Track market-moving stories before they get noisy

Ford Motor Company (F 0.36%) stock took off like a rocket last month, climbing 45% in the last two weeks of May. Ford's given back about half those gains in the June stock sell-off, but why did Ford stock put pedal to metal in the first place?

Because all of a sudden, Ford has decided it's an energy stock.

Image source: Getty Images.

Ford Motor is electric A little over three years ago, Ford secured a license from China's Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., or CATL, which permits Ford to manufacture batteries using CATL technology. The original plan, of course, was to make these batteries for Ford electric vehicles (EVs). But now that EV demand in the U.S. has collapsed, and demand for electrical power to run artificial intelligence (AI) data centers has exploded, Ford has struck upon a new idea for how to use its technology license:

Ford will manufacture batteries to store electricity for use by data centers and AI semiconductor factories.

Ford announced the plan in January 2026, promising to build batteries at factories in Kentucky and Michigan, and use them to create a "battery energy storage business." Production would begin in mid-2027, rapidly ramping to produce 20 gigawatt-hours of batteries annually and generating as much as $5 billion in new energy storage revenue by 2030.

Wall Street already loves the idea. In mid-May, Morgan Stanley predicted energy could generate between $500 million and $600 million in annual operating profit for Ford.

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General Motors charges in It was this prediction, by the way, that sparked Ford stock's amazing run last month -- and it seems the lesson wasn't lost on Ford archrival General Motors (GM +1.11%). Last week, GM announced it has a few energy ideas of its own.

GM's first idea isn't exactly original: "vehicle-to-grid" electricity in which owners of GM EVs can plug them into the grid to support the grid during peak demand -- essentially a system of distributed energy storage. GM said last week it is seeking to partner with utility companies on such a project and is already in talks with utility companies in California and Michigan.

Separately, GM is partnering with privately held Redwood Materials to reuse or recycle old EV batteries for utility-scale energy storage.

Finally, GM said it's working on a new battery chemistry that centers on more common (and cheaper) sodium rather than lithium. The new sodium-ion technology has other advantages over lithium-ion batteries -- not requiring cooling to operate at full efficiency, for example -- and may also be simpler and more reliable. GM says it's partnering with Denver-based energy storage start-up Peak Energy to produce sodium-ion batteries beginning sometime after 2028.

This all sounds a bit more scattershot than Ford's simple approach: Build a factory to manufacture batteries, then assemble those batteries into energy storage systems. Then again, the more bets GM makes, the more chances that one of them may strike it rich!

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How rich, exactly? Wall Street's optimism aside, though, how does the math on all this work?

Let's take Ford's estimated "$5 billion" in 2030 battery energy storage revenue, for example. According to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence, Ford currently earns about a 0.8% operating profit margin on its revenues, implying $5 billion in extra revenue might earn Ford an extra $40 million.

That's hardly a large payoff for a new business that will take five years to build!

GM's 6.6% operating profit margin, in contrast, seems to offer more potential for profit should any of the company's several energy bets pay off. Still, there's the question of whether GM is better advised to keep earning 6.6% margins by selling trucks or try to earn even more by selling energy storage? How good a bet is that?

For context, consider the bet Tesla (TSLA 0.04%) made back when it began its own "energy generation and storage" business by buying SolarCity back in 2016. Over the past decade, this business has grown from $1.1 billion in annual revenue to $12.8 billion while also generating very respectable profit margins. In 2017, Tesla EGS earned a 21.7% gross profit margin that has since grown to nearly 30% in 2025.

Long story short, Tesla's energy business today generates nearly twice the gross margin of its EV business. If Ford and GM can accomplish anything similar, it should be well worth the effort.

General Motors has gutted its electric-vehicle ambitions and sidelined more than 1,000 jobs at its flagship Detroit assembly plant — while adding 50 robots, sparking outrage from labor unions.

The “collaborative robots,” or “cobots,” have been installed on the assembly line at GM’s Factory Zero plant in Michigan amid a sharply reduced demand for its EV models and the ensuing push to cut costs, reports said.

The machines are now working alongside the remaining humans there who attach the body panels to vehicles as they move down the track, according to AutoBlog.

“Cobots,” or “collaborative robots,” are now working alongside employees on the assembly line at GM’s flagship Detroit plant. AP The automaker insists the cobots are not replacements to human workers and are actually necessary at the Detroit-Hamtramck electric-truck plant to stay competitive while improving “safety and ergonomics” for the workers, according to Crain’s Detroit Business and a company spokesman.

“We’ve been installing cobots across our manufacturing footprint as part of a broader push to bring more advanced technology into our operations,” spokesman Kevin Kelly said.

“At Factory ZERO, we are implementing them alongside our team — helping improve safety and ergonomics, while keeping our operations flexible and competitive,” he said, adding that the workers let go are only temporarily laid off.

Kelly did not specify when those workers might eventually return to work.

But United Auto Workers Local 22 president James Cotton isn’t buying it, saying the machines are simply a cost-cutting measure that is taking jobs from his union members.

“Our manpower is being taken away from us,” Cotton said, according to Crains.

“From top to bottom, we’re disgusted that they have cobots in our plants,” he said.

Union workers protest being sidelined for machines. AP

More than 1,000 workers were let go while the company installed 50 robots shortly after. Reuters The number of labor hours required to produce a car has declined 50% to 70% since the 1980s, Crains reported.

But that hasn’t stopped UAW wages from going up. The union was able to make historic wage gains in 2023, and the union will likely seek stronger protections in its upcoming 2028 contract negotiations, the outlet said.

Cotton said that despite the company’s claim of the technology making conditions safer, he has safety concerns with robots working next to humans and noted the union has since filed grievances against GM over the cobots.

The automaker claims the cobots are necessary to stay competitive while improving “safety and ergonomics.” AP The cobots arrived as GM is getting hammered by slowing EV demand — largely because of the costs, according to AAA — with the automaker pausing production at Factory Zero multiple times over the past year.

In response to GM’s heavy automation push and cobot installation, UAW president Shawn Fain said workers are “in a fight for humanity,” reported the News Tribune.

“The fruits of our labor have multiplied like never before, but workers aren’t reaping the harvest,” he said, according to the outlet.

“And if AI continues to be used as an accessory to that crime, it has to be stopped — it doesn’t have to be this way — in a just society, when workers create more value, they see more of the benefit.”

In the first quarter of 2026, GM reported $4.25 billion in profits, up 22% from the same period the previous year, according to Yahoo! Finance.

Key Takeaways Goldman has advised on a record more than $1 trillion worth of M&A deals so far in 2026.Many announced deals are likely to close in 2H 2026, supporting Goldman's advisory fee growth.Goldman's IB fees rose 48% year over year in Q1'26, driven by stronger advisory activity. The Goldman Sachs Group Inc.’s (GS - Free Report) investment banking (IB) business is regaining momentum as global dealmaking activity continues to recover.

According to Dealogic data, Goldman has advised more than $1-trillion worth of announced mergers and acquisitions (M&A) so far in 2026, marking a record pace for any investment bank within a half-year period. This represents a 71% increase from the comparable period in 2025, underscoring the sharp rebound in corporate transaction activity after several years of subdued dealmaking.

Global M&A activity reached $2.73 trillion so far this year, up 38% year over year, with Goldman advising on deals representing more than 40% of the total announced transaction value. JPMorgan (JPM - Free Report) and Morgan Stanley (MS - Free Report) ranked second and third, respectively JPMorgan advised on $687.5 billion of transactions, whereas Morgan Stanley followed with $575.9 billion of deals.

Global M&A Advisor Ranking

Image Source: Dealogic

Last month, at the Bernstein Strategic Decisions Conference, Goldman indicated that it expects global M&A volume in 2026 to exceed the 2021 record and reach $3.8 trillion. The optimistic outlook reflects improving corporate confidence, easing financing conditions and renewed boardroom appetite for strategic growth. A broader return of private equity activity could provide an additional boost, as sponsors look to deploy capital, pursue portfolio exits and monetize assets after a slower transaction environment.

Stronger Fee Pipeline for GoldmanGS’s large M&A advisory pipeline is particularly important because investment banks typically earn advisory fees when transactions close. While fee rates vary based on deal size, complexity and client relationships, large-scale transactions can generate significant advisory revenues. Therefore, the firm’s more than $1 trillion in announced advised M&A volume provides a visible pipeline of potential fee income over the coming quarters. This commanding lead is translating directly into higher advisory revenues.

The timing of fee realization is important. Announced deal volume does not translate immediately to revenues, as advisory fees are generally recognized upon deal completion. However, with many of Goldman’s advised transactions expected to close during the second half of 2026, the current pipeline offers meaningful visibility into future investment banking revenues. This could help sustain advisory fee growth even if the pace of new deal announcements moderates later in the year.

The recovery is already visible in Goldman’s recent results. In the first quarter of 2026, advisory revenues rose 89% year over year on higher completed M&A volumes, supporting investment banking fee growth of 48%. If the current announced-deal pipeline converts into completed transactions, advisory revenues could remain a meaningful growth driver through the remainder of 2026, supporting profitability and top-line growth.

Goldman’s Price Performance & Zacks RankGS shares have gained 71.7% in a year compared with the industry growth of 32.7%. 

Price Performance

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Goldman currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Starbucks (SBUX +1.80%) may be on the verge of a major expansion, one that investors should note.

The global coffee giant currently operates more than 40,000 stores in 88 markets on six different continents (it has yet to establish an outpost in Antarctica).

More than 22,000 of those stores are outside the U.S. and Canada, a number that could increase substantially in the coming years, according to the company's CEO.

At the Evercore Consumer and Retail Conference in New York this week, Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol said the company can grow aggressively outside the U.S., claiming it could double its store count in other countries. He said that in China alone, the company will go from 8,000 stores today to 20,000 stores "in short order."

Niccol also said Starbucks is looking to open an additional 10,000 stores in the U.S., particularly in underpenetrated areas in the middle of the country, as today the company has a coastal bias.

Image source: Getty Images.

The company began as a single store in Seattle in 1971, selling whole bean coffee, tea, and spices.

The turnaround seems to be working Starbucks' share price is up 20% so far in 2026, after several difficult years when it moved sideways to slightly down, due to flagging sales and a loss of customers who were tired of the coffee chain's long waits and inconsistent product quality, among other problems.

Niccol, a former CEO at Chipotle, was hired in 2024 to turn the business around, and he seems to be having some success this year.

Among other changes in his "Back to Starbucks" strategy, Niccol cut almost 2,000 corporate workers from its payroll and closed hundreds of underperforming locations. He also had the company invest in stores to increase the timeliness and quality of orders.

In the second quarter (ended March 29), the company increased revenue 9% year over year to $9.5 billion and boosted earnings 14.5% to $0.50 a share. Both figures beat Wall Street's expectations, sending the stock higher. The quarter was the second consecutive period that the company saw traffic growth at its locations. Management also increased full-year guidance for 2026.

The stock is up about 5% since the second quarter results were announced.

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Niccol's turnaround is just a few quarters old, of course, but it looks like the strategy is gaining traction, and the market recognizes it. If his plan to double the international store count comes to fruition, investors might be very happy they invested $1,000 in the stock today.

Key Takeaways RCL expects fuel rates to reduce adjusted EPS by 62 cents for the remainder of 2026.Royal Caribbean sees net cruise costs, excluding fuel, to be approximately flat for the full year.RCL projects a full-year fuel expense of about $1.35B, with 59% of the remaining 2026 fuel hedged. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCL - Free Report) is working to protect 2026 earnings as higher fuel prices create a meaningful cost headwind. The company expects fuel rates to reduce adjusted earnings per share (EPS) by 62 cents for the remainder of the year, while lower expected earnings contribution from TUI Cruises adds another 12-cent drag. Full-year fuel expense is projected to be approximately $1.35 billion, with about 59% of the remaining 2026 fuel consumption hedged at rates meaningfully below market levels.

The earnings outlook is supported by continued cost discipline. RCL expects net cruise costs, excluding fuel, to be approximately flat for the full year, or 50 basis points better than its prior guidance. The company continues to focus on efficiency improvements, prudent expense management, technology, supply-chain initiatives and operating processes while maintaining the quality of the guest experience.

The second-quarter outlook provides an important checkpoint for the cost-control case. RCL expects net cruise costs, excluding fuel, to rise 4.6% to 5.1% in constant currency. The increase includes nearly 400 basis points of headwinds tied to additional dry dock days, year-over-year comparisons and higher crew travel costs caused by air travel disruptions and reduced airline capacity.

RCL’s ability to protect 2026 earnings will likely depend on whether it can sustain efficiency gains while delivering moderate capacity growth, yield growth and disciplined expense management. Cost controls may not fully neutralize the 62-cent fuel hit, but they can help limit the earnings impact and support the company’s ability to deliver double-digit adjusted EPS growth in 2026. For 2026, Royal Caribbean expects adjusted EPS of $17.10-$17.50.

How RCL Stacks Up to CompetitorsCarnival Corporation & plc (CCL - Free Report) is also facing fuel-related earnings pressure in 2026. Its guidance includes a 38-cent EPS headwind from higher fuel prices, which more than offsets an 11-cent operational improvement versus prior guidance. CCL expects full-year EPS of $2.21, with fuel assumptions based on Brent averaging $90 per barrel for the remainder of April and May, $85 per barrel in the third quarter and $80 per barrel in the fourth quarter. A 10% change in fuel cost per metric ton for the rest of the year would affect CCL’s bottom line by about $160 million, or 11 cents per share.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NCLH - Free Report) is facing fuel pressure alongside a weaker earnings outlook. The company expects fuel expense of approximately $800 million based on current spot prices, although fuel expense would be about 6% lower if rates were based on the forward curve. Reflecting softer-than-expected top-line performance and higher fuel costs, NCLH reduced its full-year adjusted EBITDA guidance to $2.48-$2.64 billion and adjusted EPS guidance to $1.45-$1.79.

RCL’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesShares of Royal Caribbean have gained 16.7% in the past year compared with the industry’s 8.8% growth.

RCL Stock’s One-Year Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, RCL trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 16.92, above the industry’s average of 16.72.

RCL’s P/E Ratio (Forward 12-Month) vs. Industry
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for RCL’s 2026 earnings implies a year-over-year uptick of 10.4%. The EPS estimates for 2026 have declined in the past 60 days.

EPS Trend of RCL Stock
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

RCL’s Zacks RankRCL stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

© jetcityimage / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

The headline number for this article is $180, and I want to address it head on before anyone scrolls further.

Our proprietary 24/7 Wall St. price target for PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP | PEP Price Prediction) is $170.18 over the next 12 months, with a clear path to $180 in the bull case as the World Cup activation, productivity savings, and convenient foods recovery compound through 2027. With shares at $142.02, that base case implies 19.83% upside.

Metric Value Current Price $142.02 24/7 Wall St. Price Target $170.18 Upside 19.83% Research View Constructive Confidence Level 90% A Defensive Name That Just Went on Sale PEP has fallen 4.42% over the past 30 days and 1.19% in the last week, partly reflecting hawkish Fed commentary that dimmed appetite for dividend stocks. Zooming out, shares are up 14.55% over the past year and Pepsi remains a Consumer Defensive anchor with a beta of 0.359.

Q1 FY2026 delivered core EPS of $1.61 on revenue of $19.44 billion, a 8.5% year-over-year gain. Operating margin expanded 210 basis points to 16.5%, and management reaffirmed full-year organic revenue growth of 2% to 4%. The next earnings catalyst lands on July 9, 2026.

Why Bulls See $180 by Mid-2027 Piper Sandler maintains an Overweight rating with a $178 price target, while TIKR’s longer-term model points to $208 by December 2030. Our bull case scenario lands at $177.28 by June 2027, with the $180 mark within reach if Q2 and Q3 earnings extend the Q1 beat streak.

Growth drivers are tangible. CEO Ramon Laguarta noted that PBNA grew 9% in Q1, and international markets are accelerating around the 2026 World Cup activation. PFNA added 300 million new consumption occasions versus the prior year.

Laguarta stated: “We’ve seen momentum in PBNA, both organic and reported…And sequential growth in PFNA.” Add a $10 billion buyback authorization, the 54th consecutive dividend hike, and active institutional buying, and the bull math works.

The Risks Worth Watching Tariff-driven commodity costs hit PBNA with an 11 percentage point impact in Q4 25, and FY25 operating income fell 19.57% on Rockstar and Be & Cheery impairments totaling $1.993 billion. Volume softness in convenient foods and slower snack consumption tied to GLP-1 adoption could pressure organic growth toward the bottom of the 2% to 4% range. Our bear case scenario stops at $152.27.

The FY25 impairments were one-time charges. Operating cash flow still came in at $12.087 billion, with FCF conversion guided above 80%. Bulls argue the impairments reflect aggressive portfolio cleanup rather than core business deterioration.

PepsiCo Price Prediction 2026-2030 The 24/7 Wall St. price target stands at $170.18 with 90% model confidence. Q1 delivered +8.5% revenue growth and a 210 bp margin expansion, yet shares trade closer to the 52-week low than the high.

The setup looks constructive for a low-beta compounder with a 4% yield and a clear path to $180 by 2027. The thesis weakens if Fed hawkishness continues penalizing dividend payers through the back half of 2026.

Here is where our model projects PEP could trade, assuming current growth trajectories and margin recovery hold.

Year 24/7 Wall St. Price Target 2026 $156 2027 $180 2028 $202 2029 $224 2030 $247 These projections assume PEP continues executing the productivity and innovation strategy Laguarta outlined, with the World Cup activation and poppi integration supporting beverage growth.

Significant upside or downside could result from sustained commodity inflation, faster-than-expected GLP-1 impacts on snack volumes, or larger buyback execution against the new $10 billion authorization.

PayPal Ventures is taking a break.

Five sources told Fortune that the corporate venture arm, which was founded in 2016, will be winding down operations. A company spokesperson confirmed the news to TechCrunch, albeit with a nuanced statement:

“As part of our continued efforts to sharpen our focus, we are exploring strategic options for our corporate venture arm,” the spokesperson said in an email.

PayPal Ventures has made more than 80 investments, including the crypto trading platform Talos Global, fintech infrastructure company Plaid, and the crypto bank Anchorage Digital. It has raised $850 million across three funds. 

PayPal Ventures still exists on paper and has a few employees supporting its portfolio of startups. However, it has paused new investment activity — at least for now.

The decision follows the departure of PayPal CEO Alex Chriss, who was replaced by Enrique Lores in February. The board said Chriss had failed to keep pace with industry changes and did not meet its expectations. Ironically, the end of PayPal Ventures could mean the company falls further behind. The venture arm gave PayPal a front-row seat to emerging fintech innovation; without it, the company risks losing visibility into startups shaping the future of financial services and falling behind competitors that maintain strategic venture arms.

Lores took the helm with the mission to restructure things, and he has done so, with more cuts and layoffs expected to continue throughout the next few years, Fortune reported. The outlet also said that PayPal is exploring secondary sales to offload some of its venture holdings and has hired Jefferies to help with that task. Lores said in the company’s first-quarter earnings call last month that it needed to “recommit to the fundamentals,” which included “becoming a technology company again.”

It’s clear the company wants to reposition itself in the ecosystem — particularly around AI — which means this may not be the final chapter for corporate venture investing at PayPal.

The PayPal Venture news also comes after the company reached a settlement in May with the Justice Department over the creation of an investment program back in 2020 that targeted Black and minority-owned businesses. Under the settlement, PayPal agreed to waive processing fees for $1 billion of transactions – a value of about $30 million, according to the DOJ. PayPal was also sued in January 2025 by an investor who claimed she was excluded from the investment program because she was Asian. That case looks to be headed toward trial, according to court documents.

This article has been updated to include more information about the portfolio and to clarify that new investments have been paused.

When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

Dominic-Madori Davis is a senior venture capital and startup reporter at TechCrunch. She is based in New York City.

You can contact or verify outreach from Dominic by emailing [email protected] or via encrypted message at +1 646 831-7565 on Signal.

Qualcomm Inc. QCOM shares moved lower on Tuesday, falling about 6% in trading as a broader technology selloff weighed on sentiment, even as fresh reports pointed to an expansion of its artificial intelligence ambitions.

The decline came despite Bloomberg reporting that Qualcomm is in advanced talks to acquire AI infrastructure software company Modular Inc. in a deal valued at around $4 billion.

A transaction could be announced in the coming weeks, though sources emphasized that a final agreement is not guaranteed and terms could still change.

Qualcomm stock has been one of the stronger performers in the semiconductor space in recent months, rising 72% over the past three months and gaining around 30% year to date.

Investors have been positioning ahead of the company’s investor day on Wednesday, where Qualcomm is expected to provide updates on its next-generation processor strategy and potentially identify a major customer for a custom data-center chip.

Modular Inc., founded in 2022 in Silicon Valley by Chris Lattner and Tim Davis, former Google employees, focuses on building software tools designed to simplify the deployment of artificial intelligence models across different hardware systems and cloud environments.

According to its website, the founders created the company after becoming “frustrated by AI’s fragmented infrastructure.”

The startup has positioned itself in a growing segment of the AI market focused on inferencing and cross-platform deployment, an area increasingly seen as critical as AI workloads expand beyond training into real-world applications.

Modular raised $250 million in a September funding round at a $1.6 billion valuation, bringing total capital raised to $380 million.

The reported acquisition price of roughly $4 billion would represent more than a 2.5-times increase in valuation in less than two years.

The company is backed by investors including DFJ Growth, Factory, General Catalyst, Google Ventures, Greylock Partners and US Innovative Technology Fund.

The Modular discussions are part of a wider acquisition strategy aimed at strengthening Qualcomm’s position in artificial intelligence.

The Information in a seperate report said that the company is in talks to acquire AI chip startup Tenstorrent for between $8 billion and $10 billion.

If completed, the two deals would reflect a dual-track AI expansion strategy: hardware capabilities through Tenstorrent and software infrastructure through Modular.

Qualcomm has previously pursued similar expansion efforts through acquisitions, including its agreement to buy Alphawave IP Group Plc for about $2.4 billion in cash.

Its earlier attempt to acquire NXP Semiconductors NV was ultimately scrapped due to regulatory hurdles.

The company is expected to use its upcoming investor day to provide further details on its AI roadmap, including custom chip development and potential major customer relationships.

Despite the acquisition momentum, Qualcomm shares remain under pressure in the near term amid a broader tech sector downturn.

FDA Advisory Committee To Review Moderna Flu Vaccine ApplicationThe company submitted an application in December 2025 for mFlusiva (mRNA-1010), an mRNA-based trivalent influenza vaccine.

The VRBPAC panel’s vote will focus on the risk-benefit profile of mFlusiva for influenza prevention in adults aged 50 to 64 years, and in the 65-year-and-older population.

The briefing document released on Tuesday identified no major deficiencies.

The primary efficacy analysis demonstrated that mRNA-1010 (TIV) met all prespecified sequential success criteria—noninferiority, superiority, and super-superiority—relative to the standard-dose (SD) comparator.

Questions Around Comparator Choice And Clinical DataThe VRBPAC members will consider whether the standard-dose flu vaccine used as the control was the most appropriate comparator. High-dose, recombinant, and adjuvanted flu vaccines are generally preferred for adults 65 and older.

FDA Decision Timeline And Proposed Approval StrategyFollowing a Type A meeting, the FDA assigned a Prescription Drug User Fee Act goal date of August 5 for mRNA-1010. It’s for adults aged 50 and older.

Moderna proposed a regulatory pathway based on age, seeking full approval for adults aged 50 to 64 and accelerated approval for adults 65 and older, along with a postmarketing requirement to conduct an additional study in older adults.

Moderna Analyst Sees Opportunity But Flags Some UncertaintiesWilliam Blair noted that the scope of Moderna's postmarketing commitments remains unclear. The company's willingness to fund potentially costly Phase IV studies are important given management's guidance to limit additional spending on its respiratory vaccine franchise.

Analyst Myles Minter said mFluSiva could become a meaningful driver of Moderna's revenue growth in 2027 if approved.

However, Minter maintained a Market Perform rating, citing the need for greater visibility into Phase 3 INTERPATH-001 data for intismeran in adjuvant melanoma, expected in 2026, which he views as a more significant long-term catalyst for the stock.

MRNA Stock Price Activity: Moderna shares rose 1.19% at $56.06 during premarket trading on Wednesday, according to Benzinga Pro data.

Photo: pcruciatti / Shutterstock

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Intel (NASDAQ:INTC | INTC Price Prediction) ripped higher last week after former President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) had agreed to design and manufacture chips with Intel inside the United States. Intel closed up 10.64% at $133.99, with INTC stock now above $140. Bernstein’s Stacy Rasgon, on CNBC, framed the move bluntly. “Intel at these prices, I mean, you’re betting on foundry success.”

What the rumored Apple deal actually is Neither company has confirmed anything. No official statements from Apple or Intel had been issued as of Thursday afternoon, and Wedbush analysts cautioned that Apple’s involvement would likely focus on mature or lower-end silicon rather than its flagship processors. So when Rasgon says the rumored part is probably a low-margin PC chip, that lines up. The dollars at stake on day one are small.

“The first step is always the hardest. And if it actually does happen, at least it’s the first step.” Apple has been a TSMC customer for years. Pulling any wafer volume back to Arizona is symbolic capital that compounds. Dan Ives of Wedbush agreed, telling viewers “This is the right time to now really double down on a potential partnership.”

Why foundry is the entire thesis CEO Lip-Bu Tan has spent a year telling investors the foundry business is the future of Intel, and the numbers have started to cooperate. Q1 FY2026 Intel Foundry revenue came in at $5.421 billion, up 16% year over year, an acceleration from +4% in Q4 2025 and -2% in Q3 2025. Tan attributed the jump to “unprecedented demand for silicon and advanced packaging.” You can read the full release on Intel’s Q1 8-K filed with the SEC.

The losses are still real. Foundry operating losses ran $3.2 billion in Q2 2025, $2.3 billion in Q3 2025, and $2.51 billion in Q4 2025. Tan needs external customers to fill the new Arizona fabs or the depreciation math never works. He has been picking them up. NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) put $5 billion into Intel common stock last year, SoftBank added $2.0 billion, and Intel joined the Terafab project alongside SpaceX, xAI, and Tesla. The U.S. government took roughly a 10% stake and disbursed $5.7 billion in CHIPS Act funding in Q3 2025 alone. Apple would be the consumer-brand stamp the roster has been missing.

The valuation is doing real work here Intel’s market cap sits near $588 billion, with a forward P/E around 147x and trailing EPS still negative at -$0.60. The stock is up 563% over the past year and 257% year to date from a starting price of $36.90.

The consensus analyst target is $93.12, which sits well below where the stock trades today. So either the sell side is too slow or the market is paying a serious premium for foundry optionality. Bank of America’s Vivek Arya jumped sides on June 11, double-upgrading Intel to Buy with a $135 price target and modeling foundry revenue surpassing $45 billion by 2030.

What Apple gets, and what to watch For Apple, the calculus is supply diversification. Tim Cook just warned that product price increases are “unavoidable” because AI demand is bidding up memory and storage costs, with TechInsights estimating an extra $270 in cost on the next iPhone Pro. A second U.S.-based source on mature nodes is cheap insurance. Apple shares barely moved, up 0.7% to $298.01, which is the right reaction for a $4 trillion company taking a small hedge.

The investor question now is whether Intel and Apple confirm the arrangement, and at what node. Intel 18A is already in high-volume manufacturing in Arizona, and the 18A-P process recently entered risk production. If the first Apple parts run on those lines, Rasgon’s first step turns into a credible second one. If the announcement stays a Truth Social post, the foundry premium baked into Intel’s stock gets a lot harder to defend.

Jim Cramer, the longtime host of CNBC's Mad Money, recently named Intel (INTC 1.39%) his top artificial intelligence (AI) chip stock. This was a pretty bold move considering that the stock has already rallied by 263% so far this year.

Indeed, Cramer commands one of the more durable audiences in retail investing. His rapid-fire delivery and unfiltered opinions have resulted in countless soundbites featuring actionable investment ideas amid market noise. With that said, his visibility can be polarizing, and detractors often label his calls hyperbolic -- noting the many instances where his enthusiasm has outpaced important nuance or his timing has proven inaccurate.

Nevertheless, his Intel bull thesis centers on two underappreciated dynamics: the company's CPU heritage as the artificial intelligence revolution heads towards its agentic AI era, and the tangible signs that its chip foundry operation is stabilizing. These points deserve scrutiny rather than a simple echo of pundit commentary. Let's dig in to see if Cramer is right.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

Move over, GPUs -- CPUs are making a comeback When given a specific objective to accomplish, agentic AI systems can plan out a set of steps, gather data, and follow through with multistep actions to complete it with minimal human oversight. These software models are changing the nature of the accelerated computing equation, moving it beyond its prior focus on parallel processing power. When it comes to training generative models and basic inference deployments, the complex matrix operations involved need to be handled by GPUs or other types of parallel processing chips. But when users are deploying fleets of autonomous agents, that introduces orchestration layers that CPUs handle more efficiently.

During the earlier stages of the AI revolution, hyperscalers could sequence their chip purchases: first securing massive GPU clusters from Nvidia, and then retrofitting their servers or expanding CPU capacity later as their utilization needs became clearer. This tactic worked when AI workloads were dominated by generic training jobs or simple inference serving.

However, the rise in agentic workloads is inverting the old logic. GPU servers already connect each accelerator with a host CPU to manage traffic, memory coherency, and virtualization. The growth of agentic deployments exponentially multiplies the volume of CPUs required. Because each agent instance can create its own dynamic sub-tasks by querying external APIs and maintaining persistent context, the CPU architectures to support the whole system must now be procured and installed earlier in the process.

Intel's long history in server CPU production positions it to capture incremental socket demand that pure-play GPU designers will struggle to meet. The result is not a zero-sum displacement of GPUs, but a multiplier effect whereby each new tranche of AI accelerators sold results in orders for the CPUs that will make those clusters usable at scale.

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Intel's foundry recovery has been gradual, but respectable Throughout most of the AI revolution, Intel struggled with advanced-node chip manufacturing. Recent capital investments from both Nvidia and the U.S. government, as well as the hiring of Lip-Bu Tan as CEO last year, have helped the company make rapid improvements in the foundry operation.

During the first quarter, Intel's foundry business generated $5.4 billion in revenue -- an increase of 16% year over year. While this may look impressive on the surface, external foundry revenue -- sales that are not attributed to Intel's own products -- was only $174 million. Meanwhile, the foundry unit is still operating at a hefty loss.

Nevertheless, I think that a credible turnaround of Intel's foundry operation actually matters less for its own chips than for the broader AI infrastructure ecosystem. What I mean by that is that the chip sector's concentrated reliance on a single offshore manufacturer (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing) introduces a number of potential points of failure -- geopolitical, logistical, or capacity-related.

Sophisticated buyers are going to increasingly price these factors into their capex plans. Against this backdrop, Intel's ability to secure more external customers for its leading-edge process nodes would validate its recovery and help it diversify its revenue sources away from its legacy integrated devices. While its external foundry business is still small, it has grown nearly sixfold year over year. I'm cautiously optimistic the company can capitalize on the demand tailwinds going forward.

Is Intel stock still a buy? Intel stock's massive upward moves this year have already priced in considerable optimism about AI tailwinds. To achieve sustained share-price appreciation from here will require Intel to convert the CPU demand thesis into measurable design wins and achieve foundry milestones without the multiyear delays that have previously plagued it.

Furthermore, it's important to realize that we are early in the agentic AI era. The infrastructure build-out required to support mass adoption of these applications will likely unfold more gradually than many pundits have predicted. Ultimately, this will give Intel's competitors in the chip design space some time to respond.

Nevertheless, the combination of the resurgent relevance of CPUs and Intel's recent validation as a third-party foundry gives it a degree of optionality that GPU-centric companies lack. Investors evaluating Intel are effectively betting that the next phase of the data center infrastructure build-out will reward balance across the AI chip stack over specialized products.

While Cramer's endorsement amplifies Intel's visibility, the underlying buy case should rest on more observable shifts in AI workload composition and supply chain choices. Whether this translates into durable earnings growth will depend on management's execution, which is never guaranteed. With that said, the directional logic of paired CPU-GPU demand and chip designers' desire to reduce the reliance on overseas foundry partners is enough to at least justify paying close attention to Intel's fundamentals rather than dismissing Cramer's commentary as mere market theater.

Bank of America raised its outlook for several semiconductor companies, including Intel INTC , Arm Holdings ARM and Micron Technology MU , after concluding that demand tied to artificial intelligence infrastructure may remain visible through at least 2028.

The firm increased its projections for global wafer fabrication equipment spending, which covers tools used to manufacture semiconductors. Bank of America now forecasts the market will reach $190 billion in 2027 and expand to $250 billion in 2028, reflecting a stronger trajectory than previously expected.

According to Bank of America, the revised outlook is supported by additional cleanroom capacity coming online, longer-duration agreements in the memory market and ongoing technology transitions that could increase equipment requirements for chip production. The firm also pointed to operational and capacity developments at Intel and Samsung as factors that may support advanced manufacturing activity in coming years.

Separately, Bank of America lifted its estimate for the semiconductor industry's total addressable market to $2.7 trillion, up from a prior forecast of $2.3 trillion. The brokerage said memory products and data-center infrastructure are expected to account for much of that expansion, while automotive and industrial end markets could provide an additional source of growth as those segments continue to recover.

Adobe (ADBE, Financials) is leaning further into AI for marketing and customer experience. The company announced new solutions and partnerships at Cannes Lions 2026 with Accenture, Omnicom, WPP and Stagwell's Code and Theory. The goal is to help brands create, manage and measure campaigns with more automation.

Adobe and Accenture Song have developed a framework for AI-powered customer experiences. Omnicom is also using Adobe technology in its AI Agentic Operating Model for industries such as autos, retail, pharmaceuticals and financial services.

WPP is launching a connected intelligence layer that links paid media spending with customer experience data. Code and Theory is rolling out a content system for sports organizations, using Adobe tools to connect fan data with content workflows.

The announcements show Adobe trying to defend and expand its role in marketing software as AI changes how brands produce content and run campaigns.

For investors, the key question is whether these partnerships can turn AI interest into stronger revenue growth after concerns about slower momentum in Adobe's core business.

© David Tran / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

Few large-cap software names have fallen as far, as fast, as Adobe (NASDAQ:ADBE | ADBE Price Prediction) over the past year. The stock has gone from a creative-software bellwether to a value puzzle, with the market pricing in AI disruption while management keeps raising guidance. That gap is where our model sees opportunity.

Adobe trades at $194.90 as of June 22, 2026. Our 24/7 Wall St. price target for Adobe is $264.05 over the next 12 months, implying 35.48% upside. Our recommendation is buy, with confidence of 90%.

24/7 Wall St. Price Target Summary Metric Value Current Price $194.90 24/7 Wall St. Price Target $264.05 Upside 35.48% Recommendation BUY Confidence Level 90% A Year of Pain Meets a Beat-and-Raise Quarter ADBE has fallen 44.31% year to date and 48.29% over the past year, with shares trading 28% below the 52-week high of $392.58 and just above the $190.12 low.

Yet the fundamentals remain intact. Q2 FY2026 delivered record revenue of $6.62 billion, up 13% year over year, with non-GAAP EPS of $5.96 marking the fifth consecutive beat. AI-first ARR tripled to exceed $500 million, and management raised FY2026 revenue guidance to $26.50B–$26.60B.

The selling pressure comes from elsewhere. Citi cut its price target to $228 from $264 on June 20, citing a roughly $500 million implied reduction to organic ARR as Adobe pivots toward freemium acquisition. Sector-wide AI subscription fears, the CFO transition (Dan Durn departed June 15, 2026), and CEO succession have compounded the de-rating.

The Case for $328 and Above Bulls point to AI monetization that is accelerating, not stalling. AI-first ARR moved from a $250M target in Q3 FY2025 to $500M+ by Q2 FY2026. The CX Enterprise Coworker launch and Cannes Lions partnerships with Accenture, Omnicom, WPP, Anthropic, and Microsoft reposition Adobe as agentic infrastructure rather than disruption target.

Operating cash flow hit $2.17 billion in Q2, funding $2.111 billion in buybacks. Our bull case price target is $328.58, a 68.59% return. The Reddit thesis put it bluntly: “Wall Street thinks AI is coming for Adobe’s lunch. I think Adobe already put it behind a paywall and called it dinner.”

What Could Go Wrong The bear case is real. Freedom Broker downgraded ADBE to Hold from Buy, calling Adobe’s growth “acquired rather than organic” and pointing to a “show-me phase.” Generative AI competitors (Figma, Canva, OpenAI) threaten the creative workflow moat, and the 132 recent insider transactions have skewed net selling.

Q2 GAAP EPS of $4.25 reflected a $70M goodwill impairment and $30M litigation accrual, although those are non-recurring items and non-GAAP EPS still beat. Our bear case target is $235.93, still a 21.05% return from here.

Adobe Price Prediction 2026-2030 At an implied forward P/E near 8x, ADBE is pricing in significant AI disruption that the numbers do not yet show. Our 24/7 Wall St. price target of $264.05 implies 35.48% upside, with 90% confidence and a buy call.

The Q2 beat-and-raise tips the scale. The setup looks constructive if Q3 ARR growth holds at the guided trajectory. The thesis weakens if Adobe walks back its FY2026 ARR growth target of 10.2% on the next earnings report.

Year 24/7 Wall St. Price Target 2026 $231.09 2027 $285.23 2028 $355.18 2029 $396.75 2030 $445.34 These projections assume Adobe continues converting AI-first ARR into durable subscription revenue. Significant upside or downside could result from regulatory resolution on Semrush, new leadership execution, or a faster-than-expected shift in creative software economics.

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ESTERO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: HTZ) (“Hertz” or the “Company”), a leading global rental car company, today announced that it intends to offer shares of its common stock, par value $0.01 per share, (the “Common Stock”) at an aggregate public offering price of $100 million in a SEC-registered offering. Such shares (the “Borrowed Shares”) will be loaned by the Company to J.P. Morgan Securities LLC (in such capacity, the “Share Borrower”), one of the underwriters of the offering of the Borrowed Shares, pursuant to a share lending agreement. The Share Borrower or its affiliates will receive all of the proceeds of the offering of Borrowed Shares and neither the Company nor The Hertz Corporation, the Company’s wholly-owned indirect subsidiary (the “Hertz Corp.”), will receive any of the proceeds of the offering, but the Share Borrower will pay the Company a nominal lending fee for the use of the Borrowed Shares pursuant to the share lending agreement. The Share Borrower will be required to return the Borrowed Shares (or identical shares of Common Stock) to the Company pursuant to the terms of the share lending agreement. The Company has been informed by the Share Borrower that it or one of its affiliates intends to sell the Borrowed Shares and use the resulting short position to facilitate transactions by which investors in the Notes (as defined below) may hedge their investments through short sales or privately negotiated derivatives transactions. The activity described above could affect the market price of the Common Stock otherwise prevailing from time to time. The offering of the Borrowed Shares is contingent upon the closing of a private offering of the Exchangeable Senior First-Lien Secured PIK Notes due 2030 (the “Notes”) that Hertz Corp. intends to offer, subject to market and other conditions, in a private placement to qualifying investors. The private offering of the Notes is not contingent upon the closing of the offering of the Borrowed Shares.

The offering of the Borrowed Shares will be made by means of a prospectus. Copies of the prospectus may be obtained from J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, New York 11717, telephone 1-866-803-9204.

This press release is not an offer to sell or purchase or a solicitation of an offer to sell or purchase the Borrowed Shares or the Notes, and does not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale in any state or jurisdiction in which, or to any person to whom such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

ABOUT HERTZ

Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. is one of the world’s leading car rental and mobility solutions providers. Its subsidiaries, including The Hertz Corporation, and licensees operate the Hertz, Dollar, Thrifty, and Firefly vehicle rental brands, with more than 11,000 rental locations in 160 countries around the globe. The Company also operates the Hertz Car Sales brand, which offers a range of quality, competitively priced used cars for sale online and at locations across the United States, and the Hertz 24/7 car-sharing business in Europe.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Words such as “expect,” “will” and “intend” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, which include but are not limited to statements related to our positioning, strategy, vision, forward looking investments, conditions in the travel industry, our financial and operational condition, our sources of liquidity, the proposed offering of the Borrowed Shares, the proposed offering of the Notes and the anticipated completion and timing of the offering. We caution you that these statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to numerous evolving risks and uncertainties that we may not be able to accurately predict or assess, including risks and uncertainties related to completion of the offering on the anticipated terms or at all, market conditions and the satisfaction of customary closing conditions related to the offering, unanticipated uses of capital and those in our risk factors that we identify in the prospectus for the offerings and our most recent annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on February 26, 2026, and any updates thereto in the Company’s quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. We caution you not to place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their date, and we undertake no obligation to update this information.

More News From Hertz Global Holdings, Inc.

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FedEx Corp (NYSE:FDX, XETRA:FDX) shares fell nearly 5% in after-hours trading on  Tuesday after the package delivery company issued fiscal 2027 earnings guidance that came in below Wall Street expectations, overshadowing stronger-than-expected fourth quarter results.

FedEx projected fiscal 2027 adjusted diluted earnings per share of $16.90 to $18.10, below the consensus analyst estimate of $19.86.

The company also expects revenue growth of 11% year-over-year.

For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, FedEx reported adjusted earnings per share of $6.31 on revenue of $25 billion, exceeding analysts' estimates of $5.92 per share and $24.01 billion in revenue.

Revenue increased 12.6% from a year earlier, while adjusted EPS rose from $6.07 in the prior-year quarter.

“Team FedEx delivered an impressive finish to a strong fiscal year, providing excellent service to our customers and successfully executing on our transformation initiatives,” FedEX CEO Raj Subramaniam said.

“With the successful spin-off of FedEx Freight, we are entering this next chapter positioned to grow while further optimizing our network, lowering our cost to serve, creating meaningful long-term value, and driving robust free cash flow.”

Teva Pharmaceuticals (TEVA +3.14%) is morphing from a generic drug maker into one that develops more innovative -- and profitable -- drugs. The stock is up more than 10% this year, and more than 95% over the past year.

On June 8, the company released data regarding its therapies, Austedo and Austedo XR (extended relief), at the Psych Congress Elevate. The three-year study showed that while more than 50% of tardive dyskinesia patients saw symptom improvement in controlling involuntary movements within 15 weeks, an additional 23% achieved success with long-term treatment.

This means that Austedo XR may be able to expand beyond its approved use to treat the involuntary movements (chorea) of Huntington's disease. The company also released a study on June 5 showing that 60% to 71% of Huntington's disease chorea patients experienced improvement with Austedo or Austedo XR.

This data provides doctors with strong therapeutic justification to prescribe Austedo or Austedo XR over competitors, securing market share for years to come. Here's one more reason to buy Teva stock, and one reason not to.

Image source: Getty Images.

The company's pivot is becoming more profitable In the first quarter of 2026, the company reported revenue of $4 billion, up 2% year over year. Its innovative brands, Austedo, migraine med Ajovy, and long-acting schizophrenia therapy Uzedy, together grew revenue by 41% over the same period last year. Earnings per share (EPS) rose 72% year over year, to $0.31. The key point is that the company's new drugs are offsetting its declining generic sales.

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Meanwhile, the company's application for a long-acting version of olanzapine for once-monthly treatment of schizophrenia is currently under review by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

This structural pivot expanded Teva's non-GAAP gross profit margin to 52.9% in Q1. The company is generating healthy free cash flow, estimated at $2 billion to $2.4 billion this year, which is being actively used to pay down its heavy debt load.

In April, the Israeli pharma struck a deal to acquire Emalex Biosciences for $700 million upfront. This included ecopipam, a dopamine D1 receptor antagonist that's en route to an FDA submission for Tourette syndrome this year. The drug has already received FDA fast-track and orphan drug designations.

Disappointing guidance, supply issues Teva's overall full-year 2026 financial guidance disappointed Wall Street. The company projected total 2026 revenue of $16.4 billion to $16.8 billion -- representing flat to slightly negative growth compared to 2025. That helps explain why the stock has fallen more than 3% since Teva released its Q1 earnings on April 29.

This stagnation is primarily due to intense generic competition eating into other parts of the portfolio (such as the generic version of the cancer drug Revlimid) and a drop-off in one-time milestone payments from partnerships (such as Sanofi). Because Austedo XR is carrying so much weight on its shoulders, any future slowdown in its adoption could leave Teva with very few places to hide, capping the stock's near-term upside until its next-generation immunology pipeline begins to commercialize in 2027.

The other concern is that ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz have disrupted the movement of active pharmaceutical ingredients, and rising energy costs make it more expensive to ship drugs.

It's still a company headed in the right direction The company's move to pursue growth is obviously paying off, and its innovative drugs target conditions with unmet needs, giving them less competition.

Teva received FDA approval in March for biosimilar Ponlimsi to treat osteoporosis and bone loss. The company's pipeline includes six additional biosimilars that are expected to receive regulatory decisions this year. One of the most promising is omalizumab, a biosimilar to Xolair, made by Novartis (NVS +0.79%) and Roche (RHHBY +2.50%) to treat chronic hives.

The stock is trading at less than 15 times forward earnings, and considering its potential catalysts this year, that still seems like a bargain.

Key Takeaways Pfizer shares fell nearly 3% after CFO Dave Denton announced he will leave on Aug. 15.PFE reaffirmed 2026 guidance, expecting $59.5B-$62.5B in revenue and $2.80-$3.00 adjusted EPS.Pfizer named Cecile Guega interim CFO and said Denton will support the transition. Shares of Pfizer (PFE - Free Report) declined nearly 3% on Thursday after the company announced the departure of its chief financial officer (CFO), Dave Denton.

Denton will step down from his current role on Aug. 15 for “a professional opportunity outside of the pharmaceutical industry in consumer goods.” The company has initiated a comprehensive internal and external search for a permanent successor. Cecile Guega, currently senior vice president of finance for Pfizer’s global biopharmaceutical business, will serve as interim CFO beginning Aug.16. Guega will work alongside Denton during the transition period to ensure continuity across the company’s financial operations.

Denton’s resignation comes as a surprise, particularly as Pfizer continues to execute its post-pandemic transformation strategy. Since joining the company in May 2022, Denton has overseen several key initiatives, including cost realignment efforts, business development transactions (which include Seagen and Metsera deals) and capital allocation decisions aimed at stabilizing earnings following the sharp decline in COVID-related revenues.

Despite the leadership change, Pfizer reaffirmed its previously issued 2026 financial guidance, signaling that the transition is not expected to alter its near-term strategic priorities or operational outlook.

PFE Stock PerformanceYear to date, the company’s shares have gained over 1% compared with the industry’s 3% growth.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Pfizer’s 2026 GuidanceThe company expects total revenues for 2026 to be between $59.5 billion and $62.5 billion. The range indicates a decline from 2025 revenues of $62.6 billion due to lower revenues from COVID products and loss of revenues from the upcoming patent cliff.

Pfizer expects adjusted EPS for the year in the range of $2.80-$3.00, which represents a decline from the 2025 EPS of $3.22 due to the dilutive impact of last year’s acquisition and licensing deals, lower COVID revenues and higher taxes.

Adjusted gross margin is expected to be in the mid-70% range, similar to the past several years. Adjusted R&D expenses are expected to be in the range of $10.5 billion to $11.5 billion in 2026, while adjusted SI&A spending is targeted between $12.5 billion and $13.5 billion.

The adjusted effective tax rate is expected to be approximately 15% in 2026.

PFE’s Zacks RanksPfizer currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Key Picks Among Biotech StocksSome better-ranked stocks from the sector are Immunocore (IMCR - Free Report) and Indivior Pharmaceuticals (INDV - Free Report) , each currently sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Over the past 60 days, estimates for Immunocore’s 2026 bottom line have improved from a loss per share of 88 cents to earnings of 6 cents. Over the same period, estimates for 2027 EPS have risen from 24 cents to 87 cents. IMCR’s shares have lost nearly 18% year to date.

Immunocore’s earnings beat estimates in three of the trailing four quarters but missed the mark on one occasion, delivering an average surprise of 46.66%.

Over the past 60 days, estimates for Indivior Pharmaceuticals’ 2026 EPS have increased from $3.33 to $4.05. Over the same period, EPS estimates for 2027 have risen from $3.66 to $4.27. INDV’s shares are up nearly 7% year to date.

Indivior Pharmaceuticals’ earnings beat estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average surprise of 65.44%.

A Pfizer logo is shown at a research facility in the La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego, California, U.S., September 30, 2025. REUTERS/Mike Blake//File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

SummaryCompaniesContinuing with ongoing trial that combines drug with KeytrudaPlans to explore using the drug with other experimental treatmentsShares fall 1%June 22 (Reuters) - Pfizer (PFE.N), opens new tab said on Monday that one ‌of the key experimental drugs it picked up in its $43 billion 2023 acquisition of Seagen failed to improve survival when compared to chemotherapy in a late-stage trial of lung cancer patients who had already tried other treatments.

The drug, sigvotatug vedotin, ​did not show a statistically significant improvement in the study's primary endpoint of overall ​survival in adults with locally advanced, unresectable or metastatic non-squamous non-small cell ⁠lung cancer (NSCLC) versus the chemotherapy docetaxel, Pfizer said. The company's shares fell more than 1 ​percent in after-hours trading.

Keep up with the latest medical breakthroughs and healthcare trends with the Reuters Health Rounds newsletter. Sign up here.

Pfizer said that it was still confident in the potential of the drug ​due to a stronger survival trend in the patients who had received only one prior course of treatment, as well as data from an early stage trial where the drug was used in combination with Merck's (MRK.N), opens new tab Keytruda.

"In ​patients who had received only one prior line of therapy here, we did see very ​favorable trends in both progression-free survival and overall survival, suggesting that the drug is active and the payload ‌is getting ⁠directly to the cancer cells," Pfizer Chief Oncology Officer said in an interview.

The company already has an ongoing late-stage trial of the drug in combination with Keytruda as a first-line treatment. It also plans to explore using the drug with other experimental cancer treatments in its pipeline.

Sigvotatug ​vedotin targets a protein ​known as integrin beta‑6. ⁠In the trial, Pfizer said it found no clear relationship between tumors expressing the protein and patient response to the drug.

Pfizer bought Seagen ​and its portfolio of targeted cancer therapies called antibody-drug conjugates in ​hopes of offsetting ⁠the steep fall in sales of its COVID-19 portfolio and generic competition for some top-selling drugs.

The company is continuing to develop other ADCs, it said, including some that also target the same ⁠protein, ​IB6.

Pfizer shares have dropped more than 50% since early ​2023 as the drugmaker has worked to develop new blockbuster drugs. It has said it expects to return to stronger ​growth in 2028.

Additional reporting by Puyaan Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Vijay Kishore and Stephen Coates

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

Key Takeaways DDOG is expanding its platform and AI observability capabilities, supporting customer adoption.CSCO strengthened observability through Splunk, growing ARR and subscription revenue.DDOG trades at a valuation premium to Cisco despite both benefiting from observability demand. Datadog (DDOG - Free Report) and Cisco Systems (CSCO - Free Report) are key players in the growing observability market, helping enterprises monitor and optimize complex IT environments. As cloud adoption, AI workloads and digital transformation initiatives accelerate, organizations are generating larger volumes of infrastructure, application and security data, driving demand for real-time monitoring and analytics solutions.

Observability platforms have become essential for maintaining performance, reliability and security across modern technology stacks. While Datadog offers a cloud-native observability platform, Cisco has strengthened its position through the Splunk acquisition, expanding its reach across observability, security and AI operations. Both companies are well-positioned to capitalize on the expanding observability opportunity.

Let's examine the fundamentals and growth drivers of both companies to determine which stock offers a better long-term investment opportunity.

The Case for DDOGDatadog continues to strengthen its position in observability through a platform expansion strategy that is driving higher customer adoption and spending. DDOG offers 26 products spanning infrastructure monitoring, application performance monitoring, log management, security and AI observability. This breadth has supported cross-selling momentum, with five products generating more than $100 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR) and three additional products contributing between $50 million and $100 million in ARR. Total ARR surpassed $4 billion in the first quarter of fiscal 2026, highlighting the increasing scale of the platform.

DDOG has been benefiting from strong enterprise demand. Revenues for first-quarter of fiscal 2026 increased 32% year over year, while free cash flow margin remained at 29%. Growth has been broad-based, with the non-AI customer cohort accelerating to the mid-20% range, indicating that demand extends beyond AI-native customers.

AI observability is emerging as a key catalyst. Datadog has expanded its capabilities through GPU Monitoring, LLM Observability and Bits AI offerings, enabling customers to manage complex AI environments. Adoption trends remain encouraging, with Datadog MCP Server tool calls quadrupling sequentially during the fiscal first quarter. DDOG is expanding security observability capabilities to address AI-specific threats while introducing deployment options that help customers meet data residency and compliance requirements.

Further growth is expected to be supported by FedRAMP High certification and a planned U.K. data center expansion. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2026 revenues is pegged at $4.31 billion, indicating 25.7% year-over-year growth.

The Case for CSCOCisco has been strengthening its observability position through the integration of Splunk, enabling it to offer a broader platform spanning observability and security analytics. Unlike Datadog, Cisco benefits from a large installed base across networking, data center and security infrastructure, creating opportunities to embed observability capabilities deeper within enterprise environments. This integrated approach is expected to support cross-selling and customer retention as organizations increasingly seek unified visibility across their IT operations.

CSCO has also been benefiting from strong enterprise technology spending trends. In the third quarter of fiscal 2026, revenues increased 12% year over year to $15.8 billion, while product orders grew 35% year over year, reflecting broad-based demand across enterprise, public sector and cloud customers. Cisco's recurring revenue profile continues to strengthen, with ARR reaching $31.2 billion and subscription revenues accounting for 49% of total revenues.

Agentic security observability is emerging as a key catalyst. Cisco has been expanding capabilities that combine observability, threat detection and automated response across enterprise environments. Hypershield and AI Defense extend visibility across AI deployments, while the pending acquisitions of Galileo and Astrix are expected to add agentic identity, access management and behavior monitoring capabilities, strengthening the company's observability and security portfolio.

Further growth is likely to be supported by Cisco's expanding software mix, strong cash generation and deep enterprise relationships. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2026 revenues is pegged at $62.95 billion, indicating 11.11% year-over-year growth.

DDOG vs. CSCO: Price Performance and ValuationYear to date, shares of CSCO have jumped 55.2%, trailing DDOG's 64% return. Both stocks have benefited from strong AI-related demand, with Datadog's gain led by its AI observability catalysts and Cisco's supported by its broader networking, security and AI infrastructure base.

DDOG Outperforms CSCO YTD
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

DDOG currently trades at a forward 12-month price-to-sales (P/S) multiple of 16.86X, well above CSCO’s 7.01X. Datadog's premium to Cisco appears difficult to justify given Cisco's expanding observability footprint through Splunk, larger recurring revenue base, broader enterprise reach and growing software subscription business.

DDOG Vs CSCO : Forward 12-Month P/S Valuation
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

ConclusionBoth Datadog and Cisco are well-positioned to capitalize on the growing observability opportunity. While Datadog continues to deliver robust growth, Cisco has significantly strengthened its position through the integration of Splunk. Given its larger recurring revenue base, broader enterprise footprint and more attractive valuation, CSCO appears to offer a more compelling investment opportunity than DDOG.

DDOG and CSCO carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) each at present. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Shares of IBM climbed nearly 5% in premarket trading on Tuesday after JPMorgan upgraded the technology company, citing increasing confidence in its software business and potential benefits from growing artificial intelligence adoption.

JPMorgan analyst Brian Essex upgraded IBM to Overweight from Neutral and raised his price target to $291 from $270.

The analyst said expectations for software acceleration in the second half of 2026 have strengthened the firm's outlook on the stock.

The upgrade comes as IBM continues a multiyear transformation from a hardware and services provider into a software-led platform focused on hybrid cloud and artificial intelligence technologies.

JPMorgan highlighted several growth drivers, including momentum from Red Hat and OpenShift migration activities.

The firm pointed to OpenShift's role in supporting the adoption of IBM's AI-driven container platform among enterprises.

The analysts also noted accelerating automation demand following IBM's acquisition of HashiCorp, which management said is receiving increasing support from senior corporate executives.

IBM's software segment has become the primary earnings engine for the company.

According to JPMorgan, software now accounts for roughly 45% of IBM's revenue but generates approximately two-thirds of consolidated profit.

"We view the continued shift toward software as positive considering the higher-margin, ratable nature of software with better cash conversion and a higher-quality earnings stream that supports a higher multiple than the hardware and services businesses," the analysts said.

JPMorgan also said that if IBM becomes a significant beneficiary of rising AI demand, the stock could see further valuation expansion.

Separately, Morgan Stanley raised its price target on IBM to $267 from $225 while maintaining an Equal Weight rating.

The firm noted that recent earnings reports from Dell and Hewlett Packard Enterprise demonstrated that enterprise server demand has remained stronger than expected despite higher prices driven by compute shortages, hardware refresh cycles and growing AI infrastructure requirements.

Morgan Stanley added that Wall Street expectations for 2026 and 2027 "look too low" and increased its earnings-per-share estimates by 5% to 6% for companies with exposure to computing demand.

IBM may also benefit from fresh support for quantum computing from the US government.

Chief Executive Officer Arvind Krishna attended the White House on Monday as President Donald Trump signed two executive orders designed to accelerate domestic quantum computing development and strengthen cybersecurity protections against quantum-powered threats.

The first executive order directs the development of "the first-ever quantum computer powerful enough for scientific research," with the goal of locating the system in a national laboratory by 2028.

The second order accelerates the federal government's transition to post-quantum cryptography by 2031.

"When President Trump published a letter to me in early 2025, he prioritized quantum as a key industry for America to lead the world alongside AI and nuclear energy," said Michael Kratsios, the president's top advisor on science and technology policy.

Industry participants are working toward achieving fault tolerance by the end of the decade, a milestone that would allow quantum computers to operate reliably even when individual components experience failures or disruptions.

The latest policy initiatives add another potential growth catalyst for IBM as it expands its presence in artificial intelligence, hybrid cloud software, and next-generation computing technologies.

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK.B | BRK.B Price Prediction) fully exited its UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) position in Q1 2026, and David Tepper’s Appaloosa Management meaningfully reduced its UNH stake in the same quarter. Chase Coleman also sold UnitedHealth shares in Q1. Meanwhile, the sell-side stayed bullish, with a consensus target of $407.38 and 22 buy or strong buy ratings against a single sell.

Two of the most scrutinized capital allocators in the business walked out the same door, in the same quarter. That is worth thinking about.

What Berkshire and Tepper walked away from UNH is not a broken business. Q1 2026 produced adjusted EPS of $7.23 against a $6.61 consensus, revenue of $111.72 billion, and a medical care ratio that improved 90 basis points to 83.9%. Management raised full-year adjusted EPS guidance to greater than $18.25. The stock is up 22.66% year to date through June 17 and 32.82% over the trailing year.

The path to get there involved shrinking. UnitedHealthcare lost 965,000 Medicare Advantage members in Q1 2026 alone, and the 2026 plan calls for a 2.3 to 2.8 million membership contraction from exits of unprofitable contracts. Margin recovery achieved by shedding members is real. It is also structurally different from margin recovery driven by pricing power.

The thesis behind the exits Three forward-looking pressures appear to be sitting on the trade. First, preliminary 2027 Medicare Advantage rate announcements came in below expectations, the same catalyst SGA Global Growth Fund cited on June 17, 2026 when it sold its entire UNH stake. Second, a federal OIG report on June 12, 2026 documented post-hospital care denial rates of 51 to 80% at UnitedHealth’s Medicare Advantage plans, well above peers. Fairview Health Services said the same week it will stop accepting UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage in 2027, affecting more than 11,000 patients.

Third, Optum Health’s profitability is rebuilding slower than the Street modeled. Q1 2026 Optum operating earnings of $3.3 billion still trail the prior-year $3.89 billion, even after Q3 2025’s collapse to $255 million from $2.2 billion. Forward P/E sits at 22x, expensive against quarterly earnings growth of 0.7% and revenue growth of 2%.

What this signals for a retirement portfolio Institutional exits do not automatically equal a verdict. Berkshire trims names for tax, concentration, and opportunity-cost reasons that have nothing to do with a company being doomed. Tepper rotates aggressively and frequently. Both have been wrong on individual names. UNH’s 0.65 beta and 2.15% dividend yield still make it a defensive holding by construction.

The useful question is whether the bull case rests on assumptions Berkshire and Tepper rejected. Analyst price targets are anchored to Q1 2026’s margin reset and a clean ramp into 2027. If preliminary 2027 Medicare Advantage rates land where they hint, and if denial-rate scrutiny translates into either rate pressure or forced approvals, both feed straight back into the medical care ratio. That single variable took UNH down to a 52-week low of $228.48.

For a retirement-focused investor, the takeaway is narrower than copying the billionaires. The bullish thesis depends on a 2027 rate environment that two sophisticated holders apparently no longer want to underwrite. Worth weighing before deciding whether the year-to-date rally is the recovery itself or the exit ramp.

RAHWAY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved an expanded indication for CAPVAXIVE® (Pneumococcal 21-valent Conjugate Vaccine) to include children and adolescents aged 2 through 17 years who have completed a primary pediatric pneumococcal vaccination series and have one or more chronic medical conditions that put them at an increased risk for pneumococcal disease. With this approval, CAPVAXIVE is the only PCV specifically indicated and studied in the U.S. for use in this patient population.

CAPVAXIVE is indicated for:

Active immunization for the prevention of invasive pneumococcal disease caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes 3, 6A, 7F, 8, 9N, 10A, 11A, 12F, 15A, 15B, 15C, 16F, 17F, 19A, 20A, 22F, 23A, 23B, 24F, 31, 33F and 35B in individuals 18 years of age and older and individuals 2 through 17 years of age who are at increased risk for pneumococcal disease; Active immunization for the prevention of pneumonia caused by S. pneumoniae serotypes 3, 6A, 7F, 8, 9N, 10A, 11A, 12F, 15A, 15C, 16F, 17F, 19A, 20A, 22F, 23A, 23B, 24F, 31, 33F and 35B in individuals 18 years of age and older. CAPVAXIVE should not be administered to individuals with a history of a severe allergic reaction (e.g., anaphylaxis) to any component of CAPVAXIVE or to diphtheria toxoid; see additional Select Safety Information below.

The indication for the prevention of pneumonia caused by S. pneumoniae serotypes 3, 6A, 7F, 8, 9N, 10A, 11A, 12F, 15A, 15C, 16F, 17F, 19A, 20A, 22F, 23A, 23B, 24F, 31, 33F, and 35B is approved under accelerated approval based on immune responses as measured by opsonophagocytic activity (OPA). Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in a confirmatory trial.

“Children and adolescents with certain chronic conditions are at an increased risk for pneumococcal disease, including pneumonia, meningitis, and bloodstream infections,” said Dr. Rotem Lapidot, Chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Rambam Health Care Campus, investigator, STRIDE-13 trial. “This approval recognizes the potential of CAPVAXIVE to deliver additional protection by including serotypes not contained in approved primary pediatric PCV series, and represents a new approach to helping protect children and adolescents at increased risk for pneumococcal disease.”

The approval is based on data from the Phase 3 STRIDE-13 trial, which evaluated CAPVAXIVE compared to PPSV23 (pneumococcal 23-valent polysaccharide vaccine) in children and adolescents aged 2 through 17 years who completed a primary pediatric pneumococcal vaccination series and have one or more chronic medical conditions that put them at an increased risk of pneumococcal disease. See “STRIDE-13 Clinical Data Supporting Approval” below for additional details.

“While CAPVAXIVE was specifically designed for adults, it may also offer additional disease protection for this specific population of children and adolescents, when given after the primary pediatric pneumococcal vaccination series,” said Dr. Paula Annunziato, senior vice president, infectious diseases and vaccines, global clinical development, Merck Research Laboratories. “The approval of CAPVAXIVE for children and adolescents at increased risk for pneumococcal disease demonstrates our commitment to addressing this disease in people of all ages, not only addressing an unmet need, but also reinforcing Merck’s longstanding commitment to public health and infectious diseases.”

The expanded indication for CAPVAXIVE complements existing primary pediatric pneumococcal vaccination series for children and adolescents at increased risk for pneumococcal disease. According to a 2025 study of 2015-2019 CDC ABC surveillance data, including three groups, one of which consisted of children <18 years old (age range 31 to 109 months; n=219) with at least one risk condition for invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) such as chronic heart disease, chronic lung disease, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease, CAPVAXIVE covers the serotypes responsible for ~79% of IPD cases. In this risk group, the 11 unique serotypes covered by CAPVAXIVE account for ~40% of IPD cases. These values are based on CDC epidemiologic data and do not reflect the efficacy of CAPVAXIVE. There are currently no studies evaluating the efficacy of CAPVAXIVE.

About CAPVAXIVE

CAPVAXIVE is Merck’s 21-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine indicated for active immunization for the prevention of invasive disease and pneumonia in adults 18 years of age and older and for the prevention of invasive disease in children and adolescents aged 2 through 17 years who have one or more chronic medical conditions that put them at an increased risk of pneumococcal disease. CAPVAXIVE was specifically designed to help address the Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes predominantly responsible for IPD in adults, including eight unique serotypes, 15A, 15C, 16F, 23A, 23B, 24F, 31 and 35B compared to other approved pneumococcal vaccines. CAPVAXIVE is administered as a single dose.

CAPVAXIVE helps provide coverage against the serotypes responsible for approximately 82% of IPD cases in adults 50 years of age and older, compared to ~54% by PCV20, based on national-level CDC data from 2019-2023. These values are based on CDC epidemiologic data and do not reflect the efficacy of the respective vaccines. There are currently no studies comparing the efficacy of CAPVAXIVE and PCV20.

With this approval, CAPVAXIVE is also indicated for the prevention of invasive disease in children and adolescents aged 2 through 17 years who have one or more chronic medical conditions that put them at an increased risk for pneumococcal disease.

Select Safety Information for CAPVAXIVE in Children and Adolescents at Increased Risk for Pneumococcal Disease in the U.S.

Do not administer CAPVAXIVE to individuals with a history of a severe allergic reaction (e.g., anaphylaxis) to any component of CAPVAXIVE or to diphtheria toxoid.

Syncope may occur with administration of injectable vaccines.

Individuals with altered immunocompetence, including those receiving immunosuppressive therapy, may have a reduced immune response to CAPVAXIVE.

The most commonly reported (>10%) solicited adverse reactions in individuals 18 through 49 years of age who received CAPVAXIVE were: injection-site pain (73.1%), fatigue (36.0%), headache (27.5%), myalgia (16.4%), injection-site erythema (13.8%), and injection-site swelling (13.3%).

The most commonly reported (>10%) solicited adverse reactions in individuals 50 years of age and older who received CAPVAXIVE were: injection-site pain (41.2%), fatigue (19.7%), and headache (11.0%).

The most commonly reported (>10%) solicited adverse reactions in individuals 2 through 17 years of age who are at increased risk for pneumococcal disease were: injection-site pain (67.7%), injection-site erythema (24.3%), fatigue (20.1%), injection-site swelling (18.8%), headache (17.1%), malaise (13.3%), and irritability (11.6%).

Vaccination with CAPVAXIVE may not protect all vaccine recipients.

STRIDE-13 Clinical Data Supporting Approval

STRIDE-13 (NCT06177912) is a randomized, double-blind, active comparator-controlled Phase 3 study that evaluated individuals 2 through 17 years of age with one or more prespecified medical conditions (diabetes mellitus, chronic heart disease, chronic kidney disease, chronic liver disease, chronic lung disease) known to increase the risk of pneumococcal disease and who have previously completed a primary pneumococcal vaccination regimen at least 8 weeks prior to enrollment (n=874). Participants were randomized 3:2 to receive a single dose of CAPVAXIVE (n=527) or PPSV23 (n=347). Results from the study include:

CAPVAXIVE was noninferior to PPSV23 for the 12 shared serotypes and induced statistically significantly greater OPA GMTs compared to PPSV23 for the 9 serotypes unique to CAPVAXIVE; CAPVAXIVE also elicited immune responses to serotype 15B (cross-reactive to serotype 15C). In a post hoc analysis utilizing the same prespecified noninferiority criterion that was used for the shared serotypes, CAPVAXIVE was noninferior to PPSV23 for serotype 15B; The safety profile of CAPVAXIVE was generally comparable to PPSV23. Solicited adverse reactions following administration of CAPVAXIVE lasted a median of 2 days with most reactions lasting ≤3 days; The proportion of individuals reporting 1 or more serious adverse events (SAE) within 6 months postvaccination was 5.5% (n=29) in individuals vaccinated with CAPVAXIVE and 7.2% (n=25) in individuals vaccinated with PPSV23. There were no notable patterns or imbalances between vaccine groups for SAEs. One individual (0.2%) who received CAPVAXIVE had an SAE considered related to vaccination. This SAE was syncope (Grade 2, required hospitalization) and occurred approximately 3 minutes postvaccination. About Pneumococcal Disease

Pneumococcal disease is an infection caused by bacteria called Streptococcus pneumoniae. There are about 100 different types (referred to as serotypes) of pneumococcal bacteria, which can affect adults differently than children. Pneumococcal disease can be invasive or non-invasive. Non-invasive pneumococcal illnesses include pneumonia (when pneumococcal disease is confined to the lungs), whereas invasive pneumococcal illnesses include pneumococcal bacteremia (infection in the bloodstream), bacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia (pneumonia with bacteremia) and pneumococcal meningitis (infection of the coverings of the brain and spinal cord).

About Merck

At Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, we are unified around our purpose: We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. For more than 130 years, we have brought hope to humanity through the development of important medicines and vaccines. We aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world – and today, we are at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions that advance the prevention and treatment of diseases in people and animals. We foster a diverse and inclusive global workforce and operate responsibly every day to enable a safe, sustainable and healthy future for all people and communities. For more information, visit www.merck.com and connect with us on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statement of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA

This news release of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA (the “company”) includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. There can be no guarantees with respect to pipeline candidates that the candidates will receive the necessary regulatory approvals or that they will prove to be commercially successful. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general industry conditions and competition; general economic factors, including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation in the United States and internationally; global trends toward health care cost containment; technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approval; the company’s ability to accurately predict future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; financial instability of international economies and sovereign risk; dependence on the effectiveness of the company’s patents and other protections for innovative products; and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions.

The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 and the company’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC’s Internet site (www.sec.gov).

Please see the Prescribing Information for CAPVAXIVE (Pneumococcal 21-valent Conjugate Vaccine) at https://www.merck.com/product/usa/pi_circulars/c/capvaxive/capvaxive_pi.pdf and the Patient Information/Medication Guide for CAPVAXIVE at https://www.merck.com/product/usa/pi_circulars/c/capvaxive/capvaxive_ppi.pdf .

More News From Merck & Co., Inc.

On June 17, 2026, we present a DCF analysis for Electronic Arts Inc EA , a company that has shown a price performance of +34.9% over the past year, despite a year-to-date decline of -0.5%. The current price of EA stands at $203.02.

DCF Earnings-based intrinsic value indicates a significant overvaluation with a margin of safety of -405.4%. DCF FCF-based intrinsic value suggests a modest overvaluation with a margin of safety of -72.7%. GF Score™ of 90/100 indicates a high reliability of the DCF inputs. What Is EA Worth? DCF Earnings-Based Model The DCF earnings-based model for Electronic Arts Inc EA utilizes a two-stage approach to estimate the intrinsic value of the stock. The first stage accounts for the growth phase over the next ten years, while the second stage considers the terminal phase for the subsequent ten years.

Parameter Value Current EPS (TTM, excl. non-recurring) $3.48 10-Year Growth Rate 2.3% 10-Year Treasury Rate 4.43% Discount Rate (ceil(Treasury) + 6%) 11% Terminal Growth Rate 4% In the first stage, the EPS is expected to grow at a rate of 2.3% per year for ten years, discounted at a rate of 11%. The calculated value for this growth stage is $22.84 per share. In the second stage, after year ten, the growth rate slows to a terminal growth rate of 4% for another ten years, also discounted at 11%, yielding a terminal stage value of $10.94 per share.

Stage Description Value Growth Stage (Years 1-10) EPS growing at 2.3%, discounted at 11% $22.84 Terminal Stage (Years 11-20) 4% terminal growth, discounted at 11% $10.94 Intrinsic Value Growth + Terminal $33.78 With the current price at $203.02, the intrinsic value calculated at $40.17 indicates that EA is significantly overvalued, with a margin of safety of -405.4%. It is important to note that GuruFocus uses EPS without non-recurring items, as research shows that stock prices correlate more closely with earnings than with free cash flow. For further analysis, you can visit the EA DCF Calculator.

What Does the Free Cash Flow DCF Say? The Free Cash Flow (FCF)-based intrinsic value for Electronic Arts Inc is calculated at $117.59. When comparing this with the earnings-based intrinsic value of $33.78, the two models suggest a modest overvaluation, with a margin of safety of -72.7%. This divergence highlights the importance of considering multiple valuation approaches when assessing a company's worth.

How Does GF Value™ Compare to the DCF Models? The GF Value™ for Electronic Arts Inc is calculated at $159.55, providing a third perspective on valuation. GF Value™ is GuruFocus' proprietary measure, derived from historical trading multiples, past business growth, and future performance estimates. All three models—DCF earnings, DCF FCF, and GF Value™—indicate that EA is overvalued, reinforcing the need for caution among investors. For more details, visit the GF Value™ page.

What Does EA's GF Score™ Tell Us? The GF Score™ ranks stocks from 0 to 100 based on five key aspects: Financial Strength, Profitability, Growth, Valuation, and Momentum. Stocks with higher GF Score™ values have been found to generate higher long-term returns (backtested 2006-2021).

Metric Rating GF Score™ 90/100 Financial Strength 8/10 Profitability 9/10 Growth 8/10 Valuation 5/10 Momentum 9/10 The predictability rank for EA is 2/5 stars, indicating that higher predictability means the DCF model is more reliable for this stock. For more insights, visit the EA stock page.

Key Assumptions and Limitations It is important to note that DCF models are highly sensitive to growth rate and discount rate assumptions. Stocks with low predictability ratings, such as EA, produce less reliable DCF estimates. The terminal growth rate of 4% is a simplifying assumption that may not fully capture future market conditions.

What This Means for Investors In conclusion, the DCF earnings model indicates a significant overvaluation, while the FCF model suggests a modest overvaluation. The GF Value™ also supports this perspective, indicating that EA is overvalued. Overall, investors should exercise caution when considering EA as a potential investment. For the full DCF analysis, visit the EA DCF Calculator. You can also explore the GF Value™ page, or use the GuruFocus Stock Screener to find undervalued predictable companies.

Frequently Asked Questions What is EA's intrinsic value based on DCF?

[Answer: earnings-based $40.17, FCF-based $117.59]

Is EA overvalued or undervalued?

[Answer using DCF + GF Value™ consensus]

How reliable is the DCF model for EA?

[Answer using predictability rank 2/5]

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].

Ritholtz Wealth Management’s top executive, Josh Brown, is recommending investors stick with three outperformers through the end of this year (2026).

His top picks – Interactive Brokers, Caterpillar, and Delta Air Lines – have notably outperformed the broader market in recent months, which Brown believes justifies owning these names for the long term.  

According to him, positions that keep working need no new reason to stay in your portfolio.  

IBKR shares have been on Brown’s list of “Best Stocks in the Market” ever since they broke out of a cup-and-handle pattern in mid-2025.

In the trailing 12 months, the global electronic brokerage firm has rallied a remarkable 80%.

Brown attributed part of this explosive move to a float that’s small relative to founder Thomas Peterffy’s stake – limiting supply as demand persists.

Crucially, Interactive Brokers’ Q1 results back up the chart: client accounts grew 31% year over year to 4.75 million, client equity rose 38%, and margin loans climbed by some 40% to $90 billion.

In the first quarter, the company’s commissions hit a record $613 million – with stock, futures, and options volume all posting double-digit annual gains.

A 0.36% dividend yield makes IBKR even more attractive to own in 2026.

Caterpillar stock joined Brown’s list in April primarily because of its Power and Energy segment’s exposure to the AI infrastructure buildout – a thesis that has since strengthened.

In Q1, the company’s power generation sales grew a whopping 48% year-over-year – pushing the order backlog up 79% to record levels.

This even prompted management to raise its 2026 revenue guidance and more than triple its long-term power generation target through the end of this decade.

Despite a 270 bps tariff hit, CAT’s adjusted earnings per share (EPS) came in up 30% in the latest reported quarter.

Note that a gas engine running continuously for data centers generates about 40x the lifetime services revenue of a standby diesel unit.

Caterpillar remains attractive also because its board lifted the quarterly dividend recently to $1.63, extending a 32-year streak.

At writing, the firm’s share price is up nearly 45% versus early April.

Josh Brown first shared his constructive view on Delta Air Lines stock in December 2025, and it’s gained more than 20% since then.

The rebound has been led by premium and corporate demand: premium revenue grew 14% in Q1, loyalty sales came in up 13%, while corporate bookings hit a quarterly record.

The main cabin posted positive unit revenue growth, its first since late 2024, with domestic revenue and international revenue gaining 6% and 5%, respectively.  

A record $14.2 billion in Q1 sales saw free cash flow hit $1.2 billion, with the outlook for the current quarter pointing to low-teens revenue growth.

Much like the other names on his list, DAL shares also currently pay a dividend yield of 1%.