IHS

Top Stock Picks: Analysts recommend three stocks as Strong Buys: Allurion Technologies (ALUR) with a potential upside of 316.56%, ACV Auctions (ACVA) with an upside of 55.72%, and IHS Holding (IHS) with an upside of 22.53%.

Analyst Ratings: The recommendations come from top-ranking analysts, with each stock receiving recent Buy ratings and significant price target adjustments reflecting their growth potential.

Earnings Outlook for IHS Holding: IHS Holding is experiencing a positive shift in its earnings outlook, with analysts raising their estimates significantly, leading to a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) rating and a projected earnings increase of 342.86% year-over-year for the current quarter.

Stock Performance and Recommendations: The company's stock has risen by 38.2% over the past month, reflecting investor confidence in its growth prospects, making it a recommended addition to investment portfolios alongside other top-rated stocks from Zacks Investment Research.

Stocks Added to Zacks Rank #1 List: Five stocks, including IHS Holding Limited and Heritage Financial Corporation, have been added to the Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) List due to significant increases in their current year earnings estimates over the past 60 days.

Expert Recommendations: Zacks Investment Research has identified seven elite stocks from the Strong Buy list that are expected to perform well, with a historical average gain of +24.3% per year since 1988.

U.S. Stock Market Performance: U.S. stocks experienced a decline, with the S&P 500 dropping approximately 1%, while notable companies like IHS Holding reported better-than-expected earnings, and Aditxt, Inc. saw a significant share increase after announcing new funding opportunities.

Global Market Trends: European and Asian markets closed higher, with increases in major indices, while U.S. economic indicators showed a surge in housing starts and an increase in industrial production, despite a slight decline in building permits.

U.S. Stock Market Performance: U.S. stocks declined, with the Dow Jones dropping approximately 300 points, while several companies like IHS Holding and Harrow, Inc. saw significant gains after reporting better-than-expected quarterly results.

Notable Stock Movements: IHS Holding's shares surged 15.2% following a strong earnings report, alongside other notable gainers such as FinVolution Group and Lucid Group, which also experienced substantial increases in their stock prices.

Annual Report Filing: IHS Towers filed its annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024, with the SEC on March 18, 2025, which can be accessed on their website or the SEC's site.

Company Overview: IHS Towers is a leading independent owner and operator of shared communications infrastructure, with over 39,000 towers across eight emerging markets in Africa and South America.

Market Overview: U.S. stock futures remained flat following a recovery in the previous session, with mixed performance across major indices as investors await the Federal Reserve's interest rate decision. Economic indicators showed a mixed outlook, with retail sales growth falling short of expectations and manufacturing confidence declining.

Company Highlights: Notable stock movements included Guess? Inc. surging 30% due to acquisition interest, while Baidu Inc. rose 9% after launching new AI models. Conversely, Bakkt Holdings saw a significant drop of over 30% after rescheduling its earnings call.

Earnings Reports: IHS Holding Ltd. and HealthEquity Inc. are set to release their quarterly earnings today, with expectations of 4 cents and 72 cents per share respectively, while Getty Images Holdings reported positive results but saw a slight drop in shares.

Market Reactions: Sangamo Therapeutics experienced a decline in shares after reporting disappointing financial results, whereas StoneCo Ltd. is anticipated to report earnings later today, with its shares showing a minor increase in after-hours trading.

Earnings Reports Overview: Several companies, including Elbit Systems Ltd. and Eton Pharmaceuticals, are set to report their earnings for the quarter ending December 31, 2024, with varying forecasts and past performance reflecting increases or decreases in earnings per share.

Performance Highlights: Notable changes include Elbit Systems expected to increase earnings to $1.95 per share, while companies like SNDL Inc. and MiNK Therapeutics are projected to report significant losses compared to the previous year.

Appointment Announcement: Plymouth Industrial REIT has appointed Robert O. Stephenson as an independent director on its Board, where he will also serve on the Audit Committee.

Director's Background: Mr. Stephenson is currently the CFO of Omega Healthcare Investors and brings extensive experience in finance and corporate governance, having held various positions in notable companies and serving on multiple boards.

Earnings Release Announcement: IHS Holding Limited will release its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year of 2024 on March 18, 2025, at 6am ET (10am UK time).

Conference Call Details: A conference call to discuss the earnings results is scheduled for the same day at 8:30am ET (12:30pm UK time), with specific dial-in numbers provided for participants.

Earnings Release Announcement: IHS Holding Limited will release its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year of 2024 on March 18, 2025, at 6am ET.

Conference Call Details: A conference call to discuss the earnings results is scheduled for the same day at 8:30am ET, with specific dial-in numbers provided for participants.

Analyst Ratings: Jonathan Atkin from RBC Capital maintains a Buy rating on IHS Holding with a price target of $4.25, while Barclays also has a Buy rating with a $6.00 target; the average analyst consensus suggests a Moderate Buy with a $5.13 target indicating a potential upside.

Financial Performance: IHS Holding reported quarterly revenue of $420.28 million and a GAAP net loss of $204.14 million for the quarter ending September 30, showing improvement compared to the previous year's revenue and loss figures.

ETF Analysis: The iShares U.S. Small-Cap Equity Factor ETF (SMLF) has an implied analyst target price of $81.40, indicating a potential upside of 14% from its current trading price of $71.40.

Stock Performance Insights: Notable underlying holdings such as IHS Holding Ltd, BridgeBio Pharma Inc, and PTC Therapeutics Inc show significant upside potential based on analyst target prices, raising questions about the validity of these targets amidst market conditions.

Anterix Stock Performance: Anterix (ATEX) shares rose 11.4% to $30.99 amid increased demand for its broadband solutions and the FCC's approval of expanded 900 MHz spectrum rules, which are expected to benefit the company’s growth in various sectors.

Earnings Expectations: Anterix is projected to report a quarterly loss of $0.57 per share with revenues expected to increase by 29.1%. Meanwhile, IHS Holding also reported stable stock performance but with a significant year-over-year EPS decline.

IHS Towers Sale Announcement: IHS Holding Limited has completed the sale of its 70% interest in IHS Kuwait Limited, which includes approximately 1,675 sites and an additional 700 managed sites, to Zain Group as part of a strategic review aimed at enhancing shareholder value.

About IHS Towers and Zain Group: IHS Towers is a major independent communications infrastructure provider with over 39,000 towers across nine emerging markets, while Zain Group is a leading telecommunications operator in the Middle East and Africa, serving over 47 million customers.

IHS Towers Sale to Zain Group: IHS Holding Limited has signed a definitive agreement to sell its 70% stake in IHS Kuwait Limited, which includes approximately 1,675 sites, to Zain Group for an enterprise value of $230 million. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2025, subject to regulatory approvals.

Strategic Value Creation: This sale aligns with IHS Towers' ongoing strategic review aimed at enhancing shareholder value and reducing company debt, as stated by CEO Sam Darwish, highlighting the significant value within their portfolio.

IHS Towers Sells Stake: IHS Towers has signed an agreement to sell its 70% interest in IHS Kuwait Limited, which includes approximately 2,375 sites, to Zain Group for an enterprise value of $230 million, with the deal expected to close in the first half of 2025.

Strategic Focus on Debt Reduction: The sale is part of IHS Towers' strategic review aimed at enhancing shareholder value and will primarily be used to reduce company debt, as stated by Chairman & CEO Sam Darwish.

IHS Towers Senior Notes Offering: IHS Holding Limited has priced its offering of $550 million in 7.875% Senior Notes due 2030 and $650 million in 8.250% Senior Notes due 2031, with proceeds intended for buybacks of existing notes and general corporate purposes.

Company Overview: IHS Towers is a leading independent owner and operator of shared communications infrastructure, managing over 40,000 towers across emerging markets including Brazil, Nigeria, and South Africa.