Why Wall Street’s bullish on 3 Club stocks Wednesday — and our take, too

Apple (AAPL), Constellation Brands (STZ) and Ford Motor (F) were subject to Wall Street research on Wednesday. Here’s the latest analyst commentary on these Club holdings, along with our view. Apple Analyst take: Baird lowered its estimate for iPhone manufacturing in Apple’s fiscal first quarter by 8 million units, citing persistent challenges at an assembly plant in China . As a result, analysts at Baird cut the bank’s forecast for total revenue in the fiscal first by 5.6% and revised its iPhone revenue estimate down by 9.6%. Nevertheless, Baird maintains a positive outlook on Apple’s long-term growth prospects due to its strong ecosystem of products and services, solid cash flow and “high quality” balance sheet. Baird maintains an outperform, or buy, rating on Apple’s stock and a price target of $170. Apple was trading up around 1.7% in midday trading, at $143.59 a share. Club take: China’s Covid-19 lockdown measures have posed a risk to Apple’s iPhone manufacturing, but we believe it’s a temporary one. There is no immediate solution to the production setbacks in China but we’re hoping Beijing will more quickly reopen the economy, allowing iPhone production to get back on track. We acknowledge there’s a possibility short-term iPhone demand could be impacted. However, given the company’s loyal customer base, we believe Apple can make up for lost iPhone units in the coming quarters. Constellation Brands Analyst take : Americans’ alcohol preferences are shifting toward premium products, including spirits and wine, and away from middle-of-the-road beer, according to a new research note Wednesday from Bank of America. Constellation — a leader in premium wine and high-end imported beer — is one of the three largest players in the U.S. alcoholic beverage market, behind Anheuser-Busch InBev (BUD) and Molson Coors (TAP). Two of Constellation’s beer brands, Modelo Especial and Corona Extra, rank in the top ten in the U.S., with the former being one of the fastest growing beers in the country, according to BofA. Constellation was trading up 0.58%, at $255.11 a share, Wednesday afternoon. Club take: Constellation’s strong portfolio of brands makes it a popular choice for consumers. It continues to strengthen its position as the No. 1 high-end beer supplier and No. 1 market share gainer in the U.S. beer market, allowing the alcoholic beverage manufacturer to benefit from a consumer shift to premium drinks. The company is also making strides in wine and spirits by upgrading its portfolio of brands. While no single company is immune to an economic downturn, we think Constellation can serve as a defensive play in a slower economy, with consumers largely maintaining their alcohol consumption preferences in any type of economic environment. Ford Motor Analyst take: Citi raised its price target on Ford to $14 from $13, while reiterating a neutral rating on the stock. Analysts at Citi made the revision based on the automaker’s updated estimates, balance sheet inputs and improved auto free cash flow. The analysts said these factors support a “modestly higher” price-to-earnings multiple target, with room down the line for multiple expansion. Ford was up 0.76% Wednesday, at $13.86 a share. Club take: Ford has benefitted from higher pricing power as a result of supply chain challenges impacting production. In the company’s third-quarter results , Ford delivered an earnings beat and generated strong free cash flow, a key reason we continue to hold the stock. We also like the 4.37% dividend yield Ford provides shareholders. Importantly, we believe Ford’s commitment to becoming a leader in the electric vehicle field is a long-term growth catalyst for the company. (Jim Cramer’s Charitable Trust is long AAPL, STZ, F. See here for a full list of the stocks.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust’s portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED.

The Apple Inc. logo is displayed at the company’s store in the Omotesando district of Tokyo, Japan, on Wednesday, June 3, 2020.

Bloomberg

Apple (AAPL), Constellation Brands (STZ) and Ford Motor (F) were subject to Wall Street research on Wednesday. Here’s the latest analyst commentary on these Club holdings, along with our view.