Track market-moving stories before they get noisy

Ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs) recorded significant net inflows of 10,330 ETH on September 4, 2026, according to data from SoSoValue. This influx follows a volatile week in the crypto market, signaling renewed institutional interest in Ethereum-based products and helping to stabilize U.S.-listed ETF holdings after a period of outflows.

BlackRock dominates Ethereum ETF activityBlackRock’s Ethereum ETF, under the ticker ETHA, outperformed all other funds by adding 29,600 ETH in net inflows. The product specifically saw 23,060 ETH added on the day, securing BlackRock’s strong foothold in the expanding Ethereum ETF sector. Other prominent issuers also reported increased demand, but BlackRock’s numbers positioned it as a clear leader among institutional investors.

Bitwise’s ETHB followed, registering a net inflow of 6,540 ETH. The positive inflow across various funds suggests that interest is not limited to a single product, but rather points to broader confidence in Ethereum-based investment vehicles. Fidelity’s FETH, by contrast, saw outflows totaling 19,270 ETH, possibly reflecting a preference shift among investors rather than a retreat from Ethereum ETFs as a whole.

Ethereum ETFs in the U.S. recorded a total net inflow of 10,330 ETH, led by BlackRock with 29,600 ETH, while Bitwise attracted 6,540 ETH and Fidelity saw withdrawals of 19,270 ETH, according to SoSoValue data.

ETF flows and institutional sentimentInstitutional sentiment towards Ethereum is often gauged by monitoring ETF flow patterns. Elevated inflows can enhance liquidity, reinforce spot market depth, and affect the underlying staking dynamics for Ethereum. These ETF investments influence exchanges, market-makers, and custodians tasked with managing fund creation and redemption mechanisms.

Analysts are closely watching whether this influx momentum will persist, especially as new macroeconomic data including upcoming CPI releases may impact capital allocation strategies. Additional factors such as expanded ETH ETF options markets and the rollout of Ethereum’s Dencun upgrade, which is expected to drive staking adoption, will likely play a role in shaping institutional participation.

In an environment where the impact of a single Federal Reserve decision or the sudden listing of a new altcoin can immediately upend market conditions, many traders are rethinking their toolkit. Using multiple apps for charting, news, and portfolio monitoring often results in reduced efficiency. Now, a growing number of privacy-focused investors are turning to platforms like CryptoAppsy, which offer real-time charts, price alerts, coin-specific updates, and macroeconomic data in a unified interface, even without requiring an account.

Macroeconomic backdrop and regulatory uncertaintyThe current uptick in fund flows occurs against a backdrop of macroeconomic uncertainty and regulatory ambiguity surrounding staking use in ETFs. No final clarification has come from the Securities and Exchange Commission, but the ongoing institutional adoption of crypto-backed investment products continues to bolster both Ethereum and Bitcoin.

If Ethereum ETFs continue to attract increased institutional capital, and market instruments such as ETH options see wider use, some observers anticipate a further acceleration of Ethereum adoption in the coming quarters following ongoing network upgrades.

ETF flows are shaping Ethereum’s market liquidity and influencing the role of major funds and custodians, especially as regulatory signals and product innovations continue to evolve.

Cover image via U.Today Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available.

Cardano is entering a potentially important stretch of development, with the Dijkstra era moving toward key milestones in the months ahead.

The initial Dijkstra rollout is planned in two phases, introducing Linear Leios with Nested Transactions and Peras, respectively. The current objective is to deliver Phase 1 (Nested Transactions and Linear Leios) to Mainnet by the end of 2026, providing an incremental rollout of key Dijkstra capabilities, with Phase 2 (Peras) to be activated in an intra-era hard fork in Q2 2027.

According to Intersect, work toward the Dijkstra era hard fork continues to advance across node development, ecosystem readiness, and downstream tooling. In a recent report, Intersect highlighted what to keep an eye on in the months ahead.

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Weekly Update #127: inc the node roadmap, what SPOs, developers and DReps can do now, and more...https://t.co/quIAO5zMU0

— Intersect (@IntersectMBO) September 7, 2026 Upcoming Haskell node releases will unlock early Dijkstra functionality for testing, with four major node releases anticipated over the coming months.

Anticipated timelinesCardano-node-11.1.1 is expected early, by September 7, for Mainnet usage. This node release removes the legacy tracing system and fixes known Genesis issues.

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Expected in less than a month, Cardano-node-11.2 will contain the Dijkstra feature set, ready for testing, but will not be the hard fork release candidate.

This node release will not contain the Leios elements, as these are largely limited to consensus and block production, but this should not impact testing and development against all other Dijkstra features.

Cardano-node-11.3 is targeted as the hard fork release candidate, capable of crossing the hard fork and containing all Dijkstra functionality, including Leios, and is anticipated in the next one to two months.

Cardano-node-12.0, according to its naming convention, will be the definitive hard fork node release, with its launch timeline not yet determined.

In order to begin testing and development of the Dijkstra feature set, including Plutus V4, Nested Transactions, and CIP-50 (Cardano Improvement Proposals), there will be a publicly available "DijkstraNet," following the release of node 11.2.

DijkstraNet will run in parallel to MusashiNet, which will continue to test and evaluate Leios development alongside the Dijkstra feature set being implemented on DijkstraNet.

Dates for two planned node diversity workshops are given as Singapore (TOKEN2049), October 6, and London, November 13–14.

Governance participants can monitor planned Dijkstra-related constitutional amendments to be publicly proposed. Following a recalibration of the technical delivery plan, the current moderate confidence window places potential Dijkstra hard fork enactment between December 5, 2026 and January 4, 2027 while the high confidence window runs from February 24, 2027 to March 26, 2027.

Key Takeaways Jabil's AI-related revenues are expected to reach $13.6 billion in FY2026, up from $9 billion in FY2025.Manufacturing capacity additions in North Carolina, Memphis and India support rising AI-related demand.Jabil faces risks from supply chain issues, customer concentration and growing competition. Jabil, Inc. (JBL - Free Report) has gained 36.2% year to date compared with the Electronic Manufacturing Services industry’s growth of 23.6%. It has outperformed the Zacks Computer & Technology sector and the S&P 500’s growth during this period.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Among its competitors, the company has underperformed Flex Ltd. (FLEX - Free Report) but outperformed Celestica, Inc. (CLS - Free Report) . Celestica has increased 5.7%, while Flex has gained 81.2%.

JBL Rides Solid AI Traction, Diverse PortfolioAI is driving a structural transformation across the technology sector. This is not a short-term change. Companies across industries are accelerating AI adoption to streamline workflows, improve productivity and strengthen their competitive positioning. This surge in AI deployment is prompting hyperscalers like Amazon, Microsoft and Google to significantly ramp up investments in data-center capacity. Jabil’s strongest growth opportunity is its expanding exposure to AI infrastructure. The company expects AI-related revenues of approximately $13.6 billion in fiscal 2026, up from $9 billion in fiscal 2025.

The company has developed capabilities spanning compute, storage, networking, optics, power, cooling and system integration. This is allowing customers to source more components from a single partner, reducing complexity for them. The company’s AI-related revenue base is expanding through steady customer additions. Jabil is expanding manufacturing capacity in locations including North Carolina, Memphis and India to support a surge in this AI-related demand.

The company’s growth is not only reliant on AI infrastructure investments. It is also benefiting from the increase in equipment spending needed to support evolution in semiconductor technology. Healthcare remains another major growth vertical. Jabil sees opportunities across areas such as drug delivery, medical devices, continuous glucose monitors, chronic disease management and pharma-related capabilities. The company is also witnessing improving conditions within renewable and energy infrastructure. Increasing power requirements associated with AI and data centers, and a shift in demand from residential toward commercial projects are driving demand in this vertical.

The company’s Connected Living and Digital Commerce operations are also witnessing improved customer additions. Growing opportunities in automation, robotics, retail and warehouse technology are a positive factor.

Supply Chain Issues, Competition and Volatility are ConcernsOne of Jabil’s key challenges is ensuring adequate availability of critical components to support the rapid surge in demand. Management highlighted component availability as one of the factors that could influence the company’s fiscal 2027 performance. Jabil’s heavy reliance on a limited number of suppliers makes it vulnerable to supply chain disruptions.

Despite its diversified end-market exposure, Jabil remains dependent on a relatively limited number of customers. Changes in the spending plans, production requirements or financial condition of major customers could materially affect revenues. The risk is more prevalent because Jabil faces strong competition in the industry from other players such as Celestica and Flex.

Demand volatility in certain verticals such as automotive continues to impede top-line growth to some extent. The cyclical nature of the semiconductor market can also impact revenue growth.

Estimate Revision TrendEarnings estimates for Jabil for 2026 and 2027 have remained unchanged over the past 60 days.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Key Valuation Metric of JBLFrom a valuation standpoint, JBL appears to be relatively premium than the industry but below its mean. Going by the price/earnings ratio, the company’s shares currently trade at 18.64 forward earnings, higher than 18.5 for the industry and above its mean of 21.64.

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End NoteJabil’s growth story is increasingly being shaped by the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure spending. Its ability to provide integrated solutions, hyperscaler customer wins, and manufacturing capacity additions, along with a diverse portfolio, gives the company multiple avenues to generate revenue. However, Jabil's strong AI-driven growth does not come without risk. The company must manage component availability, customer concentration, growing competition and the timing of large-scale production ramps to ensure constant revenue generation in upcoming quarters. With a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), Jabil appears to be navigating a balanced growth path, suggesting that investors may want to exercise caution before making investment decisions. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Stellar Hits Weekly Transaction Peak on a Sunday@StellarOrg processed over 11.6 million transactions in a single day, marking the network's highest daily activity level of the current week. According to data from Chainspect, the surge occurred on a Sunday, a day typically associated with reduced liquidity and lighter volumes across traditional financial markets.

The timing is notable. Weekend lulls are a well-established feature of legacy finance, where settlement systems and institutional desks operate on compressed schedules. That Stellar's busiest day of the week fell on a Sunday points to a different kind of demand: one driven by cross-border payment flows and automated settlement cycles that do not observe a Monday-to-Friday calendar.

Broader Momentum Behind the Numbers Stellar averaged approximately 4.9 million daily transactions in Q2 2026, with a range spanning from 2.6 million to 7.1 million, consistent with its positioning as a high-volume, low-cost payments rail. The 11.6 million figure therefore represents a significant spike above that quarterly baseline.

The variance in daily transaction counts likely reflects periodic batch processing by institutional users, stablecoin settlement cycles, and the natural rhythm of cross-border payment flows across different time zones.

Stellar's average fees remain a fraction of a cent, and settlement times stay near instant even as volume rises. That combination is rare in blockchain networks, where higher usage often means higher costs or slower confirmations.

The transaction spike also sits against a backdrop of broader network growth. In Q2 2026, Stellar's network doubled its tokenized real-world assets to $3.05 billion, growing four times faster than the market average. Stablecoin transfers reached a record $11.4 billion, highlighting strong institutional adoption.

Taken together, the data suggests Stellar's payment rails are seeing real, recurring demand rather than speculative noise. For a network built around cross-border settlement, a record transaction day on the quietest day of the traditional financial week is a meaningful signal.

Sources:
Nansen: Stellar Q2 2026 Report
Chainspect: Stellar Network Data
Messari: State of Stellar Q1 2026

Key Takeaways AJG's Risk Management revenue grew 16%, including 12% organic growth, in Q2 2026.Gallagher Bassett's growth is driven by new business and retention, with just 1% from higher rates.Gallagher Blueprint uses AI, proprietary data and expertise to strengthen risk-management solutions. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (AJG - Free Report) is experiencing an important shift in its organic growth mix, with its Risk Management business expanding faster than its core brokerage operations.

Gallagher Bassett, AJG’s Risk Management Business, reported 16% revenue growth in the second quarter of 2026, including 12% organic growth. This is well ahead of the 5% organic growth in the Brokerage business. Management attributed the performance to strong new business and client retention, while clients continued to seek broader risk-management solutions.

Risk Management growth is less dependent on insurance pricing. AJG said only about 1% of organic growth comes from higher insurance rates, while new business, client retention and business activity are driving more of the growth. This makes Gallagher Bassett’s 12% organic growth notable, especially as insurance rates slow.

Gallagher Bassett provides claims management, workers’ compensation solutions, risk consulting, loss-control services and data-driven analytics, allowing AJG to generate revenue from a broader range of risk-management needs beyond traditional insurance brokerage.

AJG is also using technology to deepen this offering. Its Gallagher Blueprint combines AI-driven analytics, proprietary data and specialist expertise to help businesses assess risks and structure insurance programs.

With Risk Management growing at more than twice the organic rate of Brokerage, its rising contribution could help AJG sustain revenue growth even if insurance pricing becomes a smaller growth driver.

What About Its Peers?Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company (WTW - Free Report) delivered strong momentum in its Risk & Broking business in the second quarter of 2026, with revenues rising 11% year over year to $1.16 billion and organic growth of 7%. Growth was supported by new business, strong client retention and double-digit growth across several specialty businesses.

Aon plc (AON - Free Report) ’s Commercial Risk Solutions also posted 5% organic growth in the second quarter of 2026, driven by net new business and strong retention. Aon is also expanding its risk-management capabilities through analytics, claims management, cyber solutions, actuarial services and risk consulting.

AJG’s Price PerformanceShares of Arthur J. Gallagher have declined 12.2% in a year compared with the industry’s fall of 14.7%.

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AJG’s OvervaluationThe stock is overvalued compared with its industry. It is currently trading at a price-to-earnings multiple of 18.26, higher than the industry average of 16.18. It currently has a Value Score of D.

 

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Estimate Movement for AJGThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for AJG’s 2026 earnings per share (EPS) indicates a year-over-year increase of 24.2%.

The consensus estimate for revenues is pegged at $13.3 billion, implying a year-over-year improvement of 20.4%.

The consensus estimate for 2027 EPS and revenues indicates an increase of 12.2% and 8.7%, respectively, from the corresponding 2026 estimates.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 and 2027 earnings have moved 0.1% and 0.3% north, respectively, over the last 30 days.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

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

TLDR A wallet sent 620,420 LINK (about $7.6 million) to Coinbase on September 7, part of $26 million moved over three weeks. LINK traded near $13.07, up roughly 7.1% in the latest session, after recovering from summer lows near $7-$8. Analyst Investor Jordan says a break above $12 could push LINK toward $15, with $20 as a further target. Trading volume rose 25% to $503.9 million and open interest climbed 8.26% to $696.89 million. Wyoming’s FRNT stablecoin adopted Chainlink Proof of Reserve, becoming the first US public stablecoin to report reserves on-chain. A large Chainlink holder sent another batch of tokens to Coinbase this week. The wallet transferred 620,420 LINK, worth close to $7.6 million, on September 7.

Blockchain analytics account Onchain Lens tracked the move. The same address has now sent 2.41 million LINK, valued near $26.04 million, to Coinbase over three weeks.

The wallet built its position through earlier Binance withdrawals. It then began routing tokens to Coinbase instead of holding them.

Exchange deposits often come before sales, but that isn’t confirmed here. Blockchain records show the transfer, not what the owner plans to do with it.

LINK traded at $13.07 on September 7, up about 7.1% for the session. Its price ranged between $12.12 and $13.32 during the day.

Chainlink Price on CoinGecko Price and Technical Signals The token’s MACD line sat at 0.7841, above its signal line near 0.7069. That points to continued upward momentum on the daily chart.

The relative strength index read 72.47, above the 70 mark often used to flag overbought conditions. LINK also traded above its 20-day moving average of $11.39, according to TradingView data.

Bollinger Bands widened as price broke out of a $7.20 to $8.50 consolidation range. Resistance now sits near $12.59.

Analyst Outlook and Network Adoption Crypto analyst Investor Jordan posted on X that LINK is approaching a resistance zone near $12. He said a confirmed break above that level could send the price toward $15, with $20 as a further target if buying pressure holds through the fourth quarter.

Trading volume climbed 25.02% to $503.90 million in 24 hours. Open interest rose 8.26% to $696.89 million, showing more derivatives traders taking positions.

Wyoming’s FRNT stablecoin adopted Chainlink Proof of Reserve this week. It becomes the first stablecoin from a US public entity to publish reserve data on-chain through Chainlink.

Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol processed $4.9 billion in volume during the second quarter. That figure rose 353% from a year earlier, per Standard Chartered.

Aave adopted CCIP as its default cross-chain infrastructure this year. BitGo also chose CCIP as the exclusive cross-chain provider for Wrapped Bitcoin, moving a $7.3 billion ecosystem.

More than 50 banks joined a Chainlink-linked stablecoin settlement test using Swift and ISO 20022 messaging. Bottomline Technologies separately partnered with Chainlink to link payment tools across 600 banks.

LINK’s rally from June and July lows near $7-$8 remains intact as of September 7. The $12 to $13 zone stands as the level traders are watching next.

In brief Bottomline, a top-three SWIFT services provider that processes more than $16 trillion in payments annually, announced a deal with Chainlink to connect its 600-plus bank customers to blockchain settlement. LINK touched $13.64 on September 7, its highest price since January 18, and outpaced every other top-10 cryptocurrency by market cap over the past 24 hours while Bitcoin stayed capped below $80,000. Chainlink's CCIP will move tokenized value across blockchains and its CRE will orchestrate the payment workflow, letting banks keep sending standard messages instead of building new infrastructure. Bitcoin is back under $80,000 today, down about 1%, after a stellar August rally brought investors gains of over 20% in the last 30 days.

But as trading action on the crypto majors cools, there’s at least one altcoin climbing up the charts: the native token of the decentralized oracle network Chainlink, up a whopping 6.8% in the last 24 hours. Can it keep crypto’s hot summer going a little longer?

Myriad: Bitcoin next price move? Click to make your prediction.Bitcoin got rejected from $82,000 twice over the past two weeks and opened this one pinned below $80,000, still under the 50-week moving average near $81,000 it lost back in May.

The coin is also in a compression zone after a major spike in late August. Analysts are debating between the possibility of a trend reversal that would keep pushing prices up, and a so-called Bart Simpson pattern that would tank prices back down close to $65,000 in a few days.

Bitcoin price data. Image: TradingviewIn terms of fundamentals, traders are watching two catalysts this month: fresh inflation data and the Federal Reserve's September 16 rate decision, after Friday's stronger-than-expected August jobs report raised the odds of a hike.

Chainlink, meanwhile, had a different week entirely.

Chainlink, which trades as LINK, climbed to $13.64 Monday, its highest level since January 18. That's a roughly 6.8% gain in 24 hours, the best showing among the 10 largest cryptocurrencies by market cap—while most of the group traded flat to lower. In the derivatives market, open interest on LINK contracts also hit an 11-month high of $784 million.

Chainlink price data. Image: TradingviewThe rally may trace back to a deal Chainlink announced last week with Bottomline, a top-three SWIFT services provider that handles payments automation and treasury management for more than 600 banks.

Per Chainlink's announcement, Bottomline will connect its existing systems to public and private blockchains through Chainlink's infrastructure. Bottomline also serves roughly 1,200 financial institutions and 10,000 businesses worldwide.

Two existing Chainlink products do the work. Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol, or CCIP, has been live since July 2023 and now spans more than 60 blockchains, handling the movement of tokenized value between them. Chainlink Runtime Environment, or CRE, coordinates what the company calls "payment workflows end-to-end," handling routing and confirmations along the way.

Banks keep sending the same ISO 20022 messages they already use, the global standard for cross-border payment instructions that reached 97% adoption since a November 2025 switchover. Chainlink sits underneath as the connector rather than a replacement. Neither company has disclosed a go-live date or named a pilot bank.

Not Chainlink's first brush with SWIFTSWIFT itself has tested Chainlink before. In 2023, SWIFT ran interoperability experiments with Chainlink and more than 10 institutions, including Citi and BNY Mellon, moving tokenized assets onto Ethereum's Sepolia testnet.

Standard Chartered listed SWIFT among the institutions already using Chainlink services last month when the bank set a $200 price target for LINK by 2030, citing Chainlink's $110 billion in secured value.

What’s more, in late August, the financial services giant Charles Schwab announced plans to expand its retail crypto trading offering beyond just Bitcoin and Ethereum. The brokerage only chose three more assets to list on its trading platform: Solana, Avalanche, and Chainlink.

The combination of bullish news may be a big part of the reason why Chainlink is currently outperforming just about every other coin in the top 20 by market cap, other than Zcash: LINK is currently up 57% in the last 30 days.

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TLDR ZEC climbed above $1,200, leaving a tracked Hyperliquid short position with $25.7 million in unrealized losses. The wallet opened a 32,760 ZEC short at an average entry price near $444 back in July 2026. Analyst Ember links the address to Garrett Jin, though this attribution is not independently confirmed. The same wallet holds a $107 million Bitcoin long showing $4.42 million in unrealized profit. Funding fees of roughly $2.05 million have cut into the Bitcoin position’s effective return. A large trader on Hyperliquid is sitting on an estimated $25.7 million paper loss after Zcash’s price pushed past $1,200. The figure comes from a Sept. 7 assessment by on-chain analyst Ember.

The wallet in question shorted 32,760 ZEC. It entered the position in early July 2026 at an average price near $444.

Since then, ZEC has risen from around $400 to over $1,200. That move represents an increase of roughly 170% over about two months.

At $1,200, the gap between entry price and market price would produce a loss near $24.8 million before fees. Ember’s $25.7 million figure suggests ZEC was trading closer to $1,228 when the snapshot was taken.

Zcash Price on CoinGecko The Bitcoin position tells a different story The same address also holds a Bitcoin long worth about $107 million. That trade shows an unrealized gain of $4.42 million.

The wallet has paid around $2.05 million in funding fees on the Bitcoin trade. That cost reduces the position’s effective profit once accounted for.

Even combined, the Bitcoin gain does not offset the ZEC short’s loss. The two positions together remain deeply negative at the reported snapshot.

This does not reflect the wallet’s full trading history. Other closed trades, deposits or withdrawals are not included in the calculation.

Ember attributes the wallet to a “Garrett Jin whale entity.” No signed message, filing or public statement from Jin confirms this connection, so it remains the analyst’s assessment rather than a verified fact.

ZEC 太猛了，$1,200+ 了~
不过 [Garrett Jin 巨鲸实体] 应该是不太开心的：因为作为最大的 空单持有者的他们，现在浮亏 $2570 万了都。

他们是在 7 月初就开空了 3.276 万枚 ZEC，开空价格 $444。结果 ZEC 3 个月时间从 $400 猛涨到了 $1,200+，他们浮亏 $2570 万。

另外他们手上还有价值 $1.07… pic.twitter.com/eq74XQCL5n

— 余烬 (@EmberCN) September 7, 2026

What has driven the ZEC rally Zcash’s advance followed rising institutional interest in the asset. Grayscale converted its Zcash Trust into the ZCSH exchange-traded fund, which began trading on NYSE Arca on Aug. 25.

Grayscale charges the fund a 2.5% annual sponsor fee. ZEC traded near $855 shortly after the launch, with exchange volume topping $1.2 billion in one 24-hour period.

The price later pushed through $1,000, adding pressure on remaining short positions. Zcash has since moved into the ranks of the market’s largest assets by capitalization.

Spot buying, derivatives positioning and short covering may all have played a role in the rally. No single factor has been confirmed as the sole cause.

The wallet’s short position remains open. Its exact liquidation price was not available from Ember’s post, and no liquidation had occurred at the time of publication.

If ZEC keeps rising, the loss and required margin could grow further. A price pullback would reduce the paper loss and could return part of the position to profit.

Traders are watching the wallet’s collateral levels, ZCSH fund flows and ZEC derivatives open interest for signs of what happens next.

Guidewire Software’s NYSE: GWRE post-release stock plunge looks like a knee-jerk reaction that will soon correct.

Guidewire Software Today

GWRE

Guidewire Software

$162.48 +0.06 (+0.04%)

As of 09/4/2026 03:58 PM Eastern

$102.30▼

$272.6099.68

$216.23

The plunge was caused by tepid guidance linked to a strategic shift from legacy licensing models to cloud-based subscription models, which provide lower revenue but better margins. The downside is tepid topline growth, but what is sluggish growth in the face of wider margins other than an opportunity to improve both?

As it stands, the cloud transition underpins a robust outlook, and its near-term drag on revenue is widely seen as fading. The more critical story is what that transition is now producing: accelerating recurring-revenue growth and improving profitability.

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While adjusted net income grew only 300 basis points faster than revenue, it was impacted by increased investment, and operating income grew more substantially. Up 51.4% year over year (YOY), operating income points to ample cash flow and capital-return capacity over time.

Guidewire Outperforms, Issues Cautious GuidanceGuidewire had a solid quarter despite the impacts of its strategy shift. Revenue grew by 15%, outperforming by 200 basis points (bps), driven by a 32% increase in subscriptions and a 10% increase in services. Licensing, the legacy business, contracted 18% and is expected to continue declining in the upcoming quarters. Cloud annual recurring revenue (ARR), the measure of annual subscription-based sales, grew 35% to 84% of total ARR, providing visibility into future results. It suggests the cloud-based revenue growth will accelerate.

Margins were the sweet spot, up in all comparisons, leaving adjusted earnings at 99 cents, up 22% YOY and a nickel ahead of consensus. The only downside was the impact of capital expenditures (CapEx) and investments, which reduced bottom-line strength.

Cash flow is sufficient to sustain the fortress-like balance sheet while returning capital. Capital returns include aggressive share buybacks, which reduced the share count by 3% YOY as of fiscal Q4, and are expected to continue in future quarters.

The headwind today is that Q1 forecasts were below expectations, but a catalyst for share price recovery is already in play. Guidance is likely to be cautious, given the company’s cloud strengths and cues from other AI-enabled cloud-based software providers, collectively reflecting accelerating demand across the software ecosystem. In this scenario, the company could outperform in the next quarter, causing already-strong full-year guidance to be revised upward.

Analysts Respond With Caution, Outlook Remains BullishThe primary takeaway from analysts' responses to the release was caution centered on the tepid revenue outlook. No downgrades were issued, but numerous price targets were reduced, limiting the upside potential but reinforcing the consensus. Consensus, as reported by MarketBeat, is pegged in the low $220s, indicating a 10% upside relative to the pre-release close and closer to 35% following the release. GWRE stock is likely to remain under pressure over the coming months, without a significant catalyst for a rebound until the Q1 results are released.

Technically, GWRE stock is in the midst of a major reversal, and the post-release plunge aligns with that trend. Price action moved to fresh long-term highs earlier this year, breaking above several resistance targets, including a cluster of moving averages that now form a Golden Cross. As of early September, the story is that GWRE’s market has retreated to the pivot point to retest support, and it is likely to hold.

Institutional activity was bullish ahead of the release and is likely to remain so afterward. Although selling capped gains earlier in the year, the group reverted to an accumulative posture in early Q3, helping drive the stock price through its resistance targets. The likely outcome is that this group buys the dip, potentially accelerating accumulation because of the steep discount.

High-Valuation Versus Deep Moat and VisibilityGuidewire’s biggest risk is its valuation. The stock traded at about 50x earnings ahead of the report, setting the stage for execution-related stock price volatility, which the weak guidance triggered. Investors are getting it wrong, however. Near-term headwinds are easing, and the long-term outlook includes improving margins, cash flow, and capital return, driven by the company's ever-deepening moat.

Guidewire is a mission-critical software layer for insurance companies globally, providing the operating systems for over 500 insurers and counting. It is indispensable to their operations and incredibly costly to change, as it affects 100% of their business. A clear sign of strength is the nearly 100% retention rate, signaling that once onboarded, an insurer is a customer for life. Within that, the company has an unseen growth driver tied to insurance inflation; Guidewire's network earns a toll as inflation costs increase and natural disasters drive activity.

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Key Takeaways On Holding's APAC net sales jumped 43.1% to CHF 170.5M, accounting for 20% of Q2 sales.Greater China beat expectations across channels, while Macau and Tokyo stores supported premium expansion.DTC strength and full-price discipline helped lift gross margin to 65.4% and adjusted EBITDA margin to 19.8%. On Holding AG’s (ONON - Free Report) Asia-Pacific (APAC) business emerged as its fastest-growing region in second-quarter 2026, strengthening the premium sportswear company’s global diversification. APAC net sales surged 43.1% year over year to CHF 170.5 million and climbed 54.7% on a constant-currency basis, comfortably outpacing companywide growth of 13.5% and 21.6%, respectively.

APAC accounted for 20% of quarterly net sales, up from 15.9% a year earlier. By comparison, the Americas and Europe, the Middle East and Africa delivered constant-currency growth of 13% and 20.5%, respectively. During the first half, APAC revenues advanced 43.7% to CHF 344.5 million or 58.1% at constant currency, lifting the region’s sales contribution to 20.5% from 16.2%.

Momentum remained broad-based across Japan, South Korea and Greater China. Greater China exceeded management’s expectations across every channel, with Tmall performing strongly despite On Holding’s decision to avoid promotional activity. Its first Macau store delivered above-average conversion, while two Tokyo locations continued to excel without signs of cannibalization, supporting the case for further premium retail expansion.

Strong direct-to-consumer (DTC) momentum enhances the quality of this regional growth. Companywide DTC sales rose 34.3% at constant currency to CHF 388.4 million and reached a second-quarter record of 45.7% of total sales. A favorable channel mix, full-price discipline and operational efficiencies helped On Holding expand its gross margin to 65.4% and adjusted EBITDA margin to 19.8%.

APAC’s growing scale reduces On Holding’s reliance on the Americas while providing a stronger platform for footwear, apparel and future product launches. Management expects 2026 constant-currency sales growth in the low-20% range, a gross margin of at least 65% and an adjusted EBITDA margin of 19.5-20%. Currency volatility, promotional pressure and controlled wholesale sell-in remain risks, but sustained APAC demand reinforces On Holding’s global growth profile.

DECK & WWW’s Global Momentum vs. ONONDeckers Outdoor Corporation (DECK - Free Report) maintained solid global momentum in first-quarter fiscal 2027, with revenues exceeding $1 billion. International sales rose 8.4% to $502.1 million, outperforming domestic growth of 3.2%. HOKA recorded robust international DTC growth across Europe, China and Japan. UGG’s international growth was led by Asia and effective mono-brand retail execution. Deckers achieved 13% companywide DTC growth, reflecting healthy full-price demand. This broad-based strength positions Deckers for faster growth in the second half.

Wolverine World Wide (WWW - Free Report) delivered solid global momentum in second-quarter 2026, with revenues rising 6.8% to $506.4 million. International revenues increased 10.9% to $277.2 million, outpacing companywide growth and accounting for nearly 55% of sales. Merrell and Saucony recorded respective revenue growth of 11.1% and 9.9%, supported by international wholesale strength. Saucony gained traction across Europe, China and Japan, while Merrell advanced in Europe and key APAC markets. Wolverine achieved double-digit international partner growth for Sweaty Betty across Europe and APAC. This broad-based progress strengthens Wolverine’s global platform and supports its upgraded fiscal 2026 outlook.

ONON’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesOn Holding’s shares have lost 24.6% over the past three months compared with the industry’s 9.6% decline.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, ONON trades at a trailing price-to-sales ratio of 2.08, above the industry’s average of 1.35. 

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ONON’s fiscal 2026 earnings implies year-over-year growth of 78.4%, whereas the same for fiscal 2027 indicates an uptick of 16.1%. Estimates for fiscal 2026 have been revised downward by 4 cents, while those for fiscal 2027 have been revised downward by 15 cents over the past 30 days.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

On Holding currently carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).

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

Anchored Finance has launched tokenized versions of traditional stocks on Uniswap’s decentralized exchange, using the Arbitrum Layer-2 network as its primary venue. The deployment, which went live on August 24, brings 10 tokenized equities onto one of DeFi’s most liquid trading platforms, each backed 1:1 by shares held through US regulated brokers and custodians.

What Anchored built and how it works Anchored Finance first announced its plans on August 20, targeting a launch window of August 21 to 24. The team met that timeline, with tokens going live on the later end of the window after completing technical and liquidity preparations.

The tokenized stocks are issued as ERC-20 tokens. Liquidity routing runs through UniswapX, an order-routing protocol that aggregates liquidity sources to find optimal execution for traders. Settlements happen in USDC, and Anchored has also built on-chain issuance workflows, meaning the creation and redemption of tokenized shares follows a transparent, verifiable process.

The deployment isn’t limited to Arbitrum. Anchored simultaneously launched on Ethereum mainnet, Base, and Monad, spreading its tokenized equities across four networks.

The tokenized RWA wave keeps building Anchored’s approach leans on US custodial services to hold the underlying shares, creating a compliance framework where each on-chain token corresponds to a real share sitting in a regulated brokerage account.

What this means for tokenized equities Post-launch trading volume data for Anchored’s tokens hasn’t surfaced yet. A 1:1 backing model with regulated custody addresses the trust problem. USDC settlements remove friction. Multi-chain deployment across four networks increases surface area for discovery, and Uniswap integration means these tokens don’t need to build their own trading ecosystem from scratch.

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

TVL Crosses $60M With $10M Left to GoNEAR Protocol's (@NEARProtocol) Confidential Intents has crossed $60 million in total value locked, leaving the protocol just $10 million short of the threshold that will trigger its first major reward event. When aggregate TVL reaches $70 million, the Drop 1 snapshot for [email protected] will be taken, locking in allocations for eligible participants.

The milestone matters because the [email protected] program distributes a fixed pool of 333,333 milestone tokens to qualifying Confidential Intents users. To be eligible for Drop 1, participants must hold a confidential balance above $100 and have completed at least one confidential swap before the TVL threshold is reached.

How the [email protected] Program [email protected] is a milestone incentive program tied directly to Confidential Intents activity on near(.)com. The tokens issued are non-transferable at first. Conversion to NEAR on a 1:1 basis only occurs if NEAR's volume-weighted average price (VWAP) holds at or above $3.33 for three consecutive days, meaning two separate on-chain conditions must be met before any tokens change hands.

Allocation is not simply a function of deposit size. It is scored by sustained confidential balance weighted by time held, plus ongoing swap activity. Earlier participation carries greater weight in the calculation, so users who have been active on Confidential Intents since before the snapshot carries an advantage over those who enter late. No single wallet can receive more than 2 percent of Drop 1, equivalent to roughly 6,666 tokens, so large last-minute deposits offer limited additional benefit.

Confidential Intents itself is NEAR's private execution layer for cross-chain swaps, running inside a private shard connected to mainnet via a trusted execution environment (TEE) bridge. The architecture is designed to shield transaction amounts and counterparties from being visible on-chain until settlement, protecting users from MEV and frontrunning rather than providing full anonymity.

With TVL having climbed from roughly $26 million in mid-June 2026 to over $60 million by early September, the protocol is approaching the $70 million milestone at a steady pace. More drops are planned after Drop 1, with conditions calibrated to higher levels of community activity.

Sources:
Crypto Briefing: NEAR's Confidential Intents TVL surpasses $26M as private execution expands
Nansen: NEAR Protocol Q2 2026 Report
Coinfomania: Confidential Intents Hits $60M in TVL

$DOGE Arrives on Solana via SunriseDogecoin ($DOGE) is now live on @Solana through the @sunrise protocol, marking another milestone in the push to bring major non-native assets into Solana's high-performance ecosystem. The integration allows users to hold and transact native $DOGE directly within leading Solana wallets, including @phantom, @solflare, and @Backpack, without the complexity of traditional cross-chain bridging.

Sunrise is a liquidity gateway built by Wormhole Labs, the firm behind the Wormhole cross-chain protocol. Wormhole Labs launched Sunrise as a liquidity gateway focused exclusively on the Solana ecosystem, pitching it as a "canonical route" for external assets to enter Solana with day-one liquidity through a single interface. Under the hood, the platform uses Wormhole's Native Token Transfers (NTT) infrastructure, which allows tokens to retain their utility and fungibility across chains without relying on traditional liquidity pools that can be vulnerable to hacks or slippage.

Sunrise's approach is built around three pillars: one canonical version per asset, immediate liquidity from launch day, and streamlined distribution across a chain's application ecosystem. Rather than listing a token and hoping liquidity materializes organically, the platform coordinates with DEXs and wallets ahead of time so the asset is usable from the moment it goes live.

Deep Liquidity Across Solana's DeFi StackThe $DOGE rollout on Solana secures immediate liquidity access through top-tier decentralized exchanges and aggregators, including @JupiterExchange, @Raydium, and @kamino_swap. This mirrors Sunrise's established model: the platform has previously launched Solana-native versions of MEGA, HYPE, AVAX, and MON. Assets listed via Sunrise have collectively generated over $500 million in trading volume on Solana over a 30-day period as of April 2026.

The broader context is a Solana ecosystem that has been actively pulling in assets from other chains. "Solana's vision for internet capital markets means being the platform on which users can engage with any asset, including crypto assets that aren't originated on Solana," said Kuleen Nimkar, growth lead at the Solana Foundation. For $DOGE, one of the most widely held tokens in crypto, the Solana listing opens a new avenue for utility and trading activity beyond its native proof-of-work chain.

Sources:
The Block: Wormhole Labs unveils Sunrise gateway to bring assets to Solana
Crypto Briefing: Sunrise lists ARB token on Solana via Wormhole NTT
CoinDesk: Wormhole Labs Debuts Sunrise to Streamline Solana Token Imports

A single pricing figure buried in IREN's latest earnings report suggests the neocloud's existing contract book may be dramatically undervalued relative to what customers are willing to pay right now.

$25 Million Per Megawatt Changes the IREN Math The consequential number in IREN (NASDAQ:IREN)’s Q4 FY26 report sits outside the income statement. It is approximately $25 million per megawatt of IT load, the price CEO Daniel Roberts said is showing up “consistently across live conversations with customers at the moment.” That is the run rate for three- to five-year AI cloud contracts IREN is negotiating right now, and it is the figure that reprices everything the company has already built.

Why This Pricing Level Reveals a Repriced Business Track the trajectory. IREN’s earlier five year contracts with Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT | MSFT Price Prediction) and NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) landed at $9.70 million per MW (November 2025) and $11.33 million per MW (May 2026). Recent three-year deals signed in August 2026 priced in excess of $20 million per megawatt of IT load, with active discussions now around $25 million. Management said three year contract pricing is up about 125% since November and five year pricing is up about 70%.

Shorter duration is producing higher pricing, driven by scarce compute capacity. Customers are also underwriting the buildout: recent prepayments are funding 45% to 55% of GPU CapEx, and IREN said the recent economics translate to a payback on compute investment of around two years. On top of that, IREN reported $1 billion of operating ARR as of August 26, 2026 and $4 billion of contracted ARR targeted operational by December 31, 2026. The Q4 AI Cloud Services segment more than doubled sequentially to $70.5 million, and full year AI Cloud revenue grew roughly 8x to $128.8 million.

Stock Reaction Since the Q4 Report The market noticed. Shares closed at $40.9469 at the time of the 8-K filing on August 27, 2026. Over the following week, IREN moved from $35.45 on August 28 to $44.68 on September 4, a 26.04% gain. The one-month return sits at 14.89%, year-to-date at 18.29%, and one year at 70.99%. Market cap now sits near $17.6 billion.

Bull Case: Pricing Power Meets a Small Contract Book IREN’s combined Microsoft and NVIDIA annualized contract value totals roughly $2.62 billion, one of the smaller contracted portfolios among named AI infrastructure peers (we profiled seven of the picks-and-shovels names powering this same buildout, from power to cooling to networking, in a free report you can grab here). That is the setup. The company is already commanding the top tier of per-megawatt pricing while working with a book that has room to grow by orders of magnitude, and the physical assets to grow into it are already secured.

IREN said the $4 billion contracted ARR comes from less than 10% of its five gigawatt-plus portfolio of secured grid connections. Delivery targets call for roughly 0.3 GW (IT) in 2026 and 0.8 GW (IT) in 2027, taking the platform toward 1.2 gigawatts of gross capacity in 2027. Funding is largely in hand: $14 billion of committed GPU financing and prepayments, $6.5 billion of GPU financing raised in the three months preceding the call, and $5.8956 billion of cash on the balance sheet. The NVIDIA relationship runs deeper than chip supply: IREN achieved NVIDIA Exemplar Cloud status on the GB300 NVL72 deployed for Microsoft, and its $3.4 billion five year NVIDIA AI Cloud contract is paired with up to $2.1 billion of NVIDIA equity investment vesting as IREN scales toward 600,000 GPUs.

Customers keep landing. The Q4 slate added Cohere, Prometheus, Perplexity, Figure AI, Fal AI, Higgsfield AI, plus a new multi-year contract with a leading frontier AI lab. Existing accounts Together AI and Fireworks AI both renewed and expanded. Roberts summarized the setup: “As our platform has scaled and our market position has strengthened, we have attracted leading customers and secured stronger pricing, more attractive contract terms and improved paybacks.”

Bottom Line: Scale Is the Next Catalyst for Long-Term Holders For retirement-focused holders, the question is whether IREN can convert secured power into contracted revenue at the current pricing tier. The near-term catalyst is the $4 billion contracted ARR target operational by December 31, 2026, tied to delivery of Horizons 2 through 4, with management flagging that reported revenue from that capacity will come through predominantly in the March quarter. Governance is the real caveat: restricted stock unit awards granted mid-2026 to co-CEOs Dan and Will Roberts, valued in the $800 million to $1.1 billion range with limited performance hurdles, drew shareholder criticism. Investors get premium pricing per megawatt and a runway measured in gigawatts. They also get a founder-friendly board. Both belong in the same story.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Key Takeaways Silicon Motion aligned security controls and processes with EU CRA incident-reporting requirements.SIMO enhanced vulnerability monitoring, coordinated disclosure, remediation and incident reporting procedures.SIMO launched a security reporting channel for stakeholders to report suspected product vulnerabilities. Silicon Motion Technology Corporation (SIMO - Free Report) has strengthened its product cybersecurity framework by reaching an initial milestone in its compliance program for the European Union’s Cyber Resilience Act (CRA). The milestone underscores the company’s strategy to improve product security alongside its expanding presence in artificial intelligence (AI), data center and edge computing markets.

Silicon Motion has aligned its product security controls and internal processes with the CRA’s incident-reporting requirements while enhancing its vulnerability-handling capabilities. It has reinforced security management and due diligence for third-party hardware and software components, continuous vulnerability monitoring, coordinated disclosure and remediation, and incident escalation and reporting procedures.

The company has also launched a dedicated security vulnerability reporting channel that allows customers, end users and other stakeholders to report suspected issues directly. This initiative supports the timely identification and resolution of vulnerabilities across its portfolio, including enterprise and edge SSD controllers, enterprise boot drive solutions, embedded eMMC and UFS controllers, Ferri solutions for automotive and Physical AI applications, and display interface products.

As connected devices and AI infrastructure increasingly depend on secure hardware and software, Silicon Motion’s focus on product security and post-market vulnerability management could enhance the reliability and competitiveness of its storage solutions.

How Are Competitors Advancing in Cybersecurity?Silicon Motion faces competition from Micron Technology, Inc. (MU - Free Report) and Western Digital Corporation (WDC - Free Report) . Micron Technology continues to focus on cybersecurity by integrating security features such as secure boot, hardware root of trust and encryption into its products. The company uses the NIST Cybersecurity Framework to guide its broader cybersecurity programs and risk management. Micron Technology has strengthened security measures for its SSDs and provides channels for reporting potential product security issues.

Western Digital is advancing its cybersecurity efforts by integrating post-quantum cryptography into its Ultrastar hard drives. The technology includes secure boot and firmware protection to help improve device security and protect AI data. Western Digital plans to expand its post-quantum cryptography capabilities across additional enterprise hard drive product lines over time to enhance data protection and hardware security.

SIMO’s Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesSilicon Motion shares have skyrocketed 202% over the past year compared with the industry’s growth of 206.8%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Going by the price/earnings ratio, the company's shares currently trade at 17.42 forward earnings, higher than 11.95 for the industry.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Earnings estimates for 2026 have increased 31.6% to $11.16 over the past 60 days, while those for 2027 have increased 50.3% to $16.34.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

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

Cover image via U.Today Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available.

Shiba Inu is gaining a stronger foothold in Japan amid a new regulatory framework that could eventually pave the way for crypto exchange-traded funds in the country.

Japan already has a massive ETF market, but it has yet to launch a cryptocurrency ETF. That could change after a major regulatory shift that moved crypto assets closer to the framework governing traditional financial markets.

According to longtime Shiba Inu community member Mazrael, on July 15, 2026, Japan's National Diet (its national legislature) moved crypto under the FIEA, the same law as stocks, opening a door for a crypto ETF in the country.

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Japan has a massive ETF market, just no crypto ETF yet.

The door did open though: on July 15 the Diet moved crypto under the FIEA, the same law as stocks.

That's the reclassification an ETF needs. FSA rulemaking still has to happen, so first listings are 2027 at the earliest… pic.twitter.com/4VSzyIfIw5

— Mazrael.shib (@Mazrael_shib) September 7, 2026 Japan reclassified cryptocurrencies as financial instruments, a structural shift that establishes the legal framework for separate taxation of crypto assets and for future crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Mazrael noted that this is the reclassification an ETF needs, with a potential crypto ETF listing on the Tokyo Stock Exchange around 2027.

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Mazrael added that Japan's Financial Services Agency (FSA) rulemaking still has to happen, with first listings likely for 2027 at the earliest and Bitcoin going first.

Shiba Inu also stands a chance given its inclusion on the Green List. In November 2025, the Japan Virtual and Crypto Assets Exchange Association (JVCEA) included Shiba Inu (SHIB) on its regulatory "Green List" along with BTC and ETH.

Mercari, Japan's largest marketplace with 23 million users, also listed Shiba Inu in June 2026.

SHIB gains head startMazrael summarized these developments, which give SHIB a head start in Japan's ETF race: "The Green List. Needed 8+ licensed JP exchanges when the bar is 3. Same tier as BTC and ETH, and gains drop from up to 55% tax to a flat 20%. Plus Mercari lists SHIB to 23 million users. 4 million crypto accounts there now, 85% opened by people who never traded before."

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He noted that eligibility remains the hard part, representing a hurdle for most crypto assets. "Eligibility first, ETF later," Mazrael stated.

As reported, Mazrael said that while SHIB does not have a dedicated spot ETF yet in the US, it remains "well on track," citing several developments including a European exchange-traded product, regulated access in Japan, and newly available futures exposure in Canada.

Key Takeaways Apple's launch may bring the iPhone Ultra, A20 Pro-powered iPhone 18 Pro models and Siri AI.iPhone sales jumped 22% to $54.3B in fiscal Q3, while Apple's total revenues rose 16% to $109.4B.Supply constraints, rising memory prices and a 33.6x earnings multiple raise near-term risks for AAPL. Apple (AAPL - Free Report) has its product launch event, “Surprise and Shine," on Wednesday. This launch will be special as it's the first under CEO John Ternus, who took over from Tim Cook on Sept. 1 after Cook's nearly 15-year run.

Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, powered by a new A20 Pro chip built on a 2-nanometer process. Design-wise, these models won't stray far from last year's iPhone 17 Pro, though the Pro Max may get a size and weight bump for a larger battery, per MacRumors. New Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 models are also expected.

The real talking point is Apple's first foldable phone, rumored to be called the iPhone Ultra. It will fold like a book— about 5.5 inches closed and 7.6 inches open. This would be Apple's biggest design change in years, and it would put the company up against Samsung and Google, who already sell foldable phones. One can expect a high price tag for the foldable phone.

Year to date, shares of Apple have risen 18%, outperforming close peers like Alphabet (GOOGL - Free Report) and Microsoft (MSFT - Free Report) .

YTD Price Performance Comparison Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

With shares having a good run and the launch just ahead, investors may be wondering if now's the time to buy. Let's dig deeper.

AAPL's Business Looks Healthy, But Challenges LoomIn the June quarter, iPhone revenues jumped 22% year over year to $54.3 billion, and total revenues rose 16% to $109.4 billion. Management guided 9% to 11% growth for the September quarter, with iPhone revenue growth in the mid-teens. So, demand isn't the problem.

The real issue is supply and cost. Apple has warned that supply chain constraints are expected to hit iPhone, Mac and iPad availability. The main bottleneck is limited capacity for its most advanced chips, and memory prices are expected to keep climbing. June-quarter gross margin came in at 50.1%, aided by tariff refunds, but management expects that to compress to 47%-48% in the fiscal fourth quarter.

Growth Story Intact, But Stock is PriceyApple's long-term story still looks strong— more devices, more AI features, a growing services business, and steady cash returned to shareholders. All these support growth over time.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AAPL’s fiscal 2026 and 2027 EPS implies year-over-year growth of 18% and 8%, respectively.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

But the stock isn't cheap. Apple trades at about 33.6 times earnings. Compare that to Alphabet at 20.4 times and Microsoft at 24.7 times. Apple is priced much higher than its rivals.

AAPL's P/E F12M Vs. MSFT & GOOGL Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Our TakeApple has real reasons for excitement— its first foldable phone, a smarter Siri, and a new CEO trying to make his mark. But the stock is already expensive at current levels, leaving little room for mistakes. Add rising costs and supply shortages, and the risk feels higher than the reward right now. It's smarter to wait and see how the launch plays out before jumping in.

Apple is still a good company to hold for the long run but right now, it's not a “Buy.” The stock carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Key Takeaways Uber's Delivery Hero deal could expand markets offering both mobility and delivery services from 34 to 58. UBER posted Q2 gross bookings above $58B, up 22% at constant currency, its fourth straight quarter over 20%. Uber's debt, weak share performance and expected 2026 EPS y/y fall support waiting for a better entry point. Uber Technologies (UBER - Free Report) moved a step closer to acquiring Delivery Hero when the latter’s board recommended that shareholders accept its offer. The board recently issued a statement terming Uber’s offer "fair and adequate." The acceptance period for the takeover offer ends on Nov. 5, 2026.

Under the takeover offer, Uber will pay €41.50 per Delivery Hero share, valuing the latter at approximately $14.8 billion, or $13.7 billion after adjusting for the former's existing stake. Before the offer, Uber owned about 24.77% of Delivery Hero's voting shares and had an additional 11.74% economic exposure through equity derivatives. Prosus has agreed to tender its roughly 17% stake, raising Uber's total economic interest to about 53%. The takeover would significantly increase the number of markets where Uber can offer both mobility and delivery services from 34 to 58.

Uber expects the acquisition to strengthen the global technology platform by combining it with Delivery Hero's established local brands, merchant network and delivery capabilities. The combined business is anticipated to enhance consumer choice, improve the Uber One membership proposition and provide merchants with greater demand through Uber's large user base, supported by advertising, promotional and commerce tools. AUber is denser network is also expected to increase order volumes, improve courier utilization and create additional earning opportunities for delivery partners and drivers.

With Uber’s impending acquisition of Delivery Hero taking a major step toward completion, the question is whether it is worth buying UBER stock at current prices. Let us dig deeper to find out.

Further Factors Working in Favor of UBERAV Ambitions Gain Pace: Uber is looking to establish a strong foothold in the lucrative robotaxi space through a partnership-focused approach. To this end, it has recently inked many deals. Earlier this month, Uber and British AI company Wayve have launched supervised autonomous rides in London, making such trips available in the United Kingdom for the first time. Londoners requesting UberX, Uber Electric or Uber Comfort may now be matched with a Wayve vehicle at no additional cost, with fares displayed upfront in the Uber app.

In June, Uber, in collaboration with WeRide (WRD - Free Report) , a Chinese autonomous vehicle company, announced plans to introduce commercial robotaxi services in the Greater Zurich Region. This move represents their second joint deployment in Europe, coming just weeks after the announcement of a similar initiative in Madrid. The service is expected to commence later this year in partnership with Switzerland’s Federal Roads Office, pending regulatory approvals. At launch, passengers will be able to access the robotaxi service through the Uber app. The launch builds on the partners’ growing track record in autonomous mobility.

Since December 2024, WeRide and Uber have introduced robotaxi services across several Middle Eastern markets, including fully driverless commercial operations in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, as well as public services in Riyadh. These deployments provide an operational foundation for their European expansion.

Last month, Uber announced that another Chinese company, Baidu (BIDU - Free Report) , has made its fully autonomous Apollo Go vehicles are available to riders through the former’s platform in Dubai, with New Horizon Luxury Transport operating the fleet. The rollout strengthens Uber’s position in the autonomous-vehicle market and represents an important step in the global expansion of driverless transportation.

Dubai is the first launch location under the companies’ multi-year strategic partnership, which aims to deploy thousands of Apollo Go vehicles of Baidu across Uber’s worldwide network. Uber emphasized that safety remains a central priority. Baidu’s Apollo Go vehicles, like all autonomous vehicles operating through Uber’s network, must comply with its safety guidelines before entering service.

Uber’s dominant market share in the ride-hailing industry also gives it a unique advantage. With its vast network of drivers and customers, Uber can quickly scale autonomous services once the technology matures. Its app is designed to integrate AVs from multiple partners, giving users a variety of options.

Gross Bookings Growth: Uber continues to benefit from robust growth in gross bookings. The company has been recording solid double-digit growth in gross bookings across both its mobility and delivery businesses.

In the second quarter of 2026, gross bookings grew 22% on a constant currency basis year on year to more than $58 billion, above the high end of the company’s guidance and marking the fourth consecutive quarter above 20% growth for this key metric. Trips also accelerated with results benefiting from travel linked to the FIFA World Cup.

Segment-wise, Mobility bookings rose 22% year over year on a reported basis and 20% on a constant currency basis to $28.98 billion, supported by continued demand for rides across Uber’s global platform. Uber’s ride-hailing business benefited from the mega event with millions of tourists taking rides across host cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Delivery gross bookings increased 26% year over year on a reported basis and 25% on a constant currency basis to $27.46 billion, while Freight bookings increased 25% year over year on a reported basis as well as on a constant currency basis to $1.57 billion. Growth across all three offerings demonstrated the breadth of the company’s platform during the quarter.

For the third quarter, Uber expects gross bookings in the band of $58.25-$60.25 billion. The mid-point of the guided range is roughly in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $59.2 billion.

Continued expansion in gross bookings strengthens Uber’s revenue base, improves operating leverage across its platform and deepens network effects among riders, drivers and merchants. This momentum not only supports revenue growth but also enhances the company’s long-term profitability potential by enabling fixed costs to be distributed more efficiently across a larger transaction base.

Earnings History: Uber’s earnings have outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the past four quarters, missing the mark on the other occasion. The average beat is 99.5%.

Growth Opportunity for UBER Is Real, but so Are the RisksAgreed that Uber is benefiting from its AV-related ambitions and gross booking strength. The acquisition of Delivery Hero, if it materializes, would lead to significant expansion for Uber. However, investors should remember that it is facing some headwinds that cannot be ignored.

UBER’s financial metrics indicate that its leverage is elevated and is a massive negative for its shareholders. The long-term debt burden of the company stood at $10.7 billion at the end of the second quarter of 2026, which translates into a long-term debt-to-capitalization of 27.9%. This is reasonable but above the Zacks Internet-Services industry’s 11.8%. UBER’s times interest earned ratio at the June quarter-end was 15.5, which is much lower than its industry, indicating a high risk of default.

Shares of Uber have declined in single digits (% wise) so far this year, underperforming the Zacks Internet-Services industry as well as the S&P 500 index.

YTD Price ComparisonImage Source: Zacks Investment Research

What Do Estimates Suggest for Uber?The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 earnings implies a year-over-year decline of approximately 35%, while 11% growth is indicated in terms of revenues. However, the earnings estimate revision trend is impressive. Earnings per share estimate projections for the current and next quarter, and full-year 2026 and 2027 have improved over the past 60 days.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

How to Play UBER Stock Currently?While Uber’s weak stock performance, high debt load, labor unrest and geopolitical woes present near-term challenges, the long-term outlook for the ride-hailing giant remains far from discouraging.

The company’s strategic diversification, AV focus and shareholder-focused initiatives continue to serve as key strengths. With a market capitalization of $154.74 billion, Uber remains well positioned to navigate economic uncertainties. Uber’s ongoing commitment to diversification — through acquisitions, geographic expansion and innovative product offerings — has helped reduce risks and reinforce its competitive standing.

Overall, Uber’s scale, strategic investments and diversification efforts provide a strong foundation for sustained long-term growth. Despite the recent unfavorable price performance, maintaining a position in this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock appears to be a sensible approach for now, while potential investors may prefer to wait for a more attractive entry point.

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

A month has gone by since the last earnings report for Berkshire Hathaway B (BRK.B - Free Report) . Shares have lost about 3% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500.

But investors have to be wondering, will the recent negative trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Berkshire Hathaway B due for a breakout? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at its most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important drivers.

BRK.B Q2 Earnings & Revenues Rise Year Over Year on Diversified Growth

Berkshire Hathaway delivered second-quarter 2026 operating earnings of $13 billion, which increased 16.3% year over year. The increase was due to higher earnings in BNSF; Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company; Manufacturing, service and retailing; and Other.

Behind the HeadlinesRevenues rose 10% year over year to $101.8 billion due to an increase in revenues in Insurance and Other and Railroad, Utilities and Energy. The metric surpassed the consensus estimate by 6.8%.

Costs and expenses increased 8.4% year over year to $86 billion, largely driven by increases in Insurance and Other and in Railroad, Utilities, and Energy.
Segment Performance

Berkshire’s Insurance and Other segment revenues increased 10.1% year over year to $88.5 billion in the reported quarter due to higher insurance premiums earned, sales and service revenues and leasing revenues.

Insurance underwriting produced operating earnings of $1.7 billion, which decreased 13.1% year over year.

Railroad operating revenues rose 14.6% year over year to $6.6 billion, primarily due to increases in car/unit volume of 6.5% in the second quarter as well as an average revenue per car/unit increase of 7.6% in the second quarter primarily from higher fuel surcharge revenues and higher yield. Pre-tax earnings increased 13.9% in the second quarter of 2026.

Operating earnings from the Railroad business increased 12.8% year over year to $2.3 billion.

Total revenues at Manufacturing, Service and Retailing increased 15.2% year over year to $61.5 billion. Pre-tax earnings increased 25.8% year over year to $5.8 billion.

In the second quarter of 2026, after-tax earnings from manufacturing, service and retailing businesses increased 24.1% year over year. Earnings increases in industrial products manufacturing and services businesses drove the increases. 
Results among the numerous operations in the quarter improved, with overall earnings increases in the manufacturing and service businesses and in the retailing businesses.

Financial PositionAs of June 30, 2026, consolidated shareholders’ equity was $750.2 billion, up 4.2% from the level as of Dec. 31, 2025. At the end of the quarter, cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash were $41.4 billion, down 59.1% year over year.

Berkshire exited the second quarter of 2026 with a float of about $177.5 billion, which grew $1.1 billion from Dec. 31, 2025.

Cash flow from operating activities totaled $21.7 billion in the first six months of 2026, up 3.2% from the year-ago period.

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

VGM ScoresCurrently, Berkshire Hathaway B has a poor Growth Score of F, however its Momentum Score is doing a lot better with a B. However, the stock was allocated a grade of D on the value side, putting it in the bottom 40% for value investors.

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

OutlookEstimates have been trending upward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions looks promising. It comes with little surprise Berkshire Hathaway B has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). We expect an above average return from the stock in the next few months.

Performance of an Industry PlayerBerkshire Hathaway B belongs to the Zacks Insurance - Property and Casualty industry. Another stock from the same industry, NMI Holdings (NMIH - Free Report) , has gained 0.5% over the past month. More than a month has passed since the company reported results for the quarter ended June 2026.

NMI Holdings reported revenues of $187.89 million in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +8.1%. EPS of $1.38 for the same period compares with $1.22 a year ago.

NMI Holdings is expected to post earnings of $1.30 per share for the current quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +7.4%. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate has changed -0.8%.

NMI Holdings has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) based on the overall direction and magnitude of estimate revisions. Additionally, the stock has a VGM Score of C.

Key Takeaways 3M's Transportation & Electronics revenues rose 6.2% to $2.07 billion in the second quarter.Semiconductor, data center and aerospace markets grew in double digits in the first six months.3M expects 2026 adjusted organic sales growth above 3.5% and adjusted EPS of $8.80-$8.95. 3M Company (MMM - Free Report) is benefiting from persistent strength in the Transportation and Electronics segment. Strong performance across semiconductor, data center, aerospace and commercial branding markets, supported by solid demand for products and broader sales coverage, is augmenting the segment.

In second-quarter 2026, Transportation & Electronics segment’s revenues reached $2.07 billion, up 6.2% from the prior-year period. Organic revenues for the segment rose 5.9% year over year in the quarter. Foreign currency translation contributed a favorable 0.5% impact on revenues, while divestiture had an adverse impact of 0.2%. The segment’s second-quarter operating income increased 5% year over year to $503 million.

In the first six months of the year, 3M’s semiconductor, data center and aerospace markets grew in double digits, while commercial branding increased in the mid-single digits. However, continued softness in auto and consumer electronics markets has been a concern for the segment.

Driven by strength across the majority of its businesses, 3M provided an upbeat outlook for 2026. The company currently expects total adjusted organic sales to increase more than 3.5% year over year, while adjusted earnings are projected to range between $8.80 and $8.95 per share. The midpoint of the guided range is about $8.875, which reflects an increase from earnings of $8.06 per share reported in 2025.

Segmental Performance of MMM’s Peers in Q2Emerson Electric Co. (EMR - Free Report) is witnessing solid momentum in the power and life sciences markets, within the Control Systems & Software group under the Software & Systems segment. Sales from Emerson’s Software & Systems segment increased 11% year over year to $1.64 billion in the third quarter of fiscal 2026.

Honeywell International Inc. (HON - Free Report) is experiencing softness in the Process Automation and Technology segment. In second-quarter 2026, the segment’s organic revenues decreased 1% on a year-over-year basis. This decline was attributable to a 6% drop in organic sales in Honeywell’s aftermarket business owing to lower refining catalyst shipments. Also, reduced customer demand in the Middle East due to ongoing geopolitical tensions hurt Honeywell’s results.

The Zacks Rundown for MMM
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Shares of 3M have gained 11.2% in the past six months against the industry’s decline of 21.2%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, 3M is trading at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 17.7X, above the industry average of 14.9X. MMM carries a Value Score of D.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Key Takeaways Walmart's global advertising business grew 38% in fiscal Q2 2027 as e-commerce sales rose 23%. Walmart's gross profit rate rose 96 basis points to 25.4%, helped by a favorable ad-driven business mix. Vibe expands Walmart's ad reach but is expected to create a 20-basis-point operating income headwind. Walmart Inc. (WMT - Free Report) is increasingly building advertising into the economics of its digital business, adding a faster-growing revenue stream alongside e-commerce operations. The business is gaining scale across U.S. and international platforms while contributing to a more favorable mix of higher-margin commerce solutions.

In second-quarter fiscal 2027, Walmart’s global advertising business grew 38% year over year. Walmart U.S. advertising, including VIZIO, also increased 38%, led by a 43% rise in Walmart Connect. International advertising advanced 20%, driven by Flipkart Ads. The gains came as global e-commerce sales increased 23%, including 24% growth at Walmart U.S. and 19% internationally.

The profit contribution is becoming more relevant as digital businesses scale. Walmart’s gross profit rate expanded 96 basis points to 25.4%, with the improvement also reflecting a favorable business mix led by global advertising. Adjusted operating income increased 17.4% in constant currency, supported in part by improved incremental margins in digital and strength in high-margin commerce solutions, although tariff refunds were a significant benefit.

Walmart is widening its advertising opportunity through the acquisition of Vibe. The deal expands access to small and medium-sized advertisers through self-service tools and adds measurement capabilities tied to shopping behavior. However, acquisition and integration costs related to Vibe are expected to create an approximately 20-basis-point headwind to fiscal 2027 operating income growth.

Advertising’s growth is helping improve Walmart’s business mix. Its expansion adds a higher-margin commerce solution to the profit mix, although Vibe-related costs will weigh on fiscal 2027 operating income growth.

What Do the Latest Metrics Say About Walmart?Walmart, which competes with Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST - Free Report) and Target Corporation (TGT - Free Report) , has seen its shares gain 4.8% over the past year compared with the industry’s 3.5% growth. Shares of Costco have dipped 5.8%, while Target has surged 79.7% in the aforementioned period.
 

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, Walmart's forward 12-month price-to-earnings ratio stands at 34.75, higher than the industry’s 31.79. The company is trading at a premium to Target (with a forward 12-month P/E ratio of 16.8) while trading at a discount to Costco (44.77). 
 

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Key Takeaways PepsiCo's global convenient foods organic volume rose 3%, while international volume increased 4%.U.S. salty snacks posted volume growth for a third straight quarter, with share gains across categories.Portion-control multipacks and permissible snacks delivered growth as PepsiCo broadened consumer choices. PepsiCo, Inc. (PEP - Free Report) is seeing improving momentum across its snack portfolio, supported by stronger international demand, portfolio innovation and targeted affordability initiatives. In the second quarter of 2026, global convenient foods organic volume increased 3%, while international convenient foods organic volume rose 4%, underscoring broad-based demand across key markets.

In North America, PepsiCo Foods North America continued to improve volume share across both U.S. savory and salty categories, alongside better household penetration trends. The U.S. salty-snack category has now delivered volume growth for three consecutive quarters. PepsiCo gained volume share across multiple categories, including potato chips, tortilla chips, pretzels, curls and puffs, SunChips, Quaker rice snacks and other offerings. Doritos, Ruffles and Miss Vickie’s also generated both volume and net revenue growth during the quarter.

Portfolio diversification is another key driver. Portion-control multipacks, representing more than $3.5 billion in annual net revenues, delivered volume and revenue growth. Meanwhile, permissible offerings such as Baked, Simply, SunChips, Siete and Quaker Rice Cakes also posted strong gains. PepsiCo is further expanding choices through protein, fiber and diverse-ingredient products, including Doritos Protein, PopCorners Protein and SunChips Fiber.

Internationally, PepsiCo is scaling brands, sharpening price-pack architecture, and emphasizing locally relevant flavors and formats. Together, these initiatives are broadening consumer appeal and supporting volume growth despite pressure on household budgets.

Are PEP’s Snacking Peers Like MDLZ & HSY Gaining Traction?PepsiCo’s snacking peers, including Mondelez International Inc. (MDLZ - Free Report) and The Hershey Company (HSY - Free Report) , are also leaning on portfolio innovation, brand strength and evolving consumer preferences to sustain momentum in the competitive snacks market.

Mondelez International is gaining traction across its snack portfolio, supported by emerging-market strength, broader distribution and innovation. Management cited strong volume in the second quarter of 2026, with North America delivering positive volume mix and share gains across categories. Growth was aided by Ritz, Oreo, Perfect Snacks, Tate’s and Hu, alongside value-channel and away-from-home expansion. Innovation in protein, gluten-free, zero-sugar and premium offerings is also helping broaden consumption occasions and sustain momentum globally.

Hershey’s snack portfolio is gaining momentum as strong consumer demand supports brands such as Dot’s Pretzels, SkinnyPop and LesserEvil. Management said that Dot’s continues to lead growth, with supply-chain constraints largely behind the business and automation helping improve throughput. Premium, permissible positioning is also resonating, while stronger activation around salty-snack occasions, including fall football, should help capture additional demand and support volume improvement.

PEP’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesShares of PepsiCo have lost 2.2% in the past three months against the industry’s rise of 4.9%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, PEP trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 15.54X, below the industry’s average of 19.41X.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for PEP’s 2026 and 2027 earnings implies year-over-year growth of 5.3% and 4.9%, respectively. The company’s EPS estimate for 2026 has been unchanged in the past 30 days. Meanwhile, the consensus mark for 2027 EPS has moved down by a penny in the past seven days.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

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

Key Takeaways POSCO Holdings secured a $700M credit facility to support its Argentine lithium business. The financing provides working capital for its first lithium plant and a second due in 2H 2026. The Sal de Oro project targets four phases and an eventual annual capacity of about 100,000 metric tons. POSCO Holdings Inc. (PKX - Free Report) has secured a $700 million short-term credit facility from IDB Invest, the private-sector arm of the Inter-American Development Bank Group, to support its Argentina-based brine lithium business. POSCO Argentina received approval for the facility on Aug. 4, providing working capital for its first lithium plant and a second plant scheduled for completion in the second half of 2026.  

The financing strengthens POSCO’s liquidity and is expected to reduce funding costs through competitive interest rates and preferential tax treatment on interest payments and financial transaction taxes. IDB Invest also recognized the project’s compliance with global ESG standards and its contribution to economic development in Latin America.  

The facility comes as POSCO accelerates development of its Sal de Oro lithium project at Argentina’s Salar del Hombre Muerto. The broader project comprises four phases, with eventual production capacity of around 100,000 metric tons per year, supporting the company’s strategy of establishing lithium as a key strategic-resource business. 

Overall, the credit facility provides POSCO Holdings with additional financial flexibility to ramp up its Argentine lithium operations while strengthening its position in the global critical-minerals supply chain. The financing, combined with Argentina’s Regime for Large Investments (“RIGI”) investment incentives and Korea-Argentina cooperation on critical minerals, should help accelerate project development and enhance the long-term competitiveness of POSCO Holdings’ battery-materials portfolio.  

Building on these strengths, POSCO Holdings will advance its resource-focused “Triple Core” strategy across industrial, strategic and energy resources, while further strengthening its lithium supply chain and position as a leading critical-resources supplier. 

PKX’s Price PerformanceShares of POSCO have gained 23.2% over the past year compared with 27% decline in its industry.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

PKX’s Zacks Rank & Other Key PicksPKX currently carries a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

Some other top-ranked stocks in the Conglomerates space are Grupo Cibest S.A. (CIB - Free Report) , 3M Company (MMM - Free Report)  and Griffon Corporation (GFF - Free Report) . CIB sports a Zacks Rank #1, while MMM and GFF carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) each. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CIB’s current-year earnings is pegged at $10.87 per share, indicating a 48.7% year-over-year decrease. Its earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in two of the trailing four quarters and missed twice, with the average surprise of 12.1%.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MMM’s current-year earnings is pegged at $8.96 per share, indicating a 11.2% year-over-year increase. Its earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise of 4.1%.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for GFF’s current fiscal-year earnings is pegged at $5.41 per share. Its earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters and missed once, with the average surprise of 6.6%.

DMC Group LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:PLTR – Free Report) by 47.0% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 4,556 shares of the company’s stock after selling 4,042 shares during the quarter. DMC Group LLC’s holdings in Palantir Technologies were worth $532,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. BlackRock Inc. raised its stake in Palantir Technologies by 0.4% in the second quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 189,817,693 shares of the company’s stock valued at $22,146,030,000 after purchasing an additional 757,322 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its stake in Palantir Technologies by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 102,385,317 shares of the company’s stock worth $18,198,990,000 after buying an additional 1,126,418 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Palantir Technologies by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 54,200,265 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,599,882,000 after buying an additional 805,047 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Palantir Technologies in the 4th quarter worth $5,149,641,000. Finally, Invesco Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Palantir Technologies by 2.8% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 22,415,082 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,984,281,000 after buying an additional 616,297 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 45.65% of the company’s stock.

Palantir Technologies Stock Performance PLTR stock opened at $174.33 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $418.93 billion, a PE ratio of 149.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 1.62. Palantir Technologies Inc. has a one year low of $106.37 and a one year high of $207.52. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $150.22 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $143.63.

Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ:PLTR – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 3rd. The company reported $0.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.34 by $0.07. Palantir Technologies had a net margin of 49.01% and a return on equity of 30.57%. The company had revenue of $1.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.81 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.16 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 92.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Palantir Technologies Inc. will post 1.27 EPS for the current year. Insider Buying and Selling at Palantir Technologies In other news, insider Shyam Sankar sold 35,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.70, for a total transaction of $5,449,500.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 642,786 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $100,081,780.20. This trade represents a 5.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Jeffrey Buckley sold 1,250 shares of Palantir Technologies stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.29, for a total value of $217,862.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 56,921 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,920,761.09. This represents a 2.15% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Over the last three months, insiders sold 721,508 shares of company stock valued at $117,070,093. Company insiders own 9.53% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Palantir Technologies Here are the key news stories impacting Palantir Technologies this week:

Positive Sentiment: Expanded PwC alliance strengthens Palantir’s enterprise AI reach. Palantir and PwC expanded their strategic partnership to help organizations scale AI, transform mergers and acquisitions, and modernize ERP systems. PwC’s consulting network could help Palantir secure more corporate customers and larger deployments. PwC and Palantir Expand Strategic Alliance Positive Sentiment: Army contract adds support for the government business. Palantir won a prime agreement to deliver eight TITAN tactical intelligence ground-station systems to the U.S. Army, reportedly valued at about $192 million. The award expands Palantir’s role in defense intelligence and reinforces demand for its software and data platforms. What Does Palantir Winning Army Work Mean for AI Growth? Positive Sentiment: Technical momentum remains constructive. Palantir recently moved above its 20-day moving average and flashed a “golden cross” signal, which technical investors may interpret as evidence of continued short-term strength. The company’s latest reported quarter also featured 92.8% year-over-year revenue growth and earnings above analyst expectations. Neutral Sentiment: Investor commentary remains broadly bullish but speculative. Articles highlight Palantir as a potential AI software and cybersecurity winner, while management continues to promote secure, customized AI deployments. These views may support sentiment but do not represent new financial guidance. Negative Sentiment: Premium valuation leaves little room for disappointment. Palantir’s market capitalization is above $400 billion and its price-to-earnings ratio is around 149, making the stock vulnerable to profit-taking or any slowdown in growth and margins. Analysts note that its rapid expansion is already reflected in the share price. Is Palantir’s AI Growth Worth the Premium Valuation? Negative Sentiment: Competitive and insider-selling concerns persist. Google’s expanding government AI offerings could pressure Palantir’s public-sector opportunity. Michael Burry also renewed his bearish criticism of Palantir’s valuation and business model. Separately, a director sold $244,915 of stock under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan, a modest negative sentiment signal. What’s Bugging Palantir’s Stock? Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on shares of Palantir Technologies in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. BNP Paribas Exane assumed coverage on shares of Palantir Technologies in a research report on Tuesday, June 16th. They issued an “underperform” rating for the company. Cantor Fitzgerald started coverage on Palantir Technologies in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. They issued an “overweight” rating on the stock. President Capital upgraded Palantir Technologies from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price target for the company from $25.50 to $133.00 in a research report on Monday, June 29th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “underperform” rating and set a $90.00 price target on shares of Palantir Technologies in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have given a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $192.19.

Get Our Latest Analysis on PLTR

(Free Report)

Palantir Technologies is a software company that develops data integration, analytics and operational decision-making platforms for government and commercial customers. Founded in 2003 by a team that included Alex Karp and Peter Thiel, Palantir has grown into a provider of enterprise-scale software designed to help organizations integrate disparate data sources, build analytic models and drive operational workflows. The company went public in 2020 and continues to position its products around large, complex data projects where security, provenance and real-time collaboration are important.

Palantir’s product portfolio centers on a small number of core platforms.

See Also Five stocks we like better than Palantir Technologies AI Token Costs Are Changing the Hardware vs. Software Debate 3 ETFs That Could Move as Rate Expectations Shift 3 Stocks With September Catalysts Investors Shouldn’t Ignore Ollie’s Bargain Outlet Stock Falls on Weak Comps Despite Margin Gains Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PLTR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:PLTR – Free Report).

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Micron shares have already rewritten what investors thought possible for a memory stock, but the next leg higher hinges on a single question about contract pricing that the upcoming earnings report will either answer or obliterate.

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AI-driven memory demand has repriced an entire corner of semiconductors this year, and the debate now is what would carry Micron shares even higher. The distance between Friday’s close and the target under discussion is small relative to the ground already covered. Whether contract pricing holds through the next several quarters is the real question.

Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU | MU Price Prediction) stock closed Friday at $1,016.59, up 256% year to date. Record DRAM pricing and AI datacenter memory demand drove the move, and Micron rode the same cycle lifting every supplier.

Meanwhile, SanDisk (NASDAQ:SNDK) stock ended the week at $1,740, up 633% year to date. Western Digital (NASDAQ:WDC) shares closed at $467.46, up 172% and trailing only SanDisk in the group. For a broader view of the market, the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSEARCA:SPY) was up 13% over the same stretch; in comparison, the Roundhill Memory ETF (CBOE:DRAM) has rallied 121% in 2026 so far.

Memory Cycle Drives the Repricing Micron’s fiscal Q3 2026 revenue landed at $41.46 billion, up 345.7% year over year, with GAAP gross margin at 84.6% and a company-record $18.3 billion in free cash flow. The company’s fiscal Q4 2026 guidance calls for revenue of $50 billion, plus or minus $1 billion, and non-GAAP EPS of $31, plus or minus a dollar. That would extend a five-quarter run of record results.

CEO Sanjay Mehrotra stated, “DRAM and NAND industry demand continues to significantly exceed industry supply.” Management at Micron said that tight conditions could persist beyond calendar 2027, a claim that underpins the entire re-rating. Micron’s signed Strategic Customer Agreements (SCA) carry minimum-price contract revenue of approximately $100 billion across 14 of 16 deals, backed by $22 billion in cash deposits and letters of credit.

HBM4 shipments to Micron’s lead accelerator customer are ramping twice as fast as HBM3E 12-high, and the company has already booked more than $1 billion in HBM4 revenue. That mix shift is the single most important driver behind the margin story that turned Micron shares into a mega-cap trade.

Peers Reveal the Cycle Trade The peer group frames this move as a cycle bet, with company-specific execution playing a supporting role. SanDisk delivered fiscal Q4 2026 revenue of $8.96 billion, up 371.6% year over year, and guided fiscal Q1 2027 revenue to $10.30 billion to $10.80 billion. Its heavier NAND exposure has produced the largest gain in the group.

SanDisk’s own commitments echo Micron’s. Signed New Business Model contracts cover more than 50% of fiscal 2027 bits and roughly two-thirds of fiscal 2028 bits, with total minimum revenue of $93.9 billion assuming floor pricing.

Western Digital, now a pure-play HDD name, posted fiscal Q4 2026 revenue of $3.747 billion and guided fiscal Q1 2027 to $4.1 billion, plus or minus $100 million. CEO Irving Tan stated, “As global data creation continues to accelerate, we enter fiscal year 2027 with continued confidence in the durability of demand.” All three names rallied together because the same demand curve lifted every supplier’s contract book.

Micron Stock’s Potential Path to $1,250 Getting MU stock to $1,250 requires only a modest additional move relative to what Micron shares have already covered. Analyst consensus points that direction, with an average target of $1,513.11 and 44 buys against 4 holds. If HBM4 shipments continue tracking above plan and DRAM floors hold, Micron’s earnings power justifies further multiple expansion.

Estimate revisions back that up. Consensus fiscal-year 2027 EPS for Micron has climbed from $102.7224 ninety days ago to $155.0252, and analysts pushed 29 fiscal-year 2026 EPS estimates higher over the past 30 days against a single cut.

Polymarket traders remain more cautious. Their September 2026 Micron market prices $1,260 at a 16% probability and $1,200 at 25%. Contract activity isn’t underwriting a fast move through the target level.

What to Watch Next The bear case is straightforward. Micron’s management flagged “a meaningful moderation in the rate of price increases” in fiscal Q4, and any real crack in DRAM or NAND contract pricing would drag Micron and every peer in the complex. Investors sizing their exposure at these levels are underwriting the memory cycle itself, and their positions should account for a Micron beta of 2.22.

Micron reports its fiscal Q4 2026 later this month, and its guide will do the heavy lifting on whether $1,250 comes into view. Traders can watch for updates on HBM4 ramp progress, additional SCA closings, and any commentary on fiscal 2027 pricing, exactly the kind of new-high setup our free breakout rulebook was written for. Investors holding gains this large should keep their MU stock allocation sized to the cycle risk embedded in current prices, since the same forces that lifted the group can unwind together just as quickly.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.