(from Navellier Research, pls do your own due diligence)
https://navelliergrowth.investorplace.com/bluechip/

The following is provided by Navellier with technical comment from South Ocean Management –

ABIOMED, Inc.

ABIOMED, Inc. (ABMD) is joining my Top 5 Stocks list for the first time since being added to the Buy List in the December 2017 Issue. As a refresher, ABIOMED is the only medical devices company focused on building technologies that can replace or assist the pumping function of a failing heart. Interestingly, when ABIOMED was founded in 1981, its original mission was to develop the world’s first artificial heart. It went on to successfully do so, having treated a patient with the first totally artificial heart in 2001. But then the company undertook an effort to focus exclusively on heart recovery.

Today, ABIOMED is best known for its Impella® devices, which are the world’s smallest heart pumps. Impella is often a safe treatment option for patients with advanced heart failure that have been turned down for open heart surgery. To date, the device has treated over 50,000 patients.

According to the American College of Cardiology, heart disease accounts for about 800,000 deaths in the U.S. alone. In other words, it causes roughly one death every 40 seconds. So it’s clear that ABIOMED provides a life-saving service to tens of thousands of patients and their families. What’s great is that ABIOMED continues to hit new milestones. Most recently, the company received expanded pre-market approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for Impella to be used during elective and high risk Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) procedures. This includes patients experiencing heart failure during both the last month of pregnancy and the first five months after giving birth.

Given strong demand for medical devices to treat heart disease, ABIOMED’s business is booming. For fiscal year 2018, ABIOMED is now forecasting sales of roughly $583 million, or 31% annual sales growth, up from between $565 million and $575 million, or 27% to 29% annual sales growth.

In the near-term, ABIOMED is looking for first-quarter sales of $164 million, or 31.5% annual sales growth, which is in-line with the current consensus estimate. Analysts are calling for earnings of $0.63 per share, or 90.9% annual earnings growth. Earnings per share estimates have been revised 12.5% higher in the past three months. This Conservative stock is a Strong Buy up to $313 per share.

SOM Technicals:

3-30-18: Closed at 290.99. Trade pressures are down into the neutral zone. On the 25×5 moving average as support. The next target up is 323.10.

4-7-18: Closed at 286.22. Trade pressures are neutral. Volumes are neutral. the Next target up is 323.10

4-14-18: Closed at 297.00. Trade pressures are up. Volumes are bullish. The next target up is 323.10.

4-21-18: Closed at 305.92. Trade pressures are up. Volumes are bullish. The next target up is 323.10.

IPG Photonics Corporation

IPG Photonics Corporation (IPGP) is a semiconductor company that creates high-power fiber lasers and amplifiers. We added IPG Photonics to the Buy List in the August 2017 Issue, and if you’ve been with me for a while, then you know that the company is no stranger to our Top 5 Stocks list. IPG Photonics has made impressive strides in its business and handed Wall Street a robust fourth-quarter sales and earnings report, both of which drove me to handpick IPGP for this list once again.

What I especially like about IPG Photonics is its monopoly on the market for lasers. You see, fiber lasers are more powerful, reliable and stable compared to other types of lasers. And while many people think of a red line when they hear the word “laser,” lasers are actually used in many manufacturing processes, like cutting fabric and metal. Lasers are practically a part of everything… from CD and DVD players to the equipment used for eye and cosmetic surgical procedures. So when you consider IPG Photonics’ manufacturing scale and continuous sales and earnings growth, it’s no surprise that the company boasts a 40% operating margin.

On March 7, IPGP was moved from the S&P MidCap 400 index to the S&P 500. Why this is a big deal? Well, it represents a coming of age for IPG Photonics. While its origins date back to 1991, IPG went public in 2006. And 12 years later, it’s been added to one of the most-watched indices. The company’s fundamentals also provide further confirmation of IPG Photonics’ maturation.

IPG Photonics reported a record fourth-quarter. The company’s earnings per share soared 33.8% year-over-year to $1.86, up from $1.39 in the same quarter a year ago. Sales swelled 28.9% year-over-year to $361.1 million, compared to $280.12 million in the fourth quarter of 2016. The analyst community was looking for earnings of $1.72 per share on $345.63 million in sales, so IPG Photonics posted an 8.1% earnings surprise and a 4.5% sales surprise.

And it’s looking like IPG Photonics will post healthy sales and earnings again in its first-quarter report, which is tentatively scheduled for May 18. The company is expecting sales between $330 million and $355 million, or 15% to 24% annual sales growth, and adjusted earnings per share between $1.62 and $1.87, or 17% to 36% annual earnings growth. The higher end of both estimates are slightly above analysts’ current expectations for 21.2% annual sales growth and 30.4% annual earnings growth. Add this Conservative stock up to $250 per share.

SOM Technicals:

3-30-18: Closed at 233.85. Trade pressures are down Volumes are bearish. Sitting on the 233.00 down side target. The next target down is the 200 day at 203.

4-7-18: Closed at 222.50. Trade pressures are down. volumes are bearish.

4-14-18: Closed at 230.36. Trade pressures are down but rising. Volumes are now bullish. Need to get above the 25×5 at 237.32 to get moving again.

4-21-18: Closed at 232.13. Trade pressures are up. Volumes are bullish. Must get thru the 238 resistance then the next target up is 247.00.

Northrop Grumman Corporation

I first recommended Northrop Grumman Corporation (NOC) back in March 2014, making it the oldest position on our buy list. Northrop Grumman is sort of like a wine, in that it seems to only get better with age. If you bought shares at that time, you’d be sitting on a triple-digit gain. And what I love about NOC is that it continues to break through to new highs, thanks to an extensive portfolio of abilities and technologies.

With a history colored by achievements such as the “flying wing” concept—which laid the foundation for the B-2 stealth bomber—and carrying astronauts to the moon and back, Northrop Grumman has shaped aviation history and is positioned to continue shaping its future. In fact, just last month, Northrop Grumman acquired aerospace and defense company Orbital ATK (OA) for about $7.8 billion. This deal merges two of the largest D.C.-area public companies that have some of the biggest government contracts, and more importantly, improves U.S. technology as it relates to space, missiles and munitions.

As a giant in the security industry, countries across the world look to Northrop Grumman for help. This week, the company secured a $13.8 million contract to provide program and engineering support for Japan’s E-2D Advanced Hawkeye weapon system trainer. The E-2D aircraft is seen as game changer in how the Navy will conduct battle management and control. And now Northrop is going to support Japan’s first E-2D. The fact that President Trump’s fiscal 2019 budget seeks $686 billion for defense spending doesn’t hurt the company, either. This means more missiles, combat aircraft and other tools necessary to continue modernizing the military. All of this demand is only going to support the company’s top and bottom lines going forward.

Northrop Grumman, though, already has strong fundamentals. For the fourth quarter, Northrop Grumman’s sales rose 4% year-over-year to $6.63 billion, compared to $6.40 billion in the year ago period. Adjusted earnings per share came in at $2.82. Analysts were expecting earnings of $2.74 per share on $6.35 billion in sales, so NOC posted a 2.9% earnings surprise and a 4% sales surprise.

For the company’s first quarter, the analyst community is currently forecasting 0.3% annual earnings growth and 5.4% annual sales growth. After that, though, Northrop Grumman is expected to post 18.1% annual earnings growth in the second quarter.

Northrop Grumman has rewarded shareholders for 152-straight quarters, or for more than 38 years. And it increased its dividend from the prior quarter by 10%. Most recently, Northrop Grumman paid a quarterly dividend of $1.10 per share on March 21. I recommend that you buy this Conservative stock up to $374 per share.

SOM Technicals:

3-30-18: Closed at 349.12. Trade pressures are in the neutral zone. Volumes are bullish. The next target up is 361.68.

4-7-18: Closed at 352.99. Trade pressures are in the neutral zone. Volumes are neutral.

4-14-18: Closed at 350.00. Trade pressures are up into the neutral zone. Volumes are bullish. The next target up is 361.69.

4-21-18: Closed at 355.92. Trade pressures are up. Volumes are bullish to neutral. The next target up is 361.59.

S&P Global, Inc.

S&P Global, Inc. (SPGI) returns to our Top 5 Stocks list for the second-straight month and moves up from the number-five spot in the March 2018 Issue, due in part to a smart acquisition. If you’ve kept up with my Weekly Updates, then you know that the data and analytics leader is acquiring the artificial intelligence company, Kensho Technologies, Inc., for about $550 million in a mix of cash and stock.

This is notable because it’s the biggest artificial intelligence deal in history from Wall Street and not Silicon Valley. Of course, as technology is evolving at a rapid clip, Wall Street must too, or else it will be left behind. And this includes leveraging artificial intelligence, where machines perform human-like tasks. S&P Global is hoping that with Kensho, it can create new analytical capabilities, improve user experiences and reduce costs of traditional operations. Having already taken a stake in fintech company Algomi last year, S&P Global is leading the way for Wall Street to embrace this next wave of the internet.

When you consider its expansion into fintech and the stock buybacks that I mentioned earlier, it’s no wonder that 11 out of 15 analysts rate SPGI a buy. The analyst community is anticipating that first-quarter sales will climb 5.8% year-over-year to $1.54 billion. Earnings per share are expected to jump 21.6% year-over-year to $1.97, up from $1.62 in the first quarter of 2017. In the past four quarters, the company has posted an average 12.8% earnings surprise. So, we just might see a fifth-straight quarterly earnings surprise.

I would be remiss if I didn’t note that S&P Global continues to reward its shareholders. The company paid a quarterly dividend of $0.50 per share on March 12, which represented a 22% increase over the dividend paid in the fourth quarter. SPGI has a current dividend yield of 1.0%. If you haven’t already, I recommend that you buy this Conservative stock on dips below $204 per share.

SOM Technicals:

2-25-18: Closed at 191.67. Trade pressures are up. Volumes are bullish. The next target up is 203.26.

3-2-18: Closed at 189.02. Trade pressures are up but declining. Volumes are bearish. The next target up is 203.26.

3-11-18: Closed at 194.96. Trade pressures are up but declining. Volumes are bullish. The next target up is 203.26.

3-17-18: Closed at 192.51. Trade pressures are down into the neutral zone. Volumes are neutral. Support is the 25×5 at 189.

3-23-18: Closed at 186.49. Trade pressures are down. Volumes are bearish. Has just broken the 25×5 support. The next target down is 185.18, then 177.41.

3-30-18: Closed at 191.06. Trade pressures are down. Volumes are neutral. Consolidating at the 185 target.

4-7-18: Close at 189.74. Trade pressures are in the neutral zone. Volumes are bearish. Consolidating at the 185 downside target.

4-14-18: Closed at 190.76. Trade pressures are up. Volumes are bullish. Need a close above the downtrend resistance line at 196.38.

4-21-18: Closed at 192.96. Trade pressures are up. Volumes are now bearish. Support at 190.67.

XPO Logistics, Inc.

XPO Logistics, Inc. (XPO) wraps up the Top 5 Stocks list for the first time since being added to the Buy List in February. As a refresher, XPO Logistics is a top 10 global logistics company based in Greenwich, Texas. Through its two reporting segments—Transportation and Logistics—XPO Logistics helps over 50,000 customers improve their productivity and lower costs.

Just last week, XPO Logistics announced that it would be expanding its Drive XPO mobile technology to Europe this spring. Drive XPO is a mobile app designed with carriers (such as trucking and airline companies) in mind. With the app, carriers get real-time visibility across transportation modes and carrier operations are integrated with daily productivity tools. After successfully launching Drive XPO in the U.S., XPO Logistics is taking the app abroad.

Before that, XPO Logistics unveiled WMx, a new, cloud-based mobile software platform. WMx enables fast deployment and integration of automation and robotics at a fraction of conventional start-up times and is optimized for tablets and mobile devices. Company management described the proprietary WMx platform as the future of warehouse management. Given their ability to do anything from helping an aerospace customer launch a new aircraft to supporting warehouse customers through technology, it’s no surprise that The Boeing Company (BA) recently named XPO Logistics one of its superior suppliers.

In the fourth quarter, XPO Logistics reported 13.9% annual sales growth and 87.5% annual earnings growth. The company is on deck to reveal results for the first quarter on or around May 9. Analysts are currently forecasting 10.7% annual sales growth and 80% in annual earnings growth. So this Moderately Aggressive stock remains a Strong Buy up to $110 per share.

SOM Technicals:

3-30-18: Closed at 101.81. Trade pressures are down into the neutral zone. Volumes are neutral. The next target up is 109.37.

4-7-18: Closed at 96.26. Trade pressures are in the neutral zone. Volumes are bearish. The next target up is 109.37.

4-14-18: Closed at 99.40. Trade pressures are still neutral. Volumes are bullish to neutral. The next target up is 109.37.

4-21-18: Closed at 104.44. Trade pressures are up. Volumes are bearish. Touched the 109.37 target and now pulling back. Support at 101.24.