Best Stocks, Crypto, and ETFs to Watch – Bank of America, Netflix, Ethereum in Focus

Bank of America Corp. (BAC) sold off in sympathy with JPMorgan Chase and Co. (JPM) in Friday’s session, reacting to the Dow component’s surprisingly weak quarterly revenue. A second day of lower prices on Tuesday could set up a strong buy-the-news reaction when BAC reports in Wednesday’s pre-market session. The stock has the highest relative strength in the elite money center group and is nearing a critical test at 2006’s all-time high in the mid-50s.

Netflix Inc. (NFLX) has been sold aggressively in recent weeks, dropping 27% and failing a breakout above resistance at 600. The streaming giant bounced into Friday’s close after announcing an increase in monthly subscription prices. However, the hike is a two-edged sword because subscriber churn (new subs plus cancellations) could escalate, canceling out revenue gains. The company is likely to comment on the decision when it reports Q4 2021 earnings after Thursday’s closing bell.

SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) fell to a 10-month low on Friday after December Retail Sales ex-auto fell 2.3%, compared to expectations for a 0.2% increase. The shortfall, during the critical holiday sales season, suggests that inflation is impacting consumer buying behavior. Even so, retailers reported strong October and November results, stoked by fears that supply chain disruptions could generate empty shelves. Despite that early buying pressure, smart traders will be watching the fund for a sell signal that offers timely short sale profits.

Ethereum (ETH) could be bottoming out after a two-month slide that relinquished 60% of the cryptocurrency’s value. ETH broke out above May resistance at 4,400 in November, failing the breakout just three weeks later. The subsequent decline reached support at the 50-week moving average about one week ago, with that level narrowly aligned at the .618 Fibonacci rally retracement level. Weekly Stochastics remains in a bearish cycle but is nearing the oversold level, with a bullish crossover set to issue an intermediate buying signal.

Dividend paying stocks continue to outperform growth and value plays in 2022 as investors look for ways to protect portfolios from rising inflation. Dow component Proctor & Gamble Co. (PG) could benefit from this rotation when it reports Q2 2022 earnings on Wednesday. The company is expected to earn $1.65 per-share on $20.34 billion in revenue during the quarter, with that profit perfectly matching results during the same quarter last year. PG, which posted an all-time high on Jan. 6, pays a respectable 2.18% annual dividend yield.

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Disclosure: the author held no positions in aforementioned securities at the time of publication.