The latest POWR Ratings are in. Our proprietary ratings evaluate stocks based on numerous factors and are updated daily. Stocks that are upgraded are showing bullish outlooks.

It is particularly interesting to note that stocks across a wide array of sectors have been upgraded in the latest POWR Ratings. This is an excellent sign for the market as it indicates that the tech rally this year has expanded into other sectors. It also suggests that investors are more confident in the economy going forward.

Below, we take a look at the following recent POWR Ratings upgrades: Roper Technologies (ROP), Public Storage (PSA), MSCI (MSCI), and Cerner (CERN).

Roper Technologies (ROP)

It is no secret tech stocks have fared well amidst the pandemic. ROP is one of the clear winners from the prior three fiscal quarters. This engineering product, solutions, and software specialist operates in the Process Technologies, Measurement & Analytical Solutions, Application Software, and Network Software & Systems segments.

The POWR Ratings reveal ROP has “A” grades in the Buy & Hold Grade and Trade Grade components, along with a “B” Industry Rank. ROP is ranked 7th out of more than 60 publicly traded Industrial – Machinery stocks. ROP’s forward P/E ratio is still relatively low at 33, considering the fact that it is a tech stock. ROP has a year-to-date price return of 20.59%, a 2019 price return of 33.66%, and a three-year price return of 65.82%.

ROP is still priced slightly below its 52-week high of $455.72. The implementation of ROP software in a remote manner combined with license sales coming in better than expected has helped ROP climb higher in recent months. The bottom line is ROP’s strategy to segue its business toward less cyclical revenue streams should pay off in coming months.

Public Storage (PSA)

This POWR Ratings upgrade is quite intriguing considering the fact that PSA owns and operates facilities for storage. Far from a tech business, PSA is coasting along quite smoothly during the pandemic. All in all, PSA has an ownership stake in more than 2,500 self-storage facilities.

The POWR Ratings show PSA has “A” grades in the Buy & Hold Grade and Trade Grade components. PSA is also ranked first out of 21 stocks in the REITs – Industrial industry. The stock has a year-to-date price return of 9.17%, a 2019 return of 8.96%, and a three-year price return of 19.08%. Furthermore, PSA has a solid dividend of 3.56%.

PSA is priced about $16 below its 52-week high of $240.75. PSA’s fantastic profit margin should help the stock over the long-run.

MSCI (MSCI)

There is plenty of money to be made in the creation and use of investment decision support tools. This is MSCI’s business. Investing institutions of all sorts rely on MSCI’s solutions. The POWR Ratings reveal MSCI has “A” grades in the Buy & Hold Grade and Trade Grade components, along with “B” grades in Industry Rank and Peer Grade.

MSCI is ranked in the top five out of 236 Financial Services (Enterprise) stocks. MSCI has a year-to-date price return of 60%, a 2019 price return of 77.19%, and a three-year price return of 228%.

If you are hesitant to invest in MSCI, look no further than the fact that it makes money through a subscription-based model. More than three-quarters of MSCI’s revenue stems from such subscriptions, which generate steady revenue.

Cerner (CERN)

There is a growing demand for healthcare IT, devices, and services. The aging of the massive baby boomer age cohort will propel this demand even higher in the years and decades ahead. CERN is well-positioned to benefit from the rising demand for healthcare solutions.

Take a look at the CERN POWR Ratings, and you will find the stock has “A” grades in the Buy & Hold Grade and Trade Grade components, along with “B” grades in Industry Rank and Peer Grade. CERN is ranked second out of 70 publicly traded companies in the Medical – Services industry.

CERN has a six-month price return of 6.11%, a year-to-date price return of 3.75%, and a three-year price return of 9.34%. Of the seven analysts who cover the stock, every one of them rates it a “Buy.” Their average price target is $81.29, indicating a potential upside of 7%.

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ROP shares were trading at $413.31 per share on Friday morning, up $4.10 (+1.00%). Year-to-date, ROP has gained 17.34%, versus a 16.02% rise in the benchmark S&P 500 index during the same period.

About the Author: Patrick Ryan

Patrick Ryan has more than a dozen years of investing experience with a focus on information technology, consumer and entertainment sectors. In addition to working for StockNews, Patrick has also written for Wealth Authority and Fallon Wealth Management. More...

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