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Why: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of securities of FS KKR Capital Corp. (NYSE: FSK) between May 8, 2024 and February 25, 2026, inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important July 6, 2026 lead plaintiff deadline.

So what: If you purchased FS KKR Capital securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

What to do next: To join the FS KKR Capital class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=64089 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than July 6, 2026. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

Why Rosen Law: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered billions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

Details of the case: According to the lawsuit, throughout the Class Period, defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) FS KKR Capital overstated the effectiveness of its portfolio restructuring efforts for its nonaccrual companies; (2) FS KKR Capital overstated the valuation of its portfolio investments and/or overstated the effectiveness of FS KKR Capital's portfolio valuation process; (3) FS KKR Capital overstated the durability of its quarterly distribution strategy; and (4) as a result of the foregoing, defendants' positive statements about FS KKR Capital's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages. 

To join the FS KKR Capital class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=64089 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

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

Contact Information:

     Laurence Rosen, Esq.
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     The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
     275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor
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SOURCE THE ROSEN LAW FIRM, P. A.

Investors sought to withdraw less money from two of Blue Owl Capital's flagship private-credit funds in the second quarter, providing early signs that redemption pressures across the sector may be beginning to moderate after months of elevated withdrawals.

The New York-based alternative asset manager said investors requested withdrawals totaling $4.7 billion during the quarter, down from $5.4 billion in the previous three months.

The easing in withdrawal requests was welcomed by investors, with Blue Owl OWL shares rising by nearly 5% in Thursday trading.

The figures come as private-credit managers continue to grapple with heightened redemption activity following several high-profile borrower defaults last year that sparked concerns over the health of private-credit portfolios.

Blue Owl's stock has fallen by over 40% this year.

Redemptions remain above payout limitsWithdrawal requests declined across both of Blue Owl's largest non-traded business development companies, though they remained substantially above the quarterly redemption limits built into the funds.

At the $33.8 billion Blue Owl Credit Income Corp (OCIC), investors requested to redeem 18.8% of outstanding shares during the quarter, down from 21.9% in the first quarter.

The firm's technology-focused Blue Owl Technology Income Corp (OTIC), which manages $4.9 billion in assets, also recorded lower withdrawal requests.

Investors sought to redeem 38.1% of shares during the quarter compared with 40.7% in the previous period.

Like many non-traded private-credit vehicles, both funds limit quarterly repurchases to 5% of outstanding shares.

The mechanism is designed to avoid forcing managers to sell relatively illiquid corporate loans to meet investor withdrawals.

Blue Owl said roughly 90% of investors in OCIC remained invested, while the group of shareholders requesting redemptions was largely unchanged from previous quarters, with little participation from new investors.

Although redemption requests remain elevated, analysts believe recent trends suggest withdrawal activity may be nearing its peak.

Market participants still expect requests to stay above the 5% quarterly threshold for several more quarters, but some Wall Street analysts argue that the gradual moderation seen in the second quarter points to improving investor confidence.

"We believe OCIC's strong performance over the past three months has reflected the quality of portfolio fundamentals and contributed to improved investor sentiment," Blue Owl executives Craig Packer and Logan Nicholson said in a letter to shareholders.

The firm also said borrower fundamentals remained healthy, adding that "credit quality remained resilient," supported by solid operating performance across its portfolio companies.

Blue Owl said it was encouraged by the modest quarter-over-quarter decline in tender requests, attributing the improvement partly to the funds' recent performance.

Private credit remains under scrutinyBlue Owl has become one of the industry's most closely watched firms because it was among the earliest alternative asset managers to successfully market private-credit products to wealthy individual investors.

That strategy helped the firm rapidly expand assets under management to roughly $300 billion, but it has also made the company particularly exposed to swings in retail investor sentiment.

Persistent redemption requests have raised concerns that slower asset growth and capped withdrawals could weigh on fee income if investor demand remains subdued.

Pressure has not been limited to Blue Owl.

Several large private-credit managers, including Ares Management, Blackstone and BlackRock, have also experienced higher redemption activity in recent quarters, weighing on their share prices.

Investor concerns intensified in late June after withdrawals from a major Apollo Global Management private-credit fund climbed to 17% of assets from 11% in the previous quarter.

Executives across the industry have maintained that concerns surrounding private credit are exaggerated, though many acknowledge that elevated redemption activity is likely to continue in the near term.

Blue Owl said its largest credit fund remains well positioned to meet future redemption requests.

The company reported that OCIC holds $11.6 billion in cash, cash equivalents and available borrowing capacity, enough to fund approximately 12 quarters of payouts at the current 5% quarterly redemption limit.

While withdrawal requests remain well above the level funds are willing to meet each quarter, the latest figures suggest investors may be becoming more comfortable with private-credit portfolios after a turbulent period for the industry.

Intelligent Monitoring Group Ltd (ASX:IMB, OTC:THRTF, FRA:8YM) has entered a binding agreement to acquire ADT’s residential security business in the United Kingdom for £180 million (AU$347,094), marking a major international expansion and a substantial uplift in recurring revenue.

The acquisition of ADT UK Residential from a subsidiary of Johnson Controls International PLC (NYSE:JCI) will be funded through £155 million in cash and £25 million in IMG shares, subject to customary completion adjustments. 

The deal gives IMG an immediate foothold in one of the world’s largest monitored security markets through one of the UK’s most established and recognised residential security brands. 

Acquisition adds scale and recurring revenue ADT UK Residential brings more than 160,000 direct residential security customers to IMG and is expected to add $12.5 million per month in recurring revenue, representing a 205% increase in IMG’s monthly recurring monitoring revenue. 

The acquisition is expected to increase IMG’s pro forma annualised EBITDA to A$130 million, compared with FY26 guidance of A$43 million to A$47 million, and deliver an estimated 40% uplift to pro forma earnings per share. 

Once complete, ADT UK Residential is expected to continue operating as a standalone business, with IMG planning an orderly transition under its established operating model. 

Funding structure avoids a new external equity raise IMG said the acquisition would be funded through a combination of a new debt facility and a vendor equity placement, with no requirement for additional external equity capital beyond the consideration shares. 

The company has entered binding commitment papers to refinance its current facilities with a four-year $448 million Unitranche facility provided by Ares Capital Corporation, split between £155 million and A$150 million. 

IMG expects pro forma leverage of about 3.1 times net debt to pro forma FY26 EBITDA following completion. 

Rationale builds on ADT experience The acquisition aligns with its strategy of acquiring high-quality security businesses with strong customer relationships and established market positions.

The company sees ADT UK Residential as a platform for future growth, including the rollout of advanced monitoring and video security solutions. 

Managing director Dennison Hambling said the transaction represented “a compelling opportunity” to add a recognised residential security platform supported by long-standing customer relationships.

“Following the acquisition of ADT's businesses in Australia and New Zealand in 2023, IMG has developed a unique understanding of ADT's operating model and brand,” Hambling said.

“This experience underpins our confidence in both the quality of the asset and IMG’s ability to effectively integrate, operate and grow the business.” 

What happens next Completion of the acquisition remains subject to customary conditions, including regulatory approvals and IMG shareholder approval. 

Black Crane Asia Pacific Opportunities Fund, which holds about 29.3% of IMG, has indicated it intends to vote in favour of issuing the consideration shares, subject to no superior proposal emerging. 

The acquisition is expected to be finalised in the first half of 2027. 

Move over, guys.

Iconic apparel brands that have historically been more popular with men are turning to women to help drive a new leg of growth.

The CEOs of Timberland owner VF Corp., Levi's, and Columbia Sportswear have all recently highlighted women as a key focus as they look to boost revenues and broaden their customer bases.

The opportunity is sizable. Needham analyst Tom Nikic estimates the U.S. women's apparel market is roughly 70% larger than the men's apparel market. In other words, women spend substantially more on clothing than men.

"If you're skewing very heavily towards men, then you're essentially leaving behind half the population," Nikic told CNBC.

The efforts at VF Corp., Levi's, and Columbia reflect a broader trend across the apparel industry as brands search for growth in an increasingly competitive market, according to analysts. While these companies have sold women's clothes and shoes for decades, executives are increasingly treating female consumers as a strategic priority rather than simply another customer segment.

For investors, the appeal is straightforward. Winning over more female shoppers allows brands to expand their addressable market without having to embark on a radical pivot.

"There was no good structural reason why some of these brands should skew as heavily male as they did," Nikic said. "If they can successfully grow with women while maintaining strength with men, that's a significant opportunity."

VF Corp. CEO Bracken Darrell, who took over three years ago to reinvigorate the company after a period of declining sales, described women as a major "unlock" for several of its brands, including Vans, The North Face, Timberland, and shoe maker Altra Running.

Darrell said the opportunity stems from both women's growing purchasing power and their influence on broader consumer trends.

"Women have influenced men's choices in a bigger way than a lot of us who ran predominantly men's brands gave credit for," Darrell said in an interview. "We always had opportunities across all our brands that were bigger for us if we tried to get in with women."

VF is incorporating that focus into more product development across its portfolio. Vans, a hallmark of skateboard culture, has introduced more women's apparel, pearlized footwear and shoe jewelry. Known for its iconic yellow boot, Timberland has expanded its lineup with products such as its Stone Street platform boots and other women's-focused silhouettes, leaning into elevated designs as it looks to broaden its appeal among female shoppers.

At The North Face, the company has collaborated with Kim Kardashian's Skims and other fashion brands, while also expanding its offerings for female outdoor enthusiasts. Its Advanced Mountain Kit line, one of the brand's premium performance collections, now includes a full women's assortment.

The North Face is the company's "single biggest opportunity with women," Darrell said. It's also the company's largest brand by revenue, accounting for roughly 42% of its $9.6 billion in fiscal 2026 sales.

"We believe North Face can double from $4 billion to $8 billion over some time frame," he said, estimating that women could account for more than $2 billion of that potential growth.

The focus on women could also play a role in helping Vans return to sustainable growth, according to Jefferies analyst Blake Anderson. He said younger women can act as "strong brand advocates and trendsetters," helping drive awareness through social media and online shopping channels.

Vans brand has struggled for years, predating Darrell's arrival. But revenue trends are improving. Sales on a constant-currency basis fell 11% in VF's fiscal year ended in March, compared with 15% and 27% in fiscal 2025 and 2024, respectively. For 2027, the company projects a mid-single decline.

In fiscal 2026, VF broke a streak of three consecutive years of declining companywide sales, with The North Face and Timberland both growing 5% on a constant-currency basis. It's guided for another year of growth in fiscal 2027.

So far in Darrell's tenure, shares of VF are down roughly 7%, when including dividends. That trails State Street's popular retail ETF known as the XRT, which is up 38% in that timeframe. Over the past year, though, the stock has trounced the XRT, returning almost 36% versus roughly 10%.

Levi's has emerged as one of the clearest examples of how expanding into women's apparel can translate into growth.

Former Kohl's CEO Michelle Gass became Levi's chief executive in January 2024 after a year as president. She was tasked with accelerating growth and advancing the company's transition to a direct-to-consumer-first business.

As part of that strategy, Gass made attracting female shoppers a key priority through the company's "Win With Her" initiative, which first launched in Europe and has since expanded more broadly throughout the business. On CNBC's "Mad Money" earlier this year, Gass told Jim Cramer that women's apparel now accounts for 38% of Levi's business, up from roughly a third in 2022. She is targeting a 50-50 revenue split between men and women.

"Women's was up 11% for [2025], and we have a long way to go between 38% and 50%, and that's incremental business for us," Gass said.

On the company's 2026 first-quarter earnings call, Gass said women's apparel grew 13% in the quarter, compared with 7% growth in men's. In its 2025 annual report, Levi's described the category as a "powerful growth engine," and noted that it carries higher gross margins while remaining underpenetrated.

The company has expanded beyond denim into dresses, skirts, tops and lifestyle apparel. It's also increased its marketing efforts, including its high-profile partnership with Beyoncé in 2024.

Levi's has also changed how it merchandises its stores. Women's apparel is now featured prominently at the front of many U.S. locations, supported by mannequins and lifestyle displays designed to showcase complete outfits.

Nikic, the Needham analyst, said Levi's demonstrates how brands can grow their women's businesses without sacrificing momentum among male shoppers.

"The women's business is performing even better, but men's product has continued to sell well," he said. "When you can get balanced growth across both men and women, it obviously does wonders for your P&L and for your stock price."

Shares of Levi's have returned 66%, including dividends, since Gass became CEO in January 2024. In that stretch, the stock has significantly outperformed the XRT's 28% return. It's also narrowly topped the S&P 500's total return of 58%.

Levi's reports its next set of quarterly earnings on Wednesday.

Columbia Sportswear is pursuing a similar strategy.

At a recent investor conference, CEO Tim Boyle pointed to the success of Columbia's Amaze Puff Jacket, a stylish winter coat, as an example of how the company is broadening its appeal beyond clothes and shoes popular for hiking, fishing and more.

"It's highly fashionable," said Boyle, who's been CEO since 1988. "It brought a lot of new people into the brand."

The jacket generated significant social media attention and helped introduce Columbia to consumers who may not have traditionally considered the company a fashion brand, Boyle said.

The company has continued to build on that momentum. During an appearance on CNBC's "Mad Money" in May, Boyle highlighted women's outerwear as a major area of focus, and said Columbia plans to expand the Amaze collection into additional seasons.

Columbia expects sales to grow between 1% to 3% this year, after falling 3% last year on a constant-currency basis. Over the past year, the stock has returned about 1%, trailing the XRT's 10% advance.

The stock performance across the group has been mixed, but their pursuits are aligned.

"Your average woman spends almost twice as much on their closet annually as the average man in the U.S.," Nikic said.

Darrell said that's an opportunity the company can no longer afford to overlook.

"You can't look away from the fact that more than 50% of the population is women, so that's always been a big opportunity for these brands," he said. "Investors should be excited to know that we're not ignoring them, we're going after them."

Have you been searching for a stock that might be well-positioned to maintain its earnings-beat streak in its upcoming report? It is worth considering GE Vernova (GEV - Free Report) , which belongs to the Zacks Alternative Energy - Other industry.

This the energy business spun off from General Electric has seen a nice streak of beating earnings estimates, especially when looking at the previous two reports. The average surprise for the last two quarters was 163.02%.

For the most recent quarter, GE Vernova was expected to post earnings of $1.84 per share, but it reported $1.98 per share instead, representing a surprise of 7.61%. For the previous quarter, the consensus estimate was $3.2 per share, while it actually produced $13.39 per share, a surprise of 318.44%.

Price and EPS Surprise

For GE Vernova, estimates have been trending higher, thanks in part to this earnings surprise history. And when you look at the stock's positive Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction), it's a great indicator of a future earnings beat, especially when combined with its solid Zacks Rank.

Our research shows that stocks with the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time. In other words, if you have 10 stocks with this combination, the number of stocks that beat the consensus estimate could be as high as seven.

The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a version of the Zacks Consensus whose definition is related to change. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.

GE Vernova has an Earnings ESP of +10.35% at the moment, suggesting that analysts have grown bullish on its near-term earnings potential. When you combine this positive Earnings ESP with the stock's Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), it shows that another beat is possibly around the corner. The company's next earnings report is expected to be released on July 22, 2026.

When the Earnings ESP comes up negative, investors should note that this will reduce the predictive power of the metric. But, a negative value is not indicative of a stock's earnings miss.

Many companies end up beating the consensus EPS estimate, though this is not the only reason why their shares gain. Additionally, some stocks may remain stable even if they end up missing the consensus estimate.

Because of this, it's really important to check a company's Earnings ESP ahead of its quarterly release to increase the odds of success. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.

Shares of CoreWeave, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRWV) are falling on Thursday. The stock is still in a downtrend and may be headed lower.

The shares have broken a support level. This is a bearish dynamic, and it is why CoreWeave is the Stock of the Day.

Support is a price level at which there is strong demand for a stock. In other words, there is a large number of buy orders.

If a stock is in a downtrend, it is because there isn’t enough demand for the shares. Traders and investors who wish to sell are forced to undercut each other to draw buyers into the market. This forces the shares into a downtrend.

When a stock reaches a support level, the dynamic changes. There are enough buy orders to absorb all of the sell orders. This is why downtrends end or pause when they reach them.

Sometimes stocks rally after they reach support. You can see on the chart that this is what happened with CoreWeave last month when it reached the $92 level.

But now this support has been broken. The shares are below $92.

When support breaks, it can be a bearish dynamic. It shows that the buyers who created the support have left the market. They have either finished or canceled their orders.

With this demand off the market, the stage could be set for a move lower. Once again, sellers will be forced to undercut each other. This could put CoreWeave into a new downtrend.

If it does trend lower, there is a good chance it finds support around $70. This level was support before, and these levels can stay intact for a long time.

Some of the people who sold around $70 now regret doing so because the price is higher. A number of them have vowed to buy their shares back if they can do so at their selling price.

If CoreWeave drops to this level, their buying could create support. The shares may even reverse and head higher.

CRWV Price Action: CoreWeave shares were down 5.15% at $81.27 at the time of publication on Thursday, according to Benzinga Pro data.

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Key Takeaways PL shares have lost 11.9% in three months, lagging the industry, sector and the Zacks S&P 500 composite.PL trades at 22.76X price-to-sales, above the industry average of 3.15 and the three-year median of 3.8.Planet Labs' backlog rose 72% to over $906M, but losses are expected to continue through fiscal 2027. Shares of Planet Labs (PL - Free Report) have lost 11.9% in the past three months, underperforming the industry, its sector, as well as the Zacks S&P 500 composite. Planet Labs is a leading provider of Earth-imaging data and geospatial analytics, operating the largest fleet of Earth-observation satellites globally.

PL vs. Industry, Sector, S&P 500 in 3 Months
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Shares of Rocket Lab (RKLB - Free Report) , its peer, have gained 47.7% in the past three months, while those of BlackSky Technology (BKSY - Free Report) , another peer, have lost 6.7% in the same time frame.

PL Shares Are ExpensiveThe stock is overvalued compared with its industry. It is currently trading at a price-to-sales multiple of 22.76, higher than the industry average of 3.15 and the median of 3.8 over three years.  

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

PL is relatively cheap compared to RKLB but expensive compared to BKSY.

The Case for PL StockPlanet Labs generates most of its revenues through a combination of fixed-price subscription agreements and usage-based contracts, delivering satellite imagery and geospatial data analytics to governments and large enterprises via its cloud-based platform. Revenue growth has been driven by an expanding subscription base, rising government demand and a strategic emphasis on higher-value satellite services and advanced analytics.

The company ended the first quarter of fiscal 2027 with backlog increasing 72% year over year to more than $906 million, providing strong revenue visibility and supporting expectations for faster growth. Management projects fiscal 2027 revenues of $425-$441 million.

Planet Labs has increasingly prioritized large government and defense contracts, which offer greater revenue stability and long-term visibility. Although this business remains its primary growth driver, management continues to view the commercial market as a significant long-term opportunity. Ongoing enhancements to its platform are expected to broaden commercial adoption. In particular, AI-powered analytics, initially developed for government customers, are creating new commercial opportunities across supply chain monitoring, surveillance, operational optimization, insurance risk assessment, financial analysis, energy management and agriculture.

Despite these growth prospects, Planet Labs remains unprofitable, and meaningful profitability is unlikely in the near term. Continued investments in satellite infrastructure, elevated research and development spending, and high operating expenses continue to put pressure on margins. After five consecutive years of losses, the company is expected to remain in the red through fiscal 2027, while returns on equity and invested capital remain well below industry averages. For fiscal 2027, management expects a non-GAAP gross margin of 52-54% and adjusted EBITDA ranging from breakeven to a profit of $10 million, indicating that sustained profitability is still some distance away.

Planet Labs Growth ProjectionsThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2027 revenues indicates a 41.9% year-over-year increase, while that for earnings suggests a 75% year-over-year decline. The consensus estimate for fiscal 2028 revenues indicates a 32.2% year-over-year increase, while that for earnings suggests an increase of 138.1% year over year.

The consensus estimate for fiscal 2027 and 2028 earnings has moved south in the past 30 days.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The consensus estimate for 2026 earnings of RKLB has moved south in the past 30 days, while that for BKSY has witnessed no movement in the same time frame.

Parting Thoughts on PL SharesPlanet Labs, a data-driven company focused on Earth-observation imagery and analytics, is poised to grow, given the rising global demand for commercial satellites.

However, current factors warrant caution. With the stock trading at a premium, returns on capital comparing unfavorably with the industry, looming near-term earnings pressure, pessimistic analyst sentiment and a VGM Score of F, it is better to avoid this Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) stock for now.

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

IREN stock is showing notable weakness. Why are IREN shares down? What Is Driving IREN Stock Lower?The governance debate is landing as traders stay cautious on AI infrastructure execution, after IREN’s recent pullback was framed as part of broader profit-taking across GPU-cloud narratives in a broader market sell-off.

Compounding the pressure is a sharp tech sector downturn Thursday afternoon, with the Nasdaq-100 falling nearly 2%—a macro headwind that can easily magnify company-specific headline risk.

IREN Stock: Key Levels To WatchFrom a longer-term trend perspective, the stock is still up 142.78% over the past 12 months, but the current tape is decisively bearish: price is trading 28.9% below the 20-day SMA ($53.27) and 30.4% below the 50-day SMA ($54.46). It’s also below the 100-day SMA ($47.81) and 200-day SMA ($49.11), signaling that the recent drawdown has overwhelmed the intermediate trend.

Momentum is best framed through MACD right now: MACD is below its signal line and the histogram is negative, which points to fading upside pressure unless buyers can reclaim that baseline. Structurally, the 20-day SMA sitting below the 50-day SMA reinforces the near-term downtrend, even though the longer-term backdrop still shows a golden cross (50-day above 200-day) that formed in May.

Key Resistance: $45.50 — a nearby rebound ceiling that also sits close to the 100-day SMA zone ($47.81), where sellers often reassert control after sharp selloffs Key Support: $36.00 — a nearby floor just below current price that can act as the next "line in the sand" if selling continues What Does IREN Do in AI and Bitcoin Mining?IREN owns data centers powered by renewable energy in Canada and the US for bitcoin mining and AI cloud infrastructure. The company is working to convert existing bitcoin capacity toward AI use cases while also securing new power and land to expand its data center footprint.

That backdrop matters for today’s move because the debate isn’t about whether AI infrastructure demand exists—it’s about how the economics and governance flow through to shareholders. The company has also highlighted work alongside major AI ecosystem players like Microsoft, which keeps the long-term narrative intact even as compensation headlines raise near-term scrutiny.

IREN Stock Verdict: Momentum vs. ValueBelow is the Benzinga Edge scorecard for IREN Limited Ordinary Shares, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses compared to the broader market:

Momentum: Bullish (Score: 93.94) — Despite the sharp pullback, the longer-term trend profile still screens as strong versus the broader market. Value: Weak (Score: 17.07) — The stock screens as expensive on traditional valuation metrics, leaving less room for error if growth expectations cool. The Verdict: IREN Limited Ordinary Shares’ Benzinga Edge signal reveals a momentum-driven profile paired with weak value characteristics. For longer-term bulls, that usually means the setup works best when price action stabilizes and trend signals reassert—otherwise, premium valuation can magnify drawdowns during sentiment shocks.

IREN Stock Price Movement on ThursdayIREN Stock Price Activity: Iren shares were down 12.23% at $38.02 at the time of publication on Thursday, according to Benzinga Pro data.

Image: Shutterstock

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SanDisk Corporation SNDK shares plunged 14% in afternoon trading on Thursday, hitting a session low of $1707.58 as investors rotated out of artificial intelligence chip and memory hardware stocks and shifted capital into AI software companies.

The decline followed an extraordinary first half of 2026, during which SanDisk shares surged roughly 858%, leaving the stock vulnerable to profit-taking as market sentiment shifted.

The selloff came despite recent analyst upgrades that pointed to improving fundamentals.

SanDisk had gained nearly 5% on Tuesday after Bernstein raised its price target on the stock, but the broader weakness across semiconductor and memory names outweighed the positive outlook.

SanDisk was not alone in Thursday's decline. Memory storage companies including Micron Technology and Western Digital also posted sharp losses as the sector entered what market participants described as a technical correction.

The combination of profit-taking following SanDisk's substantial rally from its 52-week low of $40.10, weakness across the semiconductor sector, and pressure on technology shares contributed to the stock's outsized decline.

Despite the pullback, SanDisk continues to trade well above its 52-week low, while analysts maintain price targets significantly above current trading levels.

Analysts remain positive on long-term outlookWall Street analysts continued to express confidence in SanDisk's longer-term prospects despite the sharp decline.

On June 30, Bernstein analyst Mark Newman raised his price target to $3,000 from $1,700 while maintaining an Outperform rating.

The firm cited new long-term supply agreements featuring fixed or range-bound pricing and upfront financial commitments, which it believes reduce earnings volatility.

Separately, Bank of America analyst Wamsi Mohan reiterated a Buy rating on Wednesday and increased his price target to $2,500 from $2,100.

"We expect supply/demand imbalance in the NAND market to remain through 2027," Mohan wrote in a client note, adding that pricing should hold up through mid-2027.

Mohan projected June-quarter revenue of $9.1 billion and earnings per share of $37.01, exceeding both consensus estimates and the company's guidance range of $7.75 billion to $8.25 billion in revenue.

China supply risks and technical picture remain in focusEven with the constructive outlook, analysts continue to monitor supply risks from China.

Mohan identified Yangtze Memory Technologies Co. (YMTC) as a key long-term risk, noting that additional supply could pressure NAND pricing sooner than expected.

His base-case outlook assumes the company will primarily serve domestic Chinese customers.

Industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also commented on the memory market over the weekend, stating that the "memory supply-demand gap will keep widening through 2027." Kuo also said Apple Inc. is lobbying the US administration regarding ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) to secure additional DRAM supply sources.

From a technical perspective, SanDisk continues to trade above its 20-day, 50-day and 200-day simple moving averages, while the moving-average structure remains in a bullish alignment.

SNDK Technicals The stock's relative strength index stood at 46.62, indicating more balanced momentum following the recent pullback.

The latest decline reflects broad-based profit-taking in AI hardware stocks rather than company-specific developments, as investors rotated into AI software names despite continued bullish forecasts from Wall Street analysts.

Growth stocks are attractive to many investors, as above-average financial growth helps these stocks easily grab the market's attention and produce exceptional returns. However, it isn't easy to find a great growth stock.

By their very nature, these stocks carry above-average risk and volatility. Moreover, if a company's growth story is over or nearing its end, betting on it could lead to significant loss.

However, the task of finding cutting-edge growth stocks is made easy with the help of the Zacks Growth Style Score (part of the Zacks Style Scores system), which looks beyond the traditional growth attributes to analyze a company's real growth prospects.

Seagate (STX - Free Report) is on the list of such stocks currently recommended by our proprietary system. In addition to a favorable Growth Score, it carries a top Zacks Rank.

Research shows that stocks carrying the best growth features consistently beat the market. And returns are even better for stocks that possess the combination of a Growth Score of A or B and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy).

While there are numerous reasons why the stock of this electronic storage maker is a great growth pick right now, we have highlighted three of the most important factors below:

Earnings GrowthArguably nothing is more important than earnings growth, as surging profit levels is what most investors are after. For growth investors, double-digit earnings growth is highly preferable, as it is often perceived as an indication of strong prospects (and stock price gains) for the company under consideration.

While the historical EPS growth rate for Seagate is 2.6%, investors should actually focus on the projected growth. The company's EPS is expected to grow 85.6% this year, crushing the industry average, which calls for EPS growth of 56.7%.

Impressive Asset Utilization RatioGrowth investors often overlook asset utilization ratio, also known as sales-to-total-assets (S/TA) ratio, but it is an important feature of a real growth stock. This metric exhibits how efficiently a firm is utilizing its assets to generate sales.

Right now, Seagate has an S/TA ratio of 1.29, which means that the company gets $1.29 in sales for each dollar in assets. Comparing this to the industry average of 0.71, it can be said that the company is more efficient.

While the level of efficiency in generating sales matters a lot, so does the sales growth of a company. And Seagate is well positioned from a sales growth perspective too. The company's sales are expected to grow 38% this year versus the industry average of 29.6%.

Promising Earnings Estimate RevisionsSuperiority of a stock in terms of the metrics outlined above can be further validated by looking at the trend in earnings estimate revisions. A positive trend is of course favorable here. Empirical research shows that there is a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements.

The current-year earnings estimates for Seagate have been revising upward. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has surged 6.3% over the past month.

Bottom LineSeagate has not only earned a Growth Score of A based on a number of factors, including the ones discussed above, but it also carries a Zacks Rank #1 because of the positive earnings estimate revisions.

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

This combination positions Seagate well for outperformance, so growth investors may want to bet on it.

Key Takeaways Powell posted 14% utility revenue growth and 35% commercial & industrial growth in fiscal Q2 2026.POWL's backlog reached $1.8 billion, up 33% year over year and 12% sequentially.Strong bookings, liquidity and balance sheet support Powell's revenue and earnings outlook for fiscal 2026. Powell Industries, Inc. (POWL - Free Report) is benefiting from its strong foothold and healthy project activities across the electric utility and commercial & other industrial markets. In the second quarter of fiscal 2026 (ended March 2026), revenues from the electric utility sector increased 14% year over year, while those from the commercial & other industrial sector surged 35%.

Powell is strengthening its participation across the electrical power value chain and benefiting from momentum in the data center and utility markets. Notably, it witnessed strong bookings in these markets in the first six months of fiscal 2026. Also, significant project awards supported by high investments in LNG, related gas processing and petrochemical processes have set Powell apart as a leading supplier of critical electrical infrastructure.

This has led to a strong backlog level, which was $1.8 billion (up 33% year over year and 12% sequentially) while exiting second-quarter fiscal 2026 (ended March 2026). Exiting the quarter, Powell’s new orders totaled $490 million, much higher than $439 million at the end of the previous quarter.

Given the company’s robust backlog, solid liquidity and a strong balance sheet, it looks forward to witnessing solid revenues and earnings in fiscal 2026 (ending September 2026).

Segment Snapshot of POWL’s PeersFranklin Electric Co. (FELE - Free Report) is witnessing solid momentum in the Energy Systems segment. In first-quarter 2026, net sales from Franklin Electric’s Energy Systems segment increased 7% year over year to $71.8 million. The segmental results were driven by an increase in volumes and price realization.

EnerSys (ENS - Free Report) is benefiting from the expansion of U.S. communications networks, fueled by AI-driven data demand. Increased demand for products from industrial customers is driving the Energy Systems segment’s results. Revenues from EnerSys’ Energy Systems segment increased 7% to $425.7 million in fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 (ended March 31, 2026).

POWL’s Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesShares of Powell have surged 45% in the past three months compared with the industry’s growth of 15.9%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, POWL is trading at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 40.73X, above the industry’s average of 24.99X. Powell carries a Value Score of F.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for POWL’s fiscal 2026 (ending September 2026) earnings has decreased 1.8% over the past 60 days. However, the consensus estimates for fiscal 2027 (ending September 2027) have increased 9.8%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

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

The initial public offering (IPO) market in 2026 is testing how much new equity supply investors can absorb without selling the stocks that already drove the market higher. Renaissance Capital data shows that 79 U.S. IPOs have already raised $112.5 billion so far in 2026, up 625% year over year.

Image source: Getty Images.

JPMorgan Chase expects more than $260 billion of equity issuance to enter the market in 2026. With multiple IPOs, such as Space Exploration Technologies (SPCX +0.71%), OpenAI, and Anthropic, in focus, the key question is where investment capital will come from.

SpaceX, OpenAI, and Anthropic could test market absorption SpaceX has already shown how much demand there can be for a mega-IPO. The company initially raised $75 billion at a valuation of about $1.77 trillion, and total proceeds later rose to $85.7 billion after underwriters bought additional shares.

OpenAI could create the next big demand for investor cash. Reuters has reported that the company could seek a valuation of up to $1 trillion, although its IPO may not arrive until 2027. A 2026 listing would add pressure to a market already absorbing the impact of the SpaceX IPO, while a delay to 2027 would spread that pressure over a longer period. Reuters also reported that Anthropic confidentially filed for a U.S. IPO after a funding round valued it at $965 billion.

While the $200 billion risk is not a confirmed total from the three companies, it is a plausible scenario based on SpaceX's completed IPO, OpenAI's reported IPO ambitions, and the possibility of another large Anthropic offering. If OpenAI and Anthropic both list near trillion-dollar valuations, these IPOs may compete with existing AI winners for the same investor dollars.

Why the IPO wave could impact the entire equity market In their research paper, "In Search of the Origins of Financial Fluctuations: The Inelastic Markets Hypothesis," Xavier Gabaix and Ralph Koijen estimate that every $1 invested in stocks can add about $5 to total market value. That is because stock prices can move much more than the actual dollars entering or leaving the market. So, if investors sell stocks to fund new IPOs, the market impact could be several times larger than the cash raised. Hence, using a five-times multiplier, a $200 billion IPO wave could put roughly $1 trillion of market value at risk.

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However, that does not mean a crash is inevitable. It means a very large IPO wave can create pressure far beyond the cash raised if buyers fund allocations by selling existing stocks. The risk is greater because the current market is already tied closely tied to artificial intelligence (AI). Goldman Sachs expects S&P 500 (^GSPC 0.50%) earnings per share to rise 24% year over year to $340 in 2026, with AI infrastructure beneficiaries contributing roughly half of that growth.

But there is also a reason the market may be able to handle these IPOs. J.P. Morgan estimates that 2026 buybacks could reach about $1.5 trillion, returning cash to shareholders that could help fund some new IPO demand. The research firm also argues that, since the current market is much larger than in past IPO cycles, investors may have greater capacity to absorb new listings. Still, investors should watch the timing, valuation, float, and first trading response of IPOs to decide whether there is fresh AI demand or a shortage of fresh capital.

JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Manali Pradhan, CFA has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Goldman Sachs Group and JPMorgan Chase. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Apple drew a bullish view from Bank of America Securities analyst Wamsi Mohan, who maintained a Buy rating and a $380 price forecast while pointing to services growth, capital returns, and future AI opportunities.

BofA Highlights App Store And Services GrowthMohan said Apple’s App Store revenue rose 3.2% year over year to $8.8 billion in the full fiscal third quarter of 2026, while total iPhone and iPad downloads increased 1.3% to 8.7 billion.

He also noted that App Store dollars per download rose 1.9% year over year to $1.01.

BofA models 14% year-over-year growth for Apple’s total services revenue in the fiscal third quarter of 2026.

Mohan kept his $380 price forecast, based on the 37 times calendar 2027 estimated EPS of $10.27.

Analyst Sees AI And New Products As Upside DriversMohan said BofA remains positive on Apple because of strong capital returns, its potential to become a winner in edge AI, and optionality from new products and markets.

He said the Supreme Court’s decision to hear Apple’s appeal in the Epic Games case is a constructive development as Apple continues to defend its App Store economics.

Mohan also viewed Apple’s new Siri AI architecture, combined with Apple silicon, as an important unlock for future hardware-driven and AI-enabled monetization opportunities.

Technical Picture Remains ConstructiveApple continues to trade in an established uptrend. The stock was trading at $306.64, about 4.3% above its 20-day simple moving average of $294.76 and 13.6% above its 200-day moving average of $270.69. The 20-day average also remains above the 50-day moving average, reinforcing the positive trend.

Momentum indicators also remain supportive. The moving average convergence divergence (MACD) indicator is above its signal line, suggesting buying momentum continues to outweigh selling pressure.

The next technical resistance sits near $317.50, close to the stock’s 52-week high of $317.40. Initial support is around $287.50, near the cluster of the 20-day and 50-day moving averages.

Earnings Remain the Next Major CatalystApple is expected to report quarterly results on July 30. Wall Street expects earnings of $1.89 per share, up from $1.57 a year earlier, on revenue of $108.86 billion compared with $94.04 billion in the year-ago period.

The stock trades at about 35.6 times earnings, reflecting a premium valuation.

Analysts remain broadly positive. Evercore ISI maintained an Outperform rating with a $365 price forecast on June 25. KGI Securities downgraded the stock to Hold with a $315 price forecast on June 22. Bank of America maintained its Buy rating and a $380 price forecast on June 18.

Apple Price ActionAAPL Stock Price Activity: Apple shares were up 4.16% at $306.64 at the time of publication on Thursday, according to Benzinga Pro data.

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• Micron Technology stock is feeling bearish pressure. Why is MU stock dropping?

S&P 500 2026 PredictionsSimilar to making changes to top stocks midway through the year, Woods is slightly tweaking his forecast for the S&P 500 for the rest of 2026.

"I give those end-of-year targets for fun and I don’t like to change them in the middle of the year," Woods tells Benzinga in an exclusive interview.

With the S&P 500 trading near 7,500 at the time of the interview, Woods said it’s hard to know if the market index has peaked for 2026.

Based on seasonality, historical patterns and market rotation, Woods lays out his best guess of what happens for the second half of 2026.

"I can see a drawdown of 10% from our peak, which would give us a trip back below 7,000 in the coming three to four months and then we rally after this election is over. That’s how the cycle plays out."

Woods predicts that the S&P 500, which is tracked by the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:SPY) cold close the year out at the 7,650 or 7,700 level.

"I still think if we finish this year at 7,200, at 7,300, it’s a successful year."

One of the keys to where the S&P 500 trades in the second half is earnings reports before the end of the year.

"Do we reward companies for good earnings or do we keep them where they are?" Woods said. "I think Micron is now the new tell. It’s been Nvidia forever. It was Apple for years. There was Microsoft for years."

Woods thinks Micron is now the best representative to the market based on its extreme growth and how investors react to earnings reports.

"Their earnings are growing hand over fist. You cannot put enough superlatives on what they’re doing, but price action’s starting to slow."

Micron reported third-quarter financial earnings in late June, with fourth-quarter results expected to be reported in September.

Woods recalls Nvidia stock being on an unstoppable run until the third quarter of 2023, when price action did not respond to the company’s biggest blowout quarter ever.

"The momentum was lost. And when I look at momentum indicators in Micron, I see a divergence. It’s a bearish divergence."

Micron is a great long-term stock according to Woods, who predicts the company could have a future market capitalization of $2.5 trillion or more.

Woods cautions that the stock is likely to consolidate from here and it could take some time to "take that next leg higher."

"Micron will be the one to watch."

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The most expensive infrastructure buildout in corporate history just found a possible second act. On Wednesday, CNBC’s Julia Boorstin reported that “Sources close to the situation do confirm that META is working on building a cloud infrastructure business to sell AI compute.” The stock responded, jumping 7.56% on July 1 as investors digested the idea that Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META | META Price Prediction) might soon compete with the three companies that have owned enterprise AI compute for a decade.

Why Meta suddenly wants to be a cloud vendor Start with the capex line. Meta guided full-year 2026 capital expenditures to $125 to $145 billion, raised from a prior range and blamed on “higher component pricing and additional data center costs.” Q1 capex alone was $18.997 billion, up nearly half year over year, all documented in Meta’s Q1 8-K filing. That is a lot of GPUs for a company whose revenue still overwhelmingly comes from selling ads against Reels and Stories.

Zuckerberg has been hinting at the release valve for a while. Per reporting around the plan, he has said “There are different companies that come to us from outside asking us… if we have compute that they could buy from us at some premium to what we bought it at.” And the strategic logic, in his own framing, is a hedge on overbuild. “If we get to a point where we feel that we have overbuilt, then that is an option that we have,” he said. Selling excess capacity turns a potential capex disaster into a business line.

What Meta is walking into The incumbents are moving fast. Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) reported AWS revenue of $37.587 billion in Q1 2026, growing 28% year over year, its fastest pace in 15 quarters, with landmark commitments from OpenAI, Anthropic, and, awkwardly, Meta itself. Andy Jassy told investors “Our chips business topped a $20 billion revenue run rate” on Graviton, Trainium, and Nitro.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) is arguably in the strongest position. Fiscal Q3 saw Azure and other cloud services grow 40%, an AI business at a $37 billion run rate up 123% year over year, and a commercial remaining performance obligation of $627 billion. Those are contracted future dollars.

Act now: the analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and Meta didn't make the cut. Grab the names FREE today.

Then there is Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL), which grew Google Cloud revenue 63% to $20.028 billion with a backlog north of $460 billion, nearly doubling quarter on quarter. Google has also reportedly limited Meta’s access to its Gemini AI models due to computing constraints, a data point that makes the “build our own paid API service” ambition look necessary.

What Meta actually has to sell Meta owns custom MTIA silicon, one of the industry’s largest fleets of NVIDIA GPUs, and Louisiana’s Hyperion campus. It also owns Llama, the most-downloaded open-weight model family, and just launched its first model from Meta Superintelligence Labs. A paid inference API where developers rent time on Meta’s chips against Meta’s models is a natural product. So is renting raw capacity to hyperscaler customers priced out elsewhere.

The optionality is real, but so is the credibility gap. Reality Labs still lost $4.03 billion in Q1 2026, and Meta shares are down 6% year to date and off 15% over the past year as investors price in the capex intensity. Enterprise cloud is a services business with SLAs, sales engineers, and procurement cycles Meta has never run.

The Q2 earnings call is the obvious venue for Zuckerberg to give this an actual name, pricing model, and go-to-market timeline. Until then, a cloud business exists mostly as a hedge against a capex number that keeps expanding each quarter.

Act now: the analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and Meta didn't make the cut. Grab the names FREE today.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

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Jefferies Senior Internet Analyst Brent Thill recently appeared on a CNBC Squawk Box segment to argue that Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META | META Price Prediction) is making the right strategic move by entering the enterprise AI infrastructure market, even if it’s arriving years after established competitors. Meta’s planning to launch a cloud infrastructure business selling excess AI computing capacity, sending the stock up 7.56% on July 1, before falling 4.60% on July 2.

Jefferies Sees A $2 Trillion AI Compute Opportunity Thill’s bull case rests on backlog. He says Google, Amazon, and Microsoft collectively carry a $2 trillion backlog of compute demand, which he reads as a signal that any credible fourth entrant with capital can capture a profitable slice. Thill argues that everyone is “sold out for six months,” that you cannot get enough compute, and that prices have actually risen across the three incumbents. Even with Meta entering the market “late,” he doesn’t expect Meta will have to compete on price in the near term.

Meta has the balance sheet to fund the build. Q1 FY2026 revenue came in at $56.31 billion, beating the $55.56 billion consensus, with operating cash flow of $32.23 billion. Management raised full-year 2026 capital expenditure guidance to $125-$145 billion, citing “higher component pricing and additional data center costs.”

Thill argues that Meta is cheap and “the most hated large-cap internet name,” carrying “$35 of earnings power” that, in his view, does not require a rich multiple to justify. Meta currently trades at a forward P/E of 18, with a current share price of $585 vs analysts’ average price target of roughly $828.

Meta Is “Really Late” To AI Compute Thill says Meta is “really late,” that it will take a lot of money to keep up, and that Amazon controls close to 50% of the cloud market after decades of building. On execution, he expects Meta will need to win small and midsize enterprises first, then rebuild customer service and go-to-market motions. He draws a parallel to Google’s multi-year cloud ramp after hiring Thomas Kurian.

There is already competitive friction. According to a recent report, “Google also limited Meta’s access to its Gemini AI models due to computing constraints,” underscoring how tight capacity is even for hyperscalers themselves.

Execution Will Determine Whether Meta Wins Meta’s move into enterprise compute gives the company access to one of the fastest-growing markets in technology, but success is far from guaranteed. Thill believes supply constraints and strong demand create an attractive opportunity, even for a late entrant. The bigger question is whether Meta can build the enterprise relationships, sales organization, and cloud infrastructure needed to compete with Amazon, Microsoft, and Google over the long term.

Act now: the analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and Meta didn't make the cut. Grab the names FREE today.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

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Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META | META Price Prediction | META Price Prediction) is the AI story hiding in plain sight. The stock trades at $612.91, down 6.99% year to date, while the underlying business just posted 33% revenue growth and a 41% operating margin.

Mark Zuckerberg told investors “we are on track to build a leading lab” after releasing Muse Spark from Meta Superintelligence Labs. Can this stock climb to $900 in 2027? I think it can, and here is exactly what needs to happen.

Why Meta Shares Are Stuck Despite Blowout Earnings The market is punishing Meta for spending. Full-year 2026 CapEx guidance was raised to $125 to $145 billion, and total expenses will land between $162 and $169 billion. Shares fell 8.55% the day after a Q1 earnings release that beat EPS estimates by 56.79%. Investors saw the compute bill and blinked.

The one-month move of +2.16% and one-year return of -14.51% tell the story of a stock trapped between AI hope and AI capex fatigue. A beta of 1.229 means every macro tremor gets amplified.

Wall Street Sees Big Upside. Our Model Sees More. The consensus target sits at $827.32, backed by 8 strong buys, 49 buys, and 7 holds, with zero sells. That is 89% bullish sentiment. Our base-case model lands at $819.83 for a 1-year target, implying 33.76% upside, with a bull case of $867.20 and a bear case of $714.22. Confidence: 90%.

Analyst estimates have been consistently too low. Q1 2026 EPS beat by 7.18%, Q4 2025 by 8.03%, and Q2 2025 by 21.84%. Quarterly earnings growth of 62.4% is not showing up in most models. Consensus is anchored to yesterday’s Meta.

The Path to $900 Per Share Reaching $900 from today’s price of $612.91 would require a gain of 46.8%. That is aggressive but not unhinged for a stock with a beta above 1.2 and this earnings profile.

Act now: the analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and Meta didn't make the cut. Grab the names FREE today.

With forward EPS of $41.12, a price of $900 implies a forward P/E of 22x. Our base case of $819.83 already implies 18x, meaning the bold target requires roughly 3.7x of additional multiple expansion. That is achievable if EPS growth keeps outrunning consensus and the market re-rates Meta as an AI compute owner, not just a spender.

CFO Susan Li said “Q1 total revenue was $56.3 billion, up 33%” and that business AI conversations scaled from 1 million to 10 million weekly. Zuckerberg added, “we are on track to deliver personal superintelligence to billions of people.” The primary risk is that CapEx keeps climbing without matching revenue conversion.

Where Meta Trades Today vs Its Earnings Power At $612.91, Meta trades at a forward P/E of just 15x. For a business growing revenue in the low 30s and EPS in the 60s, that is cheap. The stock sits 4% below its 52-week high of $793.65 and well off the low of $519.78. Ten-year returns of 441.4% confirm the long-term compounding case. Any multiple recovery toward 22x on rising EPS gets you to $900.

The Bottom Line on $900 Meta needs to gain 46.8% to hit $900. I think it is a credible stretch for 2027.

Three things need to go right: Q2 revenue lands at the high end of the $58 to $61 billion guide, Reality Labs losses stop widening, and the Muse model family drives visible monetization gains. What derails it is a CapEx overrun without corresponding revenue leverage. We’ve outlined the blueprint for how Meta Platforms could reach $900 in 2027.

Act now: the analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and Meta didn't make the cut. Grab the names FREE today.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Meta is getting into gaming with the launch of a new app called Pocket, which allows people to generate small, interactive apps and games using AI prompts. The software, a result of Meta’s acquisition of the team at the vibe-coded gaming platform Gizmo earlier this year, describes itself as “a creative platform for making and sharing gizmos,” which is what the interactive experiences are called. It also offers a scrollable feed where you can play with gizmos others have made.

Based on the app’s screenshots in Google Play, there are many similarities to Gizmo’s original app, which is still listed. Like Pocket, Gizmo also offers a way to use written AI prompts to build small, interactive experiences, and it includes a discovery feed.

Alessandro Paluzzi, a reverse engineer and regular spotter of new apps and features, first noticed the app’s launch this morning and published a Play Store screenshot of the app on X. According to data from app intelligence provider Appfigures, however, Pocket was first launched on June 29, 2026 on the App Store and Google Play. (Because of its newness, the firm can’t tell if it’s yet to see any downloads.)

Other outlets, including Business Insider and Investing.com, have also reported on Paluzzi’s discovery. Meta has not yet responded to a request for comment.

Pocket is another example of Meta’s push to make AI creation tools more mainstream, extending its earlier efforts, which included AI-generated images created via its Meta AI app, and AI videos created with its app called Vibes. It has also added AI features across its social platforms and into its video-editing app for creators, Edits.

Image Credits:Meta Given that Meta has not officially announced Pocket’s debut, it’s likely that Pocket is still in its initial experimentation phase.

Its counterpart Gizmo, however, had generated 635K lifetime installs across both iOS and Google Play, according to Appfigures, which noted it had a 98% positive sentiment.

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Sarah has worked as a reporter for TechCrunch since August 2011. She joined the company after having previously spent over three years at ReadWriteWeb. Prior to her work as a reporter, Sarah worked in I.T. across a number of industries, including banking, retail and software.

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Bloomberg's Ed Ludlow breaks down reports that OpenAI is holding early-stage discussions about giving the US government a 5% equity stake. Plus, Tesla's delivery numbers rose 25% from a year ago, beating Wall Street's expectations by a wide margin.

Landon Swan from @LikeFolio discusses Tesla (TSLA) and why shares in the company slid even though second quarter vehicle deliveries topped expectations. After the stock pumped the brakes Thursday, Landon now believes it is fairly priced.

Looking for a stock that has been consistently beating earnings estimates and might be well positioned to keep the streak alive in its next quarterly report? Alphabet Inc. (GOOG - Free Report) , which belongs to the Zacks Internet - Services industry, could be a great candidate to consider.

When looking at the last two reports, this company has recorded a strong streak of surpassing earnings estimates. The company has topped estimates by 51.64%, on average, in the last two quarters.

For the most recent quarter, Alphabet was expected to post earnings of $2.64 per share, but it reported $5.11 per share instead, representing a surprise of 93.56%. For the previous quarter, the consensus estimate was $2.57 per share, while it actually produced $2.82 per share, a surprise of 9.73%.

Price and EPS Surprise

Thanks in part to this history, there has been a favorable change in earnings estimates for Alphabet lately. In fact, the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) for the stock is positive, which is a great indicator of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with its solid Zacks Rank.

Our research shows that stocks with the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time. In other words, if you have 10 stocks with this combination, the number of stocks that beat the consensus estimate could be as high as seven.

The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a version of the Zacks Consensus whose definition is related to change. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.

Alphabet currently has an Earnings ESP of +1.31%, which suggests that analysts have recently become bullish on the company's earnings prospects. This positive Earnings ESP when combined with the stock's Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) indicates that another beat is possibly around the corner.

Investors should note, however, that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss, but a negative value does reduce the predictive power of this metric.

Many companies end up beating the consensus EPS estimate, though this is not the only reason why their shares gain. Additionally, some stocks may remain stable even if they end up missing the consensus estimate.

Because of this, it's really important to check a company's Earnings ESP ahead of its quarterly release to increase the odds of success. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.

Growth investors focus on stocks that are seeing above-average financial growth, as this feature helps these securities garner the market's attention and deliver solid returns. However, it isn't easy to find a great growth stock.

By their very nature, these stocks carry above-average risk and volatility. Moreover, if a company's growth story is over or nearing its end, betting on it could lead to significant loss.

However, the Zacks Growth Style Score (part of the Zacks Style Scores system), which looks beyond the traditional growth attributes to analyze a company's real growth prospects, makes it pretty easy to find cutting-edge growth stocks.

Alphabet (GOOGL - Free Report) is one such stock that our proprietary system currently recommends. The company not only has a favorable Growth Score, but also carries a top Zacks Rank.

Research shows that stocks carrying the best growth features consistently beat the market. And returns are even better for stocks that possess the combination of a Growth Score of A or B and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy).

While there are numerous reasons why the stock of this internet search leader is a great growth pick right now, we have highlighted three of the most important factors below:

Earnings GrowthEarnings growth is arguably the most important factor, as stocks exhibiting exceptionally surging profit levels tend to attract the attention of most investors. For growth investors, double-digit earnings growth is highly preferable, as it is often perceived as an indication of strong prospects (and stock price gains) for the company under consideration.

While the historical EPS growth rate for Alphabet is 21.5%, investors should actually focus on the projected growth. The company's EPS is expected to grow 32.5% this year, crushing the industry average, which calls for EPS growth of 13.3%.

Cash Flow GrowthWhile cash is the lifeblood of any business, higher-than-average cash flow growth is more important and beneficial for growth-oriented companies than for mature companies. That's because, growth in cash flow enables these companies to expand their businesses without depending on expensive outside funds.

Right now, year-over-year cash flow growth for Alphabet is 32.8%, which is higher than many of its peers. In fact, the rate compares to the industry average of -5.5%.

While investors should actually consider the current cash flow growth, it's worth taking a look at the historical rate too for putting the current reading into proper perspective. The company's annualized cash flow growth rate has been 23.2% over the past 3-5 years versus the industry average of 10.7%.

Promising Earnings Estimate RevisionsBeyond the metrics outlined above, investors should consider the trend in earnings estimate revisions. A positive trend is a plus here. Empirical research shows that there is a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements.

The current-year earnings estimates for Alphabet have been revising upward. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has surged 0.2% over the past month.

Bottom LineAlphabet has not only earned a Growth Score of B based on a number of factors, including the ones discussed above, but it also carries a Zacks Rank #2 because of the positive earnings estimate revisions.

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

This combination positions Alphabet well for outperformance, so growth investors may want to bet on it.

Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) shares traded about 1% lower on Thursday after the European Court of Justice (ECJ) upheld a €4.1 billion ($4.67 billion) antitrust fine against Google over its Android mobile operating system.

The ruling marks the end of Google's legal challenge against the European Commission's 2018 decision, which found the company had abused the dominant position of Android by using pre-installation agreements with smartphone manufacturers to favor its own apps and services.

In a statement, the ECJ said it had dismissed the appeal brought by Google and Alphabet, confirming the penalty as revised by the General Court.

"The Court of Justice dismisses the appeal brought by Google and Alphabet against that judgment of the General Court, thereby confirming the penalty imposed on them, as revised by the General Court, for their anticompetitive practices relating to the Android operating system," the court said.

The original fine of €4.34 billion was reduced to €4.1 billion by the EU's General Court in 2022. Thursday's ruling is final and leaves Google with no further avenue of appeal within the EU court system.

Google said the decision does not reflect the benefits Android has provided to users and developers.

"Android provides more choice for everyone and supports thousands of businesses. This judgment fails to recognize our significant investment to ensure Android remains open, interoperable and free," a Google spokesperson said.

The company added that it had already modified its agreements following the European Commission's original 2018 decision and remains focused on innovation and openness for users, partners, and developers.

Since the Commission's ruling, Google has introduced changes to Android in Europe, including giving users more options to choose alternative search engines and web browsers during device setup.

by Alan Boyle on Jul 2, 2026 at 10:42 amJuly 2, 2026 at 10:43 am

An Atlas 5 rocket lifts off from its Florida launch pad, sending 29 Amazon Leo satellites into orbit. (United Launch Alliance Photo) Amazon says the overnight launch of 29 satellites should clear the way for its Amazon Leo network to start offering commercial high-speed internet service from space this year, in direct competition with SpaceX’s Starlink network.

United Launch Alliance’s Atlas 5 rocket sent the satellites into low Earth orbit from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 12:30 a.m. ET today (9:30 p.m. PT Wednesday).

This was the last of eight Atlas 5 launches that Amazon reserved for its satellites. Going forward, ULA will use its next-generation Vulcan rocket to support Amazon Leo’s years-long deployment schedule. Amazon has also made launch reservations with Blue Origin, Arianespace and SpaceX.

The latest liftoff boosts Amazon Leo’s constellation to 396 operational satellites. That will be enough to support continuous connectivity in the initial latitudes targeted for commercial service, according to Chris Weber, vice president of business and product for Amazon Leo.

“Still lots of work ahead — including raising all these new satellites to their assigned altitude — but we’ve completed enough launches for initial service this year, and future missions just add coverage and capacity,” Weber said in a LinkedIn post.

Amazon has been beta-testing the service for months with a select group of customers, but connectivity hasn’t been continuous due to sparse orbital coverage. Amazon Leo’s business plan calls for launching commercial service within a limited zone concentrated at mid-northern and mid-southern latitudes, and gradually expanding the service area as more satellites go up.

“With hundreds of flight-ready satellites standing by at the Cape and a new, dedicated vertical integration facility ready to support Leo Vulcan 1 and subsequent missions, we have a clear path to increase launch and deployment cadence, helping us quickly expand network coverage following an initial service rollout later this year,” Melissa Wuerl, Amazon Leo’s director of launch systems, said in a statement released after the latest launch.

Amazon hasn’t yet announced pricing for satellite broadband service. The first-generation constellation, consisting of 3,232 satellites, is due to reach full deployment in mid-2029 — and Amazon has received regulatory approval for an even larger second-generation constellation.

When Amazon Leo begins commercial service, it will still trail far behind SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network, which has more than 10,000 satellites in orbit and 12 million subscribers. The satellites for both Starlink and Amazon Leo are built in the Seattle area.

In the years ahead, SpaceX plans to beef up Starlink’s capabilities in the emerging market for direct-to-device satellite services. Amazon is aggressively targeting that same market through its recent acquisition of Globalstar. Under a separate agreement tied to the deal, Amazon Leo will start powering Apple’s iPhone satellite services starting in 2028.

Amazon (AMZN +0.59%) and Space Exploration Technologies (SPCX +0.71%) are both trying to become more important to consumers' digital lives.

Amazon already affects how people shop, watch shows, subscribe to services, use smart-home devices, and interact with cloud-powered technology. SpaceX is using Starlink satellite broadband and direct-to-cell service to bring internet access to consumers.

Image source: Getty Images.

Amazon generated $716.9 billion in net sales in 2025, while SpaceX generated just $18.7 billion in revenue. While that size gap does not automatically make Amazon a better stock, it shows the different risk profiles investors are dealing with. 

Amazon is already monetizing consumer behavior at scale Amazon's biggest advantage is that it is already embedded in consumers' daily behavior. In 2025, the company generated $269.3 billion in sales from online stores, $172.2 billion from third-party seller services, $68.6 billion from advertising, $49.6 billion from subscriptions, and $128.7 billion from its AWS cloud computing business. Hence, Amazon earns money at several points in the consumer journey, from product discovery and advertising to subscriptions, transactions, seller services, and cloud infrastructure.

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Its advertising business is also gaining momentum, with revenues rising 24% year over year to $17.2 billion in the first quarter. Many Amazon advertisements appear when shoppers are already comparing products or getting ready to buy. The company's advertising business is proving to be a competitive edge because Amazon is monetizing purchase intent, not just screen time.

Amazon's relationship with consumers also extends well beyond shopping. Prime, Prime Video, Kindle, Fire TV, Echo, Ring, Blink, and eero give the company multiple ways to connect to customers across entertainment, reading, smart-home devices, home security, subscriptions, and Wi-Fi.

Beyond all of that, though, AWS continues to be a key growth engine. In the first quarter, AWS revenue rose 28% year over year to $37.6 billion, while AWS operating income reached $14.2 billion, up from $11.5 billion in the prior-year period. The company's large and highly profitable cloud computing business will play a pivotal role in Amazon's artificial intelligence (AI) ambitions.

Amazon possesses the consumer data and cloud infrastructure to support more personalized shopping tools, smarter ads, better digital assistants, and cloud services for companies building their own AI products. The company recently launched Alexa for Shopping, a new AI shopping assistant built from Rufus and Alexa+. Rufus helps shoppers compare products and answer shopping questions, while Alexa+ adds a more conversational and personalized experience across Amazon's app, website, and devices.

The AWS AI infrastructure is also supported by large customer commitments. OpenAI has committed to lease approximately 2 gigawatts of computing capacity powered by Amazon's custom Trainium chips. Anthropic has also committed to securing up to 5 gigawatts of Trainium capacity. Meta Platforms has signed an agreement to deploy tens of millions of Amazon's custom Graviton server chips to support AI workloads.

Amazon Leo, formerly known as Project Kuiper, is the company's low Earth orbit satellite internet network. As of mid-June, the constellation had grown to 367 satellites, and the company has secured more than 100 rocket launches to deploy additional satellites. It's becoming a formidable player in the satellite broadband market.

Additionally, Amazon's agreement to acquire Globalstar could help Amazon Leo connect directly to phones for voice, data, and messaging services beginning in 2028. The company has also entered into a multiyear agreement with Delta Air Lines to install Amazon's Leo satellite technology on its aircraft, with an initial installation on 500 planes starting in 2028.

However, the main risk for Amazon is its elevated spending. Amazon's trailing-12-month free cash flow fell sharply in the first quarter as its AI-related infrastructure spending rose. The company also faces regulatory pressure and heavy competition.

Yet, Amazon is funding these bets from a much stronger profit base than SpaceX.

SpaceX is trying to move closer to consumers through Starlink The biggest way SpaceX could move closer to consumers is through Starlink mobile.

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SpaceX already offers direct-to-cell satellite technology with T-Mobile US in the U.S, allowing compatible phones to connect through Starlink when they are in locations where regular tower coverage is weak or unavailable. According to Reuters, SpaceX also plans to launch a Starlink mobile service via a consumer mobile plan or a mobile connectivity product for U.S. consumers, which could put it in direct competition with Verizon Communications, AT&T, and T-Mobile US. This could position SpaceX as a prominent consumer telecommunications player.

With nearly 10.3 million subscribers, Starlink is already a meaningful consumer internet business. If it expands into mobile service, Starlink could become more useful for travel, emergency coverage, and areas with weak cellular networks.

SpaceX is also expanding its satellite capacity for a larger Starlink business. In January, the Federal Communications Commission approved the company's request for permission to deploy an additional 7,500 Gen2 Starlink satellites, which would bring SpaceX's authorized network to 15,000. More satellites will help Starlink improve coverage, support direct-to-cell service, and eventually offer faster mobile applications. SpaceX's recent purchase of wireless spectrum from EchoStar is also significant because spectrum is essential for expanding wireless connectivity.

However, investors should not view Starlink mobile as a full replacement for regular wireless networks or 5G service yet. And the bigger issue for investors is valuation and execution risk. SpaceX still trades at about 82 times trailing-12-month sales even after its post-IPO pullback. That type of ambitious valuation is particularly difficult to justify for a company that is still relying heavily on Starlink's profits while pouring funds into rockets, AI infrastructure, spectrum expansion, and mobile ambitions. The Starship rocket, which has yet to carry a commercial payload, is especially important because it could help SpaceX launch larger satellites and expand Starlink capacity more efficiently, but delays would weaken a major part of the company's growth story.

SpaceX can prove a more disruptive connectivity story if Starlink mobile becomes a widely used consumer wireless platform. But Amazon looks like the stronger risk-adjusted winner in the race to own a piece of consumers' digital lives.