Why Apple, Accenture and MasterCard Are Must-Own Stocks

Apple’s quarterly earnings report failed to inspire Wall Street traders last week, yet investors should remain energetic about the tech giant’s stock, said Philip Martin, portfolio manager for Martin Investments at Covestor. 'Throughout their product lines, they have done a tremendous job of generating great profit margins and will continue to do so. With the ecosystem they are building, they are making a simple solution for the modern consumer,' said Martin. 'That’s very powerful and going forward will continue.' Apple reporter net income of $3.28 a share in its fiscal first quarter last Tuesday, surpassing Wall Street’s consensus estimate of $3.24 a share. The iPhone maker posted revenue of $75.87 billion in the period, falling short of Street forecasts of $76.41 billion. Apple (AAPL) shares are down 8.5% so far in 2016. Accenture (ACN) is up over 15% in very choppy trading over the past 12 months. Martin expects a smoother ride higher in the coming year for the management consulting company.