Track market-moving stories before they get noisy

Tomorrow marks the end of USDT’s run on regulated European crypto platforms. July 1, 2026, is the hard deadline for the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation, and Tether, the issuer of the world’s largest stablecoin with a market capitalization between $175 billion and $186 billion, never bothered to apply for authorization.

MiCA requires stablecoin issuers to obtain e-money token authorization to operate within the European Economic Area. Without it, exchanges can’t legally offer the token to EEA clients.

Tether has not applied for MiCA authorization as of June 2026, a decision that aligns with its broader posture of focusing on markets outside Europe rather than complying with the bloc’s stringent bank reserve mandates.

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Coinbase Europe delisted USDT back in December 2024. Crypto.com followed in January 2025. Binance’s EEA entity restricted USDT trading pairs in March 2025. Major platforms have already started converting or limiting USDT balances for their European users in anticipation of the final deadline.

Tether also discontinued its euro-denominated stablecoin, EURT, back in 2024, walking away from the European market entirely.

Circle’s USDC and EURC tokens have secured MiCA compliance and remain available across EU-licensed platforms, making Circle’s products the default stablecoin option on regulated exchanges for European traders.

A retail investor using Binance’s European entity will need to switch to USDC or another authorized alternative. A DeFi user interacting directly with smart contracts through a self-custody wallet can keep using USDT, as the regulation targets service providers, not the token itself. No legal actions against Tether itself have been reported in connection with MiCA compliance.

USDT has long been the dominant trading pair denomination across crypto markets globally. When European platforms remove it, trading volumes on those platforms will shift to USDC-denominated pairs or other compliant alternatives.

Tether’s calculus appears to be that the cost of MiCA compliance, particularly the reserve requirements mandating funds be held in European banks, outweighs the revenue from European platform activity. Institutional players and regulated funds operating within the EEA don’t have the option of routing around compliance requirements by switching to non-custodial wallets, making USDC the only compliant option for that segment of the market.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) stock was up more than 2% on Tuesday as investors rotated back into large-cap technology stocks during a risk-on trading session. The Nasdaq gained 1.46%, while the S&P 500 advanced 0.69%.

The rebound follows a sharp selloff last Thursday, when Apple shares fell more than 6%, marking their steepest one-day decline since April 2025.

The drop came after the company raised prices on its Mac and iPad lineup, prompting investors to assess whether Apple can pass higher component costs on to consumers ahead of any potential iPhone price increases.

The stock remains in focus as investors weigh rising memory costs, the possibility of higher iPhone prices, and Apple’s efforts to expand its supply chain by working with Chinese memory manufacturers.

Apple Seeks Relief From Memory CostsApple is again asking the administration for more flexibility to work with Chinese memory suppliers as it deals with a severe component cost and supply crunch, CNBC reported Saturday.

The effort is part of a broader push by U.S. technology companies seeking clearance from the White House, the Commerce Department, and the Pentagon to qualify Chinese vendors without violating U.S. restrictions.

Chinese memory suppliers could help Apple lower costs and gain more leverage with existing suppliers, according to the report. Apple may use those chips in devices sold outside the U.S., especially in China and parts of Asia.

However, adding a new supplier could take months of testing, security checks, and factory reviews.

Analysts See Apple Managing The PressureWedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives told CNBC on Friday that Apple had to raise prices to protect margins amid sharply rising memory costs across the technology supply chain.

Ives said Apple waited as long as possible and made the move at the right time as it enters what he expects to be a major three-year hardware cycle. He expects only limited demand weakness, possibly around 1% to 2% churn on some high-end products.

Albion Financial Group CIO Jason Ware told CNBC Saturday that investors should continue to own Apple despite recent price hikes and stock weakness.

Ware said Apple has a strong long-term setup, supported by upper-single-digit revenue growth, margin expansion, and a large share buyback program.

He said Apple’s affluent customer base remains willing to upgrade, while pricing power should help protect margins without causing major demand weakness.

Ware also pointed to a possible foldable iPhone launch this fall as a driver of upgrades.

Analysts maintain a consensus Buy rating with an average price forecast of $324.16. Recent research includes Evercore ISI reiterating an Outperform rating with a $365 price forecast, KGI Securities downgrading the stock to Hold with a $315 forecast, and Bank of America Securities maintaining a Buy rating with a $380 price forecast.

Technical Picture Remains ConstructiveApple continues to trade above its long-term trend indicators. The stock is about 4.3% above its 100-day simple moving average and 6.8% above its 200-day simple moving average, keeping its broader uptrend intact.

However, the shares remain 2.5% below the 20-day SMA and 1.3% below the 50-day SMA. That suggests the stock is still working through a short-term consolidation.

The relative strength index stands at 46.05, indicating neutral momentum. The reading suggests buyers and sellers remain balanced rather than signaling a decisive breakout.

Key resistance sits near $302.50, while support is around $287.50.

Price ActionAAPL Stock Price Activity: Apple shares were up 2.32% at $288.27 at the time of publication on Tuesday, according to Benzinga Pro data.

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Key Takeaways UAL will launch nonstop flights to Cartagena from Houston and Washington Dulles on Dec. 17, 2026.UAL adds its third Colombia destination, complementing long-standing service to Bogota and Medellin.UAL plans upgraded onboard features and free Starlink Wi-Fi for MileagePlus members to enhance travel. United Airlines (UAL - Free Report) announced the launch of new nonstop flights from Houston Intercontinental Airport (“IAH”) and Washington Dulles International Airport (“IAD”) to Cartagena, Colombia, effective Dec. 17, 2026, subject to government approval. With this move, United will become the first U.S. airline to offer nonstop service on both routes, further expanding its international network in Latin America.

The new services will operate year round with four weekly flights from each hub, using Boeing 737 aircraft. The expansion adds Cartagena as United's third destination in Colombia, complementing its existing operations to Bogotá and Medellín, where the airline has maintained a presence for more than 30 years.

The new routes are expected to strengthen United's connectivity across North America by linking Cartagena to more than 70 destinations through its Houston and Washington Dulles hubs. The expansion also reinforces the airline's leadership in Latin America, where it already offers the largest network from Texas and the Washington, D.C., region.

Alongside network expansion, United continues to enhance its customer offering by deploying aircraft equipped with seatback entertainment screens, Bluetooth connectivity and larger overhead bins. The airline also plans to introduce free Starlink Wi-Fi for MileagePlus members, underscoring its focus on improving the travel experience while supporting long-term international growth.

UAL’s Share Price PerformanceUAL’s shares have gained 68.9% over the past year compared with the Transportation - Airline industry’s 43.3% growth.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

UAL’s Zacks RankUAL currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Stocks to ConsiderInvestors interested in the Zacks Transportation sector may consider Expeditors International of Washington, Inc. (EXPD - Free Report) and Teekay Tankers Ltd (TNK - Free Report) . 

EXPD currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Expeditors has an expected earnings growth rate of 11.9% for 2026.  The company has an encouraging earnings surprise history. Its earnings outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average beat of 13.96%.

Teekay Tankers Ltd currently sports a Zacks Rank #1.

TNK has an expected earnings growth rate of 98% for the current year. The company has an encouraging earnings surprise history. Its earnings topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average beat of 10.2%.

Key Takeaways ZTO's earnings estimates for 2026 have been revised higher, signaling solid broker confidence.ZTO expects its 2026 parcel volume to be between 42.37 billion and 43.52 billion (up 10-13% year/year growth).ZTO has gained in the past year and outperforms its industry, but lags its peers like SNDR and EXPD. ZTO Express (ZTO - Free Report) performed well in the past year and has the potential to sustain the momentum in the future. The positive sentiment surrounding ZTO Express stock is evident from the fact that the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the full-year 2026 earnings has been revised upward in the past 90 days. The consensus mark for full-year 2027 earnings has also been projected downward in the past 90 days.

The favorable estimate revisions indicate brokers’ confidence in the stock.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Given this backdrop, the question now arises whether it is worth buying, holding, or selling the ZTO Express stock at current prices. Let us delve deeper to find out.

Tailwinds Working in Favor of ZTO StockZTO Express’ top line continues to benefit from the strong performance of the core express delivery services unit. Notably, revenues from the core express delivery business increased 22.5% year over year in first-quarter 2026, owing to 13.2% growth in parcel volume and an 8.2% increase in parcel unit price. Key account revenue, generated by direct sales organizations, grew 92.2% year over year, owing to an increase in e-commerce return parcels. Based on current market and operating conditions, ZTO Express expects its 2026 parcel volume guidance in the range of 42.37 billion to 43.52 billion (reflecting 10-13% year over year growth).

ZTO Express’s efforts to reward its shareholders even in the present uncertain scenario are noteworthy. ZTO’s board has approved a new share repurchase program in March 2026, authorizing the repurchase of up to $1.5 billion of its shares over the next 24 months, effective from March 20, 2026, through March 20, 2028. ZTO Express anticipates funding these repurchases utilizing its existing cash balance. Such shareholder-friendly efforts boost investor confidence and positively impact the company’s bottom line.

Impressive Valuation Picture for ZTO ExpressZTO Express looks cheap from a valuation standpoint. Considering the forward 12-month price-to-earnings ratio (P/E-F12M), ZTO Express is trading at a discount compared to the industry.

The stock has a forward 12-month P/E-F12M of 10.31X compared with 16.40X for the industry over the past five years. The company’s forward 12-month P/E-F12M ratio is also below the median level of 13.47X over the past five years. These factors indicate that the stock’s valuation is attractive. ZTO Express has a Value Score of A.

ZTO P/E Ratio (Forward 12 Months) Vs. Industry Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

ZTO Stock’s Price PerformanceShares of ZTO Express have gained 24% over the past year, outperforming the Zacks  Transportation - Equipment and Leasing industry’s  16.7% increase. However, the company fared unfavorably when compared with that of other industry players, Expeditors International of Washington, Inc. (EXPD - Free Report) and Schneider National, Inc. (SNDR - Free Report) .

ZTO Stock’s One-Year Price Comparison Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Time to Buy ZTO StockApart from being attractively valued, the upbeat performance of the core express delivery services segment is a positive for ZTO Express. The uptick was driven by an increase in parcel volume and an increase in parcel unit price. ZTO Express expects its 2026 parcel volume guidance to be in the range of 42.37 billion-43.52 billion, reflecting an increase of 10-13% year over year. ZTO Express’s efforts to reward its shareholders look encouraging.

We believe that the positives surrounding the stock (as highlighted throughout the write-up) outweigh the concerns regarding higher selling, general and administrative expenses, which are pushing up operating expenses and hurting the bottom line, coupled with the highly competitive domestic express delivery market. We, therefore, suggest investors add ZTO Express stock to their portfolios for healthy returns. The company’s Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) further supports our thesis. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

THORChain Podcast #198: Live Monero Demo ft. jpthor & KentonC137 | May 14, 2026 | Watch the full episode on YouTube

By Raynalytics

TL;DRJP ran a live Monero demo on a 7-node THORChain chainnet with real funds, executing the first end-to-end decentralized $RUNE to $XMR swap with full vault auditability across signing and non-signing nodes.The implementation uses a deterministic view key (SHA-512 of "thorchain view key") plus on-chain key images and per-transaction signing keys to make every Monero inbound, outbound, and vault balance publicly auditable.Monero runs as a Rust sidecar alongside Bifrost, built on Luke Parker's Serai signing stack and the Monero Oxide wallet library, plumbed into THORChain by Boone.JP and Chad disagree on running multiple Asgard vaults versus a single vault for Monero, a question to be resolved before the mainnet rollout.The code is functional today, but mainnet is gated on more stress testing. When it ships, expect a guarded launch with small pools.Where things stand (June 2026): This recap revisits JP's live demo from May 14. In the weeks since, Chad Barraford confirmed on THORSday #209 that Monero now works end-to-end on the chainnet test environment, with real $XMR swaps, liquidity adds and removes, and churns all confirmed. A live $XMR launch is targeted for roughly a month after THORChain's trading restart, barring a bug that forces a v3.20 change, with Zcash ($ZEC) one to two weeks behind. Mainnet is not live yet.

IntroductionThis was not a typical podcast episode. JP joined Kenton and ran a fully live Monero implementation on a real-fund chainnet: seven nodes churning, two Asgard vaults, key gens, key signings, the works. By the end of the call, JP had executed the first end-to-end decentralized $RUNE to $XMR swap, audited the transaction with a key image and a signing key, and confirmed his receiving wallet got paid. This was THORChain producing the proof that years of Monero integration work actually delivers.

What follows is a recap of the architecture, the audit primitives, the live result, and the open questions still on the table before mainnet.

1. The Live Demo: Seven Nodes, Real Funds, Real SwapJP began by tearing down his existing chainnet and redeploying it from scratch. The deploy spooled up seven THORChain nodes and one genesis vault, then churned into a six-active-node, two-Asgard-vault configuration. He added 0.5 $XMR and 500 $RUNE to each active vault, waited for confirmations, then fired off a 100 $RUNE to $XMR swap back to his own Monero wallet.

It worked. The signing nodes generated the transaction, produced a key image and a transaction signing key, propagated those to the non-signing nodes for verification, then settled the outbound. JP pasted his recipient address and the transaction key into a Monero block explorer's proof-of-payment tool and confirmed receipt.

"Real money, real funds. I love it when a plan comes together." (JP)Across all seven nodes, signing, non-signing, and standby, the reported $XMR balance converged. The on-chain vault state matched the actual Monero wallet state, and gas accounting was correct. After the swap, the protocol began an unhalted churn, generating two new Asgard vaults and migrating funds in multiple rounds without breaking auditability.

2. How THORChain Audits Monero Without a Privacy BackdoorThe core challenge with Monero on a transparent chain is making the vault state verifiable, since Monero hides addresses and amounts by default. JP's solution rests on three primitives.

Deterministic view key. Every THORChain Monero vault uses the same private view key, derived from SHA-512("thorchain view key"). It is global and public, so anyone can see inbounds to any THORChain Monero vault and confirm the amounts. Standard Monero wallets never expose their view key. THORChain's vaults do, by design.

Key images. A view key alone does not reveal when outputs are spent. For every inbound, THORChain kicks off a key image ceremony, essentially a 2/3 threshold ceremony similar to a key signing ceremony. The resulting key image is stored on-chain. When that key image later appears as spent on the Monero blockchain, anyone can audit the vault's debits.

Transaction signing keys. For every outbound a signing subset produces, they also generate a transaction signing key and propagate it to the non-signing nodes. Plug the transaction key plus the recipient address into a Monero proof tool, and the destination and amount are verifiable. This is how the rest of the network confirms the signers did what they were supposed to, and did not reroute funds.

Put together, these three primitives let anyone audit every Monero inbound, every spent output, and every outbound on every THORChain vault, in real time. As Kenton summarized it on the call:

"THORChain doesn't become more private by adding Monero. THORChain is actually bringing more publicity to the Monero transactions that occur on THORChain. Anything private has to happen on the Monero chain itself." (Kenton)JP agreed:

"THORChain actually honestly doesn't know that Monero is a privacy chain. THORChain thinks Monero is just literally Bitcoin." (JP)The audit model is what makes the integration possible. Without it, JP noted, the nodes could just steal.

3. Architecture: A Rust Sidecar Built on Serai and Monero OxideMonero is the first chain client where THORChain runs a dedicated sidecar process alongside the Go-based Bifrost. The sidecar is written in Rust because it needs to host the FROST signing engine for Monero, and because the entire Rust Monero stack is more mature than any Go equivalent. Bifrost orchestrates: it tells the sidecar when to key gen, when to key sign, with what amount and to what address. The sidecar executes.

The foundation is Luke Parker's work. Luke, the lead developer of Serai, built both the modular FROST stack THORChain depends on for threshold key generation and signing, and Monero Oxide, the Rust-based Monero wallet library THORChain uses for everything from view key derivation to vault address generation to transaction construction, decoy selection, and fee computation.

"All the Monero stuff is based on Luke's work. We just kind of plumbed it into THORChain's semantics." (JP)Boone did the plumbing. JP credited Boone explicitly for taking Luke's libraries and adapting them to THORChain's Bifrost architecture.

THORChain also runs a fork of the Monero TS wallet library, published on the THORChain GitHub, which adds 255-byte TX extras. That is the change that lets THORChain memos ride alongside Monero transactions. Any wallet integrating Monero with THORChain needs roughly three lines of code to adopt the same pattern, and 255-byte memos are already valid on the Monero base layer, JP noted, which most integrators do not realize.

4. Handling Monero's QuirksMonero behaves differently from Bitcoin in ways the implementation has to absorb.

10-block lock per UTXO. Every Monero output is locked for 10 blocks after receipt, roughly 20 minutes. The signers track lock state per UTXO and refuse to sign until the spendable balance is available. THORChain does not see the lock directly; it just schedules the outbound and the signers say "talk to me in nine blocks." If one vault is fully locked, THORChain reschedules the transaction to the other active vault. Streaming swaps are not affected, JP confirmed, because Chad recently shipped a feature that begins the streaming swap clock as soon as the deposit kicks off confirmation counting.

Gas budget. Monero gas accounting is hard, so THORChain hardcodes a 120,000-unit budget per outbound, about 42 cents at current prices. Real transactions usually come in closer to 4 cents, so there is a roughly 10x buffer. Simple, predictable, slightly overpaid.

Zero-output change. Every Monero transaction must have two outputs (the real destination plus a dummy from a decoy ring). When THORChain does not actually need a change output, it produces a zero-amount second output and ignores it on the receiving side. This applies to consolidations, migrations, and any one-recipient outbound.

Consolidation strategy. JP proposes consolidating 10 UTXOs down to 5 at a time rather than larger batches. Gas scales linearly with UTXOs, and so does signing time. Keeping consolidations bounded keeps both manageable.

Birthday-based scanning. Each Monero vault saves its creation block height on-chain. Sidecars scan from that birthday forward rather than from Monero genesis. A rescan mode lets any node rebuild its sidecar inventory from scratch by pulling addresses, birthdays, key images, and the view key from THORChain itself. JP says he has tested it ad nauseam.

Old vault refunds. If someone sends Monero to a retired vault, THORChain cannot auto-refund because it cannot identify the sender address. The funds flow to the latest active vault instead, available for a manual treasury refund if the sender produces their transaction private key to prove ownership.

5. Single Vault or Multiple? An Open DebateThe most consequential open question from the episode: should THORChain run one Monero vault or many?

JP's position is to run multiple Asgard vaults, the same way Bitcoin and Ethereum work today. Multiple vaults give the network redundancy when 10-block UTXO locks tie up one vault's spendable balance, and they limit the impact of any single signer set going offline. The trade-off is more key gens, more key image ceremonies, and unproven scalability of FROST Monero across all 100 nodes simultaneously.

Chad's position is to run a single vault. With one vault, every node is a signer, which lets the implementation skip the multi-vault key image generation overhead and simplify the protocol surface area.

Kenton pushed back on the disconnect directly, telling JP that he and Chad clearly need to sort this out: Chad is saying one vault, JP is saying multiple. JP indicated multiple is more aligned with how the other chain clients already work, and that moving to a DKLS-based ECDSA TSS library could eventually make single-vault designs viable. He will continue the conversation with Chad before mainnet, and Kenton suggested running both configurations on mainnet for a few weeks each to observe behavior. The decision is open.

6. AI-Assisted Development, and the "Vibe Coded" QuestionJP addressed criticism that the Monero implementation is "vibe coded" head-on. His view: AI tooling (Claude, Codex, GPT 5.5) lets him work an order of magnitude faster than five years ago, when the team spent a year building the original Bitcoin Bifrost. Tasks that used to require hand-grepping logs across 100 nodes now take minutes when AI can crawl them.

But the workflow is not hands-off. JP described it as juggling, with constant supervision required: one slip and the whole thing crashes down. He uses separate AI conversations per stack component and trains each with project-specific skills.

"The code only works if it's correct. If it didn't work, then you would not see these correct numbers. Gas accounting would be wrong, the balances wouldn't match." (JP)Kenton's framing: it does not matter whether the code starts as vibe-coded or hand-written. What matters is whether it gets reviewed, tested, and verified to work. By that test, the Monero implementation is human-approved code regardless of how the first draft was produced.

7. Future-Proofing for FCMP++ and CarrotAn audience question raised the upcoming Monero hardfork, which introduces FCMP++ (Full-Chain Membership Proofs Plus Plus) and the Carrot addressing protocol. Carrot adds outgoing view keys, forward secrecy, and other privacy and usability features while maintaining backward compatibility with existing Monero addresses.

JP's expectation is that the upgrade should be plug-and-play for THORChain. Luke Parker's Serai and Monero Oxide stacks will absorb the changes upstream. When the hardfork ships, THORChain will pause Monero trading, upgrade its sidecar dependencies, and unpause, with no expected protocol-level rework on THORChain's side and no expected long downtime.

What to WatchMore stress testing on chainnet. JP planned to run automated scripts that throw every edge case at the implementation: bad memos, wrong gas, old vault refunds, mismatched routing. If solvency holds after sustained abuse, the path to mainnet is clear.JP and Chad converging on vault architecture. Single vault or multiple is unresolved and material. Watch for a follow-up between them.Chainnet to stagenet to mainnet rollout. The chainnet code is the mainnet code, and the deploy pattern is identical. Mainnet is a confidence question, not a code question.A guarded launch when live. Expect small pools and small trades at first. JP and Kenton both flagged that Monero could need several months on mainnet before it is fully battle-tested.FCMP++ and Carrot hardfork handling. Monero's hardfork is on the near-term horizon. The plan is a brief THORChain pause for sidecar upgrades, then resume."We could launch this on mainnet tomorrow. It just depends on how confident we are that we're not going to hit a bug." (JP)More THORChain data, check out raynalytics.net

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Key Takeaways DaVita expands kidney care via the IKC platform across CKD and ESKD dialysis network services.DVA expands digital infrastructure and AI ScheduleHub to improve dialysis scheduling efficiency.FMS expands kinexus and 5008X CAREsystem; RMTI signs dialysis supply deals with Heritage and aQua. DaVita Inc. (DVA - Free Report) , a well-known kidney care services provider, plays a central role in the dialysis ecosystem by providing comprehensive kidney care services for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). The company operates an extensive network of outpatient dialysis centers in the United States and internationally, offering in-center dialysis, home dialysis and related clinical services. Beyond delivering dialysis treatments, DVA supports patients across the broader continuum of kidney care through integrated care programs designed to improve clinical outcomes and coordinate treatment with physicians and other healthcare providers.

As kidney care continues to shift toward value-based delivery models, DaVita is expanding its Integrated Kidney Care (IKC) platform to better manage patients with advanced kidney disease. The company reported continued progress under the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) Comprehensive Kidney Care Contracting (CKCC) program, delivering year-over-year improvements in gross savings, quality scores and high-performing status. These results highlight DVA's efforts to pair coordinated care with data-driven insights to improve patient outcomes while supporting a more sustainable kidney care model.

DaVita is also investing in technology to strengthen its dialysis operations and enhance care delivery. During 2026, the company continued expanding its digital infrastructure and AI capabilities, including the introduction of ScheduleHub, an AI-powered scheduling tool that aligns patient appointments, staffing availability and clinic capacity. By reducing administrative burden and improving operational efficiency across its dialysis centers, these investments reinforce DVA's focus on delivering high-quality, patient-centered kidney care while supporting the evolving needs of the dialysis industry.

FMS & RMTI Advancing Kidney Care DeliveryFresenius Medical Care AG (FMS - Free Report) is strengthening its foothold in kidney care by integrating dialysis services, value-based care and digital innovation across the treatment continuum. Fresenius Medical Care recently launched kinexus, a unified digital platform that supports home dialysis through remote therapy monitoring, prescription management and integrated supply ordering. Additionally, Fresenius Medical Care is accelerating the U.S. rollout of its 5008X CAREsystem, reinforcing its focus on connected, patient-centric dialysis care while expanding access to advanced home and in-center therapies.

Rockwell Medical, Inc. (RMTI - Free Report) is strengthening kidney care delivery by supplying dialysis providers with a comprehensive portfolio of hemodialysis products that support treatment across outpatient centers, skilled nursing facilities and home dialysis settings. Rockwell Medical recently signed a three-year product purchase agreement with Heritage Dialysis and renewed its agreement with aQua Dialysis, expanding access to its dialysis concentrates and ancillary products. Through these partnerships, Rockwell Medical continues to enhance the reliability and availability of dialysis care across diverse treatment settings.

DVA’s Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesShares of DaVita have gained 93.4% year to date compared with the industry’s rise of 14.7%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

DVA’s forward 12-month P/E of 13.2X is lower than the industry’s average of 18.2X but higher than its five-year median of 12.7X. It has a Value Score of A.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for DVA’s 2026 earnings per share suggests a 39.8% improvement compared with 2025.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

DaVita currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday cleared Philip Morris-owned Zyn nicotine pouches to be marketed as less harmful than cigarettes, giving the tobacco giant a major regulatory win as the Trump administration loosens restrictions on nicotine products.

The decision, first reported by Axios, allows 20 Zyn products to carry a modified-risk claim saying that switching from cigarettes to Zyn lowers the risk of mouth cancer, heart disease, lung cancer, stroke, emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

Zyn pouches contain nicotine but not tobacco. They are placed between a user's gum and lip and have surged in popularity among conservatives, tech workers and others who promote them as a cleaner alternative to cigarettes and chewing tobacco or a productivity aid.

The FDA decision does not mean Zyn is safe. The agency has said there is no safe tobacco product, that youth should not use tobacco products and that adults who do not use tobacco products should not start.

Still, the order gives Philip Morris a powerful health-related claim for one of the fastest-growing products in the nicotine market, as cigarette sales continue to decline in the U.S. and major tobacco companies invest more heavily in smoke-free products.

President Donald Trump, who backed restrictions on flavored e-cigarettes during his first term, reversed course during the 2024 campaign and promised to "save vaping." Since returning to office, his administration has taken a more industry-friendly approach, including by creating a pathway for some flavored e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches to remain on the market while they undergo FDA review.

The shift has followed heavy lobbying from the tobacco and vaping industries, which have argued that adult smokers need more access to less harmful alternatives to cigarettes.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment.

Zyn has also become a cultural marker in conservative politics. Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson helped popularize the brand on the right before later souring on Zyn and launching his own nicotine pouch brand, Alp.

Nicotine pouches have also gained fans inside Trump's orbit. The Wall Street Journal reported that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. uses nicotine pouches and that Trump recently asked Kennedy which pouches he used after a lunch with tobacco executives.

The FDA had already authorized the same 20 Zyn products for sale in January 2025, but that earlier decision did not allow Swedish Match, the subsidiary of Philip Morris that makes Zyns, to market them as reducing disease risk. Tuesday's order goes further by allowing the company to make a specific lower-risk claim tied to several major smoking-related diseases.

"FDA's review of modified risk products is intended to ensure that adult users have clear, science-based information about the relative harms of tobacco products, so they can make informed choices," Bret Koplow, acting director of the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products, said in a statement. "Today's decision allows these products to be marketed with a modified risk claim that informs adults who smoke about the lower risks associated with these products."

The products covered by the order include Zyn Chill, Cinnamon, Citrus, Coffee, Cool Mint, Menthol, Peppermint, Smooth, Spearmint and Wintergreen, each in 3-milligram and 6-milligram nicotine strengths.

"FDA's decision is an important moment for the more than 45 million legal-age nicotine consumers in America," Philip Morris U.S. CEO Stacey Kennedy said in a statement. "Today's news ensures these adults have access to accurate, science-based information, including FDA-authorized evidence that switching from cigarettes to ZYN reduces the risk of smoking-related diseases like heart disease and lung cancer."

Best Buy Today

$75.30 -2.34 (-3.02%)

As of 02:51 PM Eastern

This is a fair market value price provided by Massive. Learn more.

52-Week Range$55.10▼

$84.99Dividend Yield5.10%

P/E Ratio13.95

Price Target$79.50

Best Buy NYSE: BBY is accomplishing what many thought unlikely.

After a pandemic-fueled surge came and went, the company is showing signs of stabilizing sales and online momentum. Rather than another big-box victim, it is focused on improving its margins and expanding its business. And it is maintaining strong profitability despite sluggish consumer electronics demand.

Get Best Buy alerts:

In fact, the most-recent three month results came in above what most analysts expected. Comparable store sales rose. And management reiterated full-year guidance with enough specifics to suggest the direction had changed.

Investors who had written off the company as too old-fashioned might be surprised by the evidence that arrived. Whether now is the time to jump into the stock depends a lot on what happens next.

Best Buy Delivers Better-Than-Expected ResultsBest Buy’s first fiscal quarter, which ended on May 2, tells a solid story of incremental progress across a number of key pursuits.

Revenue beat expectations and reached $8.94 billion in the quarter, up from $8.77 billion a year earlier, and reversing a fourth-quarter slide during the key holiday season. Adjusted diluted earnings per share climbed to $1.28 from $1.15, also above what analysts expected. Reported net earnings climbed more than one-third to $276 million from $202 million a year earlier.

Comparable sales rose 2%, more than the company had anticipated and in contrast to a drop of 0.7% in the year-ago period. Domestic revenue increased 1.5% to $8.25 billion, with domestic comparable sales up 1.8%.

Operational results were also encouraging. Operating income reached 4.1% of revenue, the company’s domestic gross margin expanded to 23.7% from 23.5%, and adjusted selling, general, and administrative (SG&A) expenses as a share of domestic revenue edged down to 19.3% from 19.4%.

Those were not big changes, but in retail, those fractions of a percentage point matter. Extracting more margin from a little more revenue shows positive direction, even if the headline numbers don’t show a big change.

New Growth Businesses Are Gaining MomentumWhere the growth came from is perhaps more important than the growth itself. The company said its biggest contributors to comparable-sales gains were gaming, computing, mobile phones, and services, categories with momentum. In contrast, sales of consumer electronics slid slightly while appliances fell nearly 14%.

The recent numbers also gave proof that the company’s recent strategy is delivering. Best Buy Ads, which promotes brands and products through Best Buy’s customer base, and the company's online Marketplace, which hosts third-party sellers, also delivered strong performances. For lines of business that barely existed a few years ago, the company is nicely expanding its profile beyond TVs and computers.

Results from the company’s international operations were also encouraging. Revenue in that segment rose 7.3% to $687 million, led by 4.7% sales growth and the rest attributable to favorable foreign exchange rates.

Wall Street Remains CautiousBest Buy is also regaining investor attention. Shares are up more than 16% since the start of the year, but the stock still trades below $80, well under its level above $100 less than two years ago and below its 52-week high near $85.

Even with the recent results, analysts remain cautious. Of the 22 analysts following the company, the average rating is a Hold on the stock. Six analysts say Buy, 14 suggest Hold, and two recommend Sell.

With a 12-month average price target of $79.50 per share, analysts see only limited upside from recent trading levels.

Risks Continue to Limit the UpsideThe recommendation to Hold is also a reflection of other possible factors.

Best Buy Dividend PaymentsDividend Yield5.11%

Annual Dividend$3.84

Dividend Increase Track Record22 Years

Annualized 5-Year Dividend Growth11.55%

Dividend Payout Ratio71.11%

Next Dividend PaymentJul. 9

BBY Dividend History

Best Buy raised its quarterly payout by 1 cent to 96 cents per share in March and paid $202 million in dividends in the first quarter. That represents an over 5% yield based on current prices.

But the company’s guidance for 2027, though solid and suggesting that the improvement is durable, is roughly flat compared to the results reported last year.

The bear case has also not completely disappeared. The retail sector is notoriously volatile. And with the housing market not helping, the decline in appliance sales, which now represents 10% of its business, is not likely to recover anytime soon.

The broader competitive pressure from e-commerce, warehouse clubs, mobile carriers, and direct-to-consumer brands is also as real as it has ever been. Amazon NASDAQ: AMZN, Walmart NASDAQ: WMT, Costco NASDAQ: COST, and Apple NASDAQ: AAPL each compete for the same shoppers.

Another question hanging over the company is some recent changes in senior management. Best Buy changed both its future chief executive officer and its chief financial officer within a short span.

The company has announced that Jason Bonfig, who oversees merchandising, ecommerce, marketing, supply chain, Best Buy Canada, and Best Buy Ads, will succeed Corie Barry as CEO at the end of October. The company’s chief financial officer will also step down at the end of July.

Best Buy's Comeback Still Needs More ProofPatient investors attracted by high dividends and a leading brand retailer are likely paying attention. With execution improving and its expansion of profit pools, Best Buy is making a credible case. Profits are up, and its efficiency strategy appears to be working.

Other investors might want more proof. A leadership transition and a muted sales trajectory make a quick run-up unlikely in the near term. Waiting for results from another quarter or two might be the smart move to ensure the comeback is real.

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Ondo Finance Brings 430+ Tokenized Equities to Uniswap@OndoFinance has officially integrated more than 430 tokenized U.S. stocks and ETFs into the @Uniswap ecosystem, making the assets accessible directly through the Uniswap frontend on both @Ethereum and @BNBChain. The move connects two of DeFi's most prominent platforms and opens up round-the-clock on-chain access to some of the world's most traded equities for eligible non-U.S. participants.

Ondo Finance expanded its Global Markets offering by adding 173 tokenized stocks and ETFs earlier this month, bringing the platform's total catalog to more than 430 assets spanning Ethereum, Solana, and BNB Chain. The Uniswap integration now routes those assets through the broader decentralized liquidity network.

Uniswap has integrated tokenized securities from issuers including Ondo, xStocks, and Backed, allowing users to trade on-chain versions of assets like SpaceX, Apple, Tesla, and NVIDIA that track underlying stock prices through the Uniswap web app, wallet, and API. The integration uses Uniswap v4 hooks for compliance features such as KYC and allowlists.

UniswapX Routing and 24/7 On-Chain TradingThe assets are routable through the UniswapX API, enabling efficient order execution and deep liquidity for continuous on-chain equity trading. This is a meaningful step beyond traditional market hours: Ondo is live with 24/7 instant minting and redemption on tokenized U.S. stocks and ETFs, including on weekends, now across Ethereum and BNB Chain, with Solana coming soon.

Ondo Global Markets gives non-U.S. investors on-chain access to publicly traded U.S. stocks and ETFs, with each token backed 1:1 by the underlying security, purchased and held in custody by a U.S.-registered broker-dealer. The tokens provide holders with economic exposure to the value of the underlying publicly traded assets, including dividends, but are not themselves stocks or ETFs and do not provide rights to hold or receive the underlying assets.

Tokenized stocks have emerged as the fastest-growing asset class on Ethereum in 2026, with Ondo and xStocks leading the sector, according to Token Terminal data. Ondo Global Markets is also the primary issuer behind BNB Chain overtaking Solana in cumulative tokenized stock trading volume. The Uniswap integration adds another layer of distribution and liquidity to a product category that is growing rapidly across decentralized finance.

Sources:
Ondo Finance: Ondo Global Markets
The Defiant: Ondo Finance Adds 173 Tokenized Stocks and ETFs
BNB Chain Blog: Ondo Global Markets on BNB Chain

July 2026 features one of the largest token unlock schedules the Solana ecosystem has seen this year, led by a major vesting event for memecoin launchpad pump.fun and several sizeable releases across leading DeFi, infrastructure, and consumer-facing protocols.

Here is a breakdown of the most notable Solana ecosystem token unlocks scheduled for July 2026:

$PUMP Pump.fun is scheduled to unlock 86.65 billion $PUMP tokens in July, valued at approximately $123.65 million. The release represents 21.35% of the token's circulating supply and 10.14% of the total supply, making it the largest unlock of the month.

The majority of this release is due to the expiration of the project's original 12-month vesting cliff. 23% of the total $PUMP supply was allocated to team members and existing investors under a vesting schedule consisting of a 12-month cliff followed by 36 months of linear vesting. With that initial cliff now complete, approximately 82.5 billion $PUMP tokens will unlock immediately, while the remainder of the allocation will continue to vest over the following 36 months.

The unlock follows a period of aggressive supply reduction. Yesterday, June 29, pump.fun surpassed $400 million in cumulative $PUMP buybacks and burns, with a total of 146 billion $PUMP permanently removed from circulation. Those burns have effectively offset approximately 41.1% of the token's circulating supply.

The project previously committed to continuing programmatic buybacks for another year in April, allocating 50% of protocol revenue toward repurchasing $PUMP. As a result, July's vesting event coincides with an active supply-reduction strategy that market participants will do well to monitor closely. This will also serve as the first real price test for $PUMP since its TGE and will reveal how effective the buybacks are at absorbing selling pressure from the unlocks.

$JTO Jito will unlock 18.59 million $JTO tokens during July through linear vesting. The release is valued at approximately $14.11 million, representing 3.80% of the circulating supply and 1.85% of the total supply.

Beyond the monthly vesting schedule, July also marks an important milestone for the protocol's broader ecosystem. Jito recently teased the launch of JTX, its new trading app, in July.

Jito already generates revenue from several sources. JTX will introduce an additional revenue stream, with 80% of platform revenue accruing to $JTO holders, while the remaining 20% will support continued platform growth.

$GRASS Grass is scheduled to unlock 21.73 million $GRASS tokens through linear vesting during July. The release carries an estimated value of $10.25 million, representing 3.56% of circulating supply and 2.17% of total supply.

The unlock coincides with several anticipated ecosystem developments. Grass has announced that it will launch an in-app non-custodial wallet in July.

The wallet launch also carries additional significance for token holders. During the project's first Token Holder and Network Participant Call in November 2025, the team stated that full details regarding the second $GRASS airdrop would become available once the wallet goes live.

The upcoming Token Holder and Network Participant Call scheduled for July 7 is expected to provide further updates.

$ARX Arcium will unlock 5.86 million $ARX tokens on July 22, valued at approximately $1.53 million. The release represents 2.81% of circulating supply and 0.58% of total supply.

The unlock follows the launch of $ARX on June 22. Under the project's tokenomics, 185.2 million $ARX, or 18.5% of the total supply, was allocated to the community. At launch, 54.7% of that allocation became immediately available. The July 22 release unlocks an additional 3.164% of the community allocation, equivalent to 5.86 million tokens.

The remaining community allocation remains subject to a 12-month cliff followed by 42 months of linear vesting.

What to Watch July's schedule is dominated by the expiration of pump.fun's early investor and team vesting cliff. The release of more than 86 billion $PUMP tokens represents the largest unlock of the month by a considerable margin. Beyond $PUMP, projects such as $TRUMP and $DBR will introduce sizeable increases in circulating supply.

As always, token unlocks do not guarantee price movement. However, they remain an important metric for evaluating changing supply dynamics, liquidity conditions, and potential shifts in short-term market behavior across the Solana ecosystem.

Disclaimer: Solanafloor is a subsidiary of Jito Network.

Read More on SolanaFloor Pyth Welcomes NASDAQ TotalView, Bringing Full Depth-of-Book Data to Onchain Markets
CLARITY Act Approval Odds Drop to 49% as Time Runs Short

Solana Foundation CPO Shares 2026 Outlook For Solana!

Key Takeaways PPL benefits as data center, manufacturing and industrial investments lift demand across its territories. PPL plans $23B in investments through 2029, driving 10.3% annual rate base growth. PPL's 2026 and 2027 earnings estimates show year-over-year gains of 7.67% and 8.08%. PPL Corporation (PPL - Free Report) benefits from ongoing economic development across its service territories, driven by expanding data center, advanced manufacturing and industrial investments. Rising electricity demand supports higher infrastructure spending, expands the regulated rate base and strengthens long-term earnings visibility.

Pennsylvania has emerged as a key data-center growth market for PPL. During the first quarter of 2026, PPL disclosed that projects in advanced planning stages reached 28.3 gigawatts (GW), up 12% sequentially from 25.2 GW, with nearly 10 GW under signed Electric Service Agreements and about 5 GW already under construction. The company's reliable transmission network and fast interconnection capabilities continue to attract hyperscale customers.

In Kentucky, projected load growth increased to 12.9 GW through 2032 from the previously 8.5 GW, supported by interest from 13 new data center projects representing nearly 12 GW of potential demand. Global Laser Enrichment and Toyota Motor Manufacturing also announced combined investments of $2.6 billion in PPL's service territory, prompting management to raise its expected new load to 3.5 GW by 2032 from 1.8 GW.

To support this growth, PPL plans to invest about $23 billion through 2029, driving 10.3% annual rate base growth and upper-end 6-8% EPS growth.

Economic Development Drives Long-Term Utility GrowthUtilities benefit from economic development as new businesses, industries and data centers, and electric vehicle usage increases electricity demand. This drives infrastructure investments, expands the regulated rate base, supports earnings growth and enhances long-term shareholder value.

Alliant Energy (LNT - Free Report) is benefiting from ongoing economic development across its Iowa and Wisconsin service territories. The company is attracting data centers, advanced manufacturing facilities and other large industrial customers, increasing electricity demand while supporting regulated investments and long-term earnings growth.

Evergy (EVRG - Free Report) is benefiting from robust economic development across Kansas and Missouri, as growing investments in data centers, advanced manufacturing and commercial projects drive higher electricity demand. Its expanding large-customer pipeline supports long-term rate-base expansion and earnings growth.

PPL’s Earnings EstimatesThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 and 2027 earnings per share indicates a year-over-year increase of 7.67% and 8.08%, respectively.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Debt to CapitalPPL's debt-to-capital ratio currently stands at 57.40%, lower than the electric power industry’s 60.71%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

PPL’s Stock Price PerformanceIn the past month, the company’s shares have risen 6.2% compared with the industry’s 7.1% growth.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

PPL’s Zacks Rank

Key Takeaways International Paper plans to close its Aurora, IL, sheet plant and convert plants by Q3 2026.IP will halt preprint operations at its Richwood, KY, facility as part of its streamlining strategy.IP will shift affected customers to nearby facilities while focusing on higher-value investments. International Paper Company (IP - Free Report) announced plans to shut down its Aurora, IL, sheet plant, as well as its converting plants in Elk Grove, CA and Barrington, NJ, by the end of the third quarter 2026. The company will also halt its preprint operations at its Richwood, KY facility.

This move is in sync with IP’s strategy to boost its cost position, increase capacity and better serve customers across North America. The company is committed to streamlining its operations and focusing investments on the highest-value opportunities.

International Paper will transition customers affected by the closures to nearby facilities within each region.

IP’s Portfolio Transformation and Strategic ResetIn 2025, International Paper went through a transformation to simplify its portfolio, sharpen its regional focus and boost earnings. This included the integration of the DS Smith acquisition, which was completed in January 2025. The move created a new global leader in sustainable packaging solutions focused on the North America and EMEA markets.

The company also completed the sale of the Global Cellulose Fibers business in January 2026, received $1.1 billion in net proceeds and paid down $660 million of debt in the first quarter. These actions narrow the company’s focus toward packaging, where management is allocating capital to commercial execution, network reliability and cost reduction.

In early June, the company announced that it had acquired North Pacific Paper Company, a portfolio company of One Rock Capital Partners. The deal is in sync with International Paper's strategic transformation to maximize value creation for customers, shareholders and employees.

Last month, International Paper announced the acquisition of Delmarva Corrugated Packaging in Dover, DE. The transaction is set to expand International Paper’s footprint across the expanding East Coast market.

International Paper’s Q1 PerformanceIP posted adjusted operating earnings of 15 cents per share for the first quarter of 2026, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 18 cents by 16.7%. The figure declined 11.8% from earnings of 17 cents a year ago.

Net sales were $5.97 billion, rising 13.4% year over year but missing the consensus mark of $6.05 billion by 1.2%.

IP Stock's Price PerformanceInternational Paper's shares have lost 18.9% in the past year compared with the industry's 6.3% decline. During this time, the Basic Materials sector has jumped 28.1%, whereas the S&P 500 has grown 23.5%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

International Paper’s Zacks Rank & Stocks to ConsiderThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for Dow's current-year earnings is pegged at $2.61 per share, indicating a 377% year-over-year surge. Dow’s shares have gained 13.6% in a year.

Albemarle has an average trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 74.5%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s 2026 earnings is pegged at $12.45 per share, indicating year-over-year growth from a loss of 79 cents. ALB shares have skyrocketed 124% so far this year. 

Avino Silver has an average trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 125%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Avino Silver’s 2026 earnings is pegged at 39 cents per share, indicating 34.5% year-over-year growth. Its shares have surged 62.7% in a year.

Analyst Cuts Price Forecast After Guidance ResetAnalyst Luke Morison cut his price forecast on Concentrix to $45 from $55 but reiterated a Buy rating, arguing that the stock’s valuation remains attractive despite a weaker growth outlook.

The brokerage said the company’s reduced fiscal 2026 guidance was the biggest concern.

Management lowered its constant-currency revenue growth outlook to about 0.75% from roughly 2.5%, indicating growth is expected to slow through the remainder of the year instead of accelerating in the second half.

Customer Spending Trends Weigh on OutlookCanaccord attributed the weaker outlook to structural pressures rather than a cyclical slowdown.

The firm said accelerated offshoring and spending cuts by several large cloud, social media and telecom customers each contributed about one percentage point of the additional headwind.

It added that customers are making spending decisions more rapidly, creating a lower-visibility operating environment.

AI Platform Continues to Deliver GrowthThe brokerage highlighted continued momentum in Concentrix’s AI platform, iX, which is expected to generate more than $120 million in annual recurring revenue by year-end.

Customers using the platform are growing faster than the broader business and produce margins roughly 350 basis points above the corporate average.

However, Canaccord said the AI business is still too small to offset weakness across Concentrix’s nearly $10 billion revenue base.

Margins, Cash Flow and Valuation Remain Bright SpotsCanaccord also pointed to resilient margins, record second-quarter free cash flow and ongoing debt reduction. The firm expects Concentrix to end fiscal 2026 with net leverage below 2.6x and continue deleveraging in fiscal 2027.

Despite lowering its estimates, Canaccord said Concentrix’s valuation remains compelling.

The stock trades at about 4x enterprise value-to-EBITDA with a free cash flow yield exceeding 50%, levels the firm said already price in a prolonged secular decline.

Technical Picture Remains WeakThe selloff deepened an already bearish trend. Concentrix shares have fallen 58.8% over the past 12 months and now trade below their 20-day, 50-day, 100-day and 200-day simple moving averages.

The stock sits 16.5% below its 20-day average, 15.9% below its 50-day average, 24% below its 100-day average and 39.1% below its 200-day average.

Momentum indicators also remain negative. The MACD is below its signal line, while the histogram remains below zero, suggesting bearish momentum persists. The longer-term “death cross,” where the 50-day moving average sits below the 200-day moving average, continues to point to a weak trend.

The stock also traded below its previous 52-week low of $22.05, removing a key technical support level.

Immediate resistance is near $25.61, around the 50-day moving average. Initial support is near $21.47.

Price ActionCNXC Stock Price Activity: Concentrix shares were down 15.02% at $21.44 at the time of publication on Tuesday, according to Benzinga Pro data.

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Just when you thought the Semiconductor/AI data center capital spending boom was slowing down, the South Korean government just announced a government/corporate plan to invest more than $1 trillion in semiconductor fabrication plants and AI data centers. That's great news for companies like Vertiv (VRT +8.23%), whose power systems infrastructure technology lies at the heart of the data center buildout. The news was enough to send Vertiv stock 7% higher by midday today.

What South Korea just announced The spending is driven by the corporate sector, which accounts for the bulk of it. Samsung and SK Hynix will invest about $518 billion in new semiconductor fabrication plants, while SK Group (parent of SK Hynix), GS Group, and Naver will invest about $356 billion in AI data centers. It's the latter that will interest Vertiv investors, given its direct exposure to AI data center spending.

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What it means to Vertiv Vertiv generates about 20% of its sales in Asia and has an active presence in South Korea. While Vertiv doesn't have formal partnerships with the three companies investing in the data centers, it's linked to Naver through Naver's partnership with Nvidia. In fact, Nvidia's CEO, Jensen Huang, described Naver as being a key partner in the global AI ecosystem. Vertiv is one of the key stocks to buy for exposure to the AI data center boom.

Image source: Getty Images.

Given that Vertiv's power systems are embedded in Nvidia's architecture, Vertiv is likely to benefit from Nvidia's spending plans. Optimism on that front was enough to send the stock higher, and investors and analysts will likely start penciling in increased orders for Vertiv after this news flow.

Lee Samaha has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Nvidia and Vertiv. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Key Takeaways PFG benefits from strength in retirement, asset management and group benefits businesses.Assets under management rose 7% to $770 billion, supported by strong investment sales and inflowsPrincipal Financial supports growth through acquisitions, while returning capital via buybacks and dividends. Shares of Principal Financial Group, Inc. (PFG - Free Report) have gained 36.6% in the past year compared with the industry’s growth of 1.3%. Its share closed at $108.51 on Monday, near its 52-week high of $112.45, reflecting strong investor confidence.

Continued growth in its retirement business, expanding assets under management and a robust capital position should drive further price appreciation.

Shares of some of its peers include CNO Financial Group, Inc. (CNO - Free Report) , Radian Group Inc. (RDN - Free Report) , and MetLife, Inc. (MET - Free Report) , have gained 35.1%, 5% and 6.9%, respectively, in the past year.

1-Year Price Performance: PFG, CNO, MET, RDN & Industry
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

PFG’s ValuationPrincipal Financial shares are trading at a forward 12-month price-to-earnings of 11.08X, higher than the industry average of 9.12X, reflecting investor confidence. However, it currently carries a Value Score of A.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Shares of CNO Financial, MetLife and Radian Group are currently trading at a price-to-earnings value of 11.15X, 8.19 and 7.21X, respectively, in the past year.

PFG’s Encouraging Growth ProjectionThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for Principal Financial’s 2026 earnings per share (EPS) indicates a year-over-year increase of 13.3%. The consensus estimate for revenues is pegged at $16.38 billion, implying a year-over-year improvement of 2%.

The consensus estimate for 2027 EPS and revenues indicates an increase of 9.1% and 7.3%, respectively, from the corresponding 2026 estimates.

The expected long-term earnings growth is pegged at 10.7%.

Optimistic Analyst Sentiment on PFGFour analysts covering the stock have raised estimates for 2026, with no downward revisions, while three out of four analysts have increased estimates for 2027 over the past 60 days. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 and 2027 has moved 0.6% and 0.5% north, respectively, over the same time period.

PFG’s Key TailwindsPrincipal Financial continues to benefit from its strength and leadership in retirement and long-term savings, group benefits and protection in the United States and retirement and long-term savings in Latin America and Asia. Continued growth in fee, spread, and risk businesses boosts the company’s long-term prospects. The company leverages a favorable market position in the retirement industry and remains optimistic about the momentum across retirement platforms. PFG estimates solid revenue growth and margin expansion across all its segments over the long term.

Principal Financial’s assets under management (AUM) are driven by solid results across its three asset management and asset accumulation segments. Total company-managed AUM was $770 billion at the end of the first quarter of 2026, increasing 7% year over year. Principal Financial’s record investment sales, strong international net inflows, expanding private market strategies, extensive distribution footprint and active ETFs continue to support AUM growth.

The Specialty Benefits Insurance business should continue to gain from record sales, strong retention, improved dental pricing, solid disability performance and better group life results. Lower loss ratios and expanding margins are expected to support underwriting profitability through 2026.

Management utilizes a significant portion of its operating earnings for mergers and acquisitions and intends to continue doing so. Acquisitions, such as MetLife's Afore business, Internos and RobustWealth, have helped the company expand its fee-based businesses and global footprint. Integration of the  Wells Fargo Institutional Retirement and Trust business, along with strategic investment and initiatives, has expanded Principal Financial’s retirement offerings. Principal Financial looks forward to further leveraging the relationship to capitalize on its global retirement and asset management expertise through the partnership.

PFG boasts a strong capital position, supported by sufficient cash generation and liquidity. The company ended the first quarter of 2026 with $1.45 billion of excess and available capital. For 2026, PFG remains well-positioned to deliver on its enterprise long-term financial targets, with 9-12% growth in EPS and 75-85% free capital flow conversion. The robust capital position also supports disciplined capital deployment. The company returned $375 million to shareholders in the first quarter, including $200 million through share repurchases.

Risks for PFGPFG’s expenses have been increasing due to a rise in benefits, claims and settlement expenses, as well as operating expenses, weighing on margin expansion.

Principal Financial has been growing inorganically through acquisitions, increasing its debt obligation risks associated with successful integration.

Final Take on PFGPrincipal Financial should benefit from robust retirement business growth, fee-based revenue sources, growth in specialty benefits, strategic buyouts, and a strong capital position. However, escalating costs and dilution from acquisitions are concerns.

The board raised the second-quarter dividend by 8% to 82 cents per share, and the stock offers a dividend yield of 3%, above the industry average of 2.5%.

Coupled with the AUM growth, impressive dividend history, optimistic analyst sentiment, and favorable growth projections, PFG should continue to benefit over the long term. The stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. 

Twilio (TWLO +2.32%) has enjoyed a strong start to the year but now finds itself in a 20% correction. Many companies use Twilio's platform to communicate with customers via text, video, artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots, and other capabilities. It's natural for stocks to take breathers after long runs, but a high P/E ratio offers some reason for concern.

Image source: Getty Images.

Twilio is a good company but a bad stock Twilio has good fundamentals, but it's hard to justify a stock with a P/E ratio hovering near 300. The company delivered 20% year-over-year revenue growth in the first quarter. Those sales come from a solid foundation, which includes more than 400,000 customers and 68% of Fortune 500 companies.

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However, growth investors aren't concerned only with the current foundation. They want revenue acceleration and enticing long-term growth prospects. If those are good, investors can more easily justify a stock that is trading near a 300 P/E ratio, but that isn't the case for Twilio.

The company anticipates only 15.5% to 16.5% year-over-year revenue growth in Q2 and 14% to 15% year-over-year revenue growth in full-year 2026. These aren't exciting numbers, especially when investors can choose from AI stocks that are delivering substantial growth rates well above the 14% to 15% growth rate Twilio expects to deliver throughout the year.

The agentic AI angle is worth monitoring Not everyone feels bearish about Twilio. Goldman Sachs gave it a $300 price target and cited Twilio's positioning in agentic AI infrastructure.

Twilio's list of top customer wins from its Q1 presentation includes several cases of agentic AI translating into more customer engagement, which bodes well for the bullish narrative. Twilio has formed the backbone for some customers' voice AI infrastructure, customer service chatbots, and AI agents for sales. Twilio CEO Khozema Shipchandler even touted the company as a "foundational infrastructure layer in the era of AI," demonstrating that it wants to capitalize on the opportunity.

However, the impact of agentic AI did not show up in guidance, which is a red flag. Leaders in the AI chip and memory cycle have regularly pounded the table with compelling guidance that shows growth rates much higher than Wall Street expected.

This isn't the first time investors got caught up in Twilio, thinking it could be a superstar stock. The company soared from $80 per share to over $400 per share in less than a year during the pandemic. Then the bubble burst, and Twilio is still down by roughly 60% from all-time highs.

Twilio's full-year guidance suggests that investors are overestimating the opportunity and may get burned again by the stock, especially if a short-term rally takes shape. If Twilio projected accelerated revenue growth rates for Q2 and beyond or had a more reasonable valuation, it would be easier to buy shares. However, neither of those is the case.

Key Takeaways Figma generated $97.3M operating cash flow and $88.6M free cash flow in Q1 2026 with strong margins.FIG benefited from customer prepayments, boosting liquidity through higher deferred revenue and collections.Figma ended the quarter with about $1.6B in cash to support AI, product development and growth initiatives. Figma's (FIG - Free Report) cash flow profile remains exceptionally strong. During the first quarter of 2026, Figma generated an operating cash flow of $97.3 million, representing an operating cash flow margin of 29%, while free cash flow reached $88.6 million, or a 27% free cash flow margin.

Working capital also provided a meaningful boost to operating cash flow. Accounts receivable declined by $59.5 million, reflecting strong collections and customer payments, while deferred revenues increased $32.3 million as customers continued to pay upfront for subscription services.

This favorable working capital structure allows Figma to receive cash before recognizing revenues, creating a sustainable source of operating liquidity. Capital expenditures remained modest at $7.8 million, while only $0.9 million was invested in capitalized internal-use software, underscoring the company's low capital intensity and enabling most operating cash flow to convert into free cash flow.

Figma's investing cash flows were largely driven by routine purchases and maturities of marketable securities rather than significant business investments, while financing cash flow primarily reflected employee equity-related tax settlements and stock option exercises.

The company ended the quarter with approximately $1.6 billion in cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities, providing substantial financial flexibility to fund AI initiatives, product development and future growth opportunities. Figma's recurring subscription revenues, customer prepayments, low capital requirements and strong free cash flow generation position it among the highest-quality cash-generating software companies.

How Competitors Fare Against FigmaFigma operates in a crowded design and product workflow market with established incumbents and newer AI-native tools, including AI coding tools, AI design tools, AI website builders and AI product-development platforms.

Figma faces constant competitive challenges from established players, including Adobe (ADBE - Free Report) and Atlassian (TEAM - Free Report) . Atlassian is focusing on adding generative AI features to some of its collaboration software.

Atlassian is partnering with Google Cloud to bring Atlassian’s AI-powered teamwork platform, including Jira, Confluence and Loom, onto Google’s AI-optimized infrastructure. Maintaining product leadership in this marketplace requires sustained investment and higher operating costs. Adobe recently partnered with Google Cloud to enhance Adobe’s creative ecosystem with AI.

Figma’s Share Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesFigma shares have lost 48.9% year to date. The Zacks Internet - Software industry has declined 14.2% in the same period.

FIG YTD Performance Chart
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Figma stock is trading at a premium, with a forward 12-month Price/Sales of 5.41X compared with the Internet - Software industry’s 3.62X. FIG has a Value Score of F.

FIG Forward 12-Month (P/S) Valuation Chart
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The consensus mark for 2026 loss is pegged at 78 cents per share. The loss per share has widened by 5 cents over the past seven days.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

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

A federal judge rejected Meta Platforms’ bid to dismiss a lawsuit by 29 state attorneys general accusing it of designing Facebook and Instagram to addict children and knowingly concealing the harm from the public.

In a decision late on Monday night, US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland, Calif., denied Meta’s motion to dismiss claims based on deception, unfair practices and violations of the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.

The judge also said Meta did not comply with that law’s notice and parental consent requirements, and granted summary judgment to the states on that issue.

Meta’s bid to dismiss a lawsuit by 29 state attorneys general accusing it of designing Facebook and Instagram to addict children and knowingly concealing the harm from the public was rejected. Bloomberg via Getty Images Meta and its lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Tuesday.

Gonzalez Rogers also oversees related multidistrict litigation by more than 2,600 individuals, school districts and local governments over whether social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Google and YouTube, Snapchat and TikTok addict children.

Meta downplays harms The states said research has shown that children’s use of Facebook and Instagram could lead to depression, anxiety, insomnia, interference with education and daily life, and self-harm including suicide.

Meta countered that the attorneys general had no evidence it misled consumers about its platforms’ alleged addictiveness, including in congressional testimony by Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg.

The Menlo Park, Calif.-based company said this was because “social media addiction” is not an established psychiatric condition, and therefore statements that its platforms are not addictive could not be false.

The states said research has shown that children’s use of Facebook and Instagram could lead to depression, anxiety, insomnia, interference with education and daily life, and self-harm including suicide. Above, victims’ families after a trial in Los Angeles earlier this year. Andy Johnstone for CA Post

The judge also said Meta did not comply with that law’s notice and parental consent requirements. Getty Images Meta also said it didn’t violate the children’s online privacy law because it directed Facebook and Instagram to a general audience, not just children under age 13.

Judge finds factual disputes about addictiveness In a 38-page decision, Gonzalez Rogers found material factual disputes over whether Meta’s social media platforms are addictive, whether Meta falsely denied it designed them that way, and whether it “partially” directed the platforms at children.

“The AGs present a reasonable interpretation of [Meta’s] statements that Facebook and Instagram are not designed in ways that cause teens to compulsively use the platforms to their detriment,” she wrote. “To the extent plaintiffs’ evidence shows that the platforms are in fact designed to do just that, a jury could reasonably find the statements were untrue to a reasonable person.”

A trial is scheduled for Aug. 18, court records show.

In a note released Monday, the firm sees the combination of stronger June retail data and a 20% price increase on select AWS GPU workloads as setting up a cleaner second-half growth story for the stock.

AMZN stock is moving. See the chart and price action here.  Prime Day DeliversAdobe Analytics data show U.S. online retail spend during the Prime Day window at roughly $26.4 billion, up 9% year over year, a result that lines up with Bank of America’s expectation for mid-single-digit global GMV growth as some international events move into the third quarter. 

Discounts were broadly similar to last year, but Numerator data flagged an 11% drop in average order value on Amazon and softer satisfaction scores, pointing to a customer shift toward everyday essentials and grocery rather than big-ticket items. 

Even with smaller baskets, BofA still expects Amazon’s North America retail segment to slightly beat Street estimates for about 14% year-over-year growth.

The catch for near-term traders is timing. Bank of America estimates around $7 billion to $8 billion of sales likely shifted into the second quarter from the third quarter due to this year’s Prime Day schedule, creating potential noise around Amazon’s Q3 outlook even if full-year fundamentals remain intact. 

AWS Price HikeOn the cloud side, Amazon quietly announced a roughly 20% price increase effective July 1 for EC2 Capacity Blocks tied to GPU-heavy machine-learning workloads, following a prior 15% hike in January. 

Bank of America’s work suggests effective prices paid by customers have already risen from 2022 trough levels, and the new adjustment should add an estimated 1–2 percentage points to second-half AWS growth.

Beyond core capacity, the firm points to ramping commitments from OpenAI and Anthropic on AWS infrastructure, reinforcing a view that Amazon is leaning into AI demand with greater pricing discipline.

BofA flags some risks including tougher competition from offline and local retailers, cloud share battles in advanced AI and heavy AWS investment that could pressure margins if macro conditions soften. 

Still, with solid Prime Day demand and AWS asserting pricing power in AI workloads, Amazon’s stock remains a key name to watch as the market balances short-term guidance noise against a strengthening multi-year thesis.

AMZN Stock Price Activity: Amazon stock was down 0.86% at $238.07 at the time of publication Tuesday, according to data from Benzinga Pro.

Over the past month, AMZN has declined about 10.6% versus a 1.6% decline in the S&P 500 and is up roughly 3% year-to-date compared to the index’s 8.4% gain.

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There's more than one way to invest successfully. In fact, strategic differentiation may be necessary to outperform the market. The most successful investors all have unique strategies and characteristics that separate their portfolios from the rest of the pack.

Nonetheless, you can still find some commonalities among billionaire portfolio managers that lead them to make similar investments at times. For example, Bill Ackman, Jeremy Grantham, and Cliff Asness all made substantial investments in the same stock last quarter. And investors currently have an opportunity to pick up shares at an even better price than what the billionaire fund managers may have paid earlier this year.

Here's why Microsoft (MSFT +1.07%) fits into each billionaire's portfolio and why the stock still looks severely undervalued today.

Image source: Getty Images.

Long-term investors seeking value in today's market Ackman, Grantham, and Asness are all titans in the investment management space. Ackman runs Pershing Square, Grantham is the G in GMO, and Asness founded AQR Capital Management. They each disclosed substantial increases in Microsoft in their most recent quarterly filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Pershing Square Capital Management bought about $2 billion worth of the stock, making it one of the fund's biggest positions. Ackman also disclosed purchasing the stock for his new fund, Pershing Square USA. GMO bought over 900,000 shares of Microsoft in the first quarter, making it the fund's top holding. AQR increased its stake in Microsoft by 60%, pushing it to become its second-largest position. Ackman, Grantham, and Asness are all focused on long-term horizons in their investing, and they typically pay close attention to valuation.

Ackman prefers to concentrate on intrinsic value, buying stocks with durable competitive advantages when the market offers a good price. Ackman noted Microsoft's leadership in cloud computing and enterprise software as reasons for his purchase.

Grantham prefers companies with strong recurring cash flow and tries to avoid cyclicality. He's best known for warning against bubbles and harnessing the power of mean reversion. While Microsoft is heavily tied to the much-hyped artificial intelligence (AI) trade, Grantham may still see value in the company thanks to its strong cash-flow generation.

Asness uses quantitative models that balance value and momentum investing as well as several other factors. That makes his portfolio much more systematic rather than fully based on fundamental analysis. Microsoft likely fills the role of a high-quality stock trading at a great value relative to its durable earnings growth.

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Investors are getting a great opportunity to follow these billionaires From a long-term fundamentals standpoint, Microsoft appears severely undervalued by the market. The stock currently trades at its lowest level since the start of 2024 despite strong revenue growth across both its cloud computing and enterprise software segments.

Azure, the cloud computing business, generated 40% revenue growth last quarter. Management expects that rate to accelerate in the back half of the year. That's supported by a massive backlog of $627 billion in contracted revenue, with about 25% expected to be recognized over the next 12 months.

Meanwhile, Microsoft's enterprise software segment, which includes Microsoft 365 and Dynamics 365, posted 17% year-over-year revenue growth last quarter. That was driven by the commercial adoption of its Copilot AI assistant and higher consumer prices. The former still has a long way to go as Microsoft pushes to make Copilot a standard addition to Microsoft 365 and its 450 million users. It currently counts just 20 million paid commercial Copilot users.

Microsoft should be able to grow revenue at a solid double-digit pace for the foreseeable future as demand for its cloud compute grows and it sells more Copilot subscriptions. Both should ultimately lead to improved operating margins even though the company already operates at a relatively high margin. With the stock trading for just 21 times earnings, it seems an absolute bargain at today's price. It's no wonder it's caught the eye of several of the top fund managers in the world.

Key Takeaways Alibaba is integrating AI across its consumer platforms to improve search, discovery and shopping experiences.BABA is investing in fulfillment efficiency and unit economics to improve the profitability of quick commerce.BABA's quick commerce orders rose 2.7 times year over year, boosting engagement across its retail ecosystem. Alibaba's (BABA - Free Report) digital commerce strategy is evolving into a more integrated, AI-enabled retail ecosystem that could support growth in fiscal 2027. Rather than relying solely on gross merchandise volume expansion, Alibaba is enhancing merchant productivity, consumer engagement and platform monetization across Taobao, Tmall and its instant commerce offerings. The company has also revamped its merchant development program by linking platform subsidies to merchants' marketing spend, an initiative aimed at improving advertising penetration and long-term monetization. These efforts are already gaining traction, with customer management revenue (CMR) increasing 8% year over year on a like-for-like basis in the March quarter, while China E-commerce Group revenues rose 6% to RMB 122 billion.

Quick commerce has become a strategic extension of Alibaba's broader retail platform rather than a standalone business. Order volume expanded 2.7 times year over year, supporting stronger growth at Freshippo and Tmall Supermarket while helping drive double-digit monthly active consumer additions for the Taobao app. At the same time, the integration of the Qwen app with Taobao, Tmall, Alipay, Amap and Fliggy is embedding AI-driven search, discovery and shopping assistance across Alibaba's consumer ecosystem, creating additional opportunities to improve user engagement and purchase frequency over time.

These investments have weighed on near-term profitability, with Alibaba China E-commerce Group's adjusted EBITA declining 40% year over year as spending on quick commerce, technology and user experience increased. However, improving fulfillment efficiency, higher average order values and stronger unit economics indicate that these investments are becoming more productive. If Alibaba continues translating higher consumer engagement into stronger merchant spending while improving the profitability of its quick commerce operations, its integrated digital commerce ecosystem could emerge as a meaningful catalyst for fiscal 2027 growth.

How Alibaba Stacks Up Against PDD and JD ?Alibaba faces intense competition from PDD Holdings (PDD - Free Report) and JD.com (JD - Free Report) , both of which continue to invest in strengthening their digital commerce ecosystems.

PDD Holdings has expanded its value-driven marketplace through AI-enabled merchant tools and Temu's international growth, while JD.com leverages its self-operated logistics network and omnichannel retail capabilities to enhance fulfillment speed and customer experience. Unlike PDD Holdings and JD.com, Alibaba operates a broader ecosystem spanning Taobao, Tmall, Taobao Instant Commerce, Ele.me, AliExpress and Alibaba.com, creating multiple consumer touchpoints across domestic and cross-border commerce. As PDD Holdings and JD.com intensify competition, Alibaba's AI-powered ecosystem, merchant monetization initiatives and integrated commerce platform could provide a differentiated long-term growth advantage.

BABA’s Share Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesBABA shares have plunged 34.8% in the year-to-date period, underperforming the Zacks Internet – Commerce industry and the Zacks Retail-Wholesale sector, which have declined 6.6% and 1.9%, respectively.

BABA’s YTD Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, BABA stock is currently trading at a trailing 12-month Price/Earnings ratio of 30.23X compared with the industry’s 28.31X. BABA has a Value Score of D.

BABA’s Valuation
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2027 earnings is pegged at $7.29 per share, down by a penny over the past 30 days, indicating a 87.4% year-over-year increase.

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

Nvidia NVDA stock rose on Tuesday. Shares of Nvidia were up 1.5% at $197.96 in early trading.

Despite the gain, Nvidia has significantly underperformed the broader semiconductor sector.

The stock is up roughly 5% year to date, compared with a 94% gain for the PHLX Semiconductor Index.

The muted performance marks a sharp contrast to Nvidia's dominant run over the past several years and would represent the stock's weakest first-half showing since 2022.

Investor attention is increasingly focused on whether Nvidia's upcoming Vera Rubin platform can restore the company's position as the undisputed leader in AI infrastructure.

The central challenge facing Nvidia is no longer limited to competition from rival graphics processor makers.

While Advanced Micro Devices remains a key competitor, the market has expanded to include custom chip developers and companies focused on central processing units, including Intel.

As artificial intelligence spending accelerates, major technology companies are increasingly distributing infrastructure budgets across a wider range of suppliers rather than concentrating purchases with a single vendor.

The key question for investors is whether Nvidia's next-generation hardware can establish a sufficiently large performance advantage to justify continued dominance in AI deployments.

Nvidia's relative underperformance has become one of the more notable developments in the semiconductor sector this year.

After several years of outsized gains, many investors appear to have taken profits and rotated into other areas of the AI supply chain, including memory chipmakers and emerging AI infrastructure companies.

Intel shares have climbed approximately 250% this year, while Advanced Micro Devices has gained about 152%.

The iShares Semiconductor ETF has advanced roughly 102% over the same period.

The shift suggests investors increasingly believe much of Nvidia's expected growth has already been reflected in the stock price, even as demand for advanced AI hardware remains strong.

Sentiment has also been weighed down by concerns over export restrictions affecting sales to China and broader questions about how long Nvidia can sustain the extraordinary growth rates it has delivered in recent years.

At the same time, Nvidia is expanding its focus beyond traditional AI infrastructure and into robotics and physical AI.

The company is ramping up hiring for its robotics operations in China, advertising more than a dozen positions across Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, according to a recruitment post published on its official WeChat account.

The openings cover embodied intelligence, simulation, implementation, and solutions.

Nvidia said the robotics team aims to build a "leading robotics platform and ecosystem to help developers and companies create autonomous machines," with the goal of accelerating the deployment of robots from research environments into real-world applications.

The recruitment drive highlights Nvidia's growing emphasis on physical AI, which combines artificial intelligence models with robotics systems that can perceive, reason, and interact with the physical world.

According to the job descriptions, employees will work on technologies including the Project GR00T humanoid robot foundation model, the Cosmos physical simulation world model, and Nvidia's GPU-accelerated computing platforms.

Key Takeaways Carnival ordered three new Princess ships for delivery in 2035, 2038 and 2039.CCL is modernizing its fleet and expanding destinations to boost guest satisfaction and onboard spending.Record 2027 bookings and disciplined fleet growth support Carnival's long-term strategy. Carnival Corporation Ltd. (CCL - Free Report)  is reinforcing its long-term growth strategy through disciplined fleet expansion rather than aggressive capacity additions. While near-term demand has been affected by geopolitical tensions in Europe, management remains focused on investments that can enhance earnings power over the next decade.

A major highlight from the latest earnings call was Carnival's order for three new Princess Cruises ships, scheduled for delivery in 2035, 2038 and 2039. These vessels will build on the success of the Sphere Class platform, with Sun Princess and Star Princess already delivering strong guest satisfaction and commercial performance. Importantly, the company reiterated that it does not intend to accelerate ship deliveries beyond the measured pace of one to two new ships annually, reflecting a disciplined capital allocation strategy.

Beyond new ships, Carnival is investing heavily in modernizing its existing fleet through programs such as AIDA Evolution and Holland America Evolution. These upgrades are designed to improve onboard experiences, create additional revenue opportunities and enhance operating efficiency. Management also noted that refurbishment projects are expected to generate attractive returns, while cabin additions can pay for themselves within just a few years.

The company is complementing its fleet investments with expanded destination offerings, including Celebration Key and RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay, to strengthen itinerary appeal and drive higher guest spending. Combined with record booking levels for 2027, continued cost discipline and growing financial flexibility, Carnival appears well positioned to benefit once temporary geopolitical headwinds ease. If demand remains resilient, the new Princess ships and ongoing fleet enhancements could provide a meaningful boost to the company's long-term revenue growth, profitability and shareholder value.

Can Fleet Investments Keep Carnival Ahead in the Cruise Race?Carnival's strategy of combining selective newbuild orders with fleet modernization puts it in direct competition with peers like Royal Caribbean (RCL - Free Report) and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH - Free Report) , both of which are investing to capture growing cruise demand.

Royal Caribbean continues to expand the premium fleet with larger, experience-focused ships and destination investments, helping it command strong pricing and onboard spending. Its emphasis on innovative vessels and exclusive private destinations has strengthened Royal Caribbean’s customer loyalty, setting a high benchmark for the industry.

Norwegian Cruise Line, meanwhile, is refreshing its fleet with next-generation ships while enhancing onboard offerings and premium experiences. The company is also focusing on operational efficiency and higher-value itineraries to improve profitability.

Carnival's approach differs by maintaining disciplined capacity growth while extracting greater returns from both new and existing ships. Investments in the Princess fleet, ship modernization programs and exclusive destinations such as Celebration Key and RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay aim to enhance guest experiences without significantly increasing supply. If these initiatives continue to support pricing power and higher onboard spending, Carnival could strengthen its competitive position and deliver sustainable long-term growth despite intense industry competition.

CCL’s Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesShares of Carnival have gained 1.9% in the past year compared with the industry’s rise of 3.5%.

Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, CCL trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 11.96X, below the industry average of 17.2X.

P/E (F12M)
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CCL’s 2026 sales and earnings implies a year-over-year uptick of 3.9% and a decline of 2.2%, respectively. EPS estimates for fiscal 2026 have decreased in the past 30 days.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

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

Key Takeaways First Solar is expanding U.S. manufacturing capacity across Ohio, Alabama and Louisiana facilities.FSLR added 1.9 GW of bookings, lifting its total backlog to 47.9 GW, extending through 2030.FSLR expects $0.8-$1.0B in 2026 capital spending for a new plant, R&D and equipment upgrades. First Solar’s (FSLR - Free Report) long-term growth story is increasingly being driven by manufacturing expansion. Its aggressive investment in domestic manufacturing capacity is strengthening its competitive position as utility-scale solar deployment accelerates across the United States.

The company continues to expand production across its manufacturing facilities in Ohio, Alabama and Louisiana, increasing its ability to supply American-made solar modules. During 2026, FSLR expects capital expenditures to be between $0.8 billion and $1.0 billion. These investments include the construction of a new manufacturing facility, ongoing research and development initiatives, and upgrades to existing machinery and equipment aimed at enhancing efficiency and performance.

The company has added 1.9 gigawatts (GW) of gross bookings since the previous earnings call, bringing its total booking backlog to 47.9 GW extending through 2030. This robust backlog indicates strong demand for FSLR’s products while reinforcing its capacity expansion strategy, providing greater revenue visibility and stability in the years ahead.

Rising electricity consumption from data centers, advanced manufacturing facilities and broader electrification trends continue to increase the need for utility-scale solar generation.

The company's differentiated cadmium telluride (CdTe) technology further strengthens its competitive position. Compared with conventional crystalline silicon modules, CdTe technology performs well in high-temperature environments and reduces dependence on polysilicon-based supply chains.

Although changes in trade policy, project timing and interest rates may create periodic volatility, FSLR’s manufacturing expansion, contracted backlog and technology leadership provide multiple drivers for sustainable long-term growth. As domestic solar deployment continues to accelerate, the company appears well positioned to benefit from increasing demand for U.S.-manufactured renewable energy equipment.

Solar Companies Investing in Manufacturing ExpansionSeveral solar companies are also expanding manufacturing capabilities to capitalize on growing renewable energy demand.

Enphase Energy (ENPH - Free Report) continues to invest in domestic manufacturing partnerships while expanding its residential solar and energy storage ecosystem.

Nextpower (NXT - Free Report) is benefiting from accelerating utility-scale solar deployment through growing demand for its integrated energy technology platform, including advanced solar tracking systems, electrical balance-of-system solutions and power conversion technologies.

FSLR’s Earnings EstimatesThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 and 2027 earnings per share (EPS) indicates an increase of 23.93% and 38%, respectively, year over year.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

FSLR Stock Trading at a DiscountFirst Solar is trading at a discount relative to the industry, with a forward 12-month price-to-earnings of 11.13X compared with the industry average of 18.51X.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

FSLR Stock Price PerformanceIn the past three months, the company’s shares have risen 26.1% compared with the industry’s 11.4% growth.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

FSLR’s Zacks Rank

More than 97% of Duke Energy's $17.2 billion in annual sourcing supports U.S.-based suppliers Investments support critical grid equipment, American jobs and long-term reliability , /PRNewswire/ -- As the nation approaches Independence Day, Duke Energy is investing in American suppliers to help power local economies, support customer value and build the energy infrastructure needed to serve growing communities.

By the numbers: Duke Energy spent nearly $1 billion with North Carolina-based suppliers in 2025, helping local businesses grow while securing the equipment and services needed to keep energy reliable for customers.

Looking ahead, Duke Energy's continued investment in North Carolina suppliers could total nearly $5 billion over five years – supporting jobs, strengthening local economies and helping meet growing energy needs.

Why it matters: More than 97% of Duke Energy's $17.2 billion in annual sourcing supports U.S.-based suppliers, helping sustain domestic manufacturing, reduce supply chain risk and keep critical equipment closer to home. These investments ready the grid for rising energy demand and bolster reliability.

Go deeper: Duke Energy's supplier investments include transformers from GE Vernova in Goldsboro, N.C., gas turbines from Siemens Energy in Charlotte, N.C. and others.

What they're saying: "Powering America's future starts with investing in the people, businesses and communities building it," said Katie Aittola, senior vice president of supply chain, real estate and chief procurement officer for Duke Energy. "By working with American suppliers, Duke Energy is helping deliver reliable service and value for customers while reinvesting customer dollars in the local economies we serve. These investments help ensure our teams have the equipment and materials they need, support American companies and skilled workers, and create a ripple effect that strengthens manufacturing, jobs and long-term growth in our communities."

"North Carolina's business community is strongest when companies invest in one another," said N.C. Chamber President and CEO Gary Salamido. "Duke Energy continues to lead by example, directing nearly $1 billion to North Carolina-based suppliers in 2025 alone. Investments like these strengthen communities, support local businesses and reinforce the supply chains and partnerships that power North Carolina's growth."

"We are proud to provide the critical transformers and other electrification equipment that enables Duke Energy to help the people of North Carolina thrive," said Troy Kabrich, GE Vernova Goldsboro site director. "Supporting the communities we live and work in is an honor and a privilege we take seriously."

"We have a robust, decades-long foundation in North Carolina, supported through strong collaborations like that with Duke Energy and a dedicated workforce. The equipment we produce here is helping meet our nation's unprecedented growth in energy," said Matt Neal, Siemens Energy's President of North America.

The impact: As energy demand grows across North Carolina and beyond, Duke Energy's work with U.S.-based suppliers helps strengthen America's supply chain, keep critical grid equipment available and support the reliable infrastructure customers, businesses and communities need to grow.

About Duke Energy
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, is one of America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric utilities serve 8.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 55,700 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio and Kentucky. The company employs approximately 26,400 people.

Duke Energy is executing an ambitious energy transition, keeping customer reliability, affordability and accessibility at the forefront as the company works toward net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions from electricity generation by 2050. The company is investing in major electric grid upgrades and cleaner generation, including natural gas, nuclear, renewables and energy storage.

More information is available at duke-energy.com and the Duke Energy News Center. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Contact: Logan Stewart
24-Hour: 800.559.3853

SOURCE Duke Energy