It’s not just Catholics watching a certain Vatican City smokestack.
As cardinals gather to elect a new pope, the conclave uses a smokestack to communicate the deliberations. If a consensus isn’t reached on a new pontiff, black smoke trickling out of the smokestack informs the public that the vetting process continues.
However, the moment that a bullish consensus has been reached on the religion’s next pope, white smoke is released.
It’s hard for investors to have universal opinions on every stock. The same largely holds true for analysts. A lot of great companies have their detractors, just as even terrible companies have their believers.
I screened through various popular companies around Fooldom, looking out for investments where analysts are generally bullish. Any stock with an underperform or sell rating was discarded. These are five of the “white smoke” stocks where every major analyst has a hold rating or better on the investment.
| Company | Strong Buy | Buy | Hold | Underperform | Sell |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sodastream International Ltd (NASDAQ:SODA) | 5 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Amarin (NASDAQ:AMRN) | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Capstone Turbine (NASDAQ:CPST) | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Linn Energy LLC (NASDAQ:LINE) | 8 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Micron Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:MU) | 10 | 11 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
Source: Thomson Reuters.
Wall Street approved
Let’s start at the top with SodaStream.
The company behind the popular beverage maker that transforms still water in sparkling soda is in a good groove these days. SodaStream’s revenue soared 55% during the holiday quarter, and profitability once again outpaced the expectations of these same bullish analysts.
Things should continue to get better for Sodastream International Ltd (NASDAQ:SODA). It sold a record 1.1 million starter systems in its latest quarter, and that should translate into healthy growth in the higher-margin carbonators and flavors down the line.
Cynics argue that Sodastream International Ltd (NASDAQ:SODA) is a passing fad, but analysts apparently don’t see it that way. Posting record results is a great way to debunk that myth.
Amarin bulls have high hopes for the company’s flagship Vascepa drug. It’s the first FDA approved medication for the treatment of high triglyceride levels, and Amarin is just getting started to cash in.
Investors are far more skeptical than Wall Street’s pros. Amarin closed out February with 25.6 million shares sold short, a 52-week high in the number of bearish bets placed against the promising drug maker. Bullish investors don’t necessarily have to worry about the naysayers. If anything, it’s paving the way for a short squeeze at the next whiff of bullish catalysts.
Capstone Turbine make co-generation turbines that run on many different fuel types. There’s healthy demand for the product. Capstone closed out its latest quarter with $136.5 million in orders. Profitability has been a problem. Capstone has yet to post a quarterly profit. However, deficits continue to narrow and analysts see the company finally breaking even this year.
