SmartScore
Emirates Woman
2 days ago
- Business
- Emirates Woman
Lumena by Omniyat is the newest architectural wonder set to redefine workspaces in Dubai
Meet Lumena by OMNIYAT—the city's newest ultra-luxury commercial development and co-working space. Fresh off the success of Enara's headline-making debut, OMNIYAT has recently unveiled its most ambitious commercial statement yet: a 48-storey sculptural tower designed to be more than a workplace. With a targeted completion in 2029, Lumena is imagined as an icon of spatial innovation and biophilic design set to add to the Dubai skyline views and pave the way for future-forward ways of working. 'Lumena is the future of commercial real estate in Dubai. With its location, design, and integrated amenities, we are creating a new paradigm for commercial real estate that aligns with how the next generation of leaders wants to work and live. Leveraging technology, innovation, and future-proof design, LUMENA's sculpted form reflects both architectural brilliance and the effortless flow of ideas, ambition, and enterprise. This exceptional project reflects OMNIYAT's ongoing commitment to shaping the commercial landmarks of tomorrow,' says Mahdi Amjad, Founder and Executive Chairman at OMNIYAT. Architecturally, Lumena is striking with its slender profile featuring cantilevered forms and a multi-faceted facade. Inside, 91 meticulously designed shell-and-core office units, from full floors to boutique-scale spaces, offer flexible formats flooded with light and panoramic views. Natural materials, double-height glazing, and subtle textural cues bring an understated calm to the corporate domain. But what truly sets Lumena apart is its curation of amenities that rival luxury hotels. From the private-access Executive Club and Sky Pool to the wellness suite and Sky Theatre – a first for a commercial tower in Dubai – the environment is human-centric and the experience is anything but conventional. Concierge services extend to lifestyle bookings, wellness support, and even private shopping. Technologically, the tower is targeted to achieve Platinum status certifications across LEED, WELL Building™, WiredScore, and SmartScore, to make Lumena a global benchmark for sustainability and smart design. – For more on luxury lifestyle, news, fashion and beauty follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram Images: Supplied
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
TipRanks ‘Perfect 10' Picks: 2 Top-Scoring Stocks That Check All the Right Boxes
After a stretch of volatility that came off the back of President Trump's global tariff announcements, the stock market has shifted back into rally mode as worries over the proposed tariffs have eased. The S&P 500 has jumped 20% from its April low, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq has surged 27%. Easily unpack a company's performance with TipRanks' new KPI Data for smart investment decisions Receive undervalued, market resilient stocks right to your inbox with TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter The gains have investors in a mood to buy – but the uncertainties have them wondering just how far to take that. In a climate like this, it's good to have a reliable navigational aid for the stock markets, a tool to point out just which stocks show the highest potential for gains, no matter how events shake out. That's where TipRanks' Smart Score comes in. Powered by AI, this tool sifts through millions of daily stock transactions and evaluates equities based on factors shown to predict future performance. Each stock is rated on a scale from 1 to 10, with 'Perfect 10' stocks checking all the right boxes. We used the tool to pinpoint two of these top scorers. Both carry 'Strong Buy' consensus ratings and offer double-digit upside potential. Here's what you need to know. Enova International (ENVA) First on our list of 'Perfect 10' stocks is Enova International. This alternative online financial services company focuses on providing credit and financial access to small business and consumers who are underserved by the regular banking sector. Since it started operations in 2004, Enova has become a $2.38 billion company in a growing sector of the finance industry and has provided funding for over $61 billion in loans to more than 12 million customers. Enova uses a world-class, machine learning platform to provide services to its mainly non-prime customer base. The company operates through a network of businesses. On the consumer credit side, these include CashNetUSA and NetCredit in the US market, providing access to installment loans, CAB loans, credit lines, and personal loans. Outside the US, Simplic operates in Brazil and Pangea works in Latin America and Asia. On the small business side of the operations, OnDeck, Headway Capital, and Business Backer provide services customized for the small business community, including term loans and lines of credit, small business loans, and funding solutions for working capital. All of Enova's business segments are supported by strong data analytics and machine learning algorithms, allowing the company to tailor its financial services to the specific needs of each customer. In its more than 20 years of operations, the company has collected an impressive database of loan histories and customer behavior, allowing it to fine-tune its machine-learning platform, improving its ability to meet its customers' needs while ensuring that customers are able to repay loans. In recent quarters, the company has seen steady growth in both revenues and earnings. Enova last reported its financial results for 1Q25, and in that quarter saw revenue of $746 million and a non-GAAP EPS of $2.98. The top line was up more than 22% year-over-year and beat the forecast by $11.86 million; the bottom line was 22 cents per share better than had been expected. Enova's credit performance was described as strong during the quarter; the net charge-off ratio was stable at 8.6%, and the consolidated 30+ day delinquency ratio was 7.7%. The company reported total liquidity, including cash, liquid assets, and available credit facility capacity, of $1.1 billion. For Seaport analyst Bill Ryan, the key points here are Enova's strong edge in data analytics and its status as a leader in online lending. He writes of the company, 'Our Buy rating reflects several factors beginning with the data that has been collected since 2004, which we believe provides the company with a strong competitive advantage, particularly in loan underwriting and generating superior credit performance. Competition is fairly limited and the company's market share is very small as well, which should allow ENVA to provide controlled growth over the long-term in the sub- and non-prime consumer loan markets, and in its small business lending platform.' 'Enova's business is highly scalable since it is an online only lender, and variable costs represent over 50% of total expenses. We believe the company's consumer lending business will prove more resilient in economic downturns which has been a concern for investors recently. This is due to very high margins, manageable credit loss volatility for subprime borrowers based on historical performance, and a more variable cost structure,' Ryan went on to add. Along with that Buy rating, Ryan gives ENVA a $124 price target that points toward a 33.5% gain in the next 12 months. (To watch Ryan's track record, click here) Overall, this lender's Strong Buy consensus rating is based on 7 recent analyst recommendations, which include 6 to Buy and 1 to Hold. The shares are priced at $92.85 and the average price target, of $126, is slightly more bullish than the Seaport view, suggesting a one-year upside potential of 36%. (See ENVA stock forecast) Iridium Communications (IRDM) Next up on our list of 'Perfect 10s' is Iridium Communications, a global satellite telecommunications company that offers a range of communications solutions to keep people connected – anywhere on Earth, on land or sea or in the air, from pole to pole. That's a tall order, but Iridium fills it with a combination of modern tech and skillful applications, offering services ranging from satellite phones to mobile broadband access. The company's technology and services are used by more than 2.4 million billable subscribers. Iridium offers a variety of subscription plans, tailored for customers of every sort, at every scale. Plans can be tailored for individual, personal use; for business and organizations; and for governmental and non-governmental organizations. The company bases its service on a constellation of satellites, positioned in low Earth orbit (LEO). By using an LEO configuration for its satellite network, Iridium requires a larger fleet – but can offer stronger signals and faster connections. Iridium's constellation orbits the planet at altitudes of approximately 485 miles, much closer to the surface than the 22,000-mile-high geostationary orbits used by most competing networks. This allows Iridium to offer its benefits with a fleet of satellites featuring smaller, lower-powered antennas without sacrificing signal clarity and operating at lower costs. Iridium deployed its first satellite in 1997, had the network at full capacity in 1998, and completed a full system upgrade in 2019. Iridium's LEO constellation configuration offers one additional benefit. Geostationary satellites orbit over the equator, making coverage at the Earth's higher latitudes, both north and south, more difficult. This is not an issue with LEO satellites in polar orbits – their normal paths cover the poles and high latitudes, giving Iridium clear coverage across the entire planet. Iridium's products and services have found use in a wide range of applications, from adventure travel to ocean communications to remote area exploration to secure government voice links. In addition, Iridium is entering the PNT market – that is, position, navigation, timing – which is essential in providing accurate GPS, mapping, and locator services. Iridium entered the PNT segment last year, through its acquisition of the satellite technology company Satelle. On the financial side, Iridium reported its 1Q25 results this past April. At the top line, the company had total revenues of $214.9 million, which beat the forecast by over $3 million and translated into 5% year-over-year growth. Iridium's earnings per share came to 27 cents, or 6 cents per share better than had been expected. This stock caught the eye of Oppenheimer analyst Tim Horan, who is upbeat about Iridium's positioning in the LEO satellite service segment. The 5-star analyst says of the company, 'In our opinion, the company is not well understood by the Street. Although it will compete with other LEO operators such as Starlink and AST SpaceMobile, IRDM's service is the only truly global coverage with guaranteed service, and it will now have a unique global PNT service… The company is positioned as the leader in satellite-based global IoT communications, has entered the PNT market through its Satelles acquisition, and has a growing direct-to-device opportunity as new standards are set to support compatibility with unmodified smartphones.' Horan puts an Outperform (i.e., Buy) rating on this stock, and his $34 price target implies a one-year upside potential of 29%. (To watch Horan's track record, click here) The 5 recent analyst reviews of this stock break down 4 to 1 in favor of Buy over Hold, giving IRDM its Strong Buy consensus rating. The shares are priced at $26.34 and their $36 average price target suggests a gain of 36.5% in the year ahead. (See IRDM stock forecast) To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks' Best Stocks to Buy, a tool that unites all of TipRanks' equity insights. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment. Disclaimer & DisclosureReport an Issue
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
TipRanks' ‘Perfect 10' Picks: 2 Top-Scoring Stocks with Up To 6% Dividend Yield
Markets got a big boost this week after news broke that U.S. and Chinese negotiators struck a deal to roll back tariffs over the next 90 days. The move gives both sides some breathing room to work toward a broader trade agreement. Investors cheered the development, sending markets higher. Quickly and easily unpack a company's performance with TipRanks' new KPI Data for smart investment decisions Receive undervalued, market resilient stocks straight to you inbox with TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter With markets rising, the question for investors is, where to buy in? We can find a ready guide to answer that question in the TipRanks Smart Score, the AI-powered natural language algorithm that sifts the full volume of the stock market's daily data flow – and puts that data to work for investors' benefit. Simply put, the Smart Score's AI compares every stock to a set of factors that are known to predict future outperformance, and then distills those ratings down to a single-digit score on a scale of 1 to 10. The highest score, the 'Perfect 10,' denotes those stocks that deserve a closer look from investors. We've gotten a head start on that closer look, with a deep dive into two top-scoring stocks – and as an added bonus, these stocks offer investors a dividend yield that can reach as high as 6%. This is a combination that should interest investors – a data-driven performance predictor paired with a robust dividend yield. Here are the details. Copa Holdings (CPA) The first stock on our list of 'Perfect 10s' is Copa Holdings, one of Latin America's leading airline companies. Copa operates through its two subsidiary airlines, the Panama City-based Copa Airlines, the company's leading carrier, and its low-cost carrier based in Colombia, Wingo Airlines. Copa Airlines operates routes across Latin America – in the Caribbean, in South America, and into the US. The airline's regular routes include a list of major regional destinations, with Bogota, Sao Paulo, and Miami prominently featured. The airline even flies as far north as New York City and Boston. Wingo, the regional carrier, follows routes primarily in Colombia, but extending to the Yucatan Peninsula, the Greater Antilles in the Caribbean, and south to Lima, Peru. In Copa's most recent set of monthly travel statistics, covering March of this year, the company reported 2,546.6 available seat miles (ASM), up 5.2% year-over-year, and 2,209.7 revenue passenger miles (RPM), for a 5.5% year-over-year increase. These are key metrics in the airline industry, measuring the direction of growth in the company's business. In another important metric, reported in the 1Q25 financial results, Copa Airlines had an on-time performance in Q1 of 90.8%, complemented by a 99.9% flight completion factor. Also reported in the 1Q25 report, Copa Holdings finished Q1 with 112 aircraft, all from the Boeing 737 family of airliners. These included 67 737-800 and 32 737 MAX-9 models. The company also operates several 737-700 and 737 MAX-8 models, and a single 737-800 air freighter. Copa Holdings has exercised options to acquire another six 737 MAX-8s with deliveries expected in 2028. The company has firm outstanding orders for 57 new aircraft. On the financial side, Copa Holdings reported total operating revenues of US$899 million, up a modest 0.6% year-over-year. The company's net profit in the quarter came to US$176.8 million, which translated to $4.28 per share. The company's net profit per share fully covers the dividend, which was declared on May 7 for $1.61 per common share. At this rate, the dividend annualizes to $6.44 per share and gives a forward yield of 6.3%. For Barclays analyst Pablo Monsivais, the key points here are Copa's sound results, particularly the company's ability to maintain growth in its passenger metrics. Monsivais wrote following the Q1 readout, 'While industry participants feared a slowdown in demand, Copa was able to deliver strong results that underscore the resiliency of its business model. The company was able to expand margins and posted an EBITDA margin that is one of the highest on record for a 1Q. Going forward the risks should not be downplayed, a potential economic deceleration might slow down air travel demand, and a more competitive landscape is very likely, however time and again Copa's business model has proven to be able to withstand challenges.' These comments support Monsivais' Overweight (i.e., Buy) rating on CPA stock, while his $150 price target suggests that the shares will gain 47% on the one-year horizon. Together with the dividend yield, this stock's return has potential to hit more than 53% in the next 12 months. (To watch Monsivais' track record, click here) There are 5 recent analyst reviews on file for this stock, and they are all positive – giving CPA a unanimous Strong Buy consensus rating. The shares are priced at $101.90 and their average price target of $150.80 implies a one-year upside potential of 48%. (See CPA stock forecast) Viper Energy (VNOM) The next 'Perfect 10' stock on our list is Viper Energy. This limited partnership firm operates through the acquisition, ownership, and exploitation of North American oil and natural gas assets. The company buys mineral and royalty interests, targeting high-margin assets that are largely undeveloped, with a business model that demands no capital requirements but still sustains free cash flow. Viper defines its 'primary business objective' as providing shareholders with an attractive return. The company achieves this by focusing on generating profits, and by maximizing its distributions to shareholders. Viper maintains its business through a strategy of accretive growth acquisitions, starting from its original set of mineral interests in the West Texas Permian Basin. Viper's largest shareholder is the exploration and production company Diamondback, which owns approximately 58% of Viper's total outstanding shares. For return-minded investors, Viper has a history of paying out both regular and variable dividends each quarter. In the company's last dividend declaration, made on May 6 for a payout on the 22nd, Viper set the regular payment at 30 cents per share and the variable at 27 cents. The 57-cent total dividend payment annualizes to $2.28 and gives a forward yield of 5.3%. Viper also has an active share repurchase program, and in Q2, as of May 2, the company has spent approximately $9 million buying back 239,374 shares of common stock. Viper's dividend, and its buyback activities, are supported by the company's income and earnings, which were reported last week for 1Q25. Viper reported a quarterly total operating income of $245 million, which compares favorably to the $205 million figure from the year-ago period. At the bottom line, Viper's non-GAAP EPS came to 54 cents, beating the forecast by 7 cents per share. The company finished Q1 with cash and other liquid assets totaling $560 million, a strong gain from the $20 million that it had at the end of 1Q24. This energy stock has caught the attention of Evercore analyst Stephen Richardson, who notes this company's sound capital position. In an in-depth look at Viper's shares, Richardson lays out the case for buying the stock now, writing, 'Our view has been VNOM would increasingly compete for capital vs mid-cap E&Ps where capital intensity of the underlying clearly works in VNOM's favor while FANG-sponsorship helps address concerns around activity and continue to add organic growth support even in the event FANG elects to hold volumes flat at lower levels into 2026. At ~$12 Bn of market cap with no legacy structural or administrative hangovers limiting ownership, the time to fully evaluate this compare is now. Market focus will likely center on the state of OBO activity (~50% of VNOM is XOM operated) but we suspect the market will need to see the proof points on commodity price / activity levels to fully embrace 2026 growth potential here. Market skepticism likely fuels further share buyback here, in our view.' Richardson rates VNOM shares as Outperform (i.e., Buy), an outlook that he backs up with a $49 price target – implying a 13.5% upside for the coming year. Adding in the dividend yield, and the one-year return here can reach almost 19%. (To watch Richardson's track record, click here) Viper's stock has earned a unanimous Strong Buy consensus rating from Wall Street's analysts, based on 12 recent reviews that are all positive. The stock is selling for $43.18 and its average price target, currently $53.64, points toward a 12-month gain of 24%. (See VNOM stock forecast) To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks' Best Stocks to Buy, a tool that unites all of TipRanks' equity insights. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment. Disclaimer & DisclosureReport an Issue
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
TipRanks' ‘Perfect 10' Picks: 2 High-Scoring Stocks Earning Top Marks from Wall Street
If there's one thing the markets dislike, it is uncertainty, and we have plenty of that right now. Investors remain cautious about both the economic effects of the tariffs on global trade and the probability of a recession. Discover outperforming stocks and invest smarter with Top Smart Score Stocks. Filter, analyze, and streamline your search for investment opportunities using Tipranks' Stock Screener. In this environment, investors want to find stocks with solid foundations, shares that stand to gain no matter what the market conditions. The key to finding these stocks lies in the data, the flood of information generated by thousands of traders dealing in thousands of stocks for tens of millions of daily transactions. The sheer volume of data presents an obstacle to stock picking – but the TipRanks Smart Score offers a way to sift through the pebbles, and find the valuable nuggets. The Smart Score uses an AI-powered algorithm and natural language processing to gather, collate, and sort all of the data generated by the market's normal activity – and then to use that data to rate every stock against a set of factors that are known to correlate with future outperformance. Each stock is then given a score, a single digit on a 1-to-10 scale, with the 'Perfect 10s' denoting the top-scoring shares. We've used the data platform at TipRanks to look up two of these high-scoring stocks that have also earned top marks from the Street's analysts. Here they are, presented along with some of the analysts' comments. Western Digital (WDC) First up on our list of 'Perfect 10' stocks is Western Digital, a major player in the computer memory industry. The company is a leader in the global supply chain for hard disk drives, data center drives, and data center platforms, and also has a significant business in portable drives and network attached storage solutions. The company also produces and markets the cable accessories needed for installations and attachments. Until this past February, Western Digital was also a major player in the market for flash memory and storage. The company entered the flash market at large-scale in 2016, with its $19 billion acquisition of SanDisk. In February of this year, Western Digital spun off its SanDisk brand. The spin-off was made fully effective on February 24, when SanDisk started trading independently under the SNDK ticker. Western Digital's shares dropped sharply in the aftermath, reflecting investor worries that the company will have difficulty maintaining revenues without the lucrative flash memory segment. A look at the company's last earnings report, however, shows that the hard disk drive (HDD) business has been accelerating recently, at a much faster pace than flash. The fiscal 2Q25 results showed that Western Digital had total revenues of $4.29 billion; of this total, $2.41 billion came from the HDD side, while $1.88 billion came from flash products. HDD revenues were up 76% year-over-year, compared to the 13% y/y gain in flash. The company's total revenue in fiscal Q2 was up 41.6% from fiscal 2Q24, and beat the forecast by $30 million. At the bottom line, Western Digital's non-GAAP EPS of $1.77, while showing a strong turnaround from the 75-cent EPS loss in the prior-year period, missed the forecast by 5 cents per share. According to Morgan Stanley analyst Erik Woodring, the company's success in HDD is the key point to the narrative. He writes of the stock, 'WDC benefits from accelerating data growth, which drives storage demand in the cloud and on-prem. We believe that we are still in the middle of the cycle upturn – demand outstrips supply with continued upward pressure in HDD pricing – and entering a period of AI-driven storage demand growth, which will benefit both HDDs and flash shipments. While WDC is behind STX in HAMR timeline, we believe WDC will remain its leading HDD revenue and profits market share in the near term with its competitive UltraSMR solutions for high-capacity drives before the industry shifts to wider adoption of HAMR. We believe the magnitude of the valuation discount vs. STX is overdone with its market share leadership.' These comments back up Woodring's Overweight (i.e., Buy) rating on WDC shares, and his $46 price target suggests that the stock will gain 25.5% over the coming year. (To watch Woodring's track record, click here) The Morgan Stanley stance is bullish, but the consensus rating on Western Digital is even more so. The stock has a Strong Buy consensus rating, based on 16 recent analyst reviews that include 13 Buys and 3 Holds. The stock is currently priced at $36.68 and its $68.13 average price target implies that it will appreciate by an impressive 86% by this time next year. (See WDC stock forecast) MercadoLibre (MELI) From memory hardware, we'll switch gears and look at e-commerce for our second 'Perfect 10' performer. MercadoLibre is a $100-plus billion player in this field, and the leading online retail firm in Latin America. The company operates in 18 Latin American countries, including such giants as Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina, as well as smaller countries such as Dominican Republic, El Salvador, and Panama. MercadoLibre's home region is a potential gold mine for an online retailer, with more than 665 million people and a fast-growing middle class that wants to tap into the global markets. The company offers services through several divisions, including its core MarketPlace, the online platform that connects buyers and sellers; Mercado Credito, a consumer credit service; Mercado Pago, for online payments; and Mercado Publicado, that focuses on digital advertising. Together, these platforms make MercadoLibre a giant in both e-commerce and fintech, with a market cap of $106 billion and annual revenue, in 2024, of nearly $21 billion. Zooming in to look at the last reported quarter, 4Q24, we find that MercadoLibre finished its 25th anniversary year with a set of blockbuster financial results. The company's quarterly revenue of $6.1 billion was up 37.4% year-over-year, and came in $120 million better than had been expected. The bottom line, an EPS of $12.61, was $5.05 ahead of the forecast. The company's financial results were supported by strong user growth – in Q4, annual unique buyers on the site surpassed 100 million, and the fintech side reported 61 million monthly active users. In addition to these strong results, MercadoLibre's stock has been climbing – and even the tariff brouhaha has not derailed the stock's success. MELI is up 53.2% in the last 12 months, and up 25% for the year-to-date. This is a dramatic outperformance when compared to the NASDAQ's modest 4% one-year gain and 15.5% year-to-date loss. This online retailer has caught the attention of Benchmark analyst Fawne Jiang, who is impressed with the company's proven record of achieving regional dominance. She writes in her recent assumption of coverage, 'MELI stands out as a dominant regional leader in the global e-commerce setting, leveraging underpenetrated markets in Latam that are primed for significant growth in both online retail and fintech. With a proven track record of local expertise and knowhow on top of strong execution, we believe that the company offers investors a robust sustainable long-term growth outlook, supported by a diverse range of drivers, making it a unique and highly attractive EM investment candidate.' Unsurprisingly, Jiang rates MELI as a Buy, and her $2,500 price target points toward a one-year upside potential here of 17.5%. (To watch Jiang's track record, click here) Overall, MercadoLibre's 14 recent analyst reviews include 13 to Buy and 1 to Hold, supporting the Strong Buy consensus rating. The shares are priced at $2,128.33 and have a $2,546.92 average price target that implies an upside of 20% on the one-year time horizon. (See MELI stock forecast) To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks' Best Stocks to Buy, a tool that unites all of TipRanks' equity insights. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment. Disclaimer & DisclosureReport an Issue
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
TipRanks' ‘Perfect 10' Picks: 2 High-Scorers Grabbing Wall Street's Attention
How do you choose the right stocks? It's the million-dollar question – and every investor has their own answer. Easily identify stocks' risks and opportunities. Discover stocks' market position with detailed competitor analyses. Some chase rapid growth, others hunt for undervalued gems, and many swear by the steady stream of dividend payouts. You might prefer an active, hands-on strategy – buying low, selling high, and pivoting with the market's every move. Or maybe you're more of a long-game player, building your portfolio patiently and letting time do the heavy lifting. Whatever your style, one truth remains: success starts with picking the right stocks. There's no magic formula, no secret handshake – just data. Mountains of it. With thousands of stocks and millions of trades flying across the markets every day, the challenge isn't a lack of information – it's knowing what to look for, and how to cut through the noise. The Smart Score tool, developed by TipRanks, uses AI and natural language processing to do just that. The algorithm gathers and collates all of the market data – and then uses it to compare every stock to a set of factors that have been proven to predict future outperformance. Those comparisons are then converted into a simple score, a single digit on an intuitive 1-to-10 scale, with the 'Perfect 10s' showing stocks that investors should definitely give some greater scrutiny. We've opened up the Smart Score to look up two high-scorers that are grabbing attention from Wall Street's analysts and have earned the 'Perfect 10'. Let's take a closer look. First Merchants Corporation (FRME) The first 'Perfect 10' stock we'll look at is a banking company, First Merchants Corporation. This holding company is the parent of First Merchants Bank, and is based in Muncie, Indiana: First Merchants Bank has a strong presence as a regional bank in Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan, with 110 branch locations. The bank's services include personal banking, as well as wealth management. Personal banking services include checking and savings accounts, online and mobile banking, loan and credit services, and money transfers. On the wealth management side, the bank offers investment services, financial and estate planning, and retirement planning. Like many regional banks, First Merchants prides itself on offering a more personalized service. First Merchants has total assets of $18.3 billion, including $12.9 billion in loans on the books as of December 31, 2024. Over the course of 2024, the company's total loans grew by 2.9%, or $368.1 million in dollar terms. Looking at the most recent set of quarterly results, for 4Q24, we find that First Merchants had total revenues of $177.11 million, beating the forecast by $9.27 million and growing 13.2% year-over-year. At the bottom line, the company realized a net income of $64 million, with the quarterly EPS of $1.10 beating expectations by 15 cents per share. This stock has caught the attention of Piper Sandler analyst Nathan Race, who sees plenty of positives here. Race writes, 'We reiterate FRME as our 2025 top pick with additional outperformance expected this year driven by FRME's strong operating leverage outlook with both solid organic B/S and core fee income growth, at least NIM stability, minimal operating expense increases as well as likely benign credit quality. We view FRME's still discounted current valuation as an attractive entry point, and believe FRME's multiples will likely expand in-line with, if not above, peers. FRME's building excess capital flexibility may also support additional proactive returns to shareholders via buybacks… Overall, our recent discussion with mgmt. reinforced our conviction that FRME is among the best positioned to outperform this year.' Race quantifies his position on FRME with an Overweight (i.e., Buy) rating and a $55 price target that suggests a 35% gain in the next 12 months. (To watch Race's track record, click here) While there are only 4 recent analyst reviews on file for FRME, they are all positive – for a unanimous Strong Buy consensus rating. The stock is currently trading for $40.84 and its $51.75 price target implies a one-year upside potential of 27%. (See FRME stock forecast) Full Truck Alliance (YMM) Next up on our look at 'Perfect 10s' is Full Truck Alliance, an interesting company in the Chinese tech and logistics sectors. The company is one of the world's largest digital freight hauler platforms, operating across China. Full Truck connects shippers with truckers, facilitating arrangements for varying cargo types and weights, various shipment routes, and long-haul shipping. The company offers an array of value-added services, designed to smooth out the freight carriage business. These include, on the shipper end, a transportation management system and a freight brokerage, and on the trucker end, traffic monitoring software and fuel services. Both shippers and truckers can access credit and insurance services. Key among Full Truck's features are the freight listing and freight brokerage services. Together, these let shippers post their shipping orders and locate the most appropriate trucker for the job—and they let truckers find cargo and routes that best fit their own schedules. The company operates across China, and in the fourth quarter of 2024, the platform covered 300 cities, 100,000 routes, had an average shipper MAU (monthly active users, a key metric) of 2.93 million, and helped 4.14 million truckers fulfill shipping orders. We should note that the average shipper MAU figure represents a 31% year-over-year increase. Earlier this month, Full Truck released its 4Q24 results. The company's platform facilitated 56.9 million fulfilled orders in the quarter, up 24% year-over-year. Based on that success, the company brought in $434.9 million in quarterly revenue, for 28% year-over-year growth, beating the forecast by $21.53 million. At the bottom line, Full Truck's non-GAAP EPS came to $0.14 per American Depositary Share (ADS), 1 cent per share better than the estimates. The company generated $157.6 million in net cash from operating activities. This underlines a company with real strengths, and covering the stock, JPMorgan analyst Karen Li notes that Full Truck's key strengths include its leading position in China's freight transport market and its position as an early leader in the digital freight market. 'Full Truck Alliance (FTA) is the largest digital platform in China's inter-city road freight transportation market, presenting a noteworthy investment opportunity. The company's strategic transformation and improving margin profile are key elements of its investment thesis. As the logistics industry shifts towards digital freight platforms, FTA is positioned to play a significant role in this transition, gradually replacing traditional offline freight brokers,' Li opined. 'This strategic direction enhances FTA's competitive edge and supports its market leadership, backed by a broad network and established presence. In addition, FTA is set for margin improvement, driven by a favourable product mix and a focus on transaction services… We believe FTA's strategic initiatives and operational efficiencies will support its growth trajectory, making it a notable player in the evolving logistics landscape,' the analyst added. Li goes on to rate YMM shares as Overweight (i.e., Buy), and she accompanies that with an $18 price target, showing her confidence in a 38.5% one-year upside potential for the stock. (To watch Li's track record, click here) The 7 recent analyst reviews here include 6 Buys and 1 Hold, for a Strong Buy consensus rating. The stock's $12.99 trading price and $15.69 average target price together imply a 21% gain for the year ahead. (See YMM stock forecast) To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks' Best Stocks to Buy, a tool that unites all of TipRanks' equity insights. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment. Disclaimer & DisclosureReport an Issue Sign in to access your portfolio
