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>LKQ Corporation delivered a significantly below part result in the year's final quarter.</li><li>Revenue declined in the quarter as compared to the last year, driven by the divestiture of PGW and FX translation.</li><li>Organic revenue of parts and services increased but the overall top-line was below analyst expectations.</li></ul>

LKQ Corporation delivered a significantly below part result in the year's final quarter.Revenue declined in the quarter as compared to the last year, driven by the divestiture of PGW and FX translation.Organic revenue of parts and services increased but the overall top-line was below analyst expectations.

LKQ Corporation: The Uni-Select Acquisition & Other Drivers

High Quality Stock Setups, Weekly Stock Bull Finder

Weekly Stock Bull Finder

High Quality Stock Setups

Finding high potential stock setups on quality companies

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul><li>Stickier For Longer? Inflation continues to be top of mind for the Federal Reserve and investors as recent economic data continues to throw a wrench in the market’s previously perceived Fed plans for them to pause and then cut interest rates in the back half of 2023.</li><li>The Fed has hiked interest rates from almost zero to nearly 5% within the past year in response to inflation running at historic highs, and it expects to lift them even higher in the coming months.</li><li>Meanwhile, Fed speakers continue to move the terminal rate goalposts by signaling 5.5% or thereabouts terminal rates will cause the “immaculate disinflation” as if this magical fed funds interest rate level and only at this level will inflation continue to moderate downward.</li></ul>

Stickier For Longer? Inflation continues to be top of mind for the Federal Reserve and investors as recent economic data continues to throw a wrench in the market’s previously perceived Fed plans for them to pause and then cut interest rates in the back half of 2023.The Fed has hiked interest rates from almost zero to nearly 5% within the past year in response to inflation running at historic highs, and it expects to lift them even higher in the coming months.Meanwhile, Fed speakers continue to move the terminal rate goalposts by signaling 5.5% or thereabouts terminal rates will cause the “immaculate disinflation” as if this magical fed funds interest rate level and only at this level will inflation continue to moderate downward.

<ul><li>LKQ delivered a mixed quarter amidst a relatively complicated and unusual operating environment.</li><li>The company failed to meet Wall Street expectations in terms of revenues but delivered an earnings beat.</li><li>During the quarter, LKQ benefited from minor relief in the aftermarket and it successfully got a higher level of aftermarket collision parts shipped from Taiwan.</li></ul>

LKQ delivered a mixed quarter amidst a relatively complicated and unusual operating environment.The company failed to meet Wall Street expectations in terms of revenues but delivered an earnings beat.During the quarter, LKQ benefited from minor relief in the aftermarket and it successfully got a higher level of aftermarket collision parts shipped from Taiwan.

LKQ Corporation: New Battery Range & Other Drivers

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

Consumer Discretionary Select / Technical Analysis

<ul>
<li>We continue to believe that the bear market lows have already been established.</li>
<li>It remains to be seen whether the indexes will experience a meaningful pullback first, or whether we are already experiencing the initial leg of a new bull market.</li>
<li>Thus far, market indexes have ignored overbought conditions, which is historically a sign of strength during the initial leg of new bull markets.</li>
</ul>


We continue to believe that the bear market lows have already been established.
It remains to be seen whether the indexes will experience a meaningful pullback first, or whether we are already experiencing the initial leg of a new bull market.
Thus far, market indexes have ignored overbought conditions, which is historically a sign of strength during the initial leg of new bull markets.


Upgrading Discretionary to Overweight, Downgrading Energy & Health Care to Market Weight

<ul>
<li>In last week's Compass (July 26) we discussed positive signals that we believe suggested the lows for this bear market may have already been established, or that downside is limited.</li>
<li>We continue to see more evidence that supports this claim; as a result, we are upgrading our outlook to neutral.</li>
<li>The SPX is reversing topside its 4-month downtrend, and the Russell 2000 (IWM), Russell Micro-Caps (IWC), and Russell 2000Growth (IWO) are each reversing topside their 9-month downtrends; the bottom's in.</li>
</ul>


In last week's Compass (July 26) we discussed positive signals that we believe suggested the lows for this bear market may have already been established, or that downside is limited.
We continue to see more evidence that supports this claim; as a result, we are upgrading our outlook to neutral.
The SPX is reversing topside its 4-month downtrend, and the Russell 2000 (IWM), Russell Micro-Caps (IWC), and Russell 2000Growth (IWO) are each reversing topside their 9-month downtrends; the bottom's in.


S&P 500 Reverses 4-Month Downtrend; Upgrading Consumer Discretionary to Market Weight

United States

Pool Corporation is a wholesale distributor of swimming pool supplies, equipment and related leisure products. The Company's inventory includes a diverse range of products, from construction materials, replacement parts and fencing to pool care products and spas.

Genuine Parts Company distributes automotive replacement parts, industrial replacement parts, office products, and electrical/electronic materials.  The Company conducts business throughout most of the United States, in Canada, and in Mexico.

Weyco Group, Inc., and its subsidiaries, distribute men's footwear.  The Company offers both casual and dress shoes which are sold on a worldwide basis.

Dick's Sporting Goods, Inc. operates as a sporting goods retailer that manages stores primarily in the eastern and central United States. The Company owns stores that offers a broad selection of brand name sporting goods equipment, apparel, and footwear.

Burlington Stores, Inc. owns and operates clothing retail stores. The Company offers, through its stores and internet sites, men's, women's, and children's apparel. Burlington Holding operates within the United States and Puerto Rico.

Abercrombie & Fitch Co.  a specialty retailer that operates stores and direct-to-consumer operations. Through these channels, the Company sells: casual sportswear apparel, including knit and woven shirts, graphic t-shirts, fleece, jeans and woven pants, shorts, sweaters, and outerwear; personal care products; and accessories for men, women and kids.

Murphy USA Inc. produces and distributes petroleum products. The Company engages in refining, marketing, and transportation of oil and gas products. Murphy USA provides products and services worldwide.

Etsy, Inc. provides e-commerce services. The Company offers handmade and vintage items, art, and supplies, as well as regular items such as clothing, housewares, paper goods, candles, bags and purses, music, and wood working items. Etsy serves users throughout the United States.

Wayfair Inc. retails household goods online. The Company offers bedroom, living room, kitchen and dining, home entertainment, home office, game room and bar, patio, hallway and entryway, and bathroom furniture. Wayfair offers products and services in the United States.

Expedia Group, Inc. provides branded online travel services for leisure and small business travelers. The Company offers a wide range of travel shopping and reservation services, providing real-time access to schedule, pricing and availability information for airlines, hotels, and car rental companies.

Jardine Cycle & Carriage Limited operates as an investment holding company. The Company, through its subsidiaries, invests in automotive, consumer finance, utilities and infrastructure, heavy equipment and mining, property, agribusiness, cement, and consumer products businesses. Jardine Cycle & Carriage serves customers in South East Asia.

S.A. D'Ieteren N.V. imports to and distributes European- and Asian-manufactured cars in Belgium.  The Company offers vehicle glass repair and replacement services in Europe, North and South America, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.

Canon Marketing Japan Inc. distributes all Canon products in the domestic market.  The Company sells copying machines, printers, digital cameras, facsimile, scanner, projectors, and calculators.

Inchcape PLC is a global automotive distributor and retailer. The Company acts as a vehicle and parts distributor in multiple markets. In these markets, Inchcape has exclusive responsibility for managing the value chain on behalf of a focused portfolio of premium and luxury brand partners. Over two thirds of the Group profit is derived from Asia Pacific and emerging markets.

Liaoning Cheng Da Co., Ltd. imports and exports a variety of textile products including knitting products, household textile products, and apparel.  The Company also operates pharmaceutical chain stores and provides processing services.

Wuchan Zhongda Group Co.,Ltd. offers supply chain services. The Company purchases and distributes metal materials, ores, automobiles, chemicals, rubbers, and energy products. Wuchan Zhongda Group also conducts finance, medical, thermal power, and public utility businesses.

Bapcor Limited retails automotive parts. The Company offers aftermarket parts, accessories, and services. Bapcor serves customers in Australia.

Sinomach Automobile Co., Ltd. operates in the car wholesale and retail business. The company changed business sector from machinery to automobile wholeslae after the acquisition of China Automobile Trading Co Ltd.

Zhejiang Orient Holdings Co., Ltd. imports and exports textile products.  The Company exports cotton and wool knitwear, household textile products, and accessories, as well as imports textile raw materials and equipment.  Zhejiang Orient also provides apparel processing services, acts as a cargo transportation agency, and operates in properties.

Xinhua Winshare Publishing and Media Company Ltd. retails and distributes books and offers services.  The Company operates a chain of retail bookstores, distributes textbooks and supplementary materials, and provides ancillary support and services to book publishers.

LKQ Corporation offers automotive products and services. The Company provides alternative collision replacement parts, recycled engines and transmissions, as well as remanufactured engines. LKQ offers customers in North America, Central America and Europe replacement systems, components and parts for the repair of automobiles and light, medium, and heavy-duty trucks.

Price Gauge
52-week Range	0.00 - 0.00
Market Cap (USDm)	0.00
P/E	0.00
Dividend (Yield)	0.00

Lkq Corp (LKQ US)

LKQ Corporation: The Uni-Select Acquisition & Other Drivers

LKQ Corporation delivered a significantly below part result in the year's final quarter. Revenue declined in the quarter as compared to the last...

Baptista Research

Weekly Stock Bullfinder - Week of 2/20

The Fed has hiked interest rates from almost zero to nearly 5% within the past year in response to inflation running at historic highs

Weekly Stock Bull Finder

LKQ Corporation: New Battery Range & Other Drivers

LKQ delivered a mixed quarter amidst a relatively complicated and unusual operating environment. The company failed to meet Wall Street...

Baptista Research

Upgrading Discretionary to Overweight, Downgrading Energy & Health Care to Market Weight

Upgrading Discretionary $XLY to Overweight, Downgrading Energy $XLE & Health Care $XLV to Market Weight; Many indexes with major bullish...

Vermilion Research

S&P 500 Reverses 4-Month Downtrend; Upgrading Consumer Discretionary to Market Weight

We continue to see more evidence suggesting the lows are in; as a result, we are upgrading our outlook to neutral. 4-month downtrend reversal for...

Vermilion Research

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)