Track market-moving stories before they get noisy

PANAMA CITY, June 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BingX, a leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3-AI company, today announced the launch of its Stock Trading Carnival campaign, featuring a total new prize pool of more than $1 million. The campaign marks another step in BingX's broader multi-asset expansion strategy, reinforcing its vision of connecting users to opportunities across both digital assets and traditional financial markets through a single trading platform.

As the third edition of BingX's Global Capital Gala series, this stock-themed campaign will run from June 15 to July 4, 2026. Traders can share the $1 million prize pool by inviting friends to trade stocks, participating in trading activities, with additional rewards available for first-time stock traders on BingX. Users can access popular and trending names such as NVIDIA (NVDA), Micron (MU), Samsung, and SK Hynix, while benefiting from several key advantages:

24/7 Trading for Popular Stocks: Users can seize market opportunities beyond traditional market hours through extended access to selected stock products.Broad Selection of Trending Global Stocks: BingX continuously expands its stock offerings to include some of the world's most sought-after companies and emerging market favorites.Deep Liquidity Across Global Markets: With peak daily TradFi trading volume exceeding $2 billion, BingX enables efficient execution across a diverse range of global equities.Ongoing Market Engagement: Through monthly Global Capital Gala trading events, BingX users are able to explore different asset classes while benefiting from exclusive rewards. "Stock trading represents a key pillar of our multi-asset strategy and reflects growing demand from users seeking broader exposure beyond crypto," said Pablo Monti, spokesperson of BingX. "Through BingX TradFi, we're making it easier for traders to access global markets from a single platform while maintaining the flexibility, accessibility, and user experience they expect from BingX."

About BingX
Founded in 2018, BingX is a leading crypto exchange and Web3-AI company, serving over 40 million users worldwide. Ranked among the top five global crypto derivatives exchanges and a pioneer of crypto copy trading, BingX addresses the evolving needs of users across all experience levels.

Powered by a comprehensive suite of AI-driven products and services, including futures, spot, copy trading, and TradFi offerings, BingX empowers users with innovative tools designed to enhance performance, confidence, and efficiency.

BingX has been the principal partner of Chelsea FC since 2024, and became the first official crypto exchange partner of Scuderia Ferrari HP in 2026.

For media inquiries, please contact: [email protected]
For more information, please visit:  https://bingx.com/

Disclaimer: This sponsored content is provided by the content provider and does not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. The information is shared for general informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice. Cryptocurrency and mining-related activities carry risks, including the potential loss of capital, and readers are encouraged to conduct their own research and seek professional advice where appropriate. Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose. The media platform and publisher assume no responsibility for any losses or claims arising from reliance on this content. GlobeNewswire does not endorse any content on this page.

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Salesforce on Monday said it is buying AI customer service platform Fin for about $3.6 billion as businesses accelerate their agentic offerings for enterprises.

The deal, expected to close in the fourth quarter of the company's fiscal 2027 year, will complement its flagship Agentforce platform, offering additional ways to deploy agentic artificial intelligence, the company said in a release.

Fin's primary offering is an AI agent capable of resolving chat, email, WhatsApp, text message, phone, and Slack queries, Salesforce said. The agent is powered by its proprietary AI model known as Apex.

"Together, we'll help companies of every size seize this opportunity — accelerating time to value with trusted agents that deliver measurable outcomes at scale," said Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff in a release.

Like many software-as-a-service companies, Salesforce is grappling with concerns that new AI tools will render its business model obsolete. Against this backdrop, Salesforce shares have shed more than a third of their value in 2026.

Read more CNBC tech newsA year after Meta tapped Alexandr Wang to build a new AI model, Zuckerberg has to sell itAnthropic disables access to Fable 5 and Mythos 5 to comply with government directiveFrom 10% chance of success to $2 trillion market cap: SpaceX's historic IPONew SpaceX millionaires are reinventing the business of managing large wealthAt the same time, the rise of agentic AI is heightening competition and forcing companies to beef up and invest in more autonomous tech for customers.

"Over the past few years we've been shipping intensely," CEO Eoghan McCabe wrote in a post to social media platform X. "Including recently our groundbreaking model, Apex, and our paradigm-defining internal agent, Operator. With the resources of Salesforce, this will only accelerate."

McCabe has publicly endorsed President Donald Trump and posted photos with the president and his administration on social media.

In its nearly three-decade history, Salesforce has made several multibillion-dollar acquisitions. Its largest was a more than $27 billion deal for chat software company Slack, which closed in 2021.

In its recent quarterly earnings report, Salesforce topped Wall Street's estimates, but its backlog came up short.

Joining Jim Cramer's "Mad Money" following the results, Benioff shot down concerns that the company is getting disrupted by AI. He said the company saw "record" transactions in the first quarter, and Slack experienced strong growth due to AI.

"We've never seen this many large transactions happen, and also I think we're going to see in the second quarter — attrition is probably coming down," he said.

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In Brief

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7:34 AM PDT · June 15, 2026

Image Credits:Interim Archives / Getty Images Salesforce announced on Monday that it will acquire AI customer service platform Fin for $3.6 billion. Formerly known as Intercom, Fin offers an AI agent that can resolve customer queries across channels, using live chat, WhatsApp, SMS, phone calls, Slack, and more.

Salesforce says it wants to use Fin’s team and technology to improve Agentforce, its existing enterprise platform that businesses can use to build custom AI agents that automate tasks.

“Fin brings proven agent technology, a deep commitment to customer success, and an incredible AI team that will complement Agentforce with powerful service agent capabilities,” said Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff in a statement. “Together, we’ll help companies of every size seize this opportunity — accelerating time to value with trusted agents that deliver measurable outcomes at scale.”

The transaction is expected to close in the last quarter of Salesforce’s 2027 fiscal year, which is actually slated for the first few months of 2027 because of how the company reports its financials.

“To our customers: Over the past few years we’ve been shipping intensely. Including recently our groundbreaking model, Apex, and our paradigm-defining internal agent, Operator,” wrote Fin co-founder and CEO Eoghan McCabe in an X post. “With the resources of Salesforce this will only accelerate. And yet little will practically change. I’ll still be CEO, Des will still be running R&D, we’ll both still be committed to continuing to lead this category. Thank you very sincerely and deeply for your belief in us.”

We’re excited to share that we just signed an agreement for @salesforce to acquire @fin_ai for ~$3.6B. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of Salesforce’s fiscal year 2027.

Fin started as Intercom 15 years ago. We changed our name to cap our transformation… pic.twitter.com/ghD3xGld55

— Eoghan McCabe (@eoghan) June 15, 2026 Topics

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Wall Street rallied toward record highs Monday as President Donald Trump declared the Strait of Hormuz reopened and oil prices plunged, yet a cluster of the market’s biggest names are still trading well below their pre-war levels.

West Texas Intermediate fell 5.4% on Monday to about $80 a barrel, now trading more than 30% below its wartime peak, as the U.S. and Iran moved to end the conflict and reopen the strait.

Using Benzinga Pro, a screen of stocks worth more than $100 billion turns up 20 names still trading below their February 27 close, the last session before the war began. Each remains down by 15% to 24%.

What Trump Said On IranTrump announced the agreement Sunday on Truth Social, clearing the reopening of the waterway and lifting the United States naval blockade.

"The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete. … Ships of the world, start your engines. Let the oil flow!"

On Monday, Trump added the relief was already reaching the water.

“Ships are starting to move, many loaded up with Oil, out of the Strait,” he wrote on Truth Social on Monday, describing a southern shipping route he called safe and secure. Roughly a fifth of the world's oil moves through the strait. Its closure since late February had built a war premium into every barrel.

The formal peace agreement is now set to be signed Friday in Switzerland. Vice President JD Vance said the full text would be released this week.

Which Stocks Lagged During Iran War?According to Benzinga Pro, the stocks still trading below their February 27, 2026 close cluster in consumer staples, healthcare, communication services, software and mining.

China is the world's biggest crude importer, so the Hormuz shock hit it hardest. Higher energy costs fed straight into the cost base of its companies and squeezed profit margins.

For these names the weakness is not a war story. The group has kept sliding over the past quarter, extending a downtrend that was already in place before the first shot was fired.

Image: Shutterstock

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US stocks opened higher on Monday as investors welcomed signs of a potential agreement between the United States and Iran to end their conflict, while continued enthusiasm surrounding SpaceX’s blockbuster market debut added to the positive sentiment.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 621 points, or 1.21%, while the S&P 500 advanced 1.5%.

Nasdaq Composite led the gains, rising 2.37% as technology and artificial intelligence-related stocks moved higher.

The rally followed reports that Washington and Tehran had reached a preliminary framework aimed at ending the conflict and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route.

According to reports, the agreement could be formally signed in Switzerland on Friday.

Investor sentiment received a boost after President Donald Trump announced that an agreement with Iran was “now complete.”

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif later said the memorandum of understanding would be signed later this week.

The prospect of renewed oil flows from the Middle East sent crude prices sharply lower.

US crude fell about 5% to around $80 per barrel, while broader energy markets dropped to their lowest levels since March.

Lower oil prices lifted shares of companies that typically benefit from reduced fuel costs.

United Airlines rose 7% in trading, while Delta Air Lines and American Airlines each gained 4.3% and 3.8% respectively .

Cruise operators Norwegian Cruise Line and Carnival also advanced roughly 5%.

Energy producers moved in the opposite direction.

Shares of Exxon Mobil and Chevron each declined more than 4% as investors adjusted to the prospect of weaker crude prices.

Markets also remained focused on SpaceX after the Elon Musk-led company completed one of the most closely watched public offerings in recent years.

SpaceX shares rose another 5.2% in trading after surging more than 19% during their Nasdaq debut on Friday.

The company ended its first trading day with a market capitalization exceeding $2 trillion.

The successful launch has strengthened confidence in the IPO market ahead of several highly anticipated listings expected later this year.

Analysts said the smooth debut could provide a template for future public offerings, including potential listings from OpenAI and Anthropic.

Technology and semiconductor stocks also advanced as investors rotated back into AI-related names.

Micron surged 7.8% after several brokerages raised their price targets on the stock.

Nvidia gained 2.5%, Intel added 4%, and Marvell Technology rose 4.1% in trading.

Meanwhile, investors continued to monitor the upcoming Federal Reserve policy meeting, the first under Chair Kevin Warsh.

Markets overwhelmingly expect policymakers to leave interest rates unchanged this week, although traders remain focused on any signals regarding the future path of monetary policy.

The CBOE Volatility Index, often referred to as Wall Street’s fear gauge, fell to a more than one-week low, reflecting improving investor confidence as geopolitical concerns eased and growth-focused sectors regained momentum.

Oracle ORCL shares staged a sharp rebound on Monday, rising around 6% to trade near $194 as investors returned to the software giant following a steep selloff earlier this month.

Oracle shares entered the session down roughly 18% for the month.

The rally came alongside a broader market advance after US President Donald Trump announced that an agreement had been reached to end the war between the United States and Iran.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 630 points, or 1.2%, and reached a new all-time intraday high.

The S&P 500 climbed 1.6%, while the Nasdaq Composite advanced 2.4%.

Analysts remain positive on growth outlookInvestor sentiment received additional support after Mizuho reiterated its Outperform rating and maintained a $320 price target on Oracle.

The firm said Oracle delivered a strong fourth-quarter performance, highlighting Infrastructure-as-a-Service revenue growth of more than 90% year over year as new capacity and the Abilene supercluster came online as scheduled.

Mizuho described Oracle's fiscal 2027 revenue guidance as a conservative starting point and said the company's bring-your-own-cloud strategy and customer prepayment model could help it reach a stage where growth becomes self-funded.

AI spending remains a key debateThe rebound follows a difficult stretch for the stock after investors reacted negatively to Oracle's latest earnings report despite the company exceeding Wall Street expectations.

Last week, Oracle shares fell sharply after management disclosed plans for an additional $20 billion capital raise and reported negative free cash flow for the fiscal year.

For its fiscal fourth quarter, Oracle reported revenue of $19.18 billion, up 21% year over year and above analyst expectations of $19.1 billion, according to LSEG data.

Adjusted earnings per share came in at $2.03, exceeding consensus estimates of $1.96.

However, investors focused on the costs associated with the company's aggressive artificial intelligence infrastructure expansion.

Oracle reported negative free cash flow of $23.7 billion for the fiscal year and said it plans to raise $40 billion through a combination of debt and equity financing.

That includes a previously announced $20 billion share sale.

The company had already raised $43 billion in debt and $5 billion in equity during fiscal 2026.

Capital expenditures surged 162% to $55.7 billion during the year.

New Chief Financial Officer Hilary Maxson said net cash outflows related to capital expenditures are expected to reach approximately $70 billion during fiscal 2027, excluding between $20 billion and $25 billion of customer prepayments.

Despite concerns over spending, Oracle maintained its fiscal 2027 revenue target of $90 billion while increasing its adjusted earnings-per-share forecast to $8.05.

Analysts had been expecting earnings of $8.01 per share on revenue of $88.9 billion.

For the fiscal first quarter, Oracle projected adjusted earnings per share between $1.72 and $1.76 alongside revenue growth of 27% to 29%.

Analysts surveyed by LSEG had been expecting adjusted earnings per share of $1.68.

Cloud infrastructure remained a major growth driver. Revenue from the segment climbed 93% to $5.8 billion during the quarter.

The company's remaining performance obligations, a key measure of future contracted revenue, rose 363% year over year to $638 billion as of May 31.

Analysts polled by StreetAccount had been expecting approximately $595.7 billion.

Piper Sandler said in a report following the earnings release that Oracle would likely remain a debated stock but added that the firm remains constructive on the company's AI-driven consumption growth and continues to recommend the shares.

For investors, the key question remains whether Oracle's enormous AI-related spending will ultimately translate into sustained profit growth.

Key Takeaways Block launched Square High Yield Savings, offering eligible sellers a 3.5% APY on reserves.XYZ activates the higher APY automatically when Square Savings balances reach $10,000.Block plans a sales tax folder to automate tax savings and simplify cash management. Block's (XYZ - Free Report) banking subsidiary, Square Financial Services (“SFS”), has introduced Square High Yield Savings, allowing eligible Square sellers who maintain at least $10,000 in daily cash reserves in their Square Savings account to earn a 3.5% annual percentage yield (APY). The offered rate is significantly above the national average savings account yield, enhancing the value proposition for merchants using Square's ecosystem.

The initiative supports SFS' strategy to grow core deposits while providing sellers with an attractive return on idle cash. A larger deposit base can also strengthen SFS' ability to fund lending programs and further expand Block's suite of financial services for businesses and consumers.

Square sellers can automatically allocate a portion of their daily sales into their Square Savings account through the Square Dashboard. Once account balances reach the $10,000 threshold, the higher APY is activated automatically.

Key features of the program include no minimum deposit requirement, no monthly maintenance fees and FDIC insurance coverage of up to $2.5 million through the Square Savings deposit sweep program. Interest accrues daily and is applied to the entire account balance.

Square plans to launch an automated sales tax folder within Square Savings. The feature will automatically set aside sales tax collected from eligible card transactions, helping sellers streamline cash management and reduce administrative work. The tool will leverage existing Square tax settings and support businesses operating across multiple locations and tax jurisdictions.

ConclusionBlock’s launch of Square High Yield Savings strengthens the value of its merchant ecosystem by offering competitive returns on cash reserves while encouraging deeper use of its financial services. Combined with upcoming cash management tools, the initiative supports deposit growth, enhances seller convenience and expands the capabilities of Square Financial Services.

Over the past three months, shares of this Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) company have gained 16.1% against the industry's decline of 1.8%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Stocks to ConsiderSome better-ranked stocks from the internet-software sector are BILL Holdings, Inc. (BILL - Free Report) and Atlassian (TEAM - Free Report) , each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks Rank #1 stocks here.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BILL’s 2026 earnings per share (EPS) has moved northward by a cent to $2.64 over the past week.

The consensus estimate for TEAM’s 2026 EPS has moved up 17.1% to $5.48 per share over the past two months.

Note: Anything related to earnings presented in this write-up represents funds from operations (FFO), a widely used metric to gauge the performance of REITs.

It doesn't matter your age or experience: taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals for all investors. Luckily, Zacks Premium offers several different ways to do both.

Featuring daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, full access to the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens, the research service can help you become a smarter, more self-assured investor.

It also includes access to the Zacks Style Scores.

What are the Zacks Style Scores? The Zacks Style Scores is a unique set of guidelines that rates stocks based on three popular investing types, and were developed as complementary indicators for the Zacks Rank. This combination helps investors choose securities with the highest chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.

Each stock is given an alphabetic rating of A, B, C, D or F based on their value, growth, and momentum qualities. With this system, an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on, meaning the better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform.

The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:

Value ScoreFor value investors, it's all about finding good stocks at good prices, and discovering which companies are trading under their true value before the broader market catches on. The Value Style Score utilizes ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and a host of other multiples to help pick out the most attractive and discounted stocks.

Growth ScoreGrowth investors are more concerned with a stock's future prospects, and the overall financial health and strength of a company. Thus, the Growth Style Score analyzes characteristics like projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow to find stocks that will see sustainable growth over time.

Momentum ScoreMomentum investors, who live by the saying "the trend is your friend," are most interested in taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook. Utilizing one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates, among other factors, the Momentum Style Score can help determine favorable times to buy high-momentum stocks.

VGM ScoreWhat if you like to use all three types of investing? The VGM Score is a combination of all Style Scores, making it one of the most comprehensive indicators to use with the Zacks Rank. It rates each stock on their combined weighted styles, which helps narrow down the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum.

How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank The Zacks Rank is a proprietary stock-rating model that harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings expectations, to help investors build a successful portfolio.

Investors can count on the Zacks Rank's success, with #1 (Strong Buy) stocks producing an unmatched +24% average annual return since 1988, more than double the S&P 500's performance. But the model rates a large number of stocks, and there are over 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, plus another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.

With more than 800 top-rated stocks to choose from, it can certainly feel overwhelming to pick the ones that are right for you and your investing journey.

That's where the Style Scores come in.

To maximize your returns, you want to buy stocks with the highest probability of success. This means picking stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B. If you find yourself looking at stocks with a #3 (Hold) rank, make sure they have Scores of A or B as well to ensure as much upside potential as possible.

As mentioned above, the Scores are designed to work with the Zacks Rank, so any change to a company's earnings outlook should be a deciding factor when picking which stocks to buy.

Here's an example: a stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, even one with Style Scores of A and B, still has a downward-trending earnings outlook, and a bigger chance its share price will decrease too.

Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.

Stock to Watch: Globe Life (GL - Free Report) Based in McKinney, TX, and founded in 1979, Globe Life Inc. (formerly known as Torchmark Corporation) is an insurance holding company for a group of insurance companies that market primarily individual life and supplemental health insurance to lower-middle to middle-income households throughout the United States. Globe Life's insurance subsidiaries write a variety of nonparticipating ordinary life insurance products, which include traditional whole life, term life and other life insurance. Globe Life offers Medicare Supplement and limited-benefit supplemental health insurance products that include primarily critical illness and accident plans.

GL is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of B.

Momentum investors should take note of this Finance stock. GL has a Momentum Style Score of A, and shares are up 7.6% over the past four weeks.

For fiscal 2026, six analysts revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days, and the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.37 to $15.64 per share. GL boasts an average earnings surprise of +1.1%.

With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Momentum and VGM Style Scores, GL should be on investors' short list.

It doesn't matter your age or experience: taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals for all investors. Luckily, Zacks Premium offers several different ways to do both.

The research service features daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, full access to the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens, all of which will help you become a smarter, more confident investor.

It also includes access to the Zacks Style Scores.

What are the Zacks Style Scores? Developed alongside the Zacks Rank, the Zacks Style Scores are a group of complementary indicators that help investors pick stocks with the best chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.

Each stock is assigned a rating of A, B, C, D, or F based on their value, growth, and momentum characteristics. Just like in school, an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on -- that means the better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform.

The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:

Value ScoreValue investors love finding good stocks at good prices, especially before the broader market catches on to a stock's true value. Utilizing ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and many other multiples, the Value Style Score identifies the most attractive and most discounted stocks.

Growth ScoreWhile good value is important, growth investors are more focused on a company's financial strength and health, and its future outlook. The Growth Style Score takes projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow into account to uncover stocks that will see long-term, sustainable growth.

Momentum ScoreMomentum traders and investors live by the saying "the trend is your friend." This investing style is all about taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook. Employing factors like one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates, the Momentum Style Score can indicate favorable times to build a position in high-momentum stocks.

VGM ScoreIf you like to use all three kinds of investing, then the VGM Score is for you. It's a combination of all Style Scores, and is an important indicator to use with the Zacks Rank. The VGM Score rates each stock on their shared weighted styles, narrowing down the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum.

How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank The Zacks Rank is a proprietary stock-rating model that harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings expectations, to help investors build a successful portfolio.

Investors can count on the Zacks Rank's success, with #1 (Strong Buy) stocks producing an unmatched +24% average annual return since 1988, more than double the S&P 500's performance. But the model rates a large number of stocks, and there are over 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, plus another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.

But it can feel overwhelming to pick the right stocks for you and your investing goals with over 800 top-rated stocks to choose from.

That's where the Style Scores come in.

To maximize your returns, you want to buy stocks with the highest probability of success. This means picking stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B. If you find yourself looking at stocks with a #3 (Hold) rank, make sure they have Scores of A or B as well to ensure as much upside potential as possible.

The direction of a stock's earnings estimate revisions should always be a key factor when choosing which stocks to buy, since the Scores were created to work together with the Zacks Rank.

For instance, a stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, even one that boasts Scores of A and B, still has a downward-trending earnings forecast, and a much greater likelihood its share price will decline as well.

Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.

Stock to Watch: Costco (COST - Free Report) Based in Issaquah, WA, Costco Wholesale Corporation sells high volumes of food and general merchandise (including household products and appliances) at discounted prices through membership warehouses. It is one of the largest warehouse club operators in the United States. The company also operates e-commerce sites in the United States, Canada, the U.K., Mexico, Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Australia and China.

COST is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of B.

Additionally, the company could be a top pick for growth investors. COST has a Growth Style Score of A, forecasting year-over-year earnings growth of 13.3% for the current fiscal year.

Eight analysts revised their earnings estimate higher in the last 60 days for fiscal 2026, while the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.06 to $20.38 per share. COST also boasts an average earnings surprise of +1%.

With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Growth and VGM Style Scores, COST should be on investors' short list.

It doesn't matter your age or experience: taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals for all investors. Luckily, Zacks Premium offers several different ways to do both.

Featuring daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, full access to the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens, the research service can help you become a smarter, more self-assured investor.

It also includes access to the Zacks Style Scores.

What are the Zacks Style Scores? The Zacks Style Scores is a unique set of guidelines that rates stocks based on three popular investing types, and were developed as complementary indicators for the Zacks Rank. This combination helps investors choose securities with the highest chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.

Each stock is assigned a rating of A, B, C, D, or F based on their value, growth, and momentum characteristics. Just like in school, an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on -- that means the better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform.

The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:

Value ScoreFinding good stocks at good prices, and discovering which companies are trading under their true value, are what value investors like to focus on. So, the Value Style Score takes into account ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and a host of other multiples to highlight the most attractive and discounted stocks.

Growth ScoreWhile good value is important, growth investors are more focused on a company's financial strength and health, and its future outlook. The Growth Style Score takes projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow into account to uncover stocks that will see long-term, sustainable growth.

Momentum ScoreMomentum investors, who live by the saying "the trend is your friend," are most interested in taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook. Utilizing one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates, among other factors, the Momentum Style Score can help determine favorable times to buy high-momentum stocks.

VGM ScoreIf you like to use all three kinds of investing, then the VGM Score is for you. It's a combination of all Style Scores, and is an important indicator to use with the Zacks Rank. The VGM Score rates each stock on their shared weighted styles, narrowing down the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum.

How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank A proprietary stock-rating model, the Zacks Rank utilizes the power of earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings outlook, to help investors create a successful portfolio.

It's highly successful, with #1 (Strong Buy) stocks producing an unmatched +24% average annual return since 1988. That's more than double the S&P 500. But because of the large number of stocks we rate, there are over 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, plus another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.

With more than 800 top-rated stocks to choose from, it can certainly feel overwhelming to pick the ones that are right for you and your investing journey.

That's where the Style Scores come in.

You want to make sure you're buying stocks with the highest likelihood of success, and to do that, you'll need to pick stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B. If you like a stock that only has a #3 (Hold) rank, it should also have Scores of A or B to guarantee as much upside potential as possible.

Since the Scores were created to work together with the Zacks Rank, the direction of a stock's earnings estimate revisions should be a key factor when choosing which stocks to buy.

Here's an example: a stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, even one with Style Scores of A and B, still has a downward-trending earnings outlook, and a bigger chance its share price will decrease too.

Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.

Stock to Watch: SSR Mining (SSRM - Free Report) SSR Mining Inc. is a precious metals miner engaged in the operation, acquisition, exploration and development of gold and silver assets across four key jurisdictions: the United States, Türkiye, Canada and Argentina. Incorporated in British Columbia in 2005, the company is headquartered in Denver, Colorado. Its portfolio is anchored in several of the world’s most prolific mineral belts. These include the Çöpler mine along the Tethyan Metallogenic Belt in Türkiye; the Marigold mine situated on Nevada’s Battle Mountain–Eureka trend; the Cripple Creek & Victor (CC&V) mine in Colorado’s historic Cripple Creek Mining District; the Seabee operation along the Trans-Hudson Corridor in Saskatchewan, Canada; and the Puna operation positioned within the Bolivian silver belt in Jujuy, Argentina.

SSRM is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of A.

It also boasts a Value Style Score of A thanks to attractive valuation metrics like a forward P/E ratio of 6.22; value investors should take notice.

Two analysts revised their earnings estimate higher in the last 60 days for fiscal 2026, while the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.61 to $4.38 per share. SSRM also boasts an average earnings surprise of +54%.

With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Value and VGM Style Scores, SSRM should be on investors' short list.

Shares of StoneCo Ltd. (STNE - Free Report) have gained 17.2% over the past four weeks to close the last trading session at $11.26, but there could still be a solid upside left in the stock if short-term price targets of Wall Street analysts are any indication. Going by the price targets, the mean estimate of $14.99 indicates a potential upside of 33.1%.

The average comprises nine short-term price targets ranging from a low of $9.00 to a high of $23.00, with a standard deviation of $4.4. While the lowest estimate indicates a decline of 20.1% from the current price level, the most optimistic estimate points to a 104.3% upside. More than the range, one should note the standard deviation here, as it helps understand the variability of the estimates. The smaller the standard deviation, the greater the agreement among analysts.

While the consensus price target is highly sought after by investors, the ability and unbiasedness of analysts in setting price targets have long been questionable. And investors making investment decisions solely based on this tool would arguably do themselves a disservice.

But, for STNE, an impressive average price target is not the only indicator of a potential upside. Strong agreement among analysts about the company's ability to report better earnings than they predicted earlier strengthens this view. While a positive trend in earnings estimate revisions doesn't gauge how much a stock could gain, it has proven to be powerful in predicting an upside.

Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Here's What You May Not Know About Analysts' Price TargetsAccording to researchers at several universities across the globe, a price target is one of many pieces of information about a stock that misleads investors far more often than it guides. In fact, empirical research shows that price targets set by several analysts, irrespective of the extent of agreement, rarely indicate where the price of a stock could actually be heading.

While Wall Street analysts have deep knowledge of a company's fundamentals and the sensitivity of its business to economic and industry issues, many of them tend to set overly optimistic price targets. Are you wondering why?

They usually do that to drum up interest in shares of companies that their firms either have existing business relationships with or are looking to be associated with. In other words, business incentives of firms covering a stock often result in inflated price targets set by analysts.

However, a tight clustering of price targets, which is represented by a low standard deviation, indicates that analysts have a high degree of agreement about the direction and magnitude of a stock's price movement. While that doesn't necessarily mean the stock will hit the average price target, it could be a good starting point for further research aimed at identifying the potential fundamental driving forces.

That said, while investors should not entirely ignore price targets, making an investment decision solely based on them could lead to disappointing ROI. So, price targets should always be treated with a high degree of skepticism.

Why STNE Could Witness a Solid UpsideThere has been increasing optimism among analysts lately about the company's earnings prospects, as indicated by strong agreement among them in revising EPS estimates higher. And that could be a legitimate reason to expect an upside in the stock. After all, empirical research shows a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has increased 16.1% over the past month, as one estimate has gone higher compared to no negative revision.

Moreover, STNE currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), which means it is in the top 20% of more than 4,000 stocks that we rank based on four factors related to earnings estimates. Given an impressive externally-audited track record, this is a more conclusive indication of the stock's potential upside in the near term. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>> .

Therefore, while the consensus price target may not be a reliable indicator of how much STNE could gain, the direction of price movement it implies does appear to be a good guide.

After a few years of spectacular gains, Palantir Technologies (PLTR +4.84%) stock has finally been cooling off. Entering this week, it's down 28% since the beginning of the year. Over a five-year stretch, its gains remain impressive at around 420%, but there's clearly been less excitement around the company of late.

Palantir's stock is trading near its 52-week low of $122.68, potentially making it a more enticing value option for investors. The business has, after all, been generating some impressive growth. Is now a good time to buy Palantir Technologies stock?

Image source: Getty Images.

Palantir has been a big winner due to AI Using artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance its platform has been a huge win for Palantir. Its data analytics software helps businesses and government organizations make the best decisions available. It's highly trusted, with U.S. President Donald Trump previously posting on social media about Palantir and its impressive technological abilities on the battlefield.

The proof is in the numbers: Palantir has continually improved its growth rate. Even as its business is growing rapidly, it's still accelerating higher, which is no small task, underscoring just how strong demand has been for the company's products and services.

PLTR Revenue (Quarterly YoY Growth) data by YCharts

In its most recent quarter, which covered the first three months of the year, Palantir also boasted of its Rule of 40 score, which came in at 145%. The score encompasses both its growth rate and adjusted operating margin. It's an excellent sign for a growth stock that it's doing well on both its top and bottom lines. CEO Alex Karp says the company has effectively "shattered the metric."

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Its growth may be impressive, but that may not be enough for the stock to rally higher The problem with Palantir has been that the stock has been trading at exceedingly high levels for a while, which means its valuation is pricing in the company's future growth opportunities. Investors who buy the stock today are paying a significant premium, as its price-to-earnings multiple is more than 140. Even though that has come down significantly from a year ago, it's still fairly high, given that the average stock in the S&P 500 trades at 25 times its earnings.

With a high valuation, it may not be easy for the stock to rise further, especially given many other growth stocks that may be more attractive to retail investors today and in the near future, including new offerings such as SpaceX, OpenAI, and Anthropic. Palantir may no longer be the hot stock to own for retail investors, which is why I wouldn't be surprised if it continues to fall even further this year.

With the 10-Year Treasury yielding 4.48% and the Fed signaling more cuts ahead, income investors are hunting for yield that compounds. Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY | BMY Price Prediction) offers a 4.39% yield backed by 94 consecutive years of dividend payments. The pharma giant is rebuilding around a Growth Portfolio (Eliquis, Camzyos, Breyanzi) while legacy drugs face generic erosion. The question I want answered: is this payout actually safe?

Dividend Snapshot Metric Value Annual Dividend $2.52 per share Dividend Yield 4.39% Consecutive Increases 17 years Most Recent Increase 1.6% (February 2026) Aristocrat Status No (17 of 25 years) Payout Ratios Leave Real Room to Breathe BMY paid out roughly $5.15 billion in dividends against FY2025 non-GAAP EPS of $6.15, putting the earnings payout ratio near 41%. Through nine months of 2025, operating cash flow hit $6.3 billion, comfortably above the ~$3.9 billion of dividends paid in the same window.

Metric Value Assessment Earnings Payout Ratio ~41% Healthy OCF Coverage (9M 2025) ~1.6x Adequate 2026 EPS Guidance $6.05 to $6.35 Covers dividend 2.4x Leverage Is Elevated but Manageable Metric Value Assessment Net Debt ~$33.6B Elevated Net Debt / EBITDA ~1.8x Manageable EBITDA (TTM) $18.97B Strong Cash on Hand $9.57B Solid Buffer A dovish Fed matters here: lower refinancing costs on that ~$49B debt stack directly protect cash available for shareholders.

The Streak Is Intact, Growth Is Modest Year Annual Dividend 2026 $2.52 2025 $2.48 2024 $2.40 2023 $2.28 2022 $2.16 Recent hikes have decelerated to roughly 1.6%, signaling management is preserving capital for pipeline investment rather than chasing aggressive raises.

Management’s Tone Is Confident CEO Christopher Boerner told investors on the Q4 2025 call that BMY has “a strengthened balance sheet that provides the strategic flexibility to continue investing in growth drivers” and pointed to “industry-leading, sustainable growth into the 2030s and beyond”. That is the language of a team prioritizing the dividend.

Verdict: Safe, With Slower Growth Ahead Dividend Safety Rating: Safe. A ~41% earnings payout ratio, inelastic demand for oncology and immunology treatments, and 2026 EPS guidance that covers the payout more than twice over leave a real margin of safety. The dividend looks well-supported if the Growth Portfolio keeps expanding double-digits and pivotal readouts like the ADEPT trial and iberdomide’s August 17, 2026 PDUFA land favorably. The risk picture darkens if legacy erosion overshoots the guided 12-16% decline and debt paydown slows. The dividend is safe; future raises will likely stay modest.

Investors interested in Basic Materials stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Albemarle (ALB - Free Report) is a stock that can certainly grab the attention of many investors, but do its recent returns compare favorably to the sector as a whole? Let's take a closer look at the stock's year-to-date performance to find out.

Albemarle is a member of the Basic Materials sector. This group includes 248 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #8. The Zacks Sector Rank gauges the strength of our 16 individual sector groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups.

The Zacks Rank is a proven model that highlights a variety of stocks with the right characteristics to outperform the market over the next one to three months. The system emphasizes earnings estimate revisions and favors companies with improving earnings outlooks. Albemarle is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).

Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for ALB's full-year earnings has moved 52% higher. This shows that analyst sentiment has improved and the company's earnings outlook is stronger.

According to our latest data, ALB has moved about 20.5% on a year-to-date basis. In comparison, Basic Materials companies have returned an average of 14.8%. This means that Albemarle is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.

Another stock in the Basic Materials sector, CF Industries (CF - Free Report) , has outperformed the sector so far this year. The stock's year-to-date return is 41.6%.

In CF Industries' case, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year increased 94.9% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Looking more specifically, Albemarle belongs to the Chemical - Diversified industry, which includes 29 individual stocks and currently sits at #93 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have gained 26% this year, meaning that ALB is slightly underperforming its industry in terms of year-to-date returns.

In contrast, CF Industries falls under the Fertilizers industry. Currently, this industry has 6 stocks and is ranked #47. Since the beginning of the year, the industry has moved +13%.

Investors with an interest in Basic Materials stocks should continue to track Albemarle and CF Industries. These stocks will be looking to continue their solid performance.

Fox agrees to acquire Roku, combining Tubi with a platform of more than 100 million subscribers. Summary

Deal could create the third-largest U.S. television player by viewing share.

Fox Corporation FOXA has agreed to acquire Roku ROKU in a deal valuing the streaming platform at about $22 billion including debt, marking a major push to combine television content, streaming distribution, and digital advertising under one roof. The deal would bring Fox's sports, news, and entertainment channels, including its free ad-supported platform Tubi, together with Roku's platform of more than 100 million subscribers. The companies said the combination would create the third-largest player in the U.S. television market by share of viewing, spanning broadcast, cable, local, and streaming.

Fox will pay $96 in cash and 0.9693 Fox Class A shares for each Roku share. Based on Fox's 10-day volume-weighted average price as of June 10, the stock portion represents $64 per Roku share. Roku shares rose about 1% to $145.25 in premarket trading Monday after jumping 20% Friday, while Fox shares fell 13%, suggesting investors may be weighing the strategic upside against the cost and execution risk of a large media transaction.

Roku helped accelerate the digital home entertainment shift through streaming devices that let viewers access apps such as Netflix and HBO Max on televisions. The company also sells branded TVs and projectors, operates its own streaming channel, and said in April that its devices are used by more than half of all U.S. broadband households. Roku's platform segment generated $4.1 billion, or 87.5% of revenue, last year, while Fox has secured $12 billion in fully committed bridge financing from Morgan Stanley Senior Funding. The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2027.

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Insiders may stand to receive substantial financial benefits not available to ordinary shareholders.

The proposed transaction may contain terms that could limit superior competing offers.

Shareholders are encouraged to contact the firm to discuss their rights and options at no cost or obligation. We would handle any matter on a contingent fee basis, whereby you would not be responsible for out-of-pocket payment of our legal fees or expenses.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Halper Sadeh LLC, an investor rights law firm, is investigating the sale of Roku, Inc. (NASDAQ: ROKU) to Fox Corporation for $96.00 in cash and 0.9693 shares of Fox Class A common stock for each Roku Class A and Class B share outstanding.

Halper Sadeh encourages Roku shareholders to click here to learn more about their rights and options or contact Daniel Sadeh or Zachary Halper free of charge at (212) 763-0060 or [email protected] or [email protected].

The investigation concerns whether Roku and its board of directors violated the federal securities laws and/or breached their fiduciary duties by failing to: (1) obtain the best possible price for Roku shareholders; (2) conduct a fair sales process free of any conflicts of interests; and (3) disclose all material information for Roku shareholders to evaluate the transaction.

On behalf of shareholders, Halper Sadeh LLC may seek increased consideration, additional disclosures, or other relief and benefits.

Halper Sadeh LLC represents investors all over the world who have fallen victim to securities fraud and corporate misconduct. Our attorneys have been instrumental in implementing corporate reforms and recovering millions of dollars on behalf of defrauded investors.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

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Roku ROKU is experiencing a decline in trading, even after Fox FOXA announced plans to acquire the company for $160.00 per share through a cash-and-stock deal. Investors are evaluating the limited upside against various factors, including deal spread, regulatory hurdles, approval from Fox shareholders, and the potential risks associated with FOXA's share price. The acquisition values ROKU at approximately $22 billion and follows a surge in speculation regarding its sale last week. Although the premium offered is significant compared to ROKU’s price before the rumors, it is considerably less than ROKU’s elevated close last Friday.

Deal Structure: ROKU shareholders will receive $96.00 in cash plus 0.9693 shares of FOXA Class A stock for each ROKU share, based on a FOXA reference price of $66.03, which introduces sensitivity to FOXA’s share price until the deal closes. Ownership Mix: Following the merger, ROKU shareholders are expected to own around 27% of the new company, while FOXA shareholders will hold approximately 73%, making FOXA’s stock performance crucial to the deal's perceived value. Strategic Rationale: The acquisition allows FOXA to gain connected-TV scale, enhance distribution, leverage ad-tech, and connect directly to ROKU’s over 100 million streaming households, thereby expanding its platforms for Fox sports, news, Tubi, The Roku Channel, and FOX One. Fox Reaction: FOXA shares are down as investors consider the strategic benefits against potential dilution, a pro forma net leverage of approximately 2.8x, and the complexities of integrating a large connected-TV platform with FOXA’s existing media operations. Certainty Signals: The merger has received unanimous approval from both boards, and Anthony Wood, along with other major ROKU stakeholders, has agreed to support the transaction, enhancing the prospects for ROKU shareholder approval. Financing and Synergies: FOXA has secured $12 billion in committed bridge financing and aims to achieve about $400 million in run-rate cost synergies, with potential revenue growth from advertising, distribution, and content integration. Regulatory and Platform Risk: Although FOXA asserts that ROKU will continue to operate as an open platform, regulatory bodies and streaming partners may closely examine the implications of ownership by a major media entity on platform neutrality, content prioritization, advertising data, and competitive access. The FOXA/ROKU deal shifts the conversation from ROKU's ability to enhance monetization as an independent connected-TV platform to whether the $160 per share cash-and-stock transaction can be finalized at that value. FOXA’s acquisition of ROKU provides strategic advantages, including operating-system scale and ad-tech capabilities, while strengthening the reach of Tubi, FOX One, and its sports and news content. However, the weakness in FOXA’s stock reflects investor concerns regarding dilution, leverage, integration risks, and the challenge of maintaining ROKU's partner-friendly neutrality as a controlled platform. For ROKU investors, the backing from Anthony Wood and affiliated entities signals increased certainty, but the deal's spread still reflects potential regulatory reviews, FOXA shareholder approval related to stock issuance, financing execution, and fluctuations in FOXA share prices.

This stock alert was generated using automated technology and GuruFocus financial data to provide readers with timely and accurate market reporting. This content was reviewed by GuruFocus editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected].

From a technical perspective, Roku (ROKU - Free Report) is looking like an interesting pick, as it just reached a key level of support. ROKU recently overtook the 50-day moving average, and this suggests a short-term bullish trend.

The 50-day simple moving average is one of three major moving averages used by traders and analysts to determine support or resistance levels for a wide range of securities. But the 50-day is considered to be more important because it's the first marker of an up or down trend.

Over the past four weeks, ROKU has gained 15.8%. The company is currently ranked a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), another strong indication the stock could move even higher.

Once investors consider ROKU's positive earnings estimate revisions, the bullish case only solidifies. No estimate has gone lower in the past two months for the current fiscal year, compared to 10 higher, and the consensus estimate has increased as well.

With a winning combination of earnings estimate revisions and hitting a key technical level, investors should keep their eye on ROKU for more gains in the near future.

In a blockbuster media transaction, Fox announced Monday that it will acquire Roku for roughly $22 billion. The deal folds Roku's device ecosystem, The Roku Channel and its advertising data into Fox's streaming strategy, increasing the media conglomerate's ability to target ads and broaden distribution of Fox-owned programming across more than 100 million households. 

Fox said Roku will continue to operate as a standalone platform.

Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch said this deal combines "the most valuable live content portfolio in video consumption with the preeminent streaming platform through which America watches it." 

What this deal means for streaming For Fox, the purchase deepens its foothold in the ad-supported streaming market and complements existing assets, such as Tubi and Fox One, giving the company both content and direct access to viewer behavior. The move also intensifies competition among media owners who are racing to consolidate audiences, advertising inventory and data as streaming viewership and ad dollars shift away from traditional, linear TV.

Potential regulatory questions loom as the acquisition pairs a major content owner with a popular TV platform-maker that hosts rivals' apps. That overlap could raise scrutiny to ensure Roku remains neutral toward competing streaming services. 

While investors have reacted to the announcement with concern about the debt Fox plans to take on to finance the deal, analysts note the potential upside for the company from combining scale, ad targeting and live-sports reach.

"Fox is not just buying streaming scale. It is securing a direct route into the living room, a stronger advertising engine and a deeper relationship with viewers as the connected TV interface becomes one of the most valuable parts of the media chain," PP Foresight analyst Paolo Pescatore said in a statement to CNET. 

"This gives Fox greater control over discovery, data and monetisation at a time when TV viewing continues to shift away from traditional channels," he said. "Bringing together premium content, live sports, advertising and platform distribution under one roof creates a compelling proposition. However, integrating a technology-led platform business with a traditional media company will be critical to unlocking the full strategic value of the deal."

If regulators approve the deal, the combined company would reshape the streaming marketplace by bringing together premium content, live sports and local news with one of the largest TV distribution and ad platforms.

Fox expects the deal to close in the first half of 2027.

Top executives from Fox Corp. and Roku say Fox’s $22 billion acquisition of the streaming giant is a win-win transaction, but Wall Street appears to have reservations.

Fox shares fell 18% in the first hour of trading Monday after the deal was announced, a sharper-than-usual haircut for a company making a major acquisition. Roku stock drifted down 1%, following a huge runup on Friday after reports surfaced that the company had held deal talks with a then-unnamed suitor.

During a conference call with Wall Street analysts, several questions addressed a concern on the Street’s part about how a “Switzerland” business like Roku can continue to prosper as part of Fox. Kannan Venkateshwar of Barclays put an even finer point on it. “When you negotiate with, say, Comcast or YouTube, you are largely a supplier of content. But now you’re also a distributor of the content,” he said. “It just creates a lot of complications both with respect to how many brands you own, what those brands individually do, as well your distribution strategy.”

Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch pushed back on that assertion. “I don’t think that’s, that’s quite the case,” he said. “We’re partners now in many ways with with YouTube and YouTube TV and Comcast, that doesn’t change. Those businesses themselves, in many cases, are both distributors and content providers. That doesn’t change.”

Murdoch called Roku and Tubi, a free streaming platform Fox acquired in 2020, “incredibly complementary” services, with about a one-third overlap in audience. Initially, he added, the plan will be to maintain them as distinct brands and businesses. Roku’s own free destination, the Roku Channel, is mainly FAST programming, while 90% of Tubi viewing is on-demand.

Roku founder and CEO Anthony Wood also took issue with a different analyst’s stated assumption that combining Fox and Roku would diminish the profitability of Roku’s home screen, which is beachfront property in streaming. “I don’t think that’s true, actually,” he said. “It’s going to increase profitability.”

Wood went on to “level-set,” as he put it, in terms of Roku’s main operations. “We sell ads on our home screen throughout our” user interface, he said. “But we also have many, many ways to promote content throughout the UI that are not necessarily sold. And we use that to promote partners, but we also use it as promote our own and operate our own properties.”

About 25% of viewing for the Roku Channel comes from a user clicking on the on-screen tile for the channel, with the other 75% coming from search traffic or other sources, Wood estimated. “There are many, many different ingress points throughout the user experience,” he said, with “almost an infinite supply” of ad impressions. “So we can easily, for example, promote owned and operated properties,” he said. In continuing to operate a “sports zone,” for example, Roku could continue to include third-party sports programmers alongside Fox, Wood maintained.

Roku’s advertising and subscriptions business is primarily “driven by promotion of our partners,” Wood said. “And our goal is to grow that business, not to retreat. So, we’re going to continue to grow that business. That means that means working closely with partners to do that.”

Striking a balance between owned-and-operated content and third-party business is “not a new problem for us,” Wood added. “The home screen of the platform is a unique asset and allows us to do that. We have policies and processes in place to allocate inventory appropriately. We are good at that. We know how to do that. We know how to promote our own services as well as promoting our partner services. And so we intend to continue doing that.”

Wood also noted that Fox and Roku together will account for the third-most viewing of any media company, according to a recent edition of Nielsen’s monthly Gauge report on market share. “The amount of content being distributed now is significantly increased in scale, and that provides a lot of leverage on different dimensions,” he said. That expanded setup “makes it a more interesting, must-use partner for content owners.”

Asked whether there was a competitive bidding process, Wood would only say that the Roku board of directors “ran a thorough process” and determined that Fox’s bid was “the best offer.”

In the executive ranks, there is also bound to be some intrigue as the two companies come together in the coming months – a topic that was not addressed on the call. In the deal announcement, the companies said Wood will have an “ongoing role” and be added to the Fox Corp. board.

While Wood will continue to look after the company he launched, three senior execs with streaming experience will also be in the mix. Anjali Sud, head of Tubi, steered it through significant growth and gained acclaim for her poise and business acumen. Pete Distad, a former Apple exec who joined Fox last year and spearheaded the launch of the Fox One subscription streamer, is seasoned and well-regarded. Charlie Collier, president of Roku Media, is the former head of entertainment at Fox and before that worked at AMC Global Media. While Collier spent a large portion of his career in traditional linear TV, his tenure at Fox coincided with the company’s $440 million acquisition of Tubi and he has been a key part of Roku’s recent strides.

Fox Corp. (FOXA) sold off and became the worst performer on the S&P 500 (SPX) Monday after it announced an acquisition of Roku Inc. (ROKU). Marley Kayden walks investors through the key points behind the deal and explains how it compares to Paramount Skydance's (PSKY) acquisition of Warner Bros.

This article was written and reviewed by Doug Nathman and his team at Trefis.

At the heart of the company's record-setting performance lies an extreme figure that highlights the pressure within the system, indicating why investors should proceed with caution.

With a remarkable increase of +774.6% over the past year, it is evident that investors in Micron Technology (MU) are anticipating an almost flawless future. The organization is achieving unprecedented results, driven by robust AI-related demand for its memory chips. However, when expectations soar to such heights, it's essential to examine the underlying stress factors beyond the prominent revenue and profit metrics.

BEIJING, CHINA - 2025/07/18: The illuminated "Micron" logo at the 3rd China International Supply Chain Expo. The third edition of CISCE has brought together more than 650 companies and institutions from 75 countries and regions said the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade the organizer of the expo. (Photo by Sheldon Cooper/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

For Micron, the most indicative figure is not found in the income report. Instead, it is the customer demand fulfillment ratio - a gauge of the amount of memory that customers request and what Micron can actually provide. Currently, this figure stands at a notably low level.

A Reflection Of A Major ImbalanceDuring their recent earnings discussion, management reiterated earlier statements: for several key clients, the company can meet only 50% to two-thirds of their medium-term demand. Upon inquiring if this situation still persists, the CEO simply responded, "Yes, this situation has not changed."

To clarify, this does not suggest operational shortcomings. It exemplifies a significant supply-demand mismatch that is currently supporting Micron's profitability. With demand substantially exceeding supply across all end markets, the company holds considerable pricing authority. Nevertheless, such conditions, however advantageous, seldom endure indefinitely.

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Potential Erosion Of Pricing PowerThis fulfillment disparity serves as the driving force behind the company's financial projections. It enables Micron to anticipate a gross margin of roughly 81% for its upcoming quarter. This estimate stems directly from its ability to dictate pricing in a market where supply is constrained.

The concern for investors arises from what transpires when this imbalance begins to stabilize. Should that fulfillment ratio start to increase, it would signal either that supply is starting to catch up or, more troubling, that demand is diminishing. Either scenario could directly pressure the substantial pricing that the company currently enjoys, leading to a decline in those record margins.

The Importance Of The ShortageThe entire bullish argument for Micron relies on the sustainability of this shortage. The valuation of the stock is predicated on margins that surpass historical benchmarks; analysts on the company's call highlighted that previous cyclical peaks for margins hovered around the low sixties. The difference between this historical peak and the current 81% guidance suggests a significant amount of profit that could be jeopardized if the market normalizes.

Micron anticipates that this environment will persist, planning for capital investments exceeding $25 billion in fiscal 2026 to expand capacity. This is a reasonable reaction to being able to fill just 50% of customer orders. However, it also heightens risk. If market conditions shift before the additional supply becomes available, the company might find itself increasing capacity in a deteriorating market.

At present, the shortage is both real and lucrative. But the crucial metric to monitor is not the margin itself. It is an indication from management that the fulfillment ratio is beginning to rise. That will be the initial sign that the tightrope is starting to waver.

The Trefis High Quality (HQ) Portfolio diversifies investments among 30 high-quality stocks and re-balances them systematically, ensuring that no single stock claims an oversized portion of your returns, and historically, it has outperformed the S&P 500, S&P Mid-cap, and Russell 2000.

Micron (MU - Free Report) is one of the stocks most watched by Zacks.com visitors lately. So, it might be a good idea to review some of the factors that might affect the near-term performance of the stock.

Over the past month, shares of this chipmaker have returned +35.5%, compared to the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.5% change. During this period, the Zacks Computer - Integrated Systems industry, which Micron falls in, has gained 21.7%. The key question now is: What could be the stock's future direction?

While media releases or rumors about a substantial change in a company's business prospects usually make its stock 'trending' and lead to an immediate price change, there are always some fundamental facts that eventually dominate the buy-and-hold decision-making.

Revisions to Earnings EstimatesHere at Zacks, we prioritize appraising the change in the projection of a company's future earnings over anything else. That's because we believe the present value of its future stream of earnings is what determines the fair value for its stock.

We essentially look at how sell-side analysts covering the stock are revising their earnings estimates to reflect the impact of the latest business trends. And if earnings estimates go up for a company, the fair value for its stock goes up. A higher fair value than the current market price drives investors' interest in buying the stock, leading to its price moving higher. This is why empirical research shows a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements.

Micron is expected to post earnings of $19.72 per share for the current quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +932.5%. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate has changed +1.5%.

For the current fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $60.23 points to a change of +626.5% from the prior year. Over the last 30 days, this estimate has changed +2.4%.

For the next fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $105.79 indicates a change of +75.6% from what Micron is expected to report a year ago. Over the past month, the estimate has changed +5.4%.

With an impressive externally audited track record, our proprietary stock rating tool -- the Zacks Rank -- is a more conclusive indicator of a stock's near-term price performance, as it effectively harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions. The size of the recent change in the consensus estimate, along with three other factors related to earnings estimates, has resulted in a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) for Micron.

The chart below shows the evolution of the company's forward 12-month consensus EPS estimate:

12 Month EPS

Revenue Growth ForecastEven though a company's earnings growth is arguably the best indicator of its financial health, nothing much happens if it cannot raise its revenues. It's almost impossible for a company to grow its earnings without growing its revenue for long periods. Therefore, knowing a company's potential revenue growth is crucial.

In the case of Micron, the consensus sales estimate of $34.24 billion for the current quarter points to a year-over-year change of +268.1%. The $111.55 billion and $185.89 billion estimates for the current and next fiscal years indicate changes of +198.5% and +66.6%, respectively.

Last Reported Results and Surprise HistoryMicron reported revenues of $23.86 billion in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +196.3%. EPS of $12.2 for the same period compares with $1.56 a year ago.

Compared to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $19.61 billion, the reported revenues represent a surprise of +21.67%. The EPS surprise was +38.64%.

The company beat consensus EPS estimates in each of the trailing four quarters. The company topped consensus revenue estimates each time over this period.

ValuationNo investment decision can be efficient without considering a stock's valuation. Whether a stock's current price rightly reflects the intrinsic value of the underlying business and the company's growth prospects is an essential determinant of its future price performance.

Comparing the current value of a company's valuation multiples, such as its price-to-earnings (P/E), price-to-sales (P/S), and price-to-cash flow (P/CF), to its own historical values helps ascertain whether its stock is fairly valued, overvalued, or undervalued, whereas comparing the company relative to its peers on these parameters gives a good sense of how reasonable its stock price is.

As part of the Zacks Style Scores system, the Zacks Value Style Score (which evaluates both traditional and unconventional valuation metrics) organizes stocks into five groups ranging from A to F (A is better than B; B is better than C; and so on), making it helpful in identifying whether a stock is overvalued, rightly valued, or temporarily undervalued.

Micron is graded F on this front, indicating that it is trading at a premium to its peers. Click here to see the values of some of the valuation metrics that have driven this grade.

ConclusionThe facts discussed here and much other information on Zacks.com might help determine whether or not it's worthwhile paying attention to the market buzz about Micron. However, its Zacks Rank #1 does suggest that it may outperform the broader market in the near term.

Micron Technology MU shares surged more than 7% on Monday as investors continued to embrace the artificial intelligence-driven semiconductor rally, while fresh signs of memory chip shortages reinforced expectations of a prolonged industry upcycle.

The stock rose to $1,076.79 in trading, extending recent gains as broader markets reacted positively to the prospect of a potential peace agreement between the United States and Iran.

Micron has become one of the key beneficiaries of the AI infrastructure boom, with growing demand for memory chips used in data centers, AI servers, and advanced computing applications driving investor enthusiasm.

The company’s shares have also attracted attention because of their relatively low valuation compared with broader technology stocks.

Despite its recent rally, Micron continues to trade at a discount to many technology peers.

According to FactSet data, the company was trading at 9.74 times forward earnings as of Friday's close, compared with 25.5 times for the Nasdaq Composite.

The discount reflects the memory industry's long history of boom-and-bust cycles, which have traditionally led investors to assign lower valuation multiples to memory-chip manufacturers.

However, the emergence of artificial intelligence as a major demand driver has prompted some investors to reconsider that view.

Market participants increasingly believe the industry may be entering a prolonged "supercycle" as AI systems require significantly larger amounts of memory capacity.

Recent developments have added to concerns about tight memory supply conditions.

Last week, Microsoft's Xbox division highlighted challenges related to component availability, offering another indication that demand continues to outpace supply.

That a platform holder is publicly weighing a new hardware model and flagging constrained console output shows the pass through has moved from PCs and phones into fixed BOM [bill of materials] devices that can’t easily reprice, reinforcing our structural shortage through 2027+ thesis

Analysts at RBC Capital also turned more optimistic on Micron's prospects, raising their price target on the stock to $1,200 from $525 while maintaining an Outperform rating.

The firm increased its estimates based on stronger pricing assumptions and expectations for higher memory-chip volumes.

According to RBC, the current DRAM upcycle has already lasted 12 quarters, exceeding the eight- to nine-quarter cycles experienced in 2014 and 2018.

The firm believes the cycle could continue for another five to six quarters as supply growth remains constrained.

RBC cited limited clean-room capacity, ongoing conversion toward high-bandwidth memory (HBM) production, robust capital expenditure trends, and growing demand from generative AI applications as factors supporting the outlook.

The brokerage also noted that the expansion of inference workloads and agentic AI applications is creating a structural increase in memory demand, while few near-term developments appear capable of easing supply tightness.

Technical outlook remains constructiveFrom a technical perspective, Micron continues to trade in a strong long-term uptrend.

The stock currently sits 18.1% above its 20-day simple moving average, 55.7% above its 50-day moving average, and 176.4% above its 200-day moving average.

The broader bullish structure remains intact, with the 20-day moving average positioned above the 50-day average and the 50-day average above the 200-day average.

This pattern has supported the stock's advance since a golden cross formed in June 2025.

However, momentum indicators suggest the pace of gains may be moderating.

The MACD remains below its signal line, and the histogram remains negative, indicating slower upside momentum compared with earlier stages of the rally.

Investors are now closely watching resistance near $1,089.50, close to Micron's 52-week high of $1,089.29, as the stock continues to test the upper end of its recent trading range.

When deciding whether to buy, sell, or hold a stock, investors often rely on analyst recommendations. Media reports about rating changes by these brokerage-firm-employed (or sell-side) analysts often influence a stock's price, but are they really important?

Let's take a look at what these Wall Street heavyweights have to say about Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (ISRG - Free Report) before we discuss the reliability of brokerage recommendations and how to use them to your advantage.

Intuitive Surgical currently has an average brokerage recommendation (ABR) of 1.71, on a scale of 1 to 5 (Strong Buy to Strong Sell), calculated based on the actual recommendations (Buy, Hold, Sell, etc.) made by 31 brokerage firms. An ABR of 1.71 approximates between Strong Buy and Buy.

Of the 31 recommendations that derive the current ABR, 20 are Strong Buy and two are Buy. Strong Buy and Buy respectively account for 64.5% and 6.5% of all recommendations.

Brokerage Recommendation Trends for ISRG

Check price target & stock forecast for Intuitive Surgical here>>>

The ABR suggests buying Intuitive Surgical, but making an investment decision solely on the basis of this information might not be a good idea. According to several studies, brokerage recommendations have little to no success guiding investors to choose stocks with the most potential for price appreciation.

Do you wonder why? As a result of the vested interest of brokerage firms in a stock they cover, their analysts tend to rate it with a strong positive bias. According to our research, brokerage firms assign five "Strong Buy" recommendations for every "Strong Sell" recommendation.

This means that the interests of these institutions are not always aligned with those of retail investors, giving little insight into the direction of a stock's future price movement. It would therefore be best to use this information to validate your own analysis or a tool that has proven to be highly effective at predicting stock price movements.

Zacks Rank, our proprietary stock rating tool with an impressive externally audited track record, categorizes stocks into five groups, ranging from Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) to Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), and is an effective indicator of a stock's price performance in the near future. Therefore, using the ABR to validate the Zacks Rank could be an efficient way of making a profitable investment decision.

Zacks Rank Should Not Be Confused With ABRAlthough both Zacks Rank and ABR are displayed in a range of 1--5, they are different measures altogether.

The ABR is calculated solely based on brokerage recommendations and is typically displayed with decimals (example: 1.28). In contrast, the Zacks Rank is a quantitative model allowing investors to harness the power of earnings estimate revisions. It is displayed in whole numbers -- 1 to 5.

Analysts employed by brokerage firms have been and continue to be overly optimistic with their recommendations. Since the ratings issued by these analysts are more favorable than their research would support because of the vested interest of their employers, they mislead investors far more often than they guide.

In contrast, the Zacks Rank is driven by earnings estimate revisions. And near-term stock price movements are strongly correlated with trends in earnings estimate revisions, according to empirical research.

Furthermore, the different grades of the Zacks Rank are applied proportionately across all stocks for which brokerage analysts provide earnings estimates for the current year. In other words, at all times, this tool maintains a balance among the five ranks it assigns.

Another key difference between the ABR and Zacks Rank is freshness. The ABR is not necessarily up-to-date when you look at it. But, since brokerage analysts keep revising their earnings estimates to account for a company's changing business trends, and their actions get reflected in the Zacks Rank quickly enough, it is always timely in indicating future price movements.

Is ISRG a Good Investment?Looking at the earnings estimate revisions for Intuitive Surgical, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has remained unchanged over the past month at $10.4.

Analysts' steady views regarding the company's earnings prospects, as indicated by an unchanged consensus estimate, could be a legitimate reason for the stock to perform in line with the broader market in the near term.

The size of the recent change in the consensus estimate, along with three other factors related to earnings estimates, has resulted in a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for Intuitive Surgical. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>>

It may therefore be prudent to be a little cautious with the Buy-equivalent ABR for Intuitive Surgical.