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Key Takeaways FRT acquired Congressional North Shopping Center for $72.3M, expanding its Montgomery County footprint.FRT strengthens its presence along Rockville Pike, enabling tenant curation and potential rent growth.The deal supports FRT's expansion strategy, adding density and boosting long-term asset value. Federal Realty Investment Trust (FRT - Free Report) has expanded its footprint with the $72.3 million acquisition of Congressional North Shopping Center in Montgomery County, MD. The 176,000-square-foot, grocery-anchored property sits on 13 acres and is leased to tenants like Aldi, Petco, RH Outlet and Staples. This move strengthens Federal Realty’s control over a key retail corridor and creates opportunities to drive leasing synergies and rent growth over time.

What makes the deal more compelling is its location. The property sits next to the company’s existing Congressional Plaza and near other holdings such as Pike & Rose and Montrose Crossing. With this acquisition, Federal Realty now has a greater presence across Rockville Pike (Route 355), one of the most established retail corridors in the Washington, D.C. metro area. This clustering allows the company to better curate tenants and improve overall asset performance.

The broader portfolio adds context to the strategy. As of the end of 2025, Federal Realty owned 104 properties, including 3,700 tenants with about 28.8 million square feet of commercial space and roughly 2,700 residential units. Its centers are located in dense, affluent markets where demand for retail tends to outpace supply, supporting stable occupancy and strong tenant sales.

The acquisition also aligns with the company’s ongoing push toward mixed-use development. Federal Realty recently highlighted a $400 million residential-over-retail pipeline, reflecting its focus on adding housing density to retail assets. This approach helps generate additional income streams while increasing foot traffic for tenants, a key driver of long-term value creation.

The Congressional North purchase reflects a focused and disciplined growth strategy. By investing in high-quality, well-located assets and combining them with redevelopment potential, Federal Realty continues to strengthen its position in core markets. With a 58-year track record of consecutive dividend increases, the company remains one of the more consistent performers in the REIT space, making moves like this particularly relevant for long-term investors. However, higher e-commerce adoption and cost overruns on redevelopment projects underway are likely to weigh on Federal Realty.

Shares of this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company have rallied 4.6% in the past three months, underperforming the industry’s growth of 15.5%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Stocks to ConsiderSome better-ranked stocks from the broader REIT sector are Kimco Realty Corporation (KIM - Free Report) and Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. (PECO - 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.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Kimco’s 2026 FFO per share is pinned at $1.81. This calls for year-over-year growth of 2.84%. Kimco currently has a Value Score of C.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Phillips Edison & Company’s 2026 FFO per share is pegged at $2.74. This implies year-over-year growth of 5.38%. Phillips Edison & Company has a Value Score of C.

Note: Anything related to earnings presented in this write-up represents funds from operations (FFO) — a widely used metric to gauge the performance of REITs.

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NVDA stock is moving. See the chart and price action here.  One market watcher, Manpreet Kailon, ran the math in a social media post — and the numbers underline just how steep that climb would be.

"1/The Target: $1 Trillion. Time left: 7 Quarters (through 2027). That means Nvidia would need to average roughly $143B per quarter," Kailon wrote on X. 

That comparison alone puts the challenge in context. Nvidia is coming off a record-breaking period, posting about $68 billion in its latest quarter and guiding for $78 billion next. 

Even that guidance represents a revenue level larger than the entire annual output of many Fortune 100 companies.

The chart below shows Nvidia’s recent quarterly revenue performances.

As the post continues, the math turns harsher: "To reach a $143B average, Nvidia would need to add roughly $65B in new quarterly revenue from today's levels." 

That means Nvidia would need to scale revenue by nearly the full quarterly sales of Amazon Web Services or all of AMD's annual sales — every single quarter.

To sustain that average, the projection assumes Nvidia would likely "exit 2027 around $200B per quarter," implying a near-tripling in less than two years. 

That steep of an "acceleration curve" strains even optimistic views of AI infrastructure demand. 

Data centers, sovereign AI builds and hyperscaler spending would all need to compound at extraordinary rates, with supply chains keeping pace in silicon, memory and power capacity.

The TakeawayNvidia remains the undisputed leader in the AI chip economy, and its dominance in data center GPUs shows no signs of erosion. 

But the $1 trillion revenue target spells out a near-impossible curve of compounding growth. 

The math, brutal as it is, highlights the gap between market storytelling and the physical realities of scaling technology at planetary scale.

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, /PRNewswire/ -- Mercantile Bank Corporation ("Mercantile") has been recognized by Crain's Grand Rapids Business with a 2026 M&A Award for Deal of the Year in the Finance and Banking category. The award highlights the company's successful acquisition of Eastern Michigan Financial Corporation, which closed on December 31, 2025.

Crain's M&A Awards celebrate the sophistication and caliber of West Michigan dealmaking, recognizing transactions that drive innovation, resilience, and long‑term economic growth. Mercantile's acquisition of Eastern Michigan Financial Corporation was selected for its transformational impact, strong financial performance, and commitment to preserving local leadership while expanding opportunity across Michigan.

The cash and stock transaction, valued at approximately $95.8 million, combined two Michigan‑founded financial institutions with shared values and a deep commitment to serving families, businesses, and communities. As of closing, the combined organization reported $6.8 billion in total assets, strengthening Mercantile's position as the largest bank founded, headquartered, and operated in Michigan by total assets.

"We're grateful to Crain's Grand Rapids for this recognition and proud of what our teams accomplished together, which reflects both the strategic intent behind this partnership and the disciplined execution that brought it to life," said Ray Reitsma, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mercantile. "By bringing together two institutions with strong deposit franchises, shared values, and deep Michigan roots, we enhanced our ability to support businesses, families, and communities across the state while creating meaningful and long-term value for our shareholders."

The acquisition expanded Mercantile's statewide footprint and a strengthened funding position to enable Mercantile to deploy capital more efficiently, support small and mid‑sized businesses, expand community development lending, and maintain the relationship‑based banking model valued by its customers. Importantly, the transaction preserved local leadership and decision‑making, ensuring continuity for customers and communities served.

Crain's M&A Awards spotlight transactions that strengthen West Michigan's business ecosystem and set the stage for future growth. Mercantile's Deal of the Year recognition reflects a combination of financial performance, strategic foresight, and a commitment to sustaining Michigan‑based banking for generations to come.

About Mercantile Bank Corporation
Based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Mercantile Bank Corporation is the bank holding company for Mercantile Bank and Eastern Michigan Bank. Mercantile Bank and Eastern Michigan Bank provide financial products and services in a professional and personalized manner designed to make banking easier for businesses, individuals, and governmental units. Distinguished by exceptional service, knowledgeable staff, and a commitment to the communities they serve, Mercantile Bank and Eastern Michigan Bank, as combined, comprise one of the largest Michigan-based banking organizations with total combined assets of approximately $6.8 billion. Mercantile Bank Corporation's common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol "MBWM." For more information about Mercantile, visit www.mercbank.com, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) @MercBank, and LinkedIn @merc-bank.

SOURCE Mercantile Bank Corporation

New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - March 17, 2026) - Levi & Korsinsky notifies investors that it has commenced an investigation into Insulet Corporation ("Insulet Corporation") (NASDAQ: PODD) concerning potential violations of the federal securities laws.

During that same February 18 earnings call, McEvoy stated that "strong clinical evidence and real-world outcomes continue to earn prescriber and patient confidence" and described Omnipod 5 as the "favorite pump" for both type-1 and type-2 users in 2025. CFO Flavia Pease added that U.S. revenue growth was "above the high end of our guidance range, driven by continued demand for Omnipod 5 across type 1 and type 2 customers." At no point during the call did any executive reference a product-quality issue, a pending regulatory action, or an anticipated recall.

Only a few weeks later, the March 12 filing revealed a defect affecting Omnipod 5 Pods. The filing identified insulin leakage capable of causing diabetic ketoacidosis -- a serious medical emergency. The Company's February 18 statements about Omnipod reliability, patient confidence, and demand-driven growth had not referenced any of these issues.

If you suffered a loss on your Insulet Corporation securities and would like to explore a potential recovery under the federal securities laws, Learn More About the Investigation or contact Joseph E. Levi, Esq. via email at [email protected] or call (212)363-7500 to speak to our team of experienced shareholder advocates.

WHY LEVI & KORSINSKY: Over the past 20 years, Levi & Korsinsky LLP has established itself as a nationally-recognized securities litigation firm that has secured hundreds of millions of dollars for aggrieved shareholders and built a track record of winning high-stakes cases. The firm has extensive expertise representing investors in complex securities litigation and a team of over 70 employees to serve our clients. For seven years in a row, Levi & Korsinsky has ranked in ISS Securities Class Action Services' Top 50 Report as one of the top securities litigation firms in the United States. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

CONTACT:
Levi & Korsinsky, LLP
Joseph E. Levi, Esq.
Ed Korsinsky, Esq.
33 Whitehall Street, 27th Floor
New York, NY 10004
[email protected]
Tel: (212)363-7500
Fax: (212)363-7171

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/288829

Source: Levi & Korsinsky, LLP

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania--(Newsfile Corp. - March 17, 2026) - National plaintiffs' law firm Berger Montague PC announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against BellRing Brands, Inc. (NYSE: BRBR) ("BellRing" or the "Company") on behalf of investors who purchased or otherwise acquired BellRing securities during the period of November 19, 2024 through August 4, 2025 (the "Class Period").

Investor Deadline: Investors who purchased BellRing securities during the Class Period may, no later than March 23, 2026, seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class. To learn your rights, CLICK HERE.

Headquartered in St. Louis, MO, BellRing markets nutrition products such as ready-to-drink ("RTD") protein shakes, nutrition drinks, powders, and protein bars under the Premier Protein and Dymatize brands.

According to the lawsuit, during the relevant period, BellRing, its CEO, and CFO misled investors about the Company's sales growth, representing that it reflected increased end-consumer demand, attributing results to "organic growth," "distribution gains," "incremental promotional activity," and "[s]trong macro tailwinds around protein," among other factors. Likewise, Defendants downplayed the impact of competition on demand.

As the complaint alleges, contrary to Defendants' statements, BellRing's reported sales during the Class Period were driven by the stockpiling of inventory by key customers.

Investors began to learn the truth on May 6, 2025, when BellRing's CFO revealed that "several key retailers lowered their weeks of supply on hand, which is expected to be a mid-single-digit headwind to our third quarter growth." Further, BellRing's CEO stated that retailers had been "hoarding inventory to make sure they didn't run out of stock on shelf."

On this news, the price of BellRing stock dropped $14.88 per share, or 19%, from a closing price of $78.43 per share on May 5, 2025, to $63.55 per share on May 6, 2025.

Then, on August 4, 2025, in connection with its 3Q 2025 financial results, BellRing "narrowed" its fiscal year 2025 outlook for net sales, attributing the adjusted guidance to "several other competitors" making gains with a large retailer.

On this news, the price of BellRing stock plummeted $17.46 per share, or 33%, from a closing price of $53.64 per share on August 4, 2025, to $36.18 per share on August 5, 2025.

If you are a BellRing investor and would like to learn more about this action, CLICK HERE or please contact Berger Montague: Andrew Abramowitz at [email protected] or (215) 875-3015, or Caitlin Adorni at [email protected] or (267)764-4865.

About Berger Montague
Berger Montague is one of the nation's preeminent law firms focusing on complex civil litigation, class actions, and mass torts in federal and state courts throughout the United States. With more than $2.4 billion in 2025 post-trial judgments alone, the Firm is a leader in the fields of complex litigation, antitrust, consumer protection, defective products, environmental law, employment law, securities, and whistleblower cases, among many other practice areas. For over 55 years, Berger Montague has played leading roles in precedent-setting cases and has recovered over $50 billion for its clients and the classes they have represented. Berger Montague is headquartered in Philadelphia and has offices in Chicago; Malvern, PA; Minneapolis; San Diego; San Francisco; Toronto, Canada; Washington, D.C., and Wilmington, DE.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/288770

Source: Berger Montague

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Rocket Lab USA (NASDAQ:RKLB | RKLB Price Prediction) stock is spiking in Tuesday morning trading, with shares up 6% and heading toward $76.

Vistry Group PLC (LSE:VTY), the FTSE 250 housebuilder, is cutting asking prices on new homes far more aggressively than its rivals – and far more than analyst forecasts currently assume, according to new data from RBC Capital Markets.

RBC used its proprietary data to track price changes on 1,258 Vistry homes listed on the company's website as of 3 January, checking back on 13 March to see what had moved.

The results are striking: 43% of those homes had seen their price reduced, with the average cut among discounted properties running at 6.4% – equivalent to roughly £20,000 to £40,000 off a typical home.

That compares with the current City consensus, which assumes Vistry's average private selling price will fall by just 1.4% across the full year – a gap that RBC believes the market has not fully reckoned with.

The findings follow Vistry chief executive Greg Fitzgerald's statement at the company's full-year results on 4 March, when he said each of the group's 25 regional managing directors had been instructed to "double sales rates" through price reductions.

Vistry's strategy was framed as prioritising sales volumes and cash generation over margins – and already rattled the housebuilding sector, but the RBC analysis suggests the scale of what is under way may be bigger than investors appreciate.

Around 40% of all the price cuts tracked were in the 5-10% range, while roughly 15% exceeded 10%.

RBC's concerns extend beyond pricing, too, with analysts flagging an unconfirmed report in The Times suggesting Vistry had halted payments to some suppliers as management focuses on preserving cash, with the group allegedly seeking payment deferrals and discounts from subcontractors.

The report sits in awkward contrast to comments Fitzgerald made at the results presentation, when he said: "Subcontractors absolutely love our model. They treat us as paying the mortgage."

Vistry has not publicly confirmed the supplier payments story.

RBC also flagged a political dimension that could weigh on one of the company's most important revenue streams.

In FY25, Vistry delivered one in seven of all affordable homes built in the UK – a concentration that has drawn scrutiny from Paul Holmes, the shadow housing minister, who has raised concerns with the Financial Times that the government has created an uneven playing field by favouring a single developer.

Any pressure on that affordable housing pipeline – which forms the backbone of Vistry's business model – would represent a significant additional headwind.

RBC maintained its 'underperform' rating on the stock, saying the accumulation of issues "has heightened the uncertainty around estimates."

Key Takeaways Intel Xeon 6 will power NVIDIA DGX Rubin NVL8, advancing real-time AI inference.Priority Core Turbo boosts GPU utilization and single-thread performance for AI tasks.Security features like TDX ensure safe CPU-GPU communication for enterprise AI workloads. Intel Corporation (INTC - Free Report) has announced that the latest Intel Xeon 6 processors will power the new NVIDIA DGX Rubin NVL8 systems developed by NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA - Free Report) . This collaboration highlights the artificial intelligence (AI) industry’s shift from large-scale model training toward faster, real-time AI inference across cloud, data center and edge devices.

Intel presents Xeon 6 as a strong foundation for scalable AI infrastructure, building on the design of earlier platforms, such as the Xeon 6776P used in Blackwell-based DGX systems. Its Priority Core Turbo features improve GPU utilization by enabling smoother data movement, while strong single-thread performance helps to manage tasks smoothly as AI workloads become more complex.

The processor offers balanced performance and strong power efficiency. It supports up to 8 TB of memory and uses advanced Multiplexed Rank Dual Inline Memory Module technology to deliver faster data flow to GPUs. It also features high-speed PCIe 5.0 connectivity for quicker, low-latency communication with AI accelerators and storage systems.

Security and reliability in AI platforms remain the company's key focus. Technologies like Intel Trust Domain Extensions (TDX) help keep AI data and models safe by enabling secure communication between CPUs and GPUs. This built-in hardware protection supports the use of these systems in critical business environments.

The company is strengthening its role in next-generation AI infrastructure with Xeon processors that offer strong performance, scalability and security. With continuous innovation and partnership, Intel aims to offer a reliable platform that helps organizations run and scale AI applications more easily and efficiently.

How Are Competitors Performing?Intel faces competition from Qualcomm Incorporated (QCOM - Free Report) and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD - Free Report) . Qualcomm is strengthening its position in the PC CPU market with its new Snapdragon X series processors, such as Snapdragon X Elite for AI-powered laptops. The company is also focusing on delivering high performance and better power efficiency to compete with established chipmakers. It has acquired Alphawave Semi to strengthen its data-center and AI CPU capabilities.

AMD is expanding its CPU business by launching Ryzen AI processors for AI PCs and edge devices. The company is developing next-generation Zen 6 architecture for future desktop and server chips. AMD recently signed a major deal with Meta to supply AI-focused processors for data-center use.

INTC’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesShares of Intel have surged 76.5% over the past year compared with the industry’s growth of 54%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Going by the price/book ratio, the company's shares currently trade at 1.81 book value, lower than 27.29 of the industry average.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

INTC’s earnings estimates for 2026 have declined 15.5% to 49 cents per share, while those for 2027 have declined 11% to 98 cents over the past 60 days.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

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

Alcoa Corporation (AA) JPMorgan Industrials Conference 2026 March 17, 2026 9:30 AM EDT

Company Participants

Molly Beerman - Executive VP & CFO

Conference Call Participants

William Peterson - JPMorgan Chase & Co, Research Division

Presentation

William Peterson
JPMorgan Chase & Co, Research Division

Good morning, and welcome to JPMorgan's Industrial Conference. Really pleased to have the team from Alcoa here, and Molly Beerman here for the fireside chat.

Question-and-Answer Session

William Peterson
JPMorgan Chase & Co, Research Division

Maybe starting off for those less familiar, can you provide a brief overview of the company's business, including the company's global footprint and vertical integration? And then there's a couple of things going on in the world that we might get to after that.

Molly Beerman
Executive VP & CFO

So thanks, Bill. Good morning, and welcome, everyone. So Alcoa is an integrated aluminum company. In 2025, we recorded just under $13 billion in revenue. We are organized in 2 business segments, alumina and aluminum. Within alumina, we have 5 bauxite mines, 5 alumina refineries. We mine about 40 million metric tons of bauxite in a year and about 10 million metric tons of alumina.

In our aluminum business, we consume about 40% of the alumina that we produce. We have 11 smelters. They are primarily located in markets that are close to our customer end markets. We run on 86% renewable energy. We have very little exposure to energy. We're on long-term contracts for the most part. We have a strong start to 2026. We're operating stably. We're progressing our strategic initiatives, and we are really looking to capitalize on the high metal prices and dropping that profitability to the bottom line.

Within alumina, we're focused on cost. We are in the first quartile for cost curve based on CRU. We believe we're

Key Takeaways CALX trades at 2.82x forward sales, below industry and sector averages, suggesting a discounted valuation.CALX targets $56 based on forward sales, reflecting balanced upside and risks from timing and margins.CALX expects revenue growth to $1.31B by 2027, with margins improving as software mix expands. Calix Inc. (CALX - Free Report) is in the middle of a transition that is meant to lift software content, improve margin consistency, and expand monetization through agentic AI. That shift makes valuation more important, because near-term results can stay noisy even when long-term drivers are intact.

A $56 price target frames the setup as largely balanced. It leaves room for execution upside, but it also reflects timing risk around BEAD conversion, enterprise-scale deal cycles, and margin normalization.

CALX The Market Setup: Performance vs. Peers and SectorCALX shares declined 7.5% over the past three months but gained 51.7% over the past year. Over the same periods, the Zacks sub-industry fell 14.3% and 4.0%, while the Zacks Computer and Technology sector fell 4.4% and rose 34.2%. The S&P 500 decreased 2.6% over the past three months and increased 21.5% over the past year.

On valuation, CALX trades at 2.82x forward 12-month sales per share versus 3.88x for the sub-industry, 6.02x for the sector, and 4.93x for the S&P 500. The stock’s five-year trading range has been 1.82x to 7.36x, with a median of 3.21x.

That discount matters because the company is pushing toward higher recurring software and services, which typically earns a higher-quality multiple once visibility and margins stabilize.

Calix The Framework: What “Neutral” Implies for ReturnsA neutral view implies an expectation for roughly in-line performance versus the broader market over the next 6 to 12 months, with the stock’s upside and downside appearing balanced at current levels.

To strengthen sentiment, investors typically want clearer proof points that the company is exiting transition costs on schedule and that software-led monetization is becoming visible in forward demand indicators. Execution that reduces quarterly variability, especially in margins and operating expense leverage, can also support a higher confidence multiple.

CALX Price Target Logic: What the $56 AssumesThe $56 price target is set on a 6 to 12 month horizon. It uses a forward sales multiple framework, which helps anchor valuation to the company’s revenue base rather than a single quarter’s mix or expense cadence.

Under this approach, the target is tied to 19.85x forward 12-month sales. The goal is to express a valuation view that can hold through typical seasonality and transition costs, not to predict a specific near-term print.

Calix Sales, EPS, and the Cadence Through 2027Consensus estimates point to a steady growth profile through 2027. Revenue is expected to rise from $1,000 million in 2025 to $1,156 million in 2026 and $1,315 million in 2027. Quarterly revenue is estimated at $277 million to $303 million across 2026, then $316 million to $343 million across 2027.

Earnings per share estimates also step up, from $1.35 in 2025 to $1.91 in 2026 and $2.72 in 2027, with quarterly EPS projected to progress through 2026.

Management guided first-quarter 2026 revenue to $275 million to $281 million and reiterated an expectation for sequential revenue increases through 2026, even through normal first-quarter seasonality. The CFO framed full-year 2026 growth excluding Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment as 10% to 15%.

CALX Margin Bridge: From Hardware Mix to Software ScaleNon-GAAP gross margin reached 58% in the fourth quarter of 2025, a company record and the eighth consecutive quarter of improvement. Management tied that performance to broader platform adoption and continued progress in recurring software and services.

Near term, margin can face modest pressure from customer and product mix and overlapping dual-cloud costs during the third-generation platform transition. Appliance volatility can also swing mix and discounting quarter to quarter.

Longer term, management expects software and services gross margin to move beyond 70% after the dual-cloud transition ends, supporting a more consistent margin profile as recurring software scales and higher-margin opportunities expand.

Calix Cash, Buybacks, and Balance Sheet FlexibilityCalix ended 2025 with $388 million in cash and investments. Free cash flow was $40 million in the fourth quarter, a quarterly record and the 11th consecutive quarter with eight-figure free cash flow.

Capital returns remain active. The board increased repurchase authorization by $125 million, and the company repurchased $17 million of stock in the fourth quarter of 2025. This flexibility supports investment through a transition year that includes elevated operating expenses tied to accelerated AI development.

CALX The “Wait-and-See” Risks That Can Cap the MultipleBEAD is a multi-year opportunity, but the timing limits near-term contribution. Management expects appliance deliveries to begin later in 2026, starting in the second half, with a meaningful ramp in 2027. Construction crew capacity was flagged as a gating factor.

Large-customer ramps carry elongated timing, with Tier 1 sales cycles described as 18 to 24 months and initial contributions expected late 2026 with more material impact in 2027. Quarter-to-quarter appliance volatility can keep revenue and margin uneven, while memory inflation risk tied to the industry’s shift from DDR4 to DDR5 could pressure component costs as 2026 progresses. Tariff-related variability was also flagged as a margin factor.

Calix Investor Playbook: What to Monitor Next•    RPO conversion pace: Track whether record Remaining Performance Obligation of $385 million and current Remaining Performance Obligation of $152 million continue translating into sequential revenue gains through 2026. 
•    Gen3 transition execution: Watch for confirmation that customer migrations are completed by the end of the first quarter of 2026 and that dual-cloud overlap is ending on schedule. 
•    Operating expense normalization: Monitor progress toward returning operating expenses to the target model by the end of 2026 after the AI development step-up. 
•    Mix and software proof points: Look for early signs of higher-margin software expansion, including software-only wins that improve revenue mix as 2026 progresses into 2027.

Other connectivity and infrastructure names that sit at the intersection of network upgrades and software-led value include ADTRAN Holdings, Inc. (ADTN - Free Report) and Ciena Corporation (CIEN - Free Report) . While ADTRAN and Calix carry a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), Ciena sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Key Takeaways CENX benefits from strong aluminum demand and supportive regional premiums.CENX produced 638,000 tons in 2025 and is restoring Mt. Holly capacity by Q2 2026.CENX signed deals for power supply and a new Oklahoma smelter to boost production. Century Aluminum Company (CENX - Free Report) is benefiting from solid global demand for aluminum, driven by improving industrial activity and steady consumption across key end markets. Aluminum prices are influenced by the London Metal Exchange (LME) along with regional premiums, which have remained supportive for producers. Higher regional premiums and favorable market dynamics are likely to aid Century Aluminum’s pricing and profitability.

CENX operates primary aluminum smelters in the United States and Iceland, with a combined annual production capacity of approximately 770,000 tons. In 2025, Century Aluminum produced approximately 638,000 tons of primary aluminum, with operations at facilities including Grundartangi in Iceland, Sebree in Kentucky and Mt. Holly in South Carolina. Its primary aluminum shipments totaled 647,112 tons in the year.

The company is currently working to restore curtailed capacity at the Mt. Holly smelter, which is expected to reach full production by the second quarter of 2026. In October 2025, CENX finalized an extended power service agreement with Santee Cooper for the Mt. Holly smelter, securing electricity supply through 2031. This should further enhance the company’s production capacity.

Century Aluminum also owns a 55% stake in the Jamalco bauxite mining and alumina refining joint venture in Jamaica, which helps ensure a steady supply of alumina, a key raw material for aluminum production. Also, in January 2026, the company inked a joint development deal with Emirates Global Aluminium to build a new aluminum smelter in Oklahoma. This is expected to produce 750,000 tons of aluminum annually, increasing domestic production in the United States. Higher aluminum production positions CENX well to sustain growth momentum in the quarters ahead.

Snapshot of CENX's PeersAmong its peers, Ryerson Holding Corporation (RYZ - Free Report) is witnessing solid momentum in the Aluminum segment. The segment’s shipments were relatively flat year over year at 185,000 tons in 2025. Revenues from the segment totaled $1.15 billion, reflecting an increase of 10.4%, supported by higher metal prices and strong shipments.

Another peer, Constellium SE (CSTM - Free Report) , is gaining from strength in the Packaging & Automotive Rolled Products segment. The segment’s shipments increased 6% year over year to 1,086,000 metric tons in 2025, supported by a robust demand environment. Revenues from the segment increased 21% to $5.1 billion, supported by higher metal prices.

CENX’s Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesShares of Century Aluminum have gained 64.6% in the past three months compared with the industry’s growth of 2.1%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, CENX is trading at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 1.63X, below the industry’s average of 2.07X. The company carries a Value Score of C.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CENX’s 2026 earnings has increased 42.1% over the past 60 days.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

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

Key Takeaways GE's Defense & Propulsion revenues rose 11% in 2025, with orders up 19%.GE secured a $5B Air Force deal and a $1.4B Navy contract for engines.GE expects mid-to-high single-digit revenue growth for the segment in 2026. GE Aerospace (GE - Free Report) is witnessing persistent strength in its Defense & Propulsion Technologies segment. Robust demand for the company’s propulsion & additive technologies, engines, critical aircraft systems and aftermarket services in the defense sector is driving the segment’s performance.

Recently, GE entered into a partnership with Palantir Technologies Inc. (PLTR) to improve fleet management and boost the operational readiness of military aircraft for the U.S. Air Force. As part of the program, GE will work on improving the readiness of its J85 engine that powers the U.S. Air Force’s T-38 training aircraft. Also, in January, the company clinched a $1.4 billion deal from Naval Air Systems Command to supply T408 engines for the U.S. Marine Corps’ Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion heavy-lift helicopter.

Apart from this, in 2025, the company secured a $5 billion contract from the U.S. Air Force to supply F110 engines, parts and support services as part of a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. Also, GE Aerospace received an Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract from the U.S. Army to supply F110 engines for F-15 and F-16 jets used by allied countries.

Driven by strong bookings, revenues from the Defense & Propulsion Technologies segment increased 11% year over year and orders grew 19% in 2025. Rising U.S. & international defense budgets and heightened geopolitical tensions, along with positive airline & airframer dynamics, will augur well for the segment in the quarters ahead. For 2026, adjusted revenues from the defense and propulsion technologies unit are expected to increase in the mid-to-high single-digit range.

GE's Peers in the Aerospace MarketAmong its major peers, Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NOC - Free Report) defense market is playing an important role in driving its overall growth. In fourth-quarter 2025, revenues from Northrop’s Defense Systems segment climbed 7.2% year over year to $2.15 billion. The improvement was driven by higher volumes tied to material timing on the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System, new awards within the Integrated Battle Command System portfolio and higher volume on armament programs.

Its another peer, Textron Inc. (TXT - Free Report) enjoys solid demand for its defense products as well. In the fourth quarter of 2025, the company signed a contract to deliver the first two Beechcraft T-6 to Japan's Air Self-Defense Force. In the quarter, revenues from Textron’s Bell segment amounted to $1.3 billion, up 11% year over year due to higher volume on the U.S. Army's MV-75 program.

GE's Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesShares of GE Aerospace have surged 51.4% in the past year compared with the industry’s growth of 28.5%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, GE is trading at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 39.55X, above the industry’s average of 32.27X. GE Aerospace carries a Value Score of F.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for GE’s 2026 and 2027 earnings has been on the rise over the past 60 days.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

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

This post may contain links from our sponsors and affiliates, and Flywheel Publishing may receive compensation for actions taken through them.

The VIX fear gauge has climbed more than 54% over the past month, sitting in the elevated uncertainty zone at a reading that ranks in the 93rd percentile of the past year. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 is down nearly 2% year-to-date while consumer sentiment sits at 56.4, deep in pessimistic territory. Geopolitical tensions, tariff uncertainty, and a sharp rise in Treasury yields have all converged in early 2026 to make defensive positioning feel less like a luxury and more like a necessity.

The three ETFs below each offer a distinct mechanism for weathering that kind of environment. They are not interchangeable. Understanding what each one actually does, and when it works, is the difference between a portfolio hedge and a false sense of security.

SPDR Gold Trust: When Everything Else Feels Uncertain SPDR Gold Trust (NYSEARCA:GLD) has been the standout defensive performer in 2026, up more than 16% year-to-date while the broad market has slipped. Over the past year, GLD has gained 67%, a run that reflects gold’s role as a go-to store of value when geopolitical stress and currency uncertainty rise simultaneously.

The fund holds physical gold bullion directly, meaning its price tracks the metal itself with no equity or credit risk embedded in the structure. When investors lose confidence in governments, central banks, or the stability of financial markets, gold tends to attract capital precisely because it sits outside those systems. That dynamic has been on full display in 2026.

GLD is the largest gold-backed ETF and has been trading since November 2004, giving it a long track record across multiple crisis periods. Its net expense ratio is 0.40%, which is reasonable for direct commodity exposure. One thing to understand going in: gold pays no dividend and generates no cash flow. Its entire return comes from price appreciation, which means it can also pull back sharply when fear recedes. GLD fell about 3% in the past week alone. Historically, gold has functioned as one component within broader defensive allocations rather than a standalone position.

iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF: The Flight-to-Safety Trade With a Caveat Long-duration U.S. Treasury bonds have historically been one of the most reliable safe-haven assets during equity market selloffs. When stocks fall sharply, institutional investors tend to rotate into Treasurys, pushing bond prices up. iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:TLT) captures that dynamic by holding bonds with maturities of 20 years or longer, which means it is highly sensitive to changes in long-term interest rates.

The fund currently yields about 4.3%, which is meaningful income for investors seeking stability. With over $45 billion in net assets, it is one of the most liquid bond ETFs available, and its expense ratio of 0.15% keeps costs minimal. The fund has been around since July 2002, making it a well-established tool for defensive positioning.

The caveat here is real and worth understanding carefully. TLT does not simply go up when markets fall. It goes up when long-term yields fall. Right now, the 10-year Treasury yield has risen from roughly 4% in late February to about 4.3% as of mid-March, a sharp move in a short time. Rising yields mean falling bond prices, and TLT reflects that: the fund is down about 2.5% over the past month. TLT works best as a hedge when a market crash triggers a genuine flight to safety that pushes yields lower. If inflation or fiscal concerns keep yields elevated even as stocks fall, the protection it offers is reduced. TLT has historically served as a defensive allocation for those seeking income with interest rate exposure. Those who expect a simple inverse relationship with stocks should understand that TLT’s performance depends on the direction of yields, not just equity market direction.

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iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF: Staying in Stocks Without the Full Ride Down For investors who want to remain in equities but reduce the severity of drawdowns, the iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF (BATS:USMV) offers a different kind of defensive posture. The fund uses an optimization process to construct a portfolio of U.S. stocks with lower historical volatility, subject to constraints that prevent it from drifting too far from the broader market’s sector composition.

The result is a portfolio of roughly 200 holdings that tilts toward steady, dividend-paying businesses. The top holdings include names like Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX), Verizon (NYSE:VZ), Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT | MSFT Price Prediction), Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK), and Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM), with utilities, healthcare, and consumer staples making up a meaningful share of the fund. The largest single sector is information technology at about 28% of the portfolio, which reflects the reality that some large-cap tech names now exhibit lower volatility than the broader index.

The performance comparison to the S&P 500 in 2026 illustrates exactly what minimum-volatility investing is designed to deliver – a smoother ride, not a free pass. While the broad market has slipped year-to-date, USMV has managed to stay modestly positive, and during last week’s bout of selling pressure, it declined roughly 30% less than the broader index. That cushion is real, even if it is not dramatic. The fund achieves this at a low cost, with an expense ratio of expense ratio of 0.15%, making it an efficient tool for investors who want equity exposure without the full force of a downturn.

The tradeoff is that USMV does not provide a true hedge. In a severe, broad-based selloff, low-volatility stocks still fall. They tend to fall less than the market, but investors who need genuine downside protection should not rely on USMV alone. Its value is in smoothing the ride, not eliminating the risk.

Choosing Between Them The right mix depends on what kind of risk an investor is most worried about.

GLD addresses systemic and geopolitical fear directly, while TLT offers income and has historically moved inversely to equities, though only when falling yields are driving the selloff. USMV is the option for those who want to stay in stocks but reduce the severity of drawdowns.

Together, they cover three distinct defensive mechanisms, and the current environment (elevated VIX, rising yields, and a slipping equity market) has drawn renewed attention to each of them.

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ATLANTA, March 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A shareholder class action lawsuit has been filed against Alight, Inc. (“Alight”) (NYSE: ALIT). The lawsuit alleges that Defendants issued false and misleading statements and/or failed to disclose material adverse facts, including allegations that Alight was not equipped to execute on its claimed potential and, as a result, could not maintain its promised dividend.

If you purchased Alight’s shares between November 12, 2024 and February 18, 2026, and experienced a significant loss on that investment, you are encouraged to discuss your legal rights by contacting Corey D. Holzer, Esq. at [email protected], by toll-free telephone at (888) 508-6832, or by visiting the firm’s website at www.holzerlaw.com/case/alight/ for more information.

The deadline to ask the court to be appointed lead plaintiff in the case is May 15, 2026.

Holzer & Holzer, LLC, an ISS top rated securities litigation law firm for 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2025, dedicates its practice to vigorous representation of shareholders and investors in litigation nationwide, including shareholder class action and derivative litigation. Since its founding in 2000, Holzer & Holzer attorneys have played critical roles in recovering hundreds of millions of dollars for shareholders victimized by fraud and other corporate misconduct. More information about the firm is available through its website, www.holzerlaw.com, and upon request from the firm. Holzer & Holzer, LLC has paid for the dissemination of this promotional communication, and Corey Holzer is the attorney responsible for its content.  

CONTACT:
Corey Holzer, Esq.
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[email protected]

It doesn't matter your age or experience: taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals for all investors. Luckily, Zacks Premium offers several different ways to do both.

The research service features daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, full access to the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens, all of which will help you become a smarter, more confident investor.

Zacks Premium includes access to the Zacks Style Scores as well.

What are the Zacks Style Scores? Developed alongside the Zacks Rank, the Zacks Style Scores are a group of complementary indicators that help investors pick stocks with the best chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.

Each stock is assigned a rating of A, B, C, D, or F based on their value, growth, and momentum characteristics. Just like in school, an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on -- that means the better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform.

The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:

Value ScoreFor value investors, it's all about finding good stocks at good prices, and discovering which companies are trading under their true value before the broader market catches on. The Value Style Score utilizes ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and a host of other multiples to help pick out the most attractive and discounted stocks.

Growth ScoreGrowth investors are more concerned with a stock's future prospects, and the overall financial health and strength of a company. Thus, the Growth Style Score analyzes characteristics like projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow to find stocks that will see sustainable growth over time.

Momentum ScoreMomentum investors, who live by the saying "the trend is your friend," are most interested in taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook. Utilizing one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates, among other factors, the Momentum Style Score can help determine favorable times to buy high-momentum stocks.

VGM ScoreIf you want a combination of all three Style Scores, then the VGM Score will be your friend. It rates each stock on their combined weighted styles, helping you find the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum. It's also one of the best indicators to use with the Zacks Rank.

How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank A proprietary stock-rating model, the Zacks Rank utilizes the power of earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings outlook, to help investors create a successful portfolio.

It's highly successful, with #1 (Strong Buy) stocks producing an unmatched +23.93% average annual return since 1988. That's more than double the S&P 500. But because of the large number of stocks we rate, there are over 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, plus another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.

But it can feel overwhelming to pick the right stocks for you and your investing goals with over 800 top-rated stocks to choose from.

That's where the Style Scores come in.

You want to make sure you're buying stocks with the highest likelihood of success, and to do that, you'll need to pick stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B. If you like a stock that only has a #3 (Hold) rank, it should also have Scores of A or B to guarantee as much upside potential as possible.

Since the Scores were created to work together with the Zacks Rank, the direction of a stock's earnings estimate revisions should be a key factor when choosing which stocks to buy.

For instance, a stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, even one that boasts Scores of A and B, still has a downward-trending earnings forecast, and a much greater likelihood its share price will decline as well.

Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.

Stock to Watch: Jabil (JBL - Free Report) Headquartered in St. Petersburg, FL, Jabil, Inc. is one of the largest global suppliers of electronic manufacturing services. The company offers electronics design, production, product management and after-market services to customers in the aerospace, automotive, computing, consumer, defense, industrial, instrumentation, medical, networking, peripherals, storage and telecommunications industries.

JBL is a #2 (Buy) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of A.

Momentum investors should take note of this Computer and Technology stock. JBL has a Momentum Style Score of B, and shares are up 1.3% over the past four weeks.

For fiscal 2026, one analyst revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days, and the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.07 to $11.62 per share. JBL boasts an average earnings surprise of +8.2%.

With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Momentum and VGM Style Scores, JBL should be on investors' short list.

Taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals for new and old investors, and Zacks Premium offers many different ways to do both.

The research service features daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, full access to the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens, all of which will help you become a smarter, more confident investor.

It also includes access to the Zacks Style Scores.

What are the Zacks Style Scores? The Zacks Style Scores is a unique set of guidelines that rates stocks based on three popular investing types, and were developed as complementary indicators for the Zacks Rank. This combination helps investors choose securities with the highest chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.

Each stock is given an alphabetic rating of A, B, C, D or F based on their value, growth, and momentum qualities. With this system, an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on, meaning the better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform.

The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:

Value ScoreValue investors love finding good stocks at good prices, especially before the broader market catches on to a stock's true value. Utilizing ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and many other multiples, the Value Style Score identifies the most attractive and most discounted stocks.

Growth ScoreGrowth investors are more concerned with a stock's future prospects, and the overall financial health and strength of a company. Thus, the Growth Style Score analyzes characteristics like projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow to find stocks that will see sustainable growth over time.

Momentum ScoreMomentum trading is all about taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook, and these investors live by the saying "the trend is your friend." The Momentum Style Score can pinpoint good times to build a position in a stock, using factors like one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates.

VGM ScoreWhat if you like to use all three types of investing? The VGM Score is a combination of all Style Scores, making it one of the most comprehensive indicators to use with the Zacks Rank. It rates each stock on their combined weighted styles, which helps narrow down the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum.

How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank The Zacks Rank, which is a proprietary stock-rating model, employs earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings expectations, to make building a winning portfolio easier.

It's highly successful, with #1 (Strong Buy) stocks producing an unmatched +23.93% average annual return since 1988. That's more than double the S&P 500. But because of the large number of stocks we rate, there are over 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, plus another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.

This totals more than 800 top-rated stocks, and it can be overwhelming to try and pick the best stocks for you and your portfolio.

That's where the Style Scores come in.

To maximize your returns, you want to buy stocks with the highest probability of success. This means picking stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B. If you find yourself looking at stocks with a #3 (Hold) rank, make sure they have Scores of A or B as well to ensure as much upside potential as possible.

As mentioned above, the Scores are designed to work with the Zacks Rank, so any change to a company's earnings outlook should be a deciding factor when picking which stocks to buy.

For instance, a stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, even one that boasts Scores of A and B, still has a downward-trending earnings forecast, and a much greater likelihood its share price will decline as well.

Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.

Stock to Watch: Chubb (CB - Free Report) Chubb Limited was formerly known as ACE Limited. ACE Limited after acquiring The Chubb Corp in Jan 2016 assumed the name of Chubb. Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, the company boasts being one of the world’s largest providers of property and casualty (P&C) insurance and reinsurance and largest publicly traded P&C insurer, based on market capitalization of $86 billion. Chubb has diversified through acquisitions into many specialty lines, including marine, medical risk, excess property, environmental and terrorism insurance and has local operations in 54 countries and territories. Chubb provides specialized insurance products such as personal accident, supplemental health and life insurance to individuals in select countries. Its reinsurance operations include both P&C and life companies.

CB is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of B.

Momentum investors should take note of this Finance stock. CB has a Momentum Style Score of B, and shares are up 1.6% over the past four weeks.

For fiscal 2026, 11 analysts revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days, and the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.46 to $26.40 per share. CB boasts an average earnings surprise of +14.3%.

With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Momentum and VGM Style Scores, CB should be on investors' short list.

For new and old investors, taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals. Zacks Premium provides lots of different ways to do both.

The research service features daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, full access to the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens, all of which will help you become a smarter, more confident investor.

Zacks Premium includes access to the Zacks Style Scores as well.

What are the Zacks Style Scores? The Zacks Style Scores is a unique set of guidelines that rates stocks based on three popular investing types, and were developed as complementary indicators for the Zacks Rank. This combination helps investors choose securities with the highest chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.

Each stock is assigned a rating of A, B, C, D, or F based on their value, growth, and momentum characteristics. Just like in school, an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on -- that means the better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform.

The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:

Value ScoreValue investors love finding good stocks at good prices, especially before the broader market catches on to a stock's true value. Utilizing ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and many other multiples, the Value Style Score identifies the most attractive and most discounted stocks.

Growth ScoreGrowth investors are more concerned with a stock's future prospects, and the overall financial health and strength of a company. Thus, the Growth Style Score analyzes characteristics like projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow to find stocks that will see sustainable growth over time.

Momentum ScoreMomentum trading is all about taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook, and these investors live by the saying "the trend is your friend." The Momentum Style Score can pinpoint good times to build a position in a stock, using factors like one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates.

VGM ScoreIf you want a combination of all three Style Scores, then the VGM Score will be your friend. It rates each stock on their combined weighted styles, helping you find the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum. It's also one of the best indicators to use with the Zacks Rank.

How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank The Zacks Rank, which is a proprietary stock-rating model, employs earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings expectations, to make building a winning portfolio easier.

Investors can count on the Zacks Rank's success, with #1 (Strong Buy) stocks producing an unmatched +23.93% average annual return since 1988, more than double the S&P 500's performance. But the model rates a large number of stocks, and there are over 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, plus another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.

This totals more than 800 top-rated stocks, and it can be overwhelming to try and pick the best stocks for you and your portfolio.

That's where the Style Scores come in.

To maximize your returns, you want to buy stocks with the highest probability of success. This means picking stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B. If you find yourself looking at stocks with a #3 (Hold) rank, make sure they have Scores of A or B as well to ensure as much upside potential as possible.

The direction of a stock's earnings estimate revisions should always be a key factor when choosing which stocks to buy, since the Scores were created to work together with the Zacks Rank.

A stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, for instance, even one with Scores of A and B, will still have a declining earnings forecast, and a greater chance its share price will fall too.

Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.

Stock to Watch: Nvidia (NVDA - Free Report) NVIDIA Corporation is the worldwide leader in visual computing technologies and the inventor of the graphic processing unit, or GPU. Over the years, the company’s focus has evolved from PC graphics to artificial intelligence (AI) based solutions that now support high performance computing (HPC), gaming and virtual reality (VR) platforms.

NVDA is a #2 (Buy) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of B.

Momentum investors should take note of this Computer and Technology stock. NVDA has a Momentum Style Score of B, and shares are up 0.2% over the past four weeks.

For fiscal 2027, 13 analysts revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days, and the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.51 to $7.82 per share. NVDA boasts an average earnings surprise of +2.9%.

With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Momentum and VGM Style Scores, NVDA should be on investors' short list.

This post may contain links from our sponsors and affiliates, and Flywheel Publishing may receive compensation for actions taken through them.

Morgan Stanley has upgraded CrowdStrike (NASDAQ: CRWD) to Overweight and named it a Top Pick following Q4 fiscal 2026 earnings, and Goldman Sachs packaged it into $1,635,000 in Autocallable Basket-Linked Notes due 2028 alongside other high-conviction growth names. These two very different institutional moves have one shared data point: both firms acted on CrowdStrike at current price levels.

CrowdStrike trades below $440, down more than 6% year-to-date despite delivering what CEO George Kurtz called the company’s best fiscal year on record. The divergence between institutional conviction and market price has drawn attention from both institutional and retail investors.

Three Data Points Anchoring the Bullish Case Analyst consensus is decisively skewed toward buying. The Street carries 38 Buy-equivalent ratings against 15 Holds and zero Sells, with a consensus price target of $493.08. Morgan Stanley’s AI-derived price target sits at $592.68, implying 39.8% upside from current levels. The firm specifically cited AI positioning, accelerating module adoption, and the potential for sustained double-digit revenue growth as its rationale.

Goldman’s structured product signals multi-year conviction. The Goldman basket note pairs CrowdStrike with Cloudflare, Reddit, Vertiv Holdings, and others in an equally weighted structure maturing in 2028. Structured notes of this type require Goldman’s desk to underwrite exposure to the underlying basket through the note’s duration. Inclusion alongside names selected for growth trajectory is a form of institutional endorsement that doesn’t show up in traditional ratings counts.

The fundamentals justify the attention. Q4 FY26 revenue came in at $1.305 billion, up 23.3% year-over-year, and the company posted its first-ever positive GAAP net income of $38.69 million, compared to an $86.29 million loss a year earlier. Ending ARR reached $5.25 billion, up 24% year-over-year, with net new ARR of $330.7 million marking a record and growing 47% year-over-year. The Falcon Flex model, which allows customers to access the full platform under a single flexible contract, ended the year with $1.69 billion in ARR, growing more than 120% year-over-year.

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The Gap Between Wall Street and the Market The stock closed at $500.93 the day Q3 earnings were reported in December 2025 and has since pulled back significantly. That decline happened despite sequential improvement in every major operating metric. The 200-day moving average sits at $468.72, well above current price, which means the stock is in technically extended territory to the downside relative to its own trend.

The institutional picture is not unanimous. Franklin Resources trimmed its position by 21%, selling 265,953 shares, a meaningful reduction that reflects legitimate valuation concerns. At roughly 87x forward earnings, CrowdStrike is priced for continued execution with no margin for error. Meanwhile, AllianceBernstein raised its stake by 1.7% to 329,818 shares valued at $161.74 million, illustrating that even within institutional money, the debate is live.

Retail sentiment, for what it’s worth, has recovered alongside the institutional moves. A composite sentiment score of 63.86 out of 100, up 5.5 points over 30 days, with Reddit scores in the 68 to 74 range across communities including r/wallstreetbets and r/stocks, suggests retail investors are not fleeing despite the price weakness.

What Investors Should Watch The core question is whether CrowdStrike can sustain the ARR growth rate that justifies its valuation. FY27 guidance calls for revenue of $5.868 billion to $5.928 billion and ending ARR of $6.466 billion to $6.516 billion, with a long-term target of $20 billion in ending ARR by FY36. Morgan Stanley and Goldman are betting the platform consolidation thesis holds. Franklin’s trim is a reminder that at these multiples, the margin for execution risk is thin. The smart money is bullish, but it is not unanimous. The divergence between institutional conviction and market price remains an open question heading into FY27.

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Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

Boeing 737 MAX aircraft are assembled at the company’s plant in Renton, Washington, U.S. June 25, 2024. Jennifer Buchanan/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

SummaryCompaniesShareholders accused Boeing of concealing safety warningsJudge finds common means to measure damagesBoeing paid $2.5 billion to settle with US governmentBoeing not available for commentMarch 17 (Reuters) - A federal judge ​certified a shareholder class action accusing Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab of concealing safety deficiencies in ‌its 737 MAX planes before two crashes that killed 346 people in 2018 and 2019.

In a decision on Monday, U.S. District Judge Franklin Valderrama in Chicago said shareholders who owned Boeing stock between November 7, ​2018 and October 18, 2019 may sue as a group because they demonstrated ​a common means to measure damages. The class period ended two months ⁠earlier than shareholders wanted.

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Class actions can allow greater recoveries at lower cost than individual ​lawsuits. The shareholders are led by a group of pension funds and private investors.

Boeing faces a separate ​class action in the Alexandria, Virginia federal court, claiming it overstated its commitment to safe aircraft prior to the January 2024 mid-air cabin panel blowout on an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9.

Neither Boeing nor its ​lawyers immediately responded to requests for comment on Tuesday. Salvatore Graziano, a lawyer for the ​shareholders, declined to comment.

Shareholders accused Boeing of rushing development of the 737 MAX, ignoring safety warnings from ‌employees, ⁠and misleading the Federal Aviation Administration about the plane's safety because it feared losing market share to Airbus (AIR.PA), opens new tab, whose A320 series is the 737's main competitor.

They sued the Arlington, Virginia-based company following the deaths of 189 people in a Lion Air crash in October 2018, and ​157 people in ​an Ethiopian Airlines crash ⁠in March 2019.

Shareholders wanted the class period to end on December 16, 2019, saying Boeing's temporary suspension of MAX production that day ​exposed the company's "unrealistic" timeline to resume flights. Boeing objected, saying it was ​already known ⁠the plane would be out of service until 2020.

The class period ends on a day the market learned that the MAX's chief technical pilot Mark Forkner expressed concern in 2016 that ⁠an automated ​system on the plane was "running rampant."

In January 2021, Boeing ​agreed to pay more than $2.5 billion to resolve a U.S. Department of Justice criminal charge it conspired to defraud the ​FAA about the MAX's safety.

Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York, Editing by Franklin Paul

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SentinelOne (S - Free Report) closed the last trading session at $14.29, gaining 3% over the past four weeks, but there could be plenty of upside left in the stock if short-term price targets set by Wall Street analysts are any guide. The mean price target of $19.02 indicates a 33.1% upside potential.

The average comprises 32 short-term price targets ranging from a low of $14.00 to a high of $30.00, with a standard deviation of $3.88. While the lowest estimate indicates a decline of 2% from the current price level, the most optimistic estimate points to a 109.9% 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 highly sought after by investors, the ability and unbiasedness of analysts in setting price targets have long been questionable. And investors making investment decisions solely based on this tool would arguably do themselves a disservice.

But, for S, 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 S 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.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has increased 2.2% over the past month, as two estimates have gone higher compared to no negative revision.

Moreover, S 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 S could gain, the direction of price movement it implies does appear to be a good guide.

Garmin Ltd. (GRMN - Free Report) is looking like an interesting pick from a technical perspective, as the company reached a key level of support. Recently, GRMN's 50-day simple moving average crossed above its 200-day simple moving average, known as a "golden cross."

There's a reason traders love a golden cross -- it's a technical chart pattern that can indicate a bullish breakout is on the horizon. This kind of crossover is formed when a stock's short-term moving average breaks above a longer-term moving average. Typically, a golden cross involves the 50-day and the 200-day moving averages, since bigger time periods tend to form stronger breakouts.

There are three stages to a golden cross. First, there must be a downtrend in a stock's price that eventually bottoms out. Then, the stock's shorter moving average crosses over its longer moving average, triggering a positive trend reversal. The third stage is when a stock continues the upward momentum to higher prices.

This kind of chart pattern is the opposite of a death cross, which is a technical event that suggests future bearish price movement.

GRMN has rallied 9.4% over the past four weeks, and the company is a #1 (Strong Buy) on the Zacks Rank at the moment. This combination indicates GRMN could be poised for a breakout.

Looking at GRMN's earnings expectations, investors will be even more convinced of the bullish uptrend. For the current quarter, there have been 4 changes higher compared to none lower over the past 60 days, and the Zacks Consensus Estimate has moved up as well.

Investors may want to watch GRMN for more gains in the near future given the company's key technical level and positive earnings estimate revisions.

Afya (AFYA - Free Report) closed the last trading session at $14.3, gaining 1.6% over the past four weeks, but there could be plenty of upside left in the stock if short-term price targets set by Wall Street analysts are any guide. The mean price target of $18.25 indicates a 27.6% upside potential.

The average comprises six short-term price targets ranging from a low of $16.00 to a high of $22.00, with a standard deviation of $2.96. While the lowest estimate indicates an increase of 11.9% from the current price level, the most optimistic estimate points to an 53.9% 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 highly sought after by investors, the ability and unbiasedness of analysts in setting price targets have long been questionable. And investors making investment decisions solely based on this tool would arguably do themselves a disservice.

But, for AFYA, 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 AFYA 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 8.4%.

Moreover, AFYA currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), which means it is in the top 5% 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 AFYA could gain, the direction of price movement it implies does appear to be a good guide.

Shares of Oruka Therapeutics, Inc. (ORKA - Free Report) have gained 29.6% over the past four weeks to close the last trading session at $41.75, 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 $59.08 indicates a potential upside of 41.5%.

The average comprises 13 short-term price targets ranging from a low of $40.00 to a high of $75.00, with a standard deviation of $12.34. While the lowest estimate indicates a decline of 4.2% from the current price level, the most optimistic estimate points to a 79.6% 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 ORKA, 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.

Here's Why There Could be Plenty of Upside Left in ORKAAnalysts' 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.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has increased 6.5% over the past month, as four estimates have gone higher compared to no negative revision.

Moreover, ORKA 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 ORKA could gain, the direction of price movement it implies does appear to be a good guide.