Track market-moving stories before they get noisy

Blue Bird (BLBD - Free Report) closed at $77.88 in the latest trading session, marking a -1.37% move from the prior day. The stock fell short of the S&P 500, which registered a loss of 0.22% for the day. On the other hand, the Dow registered a loss of 0.03%, and the technology-centric Nasdaq decreased by 0.66%.

Shares of the school bus maker witnessed a gain of 9.15% over the previous month, beating the performance of the Auto-Tires-Trucks sector with its loss of 3.88%, and the S&P 500's loss of 1.21%.

The upcoming earnings release of Blue Bird will be of great interest to investors. The company is predicted to post an EPS of $1.22, indicating a 2.52% growth compared to the equivalent quarter last year. Our most recent consensus estimate is calling for quarterly revenue of $498.7 million, up 25.3% from the year-ago period.

For the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $4.74 per share and a revenue of $1.74 billion, representing changes of +8.22% and +17.88%, respectively, from the prior year.

Any recent changes to analyst estimates for Blue Bird should also be noted by investors. These revisions help to show the ever-changing nature of near-term business trends. Consequently, upward revisions in estimates express analysts' positivity towards the business operations and its ability to generate profits.

Our research suggests that these changes in estimates have a direct relationship with upcoming stock price performance. Investors can capitalize on this by using the Zacks Rank. This model considers these estimate changes and provides a simple, actionable rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, which varies between #1 (Strong Buy) and #5 (Strong Sell), carries an impressive track record of exceeding expectations, confirmed by external audits, with stocks at #1 delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has shifted 3.45% upward. At present, Blue Bird boasts a Zacks Rank of #4 (Sell).

Digging into valuation, Blue Bird currently has a Forward P/E ratio of 16.66. This valuation marks a discount compared to its industry average Forward P/E of 20.24.

One should further note that BLBD currently holds a PEG ratio of 1.02. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company's expected earnings growth rate. The Automotive - Domestic was holding an average PEG ratio of 1.02 at yesterday's closing price.

The Automotive - Domestic industry is part of the Auto-Tires-Trucks sector. Currently, this industry holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 106, positioning it in the top 44% of all 250+ industries.

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

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

Ethena, the protocol behind the USDe synthetic dollar, is integrating its product suite into Robinhood Chain, the newly launched Ethereum Layer 2 network that went live on July 1. The partnership positions Ethena’s yield-bearing assets within Robinhood’s freshly minted collateral ecosystem, bringing decentralized finance tools to one of the largest retail trading platforms in the US.

The collaboration arrives alongside Robinhood Earn, a decentralized lending product that lets users lend USDG stablecoins through self-custody wallets directly within the Robinhood app. The estimated annual percentage yield sits at around 7%.

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How Robinhood Earn actually works The lending infrastructure runs on Morpho, an established decentralized lending protocol, with Robinhood Chain serving as the settlement layer underneath. Ethena joins a roster of supporting partners that includes Steakhouse, Spark, and Maple.

Losses stemming from cyber incidents or smart contract vulnerabilities are covered through policies from Lloyd’s of London and RELM. Users interact with the product through self-custody wallets available in the Robinhood app.

Robinhood Chain and the bigger picture Robinhood Chain itself is built using Arbitrum technology, making it an Ethereum Layer 2 solution. The testnet launched in February 2026, and the public mainnet followed on July 1. The chain’s primary focus is tokenized real-world assets and financial services, with permissionless access and no native token planned.

This mainnet launch is part of a broader push Robinhood has been executing since 2025. The company has rolled out tokenized US equities in Europe, expanded its wallet services, and laid groundwork for perpetual futures offerings.

For Ethena specifically, the partnership extends a relationship that’s been building. Ethena’s ENA token has been trading on Robinhood since late 2025.

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

Elon Musk is the largest shareholder of Space Exploration Technologies (SPCX 7.82%), or SpaceX, with about a 42% stake. He also holds 82% of the voting power through ownership of Class B shares, effectively giving him full control of the leading space company.

While most SpaceX insiders can start selling their shares this year, Musk and certain other significant investors are subject to an extended lockup period. This structure is a positive sign for the company's shareholders and reveals aspects of SpaceX's financing strategy.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

How SpaceX's lockup period works IPOs have traditionally had 180-day lockup periods during which insiders can't sell their shares. SpaceX took a different approach to spread out insider selling and avoid a single selling period that causes a sharp decline in the stock price.

Insiders can sell up to 20% of their shares on the second full trading day after SpaceX releases its Q2 2026 earnings report, plus an additional 10% if the stock meets a performance trigger. Additional percentages unlock across six more selling windows that end 180 days after the IPO date.

Musk's shares are locked for a full year. The earliest he can sell is 366 days after the IPO. An extended lockup period is rarely a bad thing, as it shows that the founder and largest shareholder has skin in the game.

In fairness, even when Musk can sell his shares, he can't exactly cash out. That would send the stock price into a tailspin. But the lockup ensures that Musk and other significant investors must wait until the company has been trading for a year before making any moves.

What does this signal about SpaceX's cash strategy? SpaceX is spending heavily, and its extended lockup period indicates that it plans to continue using equity and debt to finance major expenses. A lockup is a mechanism for protecting the stock price and the company's reputation. A founder selling shares as soon as possible shows a lack of confidence, which can sink the stock and make the market see the company as a risky bet. SpaceX will then have less buying power when issuing equity and pay higher rates when taking on debt.

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SpaceX has already used both these financing methods since going public. On June 16, it announced an agreement to buy Cursor, an AI coding company, for $60 billion in an all-stock deal. On June 22, it held a $25 billion bond sale to repay the bridge loan it used to buy xAI earlier this year.

However, this cash strategy is also by necessity because SpaceX is unprofitable. It reported a net loss of $4.9 billion in 2025, and free cash flow was -$9.1 billion in Q1 2026. Although the lockup period is somewhat reassuring, buying SpaceX stock remains extremely risky, especially given its market cap of $2.2 trillion (as of June 29). You may want to wait for the next couple of earnings reports to see what kind of cash it's bringing in before considering an investment.

Wall Street loves some stocks and despises others. There can be a lot of reasons for a stock to fall out of favor, with some of them being legitimate and others being a bit less concrete. It's the battered stocks in the latter category that I'm looking for, as they often have the potential to turn into massive long-term winners.

One stock that I've got my eye on that has been battered over the past year is Meta Platforms (META +8.88%). It's down by more than 25% from its all-time high, but I think Wall Street has its analysis of Meta all wrong, which is why now may be the perfect buying opportunity.

Image source: Getty Images.

The market views Meta as an AI company. It isn't. The market typically lumps Meta in with the other three AI hyperscalers: Alphabet, Microsoft, and Amazon. They are the four biggest spenders in the AI sector, and are pouring hundreds of billions of dollars annually into building data centers. What sets Meta apart from the other three is that it is using all of the computing power it's building for internal purposes. The others have thriving cloud computing business units that help them generate profits to offset their costs and make their investments viable in the long term.

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Meta is only using its AI data centers to train and power its AI systems, and so far, the results from those efforts have been relatively lackluster. When you hear about a cutting-edge AI model that's wowing the world with its capabilities, the one being discussed is rarely Meta's Llama. That's a problem, as it indicates that Meta is likely behind the pack on large language model development. However, some of the expected use cases for its AI model haven't arrived yet. Meta is going all in on a different form factor for its AI interface: smart glasses. It envisions a future where AI will be connected to cameras that allow it to perceive the world around the user, analyze what it sees, and deliver contextualized AI for the user. Meta's current AI glasses are only a fraction of what it hopes to produce in the future.

In the meantime, it's just an advertising company. Meta derives most of its revenue from selling ads on its social media platforms, which it has improved using its AI models. This is leading to strong growth in its own right; revenue rose 33% year over year in the first quarter. I think most investors should think of Meta as a social media business. Viewed through that lens, Meta looks like a pretty cheap stock right now.

META PE Ratio (Forward) data by YCharts.

Meta trades at a dirt-cheap 17 times forward earnings, which is among the cheapest levels it has traded at over the past few years. That's a low price to pay, especially considering the S&P 500 (^GSPC 0.22%) trades for around 21 times forward earnings. The contrast between Meta's rapid growth and its low price shows why Wall Street is wrong on this one. Long-term investors would be smart to load up on shares now.

Keithen Drury has positions in Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms, and Microsoft. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms, and Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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CoreWeave, Inc. (CRWV 13.87%), a specialized AI cloud infrastructure provider, closed at $85.69, down 13.92%. Shares fell after a Bloomberg report said Meta Platforms plans to expand into cloud infrastructure, raising competition concerns for AI infrastructure providers. Investors are now watching whether CoreWeave’s backlog and customer relationships will absorb the pressure.

How the markets moved todayS&P 500 (^GSPC 0.22%) fell 0.22% to 7,483.23, while the Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC 0.66%) dropped 0.66% to 26,040. Within AI cloud infrastructure and specialized GPU compute services, Nebius Group (NBIS 16.79%) slid 17.01% to $229.18 and Super Micro Computer (SMCI 5.73%) declined 5.73% to $27.65 as traders reassessed competition in the AI infrastructure trade.

What this means for investorsCoreWeave shares fell after reports that Meta Platforms could start a cloud business to sell extra AI computing power, which would mean more competition for companies like CoreWeave. The report was especially relevant for CoreWeave because Meta is already a major customer. Now, investors are less worried about general cloud competition and more interested in whether large AI buyers will eventually manage or profit from their own computing resources.

This news comes at a time when Neocloud stocks are under pressure, AI infrastructure spending is high, and questions remain about CoreWeave’s ability to convert its backlog into actual capacity. CoreWeave’s $99.4 billion backlog and more than 3.5 gigawatts of contracted power show strong demand, but investors are still watching capital spending, financing costs, customer concentration, and whether large AI customers continue relying on specialized providers as their own infrastructure expands.

Eric Trie has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

In the latest trading session, Alphabet Inc. (GOOG - Free Report) closed at $357.89, marking a +1.29% move from the previous day. The stock's performance was ahead of the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.22%. Meanwhile, the Dow experienced a drop of 0.03%, and the technology-dominated Nasdaq saw a decrease of 0.66%.

The stock of company has fallen by 1.41% in the past month, leading the Computer and Technology sector's loss of 2.58% and undershooting the S&P 500's loss of 1.21%.

The investment community will be paying close attention to the earnings performance of Alphabet Inc. in its upcoming release. The company's upcoming EPS is projected at $2.86, signifying a 23.81% increase compared to the same quarter of the previous year. At the same time, our most recent consensus estimate is projecting a revenue of $101 billion, reflecting a 23.59% rise from the equivalent quarter last year.

In terms of the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates predict earnings of $14.3 per share and a revenue of $422.05 billion, indicating changes of +32.28% and +23.08%, respectively, from the former year.

Investors might also notice recent changes to analyst estimates for Alphabet Inc. These latest adjustments often mirror the shifting dynamics of short-term business patterns. As a result, we can interpret positive estimate revisions as a good sign for the business outlook.

Our research shows that these estimate changes are directly correlated with near-term stock prices. To take advantage of this, we've established the Zacks Rank, an exclusive model that considers these estimated changes and delivers an operational rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, which varies between #1 (Strong Buy) and #5 (Strong Sell), carries an impressive track record of exceeding expectations, confirmed by external audits, with stocks at #1 delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. The Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 0.08% higher within the past month. Right now, Alphabet Inc. possesses a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

In the context of valuation, Alphabet Inc. is at present trading with a Forward P/E ratio of 24.71. Its industry sports an average Forward P/E of 14.8, so one might conclude that Alphabet Inc. is trading at a premium comparatively.

It is also worth noting that GOOG currently has a PEG ratio of 1.51. The PEG ratio is akin to the commonly utilized P/E ratio, but this measure also incorporates the company's anticipated earnings growth rate. The Internet - Services industry had an average PEG ratio of 1.61 as trading concluded yesterday.

The Internet - Services industry is part of the Computer and Technology sector. Currently, this industry holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 159, positioning it in the bottom 36% of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank is ordered from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

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

NEW YORK, July 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of common stock of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) between May 1, 2025 and January 28, 2026, inclusive (the “Class Period”), of the important August 11, 2026 lead plaintiff deadline.

SO WHAT: If you purchased Microsoft common stock 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 Microsoft class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/cases/microsoft-corporation/join 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 August 11, 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 handle 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) Microsoft’s Copilot family of products had experienced significant brand positioning, user experience, usage, data siloing, computational capacity, organizational, and interoperability problems; (2) Microsoft’s flagship proprietary AI model ranked well below competitors on a number of benchmark tests; (3) Microsoft needed to increase by billions of dollars its capital expenditures and divert graphics processing unit (“GPU”) and central processing unit (“CPU”) capacity away from fulfilling demand for its profitable Azure services in order to improve the competitive positioning of its critical Copilot family of products and increase its AI-related research and development (“R&D”); and (4) as a result, Microsoft had failed to convert a significant percentage of its commercial Microsoft 365 users to paid Copilot subscriptions and Microsoft’s Copilot offerings had lost market share to rival products, a trend that was increasing. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the Microsoft class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/cases/microsoft-corporation/join 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.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.

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

Contact Information:

Laurence Rosen, Esq.
Phillip Kim, Esq.
The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 686-1060
Toll Free: (866) 767-3653
Fax: (212) 202-3827
[email protected]
www.rosenlegal.com

 | 

Alibaba Group Holding and its U.S.-based payment processor, Ant Group subsidiary AUS Merchant Services, have agreed to pay $600 million to resolve U.S. Justice Department allegations that they failed to prevent illegal sales on Alibaba’s eCommerce platforms.

The Justice Department alleged that Alibaba.com and AliExpress.com failed to prevent merchants’ sales and imports of illegal pharmaceuticals, controlled substances, listed chemicals and pill presses into the United States, thereby violating the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA), the department said in a Wednesday (July 1) press release.

The payments are part of a non-prosecution agreement with the Justice Department, according to the release.

Reached by PYMNTS, an AUS Merchant Services spokesperson said in an emailed statement: “We are pleased to have reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice to fully resolve this matter. We have made continuous improvements to our compliance program and will continue to do so to ensure compliance with laws and regulations in all markets where we operate.”

Alibaba Group Holding did not immediately reply to PYMNTS’ request for comment.

Bloomberg reported Wednesday that Alibaba said in an emailed statement that the settlement will bring “stricter compliance to the sale of products in the United States by third-party merchants on its eCommerce platforms.”

According to the Justice Department press release, Alibaba admitted that over a nearly nine-year period from January 2016 to December 2024, it maintained policies restricting the sale of prohibited products on its eCommerce platforms but failed to prevent merchants from selling prohibit products in 80,000 transactions involving imports to the U.S. that had a combined gross merchandise value of over $200 million.

Per the release, AUS admitted that over a nearly four-year period from January 2020 to December 2023, its transaction monitoring systems did not always identify transactions involving payments from high-risk jurisdictions or multiple payors on a single invoice, and its anti-money laundering compliance program failed to prevent some Alibaba merchants from using its services to facilitate the sale and importation of prohibited products.

As part of the non-prosecution agreement, Alibaba agreed to pay a criminal monetary penalty of $125 million and to forfeit $200 million, AUS agreed to pay a criminal monetary penalty of $85 million and to forfeit $190 million, and both companies agreed to enhance their compliance programs and to continue cooperating with the Justice Department.

“Companies operating online marketplaces — whether based in the United States or abroad — must implement appropriate safeguards to prevent bad actors from exploiting their platforms,” Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division said in the release. “If they fail to do so, the Department will hold them accountable.”

Visa (V - Free Report) closed at $350.48 in the latest trading session, marking a +2.15% move from the prior day. This change outpaced the S&P 500's 0.22% loss on the day. At the same time, the Dow lost 0.03%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 0.66%.

The global payments processor's shares have seen an increase of 8.12% over the last month, surpassing the Business Services sector's gain of 0.47% and the S&P 500's loss of 1.21%.

The upcoming earnings release of Visa will be of great interest to investors. On that day, Visa is projected to report earnings of $3.22 per share, which would represent year-over-year growth of 8.05%. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenue is projecting net sales of $11.35 billion, up 11.59% from the year-ago period.

In terms of the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates predict earnings of $13.09 per share and a revenue of $45.35 billion, indicating changes of +14.12% and +13.38%, respectively, from the former year.

It's also important for investors to be aware of any recent modifications to analyst estimates for Visa. These latest adjustments often mirror the shifting dynamics of short-term business patterns. With this in mind, we can consider positive estimate revisions a sign of optimism about the business outlook.

Our research reveals that these estimate alterations are directly linked with the stock price performance in the near future. To utilize this, we have created the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model that integrates these estimate changes and provides a functional rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, which varies between #1 (Strong Buy) and #5 (Strong Sell), carries an impressive track record of exceeding expectations, confirmed by external audits, with stocks at #1 delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 0% higher. Visa is currently a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

With respect to valuation, Visa is currently being traded at a Forward P/E ratio of 26.2. This signifies a premium in comparison to the average Forward P/E of 10.09 for its industry.

We can additionally observe that V currently boasts a PEG ratio of 1.83. The PEG ratio bears resemblance to the frequently used P/E ratio, but this parameter also includes the company's expected earnings growth trajectory. The Financial Transaction Services was holding an average PEG ratio of 0.78 at yesterday's closing price.

The Financial Transaction Services industry is part of the Business Services sector. This industry currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 55, which puts it in the top 23% of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank assesses the vigor of our specific industry groups by computing the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks incorporated in the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Be sure to use Zacks.com to monitor all these stock-influencing metrics, and more, throughout the forthcoming trading sessions.

In the latest trading session, General Motors (GM - Free Report) closed at $75.52, marking a -2.02% move from the previous day. This move lagged the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.22%. Elsewhere, the Dow saw a downswing of 0.03%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq depreciated by 0.66%.

Shares of the an automotive manufacturer have depreciated by 5.69% over the course of the past month, underperforming the Auto-Tires-Trucks sector's loss of 3.88%, and the S&P 500's loss of 1.21%.

The investment community will be paying close attention to the earnings performance of General Motors in its upcoming release. The company is slated to reveal its earnings on July 21, 2026. The company's upcoming EPS is projected at $3.11, signifying a 22.92% increase compared to the same quarter of the previous year. In the meantime, our current consensus estimate forecasts the revenue to be $46.65 billion, indicating a 0.99% decline compared to the corresponding quarter of the prior year.

In terms of the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates predict earnings of $12.85 per share and a revenue of $185.27 billion, indicating changes of +21.23% and +0.13%, respectively, from the former year.

Investors might also notice recent changes to analyst estimates for General Motors. These revisions help to show the ever-changing nature of near-term business trends. As a result, upbeat changes in estimates indicate analysts' favorable outlook on the business health and profitability.

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

Ranging from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), the Zacks Rank system has a proven, outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks returning an average of +25% annually since 1988. Within the past 30 days, our consensus EPS projection has moved 0.04% higher. General Motors presently features a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

In terms of valuation, General Motors is currently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 6. This indicates a discount in contrast to its industry's Forward P/E of 20.24.

Investors should also note that GM has a PEG ratio of 0.39 right now. Comparable to the widely accepted P/E ratio, the PEG ratio also accounts for the company's projected earnings growth. The average PEG ratio for the Automotive - Domestic industry stood at 1.02 at the close of the market yesterday.

The Automotive - Domestic industry is part of the Auto-Tires-Trucks sector. This industry, currently bearing a Zacks Industry Rank of 106, finds itself in the top 44% echelons of all 250+ industries.

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

Ensure to harness Zacks.com to stay updated with all these stock-shifting metrics, among others, in the next trading sessions.

BlackRock (BLK - Free Report) ended the recent trading session at $980.38, demonstrating a +1.96% change from the preceding day's closing price. The stock outpaced the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.22%. Meanwhile, the Dow experienced a drop of 0.03%, and the technology-dominated Nasdaq saw a decrease of 0.66%.

The investment firm's shares have seen a decrease of 5.63% over the last month, not keeping up with the Finance sector's gain of 2.72% and the S&P 500's loss of 1.21%.

The investment community will be closely monitoring the performance of BlackRock in its forthcoming earnings report. It is anticipated that the company will report an EPS of $12.49, marking a 3.65% rise compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Meanwhile, the latest consensus estimate predicts the revenue to be $6.77 billion, indicating a 24.79% increase compared to the same quarter of the previous year.

For the annual period, the Zacks Consensus Estimates anticipate earnings of $53.4 per share and a revenue of $27.87 billion, signifying shifts of +11.04% and +15.1%, respectively, from the last year.

It's also important for investors to be aware of any recent modifications to analyst estimates for BlackRock. These recent revisions tend to reflect the evolving nature of short-term business trends. As a result, we can interpret positive estimate revisions as a good sign for the business outlook.

Research indicates that these estimate revisions are directly correlated with near-term share price momentum. To exploit this, we've formed the Zacks Rank, a quantitative model that includes these estimate changes and presents a viable rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, ranging from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), possesses a remarkable history of outdoing, externally audited, with #1 stocks returning an average annual gain of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, there's been a 1.14% rise in the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. Currently, BlackRock is carrying a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

Valuation is also important, so investors should note that BlackRock has a Forward P/E ratio of 18 right now. This represents a premium compared to its industry average Forward P/E of 11.59.

We can also see that BLK currently has a PEG ratio of 1.24. Comparable to the widely accepted P/E ratio, the PEG ratio also accounts for the company's projected earnings growth. BLK's industry had an average PEG ratio of 0.97 as of yesterday's close.

The Financial - Investment Management industry is part of the Finance sector. With its current Zacks Industry Rank of 188, this industry ranks in the bottom 24% of all industries, numbering over 250.

The Zacks Industry Rank is ordered from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Ensure to harness Zacks.com to stay updated with all these stock-shifting metrics, among others, in the next trading sessions.

Emerson Electric (EMR - Free Report) closed the most recent trading day at $139.52, moving -2.54% from the previous trading session. The stock's performance was behind the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.22%. Elsewhere, the Dow saw a downswing of 0.03%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq depreciated by 0.66%.

Prior to today's trading, shares of the maker of process controls systems, valves and analytical instruments had gained 0.79% lagged the Industrial Products sector's gain of 10.67% and outpaced the S&P 500's loss of 1.21%.

The investment community will be paying close attention to the earnings performance of Emerson Electric in its upcoming release. The company's upcoming EPS is projected at $1.68, signifying a 10.53% increase compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Our most recent consensus estimate is calling for quarterly revenue of $4.8 billion, up 5.48% from the year-ago period.

In terms of the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates predict earnings of $6.49 per share and a revenue of $18.81 billion, indicating changes of +8.17% and +4.41%, respectively, from the former year.

Investors should also take note of any recent adjustments to analyst estimates for Emerson Electric. These revisions help to show the ever-changing nature of near-term business trends. Consequently, upward revisions in estimates express analysts' positivity towards the business operations and its ability to generate profits.

Research indicates that these estimate revisions are directly correlated with near-term share price momentum. To benefit from this, we have developed the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model which takes these estimate changes into account and provides an actionable rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, ranging from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), possesses a remarkable history of outdoing, externally audited, with #1 stocks returning an average annual gain of +25% since 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has witnessed a 0.01% increase. Emerson Electric is holding a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold) right now.

Looking at valuation, Emerson Electric is presently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 22.04. Its industry sports an average Forward P/E of 23.39, so one might conclude that Emerson Electric is trading at a discount comparatively.

We can additionally observe that EMR currently boasts a PEG ratio of 2.29. The PEG ratio is akin to the commonly utilized P/E ratio, but this measure also incorporates the company's anticipated earnings growth rate. The Manufacturing - Electronics was holding an average PEG ratio of 1.84 at yesterday's closing price.

The Manufacturing - Electronics industry is part of the Industrial Products sector. At present, this industry carries a Zacks Industry Rank of 81, placing it within the top 33% of over 250 industries.

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

Remember to apply Zacks.com to follow these and more stock-moving metrics during the upcoming trading sessions.

In the latest close session, American Tower (AMT - Free Report) was up +1.53% at $166.08. The stock's change was more than the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.22%. Meanwhile, the Dow lost 0.03%, and the Nasdaq, a tech-heavy index, lost 0.66%.

The wireless communications infrastructure company's shares have seen a decrease of 11.84% over the last month, not keeping up with the Finance sector's gain of 2.72% and the S&P 500's loss of 1.21%.

The upcoming earnings release of American Tower will be of great interest to investors. The company's earnings report is expected on July 28, 2026. On that day, American Tower is projected to report earnings of $2.69 per share, which would represent year-over-year growth of 3.46%. In the meantime, our current consensus estimate forecasts the revenue to be $2.71 billion, indicating a 3.09% growth compared to the corresponding quarter of the prior year.

Looking at the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates suggest analysts are expecting earnings of $10.97 per share and revenue of $10.91 billion. These totals would mark changes of +1.95% and +2.53%, respectively, from last year.

Additionally, investors should keep an eye on any recent revisions to analyst forecasts for American Tower. Recent revisions tend to reflect the latest near-term business trends. With this in mind, we can consider positive estimate revisions a sign of optimism about the business outlook.

Our research shows that these estimate changes are directly correlated with near-term stock prices. To take advantage of this, we've established the Zacks Rank, an exclusive model that considers these estimated changes and delivers an operational rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, which ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. The Zacks Consensus EPS estimate remained stagnant within the past month. American Tower presently features a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

In the context of valuation, American Tower is at present trading with a Forward P/E ratio of 14.91. This denotes a premium relative to the industry average Forward P/E of 13.08.

We can additionally observe that AMT currently boasts a PEG ratio of 0.66. The PEG ratio is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but this metric also takes the company's expected earnings growth rate into account. By the end of yesterday's trading, the REIT and Equity Trust - Other industry had an average PEG ratio of 2.56.

The REIT and Equity Trust - Other industry is part of the Finance sector. Currently, this industry holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 58, positioning it in the top 24% of all 250+ industries.

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

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

In the latest close session, SolarEdge Technologies (SEDG - Free Report) was down 4.18% at $56.00. This change lagged the S&P 500's 0.22% loss on the day. Meanwhile, the Dow experienced a drop of 0.03%, and the technology-dominated Nasdaq saw a decrease of 0.66%.

The photovoltaic products maker's stock has dropped by 25.56% in the past month, falling short of the Oils-Energy sector's loss of 4.76% and the S&P 500's loss of 1.21%.

The investment community will be closely monitoring the performance of SolarEdge Technologies in its forthcoming earnings report. The company is expected to report EPS of $0.05, up 106.17% from the prior-year quarter. In the meantime, our current consensus estimate forecasts the revenue to be $341.66 million, indicating a 18.04% growth compared to the corresponding quarter of the prior year.

For the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $0.03 per share and a revenue of $1.4 billion, representing changes of +101.26% and +18.44%, respectively, from the prior year.

Additionally, investors should keep an eye on any recent revisions to analyst forecasts for SolarEdge Technologies. Such recent modifications usually signify the changing landscape of near-term business trends. As a result, upbeat changes in estimates indicate analysts' favorable outlook on the business health and profitability.

Our research suggests that these changes in estimates have a direct relationship with upcoming stock price performance. To capitalize on this, we've crafted the Zacks Rank, a unique model that incorporates these estimate changes and offers a practical rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, which varies between #1 (Strong Buy) and #5 (Strong Sell), carries an impressive track record of exceeding expectations, confirmed by external audits, with stocks at #1 delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has witnessed a 0.11% increase. At present, SolarEdge Technologies boasts a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

In the context of valuation, SolarEdge Technologies is at present trading with a Forward P/E ratio of 2191.5. This signifies a premium in comparison to the average Forward P/E of 23.19 for its industry.

The Solar industry is part of the Oils-Energy sector. With its current Zacks Industry Rank of 87, this industry ranks in the top 36% of all industries, numbering over 250.

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

Be sure to use Zacks.com to monitor all these stock-influencing metrics, and more, throughout the forthcoming trading sessions.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--American International Group, Inc. (NYSE: AIG) will report financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2026, after the market closes on Thursday, August 6, 2026. AIG's press release and financial supplement will be available in the Investors section of AIG's website at https://www.aig.com. AIG will also host a conference call on Friday, August 7, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. ET to review these results. The live, listen-only webcast is open to the public and can be a.

According to Donald Trump’s most recent financial disclosure, crypto assets have taken the lead as his largest reported source of income in 2025. This development means earnings from digital assets have outpaced Trump’s traditionally dominant revenue streams like real estate, golf, and resort operations.

Main sources of crypto income revealedA substantial portion of the reported income derived from memecoin projects bearing the Trump brand, as well as from World Liberty Financial—a decentralized finance platform supported by the Trump family. Hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue came not only from token sales but also from other business activities linked to the family.

Throughout 2025, most of Trump’s declared crypto earnings flowed from memecoin operations and World Liberty Financial. These ventures signaled that digital asset-linked enterprises now form a significant centerpiece within Trump’s overall business portfolio.

Mini glossary: World Liberty Financial is described as a DeFi-focused platform. DeFi, or decentralized finance, refers to blockchain-based systems enabling token trading, lending, and other on-chain transactions without traditional financial intermediaries.

Ongoing conflicts of interest debateDeputy White House Press Secretary Anna Kelly dismissed accusations of a conflict of interest. Kelly maintained that neither Trump nor his family have engaged in, or will engage in, any activities that could trigger such concerns. She further stated that Trump is working to turn the US into ‘the world’s crypto capital.’

Anna Kelly insisted that Trump and his family have avoided any actions that could lead to a conflict of interest, adding that President Trump is moving forward with the goal of establishing the US as the world’s crypto capital.

The release of Trump’s financial filing has reignited questions about the relationship between his crypto ventures and public policy. Lawmakers and civic groups have called for greater scrutiny of these commercial activities, emphasizing the need for more robust oversight.

Congress and civil society increase pressureConsumer advocacy group Public Citizen criticized the scale of Trump’s published crypto income, urging Congress to boost regulatory oversight of the President’s commercial activities related to digital assets.

Earlier reports highlighted an exclusive Mar-a-Lago event organized for major TRUMP memecoin holders. Since the memecoin launched in January 2025, entities connected with the Trump family reportedly generated over $320 million from transaction fees alone.

With the latest financial statement, these debates have now been supplemented by official government documentation. The records confirm that, for 2025, cryptocurrencies represented the largest category of Trump’s declared income.

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

As MU stock was falling, President Trump posted on Truth Social calling Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU | MU Price Prediction) “one of the HOTTEST anywhere in the World” and celebrating a “HISTORIC $250 MILLION Investment in TRUMP ACCOUNTS” pledged by CEO Sanjay Mehrotra, tied to America’s 250th anniversary. He signed off with “THIS IS THE GOLDEN AGE OF AMERICA!”

However, the stock went down down 10.67% on the day.

That is a rare thing in markets. A sitting president singling out one company for a shower of praise usually moves the stock, at least for an afternoon. On Wednesday, it moved nothing.

Why a presidential endorsement moved the stock zero Micron came into today priced for something close to perfection. The stock is up 754% over the past year and 227% year to date, with a market cap sitting around $1.17 trillion. When a stock has already tripled in six months, the marginal buyer needs a reason bigger than a Truth Social post to chase it higher.

The Q3 fiscal 2026 earnings report on June 24 was that reason, and it already ran. Revenue landed at $41.456 billion, up 345.72% year over year, beating consensus by 17.60%. Non-GAAP EPS came in at $25.11 against a $20.28 estimate, the seventh consecutive beat. GAAP gross margin jumped to 84.6% from 37.7% a year earlier. Management guided Q4 to $50 billion in revenue and $31.00 in EPS.

You can read the press release exhibit filed with the SEC for the full breakdown. Investors bought the news the hour it hit and have been trimming ever since.

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

What is actually driving Micron down today Memory chips are getting sold across the board. SanDisk (NASDAQ:SNDK) fell 9.91%, Western Digital (NASDAQ:WDC) dropped more than 10%, and other AI-adjacent names are lower. The semiconductor ETF iShares Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ:SOXX) is coming off a 6.19% weekly gain, and today looks like the profit-taking day that inevitably follows a vertical move.

There is also insider tape to reckon with. Mehrotra sold $32.7 million of stock on June 26 under a 10b5-1 plan, with shares near a 52-week high. That is programmatic selling by rule, but at these prices it lands harder. Prediction markets on Polymarket priced the odds of a down day today at 98.5% before the open. Traders saw this coming.

What the Trump post actually adds to the thesis The $250 million commitment to Trump Accounts is a corporate goodwill gesture with political theater attached. It does not change the shape of Micron’s income statement. The thing that matters, and Mehrotra keeps saying it, is the shift to multi-year contracts. On the earnings call he told analysts that “the memory industry has been structurally transformed by the proliferation of AI” and that Micron has signed 16 Strategic Customer Agreements covering roughly 25% of total revenue over their terms, projected to reach approximately $100 billion in cumulative floor-price revenue across 14 of those deals.

Micron is also holding $22 billion in customer cash deposits and letters of credit against take-or-pay commitments. HBM4 shipments have already crossed $1 billion, and Mehrotra said the ramp is tracking twice as fast as HBM3E 12-high.

Micron’s fundamental case is intact, arguably strengthened, by the Q3 results and the SCA structure. What today shows is that stocks trading at trillion-dollar valuations after 800% runs need real capital flows, not applause. When the buyer of last resort is a president typing in all caps, the marginal seller wins.

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

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

MercadoLibre (MELI - Free Report) ended the recent trading session at $1,742.19, demonstrating a +2.64% change from the preceding day's closing price. The stock exceeded the S&P 500, which registered a loss of 0.22% for the day. At the same time, the Dow lost 0.03%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 0.66%.

Shares of the operator of an online marketplace and payments system in Latin America witnessed a gain of 1.47% over the previous month, beating the performance of the Retail-Wholesale sector with its loss of 5.51%, and the S&P 500's loss of 1.21%.

The upcoming earnings release of MercadoLibre will be of great interest to investors. The company's upcoming EPS is projected at $8.69, signifying a 15.71% drop compared to the same quarter of the previous year. In the meantime, our current consensus estimate forecasts the revenue to be $9.77 billion, indicating a 43.9% growth compared to the corresponding quarter of the prior year.

In terms of the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates predict earnings of $40.97 per share and a revenue of $40.36 billion, indicating changes of +3.98% and +39.68%, respectively, from the former year.

Investors might also notice recent changes to analyst estimates for MercadoLibre. These revisions typically reflect the latest short-term business trends, which can change frequently. As a result, we can interpret positive estimate revisions as a good sign for the business outlook.

Based on our research, we believe these estimate revisions are directly related to near-term stock moves. We developed the Zacks Rank to capitalize on this phenomenon. Our system takes these estimate changes into account and delivers a clear, actionable rating model.

The Zacks Rank system ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell). It has a remarkable, outside-audited track record of success, with #1 stocks delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate remained stagnant. MercadoLibre is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #5 (Strong Sell).

Looking at its valuation, MercadoLibre is holding a Forward P/E ratio of 41.43. This expresses a premium compared to the average Forward P/E of 17.07 of its industry.

Investors should also note that MELI has a PEG ratio of 1.05 right now. The PEG ratio bears resemblance to the frequently used P/E ratio, but this parameter also includes the company's expected earnings growth trajectory. The Internet - Commerce industry had an average PEG ratio of 1.06 as trading concluded yesterday.

The Internet - Commerce industry is part of the Retail-Wholesale sector. This industry currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 182, which puts it in the bottom 27% of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank is ordered from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Be sure to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and many more, on Zacks.com.

The results of this year's "stress tests" of the nation's biggest banks are in -- and they were good. All 32 banks under the Federal Reserve's microscope are well capitalized to survive a significant recession. And while not all of them have done so (yet), several of the country's major banks have subsequently increased dividends and stock buybacks after passing this test.

Morgan Stanley (MS +1.35%) is one of these names, recently announcing a 15% increase in its per-share dividend and the reauthorization of a $20 billion stock buyback. For perspective, the stock's forward-looking dividend yield is just under 2.2%, while the company's market cap is $334 billion.

The big question: Is its stock a buy now?

Morgan Stanley under the microscope Technically, it's a bank, although checking, savings accounts, lending, or even trading aren't its core business. Morgan Stanley is predominantly an investment bank and fee-based investment manager. Institutional banking accounted for roughly half of Q1's revenue -- which was up 16% year over year -- while its money management arm, which generates reliably recurring fee revenue, made up the other half.

This reliable revenue stream is a major reason this stock trades at a premium. Although not outrageously priced compared to this year's projected per-share profits of $11.97, an earnings multiple of around 18 thanks to the stock's recent bullishness isn't exactly a bargain compared to other companies in the business. The stock's also already trading right around analysts' current consensus target of $210.95.

Today's Change

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211.86

If you can be patient, though, this steep valuation is still arguably worth it to true long-termers. Outside of the headwinds you'd expect (like the recession following the subprime mortgage meltdown of 2008), Morgan Stanley has a history of above-average dividend growth occasionally boosted by stock buybacks that have reduced its total outstanding share count by about 20% just since 2012.

The factors funding these dividends and buybacks are largely still in place, too. That's a bull market that's pumping up its wealth management's fee-bearing asset base and an investment banking business that's already roaring and on the cusp of outright accelerating. Numbers gathered by Bloomberg indicate a record-breaking $251 billion was raised in the first half of 2026 alone, with AI powerhouses like OpenAI, Anthropic, and others thinking about going public in the foreseeable future.

Image source: Getty Images.

Meanwhile, in an effort to steer its money management clients away from public markets' heightened volatility, Morgan Stanley is expanding access to private markets and alternative investments through its PMAX Balanced and PMAX Growth funds. This could also prove a brilliant decision, given investors' growing concern over the steep valuations of publicly traded outfits.

Perfect for this purpose Morgan Stanley stock is a buy. Just make sure you have realistic expectations. This isn't a growth stock by any measure. It's a very high-quality dividend-paying value company, though, for patient, long-term investors. Its money management business's predictability offers the sort of certainty that merits and maintains a premium price.

The second quarter of 2026 will likely be remembered as one of the strongest periods for U.S. equities in recent memory.

Despite ongoing concerns surrounding inflation, interest rates, and geopolitical uncertainty, investors continued to pour money into stocks as corporate earnings exceeded expectations and enthusiasm surrounding artificial intelligence remained a dominant market theme.

The result was another impressive rally for the benchmark S&P 500, which spiked 15% during Q2, with technology and semiconductor companies once again leading the charge.

However, while the market's momentum has been undeniable, valuation metrics are flashing caution signs that investors shouldn't ignore.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Strong Earnings Have Fueled the RallyOne of the biggest reasons behind the market's exceptional performance has been earnings growth.

During the first quarter of 2026, aggregate S&P 500 earnings increased by more than 25% year-over-year, marking one of the strongest earnings seasons since the post-pandemic recovery. More importantly, analysts expect that momentum to continue.

Current projections suggest that Q2 earnings growth for the S&P 500 will approach nearly 24% YoY, reflecting broad-based strength across technology, communications, industrials, financials, and select consumer industries. 

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Investors will get their first major look at Q2 corporate performance on July 14, when JPMorgan (JPM - Free Report) ) and several other banking giants report earnings.

Unlike some previous market rallies that relied primarily on expanding valuations, much of 2026's advance has been supported by rapidly improving corporate profitability.

Companies have benefited from:

Continued enterprise AI spendingStrong cloud infrastructure investmentImproving productivity through automationStable consumer demandExpanding operating marginsAs earnings continue climbing, investors have largely been willing to look past concerns surrounding higher interest rates.

AI Continues to Dominate Market LeadershipArtificial intelligence remains the defining investment theme of 2026.

While GPU manufacturers continue to receive much of the attention, several companies supporting the broader AI infrastructure ecosystem have become major market leaders.

Among the biggest beneficiaries have been Sandisk Corporation (SNDK - Free Report) ) and Micron Technology (MU - Free Report) ).

To that point, high-bandwidth memory (HBM), enterprise SSDs, and advanced storage solutions have become critical components of AI servers, driving robust demand for memory manufacturers.

As hyperscale cloud providers race to build next-generation AI data centers, memory suppliers like Sandisk and Micron have experienced accelerating revenue growth and improving pricing dynamics.

Other companies helping power earnings growth higher include:

Nvidia (NVDA - Free Report) , which continues to dominate AI accelerator chips.Broadcom (AVGO - Free Report) , benefiting from custom AI networking and infrastructure silicon.Advanced Micro Devices (AMD - Free Report) , whose AI accelerators continue gaining traction in enterprise deployments.Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM - Free Report) , the world's leading advanced chip foundry.Arista Networks (ANET - Free Report) , supplying the high-speed networking equipment required for AI clusters.Meta Platforms (META - Free Report) and Microsoft (MSFT - Free Report) , both investing aggressively in AI infrastructure while monetizing AI capabilities across their software ecosystems.The leadership has remained relatively concentrated, but earnings growth has broadened enough that more sectors are beginning to participate in the rally than was the case throughout much of 2024 and 2025.

Investors Are Paying Up for GrowthWhile earnings have improved significantly, valuations have expanded alongside them.

Investors appear willing to pay premium prices for companies positioned to benefit from long-term AI adoption, creating one of the most expensive U.S. equity markets in history, according to several valuation measures.

Perhaps the most closely watched is the Shiller CAPE Ratio.

At approximately 41x, the CAPE Ratio currently sits near levels that historically have preceded periods of below-average long-term returns.

That said, elevated valuations do not predict when markets will decline. Bull markets can remain expensive for extended periods, especially when earnings continue accelerating. However, history suggests that higher starting valuations generally reduce future expected returns and increase vulnerability to corrections if investor sentiment changes.

What Is the Shiller CAPE Ratio?The Cyclically Adjusted Price-to-Earnings (CAPE) Ratio, often called the Shiller CAPE, was developed by Nobel Prize-winning economist Robert Shiller.

Unlike the traditional price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio, which compares stock prices to the most recent year's earnings, the CAPE Ratio compares current prices to the average inflation-adjusted earnings from the previous ten years.

Using a decade of earnings helps smooth out business cycles and provides a longer-term measure of market valuation.

Cape Ratio History:

Long-term historical average: approximately 17–18xDot-com bubble peak (2000): approximately 44xFinancial Crisis period (2008-09): below 15xCurrent reading (July 2026): approximately 41xA CAPE Ratio above 40 places today's market among the most expensive valuation environments ever recorded.

While that doesn't necessarily mean a market decline is imminent, it does suggest investors should temper long-term return expectations and remain mindful of increased downside risk should earnings disappoint or economic conditions deteriorate.

The chart below illustrates the long-term history of the S&P 500 Shiller CAPE Ratio and highlights the current reading at 41x, one of the highest levels on record.

Image Source: YCHARTS

Bottom Line: Looking AheadThe market enters the second half of 2026 with strong momentum, supported by accelerating earnings growth, continued AI investment, and resilient corporate fundamentals. If Q2 S&P 500 earnings meet expectations of roughly 24% YoY growth, investors will have additional justification for many of today's elevated stock prices.

Still, history reminds us that even the strongest bull markets eventually encounter periods of volatility.

With the Shiller CAPE Ratio at 41x, valuations leave little room for disappointment. Any slowdown in earnings growth, weaker-than-expected AI spending, or unexpected macroeconomic shock could trigger a meaningful pullback.

For long-term investors, the message is not to abandon equities, but to recognize that while fundamentals remain strong, risk has risen alongside prices. Markets can continue climbing for months or even years from elevated valuation levels, but maintaining diversification, managing expectations, and preparing for increased volatility may prove just as important as participating in one of the strongest market rallies in recent years.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

HIP-3 is a Hyperliquid network upgrade launched in October 2025 that allows permissionless deployment of perpetual futures markets by staking 500,000 HYPE tokens. Open interest across HIP-3 markets grew from roughly $790 million in January 2026 to a peak of $3.2 billion by June, according to Grayscale. TradeXYZ, the leading HIP-3 builder, accounts for more than 90% of all HIP-3 open interest with tokenized equities, indices, and commodities. Seven of Hyperliquid’s top ten markets by volume are now tokenized equities or commodity futures rather than traditional cryptocurrency pairs. Grayscale compared Hyperliquid’s infrastructure model to Amazon Web Services, calling it a platform where developers create products while HYPE captures value from every trade. Hyperliquid’s HIP-3 upgrade has quietly transformed a decentralized perpetuals exchange into what Grayscale Research described as “more like Amazon Web Services than a stock exchange” in a June 2026 research note cited by Stocktwits. 

Since launching on October 13, 2025, HIP-3 has enabled permissionless deployment of perpetual futures markets for assets that include NVDA, TSLA, gold, crude oil, and the S&P 500. Open interest surpassed $3.2 billion in June 2026, and on peak days, HIP-3 markets accounted for nearly 48% of Hyperliquid’s total trading volume. 

This article explains the mechanics of HIP-3, how open interest functions on the platform, and what the growth trajectory means for the broader DeFi derivatives market.

How HIP-3 Works: Permissionless Market Deployment HIP-3 enables any participant who stakes 500,000 HYPE tokens, worth approximately $25 million at current prices, to deploy their own perpetual futures exchange on HyperCore, Hyperliquid’s main trading layer.

Deployed markets operate alongside native Hyperliquid pairs but are not covered by the platform’s shared liquidity vault, known as HLP. Instead, deployers manage their own liquidity, according to a detailed CoinGecko analysis published in May 2026. 

Deployers earn half of the trading fees generated on their markets. HIP-3 markets charge roughly double the native fee rate, starting at 0.09% for takers versus 0.045% on native pairs. A “Growth Mode” feature introduced in November 2025 allows deployers to reduce fees by 90% to accelerate adoption, according to OAK Research. 

All HIP-3 markets are margined in USDC, priced against off-chain oracles, and trade 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This always-on structure proved especially relevant during the U.S.-Israeli-Iranian conflict, when high-impact market events developed outside traditional trading hours.

Open Interest Growth: From $790 Million to $3.2 Billion The growth trajectory has been steep. Open interest on HIP-3 markets stood at roughly $790 million in January 2026, crossed $1.43 billion by late March, surpassed $2 billion in April, and reached $3.2 billion in early June, according to a Grayscale research note. 

Since launch, HIP-3 markets have processed over $200 billion in cumulative trading volume. TradeXYZ, a perpetuals platform built by the Hyperunit team, dominates the vertical, accounting for more than 90% of total HIP-3 open interest. 

The platform offers exposure to U.S. equities such as NVDA, TSLA, GOOGL, and AMZN, a synthetic Nasdaq-style index called XYZ100, and commodities, including gold and silver, benchmarked to COMEX front-month futures. Non-crypto assets achieved 60% trader retention in late March 2026, indicating sustained engagement rather than speculative activity.

Analysis: The retention figure is significant. In most DeFi product launches, initial activity spikes and then decays within weeks. A 60% retention rate suggests that HIP-3 is solving a structural problem, 24/7 market access, rather than offering a novelty.

The fact that seven of Hyperliquid‘s top ten markets by volume are now non-crypto assets represents a category shift from a DeFi derivatives protocol toward a global macro trading venue.

Revenue, HYPE Buybacks, and the SpaceX Catalyst Hyperliquid generated $2.3 million in daily fees at peak HIP-3 activity, funding $11 million in HYPE token buybacks. The HYPE token outperformed Bitcoin and Ethereum by over 70% in Q1 2026, according to 99Bitcoins reporting.

The SpaceX initial public offering in June 2026 provided another catalyst. TradeXYZ launched a SpaceX pre-IPO perpetuals market on May 18, 2026, which surpassed $50 million in open interest before SpaceX officially filed its S-1 two days later. 

Moon Rock Capital co-founder Simon Dedic stated in a post on X that the access issues retail traders faced around the SpaceX Nasdaq debut “make the case for trading exposure to high-profile private companies via onchain perpetual futures on Hyperliquid.”

In March 2026, the first S&P 500 perpetual futures product launched on Hyperliquid after S&P Dow Jones Indices licensed the index to a HIP-3 deployer, according to Grayscale.

Regulatory Implications HIP-3 markets offering tokenized equity derivatives operate without KYC requirements, creating a direct conflict with securities regulations in most jurisdictions. The SEC has not issued specific guidance on permissionless perpetual futures tied to U.S. equities. As HIP-3 open interest approaches levels that attract institutional market-making firms, regulatory scrutiny is likely to intensify.

What’s Next for HIP-3? Grayscale’s research note positioned $5 billion in open interest as the inflection point at which HIP-3 markets attract professional market-making firms from CME and CBOE. The launch of HIP-4, which introduces outcome-based prediction market contracts on Hyperliquid, adds a new dimension.

Pending U.S. crypto market structure legislation could either validate or constrain the model. Participants should monitor regulatory developments and the platform’s approach to compliance.

FAQs What is Hyperliquid HIP-3?
HIP-3 is a Hyperliquid network upgrade from October 2025 that lets builders deploy permissionless perpetual futures markets by staking 500,000 HYPE tokens.

How much does it cost to deploy a HIP-3 market?
Deployers must stake 500,000 HYPE tokens, worth approximately $25 million at current prices, to launch a perpetual futures market on HyperCore.

What is open interest on HIP-3?
HIP-3 open interest peaked at $3.2 billion in June 2026, growing from roughly $790 million in January, according to Grayscale research data.

What assets can be traded on HIP-3?
HIP-3 supports tokenized equities like NVDA and TSLA, commodities including gold and oil, indices such asthe  S&P 500, and pre-IPO stocks.

What is TradeXYZ?
TradeXYZ is the leading HIP-3 deployer built by the Hyperunit team, accounting for more than 90% of total HIP-3 open interest across all markets.

How do HIP-3 fees work?
HIP-3 markets charge roughly double native Hyperliquid rates, with half going to the deployer. Growth Mode can reduce these fees by 90%.

What is HIP-4?
HIP-4 is Hyperliquid’s outcome-trading upgrade, launched in May 2026, introducing fully collateralized prediction-market contracts that settle at 0 or 1.

References What is Hyperliquid’s HIP-3? How it works and use cases, OAK Research, June 2026 Hyperliquid’s HIP-3 & HIP-4: Tokenized Stocks and Prediction Markets, CoinGecko, May 2026 Hyperliquid Emerges As Superior Alternative After SpaceX IPO Lockup Chaos, Stocktwits, June 2026 Hyperliquid Fees Explained: Perps, Spot & HIP-3, Datawallet, May 2026

Booking Holdings (BKNG - Free Report) closed at $182.64 in the latest trading session, marking a +2.47% move from the prior day. The stock outpaced the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.22%. Elsewhere, the Dow saw a downswing of 0.03%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq depreciated by 0.66%.

The online booking service's shares have seen an increase of 6.6% over the last month, surpassing the Retail-Wholesale sector's loss of 5.51% and the S&P 500's loss of 1.21%.

Analysts and investors alike will be keeping a close eye on the performance of Booking Holdings in its upcoming earnings disclosure. In that report, analysts expect Booking Holdings to post earnings of $2.47 per share. This would mark year-over-year growth of 11.26%. Meanwhile, our latest consensus estimate is calling for revenue of $7.19 billion, up 5.74% from the prior-year quarter.

Regarding the entire year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates forecast earnings of $10.44 per share and revenue of $29.4 billion, indicating changes of +14.47% and +9.23%, respectively, compared to the previous year.

It is also important to note the recent changes to analyst estimates for Booking Holdings. These recent revisions tend to reflect the evolving nature of short-term business trends. With this in mind, we can consider positive estimate revisions a sign of optimism about the business outlook.

Our research reveals that these estimate alterations are directly linked with the stock price performance in the near future. To take advantage of this, we've established the Zacks Rank, an exclusive model that considers these estimated changes and delivers an operational rating system.

Ranging from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), the Zacks Rank system has a proven, outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks returning an average of +25% annually since 1988. Over the past month, there's been no change in the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. At present, Booking Holdings boasts a Zacks Rank of #4 (Sell).

In the context of valuation, Booking Holdings is at present trading with a Forward P/E ratio of 17.07. This expresses no noticeable deviation compared to the average Forward P/E of 17.07 of its industry.

One should further note that BKNG currently holds a PEG ratio of 1.06. Comparable to the widely accepted P/E ratio, the PEG ratio also accounts for the company's projected earnings growth. The Internet - Commerce was holding an average PEG ratio of 1.06 at yesterday's closing price.

The Internet - Commerce industry is part of the Retail-Wholesale sector. Currently, this industry holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 182, positioning it in the bottom 27% of all 250+ industries.

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

Be sure to use Zacks.com to monitor all these stock-influencing metrics, and more, throughout the forthcoming trading sessions.

, /PRNewswire/ -- The law firm of Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP announces that purchasers or acquirers of Roblox Corporation (NYSE: RBLX) common stock between October 30, 2025 and April 30, 2026, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), have until Friday, August 7, 2026 to seek appointment as lead plaintiff of the Roblox class action lawsuit.  Captioned Mukherjee v. Roblox Corporation, No. 26-cv-05489 (N.D. Cal.), the Roblox class action lawsuit charges Roblox and certain of Roblox' top executive officers with violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

If you suffered substantial losses and wish to serve as lead plaintiff of the Roblox class action lawsuit, please provide your information here:

https://www.rgrdlaw.com/cases-roblox-class-action-lawsuit-rblx.html

You can also contact attorneys Ken Dolitsky or Michael Albert of Robbins Geller by calling 800/851-7783 or via e-mail at [email protected].

CASE ALLEGATIONS: Roblox operates as a global video gaming and social networking company.

The Roblox class action lawsuit alleges that defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) defendants created the false impression that they possessed reliable information pertaining to Roblox' bookings growth expectations and the overall anticipated impact from the age verification rollout while also minimizing risks associated with the rollout and its potential knock-on effects; (ii) Roblox misled investors when discussing tailwinds resulting from the age verification process while continuing to be "enormously bullish" on their tech rollouts as well as claiming to be able to "rely on [their] tremendous organic growth"; and (iii) Roblox relied far too heavily on viral events to drive growth and failed to communicate to investors the potential knock-on impacts of the age verification rollout, including how it could impact the platform's ratings, engagement, and overall public perception.

On April 30, 2026, Roblox announced its 2026 first quarter results, allegedly reporting declines in revenue guidance and projected annual bookings growth, as well as reductions in communication engagement, app store ratings, and organic sign-ups as a result of the age verification rollout.  On this news, the price of Roblox stock fell more than 18%, according to the complaint.

THE LEAD PLAINTIFF PROCESS: The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 permits any investor who purchased or acquired Roblox common stock during the Class Period to seek appointment as lead plaintiff in the Roblox class action lawsuit.  A lead plaintiff is generally the movant with the greatest financial interest in the relief sought by the putative class who is also typical and adequate of the putative class.  A lead plaintiff acts on behalf of all other class members in directing the Roblox class action lawsuit.  The lead plaintiff can select a law firm of its choice to litigate the Roblox class action lawsuit.  An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff of the Roblox class action lawsuit.

ABOUT ROBBINS GELLER: Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP is one of the world's leading law firms representing investors in securities fraud and shareholder rights litigation.  Our Firm ranked #1 on the most recent ISS Securities Class Action Services Top 50 Report, recovering more than $916 million for investors in 2025.  This marks our fourth #1 ranking in the past five years.  And in those five years alone, Robbins Geller recovered $8.4 billion for investors – $3.4 billion more than any other law firm.  With 200 lawyers in 10 offices, Robbins Geller is one of the largest plaintiffs' firms in the world, and the Firm's attorneys have obtained many of the largest securities class action recoveries in history, including the largest ever – $7.2 billion – in In re Enron Corp. Sec. Litig.  Please visit the following page for more information:

https://www.rgrdlaw.com/services-litigation-securities-fraud.html

Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. 

Services may be performed by attorneys in any of our offices. 

Contact:
          Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP
          Ken Dolitsky
          Michael Albert
          655 W. Broadway, Suite 1900, San Diego, CA 92101
          800/851-7783
          [email protected]

SOURCE Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP

As of Wednesday, S&P Global (SPGI +7.99%) is now -- theoretically at least -- a leaner and more efficient company. The financial information and data specialist's equity rose by nearly 8% on Hump Day after it completed a corporate spinoff; an analyst's upgrade also helped lift the share price.

Going mobile That morning, S&P Global -- best known for managing the S&P family of stock indexes -- completed the spinoff of its automotive data and analysis unit, Mobility Global, into a separate, publicly traded company.

Image source: Getty Images.

This completes a process that was announced in early 2025. Existing S&P Global stockholders as of June 15 received one Mobility Global share for each share of S&P Global they held.

In the announcement heralding this development, S&P Global said it aims to issue a press release on Monday, July 6, providing recast financial information for its operations minus the Mobility Global business. Data for all four quarters of 2025 and annual results for that year will be presented, as will the figures for the first quarter of this year.

Today's Change

(

7.99

%) $

30.76

Current Price

$

415.97

Separation anxiety? It appeared that the spinoff of Mobility Global (which owns the popular vehicle data service Carfax) was effected smoothly. Compounding this, Huber Research analyst Douglas Arthur upgraded his recommendation on S&P Global to neutral from underweight (i.e., sell).

Investors were underwhelmed by Mobility Global's stock market debut, as the shares sank by almost 4% on their first day of trading. I'd probably lean into a buy on weakness, given the strength of the Carfax brand and the company's uniqueness. As for S&P Global, it's a reliable performer that should be able to leverage its more compact scope.

Eric Volkman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends S&P Global. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Freeport-McMoRan (FCX - Free Report) ended the recent trading session at $60.53, demonstrating a -3.75% change from the preceding day's closing price. This change lagged the S&P 500's 0.22% loss on the day. Meanwhile, the Dow experienced a drop of 0.03%, and the technology-dominated Nasdaq saw a decrease of 0.66%.

The stock of mining company has fallen by 12.31% in the past month, lagging the Basic Materials sector's loss of 7.15% and the S&P 500's loss of 1.21%.

Investors will be eagerly watching for the performance of Freeport-McMoRan in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company is forecasted to report an EPS of $0.6, showcasing a 11.11% upward movement from the corresponding quarter of the prior year. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenue is projecting net sales of $6.37 billion, down 15.99% from the year-ago period.

For the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $2.56 per share and revenue of $27.5 billion, which would represent changes of +44.63% and +6.12%, respectively, from the prior year.

Investors should also note any recent changes to analyst estimates for Freeport-McMoRan. These revisions typically reflect the latest short-term business trends, which can change frequently. With this in mind, we can consider positive estimate revisions a sign of optimism about the business outlook.

Our research reveals that these estimate alterations are directly linked with the stock price performance in the near future. To utilize this, we have created the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model that integrates these estimate changes and provides a functional rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, which varies between #1 (Strong Buy) and #5 (Strong Sell), carries an impressive track record of exceeding expectations, confirmed by external audits, with stocks at #1 delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Within the past 30 days, our consensus EPS projection has moved 0.21% lower. Freeport-McMoRan is holding a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold) right now.

With respect to valuation, Freeport-McMoRan is currently being traded at a Forward P/E ratio of 24.57. This valuation marks a premium compared to its industry average Forward P/E of 23.73.

Meanwhile, FCX's PEG ratio is currently 0.76. Comparable to the widely accepted P/E ratio, the PEG ratio also accounts for the company's projected earnings growth. The Mining - Non Ferrous industry currently had an average PEG ratio of 1.34 as of yesterday's close.

The Mining - Non Ferrous industry is part of the Basic Materials sector. This industry, currently bearing a Zacks Industry Rank of 106, finds itself in the top 44% echelons of all 250+ industries.

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

Make sure to utilize Zacks.com to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and more, in the coming trading sessions.