Barron's Latest Picks And Pans: Amazon, Johnson Controls, Porsche, Walmart And More

• The cover story in this weekend's Barron's offers investment opportunities as Europe's economy and markets rebound.
• Other featured articles discuss European airline stocks ready to soar, the worst retail stocks of the first half of 2021 and the passing of the baton at Amazon.
• Also, see the prospects for a heat-wave play, European automakers, a sports data firm and more.

The cover story "Europe's Economy and Markets Are Rebounding. 13 Investment Bets" by Nicholas Jasinski makes a case that a reopening economy, supportive fiscal policies and relatively cheap stocks make Europe an ideal destination for investors. Find out what Barron's recommends buying now. Is iShares Core MSCI Europe ETF IEUR worth a look?

In "3 European Airline Stocks That Are Ready to Soar," Callum Keown discusses why, as the travel industry recovers, Ryanair Holdings plc RYAAY and two other European airlines look especially well positioned and their stocks appear to have lots of room to run. Find out why Barron's believes these stocks could offer opportunities for investors.

Teresa Rivas's "The 5 Worst Performing Retail Stocks of 2021 So Far" reveals why Dollar Tree, Inc. DLTR, TJX Companies Inc TJX and Walmart Inc WMT were among the worst performers among retail sector stocks for the first six months of 2021. See who else made the list and where they could go from here.

London-based Genius Sports Ltd GENI pays big for exclusive access to sports data that it sells to bookies around the globe. So says "Touchdown or Fumble? The High-Risk Strategy of a Sports Data Firm" by Bill Alpert. The question is, according to Barron's, whether this result of a recent SPAC merger can turn a profit like its competitors.

In Al Root's "As Heat Wave Hits U.S., Johnson Controls Stock Can Benefit," discover why Barron's thinks that this multinational conglomerate's air-conditioning unit should get a weather-related boost as Americans broil in an early summer heatwave, but there are other reasons to own Johnson Controls International PLC JCI stock.

"After Covid Pain, NCR Is Cashing In on the Reopening" by Eric J. Savitz explains that this discounted stock looks like a bargain because NCR Corporation NCR ATMs, barcode scanners and cash registers are a direct bet on the rebounding consumer. The article points out that few companies have survived two pandemics like the former National Cash Register has.

See also: 10 Best Performing S&P 500 Stocks Of 2021

Amazon.com, Inc. AMZN is posting huge growth across all of its businesses, but the company's stock has been stuck in a rut for nearly a year, according to Eric J. Savitz's "As Jeff Bezos Steps Down, a New Era Begins for Amazon. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is set to hand over the reins to the incoming chief executive, Andy Jassy, though Bezos remains as executive board chair.

In "Why Porsche Is Primed to Catch Up With Ferrari," Randall W. Forsyth discusses how Ferrari NV RACE has surged, but Porsche represents an investment in the world's largest automaker, Volkswagen. VW is spending aggressively on technology in electric vehicles as it tries to take on industry leader Tesla Inc TSLA.

Ed Lin's "EV Stock Fisker's New Big Investor Is an Old Partner" points out that electric-vehicle maker Fisker Inc FSR has a new big investor. Well, not entirely new because Magna International Inc. MGA, a Canada-based auto supplier that just reported a large stake in the EV stock, is an old partner.

Also in this week's Barron's:

• Whether investors should be skeptical of the strong jobs report
• Why there is still time to play inflation
• Whether Robinhood's IPO signals the market top
• European dividends that are on the mend
• How to profit from the private jet shortage
• Why the global minimum tax deal is a win for Silicon Valley
• How to play Ark Innovation ETF's rebound
• ESG funds coming to 401(k)s
• Severe drought and higher prices for wheat crops
• An advisor that aims to close the black wealth gap