HSBC Names Top Stock Picks for Earnings Season
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Apr 19 2026
0mins
Should l Buy GOOGL?
Source: CNBC
- Earnings Season Outlook: HSBC projects a 12.3% year-over-year growth in first-quarter earnings per share, surpassing the 11.4% average since 2009, indicating strong market optimism that could drive further stock market gains.
- Alphabet Performance Expectations: HSBC's buy rating and $385 price target for Alphabet imply a 15% upside, with anticipated AI demand expected to boost capital expenditures and revenue growth, further solidifying its market position.
- Amazon Growth Potential: HSBC's buy rating and $280 price target for Amazon suggest a 12% upside, as its cloud and AI businesses are poised to benefit from rapid infrastructure development, enhancing its competitive edge in the market.
- Monster Beverage Market Outlook: HSBC's buy rating and $98 price target for Monster Beverage indicate a 31% upside, as the energy drink market continues to expand, with Monster poised to accelerate growth through brand acquisitions and international market expansion.
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Stop guessing "Should I Buy GOOGL?" and start using high-conviction signals backed by rigorous historical data.
Sign up today to access powerful investing tools and make smarter, data-driven decisions.
Analyst Views on GOOGL
Wall Street analysts forecast GOOGL stock price to fall
33 Analyst Rating
26 Buy
7 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 400.800
Low
305.00
Averages
374.25
High
400.00
Current: 400.800
Low
305.00
Averages
374.25
High
400.00
About GOOGL
Alphabet Inc. is a holding company. The Company's segments include Google Services, Google Cloud, and Other Bets. The Google Services segment includes products and services such as ads, Android, Chrome, devices, Google Maps, Google Play, Search, and YouTube. The Google Cloud segment includes infrastructure and platform services, collaboration tools, and other services for enterprise customers. Its Other Bets segment is engaged in the sale of healthcare-related services and Internet services. Its Google Cloud provides enterprise-ready cloud services, including Google Cloud Platform and Google Workspace. Google Cloud Platform provides access to solutions such as artificial intelligence (AI) offerings, including its AI infrastructure, Vertex AI platform, and Gemini for Google Cloud; cybersecurity, and data and analytics. Google Workspace includes cloud-based communication and collaboration tools for enterprises, such as Calendar, Gmail, Docs, Drive, and Meet.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- AI Attack Threat: Google's Threat Intelligence Group reported that hackers are using AI models like OpenClaw to discover and exploit zero-day software vulnerabilities, highlighting severe risks to cybersecurity that could lead to significant losses for businesses and government agencies.
- Attack Plan Thwarted: Google stated it successfully thwarted an attempt by hackers to use AI models for a mass vulnerability exploitation operation, and while the name of the hacker group remains undisclosed, its proactive countermeasures significantly reduced potential security threats.
- Industry Response: Concerns over AI models potentially being used to identify and exploit software vulnerabilities led Anthropic to delay the rollout of its Mythos model, a decision that sent shockwaves through the industry and prompted White House meetings with technology and business leaders.
- International Hacker Activity: The report noted that hacker groups linked to China and North Korea have shown significant interest in leveraging AI for vulnerability discovery, indicating an increasingly severe global cybersecurity landscape that necessitates enhanced defensive investments by companies.
See More
- Executive Change: Redwood Materials has appointed former Tesla CFO Deepak Ahuja as its new CFO, who successfully guided Tesla through its IPO in 2010, showcasing his deep background and leadership in the electric vehicle sector.
- Funding Strength: Redwood Materials has raised over $2.3 billion in venture funding and secured a $2 billion loan commitment from the Department of Energy, indicating strong financial backing and market confidence in its battery recycling initiatives.
- Market Demand: Ahuja emphasized the growing demand for electric vehicles and battery storage systems in the U.S., as Redwood Materials expands its influence in the energy storage market through partnerships with companies like Ford and Rivian.
- Strategic Restructuring: Following a recent restructuring that cut about 10% of its workforce, Redwood Materials aims to refocus resources on its energy division, with Ahuja's addition expected to enhance the company's profitability and competitive edge.
See More
- Lawsuit Background: Elon Musk's 2024 lawsuit against OpenAI and its executives alleges a breach of their nonprofit commitments, with Microsoft named as a defendant, highlighting the increasing legal risks the company faces in the AI sector.
- Investment Scale: Microsoft has invested over $13 billion in OpenAI since 2019, with Musk citing the $10 billion investment in 2023 as a pivotal factor in OpenAI's deviation from its nonprofit mission, potentially impacting Microsoft's reputation and market trust.
- Equity Structure: Microsoft holds approximately a 27% stake in OpenAI's for-profit subsidiary, valued at around $135 billion, which enhances Microsoft's strategic position in the AI landscape but raises questions about its motivations.
- Strained Partnership: Although the partnership with OpenAI is deemed strategic, recent tensions have emerged, particularly in light of Musk's lawsuit, as evidenced by the revised partnership agreement aimed at reassessing future collaboration dynamics.
See More
- Drone Delivery Testing: Papa John's announced a partnership with Wing, a subsidiary of Alphabet, to test drone deliveries at Sun Valley Commons in North Carolina, aiming to enhance customer experience and keep pace with industry technological advancements.
- Order Limitations: Customers must order through an app managed by Wing, and drone deliveries are limited to select sandwiches, which may affect customer choice and convenience.
- Technology Modernization Efforts: This initiative is part of Papa John's broader technology modernization strategy, as executives indicated last year that the company felt it had fallen behind its peers, highlighting the urgent need to enhance market competitiveness.
- Industry Context: While drone food deliveries are relatively common in China, such services are virtually non-existent in the U.S., with industry experts noting that despite the availability of technology, regulatory restrictions hinder the application of drones in food delivery.
See More
- Executive Change: Redwood Materials has appointed former Tesla CFO Deepak Ahuja as its new finance chief, leveraging Ahuja's extensive experience in financing and business management at Tesla to drive further growth in the battery recycling sector.
- Funding Background: Since its founding in 2017, Redwood Materials has raised over $2.3 billion in venture capital and secured a $2 billion loan commitment from the Department of Energy, providing robust financial support for its expansion in battery recycling and energy storage systems.
- Market Demand: Ahuja highlighted the rapid growth in demand for battery storage systems driven by the rise of electric vehicles and renewable energy, with Redwood Materials'
See More
- AI Momentum Continues: Dan Ives from Wedbush Securities predicts that the Nasdaq will rise to 30,000 points within the next year, driven by a strong earnings season that boosts enthusiasm for AI stocks, reflecting optimistic market expectations for AI infrastructure development.
- Surge in Chip Demand: Ives highlights a 10-1 demand-supply ratio for chips, indicating unprecedented demand for memory chips, which further validates the bullish thesis on AI and suggests that we are still in the early days of the AI revolution.
- Strong Semiconductor Performance: Over the past month, the Nasdaq PHLX Semiconductor Sector Index has soared by 38%, with major companies like Intel, Nvidia, Apple, and Alphabet achieving double-digit growth, showcasing strong investor confidence in these tech giants.
- Optimistic Market Outlook: While Michael Burry warns that the market's fixation on AI may resemble the final stages of the dot-com bubble, Ives remains bullish on the AI market for the next two years, viewing it as a memory super-cycle and advising investors to focus on multiple subsectors including chips, software, and infrastructure.
See More











