Track market-moving stories before they get noisy

Palantir Technologies ((PLTR - Free Report) ) has been one of the strongest fundamental growth stories in the market, but over the past year the stock itself has made relatively little progress. That may finally be changing.

Following its latest earnings report, PLTR broke decisively above the upper boundary of a large year-long consolidation pattern. Shares quickly advanced into the upper-$170s and have since spent several sessions trading sideways, forming a tight consolidation just below resistance near $179.

That creates a relatively straightforward trading setup. A decisive breakout above $179 would clear the recent highs and could open the door to another leg higher. Meanwhile, the recent consolidation around $170–$179 gives traders a clear range to monitor.

The technical picture is particularly interesting because the breakout is being supported by improving fundamentals and rising earnings estimates.

Image Source: TradingView

PLTR Stock Gets UpgradedPalantir reported another exceptional quarter recently, with revenue increasing 93% year over year and earnings climbing 225%.

Those results have driven another round of upward earnings estimate revisions. Palantir currently carries a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), with consensus earnings estimates rising nearly 8% across the board over the past 30 days.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

That estimate momentum matters. Some of the strongest stock trends occur when improving fundamentals and positive price momentum reinforce one another, and that appears to be happening with Palantir today.

Valuation remains the obvious concern. PLTR trades near 80x next year’s earnings, which is expensive on an absolute basis. However, that multiple has compressed substantially from the levels investors have historically paid for the stock.

For much of the past year, Palantir shares traded sideways while revenue and earnings continued to compound at very high rates. In effect, the business has been growing into the valuation even without a major advance in the share price.

Palantir's Expanding Role in AIThere may also be a broader fundamental catalyst emerging.

CEO Alex Karp has increasingly positioned Palantir as a differentiated AI platform for corporations and governments that want the benefits of artificial intelligence without giving up control of sensitive data, intellectual property or proprietary business information.

Karp has been particularly critical of the large AI labs and the potential risks associated with allowing proprietary information to become part of broader AI training systems. Palantir's pitch is effectively that enterprises can deploy advanced AI while maintaining much tighter control over their data.

There is evidence that customers are responding. Net dollar retention reached 157% in the latest quarter, indicating that existing customers are rapidly expanding their spending with Palantir.

That will be an important metric to follow. If customers continue moving deeper into Palantir's AI products, the company could increasingly establish itself as a core AI infrastructure layer across large corporations and government agencies.

Unity and Match Group: Two More Software Stocks Approaching a BreakoutMatch Group ((MTCH - Free Report) ) is another software stock approaching an important technical breakout. Match Group carries a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and has spent roughly three years building a large base, with shares now testing a long-standing area of resistance.

The fundamental setup is also attractive. Earnings estimates are moving higher, while Match Group trades at just 9.6x forward earnings. With long-term EPS growth projected at 20.66% over the next three to five years, the stock carries a PEG ratio of just 0.47.

Image Source: TradingView

Unity Software ((U - Free Report) ) is developing a similar setup. Unity carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), has seen strong upward earnings estimate revisions and is also emerging from a roughly three-year technical base. Unity shares have rallied sharply in recent weeks and are now pressing against a major resistance level.

Despite the recent move, Unity still offers an appealing growth-adjusted valuation. The stock trades at 38.9x forward earnings, while long-term EPS growth is projected at 41.33%, giving Unity a PEG ratio below 1.

Image Source: TradingView

Together, Match Group and Unity provide further evidence that momentum is broadening across software, with both stocks approaching potentially significant technical breakout levels.

Is PLTR Stock Ready to Break Out?Palantir now has several factors moving in the same direction: exceptional revenue and earnings growth, sharply rising earnings estimates, a Zacks Rank #1 and a potentially important expansion of its role within enterprise AI.

The technical setup adds another catalyst.

PLTR has already broken out of its much larger year-long pattern and is now consolidating near the highs. A move above roughly $179 would represent the next technical breakout and could signal the beginning of another leg higher.

The valuation remains rich, so this is not a low-risk setup. But with fundamentals improving and the stock pressing against clearly defined resistance, Palantir is one of the more compelling momentum setups in the market right now. The similar strength developing in Unity and Match Group also suggests that the move may be in part, driven by a broader improvement in software stocks.

Wall Street is still on edge as the third earnings season of 2026 winds down. Walmart (WMT -9.72%) beat on revenue, beat on earnings, and raised its full-year guidance. The stock promptly fell about 10%. Welcome to earnings season in 2026, where beating the numbers doesn't seem to be the point these days.

The S&P 500 (^GSPC -0.70%) is down 0.29% as of 11:44 a.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI -1.17%) has fallen 0.64%, and the Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC -0.99%) is off 0.80%. Twenty of the Dow's 30 components are lower.

^SPX data by YCharts

Walmart's earnings beat comes with a warning Let's start in Arkansas. Retail giant Walmart posted Q2 results on Thursday morning, beating Wall Street's estimates across the board and raising full-year guidance targets. But the stock fell 9.8% anyway, adding up to a 21.3% drop over the last three months. You see, Walmart's domestic comparable sales grew just 2.6%, well short of the roughly 3.7% analysts expected and the slowest pace since Q4 2020. And roughly $2.9 billion of the quarter's earnings surprise came from tariff refunds rather than core operations.

You may hear echoes of Home Depot's (HD -3.02%) market-moving report in this update. U.S. consumer spending is slowing after the spring's generous tax refund boost. Walmart's own management noted shoppers are making trade-offs amid high fuel costs. Walmart's $114 share price makes it one of the lightest weights on the Dow, but today's massive drop still resulted in the second-largest score change on the index. With a $826 billion market cap, it also weighed heavily on the S&P 500 and Nasdaq indexes.

Image source: Getty Images.

The macro trends didn't help, either. Oil prices are up by roughly 3% as the United Arab Emirates suspended all financial transactions with Iran. 30-year Treasury yields are hanging on to yesterday's multi-decade high. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent went on TV to announce bigger buybacks of long-dated debt while admitting liquidity there is "very poor."

The gloom isn't completely universal, though. Deere (DE +6.88%) rose 9.4% on another beat-and-raise report, and the memory chip bellwethers are up by a few percent today. Micron Technology (MU +2.46%) rose 1.8% while SK Hynix (SKHY +3.77%) gained 3.7%. There's still room for optimism in this anxious market climate.

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A tired consumer meets rising rates Step back and the week has a clear message. Three big retail-adjacent reads (Home Depot, July retail sales, and now Walmart) all say the same thing: Americans are spending more carefully. That's the demand side of the economy losing a step.

That matters because bond yields are simultaneously near their highest levels since before the 2008 financial crisis. The combo of cautious consumer spending and higher financing costs points to a slowing economy. Bessent stepping in with bond buybacks tells you the long-term picture is under real strain.

Anders Bylund has positions in Micron Technology and Walmart. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Deere & Company , Home Depot, Micron Technology, and Walmart. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Key Takeaways Coinbase shares slipped 0.1% in six months, lagging the industry, sector and S&P 500 composite.COIN trades at 70.7X forward earnings versus the industry's 16.5X average, reflecting a premium valuation.Coinbase is expanding globally and into tokenized assets, but weaker crypto prices are pressuring profits. Shares of Coinbase Global (COIN - Free Report) have dipped 0.1% in the past six months, underperforming the industry, sector and the Zacks S&P 500 composite.

Coinbase, a leading player in the crypto space, is well-positioned to gain from expanding its range of listed digital assets and tokenized equities, along with its international growth and strategic acquisitions. The company has been actively pursuing initiatives that support CEO Brian Armstrong’s vision of evolving Coinbase into an “everything exchange,” delivering a comprehensive suite of digital financial services.

COIN vs. Industry, Sector, S&P 500 in 6 Months
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Its peers, Robinhood Markets (HOOD - Free Report) and Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. (IBKR - Free Report) , two crypto-oriented companies, have gained 33.4% and 26.5%, respectively, in the past six months.

Pessimistic Analyst Sentiment for COINThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 is pegged at a loss of 5 cents per share, a nosedive from earnings of $1.41 expected 30 days ago. The consensus estimate for 2027 earnings has moved 16% south in the past 30 days.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Consensus estimates for Robinhood Markets’ 2026 and 2027 EPS have moved south in the past 30 days. However, the same for Interactive Brokers Group witnessed no movement in the same time frame.

Growth Projections for COINThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 revenues indicates a year-over-year decrease, while for EPS it indicates an increase. However, the consensus estimate for 2027 revenues implies a year-over-year increase, but EPS reflects a decrease. Long-term earnings are expected to improve 3.1%, lower than the industry average of 7.5%.

COIN Is ExpensiveCOIN shares are trading at a premium to the industry. Its 12-month forward price-to-earnings of 70.7X is much higher than the industry average of 16.5X and the median of 53.71X over the past three years.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Its Value Score of D suggests that the stock is not cheap and indicates a stretched valuation at this moment.

COIN is more expensive than both Robinhood Markets and Interactive Brokers Group.

Investment Thesis for COIN StockInternational expansion also supports this strategy. Coinbase operates across Australia, Brazil, Kenya, the European Union, India, Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, the U.K. and Switzerland, helping diversify revenues and reduce dependence on the U.S. market. In the U.K., the company recently launched futures, perpetuals and options for professional investors, broadening its institutional offering and strengthening its position as a multi-asset trading venue.

Coinbase is further expanding through additional cryptocurrencies and tokenized equities. Regulatory approval to establish an international tokenization hub in Abu Dhabi positions the company to benefit from the migration of traditional financial assets onto blockchain infrastructure. Tokenized securities could eventually generate opportunities across issuance, custody, trading and settlement.

In 2026, Coinbase plans to prioritize real-world asset perpetuals, specialized exchanges, advanced trading tools, decentralized finance infrastructure, and AI- and robotics-driven innovation. Its continued strategic initiatives suggest that this broader expansion remains on track.

Despite maintaining strong liquidity and relatively low leverage, Coinbase remains vulnerable to crypto market volatility, rising operating expenses, impairment charges and restructuring costs tied to weaker digital asset prices.

Though Coinbase is gaining market share, given the weakening crypto market, the same is not translating into strong profits. The last reported quarter slumped with declining revenues, softer consumer trading dragging transaction revenues and lower crypto prices weighing on assets on the platform.

What Should Investors Do?Coinbase is well-positioned for growth through its continued efforts to expand the crypto ecosystem, gain additional spot trading market share across both retail and institutional segments, and strengthen its platform capabilities. Rising average USDC balances, growth in USDC market capitalization and relatively stable cryptocurrency prices could also contribute to more consistent revenue generation.

Nevertheless, the stock’s premium valuation, softer market volatility, weaker digital asset prices, cautious analyst sentiment, near-term pressure on revenues and earnings, and below-average return on equity suggest a cautious outlook. Given these factors, it is better to shy away from this Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) stock at the moment.

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

Key Takeaways Aon posted 5% organic revenue growth in Q2, with all four solution lines growing 5%.Aon's restructuring delivered $25 million in Q2 savings, helping adjusted margins expand 70 basis points.AON returned $775 million to shareholders in Q2 as cash flow and buybacks continued to strengthen. Aon plc (AON - Free Report) is a leading global provider of risk, retirement and health solutions, serving clients across more than 120 countries. The company has been benefiting from steady organic growth, strong client retention and strategic acquisitions. Its shares have lost 1.3% year to date compared with the industry’s average decline of 5.7% over the same period.

Valuation of AONAON has a market capitalization of nearly $73.9 billion. The stock appears somewhat expensive relative to the industry. Shares are currently trading at a forward 12-month P/E of around 17.1X, above the industry average of 16.1X, reflecting a premium valuation. The stock currently carries a Value Score of D.

Where Do Estimates for AON Stand?Aon is expected to deliver year-over-year earnings growth of 11.6% in 2026 to $19.05 per share, followed by an additional 11.3% increase in 2027. Over the past month, analysts have raised 2026 earnings estimates two times versus six downward revisions. The consensus estimate for 2026 revenues is pegged at $17.91 billion, implying year-over-year growth of 4.3%.

AON beat on earnings in each of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average surprise of 2.7%. This is depicted in the figure below.

Aon plc Price, Consensus and EPS SurpriseWhat’s Favoring AON Stock?Aon continues to deliver consistent organic growth despite less favorable insurance pricing conditions. In the second quarter of 2026, organic revenues increased 5%, with all four solution lines delivering 5% growth. New business contributed 10 points to organic growth, while retention remained in the mid-90s. Its growth is being driven more by client demand and new business than by pricing, supporting the durability of Aon’s business model.

Aon’s Accelerating Aon United restructuring program continues to generate savings and improve operating efficiency. The company delivered $25 million of restructuring savings in the second quarter, contributing about 60 basis points to adjusted operating margin. Aon remains on track to generate $100 million of savings in 2026 and reach its longer-term goal of $450 million in cumulative savings by 2027. At the same time, the scalable Aon Business Services (“ABS”) platform is using AI-enabled productivity improvements and disciplined expense management to lower unit costs. These efforts helped adjusted operating margin expand 70 basis points to 28.9% in the second quarter of 2026.

Aon continues to expand its middle-market platform through programmatic tuck-in acquisitions. The company has deployed more than $350 million of capital year to date, including investments that strengthen its MGU and MGA capabilities, while continuing to use the ABS platform to accelerate NFP's growth. In second quarter, Aon also invested $29 million in targeted middle-market acquisitions that met its strategic priorities and return thresholds. This strategy is helping Aon broaden its capabilities and addressable market while maintaining a disciplined approach to capital allocation.

Aon's improving earnings and cash generation continue to provide significant financial flexibility. Operating cash flow increased 5% year over year to $986 million in the first half of 2026, while free cash flow rose 4% to $846 million. In second quarter of 2026, Aon returned $775 million to shareholders, including $600 million through share repurchases and $175 million in dividends. The company has already exceeded its full-year target of at least $1 billion in share repurchases, while approximately $7.7 billion remained available under its authorization as of June 30,2026, supporting continued shareholder-friendly initiatives.

Risks to WatchAon continues to operate with a highly leveraged balance sheet following years of acquisitions, including NFP. As of June 30, 2026, the company had approximately $1.1 billion in cash and cash equivalents, $2.0 billion in short-term debt and current maturities and $12.9 billion in long-term debt. Total shareholders' equity stood at $9.6 billion. The sizable debt load remains an important risk for investors, particularly if operating conditions weaken or the company needs to allocate more cash toward debt repayment.

Aon's debt burden continues to result in substantial interest costs. Interest expense totaled $358 million in the first half of 2026, down 14.4% from $418 million a year earlier, primarily reflecting lower average debt balances. The improvement is encouraging, but interest expense remains a meaningful cash and earnings obligation. Aon expects interest expense of approximately $185 million in the third quarter of 2026. A sustained high interest burden could also limit Aon’s financial flexibility if operating conditions weaken.

Aon’s disciplined execution, ongoing efficiency initiatives and strategic investments should continue to support long-term growth and gradual deleveraging. The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), reflecting balanced near-term risk and reward potential.

Key PicksInvestors interested in the broader Finance space can look at some better-ranked stocks like Accelerant Holdings (ARX - Free Report) , Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company (WTW - Free Report) and Erie Indemnity Company (ERIE - Free Report) each sporting a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Accelerant’s 2026 earnings is pegged at 87 cents per share, which has witnessed four upward revision in the past 30 days, with no movement in the opposite direction. ARX beat earnings estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 55.7%. The consensus estimate for 2026 revenues is pinned at $1.16 billion.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Willis Towers’ 2026 earnings is pegged at $19.77 per share, which has witnessed nine upward revisions in the past 30 days, with no movement in the opposite direction. WTW beat earnings estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 3.9%. The consensus estimate for 2026 revenues is pinned at $10.51 billion, implying 8.2% year-over-year growth.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Erie Indemnity’s 2026 earnings is pegged at $12.55 per share, indicating 37.2% year-over-year growth. ERIE beat earnings estimates in two of the trailing four quarters but missed in the other two, with the average negative surprise being 30%. The consensus estimate for 2026 revenues is pinned at $4.17 billion, implying 2.5% year-over-year growth.

Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have attracted over $1 billion in new inflows this week, supporting a continued rally in the cryptocurrency that brought prices close to $73,000.

Major inflows lift Bitcoin and sentimentAccording to data from Farside Investors, investment in US-listed Bitcoin ETFs rose sharply, with more than $500 million flowing into products managed by BlackRock, Fidelity, and Grayscale on Wednesday alone. These companies are among the largest financial institutions managing spot Bitcoin products following regulatory approval of ETFs in early 2024.

BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust collected the largest portion of weekly inflows, receiving $588.5 million since Monday. Funds operated by companies like Morgan Stanley’s Bitcoin Trust also recorded substantial trading volumes over the same period.

ETF ProviderWeekly InflowsBlackRock (iShares Bitcoin Trust)$588.5 millionGrayscaleNot specifiedFidelityNot specifiedMorgan StanleyNot specifiedTotal (Top ETFs)Over $1 billionAs ETF inflows climbed, Bitcoin’s price surged, briefly reaching $72,659 on Thursday before retreating slightly to $72,606. This marked a 10% increase over the previous 24 hours. Bitcoin remains more than 40% below its record high of $126,080, recorded in October 2025.

Investor sentiment has shifted strongly in a positive direction. The Fear & Greed Index, a popular market sentiment measure, indicated that Bitcoin is now out of the “Fear” zone, moving into more bullish territory.

Policy backdrop and regulatory discussionsPresident Donald Trump met with cryptocurrency executives and regulatory officials at the White House on Wednesday, including Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong and Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Paul Atkins. The discussion focused on the Clarity Act, a proposed bill that aims to provide clear legal guidelines for digital assets in the US.

Following the meeting, President Trump described the Clarity Act as a “very, very powerful” piece of legislation and urged Congress to move forward with its adoption.

President Trump called on lawmakers to pass the Clarity Act, citing its importance for clear crypto regulations.

The legislation, which seeks to define digital assets as securities, commodities, or payment stablecoins, passed in the House of Representatives last year. However, progress stalled this year, with a vote now expected in September.

Crypto companies have repeatedly emphasized the need for regulatory clarity to help drive innovation and compliance within the sector.

Mini dictionary: Clarity Act, a proposed US bill aimed at establishing a regulatory framework to clearly define categories for digital assets, such as securities, commodities, or payment stablecoins. The legislation seeks to address long-standing uncertainties for crypto businesses operating in the United States.

Broader financial driversSentiment in crypto markets also improved after the US Treasury Department announced plans to increase government debt repurchases. This move is expected to lower long-term Treasury yields, making non-yielding assets like Bitcoin and gold more attractive to investors.

As yields fell, both Bitcoin and gold rallied. The US dollar weakened in response to the Treasury’s announcement, further supporting risk-on investing in digital assets.

Lower yields have lifted both Bitcoin and gold, with investors turning to non-yielding assets as the dollar loses momentum.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.

Ripple has minted another batch of RLUSD as XRP stages a sharp rally, with the token gaining nearly 19% over the past 24 hours and briefly climbing to $1.24.

The latest RLUSD activity comes as Ripple’s stablecoin sees a flurry of new issuance and redemptions.

Ripple mints more RLUSDRipple minted 900,000 RLUSD in a transaction recorded on the XRP Ledger on Aug. 20, according to the transaction data shown by XRPScan.

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The latest issuance followed several larger RLUSD transactions tracked by the Ripple Stablecoin Tracker. 

The tracker reported 20 million RLUSD minted at the treasury three hours earlier, while two additional 10 million RLUSD mints were recorded about 11 hours earlier. 

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Another 12 million RLUSD was minted roughly 19 hours ago, followed by a 32 million RLUSD issuance about 23 hours ago.

At the same time, RLUSD has also seen substantial burns. The tracker reported 15.4 million RLUSD burned at the treasury about an hour ago, following a 20 million RLUSD burn on Ethereum roughly three hours earlier.

Taken together, the reported activity points to significant turnover in RLUSD supply rather than a simple one-way expansion. 

The latest minting and burning transactions show Ripple continuing to actively manage the stablecoin's supply. 

XRP price spikes nearly 19%XRP has delivered an even more dramatic move over the same period. The token was trading at around $1.22 at the time of writing, up 18.8% over 24 hours, according to the supplied market data.

XRP climbed from a 24-hour low of about $1.03 to as high as $1.24, marking a move of roughly 20% from the session's bottom. The token was also up 21.2% over seven days, while its 30-day gain stood at 16.5%.

TLDR Table of Contents

XRPL is considering XLS-66, a lending standard for fixed-term loans funded through pooled assets. The proposal would rely on XLS-65 Single Asset Vaults, where depositors receive shares representing their pool ownership. Loan brokers would manage lending pools, set fees, approve loans, and determine first-loss capital requirements. Credit checks and borrower assessment would remain off-chain rather than using automatic collateral liquidations. Brokers could post first-loss capital to reduce depositor losses if borrowers default. The XRP Ledger (XRPL) is reviewing a lending standard that could allow pooled assets to fund fixed-term loans on XRPL. The draft, XLS-66, would use XLS-65 Single Asset Vaults to collect assets from depositors and issue shares that represent their stake in each pool.

A loan broker would create and manage the pool, approve loans, set fees, and define first-loss capital. The structure could support XRP, issuer-backed assets or Multi-Purpose Tokens, while access could remain public or restricted.

XRPL Vaults Would Hold Pooled Lending Assets Under XLS-65, depositors would place one asset into a vault and receive shares based on their contribution. Those shares would show ownership, but they would not guarantee immediate access to cash once the pool funds loans.

Each pool would need withdrawal rules. Terms could explain whether requests enter a queue, whether lending limits apply, and how much liquid capital remains available while loans stay open.

XLS-66 would allow a broker and borrower to create a loan with principal, interest rate, payment schedule, maturity date and grace period. The loan record would track unpaid principal and interest on the ledger.

The system would support late-interest rules, origination fees, and early repayment charges. If a borrower misses payments beyond the grace period, the broker could mark the loan as impaired or defaulted.

Credit Checks Would Remain Off-Chain The proposal focuses on uncollateralized lending and does not add automatic collateral sales or forced liquidations. Brokers would assess borrowers outside XRP Ledger using financial records, legal agreements, guarantees, trading history, or other credit checks.

This approach gives brokers a central role in risk control. Depositors would need information on borrower standards, concentration limits, legal terms and the broker’s lending process before allocating assets to a pool.

XLS-66 would let brokers post first-loss capital to absorb part of a default. The value of that protection would depend on the size of the reserve compared with outstanding loans.

The proposal remains a draft and depends on XLS-65 and XLS-64. Adoption would require approved standards, active brokers, borrowers, and clear pool terms. Evernorth has explored XRP-related DeFi opportunities, but no primary material reviewed identifies an Evernorth-run lending pool.

Ethereum price traded near $2,300 on Thursday after a derivatives-driven breakout pushed ETH above its three-month range, though overbought signals now raise the risk of a pullback.

Summary

Ethereum price jumped about 20% from below $1,950, reaching an intraday high near $2,300. Daily RSI rose above 83, placing ETH deep inside overbought territory. The $2,300–$2,500 region remains the next major resistance zone. CoinGlass data shows liquidation clusters near $2,300 and below $2,200. Ethereum price action today According to data from crypto.news, Ethereum (ETH) price traded at about $2,285 at press time on Aug. 20, up 1.4% on the daily candle after briefly reaching $2,298.

The latest advance extended a breakout that began Wednesday, when ETH surged from below $1,950 and cleared several resistance levels in a matter of hours. At its highest point, the move represented a gain of roughly 20%.

Before the rally, Ethereum had spent most of August between $1,850 and $1,950. Repeated attempts to break above the upper end of that range failed, allowing short positions to build around the psychological $2,000 level.

A sudden increase in spot and derivatives buying changed that structure. ETH moved through $2,000, $2,100, and $2,200 with few sustained pauses, forcing traders with bearish leveraged positions to buy back the asset as prices rose.

The initial rally produced a long upper wick near $2,330, showing that some holders took profits above $2,300. Buyers nevertheless kept ETH above $2,250 through Thursday, preventing a deeper reversal during the first consolidation period.

What is driving the Ethereum rally? The breakout coincided with a wider cryptocurrency rally after the U.S. Treasury announced an increase in its long-dated bond buyback operations.

On Aug. 19, the Treasury said it would raise the maximum size of liquidity-support buybacks for 10-to-30-year nominal coupon securities from $2 billion to at least $4 billion per operation. The change will take effect on Sept. 9 and remain in place through Nov. 4, according to the official announcement.

The program is intended to support liquidity in older Treasury securities rather than provide direct stimulus to cryptocurrency markets. However, some market participants interpreted the larger purchases as supportive of financial liquidity and risk assets.

MarketWatch linked the crypto rally to the announcement as longer-term Treasury yields declined. Ethereum reached its highest price since May while Bitcoin moved above $70,000 during the same risk-on move.

Derivatives positioning then added momentum. Notably, Ethereum saw $2.55 billion in taker buy volume during one hour, while a wave of short liquidations forced additional buying into a rapidly rising market.

Reported liquidations included a roughly $49 million position held by one highly ranked trader. Forced closures can accelerate a rally because exchanges automatically buy the underlying asset or close bearish contracts when collateral falls below required levels.

U.S. spot Ethereum ETFs also recorded $189.1 million in daily net inflows on Aug. 19, according to SoSoValue data. Positive ETF flows offered evidence of demand through regulated U.S. products alongside the faster derivatives move.

Political developments added to the broader improvement in crypto sentiment. President Donald Trump called on Congress to advance federal digital asset market structure legislation following an Aug. 19 White House event attended by executives from several crypto companies.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has also proposed a framework covering certain registered crypto asset offerings. Both developments may affect the long-term regulatory outlook, although neither represents a completed change to federal law.

Ethereum faces resistance between $2,300 and $2,500 Ethereum’s daily chart shows a clear break above the Ichimoku cloud and its main trend lines. ETH traded about 9% above the Tenkan-sen at $2,098 and 10% above the Kijun-sen near $2,078, reflecting the speed of the move.

Ethereum price daily chart — Aug. 20 | Source: crypto.news The cloud’s upper boundary sits around $2,088, making the $2,075–$2,100 area an important support region if ETH gives back part of its rally. Holding that zone would preserve the broader breakout even if the price retreats from $2,300.

The nearest support on shorter time frames sits between $2,220 and $2,250, where buyers repeatedly entered after the initial spike. A break below that area could expose $2,100, followed by the former range ceiling around $1,950–$2,000.

Momentum has become stretched, however. The daily relative strength index reached 83.25, well above the conventional overbought threshold of 70 and its moving average near 57.

An overbought RSI does not guarantee an immediate decline, particularly during a strong breakout. It does show that ETH has risen much faster than its recent average and may require consolidation before making another sustained move.

The 4-hour Bollinger Bands tell a similar story. Ethereum traded near $2,288, slightly above the upper band at about $2,283, while the middle band remained near $1,998. The wide distance between the price and the middle band shows how far ETH has moved from its recent mean.

Ethereum price 4-hour chart — Aug. 20 | Source: crypto.news A daily close above $2,300 would open the path toward $2,400 and then $2,500. The latter level carries added importance because it sits near longer-term moving averages and a previous supply region visible on the weekly chart.

Liquidation map raises volatility risk near $2,300 The three-day CoinGlass liquidation heatmap shows ETH approaching a series of leveraged positions between $2,300 and $2,350. A move into that zone could trigger further short closures, providing fuel for another brief extension.

Ethereum liquidation chart | Source: CoinGlass Liquidity is also building below the market. Visible clusters sit around $2,220, $2,180, and $2,100, while the largest concentration remains near $1,900.

Liquidation levels do not act as guaranteed price targets. They identify areas where leveraged positions may be forced to close, which can attract price during periods of high volatility.

Because much of the liquidity below $2,000 accumulated before the breakout, a complete return to that region would require ETH to lose several newly reclaimed supports. The more immediate risk is a retest of $2,220 or $2,100 as traders reduce leverage and take profits.

Analysts see $2,500 as Ethereum’s next test Crypto analyst Michaël van de Poppe said Ethereum’s move confirmed that the market was in a bullish phase, but he did not expect the asset to continue rising in a straight line.

Van de Poppe said ETH had reached approximately 0.033 BTC against Bitcoin and described pullbacks from the level as potential buying opportunities. His ETH/BTC chart showed nearby support around 0.032 and a lower zone close to 0.0305.

An absolutely amazing move of $ETH.

I don't think it will continue to run in one go, but it's quite clear that we're currently in a bull market.

Swept all the way towards 0.033 BTC and very likely retraces are for buying. pic.twitter.com/Fw7ZeM10UW

— Michaël van de Poppe (@CryptoMichNL) August 20, 2026 Market commentator Ted Pillows identified $2,500 as Ethereum’s next resistance. He argued that reclaiming the level would reduce the likelihood of ETH returning to a new cycle low, while a rejection would keep the lower part of the range relevant.

The two views align with the visible price structure: Ethereum has shifted from consolidation into an uptrend, but the asset is now approaching resistance with unusually extended momentum.

For U.S. investors, Treasury yields, the dollar, and spot ETF flows may determine whether the breakout develops into sustained demand. A pause near $2,300 would allow technical indicators to cool, while a high-volume close above $2,500 would provide stronger confirmation that buyers can absorb profit-taking after the short squeeze.

Disclosure: This article does not represent investment advice. The content and materials featured on this page are for educational purposes only.

Asset manager T. Rowe Price has quietly added Cardano to its Active Crypto ETF, placing the cryptocurrency alongside major assets such as Bitcoin and Ethereum.

The move follows the fund’s initial launch without Cardano, despite earlier filings indicating that T. Rowe Price could support the asset. TKNZ began trading on NYSE Arca in mid-July after the U.S. SEC approved the fund in June.

At launch, TKNZ held Bitcoin, Ethereum, BNB, Solana, XRP, Hyperliquid, Stellar, Dogecoin, USD Coin, and cash equivalents. Although T. Rowe Price had previously indicated that Cardano could qualify for inclusion, ADA was absent from the fund’s initial holdings.

However, the asset manager has now followed through by adding ADA to the portfolio.

Cardano Meets TKNZ’s Eligibility Requirements Cardano’s inclusion is notable because TKNZ cannot invest in every cryptocurrency. Instead, the fund applies eligibility criteria covering regulatory classification, liquidity, custody, valuation, and an asset’s ability to be held and traded within a regulated investment product.

In addition, the fund’s prospectus excludes assets considered securities under U.S. federal law. Therefore, ADA’s inclusion indicates that T. Rowe Price considers Cardano eligible under the fund’s investment framework.

ADA Holds a Small Allocation Despite its addition, Cardano currently accounts for only a small portion of TKNZ.

ADA ranks as the fund’s 10th-largest asset, with a 0.44% portfolio weighting, according to data from the fund’s website. Based on TKNZ’s reported $16.47 million in net assets, the allocation represents approximately $72,500 in Cardano.

Nevertheless, the significance of the move extends beyond the size of the investment. By including ADA in an actively managed product from a major asset manager, TKNZ provides traditional investors with another avenue to gain Cardano exposure through a regulated fund structure. 

Active Crypto ETF Holdings Cardano’s Institutional Presence Expands Meanwhile, T. Rowe Price’s move adds to Cardano’s growing presence in U.S.-based crypto investment products.

ADA has already appeared in several diversified crypto funds and index products, including the Bitwise 10 Crypto Index Fund (BITW), Grayscale Smart Contract Fund, and Hashdex Nasdaq CME Crypto Index ETF. Consequently, TKNZ’s addition further strengthens Cardano’s position within the institutional crypto-investment landscape.

In the meantime, ADA posted a strong performance yesterday, rallying more than 10% and briefly surpassing $0.19. However, the token has since surrendered some of those gains and currently trades at around $0.1838.

Despite the pullback, Cardano remains up 4.9% over the past 24 hours. Its trading volume has also surged 212% during the same period to $528.26 million, highlighting increased market activity around the asset. 

DisClamier: This content is informational and should not be considered financial advice. The views expressed in this article may include the author's personal opinions and do not reflect The Crypto Basic opinion. Readers are encouraged to do thorough research before making any investment decisions. The Crypto Basic is not responsible for any financial losses.

Europe’s crackdown on Tether’s USDT is entering a new phase.

When Revolut told European users it would delist USDT after Aug. 31, it became another in a long line of European platforms restricting access to the world’s largest stablecoin as firms adapt to the requirements of the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation.

MiCA’s stablecoin rules have been phasing in since 2024, and the EU-wide transition period ended on July 1, putting further pressure on platforms to drop tokens that don’t meet the rules.

Yet according to Artemis Analytics, Tether being squeezed out of a major market has shown little sign of triggering a major shift in USDT activity. Alex Weseley, research and data, tells Magazine:

“The data does not indicate any noticeable change in USDT supply or demand attributable directly to MiCA coming into effect in Europe… MiCA didn’t trigger a major venue or chain migration.”So why is demand for Tether holding up so well?

Stablecoins become financial infrastructureOne reason USDT demand is proving resilient is that dollar stablecoins are being used for more than trading or saving in other regions of the world.

In Argentina, for example, a country long obsessed with stuffing dollars into mattresses and storing wealth outside the traditional financial system, stablecoin activity has continued to grow even though restrictions on accessing actual US dollars have eased.

USDT supply share by chain at MiCA milestones. Source: Artemis.

Lemon, an Argentine crypto and financial services platform, processed $9.3 billion in total volume in 2025, up 60% from the previous year. Transactional users grew 70% to nearly 1.8 million and stablecoin volume grew 45% year-on-year.

That suggests stablecoins are doing more than simply filling a gap created by restrictions on access to dollars; they’re becoming part of the way people move and spend money.

Ignacio Gimenez, Lemon’s business and planning manager, tells Magazine:

“The role of USDT and other dollar stablecoins is evolving. What we’re seeing is a shift from stablecoins as a store of value to stablecoins as financial infrastructure.”He says stablecoin activity is “increasingly driven by payments, cross-border transfers and global financial services rather than only by savings,” adding that Argentine users can pay in Brazil through PIX using pesos, receive dollars or euros from overseas and have them credited as USDC, or move between bank dollars and digital dollar balances.

That makes stablecoin demand harder to measure by simply looking at which tokens are available on regulated exchanges.

MiCA is changing the European gatewayLemon’s experience highlights a shift in user behavior in one of Latin America’s biggest economies, and there are signs that emerging markets are beginning to follow the trend.

Artemis data shows the number of daily users on Binance Smart Chain rose from about 318,000 in June 2024 to 1.56 million by July 2026, while daily users on Tron increased 44% to around 908,000. These chains are favored by day to day stablecoin users for their low fees. Weseley says:

“That looks like expanding global and emerging market usage rather than a Europe-specific migration, and there’s no clear MiCA-timed break in the chain data.”That doesn’t mean MiCA is irrelevant: it is certainly changing which stablecoins regulated European platforms can offer, and reshaping the stablecoin market inside the bloc.

USDT daily active addresses by chain at MiCA milestones. Source: Artemis.

Maksym Sakharov, chief executive and co-founder of WeFi, a crypto financial infrastructure company, says that regulation is primarily changing how users access dollar stablecoins, rather than removing the underlying demand, whether it’s for trading, payments, or cross-border transfers. He tells Magazine:

“Users do not choose a stablecoin only because it is available on one regulated platform. They choose it because counterparties use it, liquidity is deep, and it works across many markets.” For some platforms, the shift began well before the MiCA deadline. Chief executive of OKX Europe, Erald Ghoos, says OKX has not offered USDT to European users for around two years, so the latest MiCA deadline did not make much material difference.

Europe’s alternatives have a dollar problemPerhaps the bigger question in Europe is what European users will embrace instead. Dollar-denominated stablecoins have a powerful advantage since the crypto market has always treated the greenback as its primary benchmark.

USDT transfer volume share by chain pre vs. post MiCA. Source: Artemis.

While Ghoos doesn’t expect that to change globally any time soon, he says that institutional interest in euro-denominated stablecoins is picking up. He says:

“What we are seeing from institutional players is interest in creating more EUR-denominated stablecoins, which is worth watching as it develops.” For retail users, euro-denominated stablecoins could also make practical sense by removing additional friction, like currency conversion, from transactions. But while MiCA may determine which products are available through regulated European gateways, it cannot change the dollar’s role in global crypto markets.

Magazine: El Salvador’s Bitcoin experiment turns 5: ‘It was for us, not them’

Cointelegraph publishes long-form journalism, analysis and narrative reporting produced by Cointelegraph’s in-house editorial team with subject-matter expertise. All articles are edited and reviewed by Cointelegraph editors in line with our editorial standards. Some articles contain affiliate links, from which Cointelegraph may earn a commission. These relationships do not influence which products we review or our editorial conclusions. Content published in here does not constitute financial, legal or investment advice. Readers should conduct their own research and consult qualified professionals where appropriate. Cointelegraph maintains full editorial independence.

It has been about a month since the last earnings report for Capital One (COF - Free Report) . Shares have added about 9.6% in that time frame, outperforming the S&P 500.

Will the recent positive trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Capital One due for a pullback? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at its latest earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important drivers.

Capital One's Q2 Earnings Beat on Higher Revenues, Lower ProvisionsCapital One’s second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of $5.81 per share significantly outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4.85. The bottom line was up from $5.48 in the prior-year quarter.

Results benefited from a rise in NII and non-interest income, along with a substantial decline in provisions. Loan growth and improvement in NIM were other positives. However, higher expenses and a sequential decline in deposits were undermining factors.

Results excluded acquisition-related amortization expenses and Discover Financial and Brex integration costs. Including these, net income available to common stockholders (GAAP basis) was $2.94 billion or $4.73 per share against a net loss available to common stockholders of $4.34 billion or $8.58 per share in the prior-year quarter.

Revenues Increase, Expenses RiseTotal net revenues were $15.85 billion, rising 27% year over year. Also, the top line beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $15.7 billion.

NII was $12.37 billion, up 24% from the prior-year quarter. NIM expanded 39 basis points (bps) to 8.01%.

Non-interest income was $3.48 billion, jumping 39%. This was driven by higher net discount and interchange fees, service charges and other customer-related fees and other income.

Non-interest expense was $9.04 billion, up 29%. The increase reflected a rise in salaries and associate benefits, occupancy and equipment costs, marketing expenses, communications and data-processing costs, amortization of intangibles and other expenses.

The efficiency ratio was 57.05%, falling from 55.96% in the prior-year quarter. A rise in the efficiency ratio indicates lower profitability.

As of June 30, 2026, loans held for investment were $457.17 billion, up 2% from the prior quarter. Total deposits were $484.26 billion, down 1% sequentially.

Credit Quality ImprovesProvision for credit losses was $2.99 billion, down 74% year over year. The allowance for credit losses, as a percentage of loans held for investment, was 5.02%, down 41 bps.

The 30-plus-day performing delinquency rate was 2.91%, down 22 bps year over year. The 30-plus-day delinquency rate was 3.13%, down 19 bps. The quarter included a $662-million loan reserve release, primarily driven by favorable credit performance in Domestic Card.

On the other hand, net charge-offs (NCOs) were $3.64 billion, rising 19% year over year.

Capital Ratios DeclineAs of June 30, 2026, the common equity Tier 1 capital ratio was 13.7%, down from 14% in the prior-year quarter. The Tier 1 capital ratio was 14.8%, down from 15.1% a year ago.

Share Repurchase UpdateDuring the reported quarter, Capital One repurchased 14 million shares for $2.7 billion.

How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?In the past month, investors have witnessed a downward trend in estimates revision.

VGM ScoresCurrently, Capital One has a average Growth Score of C, a grade with the same score on the momentum front. However, the stock was allocated a score of A on the value side, putting it in the top quintile for this investment strategy.

Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of B. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.

OutlookEstimates have been broadly trending downward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions indicates a downward shift. Interestingly, Capital One has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We expect an in-line return from the stock in the next few months.

TL;DRBSC blocks can now reach deterministic finality in about 0.65 seconds under normal conditions, a 70x improvement since 2022.The old 15-confirmation rule comes from BSC’s previous probabilistic finality model.Exchanges, bridges, and payment processors should use the finalized JSON-RPC block tag where possible.Faster blocks plus BEP-126, BEP-590, and BEP-648 brought finality down from roughly 45 seconds.Many BSC integrations still wait around 15 confirmations before treating a transaction as safe.

That rule dates back to when BSC had three-second blocks and probabilistic finality. Fifteen confirmations meant waiting roughly 45 seconds for enough blocks to build on top of a transaction.

However, BSC works differently today.

With Fast Finality, blocks can become cryptographically final in about 0.65 seconds under normal conditions.

Why 15 confirmations became the ruleBefore Fast Finality, BSC used probabilistic finality.

Each new block reduced the chance of a reorganization, but there was no exact point where the protocol could prove a block was irreversible. Services therefore waited for additional confirmations as a safety margin. With three-second blocks, around 15 confirmations meant roughly 45 seconds.

It worked for that version of BSC, but not today.

What changedBEP-126 introduced deterministic Fast Finality in 2023. Validators vote on blocks. Once at least two-thirds support a block and its direct child, the earlier block becomes finalized.

BSC then shortened block times through upgrades including Maxwell and Fermi, bringing block intervals down to 0.45 seconds.

Two further changes improved finality at those speeds:

BEP-590 made validator voting more reliable as blocks became faster.BEP-648, shipped through the Osaka/Mendel upgrade, allowed nodes to recognize a voting quorum already held in memory instead of waiting for another block.Together, these changes reduced BSC finality from roughly 45 seconds to about 0.65 seconds, a 70x leap.

What builders should be asking nowFor most integrations, the better question is no longer asking how many confirmations they should wait for, but rather “has this block been finalized?”

BSC exposes finalized state through JSON-RPC: eth_getBlockByNumber("finalized", true)

Exchanges, bridges, custodians, and payment processors can use this signal when deciding when a transaction is safe to credit.

What this means for the ecosystemFor most smart contracts, nothing changes. The impact is mainly on infrastructure that waits before acting on deposits or transfers.

Integrations still hard-coding 15 confirmations can review whether that delay is necessary. Using finalized state can reduce waiting time while giving applications a stronger settlement signal.

If Fast Finality temporarily stops progressing, applications that require deterministic settlement can simply wait until the block is reported as finalized.

What’s NextBNB Chain continues to study how finality should work as block times become shorter, as outlined in the BNB Chain Tech Roadmap 2026.

BEP-667 is one draft proposal exploring how voting cadence could be separated from block cadence. It remains research, not a deployed change.

Key Takeaways UMBF raised its quarterly dividend 16.3% to 50 cents per share in July 2026.UMBF had $5.7 billion in cash and interest-bearing deposits versus $3.6 billion in debt.UMBF had nearly 1.96 million shares available for repurchase under its April 2026 authorization. UMB Financial Corporation (UMBF - Free Report) maintains a disciplined capital distribution approach, balancing shareholder returns with its growth initiatives. In July 2026, the company increased its quarterly dividend by 16.3% to 50 cents per share. The dividend will be paid on Oct. 1, 2026, to shareholders of record as of Sept. 10.

Over the past five years, UMBF has increased its dividend six times, delivering a five-year annualized dividend growth rate of 3.23%. Its payout ratio stands at 13%, leaving ample room to retain earnings for growth while continuing to reward shareholders. Currently, UMBF offers an annualized dividend yield of nearly 1.2%.

Dividend Yield
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Additionally, UMBF continues to focus on loan and deposit growth to support earnings and strengthen its core banking franchise. Its low payout ratio allows the company to retain capital for balance-sheet growth and strategic investments while supporting consistent shareholder returns.

Beyond dividends, UMB Financial supports shareholder returns through share repurchases. On April 28, 2026, its board approved a new program to repurchase up to 2 million shares of common stock through April 2027. As of June 30, 2026, approximately 1.96 million shares remained available under the authorization.

As of June 30, 2026, the company had $5.7 billion in cash and interest-bearing due from banks, compared with $3.6 billion of total debt (includes short and long-term debt). The sizable liquidity cushion provides financial flexibility and supports the company’s ability to meet funding needs and manage its capital effectively.

With consistent dividend growth, substantial share repurchase capacity and strong liquidity, UMB Financial appears well-positioned to sustain shareholder returns while continuing to invest in business growth.

Capital Return Plans of UMBF's PeersSimilar to UMBF, its two close peers, First Horizon Corporation (FHN - Free Report) and Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc. (CFR - Free Report) , have impressive capital return plans.

In January 2026, First Horizon raised its quarterly dividend 13.3% to 17 cents per share. Prior to this, the company increased its quarterly dividend 6.7% to 15 cents per share in January 2025.

First Horizon also has an active share repurchase program. On Oct. 27, 2025, its board authorized the repurchase of up to $1.2 billion of common stock through Jan. 31, 2027. As of June 30, 2026, $665 million remained available under the authorization.

In April 2026, Cullen/Frost raised its quarterly dividend 3% to $1.03 per share. During the first six months of 2026, the company paid $128.8 million in common dividends and repurchased 1.16 million shares under its $300-million authorization.

As of June 30, 2026, Cullen/Frost had $140 million remaining under its current share repurchase program, which expires in January 2027.

UMBF’s Price Performance & Zacks RankOver the past six months, shares of UMB Financial have gained 21.7% compared with the industry’s 5% growth.

Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

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

Chainlink Labs is betting that the next wave of blockchain growth won’t come from crypto-native builders alone. It’ll come from Wall Street. And the person tasked with making that happen is Andrew McCormick, who joined the oracle network on June 4 as Head of Institutional and Market Development.

McCormick, who previously ran eToro’s US operations, has a straightforward thesis: artificial intelligence will make it trivially cheap to launch new blockchain networks, and the resulting proliferation of chains will create enormous demand for the plumbing that connects them. That plumbing, in Chainlink’s view, is its Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol, better known as CCIP.

The multi-chain argument, reframed McCormick has been making this case publicly through a series of media appearances, including a YouTube interview on June 30 and a spot on the All-In Crypto Podcast in late July. The messaging has been consistent: interoperability isn’t a nice-to-have feature for institutions. It’s a prerequisite.

Why institutions care about CCIP For a bank or asset manager considering tokenized securities, the nightmare scenario is liquidity fragmentation. If a tokenized Treasury bond lives on one chain but the buyer’s settlement infrastructure runs on another, someone needs to bridge that gap without introducing counterparty risk or regulatory ambiguity.

That’s the problem CCIP is designed to solve. The protocol enables cross-chain token transfers and messaging with a verification layer powered by Chainlink’s existing oracle network. In practical terms, it lets a tokenized asset on Ethereum settle against a payment rail on a private chain without either party needing to trust a centralized intermediary.

Chainlink has already been working with some of the biggest names in traditional finance to prove this out. Collaborations with DTCC, the central clearinghouse that processes the vast majority of US securities transactions, and J.P. Morgan’s blockchain unit Kinexys suggest that the institutional interest isn’t theoretical.

McCormick’s role is to scale those relationships. His mandate includes engaging US banks and asset managers on blockchain integration, developing strategies for tokenized asset adoption, and running educational programs that explain blockchain’s utility, security, and interoperability to financial decision-makers.

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

AEON brings USDC payments to physical stores across five markets@AEON_Community has launched a $USDC payment gateway at physical retail locations across the Philippines, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Africa. The deployment runs on @0xPolygon technology, enabling instant settlement at the point of sale through familiar interfaces such as QR codes and mobile wallets.

The partnership between AEON and Polygon has been building since mid-2025, with the two companies working to bring crypto payments to more than 20 million retail locations spanning Southeast Asia, Latin America, and Africa. The AEON Pay interface supports payments in $USDC and $POL at merchant checkouts, covering use cases from dining and lifestyle to everyday shopping.

Polygon's infrastructure is well suited to retail-scale payment volumes. Blocks settle in roughly two seconds and network fees average fractions of a cent, keeping the cost of small-value transactions minimal. The network has also built out meaningful off-ramp coverage in Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico, meaning merchants can receive settlement in local fiat currency without needing to manage blockchain complexity directly.

The choice of markets is deliberate. Almost 50 percent of all stablecoin transfers in Argentina already use USDC, according to data from analytics firm Artemis, reflecting strong grassroots adoption of dollar-pegged assets in economies exposed to currency volatility. Brazil and Mexico, two of Latin America's largest economies, have also seen stablecoin rails gain traction as businesses look to reduce cross-border transaction costs.

AI agents are the next target use caseBeyond everyday consumer payments, the integration has been designed with autonomous AI agents in mind. @AEON_Community has been developing a framework that allows AI-powered agents to shop and settle payments independently, both online and at physical retail locations via QR code. The Polygon-based $USDC gateway is positioned as a key part of that infrastructure, giving agents a stable, low-cost settlement layer for real-world commerce.

AEON's AI Payment feature deploys agents that can search, compare products, and execute purchases without human intervention, including QR code-based payments in physical stores. Routing those transactions over Polygon's network means near-instant finality at minimal cost, which is a practical requirement for agent-driven workflows that may involve high transaction frequency.

The deployment adds to a broader wave of stablecoin-powered retail infrastructure being built on Polygon. The network's payments volume has grown sharply over the past year, driven by a combination of fintech partnerships, rising stablecoin demand in emerging markets, and the expanding role of programmable money in automated business operations.

Sources:
AEON Partners with Polygon to Bring $POL and USDC Crypto Payments to 20 Million Stores - Coinfomania
Polygon USDC Transfers Surge 141% Amid Stablecoin Payments Push - Yahoo Finance / DL News
AEON Launches AI Payment for Autonomous Crypto Payments - Crypto.news

Key Takeaways Inspire V adoption and growing clinical evidence are strengthening Inspire Medical's position in OSA.Inspire Medical says its U.S. OSA market tops $10B and remains less than 5% penetrated.Coding and reimbursement disruptions affected Inspire Medical's second-quarter revenues by about $40M. Inspire Medical Systems (INSP - Free Report) is well-positioned for solid growth over the next few quarters as it navigates a significant product transition.

Shares of this Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) company have declined 33.1% in the year-to-date period against a 12.2% gain for both the industry and the S&P 500 Index.

Inspire Medical, a medical technology company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative, minimally invasive solutions for patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), has a market capitalization of $1.66 billion.

The company’s earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average surprise of 195.9%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Factors Driving INSP’s ProspectsInspire V Adoption & Strong Clinical Evidence: Inspire Medical continues to strengthen its competitive position in OSA through the broader adoption of its Inspire V system and a growing body of clinical evidence. In the company’s Singapore clinical study, all 44 implants were completed successfully, surgical time was reduced by 20%, and therapy adherence averaged 5.9 hours per night. A limited U.S. market release involving 101 patients also showed 100% successful implantation and continued therapy use, with average adherence of 6.3 hours per night at six months.

INSP is also expanding the evidence base supporting Inspire therapy beyond sleep-related outcomes, with recent research finding lower odds of stroke, myocardial infarction, atrial fibrillation, hospitalization and acute heart failure among patients receiving hypoglossal nerve stimulation compared with CPAP. The PREDICTOR study could further simplify the treatment pathway by allowing certain patients to avoid drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE), potentially reducing barriers to treatment. With more than 400 publications, this growing evidence base supports physician confidence in Inspire therapy.

Large Underpenetrated Market & Expanding Patient Access: Inspire Medical has substantial room for long-term expansion, with its addressable OSA market still less than 5% penetrated. The company estimates a U.S. market opportunity of more than $10 billion, providing a broad foundation for future adoption. Management is also working to reduce patient-access bottlenecks through Project Horizon, SleepSync initiatives, expanded ENT capacity, surgeon training and new treatment centers. International markets offer additional growth potential, particularly Continental Europe, where France has seen strong momentum following nationwide reimbursement, alongside continued expansion across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, the U.K., Japan and Singapore.

Regulatory Expansion & Clinical Scale: Inspire Medical has treated more than 140,000 patients and has over 1,500 implanters, supported by reimbursement coverage for more than 300 million U.S. lives. Inspire V represented the majority of implants in the second quarter of 2026. Coding clarity is also improving, with new facility C-codes in place and CMS proposing higher 2027 Medicare facility reimbursement. The company has also resubmitted its application for a Category I CPT code, targeting implementation in January 2028, which could further strengthen the long-term reimbursement framework.

Key Challenges for INSP StockCoding, Reimbursement and WISeR Headwinds: Inspire Medical continues to face coding and reimbursement disruption for Inspire V, with inconsistent surgeon payments and administrative complexity under the WISeR prior authorization program across six Medicare pilot states. These issues affected second-quarter 2026 revenues by approximately $40 million and are expected to reduce full-year 2026 revenues by $120-$130 million, while the revised Category I CPT application remains pending. Although customer education and prior authorization support are improving, state-level variability and billing uncertainty could continue to slow procedure conversion and Medicare growth.

Potential GLP-1 Therapy Pressure: Growing use of GLP-1 therapies could delay some Inspire treatment decisions as physicians may prioritize weight-loss treatment before considering Inspire. This sequencing can extend the patient journey and reduce near-term procedure conversion. However, management believes GLP-1 adoption could eventually expand the addressable pool by helping patients reduce BMI while leaving OSA unresolved. The impact remains uncertain as prescribing patterns, patient behavior and payer coverage continue to evolve.

Estimate TrendInspire Medical is witnessing a positive estimate revision trend for 2026. In the past 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings has moved north 33.3% to $1.24 per share.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for third-quarter 2026 revenues and loss per share is pegged at $204.1 million and 11 cents, respectively.

Other Stocks to ConsiderSome other top-ranked stocks from the broader medical space are Globus Medical (GMED - Free Report) , West Pharmaceutical (WST - Free Report) and The Cooper Companies (COO - Free Report) .

Globus Medical, currently sporting a Zacks Rank #1, reported a second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.34, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 19.6%. Revenues of $789.6 million beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.4%. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

GMED has an estimated long-term earnings growth rate of 12.4%. The company’s earnings beat estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 27.9%.

West Pharmaceutical, carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present, reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted EPS of $2.37, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 13.9%. Revenues of $872.3 million surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 4.2%.

WST has an estimated long-term earnings growth rate of 16%. WST’s earnings surpassed estimates in the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 17.4%.

The Cooper Companies, carrying a Zacks Rank #2 at present, reported a second-quarter fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS of $1.21, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 10%. Revenues of $1.08 billion beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.6%.

COO has an estimated long-term earnings growth rate of 8.3%. COO’s earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 5.8%.

Bloom Energy (BE -3.08%) is a clean energy company that makes solid oxide fuel cell systems. These fuel cells, to put it simply, chemically remove electrons from natural gas and route them through a circuit to produce electricity. The cells live in giant boxes -- Bloom Boxes -- that can be used as mini on-site power plants for data centers, factories, and other facilities that can't wait years to gain access to a grid connection.

This advantage -- on-site power generation -- has become enormously valuable in the age of artificial intelligence (AI). Bloom's share price is up 136% so far in 2026 and over 344% over the past year.

That's a huge run for any stock. And yet the numbers underneath that rally suggest there's plenty of room for further growth.

Image source: Bloom Energy.

Bloom is filling a gap in the grid To frame Bloom's opportunity properly, it helps to understand a significant mismatch at the heart of the AI build-out.

In a nutshell, power-intensive facilities, like data centers, are being built faster than the U.S. grid can expand to accommodate them. As a result, the developers of these facilities can't build them just anywhere; they have to pick places where there's enough power to support their projects. And even then, there could still be a delay between when a data center is constructed and when it can actually get power.

Depending on the grid is cumbersome, and data centers tend to increase a community's electricity bills due to the enormous amount of power these server farms guzzle.

Today's Change

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-3.08

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-6.37

Current Price

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200.27

In short, it would be best if these AI factories could generate their own power. Bloom Boxes, which can be installed within 90 days, are exactly the kind of energy solution they need.

Bloom's growth is enormous; so are expectations That preamble leads me to the opportunity. Few companies can offer what Bloom does. And it's showing up not only in today's revenue but also in what analysts are expecting over the next two years.

Data by YCharts.

Bloom generated about $2 billion in total revenue in 2025. It has already produced about that much (roughly $1.8 billion) through the first two quarters of 2026, and it projects it will finish the year with $3.9 billion to $4.2 billion, which would roughly double last year's revenue.

Analysts are expecting that figure to more than triple over the next two years, but that's a generous estimate for a company with a pipeline like Bloom's. The company entered 2026 with a roughly $20 billion backlog, but that figure has likely gone up. CEO KR Sridhar recently commented that Bloom's backlog was "growing faster than revenue." That could be a problem -- Bloom's manufacturing capacity could be limited -- but it's not a bad problem when your company is profitable.

There is, however, one big catch: Bloom's valuation. With a roughly $70 billion market cap, and just $251 of trailing-12-month net income, Bloom stock trades at around 280 times trailing earnings. That's expensive by any measure, and it assumes years of strong execution.

For most long-term investors, Bloom is still a buy, but only for those willing to accept some volatility along the way. Bloom stock looks poised for growth, but keep in mind the immense expectations already built into today's price and the downside that could follow if Bloom slips on its promises.

Kripto para piyasasında yükseliş yaşanırken Zcash (ZEC) için de dikkat çeken bir gelişme gündeme geldi. Grayscale Investments, Zcash Trust için ABD Menkul Kıymetler ve Borsa Komisyonu’na (SEC) dördüncü kez güncellenmiş S-3/A kayıt beyanını sundu. Şirket, ürünün gerekli onayların alınmasının ardından NYSE Arca’da ZCSH koduyla işlem görmesini hedefliyor. Bu gelişme, ZEC’e yönelik kurumsal yatırımcı erişiminin genişlemesi açısından önemli bir adım olarak değerlendiriliyor.

Grayscale Zcash Trust İçin Yeni Adım Grayscale’in başvurusu, yatırımcıların ZEC fiyat hareketlerine borsa üzerinden erişebilmesini amaçlıyor. Trust’ın temel varlığı doğrudan Zcash ağının yerel tokenı ZEC olacak. Böylece yatırımcıların ZEC’i doğrudan satın alıp saklamasına gerek kalmadan kripto varlığın fiyat performansına maruz kalması hedefleniyor. Başvurunun yürürlüğe girmesi ve gerekli listeleme sürecinin tamamlanması halinde Trust’ın NYSE Arca’da ZCSH sembolüyle işlem görmesi planlanıyor.

İlginizi Çekebilir: Ethereum 2.000 Doların Üzerine Çıktı! Yükseliş Devam Edecek mi?

Grayscale’in sunduğu belgelerde ürünün operasyonel yapısına ilişkin ayrıntılar da yer aldı. Coinbase, Trust için prime broker olarak görev yaparken Coinbase Custody Trust Company ZEC varlıklarının saklama hizmetini üstlenecek. Bank of New York Mellon ise transfer acentesi ve yönetici olarak süreçte yer alacak. Bu yapı, Grayscale’in Zcash odaklı yatırım ürününü kurumsal yatırımcılara daha erişilebilir hale getirme hedefini ortaya koyuyor.

DCG İştirakinden 200 Bin ZEC Hamlesi Başvurudaki en dikkat çekici detaylardan biri ise Digital Currency Group ile bağlantılı bir iştirakle ilgili oldu. Söz konusu iştirak, Trust aracılığıyla yaklaşık 200 bin ZEC satın alınmasına yönelik görüşmeler yürütüyor. Ancak belgelerde bu düzenlemenin henüz bağlayıcı olmadığı özellikle belirtiliyor. Bu nedenle potansiyel yatırımın gerçekleşip gerçekleşmeyeceği ve piyasaya nasıl yansıyacağı yakından takip edilecek.

Grayscale’in Zcash yatırım ürününü NYSE Arca’da listeleme planı, ZEC açısından kurumsal erişimin genişlemesi anlamına gelebilir. Ürünün onaylanması ve işlem görmeye başlaması halinde yatırımcıların ZEC’e geleneksel borsa kanalı üzerinden erişmesi kolaylaşabilir. Bu gelişme, özellikle kurumsal yatırımcı talebinin artması halinde ZEC fiyatı açısından yeni bir katalizör oluşturabilir. Ancak SEC sürecinin tamamlanması ve ürünün gerçekten listelemeye başlaması kritik önem taşıyor.

Değerlendirme Grayscale’in Zcash Trust için S-3/A başvurusunu güncellemesi, ZEC açısından dikkat çekici bir gelişme olarak öne çıkıyor. ZCSH koduyla NYSE Arca’da listelenmesi planlanan ürün, Zcash’e yönelik kurumsal erişimi artırma potansiyeline sahip. Bunun yanında yaklaşık 200 bin ZEC’lik potansiyel yatırım görüşmesi de dikkat çekiyor. Ancak sürecin henüz tamamlanmadığı ve yatırım anlaşmasının bağlayıcı olmadığı unutulmamalı.

Son dakika kripto para haberleri için hemen tıkla.

Konu ile ilgili yorumlarınızı bize yazabilirsiniz. Ayrıca, bu tarz bilgilendirici içeriklerin devamının gelmesini isterseniz, bizleri Telegram, Youtube ve Twitter kanallarımızdan takip edebilirsiniz.

The Algorand protocol engineering team has been cooking up a feast lately, and the Algorand 5.0 upgrade brings a wide variety of new capabilities and raises many of the protocol’s long-standing limits. In this four-part series, we’ll explore some of the most important ones through an extended metaphor using the core components of cooking: salt, fat, acid, and heat. Rather than cooking tasty food, though, we’re enhancing the flavor of the applications that can be built on Algorand.

Part 1 of the series (Salt) is below; stay tuned for parts 2-4 in the coming days. Part 1: Salt - Cryptographic capabilities Post-Quantum Signatures The single biggest addition to Algorand in this 5.0 upgrade is a framework enabling native post-quantum (PQ) signature schemes for transactions, beginning with the addition of Falcon-1024.

While it has been possible since late 2025 to create LogicSig smart contract accounts that will only authorize transactions after verifying a Falcon signature, the way this was achieved required combining multiple transactions together, which impeded DeFi composability with protocols that require using several transaction slots in the atomic group for their own calls. Smart contract accounts are also not the typical approach preferred by most Algorand wallets.

A better approach is to add first-class support for transactions to carry post-quantum signatures, and that’s what we’ve added now:

pqsig: { sch: [2]byte, slt: uint8, pk: []byte, sig: []byte }

The new pqsig framework is a transaction signature envelope that allows arbitrary schemes to be added to the protocol in the future. Here we can indicate the scheme being used, and the first one we support is Falcon-1024, a lattice-based scheme that is suitable for long-lived accounts. In the future, support for additional schemes will be explored. Falcon-512 is already on Algorand’s roadmap as a variant of Falcon with smaller public key and signature sizes that can be suitable in situations where lightness is useful, and security requirements are somewhat less demanding.

Salt to taste Note that this signature object includes slt, an important salt value that is used to ensure that the Algorand address derived from a PQ public key does not correspond to a valid point on Curve Ed25519. If a PQ account address does not lie on the curve, then there is simply no corresponding Ed25519 private key that could ever be found by an attacker with a quantum computer. As a result, PQ accounts can only ever spend by signing with their PQ key.

Generally speaking, the Algorand technical community will consider the canonical salt to be the lowest value that results in an address that is off of Curve Ed25519. This will be the default approach used in our SDKs when handling accounts, in the algod REST API when submitting transactions, and in other tooling.

That said, the protocol itself will not enforce this canonical salting approach, and signatures will verify successfully even if a different salt has been used by a wallet to generate an account.

Astute readers will notice that the salt is only one byte, which provides 256 tries with roughly 50-50 odds each to find a point that isn’t on the Edwards curve. The probability of using all of those tries and failing to find a good address is extremely small, and if that should occur, a new PQ keypair should be generated.

Crypto-agile signing interfaces Alongside this protocol upgrade, we have introduced upgrades in our SDKs around handling and signing for Algorand accounts. This includes support for PQ signature schemes, support for hierarchical-deterministic (HD) accounts, support for integrating with key management systems (KMS), and more secure secret handling.

Throughout the libraries, you will find flexible interfaces for signing transactions that can be wired up to any signer, with the default approach being that this signing occurs somewhere secure rather than handling raw key material directly in the library.

The goal is to make it easier for developers to build secure, production-ready applications and avoid building infrastructure or even helper scripts that involve the use of secrets in cleartext that can fall victim to malware attacks against servers and developer machines.

These new interfaces also open the door to supporting more signature schemes in the future without requiring developers to update their SDK code to leverage new and different approaches to signing transactions.

Stay tuned for Part 2 in this series: “Fat: Fatter apps and transactions,” coming later this week. What do you want to build on Algorand 5.0? Join our Discord server to meet other developers building PQ solutions, fat apps, box families, and more.

Disclaimer: The content provided in this blog is for informational and educational purposes only. The information is provided by the Algorand Foundation and while we strive to keep it accurate and current, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability, or availability of the blog or the information contained in it for any purpose. Nothing in this blog is legal, financial, tax, or investment advice, nor an endorsement, guarantee, or investment recommendation. Technical descriptions are provided as of the date of publication and may change. Any statements about future plans, features, integrations, protocol or consensus upgrades, fees, or timelines are forward-looking and subject to change, including subject to community adoption, and are not commitments. You should conduct your own research and consult a qualified professional before acting on any information here; any reliance you place on it is strictly at your own risk. All third-party names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners, and their mention does not imply affiliation or endorsement.

Analog Devices Inc. (NASDAQ:ADI) on Wednesday reported upbeat third-quarter results and issued strong fourth-quarter guidance.

Analog Devices reported adjusted earnings of $3.45 per share, beating the analyst estimate of $3.33. Revenue rose 40% year over year to $4.02 billion, beating the $3.92 billion consensus estimate.

Analog Devices forecast fourth-quarter adjusted earnings of $3.71 to $4.01 per share, beating the analyst consensus estimate of $3.54 at the midpoint. The company projected revenue of $4.20 billion to $4.40 billion, beating the $4.07 billion consensus estimate at the midpoint.

“ADI delivered a strong third quarter, exceeding the midpoint of our revenue, margin, and earnings outlook as we capitalized on broad-based demand,” said Vincent Roche, CEO and Chair.  “We continue to extend our leadership through a powerful combination of innovation, deep customer collaboration, and manufacturing agility.  Our investments in these foundational areas, combined with the trust we have built over decades, provide a unique advantage to create, deliver, and capture value in the AI era – for customers and investors alike.”

Analog Devices shares gained 1.1% to trade at $377.17 on Thursday.

These analysts made changes to their price targets on Analog Devices following earnings announcement.

Needham analyst N. Quinn Bolton maintained the stock with a Buy and raised the price target from $440 to $450. Wells Fargo analyst Joe Quatrochi maintained the stock with an Overweight rating and lowered the price target from $515 to $500. Bernstein analyst Stacy Rasgon upgraded the stock from Market Perform to Outperform and raised the price target from $430 to $465. Latest Private Market Opportunities

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It has been about a month since the last earnings report for Weatherford (WFRD - Free Report) . Shares have added about 5.9% in that time frame, outperforming the S&P 500.

But investors have to be wondering, will the recent positive trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Weatherford due for a pullback? Well, first let's take a quick look at the latest earnings report in order to get a better handle on the recent drivers for Weatherford International PLC before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late.

WFRD Q2 Earnings Miss EstimatesWeatherford reported second-quarter 2026 earnings of 55 cents per share, down 70.6% from $1.87 a year ago. The bottom line missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 92 cents by 40.2%.

Quarterly revenues of $1.11 billion beat the consensus estimate of $1.06 billion by 3.8% but declined 8.2% year over year.

Weak quarterly earnings can be attributed to disruptions in the Middle East and lower activity across several markets.

WFRD’s Regional Results Reflect Broad PressureNorth America revenues fell 15% year over year to $205 million. Lower Artificial Lift and Cementation Products activity affected the segment, partially offset by stronger Completions activity in the U.S. offshore market.

International revenues declined to $900 million from $963 million in the year-ago quarter. Latin America revenues edged up 1% year over year to $197 million, backed by stronger Completions activity in the Caribbean and managed pressure drilling in Mexico.

Middle East/North Africa/Asia revenues dropped 15% from the year-ago period to $446 million in the second quarter due to escalating geopolitical tensions that disrupted activity. Europe/Sub-Sahara Africa/Russia revenues rose to $257 million, up 5% from the corresponding period in 2025, driven by stronger Pressure Pumping and managed pressure drilling activity, partially offset by reduced Drilling Services activity in Europe.

Weatherford’s Segment ResultsDrilling and Evaluation revenues decreased 13% year over year to $291 million. Segment adjusted EBITDA fell 16% to $58 million, primarily due to lower Wireline and drilling-related services activity, partly offset by stronger managed pressure drilling performance in Europe/Sub-Sahara Africa/Russia.

Well Construction and Completions revenues declined 5% from the prior-year quarter to $433 million, while segment adjusted EBITDA fell 9% to $107 million. Revenues in the segment were pressured by lower activity in the Middle East/North Africa/Asia, while higher Completions activity in Latin America partially offset the impact.

Production and Intervention revenues slipped to $316 million, down 3% from the prior-year period due to reduced Artificial Lift activity in North America and Latin America. However, segment adjusted EBITDA increased to $70 million from $63 million in the second quarter of 2025, supported by stronger fall-through in Intervention Services and Drilling Tools in North America and Europe/Sub-Sahara Africa/Russia.

WFRD’s Profitability Faces Operational HeadwindsOperating income totaled $107 million, down approximately 55% from $237 million in the prior-year quarter. Net income attributable to Weatherford declined to $39 million from $136 million a year ago, while the net income margin was 3.5% in the reported quarter.

Adjusted EBITDA totaled $223 million, down 12% year over year. The company absorbed the impact of lower activity, pricing pressure and elevated freight and logistics costs related to the Middle East conflict.

Moreover, reduced activity in Indonesia and a union strike in Norway further pressured performance in the second quarter. Cost discipline helped keep the adjusted EBITDA margin nearly flat sequentially despite the weaker revenue base.

Weatherford Strengthens Cash Flow and LiquidityCash provided by operating activities was $175 million, up 37% year over year. Adjusted free cash flow increased 76% to $139 million, supported by working capital improvement, continued customer collections and lower capital spending. Capital expenditures were $42 million in the second quarter.

Weatherford returned $36 million to shareholders through $20 million in dividends and $16 million in share repurchases. The company ended the quarter with approximately $1.14 billion of cash and restricted cash, total liquidity of $1.7 billion and a net leverage ratio of 0.34X. Weatherford’s long-term debt at the end of the quarter stood at $1.45 billion.

WFRD Advances Key Strategic InitiativesWeatherford agreed to acquire NCS Multistage in a stock-and-cash transaction that expands its completions portfolio and exposure to unconventional resources. Management expects the deal to generate at least $15 million of annual cost synergies within 18 months of closing.

The company also introduced an updated proposal to redomesticate from Ireland to Delaware. Subject to shareholder and Irish High Court approvals, the move is expected to generate annual cash savings of $20-$30 million beginning in 2027.

Weatherford Updates Guidance Amid Gradual RecoveryFor the third quarter of 2026, management expects revenues of $1.11-$1.16 billion and adjusted EBITDA of $235-$265 million. Adjusted free cash flow is projected to exceed $100 million. The outlook assumes a progressive recovery in the Middle East, partly offset by activity declines in certain markets and the expiration of a Saudi contract.

For 2026, Weatherford now expects revenues of $4.54-$4.80 billion and adjusted EBITDA of $951 million to $1.05 billion. Adjusted free cash flow conversion is projected in the mid-to-high 40% range. Management expects the Middle East recovery to remain gradual and dependent on regional stability.

How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?It turns out, estimates review have trended downward during the past month.

The consensus estimate has shifted -11.55% due to these changes.

VGM ScoresCurrently, Weatherford has a nice Growth Score of B, though it is lagging a lot on the Momentum Score front with an F. However, the stock was allocated a grade of B on the value side, putting it in the top 40% for this investment strategy.

Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of C. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.

OutlookEstimates have been broadly trending downward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions indicates a downward shift. It's no surprise Weatherford has a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell). We expect a below average return from the stock in the next few months.

Extension Continues Boot Hill's Sports Wagering Management Through 2030

, /PRNewswire/ -- Butler National Corporation (OTCQX: BUKS) announces that the Boot Hill Casino & Resort, managed by Butler National subsidiary BHCMC, LLC ("Boot Hill Casino"), executed two agreements extending existing sports wagering contract relationships through 2030.

Butler National received a three-year extension of its Lottery Sports Wagering Management Contract with the Kansas Lottery, which provides for Boot Hill Casino's management of sports wagering operations conducted through the Boot Hill Casino & Resort. In 2022, the State of Kansas authorized Kansas Lottery-owned and operated sports wagering, which is managed by the state's lottery gaming facility managers. The initial sports wager management contract was a five-year agreement. The newly executed extension maintains the same material terms of the original agreement and extends Boot Hill's management of sports wagering through 2030.

In connection with the Kansas Lottery contract extension, Boot Hill Casino and DraftKings have agreed to amend and extend for ten years their sports wagering arrangement, which facilitates online and mobile sports wagering. The extension includes updated commercial terms that reflect current market conditions. The DraftKings agreement is subject to continuing Boot Hill Casino management authority under the agreement with the Kansas Lottery.

Ryan Deutsch, General Manager of Boot Hill Casino & Resort, commented: "We appreciate the Kansas Lottery's continued confidence in Boot Hill Casino & Resort. We are also very pleased to extend our successful relationship with DraftKings. Sports wagering has become an important component of our entertainment offering and continues to attract visitors from across Kansas and neighboring states. This extension provides long-term stability for our sports wagering platform and allows us to continue investing in the guest experience and sportsbook operations."

Deutsch added: "Boot Hill remains focused on driving tourism, entertainment, and economic activity in Southwest Kansas while generating meaningful revenue for the State of Kansas. We are proud of the role our property plays in supporting both objectives."

About Boot Hill Casino & Resort

Boot Hill Casino & Resort, managed by BHCMC, LLC and Butler National Service Corporation, wholly-owned subsidiaries of Butler National Corporation (OTCQX: BUKS), features over 500 electronic gaming machines, 15 table games, a 150-seat casual dining restaurant known as Firesides at Boot Hill, and an attractive DraftKings Sportsbook.

The lottery facility games at Boot Hill Casino & Resort are owned and operated by the Kansas Lottery. The Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission provides regulatory oversight for the casino.

About Butler National Corporation

Butler National Corporation operates in the Aerospace and Professional Services business segments. The Professional Services business segment includes the operations at the Boot Hill Casino & Resort. The Aerospace Products segment includes the design, manufacture, sale and service of structural modifications, design, integration and installation of electronic equipment, systems and technologies that enhance aircraft operations, and the design, manufacture and sale of defense related articles. Additionally, we operate FAA Repair Stations. Companies in Aerospace Products concentrate on products and services for Learjet, Textron Beechcraft, King Air, and Textron Cessna turboprop aircraft. Butler National-Tempe designs and manufactures robust electronic controls and cabling.

Forward-Looking Information

Statements made in this press release, reports, and proxy statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, communications to stockholders and oral statements made by representatives of the Company that are not historical in nature, or that state the Company or management intentions, hopes, beliefs, expectations or predictions of the future, may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"). Forward-looking statements can often be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, such as "could," "should," "will," "intended," "continue," "believe," "may," "expect," "anticipate," "goal," "forecast," "plan," "guidance" or "estimate" or the negative of these words, variations thereof or similar expressions. However, the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or results. They involve risks, uncertainties, and assumptions. It is important to note that any such performance and actual results, financial condition or business, could differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences, many of which are outside of our control, include, but are not limited to: (i) customer concentration risk; (ii) dependence on government spending; (iii) government shutdown; (iv) industry specific business cycles; (v) regulatory hurdles in the launch of new products; (vi) loss of key personnel, including executive officers; (vii) the geographic location of our casino; (viii) fixed-price contracts; (ix) international sales; (x) changing U.S. trade policy and impacts of tariffs; (xi) need to acquire hangar space for substantial growth; (xii) future acquisitions; (xiii) supply chain and labor issues; (xiv) customer demand; (xv) insurance costs and insufficient insurance for aircraft modifications; (xvi) cyber security threats; (xvii) fraud, theft and cheating at our casino; (xviii) dependence on third-party platforms to offer sports wagering; (xix) outside factors influence the profitability of sports wagering and legacy gaming; (xx) change of control restrictions; (xxi) significant and expensive governmental regulation across our industries; (xxii) U.S. Government action with respect to contracts; (xxiii) failure by the Company or its stockholders to maintain applicable gaming licenses; (xxiv) evolving political and legislative initiatives in gaming; (xxv) extensive and increasing taxation of gaming revenues; (xxvi) changes in regulations of financial reporting; (xxvii) the availability of financing; (xxviii) potential impairment losses; (xxix) marketability restrictions of our common stock; (xxx) the possibility of a reverse-stock split; (xxxi) market competition by larger competitors; (xxxii) acts of terrorism and war; (xxxiii) climate change, inclement weather and natural disasters; (xxxiv) rising inflation; (xxxv) failure of risk management; (xxxvi) effectiveness of internal controls; and (xxxvii) other factors discussed in Item 1A of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and other filings the Company makes with the SEC from time to time. We undertake no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes in future operating results, financial condition or business over time, except as expressly required by federal securities laws.

For more information, contact:

Butler National Corporation Investor Relations
(913) 780-9595

SOURCE Boot Hill Casino & Resort

Key Takeaways Hasbro's MAGIC revenues jumped 32% in Q2, fueled by strong demand and expanding distribution.Marvel became MAGIC's fastest set to reach $300 million, while Hobbit offers another growth catalyst.Hasbro raised its Wizards outlook, expecting low-double-digit revenue growth for the full year. Hasbro, Inc. (HAS - Free Report) is seeing strong momentum in its Wizards business, led by MAGIC: THE GATHERING. The franchise delivered a 32% revenue increase in the second quarter and more than 34% growth in the first half, helping Wizards revenues jump 27% to $664 million.

The momentum could extend beyond the current quarter, although comparisons will become tougher. The Marvel Super Heroes set achieved record day-one and first-month revenues and became the fastest MAGIC set to reach $300 million. Strong sell-through and reorders suggest demand is not merely the result of loading inventory into distribution channels.

The upcoming Hobbit release offers another catalyst, but investors should temper expectations. Management said it will be a significant release, though smaller than Marvel in terms of SKUs and card count. Therefore, its contribution is unlikely to match the scale of the Marvel launch.

Still, Hasbro sees several structural growth drivers. New-player additions, re-engagement of lapsed players and double-digit distribution growth are strengthening the MAGIC flywheel. The company also expects three first-party and three Universes Beyond sets in 2027, supporting a healthy release pipeline.

Hasbro has raised its full-year outlook, now expecting Wizards revenues to grow in the low-double-digit range. With MAGIC’s player base and distribution expanding, Marvel and Hobbit could help sustain momentum, although the magnitude will vary by release.

HAS Faces Competition From MAT and JAKKMattel (MAT - Free Report) remains a key competitor to Hasbro in toys, games and entertainment, with well-known franchises such as Barbie, Hot Wheels and UNO. Its ability to monetize popular brands across toys, games, licensing and entertainment creates competition for consumer attention and retail space. Mattel’s established gaming portfolio also overlaps with Hasbro’s efforts to expand MAGIC beyond traditional hobby channels.

JAKKS Pacific (JAKK - Free Report) is another publicly traded rival with exposure to licensed entertainment properties and toy categories. Its strategy of developing products around recognizable characters and franchises places JAKKS Pacific in competition with Hasbro for consumer spending, particularly as entertainment-driven toys continue to gain traction.

Hasbro, however, has a differentiated growth engine in MAGIC. Management highlighted rising new-player additions, returning lapsed players and double-digit distribution growth as key drivers of the franchise’s durability.

HAS’ Stock Price Performance & Valuation TrendShares of this games and toys manufacturer have gained 17.5% in the past year, outperforming the Zacks Toys - Games - Hobbies industry and the broader Consumer Discretionary sector, but underperforming the S&P 500 Index.

Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

HAS stock is currently trading at a premium to its industry peers, with a forward 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 14.55, as shown in the chart below.

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

Earnings Estimate Revision of HASHAS’ earnings estimates for 2026 and 2027 have trended upward in the past 30 days to $6.15 and $6.56 per share, respectively. The revised estimates for 2026 and 2027 imply year-over-year growth of 11% and 6.7%, respectively.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

HAS currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

56,000 Tokens in Two Weeks@TradePools, @Uniswap's dedicated launchpad on the @RobinhoodCrypto chain, has recorded 56,294 token launches in just 14 days, underscoring the rapid pace of activity on one of crypto's newest Layer 2 networks. The milestone highlights how quickly the ecosystem has gained traction since @Uniswap Labs launched Pools.trade on August 5, 2026, giving retail users a single interface to create, discover, and trade tokens.

According to Crypto Briefing, @TradePools features permanently locked liquidity, auto-compounding liquidity provider fees, and built-in sniping protection. The launchpad applies a standard 0.25% Uniswap v4 LP fee that automatically compounds into locked liquidity, while token creators may opt to earn 0.05% of that fee. The platform is fully permissionless: no vetting, no KYC, and no approval required from Robinhood.

The speed of adoption was striking. Within 24 hours of going live, @TradePools had already overtaken incumbent launchpad Pons on daily token launches, reshaping the competitive landscape on the chain.

Robinhood Chain's Broader MomentumThe launchpad's rise comes against a backdrop of strong early numbers for Robinhood Chain itself. Robinhood launched the public mainnet for its Arbitrum-based Layer 2 on July 1, 2026, bringing tokenized stock trading live in more than 120 countries and positioning the network as a bridge between traditional brokerage finance and on-chain DeFi.

@Uniswap has been central to that infrastructure from the start, serving as the chain's primary automated market maker with v2, v3, v4, and UniswapX all live from day one. Every completed token launch on @TradePools ends in a Uniswap v4 liquidity pool, with each token beginning with a fixed supply of one billion units. Tokens created through the platform become immediately discoverable across the Uniswap web app, wallet, and third-party aggregators.

The broader numbers reinforce the chain's momentum. More than 340,000 tokens were launched on Uniswap via Robinhood Chain launchpads in July 2026 alone, generating $3.6 billion in trading volume during that period. For @Uniswap, @TradePools represents a strategic expansion beyond its core exchange function, positioning it as the dominant launchpad infrastructure on a chain with a fast-growing retail user base.

Sources:
Crypto Briefing: Uniswap launches Pools token launchpad for Robinhood Chain
CoinDesk: Robinhood rolls out public blockchain as it expands deeper into crypto
The Cryptonomist: Uniswap Token Launches Feature Boosts Discovery and Trading

Key Takeaways Edwards Lifesciences' TMTT sales rose 44.8%, while TAVR sales increased 10.5% at constant currency. EW's TAVR growth is supported by SAPIEN investments, clinical evidence and broader treatment opportunities. Edwards Lifesciences expects FX to cut second-half sales by about $35 million if current rates persist. Edwards Lifesciences’ (EW - Free Report) Transcatheter Mitral and Tricuspid Therapies (“TMTT”) business has seen consistent growth over the past few quarters, which is highly encouraging. The company’s TAVR platform represents another significant growth opportunity, supported by patient activation and advanced new technologies. However, ongoing currency swings and intense competition could weigh on Edwards’ financial results.

Over the past year, this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock has gained 16.9% against the 6.5% decline of the industry. The S&P 500 composite rose 22.3% at the same time.

The renowned global medical device company has a market capitalization of $49.51 billion. EW’s earnings yield of 3.3% favorably compares with the industry’s negative 1.6% yield. In the trailing four quarters, Edwards delivered an average earnings surprise of 4.5%.

Let’s delve deeper.

Upsides for EW StockTAVR Holds Potential: Edwards’ TAVR franchise continues to benefit from the clinical and technology investments built around the SAPIEN platform. Second-quarter 2026 TAVR sales were about $1.3 billion and increased 10.5% on a constant-currency basis. The evidence base continues to support broader and earlier treatment. A seven-year PARTNER 3 subanalysis reinforced SAPIEN valve performance and durability, while a five-year EARLY TAVR analysis added evidence supporting intervention earlier in the aortic-stenosis disease pathway. 

Updated European guidelines are also shaping clinical discussion around proactive treatment, and Japan approved the asymptomatic indication in second-quarter 2026. The next catalyst is the PROGRESS trial, which will evaluate whether certain moderate aortic-stenosis patients may benefit from earlier TAVR treatment.

TMTT Portfolio Holds Potential: Edwards’ TMTT portfolio remains a major source of growth as it scales repair and replacement therapies across mitral and tricuspid disease. Second-quarter 2026 TMTT sales were $195.9 million, up 44.8% on a constant-currency basis, with global mitral and tricuspid procedure growth remaining in the double digits. PASCAL, EVOQUE and SAPIEN M3 all contributed ahead of management’s expectations. 

During second-quarter 2026, Edwards received CE Mark for SAPIEN M3 RESILIA and broadened the European indication for SAPIEN M3 and SAPIEN M3 RESILIA to patients with mitral annular calcification. ENCIRCLE registry data also showed low 30-day mortality, near elimination of regurgitation and quality-of-life improvement in this population.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

What Ails EW Stock?Foreign Exchange Remains a Margin Risk: Currency movements remain an important earnings variable because Edwards generates substantial sales and expenses outside the United States. Foreign exchange increased second-quarter 2026 reported sales by about $15 million, but reduced adjusted gross margin by roughly 70 basis points compared with the prior year. Management expects foreign exchange to reduce second-half sales by about $35 million if rates remain at current levels and now sees 2026 gross margin near the lower end of its 78% to 79% range. 

Competitive Landscape Remains Intense: Structural heart remains a highly competitive medical-technology market, requiring continued investment in evidence, product development and physician adoption. Edwards reported modest year-over-year competitive-position gains in U.S. and European TAVR during second-quarter 2026, but part of growth still reflected a competitor’s 2025 market exit, with management indicating the European benefit was likely ending after the quarter. The company, therefore, must sustain SAPIEN differentiation as that comparison rolls off. Edwards is investing in next-generation SAPIEN and PASCAL technologies, yet failure to maintain technological or evidence advantages could weaken share and raise commercial spending over time. 

EW Stock Estimate TrendThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for Edwards’ 2026 earnings per share (EPS) has remained constant at $3.00 in the past 30 days.

The consensus estimate for its 2026 revenues is pegged at $6.76 billion, indicating an 11.4% improvement from the year-ago reported number.

Key PicksSome better-ranked stocks in the broader medical space are Globus Medical (GMED - Free Report) , Veracyte (VCYT - Free Report) and Teleflex (TFX - Free Report) .

Globus Medical has an earnings yield of 5.8% in contrast to the industry’s negative 1.7% yield. Its earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 27.9%. GMED’s shares have rallied 42.3% against the industry’s 6.3% fall over the past year.

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

Veracyte, sporting a Zacks Rank #1, has an earnings yield of 4.6% compared to the industry’s negative 1.7% yield. Shares of the company have risen 38% against the industry’s 6.3% decline. VCYT’s earnings outpaced estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 41.8%. 

Teleflex, carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), has an estimated long-term earnings growth rate of 20.7% compared with the industry’s 12.8% rise. Its earnings beat estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed on one occasion, the average surprise being 3.2%. TFX’s shares have rallied 5% against the industry’s 6.2% decline over the past year.