Key Takeaways Merck's stock fell 7.2% in a month after gaining roughly 60% over the past year.Keytruda drives growth, while Winrevair, Welireg and Ohtuvayre add to the top line.Merck faces Gardasil weakness, generic pressure and Keytruda's 2028 patent expiration Merck’s (MRK - Free Report) stock has declined 7.2% in a month. Investors are looking at this correction as a pullback after a strong run rather than a deterioration in its core business. The stock has surged roughly 60% over the past year. It also reached a 52-week high of about $157 in late August.
In general, investors have become more confident in Merck’s growth outlook and ability to offset the eventual patent cliff of its blockbuster cancer drug, Keytruda, after 2028. Keytruda continues to deliver solid growth, while newer products such as Winrevair, Welireg and Ohtuvayre are scaling rapidly. Merck has also been aggressively building its pipeline through acquisitions and partnerships, and investors are increasingly giving credit to these efforts. Merck's partnership with Moderna (MRNA - Free Report) around the personalized cancer vaccine intismeran autogene has also become more important.
Let’s understand all these factors in detail and analyze Merck’s strengths and weaknesses to understand how to play the stock in such a scenario.
Merck’s Keytruda Engine Continues to Power Top-Line GrowthMerck has more than six blockbuster drugs in its portfolio, with Keytruda as the primary top-line driver. Keytruda, approved for several types of cancer, alone accounts for more than 55% of the company’s pharmaceutical sales. In the United States, Keytruda is approved for more than 45 indications spanning 19 tumor types, along with two tumor-agnostic approvals, as well as for many of these indications worldwide.
The drug has played an instrumental role in driving Merck’s steady revenue growth over the past few years. Keytruda sales are gaining from continued strong momentum in metastatic indications and rapid uptake across earlier-stage launches. The company expects the growth to continue till it loses patent exclusivity in 2028. More than 2,800 clinical studies are currently evaluating Keytruda across multiple cancer types and treatment settings.
Merck is working on different strategies to drive Keytruda's long-term growth. These include innovative immuno-oncology combinations, including Keytruda with LAG3 and CTLA-4 inhibitors. In partnership with Moderna, Merck is developing a personalized mRNA therapeutic cancer vaccine called intismeran autogene in combination with Keytruda in pivotal phase III studies for earlier-stage and adjuvant NSCLC and adjuvant melanoma. The combo therapy recently met both primary and secondary endpoints in a phase III study in certain patients with high-risk melanoma.
Merck’s subcutaneous formulation of Keytruda, known as Keytruda Qlex, was approved in the United States and EU in 2025 and generated sales of $590 million in the first half of 2026. Keytruda Qlex can offer substantially quicker administration time than the intravenous infusion of Keytruda.
Merck expects Keytruda to achieve peak sales of $35 billion by 2028. Merck’s other oncology drugs, Welireg, AstraZeneca (AZN - Free Report) -partnered Lynparza and Eisai-partnered Lenvima, are also contributing to top-line growth.
Merck’s Animal Health business is also a key contributor to its top-line growth, with sales expected to more than double by the mid-2030s.
Merck’s Pipeline Strengthens Its Outlook Beyond KeytrudaMerck’s expanding drug pipeline and potential new blockbuster drugs beyond Keytruda look encouraging.
Its phase III pipeline has almost tripled since 2021, supported by in-house progress as well as the addition of candidates through M&A deals. Merck expects to launch 20 new drugs by 2030, with many already launched.
Its new products, pulmonary arterial hypertension drug Winrevair, cancer drug Welireg and 21-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine Capvaxive, have begun to contribute significantly to top-line growth.
Some new products approved/launched recently are RSV antibody, Enflonsia (clesrovimab), Idvynso, a once-daily, single-tablet two-drug regimen of doravirine and islatravir, and Lipfendra (enlicitide), an oral PCSK9 inhibitor to help reduce LDL cholesterol in adults with hypercholesterolemia.
Some key candidates in late-stage development are sacituzumab tirumotecan or sac-TMT, an anti-TROP2 antibody-drug conjugate for multiple tumor types, MK-8591D/islatravir plus lenacapavir, a once-weekly oral treatment for HIV, and alimatravir, a monthly oral HIV PrEP candidate.
Merck is actively pursuing acquisitions to prepare for Keytruda’s 2028 patent expiration. Recent deals added Ohtuvayre through Verona Pharma, influenza candidate MK-1406 through Cidara, and potential blockbuster cancer drug MK-4208 through Terns Pharmaceuticals.
Declining Sales of MRK’s Gardasil & Other VaccinesMerck’s Gardasil/Gardasil 9 franchise is facing a significant slowdown, with sales declining 9% in the first half of 2026 due to weaker demand in China, Japan and the United States. China remains the biggest challenge, as economic weakness has dampened demand and led to elevated channel inventories at partner Zhifei, prompting Merck to halt shipments temporarily.
Although limited shipments resumed in China in the second quarter under a revised agreement, the growing availability of lower-cost domestic HPV vaccines could further put pressure on Gardasil, an imported premium-priced vaccine. Gardasil China revenues are expected to remain immaterial for Merck in 2026. In the United States, Gardasil demand is being hurt by changes in vaccination recommendations, including greater use of single-dose schedules.
Sales of some other Merck vaccines, like Proquad, M-M-R II, Varivax, Rotateq and Vaxneuvance, also declined in the first half of 2026.
Keytruda’s 2028 Patent Loss a Key Risk for MerckMerck is heavily reliant on Keytruda. Though Keytruda may be Merck’s biggest strength and a solid reason to own the stock, the company is excessively dependent on the drug. Keytruda’s core U.S. patent is expected to expire around 2028, with additional patents expiring slightly after that. Keytruda is expected to face significant biosimilar competition around 2028-2029. Once biosimilars enter, Keytruda’s sales are likely to decline sharply.
Also, competitive pressure might increase for Keytruda in the near future from dual PD-1/VEGF inhibitors that inhibit both the PD-1 pathway and the VEGF pathway at once. They are designed to overcome the limitations of single-target therapies like Keytruda.
Merck’s Januvia and Other Drugs Face Generic PressureMRK is seeing declining demand for its diabetes products (Januvia/Janumet) and the generic erosion of some drugs like Isentress/Isentress HD and Bridion in the European Union and Dificid in the United States. Bridion lost market exclusivity in the United States in July 2026 and sales are expected to decline further in future quarters. Januvia and Janumet lost market exclusivity in the United States in May 2026 and Janumet XR in July 2026. Sales of Januvia/Janumet are expected to decline steeply in future quarters due to the government price setting in 2026 and 2027, the patent expiry in 2026 and ongoing competitive pressure.
MRK Share Price, Valuation & EstimatesMerck’s shares have risen 32.6% so far this year compared with an increase of 9.4% for the industry. The stock has also outperformed the sector as well as the S&P 500 index, as seen in the chart below.
From a valuation standpoint, Merck is slightly expensive. Going by the price/earnings ratio, the company’s shares currently trade at 17.44 forward earnings, slightly lower than 17.60 for the industry. The stock is trading above its 5-year mean of 12.98.
MRK Stock ValuationImage Source: Zacks Investment Research
Estimates for MRK’s 2026 earnings have declined from $3.04 per share to $2.77 per share over the past 60 days, while those for 2027 have declined from $9.72 per share to $9.61 per share.
MRK Estimate MovementImage Source: Zacks Investment Research
Stay Invested in MRK StockMerck has one of the world’s best-selling drugs in its portfolio, generating billions of dollars in revenues. Though Keytruda will lose patent exclusivity in 2028, its sales are expected to remain strong until then.
It expects more than $70 billion of potential non-risk-adjusted commercial opportunity for the current pipeline by the mid-2030s. This estimate is more than double the peak consensus sales estimate for Keytruda of $35 billion in 2028.
Merck faces several near-term challenges, including persistent challenges for Gardasil, potential competition for Keytruda, and rising competitive and generic pressure on some of its drugs. Near-term profitability remains affected by costs related to Merck’s various acquisitions. However, these acquisitions eventually benefit the company.
Meanwhile, its new products, strong progress in its pipeline, and business development and acquisitions have increased confidence that Merck may be able to maintain growth even after Keytruda loses exclusivity. Investors can continue to retain this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock as its long-term prospects remain intact. Given the recent decline, MRK could prove to be a potential buying opportunity for long-term investors. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Key Takeaways Chevron is raising its PEL 90 stake to 45.1% through a $11 million deal with Trago Energy.Nabba-1X is planned for Q4 2026, making the well a key near-term catalyst for Chevron.Equinor's entry shares exploration exposure as Chevron maintains operatorship of PEL 90. Chevron Corporation (CVX - Free Report) is strengthening its position in Namibia’s Orange Basin as a key exploration catalyst. The company’s affiliate Harmattan Energy Ltd. recently agreed to acquire Trago Energy Pty Ltd.’s 10% participating interest in Petroleum Exploration License 90 (PEL 90). Trago, a subsidiary of Custos Energy (Pty) Ltd., will receive $11 million in cash at closing, along with contingent consideration linked to future appraisal and production milestones. The transaction remains subject to government, regulatory and third-party approvals.
This agreement is notable because it follows Chevron’s decision in August to farm out a 17.4% interest in PEL 90 to Equinor (EQNR - Free Report) . Rather than simply reducing its exposure to the license, Chevron is now adding another 10% interest. The transaction would increase Chevron’s participating interest in PEL 90 if both the Equinor farm-out and the Trago acquisition are completed.
Chevron Reshapes Its PEL 90 PositionBefore the Equinor transaction, Chevron held a 52.5% participating interest in PEL 90. QatarEnergy owned 27.5%, while Trago Energy and Namibia’s state-owned oil company NAMCOR each held 10%. Equinor’s planned acquisition would lower Chevron’s interest to 35.1% once completed. The latest agreement would lift it to 45.1%, assuming both transactions close.
That ownership structure gives Chevron a sizeable economic interest without carrying the entire exploration burden. Equinor’s planned entry would add another major international energy company to the PEL 90 partnership. Chevron, meanwhile, continues to operate PEL 90, preserving control over the exploration program.
The transaction comes as Chevron prepares for another exploration well on PEL 90. PEL 90 covers Block 2813B in the Orange Basin, a frontier region that has drawn major industry attention because of discoveries in the broader basin. The license covers about 5,433 square kilometers, according to Sintana Energy, and is located near the Venus discovery operated by TotalEnergies (TTE - Free Report) .
Nabba-1X Offers a Near-Term CatalystFor investors, the next major development to watch is the planned Nabba-1X exploration well. Chevron plans to drill the Nabba-1X exploration well on PEL 90 in the fourth quarter of 2026 as part of a wider multi-well exploration campaign across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Nabba-1X will be Chevron’s second exploration well offshore Namibia after Kapana-1X reached total depth in January 2025. The earlier well did not encounter commercial hydrocarbons, although the drilling program generated geological information that the company can use in planning future activity.
That makes Nabba-1X a potentially important value driver. A commercial discovery would strengthen the case for further appraisal and development across PEL 90 and could increase the long-term value of Chevron’s position. However, the project remains at the exploration stage, so investors should not treat potential resources as established reserves.
Broader African Exploration PushThe Namibia transaction also fits Chevron’s broader push to expand its frontier exploration portfolio in Africa. The company has outlined activity across Namibia, Angola, Guinea-Bissau and Equatorial Guinea as part of a multi-well program designed to pursue high-impact opportunities. In September, Chevron outlined exploration activity across several Sub-Saharan African basins as part of its broader exploration program.
For Chevron, this strategy can add future production opportunities without relying solely on mature assets. Frontier exploration, however, comes with significant geological and execution risks. The outcome of individual wells can be difficult to predict, and unsuccessful drilling can delay development plans while increasing capital requirements.
Investment TakeawayThe Trago transaction gives Chevron a larger stake in PEL 90 at an important point in the asset’s exploration cycle. The $11 million upfront payment is modest relative to Chevron’s scale, but the additional interest increases its exposure to any success from Nabba-1X and subsequent appraisal activity. Contingent consideration tied to commercial production also underscores the potentially longer-term nature of the transaction.
At the same time, investors should recognize that the deal does not remove the uncertainty surrounding the asset. Completion of the transaction still requires approvals, while the upcoming well must establish commercial potential before PEL 90 can become a meaningful production asset.
Overall, Chevron’s decision to increase interest in PEL 90 signals that it sees sufficient potential in the acreage to justify a larger position ahead of Nabba-1X. The well’s result should therefore be the key near-term event to watch, with a successful outcome capable of improving the long-term growth profile of Chevron’s upstream portfolio.
CVX's Zacks Rank & Another Key PickCurrently, CVX and EQNR carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) each, while TTE has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Equinor is a Norway-based integrated energy company with operations spanning oil and gas, renewables and low-carbon solutions. The company’s upstream portfolio is anchored by the Norwegian Continental Shelf, while its international operations include oil and gas assets across the United States, Brazil, Angola, the United Kingdom and Canada. On the other hand, TotalEnergies is a France-based global integrated energy company engaged in oil, natural gas, biofuels, renewables and electricity. The company operates across the energy value chain in about 120 countries and produced 2.5 million barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2025, including 46% from natural gas.
Investors interested in the energy sector might consider another top-ranked stock, such as Delek US Holdings (DK - Free Report) , sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Delek US Holdings is valued at $4.54 billion. It is a diversified downstream energy company engaged in petroleum refining, renewable fuels, asphalt production and logistics operations. Delek US Holdings operates multiple refineries in the United States and is committed to delivering safe, reliable energy while investing in cleaner energy initiatives.
Caterpillar ve 2. čtvrtletí vykázal rekordní upravené EPS ve výši 8,17 USD a tržby 20,5 mld. USD, což představuje meziroční nárůst o 23,5 %; objednávková kniha činila 72,1 mld. USD.
SummaryCaterpillar is upgraded to Buy, with shares now undervalued relative to robust forward EPS growth and a favorable risk/reward profile.Q2 results were record-breaking: $8.17 EPS (vs. $7.20 consensus), $20.5B revenue (+23.5% YoY), and a $72.1B order backlog.CAT’s 2026 EPS forecast rose from $24.72 to $27.19, supporting a $930 intrinsic value using a 30x P/E and a reasonable PEG ratio.Technicals are mixed, but sustained support above $770 and an improving RSI favor a long position with a stop below $770. Jajang Komarudin/iStock Editorial via Getty Images
Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) shares bounced off critical support in September. Leading into its Q3 earnings report in a few weeks, the Dow component remains among the best of the 30 blue chips YTD. But the
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SAP se dohodl na převzetí belgické společnosti zaměřené na AI TechWolf. Transakce by měla být po schválení regulačními orgány dokončena ve čtvrtém čtvrtletí roku 2026.
SAP (NYSE:SAP), the enterprise applications company, has agreed to acquire TechWolf, a Ghent-based provider of an artificial intelligence (AI) work intelligence platform, though the companies did not disclose the terms of the deal.
The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2026, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approval.
TechWolf gives enterprises a continuously updated view of the work their employees do and the skills they have, using its proprietary data model called a context graph for work.
The acquisition will bring TechWolf's context graph, AI models and applied AI research team into SAP, establishing work intelligence as a strategic SAP asset.
TechWolf is expected to become an intelligent core of the SAP SuccessFactors portfolio, supporting skills mapping, workforce planning and organizational redesign using context from across the Autonomous Enterprise.
The platform draws on the human resources and business systems that customers connect, and models the work itself, the skills people apply and the external labor market against each customer's business strategy.
Manoj Swaminathan, president and chief product officer for SAP Autonomous Suite, said the technology will make token usage more efficient, lower the cost of deploying workforce agents and improve AI-driven scenarios such as skills-based hiring and role redesign.
Andreas De Neve, TechWolf's chief executive and co-founder, said the company had spent eight years building its platform and would use the acquisition to extend its work across a broader business context and at greater scale.
Subject to closing and required consultation, SAP plans for TechWolf to remain an independent entity under De Neve, headquartered in Ghent, with offices in London, New York and San Francisco.
Its platform will remain available to SAP and non-SAP customers, while its clients include HSBC, GSK, Ericsson, PayPal and Booking.com.
JP Morgan was the exclusive financial advisor to TechWolf, whose open-source models have been downloaded more than two million times.
Shares of SAP gained around 2.7% on Tuesday morning in New York.
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Linde má rekordní objem nasmlouvaných prodejů plynů ve výši 8,1 miliardy USD poté, co získala nové zakázky v elektronickém průmyslu za 1 miliardu USD, podpořené poptávkou po čipech pro AI.
This is a fair market value price provided by Massive. Learn more.
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$548.201.30%
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Linde NASDAQ: LIN has been selling gases—nitrogen, oxygen, argon, and hydrogen—for more than a century, mostly to hospitals, food companies, and refineries.
Now, though, it’s riding the wave of surging semiconductor demand and a record $8.1 billion backlog.
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While industrial gases are not the first thing many tech-focused investors think about, for Linde, the tech space has helped earn it an overwhelming Buy recommendation from analysts. The artificial intelligence buildout has turned semiconductor fabs into one of Linde's fastest-growing markets.
Yet the stock is holding back. To understand the strengthening growth story and a sagging share price, investors should understand the broader issues facing the company.
Record Sales Meet New Margin PressureOn the surface, Linde's July 31 report looked excellent. Sales rose 9.3% to a record $9.29 billion, with underlying sales up 4% from a mix of 2% higher prices and 2% higher volumes. That beat the $9.02 billion analysts expected.
Earnings grew even faster. Diluted earnings per share were up 11.3% to $4.15. Adjusted earnings per share (EPS) climbed 10% to $4.50, edging past the $4.49 consensus. Linde also continued to buy back stock and pay dividends, returning $1.59 billion to shareholders in the quarter.
The blemish, though, was profitability. Adjusted operating profit was up 7%, but the adjusted operating margin slipped to 29.5%, down 60 basis points from a year earlier. For a company that has built its margins, that was enough to send the shares down about 6% on earnings day.
Lincare Emerges as the Main Margin DragOperationally, the primary culprit was Lincare, Linde's U.S. home care business, which supplies oxygen and respiratory equipment to patients at home. CEO Sanjiv Lamba said cost inflation and policy changes have made Linde's efforts to prune the unit difficult. As a result, he raised the possibility of selling the unit, telling analysts the company was evaluating "the strategic fit of this U.S. home care business within Linde, both in part and as a whole."
Still, the core engine kept humming. Electronics sales grew 18% in the quarter, and management raised the low end of its full-year adjusted EPS outlook to $17.70 to $17.90, implying growth of 8% to 9%.
AI Chip Demand Is Powering Linde’s BacklogThe heart of the investment thesis is straightforward. Linde's contracted sale-of-gas backlog hit a record $8.1 billion after the company added $1 billion in new electronics work.
On the same day as earnings, Linde announced it will invest $1 billion to build two new air separation units in Phoenix for one of the world's largest semiconductor manufacturers, supplying gases for two new fabs.
Lamba said he expects electronics to remain Linde's largest backlog contributor and one of its fastest-growing markets, with more than 20 projects worth about $1.3 billion set to start up before year-end. Other industrial markets were also improving, with aerospace accounting for more than a third of manufacturing growth in the quarter.
Slower Growth Tests Linde’s Premium ValuationThere are reasons for concern, however, and the market has picked up on many of them.
Shares are currently trading roughly where they were a year ago. Although up about 14% from the start of this year, they’ve dropped about 10% in the past three months.
Linde's premium valuation is one issue. The company has relied on its ability to expand margins, and that streak is being questioned. Barely beating per-share expectations also didn’t help; at the same time, there’s sluggish industrial demand outside the U.S. market.
Margins in Asia also slipped because Linde is selling lower-margin equipment to electronics customers, the company said, though they expect that business to recover in the coming quarters. Management's third-quarter outlook of $4.45 to $4.55 in adjusted earnings per share implies slower growth of 6% to 8%.
Current Price$488.04High Forecast$580.00Average Forecast$546.80Low Forecast$460.00Linde Stock Forecast Details
Linde is scheduled to report third-quarter results on Oct. 29. Beyond the headline earnings figures, investors will be watching for any update on the strategic review of Lincare, whether margin pressure is beginning to ease, and how quickly the company is converting its record sale-of-gas backlog into revenue as new electronics projects come online. The report could help determine whether the recent weakness in the stock is a temporary pause or a sign that growth is starting to moderate.
Perhaps the more important risk, though, is what investors are paying for growth that is steady rather than spectacular. If chipmakers slow their fab buildouts, some of that investment could earn less than planned.
Even with these areas of caution, analysts remain firmly in Linde's corner. Twenty-one of the 23 analysts tracking the company rate it a Buy, with two extending it to a Strong Buy. Only two analysts rate it a Hold.
Overall, the consensus 12-month target price is $546.80 per share, about 13% up from current trading levels. The highest price target is $580 per share, while the lowest is $460.
The Recent Dip May Offer an OpportunityThese days, Linde finds itself in a somewhat in-between investment state. It is not one of the high-flying growth stocks, and it is not one of the bargain-bin value stocks either.
It is a high-quality compounder that has perhaps just hit a pothole. The stock market today is treating the Lincare problem as a possible reason to sell. But the bigger story is a record backlog tied to AI chip demand that should drive growth for years.
Assuming margins return and the third quarter report comes in healthy, the recent dip in price might look like a solid opportunity.
Should You Invest $1,000 in Linde Right Now?Before you consider Linde, you'll want to hear this.
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Commerce Bancshares dokončila akvizici společnosti Nolan & Associates, čímž rozšířila své poradenství v oblasti fúzí a akvizic, získávání kapitálu a nástupnictví. Transakce má podpořit neúrokové výnosy z poplatků.
Key Takeaways Commerce Bancshares gains M&A, capital-raising and ownership-transition advisory capabilities.Nolan & Associates adds advisory and transaction fees that could lift non-interest income.CBSH can cross-sell advisory, lending, treasury and wealth services across middle-market clients. Commerce Bancshares (CBSH - Free Report) has completed the acquisition of Nolan & Associates, adding investment banking (IB) capabilities to its middle-market franchise. Announced in June 2026, the transaction brings expertise in M&A, capital raising and ownership-transition advisory. Nolan & Associates will retain its leadership, employees and St. Louis-area office, providing continuity while giving CBSH an established platform to expand its advisory offering.
Strategically, the acquisition extends CBSH’s relationship with middle-market clients beyond conventional banking products. Nolan & Associates’ ties with business owners, corporations and private equity firms should enable CBSH to participate in transactions ranging from acquisitions and divestitures to capital raising and succession planning. This broadens CBSH’s addressable revenue opportunity while creating scope to connect advisory clients with lending, treasury and other banking services.
The more important financial benefit could come through non-interest income. Nolan & Associates generates revenues primarily from advisory and transaction fees, meaning CBSH can earn incremental revenues without deploying significant amounts of capital onto its balance sheet. Commerce Bancshares can introduce existing commercial clients to Nolan & Associates’ advisory services, while transaction clients may subsequently require banking or wealth-management solutions. Such referrals could lift fee revenues per relationship and improve the overall economics of CBSH’s client base. However, IB revenues remain sensitive to M&A volumes, financing conditions and broader capital-market activity.
The transaction also complements CBSH’s wider diversification strategy. Earlier in 2026, the company completed the acquisition of FineMark Holdings, expanding its private banking and wealth management footprint.
Overall, Nolan & Associates strengthens CBSH’s ability to generate revenues from advisory-driven activities, alongside its core banking operations. The acquisition is unlikely to transform the company’s earnings profile on its own, but it expands the breadth of its middle-market offering and provides another channel for fee growth without requiring proportionate balance-sheet expansion.
CBSH’s Peers Building Middle-Market Advisory CapabilitiesCommerce Bancshares’ strategy mirrors a broader shift among regional banks toward higher-fee advisory and capital-markets businesses. By expanding beyond lending, banks can capture a larger share of corporate clients’ financial activity while creating revenue streams that are less directly tied to net interest margins.
Huntington Bancshares Incorporated (HBAN - Free Report) has taken a similar approach to expanding its middle-market advisory franchise. In 2026, Huntington Securities and Capstone Partners acquired three businesses from Janney Montgomery Scott, including TM Capital. The transaction strengthened Huntington’s M&A and private-equity capabilities, giving it greater scope to pair established commercial banking relationships with advisory mandates and transaction-related fees.
Regions Financial Corporation (RF - Free Report) also maintains a sizable advisory presence through BlackArch Partners and Clearsight Advisors. These platforms extend Regions’ capabilities in M&A and strategic advisory, including exposure to middle-market and technology-oriented clients.
CBSH’s Price Performance & Zacks RankOver the past six months, CBSH shares have gained 10.3% compared with the industry’s 5.7% growth.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Currently, Commerce Bancshares carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Společnost Becton, Dickinson and Company investuje v USA 19 miliard USD do výroby a dodavatelského řetězce zdravotnických potřeb; 3 miliardy USD budou určeny na rozšíření výrobních závodů.
Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX), a global medical technology firm and the largest domestic producer of critical medical consumables, on Tuesday announced a monumental partnership with the U.S. government.
The agreement aims to drastically expand domestic manufacturing and fortify the supply chain for vital medical products that patients and clinicians rely on daily.
Massive Investment in Domestic ProductionThe strategic alliance directly supports the Trump administration’s ongoing initiatives to scale up stateside manufacturing capacity and guarantee a robust supply chain for essential healthcare items.
To achieve this, the company plans to invest a staggering $19 billion across the U.S. over several years, encompassing capital, operational, and supply chain enhancements.
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Out of this massive total, the company will channel $3 billion exclusively into expanding key manufacturing facilities nationwide.
This expansion will boost end-to-end U.S. production by roughly 5 billion essential medical consumables every year.
As a result, the medical technology leader will elevate its share of domestically sourced consumables to approximately 80%.
American Steel and Tariff ReliefHighlighting its commitment to local sourcing, the manufacturer pledges to produce 100% of the needles it sells in America using solely American-made steel.
Furthermore, the landmark agreement shields the company from future Section 232 tariffs on specified products and materials, provided it meets agreed-upon operational milestones.
This exemption offers substantial long-term predictability for supply chain management. Because officials have yet to determine the final product scope and tariff rates, the company has not quantified the financial impact, but will provide updates when authorities finalize the actions.
BDX Price Action: Becton Dickinson shares were up 2.06% at $184.38 at the time of publication on Tuesday, according to Benzinga Pro data.
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AbbVie snížila výhled upraveného zisku na akcii (EPS) pro 3. čtvrtletí 2026 na 3,73 až 3,77 USD, což je pod konsensem 3,85 USD, kvůli nákladům ve výši 216 milionů USD.
AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV – Get Free Report) issued an update on its third quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Tuesday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 3.730-3.770 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 3.850. The company issued revenue guidance of -.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. HSBC upped their target price on AbbVie from $300.00 to $315.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, September 10th. Canaccord Genuity Group increased their target price on AbbVie from $282.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Oppenheimer lifted their price target on AbbVie from $244.00 to $258.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on AbbVie from $260.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, July 10th. Finally, Barclays increased their price objective on AbbVie from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have assigned a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, AbbVie currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $272.39.
View Our Latest Stock Analysis on ABBV
AbbVie Stock Up 1.2% Shares of AbbVie stock opened at $265.93 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $469.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 75.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.19 and a beta of 0.24. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $258.05 and a 200 day simple moving average of $235.01. AbbVie has a 12-month low of $190.75 and a 12-month high of $269.39. AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The company reported $3.65 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.61 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $16.99 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.80 billion. AbbVie had a net margin of 9.80% and a negative return on equity of 422.07%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.97 earnings per share. AbbVie has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.840-3.880 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that AbbVie will post 14.05 earnings per share for the current year.
AbbVie Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 16th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 15th will be given a $1.73 dividend. This represents a $6.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 15th. AbbVie’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 195.48%.
Insider Buying and Selling at AbbVie In other news, EVP Nicholas Donoghoe sold 32,710 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total transaction of $8,177,500.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 74,430 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,607,500. This represents a 30.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.06% of the company’s stock.
AbbVie News Roundup Here are the key news stories impacting AbbVie this week:
Positive Sentiment: AbbVie and partner Genmab reported positive Phase 3 results for epcoritamab combined with R-CHOP in newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The treatment produced a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in progression-free survival versus R-CHOP alone, potentially expanding epcoritamab into frontline treatment and supporting future regulatory filings. AbbVie and Genmab lymphoma trial announcement Positive Sentiment: The lymphoma result strengthens AbbVie’s bispecific-antibody strategy and could add a new growth opportunity as the company seeks to diversify beyond its mature immunology portfolio. Reports indicated the combination reduced the risk of progression or death by approximately 51%. AbbVie lymphoma trial risk reduction report Positive Sentiment: The FDA approved AbbVie’s new Parkinson’s treatment, described as the first approved selective D1/D5 drug, adding another commercial product to the company’s neuroscience franchise. AbbVie Parkinson’s treatment approval Neutral Sentiment: AbbVie joined a federal 340B rebate pilot program ahead of its planned 2027 launch. The impact is uncertain, but the program could influence future pricing and reimbursement for participating medicines. AbbVie 340B rebate pilot Negative Sentiment: AbbVie lowered third-quarter 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $3.73–$3.77, below the approximately $3.85 analyst consensus, after including $216 million of acquired in-process research and development and milestone expenses. Full-year adjusted EPS guidance was reduced to $13.76–$13.96 from $13.87–$14.07. AbbVie updated earnings guidance About AbbVie (Get Free Report)
AbbVie Inc is a global biopharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures and markets medicines for a range of serious and chronic health conditions. Its portfolio spans immunology, oncology, neuroscience, eye care, aesthetics, gastroenterology and women’s health.
The company’s products include the immunology medicines Skyrizi and Rinvoq; neuroscience treatments such as Vraylar, Ubrelvy and Qulipta; and oncology medicines including Imbruvica and Venclexta. AbbVie also markets Botox Cosmetic and Botox Therapeutic, as well as other products for aesthetics, eye care and specialty care.
AbbVie was established in 2013 as an independent, publicly traded company following its separation from Abbott Laboratories.
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Kombinace epcoritamabu s R-CHOP ve studii fáze III snížila u nově diagnostikovaného DLBCL riziko progrese onemocnění nebo úmrtí o 51 % oproti samotnému R-CHOP.
Key Takeaways AbbVie's epcoritamab plus R-CHOP significantly improved PFS versus R-CHOP alone in frontline DLBCL.The combination reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 51% in the phase III study.Epcoritamab plus R-CHOP was generally well tolerated, with a safety profile consistent with prior reports. AbbVie (ABBV - Free Report) , along with Genmab (GMAB - Free Report) , announced positive top-line data from the phase III EPCORE DLBCL-2 study, which evaluated epcoritamab in combination with standard-of-care rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin hydrochloride, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) in patients with newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), with an International Prognostic Index (IPI) score of two to five.
Year to date, shares of AbbVie have rallied 19.1% compared with the industry’s increase of 11.4%.
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What Did ABBV’s EPCORE DLBCL-2 Study Results Show?The open-label, multicenter, randomized EPCORE DLBCL-2 study evaluated the efficacy of fixed treatment duration,epcoritamab, a T-cell engaging bispecific antibody administered subcutaneously, in combination with R-CHOP versus R-CHOP alone in the given patient population.
The study met its primary endpoint, wherein treatment with epcoritamab plus R-CHOP demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in progression-free survival (PFS) compared with R-CHOP alone. The combo of epcoritamab + R-CHOP reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 51%.
Per the company, this is the first phase III study of a bispecific antibody combination therapy to demonstrate statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in PFS in frontline DLBCL.
The results were based on the first planned efficacy interim analysis. Following the significant benefit observed, the Independent Data Monitoring Committee recommended unblinding the study.
The safety profile of epcoritamab in combination with R-CHOP was generally well tolerated and similar to previously reported safety profiles of the individual treatments.
AbbVie and Genmab plan to engage with global regulatory bodies to determine the next steps of development for the investigational combination of epcoritamab plus R-CHOP.
More on ABBV’s Epcoritamab Development ProgramAbbVie currently markets epcoritamab under the brand name Epkinly in the United States and Japan, and as Tepkinly in the European Union.
Epkinly/Tepkinly is already approved as monotherapy for adults with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma (R/R FL) after two or more lines of systemic therapy.
In July 2026, the EC approved Tepkinly in combination with rituximab and lenalidomide (Tepkinly+R2) for adult patients with R/R FL after at least one line of systemic therapy.
The FDA approved Epkinly in combination with rituximab and lenalidomide for a similar indication in the United States in November 2025.
AbbVie has partnered with Denmark-based Genmab to jointly develop epcoritamab under the companies' oncology collaboration agreement. While both companies share commercialization rights in the United States and Japan, AbbVie is responsible for commercialization in other global markets.
AbbVie and Genmab continue to advance their global development and regulatory expansion while evaluating the therapy as a monotherapy and in combination regimens across multiple hematologic malignancies through several late-stage clinical studies.
ABBV’s Zacks Rank & Stock to ConsiderAbbVie currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).
A better-ranked stock in the large-cap pharma sector is Pfizer (PFE - Free Report) , currently holding a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Over the past 60 days, estimates for Pfizer’s 2026 earnings per share have risen from $2.95 to $2.98, while estimates for 2027 have increased from $2.85 to $2.95 during the same time. PFE’s shares have surged 15.8% year to date.
Pfizer’s earnings beat estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 16.62%.
SSR Mining zvýšila investiční rozpočet společnosti Puna pro rok 2026 na 20 mil. USD, aby prodloužila životnost dolu Chinchillas. Puna očekává produkci 6,25–7 milionů uncí stříbra.
Key Takeaways SSRM's Puna operations advance Chinchillas laybacks, Melina and Cortaderas to extend mine life.Puna targets 6.25-7M ounces of silver in 2026 despite lower H1 production.SSRM expects Puna to produce 95,000-115,000 GEOs, supporting its full-year production guidance. SSR Mining Inc.’s (SSRM - Free Report) Puna operations boost the company’s revenue mix through silver, lead and zinc production while hosting several mine-life extension potential.
SSRM’s fully-owned Puna operations in Argentina include the Chinchillas mine and the Pirquitas property. The company’s recent efforts at the operations include advancing additional Chinchillas laybacks, the nearby Melina open-pit target and the Cortaderas project. To extend operations at Chinchillas, the company has increased its 2026 growth capital guidance at Puna to $20 million from previously announced $18 million.
The Puna operations produced 3.4 million ounces of silver in the first half of 2026 compared with 5.4 million ounces in the prior year. However, the company expects 6.25-7 million ounces of silver from the operations, relatively evenly split between the third and fourth quarters.
The mine is facing higher costs, with AISC expected to trend toward the top of the company’s 2026 guidance of $20-$22 per ounce. The upside is largely due to inflationary pressures.
Nonetheless, SSRM expects the Puna mine to produce 95,000-115,000 GEOs in 2026. The mine produced 112,368 GEOs in 2025. Along with solid second-half performances from other operations, this positions the company on track to meet its full-year guidance of 450,000-535,000 GEOs, indicating a 10% year-over-year improvement at the mid-point. Along with SSRM’s other key projects like Marigold, as well as Seabee and CC&V, Puna showcases significant potential upside.
Mine Performances by SSR Mining’s PeersAngloGold Ashanti plc’s (AU - Free Report) gold production dipped 4% year over year in the first half of 2026, reflecting the sale of the Serra Grande mine in December 2025. Lower second-quarter production at AngloGold Ashanti’s Obuasi mine due to a contractor fatality in April 2026 and planned mine sequencing and maintenance across certain operations also led to the decline. However, AngloGold Ashanti expects the second-half 2026 production to be higher than the first half.
Newmont Corporation (NEM - Free Report) is progressing with several growth projects like Cadia Panel Caves and Tanami Expansion 2 in Australia. These projects are expected to expand Newmont’s production capacity and extend mine life, driving revenues and profits.
Newmont has recommenced work at the Cadia panel cave project following the seismic event in April. The Tanami expansion is progressing with an expected completion of all underground infrastructure by the end of the third quarter of 2026. Newmont remains on track to achieve its previously announced 2026 guidance. The company expects attributable gold production of approximately 5.26 million ounces.
SSRM’s Price Performance, Valuations & EstimatesThe SSRM stock has appreciated 44.8% in a year compared with the industry’s growth of 24.3%. Meanwhile, the Zacks Basic Materials sector and the S&P 500 have gained 12.6% and 15.5%, respectively.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
SSR Mining is currently trading at a forward 12-month price-to-earnings multiple of 8.51X, a discount to the industry average of 15.69X.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 earnings is pegged at $3.87 per share, indicating a year-over-year surge of 92.5%. The estimate for 2027 of $3.90 per share suggests an increase of 1%.
The consensus mark for 2026 has moved south for the past 60 days, while the same for 2027 has been unchanged.
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SSR Mining currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Michael Brown, seniorní viceprezident společnosti RH, odchází do společnosti Vesta Home na pozici hlavního kreativního ředitele, kde bude vést tvorbu nábytkových kolekcí a expanzi v oblasti luxusního interiérového designu.
RH (NYSE:RH) (RH (NYSE:RH)) senior vice president Michael Brown has left the luxury home furnishings retailer to become chief creative officer at Vesta Home, where he will oversee furniture collections and help expand its luxury interior design business.
Brown led interior design globally at RH and will now develop Vesta Home furniture collections and lead expansion of its luxury interior design division, defining its creative vision across markets.
Jefferies, the investment bank, reiterated its 'hold' rating on RH, saying it is premature to have conviction in how much new business the RH Estates line will add.
Jefferies also said international investment could drag on RH margins into 2027, as the retailer is years into building its foundational platform abroad but still needs measurable spending.
Jefferies called the departure notable because it follows other exits of long-tenured executives and comes after RH launched RH Estates and revamped its Trade program.
Brown co-founded RH Interior Design in New York City in 2011 and helped grow it into a global residential design firm after starting as a senior design leader.
He also helped launch embedded design offices and ateliers, the first standalone RH Interior Design studio in Palm Desert, and Bespoke RH Interior Design, an independent full-service offering.
Vesta Home completes more than 2,500 residential projects a year in markets including New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and the Hamptons, working with homeowners, developers and real estate professionals.
Its vertically integrated platform spans interior design, luxury home staging, custom furniture manufacturing, furniture sales and turnkey furnishing, and it staged more than 5.2 million square feet in 2025, representing about $13.7 billion in transactions.
The exit follows that of Stefan Duban, RH's chief gallery officer, who left after 25 years to become president of merchandising, retail and business-to-business at Thuma.
Jefferies recommends a 'buy' rating on Arhaus, an RH competitor.
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Micron ve fiskálním čtvrtém čtvrtletí zvýšil tržby mezikvartálně o 30,8 % na 54,23 mld. USD při hrubé marži 86,8 %; Citi však očekává, že ceny pamětí mohou dosáhnout vrcholu v polovině roku 2027.
Citi's cycle warning follows a quarter in which revenue rose approximately 31% sequentially. Summary
Record results now require memory pricing to remain disciplined beyond the next capacity cycle.
Micron Technology, the memory and high-bandwidth-memory producer MU, slipped approximately 0.17% to $1,062.12 at 10.25am on October 6 as investors weighed how long the memory boom can last. According to Barron's reporting, Citi's Atif Malik sees mid-2027 as an early possible peak for memory prices, with growing Chinese supply a concern. The question is sharp: how much of today's pricing power survives the next capacity wave?
The latest results show why investors remain interested. Micron reported fiscal fourth-quarter revenue of $54.23 billion, up 30.8% from the previous quarter, with an 86.8% GAAP gross margin. Annual revenue reached $133.19 billion, versus $37.38 billion a year earlier. Those margins are extraordinary. They also give competitors a powerful reason to expand production.
The valuation graphic puts shares 40.47% above the $756.12 GF Value estimate, suggesting a hefty premium for sustained growth. That estimate is no price ceiling, but it raises the stakes if memory pricing cools. Strategic customer agreements can improve demand visibility; they cannot automatically preserve margins or a favorable product mix. Micron needs to turn today's shortage into lasting earnings power before rising supply gives customers more bargaining room.
Disclosures I/we have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and have no plans to buy any new positions in the stocks mentioned within the next 72 hours.
Věrnostní program AMC Stubs využívá více než 40 milionů amerických domácností a jeho členové ve 2. čtvrtletí 2026 tvořili více než polovinu návštěvníků kin AMC v USA.
Key Takeaways AMC Stubs has reached more than 40 million U.S. households, underscoring its broad reach.Stubs members represented more than 50% of AMC's U.S. guest count in the second quarter of 2026.AMC uses viewing preferences to make loyalty efforts more targeted and encourage repeat theater visits. AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. (AMC - Free Report) is strengthening its relationship with moviegoers through the AMC Stubs loyalty program. A large loyalty base gives the company direct access to customer preferences and viewing behavior. This relationship can help AMC better understand its guests and create more targeted ways to encourage repeat visits.
More than 40 million U.S. households have participated in AMC Stubs, highlighting the scale of the program. The platform also has a meaningful presence among AMC’s active customer base, with Stubs members representing more than 50% of total U.S. guest count in the second quarter of 2026. This gives the company a broad pool of customers with whom it can maintain an ongoing relationship.
The program also gives AMC a better understanding of customer preferences, including the genres and titles that guests watch at its theaters. This allows the company to make its loyalty efforts more relevant and targeted. AMC uses these insights to reward patronage and encourage guests to visit its theaters for movies that match their interests.
The scale of Stubs also gives AMC a significant customer engagement platform. With more than half of U.S. guest traffic coming from members, the program is already closely linked to a large portion of the company’s domestic audience. Combining loyalty data with customer preferences can help AMC make the marketing and engagement efforts more targeted and strengthen its relationship with moviegoers.
Going forward, the effectiveness of the loyalty strategy will depend on how well AMC converts its large Stubs base and customer insights into repeat visits. A broader and more engaged loyalty relationship can provide the company with another avenue to support customer retention and encourage more frequent theater visits.
AMC Entertainment’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesAMC’s shares have surged 118% over the past six months, while the industry gained 3.4%. Over the same period, AMC Entertainment has outperformed industry players like Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (CNK - Free Report) and The Marcus Corporation (MCS - Free Report) .
AMC’s Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, AMC Entertainment stock trades at a forward price-to-sales (P/S) multiple of 0.44, below the industry’s average of 2.56. Cinemark and Marcus have P/S ratios of 1.14 and 0.99, respectively.
AMC Entertainment’s P/S Ratio (Forward 12-Month) vs. Industry
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AMC’s 2026 loss per share of 22 cents indicates a 77.1% year-over-year improvement from a loss of 96 cents. Conversely, industry players like Cinemark and Marcus are likely to witness 2026 earnings growth of 141.4% and 652.9%, respectively.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
AMC’s Zacks RankAMC Entertainment currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Sanofi zaplatí Regeneronu předem 1 miliardu USD za společný vývoj a komercializaci čtyř nových dlouhodobě působících protilátek; zisky z celosvětového prodeje si rozdělí rovným dílem.
What happened Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: REGN) said on October 1, 2026, it entered the Sixth Amendment with Sanofi. Under the amendment, Sanofi will make a $1.0 billion upfront payment.
The companies also agreed to co-develop and co-commercialize four new long-acting, Regeneron-invented antibodies that target IL-13, IL-4, IL-4R and IL-4xIL-13. Global profits on sales of the New Licensed Products will be shared equally. Regeneron will be the lead development and lead regulatory party before applications for marketing approval.
Regeneron will remain the lead regulatory party for applications for marketing approval and further commercialization in the United States. Sanofi will be the lead regulatory party for applications for marketing approval and further commercialization outside the United States. Regeneron can also opt in, asset by asset, to Sanofi's Phase 2/3 asset lunsekimig and another early development product after certain trials. If it exercises that option, it will reimburse Sanofi for certain development costs.
In the same filing, Regeneron said it and Sanofi entered a settlement agreement. Under it, Regeneron agreed to dismiss its lawsuit over information access and audit rights.
Key numbers Metric Latest Change Source Upfront payment $1.0 billion SEC 8-K Potential milestone payments up to an additional $7.0 billion SEC 8-K New long-acting antibodies 4 antibodies SEC 8-K Expected acquired IPR&D charge $22 million SEC 8-K Expected net income per diluted share impact -$0.18 SEC 8-K Read more: Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN) stock analysis and investment case
Why it matters OptimistFi's case is that Regeneron turns a concentrated set of approved biologics into durable free cash flow that funds research and development, buybacks and pipeline investment. This agreement is mixed for that case.
The $1.0 billion upfront payment is about 45 times the approximately $22 million pre-tax acquired in-process research and development charge Regeneron expects in third quarter 2026. That gives Regeneron immediate cash and shared economics if the antibodies succeed. But the filing says up to an additional $7.0 billion depends on development, regulatory and commercial milestones.
It also says development costs above a budget cap fall to Regeneron, subject to later recoupment. The separate settlement also means Regeneron agreed to dismiss a lawsuit tied to Dupixent information access and audit rights.
Browse: stock research on every company OptimistFi covers
What's next Regeneron said the full Sixth Amendment will be filed as an exhibit to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended September 30, 2026. That filing will also include Regeneron's final third-quarter 2026 results, which are still subject to closing procedures.
A filing that confirms the $1.0 billion payment and the expected charge would support the cash-flow case. Slippage on either would weaken it.
More from OptimistFi REGN stock: the Regeneron Pharmaceuticals thesis, its status and the next test to watch United States Brent Oil Fund, LP (NYSE Arca: BNO) Tracks a Supply Gap Alpha Teknova, Inc. (NASDAQ: TKNO) Adds Regulatory Support for PluriFreeze Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ: META) Has a Conditional $18 Billion Bill Stock research on every company OptimistFi covers Latest stock research and investment-case updates OptimistFi: evidence-first equity research Sources SEC 8-K — Current report on Form 8-K covering the Sixth Amendment, settlement and third-quarter charge estimate. Read the full OptimistFi thesis on Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: https://optimistfi.com/stocks/REGN
See what would break the Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. thesis and track it live on the OptimistFi Thesis-Break Engine.
Browse every company OptimistFi covers at optimistfi.com/stocks, or read the latest evidence-first research.
The full Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. investment case, its status and the next test to watch live on the Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. thesis page.
Originally published on OptimistFi, evidence-first equity research. More at optimistfi.com.
Every GPU that powers a model training cluster has to be built somewhere, and that somewhere is almost always a fab operated by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM -0.41%). Taiwan Semi does not design the artificial intelligence (AI) chips that get the headlines. Instead, the company manufactures them at nodes no one else can reliably hit at scale.
That quiet competitive advantage has turned TSMC into the physical backbone of the AI infrastructure buildout. Nevertheless, the conversation still seems to start and end with Nvidia (NVDA +0.70%), Advanced Micro Devices (AMD +3.92%), or Micron Technology (MU +0.21%). The foundry that is actually printing the silicon rarely gets the same amount of airtime.
This gap is strange once you understand how the AI chip stack works. While designers continue to fight over architecture and software, the constraint that decides how many of those designs actually ship is advanced-node capacity -- and TSMC owns most of that market.
Image source: Getty Images.
The foundry actually supporting the AI chip stack Nvidia and AMD design GPUs while Micron builds memory solutions layered alongside these chips. None of these companies do all of the manufacturing work to bring their products to life, however. TSMC holds roughly 73% of the pure-play foundry market as measured by revenue and reportedly closer to 90% of the market for the most advanced nodes.
For years, Apple was credited as TSMC's largest customer. However, Nvidia took over that title earlier this year. This shift directly tracks the AI infrastructure cycle. High-performance computing, the area that covers AI accelerators and related server silicon, has become Taiwan Semi's core growth engine.
The company's management points to AI-accelerator revenue compounding in the mid-to-high 50% range through the end of the decade, and lifted its longer-term company revenue growth outlook toward at least 25%.
While competition from Samsung and Intel exist, both companies are spending heavily on scaling foundry operations and neither company is yet to close the gap on the yield and volume at nodes Nvidia and AMD actually need for current and next-generation accelerators.
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Taiwan Semi's growth is structural TSMC's financial growth supports the idea that the AI infrastructure supercycle is more than a temporary surge. Full-year 2025 revenue reached about $122 billion, up nearly 36% year over year. Meanwhile, gross margin climbed to 60% from 56% percent the year before. Through the first half of 2026, Taiwan Semi's revenue grew 37% year over year to $76.1 billion while while gross margin expanded into the mid-60% range, underscoring the level of pricing power the company commands right now.
The company is also spending heavily on capital expenditures (capex) to help stay ahead of demand. Rising infrastructure spend might look expensive in any single year, but over a multi-year AI buildout it is what keeps the company's moat intact. Customers cannot easily dual-source manufacturing for leading edge nodes. This makes Taiwan Semi's revenue and profit tailwinds tied to the duration of the infrastructure supercycle itself rather than to one specific product launch.
Taiwan Semi stock could be poised for a run The chart below illustrates how investors are treating TSMC as a picks-and-shovels name that should trade at a discount to some of the primary chip designers. Trailing price-to-earnings (P/E) puts the stock near 34 times, which looks rich upon first glance. But on a forward P/E basis, Taiwan Semi is a different story. While the company's forward P/E of 28 is not a deep-value multiple per se, it is also not stretched against a company still expected to grow revenue by a high double-digit percent range and compound earnings as margins hold.
TSM PE Ratio data by YCharts
Nvidia and AMD capture more of the narrative premium because their products are visible. For the time being, Micron will ride the memory upcycle that AI also requires. Taiwan Semi sits underneath all of them.
While geopolitical risk around Taiwan is an obvious factor to consider, in addition to the cost of building fabs here in the U.S., they do not erase a foundry position that remains the hardest part of the AI supply chain to replicate. On a forward earnings valuation basis, I think TSMC stock still looks like a strong candidate to buy and hold throughout the AI infrastructure era.
Adam Spatacco has positions in Nvidia. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Advanced Micro Devices, Apple, Broadcom, Intel, Micron Technology, Nvidia, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The 24/7 Wall St. price target for Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY | LLY Price Prediction) is $1,359.12 over the next 12 months. With the stock at $1,142.85, that implies 18.92% upside. Lilly wins a buy rating from the model, with high…
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The 24/7 Wall St. price target for Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY | LLY Price Prediction) is $1,359.12 over the next 12 months. With the stock at $1,142.85, that implies 18.92% upside. Lilly wins a buy rating from the model, with high confidence.
Metric Value Current Price $1,142.85 Price Target from 24/7 Wall St. $1,359.12 Upside/Downside 18.92% Model Rating BUY Confidence Level 90% Mounjaro and Zepbound built the story. The next leg comes from an oral GLP-1, a next-generation incretin, and a non-obesity portfolio that is growing quickly. Lilly’s oncology, immunology, and neuroscience medicines grew 121% year over year last quarter.
Record Growth Meets a Pullback From the Highs Shares sit 11.6% below the 52-week high of $1,292.65 and 46.7% above the low of $778.94. LLY is down 2.3% since mid-July, up 10.1% since mid-January, and up 39.5% from mid-October 2025.
Q2 revenue reached $22.97B, up 47.67% and ahead of the $20.69B estimate. EPS of $8.38 beat the $6.58 consensus even after taking on $3.03 of acquired IPR&D charges. Management raised full-year revenue guidance to $85B-$87B and set non-GAAP EPS guidance at $35.50-$36.50.
Why Bulls See $1,416 as Lilly Moves Beyond Obesity Foundayo, the oral GLP-1, brought in $98M last quarter. Prescribers rose from about 8,000 to 36,000, and the pill is under review in over 40 additional countries.
A U.S. type 2 diabetes decision is expected later this year. Retatrutide has Phase 3 data in obesity, sleep apnea, and knee osteoarthritis, where pain fell by 75%, and a U.S. filing is planned for Q1 2027.
Outside cardiometabolic drugs, Ebglyss grew 131%, Jaypirca rose 56%, and Inluriyo holds more than 50% of new U.S. oral SERD prescriptions.
In early testing, Verve’s VERVE-102 gene editor cut LDL cholesterol by up to 62% with one dose. Analyst ratings stand at 6 Strong Buy and 19 Buy, with a consensus target of $1,328.83. The bull case reaches $1,416.26.
Pricing Pressure Is the Risk to Watch Volume rose 60% last quarter while prices fell 13%. Mounjaro and Zepbound still make up most of revenue, and tariffs and competition from Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO) remain live risks.
Q2 also carried $2.78B in IPR&D charges. Those were one-time costs of buying pipeline assets, though, and point to future growth. The bear case of $1,161.70 still sits above today’s price.
Lilly’s Premium Over Novo Nordisk and AbbVie Is Earned Novo Nordisk is Lilly’s direct GLP-1 rival. The stock changes hands at about 12x forward earnings, but quarterly revenue grew just 2.1% and earnings fell 20.6%. The discount shows lost share.
AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV) is the benchmark for a diversified immunology franchise, trading at 16x forward earnings on 10.2% revenue growth.
Company Forward P/E Quarterly Revenue Growth (YoY) Eli Lilly 26x 47.67% Novo Nordisk 12x 2.1% AbbVie 16x 10.2% Lilly is growing several times faster than either peer, so I think a 26x multiple supports the 24/7 Wall St. price target as reasonable.
Growth Beyond Weight Loss Justifies the Upside The 24/7 Wall St. price target is $1,359.12, the model rates LLY a buy, and confidence is 90%. The deciding factor is a non-obesity portfolio compounding on top of the incretin franchise.
A Foundayo diabetes approval and on-schedule retatrutide filing would strengthen the case. It gets weaker if price cuts start to exceed volume growth. Right now, volume growth is exceeding price declines.
Eli Lilly Price Prediction 2026-2030 Year Price Target from 24/7 Wall St. 2026 $1,190.88 2027 $1,410.20 2028 $1,590.91 2029 $1,714.65 2030 $1,879.00 Lilly needs to keep executing on its current strategy for these projections to hold. Retatrutide’s regulatory path and U.S. drug pricing policy could move them sharply in either direction.
Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
Texas Instruments ve 2. čtvrtletí 2026 meziročně zvýšil tržby o 23 % na 5,46 miliardy USD a upravený EPS o 52 % na 2,14 USD; tržby z datových center se meziročně zdvojnásobily.
Key Takeaways Texas Instruments has gained 66.6% in a year, while Q2'26 revenues rose 23% and non-GAAP EPS climbed 52%.Texas Instruments' data center revenues doubled year over year in Q2'26 and rose 20% sequentially.Texas Instruments plans to make over 95% of wafers internally by 2030, backed by up to $9.5B in incentives. Texas Instruments Incorporated (TXN - Free Report) has been one of the standout performers in the semiconductor industry over the past year. The stock has surged 66.6%, easily beating the broader Zacks Semiconductor – General industry, which advanced 34.6%.
TXN has also outperformed several major semiconductor names, including Broadcom Inc. (AVGO - Free Report) , QUALCOMM Incorporated (QCOM - Free Report) and NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA - Free Report) . Over the past year, shares of Broadcom, QUALCOMM and NVIDIA have risen 7.8%, 9.3% and 29.6%, respectively.
After such a strong rally, investors may wonder whether it is too late to buy Texas Instruments. In our view, the stock still has upside potential. Its valuation is high, but improving earnings, growing AI-related demand, strong cash generation and major manufacturing investments provide a solid foundation for further growth.
Texas Instruments' Strong Results Keep the Bull Case AliveTXN's recent results show that the business is gaining momentum. Second-quarter 2026 revenues increased 23% year over year to $5.46 billion, while non-GAAP earnings rose 52% to $2.14 per share.
The guidance is equally encouraging. Texas Instruments expects third-quarter revenues of $5.65-$6.15 billion, with the midpoint representing about 25% year-over-year growth. The midpoint of its earnings per share guidance is $2.40, implying growth of nearly 62%. The guidance reflects healthy demand across several markets, particularly those tied to AI infrastructure.
Wall Street shares the same optimism. The Zacks Consensus Estimate calls for continued revenue and earnings growth in both 2026 and 2027, reinforcing confidence that the company's growth story is far from over.
Texas Instruments Sales and EPS Growth Forecast
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
AI Is Becoming a Bigger Opportunity for Texas InstrumentsTexas Instruments is not an AI accelerator company like NVIDIA or AMD, but it is becoming an important beneficiary of the AI boom. TXN makes analog and embedded chips that help manage power, process signals and control equipment used in data centers and industrial systems. As AI data centers become more powerful, they require more electricity and increasingly sophisticated power-management systems.
Instead of competing in the crowded AI processor market, the company is benefiting from the broader AI infrastructure buildout. This positions Texas Instruments to capture AI spending regardless of which GPU (graphics processing unit) maker ultimately dominates the data center market.
The numbers already reflect this trend. Texas Instruments' data center business reached an annual revenue run rate of approximately $1.2 billion in 2025, growing more than 50% year over year. During the second quarter of 2026, data center revenues doubled from the prior-year quarter and increased 20% sequentially.
Such strong growth suggests AI infrastructure could become an increasingly important revenue driver over the coming years. If AI data center investment remains strong, TXN's exposure could expand without requiring the company to compete directly in the highly competitive accelerator market.
Manufacturing Expansion Could Add to TXN’s AdvantageTexas Instruments is also investing heavily to bring more manufacturing in-house. Unlike many semiconductor companies that depend heavily on third-party foundries, TXN plans to produce more than 95% of its wafers internally by 2030.
While this strategy requires substantial capital spending, it could provide greater control over supply and improve cost efficiency. This could become an important competitive advantage as semiconductor demand grows.
Government support should also help reduce the financial burden. Texas Instruments expects to receive up to $1.6 billion in direct CHIPS Act grants and another $6-$8 billion from the U.S. Treasury Department's Investment Tax Credit. Including both, total lifetime benefits are estimated between $7.5 billion and $9.5 billion. These incentives should reduce expansion costs and boost profitability over the long run.
TXN’s Strong Cash Flow Supports More Investment and ReturnsTexas Instruments' cash generation further strengthens its ability to invest while returning capital to shareholders. Over the past 12 months, the company generated $8.67 billion in operating cash flow and $6.53 billion in free cash flow. It ended the second quarter with $7 billion in cash and short-term investments.
The company also continues to reward investors. During the first half of 2026, TXN returned nearly $1.45 billion through dividends and share repurchases. Over the past year, total shareholder returns approached $6 billion.
The strong cash position allows Texas Instruments to invest aggressively in manufacturing expansion while continuing to reward shareholders.
Texas Instruments’ Premium Valuation May Be JustifiedTexas Instruments is not a bargain stock. It currently carries a Value Score of D, reflecting its premium valuation. TXN currently trades at a forward 12-month P/E ratio of 30.99, well above the industry average of 19.04.
Texas Instruments Forward 12-Month P/E Ratio
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Compared with other semiconductor leaders, Texas Instruments also trades at a higher earnings multiple than Broadcom, QUALCOMM and NVIDIA. At present, Broadcom, QUALCOMM and NVIDIA are trading at P/E multiples of 19.56, 17.97 and 17.67, respectively.
However, premium valuations are often justified when a company consistently delivers earnings growth, generates strong cash flow and maintains durable competitive advantages.
Texas Instruments fits that profile. The company continues to benefit from expanding AI infrastructure spending, generates substantial free cash flow, maintains a healthy balance sheet and has a long track record of rewarding shareholders through dividends and share buybacks. Those strengths make its premium valuation easier to justify.
Final Verdict: TXN Stock Is Still Worth BuyingTexas Instruments has already delivered an impressive 66.6% gain over the past year, but the investment story is not over.
While the stock is not inexpensive, the underlying business remains strong enough to support the premium. The company's accelerating earnings, strong data center growth, expanding AI exposure and manufacturing investments point to further long-term opportunities. Its strong cash generation also gives it flexibility to invest while continuing to reward shareholders.
Currently, Texas Instruments carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Morgan Stanley v první polovině roku 2026 meziročně zvýšila příjmy z investičního bankovnictví o 47 % díky silnějším aktivitám v oblasti fúzí a akvizic a upisování emisí.
Key Takeaways Morgan Stanley's integrated model links financing, advisory, investing and wealth opportunities.Wealth and investment management client assets reached a record $10 trillion as of June 30, 2026.IB revenues rose 47% in first-half 2026 as stronger M&A advisory and underwriting volumes drove growth. Morgan Stanley’s (MS - Free Report) $1.5 trillion U.S. Innovation Infrastructure Initiative highlights how the company is using its integrated business model to capture opportunities across the full client and capital lifecycle. The initiative spans capital raising, financing, advisory and investment activity across AI, energy, digital infrastructure and other strategic industries.
Rather than relying on a single revenue stream, Morgan Stanley can potentially monetize these opportunities across Institutional Securities (“IS”), Investment Management (“IM”) and Wealth Management (“WM”). A company may first require private capital, later seek financing, M&A advice or IPO support and eventually generate wealth management opportunities for founders, executives and employees.
IM adds another layer by creating and managing private-market strategies, while WM provides the distribution channel to individual clients. PMAX supports this integration by giving eligible WM clients broader access to private-market investments, allowing Morgan Stanley to connect internally managed or sourced investment opportunities with its large advisory platform. This can help retain more economics within the firm while supporting asset growth, and recurring advisory and management fees.
The integrated framework allows Morgan Stanley to participate both in financing infrastructure-related companies and in distributing investment opportunities tied to private markets. Still, investors dig deep into the company’s fundamental strengths and growth prospects before making any decision.
Morgan Stanley: Factors to ConsiderImproving Diversification: Morgan Stanley is lowering its reliance on capital markets and expanding wealth and asset management operations. The company is using acquisitions (Eaton Vance, E*Trade Financial, Shareworks and EquityZen) to broaden its mix and have a more balanced revenue stream across market cycles. The WM and IM businesses continue to expand the company’s revenue base and deepen client relationships. The WM segment’s total client assets witnessed a five-year (2020-2025) compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13%, while the IM segment’s total AUM saw a CAGR of 19.4%. As of June 30, 2026, total client assets across both segments reached a record $10 trillion.
This reflects strong momentum across Morgan Stanley’s advisor-led, workplace and self-directed platforms while highlighting its expanding scale in the retirement savings market. The trend is likely to continue in the near term as the operating environment becomes more favorable.
Like Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs (GS - Free Report) is reducing its dependence on capital markets-related volatile earnings and expanding its Asset & Wealth Management business. The company has supported this strategy through a combination of organic fundraising, partnerships and targeted acquisitions. Successful scaling of these efforts is expected to further support Goldman’s transition toward a more capital-light business model, improve the quality of its revenue mix and increase the share of recurring, fee-based revenues in its earnings mix.
Investment Banking Recovery: After the deal-making slowdown that weighed on results in 2022 and 2023, Morgan Stanley's Investment Banking (“IB”) franchise continues to recover as issuance and strategic activity improve. IB fees rose 35% in 2024 and 23% in 2025 as boardroom confidence improved and issuance reopened. The momentum carried into the first half of 2026, with IB revenues increasing 47% year over year, aided by stronger M&A advisory and underwriting volumes.
The company is well-positioned to benefit from a healthier deal environment, supported by a robust and diversified pipeline across regions and sectors. Momentum is expanding beyond the Americas into Asia and EMEA, while active M&A and IPO markets, together with the company’s strong competitive position, are expected to support further growth as the macroeconomic backdrop evolves.
Meanwhile, despite facing similar macro challenges in 2022 and 2023, JPMorgan (JPM - Free Report) retained its No. 1 global ranking in IB fees. In the first half of 2026, the company captured a 9.3% wallet share. JPMorgan remains well-positioned to benefit as capital markets and advisory activity normalize over time, given its broad client reach and product depth across advisory, underwriting, trading and payments.
Expanding Global Reach: Morgan Stanley’s alliance with Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group continues to enhance its competitive position in Japan through combined research, sales and execution and coordinated underwriting. This supports a durable franchise in a key market and helps extend coverage across the region. Asia revenues were $9.42 billion in 2025, up 23% year over year. The momentum carried into the first six months of 2026, aided by stronger client engagement, favorable market conditions and higher prime brokerage activity in the region.
The company's global platform is increasingly relevant as capital markets activity broadens outside the United States and across Japan, India, China, Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Continued investment in regional leadership and collaboration will likely support wallet share gains across Asia's capital markets and wealth opportunity set.
Financial Flexibility: As of June 30, 2026, the company had long-term debt of $383.2 billion, with $34.3 billion expected to mature over the next 12 months. MS’ average liquidity resources were $404.1 billion as of the same date.
Given its solid liquidity position and earnings strength, Morgan Stanley has been engaged in efficient capital distribution activities, which enhance shareholder value. In July, the company increased its quarterly dividend 15% to $1.15 per share. MS raised its dividend five times in the past five years, and its payout has grown 22.9% over the same time period. MS' payout ratio currently sits at 32% of earnings.
Dividend Trend
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Its board of directors has reauthorized a multi-year share repurchase program of up to $20 billion, without an expiration date. MS continues to emphasize disciplined capital allocation, with a preference for organic investment, capital returns and selective bolt-on acquisitions only where strategic and cultural fit are strong.
Trading Cyclicality: Morgan Stanley remains exposed to the inherent volatility of trading revenues, which can fluctuate significantly with market conditions, client activity and investor risk appetite. Trading performance has strengthened from the weaker levels seen in 2023, supported by higher volatility, active client participation and favorable market conditions. The July launch of spot digital-asset trading through E*TRADE also broadens the firm’s trading offering.
Still, the recent strength may prove difficult to sustain if volatility moderates, issuance slows or investor positioning turns more cautious. Management has also flagged signs of frothiness in equity markets, particularly around AI-related stocks. Any normalization in market activity could pressure trading revenues and increase quarter-to-quarter earnings variability, particularly across businesses that are more sensitive to transaction volumes and market sentiment.
Expense Pressure: Despite Morgan Stanley’s restructuring and streamlining efforts that resulted in achieving its cost savings target of $1 billion in 2017, overall expenses have been increasing. Though expenses declined in 2022, they witnessed a five-year (ended 2025) CAGR of 7.4%. The trend continued in the first half of 2026.
Management expects increased capital spending on technology, AI and data infrastructure to continue, viewing these investments as productive for long-term growth and future margin enhancement. These initiatives may strengthen the franchise, but they also keep the cost base elevated. If revenue growth slows, operating leverage could become harder to sustain.
Morgan Stanley’s Price Performance, Prospects & ValuationMorgan Stanley stock has risen 7.2% so far this year, outperforming the industry’s growth of 1.7%. In the same time frame, Goldman and JPMorgan have gained 2% and 3.2%, respectively.
YTD Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
On a valuation front, shares of Morgan Stanley appear to be trading at a premium relative to the industry. The company’s trailing 12-month tangible book of 3.52X is above the industry average of 3.04X.
P/TB TTM
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
MS stock is also expensive compared with Goldman and JPMorgan. Goldman and Interactive Brokers have a trailing 12-month P/TB of 2.48X and 3.10X, respectively.
Morgan Stanley’s use of its integrated business model to capture opportunities is reflected in analysts’ growth expectations. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s 2026 sales and earnings implies a year-over-year increase of 15.8% and 24.9%, respectively.
For 2027, revenues are projected at about $85 billion, while earnings are expected to be $13.03 per share, indicating growth of 4% and 2.2%, respectively.
Sales Estimates
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Earnings Estimates
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Final Verdict on Morgan StanleyMorgan Stanley’s integrated business model, improving investment-banking backdrop, expanding wealth and asset-management scale and solid capital position support its long-term growth prospects. The $1.5 trillion infrastructure initiative further broadens opportunities across IS, IM and WM.
However, premium valuation, persistent expense growth and trading cyclicality temper the upside. With the stock already outperforming peers and the industry, much of the near-term optimism appears reflected in the share price. Investors may prefer to remain selective, balancing Morgan Stanley’s stronger earnings mix and growth optionality against execution risks and a relatively demanding valuation.
Currently, Morgan Stanley carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Lockheed Martin získal od amerického námořnictva smluvní dodatek v hodnotě 209 mil. USD na systémy elektronického boje AN/SLQ-32(V)6; včetně opcí může hodnota kontraktu dosáhnout 1,71 mld. USD.
Key Takeaways Lockheed Martin won a $209M Navy contract modification for AN/SLQ-32(V)6 electronic warfare systems.Options could lift the contract's value to about $1.71B, with work running through September 2029.Navy fleet modernization supports recurring procurement and upgrades for shipboard electronic warfare systems. Lockheed Martin (LMT - Free Report) continues to benefit from the U.S. Navy’s efforts to strengthen electronic warfare capabilities across its surface fleet. The company’s Rotary and Mission Systems business recently received a $209 million contract modification for the production of Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program AN/SLQ-32(V)6 systems.
The award includes options that could raise the cumulative value of the contract to approximately $1.71 billion. Work will be performed in Liverpool, NY, and Lansdale, PA, and is expected to be completed by September 2029. The size and duration of the program provide Lockheed Martin with continued visibility into future naval work.
The AN/SLQ-32(V)6 is designed to provide electronic warfare capabilities that help Navy ships detect, identify and respond to electromagnetic threats. Such systems are increasingly important as adversaries develop more advanced radar, communications and electronic attack capabilities.
The award highlights continued Navy investment in shipboard electronic warfare and fleet survivability. Lockheed Martin’s role in producing the AN/SLQ-32(V)6 positions it to benefit from recurring procurement and upgrades as the Navy modernizes its surface fleet.
Demand for electronic warfare systems is expected to remain strong as the Navy improves situational awareness and protects naval platforms from increasingly complex threats. Lockheed Martin’s established expertise in electronic warfare, sensors and mission systems could therefore provide steady opportunities across its naval defense business.
Defense Stocks to Keep on the RadarGrowing investment in electronic warfare and naval survivability could also benefit defense contractors with established capabilities in these areas.
RTX Corporation (RTX - Free Report) : RTX develops advanced electronic warfare, radar and sensor technologies for naval and airborne platforms. Its systems help detect, track and counter electromagnetic threats, supporting the survivability of U.S. and allied forces.
Northrop Grumman (NOC - Free Report) : Northrop Grumman provides electronic warfare and mission systems designed to detect and counter threats across multiple domains. Its expertise in sensors and electromagnetic warfare supports demand for advanced naval defense capabilities.
The Zacks Rundown for LMTShares of LMT have lost 0.9% in the past year compared with the industry’s 19.8% decline.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The company's shares are trading at a discount on a relative basis, with its forward 12-month Price/Sales being 1.39X compared with its industry’s average of 2.12X.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for LMT’s 2026 and 2027 earnings has moved north over the past 60 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
LMT stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
SummaryBroadcom is positioned for bullish upside, driven by AI inference demand. We believe there's institutional accumulation in the $342-$381 range.AVGO exhibits accelerating revenue growth, rising cash flow margins, and a strengthening balance sheet, supporting a positive fundamental outlook.The stock trades at 38x TTM unlevered pretax FCF for 49% TTM revenue growth, an unchallenging valuation in the current environment.We rate AVGO at Accumulate between $342-$381, Hold from $381-$495, and see potential for all-time highs in a flat or rising market.This idea was discussed in more depth with members of my private investing community, Growth Investor Pro. Learn More »DISCLAIMER: This note is intended for US recipients only and, in particular, is not directed at, nor intended to be relied upon by any UK recipients. Nothing in this note is intended to be investment advice and nor should it
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Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of AVGO, SMH, SOXL either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. 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.
Cestrian staff personal accounts hold long positions in, inter alia, AVGO, SMH, SOXL
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.
Broadcom's AI chip revenue exploded 221% in a single quarter, and its forecast stretches far beyond what most investors are pricing in. Here is how a $5,000 stake could play out across three very different futures for this company.
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Putting $5,000 into Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO | AVGO Price Prediction) at the model’s reference price of $355.14 a share buys exposure to one of the fastest-growing businesses in large-cap tech.
Broadcom’s AI semiconductor revenue grew 221% year-on-year last quarter. That growth is why its five-year path is worth mapping out. Here is what that stake could be worth by 2031.
Your $5,000 Could Grow to About $8,706.50 by 2031 Under Broadcom’s base scenario, a $5,000 investment could be worth about $8,706.50 by 2031, a total return of 74.13%. That figure rests on a projected five-year share price of $618.42, which works out to 11.73% per year.
Its forecast has a confidence level of 0.9. Over the nearer term, its one-year target is $425.47, or 19.8% upside.
Bull, Base and Bear Outcomes for a $5,000 Stake Scenario Five-Year Share Price Total Return Value of $5,000 Bull $918.99 158.77% $12,938.50 Base $618.42 74.13% $8,706.50 Bear $449.93 26.69% $6,334.50 Even the bear case ends above the starting stake. Wall Street leans more bullish than the model’s one-year view.
The consensus analyst target is $531.31, with 7 Strong Buy, 40 Buy and 3 Hold ratings and 0 Sells. Those projections serve informational purposes only.
Three Engines Powering Broadcom’s Five-Year Target Custom AI Chips for the Biggest Buyers Broadcom designs custom accelerators (XPUs) for hyperscalers and AI labs. Q3 AI semiconductor revenue reached $16.7 billion, and management guided Q4 to $21.7 billion. Management expects AI revenue of about $115 billion in fiscal 2027 and $230 billion in fiscal 2028.
It also said it is “very much on target to exceed $30 in earnings per share in fiscal 2028.” Customers include Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL), whose Google unit signed a long-term TPU supply agreement, along with Anthropic, OpenAI and Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META).
Management said Anthropic is on track to become its largest XPU customer in 2027. Recent coverage of Broadcom gathering AI chip funding fits its financing platform with Apollo Global Management (NYSE:APO) and Blackstone (NYSE:BX), which is designed to enable more than 20 gigawatts of computing power for OpenAI and Anthropic.
Networking That Grows Alongside the Chips Broadcom has taped out Tomahawk 7, which it calls the industry’s first 200-terabit-per-second Ethernet switch. Management expects AI networking to grow “just as fast as XPUs over the next few years.“
Software Margins and Cash Flow VMware-driven infrastructure software brought in $8.8 billion, up 29%, at a 94% gross margin. Free cash flow hit $13.7 billion, or 46% of revenue.
That cash covers a $0.65 quarterly dividend and paid down $5.6 billion of long-term debt in the quarter. Non-GAAP EPS of $3.32 marked a 9th consecutive beat, and the stock trades at about 19 times forward earnings versus a trailing P/E of 44.
What Could Derail the Projection A few of customers drive most of the AI growth, so one delayed deployment could leave a visible gap in revenue. Hock Tan called land, power and data-center shells “more than a big concern,” saying they determine when capacity gets deployed (the power, cooling and networking suppliers behind that expansion are the subject of a free report on seven AI infrastructure names that aren’t chipmakers).
Supply limits in leading-edge wafers, substrates, HBM memory and optical components could cap growth even when demand is there. Broadcom may also provide “modest residual value guarantees” on AI infrastructure financing. Those are contingent liabilities tied to the health of the AI labs.
Margins face pressure too. Q3 gross margin fell 210 basis points sequentially as XPUs grew as a share of the mix. The company still has $59.6 billion of fixed-rate debt and faces trade-restriction risk. With a beta of 1.46, the stock can swing hard.
Shares have gained just 6.23% over the past year and remain below their 52-week high of $493.28. Strong results alone have not guaranteed a rising share price.
What the Range Means for Your $5,000 Depending on how Broadcom performs, the model puts a $5,000 stake anywhere from $6,334.50 to $12,938.50 by 2031, with $8,706.50 as the most likely outcome.
Projected scenarios may not match actual results. A useful next checkpoint is the fiscal fourth-quarter earnings report on December 9, 2026, which will show whether AI revenue lands near the $21.7 billion guide.
Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
Circular financing fears just sent Broadcom shares sliding, but one investor sees the selloff as a gift. Here is why the very risk spooking the market is the same reason he keeps adding to his position.
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I keep adding to my Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO | AVGO Price Prediction) position, and the growing worry about circular financing with Anthropic just gave me another chance to do it. Every quarter I look for a reason to stop. Every quarter this company gives me a new reason to keep going.
Why I Keep Coming Back Broadcom co-designs custom AI chips with the few companies building frontier models, then sells them the networking that ties those chips together. That model locks in relationships that run across several chip generations. Management described a long-term Google agreement that could involve “multi-tens of billions of dollars of TPUs annually over the next several years.” That stickiness is what I pay for.
Three Numbers That Keep My Buy Button Active First, growth. Fiscal Q3 revenue hit $29.59 billion, up 85.5% year over year, and AI semiconductor revenue reached $16.70 billion, up 221%. Q4 guidance calls for $34.80 billion in revenue and $21.70 billion in AI revenue. Management projects AI semiconductor revenue of about $115 billion in fiscal 2027 and $230 billion in fiscal 2028.
Second, cash. Free cash flow reached $13.67 billion, equal to 46% of revenue. In that same quarter, Broadcom paid $3.1 billion in dividends and retired $5.6 billion of debt due beyond a year. The $0.65 quarterly dividend got its 15th consecutive annual increase in December 2025. At $362.51, the yield stands near 0.72%. My reason for holding is the growth of that payout, and the starting yield matters less to me.
Third, valuation. Management says Broadcom is “very much on target to exceed $30 in earnings per share in fiscal 2028.” At today’s price, that works out to about 12x fiscal 2028 earnings. The shares rose just 7.93% over the past year while revenue nearly doubled, and over ten years they rose 2574.14%.
Why My Money Goes Here Instead of NVIDIA Most readers reach for NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) first, and its fiscal Q2 revenue of $96.22 billion explains why. Still, NVIDIA trades near 48x trailing earnings. Its quarterly dividend only rose from $0.01 to $0.25 in May 2026, while Broadcom has raised its payout every year since fiscal 2011. NVIDIA also lists guarantee obligations capped at $108.5 billion for AI cloud and data center partners. Switching to NVIDIA would leave me with financing exposure too, at a higher price.
Risk I Refuse to Ignore The financing concern is real. Broadcom built the AI XPV platform with Apollo and Blackstone to enable more than 20 gigawatts of computing capacity for OpenAI and Anthropic by the end of 2028. The first $35 billion tranche closed in June for Anthropic. Broadcom may provide “modest residual value guarantees,” and management confirmed an analyst’s figure of about $29 billion tied to that first tranche. Management also expects Anthropic to become its largest XPU customer in 2027. If Anthropic stumbles, I feel it twice.
I keep buying because third-party institutions underwrite and fund the assets, and Broadcom supplies no direct financing. Cash rose to $23.98 billion while total liabilities fell 4.21% year over year. Google, Meta and OpenAI also give Broadcom other large customers to lean on.
What Keeps Me Buying From Here Management said “our demand actually exceeds this outlook” and that it has secured supply for fiscal 2027 and 2028. I will keep an eye on the December 9, 2026 earnings report for any new guarantees. The traits that showed up in the earliest stages of the last monster AI chip winner are the same ones we cataloged in a free playbook here. As Hock Tan put it, “Q3 demand was simply hot and we’re just getting started,”, and I plan to continue buying shares in a business still early in its run.
Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
First Majestic Silver zvýšila výhled těžby stříbra pro rok 2026 na 14,6–15,5 milionu uncí z dřívějších 13–14,4 milionu uncí po silné produkci v prvním pololetí.
Key Takeaways First Majestic raised its 2026 silver guidance to 14.6-15.5M ounces after strong H1 output.La Encantada's silver guidance rose 19% at the mid-point, while Los Gatos' increased 5% from the prior view.San Dimas expects higher throughput, while Santa Elena benefits from higher gold grades and recoveries. First Majestic Silver Corp.’s (AG - Free Report) silver production reached 3.8 million ounces in the second quarter of 2026, marking a year-over-year increase of 3%. The upside was driven by solid performances at the La Encantada and Santa Elena mines. The company’s gold production also increased 2% year over year to 34,660 ounces. AG produced 7.3 million ounces of silver and 69,001 ounces of gold in the first half of 2026.
Driven by the strong first-half performance, the company hiked its production outlook for 2026. It expects the total silver production to be 14.6-15.5 million ounces, updated from the previous 13-14.4 million ounces. The silver production guidance indicates a year-over-year improvement of 4% at the mid-point. Total gold production for 2026 is expected to be 128,000-135,000 ounces, up from the previous forecast of 116,000-129,000 ounces. The company produced 147,433 ounces of gold in 2025.
The company’s Los Gatos mine is expected to produce 5.1-5.5 million ounces of silver in 2026, marking a 5% increase at the mid-point from the previous guidance. The La Encantada mine’s silver production is expected to increase 19% at the mid-point from the previous guidance to 3.4-3.6 million.
The company’s Santa Elena mine will gain from higher gold grades and slightly increased gold recoveries. First Majestic expects gold production of 72,000-76,000 at the Santa Elena mine, marking an increase of 10% at the mid-point from the previous guidance. San Dimas’s production is expected to increase 13% at the mid-point from the prior guidance to 4.6-4.9 million ounces of silver for 2026. The upside will be driven by higher throughput rates. These will also aid the company’s upbeat guidance.
First Majestic Silver’s Peers Performance & GuidanceAvino Silver & Gold Mines Ltd.’s (ASM - Free Report) silver-equivalent production was 534,945 ounces in the second quarter of 2026, which marked a 17% decrease from the second quarter of 2025. Avino Silver’s second-quarter 2026 silver production fell 6% to 267,305 ounces. However, gold output increased 23% to 2,178 ounces. Avino Silver's 2026 production guidance is 2.4-2.7 million silver-equivalent ounces, while it targets more than 3 million ounces in 2027.
Pan American Silver Corp. (PAAS - Free Report) silver production reached 6.47 million ounces in the second quarter of 2026, at the high end of the company’s quarterly operating outlook. Pan American Silver’s silver production increased 27% year over year. For 2026, Pan American Silver expects silver production of 25-27 million ounces, indicating a year-over-year increase of 14% at the mid-point.
AG's Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesShares of First Majestic have gained 36.4% in the past year compared with the industry’s growth of 14.5%. In comparison, the Basic Materials sector has risen 13.2%, whereas the S&P 500 has moved up 16.3%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
AG is currently trading at a forward 12-month price-to-earnings multiple of 19.94X compared with the industry average of 12.94X.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The consensus mark for 2026 earnings is pegged at 81 cents per share, indicating a year-over-year jump of 76%. The estimate for 2027 of 90 cents suggests an increase of 11%.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for First Majestic’s earnings for 2026 and 2027 has been unchanged over the past 60 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
AG currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
ADM (NYSE: ADM) today announced that ADM management will host an audio webcast on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, at 7:30 a.m. Central Time to discuss financial results for its third quarter of 2026 and provide a company update. Prior to the call, ADM will issue a press release and related presentation, which will be made available at ADM - Investor Relations.
To listen to the webcast, please go to www.adm.com/webcast. A replay of the webcast will also be available for an extended period of time at www.adm.com/webcast.
About ADM
ADM unlocks the power of nature to enrich the quality of life. We’re an essential global agricultural supply chain manager and processor, providing food security by connecting local needs with global capabilities. We’re a premier human and animal nutrition provider, offering one of the industry’s broadest portfolios of ingredients and solutions from nature. We’re a trailblazer in health and well-being, with an industry-leading range of products for consumers looking for new ways to live healthier lives. We’re a cutting-edge innovator, guiding the way to a future of new bio-based consumer and industrial solutions. And we're leading in business-driven sustainability efforts that support a strong agricultural sector, resilient supply chains, and a vast and growing bioeconomy. Around the globe, our expertise and innovation are meeting critical needs from harvest to home. Learn more at www.adm.com.
Source: Corporate Release
Source: ADM
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261006620743/en/
Disclosures I/we have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and have no plans to buy any new positions in the stocks mentioned within the next 72 hours.
Shares of Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:PANW – Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high on Tuesday. The company traded as high as $416.70 and last traded at $422.22, with a volume of 100128 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $406.76.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades PANW has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Rosenblatt Securities lifted their price target on shares of Palo Alto Networks from $355.00 to $415.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 2nd. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $440.00 price objective (up from $400.00) on shares of Palo Alto Networks in a research report on Friday. Truist Financial set a $400.00 price objective on shares of Palo Alto Networks in a report on Wednesday, September 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $450.00 price objective (up from $335.00) on shares of Palo Alto Networks in a research report on Friday, August 28th. Finally, Piper Sandler reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $410.00 target price (up from $345.00) on shares of Palo Alto Networks in a research note on Wednesday, September 2nd. Thirty-eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $391.32.
Read Our Latest Research Report on Palo Alto Networks
Palo Alto Networks Trading Up 5.9% The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $363.84 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $287.28. The company has a market cap of $352.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 845.12, a PEG ratio of 11.61 and a beta of 0.93. Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, September 1st. The network technology company reported $1.02 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.98 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $3.41 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.35 billion. Palo Alto Networks had a net margin of 2.67% and a return on equity of 8.50%. The company’s revenue was up 34.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.95 EPS. Palo Alto Networks has set its FY 2027 guidance at 4.160-4.190 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.960-0.980 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Palo Alto Networks, Inc. will post 2.31 EPS for the current year.
Insider Transactions at Palo Alto Networks In other Palo Alto Networks news, CAO Josh Paul sold 400 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $395.70, for a total value of $158,280.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 77,987 shares in the company, valued at $30,859,455.90. This represents a 0.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director John P. Key sold 2,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $376.03, for a total value of $940,075.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 10,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,760,300. The trade was a 20.00% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 53,960 shares of company stock valued at $20,719,959 over the last quarter. 1.40% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Neville Rodie & Shaw Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Palo Alto Networks by 0.7% in the third quarter. Neville Rodie & Shaw Inc. now owns 16,615 shares of the network technology company’s stock valued at $6,602,000 after acquiring an additional 110 shares during the period. Heartwood Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Palo Alto Networks by 1.6% during the third quarter. Heartwood Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 6,039 shares of the network technology company’s stock worth $2,399,000 after acquiring an additional 95 shares during the last quarter. Silverleafe Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Palo Alto Networks in the 3rd quarter valued at $572,000. Miller Global Investments LLC increased its holdings in shares of Palo Alto Networks by 406.7% in the 3rd quarter. Miller Global Investments LLC now owns 456 shares of the network technology company’s stock valued at $181,000 after acquiring an additional 366 shares during the period. Finally, First Citizens Financial Corp raised its position in Palo Alto Networks by 8.7% in the 3rd quarter. First Citizens Financial Corp now owns 688 shares of the network technology company’s stock valued at $273,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.82% of the company’s stock.
Palo Alto Networks Company Profile (Get Free Report)
Palo Alto Networks, Inc is a cybersecurity company that provides solutions designed to help organizations protect networks, endpoints, cloud environments, applications and users from cyber threats. Its offerings include next-generation firewalls, cloud-delivered security services, secure access service edge (SASE) solutions, endpoint protection and security operations tools.
The company also provides platforms and services for cloud security, threat intelligence, incident response, vulnerability management and the automation of security operations.
Featured Stories Five stocks we like better than Palo Alto Networks Qualcomm’s Huawei Deal Adds Strategic Depth to Its AI Expansion 3 Sectors Where Volatility Is Creating Entry Points, Not Exit Signals D-Wave’s Gate-Model Tech Notches a Major Milestone Vistra Stock Gains as Federal Funds Fuel Nuclear Power Expansion Receive News & Ratings for Palo Alto Networks Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Palo Alto Networks and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Berkshire Hathaway v prvním a druhém čtvrtletí 2026 snížila svůj podíl v Nucor o 39 % a 52 %; prodané akcie by dnes měly o 313,3 milionu USD vyšší hodnotu.
Warren Buffett stepped down as the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK)(NYSE:BRK) at the end of 2025 and as chairman this year. Buffett’s successor Greg Abel is now in charge of the large investment portfolio owned by the conglomerate company and can make changes. One change may not have turned out so well.
• Nucor stock is trading near recent highs. Where is NUE stock headed?
Abel Sells Nucor StockSteel company Nucor Corp. (NYSE:NUE) has been a favorite of Buffett’s for years, with the legendary investor taking a position in the stock in 1998 before later exiting. The investor re-entered a position in Nucor stock in the first quarter of 2025 and later added to the holdings
In the first quarter with Abel completely in charge (first quarter 2026), the Nucor stock position was decreased by 39%, with Berkshire Hathaway selling 2,500,674 NUE shares. This represented the second-largest decrease in a position that was not exited fully in the quarter.
The second quarter saw more of the same, with Berkshire Hathaway cutting its position in Nucor stock by 52%, selling 4,150,000 shares. This once again represented the second-largest decrease among positions not fully exited in the quarter.
Nucor stock closed the first quarter at $169.10 and closed the second quarter at $222.75. Today, shares trade at $249.69.
The shares sold in the first quarter would be worth $201,529,317.66 more if they were still owned by Berkshire Hathaway. Likewise, the shares sold in the second quarter would be worth $111,801,000 more if they were still owned.
Add it up and Berkshire Hathaway is missing out on $313,330,317.66 by selling the Nucor stakes in the first and second quarters, based on the quarter-ending prices of the sales.
At the end of the second quarter, Berkshire Hathaway owned 1,857,752 NUE shares, representing around 0.1% of the fund’s assets.
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What’s Next for Berkshire HathawayNot all the investment decisions by Abel have turned into missed profits and the investor was picked to succeed Buffett for many reasons.
Selling Nucor stock early is one example of moving on from Buffett’s company leadership, with Abel selling several of the former Berkshire CEO’s top holdings.
Investors are eagerly awaiting the third-quarter 13F filing from Berkshire Hathaway, which is due by Nov. 16. This filing will show what other positions previously owned by Buffett were cut completely or trimmed down by Abel.
Berkshire Hathaway stock trails the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:SPY) in 2026, with a gain of 2.2% compared to a gain of 14.4%. The conglomerate also trailed the S&P 500 in 2025 with a gain of 11.5% versus a gain of 16.6% for the SPY ETF.
Buffett beat the S&P 500 many years in his career, but recent history shows the conglomerate posting smaller returns than the market index. Abel will be tasked with deciding which positions he should keep in the future and what new stock holdings to avoid.
Akcie CrowdStrike letos vzrostly o více než 147 % díky poptávce po kyberbezpečnosti využívající umělou inteligenci a dosáhly rekordního maxima 286,99 USD.
CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRWD) is positioning itself for sustained cybersecurity growth as demand for endpoint protection, AI security and agent-focused tools expands, though BNP Paribas remains cautious on the stock’s valuation.
The stock has gained over 147% in 2026, surging 30% in the last month driven by AI-driven cybersecurity demand.
BNP Paribas Sees Longer EDR TailwindAnalyst Andrew DeGasperi said the firm came away more constructive on CrowdStrike’s long-term financial targets, AI detection and response opportunities, and identity protection prospects after a virtual fireside chat with company executives.
CrowdStrike did not update its fiscal-year guidance during the discussion.
DeGasperi said CrowdStrike sees a meaningful opportunity to gain endpoint detection and response, or EDR, market share following Mythos. The company had already been seeing acceleration in its flagship product before events earlier this year.
CrowdStrike’s investor-relations team sees an opportunity to target the 48% of the market still using legacy solutions.
DeGasperi said that opportunity could support growth for several years because EDR contracts typically run for about five years.
He also highlighted CrowdStrike’s unified control plane, which combines traditional endpoint security with AI-focused capabilities. BNP Paribas believes that structure could give CrowdStrike an advantage over legacy EDR vendors that lack an integrated AI sensor.
Long-Term Targets May Prove ConservativeDeGasperi said CrowdStrike’s long-term growth assumptions could prove conservative.
The company is targeting more than 20% net new annual recurring revenue growth in fiscal 2028. It also aims to reach $10 billion in ARR by fiscal 2030 and $20 billion by fiscal 2035.
Those long-term targets assume CrowdStrike captures roughly 3.5% of an estimated $565 billion AI-security total addressable market.
BNP Paribas noted that CrowdStrike’s current market share is already around 4%. Combined with potential EDR share gains over the next four to five years, that suggests the company’s assumptions may leave room for upside.
AI Security Adds Another Growth DriverDeGasperi also pointed to CrowdStrike’s recent Fal.Con innovations, including Guardian and SafeMind.
Guardian is already generally available, while SafeMind runs on Nvidia’s Nemotron. CrowdStrike’s investor-relations team clarified that SafeMind does not compete with NVIDIA Corp.’s new security product.
BNP Paribas said SafeMind offers customers a cost-effective, purpose-built model to detect rogue agent behavior.
Despite the constructive operating outlook, BNP Paribas maintained its Equal-weight-style stance, with a $180 price forecast versus a $270 share price as of Oct. 2, implying 33% downside.
CRWD Stock Price Activity: CrowdStrike Holdings shares are trading higher by 3.12% at $281.18 at the time of publication on Tuesday, according to Benzinga Pro data.
The stock hit a new record high of $286.99 during the session. Over the past 12 months, the stock has gained 126.8%, outpacing the S&P 500’s 16.1% gain.
XPeng Inc. (XPEV - Free Report) , a global Physical AI company, will showcase its latest developments in intelligent mobility, robotics and next-generation transportation at the 2026 Paris Motor Show. The company will use the event to globally debut its next-generation AI flagship SUV, the G9L, marking another milestone in its European expansion.
At its more than 1,000-square-meter exhibition space in Hall 6, XPENG will present an immersive “Physical AI Museum” divided into four sections covering its technology platform, AI-powered vehicles, humanoid robots and flying cars. The exhibition will highlight how the company is extending its technological capabilities beyond traditional automobiles. Its Car-as-a-Robot concept integrates vehicle and robotics technologies on a shared platform, while XPENG is working toward mass production of its IRON humanoid robot and developing flying cars and Robotaxi technology. Alongside the G9L, the company will display the L03, P7+, G6, G9 and X9, giving visitors an overview of its broader Physical AI ecosystem spanning intelligent vehicles, robotics and emerging mobility solutions.
The G9L will be the centerpiece of XPENG’s presence, with its global launch scheduled for Oct. 12, 2026. The next-generation AI flagship SUV combines the company’s latest developments in artificial intelligence, intelligent driving and vehicle technology with a premium SUV experience. It is designed to emphasize safety, driving performance and comfort across various driving scenarios. XPENG will also open European order books and reveal European pricing at the show, signaling the model’s move from its initial China launch toward a broader global rollout.
The G9L will become the fourth XPENG model to be manufactured in Europe as the company continues to expand its local production capabilities. The model reflects XPENG’s strategy of developing products for global markets while increasingly designing and manufacturing vehicles with European customers in mind.
In addition to unveiling the G9L, XPENG will demonstrate its NGP intelligent driving technology through its recently launched L03 SUV coupe. For XPENG, the event will represent its first large-scale NGP test-drive experience outside China and will give European customers and media an early opportunity to experience its latest intelligent-driving capabilities.
XPENG is also working to localize its intelligent-driving technology for European markets, supported by the generalization capabilities of its foundation model. The company continues to expand its European R&D operations to adapt its intelligent-driving systems to local road conditions, traffic patterns and regulatory requirements.
The company is further strengthening its European footprint by expanding its sales and service network and developing local capabilities, including through its European R&D center in Munich. XPENG has delivered more than 100,000 vehicles outside China, including more than 60,000 in Europe. In France, the company has delivered more than 6,000 vehicles since entering the market two years ago.
XPENG is also broadening its European product lineup. Following its global debut in Munich in July 2026, the L03 SUV coupe is preparing for its first deliveries to European customers. Through European intelligent-driving development, local manufacturing and products tailored to regional needs, XPENG is advancing its “In Europe, For Europe” strategy and bringing its global technology capabilities closer to European consumers.
The year 2026 marked another phase of XPENG’s international expansion, with overseas deliveries, retail locations and localized operations continuing to grow alongside the commercialization of its Physical AI technologies. In the second quarter, overseas deliveries exceeded 20,000 units for the first time, representing an 81% year-over-year increase. In August, XPENG’s robotics business raised more than $900 million in its first funding round, making it the largest single-round private financing in China’s embodied AI industry. In September, its advanced general-purpose IRON humanoid robot began production on a newly commissioned manufacturing line, representing an important step toward mass production.
At the show, XPENG will highlight its efforts to translate Physical AI from technological development into practical mobility applications while expanding these capabilities from China to international markets, with Europe becoming an increasingly important part of its global strategy.
XPeng currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Some better-ranked stocks in the auto space are Mobileye Global Inc. (MBLY - Free Report) and Garrett Motion Inc. (GTX - Free Report) . While MBLY sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), GTX has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MBLY’s 2026 sales and earnings implies year-over-year growth of 5.6% and 36.1%, respectively. The EPS estimate for 2026 and 2027 has improved 3 cents each over the past 60 days.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for GTX’s 2026 sales and earnings implies year-over-year growth of 7.2% and 25.7%, respectively. The EPS estimate for 2026 and 2027 has improved 5 cents and 4 cents, respectively, over the past 60 days.
Consolidated Edison plánuje během pěti let investovat 38 miliard USD do elektrifikace, modernizace elektrické sítě a zvýšení spolehlivosti a odolnosti infrastruktury v New Yorku.
5 Stocks Showing Why Pricing Power Matters More Than Government MoneyConsolidated Edison NYSE: ED outlined a five-year, $38 billion infrastructure investment program centered on electrification, grid modernization, reliability and climate resilience during its annual investor update.
Chairman and CEO Tim Cawley said the company’s growth outlook is tied less to the hyperscale data-center demand seen in other utility territories and more to New York’s building and transportation electrification policies. New York State clean-energy targets, New York City mandates and customer demand are driving higher electricity needs from electric vehicles, heating, water heating and cooking, he said.
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3 Dividend Champion Utilities for a Market That Can't Sit Still“Con Edison is not a data center play,” Cawley said. “We’re an energy infrastructure company serving one of the most essential and demanding regions in the world.”
Grid Expansion and Electrification Demand The company said requests for new electric capacity are running about 20% above historical levels. Cawley cited the modernization of JFK International Airport, the Willets Point mixed-use development in Queens and the Port Authority Bus Terminal project as examples of developments that will add load, including through fleet electrification.
Sportradar Rides the Sports Betting Trend From Behind the CurtainCon Edison plans nine new substations in its core New York City utility territory from 2026 through 2035, including four already under construction and five additional planned projects. At Orange & Rockland, the company plans to install 19 new substations, perform major upgrades at 12 substations and complete 33 transmission upgrades by 2035.
Matt Ketschke, president of Consolidated Edison Company of New York, said New York City is expected to need 125 megawatts of new capacity by 2033, rising to 675 MW by 2036 and 2,275 MW by 2045. The company’s reliability contingency plan includes potential market-based solutions such as transmission- and distribution-connected battery storage and procurements for clean, non-emitting technologies.
Con Edison said it also uses non-wires alternatives, including battery storage, demand management, energy efficiency and customer-sited distributed resources, to defer or avoid higher-cost grid investments where possible.
Reliability, Resilience and Transmission Cawley said 70% of Con Edison’s electric grid is underground, making it the nation’s largest underground system. Ketschke said 72% of the CECONY electric grid is underground and that 65 of its 84 networks are designed with double redundancy, enabling the company to maintain service during peak summer conditions even if two supply feeders are out of service.
CECONY received the 2025 ReliabilityOne national reliability award, according to Cawley. He said the utility’s resiliency investments since Superstorm Sandy have helped avoid an estimated 1.3 million weather-related customer outages.
Orange & Rockland President and CEO Michele O’Connell said the company expects to invest nearly $800 million in resilience initiatives from 2026 through 2030. Its climate studies project more high-heat days, more intense storms and greater sea-level rise by 2050, she said. The utility is incorporating those findings into asset designs, flood standards, selective undergrounding and reinforcement of overhead lines.
Con Edison Transmission expects to invest more than $1 billion over the next five to 10 years in projects intended to connect renewable generation to demand centers. The company has a 41.7% interest in New York Transco’s share of the $3.3 billion Propel NY Energy project. New York Transco’s portion of the project totals $2.2 billion.
Policy, Affordability and Customer Programs Jen Hensley, senior vice president of corporate affairs, said recent amendments to New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act added feasibility, cost-effectiveness and affordability considerations. The amendments delayed regulations such as cap-and-invest until 2028 and changed the interim emissions-reduction milestone into a 2040 target of a 60% reduction from 1990 levels, while retaining the state’s 2050 net-zero objective.
The state’s goals of reaching 70% renewable electricity by 2030 and 100% by 2040 remain unchanged, Hensley said. Con Edison and other New York utilities have proposed that utilities be permitted to develop and own land-based wind and solar projects, with the group proposing 1 gigawatt of clean resources annually. Cawley said Con Edison’s potential share would be roughly 45% of that annual investment, based on load share, if the proposal proceeds.
Hensley said local taxes on energy infrastructure are expected to exceed $3.2 billion in 2026. The company plans to separately show these taxes on customer bills later this year. As of August 2026, approximately 494,000 customers across CECONY and O&R were enrolled in energy-affordability programs, while more than 25,000 customers had been approved for the enhanced affordability program launched earlier this year.
Financial Framework and Regulatory Outcomes Chief Financial Officer Kirk Andrews said the company’s earnings base is expected to grow at a compounded annual rate of 8.7% over five years, slightly below the prior 8.8% figure. Cawley said the revision reflected capital investment included in the proposed CECONY steam-rate settlement.
The company’s 2026 CECONY electric and gas rate plans provide for a 9.4% return on equity, a 48% equity ratio and approximately $17 billion in new capital investment. O&R’s current electric and gas plans allow a 9.75% return on equity and a 48% equity ratio. The recently approved Rockland Electric rate plan in New Jersey provides a 9.6% return on equity and a 48.5% equity ratio.
Andrews said the proposed three-year CECONY steam settlement, which remains subject to Public Service Commission approval, would provide a 9.5% return on equity and a 48% equity ratio. He added that the company has increased its dividend for 52 consecutive years and aims over time to align dividend growth more closely with earnings growth while retaining capital for its investment plans.
About Consolidated Edison (NYSE:ED)Consolidated Edison, Inc is an energy delivery company headquartered in New York. Through its principal subsidiary, Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc, the company provides electric, natural gas and steam service to customers in New York City and Westchester County.
Consolidated Edison also owns Orange and Rockland Utilities, Inc, which delivers electricity and natural gas in parts of southeastern New York, northern New Jersey and northeastern Pennsylvania. Its utility operations include the generation, transmission, distribution and delivery of energy, as well as the operation and maintenance of related infrastructure.
With roots tracing to the New York Gas Light Company, established in 1823, Consolidated Edison has developed into one of the United States' largest investor-owned energy-delivery companies.
This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected].
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Cardinal Health očekává ve fiskálním roce 2027 růst provozního zisku farmaceutického segmentu o 8–11 %, přestože růst tržeb může kvůli změnám cen v rámci zákona IRA zpomalit na 3–5 %.
Key Takeaways Cardinal Health expects Pharma profit to grow 8-11% in fiscal 2027 despite normalized demand.Other businesses are gaining momentum, with fiscal 2027 profit growth projected at 15-18%.IRA pricing changes may slow Pharma revenue growth, while Specialty growth is set to moderate. Cardinal Health (CAH - Free Report) enters fiscal 2027 with strong momentum across pharmaceutical distribution, specialty solutions and growth businesses. Specialty pharmaceuticals, cell-and-gene therapy capabilities and expanding non-core operations should support earnings growth, while IRA-related pricing changes, GMPD execution challenges, tariffs and elevated operating costs could constrain its overall performance.
Shares of this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company have risen 13.4% so far this year compared with the industry's 3.1% growth and the S&P 500 Index’s 12.3% rise.
Cardinal Health, with a market capitalization of $52.87 billion, is a global specialty medical device company.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
CAH’s bottom line is estimated to improve 13.3% over the next five years. Its earnings beat estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average surprise of 14.72%.
What's Driving CAH’s Performance?Pharma Profit Growth Should Remain a Core Earnings Catalyst: Cardinal Health enters fiscal 2027 with strong momentum in its largest business. Pharma segment profit increased 21% in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, supported by brand and specialty portfolios, while the generics program continued to outperform its long-term targets. Management expects 8-11% Pharma profit growth in fiscal 2027, despite assuming more normalized demand. Brand and generic volume strength, additional generic launches, Red Oak-enabled sourcing and previously won distribution contracts should support profitability. Management expects generic conversions to remain earnings-accretive because of their higher-margin economics. This combination of resilient utilization and favorable product mix provides a relatively dependable earnings engine even as fiscal 2027 revenue growth normalizes.
Other Growth Businesses Are Emerging as Growth Engines: Cardinal Health’s Other businesses are becoming increasingly important contributors to consolidated growth. In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, the group generated 7% revenue growth and 14% segment-profit growth. Management expects fiscal 2027 revenues to increase 11-13% and profit to rise 15-18%. Nuclear and Precision Health Solutions is particularly attractive, with PET revenues growing more than 20% in the fiscal fourth quarter and Theranostics improved nearly 30%. OptiFreight is also seeing strong adoption of technology-enabled logistics products, while at-Home Solutions is benefiting from scale and integration. The combination of secular demand, operating leverage and selective acquisitions creates a faster-growing earnings layer beyond traditional pharmaceutical distribution.
Operational Efficiency Strengthens Competitive Position: Cardinal Health’s operational investments are increasingly translating into measurable service improvements and customer stickiness. Management highlighted service levels at or near record highs and noted that the company retained key customers across all classes of trade, including a long-term extension with its largest GMPD customer. In the at-Home business, the total fill rate reached nearly 99%, while on-time departures reached a record level. Automation and technology are also improving order accuracy and distribution efficiency. These capabilities can strengthen Cardinal Health’s competitive position because reliable fulfillment is critical in pharmaceutical and medical-product distribution. The combination of scale, service quality and customer retention supports more durable revenue visibility.
What’s Hurting CAH’s ProspectIRA Pricing Changes May Suppress Pharma Revenue Growth: Cardinal Health expects pharmaceutical revenue growth to moderate to 3-5% in fiscal 2027, partly because of the annualization of 2026 IRA price changes and implementation of additional 2027 changes. Management expects the percentage revenue impact to be broadly consistent with the headwind experienced during the second half of fiscal 2026. While the company does not anticipate an adverse profit impact, the pressure can lead to uncertain underlying volume performance and constrain reported top-line growth. This is particularly important because Pharma remains Cardinal Health’s largest operating segment. Investors therefore need to separate revenue trends caused by government-mandated pricing changes from underlying demand, especially as GLP-1 volume growth also moderates.
Specialty Growth Is Likely to Decelerate: Specialty remains a major growth engine, but its unusually strong performance in fiscal 2026 creates a tougher comparison for the coming year. Management said Specialty grew approximately 25% in fiscal 2026, boosted by distribution growth and contributions from acquisitions. For fiscal 2027, management still expects double-digit Specialty revenue growth but explicitly indicated that it will not match the prior year’s pace. Management characterized the expected trajectory as closer to the historical mid-teens range. This normalization could reduce the incremental contribution from Specialty to consolidated growth even while the business remains structurally attractive. The risk is therefore not deterioration, but a meaningful deceleration from an exceptionally strong base that could temper investor expectations.
Commodity Costs and Geopolitical Risks Could Pressure GMPD Profitability: Although GMPD is progressing operationally, its profitability in fiscal 2027 remains exposed to external cost pressures. Management specifically cited diesel fuel, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl and resins as areas experiencing inflationary pressure. Cardinal Health expects tariff benefits to offset much of these costs, but acknowledged that sustained elevated commodity prices or a prolonged Iran conflict could push GMPD toward the lower end of its $200-$220 million profit guidance. The company has improved its ability to mitigate such pressures through commercial flexibility and fuel surcharges, but some costs still flow through. Consequently, geopolitical developments and input-cost inflation remain important variables for the segment’s earnings trajectory.
Estimate TrendThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2027 revenues is pegged at $266.02 billion, implying growth of 4.6% from the year-ago reported figure. The consensus mark for adjusted EPS is pinned at $12.55, indicating an improvement of 11.5% from the previous year’s recorded level.
In the past 60 days, CAH’s earnings estimate for fiscal 2027 has improved 4.2%.
Stocks to ConsiderSome better-ranked stocks from the broader medical space are Globus Medical (GMED - Free Report) , West Pharmaceutical (WST - Free Report) and Merit Medical Systems (MMSI - Free Report) .
Globus Medical, currently sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), reported a second-quarter 2026 adjusted EPS of $1.34, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 19.6%. Revenues of $789.6 million beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.4%. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
GMED has an estimated long-term earnings growth rate of 12.4%. The company’s earnings beat estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 27.9%.
West Pharmaceutical, carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present, reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted EPS of $2.37, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 13.9%. Revenues of $872.3 million surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 4.2%.
WST has an estimated long-term earnings growth rate of 16%. WST’s earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 17.4%.
Merit Medical Systems, currently carrying a Zacks Rank of 2, reported a second-quarter 2026 adjusted EPS of $1.19, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 24%. Revenues of $419 million beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.5%.
MMSI has an estimated earnings growth rate of 12.3% for 2026. The company’s earnings beat estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 14.10%.
Key Takeaways NetApp and Diskover Data joined forces to extend metadata discovery to ONTAP and StorageGRID environments.NetApp recorded more than 1,100 AI and data preparation wins in fiscal 2026, up from roughly 400.Diskover helps address visibility gaps as AI, media, semiconductor and scientific data drive file growth. The explosive growth of unstructured data is creating a new challenge for enterprises: storing data is no longer enough. The challenge seems acute in media and entertainment, semiconductor design, life sciences, and other industries built around massive file estates. To address it, Diskover Data and NetApp, Inc. (NTAP - Free Report) joined forces, extending Diskover Platform's metadata discovery and governance capabilities to NetApp ONTAP and StorageGRID environments. The collaboration is likely to strengthen NetApp's value proposition in file-intensive industries while giving Diskover a powerful enterprise channel for expanding its data discovery platform.
NetApp has solidified its foothold in enterprise data infrastructure, with ONTAP and StorageGRID supporting organizations across on-premises, hybrid and cloud environments. However, as storage estates grow, customers can struggle to understand the enormous volumes of files residing across those environments. Diskover's DataDiscovery is designed to address that visibility gap. Using specialized scanners, the platform indexes metadata directly from ONTAP and StorageGRID.
For NetApp, the partnership strengthens the ecosystem around its storage infrastructure. Customers increasingly expect storage platforms to provide more than capacity and performance. By connecting Diskover's specialized discovery capabilities to ONTAP and StorageGRID, NetApp can potentially increase the strategic value of those platforms. The benefit is relevant as enterprises deal with explosive data growth driven by AI, high-resolution media, semiconductor design, scientific computing and cloud applications.
Furthermore, NetApp is positioning its unified data platform to activate enterprise data for AI without moving data. The company recorded more than 1,100 AI and data preparation wins in fiscal 2026 compared with roughly 400 in the prior year. In the first quarter of fiscal 2027, it added about 350 AI and data lake modernization deals, with management noting larger deal sizes as prior pilots moved into production. DataPelago adds in-place data processing capabilities, while AFX and the AI Data Engine target high-performance AI workloads and governed data access. Management said AI is also driving broader modernization of databases and unstructured data environments, expanding the opportunity beyond dedicated AI infrastructure.
NTAP’s Competitive TerrainSmith Micro Computer (SMCI - Free Report) rides on expanding AI infrastructure demand, supported by rapid adoption of new GPU platforms, its modular Building Block architecture, liquid-cooling expertise and a broader DCBBS offering. Supermicro’s Open Storage Summit 2026, held in August, focused on the data infrastructure needed to deploy enterprise AI at scale. The event brought together Supermicro and ecosystem partners, including AMD, DDN, IBM, Intel, KIOXIA, MinIO, Nutanix, VAST Data and Western Digital, to discuss AI inference, agentic AI, hybrid-cloud storage, context memory and unstructured data management. The summit also highlighted Supermicro’s DCBBS architecture, which provides modular, validated AI infrastructure from servers and networking to rack and data-center-level solutions.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE - Free Report) is benefiting from a broader shift toward AI infrastructure, networking modernization and hybrid cloud, with Juniper expanding its addressable market and integration synergies supporting earnings growth. In September, HPE expanded its collaboration with Oracle to deploy HPE Juniper Networking across Oracle’s global AI data centers, supporting the company’s gigawatt-scale AI infrastructure expansion with networking services and financing capabilities. In June, it announced multiple AI infrastructure innovations, including a sovereign private AI cloud deployment for Siemens Energy, expanded self-driving networking capabilities and new AI Factory and Private Cloud AI solutions to help enterprises securely deploy and manage agentic AI workloads.
NTAP Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesNetApp shares have gained 89.7% in the past year compared with the Computer-Storage Devices industry’s growth of 281.6%.
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Regarding the price/book ratio, NTAP is trading at 29.40, higher than the industry’s multiple of 15.95.
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The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NTAP’s earnings for fiscal 2027 has been revised upward over the past 60 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
NTAP currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
CME Group spent months building a weekend oil futures contract, only to pull it the day before launch after regulators and the industry's biggest hedgers revolted. The fight over who sets the Saturday price for crude is far from over.
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Late on Friday, October 2, CME Group (NASDAQ:CME | CME Price Prediction) put out a short release with a direct title: “CME Group Suspends Plans to Launch 24/7 10-Barrel Crude Oil Contract.” The contract was small, 1/10th the size of CME’s existing Micro WTI futures. CME wanted it to compete with offshore platforms, where 24/7 oil-linked products have surged in popularity since the start of the war in Iran. Earlier that day, CME had reported record average daily volume for September and Q3. Most of its business is doing well. The weekend oil contract was the one idea that didn’t make it.
This matters at the pump because West Texas Intermediate futures on CME’s NYMEX exchange are the US benchmark for oil prices. A weekend market would have moved that benchmark’s risk into hours when refineries’ trading desks are mostly empty.
Oil Producers Killed It, and Washington Agreed CME pulled the plan after hedgers pushed back. The American Petroleum Institute told the CFTC that continuous trading would strain weekend staffing, complicate commercial hedging, and potentially trigger margin or collateral demands outside of regular business hours. It warned that weekend trading could distort West Texas Intermediate pricing.
The regulator had already stepped in. In July, CEO Terry Duffy confirmed that the CFTC stayed the contract “the day before launch.” In Friday’s statement, Duffy said “key constituents are concerned that introducing 24/7 trading in energy without further due diligence could create unintended consequences, possibly introducing additional risk in the marketplace.”
BP (NYSE:BP) shows why the hedgers objected. Its trading arm, as one of its supply executives put it in April, has a narrow job: “We’re here to serve the BP assets. So we’re not there to be trading for trading’s sake.” That job is already volatile on a five-day week. BP’s Brent price averaged $103.85 a barrel in Q2 2026, versus $67.88 a year earlier. Its refining margin rose to $29.60 a barrel from $11.90. In September alone, WTI dropped from $107.02 on September 15 to $85.23 on September 25. If a thin Saturday market jumped by that much, hedgers would face margin calls while banks were closed.
Gold and Crypto Got Weekend Trading. Oil Didn’t Weekend trading works for CME in other assets. Crypto futures moved to 24/7 trading in the second quarter. Gold and silver followed. Those markets serve global and retail traders, unlike oil. Through the first half of 2026, 94% of CME’s volume came from institutional customers, and energy hedgers run Monday-to-Friday desks.
Duffy loses an argument here: he said CME had hoped to offer “a safer, more transparent alternative, within the US jurisdiction and CFTC oversight.” Offshore platforms and prediction markets keep trading oil around the clock. When Middle East news breaks on a Saturday, those platforms will set the first price, and no US regulator will be watching.
What to Watch Before Gas Prices Feel It Investors largely shrugged. CME trades at $270.03, up 2.58% over the past week. Clearing and transaction fees still drive the business, at $1.35 billion last quarter.
Watch whether the CFTC produces formal rules for weekend energy trading or drops the issue. If offshore weekend oil volume keeps growing, the Monday open on NYMEX will follow a price set elsewhere, leaving refiners with the same weekend risk they argued against, only without US oversight.
Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
(Kitco News) – The world’s largest physical gold trading market now has new futures contracts run by the world’s largest precious metals futures exchange.
This week, the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) – owner of the New York Stock Exchange –launched exchange-traded precious metal futures trading in London. The contracts are directly linked to London's daily gold price auctions, and the exchange has also launched futures contracts for silver, platinum and palladium. The new ICE contracts give market participants an exchange-based means to trade precious metals price exposure from London.
London’s physical gold trading dwarfs that of any other global market, with daily over-the-counter transactions in the area of $190 billion, while the city's vaults hold approximately $1.4 trillion in gold bullion. Unlike New York, which has had well-established gold futures trading, London has not had a major gold futures market in many years despite its dominant position in the physical bullion market.
Previous attempts to establish gold futures trading in London did not last. The London Gold Futures Market was launched in 1982 but shut down only three years later after failing to attract a critical mass of trading activity. Then in 2017, the London Metal Exchange launched their own gold futures, but the contract was eventually discontinued in 2022.
ICE's latest attempt leverages its existing role in London's physical metals market, as the exchange already operates the daily auctions that set the benchmark prices for gold, silver, platinum and palladium.
See live precious metals prices for gold, silver, platinum and palladium — in USD, CAD and 12 more currencies.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.
Jim Cramer po akvizici Qorvo doporučil akcie Skyworks Solutions k nákupu, přestože průměrná cílová cena analytiků 69,82 USD byla nižší než tehdejší cena 81,73 USD.
Jim Cramer just called a freshly merged RF chipmaker a buy, but Wall Street analysts are not nearly as enthusiastic, and the company just slashed its dividend to fund the deal. Here is what both sides of the argument look…
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Hours after Skyworks Solutions (NASDAQ:SWKS | SWKS Price Prediction) completed its takeover of Qorvo (NASDAQ:QRVO), Jim Cramer told CNBC viewers the combined RF chipmaker is worth owning. He said so while also admitting that cellphone chips have been a tough part of the semiconductor market. On air, Cramer noted Skyworks “finally closed the deal with Qorvo” and added:
“I think the combination of the two is going to be a pretty good company. And I’d say you can buy Skyworks Solutions right here.”
In the same segment, he said the cellphone chip space “has been a bad area.”
Cramer’s Call Runs Well Ahead of Wall Street While Cramer was speaking, Skyworks traded at $81.73, down 2.6% on the day. The average analyst price target is $69.82, which sits below that quote. Ratings break down to 1 strong buy, 1 buy, 19 hold, 1 sell and 1 strong sell.
The valuation reflects how far earnings have fallen. Skyworks trades at a trailing P/E of 43, and quarterly earnings dropped 68.6% year over year. Its forward P/E of 18 shows that the market expects a recovery. The stock has gained 30.45% in 2026 and is still down 41.65% over five years. Cramer has some company: B. Riley upgraded Skyworks on the Qorvo deal the same morning.
What Skyworks Brings to the Combined Company In its fiscal third quarter, Skyworks earned $1.08 per share on a non-GAAP basis, ahead of the $0.65 consensus. Revenue of $934.8M fell 3.1%, and gross margin contracted to 44.9% from 47.1%. For the fourth quarter, management guided to $1.01B to $1.06B in revenue and $1.27 in EPS at the midpoint. Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) is still the biggest exposure, with its largest customer accounting for about 57% of revenue.
CEO Phil Brace set out the integration priorities during the July call:
“Our number one goal is to close this transaction as quickly as we can, get started on delivering the synergies, and prove to ourselves, our customers, and our stakeholders that we can deliver value from that transaction.”
Management is aiming synergies of $500 million or more. To prepare for the deal, Skyworks planned about $2.0 billion in acquisition debt, approved a new $2.0 billion buyback and dropped its $0.71 quarterly dividend.
Qorvo Holders Leave After a Strong Year Qorvo last traded at $114.17, up 35.1% for 2026. Its latest quarter delivered non-GAAP EPS of $1.64 against a $1.06 consensus, and gross margin expanded to 52.8%. High Performance Analog revenue rose 50.1%. CEO Bob Bruggeworth said:
“For full-year fiscal 2027, we continue to expect non-GAAP gross margin above 50% and now expect non-GAAP diluted earnings per share above $7.00.”
Skyworks gains Qorvo’s defense and data center growth, which could support the combined company’s 50-55% gross margin target.
Qualcomm Remains Cramer’s Top Phone Chip Pick Cramer still ranked Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) ahead of the combined company, calling it “the semiconductor that you want to buy that is most connected to cell phones.” Brace argues the cycle is turning: “What’s in the rearview mirror is content shrinking over time. What’s in the headlights and in the windshield now is RF content growing.”
For what comes next, keep an eye on the first combined earnings report, early progress on synergies, and whether Apple content losses stay in the low teens.
Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
ConocoPhillips v reakci na nevyžádanou nabídku zvažuje prodej svých norských aktiv a terminálu Teesside ve Spojeném království. Capital One Securities odhaduje jejich hodnotu na 7 mld. USD.
Key Takeaways ConocoPhillips is reviewing an unsolicited offer for its Norway business and Teesside terminal in the U.K.COP may unlock about $7 billion from a sale, with proceeds available for debt, returns or investments.ConocoPhillips will retain the assets if the offer fails to meet its valuation expectations. ConocoPhillips (COP - Free Report) is evaluating the potential sale of its Norway business and the Teesside terminal in the U.K. after receiving an unsolicited offer. According to Reuters, COP has not identified the bidder or disclosed financial terms, but said the review aligns with its portfolio optimization strategy and that it will retain the assets if the offer falls short of expectations.
Portfolio Optimization Takes Center StageConocoPhillips’ Norway operations include interests in multiple producing fields and licenses across the Norwegian continental shelf, while the Teesside terminal processes and exports crude oil and natural gas liquids delivered through the Norpipe system. A sale would reduce the company’s exposure to mature North Sea assets and provide additional flexibility to concentrate capital on higher-priority opportunities elsewhere in its portfolio.
Potential $7B Deal Adds Financial FlexibilityCapital One Securities estimates the combined value of the Norway business and Teesside terminal at about $7 billion, representing roughly 4% of ConocoPhillips’ $163-billion enterprise value. A transaction near that valuation would provide meaningful proceeds that COP can direct toward debt reduction, shareholder returns or investments in higher-return assets.
Valuation Discipline Remains ImportantThe unsolicited nature of the offer also places ConocoPhillips in a favorable negotiating position, as the company is not under pressure to sell. Management’s willingness to retain the assets if valuation expectations are not met highlights disciplined capital allocation.
What Investors Need to WatchFor investors, the key issue is whether any agreed sale price adequately reflects the assets’ cash-generating potential. A well-priced divestiture would strengthen COP’s business model and reinforce its focus on returns and capital efficiency.
COP’s Zacks Rank & Key PicksCOP currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Some better-ranked stocks in the energy sector are BP p.l.c. (BP - Free Report) , Cenovus Energy (CVE - Free Report) ) and Valero Energy (VLO - Free Report) , each currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
BP has a diversified presence across oil and gas exploration and production, refining, marketing, trading and low-carbon businesses. The global integrated giant is pursuing an aggressive portfolio simplification strategy similar to ConocoPhillips. BP has completed or initiated sales involving its Gelsenkirchen refinery, North Sea business, Archaea Energy and other holdings, while directing proceeds toward debt reduction and higher-return opportunities.
Calgary-based Cenovus Energy produces crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids, with operations spanning North America and international markets. CVE recently agreed to acquire Athabasca Oil Corporation for about C$5.7 billion, a deal expected to add roughly 45,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day and strengthen its oil sands portfolio.
Valero operates 14 petroleum refineries across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, with combined throughput capacity of roughly 3 million barrels per day. The company’s resilient refining footprint and strong profitability support disciplined shareholder returns, with VLO returning $2.6 billion to stockholders in the second quarter of 2026.
Cenovus Energy koupí Athabasca Oil v hodnotě 5,7 mld. USD v hotovosti a akciích, čímž zvýší produkci přibližně o 45 tisíc barelů ropného ekvivalentu denně a očekává roční synergie ve výši 85 mil. USD.
Key Takeaways Cenovus will add about 45 MBoe/d through its $5.7B acquisition of Athabasca Oil.Cenovus expects $85M in annual synergies, driven by operating expertise and portfolio alignment.The deal targets 115 MBPD of thermal production by 2032, while expanding its long-term resource runway. Cenovus Energy Inc.’s (CVE - Free Report) planned acquisition of Athabasca Oil Corporation strengthens its position in Canada’s oil sands by adding roughly 45 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day of production. The $5.7-billion cash-and-stock transaction brings Athabasca’s thermal assets near Cenovus’ Christina Lake, May River and Thornbury properties, improving portfolio alignment across a core resource area. The deal adds long-life assets, including Leismer and Corner, with Cenovus targeting a path toward 115 thousand barrels per day (MBPD) of thermal production by 2032.
A key advantage lies in applying Cenovus’ Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage (“SAGD”) operating expertise to Athabasca’s assets, with management targeting better reservoir performance, lower steam-to-oil ratios and faster resource recovery. Cenovus expects about $85 million in annual corporate and commercial synergies, with most of the benefits expected in the first full year after closing. The development plan includes expanding Leismer to 60 MBPD by 2032, adding production through asset optimization and accelerating Corner’s expansion by three years.
The acquisition expands Cenovus’ longer-term development runway through Athabasca’s undeveloped resources and future tieback opportunities at May River and Thornbury. Cenovus expects the transaction to be accretive to adjusted funds flow per share in 2027, while year-end 2026 pro forma net debt is projected at $5-$5.5 billion at strip pricing. The company’s $4-billion net debt target and existing returns-focused financial framework remain unchanged despite the transaction. The Athabasca acquisition reinforces Cenovus’ oil sands growth strategy by combining additional production, a deeper resource base, operating synergies and a broader pipeline of thermal development opportunities.
Acquisitions Add Scale to Energy Production GrowthAcquisitions are helping other large energy producers like Chevron Corporation (CVX - Free Report) and Diamondback Energy, Inc. (FANG - Free Report) expand production and strengthen core operating positions.
Chevron completed its Hess acquisition in July 2025, adding high-quality assets in Guyana and the Bakken to its upstream portfolio. In the second quarter of 2026, the energy giant reported record U.S. upstream production of nearly 2.1 million barrels of oil equivalent per day (MMBoe/d), while worldwide production increased 20% year over year. CVX achieved $1.5 billion of annual run-rate Hess-related synergies ahead of schedule, highlighting the contribution from the enlarged portfolio.
Diamondback Energy has expanded its Permian scale through acquisitions, including the Endeavor merger and Double Eagle transaction. The upstream company stated in its second-quarter 2026 update that production surpassed 1 MMBoe/d for the first time, while oil production reached 525 MBPD. FANG noted that compared with the second quarter of 2024, oil production per share had risen 21% since the Endeavor merger, underscoring the production benefits from its expanded asset base.
CVE’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesCenovus shares have risen 80.2% over the past year compared with the industry’s 72.3% growth.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, CVE trades at a trailing 12-month enterprise-value-to-EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) of 5.88X. This is below the broader industry average of 6.21X.
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The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CVE's 2026 earnings has remained constant over the past seven days.
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CVE currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Key Takeaways RKLB is broadening Space Systems with spacecraft, components and mission solutions across multiple orbits.RKLB's Space Systems growth is driven by spacecraft manufacturing and acquisitions.RKLB's IMM Apex solar cell expands its space-power offerings with higher efficiency and lower cell mass. Rocket Lab Corporation (RKLB - Free Report) shares have risen 13.6% over the past month, outperforming the Zacks Aerospace-Defense Equipment industry’s decline of 5%. The company is driving growth by expanding its Space Systems portfolio, scaling spacecraft manufacturing and strengthening its vertically integrated capabilities.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Meanwhile, stocks like Curtiss-Wright Corporation (CW - Free Report) and TransDigm Group Inc. (TDG - Free Report) have underperformed the industry during the same period. Shares of CW and TDG have fallen 4.6% and 6%, respectively.
With RKLB shares gaining over the past month, investors may have positive views. Let’s examine the factors and assess the stock’s investment prospects to make an informed decision.
Factors Boosting RKLB Stock's GrowthRocket Lab is expanding its Space Systems business through a broad portfolio of spacecraft, spacecraft components and mission solutions. Its offerings include solar power solutions, composite structures, reaction wheels, star trackers, radios, separation systems, batteries and optical systems, with spacecraft platforms designed for low Earth orbit, medium Earth orbit, geosynchronous orbit and interplanetary missions. The company’s vertical integration and ability to manufacture critical spacecraft components for both its platforms and the broader merchant market provide multiple avenues to address growing demand across the space economy.
RKLB delivered strong financial growth in the second quarter of 2026, with total revenues rising 62% year over year to $234.1 million. Space Systems revenues increased 94% to $189.5 million, primarily driven by spacecraft manufacturing growth and acquisitions, while segment gross profit more than doubled to $65.5 million. Rocket Lab ended June with $2.36 billion in backlog, providing meaningful visibility into future revenues.
In September 2026, Rocket Lab announced the production release of IMM Apex, its next-generation solar cell designed to improve spacecraft power performance while reducing reliance on germanium. The product delivers 31.5% beginning-of-life efficiency with 40% lower cell mass and serves as a mechanical and electrical drop-in replacement for heritage germanium-based cells, potentially reducing customer retooling needs. With more than a decade of IMM technology heritage and above 1,100 satellites powered by Rocket Lab solar products, IMM Apex could further strengthen its position in the space power market.
Earnings Estimates for RKLB StockThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for RKLB’s 2026 earnings per share (EPS) indicates a rise of 50% over the past 60 days.
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The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Curtiss-Wright’s 2026 EPS calls for a jump of 0.33% in the past 60 days. The estimate for TransDigm Group’s fiscal 2026 EPS implies an increase of 3.36% over the same period.
Debt Position of RKLBCurrently, Rocket Lab’s total debt to capital is 0.83%, lower than the industry’s average of 61.13%. It indicates that the company can run its business efficiently with much lower debt levels than its industry peers.
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Liquidity Position of RKLBRKLB has a current ratio of 5.48 compared with its industry’s average of 2.06. The ratio, being more than one, indicates that RKLB possesses sufficient capital to pay off its short-term debt obligations.
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Its industry peers, Curtiss-Wright and TransDigm Group, also maintain current ratios above one. CW has a current ratio of 1.6, while TDG holds 3.02.
RKLB Stock Trades at a PremiumRocket Lab is currently trading at 35.25X, a premium compared to its industry’s 7.04X on a forward 12-month Price/Sales basis.
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What Should an Investor Do?Rocket Lab is broadening its growth opportunities through a diverse Space Systems portfolio and continued innovation in spacecraft technologies. The rollout of IMM Apex, alongside its established solar and spacecraft component capabilities, could help the company capture increasing demand for advanced space infrastructure.
Given RKLB’s strong share price performance, improving earnings estimates, lower debt levels and healthy liquidity position, investors may consider including this Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) stock in their portfolios at current levels. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Dick's Sporting Goods vyplatila v první polovině fiskálního roku 2026 na dividendách 224,75 mil. USD, zatímco volné peněžní toky činily jen 48,8 mil. USD.
Dick's Sporting Goods has raised its dividend for years straight, but the Foot Locker acquisition has nearly wiped out free cash flow this year, and guidance cuts are piling pressure on the payout at the worst possible time.
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Dick’s Sporting Goods (NYSE:DKS | DKS Price Prediction) pays $1.25 per share each quarter, or $5.00 annualized. At $136.73, that works out to a yield of about 3.7%. The yield is that high partly because the shares are down 29.44% year to date. The Foot Locker deal is currently cutting into margins, cash and EPS, so income investors should ask whether the core retailer can carry the payout on its own.
A Raise Record Built Over Several Years The dividend history backs up the reputation. The quarterly payout went from $0.4875 in 2022 to $1.00 in 2023, then $1.10 in 2024 and $1.2125 in 2025. The March 2026 increase was only about 3%, the smallest step in that run.
Free Cash Flow Has Thinned Out In the fiscal year ended January 2026, operating cash flow was $1.62 billion and capex was $1.14 billion. That left about $481.6 million of free cash flow to cover $413.9 million in dividends. Through the first half of fiscal 2026, operating cash flow beat capex by only $48.8 million, while dividends were $224.75 million.
Cash fell 25.8% year over year to $913.7 million. The company had no debt on its $2 billion credit facility. Buybacks were zero in the second quarter, so the payout was protected and the repurchase program took the cut.
Earnings Coverage Still Holds Management lowered its fiscal 2026 non-GAAP EPS guidance to $11.00 to $12.00, down from $13.50 to $14.50. Even at the lower range, the dividend takes about 42% to 45% of earnings. The core business continues to grow. Chief Executive Lauren Hobart said:
“Importantly, our growth outpaced the broader industry by nearly 200 basis points, reinforcing our ability to strengthen our leadership position and gain market share.”
Foot Locker is moving the other way. Its pro forma comps fell 3.6%, and the company now expects pre-tax charges of up to $750 million, with $516 million already recognized. Executive Chairman Ed Stack called it “temporary,” adding, “We’re going to go through a little bit of pain.”
How Academy and Nike Compare Academy Sports and Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO) pays a smaller $0.15 quarterly dividend. It raised its adjusted free cash flow outlook to $300 million to $350 million against capex of $200 million to $240 million. A light capex budget leaves Academy with plenty of room.
Nike (NYSE:NKE) shows why Foot Locker is under pressure. Nike’s revenue fell 4.3% to $11.21 billion, footwear sales dropped 6%, and the company expects fiscal 2027 revenue to decline high-single digits.
What a Spending Pullback Would Mean For the DICK’S Business segment, guidance calls for $1.54 billion to $1.60 billion in profit. That compares with a Foot Locker loss of $80 million to $40 million. Management expects gross margin pressure to be most pronounced in Q3. If sporting goods spending slows, the company can pull back on capex, which is forecast at about $1.6 billion gross. Buybacks would be the next thing cut, ahead of the dividend.
Answer: The Core Business Can Fund the Dividend The core DICK’S business makes enough to pay the dividend. The payout uses less than half of even the reduced earnings guidance. The weak spot is cash flow. Heavy spending and Foot Locker charges have left almost no free cash after capex this year, so investors should watch third-quarter cash flow and Foot Locker’s losses. Until both improve, expect small raises at best.
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Northrop Grumman získal zakázku v hodnotě 66 milionů USD na modernizaci, materiál a náhradní díly pro bezpilotní letouny MQ-4C Triton amerického námořnictva a australského letectva.
Key Takeaways Northrop Grumman won a $66 million order for MQ-4C Triton retrofits, materials and spares.The award covers 33 engineering change proposals for the U.S. Navy and Royal Australian Air Force.NOC could gain recurring demand from Triton sustainment, modernization and expanding unmanned-system interest. Northrop Grumman (NOC - Free Report) continues to benefit from rising demand for unmanned aircraft systems as the U.S. Navy and its allies expand their intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities. The company recently received a $66 million delivery order for engineering retrofits, materials and spares for fielded MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft systems.
The award covers 17 engineering change proposals for the U.S. Navy and 16 for the Royal Australian Air Force. The work is designed to improve fleet standardization and mission readiness and is expected to be completed by June 2030. The program also highlights growing international cooperation around advanced unmanned aircraft.
The MQ-4C Triton is a high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft designed to provide persistent maritime surveillance and intelligence. Its ability to operate for extended periods helps the Navy monitor large areas and support missions that require continuous situational awareness.
The contract also demonstrates the recurring opportunities available through the sustainment and modernization of deployed unmanned systems. Engineering changes, upgrades and spares can generate continued demand as the Triton fleet expands and evolves to meet changing mission requirements.
Northrop Grumman’s established position in the Triton program, combined with increasing interest in unmanned systems among the United States and its allies, could support long-term growth. Continued investment in autonomous aircraft and persistent surveillance capabilities should provide additional opportunities across the company’s unmanned systems portfolio.
Defense Stocks to Keep on the RadarGrowing demand for unmanned aircraft and persistent surveillance capabilities could also benefit other defense companies with established autonomous systems portfolios.
AeroVironment (AVAV - Free Report) : AeroVironment develops unmanned aircraft and autonomous systems for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. Its portfolio includes long-endurance platforms and advanced unmanned systems designed for defense and security applications.
Kratos Defense (KTOS - Free Report) : Kratos develops unmanned aerial systems and autonomous technologies for defense applications. Its portfolio includes high-performance unmanned aircraft designed to support surveillance, testing and advanced combat missions.
The Zacks Rundown for NOCShares of NOC have lost 13.2% in the past three months compared with the industry’s 14.7% decline.
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The company's shares are trading at a discount on a relative basis, with its forward 12-month Price/Sales being 1.46X compared with its industry’s average of 2.12X.
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The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NOC’s 2026 and 2027 earnings has remained the same over the past 60 days.
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NOC stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
McKesson investuje přibližně 1,4 miliardy USD za podíl přibližně 49 % ve společnosti Option Care Health; transakce oceňuje společnost na 5,8 miliardy USD.
What happened McKesson Corporation (NYSE: MCK) said on October 6, 2026, it signed a definitive agreement with Clayton, Dubilier Rice, LLC and Option Care Health, Inc. CD R will hold about 51% of Option Care Health and McKesson will invest about $1.4 billion for a minority interest of about 49%. The deal values Option Care Health at about $5.8 billion and assigns a premium of about 37% to its October 5, 2026 closing share price.
Option Care Health is an independent provider of home and alternate site infusion services. It will remain a separate company led by its own management team. The agreement also sets a framework for McKesson's future acquisition of CD R's interest, subject to specified conditions and regulatory approvals. After closing, McKesson plans to use equity method accounting and record its share of Option Care Health's net income or loss in Other Income, net.
Key numbers Metric Latest Change Source Price per share $32.05 per share Joint news release Enterprise value approximately $5.8 billion Joint news release McKesson investment approximately $1.4 billion Joint news release CD R majority interest approximately 51% Joint news release McKesson minority interest approximately 49% Joint news release Premium to October 5, 2026 close approximately 37% Joint news release Read more: McKesson (MCK) stock analysis and investment case Why it matters OptimistFi's case is that McKesson's scale in North American drug distribution and specialty oncology services will keep converting healthcare volume into rising profit and cash despite very thin wholesale margins. This agreement strengthens that view by extending McKesson into home and alternate site infusion services. The filing says the company wants to improve access and advance care in lower-cost community settings, at or closer to home.
OptimistFi calculates that McKesson's about $1.4 billion commitment equals about 24.1% of the transaction's approximately $5.8 billion enterprise value. That is a large check for a minority interest. The 37% premium may help win support, but the deal remains subject to approvals. McKesson says it may not achieve the expected benefits, and the transaction may be delayed or may not be completed.
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What's next The next dated milestone is Option Care Health's third quarter 2026 results on November 4, 2026. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of calendar year 2027, subject to Option Care Health stockholder approval and required regulatory approvals. If those approvals land on time, Option Care Health's common stock will no longer be publicly listed on Nasdaq. If they do not, the deal may be delayed or may not be completed.
More from OptimistFi MCK stock: the McKesson thesis, its status and the next test to watch United States Brent Oil Fund, LP (NYSE Arca: BNO) Tracks a Supply Gap Alpha Teknova, Inc. (NASDAQ: TKNO) Adds Regulatory Support for PluriFreeze Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ: META) Has a Conditional $18 Billion Bill Stock research on every company OptimistFi covers Latest stock research and investment-case updates OptimistFi: evidence-first equity research Sources Joint news release — McKesson, CD R and Option Care Health announced the definitive agreement and deal terms. McKesson Form 8-K — McKesson filed the Regulation FD disclosure on October 6, 2026. Read the full OptimistFi thesis on McKesson Corporation: https://optimistfi.com/stocks/MCK
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Browse every company OptimistFi covers at optimistfi.com/stocks, or read the latest evidence-first research.
The full McKesson Corporation investment case, its status and the next test to watch live on the McKesson Corporation thesis page.
Originally published on OptimistFi, evidence-first equity research. More at optimistfi.com.
Key Takeaways Generac's C&I sales surged 29%, prompting management to project low-30% growth for 2026.GNRC won two multiyear hyperscale supply deals, including $700M in product commitments for 2027.GNRC expects $450M in 2026 data center revenues, but tariff volatility and C&I mix could pressure margins. Generac Holdings Inc. (GNRC - Free Report) is becoming a major supplier of power-generation equipment for Commercial and Industrial (C&I) customers, particularly the rapidly expanding data center market. In the second quarter, C&I sales jumped 29% year over year to $556.5 million, driven by ramping revenues from products sold into the global data center market. C&I adjusted EBITDA margin expanded to 14.6% from 12.4% in the prior-year quarter, led by tariff refunds and operating discipline, partly offset by unfavorable mix and growth investments. Following its second-quarter performance, management projected low-30% C&I sales growth for 2026 compared with its earlier mid-to-high-20% expectation.
The driving force behind Generac's C&I acceleration is the data center industry. AI infrastructure is driving extraordinary demand for electricity and backup power. Data centers cannot tolerate prolonged power interruptions, making large-scale standby generation an increasingly critical component of infrastructure planning. Generac is benefiting directly from this trend. During the quarter, it generated more than $100 million in data center revenues and secured two multiyear supply agreements with hyperscale customers. The first agreement includes nearly $700 million in product commitments for 2027, while the second is in the final stages of negotiations for 2027 and 2028 deliveries. These deals validate GNRC’s position as a top-tier C&I backup power supplier.
GNRC now expects nearly $450 million in 2026 data center revenues, up from its previous forecast, with the growing backlog providing greater visibility into accelerating C&I sales growth in 2027. However, C&I mix and tariff volatility could squeeze margins. Despite a sharp increase in gross margin to 44.5% from 39.3%, tariff refunds drove most of the improvement, adding roughly six percentage points. Excluding these benefits, 2026 gross margin is expected near the low end of the prior 38.5-39.5% range. A rising C&I mix could further weigh on profitability, as these products generally carry lower margins than residential offerings, while higher input costs and tariff volatility could add further pressure.
Intense Rivalry Poses a Risk to GNRC’s C&I GrowthCaterpillar Inc. (CAT - Free Report) outlook is supported by broad demand across construction, mining and power markets, with rising sales to users and a record backlog improving revenue visibility. It continues to invest in digital capabilities, connected assets, services and more productive equipment to deepen customer relationships beyond new-machine sales. CAT targets services revenues of $30 billion by 2030, up from $24 billion in 2025. Caterpillar is also extending its digital and AI capabilities through its Cat AI Assistant, its expanded collaboration with NVIDIA, RPMGlobal and Skycatch. These initiatives add software, spatial analytics and AI tools that can improve equipment interaction, mine planning and operating decisions.
Cummins Inc. (CMI - Free Report) is benefiting from sustained data center power demand, supported by multiyear backup power commitments and prime power expansion. Firmer North American truck demand and Engine and Components outlooks add support, while energy-transition investments and disciplined capital returns strengthen the long-term case. It is also widening its data center role through natural gas generation and microgrid solutions. Cummins is advancing its long-term growth and decarbonization strategy through targeted investment in lower-emission technologies. Its HELM approach now includes a phased launch of the model-year 2027 X15 and X10 engines, while legacy platforms remain available during the transition.
GNRC Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesShares of GNRC have surged 14.8% in the past month, while the sub-industry is up 0.4%.
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GNRC is trading at a forward 12-month price/earnings ratio of 18.82X, lower than the industry’s multiple of 20.51X.
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The Zacks Consensus Estimate for GNRC earnings for 2026 has been revised up marginally over the past 60 days.
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GNRC 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 Dollar Tree's Q2 comps rose 3.7% as average ticket gained 3.3% and traffic increased 0.4%.Multi-price penetration reached 17% of sales, while consumables comps rose 5.8% and discretionary sales 1.6%.Management sees better assortments, store standards and marketing sustaining traffic as ticket comps toughen. Dollar Tree, Inc. (DLTR - Free Report) appears to be finding a healthier growth formula as improving traffic begins to complement ticket gains. The retailer entered the second half with strengthening customer engagement, better store execution and a broader assortment that is drawing shoppers across income groups. With traffic turning positive earlier than expected and momentum building through the second quarter, the focus now shifts to whether these operational improvements can keep store visits rising as the benefit from prior pricing actions starts to moderate.
The numbers support that improving trend. Second-quarter comparable-store sales advanced 3.7%, driven by a 3.3% increase in average ticket and a 0.4% rise in traffic. Dollar Tree now expects full-year comparable sales growth of 3%-4%. Multi-price penetration also increased about 400 basis points year over year to 17% of total sales, while consumables delivered a 5.8% comp and discretionary sales rose 1.6%. These metrics suggest that growth is becoming broader, with traffic increasingly contributing alongside pricing and assortment gains.
The bigger test will come in the back half, when ticket comparisons become tougher and traffic is expected to carry more of the growth burden. Management believes better assortments, improved store standards and stronger marketing can sustain customer visits, and it was encouraged by the start of the third quarter. However, higher freight costs, elevated fuel prices and broad-based merchandise inflation could pressure profitability. Sustained traffic gains will therefore be important not only for meeting the comp outlook but also for supporting operating leverage and longer-term earnings growth.
DLTR’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesShares of this Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) company have gained 6.4% in the past six months against the industry’s loss of 5.7%.
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From a valuation standpoint, DLTR trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 14.22X compared with the industry’s average of 27.14X.
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The Zacks Consensus Estimate for DLTR’s current fiscal-year sales and earnings implies year-over-year growth of 6.6% and 36.4%, respectively. For the next fiscal year, the consensus estimate indicates a 6.1% rise in sales and 1.7% growth in earnings. The company’s EPS estimate for fiscal 2026 and fiscal 2027 has increased in the past seven days.
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Other Key PicksFIGS, Inc. (FIGS - Free Report) is an apparel company focused on the healthcare industry. Its offerings include lab coats, jackets, footwear, bags, socks and other accessories used by healthcare professionals. The company carries a Zacks Rank of 2 at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for FIGS’ current financial-year earnings and sales indicates growth of 89.5% and 19.8%, respectively, from the year-ago actuals. FIGS delivered a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 201.8%.
Boot Barn Holdings, Inc. (BOOT - Free Report) is the largest lifestyle retailer in the United States, specializing in western and work-related footwear, apparel and accessories. The company also carries a Zacks Rank of 2 at present.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Boot Barn’s current fiscal-year earnings and sales indicates growth of 23.5% and 15.7%, respectively, from the year-ago actuals. BOOT delivered a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 11.4%.
Fossil Group, Inc. (FOSL - Free Report) is involved in designing, marketing and distributing consumer fashion accessories. It currently carries a Zacks Rank of 2.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Fossil Group’s current fiscal-year earnings indicates growth of 96.7% from the year-ago actuals. FOSL delivered an earnings surprise of 55.2% in the last reported quarter.
Společnost Neogen navázala strategickou spolupráci s Hinalea Imaging a uskutečnila do ní kapitálovou investici s cílem vyvíjet digitální řešení pro kontrolu bezpečnosti a kvality potravin.
Neogen Announces Strategic Collaboration with Hinalea Imaging to Advance Digital Food Safety Solutions Neogen® Corporation (NASDAQ: NEOG), a global leader in food safety solutions, is advancing its innovation strategy by combining deep food safety expertise with emerging technologies to introduce novel solutions to the Food Safety industry that address evolving customer challenges. As part of that strategy, Neogen today announced a strategic collaboration with and an equity investment in Hinalea Imaging Corp. to develop digital imaging solutions for food safety and quality inspection.
Neogen and Hinalea have worked together since 2025 to evaluate applications for hyperspectral imaging in food safety. Building on that work, the companies plan to jointly develop solutions that could improve inspection and testing workflows and help customers interpret results faster and more consistently. Neogen’s equity investment and shared development costs are intended to accelerate the development of Hinalea’s technology for food safety applications.
“Food producers need solutions that deliver reliable information sooner and reduce the manual work involved in testing and inspection,” said Jeremy Yarwood, Chief Scientific Officer of Neogen. “We believe Hinalea’s imaging technology offers a promising way to address those needs practically and economically. This investment provides an opportunity to deepen our collaboration and develop digital capabilities that bring Neogen’s food safety expertise into new inspection workflows.”
Hyperspectral imaging captures information across a range of wavelengths to help assess product characteristics that conventional images may not reveal. Combined with analytical tools and machine learning, hyperspectral imaging has the potential to support more automated measurement, counting and classification in food safety and quality applications. The two companies will continue to evaluate where the technology can deliver meaningful benefits within customer workflows.
“Food safety and quality inspection are shifting toward digital, connected and increasingly automated workflows,” said Barry McDonogh, CEO of Hinalea Imaging. “Neogen’s investment validates both our technology and our shared vision for the future of food inspection. Together, we believe intelligent imaging can transform how food companies measure and control food quality and safety.”
About Neogen
Neogen Corporation is committed to fueling a brighter future for global food security through the advancement of human and animal well-being. Harnessing the power of science and technology, Neogen has developed comprehensive solutions spanning the Food Safety, Livestock, and Pet Health & Wellness markets. A world leader in these fields, Neogen has a presence in over 140 countries with a dedicated network of scientists and technical experts focused on delivering optimized products and technology for its customers.
About Hinalea Imaging
Hinalea Imaging develops intelligent hyperspectral imaging solutions combining advanced spectral imaging, analytics and machine learning to enable enhanced and automated inspection. Its technology converts spectral information into actionable intelligence across food safety and quality, industrial inspection, healthcare and advanced manufacturing. For more information, visit www.hinalea.ai.
This press release contains forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the “PSLRA”). Neogen intends that such forward-looking statements be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in the PSLRA. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, all statements that are not historical facts, including, without limitation, statements containing a projection of revenues, operating expenses, planned capital expenditures, or other financial items; any statement of the plans and objectives of management for future operations; the ability of Neogen and Hinalea to jointly develop solutions that could automate parts of inspection and testing and help customers interpret results faster and more consistently; the potential benefits of the collaboration with and investment in Hinalea; the ability of Hinalea’s hyperspectral imaging technology to address the needs of food producers and to transform how food companies measure and control food quality and safety; and any statement of the assumptions underlying or relating to any such statement. Words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “can,” “continue,” “estimate,” “expect,” “may,” “on track,” “plan,” “potential,” “will,” or other words that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes are used to identify these forward-looking statements.
These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, including, but not limited to: the continued integration of the 3M food safety business and the realization of the expected benefits from that acquisition; the relationship with and performance of our transition manufacturing partner; competition; recruitment and retention of key employees; impact of weather on agriculture and food production; global business disruption caused by geopolitical conflicts and related sanctions, such as the Russia-Ukraine war and the conflict in the Middle East; identification and integration of acquisitions; research and development risks; intellectual property protection; increasing and developing government regulation; and company litigation. These and other important risk factors are described more fully in the Risk Factors sections and other sections of Neogen’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended May 31, 2026; Neogen’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Neogen’s other filings with the SEC, including any Current Reports on Form 8-K. In light of these risks and uncertainties, the events and circumstances discussed in such forward-looking statements may not occur, and Neogen’s actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated or implied thereby. There can be no assurance that the forward-looking statements contained in this press release will prove to be accurate.
You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release and are based on information available to Neogen as of the date of this press release. Except as required by applicable law, Neogen does not undertake, and expressly disclaims, any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. If Neogen does update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that Neogen will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements. This cautionary statement is applicable to all forward-looking statements contained in this press release and in any oral statements made by or on behalf of Neogen.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261006691235/en/
Disclosures I/we have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and have no plans to buy any new positions in the stocks mentioned within the next 72 hours.
Čisté předepsané pojistné AFG v segmentu specializovaného neživotního pojištění vzrostlo ve druhém čtvrtletí 2026 meziročně o 6 %, a to díky novým obchodům a vyššímu objemu pojištěného rizika.
Key Takeaways AFG's Specialty P&C premiums rose 6%, supported by growth across all three business groups. Specialty Financial grew 10% despite renewal pricing falling by less than 1%, highlighting growth drivers. AFG's diversified specialty portfolio could help sustain 5-6% premium growth as the market softens. American Financial Group, Inc. (AFG - Free Report) has a reasonable chance of keeping premium growth above the broader P&C market in the near term, but the source of that outperformance is likely to shift from pricing toward new business, exposure growth and market-share gains.
AFG’s performance in the second quarter of 2026 results support this view. Specialty P&C net written premiums increased 6% year over year, versus a broader U.S. P&C market where premium growth has flattened. AFG achieved growth across each of its three Specialty P&C groups, helped by new business opportunities, increased exposures and favorable renewal pricing. Its 36-business diversification is particularly useful as individual markets soften.
The mix of AFG's businesses is the key advantage. Property & Transportation NWP rose 5%, Specialty Casualty increased 6%, and Specialty Financial grew 10% in the second quarter. The financial group generated 10% premium growth even though renewal pricing declined by less than 1%, demonstrating that AFG can grow without relying entirely on rate increases.
However, maintaining a growth rate of more than 6% becomes harder as the market moves further into a softer phase. According to Marsh, U.S. commercial insurance rates declined 2% in second-quarter 2026. Swiss Re expects U.S. P&C premium growth to slow to around 3% in 2026, reinforcing the potential for AFG to outperform the industry if it continues to capture business selectively.
AFG's premium growth can remain above the broader market because its specialty-focused portfolio gives it access to niches that are still experiencing stronger demand and pricing. If AFG can maintain roughly 5-6% NWP growth while preserving its underwriting discipline, that would demonstrate that its growth is becoming less dependent on the insurance pricing cycle.
What About Other Insurers?W.R. Berkley Corporation (WRB - Free Report) offers a useful example of how a specialty insurer can maintain premium growth even as pricing moderates. In the second quarter of 2026, WRB’s Insurance segment gross written premiums grew across several specialty businesses. Importantly, renewal rate increases were more moderate, indicating that premium growth is increasingly being driven by exposure growth, new business and favorable business mix, rather than rate increases alone. WRB’s diversified specialty platform lets it deploy capacity selectively to markets offering attractive risk-adjusted returns while reducing exposure where pricing becomes inadequate. This suggests that insurers with strong specialty franchises and disciplined underwriting can potentially sustain above-market premium growth even as the broader P&C pricing cycle softens.
Chubb Limited (CB - Free Report) provides another example of an insurer that can potentially maintain above-market premium growth as pricing moderates, supported by its diversified geographic and product mix. The company’s broad specialty, commercial, personal and international platforms allow it to capture exposure growth and new-business opportunities even as renewal pricing becomes less favorable. Chubb’s ability to shift capacity toward markets with stronger demand and attractive returns also reduces its dependence on broad-based rate increases. Consequently, investors will likely focus on whether exposure growth, new business, international expansion and favorable mix can increasingly offset moderating renewal pricing and help Chubb sustain premium growth above the broader P&C market.
AFG’s Price PerformanceShares of AFG have gained 2% in the year-to-date period, outperforming the industry.
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AFG’s OvervaluationThe stock is overvalued compared with its industry. It is currently trading at a price-to-book value multiple of 2.4, higher than the industry average of 1.37. It carries a Value Score of B.
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Estimate Movement for AFGThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for AFG’s third-quarter 2026 has moved up 19.4%, and the fourth-quarter 2026 EPS has moved down 0.3% in the past 60 days. The same for full-year 2026 and 2027 EPS has moved up 8.1% and 0.2%, respectively, in the past 60 days.
A worker on a high-voltage electrical grid needs a label that can survive extreme heat, chemical exposure, and decades of weathering without fading into illegibility. Brady (BRC -0.22%) is the silent, essential engine behind that safety. Based in Milwaukee since 1914, the company manufactures the specialized identification, safety signage, and workflow software that keep complex industrial, healthcare, and electronic environments running. As of Oct. 6, 2026, the stock trades at $85.90, up 13% over the past year.
Our proprietary Hidden Gems scoring system assigns Brady an overall Superscore of 80 out of 100, placing it in the Strong category. The Superscore is an AI-powered metric that evaluates a company's overall strength by combining financial performance, product-market position, technological capabilities, leadership quality, and relative valuation. It represents the unification of all our scores into a single score for public companies, with five rating bands: Exceptional (90-100), Strong (75-89), Above Average (60-74), Average (40-59), and Cautious (0-39).
This score places the company in the top ~10% of every company we score. This analysis pairs the strengths driving that score with the risks that cap it, providing a starting point for your own due diligence.
Premium Feature
Moneyball Superscore
78/100
Today's Change
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Why BRC Has an 80 SuperscoreStrong revenue growth: The company achieved 10% year-over-year revenue growth in fiscal 2026, reaching nearly $1.7 billion, demonstrating its ability to scale in a competitive industrial landscape.Robust profit margins: Gross margin expanded to 52% in fiscal 2026, evidence that its specialized materials science and integrated identification systems command real pricing power.Consistent innovation investment: Management funneled $94 million into R&D during fiscal 2026 to develop proprietary printing and software systems that sustain the company's long-term competitive moat.Strategic platform expansion: The $1.4 billion acquisition of Honeywell's Productivity Solutions and Services business in August 2026 immediately secured a number two market position in the data capture sector.Operational cash efficiency: Operating cash flow surged 35% in fiscal 2026, indicating the company successfully converts its manufacturing output into liquid capital.Why Is BRC's Superscore Not Higher?Elevated integration risk: The massive $1.4 billion debt-financed acquisition of the PSS business creates meaningful execution pressure while the company works to realize $25 million in annual cost synergies.Absence of an AI advantage: The business lacks a defensible proprietary data moat, leaving it disconnected from the software-driven intelligence rapidly transforming modern industrial productivity.Full valuation levels: The trailing P/E of 20 leaves is not inexpensive and requires the company to keep growing earnings. If company guidance fails to materialize or if the macro environment for industrial spend cools, the stock could fall.Opaque governance structure: The concentration of voting control among founding descendants limits shareholder alignment, which complicates the leadership structure for public investors.Brady earns a high return on net tangible assets, which means it generates significant profit from a relatively small base of physical machinery and equipment. This capital efficiency allows it to compound returns on invested capital, often justifying a valuation premium when the company successfully translates its growth into outsize cash generation.
Table 1: Hidden Gems Database Scores for Brady (BRC)ScoreScore (out of 100)RankSupporting Data PointProduct (1Y)85Top ~11%Revenue growth reached 10% in fiscal 2026, supported by strong demand in electronics and datacenter markets.Product (5Y)78Top ~14%The company maintained a 6% revenue CAGR from 2022 to 2026 through disciplined R&D and targeted M&A.Financial (1Y)84Top ~8%Operating cash flow rose 35% in fiscal 2026, reflecting peak efficiency in cash generation.Financial (5Y)69Top ~25%Debt-to-equity ratios remained conservative, consistently staying below 0.15 throughout the period.Leaders78Top ~23%Management successfully transitioned to a new CEO in 2026 while providing detailed guidance on acquisition accretion.AI14Bottom ~11%The business operates as a legacy manufacturer without a scalable data product or proprietary AI-native moat.Valuation Risk67Top ~30%The stock trades at a trailing P/E of 20, representing a fair valuation for an established industrial operator.Is BRC Right For Your Portfolio?This stock warrants a closer look if...
You prioritize long-term stability and income from companies with a track record of supporting industrial stocks through consistent dividend growth.You value industrial operators that maintain high gross margins through proprietary materials science and integrated safety workflows.You may want to keep researching before buying if...
You are uncomfortable with the execution risks involved in integrating a massive $1.4 billion acquisition.You seek exposure to high-growth tech or AI-native firms rather than traditional, hardware-centric identification businesses.The Superscore is a data-driven signal worth investigating, but it remains one component of your total analysis; always weigh these findings against your personal financial goals and risk tolerance before taking action.
My 5-year prediction for BRC stockThis company has a consistent operating history, with revenue growth accelerating over the last few years. Margins have also steadily improved for several years, indicating a solid competitive position and solid cost management. The stock could deliver marginal outperformance relative to the market over the next five years.
Brady is benefiting from a razor-and-blade business model, in which it sells industrial printers that generate recurring, profitable revenue from consumable products. It also sells across multiple industries, with no single sector accounting for more than 5% of total revenue.
The recent acquisition expands Brady's addressable market by $14 billion. This will benefit Brady by adding another recurring revenue stream from software and services.
Overall, analysts expect the company's earnings to grow at an annualized rate of 11% in the coming years. At a P/E of 20, the stock seems fairly valued and could deliver satisfactory returns over the next five years.
The Hidden Gems Superscore reflects The Motley Fool's proprietary AI-driven evaluation of a company across product, financial, leadership, and valuation pillars as of the article date and may change over time. Performance figures are point-in-time. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Merit Medical očekává ve třetím čtvrtletí roku 2026 tržby ve výši 410,4 milionu USD, meziročně vyšší o 6,8 %, a EPS ve výši 1,04 USD, což představuje růst o 13 %.
Key Takeaways Merit Medical's diversified portfolio and recent launches support growth across high-value procedures.WRAPSODY offers a longer-term dialysis access opportunity as Merit Medical works to rebuild adoption.Tariffs, reimbursement delays, pricing pressure and China weakness could weigh on Merit Medical's margins. Merit Medical Systems, Inc. (MMSI - Free Report) is well-poised for growth in the coming quarters, courtesy of its strong product portfolio. The optimism, led by solid product performance, global expansion and strategic M&A, is expected to contribute further. However, tariffs and trade policy headwinds and China macro pressure persist.
This Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) company’s shares have lost 1.2% in the year-to-date period against the industry’s 4.7% growth and the S&P 500’s 13.1% rise.
The renowned medical device provider has a market capitalization of $5.10 billion. The company projects 10.4% growth for the next five years and expects to maintain its strong performance going forward. It delivered an average earnings surprise of 14.1% for the past four quarters.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Let’s delve deeper.
MMSI’s Growth DriversBroadening Product Portfolio: Merit Medical is strengthening growth prospects through a diversified portfolio spanning cardiology, radiology, oncology, endoscopy, critical care and renal therapies. Recent launches such as the Resilience Through-the-Scope Esophageal Stent and SCOUT MD, along with the acquisition of View Point Medical and integration of Biolife, are expanding its presence across high-value procedures. The company is also advancing C2 CryoBalloon production and developing new technologies, supporting a more balanced and innovative product mix.
WRAPSODY Adoption Opportunity: WRAPSODY Cell-Impermeable Endoprosthesis represents a significant longer-term opportunity in dialysis access management. Clinical data from the WAVE trial demonstrated durable patency benefits versus balloon angioplasty, supporting the device’s clinical proposition. Merit Medical is working to rebuild account activity following the recall and expand adoption across hospital and non-hospital settings. Continued physician engagement and positive feedback on the delivery system could gradually strengthen WRAPSODY’s contribution to renal therapies.
Innovation, Global Expansion and Strategic M&A: Merit Medical’s continued investment in R&D provides a pipeline for renewing and expanding its product franchises. Its development model incorporates physician feedback while management’s 2027-2029 strategic planning process is prioritizing attractive product opportunities and potential tuck-in acquisitions. The company’s international presence across Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and other markets provides additional avenues for commercialization. A focused M&A and capital-allocation strategy could further strengthen its exposure to high-growth procedures.
Key Challenges for MMSI StockTariffs and Cost Pressure: Tariffs represent a significant challenge because they can raise manufacturing, sourcing and distribution costs. Management reportedly included approximately $16 million of tariff costs in its 2026 earnings outlook, creating a direct risk to profitability if trade restrictions intensify or cost increases cannot be passed on to customers. Tariff uncertainty can also make quarterly margins less predictable. Higher costs could offset benefits from favorable product mix, productivity initiatives or revenue growth.
Reimbursement, Pricing and International Weakness: The adoption of premium products such as WRAPSODY depends partly on reimbursement decisions and the timing of broader payer coverage. Delays could slow commercialization and reduce expected revenue growth. Merit Medical also faces pricing pressure from hospitals, group purchasing organizations and China’s volume-based procurement system. China pricing may remain difficult, and weaker OEM demand can make revenues more volatile. These pressures may limit margin expansion even if procedure volumes remain healthy, particularly in international and OEM businesses.
Estimate TrendMMSI is witnessing a stable estimate revision trend for 2026. In the past 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings per share (EPS) has remained unchanged at $4.30.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s third-quarter 2026 revenues is pegged at $410.4 million, suggesting a 6.8% rise from the year-ago reported number. The consensus mark for EPS is pegged at $1.04, implying 13% growth from the prior-year reported figure.
Other Stocks to ConsiderSome other top-ranked stocks from the broader medical space are OPKO Health (OPK - Free Report) , Globus Medical (GMED - Free Report) and West Pharmaceutical (WST - Free Report) .
OPKO Health, currently sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), has an estimated earnings growth rate of 23.3% for 2026. The company’s earnings beat estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 95.1%. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
OPKO Health’s shares have gained 24.6% against the industry’s 4.9% decline in the year-to-date period.
Globus Medical, currently carrying a Zacks Rank #2, has an estimated long-term earnings growth rate of 12.4%. The company’s earnings beat estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 27.9%.
Globus Medical’s shares have lost 12.3% compared with the industry’s 4.9% decline in the year-to-date period.
West Pharmaceutical, carrying a Zacks Rank #2 at present, has an estimated long-term earnings growth rate of 16%. WST’s earnings surpassed estimates in the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 17.4%.
West Pharmaceutical’s shares have jumped 36.9% compared with the industry’s 4.7% growth in the year-to-date period.
Společnost American Eagle Outfitters má rating Zacks #3 (držet); konsenzuální odhad zisku na akcii (EPS) pro aktuální fiskální rok se za posledních 30 dní zvýšil o 26,9 % na 2,24 USD.
American Eagle Outfitters (AEO - Free Report) has been one of the most searched-for stocks on Zacks.com lately. So, you might want to look at some of the facts that could shape the stock's performance in the near term.
Over the past month, shares of this teen clothing retailer have returned +4.1%, compared to the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.8% change. During this period, the Zacks Retail - Apparel and Shoes industry, which American Eagle falls in, has gained 0.1%. The key question now is: What could be the stock's future direction?
Although media reports or rumors about a significant change in a company's business prospects usually cause its stock to trend and lead to an immediate price change, there are always certain fundamental factors that ultimately drive the buy-and-hold decision.
Earnings Estimate RevisionsHere at Zacks, we prioritize appraising the change in the projection of a company's future earnings over anything else. That's because we believe the present value of its future stream of earnings is what determines the fair value for its stock.
We essentially look at how sell-side analysts covering the stock are revising their earnings estimates to reflect the impact of the latest business trends. And if earnings estimates go up for a company, the fair value for its stock goes up. A higher fair value than the current market price drives investors' interest in buying the stock, leading to its price moving higher. This is why empirical research shows a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements.
For the current quarter, American Eagle is expected to post earnings of $0.49 per share, indicating a change of -7.6% from the year-ago quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has changed -12.5% over the last 30 days.
For the current fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $2.24 points to a change of +49.3% from the prior year. Over the last 30 days, this estimate has changed +26.9%.
For the next fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $1.89 indicates a change of -15.2% from what American Eagle is expected to report a year ago. Over the past month, the estimate has changed -0.5%.
With an impressive externally audited track record, our proprietary stock rating tool -- the Zacks Rank -- is a more conclusive indicator of a stock's near-term price performance, as it effectively harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions. The size of the recent change in the consensus estimate, along with three other factors related to earnings estimates, has resulted in a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for American Eagle.
The chart below shows the evolution of the company's forward 12-month consensus EPS estimate:
12 Month EPS
Revenue Growth ForecastWhile earnings growth is arguably the most superior indicator of a company's financial health, nothing happens as such if a business isn't able to grow its revenues. After all, it's nearly impossible for a company to increase its earnings for an extended period without increasing its revenues. So, it's important to know a company's potential revenue growth.
For American Eagle, the consensus sales estimate for the current quarter of $1.46 billion indicates a year-over-year change of +6.8%. For the current and next fiscal years, $5.86 billion and $6.07 billion estimates indicate +6.6% and +3.5% changes, respectively.
Last Reported Results and Surprise HistoryAmerican Eagle reported revenues of $1.38 billion in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +7.5%. EPS of $0.79 for the same period compares with $0.45 a year ago.
Compared to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.37 billion, the reported revenues represent a surprise of +0.99%. The EPS surprise was +276.19%.
The company beat consensus EPS estimates in each of the trailing four quarters. The company topped consensus revenue estimates each time over this period.
ValuationWithout considering a stock's valuation, no investment decision can be efficient. In predicting a stock's future price performance, it's crucial to determine whether its current price correctly reflects the intrinsic value of the underlying business and the company's growth prospects.
While comparing the current values of a company's valuation multiples, such as price-to-earnings (P/E), price-to-sales (P/S), and price-to-cash flow (P/CF), with its own historical values helps determine whether its stock is fairly valued, overvalued, or undervalued, comparing the company relative to its peers on these parameters gives a good sense of the reasonability of the stock's price.
The Zacks Value Style Score (part of the Zacks Style Scores system), which pays close attention to both traditional and unconventional valuation metrics to grade stocks from A to F (an A is better than a B; a B is better than a C; and so on), is pretty helpful in identifying whether a stock is overvalued, rightly valued, or temporarily undervalued.
American Eagle is graded A on this front, indicating that it is trading at a discount to its peers. Click here to see the values of some of the valuation metrics that have driven this grade.
Bottom LineThe facts discussed here and much other information on Zacks.com might help determine whether or not it's worthwhile paying attention to the market buzz about American Eagle. However, its Zacks Rank #3 does suggest that it may perform in line with the broader market in the near term.
When an engineer designing a next-generation electric vehicle braking system looks for a way to slash complexity, they often land on a single chip from Allegro MicroSystems (ALGM +0.53%). Based in Manchester, New Hampshire, the company specializes in magnetic sensors and power-management integrated circuits that serve as the digital nervous system for modern motion control. With its stock trading at $39.22 as of Oct. 6, 2026, the company has seen a 39% gain over the past year, reflecting its role as a quiet but critical cog in the automation and electrification movement.
Our proprietary Hidden Gems scoring system assigns Allegro MicroSystems an overall Superscore of 73 out of 100, placing it in the Above Average category. The Superscore is an AI-powered score that evaluates a company's overall strength by combining financial performance, product market position, technological capabilities, leadership quality, and relative valuation. It represents the unification of all our scores into a single score for public companies, with five rating bands: Exceptional (90-100), Strong (75-89), Above Average (60-74), Average (40-59), and Cautious (0-39).
This score places the company in the top ~28% of all companies we score. This analysis serves as one data-driven input, and I have paired the reasons the score sits where it does with the constraints that prevent a higher rank so that you can weigh the trade-offs yourself.
Why ALGM Has a 73 SuperscoreStrong revenue momentum: Allegro delivered 23% year-over-year revenue growth in fiscal 2026, reaching $890 million as its specialized power chips found their way into high-growth automotive and robotics systems.Leading sensor market position: As the world's largest supplier of magnetic sensor ICs by market share, the company secures deep, multi-year incumbency with automotive OEMs that rivals struggle to displace.Strategic product innovation: Management invests over 20% of revenue in R&D to drive proprietary technology like its XtremeSense TMR sensors, which allows the company to demand premium margins in complex design-in projects.Disciplined operating leverage: By focusing on an asset-light model and reorganizing its sales force around high-growth end markets, the company generated a record $125 million in free cash flow during fiscal 2026.Why Is ALGM's Superscore Not Higher?Cyclical margin compression: While revenue grew, the company's operating margin fell to 5% in fiscal 2026, illustrating the high sensitivity of its cost base to inventory digestion across the semiconductor sector.Aggressive valuation multiple: The stock trades at a trailing P/E of 654, a figure that leaves little margin for error if demand in the automotive or data center segments cools.Concentrated influence: The ongoing strategic relationship with Sanken Electric creates a structural constraint on independent shareholder decision-making compared to more autonomous peers.Limited AI impact: Despite the company's presence in data center cooling, its sensor components are readily available merchant parts that lack the unique network effects required to capture outsize value in an AI-driven economy.Hidden Gems Database Scores at a GlanceScoreScore (out of 100)RankSupporting Data PointProduct (1Y)72Top ~35%Momentum is driven by a 23% revenue increase in fiscal 2026 and a successful pivot to high-growth automotive markets.Product (5Y)71Top ~29%Consistent execution in sensor and power IC niches fueled an 8.5% revenue CAGR over the 5-year period ending in fiscal 2026.Financial (1Y)64Top ~38%Despite a recovery in operating cash flow to $163 million in fiscal 2026, thin interest coverage ratios reflect high debt burdens.Financial (5Y)54Bottom ~49%Volatile net margins and inconsistent revenue growth over the 5-year period ending in fiscal 2026 highlight industry cyclicality.Leaders75Top ~31%Management demonstrates high quantitative transparency, providing granular margin bridges and clear reconciliations of cost headwinds.AI40Top ~24%The company acts as a conventional supplier without the proprietary data or infrastructure lock-in to dominate the AI economy.Valuation Risk50Bottom ~39%The stock trades at a trailing P/E of 654, suggesting the market is pricing in aggressive future growth.Is ALGM Right For Your Portfolio?This stock warrants a closer look if...
You are seeking exposure to the best small-cap tech stocks that have successfully secured long-term design wins in electric vehicles.You value companies with a durable moat built on proprietary wafer technology and high-barrier automotive-grade safety qualifications.You may want to keep researching before buying if...
You are uncomfortable with high valuation multiples that leave the stock vulnerable to short-term earnings misses or cyclical shifts in demand.You prefer companies with more stable, non-cyclical profit margins that are not reliant on recovering from inventory digestion periods.The Superscore is one data-driven signal, not a stand-alone recommendation, so please weigh it against your own financial goals and tolerance for semiconductor cyclicality before acting.
My 5-year prediction for ALGM stockAs a leading supplier of magnetic sensors, this stock could outperform the market over the next five years. While its margins can be volatile year to year, its revenue growth trajectory points to a big opportunity. The stock is also not as expensive as its trailing P/E indicates. On a forward earnings basis, the stock is trading at a more reasonable forward (12-month) P/E of about 35, setting a good buy opportunity after the recent sell-off.
Allegro MicroSystems is benefiting from a massive tailwind. Its recent strong growth can be attributed to the convergence of AI and power needs in the industrial and data center markets. In the first fiscal quarter, its data center business grew 32% sequentially from the previous quarter. It now represents 17% of total revenue.
Management expects full-year data center sales to more than double from fiscal 2026. It is also early in capturing growing demand from robotics.
Allegro is capturing share in the data center market, indicating a strong competitive position in this very important industry. Analysts expect the company's earnings to grow at an annualized rate of 37% in the coming years. This could support a doubling in the share price over the next five years.
The Hidden Gems Superscore reflects The Motley Fool's proprietary AI-driven evaluation of a company across product, financial, leadership, and valuation pillars as of the article date and may change over time. Performance figures are point-in-time. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Key Takeaways Marathon Petroleum targets about 3 million bpd of Q3 throughput after 94% utilization in Q2.MPC's 112% R&M margin capture in Q2 reflects strong margins and optimized feedstocks and yields.MPC's Robinson and El Paso projects aim to boost higher-value jet fuel and specialty gasoline output. Marathon Petroleum (MPC - Free Report) has targeted refinery throughput of approximately 3 million barrels per day (bpd) for the third quarter, reflecting the strong operating momentum and ability to run its system at high utilization. The target included 2.82 million bpd of crude oil and 185,000 bpd of other charge and blendstocks.
The guidance follows a strong second quarter, when MPC processed nearly 3 million bpd with 94% refinery utilization. Its Gulf Coast operations ran at 100% utilization, while the West Coast and Mid-Continent operated at 93% and 87%, respectively. The company also generated Refining & Marketing (R&M) adjusted EBITDA of $24.84 per barrel, supported by strong margins and operating execution.
MPC’s ability to maintain high throughput is supported by its integrated refining system and access to economically advantaged crude. Management highlighted the company’s ability to optimize feedstocks and product yields, helping it capture value across different market conditions. R&M margin capture reached 112% in the second quarter and 108% in the first half of 2026.
The company is also strengthening its refinery portfolio through targeted investments. The Robinson project is expected to enable approximately 10,000 bpd of incremental jet fuel production, while the El Paso project improves specialty gasoline production. These projects are designed to enhance MPC’s ability to produce higher-value products as demand remains strong across gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.
MPC Compares Favorably With PSX and PBFPhillips 66 (PSX - Free Report) also delivered strong refinery operations in the second quarter. PSX reported 96% crude capacity utilization and an 86% clean product yield, highlighting solid operating performance across its refining system.
For MPC, the comparison with Phillips 66 is particularly relevant because both companies are benefiting from strong refining economics and high refinery utilization. Phillips 66 expects worldwide crude utilization to remain in the mid-90% range in the third quarter, reflecting expectations for strong refinery operations. The company also projects $100-$120 million in turnaround expenses and $325-$350 million in Corporate and Other costs.
PBF Energy (PBF - Free Report) has also provided a specific third-quarter throughput outlook. PBF expects total throughput of 900,000-960,000 bpd, with guidance across its East Coast, Mid-Continent, Gulf Coast and West Coast operations.
The comparison shows the scale of MPC’s refining platform. PBF Energy’s throughput target remains substantial, while MPC is targeting more than three times that volume. PBF also expects renewable diesel production to rise to 18,000-20,000 bpd in the third quarter, adding another growth component to its operating outlook.
MPC’s Stock Performance, Valuation and Earnings ProspectsRefining stocks have delivered strong returns over the past six months, with Marathon Petroleum advancing 80.1%. PBF Energy performed slightly better with an 82.3% gain, while Phillips 66 rose 52.1%, compared with a 53.1% increase for the Oil Refining & Marketing sub-industry.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Marathon Petroleum’s P/E multiple of 7.49 is below the sub-industry average of 8.46, suggesting that the stock offers a relatively attractive valuation.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Investor sentiment around MPC’s earnings outlook has strengthened, reflected in 36.95% and 69.74% increases in consensus estimates for 2026 and 2027, respectively, over the past 60 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
MPC currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Energy Transfer nabízí očekávaný výnos 6,6 %, přičemž výplaty spotřebují asi polovinu ročního distribuovatelného peněžního toku. Její plynovody přepravují zhruba 30 % zemního plynu vytěženého v USA.
I initially invested in Energy Transfer (ET -1.35%), one of the largest midstream companies in the U.S., about 18 months ago. I've increased my position several times since then, and the stock now accounts for 4.2% of my portfolio with a 23% gain.
Many investors buy Energy Transfer for its high forward yield of 6.6%, which is still higher than the 10-Year Treasury's 5.3%. That distribution is easily sustainable because it consumes only around half of its distributable cash flow (DCF) each year. That's also one of my top reasons for buying Energy Transfer, but there are plenty of other reasons to accumulate this pipeline stock.
Image source: Getty Images.
It's resistant to volatile commodity prices Energy Transfer operates over 140,000 miles of pipeline in 44 states. It delivers crude oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids, and other refined products through its pipelines and marine export terminals. As a midstream company, it simply charges downstream and upstream companies "tolls" to use its infrastructure, so it's well insulated from volatile commodity prices.
It's exposed to the cloud and AI boom U.S. data centers get more than 40% of their grid electricity from natural gas, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). Energy Transfer's pipelines transport about 30% of all the natural gas produced in the United States, and it generates roughly 40% of its adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) from its natural gas assets. Therefore, the ongoing expansion of the power-hungry cloud infrastructure and AI markets should boost Energy Transfer's natural gas volumes for the foreseeable future.
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It's more tax-efficient than other high-yield investments Energy Transfer is a master limited partnership (MLP), which shields it from corporate taxes. MLPs also blend a return of capital with their own income in their distributions, so you'll only pay federal and state taxes on the income (unit depreciation) portion of those payments.
In other words, Energy Transfer's yield is more tax-efficient than standard C-corporations paying similar yields. By comparison, The Williams Companies (WMB +2.05%) -- another major pipeline player with even more exposure to the natural gas and AI markets -- pays corporate taxes to the government and fully taxable dividends to its investors because it isn't an MLP.
It's undervalued relative to its growth Lastly, Energy Transfer looks undervalued relative to its growth potential. From 2025 to 2028, analysts expect Energy Transfer's earnings per unit (EPU) to grow at a 14% CAGR. At $20, it still looks like a bargain at 12 times this year's EPU.
That low valuation -- along with its high yield, wide moat, and exposure to the AI boom -- makes Energy Transfer a safe stock to buy and hold even as rising Treasury yields rattle the market. It's not an exciting investment, but it will help you sleep better at night.
