The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights CME, Accenture, Visa and PayPal
The cryptocurrency market took a hit over the weekend as the United States entered the Middle East conflict and showered bombs on Iranian nuclear sites. Bitcoin (BTC), which hit an all-time high last month, was one of the biggest sufferers. However, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies recovered after Trump announced a ceasefire between Iran and Israel on Monday night.
Bitcoin has held its ground amid the ongoing geopolitical tensions, as several other factors are driving the cryptocurrency. Several analysts believe that Bitcoin has the potential to surpass $120,000 this year.
Given this situation, it would be ideal to invest in crypto-focused stocks. We have selected four stocks, namely CME Group Inc., Accenture plc, Visa Inc. and PayPal Holdings. Each of these stocks has strong growth potential for 2025 and has seen positive earnings estimate revisions in the last 90 days.
Bitcoin fell below $100,000 early Monday for the first time in 45 days after the United States bombed Iranian nuclear sites, fueling fears that the ongoing tensions could last for a longer period. The fears escalated after Iran retaliated by attacking U.S. airbases in Qatar and Iraq.
However, Bitcoin made a solid rebound late Monday after Trump announced a ceasefire between Iran and Israel. The cryptocurrency briefly surpassed $106,000 before giving up some of the gains and was hovering around $105,700, with its market cap standing at $2.1 trillion.
The Middle East crisis has been weighing on the cryptocurrency market, but Bitcoin has managed to hold its ground.
The Bitcoin rally has faced challenges, but has not come to a halt. There have been profit bookings, but it has continued to trade with solid gains. While the ceasefire announcement alleviated immediate concerns over disruptions in oil supply, investors are also waiting for Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell's speech.
Investors have lately been optimistic about the Fed resuming its rate cuts in the coming weeks as inflation has been showing signs of cooling over the past three months. Experts believe that a rate cut in the coming weeks could boost Bitcoin to $107,000 and put it on track to surpass $120,000.
Fed Governor Christopher Waller said on Friday that a rate cut could come as early as July.
Trade tensions have also eased substantially over the past few weeks, with the United States and China reaching a trade deal earlier this month. Negotiations with several other nations are ongoing, and more trade deals are likely to be announced in the near term.
CME Group
CME Group Inc.'s options give the buyer of the call/put the right to buy/sell cryptocurrency futures contracts at a specific price at some future date. CME offers bitcoin and ether options based on the exchange's cash-settled standard and micro BTC and ETH futures contracts.
CME Group's expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 9.5%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 5.5% over the last 90 days. CME presently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Accenture
Accenture plc is a worldwide system integrator that offers consulting, technology and various services. The company promotes Ethereum-based blockchain solutions to businesses, aiming to simplify payment processing.
Accenture's expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 6.5%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 0.2% over the last 90 days. ACN currently carries a Zacks Rank #3.
Visa Inc.
Visa is taking a significant step toward modernizing cross-border money movement. In a move aimed at enhancing the efficiency of global transactions, V is expanding its stablecoin settlement capabilities to the high-performing Solana blockchain. This expansion of V includes collaboration with prominent merchant acquirers Worldpay and Nuvei, marking a pivotal development in the world of digital payments.
Visa's expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 12.9%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 0.4% over the last 90 days. V currently has a Zacks Rank #3.
PayPal Holdings
PayPal Holdings provides digital wallet services that enable users to purchase, transfer and sell various cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash and Litecoin. Through PYPL, users can use cryptocurrencies to pay for goods and services from online merchants. Additionally, PayPal's mobile wallet platform, Venmo, allows users to engage in cryptocurrency buying and selling activities.
PayPal's expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 9.3%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 1% over the last 90 days. PYPL currently has a Zacks Rank #3.
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Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.
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CME Group Inc. (CME) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Accenture PLC (ACN) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Visa Inc. (V) : Free Stock Analysis Report
PayPal Holdings, Inc. (PYPL) : Free Stock Analysis Report
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