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New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - July 23, 2026) - Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC, a nationally recognized investor-rights law firm, announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Verra Mobility Corporation (NASDAQ: VRRM) and certain of its officers.

This lawsuit seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws on behalf of all persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired Verra securities between February 24, 2026 and May 26, 2026, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"). Such investors are encouraged to join this case by visiting the firm's site: bgandg.com/VRRM.

Verra Case Details

The Complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that:

Defendants misrepresented the nature and stability of Verra's relationship with Avis Budget Group ("Avis"), including the likelihood of securing a contract extension; Defendants downplayed the risk that major rental car companies, including Avis, could replace Verra's services with in-house solutions or alternative third-party providers; and as a result, Defendants' statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.What's Next for Verra Investors?

A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to review a copy of the Complaint, you can visit the firm's site: bgandg.com/VRRM, or you may contact Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or his Client Relations Manager, Nathan Miller, of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC at 917-590-0911. If you suffered a loss in Verra you have until August 4, 2026, to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as lead plaintiff.

No Cost to Verra Investors

We, Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman LLC, represent investors in class actions on a contingency fee basis. That means we will ask the court to reimburse us for out-of-pocket expenses and attorneys' fees, usually a percentage of the total recovery, only if we are successful.

Why Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC for Verra Securities Class Action?

Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a nationally recognized firm that represents investors in securities fraud class actions and shareholder derivative suits. Our firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors nationwide. More at www.bgandg.com

"Our practice centers on restoring investor capital and ensuring corporate accountability, which serves to uphold the essential integrity of the marketplace," said Peretz Bronstein, Founding Partner of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC.

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Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/300551

Source: Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC

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New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - July 23, 2026) - Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC, a nationally recognized investor-rights law firm, announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX) and certain of its officers.

This lawsuit seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws on behalf of all persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired Calix securities between January 28, 2026 and April 21, 2026, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"). Such investors are encouraged to join this case by visiting the firm's site: bgandg.com/CALX.

Calix Case Details

The Complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, defendants failed to disclose to investors:

the Company's first quarter margins had significantly benefited from advanced purchasing of memory components; that the Company's advanced supply of memory components was dwindling; that, as a result, the Company was experiencing negative margin pressure as it was forced to purchase memory components at rising market prices; and that, as a result of the foregoing, Defendants' positive statements about the Company's margins, business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.What's Next for Calix Investors?

A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to review a copy of the Complaint, you can visit the firm's site: bgandg.com/CALX, or you may contact Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or his Client Relations Manager, Nathan Miller, of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC at 917-590-0911. If you suffered a loss in Calix you have until July 27, 2026, to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as lead plaintiff.

No Cost to Calix Investors

We, Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman LLC, represent investors in class actions on a contingency fee basis. That means we will ask the court to reimburse us for out-of-pocket expenses and attorneys' fees, usually a percentage of the total recovery, only if we are successful.

Why Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC for Calix Securities Class Action?

Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a nationally recognized firm that represents investors in securities fraud class actions and shareholder derivative suits. Our firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors nationwide. More at www.bgandg.com

"Our practice centers on restoring investor capital and ensuring corporate accountability, which serves to uphold the essential integrity of the marketplace," said Peretz Bronstein, Founding Partner of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, or Instagram.

Attorney advertising.
Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/299466

Source: Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC

Ready to Announce with Confidence? Send us a message and a member of our TMX Newsfile team will contact you to discuss your needs.

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Packaging Corporation of America (PKG) Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript

All investors love getting big returns from their portfolio, whether it's through stocks, bonds, ETFs, or other types of securities. But when you're an income investor, your primary focus is generating consistent cash flow from each of your liquid investments.

While cash flow can come from bond interest or interest from other types of investments, income investors hone in on dividends. A dividend is that coveted distribution of a company's earnings paid out to shareholders, and investors often view it by its dividend yield, a metric that measures the dividend as a percent of the current stock price. Many academic studies show that dividends account for significant portions of long-term returns, with dividend contributions exceeding one-third of total returns in many cases.

Maximus (MMS - Free Report) is headquartered in Mclean, and is in the Business Services sector. The stock has seen a price change of -33.31% since the start of the year. The government health services provider is currently shelling out a dividend of $0.33 per share, with a dividend yield of 2.29%. This compares to the Government Services industry's yield of 0.71% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.34%.

Looking at dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $1.32 is up 10% from last year. Over the last 5 years, Maximus has increased its dividend 1 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 1.91%. Looking ahead, future dividend growth will be dependent on earnings growth and payout ratio, which is the proportion of a company's annual earnings per share that it pays out as a dividend. Maximus's current payout ratio is 17%, meaning it paid out 17% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.

MMS is expecting earnings to expand this fiscal year as well. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 is $8.43 per share, which represents a year-over-year growth rate of 14.54%.

Investors like dividends for a variety of different reasons, from tax advantages and decreasing overall portfolio risk to considerably improving stock investing profits. It's important to keep in mind that not all companies provide a quarterly payout.

Big, established firms that have more secure profits are often seen as the best dividend options, but it's fairly uncommon to see high-growth businesses or tech start-ups offer their stockholders a dividend. During periods of rising interest rates, income investors must be mindful that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle. That said, they can take comfort from the fact that MMS is not only an attractive dividend play, but is also a compelling investment opportunity with a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Oceaneering International is shifting toward defense, aerospace, and underwater automation, reducing reliance on cyclical oil and gas markets. OII delivered 10% revenue growth and beat Q2 2026 analyst forecasts, with management maintaining a $400–440 million annual EBITDA outlook. A forward P/E of 25.7x and a low free cash flow margin suggest the current valuation leaves little room for execution missteps.

A month has gone by since the last earnings report for KB Home (KBH - Free Report) . Shares have lost about 8.2% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500.

Will the recent negative trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is KB Home due for a breakout? Well, first let's take a quick look at the latest earnings report in order to get a better handle on the recent catalysts for KB Home before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late.

KB Home Q2 Earnings Meet, Revenues Beat on Built-to-Order ShiftKB Home reported second-quarter fiscal 2026 earnings of 43 cents per share, in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Earnings declined 71.3% from $1.50 per share in the year-ago quarter.

Total revenues of $1.112 billion beat the consensus mark of $1.090 billion by 2% but decreased 27% year over year. Results reflected lower deliveries and pricing pressure, partly offset by progress in the company’s Built to Order model, which represented 73% of net orders.

KB Home’s Homebuilding HighlightsHousing revenues totaled $1.11 billion, down 27% from $1.52 billion in the prior-year quarter. The decline was primarily due to a 23% decrease in homes delivered and a 5% drop in the overall average selling price (ASP).

Homes delivered were 2,395 compared with 3,120 a year ago. The backlog conversion rate was 66%, down from 70% in the year-ago period, reflecting the strategic shift toward a higher mix of Built to Order homes. The ASP was $461,900, down from $488,700 a year ago. Sequentially, ASP rose 2%, supported by product and geographic mix.

Net orders declined 4% year over year to 3,317 homes. Net order value also fell 4% to $1.55 billion. Monthly net orders per community were four compared with 4.5 in the prior-year quarter. Management cited elevated mortgage rates, affordability pressures, weak consumer confidence, inflation and geopolitical uncertainty as factors that weighed on traffic conversion.

The cancellation rate improved to 12% of gross orders from 16% a year ago. The company ended the quarter with 280 communities, up 11% from 253 in the prior-year period.

The ending backlog was 4,526 homes, down 5% year over year. Backlog value declined 7% to $2.14 billion. However, backlog improved 26% sequentially. Management said the company expects sequential backlog growth to continue in the third quarter and anticipates returning to year-over-year backlog growth during that period.

KBH Margins Hurt by Pricing PressureHomebuilding operating income was $28.2 million compared with $131.5 million a year ago. The homebuilding operating income margin contracted to 2.5% from 8.6%.

Housing gross margin was 15.2% compared with 19.3% in the prior-year quarter. Excluding inventory-related charges of $5.6 million, adjusted housing gross margin was 15.7% compared with 19.7% a year ago.

The year-over-year margin contraction primarily reflected price reductions, higher relative land costs and reduced operating leverage. SG&A expenses were 12.7% of housing revenues compared with 10.7%, mainly due to lower operating leverage.

KBH’s Liquidity UpdateThe company ended the quarter with total liquidity of $1.12 billion, including $199.8 million in cash and $923.4 million of available revolver capacity. During the quarter, KBH repurchased 1.4 million shares for $75 million, bringing first-half repurchases to $125 million.

KBH Updates Fiscal 2026 GuidanceFor the third quarter of fiscal 2026, KBH expects deliveries of 2,600-2,800 homes and housing revenues of $1.20-$1.35 billion. Housing gross margin is projected between 16.0% and 16.6%, assuming no inventory-related charges.

For fiscal 2026, the company expects deliveries of 10,500-11,000 homes (from 10,000-11,500 homes) and housing revenues of $4.90-$5.30 billion (from $4.8-$5.5 billion). Housing gross margin is projected between 16.1% and 16.5%, assuming no inventory-related charges.

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

The consensus estimate has shifted 15.4% due to these changes.

VGM ScoresAt this time, KB Home has a poor Growth Score of F, however its Momentum Score is doing a lot better with an A. Charting a somewhat similar path, the stock has a score of B on the value side, putting it in the second quintile for this investment strategy.

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

OutlookEstimates have been broadly trending upward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions looks promising. Notably, KB Home has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We expect an in-line return from the stock in the next few months.

Key Takeaways Pilgrim's Pride's Q2 revenues are projected to rise 3% to $4.9 billion.Retail, foodservice, Prepared Foods and Just BARE demand likely supported PPC's sales growth.Higher chicken supply, weaker pricing and elevated freight and packaging costs may pressure PPC's margins. Pilgrim's Pride Corporation (PPC - Free Report) is likely to witness top-line growth when it reports second-quarter 2026 earnings on July 29. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pegged at $4.9 billion, indicating an increase of 3% from the prior-year quarter’s reported figure.

However, the bottom line is likely to have remained soft. The consensus mark for earnings has declined 22.7% over the past 30 days to 75 cents a share, which suggests a decrease of 55.9% from the figure reported in the year-ago period. PPC has a trailing four-quarter negative surprise of 5.2%, on average.

Factors Likely to Influence PPC’s Upcoming ResultsPilgrim’s Pride’s second-quarter revenues are likely to have benefited from healthy chicken demand across retail and foodservice channels. Chicken’s affordability relative to beef likely continues to support consumption as value-conscious consumers prioritize lower-cost protein options. Growth in retail tray-pack offerings, Prepared Foods and branded products such as Just BARE is also likely to have supported the top line.

The Russellville facility conversion and Big Bird network enhancements may have improved the company’s ability to meet key customer demand and expand higher-value product offerings.

International operations have also been a driver. Europe has been seeing resilient demand for poultry and convenient meal offerings, while continued momentum in branded Fresh and Prepared Foods, supported by retail and quick-service restaurant demand, has been working well for Mexico.

However, profitability is expected to have remained under pressure despite higher sales. Increased U.S. chicken supply, weaker jumbo cutout values and soft deli small-bird pricing are likely to have weighed on margins. Mexico may have faced pressure from excess live-bird supply and imports. Costs associated with plant upgrades, production ramp-ups, and higher freight and packaging expenses are likely to have offset the benefits of stronger revenues.

Earnings Whispers for PPCOur proven model doesn’t conclusively predict an earnings beat for Pilgrim's Pride this time. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat, which is not the case here.

 Pilgrim's Pride currently carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) and has an Earnings ESP of -20.00%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Stocks With the Favorable CombinationHere are some companies worth considering, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to beat on earnings this reporting cycle.

Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (ADM - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +11.52% and a Zacks Rank of 2. The consensus estimate for ADM’s quarterly revenues is pinned at $22.4 billion, which calls for 5.7% growth from the figure reported in the prior-year quarter. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Archer-Daniels’ upcoming quarter’s EPS is pegged at $1.27, which implies a 36.6% rise year over year. ADM delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 5.4%, on average.

Kimberly-Clark Corporation (KMB - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +2.70% and a Zacks Rank of 3. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Kimberly-Clark’s upcoming quarterly revenues is pegged at $4.2 billion. The figure indicates a 1.7% increase from the prior-year quarter.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Kimberly-Clark’s quarterly earnings per share is pegged at $2.00, indicating a 4.2% gain from the year-ago period figure. KMB delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 19.1%, on average.

Monster Beverage Corporation (MNST - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +2.61% and a Zacks Rank of 3. The consensus estimate for Monster Beverage’s quarterly revenues is pinned at $2.4 billion, which suggests 14.5% growth from the figure reported in the prior-year quarter.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the upcoming quarter’s EPS is pegged at 59 cents, which calls for a 13.5% jump year over year. MNST delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 9.6%, on average.

Research from Twilio (NYSE: TWLO), the infrastructure for customer engagement in the AI era, shows a stark perception gap in the public sector: while 88% of gov

Key Takeaways Armstrong World is set to report Q2 results on July 28, with EPS seen rising 11.5% and revenues 8%.Pricing, commercial renovation demand and Architectural Specialties momentum are expected to lift sales.Productivity, higher WAVE contributions and easing tariff effects may support EBITDA and margins. Armstrong World Industries, Inc. (AWI - Free Report) is scheduled to report its second-quarter 2026 results on July 28, before the opening bell.

AWI’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in two of the trailing four quarters, and missed on two occasions, with the average surprise being 2.9%.

How Are Estimates Placed for AWI Stock?The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter earnings per share (EPS) has remained unchanged at $2.33 over the past 60 days. The revised estimate indicates 11.5% year-over-year growth.

The consensus estimate for revenues is pegged at $458.4 million, indicating an 8% year-over-year rise from $424.6 million.

Factors Likely to Shape AWI’s Q2 PerformanceRevenues

Armstrong World’s second-quarter revenues are likely to have benefited from continued pricing discipline, resilient demand in commercial renovation markets and sustained momentum in the Architectural Specialties segment. The Mineral Fiber business is expected to remain supported by favorable Average Unit Value, modest volume growth and improving demand from federal-government customers. Recent acquisitions, including Eventscape, Parallel and Geometrik, are also likely to have contributed incremental revenues.

Commercial activity also remains healthy across transportation, airports, healthcare and data centers. Management highlighted strong Architectural Specialties quoting activity and low-double-digit order growth, providing good visibility into the second half of 2026.

This growth is reflected in contributions from AWI’s two reportable segments: Mineral Fiber, which accounted for approximately 63% of first-quarter 2026 revenues, and Architectural Specialties, which contributed about 37%. For the Mineral Fiber unit, revenues are currently pegged at $282.5 million, up from $267 million reported a year ago. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the Architectural Specialties segment revenues is currently pegged at $176.7 million compared with $157.6 million reported a year ago.

Armstrong World’s innovation initiatives are expected to remain another important growth driver. Continued adoption of PROJECTWORKS and Kanopi should support specification wins, customer engagement and pricing. At the same time, TEMPLOK energy-saving ceiling systems and the company’s expanding portfolio of data-center solutions are positioned to benefit from increasing demand for energy-efficient commercial buildings and AI-driven digital infrastructure. Management expects these initiatives to generate up to 1.5 percentage points of volume growth above underlying market demand in 2026.

Earnings & Margins

Armstrong World’s earnings are expected to benefit from pricing, productivity gains and higher WAVE contributions in the Mineral Fiber segment, supporting its full-year adjusted EBITDA margin target of about 44%. Our model projects second-quarter adjusted EBITDA to rise 7.9% year over year to $166.1 million.

Architectural Specialties margins are also expected to improve sequentially as the one-time tariff impact fades, acquisitions scale and recent growth investments begin to support operating leverage. However, higher raw-material and energy costs, elevated selling expenses, acquisition-integration costs and continued investments in growth initiatives could partially offset these benefits during the quarter.

What the Zacks Model Says for Armstrong WorldOur proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for Armstrong World this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. This is not the case here, as you will see below.

AWI’s Earnings ESP: The company has an Earnings ESP of 0.00%. You can uncover the best stocks before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

AWI’s Zacks Rank: The stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of 3.

Stocks With the Favorable CombinationHere are some companies in the Zacks Construction sector that, according to our model, have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat in the quarter to be reported.

Boise Cascade Company (BCC - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +6.50% and a Zacks Rank of 2 at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Boise Cascade’s earnings beat estimates in two of the last four quarters, missed on one occasion and met on the remaining occasion, the average surprise being 40.8%. BCC’s earnings for the second quarter of 2026 are expected to decline 25% year over year.

CRH plc (CRH - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +4.08% and a Zacks Rank of 3.

CRH’s earnings beat estimates in two of the last four quarters, missed on one occasion and met on the remaining occasion, the average surprise being 0.7%. CRH’s earnings for the second quarter of 2026 are expected to inch up 1% year over year.

Limbach Holdings, Inc. (LMB - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +0.26% and a Zacks Rank of 3 at present.

Limbach’s earnings beat estimates in three of the last four quarters and missed on the remaining one occasion, the average surprise being 37.3%. LMB’s earnings for the second quarter of 2026 are expected to rise 5.4% year over year.

Joby Aviation remains a high-conviction, execution-driven story, with upside hinging on successful certification and commercial rollout in urban air mobility. The Virgin Atlantic partnership provides JOBY with a ready-made UK distribution channel, de-risking commercialization and accelerating potential revenue ramp post-certification. Current financials show heavy losses and high cash burn, but a $2.5B liquidity position offers multiple years of runway to fund certification and scale-up.

MILWAUKEE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend.

Key Takeaways ARM's processor architecture could benefit from rising demand for efficient AI computing infrastructure.ARM's royalty model allows growth across smartphones, data centers, automotive and edge devices.ARM supports AI expansion through its ecosystem, licensing model and next-generation computing markets. While investor enthusiasm surrounding artificial intelligence has pushed valuations across the semiconductor sector higher, Arm Holdings’ (ARM - Free Report) long-term opportunity is supported by more than short-term AI excitement. The company’s potential lies in the expanding adoption of its architecture across a broader range of computing markets, which could create durable growth opportunities as AI workloads continue evolving.

Unlike companies focused primarily on AI accelerators or networking solutions, ARM provides the underlying processor architecture that enables efficient computing across a wide range of applications. As enterprises and cloud providers increasingly prioritize energy-efficient infrastructure, demand for ARM-based processors could accelerate, particularly in areas where performance per watt becomes a critical factor.

A key advantage for Arm Holdings is its royalty-driven business model. As more customers adopt Arm-based designs and deploy products across smartphones, data centers, automotive systems and edge devices, the company can benefit from expanding royalty streams without requiring the same level of capital investment as traditional chip manufacturers. This creates the potential for sustainable revenue growth as adoption increases.

The company’s AI opportunity also extends beyond a single market. The rise of customized silicon, AI-enabled devices and specialized computing workloads creates additional avenues for ARM’s architecture to gain broader acceptance. As more industries integrate AI into their operations, the need for efficient and scalable computing solutions could strengthen demand for Arm Holdings’ technology.

Although investor expectations remain high, ARM’s AI opportunity is supported by structural industry trends rather than hype alone. The company’s ecosystem, licensing model and expanding presence across next-generation computing markets provide a foundation for long-term growth.

How Arm Holdings Stacks Up Against Key U.S. PeersNVIDIA (NVDA - Free Report) dominates the AI accelerator market with its GPUs and networking platforms. Unlike Arm Holdings, which primarily generates revenue through licensing and royalties, NVIDIA designs and sells complete hardware and software solutions. While NVIDIA's growth is driven by direct chip sales, ARM benefits as more semiconductor companies adopt its CPU architecture to develop AI-optimized processors, making the two companies complementary in many AI deployments rather than direct competitors.

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD - Free Report) competes in CPUs, GPUs and data center processors, focusing on designing and selling semiconductor products. ARM, in contrast, licenses its processor architecture to a broad ecosystem of chipmakers. As demand for custom AI chips and energy-efficient computing grows, AMD competes through product innovation, while ARM benefits from broader adoption of its intellectual property across multiple customers and end markets.

ARM’s Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesThe stock has surged a massive 159% year to date, significantly outperforming the industry’s 35% rally.

                                                          Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, ARM trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 45.66X, well above the industry’s 13.56X. It carries a Value Score of F.

                                                               Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s fiscal 2027 earnings has declined over the past 30 days.

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

Harley-Davidson (HOG - Free Report) reported $1.11 billion in revenue for the quarter ended June 2026, representing a year-over-year increase of 6.1%. EPS of $0.75 for the same period compares to $0.88 a year ago.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of -0.38% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.12 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $0.62, the EPS surprise was +20.97%.

While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine their next move, some key metrics always offer a more accurate picture of a company's financial health.

Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.

Here is how Harley-Davidson performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:

HDMC Worldwide Motorcycle Shipments - Total: 39,209 versus 39,690 estimated by three analysts on average.Worldwide Retail Sales of Harley-Davidson Motorcycles - United States: 27,574 compared to the 26,837 average estimate based on two analysts.Worldwide Retail Sales of Harley-Davidson Motorcycles - Canada: 2,177 versus 2,230 estimated by two analysts on average.Worldwide Retail Sales of Harley-Davidson Motorcycles - EMEA: 6,959 versus the two-analyst average estimate of 7,309.Revenue- Motorcycles and related products- HDMC revenue- Licensing: $6.3 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $5.71 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +6%.Revenue- Live Wire: $9.11 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $4.74 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +51.6%.Revenue- Motorcycles and related products- HDMC revenue- Apparel: $56.07 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $52.96 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +1.5%.Revenue- Motorcycles and related products (HDMC & Live Wire): $1.11 billion compared to the $1.12 billion average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of +6.1% year over year.Revenue- Motorcycles and related products- HDMC revenue- Other: $16.91 million versus $18.5 million estimated by three analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -3.6% change.Revenue- Motorcycles and related products- HDMC revenue: $1.1 billion versus the three-analyst average estimate of $1.11 billion.Revenue- Motorcycles and related products- HDMC revenue- Motorcycles: $848.06 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $850.82 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +9%.Revenue- Motorcycles and related products- HDMC revenue- Parts & Accessories: $176.95 million compared to the $185.18 million average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of -5.3% year over year.View all Key Company Metrics for Harley-Davidson here>>>

Shares of Harley-Davidson have returned +8.1% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.4% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.

Cullen/Frost Bankers (CFR - Free Report) is expected to deliver a year-over-year increase in earnings on higher revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended June 2026. This widely-known consensus outlook gives a good sense of the company's earnings picture, but how the actual results compare to these estimates is a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price.

The earnings report, which is expected to be released on July 30, might help the stock move higher if these key numbers are better than expectations. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower.

While the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call, it's worth handicapping the probability of a positive EPS surprise.

Zacks Consensus EstimateThis financial holding company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $2.53 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +5.9%.

Revenues are expected to be $594.16 million, up 4.6% from the year-ago quarter.

Estimate Revisions TrendThe consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 0.22% lower over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period.

Investors should keep in mind that an aggregate change may not always reflect the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts.

Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Earnings WhisperEstimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. This insight is at the core of our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction).

The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. 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.

Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only.

A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP.

Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell).

How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for Cullen/Frost?For Cullen/Frost, the Most Accurate Estimate is higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bullish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of +1.19%.

On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #3.

So, this combination indicates that Cullen/Frost will most likely beat the consensus EPS estimate.

Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue?While calculating estimates for a company's future earnings, analysts often consider to what extent it has been able to match past consensus estimates. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number.

For the last reported quarter, it was expected that Cullen/Frost would post earnings of $2.46 per share when it actually produced earnings of $2.65, delivering a surprise of +7.72%.

Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates four times.

Bottom LineAn earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss.

That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.

Cullen/Frost appears a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release.

An Industry Player's Expected ResultsAnother stock from the Zacks Banks - Southwest industry, FinWise Bancorp (FINW - Free Report) , is soon expected to post earnings of $0.24 per share for the quarter ended June 2026. This estimate indicates a year-over-year change of -17.2%. Revenues for the quarter are expected to be $46.02 million, up 83.6% from the year-ago quarter.

Over the last 30 days, the consensus EPS estimate for FinWise Bancorp has remained unchanged. Nevertheless, the company now has an Earnings ESP of -8.33%, reflecting a lower Most Accurate Estimate.

This Earnings ESP, combined with its Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), makes it difficult to conclusively predict that FinWise Bancorp will beat the consensus EPS estimate. Over the last four quarters, the company surpassed consensus EPS estimates two times.

Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.

NEW YORK, July 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC, a nationally recognized investor-rights law firm, announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Helen of Troy Limited (NASDAQ: HELE) and certain of its officers. This lawsuit seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws on behalf of all persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired Helen of Troy securities between April 24, 2024 and October 8, 2025, both dates inclusive (the “Class Period”).

E.l.f. Beauty (ELF -3.63%) hasn't given investors a lot to cheer about lately, with the stock down about 30% over the past year. However, that could be about to change as the company starts to rev up the growth of its recently acquired Rhode brand and expand its namesake brand into a new category.

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Growth catalysts ahead E.l.f. completed its $1 billion acquisition of Rhode last August. At the time of the deal, the high-end skincare line founded by celebrity Hailey Bieber had quickly grown to over $200 million in sales, offering just a handful of products on its website with little marketing outside of Bieber's own fame. E.l.f. is now in the process of ramping up Rhode's growth, which should help bring renewed interest to the stock.

Before its acquisition, Rhode had already entered an agreement to start being sold in LVMH's Sephora stores. Rhode saw strong success with its launch in U.S. and Canadian Sephora stores, but it has now started to expand overseas. After a highly successful debut at Sephora stores in the U.K. last September, e.l.f. will now expand the Rhode brand throughout Europe, both within Sephora stores and online. It also entered the Australia and New Zealand markets in February, and began offering its products direct to consumers in Mexico in June.

In addition to expanding internationally, Rhode has also started to expand its product assortment. With its Summer 2026 collection, the brand broadened its color cosmetic portfolio by entering the bronzer category while introducing other new items, like its Highlight Milk, its first-ever skin-prep, skin-finish crossover product. This follows an earlier move into spot treatment products, like pimple patches.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

Meanwhile, e.l.f. is also looking to make a big move with its namesake brand. After disrupting the mass-market cosmetics category, the company is now set to go after the hair care category. It said its research showed that 77% of its customers were interested in e.l.f. offering hair care products, and that two limited-edition products scored high marks with consumers. It will enter the category with a new marketing campaign with products including shampoo, conditioner, treatment oil, styling spray/cream, and a styling cream wand. The products will be sold at Target and through TikTok shops.

Between Rhode's increased product assortment and distribution and e.l.f.'s entry into hair care, the company should see strong growth in the coming years. Meanwhile, the stock looks like a bargain, trading at a forward P/E of less than 22 times fiscal 2028 (ending March 2028) analyst estimates. Overall, e.l.f. is a growth stock that looks ready to rally.

Geoffrey Seiler has positions in LVMH Moët Hennessy - Louis Vuitton and e.l.f. Beauty. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Target. The Motley Fool recommends Lvmh Moët Hennessy - Louis Vuitton, Société Européenne and e.l.f. Beauty. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Investors interested in Industrial Services stocks are likely familiar with LegalZoom (LZ) and W.W. Grainger (GWW).

3 Stocks That Could Benefit as the Robotaxi Race Heats UpMobileye Global NASDAQ: MBLY reported a largely stable second quarter for revenue while profitability improved sharply, as executives pointed to stronger-than-market EyeQ chip volumes, a new Israeli research and development incentive and an expanded push into robotaxis as key themes for the company’s next phase.

On the company’s second-quarter 2026 earnings call, President and Chief Executive Officer Amnon Shashua said Mobileye’s core business “continues to perform very well in 2026,” providing what he called “a strong foundation” for upcoming advanced product launches. For the quarter ended June 27, 2026, EyeQ volume rose 3% year over year, outperforming the production volume of Mobileye’s top 10 customers by more than eight percentage points, Shashua said.

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Netflix, Pulte, and Mobileye Are Buying Their Own Dips—Should You?Revenue was $508 million, which Chief Financial Officer Moran Shemesh said was relatively flat compared with the year-earlier quarter, Mobileye’s highest revenue quarter of 2025. Shemesh said volume totaled 10 million units, above the company’s expectations, driven by higher share within certain automakers, higher ADAS fitment rates in emerging markets and stronger China OEM export volume.

Profitability Boosted by Israeli R&D Incentive Mobileye’s adjusted operating income was $155 million in the second quarter, up 46% from a year earlier, while adjusted operating margin expanded to 31%, up about 10 percentage points from the second quarter of 2025. Shemesh said the increase was more than accounted for by the recognition of $93 million in contra R&D expense tied to a new R&D incentive enacted by the Israeli government during the quarter.

Mobileye's Manic Monday: A Buy Signal in Auto TechAbout half of that benefit related to the second quarter, while the other half reflected the retroactive first-quarter impact, Shemesh said. She added that the new regime became law during the second quarter but is effective from the start of 2026. Mobileye expects the benefit to continue in future years, though Shemesh noted it is subject to potential changes in law and could vary by quarter based on qualifying R&D expenditures, exchange rates and other factors.

Shashua said the first half of the year provides a more representative view of Mobileye’s underlying performance because the second quarter included the first-quarter R&D credit impact. First-half revenue rose 13% year over year, while production volume at the company’s core customers declined 3%, he said. First-half adjusted operating margin was 23%, up six percentage points from a year earlier. Mobileye generated $210 million of operating cash flow in the first half.

Guidance Raised for 2026 Mobileye increased its full-year revenue outlook to a midpoint of $1.995 billion and tightened the range, implying 4% to 7% revenue growth. Shemesh said the midpoint assumes slightly more than 39 million EyeQ units, nearly 1 million more than the company’s prior outlook. The upside is being partially offset by lower expectations in the aftermarket and Moovit businesses and the pushout of some advanced product samples into 2027.

The company also raised its adjusted operating income outlook to a midpoint of $395 million, up from $210 million previously. Mobileye is incorporating $180 million to $200 million of benefit from the R&D incentive in its full-year outlook. Shemesh said this positive impact, along with higher revenue, is being partly offset by increased spending to support early robotaxi expansion activities and a modest rise in operating expenses related primarily to foreign exchange.

For the third quarter, Shemesh said Mobileye expects 9.3 million to 9.5 million EyeQ units and revenue to decline about 5% to 6% year over year. Gross margin is expected to be slightly below second-quarter levels, while operating expenses excluding the R&D incentive are expected to rise slightly from the second quarter due to typical seasonality.

Robotaxi Strategy Expands Beyond Supplying Technology Shashua said Mobileye has decided to establish a “fully vertically integrated robotaxi offering” in which the company will control all aspects of the value chain. The initiative targets a 2027 launch in at least one U.S. city and will proceed in parallel with Mobileye’s existing self-driving system development.

Shashua said Mobileye has gained confidence from the progress of its work with Volkswagen Group company MOIA, including public rider testing with safety drivers in Hamburg, Germany, using vehicles equipped with Mobileye’s self-driving system. He said the company expects additional milestones through 2026 and 2027.

During the question-and-answer portion of the call, Shashua said several factors had changed since Mobileye previously considered whether to operate robotaxi fleets itself. He cited increased availability of level-four-ready base vehicles, more mature compute and sensor stacks, and greater clarity on demand and revenue per robotaxi. He said Mobileye’s calculations indicate revenue of about $125,000 per robotaxi per year, which he called conservative, and a vehicle cost below $100,000 with Mobileye’s sensors and compute.

Shashua said the strategy would give Mobileye flexibility, including operating vehicles in its own service, deploying them on third-party platforms or selling vehicles to robotaxi operators with recurring revenue as vehicles generate rider fares. The company plans to use Moovit, its mobility division, for fleet supply, demand optimization, trip planning and rider engagement. Shashua said Moovit will shift resources away from the B2B side of its business and reduce headcount to focus on the new strategy.

ADAS, China Exports and Advanced Programs Mobileye executives said the company continues to benefit from several secular drivers, including growth in India, exports by Chinese automakers into emerging markets and new customer wins. Shashua said Surround ADAS is expected to drive average selling price growth starting in 2028.

Shashua also discussed recent Stellantis awards, saying Mobileye won a high-volume 2027 program with Cloud-Enhanced ADAS that supports highway hands-free driving in a cost-efficient package. He said a lower-volume, later-timing, higher-risk program was awarded to other suppliers, an outcome he described as consistent with how automakers are allocating risk.

Nimrod Nehushtan, executive vice president of business development and strategy, said the Stellantis program is an upgrade of an existing production project and will introduce REM through Cloud-Enhanced ADAS. He said the implementation is relatively straightforward for the automaker and provides Mobileye with a tailwind in average selling price. Nehushtan said Stellantis intends to adopt the technology broadly across its vehicles beginning in 2027, gradually moving toward standard-fit integration of REM in its fleet.

On China, Nehushtan said Mobileye has benefited from export growth at Chinese automakers including Geely and Chery, with “the vast majority” of those export volumes using Mobileye’s EyeQ system. He said those automakers have also nominated Mobileye for future programs, which he described as a vote of confidence in Mobileye’s system for export markets.

CEO Succession and Long-Term Opportunities Shashua addressed his decision to step down as chief executive once a successor is appointed, saying Mobileye is entering a new phase as SuperVision, Chauffeur and Drive move toward commercialization. He said the board has assembled a search committee and is “casting a wide net” for the company’s next leader.

Following the appointment of a successor, Shashua said he aims to focus on technology strategy, innovation and long-term opportunities. He identified robotaxis and humanoid robotics as major long-term opportunities built on the same “physical AI foundation.”

In response to analyst questions, Shashua said he believes autonomous vehicle technology is “largely solved” from a scientific standpoint for the programs Mobileye has underway, while humanoid robotics remains an area where he wants to spend more time. He said Mobileye is still targeting 2028 for an initial humanoid robot deployment, with a business-to-consumer focus and about 500 units expected to be built that year.

About Mobileye Global (NASDAQ:MBLY)Mobileye Global Inc NASDAQ: MBLY is a leader in the development of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving technologies. Headquartered in Jerusalem, Israel, the company designs and supplies computer vision-based solutions that enable vehicles to detect and respond to road conditions, obstacles and signage. Mobileye's core offering centers on its proprietary EyeQ system-on-a-chip (SoC) family, which processes video streams from automotive cameras to deliver features such as lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, collision prevention and traffic sign recognition.

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

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While Mobileye Global currently has a Hold rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.

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The AI wave will soon hit public markets with Anthropic and OpenAI set to go public later this year. However, you don't have to wait to invest. This report shows seven AI stocks that you can buy today while the big model providers get ready to go public.

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Tempus AI (TEM - Free Report) is expected to deliver a year-over-year increase in earnings on higher revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended June 2026. This widely-known consensus outlook gives a good sense of the company's earnings picture, but how the actual results compare to these estimates is a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price.

The earnings report, which is expected to be released on July 30, might help the stock move higher if these key numbers are better than expectations. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower.

While the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call, it's worth handicapping the probability of a positive EPS surprise.

Zacks Consensus EstimateThis health care technology company is expected to post quarterly loss of $0.12 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +45.5%.

Revenues are expected to be $381.58 million, up 21.3% from the year-ago quarter.

Estimate Revisions TrendThe consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 3.59% higher over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period.

Investors should keep in mind that an aggregate change may not always reflect the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts.

Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Earnings WhisperEstimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. This insight is at the core of our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction).

The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. 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.

Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only.

A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP.

Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell).

How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for Tempus?For Tempus, the Most Accurate Estimate is higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bullish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of +21.74%.

On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #3.

So, this combination indicates that Tempus will most likely beat the consensus EPS estimate.

Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue?Analysts often consider to what extent a company has been able to match consensus estimates in the past while calculating their estimates for its future earnings. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number.

For the last reported quarter, it was expected that Tempus would post a loss of$0.21 per share when it actually produced a loss of -$0.13, delivering a surprise of +38.10%.

Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates three times.

Bottom LineAn earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss.

That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.

Tempus appears a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release.

Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.

At a CISO roundtable organized by Anthropic's chief information security officer, Dev Rishi asked a simple question: Did everyone in the room have their AI governance and security policies written down? Every hand went up — about 14 people, by his count.

Shares of Bright Minds Biosciences Inc. (DRUG - Free Report) have gained 14% over the past four weeks to close the last trading session at $75.46, but there could still be a solid upside left in the stock if short-term price targets of Wall Street analysts are any indication. Going by the price targets, the mean estimate of $156.6 indicates a potential upside of 107.5%.

The average comprises five short-term price targets ranging from a low of $126.00 to a high of $220.00, with a standard deviation of $36.46. While the lowest estimate indicates an increase of 67% from the current price level, the most optimistic estimate points to a 191.6% upside. More than the range, one should note the standard deviation here, as it helps understand the variability of the estimates. The smaller the standard deviation, the greater the agreement among analysts.

While the consensus price target is a much-coveted metric for investors, solely banking on this metric to make an investment decision may not be wise at all. That's because the ability and unbiasedness of analysts in setting price targets have long been questionable.

But, for DRUG, an impressive average price target is not the only indicator of a potential upside. Strong agreement among analysts about the company's ability to report better earnings than they predicted earlier strengthens this view. While a positive trend in earnings estimate revisions doesn't gauge how much a stock could gain, it has proven to be powerful in predicting an upside.

Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Here's What You Should Know About Analysts' Price TargetsAccording to researchers at several universities across the globe, a price target is one of many pieces of information about a stock that misleads investors far more often than it guides. In fact, empirical research shows that price targets set by several analysts, irrespective of the extent of agreement, rarely indicate where the price of a stock could actually be heading.

While Wall Street analysts have deep knowledge of a company's fundamentals and the sensitivity of its business to economic and industry issues, many of them tend to set overly optimistic price targets. Are you wondering why?

They usually do that to drum up interest in shares of companies that their firms either have existing business relationships with or are looking to be associated with. In other words, business incentives of firms covering a stock often result in inflated price targets set by analysts.

However, a tight clustering of price targets, which is represented by a low standard deviation, indicates that analysts have a high degree of agreement about the direction and magnitude of a stock's price movement. While that doesn't necessarily mean the stock will hit the average price target, it could be a good starting point for further research aimed at identifying the potential fundamental driving forces.

That said, while investors should not entirely ignore price targets, making an investment decision solely based on them could lead to disappointing ROI. So, price targets should always be treated with a high degree of skepticism.

Why DRUG Could Witness a Solid UpsideAnalysts' growing optimism over the company's earnings prospects, as indicated by strong agreement among them in revising EPS estimates higher, could be a legitimate reason to expect an upside in the stock. That's because empirical research shows a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements.

For the current year, one estimate has moved higher over the last 30 days compared to no negative revision. As a result, the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased 0.8%.

Moreover, DRUG currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), which means it is in the top 20% of more than 4,000 stocks that we rank based on four factors related to earnings estimates. Given an impressive externally-audited track record, this is a more conclusive indication of the stock's potential upside in the near term. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>> .

Therefore, while the consensus price target may not be a reliable indicator of how much DRUG could gain, the direction of price movement it implies does appear to be a good guide.

Key Takeaways GE Vernova reported a $176B backlog as equipment orders more than doubled in Q2.GE Vernova raised 2026 revenues and free cash flow guidance after strong cash generation.GE Vernova signed 20 GW of gas power orders and slot reservation agreements in the quarter. GE Vernova Inc. (GEV - Free Report) used its second-quarter earnings call to press a bigger long-term capacity case, arguing that demand in gas power and electrification is broadening faster than near-term earnings noise would suggest. Scott Strazik and Kenneth Parks centered the discussion on backlog, output expansion and cash generation rather than the quarterly earnings per share (EPS) miss.

Management raised full-year revenues and free cash flow guidance, outlined a path to 30 gigawatts of annual gas output by 2030 and pointed to data center demand as an expanding revenue opportunity across electrification products.

GEV Backlog Keeps Moving Higher

Chief executive officer Scott Strazik said that equipment orders more than doubled in the quarter and service orders rose 15%, pushing the total backlog to $176 billion. Strazik added that backlog was up $13 billion sequentially and remains on track to reach $200 billion in 2027.

Chief financial officer Kenneth Parks said that second-quarter orders reached $24.2 billion, up 88% year over year, with a book-to-bill ratio of more than 2 times. Equipment backlog climbed to $88 billion, while services backlog also reached $88 billion, helped by Power.

GEV reported earnings of $2.47 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.17. The company reported revenues of $11.10 billion, which beat the consensus mark of $10.77 billion. The quarter’s central investor message, though, was that backlog growth and cash conversion carried more weight in management’s narrative than the EPS shortfall.

GE Vernova Pushes Gas Capacity Higher

Strazik said that GE Vernova signed 20 gigawatts of gas power orders and slot reservation agreements in the quarter, lifting total gigawatts under contract from 100 to 116 sequentially. He said that the company now expects at least 125 gigawatts under contract by year-end.

Strazik also laid out a more ambitious output plan. After reiterating that GE Vernova is on track for a 20-gigawatt annualized run rate in the third quarter and 24 gigawatts in 2028, the company now sees a capital-efficient path to 30 gigawatts of annual gas output in 2030 using lean improvements, incremental machinery and existing factory space.

In Q&A, Strazik said that most of that 2030 capacity will already be sold this year and more than half of 2031 slots should be under contract by year-end. He also tied today’s equipment build-out to future services demand, noting that the growing HA turbine fleet will create a larger outage and maintenance opportunity later in the next decade.

GEV Lifts 2026 Revenues and Cash View

Parks said that second-quarter free cash flow was $5.1 billion, helped by a $6.4 billion working capital benefit from higher down payments tied to gas slot reservations and stronger electrification orders. Year to date, free cash flow reached roughly $9.9 billion, already more than all of 2025.

That strength drove a sharp guidance increase. GE Vernova now expects 2026 revenues of $45.5 billion to $46.5 billion, up from $44.5 billion to $45.5 billion, and free cash flow of $11.5 billion to $12.5 billion, up from $6.5 billion to $7.5 billion. Adjusted EBITDA margin guidance stayed at 12% to 14%.

Parks said that the company ended the quarter with about $13 billion of cash after returning $2.5 billion to shareholders in the quarter and about $3.9 billion year to date. He also said that GE Vernova remains committed to an investment-grade balance sheet.

GE Vernova Finds a Bigger Data Center Opening

Strazik said that electrification booked $2.7 billion of data center orders in the second quarter, bringing the first-half total above $5 billion, more than double the full-year 2025 level. Parks said that segment orders rose 66% year over year to roughly $6.3 billion, with especially strong demand in substations, switchgear and transformers.

Management also used the call to widen the discussion beyond today’s product set. Strazik said that GE Vernova’s current data center revenue scope of roughly $300 million per gigawatt could expand by two to three times as products such as medium-voltage uninterruptible power supply blocks and solid-state transformers move toward commercialization.

Solid-state transformer orders were framed as a 2027 and beyond story, while medium-voltage UPS products could begin contributing sooner if current customer work advances into orders.

GEV Q&A Reinforces Demand Confidence

Questions from Deutsche Bank, BofA and Wolfe Research pressed management on whether the gas demand cycle is becoming too front-loaded. Strazik answered by emphasizing geographic breadth, citing activity in the United States, Brazil, Qatar, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia and Mexico, while also pointing to continuing discussions for 2032 and beyond.

A Morgan Stanley analyst asked whether 2026 could mark peak gas turbine orders. Strazik declined that framing and instead said GE Vernova sees a clear pathway to continue growing contracted gigawatts through 2027, even as conversion timing will depend on engineering, procurement and construction readiness.

The tone in Q&A was notably firm. Management did not retreat from the demand outlook when pushed on industry capacity, labor ramp or project timing, and Parks added that labor investments had been made early enough to support the move from 15 to 20 gigawatts.

GE Vernova Stays Focused on Execution

The closing message from management was that GE Vernova sees itself operating from a position of strength, with backlog, pricing and customer down payments funding a larger build-out cycle. Strazik repeatedly tied that stance to lean execution, robotics, automation and disciplined capital allocation.

Just as important, the company did not portray the quarter as a one-off spike. The call framed current demand as part of a multiyear electricity investment cycle spanning gas power, grid equipment and service revenue tied to the installed base.

Zacks Rank and Style Scores Signal

Currently, GEV carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), along with a Growth Score of B, a Momentum Score of B, a Value Score of F and a VGM Score of C. Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and #2 stocks have the strongest near-term earnings revision profile, while A and B Style Scores point to more attractive characteristics within value, growth or momentum disciplines. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

That mix points to stronger growth and momentum characteristics than value appeal right now. The VGM Score of C suggests a more balanced, middle-of-the-pack profile when all three style factors are combined, and the Zacks Rank can change as analysts revise estimates after the just-reported results.

NNE appears to hold more promise than SMR, with stronger earnings surprises, a narrower share decline and KRONOS moving into NRC review.

APLD's fiscal Q4 report may highlight booming AI infrastructure growth, but profitability challenges remain in focus.

Key Takeaways Rogers Communications' Q2 earnings beat estimates while revenues rose 7.6% Y/Y.Media revenues surged 53%, driven by MLSE consolidation and higher Blue Jays attendance.Free cash flow rose 6% to C$982 million, while debt leverage improved to 3.8 times. Rogers Communications (RCI - Free Report) reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of 83 cents per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.75% and up 1.2% year over year.

In domestic currency (Canadian dollar), adjusted earnings increased 1% year over year to C$1.15 per share.

Revenues of $4.06 billion surpassed the consensus mark by 2.45% and increased 7.6% year over year.

Total revenues increased 7.7% year over year to C$5.62 billion, primarily driven by growth in the Media businesses. Total service revenues increased 8% year over year to C$5.06 billion in the quarter.

Q2 Segmental Details of RCIWireless DetailsWireless revenues were unchanged year over year at C$2.54 billion. Wireless Service revenues were stable at C$1.99 billion, as subscriber growth was offset by lower mobile phone average revenue per user, or ARPU. Equipment revenues increased 2% to C$550 million on a shift toward higher-value devices.

Adjusted EBITDA increased 1% to C$1.31 billion. The margin expanded 70 basis points to 66%. Monthly mobile phone ARPU declined to C$54.25 from C$55.45.

As of June 30, 2026, the prepaid mobile phone subscriber base totaled 1.22 million, an increase of 63K subscribers from the prior-year period. The monthly churn rate was 5.01% compared with 3.23% reported in the year-ago quarter.

As of June 30, 2026, the postpaid wireless subscriber base totaled 11.05 million, representing net additions of 135K subscribers year over year. Postpaid mobile phone churn improved 6 basis points year over year to 0.94%.

Wireless segment operating costs decreased 0.6% year over year to C$1.23 billion.

Cable DetailsCable revenues increased 1% year over year to C$1.98 billion. Service revenues also rose 1% to C$1.97 billion, supported by retail Internet subscriber growth and base management actions, partly offset by declines in Video and Home Phone subscribers.

Cable adjusted EBITDA increased 1% to C$1.16 billion, with the margin improving 10 basis points to 58.4%. Retail Internet net additions totaled 17K, while customer relationship net additions were 9K. Monthly ARPA slipped to C$135.49 from C$135.74 reported in the year-ago quarter.

As of June 30, 2026, the retail Internet subscriber count was nearly 4.521 million, representing a net increase of 75K subscribers year over year.

As of June 30, 2026, total Smart Home Monitoring subscribers reached 158K, indicating an increase of 17K subscribers. The total Home Phone subscriber count was nearly 1.33 million, reflecting a loss of 119K customers in the reported quarter.

Cable segment operating costs increased 0.6% year over year to C$826 million.

Media DetailsMedia revenues surged 53% to C$1.16 billion, reflecting about C$310 million from the consolidation of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment beginning in the second half of 2025. Excluding MLSE, organic revenues increased 13%, led by higher Toronto Blue Jays attendance and sponsorships.

Media adjusted EBITDA climbed to C$69 million from C$8 million. Operating costs increased 45% to C$1.09 billion, reflecting roughly C$230 million of added MLSE costs, higher Blue Jays player salaries and game-day expenses, and increased programming costs. Lower advertising revenues remained a headwind.

Consolidated ResultsConsolidated adjusted EBITDA increased 3% to C$2.44 billion, while the adjusted EBITDA margin contracted 180 basis points to 43.5%. Depreciation and amortization increased 1% to C$1.19 billion, while finance costs declined 10% to C$565 million.

Operating costs increased 11.2% to C$3.17 billion. As a percentage of revenues, operating costs expanded 180 bps to 56.5%.

RCI’s Q2 Balance Sheet & Cash Flow DetailsAs of June 30, 2026, Rogers Communications had C$6.1 billion of available liquidity, including C$1.7 billion in cash and cash equivalents and C$4.4 billion available under bank and other credit facilities. In comparison, the company had C$5.9 billion of available liquidity as of Dec. 31, 2025.

Rogers Communications’ debt leverage ratio was 3.8 times as of June 30, 2026, improved from 3.9 times as of Dec. 31, 2025.

Cash provided by operating activities declined 5% to C$1.52 billion due to higher investment in operating assets and liabilities, partly offset by increased adjusted EBITDA. Free cash flow rose 6% to C$982 million, aided by lower capital expenditures and higher adjusted EBITDA.

Rogers Communications paid dividends worth C$270 million and declared a C$0.50 per share dividend on July 21, 2026.

RCI Reaffirms 2026 OutlookFor 2026, RCI maintained its expectations for total service revenue growth of 3%-5% and adjusted EBITDA growth of 1%-3%. Capital expenditures are projected between C$2.5 billion and C$2.7 billion.

Free cash flow is expected in the C$4.1 billion to C$4.3 billion range. The company expects its C$4.35 billion purchase of the remaining 25% interest in MLSE to close in the fourth quarter, subject to league approvals. Rogers Communications then intends to pursue the sale of a minority interest in its consolidated sports, media and entertainment assets.

RCI’s Zacks Rank & Stocks to ConsiderCurrently, RCI carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).

Some better-ranked stocks that investors can consider in the broader Zacks Utilities sector are Ameren Corporation (AEE - Free Report) , Ballard Power Systems (BLDP - Free Report) and Edison International (EIX - Free Report) , each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Ameren shares have returned 12.2% in the year-to-date period. AEE is set to report its second-quarter 2026 results on July 30.

Ballard Power Systems shares have gained 22.1% in the year-to-date period. BLDP is set to report its second-quarter 2026 results on July 31.

Edison International shares have risen 33.9% in the year-to-date period. EIX is set to report its second-quarter 2026 results on July 30.