Market Signal Briefing

Q3: 2025-10-23 Earnings SummaryEPS of $1.70 beats by $0.14

 |

Revenue of

$213.59M

(14.51% Y/Y)

misses by $22.97M

Grupo Aeroportuario del Centro Norte, S.A.B. de C.V. (NASDAQ:OMAB) Q3 2025 Earnings Call October 24, 2025 12:00 PM EDT

Company Participants

Emmanuel Camacho - Investor Relations Officer
Ricardo Duenas - Chief Executive Officer
Ruffo Pérez del Castillo - Chief Financial Officer

Conference Call Participants

Pablo Ricalde Martinez - Itaú Corretora de Valores S.A., Research Division
Gabriel Himelfarb Mustri - Scotiabank Global Banking and Markets, Research Division

Presentation

Operator

Greetings, and welcome to the OMA Third Quarter 2025 Earnings Call. [Operator Instructions] As a reminder, this conference is being recorded. I would now like to turn the conference over to your host, Emmanuel Camacho, Investor Relations Officer for OMA. Thank you. You may begin.

Emmanuel Camacho
Investor Relations Officer

Thank you, Melissa. Hello, everyone, and welcome to OMA's Third Quarter 2025 Earnings Conference Call. We're delighted to have you join us today as we discuss the company's performance and financial results for the past quarter. Joining us today are CEO, Ricardo Duenas; and CFO, Ruffo Pérez Pliego. Please be reminded that certain statements made during the course of our discussion today may constitute forward-looking statements, which are based on current management expectations and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, including factors that may be beyond our control.

And now I'll turn the call over to Ricardo Duenas for his opening remarks.

Ricardo Duenas
Chief Executive Officer

Thank you, Emmanuel. Good morning, everyone, and thank you for joining us today. This morning, Ruffo and I will review our operational performance and financial results. And finally, we will be pleased to answer your questions. In the third quarter of this year, OMA's passenger traffic totaled 7.6 million passengers, an 8% increase year-over-year. Seat capacity increased by 11% during the quarter. On the domestic front, passenger traffic grew by 7%, driven primarily by the Monterrey Airport, which saw increases on routes to

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PASCAGOULA, Miss., Oct. 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HII’s (NYSE: HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division successfully completed the second builder’s sea trials for guided missile destroyer Ted Stevens (DDG 128), building on the success of the initial trials conducted at the end of September. The Arleigh Burke-class (DDG 51) destroyer spent multiple days in the Gulf of America testing the ship’s main propulsion, combat systems and other critical systems in preparation for the future acceptance trials.

“The Ingalls and Navy team demonstrated tremendous teamwork during this trial and are fully committed to delivering DDG 128 to the fleet,” Ingalls Shipbuilding DDG Program Manager Ben Barnett said. “As we move forward, our focus remains on ensuring that every system is thoroughly tested and fully operational as we progress toward readiness for acceptance trials. I extend my gratitude to our test and trials team for their contributions to the ongoing success of the destroyer program.”

During the second builder’s trials, the Ingalls and Navy team completed additional hull, mechanical, electrical and combat systems tests. This included testing the second-in-class Flight III AN/SPY-6 (V)1 radar system and the Aegis Baseline 10 combat system. These tests are designed to validate critical system performance and ensure the ship meets or exceeds Navy requirements.

Photos accompanying this release are available at: http://hii.com/news/hii-successfully-completes-second-builders-sea-trials-for-destroyer-ted-stevens-ddg-128/.

Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyers represent the next generation of surface combatants for the U.S. Navy and incorporate a number of design modifications that collectively provide significantly enhanced capability. To date, Ingalls has delivered 35 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers to the U.S. Navy, including the first Flight III, USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125) and currently has five more Flight III destroyers under construction: Ted Stevens (DDG 128), Jeremiah Denton (DDG 129), George M. Neal (DDG 131), Sam Nunn (DDG 133), and Thad Cochran (DDG 135), which authenticated the ship’s keel on Oct. 23.

As the largest manufacturing employer in Mississippi, Ingalls Shipbuilding has been designing, building, and maintaining destroyers for the U.S. Navy for over 86 years. To learn more about the DDG 51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyer program at Ingalls work visit: https://hii.com/what-we-do/capabilities/guided-missile-destroyers/arleigh-burke-class/.

About HII

HII is a global, all-domain defense provider. HII’s mission is to deliver the world’s most powerful ships and all-domain solutions in service of the nation, creating the advantage for our customers to protect peace and freedom around the world.

As the nation’s largest military shipbuilder, and with a more than 135-year history of advancing U.S. national security, HII delivers critical capabilities extending from ships to unmanned systems, cyber, ISR, AI/ML and synthetic training. Headquartered in Virginia, HII’s workforce is 44,000 strong. For more information, visit:

HII on the web: https://www.HII.com/HII on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeamHIIHII on X: https://www.twitter.com/WeAreHIIHII on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/WeAreHII Contact:

Kimberly Aguillard
[email protected]
(228) 355-5663

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e7add913-2770-4b60-af8a-afe6f79b1a72

Analyst’s Disclosure:I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, but may initiate a beneficial Long position through a purchase of the stock, or the purchase of call options or similar derivatives in DECK over the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

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

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There's just two months until Christmas Eve, and retailers are meeting a more cautious shopper with earlier offerings.

Most retailers won't report third-quarter results or updated holiday expectations until just before Thanksgiving, largely considered the sector's most important week of the year. By then, many shoppers will have already started checking off holiday shopping lists.

Amazon's October Prime Day sales event and competitors' ever-earlier Black Friday deals grab some portion of the holiday wallet share. The unofficial kickoff to the holiday shopping season comes as executives point to a bifurcation in consumer spending, with lower-income consumers feeling the strain on their budgets, and as a government shutdown and tariff costs threaten purchasing power.

Kohl's is among the retailers chasing holiday shopping early with hopes to boost the total haul.

"We want to make sure we're driving that early consideration knowing that they're shopping early," Kohl's Chief Marketing Officer Christie Raymond said at a media event earlier this month.

The off-mall department store is starting its holiday marketing campaign next week, a week earlier than last year when it waited until after the election. In the coming days it will be breaking out the rest of the holiday merchandise not already set out in stores.

A key part of Kohl's holiday strategy is not only to capture shoppers early, but often.

Raymond said during the last holiday season, between November and January, shoppers made "15 plus trips" on average to stores across the industry, but checked out with smaller baskets. Those findings were was based on a survey that Kohl's conducted with a third-party research firm.

"[Consumers are] doing the work to get what they want at the price they want to pay," she said.

While Academy Sports and Outdoors CEO Steve Lawrence agreed that shoppers are savvy when it comes to price-monitoring, he said he expects customers "to aggregate their spending around those key shopping moments on the calendar where they know they can get the best deals."

Both Kohl's and Academy Sports cater largely to a middle-income shopper. Still, Lawrence said consumers are paying close attention to discount events.

"If we run the same promotion this year that we ran last year, there's higher take rate on it," he said. "I think that's a sign customers are really savvy, and they're figuring out when it's the right time to shop."

Shifting shopping habitsLawrence said that while promotions are part of every holiday season's playbook, Academy Sports will be tweaking how it runs discounts this year in light of higher engagement with the deals.

"If last year we ran a promotion for 10 days, maybe I only run it for 4 days over the Thanksgiving weekend," he said. "Maybe instead of having a whole brand promoted, maybe it's only the key categories within that brand, right? Or maybe in some cases, it might be promoting at a slightly lower discount."

Raymond of Kohl's said the retailer is seeing shoppers reaching for lower-price options and expects that to continue during the holiday season.

"Customers maybe were purchasing a premium brand, but we are seeing them trading down to private brands," she said. "We think we're in actually a great position to capitalize on that."

A private brand is one made for and sold by only one retailer, allowing for more control over design and importantly, cost. That can mean lower prices for shoppers and higher margins for the retailer than a national brand.

While Kohl's doesn't disclose the proportion of its sales that are private label, Chief Merchandising Officer Nick Jones said it's not as high as it used to be, adding there's opportunity to boost that share this holiday season, particularly for shoppers trying to stretch their wallets.

About 23% of Academy Sports business is private label, the company has said.

"In a lot of cases, [our private label] is our best expression of value," Lawrence said. "Our goal is to be at or better than the best price on a given day."

However, Lawrence said, innovation has to continue to inspire sales.

'Cautiously optimistic'The retail industry has repeatedly described its customer in recent quarters as "choiceful," to indicate thoughtful spending, but also "resilient." Executives continue to use those descriptors — or synonyms — for the upcoming holiday season.

"I think certainly with inflation in certain categories, it's put some pressure on spending power," Lawrence said. "But you know, what we've also seen is customers are very resilient. They do come out during the key shopping time periods. They came out for Mother's Day, Father's Day, Back to School. We expect they're going to come out again for holiday."

Dick's Sporting Goods Executive Chairman Ed Stack told CNBC this week he thought the consumer was "a little bit stressed" this season, but that he's "cautiously optimistic."

"If you're going to provide value to the consumer, and they can see that, feel that value — and I'm not talking about from a price standpoint, could be innovation ... then they are going to come and they are going to buy," Stack said.

Executives for all three retailers agree inventory positions for holiday will be normal, despite tariff uncertainty that many feared would affect order volumes. None of the three were expecting merchandise shortages.

"I don't think [inventory availability] is going to be any different than it has been in the past," Stack said. "That really super hot item that everybody wants? That's probably going to be in short supply, like it is every year."

Investors might want to bet on nLight (LASR - Free Report) , as it has been recently upgraded to a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). This upgrade primarily reflects an upward trend in earnings estimates, which is one of the most powerful forces impacting stock prices.

The sole determinant of the Zacks rating is a company's changing earnings picture. The Zacks Consensus Estimate -- the consensus of EPS estimates from the sell-side analysts covering the stock -- for the current and following years is tracked by the system.

Individual investors often find it hard to make decisions based on rating upgrades by Wall Street analysts, since these are mostly driven by subjective factors that are hard to see and measure in real time. In these situations, the Zacks rating system comes in handy because of the power of a changing earnings picture in determining near-term stock price movements.

As such, the Zacks rating upgrade for nLight is essentially a positive comment on its earnings outlook that could have a favorable impact on its stock price.

Most Powerful Force Impacting Stock PricesThe change in a company's future earnings potential, as reflected in earnings estimate revisions, has proven to be strongly correlated with the near-term price movement of its stock. That's partly because of the influence of institutional investors that use earnings and earnings estimates for calculating the fair value of a company's shares. An increase or decrease in earnings estimates in their valuation models simply results in higher or lower fair value for a stock, and institutional investors typically buy or sell it. Their transaction of large amounts of shares then leads to price movement for the stock.

Fundamentally speaking, rising earnings estimates and the consequent rating upgrade for nLight imply an improvement in the company's underlying business. Investors should show their appreciation for this improving business trend by pushing the stock higher.

Harnessing the Power of Earnings Estimate RevisionsEmpirical research shows a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock movements, so it could be truly rewarding if such revisions are tracked for making an investment decision. Here is where the tried-and-tested Zacks Rank stock-rating system plays an important role, as it effectively harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions.

The Zacks Rank stock-rating system, which uses four factors related to earnings estimates to classify stocks into five groups, ranging from Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) to Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive externally-audited track record, with Zacks Rank #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>> .

Earnings Estimate Revisions for nLightThis laser maker is expected to earn $0.06 per share for the fiscal year ending December 2025, which represents no year-over-year change.

Analysts have been steadily raising their estimates for nLight. Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company has increased 45.3%.

Bottom LineUnlike the overly optimistic Wall Street analysts whose rating systems tend to be weighted toward favorable recommendations, the Zacks rating system maintains an equal proportion of "buy" and "sell" ratings for its entire universe of more than 4,000 stocks at any point in time. Irrespective of market conditions, only the top 5% of the Zacks-covered stocks get a "Strong Buy" rating and the next 15% get a "Buy" rating. So, the placement of a stock in the top 20% of the Zacks-covered stocks indicates its superior earnings estimate revision feature, making it a solid candidate for producing market-beating returns in the near term.

You can learn more about the Zacks Rank here >>>

The upgrade of nLight to a Zacks Rank #1 positions it in the top 5% of the Zacks-covered stocks in terms of estimate revisions, implying that the stock might move higher in the near term.

Investors might want to bet on US Gold Corp (USAU - Free Report) , as it has been recently upgraded to a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). An upward trend in earnings estimates -- one of the most powerful forces impacting stock prices -- has triggered this rating change.

The Zacks rating relies solely on a company's changing earnings picture. It tracks EPS estimates for the current and following years from the sell-side analysts covering the stock through a consensus measure -- the Zacks Consensus Estimate.

Since a changing earnings picture is a powerful factor influencing near-term stock price movements, the Zacks rating system is very useful for individual investors. They may find it difficult to make decisions based on rating upgrades by Wall Street analysts, as these are mostly driven by subjective factors that are hard to see and measure in real time.

Therefore, the Zacks rating upgrade for US Gold Corp basically reflects positivity about its earnings outlook that could translate into buying pressure and an increase in its stock price.

Most Powerful Force Impacting Stock PricesThe change in a company's future earnings potential, as reflected in earnings estimate revisions, and the near-term price movement of its stock are proven to be strongly correlated. The influence of institutional investors has a partial contribution to this relationship, as these big professionals use earnings and earnings estimates to calculate the fair value of a company's shares. An increase or decrease in earnings estimates in their valuation models simply results in higher or lower fair value for a stock, and institutional investors typically buy or sell it. Their transaction of large amounts of shares then leads to price movement for the stock.

For US Gold Corp, rising earnings estimates and the consequent rating upgrade fundamentally mean an improvement in the company's underlying business. And investors' appreciation of this improving business trend should push the stock higher.

Harnessing the Power of Earnings Estimate RevisionsAs empirical research shows a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock movements, tracking such revisions for making an investment decision could be truly rewarding. Here is where the tried-and-tested Zacks Rank stock-rating system plays an important role, as it effectively harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions.

The Zacks Rank stock-rating system, which uses four factors related to earnings estimates to classify stocks into five groups, ranging from Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) to Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive externally-audited track record, with Zacks Rank #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>> .

Earnings Estimate Revisions for US Gold CorpFor the fiscal year ending April 2026, this company is expected to earn -$0.60 per share, which is unchanged compared with the year-ago reported number.

Analysts have been steadily raising their estimates for US Gold Corp. Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company has increased 21.6%.

Bottom LineUnlike the overly optimistic Wall Street analysts whose rating systems tend to be weighted toward favorable recommendations, the Zacks rating system maintains an equal proportion of "buy" and "sell" ratings for its entire universe of more than 4,000 stocks at any point in time. Irrespective of market conditions, only the top 5% of the Zacks-covered stocks get a "Strong Buy" rating and the next 15% get a "Buy" rating. So, the placement of a stock in the top 20% of the Zacks-covered stocks indicates its superior earnings estimate revision feature, making it a solid candidate for producing market-beating returns in the near term.

You can learn more about the Zacks Rank here >>>

The upgrade of US Gold Corp to a Zacks Rank #1 positions it in the top 5% of the Zacks-covered stocks in terms of estimate revisions, implying that the stock might move higher in the near term.

Momentum investing revolves around the idea of following a stock's recent trend in either direction. In "long context," investors will be essentially be "buying high, but hoping to sell even higher." With this methodology, taking advantage of trends in a stock's price is key; once a stock establishes a course, it is more than likely to continue moving that way. The goal is that once a stock heads down a fixed path, it will lead to timely and profitable trades.

While many investors like to look for momentum in stocks, this can be very tough to define. There is a lot of debate surrounding which metrics are the best to focus on and which are poor quality indicators of future performance. The Zacks Momentum Style Score, part of the Zacks Style Scores, helps address this issue for us.

Below, we take a look at Western Digital (WDC - Free Report) , which currently has a Momentum Style Score of B. We also discuss some of the main drivers of the Momentum Style Score, like price change and earnings estimate revisions.

It's also important to note that Style Scores work as a complement to the Zacks Rank, our stock rating system that has an impressive track record of outperformance. Western Digital currently has a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy). Our research shows that stocks rated Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and #2 (Buy) and Style Scores of "A or B" outperform the market over the following one-month period.

You can see the current list of Zacks #1 Rank Stocks here >>>

Set to Beat the Market? In order to see if WDC is a promising momentum pick, let's examine some Momentum Style elements to see if this maker of hard drives for businesses and personal computers holds up.

A good momentum benchmark for a stock is to look at its short-term price activity, as this can reflect both current interest and if buyers or sellers currently have the upper hand. It is also useful to compare a security to its industry, as this can help investors pinpoint the top companies in a particular area.

For WDC, shares are up 9.34% over the past week while the Zacks Computer- Storage Devices industry is up 1.67% over the same time period. Shares are looking quite well from a longer time frame too, as the monthly price change of 17.26% compares favorably with the industry's 6.55% performance as well.

While any stock can see its price increase, it takes a real winner to consistently beat the market. That is why looking at longer term price metrics -- such as performance over the past three months or year -- can be useful as well. Over the past quarter, shares of Western Digital have risen 59.77%, and are up 89.57% in the last year. In comparison, the S&P 500 has only moved 6.22% and 17.55%, respectively.

Investors should also take note of WDC's average 20-day trading volume. Volume is a useful item in many ways, and the 20-day average establishes a good price-to-volume baseline; a rising stock with above average volume is generally a bullish sign, whereas a declining stock on above average volume is typically bearish. Right now WDC is averaging 10,045,608 shares for the last 20 days..

Earnings OutlookThe Zacks Momentum Style Score also takes into account trends in estimate revisions, in addition to price changes. Please note that estimate revision trends remain at the core of Zacks Rank as well. A nice path here can help show promise, and we have recently been seeing that with WDC.

Over the past two months, 2 earnings estimates moved higher compared to none lower for the full year. These revisions helped boost WDC's consensus estimate, increasing from $6.50 to $6.64 in the past 60 days. Looking at the next fiscal year, 2 estimates have moved upwards while there have been no downward revisions in the same time period.

Bottom LineTaking into account all of these elements, it should come as no surprise that WDC is a #1 (Strong Buy) stock with a Momentum Score of B. If you've been searching for a fresh pick that's set to rise in the near-term, make sure to keep Western Digital on your short list.

Momentum investing revolves around the idea of following a stock's recent trend in either direction. In "long context," investors will be essentially be "buying high, but hoping to sell even higher." With this methodology, taking advantage of trends in a stock's price is key; once a stock establishes a course, it is more than likely to continue moving that way. The goal is that once a stock heads down a fixed path, it will lead to timely and profitable trades.

Even though momentum is a popular stock characteristic, it can be tough to define. Debate surrounding which are the best and worst metrics to focus on is lengthy, but the Zacks Momentum Style Score, part of the Zacks Style Scores, helps address this issue for us.

Below, we take a look at Ralph Lauren (RL - Free Report) , which currently has a Momentum Style Score of B. We also discuss some of the main drivers of the Momentum Style Score, like price change and earnings estimate revisions.

It's also important to note that Style Scores work as a complement to the Zacks Rank, our stock rating system that has an impressive track record of outperformance. Ralph Lauren currently has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy). Our research shows that stocks rated Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and #2 (Buy) and Style Scores of "A or B" outperform the market over the following one-month period.

You can see the current list of Zacks #1 Rank Stocks here >>>

Set to Beat the Market? In order to see if RL is a promising momentum pick, let's examine some Momentum Style elements to see if this upscale clothing company holds up.

A good momentum benchmark for a stock is to look at its short-term price activity, as this can reflect both current interest and if buyers or sellers currently have the upper hand. It is also useful to compare a security to its industry, as this can help investors pinpoint the top companies in a particular area.

For RL, shares are up 5.93% over the past week while the Zacks Textile - Apparel industry is up 2.11% over the same time period. Shares are looking quite well from a longer time frame too, as the monthly price change of 11.03% compares favorably with the industry's 0.84% performance as well.

Considering longer term price metrics, like performance over the last three months or year, can be advantageous as well. Shares of Ralph Lauren have increased 12.57% over the past quarter, and have gained 69.89% in the last year. In comparison, the S&P 500 has only moved 6.22% and 17.55%, respectively.

Investors should also pay attention to RL's average 20-day trading volume. Volume is a useful item in many ways, and the 20-day average establishes a good price-to-volume baseline; a rising stock with above average volume is generally a bullish sign, whereas a declining stock on above average volume is typically bearish. RL is currently averaging 484,352 shares for the last 20 days.

Earnings OutlookThe Zacks Momentum Style Score also takes into account trends in estimate revisions, in addition to price changes. Please note that estimate revision trends remain at the core of Zacks Rank as well. A nice path here can help show promise, and we have recently been seeing that with RL.

Over the past two months, 3 earnings estimates moved higher compared to none lower for the full year. These revisions helped boost RL's consensus estimate, increasing from $14.93 to $15.00 in the past 60 days. Looking at the next fiscal year, 2 estimates have moved upwards while there have been no downward revisions in the same time period.

Bottom LineTaking into account all of these elements, it should come as no surprise that RL is a #2 (Buy) stock with a Momentum Score of B. If you've been searching for a fresh pick that's set to rise in the near-term, make sure to keep Ralph Lauren on your short list.

Momentum investing is all about the idea of following a stock's recent trend, which can be in either direction. In the "long context," investors will essentially be "buying high, but hoping to sell even higher." And for investors following this methodology, taking advantage of trends in a stock's price is key; once a stock establishes a course, it is more than likely to continue moving in that direction. The goal is that once a stock heads down a fixed path, it will lead to timely and profitable trades.

While many investors like to look for momentum in stocks, this can be very tough to define. There is a lot of debate surrounding which metrics are the best to focus on and which are poor quality indicators of future performance. The Zacks Momentum Style Score, part of the Zacks Style Scores, helps address this issue for us.

Below, we take a look at Gold Fields (GFI - Free Report) , which currently has a Momentum Style Score of A. We also discuss some of the main drivers of the Momentum Style Score, like price change and earnings estimate revisions.

It's also important to note that Style Scores work as a complement to the Zacks Rank, our stock rating system that has an impressive track record of outperformance. Gold Fields currently has a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy). Our research shows that stocks rated Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and #2 (Buy) and Style Scores of "A or B" outperform the market over the following one-month period.

You can see the current list of Zacks #1 Rank Stocks here >>>

Set to Beat the Market?Let's discuss some of the components of the Momentum Style Score for GFI that show why this gold miner shows promise as a solid momentum pick.

A good momentum benchmark for a stock is to look at its short-term price activity, as this can reflect both current interest and if buyers or sellers currently have the upper hand. It's also helpful to compare a security to its industry; this can show investors the best companies in a particular area.

For GFI, shares are up 5.22% over the past week while the Zacks Mining - Gold industry is up 1.64% over the same time period. Shares are looking quite well from a longer time frame too, as the monthly price change of 4.75% compares favorably with the industry's 2.9% performance as well.

While any stock can see a spike in price, it takes a real winner to consistently outperform the market. Over the past quarter, shares of Gold Fields have risen 69.13%, and are up 130.55% in the last year. In comparison, the S&P 500 has only moved 6.22% and 17.55%, respectively.

Investors should also pay attention to GFI's average 20-day trading volume. Volume is a useful item in many ways, and the 20-day average establishes a good price-to-volume baseline; a rising stock with above average volume is generally a bullish sign, whereas a declining stock on above average volume is typically bearish. GFI is currently averaging 3,770,494 shares for the last 20 days.

Earnings OutlookThe Zacks Momentum Style Score also takes into account trends in estimate revisions, in addition to price changes. Please note that estimate revision trends remain at the core of Zacks Rank as well. A nice path here can help show promise, and we have recently been seeing that with GFI.

Over the past two months, 2 earnings estimates moved higher compared to none lower for the full year. These revisions helped boost GFI's consensus estimate, increasing from $2.58 to $2.79 in the past 60 days. Looking at the next fiscal year, 2 estimates have moved upwards while there have been no downward revisions in the same time period.

Bottom LineTaking into account all of these elements, it should come as no surprise that GFI is a #1 (Strong Buy) stock with a Momentum Score of A. If you've been searching for a fresh pick that's set to rise in the near-term, make sure to keep Gold Fields on your short list.

Momentum investing is all about the idea of following a stock's recent trend, which can be in either direction. In the "long context," investors will essentially be "buying high, but hoping to sell even higher." And for investors following this methodology, taking advantage of trends in a stock's price is key; once a stock establishes a course, it is more than likely to continue moving in that direction. The goal is that once a stock heads down a fixed path, it will lead to timely and profitable trades.

Even though momentum is a popular stock characteristic, it can be tough to define. Debate surrounding which are the best and worst metrics to focus on is lengthy, but the Zacks Momentum Style Score, part of the Zacks Style Scores, helps address this issue for us.

Below, we take a look at Seagate (STX - Free Report) , which currently has a Momentum Style Score of B. We also discuss some of the main drivers of the Momentum Style Score, like price change and earnings estimate revisions.

It's also important to note that Style Scores work as a complement to the Zacks Rank, our stock rating system that has an impressive track record of outperformance. Seagate currently has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy). Our research shows that stocks rated Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and #2 (Buy) and Style Scores of "A or B" outperform the market over the following one-month period.

You can see the current list of Zacks #1 Rank Stocks here >>>

Set to Beat the Market? In order to see if STX is a promising momentum pick, let's examine some Momentum Style elements to see if this electronic storage maker holds up.

Looking at a stock's short-term price activity is a great way to gauge if it has momentum, since this can reflect both the current interest in a stock and if buyers or sellers have the upper hand at the moment. It is also useful to compare a security to its industry, as this can help investors pinpoint the top companies in a particular area.

For STX, shares are up 5.14% over the past week while the Zacks Computer - Integrated Systems industry is up 0.27% over the same time period. Shares are looking quite well from a longer time frame too, as the monthly price change of 2.98% compares favorably with the industry's 0.63% performance as well.

Considering longer term price metrics, like performance over the last three months or year, can be advantageous as well. Shares of Seagate have increased 44.2% over the past quarter, and have gained 117.74% in the last year. On the other hand, the S&P 500 has only moved 6.22% and 17.55%, respectively.

Investors should also pay attention to STX's average 20-day trading volume. Volume is a useful item in many ways, and the 20-day average establishes a good price-to-volume baseline; a rising stock with above average volume is generally a bullish sign, whereas a declining stock on above average volume is typically bearish. STX is currently averaging 4,745,104 shares for the last 20 days.

Earnings OutlookThe Zacks Momentum Style Score encompasses many things, including estimate revisions and a stock's price movement. Investors should note that earnings estimates are also significant to the Zacks Rank, and a nice path here can be promising. We have recently been noticing this with STX.

Over the past two months, 2 earnings estimates moved higher compared to none lower for the full year. These revisions helped boost STX's consensus estimate, increasing from $10.30 to $10.51 in the past 60 days. Looking at the next fiscal year, 2 estimates have moved upwards while there have been no downward revisions in the same time period.

Bottom LineGiven these factors, it shouldn't be surprising that STX is a #2 (Buy) stock and boasts a Momentum Score of B. If you're looking for a fresh pick that's set to soar in the near-term, make sure to keep Seagate on your short list.

Momentum investing is all about the idea of following a stock's recent trend, which can be in either direction. In the "long context," investors will essentially be "buying high, but hoping to sell even higher." And for investors following this methodology, taking advantage of trends in a stock's price is key; once a stock establishes a course, it is more than likely to continue moving in that direction. The goal is that once a stock heads down a fixed path, it will lead to timely and profitable trades.

While many investors like to look for momentum in stocks, this can be very tough to define. There is a lot of debate surrounding which metrics are the best to focus on and which are poor quality indicators of future performance. The Zacks Momentum Style Score, part of the Zacks Style Scores, helps address this issue for us.

Below, we take a look at Amylyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AMLX - Free Report) , which currently has a Momentum Style Score of A. We also discuss some of the main drivers of the Momentum Style Score, like price change and earnings estimate revisions.

It's also important to note that Style Scores work as a complement to the Zacks Rank, our stock rating system that has an impressive track record of outperformance. Amylyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. currently has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy). Our research shows that stocks rated Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and #2 (Buy) and Style Scores of "A or B" outperform the market over the following one-month period.

You can see the current list of Zacks #1 Rank Stocks here >>>

Set to Beat the Market?Let's discuss some of the components of the Momentum Style Score for AMLX that show why this company shows promise as a solid momentum pick.

Looking at a stock's short-term price activity is a great way to gauge if it has momentum, since this can reflect both the current interest in a stock and if buyers or sellers have the upper hand at the moment. It is also useful to compare a security to its industry, as this can help investors pinpoint the top companies in a particular area.

For AMLX, shares are up 4.84% over the past week while the Zacks Medical - Drugs industry is flat over the same time period. Shares are looking quite well from a longer time frame too, as the monthly price change of 3.55% compares favorably with the industry's 1.66% performance as well.

While any stock can see a spike in price, it takes a real winner to consistently outperform the market. Over the past quarter, shares of Amylyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. have risen 78.21%, and are up 192.04% in the last year. On the other hand, the S&P 500 has only moved 6.22% and 17.55%, respectively.

Investors should also pay attention to AMLX's average 20-day trading volume. Volume is a useful item in many ways, and the 20-day average establishes a good price-to-volume baseline; a rising stock with above average volume is generally a bullish sign, whereas a declining stock on above average volume is typically bearish. AMLX is currently averaging 2,035,068 shares for the last 20 days.

Earnings OutlookThe Zacks Momentum Style Score also takes into account trends in estimate revisions, in addition to price changes. Please note that estimate revision trends remain at the core of Zacks Rank as well. A nice path here can help show promise, and we have recently been seeing that with AMLX.

Over the past two months, 2 earnings estimates moved higher compared to none lower for the full year. These revisions helped boost AMLX's consensus estimate, increasing from -$1.71 to -$1.58 in the past 60 days. Looking at the next fiscal year, 2 estimates have moved upwards while there have been no downward revisions in the same time period.

Bottom LineTaking into account all of these elements, it should come as no surprise that AMLX is a #2 (Buy) stock with a Momentum Score of A. If you've been searching for a fresh pick that's set to rise in the near-term, make sure to keep Amylyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. on your short list.

Momentum investing revolves around the idea of following a stock's recent trend in either direction. In "long context," investors will be essentially be "buying high, but hoping to sell even higher." With this methodology, taking advantage of trends in a stock's price is key; once a stock establishes a course, it is more than likely to continue moving that way. The goal is that once a stock heads down a fixed path, it will lead to timely and profitable trades.

While many investors like to look for momentum in stocks, this can be very tough to define. There is a lot of debate surrounding which metrics are the best to focus on and which are poor quality indicators of future performance. The Zacks Momentum Style Score, part of the Zacks Style Scores, helps address this issue for us.

Below, we take a look at Vodafone Group PLC (VOD - Free Report) , a company that currently holds a Momentum Style Score of B. We also talk about price change and earnings estimate revisions, two of the main aspects of the Momentum Style Score.

It's also important to note that Style Scores work as a complement to the Zacks Rank, our stock rating system that has an impressive track record of outperformance. Vodafone Group PLC currently has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy). Our research shows that stocks rated Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and #2 (Buy) and Style Scores of "A or B" outperform the market over the following one-month period.

You can see the current list of Zacks #1 Rank Stocks here >>>

Set to Beat the Market?Let's discuss some of the components of the Momentum Style Score for VOD that show why this company shows promise as a solid momentum pick.

A good momentum benchmark for a stock is to look at its short-term price activity, as this can reflect both current interest and if buyers or sellers currently have the upper hand. It is also useful to compare a security to its industry, as this can help investors pinpoint the top companies in a particular area.

For VOD, shares are up 3.27% over the past week while the Zacks Wireless Non-US industry is up 2.79% over the same time period. Shares are looking quite well from a longer time frame too, as the monthly price change of 3.46% compares favorably with the industry's 2.21% performance as well.

Considering longer term price metrics, like performance over the last three months or year, can be advantageous as well. Over the past quarter, shares of Vodafone Group PLC have risen 7.86%, and are up 22.61% in the last year. On the other hand, the S&P 500 has only moved 6.22% and 17.55%, respectively.

Investors should also pay attention to VOD's average 20-day trading volume. Volume is a useful item in many ways, and the 20-day average establishes a good price-to-volume baseline; a rising stock with above average volume is generally a bullish sign, whereas a declining stock on above average volume is typically bearish. VOD is currently averaging 4,801,757 shares for the last 20 days.

Earnings OutlookThe Zacks Momentum Style Score encompasses many things, including estimate revisions and a stock's price movement. Investors should note that earnings estimates are also significant to the Zacks Rank, and a nice path here can be promising. We have recently been noticing this with VOD.

Over the past two months, 1 earnings estimate moved higher compared to none lower for the full year. This revision helped boost VOD's consensus estimate, increasing from $1.04 to $1.05 in the past 60 days. Looking at the next fiscal year, 1 estimate has moved upwards while there have been no downward revisions in the same time period.

Bottom LineGiven these factors, it shouldn't be surprising that VOD is a #2 (Buy) stock and boasts a Momentum Score of B. If you're looking for a fresh pick that's set to soar in the near-term, make sure to keep Vodafone Group PLC on your short list.

LendingClub (LC - Free Report) could be a solid choice for investors given its recent upgrade to a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). This upgrade primarily reflects an upward trend in earnings estimates, which is one of the most powerful forces impacting stock prices.

The Zacks rating relies solely on a company's changing earnings picture. It tracks EPS estimates for the current and following years from the sell-side analysts covering the stock through a consensus measure -- the Zacks Consensus Estimate.

Since a changing earnings picture is a powerful factor influencing near-term stock price movements, the Zacks rating system is very useful for individual investors. They may find it difficult to make decisions based on rating upgrades by Wall Street analysts, as these are mostly driven by subjective factors that are hard to see and measure in real time.

Therefore, the Zacks rating upgrade for LendingClub basically reflects positivity about its earnings outlook that could translate into buying pressure and an increase in its stock price.

Most Powerful Force Impacting Stock PricesThe change in a company's future earnings potential, as reflected in earnings estimate revisions, has proven to be strongly correlated with the near-term price movement of its stock. The influence of institutional investors has a partial contribution to this relationship, as these big professionals use earnings and earnings estimates to calculate the fair value of a company's shares. An increase or decrease in earnings estimates in their valuation models simply results in higher or lower fair value for a stock, and institutional investors typically buy or sell it. Their bulk investment action then leads to price movement for the stock.

For LendingClub, rising earnings estimates and the consequent rating upgrade fundamentally mean an improvement in the company's underlying business. And investors' appreciation of this improving business trend should push the stock higher.

Harnessing the Power of Earnings Estimate RevisionsEmpirical research shows a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock movements, so it could be truly rewarding if such revisions are tracked for making an investment decision. Here is where the tried-and-tested Zacks Rank stock-rating system plays an important role, as it effectively harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions.

The Zacks Rank stock-rating system, which uses four factors related to earnings estimates to classify stocks into five groups, ranging from Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) to Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive externally-audited track record, with Zacks Rank #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>> .

Earnings Estimate Revisions for LendingClubFor the fiscal year ending December 2025, this company that connects borrowers and lenders online is expected to earn $1.12 per share, which is unchanged compared with the year-ago reported number.

Analysts have been steadily raising their estimates for LendingClub. Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company has increased 71.6%.

Bottom LineUnlike the overly optimistic Wall Street analysts whose rating systems tend to be weighted toward favorable recommendations, the Zacks rating system maintains an equal proportion of "buy" and "sell" ratings for its entire universe of more than 4,000 stocks at any point in time. Irrespective of market conditions, only the top 5% of the Zacks-covered stocks get a "Strong Buy" rating and the next 15% get a "Buy" rating. So, the placement of a stock in the top 20% of the Zacks-covered stocks indicates its superior earnings estimate revision feature, making it a solid candidate for producing market-beating returns in the near term.

You can learn more about the Zacks Rank here >>>

The upgrade of LendingClub to a Zacks Rank #1 positions it in the top 5% of the Zacks-covered stocks in terms of estimate revisions, implying that the stock might move higher in the near term.

Shares of NVE Corporation (NVEC - Free Report) have declined 1.5% since reporting second-quarter fiscal 2026 results on Oct. 22, 2025, compared with a 0.5% drop in the S&P 500 index. Over the past month, the stock has risen 9.7%, outpacing the S&P 500’s 1.5% rally, reflecting investor optimism about the company’s growth prospects despite near-term revenue softness.

Earnings & Revenue PerformanceNVE Corp reported total revenues of $6.35 million for the quarter ended Sept. 30, 2025, a 6% decrease from $6.76 million in the prior-year period. The decline was led by a 68% drop in contract research and development (R&D) revenues, partly offset by a modest 1% increase in product sales. Net income fell 18% to $3.31 million, or 68 cents per diluted share, from the $4.03 million, or 83 cents per share, reported a year earlier.

For the first six months of fiscal 2026, total revenues decreased 8% year over year to $12.45 million, while net income was down 15% to $6.89 million, or $1.42 per diluted share. The contraction in earnings reflected lower contract R&D activity, margin compression and a higher tax rate, partially offset by lower operating expenses.

Operating Trends & Other Key Business MetricsGross profit for the quarter declined 14% to $4.97 million from $5.81 million a year earlier, translating to a gross margin of 78%, down from 86% in the prior year due to a less profitable product mix and an increase in distributor sales, which typically carry lower margins.

Operating expenses fell 7% due to a 23% decrease in selling, general and administrative (SG&A) costs, partially offset by a 3% rise in R&D spending tied to product development. Despite reduced revenues, the operating margin remained robust at 58% and the net margin stood at 52%, underscoring strong cost control and pricing discipline.

Interest income increased to $484,000 from $464,000, as newer investments carried higher yields. The company’s effective tax rate rose to 20% from 17% a year earlier due to the non-cash impact of tax law changes affecting certain deductions.

However, management expects the full-year tax rate to normalize between 16% and 17%, supported by advanced manufacturing investment tax credits expected to offset $1 million in cash taxes over the next three quarters.

Management CommentaryPresident and CEO Daniel A. Baker highlighted that the company achieved a 4% sequential revenue increase, fueled by strong growth in distributor and non-defense sales, even as defense-related business declined as anticipated. Baker underscored that the defense segment remains important and profitable but is not central to NVEC’s long-term growth strategy.

The company’s focus is increasingly shifting toward medical devices, industrial automation and robotics markets, wherein its spintronic sensors and couplers offer miniaturization, energy efficiency and precision advantages.

Vice president of Advanced Technology, Peter Eames, emphasized that NVEC’s new equipment cluster, installed in the expanded east-end production area, enhances manufacturing capacity and enables wafer-level chip-scale packaging, allowing parts to be smaller, more precise and produced in-house.

This advancement reduces supply-chain risks and cost exposure while positioning the company for design wins in key applications such as implantable medical devices, humanoid robotics and autonomous vehicles.

Factors Influencing PerformanceThe revenue decline primarily stemmed from cyclical weakness in contract R&D, most of which is defense-related and subject to procurement variability. However, the company benefited from a 21% rise in non-defense product sales, partially offset by a 64% decline in defense sales.

Management attributed the lower gross margin to a shift in sales mix toward distributors and away from high-margin defense contracts. Additionally, the elevated cost of sales, up 45% year over year, was partly due to increased manufacturing activity associated to the ramp-up of new products.

Sequentially, sales momentum strengthened in core markets, with CEO Baker noting “strong increases in distributor and non-defense sales” and early signs that product introductions are beginning to drive incremental demand. NVEC also continued to invest in R&D, introducing three products in the quarter — a rotation sensor, a data coupler and a wafer-level voltage regulator — targeting industrial, energy and robotics applications.

OutlookManagement expressed confidence in continued growth for the December quarter and the second half of fiscal 2026. Baker cited a healthy sales pipeline, improving distributor demand and favorable tax credits, all of which are expected to support profitability.

The company anticipates completing the deployment of production equipment by the end of fiscal 2026 and expects to spend an additional $1-$1.5 million on capital expenditure for production expansion.

Management remains optimistic about long-term growth opportunities in high-value markets such as smart factories, medical technology and autonomous systems.

Other DevelopmentsNVEC’s board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1 per share, payable Nov. 28, 2025, to shareholders of record as of Nov. 3, 2025. The company also reported completing installation of new manufacturing equipment, expanding its production area, and reaffirmed plans to enhance in-house capabilities for advanced spintronic processes.

Key Takeaways Cheesecake Factory is set to report Q3 EPS of $0.60 on revenues of $912.9M.Menu enhancements and loyalty engagement likely supported comparable sales growth.Higher labor costs and cautious consumer sentiment may have limited margin gains.
The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated (CAKE - Free Report) is scheduled to report third-quarter fiscal 2025 results on Oct. 28.

CAKE’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, with an average surprise being 15.2%.

Trend in the Estimate Revision of CAKEThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal third-quarter earnings per share (EPS) is pegged at 60 cents, indicating a rise of 3.5% from 58 cents reported in the year-ago quarter.

For revenues, the consensus mark is pegged at nearly $912.9 million. The metric suggests a rise of 5.5% from the year-ago quarter’s figure.

Let’s take a look at how things have shaped up in the quarter.

Factors Likely to Shape Cheesecake Factory’s Quarterly ResultsCheesecake Factory’s fiscal third-quarter 2025 performance is likely to have benefited from steady demand trends, disciplined cost management and sustained brand relevance. Consistent guest traffic, aided by strategic menu innovations such as the introduction of “Bowls” and “Bites,” likely supported comparable sales growth during the quarter. Continued engagement from the Cheesecake Rewards program is also expected to have contributed to top-line performance. The company anticipates fiscal third-quarter total revenues in the range of $905 million to $915 million.

Strong contributions from North Italia Restaurants and Other FRC are likely to have aided the company’s performance in the fiscal third quarter. Our model predicts fiscal third-quarter revenues from North Italia Restaurants and Other FRC to rise 14.6% and 34.3% year over year to $82.3 million and $90 million, respectively.

CAKE’s profitability is expected to have remained healthy, backed by operational excellence, improved labor retention and favorable commodity costs. Efforts to optimize staffing levels, enhance labor productivity and manage food inflation likely supported restaurant-level margin stability. With four-wall margins reaching 18.5% in the prior quarter, the company remains well-positioned within its long-term margin target range of 16% to 18%. Management’s focus on driving efficiency while maintaining menu value and guest satisfaction has likely aided sequential margin resilience in the quarter to be reported.

However, modest wage inflation, higher medical costs and increased pre-opening expenses tied to new restaurant openings may have partially offset these gains. Additionally, softer discretionary spending and cautious consumer sentiment could have limited upside in traffic trends. Our model predicts fiscal third-quarter labor expenses to rise 5.5% year over year to $328.2 million.

What Our Model Says About CAKE StockOur proven model predicts an earnings beat for Cheesecake Factory this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat, which is exactly the case here.

CAKE’s Earnings ESP: Cheesecake Factory has an Earnings ESP of +3.85%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

CAKE’s Zacks Rank: The company currently has a Zacks Rank #3. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Other Stocks With the Favorable CombinationHere are a few other stocks from the Zacks Retail-Wholesale sector, which, according to our model, also have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this reporting cycle.

Dutch Bros Inc. (BROS - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +6.93% and a Zacks Rank of 1.

In the to-be-reported quarter, Dutch Bros’ earnings are expected to increase 6.3%. Dutch Bros’ earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 91.9%.

Brinker International, Inc. (EAT - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +3.60% and a Zacks Rank of 3.

In the to-be-reported quarter, Brinker’s earnings are expected to register an 84.2% year-over-year surge. Brinker's earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, with an average beat of 25.7%.

Darden Restaurants, Inc. (DRI - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +4.64% and a Zacks Rank of 3 at present.

In the to-be-reported quarter, Darden’s earnings are expected to register a 3.5% year-over-year increase. Darden’s earnings beat estimates in one out of the trailing four quarters, and missed thrice, with an average miss of 0.54%.

Bitcoin nears a key breakout level at $110.8K, forming an ascending triangle as analysts track cycles, valuations, and macro drivers.

Bitcoin is moving closer to a major resistance zone, with the price building pressure near $110,800.

A possible ascending triangle pattern is forming, which could signal a continuation if confirmed.

Bitcoin Builds Structure Near Resistance
The daily chart shared by Rekt Capital shows a rising trendline with flat resistance around $110,800. This setup suggests a potential ascending triangle — a common pattern that often leads to upward movement. The asset has made several higher lows, which indicates steady demand.

Source: Rekt Capital/X
According to the analyst,

“A daily close above ~$110.8K followed by a post-breakout retest of the top of the pattern would fully confirm the breakout.”

Support is holding around $107,000. Above the triangle, resistance stands at $114,420, and the previous peak at $123,500. Bitcoin is also hovering near the 21-week EMA, which is around $111,000. Reclaiming that level could support further upside.

Price Sits Between Key Valuation Levels
According to Gandalfcrypto, Bitcoin is trading about 10% above what he describes as the non-bubble fair value of $99,900. They added,

“Real euphoria starts when BTC breaks the non-bubble upper (~$149K) and trends toward the bubble zone ($290K+).”

For now, the market remains within range, with no signs of extreme price behavior.

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Liquidity data from Ted shows that Bitcoin has clusters both above and below the current level. The $104,000–$106,000 area may attract the price if momentum stalls. As CryptoPotato recently reported, BTC is also trading below the short-term holder realized price of $113,250, while long-term holders have an average cost basis near $36,910.

Meanwhile, Bitcoin’s next move may also be influenced by broader factors. These include the US government reopening and upcoming talks between US and Chinese officials on trade tariffs. Until a clear move above or below the current range, traders are staying alert.

The US CPI data is also scheduled to be released today for September. It’s anticipated to be higher than the previous month, which could trigger immediate volatility. However, the US Federal Reserve is still likely to cut the interest rates next week, which could boost BTC.

On the bad side, SUI crypto took a hit this week, dropping from 2.67 to under 2.28 during the latest market crash.On the good side, its total value locked (TVL) recently hit an all-time high of 2.63 billion at the start of the month, putting it in 10th place among layer-1 networks, right behind Hyperliquid.

TL;DR:

Ripple, Coinbase, Tether, and the Winklevoss twins reportedly donated to Trump’s new $300M White House ballroom.
The privately funded project has drawn criticism after the East Wing’s demolition and transparency concerns.
Crypto leaders continue to deepen ties with Trump following major 2024 election donations and recent policy influence.

President Donald Trump’s new White House ballroom has drawn an unexpected wave of crypto influence, with major industry figures, including Ripple, Coinbase, Tether, and Gemini founders Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, listed among key donors to the privately funded project.

Crypto and Tech Unite in Lavish $300M Expansion
According to reports, tech giants like Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Comcast have also joined the donor list, though the specific contribution amounts remain undisclosed. The new ballroom, a 90,000 square foot expansion capable of seating 650 guests, carries an estimated cost of $300 million and began construction in September 2025.

The initiative has not been without controversy. The demolition of the East Wing and questions over the project’s transparency have sparked criticism, particularly from Trump’s opponents, who accuse the administration of sidestepping oversight. The White House dismissed the backlash as “manufactured outrage,” calling the ballroom a “visionary, privately funded addition” to the presidential complex.

Trump’s growing relationship with the crypto industry has been years in the making. Earlier this year, Circle, Ripple, and Coinbase reportedly contributed to his inaugural committee, following a major 18 bitcoin donation from the Winklevoss twins to a pro-Trump PAC.

The 2024 election cycle cemented crypto’s political clout, as Fairshake raised over $200 million to support pro-crypto candidates, fueling what many describe as the most blockchain-friendly Congress in history.

In a move that reignited public debate, Trump recently pardoned former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao, who had served four months for compliance violations, a gesture widely viewed as a sign of the administration’s continued alignment with the crypto sector.

Altcoin season has stayed constrained as the index holds near 24, keeping breadth thin. WLFI has risen on a policy headline linked to CZ, with volume up; Morpho has gained on consistent lending use; SPX6900 has firmed as meme activity has returned. Follow-through has depended on broader participation.

Shiba Inu (SHIB) continues to trade in a tight band, and that has kept many investors on edge. Based on reports, the token is down 45% year-to-date and 15% over the last 30 days.

The memecoin’s price action has left holders wondering when — or if — a strong rebound will arrive. Volume and price swings have cooled, and market mood is leaning toward fear with the Fear & Greed Index at 30.

Analyst Forecasts Late Surge
According to MMB Trader, the stretch of quiet price action is not the end story for SHIB. He described the token as a “dead and sleeping coin” that often surprises late in a cycle.

The key level to watch, he said, sits near $0.00001740. That line traces back to a trend that began after the March 2024 peak of $0.00004567.

If SHIB breaks above that trendline and then holds it on a retest, the trader argued, the price structure would shift toward bullish.

Three Breakout Targets
Reports have disclosed three specific upside targets tied to that scenario. The first target is $0.00003364 — a rise of 235% from the current price of $0.00001003.

The next target is $0.000055480, which would represent about 450% growth from today’s level. The most ambitious point in this view is $0.00007730, equal to roughly a 670% gain.

SHIB market cap currently at $5.98 billion. Chart: TradingView
Some analysts have a similar upside figure, calling for a move to $0.000081 if a sustained breakout happens.

Mixed Signals From Models And Indicators
Other forecasts are more modest. Based on CoinCodex data, SHIB is expected to reach $0.00001183 by November 23, 2025, a rise of 16% from the current price.

Technical indicators in some services are showing Bearish sentiment now. Over the last 30 days SHIB posted 16/30 green days, or 53%, with price volatility around 8.91%. These details show activity is present, but it has not yet produced a clear directional push.

Source: CoinCodex
Risk And Market Context
Trading this token remains risky. Millions of holders are exposed while the market waits for a clear catalyst. A breakout above the trendline would likely be followed by a retest, which traders often use to confirm whether the move has real strength.

If the retest fails, the price could fall back into its prior range. That scenario is as possible as a breakout, given the current low volatility and reduced volume.

Possible Rebound
Based on reports and analyst calls, a late and rapid recovery for Shiba Inu is possible, but far from certain. The market is split between cautious models that predict single-digit gains and chart-based calls that map out several hundred percent rallies.

For now, the trendline near $0.00001740 will be watched closely, and any decisive move above it would change the outlook quickly.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Fri, 24/10/2025 - 15:34

Ripple and XRP Ledger gained new ground in Brazil as VERT Capital tokenizes $40 million in pension-backed credit, a deal regulators approved with room to scale 500% higher.

Cover image via U.Today

Ripple and XRP Ledger (XRPL) are adding another regulated use case to their achievements — this time in Brazil’s structured credit market.

As became known, São Paulo-based VERT Capital has completed its second tokenized issuance using XRPL and its EVM Sidechain, bringing more than $40 million in pension-backed receivables on-chain.

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What this transaction does is expand XRP presence in Latin America, following its use in cross-border payment corridors between Brazil and Portugal earlier this year.

Ripple's building arm, RippleX, has been positioning XRPL as infrastructure not only for payments but also for tokenized assets, all in accordance with the latest trend on the market, with its intentions ranging from stablecoins and real estate in Dubai to money-market funds in the U.S. through RLUSD integration with BlackRock and VanEck.

Issuer Address: rf15EoP5Z2wR8dK8qFiu3ZwVEeQ8zdXWzr

— RippleX (@RippleXDev) October 24, 2025 Speaking of Brazil, the instrument there is an FIDC — a regulated investment fund that securitizes receivables. The scheme is simple as this issuance is backed by obligations tied to the country’s federal pension system (INSS), considered one of the lowest-risk receivable pools available.

VERT and fintech partner BYX report that the fund currently holds the equivalent of $40 million in assets and could expand another 500% to as much as one billion BRL or $190 million if institutional demand delivers.

Not just tokenization dealMore importantly, though, the partnership also introduced VERT Sign, a blockchain-based signing tool on the XRPL EVM Sidechain. It enables automated, recurring purchases of receivables with full compliance oversight, recording documentation and settlement directly on-chain.

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Ripple says Brazil is part of a broader strategy to demonstrate that XRPL can meet regulatory requirements for tokenization. The company and VERT are both involved in the CVM’s LEAP program, a regulatory sandbox designed by Brazil’s securities commission to test blockchain infrastructure on supervised markets.

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Talks between Fetch and Ocean over FET have advanced: Humayun Sheikh has said claims will be dropped if 286M tokens are returned, while Ocean has denied misappropriation as mediation and arbitration have continued amid weak market sentiment.

In brief
Tether unveiled QVAC Genesis I, a 41-billion-token synthetic dataset aimed at training open, STEM-focused AI models.
The release includes QVAC Workbench, a local AI app that runs fully on users’ devices for privacy and control.
CEO Paolo Ardoino said the goal is to decentralize intelligence and challenge Big Tech’s control of AI data.
Tether Data, the technology arm of the world’s largest stablecoin issuer, is expanding into artificial intelligence with the launch of what it calls the world’s largest synthetic dataset for STEM-focused AI models.

Earlier today, the company unveiled QVAC Genesis I, a 41-billion-token dataset built to train science- and engineering-oriented language models, and QVAC Workbench, a cross-platform local AI application that runs models directly on consumer devices. Per Tether, QVAC stands for "QuantumVerse Automatic Computer."

"QVAC is Tether’s answer to centralized AI. An entirely new paradigm where intelligence runs privately, locally, and without permission," the QVAC website mission statement said. "No clouds. No gatekeepers. Just you, your machines, and unstoppable intelligence."

The move marks a striking escalation of Tether’s ambitions beyond finance. The company said the dataset had been validated on math, physics, biology, and medical benchmarks, and was designed to “level the playing field” for open-source AI by giving researchers an alternative to proprietary data controlled by companies such as OpenAI and Google.

Tether's AI first launch.
Local on-device AI is evolving.

- QVAC Workbench, mobile/desktop app for using and experimenting many AI models locally on device with 100% privacy
- QVAC Genesis I, largest synthetic pre-training datasets for Large Language Models (LLMs) to date.… https://t.co/79lYhsobuc

— Paolo Ardoino 🤖 (@paoloardoino) October 24, 2025

While QVAC Genesis I itself isn’t a financial product, the broader QVAC ecosystem is being built with clear links to Tether’s crypto infrastructure. In earlier company statements, Tether said QVAC’s architecture will eventually integrate Bitcoin and its own stablecoin, USDT, enabling AI agents to transact autonomously using digital assets.

This suggests the initiative could evolve beyond data and local AI tools into a network where intelligent agents can not only learn and reason, but also pay, trade, and interact directly through blockchain rails.

“Intelligence shouldn’t be centralized,” said Paolo Ardoino, Tether’s chief executive, in a statement accompanying the release. “With QVAC Workbench and Genesis I, we’re opening the door to infinite intelligence—AI that lives, learns, and evolves locally on your own device.”

QVAC's consumer appThe company also released a free consumer-facing app called QVAC Workbench for smartphones—Android for now, and iOS "within a few days"—as well as desktop platforms (Windows, macOS, and Linux). "With QVAC Workbench, all chats and interactions with the AI models remain local on-device, where data is owned by the user and remains 100% private," the company said.

It also introduces a peer-to-peer feature called delegated inference, which allows the mobile app to offload heavy computation to a desktop workstation while keeping all data private and local.

Unlike conventional training material scraped from the public internet, QVAC’s dataset is fully synthetic: generated, filtered, and validated by models trained on educational and scientific materials. Tether claims the data enables models to “reason, solve problems, and think critically” rather than simply mimic text patterns. The full technical breakdown is available in the QVAC research blog.

The QVAC Workbench app lets users run large language models such as Llama, MedGemma, and Qwen entirely on their phones or computers.

Tether framed the twin releases as part of a larger effort to create “local intelligence,” or AI that operates independently of cloud servers. The company, which already dominates the stablecoin market with its USDT token, is positioning its AI unit, Tether Data, as an advocate for decentralized infrastructure that keeps both money and information outside corporate control.

Who owns your AI?The project arrives amid intensifying debate over synthetic data’s role in model training. While it promises privacy and scalability, skeptics caution that synthetic training data can amplify the biases or errors of their parent models, potentially locking in distorted reasoning patterns. Tether’s announcement did not specify which generative systems produced Genesis I’s content or how its quality assurance was performed.

Even so, QVAC Genesis I represents one of the boldest open-data experiments yet from a private crypto firm. If Tether's claims hold up under scrutiny, then it could give independent researchers and smaller labs a new foothold in the AI race, and signal Tether’s determination to influence not only the future of finance, but of artificial intelligence itself.

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TL;DR

Evernorth reached a reserve of 261,819,198 XRP valued at $625.7 million — more than half of its $1 billion target.
Ripple, Chris Larsen, Uphold, and Jana Label participated in the initial transfers, aimed at funding product expansion and treasury governance.
The firm plans to integrate the RLUSD stablecoin to enable regulated DeFi services and expects to complete its Nasdaq listing under the ticker XRPN.

Evernorth, the institutional vehicle backed by Ripple to strengthen XRP adoption, has reached a reserve of 261,819,198 tokens, equivalent to $625.7 million.

This amount represents more than half of the company’s $1 billion goal, set to create the largest public XRP treasury and list on Nasdaq under the ticker XRPN.

A Structure Dedicated to XRP
The project, presented as the first institutional framework focused exclusively on XRP, aims to enhance the token’s liquidity and offer regulated exposure to its ecosystem. Evernorth emerged from institutional interest in native assets from mature blockchain networks and seeks to become a bridge between traditional capital and the on-chain economy of the XRP Ledger.

According to a report from the validator known as Vet, Ripple transferred two installments of 211 million and 319,000 XRP, while its cofounder and chairman, Chris Larsen, contributed 50 million. Uphold added 199,000 XRP, and Jana Label contributed 300,000 XRP. These allocations are part of a broader funding plan designed to support product expansion, treasury governance, and the development of new on-chain use cases.

Evernorth to Integrate RLUSD
Evernorth plans to integrate Ripple USD (RLUSD) as an on-ramp for DeFi services within the XRP Ledger ecosystem. The use of RLUSD will enable non-custodial liquidity and credit instruments tailored for institutional investors.

The company also announced a business combination agreement designed to raise more than $1 billion in gross proceeds, with completion expected in Q1 2026. The objective is to establish a public company focused on XRP treasury management, featuring an open governance structure and the highest regulatory standards, comparable to exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

If completed as planned, Evernorth will become the largest corporate custodian of XRP and a key component in the integration of tokenized assets and stablecoins within the ecosystem