Independent research on the U.S. markets, Baptista Research

Baptista Research

Independent research on the U.S. markets

Baptista Research is an independent financial research house focused on the U.S. markets. We provide equity research as well as credit research reports on the top-listed U.S. companies with most of our focus on technology, consumer goods and services, automobiles, industrials, oil and gas, pharma, and healthcare. Our research has served more than 3000 institutional investors including mutual funds, hedge funds, banks, family offices, and various buy-side firms. We operate a research subscription service where institutions, as well as retail investors, can have priority access to all our research. We also have a wide distribution of our research reports across some of the top global financial platforms. Apart from equity research and credit research, we also provide advisory services with respect to mergers & acquisitions (M&A), private equity/ venture capital fundraising, valuation reports, and investment management services for corporates.
Baptista Research is owned and managed by Ishan Majumdar, an ex-Venture Capitalist/ Investment Banker, a Chartered Accountant, and a Masters’ degree holder in Management from HEC Paris. Ishan has nearly a decade of experience in Mergers and Acquisitions, Leveraged Buyouts (LBOs), Venture Capital Investing, Corporate Strategy, and Valuation in front-office roles at the likes of BNP Paribas CIB, Credit Agricole CIB, Groupe Danone, and TIW Private Equity. He has worked on and closed multiple acquisition deals, leveraged buyouts, and start-up investment transactions.

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul><li>Group 1 Automotive recently held a comprehensive review of its first quarter 2024 financial results, reflecting significant developments and strategic advancements.</li><li>Notable was the acquisition of Inchcape Retail, a move positioned as the largest dealership transaction in the company's history, signaling Group 1 Automotive's strategic growth through mergers and acquisitions (M&A).</li><li>This acquisition was highlighted as immediately accretive, enhancing the company’s footprint in both new and existing markets without necessitating substantial facility investment, further emphasizing prudent capital allocation.</li></ul>

Group 1 Automotive recently held a comprehensive review of its first quarter 2024 financial results, reflecting significant developments and strategic advancements.Notable was the acquisition of Inchcape Retail, a move positioned as the largest dealership transaction in the company's history, signaling Group 1 Automotive's strategic growth through mergers and acquisitions (M&A).This acquisition was highlighted as immediately accretive, enhancing the company’s footprint in both new and existing markets without necessitating substantial facility investment, further emphasizing prudent capital allocation.

Group 1 Automotive Inc.: A Story Of Strategic Acquisitions & Global Market Expansion! - Major Drivers

<ul>
<li>Group 1 Automotive presented solid performance in the fourth quarter of 2023 through all lines of business, reaching a total revenue of $17.9 billion, marking the highest for the company and attaining a record of total gross profit exceeding $3 billion.</li>
<li>Though the company reported $131.2 million in adjusted net income, it is clearly driven by the parts and service gross profit, which amounted to $1.2 billion.This is our first report on retail player, the Kohl's Corporation.</li>
<li>The company's Fourth Quarter 2023 Earnings showed a mix of positives and negatives in terms of the company's financial performance and future outlook.</li>
</ul>


Group 1 Automotive presented solid performance in the fourth quarter of 2023 through all lines of business, reaching a total revenue of $17.9 billion, marking the highest for the company and attaining a record of total gross profit exceeding $3 billion.
Though the company reported $131.2 million in adjusted net income, it is clearly driven by the parts and service gross profit, which amounted to $1.2 billion.This is our first report on retail player, the Kohl's Corporation.
The company's Fourth Quarter 2023 Earnings showed a mix of positives and negatives in terms of the company's financial performance and future outlook.


Group 1 Automotive: Is The Favorable Shift Towards Hybrid Vehicles Truly Benefitting The Company?

Technical Analyst, Vermilion Research

Joe Jasper

Technical Analyst

Technical and Quantitative Research

Vermilion Research

Vermilion’s objective is to deliver timely, actionable, and unique technical research to professional investors through the application of our various technical indicators.

Our research strategists seek to highlight securities which we believe are at major inflection points, based on our various technical and quantitative indicators, and offer asymmetric risk/return profiles. Our unique research methodology, centered on relative strength, enables our strategists to deliver superior investment recommendations.

Our process begins by organizing the universe of actively traded stocks into discrete sectors, then into industry groups. We then apply our technical and quantitative tools to identify developing price trends. Once attractive trends are identified within a selected sector or group, we screen for individual stocks which we believe offer the best risk/reward profile. We provide a historical perspective that often reveals, through our long-term charts, how price patterns often repeat themselves over time.

Technical Analysis

Invesco QQQ Trust Series 1 / Technical Analysis

<ul>
<li>Following panic selling that we have outlined over the past month, we finally saw panic buying last Friday in the form of 92% upside volume on the NYSE.</li>
<li>There is hope that this panic buying could signal a major bottom, but we still need to see more confirmation before declaring that the low is in.</li>
<li>We are watching the Nasdaq 100 (QQQ) and the steep RS uptrends on Utilities (XLU) and Staples (XLP) for more confirmation that a major low is in place. Details below.</li>
</ul>


Following panic selling that we have outlined over the past month, we finally saw panic buying last Friday in the form of 92% upside volume on the NYSE.
There is hope that this panic buying could signal a major bottom, but we still need to see more confirmation before declaring that the low is in.
We are watching the Nasdaq 100 (QQQ) and the steep RS uptrends on Utilities (XLU) and Staples (XLP) for more confirmation that a major low is in place. Details below.


Panic Buying Achieved, Waiting for More Confirmation of a Bottom;Buying Staples & Auto Dealers/Parts

Advanced Micro Devices / Technical Analysis

The market continues to send mixed signals and we remain cautious and selective, preferring large-caps over small-caps, growth over value, and defensives (Utilities, Staples, REITs, Health Care) over cyclical value (Energy, Materials, Manufacturing, Transportation, Financials). While market dynamics suggest a 5-15% pullback is in the cards, there continues to be an absence of breakdowns at the index and Sector level; even the weaker Sectors such as Energy and Transportation are not yet breaking down. Until we start to see breakdowns at the Sector and index level, we remain constructive overall.

The market continues to send mixed signals and we remain cautious and selective, preferring large-caps over small-caps, growth over value, and defensives (Utilities, Staples, REITs, Health Care) over cyclical value (Energy, Materials, Manufacturing, Transportation, Financials). While market dynamics suggest a 5-15% pullback is in the cards, there continues to be an absence of breakdowns at the index and Sector level; even the weaker Sectors such as Energy and Transportation are not yet breaking down. Until we start to see breakdowns at the Sector and index level, we remain constructive overall.

U.S. Equity Strategy: Buying Semiconductors, Auto Dealers, and Asset Mgmt/Custody Banks

<ul><li>Retail stocks are breaking out en masse from technical bottom patterns, marking the reversal of well-established downtrends. This industry-wide move is visible in the Retail ETF, XRT (below). We view this as a buying opportunity.</li><li>From a Group perspective, many of the stronger breakouts/reversals are visible in: Teenage Retailers, Children’s Apparel Retailers, and Auto Dealers.</li><li>We now view retailers as a market weight, and in today’s report we highlight our favorite technical set-ups, including: AEO, ANF, AN, BBY, BIG, BKE, BURL, CATO, CONN, CWH, DG, DLTH, DLTR, EXPR, GPI, GPS, OLLI, PLCE, ROST, and TIF.</li></ul>

Retail stocks are breaking out en masse from technical bottom patterns, marking the reversal of well-established downtrends. This industry-wide move is visible in the Retail ETF, XRT (below). We view this as a buying opportunity.From a Group perspective, many of the stronger breakouts/reversals are visible in: Teenage Retailers, Children’s Apparel Retailers, and Auto Dealers.We now view retailers as a market weight, and in today’s report we highlight our favorite technical set-ups, including: AEO, ANF, AN, BBY, BIG, BKE, BURL, CATO, CONN, CWH, DG, DLTH, DLTR, EXPR, GPI, GPS, OLLI, PLCE, ROST, and TIF.

U.S. Retailers Are Bottoming -- Add Exposure

United States

Five Below, Inc. operates as a specialty value retailer. The Company offers products such as crafts, party, candy, sports, media, and seasonal products. Five Below serves its customers throughout the United States.

Urban Outfitters, Inc. operates retail stores and direct response, including a catalog and Web sites.  The Company's Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie retail concepts sell fashion apparel, accessories, and household and gift merchandise. Urban also designs and markets young women's casual wear which it provides to the Company's retail operations and sells to retailers worldwide.

RH distributes home furnishing products. The Company offers products such as furniture, lighting, textiles, bathware, decor, outdoor, and garden, as well as baby and child products. RH distributes its products through retail stores, catalogs, and websites.

American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. retails men's and women's casual apparel, footwear, outerwear, and accessories.  The Company's products include jeans, khakis, T-shirts, and other similar apparel.  American Eagle operates in the United States.

Boot Barn Holdings, Inc. sells western and work gear for individuals and families. The Company sells boots, jeans, shirts, hats, belts, jewelry, among other products. Boot Barn operates throughout the Untied States.

Asbury Automotive Group Inc. is an automotive retailer operating franchises and dealership locations in the United States.  The Company offers new and used vehicles and related financing and insurance, vehicle maintenance and repair services, replacement parts, and service contracts.  Asbury's dealerships are primarily either luxury or mid-line import brands.

Advance Auto Parts, Inc. is a retailer of auto parts and accessories. The Company operates stores in various states, primarily  located in the northeastern, southeastern, and midwestern regions of the United States, and in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

Signet Jewelers Ltd. retails jewelry, watches, gifts and accessories.  The Company operates in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Upbound Group, Inc. operates lease-to-own stores. The Company offers products such as furniture and accessories, consumer electronics, appliances, computers, wheels and tires, and other accessories under flexible rental purchase agreements. Upbound Group serves customers in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Mexico.

Foot Locker, Inc. is primarily a mall-based athletic retailer that operates athletic retail stores in countries located in North America, Europe, and Australia.  The Company provides athletic footwear and apparel through its Foot Locker, Lady Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker, and Champs Sports retail stores. Foot Locker also operates a direct-to-consumer channel, Footlocker.com/Eastbay.

JB Hi-Fi Limited is a music and electronic goods retailer in Australia.  The Company operates stores at sites located in most Australian States.  Products include consumer electronics, car sound systems, music and DVDs.

Premier Investments Ltd., through subsidiaries, retails clothing.  The Company retails name brand casual and business clothing for men and women, and stationery and storage products.

ABC-MART, INC. plans, develops, wholesales, and retails shoes.  The Company also plans and develops brand name shoes such as VANS and G.T. HAWKINS.  ABC-Mart imports and wholesales shoes, apparel, bags, and sundries as well.

Home Product Center Public Company Limited is a retailer of building materials and home improvement products.

Zhongsheng Group Holdings Ltd. retails automobiles.  The Company imports and retails primarily luxury and mid- to high-end automobile brands.

SHIMAMURA CO., Ltd. operates chain stores selling mainly clothing for men, women, children, and also bedding and furnishing goods.  The Company has stores in mainly suburb areas throughout Japan.

Sanrio Company, Ltd. manufactures and sells character goods including gift merchandise, greeting cards, and stationery products.  The Company also produces books, magazines, and movies, and though its subsidiary, operates restaurants and amusement parks.

Shanghai Yuyuan Tourist Mart Co., Ltd. processes gold and operates jewelry stores.  The Company also manages department stores, provides import and export trading service, produces pharmaceutical products, offers food service, and develops real estate properties.

USS CO LTD manages used car auction facilities throughout  Japan. The Company al so conducts auto auctions through satellites, and provides used car information through internet.

Fielmann AG produces and markets prescription eyeglasses, specialty glasses, sunglasses, contact lenses, and optical supplies.  The Company retails its products through Fielmann stores in Europe.

Group 1 Automotive, Inc., through its subsidiaries, owns and operates automobile dealerships.  The Company sells new and used cars and light trucks, provides maintenance and repair services, and sells replacement parts.  The Company also arranges related financing, insurance, and extended service contracts.  Group 1 operates in Florida, Georgia, Colorado, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas.

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Group 1 Automotive (GPI US)

Group 1 Automotive Inc.: A Story Of Strategic Acquisitions & Global Market Expansion! - Major Drivers

Group 1 Automotive recently held a comprehensive review of its first quarter 2024 financial results, reflecting significant developments and...

Baptista Research

Group 1 Automotive: Is The Favorable Shift Towards Hybrid Vehicles Truly Benefitting The Company?

Group 1 Automotive presented solid performance in the fourth quarter of 2023 through all lines of business, reaching a total revenue of $17.9...

Baptista Research

Panic Buying Achieved, Waiting for More Confirmation of a Bottom;Buying Staples & Auto Dealers/Parts

We finally saw panic buying last Friday in the form of 92% upside volume on the NYSE. There is hope that this panic buying could signal that a...

Vermilion Research

U.S. Equity Strategy: Buying Semiconductors, Auto Dealers, and Asset Mgmt/Custody Banks

Despite our overall cautious outlook, several areas are attractive and buyable, including: Semiconductors, Auto Dealers, and Asset Management...

Vermilion Research

U.S. Retailers Are Bottoming -- Add Exposure

Retail stocks are breaking out en masse from technical bottom patterns, marking the reversal of well-established downtrends. This industry-wide...

Vermilion Research

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