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Launching today on Microsoft 365 Copilot Cowork, with availability expanding across compatible AI platforms

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Moody’s Corporation (NYSE: MCO) today announced the release of its first set of AI skills – purpose-built, platform-agnostic instruction kits that encode Moody’s analytical frameworks and connect AI agents to its decision-grade intelligence. Available across compatible AI platforms beginning with Microsoft 365 Copilot Cowork, Moody’s skills enable customers to execute complex analytical workflows through a single natural-language request, with outputs grounded in Moody’s proprietary ratings, research, and risk intelligence.

“Moody’s is among the first financial data providers to deliver a full library of skills on an open standard, and today’s launch is just the beginning,” said Cristina Pieretti, Head of Digital Content and Innovation at Moody’s. “AI platforms are becoming the interface for financial decision-making, and the next phase of adoption will be defined by execution. Skills are how we encode Moody’s expertise into that execution layer.”

Skills are emerging as the standard for how AI agents execute specialist work. By publishing its analytical frameworks as skills that run on the platforms where market participants already build and operate, Moody’s is embedding its decision-grade intelligence at the center of how financial analysis is executed across the industry.

Moody’s first wave of skills covers high-priority financial workflows where Moody’s expertise is most concentrated:

Earnings Call Summary – Summarizes earnings call transcripts, covering revenue trends, pricing dynamics, consumer health, tariff exposure, and more. Peer Analysis – Produces an investor-grade comparison across leverage, profitability, ESG, credit quality, and more. Public Information Book – Builds a comprehensive dossier on a single entity, spanning financials, governance, competitive landscape, and risk profile. Rating Pitch – Generates a structured pitch deck covering sector context, rating history, and peer positioning. Sector Analysis – Combines Moody’s proprietary research with live market intelligence to deliver a full sector-level outlook. Each skill encodes analytical steps and quality standards to produce outputs that are consistent, sourced, and defensible for high-stakes decision-making in regulated environments. A skill defines how the work is done; Moody's Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers connect it to the data it runs on. MCP is the open standard that lets an AI agent draw directly on Moody's ratings, research, and risk intelligence, so the outputs are grounded in proprietary data rather than general-purpose web content.

A skill teaches an AI agent how to perform a task to a defined standard, captured in a simple, shareable instruction file. Moody's skills are built on the open SKILL.md format, which originated with Anthropic and has since been adopted by platforms like OpenAI, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon. Because the standard is open, the institutional knowledge encoded in each skill is a durable, portable asset rather than a capability locked to one provider, built once and able to run on any compatible platform.

Moody's plans to expand its library of skills to include credit analysis, lead generation, third-party due diligence, and insurance underwriting – extending its analytical frameworks into more of the high-stakes workflows where financial professionals operate. Each new skill will follow the same open, platform-agnostic standard, ensuring the institutional knowledge remains a durable, portable asset across compatible AI platforms.

To learn more, visit https://www.moodys.com/web/en/us/creditview/blog/moodys-skills.html

About Moody’s Corporation

In a world shaped by increasingly interconnected risks, Moody's (NYSE: MCO) data, insights, and innovative technologies help customers develop a holistic view of their world and unlock opportunities. With a rich history of experience in global markets and a diverse workforce of approximately 16,000 across more than 40 countries, Moody's gives customers the comprehensive perspective needed to act with confidence and thrive. Learn more at moodys.com.

“Safe Harbor” statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995

Certain statements contained in this document are forward-looking statements and are based on future expectations, plans and prospects for Moody’s business and operations that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Such statements involve estimates, projections, goals, forecasts, assumptions and uncertainties that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those contemplated, expressed, projected, anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. Stockholders and investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements and other information in this document are made as of the date hereof, and Moody’s undertakes no obligation (nor does it intend) to publicly supplement, update or revise such statements on a going-forward basis, whether as a result of subsequent developments, changed expectations or otherwise, except as required by applicable law or regulation. Factors, risks and uncertainties as well as other risks and uncertainties that could cause Moody’s actual results to differ materially from those contemplated, expressed, projected, anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements are described in greater detail under “Risk Factors” in Part I, Item 1A of Moody’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, and in other filings made by the Company from time to time with the SEC or in materials incorporated herein or therein. Stockholders and investors are cautioned that the occurrence of any of these factors, risks and uncertainties may cause the Company’s actual results to differ materially from those contemplated, expressed, projected, anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements, which could have a material and adverse effect on the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition.

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FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) today announced that the European Commission (EC) has granted marketing authorization for Trodelvy® (sacituzumab govitecan-hziy) as monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) who have not received prior systemic therapy for metastatic disease and are not candidates for PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitor therapy. Trodelvy is the first antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) to be approved in first-line metastatic TNBC in the European Union’s 27 member states, as well as Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

“This approval brings a profound sense of hope to a community that has long been waiting for progress,” said Dr. Javier Cortes, Head of the International Breast Cancer Center, Madrid and Barcelona, Spain. “For women diagnosed with metastatic TNBC, particularly those who are younger, every second counts, and having an effective treatment option that can delay the progression of their disease is invaluable. This is the kind of meaningful advance our community needs.”

For many living with metastatic TNBC, the most aggressive form of breast cancer, first-line therapy may be their only line of treatment, creating an urgent need for effective treatment options to be used as early as possible.

“This approval represents a significant step forward in how we treat people with first-line metastatic TNBC in Europe,” said Mika Kakefuda Derynck, MD, Senior Vice President, Clinical Development, Oncology at Gilead Sciences. “We have long recognized the challenges that patients and clinicians face with this aggressive cancer, and we believe this approval will provide a much-needed new option for people with metastatic TNBC.”

The EC’s marketing authorization is based on data from the Phase 3 ASCENT-03 study which demonstrated a highly statistically significant and clinically meaningful progression-free survival for Trodelvy compared to standard of care chemotherapy as a first-line treatment. In ASCENT-03, Trodelvy demonstrated a 38% reduced risk of disease progression or death in patients who are not candidates for PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. The ASCENT-03 study utilized a patient-centered crossover design, which allowed patients in the chemotherapy arm to receive Trodelvy after their disease progressed. The EC’s approval, based on the strength of the PFS data, confirms the study's objective to demonstrate using Trodelvy earlier provides a clinical benefit over chemotherapy for metastatic TNBC patients.

Continued Global Regulatory Filings for Trodelvy in First-Line Metastatic TNBC

Gilead has submitted a supplemental filing to the European Medicines Agency for Trodelvy in combination with Keytruda® (pembrolizumab) for patients with PD-L1 positive unresectable locally advanced or metastatic TNBC, based on data from the Phase 3 ASCENT-04 study. This application is currently under review. If approved, Trodelvy has the potential to be a backbone treatment in 1L metastatic TNBC, across PD-L1 status in Europe. In the U.S., Gilead has also submitted supplemental filings to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Trodelvy for the first-line treatment of adult patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic TNBC as a single agent for patients who are not candidates for PD-(L)1 inhibitor-based therapy, or in combination with Keytruda or Keytruda Qlex in patients whose tumors express PD-L1 (CPS ≥10) as determined by an FDA-authorized test.

KEYTRUDA® and KEYTRUDA QLEX™ are trademarks of Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA

About Triple-Negative Breast Cancer In Patients Who Are Not Candidates for PD-1/PD-L1 Inhibitors

TNBC is the most aggressive type of breast cancer and has historically been difficult to treat, accounting for approximately 15% of all breast cancers. TNBC disproportionally impacts younger, premenopausal, and Black and Hispanic women. TNBC cells do not have estrogen and progesterone receptors and have limited HER2 expression. Due to the nature of TNBC, treatment options are extremely limited compared with other breast cancer types. TNBC has a higher chance of recurrence and metastases than other breast cancer types. The average time to metastatic recurrence for TNBC is approximately 2.6 years compared with 5 years for other breast cancers, and the relative five-year survival rate is much lower. Among women with metastatic TNBC, the five-year survival rate is 12%, compared with 28% for those with other types of mBC.

About Trodelvy

Trodelvy (sacituzumab govitecan-hziy) is a Trop-2-directed antibody-drug conjugate. Trop-2 is a cell surface antigen highly expressed in multiple tumor types, including in more than 90% of breast and lung cancers. Trodelvy is intentionally designed with a proprietary hydrolyzable linker attached to SN-38, a topoisomerase I inhibitor payload. This unique combination delivers potent activity to both Trop-2 expressing cells and the tumor microenvironment through a bystander effect.

Outside of Europe, Gilead has submitted supplemental applications to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approval of Trodelvy based on the ASCENT-03 and ASCENT-04 studies.

Healthcare professionals have substantial clinical experience with Trodelvy, with more than 75,000 breast cancer patients treated since 2020. In addition to its first-line indication approval, Trodelvy is currently approved in more than 60 countries for patients with second-line or later mTNBC and in over 50 countries for certain patients with pre-treated HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer. It is the only ADC with four positive Phase 3 trials in HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer and the only Trop-2-directed ADC to demonstrate a meaningful overall survival benefit in two distinct types of metastatic breast cancer.

Trodelvy is currently being evaluated in multiple ongoing Phase 3 trials across different tumor types, including in small cell lung cancer and gynecologic cancers, where previous proof-of-concept studies have demonstrated clinical activity.

U.S. Indications for Trodelvy

TRODELVY® (sacituzumab govitecan-hziy) is a Trop-2-directed antibody and topoisomerase inhibitor conjugate indicated for the treatment of adult patients with:

Unresectable locally advanced or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC) who have received two or more prior systemic therapies, at least one of them for metastatic disease. Unresectable locally advanced or metastatic hormone receptor (HR)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative (IHC 0, IHC 1+ or IHC 2+/ISH–) breast cancer who have received endocrine-based therapy and at least two additional systemic therapies in the metastatic setting. U.S. Important safety information FOR TRODELVY
BOXED WARNING: NEUTROPENIA AND DIARRHEA

TRODELVY can cause severe, life-threatening, or fatal neutropenia. Withhold TRODELVY for absolute neutrophil count below 1500/mm3 or neutropenic fever. Monitor blood cell counts periodically during treatment. Primary prophylaxis with G-CSF is recommended for all patients at increased risk of febrile neutropenia. Initiate anti-infective treatment in patients with febrile neutropenia without delay. TRODELVY can cause severe diarrhea. Monitor patients with diarrhea and give fluid and electrolytes as needed. At the onset of diarrhea, evaluate for infectious causes and, if negative, promptly initiate loperamide. If severe diarrhea occurs, withhold TRODELVY until resolved to ≤ Grade 1 and reduce subsequent doses. CONTRAINDICATIONS

Severe hypersensitivity reaction to TRODELVY. WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS

Neutropenia: Severe, life-threatening, or fatal neutropenia can occur as early as the first cycle of treatment and may require dose modification. Neutropenia occurred in 64% of patients treated with TRODELVY. Grade 3-4 neutropenia occurred in 49% of patients. Febrile neutropenia occurred in 6%. Neutropenic colitis occurred in 1.4%. Primary prophylaxis with G-CSF is recommended starting in the first cycle of treatment in all patients at increased risk of febrile neutropenia, including older patients, patients with previous neutropenia, poor performance status, organ dysfunction, or multiple comorbidities. Monitor absolute neutrophil count (ANC) during treatment. Withhold TRODELVY for ANC below 1500/mm3 on Day 1 of any cycle or below 1000/mm3 on Day 8 of any cycle. Withhold TRODELVY for neutropenic fever. Treat neutropenia with G-CSF and administer prophylaxis in subsequent cycles as clinically indicated or indicated in Table 2 of USPI.

Diarrhea: Diarrhea occurred in 64% of all patients treated with TRODELVY. Grade 3-4 diarrhea occurred in 11% of patients. One patient had intestinal perforation following diarrhea. Diarrhea that led to dehydration and subsequent acute kidney injury occurred in 0.7% of all patients. Withhold TRODELVY for Grade 3-4 diarrhea and resume when resolved to ≤ Grade 1. At onset, evaluate for infectious causes and if negative, promptly initiate loperamide, 4 mg initially followed by 2 mg with every episode of diarrhea for a maximum of 16 mg daily. Discontinue loperamide 12 hours after diarrhea resolves. Additional supportive measures (e.g., fluid and electrolyte substitution) may also be employed as clinically indicated. Patients who exhibit an excessive cholinergic response to treatment can receive appropriate premedication (e.g., atropine) for subsequent treatments.

Hypersensitivity and Infusion-Related Reactions: TRODELVY can cause serious hypersensitivity reactions including life-threatening anaphylactic reactions. Severe signs and symptoms included cardiac arrest, hypotension, wheezing, angioedema, swelling, pneumonitis, and skin reactions. Hypersensitivity reactions within 24 hours of dosing occurred in 35% of patients. Grade 3-4 hypersensitivity occurred in 2% of patients. The incidence of hypersensitivity reactions leading to permanent discontinuation of TRODELVY was 0.2%. The incidence of anaphylactic reactions was 0.2%. Pre-infusion medication is recommended. Have medications and emergency equipment to treat such reactions available for immediate use. Observe patients closely for hypersensitivity and infusion-related reactions during each infusion and for at least 30 minutes after completion of each infusion. Permanently discontinue TRODELVY for Grade 4 infusion-related reactions.

Nausea and Vomiting: TRODELVY is emetogenic and can cause severe nausea and vomiting. Nausea occurred in 64% of all patients treated with TRODELVY and Grade 3-4 nausea occurred in 3% of these patients. Vomiting occurred in 35% of patients and Grade 3-4 vomiting occurred in 2% of these patients. Premedicate with a two or three drug combination regimen (e.g., dexamethasone with either a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist or an NK1 receptor antagonist as well as other drugs as indicated) for prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV). Withhold TRODELVY doses for Grade 3 nausea or Grade 3-4 vomiting and resume with additional supportive measures when resolved to Grade ≤ 1. Additional antiemetics and other supportive measures may also be employed as clinically indicated. All patients should be given take-home medications with clear instructions for prevention and treatment of nausea and vomiting.

Increased Risk of Adverse Reactions in Patients with Reduced UGT1A1 Activity: Patients homozygous for the uridine diphosphate-glucuronosyl transferase 1A1 (UGT1A1)*28 allele are at increased risk for neutropenia, febrile neutropenia, and anemia and may be at increased risk for other adverse reactions with TRODELVY. The incidence of Grade 3-4 neutropenia was 58% in patients homozygous for the UGT1A1*28, 49% in patients heterozygous for the UGT1A1*28 allele, and 43% in patients homozygous for the wild-type allele. The incidence of Grade 3-4 anemia was 21% in patients homozygous for the UGT1A1*28 allele, 10% in patients heterozygous for the UGT1A1*28 allele, and 9% in patients homozygous for the wild-type allele. Closely monitor patients with known reduced UGT1A1 activity for adverse reactions. Withhold or permanently discontinue TRODELVY based on clinical assessment of the onset, duration and severity of the observed adverse reactions in patients with evidence of acute early-onset or unusually severe adverse reactions, which may indicate reduced UGT1A1 function.

Embryo-Fetal Toxicity: Based on its mechanism of action, TRODELVY can cause teratogenicity and/or embryo-fetal lethality when administered to a pregnant woman. TRODELVY contains a genotoxic component, SN-38, and targets rapidly dividing cells. Advise pregnant women and females of reproductive potential of the potential risk to a fetus. Advise females of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment with TRODELVY and for 6 months after the last dose. Advise male patients with female partners of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment with TRODELVY and for 3 months after the last dose.

ADVERSE REACTIONS

In the pooled safety population, the most common (≥ 25%) adverse reactions including laboratory abnormalities were decreased leukocyte count (84%), decreased neutrophil count (75%), decreased hemoglobin (69%), diarrhea (64%), nausea (64%), decreased lymphocyte count (63%), fatigue (51%), alopecia (45%), constipation (37%), increased glucose (37%), decreased albumin (35%), vomiting (35%), decreased appetite (30%), decreased creatinine clearance (28%), increased alkaline phosphatase (28%), decreased magnesium (27%), decreased potassium (26%), and decreased sodium (26%).

In the ASCENT study (locally advanced or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer), the most common adverse reactions (incidence ≥25%) were fatigue, diarrhea, nausea, alopecia, constipation, vomiting, abdominal pain, and decreased appetite. The most frequent serious adverse reactions (SAR) (>1%) were neutropenia (7%), diarrhea (4%), and pneumonia (3%). SAR were reported in 27% of patients, and 5% discontinued therapy due to adverse reactions. The most common Grade 3-4 lab abnormalities (incidence ≥25%) in the ASCENT study were reduced neutrophils, leukocytes, and lymphocytes.

In the TROPiCS-02 study (locally advanced or metastatic HR-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer), the most common adverse reactions (incidence ≥25%) were diarrhea, fatigue, nausea, alopecia, and constipation. The most frequent serious adverse reactions (SAR) (>1%) were diarrhea (5%), febrile neutropenia (4%), neutropenia (3%), abdominal pain, colitis, neutropenic colitis, pneumonia, and vomiting (each 2%). SAR were reported in 28% of patients, and 6% discontinued therapy due to adverse reactions. The most common Grade 3-4 lab abnormalities (incidence ≥25%) in the TROPiCS-02 study were reduced neutrophils and leukocytes.

DRUG INTERACTIONS

UGT1A1 Inhibitors: Concomitant administration of TRODELVY with inhibitors of UGT1A1 may increase the incidence of adverse reactions due to potential increase in systemic exposure to SN-38. Avoid administering UGT1A1 inhibitors with TRODELVY.

UGT1A1 Inducers: Exposure to SN-38 may be reduced in patients concomitantly receiving UGT1A1 enzyme inducers. Avoid administering UGT1A1 inducers with TRODELVY.

Please see full Prescribing Information, including BOXED WARNING.

About Gilead and Kite Oncology

Gilead and Kite Oncology are working to transform how cancer is treated. We are innovating with next-generation therapies, combinations and technologies to deliver improved outcomes for people with cancer. We are purposefully building our oncology portfolio and pipeline to address the greatest gaps in care. From antibody-drug conjugate technologies and small molecules to cell therapy-based approaches, we are creating new possibilities for people with cancer.

About Gilead Sciences

Gilead Sciences, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company that has pursued and achieved breakthroughs in medicine for more than three decades, with the goal of creating a healthier world for all people. The company is committed to advancing innovative medicines to prevent and treat life-threatening diseases, including HIV, viral hepatitis, COVID-19, cancer and inflammation. In 2025, Gilead announced a planned $32 billion investment to further strengthen its U.S. footprint to power the next era of discovery, job creation and public health preparedness – while continuing to invest globally to ensure patients everywhere benefit from its scientific innovation. Gilead operates in more than 35 countries worldwide, with headquarters in Foster City, Calif.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, including Gilead’s ability to initiate, progress or complete clinical trials or studies within currently anticipated timelines or at all, and the possibility of unfavorable results from ongoing and additional clinical trials or studies, including those involving Trodelvy; uncertainties relating to regulatory applications and related filing and approval timelines, including such as the pending applications for Trodelvy in 1L mTNBC and potential applications for programs and/or indications currently under evaluation, and the risk that any regulatory approvals, if granted, may be subject to significant limitations on use or subject to withdrawal or other adverse actions by the applicable regulatory authority; the possibility that Gilead may make a strategic decision to discontinue development of these programs and, as a result, these programs may never be successfully commercialized for the indications currently under evaluation; and any assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. These and other risks, uncertainties and factors are described in detail in Gilead’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. These risks, uncertainties and other factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those referred to in the forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements. The reader is cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties and is cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to Gilead, and Gilead assumes no obligation and disclaims any intent to update any such forward-looking statements.

Trodelvy, Gilead and the Gilead logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies.

U.S. Prescribing Information for Trodelvy, including BOXED WARNING, is available at www.gilead.com.

For more information about Gilead, please visit the company’s website at www.gilead.com, follow Gilead on X/Twitter (@Gilead Sciences) and LinkedIn (@Gilead-Sciences).

More News From Gilead Sciences, Inc.

Shares of SSR Mining (SSRM 4.75%) are building on a massive pop that started last week. The gold stock jumped 5.4% higher as of 1:45 p.m. ET Wednesday, and is up 36% in just one week, as of this writing.

The miner is about to get a windfall from an asset sale, and it has announced something that should make its shareholders happy. Gold, meanwhile, is trending higher.

Image source: Getty Images.

Why are investors buying SSR Mining stock? SSR Mining has made the most of the surge in gold prices. It recently delivered a blowout first quarter, ending it with $600 million in cash, low debt, and $211 million in free cash flow.

After already burning through $300 million to buy back its own stock, the company just announced it's dropping another $500 million on stock buybacks.

That's not all: The gold miner is also reinstating its dividend.

I fully expected SSR Mining to resume share buybacks and dividends. It suspended dividends after a fatal accident at its Copler mine in Turkey in 2024, but now has a firm deal to sell that unproductive mine for $1.5 billion before the end of the third quarter. A good portion of that money is going to go back to shareholders.

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SSR Mining stock could fall if this happens, but should you worry? Although $0.03 per share every quarter is a modest payout, the symbolism is huge. A dividend reinstatement and accelerated share buybacks reveal how confident management is about the company's prospects.

And why not? SSR Mining has rarely looked this strong financially. Dumping Copler removes a major overhang, leaving it a much leaner company.

Meanwhile, macro tailwinds are doing their part. Gold has picked up momentum after a precipitous fall. The yellow metal bounced back over $4,300 per ounce today after dropping to a six-month low and almost hitting $4,000 per ounce on June 10. Investors expect a U.S.-Iran peace agreement to help restore oil flows and cool off inflation and interest rate concerns.

Investors, however, should remember that the peace agreement hasn't been finalized. If it falls through, gold could easily slide back.

That, however, shouldn't hurt SSR Mining much unless gold absolutely craters. SSR Mining is in a fantastic spot, using its cash pile to reward shareholders – and that is exactly what investors should focus on.

Palantir Technologies Inc (NYSE:PLTR) has entered into a partnership with Zeta Global aimed at developing a unified data and artificial intelligence infrastructure for marketing applications, a move Wedbush analysts described as another validation point for enterprise AI adoption.

The partnership combines Palantir's Foundry platform with Zeta's Data Cloud and Athena intelligence layer to support data-driven marketing decisions and operational execution.

Under the agreement, Zeta's Data Cloud will be rearchitected on Foundry, allowing enterprise customers to connect governed data with real-time decision-making capabilities.

According to Wedbush, the collaboration seeks to establish a new framework for "agentic marketing," where AI systems can automate and optimize business decisions while maintaining security, governance and compliance standards.

The analysts highlighted Palantir's Ontology technology as a key component of the partnership. Ontology creates a digital representation of an organization's operations by integrating business data and processes, enabling AI applications and workflows to operate within a governed environment.

Wedbush noted that Ontology serves as an intelligence layer that translates raw enterprise data into practical AI use cases and supports the deployment of AI agents and automated decision-making systems.

The firm wrote that marketing has become an important focus area for companies investing in AI technologies as businesses seek tools capable of processing trusted data in real time to improve customer acquisition, retention and engagement.

Zeta operates an AI-powered marketing cloud used by enterprises globally and leverages large volumes of consumer data signals to support marketing activities. Wedbush noted that the partnership is expected to generate more than $100 million in revenue for Zeta over several years.

The analysts believe that  the agreement reinforces Palantir's position within the enterprise AI market and demonstrates growing demand for platforms that connect operational and customer intelligence.

Wedbush maintained its ‘Outperform’ rating on Palantir shares and reiterated its $230 price target, which implies significant upside from current levels of about $116.

Legacy media faces a structural crisis that cannot be solved by simply greenlighting better television shows. Owning premium content means very little if a network does not control how that content physically reaches viewers. Fox Corporation NASDAQ: FOX just acknowledged this harsh reality with a $22 billion cash-and-stock deal to acquire Roku Inc. NASDAQ: ROKU.

FOX Today

$44.55 -0.38 (-0.85%)

As of 06/23/2026 04:00 PM Eastern

52-Week Range$44.17▼

$68.18Dividend Yield1.26%

P/E Ratio11.75

Price Target$75.00

The headline numbers are aggressive, and the immediate market reaction reflects anxiety over the immense financial leverage required to close this deal. Look past the initial shock, though, and a clear survival strategy emerges. By taking ownership of the dominant connected-TV operating system, Fox Corporation transforms from a vulnerable content supplier into a powerful toll-collecting gatekeeper.

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Traditional broadcasters have spent the last decade suffering from margin compression as cable subscriptions have dwindled and affiliate fees have dried up. Transitioning to streaming was supposed to be a life raft, but networks quickly found themselves paying massive distribution cuts to third-party hardware providers just to access viewers. This acquisition signals capitulation to a new industry rule. Content alone cannot survive without distribution control.

Swallowing the Debt to Secure the FutureThe financial architecture of this acquisition requires Fox Corporation to stretch its balance sheet to the absolute limit. The company is executing the buyout at $160 per share, using a 60/40 cash-and-stock split, with $96 in cash and 0.9693 shares of Fox Class A NASDAQ: FOXA common stock per Roku share. To fund the enterprise value, Fox Corporation is securing up to $12 billion in bridge financing and absorbing $8.3 billion in new debt.

When Fox, with a $23 billion market capitalization, purchases a target valued at $22 billion, FOX shareholders are forced to absorb significant equity dilution. The market reaction was swift and punishing. Fox Corporation shares collapsed 17% on heavy volume following the announcement. Institutional investors immediately repriced Fox to account for a post-deal net leverage ratio of 2.8x trailing 12-month EBITDA.

Fox Corporation (FOX) Price Chart for Wednesday, June, 24, 2026

Valuation friction also plays a major role in the sell-off. Fox trades as a mature value play with a price-to-earnings ratio of 14, while Roku trades purely on growth metrics with a towering price-to-earnings ratio of 105. Fusing a legacy cash-flow generator with a high-multiple growth asset creates a complex valuation model that institutional bases often reject in the short term.

Corporate insiders at Roku clearly anticipated this valuation ceiling. Key executives executed a concentrated wave of share liquidations just before the merger announcement. CEO Anthony Wood sold 18,000 shares on June 12, 2026, followed by significant sales from Director Mai Fyfield on June 13, 2026. The strategic timing indicates Roku executives aggressively locked in peak valuations before the cash-and-stock conversion was finalized.

Despite the near-term pain for Fox Corporation shareholders, the debt load is a highly calculated capital expenditure. Management projects $400 million in run-rate cost savings and models the transaction to be accretive to free cash flow per share by the second full year following the anticipated 2027 close. Paying a premium to secure a 100-million-household hardware ecosystem is the cost of permanently escaping the decay of linear television.

Forging the Ultimate Streaming MonopolyFox Corporation already controls Tubi, a rapidly expanding platform in the free ad-supported streaming television sector. Integrating Tubi with The Roku Channel creates an unprecedented digital advertising inventory pool. Management plans to keep the two platforms operating as separate consumer-facing applications, a smart operational move that exploits a minimal 33% audience overlap.

The true economic value is unlocked behind the screen. By merging datasets and ad-tech infrastructure, Fox Corporation captures a dominant share of the free streaming market across global endpoints. Owning the hardware layer allows Fox to weaponize the user interface. When a viewer powers on a Roku television, Fox can dictate the visual real estate. The operating system can be programmed to natively push Fox Sports, Fox News, and Tubi content before competing applications load.

This prioritization guarantees viewership for internal Fox Corporation properties and drastically reduces the customer acquisition costs that plague standalone streaming services. A unified data ecosystem also allows Fox Corporation to track consumer behavior from the moment a television turns on to the second a viewer powers down, creating a highly targeted advertising profile that commands premium ad rates.

Forcing Advertisers to Pay the TollRoku built an empire by operating as a neutral territory. Roku acted as an agnostic aggregator, routing viewers to various streaming apps while taking a standard cut of ad inventory. That neutrality ends the moment the acquisition closes.

Transitioning the living room operating system into a walled garden designed to amplify Fox Corporation's inventory completely disrupts the ad-supported streaming ecosystem. Advertisers and media agencies rely on unbiased auction environments to deploy capital efficiently. If Roku backend ad-bidding logic shifts to favor Fox Corporation network properties, ad buyers will naturally look for alternative platforms to ensure fair market pricing.

This structural shift creates massive tailwinds for independent programmatic operators. Companies operating as independent demand-side platforms and supply-side platforms offer a neutral ground for ad buying and selling. Operators like The Trade Desk NASDAQ: TTD and Magnite NASDAQ: MGNI are structurally insulated from these emerging content conflicts. As the newly consolidated Fox Corporation ecosystem raises the toll for living room access, programmatic advertising budgets will systematically migrate toward the remaining agnostic infrastructure.

The Hunt for Neutral Ad-Tech WinnersThe combined Fox Corporation and Roku entity instantly becomes the third-largest player in U.S. television by viewing share. This consolidation removes the last major independent hardware operator from the board, leaving the sector entirely controlled by legacy media and mega-cap tech conglomerates.

Wall Street analysts are rapidly updating models to reflect this reality. Several firms downgraded Roku to market perform ratings, citing capped upside at the $160 buyout price. Conversely, a select few analysts raised their price targets slightly, pricing in the remote possibility of a competing bid from a tech giant willing to absorb the termination fee to prevent Fox Corporation from controlling the living room gateway.

Holding legacy linear broadcasters that lack a dedicated distribution arm now carries immense structural risk. Successful navigation of this market requires identifying which ad-tech firms and streaming platforms can thrive when independent hardware no longer exists. Investors looking to capitalize on shifting advertising budgets may want to add independent programmatic ad-tech operators to watchlists as the connected-TV ecosystem adjusts to the newest gatekeeper.

Should You Invest $1,000 in FOX Right Now?Before you consider FOX, you'll want to hear this.

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Micron stock NASDAQ:MU reports fiscal third-quarter earnings after the US market close on Wednesday, and the options market has already marked the event as a potential shock.

The stock has been one of the biggest AI winners of the year, with gains of more than 800% over the past 12 months and a market value that has pushed above $1 trillion.

That makes tonight’s print a test of whether the AI hardware boom can keep outrunning even the most aggressive expectations.

The options chain was already telling that story before a single number dropped.

Saxo Bank said Micron’s near-term options were pricing in an implied move of about 11% in either direction after earnings.

That does not mean traders are betting the stock will rise 11%. It means the market is attaching a high price to uncertainty.

Based on a reference stock price of $1,172.30, Saxo said the options market was implying a post-earnings range of roughly $1,066 to $1,331.

That is a very wide earnings window, even for a stock that has become central to the AI trade.

The reason is volatility, as Saxo pegged front-week implied volatility at about 155%, compared with roughly 109% for July options.

In plain English, the market is charging a huge premium for options that cover the earnings event.

That creates a risk known as “IV crush”. Once the results are out, that event premium can disappear quickly.

A trader can get the direction right and still lose money if Micron’s actual move is smaller than the move already priced into the option.

For ordinary investors, the message is simpler: the market expects fireworks, but it is not saying which way the blast goes.

The reason traders are willing to price such a large move is that Micron is no longer being treated like a normal memory-cycle stock.

TD Cowen analyst Krish Sankar recently lifted his price target on Micron to $1,500 from $660. The core of his argument was blunt: the role of memory in AI is “structural rather than cyclical”.

That phrase matters as memory stocks have historically moved through boom-and-bust cycles. Prices rise, manufacturers add supply, margins peak, and the cycle eventually rolls over.

Wall Street is now asking whether AI has changed that pattern.

Bank of America’s Vivek Arya also raised his Micron target to $1,500 from $950. The timing was notable because the upgrade came as the stock was selling off.

That made the call less like a momentum chase and more like a statement of conviction.

Other target increases have followed the same direction.

TheStreet cited UBS at $1,625, Needham at $1,550, and several other firms clustered well above the stock’s recent trading range.

The fundamental story is high-bandwidth memory, or HBM. These chips sit alongside advanced AI accelerators and are essential for training and running large models.

Supply remains tight, pricing power has extended, and analysts are increasingly treating Micron as a core AI infrastructure beneficiary rather than a commodity memory maker.

Micron’s own guidance has raised the bar. The company guided for fiscal Q3 revenue of $33.5 billion at the midpoint and gross margin of about 81%.

For a memory chipmaker, that margin level would be extraordinary, but it also leaves little room for disappointment.

LEAWOOD, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: AMC) (“AMC” or “the Company”), announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement with certain institutional investors for the purchase and sale of an aggregate of 95,250,000 shares of AMC common stock. The Offering is expected to result in gross proceeds of approximately $200 million, before deducting agent fees and offering expenses.

AMC intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering to redeem all of its $125,500,000 aggregate principal amount of 6.125% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2027, pay related fees, costs, premiums and expenses associated therewith and for general corporate purposes, which may include the repayment of other debt, the strengthening of AMC's cash reserves and investments to enhance the moviegoing experience at AMC's theatres. The Offering is expected to close on June 24, 2026, subject to customary closing conditions.

Roth Capital Partners is acting as the sole placement agent for the Offering.

The shares described above are being offered pursuant to a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-293291), originally filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on February 9, 2026. The Offering is being made only by means of a prospectus, including a prospectus supplement, forming a part of the effective registration statement. A final prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to the Offering will be filed with the SEC and will be available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Electronic copies may be obtained when available, from Roth Capital Partners, LLC, 888 San Clemente, Suite 400, Newport Beach, CA 92660, (800) 678-9147 or by email at [email protected], or by accessing the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described herein, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

About AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc.

AMC is the largest movie exhibition company in the United States, the largest in Europe and the largest throughout the world with approximately 850 theatres and 9,600 screens across the globe. AMC has propelled innovation in the exhibition industry by: deploying its Signature power-recliner seats; delivering enhanced food and beverage choices; generating greater guest engagement through its loyalty and subscription programs, website, and mobile apps; offering premium large format experiences and playing a wide variety of content including the latest Hollywood releases and independent programming. For more information, visit www.amctheatres.com.

Website Information

This press release, along with other news about AMC, is available at www.amctheatres.com. We routinely post information that may be important to investors in the Investor Relations section of our website, www.investor.amctheatres.com. We use this website as a means of disclosing material, non-public information and for complying with our disclosure obligations under Regulation FD, and we encourage investors to consult that section of our website regularly for important information about AMC. The information contained on, or that may be accessed through, our website is not incorporated by reference into, and is not a part of, this document. Investors interested in automatically receiving news and information when posted to our website can also visit www.investor.amctheatres.com to sign up for email alerts.

Forward-Looking Statements

This communication includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In many cases, these forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as “will,” “may,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “intends,” “indicates,” “projects,” “goals,” “objectives,” “targets,” “predicts,” “plans,” “seeks,” and variations of these words and similar expressions. Examples of forward-looking statements include statements the Company makes regarding impacts of the industry box office in North America and European industry attendance, the Company’s expected revenue, net loss, capital expenditures, diluted loss per share, Adjusted EBITDA and estimated cash and cash equivalents, the potential for sustained growth, the Company’s cash generation potential, the potential for further debt equitization, the ability to achieve the Company’s AMC Go Plan, the Company’s financial runway and the continued box office recovery as well as the future box office outlook, including with respect to the full year 2026, the use of proceeds from the Offering, changing market dynamics and capitalizing on opportunities to further strengthen AMC’s balance sheet. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made. These forward-looking statements may include, among other things, statements related to AMC’s current expectations regarding the performance of its business, financial results, liquidity and capital resources and are based on information available at the time the statements are made and/or management’s good faith belief as of that time with respect to future events, and are subject to risks, trends, uncertainties and other facts that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. These risks, trends, uncertainties and facts include, but are not limited to: the sufficiency of AMC’s existing cash and cash equivalents and available borrowing capacity; AMC’s ability to obtain additional liquidity, which if not realized or insufficient to generate the material amounts of additional liquidity that will be required unless it is able to achieve more normalized levels of operating revenues, likely would result with AMC seeking an in-court or out-of-court restructuring of its liabilities; the effectiveness of the refinancing transactions completed in the third quarter of 2025 and the ability to further equitize existing debt; increased use of alternative film delivery methods or other forms of entertainment; the continued recovery of the North American and international box office; AMC’s significant indebtedness, including its ability to meet its covenants and limitations on AMC's ability to take advantage of certain business opportunities imposed by such covenants; shrinking exclusive theatrical release windows; the seasonality of AMC’s revenue and working capital; intense competition in the geographic areas in which AMC operates; risks relating to impairment losses, including with respect to goodwill and other intangibles, and theatre and other closure charges; motion picture production, promotion, marketing, and performance including labor stoppages affecting the production, supply and release schedule of theatrical motion picture content and choice of distributors to release fewer feature-length films as a result of the additional financial burden imposed by tariffs; the use of artificial intelligence (“AI”) technology in the filmmaking process and audience acceptance of movies made utilizing AI technology; general and international economic, political, regulatory and other risks, including but not limited to rising interest rates; AMC’s lack of control over distributors of films; limitations on the availability of capital, including on the authorized number of AMC common stock; dilution of voting power caused by recent sales of AMC common stock and through the issuance of AMC common stock underlying Muvico LLC’s exchangeable notes and the issuance of preferred stock; AMC’s ability to achieve expected synergies, benefits and performance from its strategic initiatives; AMC’s ability to refinance its indebtedness on favorable terms; AMC’s ability to optimize its theatre circuit; AMC’s ability to recognize interest deduction carryforwards, net operating loss carryforwards, and other tax attributes to reduce future tax liability; supply chain disruptions, labor shortages, increased cost and inflation; and other factors discussed in the reports AMC has filed with the SEC. Should one or more of these risks, trends, uncertainties, or facts materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those indicated or anticipated by the forward-looking statements contained herein. Accordingly, the Company cautions you against relying on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made.

Forward-looking statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results and will not necessarily be accurate indications of the times at, or by, which such performance or results will be achieved. For a detailed discussion of risks, trends and uncertainties facing AMC, see the section entitled “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in the Company’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, as well as the Company’s other filings with the SEC, copies of which may be obtained by visiting the Company’s Investor Relations website at investor.amctheatres.com or the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

AMC does not intend, and undertakes no duty, to update any information contained herein to reflect future events or circumstances, except as required by applicable law.

More News From AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc.

Key Takeaways Amgen's biosimilar portfolio generated $835 million in Q1 2026 sales, up 14% year over year.New launches like Wezlana and Pavblu are helping offset declines in older biosimilar products.AMGN is advancing biosimilars to Opdivo, Keytruda and Ocrevus to tap major biologic markets. Historically known for its innovative biologic medicines such as Enbrel, Prolia and Repatha, Amgen (AMGN - Free Report) has also emerged as one of the global leaders in biosimilars. The company boasts a strong biosimilars portfolio and the business has become an increasingly important contributor to the company's top-line growth strategy. Its biosimilar portfolio spans oncology, inflammation and rare diseases.

Some of Amgen's older biosimilars — Kanjinti (a biosimilar of Roche’s [(RHHBY - Free Report) ] Herceptin), Mvasi (a biosimilar of Roche’s Avastin), Riabni (a biosimilar to Roche’s Rituxan), Avsola (a biosimilar to J&J’s [(JNJ - Free Report) ] Remicade) and Amjevita/Amgevita (a biosimilar of AbbVie’s Humira) — are seeing slowing/declining sales due to rising competitive pressure.

To combat the impact, Amgen has successfully launched biosimilars of J&J’s Stelara, called Wezlana, AstraZeneca’s (AZN - Free Report) Soliris, called Bekemv, and Regeneron’s Eylea, called Pavblu, in the past couple of years.

In the first quarter of 2026, its biosimilar products generated sales of $835 million, up 14% year over year, including $47 million from Wezlana and $280 million from Pavblu. Since the first launch in 2018, Amgen’s biosimilar drugs have delivered more than $14 billion in sales, significantly contributing to top-line growth and generating meaningful cash flows.

Amgen is also developing biosimilars referencing some of the pharmaceutical industry's largest biologics. Phase III studies are ongoing to evaluate biosimilar versions of Bristol-Myers’ Opdivo (ABP 206), Merck’s Keytruda (ABP 234) and Roche’s Ocrevus (ABP 692). These medicines collectively generate tens of billions of dollars in annual sales globally. As patents on these products expire over the next several years, biosimilars targeting them could create substantial revenue opportunities for Amgen.

Over the next few years, Amgen will face a significant patent-expiration overhang. Its own key branded products, such as Prolia, Xgeva, Enbrel and Otezla, have either already lost exclusivity or are expected to do so within the next few years. Together, these medicines accounted for roughly 30% of Amgen’s 2025 product sales, leaving the company exposed to potential revenue pressure from generic and biosimilar competition as patents expire.

Amgen’s new biosimilar launches will play a key role in mitigating the impact of LOE over the next few years, along with Amgen’s key growth drivers, which include Repatha, Evenity, Tezspire and some oncology and rare disease drugs.

While Amgen's biosimilars may not individually achieve blockbuster status comparable to leading innovative therapies, together they represent a meaningful source of recurring revenues, enhance portfolio diversification and provide access to some of the world's largest biologic markets. Over the long term, the biosimilars business is expected to remain a key pillar of Amgen's strategy, supporting a more diversified, resilient and sustainable growth profile.

AMGN’s Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesAmgen’s stock has risen 5.3% so far this year compared with an increase of 1.3% for the industry.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, Amgen is reasonably priced. Going by the price/earnings ratio, the company’s shares currently trade at 15.02 forward earnings, which is lower than 17.05 for the industry. The stock is also trading above its five-year mean of 13.81.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings has risen from $22.21 per share to $22.26 per share for 2026 over the past 60 days. For 2027, the consensus mark for earnings has risen from $23.35 to $23.70 per share over the same timeframe.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

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

Key Takeaways MELI is rapidly expanding its first-party business to boost assortment and pricing competitiveness.MELI's first-party growth is increasing logistics, warehousing and inventory management demands.MELI continues prioritizing market-share gains as margin recovery remains challenging. MercadoLibre's (MELI - Free Report) aggressive expansion of its first-party (1P) business is emerging as a key headwind to margin recovery. While the strategy is strengthening assortment, improving pricing competitiveness and helping the company gain share across key categories, the rapid scaling of inventory-led commerce is introducing structural profitability pressures that could weigh on operating leverage for longer than anticipated.

The company's 1P gross merchandise volume grew 69% year over year on a foreign exchange-neutral basis in the first quarter of 2026, significantly outpacing overall marketplace growth. The strategy has been particularly effective in consumer electronics, where MercadoLibre has expanded its competitive position through broader selection and sharper pricing. However, unlike the higher-margin third-party marketplace model, 1P requires inventory ownership, procurement spending and greater fulfillment intensity. As the business scales, associated logistics, warehousing and inventory management costs are likely to rise alongside volume growth, creating a more capital-intensive operating profile.

Gross margin contracted 300 basis points year over year in the first quarter of 2026, with rapid 1P expansion among the key drivers of the decline. Although profitability within certain mature 1P categories has improved, the broader business continues to absorb a growing share of corporate allocations as it scales faster than the overall marketplace. This dynamic suggests margin dilution will likely persist even as scale benefits gradually emerge.

MercadoLibre appears willing to continue prioritizing market-share gains and ecosystem expansion over near-term earnings optimization. As 1P continues to outpace the broader marketplace and absorb a growing share of corporate costs, the path toward margin normalization is expected to remain challenging.

MELI Faces Stiff CompetitionMELI faces stiff competition from Amazon (AMZN - Free Report) and Alibaba (BABA - Free Report) , both of which have expanded logistics and inventory-led commerce capabilities to strengthen user engagement and pricing competitiveness.

Amazon continues to scale its first-party retail network despite persistent fulfillment cost pressures, and its scale advantage sets a high bar for efficiency. Alibaba has likewise increased investments across direct retail and supply-chain infrastructure, navigating similar margin trade-offs as it defends its share.

Unlike Amazon and Alibaba, MELI is expanding 1P while simultaneously ramping fintech, free shipping and logistics spend, which could keep profitability under pressure for longer.

MELI’s Share Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesMELI shares have declined 18.8% in the year-to-date (YTD) period, and the Zacks Internet–Commerce industry and the Zacks Retail-Wholesale sector have declined 4.5% and 0.9%, respectively.

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

From a valuation standpoint, MELI is currently trading at a forward 12-month Price/Sales ratio of 1.83X compared with the industry’s 1.99X. MELI has a Value Score of F.

MELI's Valuation
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MELI’s 2026 earnings is pegged at $40.97 per share, indicating a 3.98% year-over-year increase.

An updated edition of the April 28, 2026 article.

Corporate leadership is evolving as an increasing number of women take on senior roles at publicly traded companies. This shift is being supported by business results, with many women-led organizations demonstrating strong innovation, operational adaptability and solid shareholder returns across a range of industries. These leadership appointments go beyond symbolism, as many of these executives are outperforming peers through disciplined execution, efficient capital allocation and a clear focus on long-term value creation, strengthening investor confidence in more resilient and sustainable business models.

The latest reports paint a nuanced picture: women are becoming a structural force in U.S. entrepreneurship, even as funding and systemic gaps persist. One of the clearest takeaways is scale. Women now own more than 40% of all U.S. businesses, employing roughly 12.6 million people and generating $2.8 trillion in revenues. Growth has also been faster than that of male-owned firms, with women-owned businesses expanding nearly twice as quickly between 2022 and 2025. This shift signals that female entrepreneurship is no longer niche—it is central to the U.S. small- and mid-sized business ecosystem, particularly in services, consumer, healthcare and increasingly tech-enabled sectors. The data suggests women are not just starting companies, but building durable, employment-generating enterprises, a key driver of long-term economic resilience.

Female founders are increasingly gaining traction in AI and next-generation technology markets, which have become the primary destinations for venture capital. This indicates a shift from traditional sectors into high-value, innovation-driven markets, positioning women at the center of future growth themes. According to PitchBook's 2025 Female Founders report, U.S. female-founded startups raised a record $73.6 billion in venture capital in 2025, representing 27.7% of total U.S. VC deal value, the highest share on record. Importantly, AI accounted for roughly two-thirds of all venture dollars invested in female-founded startups.

At the same time, capital is becoming more concentrated in fewer, larger deals—often in AI—suggesting that while top-tier female-led companies are scaling rapidly, broader participation remains uneven.

Despite strong progress, a significant funding gap continues to limit the full potential of female founders. All-female founding teams still receive only about 1–2% of total U.S. venture capital, even though evidence suggests they often deliver higher capital efficiency and competitive returns. This imbalance highlights a structural constraint within the venture ecosystem, where access to early-stage and growth funding remains uneven. As a result, many promising female-led startups may struggle to scale at the same pace as their peers, underscoring a sizable untapped opportunity for investors willing to address this gap.

Despite funding challenges, women-led companies continue to drive innovation and resilience, making them attractive investment opportunities. If you want to capitalize on it, our Women Run Companies Screen will help you spot high-potential stocks in this space.

Investors looking to capitalize on opportunities across diverse industries should consider Newmont Corporation (NEM - Free Report) in gold mining, Pitney Bowes Inc. (PBI - Free Report) in shipping and mailing technology, The Coca-Cola Company (KO - Free Report) in the global beverage industry, Apple (AAPL - Free Report) in consumer technology and digital services, and Occidental Petroleum Corporation (OXY - Free Report) in the energy sector. These companies demonstrate strong leadership and strategic vision within their respective industries, positioning them for long-term growth and value creation.

Ready to uncover more transformative thematic investment ideas? Explore 37 cutting-edge investment themes with Zacks Thematic Investing Screens and discover your next big opportunity.

Newmont: Since joining Newmont in 2023 as chief operating officer and later becoming president and CEO in January 2026, Natascha Viljoen has played a key role in strengthening the company’s operational performance and strategic focus. One of her most important contributions has been overseeing the integration and optimization of Newmont’s expanded asset portfolio following the acquisition of Newcrest Mining. Under her leadership, the company has emphasized operational discipline, asset rationalization and productivity improvements to enhance profitability and cash generation across its global mining operations.

Viljoen has also been instrumental in advancing Newmont’s value-over-volume strategy. Rather than pursuing production growth at any cost, she has focused on improving margins, maximizing returns from high-quality assets and streamlining the company’s portfolio. Newmont has announced plans to divest non-core operations and concentrate capital on its Tier 1 assets, a move designed to strengthen the balance sheet and improve long-term shareholder returns. Her deep technical and operational background has helped drive initiatives aimed at improving mine performance, safety standards and cost efficiency.

Viljoen’s leadership is particularly important as the gold mining industry faces rising cost pressures, stricter environmental expectations and increasing capital allocation scrutiny. Her focus on operational excellence, disciplined capital spending and portfolio optimization positions Newmont to generate stronger free cash flow across commodity cycles. As the first woman to lead the company, Viljoen also brings a fresh leadership perspective while maintaining continuity in Newmont’s long-term strategy. Currently, Newmont sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Pitney Bowes: Debbie Pfeiffer has been one of the key leaders behind the stability and growth of Pitney Bowes’ Presort Services business, a segment that remains central to the company's cash flow generation and customer relationships. As executive vice president and president of Presort Services, she oversees a nationwide network of 35 operating centers and has played an important role in expanding the scale and efficiency of the business. With more than two decades at Pitney Bowes and over 40 years of industry experience, Pfeiffer has helped strengthen customer retention, expand national accounts and improve operating execution across the presort network.

Her contribution is particularly important because Presort Services is one of Pitney Bowes’ most resilient businesses. Under her leadership, the company has continued investing in automation and network expansion to improve service quality and processing efficiency. A recent example is the opening of a new highly automated Presort Services facility in Phoenix, AZ, which significantly increases processing capacity and supports faster mail delivery while lowering costs for customers. In 2025, the Presort network handled more than 15 billion pieces of mail, highlighting the scale of the operation she manages.

Her leadership also aligns with Pitney Bowes’ broader effort to improve profitability and operational performance. Following the company’s first-quarter 2026 results, management continued to emphasize operational efficiency, cash generation and strategic investments in core businesses. The Presort segment remains a valuable asset because it generates recurring revenue, benefits from long-standing customer relationships and provides economies of scale that are difficult for competitors to replicate. Pfeiffer’s ability to drive network optimization, customer growth and cost efficiencies makes her a significant contributor to Pitney Bowes’ long-term earnings and free-cash-flow profile. Currently, Pitney Bowes sports a Zacks Rank #1.

Coca-Cola: Tapaswee Chandele has become a key figure in Coca-Cola’s leadership team after being named executive vice president and global chief people officer in 2026. Having spent more than 25 years with the company, she has helped shape Coca-Cola’s approach to talent development, leadership succession and workforce strategy. Prior to her current role, she led Global Talent, Development and HR System Partnerships, overseeing programs designed to identify, develop and retain future leaders across the organization. Her leadership experience across India, Türkiye, South Africa and the United States has provided her with broad insight into Coca-Cola’s diverse global operations.

Chandele’s impact goes well beyond managing human resources. She has played an important role in strengthening leadership benches, enhancing employee capabilities and supporting organizational change initiatives across the company. Her elevation to the executive leadership team reflects Coca-Cola’s belief that attracting and developing talent is essential to maintaining its competitive position. Given the company’s vast global footprint, effective workforce management and leadership development are critical to driving consistent execution across markets.

Chandele’s role has become increasingly important as Coca-Cola pursues growth opportunities while navigating evolving consumer trends and advancing its digital capabilities. The company has continued to deliver solid organic revenue growth and healthy profitability, supported by strong execution across its global system. As global chief people officer, she is responsible for ensuring that Coca-Cola has the talent, leadership depth and organizational structure needed to support these objectives. Her efforts to build a stronger workforce and leadership pipeline could help sustain operational excellence and long-term value creation. Currently, Coca-Cola carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Apple: Deirdre O’Brien has become one of Apple’s most influential executives through her dual role as senior vice president of Retail + People. Reporting directly to CEO Tim Cook, she oversees Apple’s global retail stores, online sales operations and human resources functions. This combination gives her significant influence over both customer engagement and workforce strategy. O’Brien has played a key role in shaping Apple’s retail experience, ensuring that product launches, service offerings and customer support remain consistent with the company’s premium brand positioning. She has also been involved in every major Apple product launch during her nearly four-decade tenure with the company.

From an operational standpoint, O’Brien’s contribution extends beyond retail execution. She leads talent management, recruiting, leadership development, compensation and employee support programs, helping Apple maintain a strong corporate culture while managing a workforce that supports millions of customers worldwide. Her focus on connecting employees, processes and customers has helped Apple preserve high levels of customer satisfaction and employee engagement despite its massive global scale. In an environment where technology companies compete aggressively for talent, her leadership is an important factor in Apple’s ability to attract and retain skilled employees.

Her impact is particularly relevant as Apple continues to deliver strong financial performance. In fiscal second-quarter 2026, Apple reported a record March-quarter revenue of $111.2 billion, up 17% year over year, while earnings per share rose 22% to $2.01. The company also achieved an all-time high in Services revenues and recorded double-digit growth across every geographic segment. Apple’s extensive retail network remains a critical channel for product sales, customer acquisition and ecosystem engagement, making O’Brien’s leadership an important contributor to the company’s long-term growth strategy and brand strength. Currently, Apple carries a Zacks Rank #2.

Occidental: Sylvia Kerrigan has become one of Occidental’s most influential executives through her role as senior vice president and chief legal officer. As the company’s top legal leader, she oversees global legal affairs, corporate governance, compliance and regulatory matters across Occidental’s oil and gas, chemicals and carbon management businesses. Her role is particularly important because Occidental operates in highly regulated markets where legal oversight, environmental compliance and transaction execution directly affect shareholder value. She also serves as a key adviser to the board and senior management on strategic decisions and risk management.

Kerrigan’s contribution has been especially relevant during Occidental’s transformation into a broader energy and carbon management company. The company has pursued major acquisitions, expanded its carbon capture initiatives through its subsidiary 1PointFive and continued optimizing its portfolio while managing a sizable asset base across the United States and international markets. Effective legal and governance oversight is critical to executing these initiatives, securing permits, managing contractual obligations and reducing regulatory risks. Her leadership helps ensure that strategic projects move forward while maintaining compliance with evolving environmental and energy regulations.

Her role also supports Occidental’s financial objectives. In the latest reported quarter, the company generated solid operating cash flow despite commodity-price volatility, supported by strong production from its oil and gas assets and steady contributions from its chemicals business. As Occidental continues to balance capital returns, debt management and investments in low-carbon technologies, Kerrigan’s expertise in governance, compliance and transaction execution remains an important enabler of long-term value creation. Her ability to help navigate legal complexities and regulatory challenges strengthens Occidental’s operational resilience and supports the successful execution of its long-term growth strategy. Currently, Occidental carries a Zacks Rank #2.

APA (APA - Free Report) closed at $33.03 in the latest trading session, marking a -2.65% move from the prior day. The stock's change was less than the S&P 500's daily gain of 1.09%. Elsewhere, the Dow saw an upswing of 0.14%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq appreciated by 1.91%.

Prior to today's trading, shares of the oil and natural gas producer had lost 13.71% lagged the Oils-Energy sector's loss of 7.57% and the S&P 500's gain of 0.29%.

Market participants will be closely following the financial results of APA in its upcoming release. On that day, APA is projected to report earnings of $1.79 per share, which would represent year-over-year growth of 105.75%. Alongside, our most recent consensus estimate is anticipating revenue of $2.5 billion, indicating a 4.39% downward movement from the same quarter last year.

For the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $5.6 per share and a revenue of $9.29 billion, representing changes of +48.54% and +0.75%, respectively, from the prior year.

It's also important for investors to be aware of any recent modifications to analyst estimates for APA. Recent revisions tend to reflect the latest near-term business trends. With this in mind, we can consider positive estimate revisions a sign of optimism about the business outlook.

Empirical research indicates that these revisions in estimates have a direct correlation with impending stock price performance. To capitalize on this, we've crafted the Zacks Rank, a unique model that incorporates these estimate changes and offers a practical rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, running from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), holds an admirable track record of superior performance, independently audited, with #1 stocks contributing an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has shifted 0.55% upward. APA is holding a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold) right now.

Investors should also note APA's current valuation metrics, including its Forward P/E ratio of 6.06. This expresses a discount compared to the average Forward P/E of 9.26 of its industry.

The Oil and Gas - Exploration and Production - United States industry is part of the Oils-Energy sector. This industry, currently bearing a Zacks Industry Rank of 108, finds itself in the top 45% echelons of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

You can find more information on all of these metrics, and much more, on Zacks.com.

Cemdisiran could be the first siRNA approved for the treatment of gMG and only therapy to be offered subcutaneously with four times a year dosing

FDA accepted NDA under Priority Review with a target action date in November 2026; European Commission decision anticipated in the second half of 2027

TARRYTOWN, N.Y., June 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: REGN) today announced that both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA) have accepted the regulatory applications for cemdisiran to treat adult patients with generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) who are anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibody-positive. The FDA will review the New Drug Application (NDA) under Priority Review with a target action date in November 2026, following use of a Priority Review Voucher. A decision from the European Commission is anticipated in the second half of 2027.

The submissions are supported by data from the Phase 3 NIMBLE trial evaluating cemdisiran, dosed subcutaneously every 12 weeks, in adults with symptomatic gMG who may be receiving standard of care immunosuppressants based on the investigator’s discretion. Full data from NIMBLE, which is one of the largest global, interventional gMG trials conducted to date, were simultaneously published in The Lancet and presented at the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Annual Meeting in April 2026. A regulatory filing in Japan is also planned for early 2027.

MG is a rare and chronic autoimmune disease where abnormal anti-AChR antibodies activate the complement system including C5, disrupting communication between nerves and muscles that results in debilitating and potentially life-threatening muscle weakness. Worldwide, an estimated 150 to 200 out of every million people have MG. In the U.S., the disease impacts approximately 85,000 people. Initial manifestations are usually ocular, but approximately 85% of MG patients experience progression to additional disease manifestations, which is then categorized as generalized MG. For these patients, the disease affects muscles throughout the body, resulting in extreme fatigue and difficulties with facial expression, speech, swallowing and mobility. For patients living with gMG, many continue to experience challenges with disease management including treatments that only address symptoms, long-term burden of immunosuppressants, lack of responsiveness as well as waning effectiveness, which can all affect their quality of life.

The safety and efficacy of cemdisiran, as well as its potential use for the treatment of gMG, are investigational and have not been fully evaluated or approved by any regulatory authority.

Regeneron is solely responsible for the development, manufacturing, and commercialization of cemdisiran as a monotherapy and in combination with C5 antibodies through a worldwide licensing agreement with Alnylam.

About Regeneron's VelocImmune Technology
Regeneron's VelocImmune technology utilizes a proprietary genetically engineered mouse platform endowed with a genetically humanized immune system to produce optimized fully human antibodies. When Regeneron's co-Founder, President and Chief Scientific Officer George D. Yancopoulos was a graduate student with his mentor Frederick W. Alt in 1985, they were the first to envision making such a genetically humanized mouse, and Regeneron has spent decades inventing and developing VelocImmune and related VelociSuite® technologies.

Dr. Yancopoulos and his team have used VelocImmune technology to create a substantial proportion of all original, FDA-approved or authorized fully human monoclonal antibodies. This includes REGEN-COV® (casirivimab and imdevimab), Dupixent® (dupilumab), Libtayo® (cemiplimab-rwlc), Praluent® (alirocumab), Kevzara® (sarilumab), Evkeeza® (evinacumab-dgnb), Inmazeb® (atoltivimab, maftivimab and odesivimab-ebgn) and Veopoz® (pozelimab).

About Regeneron
Regeneron (NASDAQ: REGN) is a leading biotechnology company that invents, develops and commercializes life-transforming medicines for people with serious diseases. Founded and led by physician-scientists, our unique ability to repeatedly and consistently translate science into medicine has led to numerous approved treatments and product candidates in development, most of which were homegrown in our laboratories. Our medicines and pipeline are designed to help patients with eye diseases, allergic and inflammatory diseases, cancer, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, neurological diseases, hematologic conditions, infectious diseases, and rare diseases.

Regeneron pushes the boundaries of scientific discovery and accelerates drug development using our proprietary technologies, such as VelociSuite®, which produces optimized fully human antibodies and new classes of bispecific antibodies. We are shaping the next frontier of medicine with data-powered insights from the Regeneron Genetics Center® and pioneering genetic medicine platforms, enabling us to identify innovative targets and complementary approaches to potentially treat or cure diseases.

For more information, please visit www.Regeneron.com or follow Regeneron on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook or X.

Forward-Looking Statements and Use of Digital Media
This press release includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties relating to future events and the future performance of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Regeneron” or the “Company”), and actual events or results may differ materially from these forward-looking statements. Words such as “anticipate,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “seek,” “estimate,” variations of such words, and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. These statements concern, and these risks and uncertainties include, among others, the nature, timing, and possible success and therapeutic applications of products marketed or otherwise commercialized by Regeneron and/or its collaborators or licensees (collectively, “Regeneron’s Products”) and product candidates being developed by Regeneron and/or its collaborators or licensees (collectively, “Regeneron’s Product Candidates”) and research and clinical programs now underway or planned, including without limitation cemdisiran (an investigational siRNA therapeutic targeting C5); the likelihood, timing, and scope of possible regulatory approval and commercial launch of Regeneron’s Product Candidates and new indications for Regeneron’s Products, including cemdisiran for the treatment of adults with generalized myasthenia gravis in the United States and/or European Union as discussed in this press release as well as cemdisiran as a monotherapy or in combination with pozelimab (a C5 antibody) for the treatment of other complement-mediated disorders (including paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria and/or geographic atrophy secondary to age-related macular degeneration); uncertainty of the utilization, market acceptance, and/or commercial success of Regeneron’s Products and Regeneron’s Product Candidates and the impact of studies (whether conducted by Regeneron or others and whether mandated or voluntary), including the studies discussed or referenced in this press release, on any of the foregoing or any potential regulatory approval of Regeneron’s Products and Regeneron’s Product Candidates (such as cemdisiran and pozelimab); the ability of Regeneron’s collaborators, licensees, suppliers, or other third parties (as applicable) to perform manufacturing, filling, finishing, packaging, labeling, distribution, and other steps related to Regeneron’s Products and Regeneron’s Product Candidates; the ability of Regeneron to manage supply chains for multiple products and product candidates and risks associated with tariffs and other trade restrictions; safety issues resulting from the administration of Regeneron’s Products and Regeneron’s Product Candidates (such as cemdisiran and pozelimab) in patients, including serious complications or side effects in connection with the use of Regeneron’s Products and Regeneron’s Product Candidates in clinical trials; determinations by regulatory and administrative governmental authorities which may delay or restrict Regeneron’s ability to continue to develop or commercialize Regeneron’s Products and Regeneron’s Product Candidates; ongoing regulatory obligations and oversight impacting Regeneron’s Products, research and clinical programs, and business, including those relating to patient privacy; the availability and extent of reimbursement or copay assistance for Regeneron’s Products from third-party payors and other third parties, including private payor healthcare and insurance programs, health maintenance organizations, pharmacy benefit management companies, and government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid; coverage and reimbursement determinations by such payors and other third parties and new policies and procedures adopted by such payors and other third parties; changes to drug pricing regulations and requirements and Regeneron’s pricing strategy, including in connection with Regeneron’s April 2026 agreements with the U.S. government; other changes in laws, regulations, and policies affecting the healthcare industry; competing products and product candidates (including biosimilar products) that may be superior to, or more cost effective than, Regeneron’s Products and Regeneron’s Product Candidates; the extent to which the results from the research and development programs conducted by Regeneron and/or its collaborators or licensees may be replicated in other studies and/or lead to advancement of product candidates to clinical trials, therapeutic applications, or regulatory approval; unanticipated expenses; the costs of developing, producing, and selling products; the ability of Regeneron to meet any of its financial projections or guidance and changes to the assumptions underlying those projections or guidance; the potential for any license, collaboration, or supply agreement, including Regeneron’s agreements with Sanofi and Bayer (or their respective affiliated companies, as applicable), to be cancelled or terminated; the impact of public health outbreaks, epidemics, or pandemics on Regeneron's business; and risks associated with litigation and other proceedings and government investigations relating to the Company and/or its operations (including the pending civil proceedings initiated or joined by the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts), risks associated with intellectual property of other parties and pending or future litigation relating thereto (including without limitation the patent litigation and other related proceedings relating to EYLEA® (aflibercept) Injection), the ultimate outcome of any such proceedings and investigations, and the impact any of the foregoing may have on Regeneron’s business, prospects, operating results, and financial condition. A more complete description of these and other material risks can be found in Regeneron’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 and its Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2026. Any forward-looking statements are made based on management’s current beliefs and judgment, and the reader is cautioned not to rely on any forward-looking statements made by Regeneron. Regeneron does not undertake any obligation to update (publicly or otherwise) any forward-looking statement, including without limitation any financial projection or guidance, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Regeneron uses its media and investor relations website and social media outlets to publish important information about the Company, including information that may be deemed material to investors. Financial and other information about Regeneron is routinely posted and is accessible on Regeneron's media and investor relations website (https://investor.regeneron.com) and its LinkedIn page (https://www.linkedin.com/company/regeneron-pharmaceuticals).

Cerebras Systems CBRS remained in focus Monday after Wedbush reiterated its Outperform rating and $270 price target ahead of the AI chipmaker's first quarterly earnings release as a public company.

Wedbush said demand conditions for Cerebras appear supportive, citing the company's commercial relationships with OpenAI and Amazon. The firm noted that future results may depend more on operational execution and production scaling than customer demand.

Cerebras, which debuted on the Nasdaq in May, is developing large-scale AI processors and computing infrastructure. Wedbush said manufacturing capacity from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM) could provide an opportunity for higher-than-expected output over the next two years.

The brokerage also pointed to potential benefits from the company's next-generation WSE-4 processor, which market observers expect could enter production in late 2026 or early 2027. Any updates related to that roadmap may be viewed favorably by investors.

Wedbush added that growing demand for AI inference computing, combined with industry supply constraints, could support Cerebras' longer-term expansion efforts as it seeks a larger position in the AI accelerator market.

The likes of Nvidia (NVDA) and Micron (MU) remain the front and center of all AI-related debates in 2026, but billionaire investor Philippe Laffont is approaching the boom from a different angle.

Speaking recently with CNBC, the founder of Coatue Management revealed his $90 billion hedge fund prefers a classic “picks-and-shovels” strategy rather than wagering on individual chipmakers like NVDA.

His preferred means of gaining exposure to AI include TSMC, Lam Research, and Applied Materials Inc – the foundational silicon factories that every semiconductor company relies on.  

Laffont owns TSMC stock for one simple reason: no matter who designs the next breakthrough AI chip, they must go through Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing.

For example, Amazon is deploying its custom Trainium silicon, Alphabet Inc is committed to its Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), and a wave of agile startups is entering the GPU space.

Yet, as Laffont points out, “All of them at the end of the day will need the same machines” – and almost all of them depend on TSMC’s cutting-edge foundry nodes to manufacture their silicon.

Holding a sizable stake in TSMC allows Coatue to remain agnostic in the fiercely competitive chip race while steadily capturing the rewards of a capex cycle that shows no signs of slowing down.

To build the microscopic, hyper-dense architectures required for modern AI workloads, specialized hardware is mandatory.

This reality leads Philippe Laffont directly to Lam Research Corp – an industry giant dominant in etching and deposition technology.

Modern artificial intelligence infrastructure is shifting into what the tech investor calls the “agentic era,” in which autonomous software agents execute long, multi-layered workflows.

This technological pivot needs huge amounts of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and specialized advanced packaging – and LRCX manufactures the precise capital equipment needed to etch deep, flawless vertical pathways in advanced memory chips.

For Laffont, owning Lam Research shares provides a direct window into the physical layer of the AI ecosystem, capturing reliable revenue from every tech company building out data centers.

Completing Laffont’s top trio of semiconductor capital equipment holdings is Applied Materials, the world's largest supplier of tools used to fabricate advanced microchips.

As global electronics manufacturing becomes increasingly localized, AMAT shares benefit from massive structural headwinds and government subsidies.

Laffont – an MIT graduate and notable alumnus of Julian Robertson’s Tiger Management – values the company’s near-monopoly on materials engineering solutions.

“If I’m a supplier to the fabs, I don’t need to make an exact bet on which of the chips is going to win,” he explained.

This strategic diversification protects Coatue Management’s portfolio from rapid obsolescence cycles while giving investors exposure to the hyper-growth of global AI factory expansions.

Note that all three names on Philippe Laffont’s list pay a dividend as well.

Abbott (ABT - Free Report) has recently been on Zacks.com's list of the most searched stocks. Therefore, you might want to consider some of the key factors that could influence the stock's performance in the near future.

Over the past month, shares of this maker of infant formula, medical devices and drugs have returned +0.5%, compared to the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.1% change. During this period, the Zacks Medical - Products industry, which Abbott falls in, has lost 3.7%. The key question now is: What could be the stock's future direction?

Although media reports or rumors about a significant change in a company's business prospects usually cause its stock to trend and lead to an immediate price change, there are always certain fundamental factors that ultimately drive the buy-and-hold decision.

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

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

For the current quarter, Abbott is expected to post earnings of $1.28 per share, indicating a change of +1.6% from the year-ago quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate remained unchanged over the last 30 days.

The consensus earnings estimate of $5.48 for the current fiscal year indicates a year-over-year change of +6.4%. This estimate has remained unchanged over the last 30 days.

For the next fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $6.05 indicates a change of +10.5% from what Abbott is expected to report a year ago. Over the past month, the estimate has changed -0.2%.

With an impressive externally audited track record, our proprietary stock rating tool -- the Zacks Rank -- is a more conclusive indicator of a stock's near-term price performance, as it effectively harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions. The size of the recent change in the consensus estimate, along with three other factors related to earnings estimates, has resulted in a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) for Abbott.

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

12 Month EPS

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

In the case of Abbott, the consensus sales estimate of $12.53 billion for the current quarter points to a year-over-year change of +12.4%. The $50.49 billion and $55.01 billion estimates for the current and next fiscal years indicate changes of +13.9% and +9%, respectively.

Last Reported Results and Surprise HistoryAbbott reported revenues of $11.16 billion in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +7.8%. EPS of $1.15 for the same period compares with $1.09 a year ago.

Compared to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $11.02 billion, the reported revenues represent a surprise of +1.31%. The EPS surprise was +0.88%.

Over the last four quarters, Abbott surpassed consensus EPS estimates two times. The company topped consensus revenue estimates two times over this period.

ValuationWithout considering a stock's valuation, no investment decision can be efficient. In predicting a stock's future price performance, it's crucial to determine whether its current price correctly reflects the intrinsic value of the underlying business and the company's growth prospects.

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

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

Abbott is graded C on this front, indicating that it is trading at par with its peers. Click here to see the values of some of the valuation metrics that have driven this grade.

ConclusionThe facts discussed here and much other information on Zacks.com might help determine whether or not it's worthwhile paying attention to the market buzz about Abbott. However, its Zacks Rank #4 does suggest that it may underperform the broader market in the near term.

In the latest close session, Eli Lilly (LLY - Free Report) was down 1.19% at $1,098.78. The stock fell short of the S&P 500, which registered a gain of 1.09% for the day. At the same time, the Dow added 0.14%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq gained 1.91%.

The stock of drugmaker has risen by 9.14% in the past month, leading the Medical sector's gain of 3.16% and the S&P 500's gain of 0.29%.

The investment community will be paying close attention to the earnings performance of Eli Lilly in its upcoming release. The company is forecasted to report an EPS of $9.01, showcasing a 42.79% upward movement from the corresponding quarter of the prior year. Our most recent consensus estimate is calling for quarterly revenue of $20.44 billion, up 31.39% from the year-ago period.

Looking at the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates suggest analysts are expecting earnings of $35.67 per share and revenue of $85.6 billion. These totals would mark changes of +47.34% and +31.33%, respectively, from last year.

Investors might also notice recent changes to analyst estimates for Eli Lilly. Such recent modifications usually signify the changing landscape of near-term business trends. As a result, upbeat changes in estimates indicate analysts' favorable outlook on the business health and profitability.

Empirical research indicates that these revisions in estimates have a direct correlation with impending stock price performance. Investors can capitalize on this by using the Zacks Rank. This model considers these estimate changes and provides a simple, actionable rating system.

The Zacks Rank system ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell). It has a remarkable, outside-audited track record of success, with #1 stocks delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 0.06% lower. Right now, Eli Lilly possesses a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

Digging into valuation, Eli Lilly currently has a Forward P/E ratio of 31.17. This denotes a premium relative to the industry average Forward P/E of 15.47.

Also, we should mention that LLY has a PEG ratio of 1.22. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. The Large Cap Pharmaceuticals industry had an average PEG ratio of 2.6 as trading concluded yesterday.

The Large Cap Pharmaceuticals industry is part of the Medical sector. Currently, this industry holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 97, positioning it in the top 40% of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank evaluates the power of our distinct industry groups by determining the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks forming the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

You can find more information on all of these metrics, and much more, on Zacks.com.

Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY | LLY Price Prediction) just reported a quarter that should have sent bulls into a frenzy. Revenue grew 55.5% year over year to $19.80 billion, Mounjaro alone delivered $8.66 billion, and management raised full-year guidance to $82 to $85 billion.

Yet shares are up just 2.57% year to date at $1,098.57. That disconnect is the entire setup for my question: can LLY trade at $1,200 by year-end 2026? I think it can, and the math is closer than most realize.

What’s Holding Eli Lilly Back Right Now The near-term price action has been ugly. LLY is down 5.37% over the past week after touching $1,160.95 on June 11. The one-month picture is better at +7.55%, but the year-to-date number tells the story of a stock stuck in neutral despite booming fundamentals.

The market worries about pricing. Realized prices fell 13% in Q1 as Mounjaro’s addition to China’s NRDL formulary compressed international margins. Lilly also absorbed $584 million in acquired IPR&D charges from its M&A spree.

Add in 11 recent insider transactions skewed toward selling, and you understand the hesitation. With a beta of 0.517, this should be a steady compounder. Right now it is waiting for a catalyst.

Wall Street Sees Roughly 11% Upside. Our Model Sees More The consensus target sits at $1,215.79, supported by 6 Strong Buy, 18 Buy, 5 Hold, 1 Sell and 1 Strong Sell ratings. That works out to 77% bullish. Our internal model is more aggressive. The base case lands at $1,279.62, implying 16.48% upside, with a bull scenario of $1,334.55 and a bear case of $1,062.97. Confidence on the base case is 90%.

Analysts underweight two things: the speed of the Foundayo (oral GLP-1) ramp and retatrutide’s optionality. Barclays already telegraphed where this could go, maintaining a Buy rating with a $1,400 price target. With earnings growth contributing positively to our 247Factor and bullish consensus at 77%, the $1,200 line looks like a floor.

The Path to $1,200 Per Share Reaching $1,200 from today’s price of $1,098.57 requires a gain of 9.2%. With forward EPS of $35.47, a price of $1,200 implies a forward P/E of 34x. Our base case of $1,279.62 already implies 37x, meaning $1,200 sits below our base case multiple and demands no incremental rerating. The stock simply needs to grow into the earnings.

CEO David Ricks framed it on the Q1 call: “2026 is off to a strong start, we delivered 56% revenue growth in the first quarter and raised our full-year revenue guidance by $2 billion. A key milestone was the U.S. FDA approval of Foundayo.”

Early launch metrics are striking: 8,000+ prescribers and 20,000+ patients in weeks, with 80% of scripts new-to-class. Retatrutide’s Phase 3 readout showing weight loss of 25 to 37 pounds and the retatrutide late-stage trial results comparable to or exceeding Zepbound fuel the model. The primary risk remains continued price erosion outpacing volume gains.

Where Eli Lilly Trades Today vs Its Earnings Power At $1,098.57, LLY trades at roughly 31x forward EPS of $35.47. For a business compounding revenue at 28% at the 2026 guidance midpoint with a forward PE of 31x, that looks reasonable. Shares sit 3% below the 52-week high of $1,182.73 and 77.4% above the $619.40 low. The 10-year return of 1,661.56% shows what happens when this company gets a platform right. Today it has two.

Is $1,200 Realistic? Here’s My Take The $1,200 target requires a 9.2% gain from here, and my model’s base case already overshoots it. I view $1,200 by year-end 2026 as realistic.

Three things need to keep going right: Foundayo’s prescriber base must expand, retatrutide’s June obesity readout must confirm the diabetes data, and Q2 must validate the raised guidance. What derails it is sharper-than-expected pricing reset on Mounjaro and Zepbound in the back half. We’ve outlined the blueprint for how Eli Lilly could reach $1,200 in 2026.

The market for anti-obesity drugs seems to be at risk of calcifying into a dominant duopoly. Eli Lilly (LLY +0.70%) and Novo Nordisk (NVO +3.30%) split it through their GLP-1 medicines: Zepbound (tirzepatide) and Wegovy (semaglutide) for weight management, and Mounjaro (tirzepatide) and Ozempic (semaglutide) for type 2 diabetes. Together they hold nearly the entire U.S. market for branded obesity and diabetes treatments. Those are the kind of conditions that may be ripe for a new entrant to disrupt the incumbents.

Viking Therapeutics (VKTX +7.54%) wants to be that challenger. Its lead candidate, VK2735, has strong early data in hand, and comes as both a weekly shot and a daily pill. And because the company's market cap is just $3.5 billion, the stock is small enough that a modest win of market share could translate into an outsize return for shareholders. So let's investigate how and why this biotech could threaten Lilly and Novo Nordisk.

Image source: Getty Images.

The biotech's data look good but not great VK2735 is a dual agonist of the GLP-1 and GIP receptors, meaning that it uses the same two-target approach as Eli Lilly's tirzepatide.

In one phase 2 trial, a weekly shot of VK2735 led to participants losing up to 14.7% of their weight over 13 weeks; in a separate phase 2 trial, patients taking the pill formulation saw a maximum weight loss of 12.2% over the same period. In both trials, the gastrointestinal side effects reported by patients were overwhelmingly mild or moderate. Importantly, in the injectable trial, the pace of weight loss didn't appear to be tapering at the end of the study period, leaving open the possibility that patients could lose more weight by simply staying on the treatment longer.

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For context, you should also know that in a head-to-head trial, patients treated with tirzepatide lost 20.2% of their body weight over 72 weeks, whereas patients given semaglutide lost only 13.7%. So, over its 13-week study period, Viking's candidate looks competitive with the leaders. Bear in mind, though, that these are separate trials with different patients, doses, and follow-up lengths, so any comparison is suggestive rather than direct. And weight loss on these drugs tends to slow the longer people stay on them.

But while Viking could win an efficacy matchup against Lilly's and Novo Nordisk's best products on the market, it might have a harder time with the late-stage pipeline candidates that those more mature players are trying to bring to the market.

Eli Lilly's candidate retatrutide is a triple agonist, adding glucagon as a target to the GLP-1/GIP pairing. It reported that after 80 weeks of treatment in a phase 3 clinical trial, patients had lost 28.3% of their body weight, with 45% of subjects shedding at least 30% of their weight.

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Similarly, clinical trial data for Novo Nordisk's candidate, CagriSema, show that patients lost about 22.7% of their body weight after 68 weeks of treatment. The company has already filed approval paperwork with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Viking's candidate is likely still competitive with both of those other programs, as its study period was much shorter. But be aware that the odds of VK2735 being approved and becoming a decisive win for the biotech are slim; it's still an underdog in the GLP-1 market it's targeting.

The base case is decent Viking Therapeutics could threaten the top and bottom lines of both Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, if VK2735's late-stage trials confirm the data already published. If the market for weight loss medicines reaches $100 billion before the end of the decade, as some analysts predict, seizing even a 1% share of the market would lift the biotech's valuation well above its current level.

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The phase 3 trials for the injectable formulation of VK2735 only finished enrolling earlier this year, and because the studies run well over a year, their top-line data won't arrive before 2027. The oral formulation's phase 3 is expected to begin around the end of this year.

If both trials replicate the earlier results, it'll signal that Viking Therapeutics' chances of becoming a player in weight loss drugs have improved from "fair" to "pretty good." If, on the other hand, the data show that VK2735 is actually better than what Lilly and Novo Nordisk can deliver with their next crop of weight-loss candidates in the pipeline, the entire situation will shift, and its odds of being a more formidable threat will rise sharply.

Key Takeaways Biotech stocks are exhibiting relative strength amid a 5-year technical breakout. The sector is benefiting from AI-driven efficiency gains. Biotech valuations are near historic lows. Biotech’s Brutal Bear Market Starting in early 2021, the notoriously difficult-to-invest-in biotech sector suffered one of its most brutal bear markets in history. The iShares Biotechnology ETF ((IBB - Free Report) ), a proxy for the Nasdaq Biotechnology Index and pure-play biotech companies, slumped 33%, failing to notch fresh highs for more than four years. While a 33% drawdown may not seem like much in a vacuum, such a drawdown has far more meaning when compared to the S&P 500 Index, which rose more than 60% over the same period.

While U.S. markets have enjoyed a multi-year rally mainly driven by big tech, while biotech has suffered a volatile, choppy, and prolonged sell-off. Although large-cap, cash-rich, mega-cap biotech stocks saw less pain, numerous clinical-stage, speculative biotech stocks loss 50% of their value or more. What caused the carnage?

·       Higher Interest Rates: Early-stage biotech companies often must rely on borrowed money for a decade or more. Interest rate hikes made borrowing more expensive for these companies.

·       Post-COVID Hype Died: While biotech companies were the poster-child of the COVID-19 era on Wall Street, “tourist” investors rushed for the exits afterward, causing selling pressure.

·       Regulatory Red Tape: The Biden Administration’s Federal Trade Commission (FTC) took a very “hawkish” approach to mergers and acquisitions (M&A). M&A is the lifeblood of the biotech sector. Additionally, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) introduced government negotiations for Medicare, chilling investment in certain therapeutic areas.

Has Biotech Turned the Corner?The biotech sector is showing promising signs that it has turned the corner. Often, the first sign of a turnaround shows its hand in price, which is why legendary investor Stanley Druckenmiller prefers to “invest, then investigate.” That’s exactly what’s occurring in biotech. The IBB is exhibiting extraordinary relative strength. For instance, the Nasdaq dropped nearly 1,000 points on Tuesday. However, IBB bucked the weakness and gained nearly a percent for the session.

Meanwhile, the longer timeframe also shows promising relative strength. While many tech stocks have plunged off recent highs, IBB is making new highs and is on the cusp of breaking out of a massive 5-year base. As the old Wall Street adage goes, “The longer the base, the higher in space!”

Image Source: TradingView

5 Reasons to Own Biotech Biotech’s bull case goes far beyond its price action. Below are 5 reasons to own the sector:

AI Will Drive Discovery, Reduce CostsDiscovering a drug and passing a clinical trial can result in years of research and development (R&D) expenses. However, that is likely to change with the advent of high-powered AI models. Predictive AI models and advanced computing infrastructure will dramatically reduce R&D expenses and shave off years of R&D time.

M&A & Reduced Red TapeBetween now and the end of the decade, the biotech industry faces a tsunami of patent expirations on blockbuster drugs. For instance, the Novartis ((NVS - Free Report) ) heart failure blockbuster drug recently lost key patents, and the Pfizer ((PFE - Free Report) ) breast cancer drug will soon. These massive revenue hits will cause big tech companies to acquire clinical-stage biotech companies to fill the void. Additionally, a less hawkish FTC means that more acquisitions are likely to be given the green light.

The Coming GLP-1 SupercycleBreakthrough GLP-1 drugs like Eli Lilly’s ((LLY - Free Report) ) “Mounjaro” are likely to lead to a biotech super cycle. In fact, GLP-1s are the closest thing the biotech industry has produced to a wonder drug. For instance, GLP-1s have proven to dramatically reduce obesity, inflammation, and the risk of cardiovascular-related death.

Rock-Bottom ValuationsBiotech’s multi-year bear market has resulted in poor sentiment and rock-bottom valuations – a recipe for a bull market. For example, Pfizer’s P/E is currently hovering near an all-time low.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Diversification & DefenseWall Street’s AI frenzy has likely led to overconcentration in the tech sector. As a result, money managers may look to diversify into biotech and defensive healthcare names.

Bottom Line

With the regulatory friction of a hawkish FTC easing, massive big-pharma cash piles searching for pipeline replacements, and game-changing AI efficiencies coming online, the biotech sector’s fundamentals have fundamentally transformed.

Modular design and integrated automation controls to help fast-track and optimize new Brazil refinery, expected to be one of the largest in the world

Acelen will use a sustainable feedstock native to Brazil, macaúba oil, to produce renewable fuels

, /PRNewswire/ -- Honeywell (NASDAQ: HON) today announced that its modular Ecofining™ process technology, specialized pumps, compressors, and integrated control and safety systems will help drive sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel production for Acelen Renewables' greenfield site in Bahia, Brazil.

With SAF demand projected to increase to nearly 500,000 barrels per day over the next decade1, refiners are looking for ways to scale production quickly and efficiently. Honeywell's modular delivery model shortens construction time and lowers costs, allowing SAF production faster than traditional methods.

"Brazil is set to produce the fuel of the future through a project that is sustainable—economically, socially, and environmentally," said Marcelo Cordaro, COO of Acelen Renewables. "The Bahia facility project supports biodiversity and fosters an economy based on sustainability. Honeywell's process technology and automation expertise will help maximize the production of lower-emission fuels at our facility, supporting the growing global demand for renewable fuels."

The Honeywell UOP Ecofining process, developed with Eni SpA, efficiently converts waste fats, oils, and greases into renewable diesel and SAF that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80% when blended with conventional jet fuel2.

"Honeywell's low-carbon process technologies are enabling companies like Acelen to address the growing demand for renewable fuels by using a variety of feedstocks," said Ken West, president and CEO of Honeywell Process Technology. "Technology and integrated automation play a pivotal role in reducing the cost of renewable fuels, which is essential for broad adoption. Advances in Honeywell's technology have reduced the cost to produce SAF and the use of novel, low-cost feedstocks will help further reduce production costs."

Honeywell has delivered more than 1,500 modular process units, across multiple technologies, worldwide. Honeywell's integrated control and safety system is enriched by Honeywell UOP's vast operational expertise and cutting-edge technologies and is embedded within the Experion® PKS platform. As a result, it can significantly reduce project timelines and risks while helping to optimize biofuel production to achieve operational excellence. The combination of process technology and automation provides a platform for digitization and data driven operating insights.

About Honeywell
Honeywell is an integrated operating company serving a broad range of industries and geographies around the world, with a portfolio that is underpinned by our Honeywell Accelerator operating system and Honeywell Forge platform. As a trusted partner, we help organizations solve the world's toughest, most complex challenges, providing actionable solutions and innovations for aerospace, building automation, industrial automation, process automation, and process technology, that help make the world smarter and safer as well as more secure and sustainable. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywell.com/newsroom. 

Contact:

Media  
Whitney Ellis
704-621-4354
[email protected]

SOURCE Honeywell

Earnings are arguably the most important single number on a company's quarterly financial report. Wall Street clearly dives into all of the other metrics and management's input, but the EPS figure helps cut through all the noise.

The earnings figure itself is key, of course, but a beat or miss on the bottom line can sometimes be just as, if not more, important. Therefore, investors should consider paying close attention to these earnings surprises, as a big beat can help a stock climb and vice versa.

Now that we know how important earnings and earnings surprises are, it's time to show investors how to take advantage of these events to boost their returns by utilizing the Zacks Earnings ESP filter.

The Zacks Earnings ESP, ExplainedThe Zacks Earnings ESP, or Expected Surprise Prediction, aims to find earnings surprises by focusing on the most recent analyst revisions. The basic premise is that if an analyst reevaluates their earnings estimate ahead of an earnings release, it means they likely have new information that could possibly be more accurate.

The core of the ESP model is comparing the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate, where the resulting percentage difference between the two equals the Expected Surprise Prediction. The Zacks Rank is also factored into the ESP metric to better help find companies that appear poised to top their next bottom-line consensus estimate, which will hopefully help lift the stock price.

When we join a positive earnings ESP with a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or stronger, stocks posted a positive bottom-line surprise 70% of the time. Plus, this system saw investors produce roughly 28% annual returns on average, according to our 10 year backtest.

Stocks with a #3 (Hold) ranking, which is most stocks covered at 60%, are expected to perform in-line with the broader market. But stocks that fall into the #2 (Buy) and #1 (Strong Buy) ranking, or the top 15% and top 5% of stocks, respectively, should outperform the market. Strong Buy stocks should outperform more than any other rank.

Should You Consider Union Pacific?The last thing we will do today, now that we have a grasp on the ESP and how powerful of a tool it can be, is to quickly look at a qualifying stock. Union Pacific (UNP - Free Report) holds a #3 (Hold) at the moment and its Most Accurate Estimate comes in at $3.15 a share 30 days away from its upcoming earnings release on July 23, 2026.

By taking the percentage difference between the $3.15 Most Accurate Estimate and the $3.14 Zacks Consensus Estimate, Union Pacific has an Earnings ESP of +0.29%. Investors should also know that UNP is one of a large group of stocks with positive ESPs. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.

Find Stocks to Buy or Sell Before They're ReportedUse the Zacks Earnings ESP Filter to turn up stocks with the highest probability of positively, or negatively, surprising to buy or sell before they're reported for profitable earnings season trading. Check it out here >>

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 22, 2026) - Sierra Madre Gold and Silver Ltd. (TSXV: SM) (OTCQX: SMDRF) ("Sierra Madre") and First Majestic Silver Corp. (NYSE: AG) (TSX: AG) (FSE: FMV) ("First Majestic", and together with Sierra Madre, the "Parties") are pleased to announce that, pursuant to the share purchase agreement dated December 17, 2025 (the "Share Purchase Agreement") between Sierra Madre and First Majestic, Sierra Madre has completed its previously announced acquisition (the "Acquisition") of First Majestic Del Toro, S.A. de C.V. ("Subco"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of First Majestic incorporated under the laws of Mexico that holds a 100% interest in the Del Toro Silver Mine ("Del Toro"), as described in further detail in Sierra Madre's and First Majestic's news releases dated December 17, 2025 and Sierra Madre's management information circular dated March 24, 2026 (the "Circular"). All amounts herein are expressed in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise stated in U.S. dollars ("US$").

Alex Langer, Sierra Madre's President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "The acquisition of Del Toro marks an important step for Sierra Madre Gold and Silver as we advance towards mid-tier silver production. A past-producing asset of this scale is a complementary addition to our Mexico-focused silver portfolio. With existing production infrastructure in place, our focus now turns to near-term resource expansion drilling, with approximately 30,000 metres planned. This program is expected to support an updated Mineral Resource estimate, followed by a potential mine restart, positioning the asset for a return to cash flow generation. We see significant upside at Del Toro, both from resource growth and restart potential. We are excited to get boots on the ground at Del Toro and wish to thank First Majestic for their continued support and trust."

Under the terms of the Share Purchase Agreement, and as further described in the Circular, Sierra Madre acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of Subco in exchange for a cash payment of US$20,000,000 and the issuance to First Majestic of 10,870,000 common shares of Sierra Madre (the "Common Shares") at a deemed price of $1.30 per Common Share, with each occurring at closing. In addition, within 18 months of closing the Acquisition, Sierra Madre must pay First Majestic US$10,000,000 in cash or, at Sierra Madre's option, Common Shares at a price per Common Share equal to the market price (as determined in accordance with the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV")) on the day prior to issuance of the Common Shares, subject to a maximum of 10,575,385 Common Shares, provided that if the aggregate deemed value (based on the market price of the Common Shares on the day prior to issuance) of the maximum number of Common Shares does not equal US$10,000,000, the remaining balance will be paid in cash.

The Share Purchase Agreement also sets out the following future milestone-related payments:

if, within 48 months of closing the Acquisition, Sierra Madre files a National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") technical report over any or all of Del Toro that demonstrates "mineral resources" (as defined in NI 43-101) of at least 100 million ounces ("Moz") silver equivalent ("AgEq") or Sierra Madre issues a news release announcing "mineral resources" of at least 100 Moz AgEq (whichever occurs earlier), Sierra Madre must pay First Majestic an additional US$10,000,000 in cash or, at Sierra Madre's option, Common Shares at a price per Common Share equal to the market price (as determined in accordance with the policies of the TSXV) on the day prior to issuance of the Common Shares, subject to a maximum of 10,575,385 Common Shares, provided that if the aggregate deemed value (based on the market price of the Common Shares on the day prior to issuance) of the maximum number of Common Shares does not equal US$10,000,000, the remaining balance will be paid in cash; andif, within 60 months of closing the Acquisition, Sierra Madre achieves commercial production at Del Toro of at least 4,000 tonnes per day ("tpd") for 30 consecutive days, Sierra Madre must pay First Majestic an additional US$10,000,000 in cash or, at Sierra Madre's option, Common Shares at a price per Common Share equal to the market price (as determined in accordance with the policies of the TSXV) on the day prior to issuance of the Common Shares, subject to a maximum of 10,575,385 Common Shares, provided that if the aggregate deemed value (based on the market price of the Common Shares on the day prior to issuance) of the maximum number of Common Shares does not equal US$10,000,000, the remaining balance will be paid in cash.All Common Shares issued to First Majestic in connection with the Acquisition will be subject to a hold period ending on the date that is four months and one day following the date of issuance of the Common Shares. In addition, First Majestic has agreed to the following contractual resale restrictions on all such Common Shares issued:

Release DatesProportion of Total Escrowed Securities to 
be ReleasedDecember 19, 202625%June 19, 202725%December 19, 202725%June 19, 202825%As First Majestic is an insider of the Company, the Acquisition is a "related party transaction" within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). Sierra Madre relied on the exemption from the requirement of a formal valuation for the Acquisition pursuant to subsection 5.5(b) of MI 61-101 as its Shares are not listed on a specified market. Sierra Madre was not exempt from the minority shareholder approval requirements in MI 61-101, and the Acquisition was approved by a simple majority of the votes cast at the Siera Madre's special meeting of shareholders held on April 28, 2026 excluding, for the purposes of MI 61-101, votes attached to Shares held by First Majestic or any other persons described in items (a) through (d) of Section 8.1(2) MI 61-101. For further details, please refer to the management information circular dated March 24, 2026 available on Sierra Madre's website at www.sierramadregoldandsilver.com and on Sierra Madre's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

Concurrent Financing

Concurrent with the Acquisition, Sierra Madre completed a brokered private placement offering of subscription receipts of Sierra Madre (the "Subscription Receipts") at a price of $1.30 per Subscription Receipt (the "Concurrent Financing") pursuant to an agency agreement dated January 14, 2026 (the "Agency Agreement") among Sierra Madre, Beacon Securities Limited ("Beacon"), as lead agent and sole bookrunner, and a syndicate of agents including Canaccord Genuity Corp., BMO Capital Markets and VSA Capital Limited (together with Beacon, the "Agents").

In connection with the Concurrent Financing, Sierra Madre issued an aggregate of 44,231,300 Subscription Receipts for aggregate gross proceeds of $57,500,690, including the full exercise of the Agents' option, in two tranches: (i) on January 14, 2026, Sierra Madre closed the first tranche and issued 30,521,724 Subscription Receipts for aggregate gross proceeds of $39,678,241; and (ii) on January 30, 2026, Sierra Madre closed the second and final tranche and issued 13,709,576 Subscription Receipts for aggregate gross proceeds of $17,822,449.

Each Subscription Receipt was deemed to be exercised, without payment of any additional consideration, for one Common Share immediately prior to closing of the Acquisition. Sierra Madre used the net proceeds of the Concurrent Financing to fund the completion of the Acquisition and intends to use the remainder of the net proceeds for exploration and development of Del Toro and for general working capital purposes.

Early Warning Disclosure

Pursuant to the terms of the Share Purchase Agreement, upon closing of the Acquisition, First Majestic acquired 10,870,000 Common Shares at a deemed price of $1.30 per Common Share.

Immediately prior to closing of the Acquisition, First Majestic beneficially owned or controlled 51,563,076 Common Shares of Sierra Madre, representing approximately 26.18% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares on a non-diluted basis.

As a result of the Acquisition, First Majestic now beneficially owns or controls a total of 62,433,076 Common Shares representing approximately 24.77% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares as of the date of this news release on a non-diluted basis.

The Common Shares acquired by First Majestic are for investment purposes. First Majestic has no current intention to enter into any of the transactions listed in clauses (a) to (k) of item 5 of Form 62-103F1 of National Instrument 62-103 The Early Warning System and Related Take-over Bid and Insider Reporting Issues ("NI 62-103"), but in the future First Majestic may acquire or dispose of securities of Sierra Madre depending on market conditions, reformulation of plans and/or other relevant factors, in each case in accordance with applicable securities laws.

This news release and First Majestic's corresponding early warning report (the "Early Warning Report"), which is expected to be filed on SEDAR+ in the near term, constitutes the required disclosure pursuant to section 5.2 of National Instrument 62-104 Take-Over Bids and Issuer Bids ("NI 62-104").

The Early Warning Report that will be filed on SEDAR+ will satisfy the requirement of section 5.2 of NI 62-104 to have the Early Warning Report filed by an acquiror, in this case by First Majestic, with the securities regulatory authorities in each of the jurisdictions in which Sierra Madre is a reporting issuer and which contains the information required by section 3.1 of NI 62-103, which includes the information required by Form 62-103F1.

A copy of the Early Warning Report filed by First Majestic in connection with the Acquisition will be available under First Majestic's profile on SEDAR+ website at www.sedarplus.ca.

About Sierra Madre

Sierra Madre Gold and Silver Ltd. is a precious metals development and exploration company focused on the Guitarra mine in the Temascaltepec mining district, Mexico, and the exploration and development of its Tepic property in Nayarit, Mexico. The Guitarra mine is a permitted underground mine, which includes a 500 tpd processing facility that operated until mid-2018 and restarted commercial production in January 2025.

The +2,600 ha Tepic Project hosts low-sulphidation epithermal gold and silver mineralization with an existing historic resource.

Sierra Madre's management team has played key roles in managing the exploration and development of silver and gold mineral reserves and mineral resources. Sierra Madre's team of professionals has collectively raised over $1 billion for mining companies.

On behalf of the board of directors of Sierra Madre Gold and Silver Ltd.,

"Alexander Langer"

Cautionary Note

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

This press release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. The forward-looking statements herein are made as of the date of this press release only, and the Parties do not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budgets", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "predicts", "projects", "intends", "targets", "aims", "anticipates" or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases or may be identified by statements to the effect that certain actions "may", "could", "should", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking information in this press release includes, but is not limited to, the intended use of proceeds from the Concurrent Financing, Sierra Madre's exploration and development plans for Del Toro, Sierra Madre's general business and growth strategy and the amount of cash and number of shares received as consideration by First Majestic per the milestone payments contemplated under the Share Purchase Agreement.

In making the forward-looking statements included in this news release, the Parties have applied several material assumptions, including that Sierra Madre will have sufficient capital to fund its planned exploration and development activities at Del Toro and that there will be no material adverse changes to applicable laws, regulations or market conditions. Forward-looking statements and information are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the ability of the Parties to control or predict, that may cause Sierra Madre's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied thereby, and are developed based on assumptions about such risks, uncertainties and other factors set out herein, including, but not limited to, changes in commodity prices and general economic, market and business conditions.

Such forward-looking information represents management's best judgment based on information currently available. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual future results may vary materially. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/302269

Source: First Majestic Silver Corp.

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Next-generation organics processing facility designed to significantly expand composting capacity across Southern California

, /PRNewswire/ -- Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE: RSG), has started construction on the San Bernardino Sustainability Park, a next‑generation organics processing facility designed to significantly expand composting capacity across Southern California. The facility is expected to open in late 2026.

The Republic Services San Bernardino Sustainability Park, located in San Bernardino County will play a critical role in helping communities meet California's SB 1383 organic waste reduction requirements while advancing a more circular approach to material management.

"The San Bernardino Sustainability Park strengthens local organics infrastructure while helping communities divert organic waste from landfills," said Chris Seney, director of organics for Republic Services. "It's a circular solution that puts organic material back to work in the communities it comes from."

Once operational, the facility is expected to deliver multiple regional benefits, including:

Reducing the volume of organic waste sent to landfills Limiting long‑haul transportation to distant processors Lowering associated vehicle emissions Returning locally produced, high-quality compost back to surrounding communities Creating new jobs during construction and ongoing operations. Located on a 140‑acre site, with 60 acres dedicated to compost operations, the facility will utilize advanced aerated static pile composting technology, which accelerates processing times while producing high‑quality compost. The facility will initially process more than 300,000 tons of yard and food waste material annually, with planned scalability to 600,000 tons per year. Modern depackaging technology will also be used to remove waste contamination and improve material quality.

The San Bernadino Sustainability Park will be supported by a network of Republic Services transfer stations throughout the region, making it a significant organics hub for Los Angeles and Orange counties.

Republic Services is a leader in organics recycling and processing in California, with 17 facilities throughout the state, including six compost sites, six commercial food waste preprocessing facilities, four green waste sites and an anaerobic digester. In 2025, the company processed 886,000 tons of food and yard waste across the state, helping customers and communities divert organic material from landfills for beneficial reuse.

About Republic Services
Republic Services, Inc. is a leader in the environmental services industry. Through its subsidiaries, the company provides customers with the most complete set of products and services, including recycling, solid waste, special waste, hazardous waste and field services. Republic's industry‑leading commitments to advance circularity and support decarbonization are helping deliver on its vision to partner with customers to create a more sustainable world. For more information, visit RepublicServices.com.

Republic Services Media Relations
[email protected] 
(480) 757-9770

SOURCE Republic Services, Inc.

New product offers a unified execution architecture, bringing intelligence, resilience and enterprise scalability to modern manufacturing operations

, /PRNewswire/ -- Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK), the world's largest company dedicated to industrial automation and digital transformation, today announced the availability of FactoryTalk® ResilientEdge™, a next-generation execution architecture designed to support autonomous manufacturing operations across highly-automated environments.

Hayden Foot, Senior Product Manager, Rockwell Automation, introduces FactoryTalk ResilientEdge.

With Rockwell Automation's FactoryTalk ResilientEdge, users have an accessible and unified execution layer. Built on FactoryTalk Optix™ and integrated across Rockwell Automation's portfolio, including Plex Manufacturing Execution System (MES), FactoryTalk ResilientEdge creates a single execution layer that spans machines, people and production systems. The platform delivers predictable, low-latency execution at the edge along with cloud capabilities that enable analytics, Artificial Intelligence (AI) training and enterprise orchestration. The combination of edge and cloud means that operations are continuous even if connectivity is lost.

A Unified Execution Model
FactoryTalk ResilientEdge turns advanced manufacturing capabilities into a standard operating infrastructure by unifying plant models, connectivity, execution and intelligence into a single framework. Within FactoryTalk ResilientEdge, users will find a variety of innovative features: shared production model, native and interoperable connectivity, real-time edge execution with embedded business logic, cloud-scale analytics, and AI. The result is an execution system that eliminates the divide between Operational Technology (OT) and Information Technology (IT), dramatically reducing the complexity of deploying and evolving modern manufacturing operations.

"At a time when 95% of manufacturers are advancing AI and machine learning initiatives, FactoryTalk ResilientEdge enables a new class of manufacturing execution," said Anthony Murphy, vice president of product management, Rockwell Automation. "Manufacturers can scale automation, intelligence, and autonomy across their operations while preserving the economic and scalability advantages of the cloud, helping manufacturers deploy faster and lower their total cost of ownership."

Enabling AI-Driven Autonomy
Modern automation initiatives require reliable execution, structured data flow and scalable architecture as the foundation for advanced analytics and AI initiatives. FactoryTalk ResilientEdge delivers a resilient execution layer that supports advanced analytics, AI and closed-loop optimization without compromising plant-level performance.

Secure, Interoperable and Built to Scale
FactoryTalk ResilientEdge helps manufacturers modernize operations by improving operational resiliency, optimized for Rockwell Automation ecosystems while remaining open and interoperable across heterogeneous production environments. The security, interoperability and scalability of the new offering is a testament to Rockwell's elastic MES solutions.

Faster Deployment and Lower Lifecycle Cost
By reducing integration complexity, centralizing monitoring and supporting modular scalability, FactoryTalk ResilientEdge can lower lifecycle costs and accelerate deployment. FactoryTalk ResilientEdge capabilities can be deployed as needed, supporting companies who phase their modernization strategy.

Representing a foundational shift in how manufacturers can scale execution systems, FactoryTalk ResilientEdge is available globally today.

Learn more about FactoryTalk ResilientEdge here.

About Rockwell Automation
Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK), is a global leader in industrial automation and digital transformation. We connect the imaginations of people with the potential of technology to expand what is humanly possible, making the world more productive and more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rockwell Automation employs approximately 26,000 problem solvers dedicated to our customers in more than 100 countries as of fiscal year end 2025. To learn more about how we are bringing the Connected Enterprise® to life across industrial enterprises, visit www.rockwellautomation.com.

SOURCE Rockwell Automation, Inc.

Key Takeaways Pembina Pipeline gained 24.5% in six months, outperforming its sector and sub-industry peers.PBA raised 2026 adjusted EBITDA guidance after a stronger marketing performance and market conditions.PBA is advancing major projects backed by demand and contracts to support future earnings growth. Pembina Pipeline Corporation (PBA - Free Report) is one of Canada’s premier energy infrastructure companies, operating a vast network of pipelines, gas gathering and processing facilities, liquids infrastructure, storage assets and export terminals. Its integrated business model provides end-to-end services that connect production sites with key markets across North America and beyond. Backed largely by long-term, fee-based agreements, Pembina Pipeline generates stable and predictable cash flows while maintaining a strong focus on operational safety, reliability and disciplined capital allocation. The company continues to invest in strategic infrastructure projects aimed at supporting resource development, improving market connectivity and reinforcing its competitive position in a changing global energy environment.

For investors, the central question is whether the stock’s recent strong performance justifies maintaining a position for additional upside or warrants a reassessment of valuation levels. Evaluating Pembina Pipeline’s financial strength, favorable industry dynamics and long-term growth opportunities can provide valuable insight into whether the stock remains an attractive holding.

PBA’s Price PerformanceIn the past six months, PBA’s shares have gained 24.5%, outperforming the broader oil and energy sector's rise of 19.3% and the Oil & Gas Production and Pipelines sub-industry’s growth of 17.3%.

PBA’s Six-Month Stock Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Core Strengths of Pembina PipelineStrong Fee-Based Business Model Provides Stable Cash Flows: Pembina Pipeline's business remains heavily supported by long-term, fee-based contracts, insulating earnings from commodity price volatility. Management highlighted that the fee-based business is performing ahead of plan and continues to support the company's target of approximately 5% annual adjusted EBITDA-per-share growth through 2026. This predictable cash flow profile allows Pembina Pipeline to fund growth projects, maintain balance sheet strength and support shareholder returns even during periods of energy market uncertainty. The stability of its pipeline and midstream infrastructure network makes the company particularly attractive for income-oriented and risk-conscious investors.

Upward Revision to 2026 EBITDA Guidance Signals Momentum: Following a strong first quarter, management increased its 2026 adjusted EBITDA guidance range to C$4.35-C$4.55 billion, representing a midpoint increase of approximately C$175 million from prior expectations. The upgrade reflects stronger marketing performance, improved commodity-related opportunities and favorable market conditions. Raising guidance early in the year demonstrates confidence in operating performance and suggests earnings momentum is stronger than originally anticipated. Companies that consistently outperform and raise forecasts often command higher valuation multiples over time.

A Positive 2026 Earnings Estimate: The Zacks Consensus Estimate for PBA’s 2026 earnings is pegged at $2.28 per share, indicating 20% year-over-year growth. The positive earnings estimate outlook makes the stock attractive for investors.

PBA’s Earnings Estimate Overview
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Significant Growth Project Portfolio Creates Long-Term Upside: The company continues to advance a substantial portfolio of projects, including Cedar LNG, the RFS IV fractionator, Alliance Pipeline expansion and the Greenlight Electricity Center. Several projects are progressing on time and under budget, while others are approaching final investment decisions. These developments should contribute incremental earnings over the next several years and expand Pembina Pipeline's integrated value chain. Importantly, many of these projects are backed by customer demand and long-term contracts, increasing the likelihood that future capital investments will generate attractive returns.

Risks That Could Hinder PBA's GrowthDeclining EBITDA in the First Quarter of 2026: Despite a solid quarter overall, first-quarter adjusted EBITDA fell approximately 3% from the prior year. Management attributed the decline partly to the new Alliance Pipeline toll structure and revenue-sharing mechanisms, as well as weaker NGL marketing economics earlier in the quarter. While the company expects improvement going forward, the decline highlights that regulatory changes, contract renegotiations and market conditions can offset volume growth and operational improvements, creating headwinds for earnings expansion.

Earnings Remain Exposed to Commodity-Related Marketing Activities: Although Pembina Pipeline's core business is fee-based, a meaningful portion of earnings still comes from marketing operations that are influenced by commodity prices, frac spreads and market conditions. Management acknowledged that guidance improvements were driven largely by stronger marketing expectations. If propane prices weaken, frac spreads narrow, or global energy markets soften, marketing profits could decline materially. This introduces earnings variability and can make financial results less predictable than those of a purely regulated pipeline operator.

Elevated Leverage Due to Growth Investments: Pembina Pipeline expects its debt-to-adjusted EBITDA ratio to range between approximately 3.5x and 3.7x in 2026. While manageable for a midstream company, leverage remains elevated due to ongoing capital spending and investments such as Cedar LNG. Rising interest rates, weaker earnings, or unexpected project expenditures could place additional pressure on the balance sheet. Investors seeking highly conservative financial profiles may view this leverage level as a potential concern.

Dependence on Producer Activity Levels: The company’s infrastructure volumes depend heavily on drilling activity and production levels from upstream energy companies. While management expects long-term production growth in Western Canada, short-term activity can fluctuate due to commodity price swings, mergers among producers, or changes in drilling plans. If upstream operators reduce capital spending, throughput volumes on Pembina Pipeline’s pipelines and facilities could decline, affecting revenues.

Final Thoughts on PBA StockPembina Pipeline appears well-positioned with its stable fee-based contract structure and upward 2026 EBITDA revision that supports predictable cash flows. Ongoing expansion projects and LNG export opportunities also provide visible long-term growth potential, while positive earnings expectations reinforce confidence in its operational outlook.

However, recent EBITDA pressure, exposure to commodity market fluctuations and the company’s heavy capital spending phase introduce near-term financial risks and potential earnings volatility. Given the balance between solid long-term fundamentals and short-term uncertainties, a wait-and-see approach appears prudent for this company, allowing investors to participate in structural upside while waiting for clearer earnings traction.

Key PicksCurrently, PBA has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Investors interested in the energy sector may consider some top-ranked stocks like Global Partners LP (GLP - Free Report) , Crescent Energy Company (CRGY - Free Report) and CrossAmerica Partners LP (CAPL - Free Report) , each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Global Partners is a Delaware limited partnership formed by affiliates of the Slifka family. It owns, controls or has access to one of the largest terminal networks of refined petroleum products in New England. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for GLP’s 2026 earnings indicates 113.1% year-over-year growth.

Crescent Energy is a U.S. onshore oil and gas producer focused on three major basins: the Eagle Ford in Texas, the Permian in Texas and New Mexico and the Uinta in Utah. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CRGY’s 2026 earnings indicates 39.4% year-over-year growth.

CrossAmerica Partners engages in the wholesale distribution of motor fuels, consisting of gasoline and diesel fuel, and owns and leases real estate used in the retail distribution of motor fuels. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CAPL’s 2026 earnings indicates 4% year-over-year growth.