Track market-moving stories before they get noisy

Annaly Capital Management is rated a Strong Buy for its 13.38% dividend yield and significant capital appreciation potential by 2030. NLY's diversified REIT model, resilient through multiple economic cycles, benefits from agency MBS, MSR, and residential credit strategies with yields up to 16%. I expect falling interest rates to expand NLY's net interest margin, driving both dividend growth and share price appreciation toward a $40 target by 2030.

23.7.2026 15:52, BAACSG

Společnost CSG oznámila, že v souvislosti se vstupem na burzu (IPO) a zvýšením svého úvěrového ratingu zajistila refinancování části seniorních úvěrů formou nového syndikovaného úvěru v objemu až 3,062 mld. EUR.

Nová dluhová struktura podle společnosti omezuje riziko koncentrace refinancování v roce 2029 a prodlužuje splatnost seniorního dluhu až na šest let. Díky novému a navýšenému revolvingovému úvěrovému rámci společnost zároveň získává výrazně vyšší flexibilitu při financování provozního kapitálu.

Transakce zaznamenala na trhu silnou poptávku a společnosti přináší snížení úrokových nákladů o 125 až 150 bazických bodů oproti předchozím syndikovaným úvěrům.

Objem čerpaných prostředků z nové úvěrové struktury zůstane při dokončení transakce na stejné úrovni jako u původní struktury, tedy na hodnotě přibližně 1,7 mld. EUR. Společnost zároveň potvrdila svůj výhled zadlužení pro fiskální rok 2026, ve kterém počítá s poměrem čistého dluhu k zisku EBITDA pod úrovní 1,3×.

Nová dluhová struktura Plně komitovaný syndikovaný úvěr v celkové výši až 3,062 mld. EUR (2,867 mld. EUR a 225 mil. USD), který zahrnuje:

TLB ve výši 717 mil. EUR, se splatností 22. listopadu 2029, jednorázově splatný při konečné splatnosti (bullet). TLC ve výši 850 mil. EUR, se splatností 6 let od data uzavření transakce, jednorázově splatný při konečné splatnosti (bullet). Revolvingovou úvěrovou linku (Revolving Credit Facility) se dvěma tranšemi (až 1,3 mld. EUR a až 225 mil. USD) se splatností 3 roky od data uzavření transakce s možností prodloužení. Předchozí dluhová struktura Dva syndikované seniorní úvěry (až 1,545 mld. EUR a až 600 mil. EUR), oba se splatností 22. listopadu 2029, s celkovým čerpáním přibližně 1,7 mld. EUR. Akcie CSG Akcie CSG (BAACSG) dnes na pražské burze klesají o 0,05 % na 392,8 Kč, na RM-SYSTÉMu pak posilují o 1 % na 393 Kč.

Zdroj: CSG

Michal Šnobl
Fio banka, a.s.
Prohlášení

Freeport-McMoRan Inc (FCX) released its 8-K filing on July 23, 2026, detailing its financial performance for the second quarter of 2026. The company, a powerhou

Issued on behalf of MindWalk Holdings Corp. (Nasdaq: HYFT)

USA News Group News Commentary

, /PRNewswire/ -- For years, the promise of artificial intelligence in drug discovery has been easy to describe and hard to monetize. Plenty of companies can talk about accelerating the search for new medicines; far fewer can point to real revenue, real clients, and a business model that compounds. One small-cap AI biotech just put a set of numbers behind its version of that story, and they show a company whose pivot is starting to appear in its financials rather than only in its slide decks.

The company reported full-year results that pair a sharp revenue increase with a dramatically narrower loss, and, for the first time, contracted recurring platform revenue. Taken together, the report is the clearest evidence yet of the shift it has been promising: from one-off project work toward a durable, recurring software business.

Key Takeaways

MindWalk Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ: HYFT) reported fiscal 2026 revenue up 46% to C$15.6 million, with gross margin expanding to roughly 59% and the net loss for the year narrowing by more than half.

The company signed its first two contracted, recurring enterprise LensAI™ agreements during the year, the first recurring platform revenue in its history, and regained Nasdaq listing compliance without a reverse split or dilutive financing.

The broader AI-platform and computational-biology field includes Schrödinger (NASDAQ: SDGR), AbCellera Biologics (NASDAQ: ABCL), Relay Therapeutics (NASDAQ: RLAY), and Certara (NASDAQ: CERT), each pursuing its own model for turning software and data into durable revenue.

The Numbers Behind the Pivot 

MindWalk Holdings Corp. (Nasdaq: HYFT), a Bio-Native AI company focused on drug discovery, reported financial results for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2026. Revenue rose 46% year over year to C$15.6 million, up from C$10.6 million a year earlier, while gross profit grew about 60% to C$9.1 million and gross margin expanded to 58.8% from 53.9%. The company reported these as preliminary results ahead of the filing of its Annual Report on Form 20-F, and all figures are in Canadian dollars.

Just as striking as the top line was the bottom line. Total operating expenses fell about 44% to C$24.1 million from C$42.6 million, a decline the company attributed primarily to the non-recurrence of roughly C$22.7 million of prior-year non-cash amortization and impairment of intangible assets and goodwill. Net loss from continuing operations narrowed to C$15.1 million from C$33.1 million, and net loss for the year narrowed to C$13.9 million from C$30.2 million, an improvement of more than half. Loss per share from continuing operations improved to C$0.33 from C$0.99. The company ended the year with C$11.5 million in cash and restricted cash.

In the fourth quarter, revenue rose 50% to C$4.1 million from C$2.7 million a year earlier, with gross margin of roughly 60.6%, capping four consecutive quarters of year-over-year revenue growth. The pattern is the story the company wants investors to see: growth that is not only accelerating but improving in quality as higher-margin platform work enters the mix.

From Project Work to Recurring Revenue

The single most important disclosure for the investment thesis was not a headline financial figure but a structural one. During the fiscal year, MindWalk signed its first two contracted, recurring enterprise LensAI agreements, one in the second half and one in the fourth quarter, which it described as the first recurring platform revenue in the company's history. That is the shift the company has been arguing it could make: away from one-time, fee-for-service engagements and toward the kind of durable, contracted revenue the market tends to value more highly.

"We are not an AI company that discovered biology. We are a biology company that built AI on top of more than 40 years of biology heritage, and fiscal 2026 is the year the market began to see it in our results," said Dr. Jennifer Bath, President and Chief Executive Officer of MindWalk. "Revenue grew 46%, margins expanded, and we simplified the business around the layer where enterprise AI value accrues. HYFT Technology powers ReefIQ, the biological context layer for life sciences, and LensAI is in contracted, recurring arrangements with life sciences customers today. Value compounds in that layer, not in any individual model that runs on top of it."

The company also cleaned up its structure during the year. It completed its transformation into MindWalk Holdings Corp. from ImmunoPrecise Antibodies Ltd. in September 2025, and divested its Netherlands subsidiary, ImmunoPrecise Antibodies (Europe) B.V., to AVS Bio, a portfolio company of Arlington Capital Partners, in a transaction that generated proceeds on disposal of approximately C$14.3 million and was supported by a 12-month transition services agreement. Management framed the divestiture as sharpening focus on the core business and strengthening the balance sheet, and separately noted it had regained Nasdaq listing compliance organically, without a reverse split or dilutive financing.

The Platform Underneath the Story

MindWalk positions itself as a Bio-Native AI company, meaning it aims to reason over biology itself rather than over language the way general-purpose AI models do. Its technology is built in layers. HYFT® Technology provides a representation foundation, a function-aware map of biology built over 20 years of curation and spanning 660 million biological patterns connected by 25 billion relationships. ReefIQ™, launched commercially in June 2026 and built on that foundation, is the biological context layer that organizes and governs a client's data. LensAI is the reasoning layer that applies analytical workflows on top. In the company's framing, the durable, compounding asset is the context layer rather than any individual model that runs on it, because every program a customer runs enriches the layer for the next one.

The company pointed to several recent milestones beyond the financials: the June 2026 commercial launch of ReefIQ, the filing of a European patent application in June 2026 covering the high-dimensional biological data structure underpinning HYFT Technology, and inclusion in the Russell 3000E and Russell Microcap Indexes effective after the U.S. market close on June 26, 2026, which broadens institutional visibility. MindWalk also noted that its discovery platform has contributed to more than 20 molecules reaching the clinic, supported by over 400 peer-reviewed publications and issued patents, though it characterized those as client-owned assets rather than its own pipeline.

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How MindWalk Sits Against the Field

MindWalk's recurring-revenue argument is easier to judge against peers that have already tried to turn software, data, or discovery platforms into durable revenue. Four public companies, at very different stages, illustrate the range of models in play.

Schrödinger (Nasdaq: SDGR)

Schrödinger is the clearest analogue to the model MindWalk is pursuing. It sells physics-based simulation software to pharmaceutical and biotech researchers as recurring, subscription-style revenue, while also building its own pipeline that can generate milestones and royalties. In other words, software revenue today, drug economics tomorrow. Schrödinger has one of the largest installed bases in computational chemistry and has guided to double-digit growth in annual contract value, and it is one of the few names in the space that has approached profitability. For MindWalk, Schrödinger is both a template and a benchmark: it shows that the recurring-software-plus-pipeline model can work, and it sets the bar for what that model looks like at scale.

AbCellera Biologics (Nasdaq: ABCL)

AbCellera Biologics runs an AI and machine-learning antibody-discovery platform, partnering with large pharmaceutical companies that bring targets while AbCellera runs the discovery and earns downstream as programs advance, alongside a growing proprietary pipeline. Its reported revenue grew sharply year over year in early 2026, and it holds a large liquidity position to fund its own programs. The parallel to MindWalk is direct on the science side, since MindWalk's own roots include B-cell and nanobody antibody work, and on the business side both are trying to balance partner-driven revenue with owned pipeline value. AbCellera's dual model, royalty-style partner economics plus proprietary assets, is a useful reference for how investors value that blend.

Relay Therapeutics (Nasdaq: RLAY)

Relay Therapeutics represents the platform-into-pipeline path taken further toward the clinic. Its Dynamo platform combines machine learning with physics-based simulation to target the motion of proteins, and the company has advanced its lead oncology candidate into late-stage development, earning an FDA Breakthrough Therapy designation along the way. Relay is a reminder that computational-discovery platforms are increasingly judged by clinical results, not just software metrics, and that raising capital to fund those trials, as Relay did in 2026, is part of the model. For MindWalk investors, Relay illustrates both the upside of a platform that produces a clinical asset and the capital intensity that comes with it.

Certara (Nasdaq: CERT)

Certara is the established, profitable end of the spectrum. It sells biosimulation and model-informed drug-development software and services to the pharmaceutical industry, generating recurring software revenue with healthy margins, and it has been reshaping its portfolio to focus on its core simulation platforms. Certara shows what a mature, recurring-revenue software business in drug development looks like once it has scaled, which is precisely the destination MindWalk is arguing it can grow toward. The contrast in size is large, but the business logic, durable software revenue anchored to the drug-development workflow, is the same one MindWalk is making to investors.

What to Watch From Here 

The fiscal 2026 report gives the recurring-revenue thesis its first real evidence: accelerating growth, expanding margins, a sharply narrower loss, and, most importantly, the first contracted recurring platform agreements. The near-term question is whether MindWalk can convert those first two LensAI contracts into a repeatable pattern, signing additional enterprise agreements that build a genuine recurring-revenue base rather than remaining one-off wins. Investors will also be watching the commercial traction of ReefIQ following its June launch, the pace of margin expansion, and any updates on the discovery programs the company has referenced.

None of this removes the risks. MindWalk is a small-cap company with a history of net losses, its results are preliminary pending the filing of its Form 20-F, and turning early recurring contracts into a durable business is far from guaranteed. But the setup is clearer than it was a year ago: a company that spent years building a platform is now, on its own numbers, beginning to sell it, and the market gets to judge that claim against real results rather than projections.

Contact:

USA News Group
[email protected]

Article Source:

MindWalk Holdings Corp., "MindWalk Holdings Corp. Reports Fiscal 2026 Results," press release, July 22, 2026. DISCLAIMER

Nothing in this publication should be considered personalized financial advice. We are not licensed under securities laws to address your particular financial situation, and no communication from us should be deemed personalized financial advice. Please consult a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decision. This is a paid advertisement and is neither an offer nor a recommendation to buy or sell any security. We hold no investment licenses and are neither licensed nor qualified to provide investment advice. The content in this report or email is not provided to any individual with a view toward their individual circumstances.

This article is being distributed by USA News Group, which is wholly owned and operated by Market Equities Limited ("MEL"). MEL has been paid a fee for MindWalk Holdings Corp. advertising and digital media from Creative Direct Marketing Group ("CDMG"). MEL also expects to receive further compensation as part of an ongoing digital media effort to increase visibility for the company. This compensation constitutes a conflict of interest as to our ability to remain objective in our communication regarding the profiled company. Because of this conflict, individuals are strongly encouraged not to use this publication as the basis for any investment decision. The content in this article has been reviewed and approved on behalf of MindWalk Holdings Corp. by CDMG.

MEL and its owner/operators do not own any shares of MindWalk Holdings Corp., but reserve the right to buy and sell shares of MindWalk Holdings Corp. at any time without any further notice commencing immediately and ongoing, in the open market, through private placements, and/or through other investment vehicles. There may also be third parties who hold shares of MindWalk Holdings Corp. and may liquidate their shares, which could have a negative effect on the price of the stock.

While all information is believed to be reliable, it is not guaranteed by us to be accurate. Individuals should assume that all information contained in this publication is not trustworthy unless verified by their own independent research. Because events and circumstances frequently do not occur as expected, there will likely be differences between any predictions and actual results. Always consult a licensed investment professional before making any investment decision. Be extremely careful, investing in securities carries a high degree of risk; you may lose some or all of your investment.

Financial figures on this page describing MindWalk Holdings Corp.'s fiscal 2026 results are drawn from the company's own earnings release and are preliminary results reported ahead of, and subject to, the filing of the company's Annual Report on Form 20-F; final audited figures may differ, and all amounts are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise noted. References to HYFT® Technology, ReefIQ™, and LensAI™, and to the company's platform, patents, publications, molecules, and pipeline, describe early-stage products and activities that have not been independently verified and may not translate into future commercial outcomes; ReefIQ™ registration is pending. HYFT® is a registered trademark, and LensAI™ and ReefIQ™ are trademarks, of MindWalk Holdings Corp. or its subsidiaries. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, including the company's history of net losses and its ability to convert engagement into contracted, recurring arrangements; readers should not place undue reliance on them.

References to Schrödinger, AbCellera Biologics, Relay Therapeutics, Certara, and any of their respective products, platforms, or programs are for comparative and illustrative context only. MindWalk Holdings Corp. is not a party to, and is not affiliated with, the products, platforms, or corporate activities of those companies, and their businesses are at different and generally more advanced stages. Each company carries its own independent risks and must be evaluated on its own merits.

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SOURCE USA News Group

Issued on behalf of Quantum Secure Encryption Corp. (CSE: QSE) (OTCQB: QSEGF) (FSE: VN80)

The migration to quantum-resistant encryption has shifted from a research topic to a procurement mandate, and one Canadian company is trying to turn that regulatory wave into regional footholds. Its latest move localizes its platform for Malaysia's critical-infrastructure rules.

, /PRNewswire/ -- USA News Group News Commentary - For years, the threat that quantum computers could one day break the encryption protecting the world's data was treated as a problem for the future. That framing has changed. Governments are now writing quantum-resistant security into law, enterprises are being told to inventory and migrate their cryptography on fixed timelines, and the phrase "harvest now, decrypt later," the idea that adversaries are already stockpiling encrypted data to crack once quantum machines mature, has moved from conference panels into procurement documents. In that environment, the companies that can help organizations actually make the switch are the ones positioned to benefit.

One of them just expanded its reach into Southeast Asia, and it did so by aligning itself directly with a national cybersecurity law that is about to force a wave of spending.

Key Takeaways

Quantum Secure Encryption Corp. (CSE: QSE) (OTCQB: QSEGF) (FSE: VN80) signed a memorandum of agreement with a Malaysia-based digital trust and certificate-management provider to build a Malaysia-specific version of its QPrime post-quantum platform.

The tailored platform is designed to help Malaysia's National Critical Information Infrastructure organizations prepare for the country's Cyber Security Act 2024 (Act 854), with the solution hosted on Malaysian sovereign infrastructure and data residency kept in-country.

The broader post-quantum and cybersecurity sector is running hot, with SEALSQ (NASDAQ: LAES), CrowdStrike (NASDAQ: CRWD), Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ: PANW), and Fortinet (NASDAQ: FTNT) all riding the quantum-migration and AI-security demand cycle.

A Partnership Built Around a National Mandate

Quantum Secure Encryption Corp. (CSE: QSE) (OTCQB: QSEGF) (FSE: VN80), a post-quantum cybersecurity company focused on quantum-resilient data protection, identity security, secure storage, and cryptographic migration readiness, announced that it has signed a memorandum of agreement with a Malaysia-based digital trust and certificate-management provider that forms part of a global digital trust ecosystem. Under the agreement, QSE and its Malaysian partner intend to develop a Malaysia-specific version of QSE's full secure posture platform, known as QPrime.

The purpose of the tailored platform is specific and regulatory. It is intended to help Malaysia's National Critical Information Infrastructure organizations, referred to as NCII, prepare for requirements under Malaysia's Cyber Security Act 2024, known as Act 854. In plain terms, QPrime is designed to help organizations understand where encryption is used across their systems, where cyber and quantum-related exposure may exist, and what steps to prioritize as they plan their move toward post-quantum security. It is an assessment and migration-planning tool for the messy, essential first step of any cryptographic transition: figuring out what you have and where you are vulnerable.

A notable feature of the arrangement is where the data will live. The parties intend to host the Malaysia-specific QPrime solution on Malaysian sovereign infrastructure, with data residency kept inside the country. For government agencies and regulated organizations, that detail matters: sensitive cybersecurity information, assessment results, and compliance records need to remain within national borders. Data sovereignty has become a central requirement in government technology procurement worldwide, and building it into the offering from the start is what makes a solution viable for public-sector and regulated buyers.

Malaysia's Cyber Security Act 2024 has sharpened the focus on cybersecurity readiness for NCII organizations, a category that can span government, financial services, communications, energy, healthcare, transportation, and other critical services. That breadth is the commercial opportunity: each of those sectors houses organizations that now face a compliance obligation and will need tools to meet it.

"This MOA is important because it is focused on a clear market need," said Ted Carefoot, Chief Executive Officer of QSE. "Malaysia's NCII organizations need practical tools to understand their cybersecurity exposure, prepare for Act 854 and plan for post-quantum risk. By working with a Malaysian digital trust provider and supporting local data residency, we believe QPrime can become a practical starting point for organizations that need to move from awareness to action."

Read the whole story on Quantum Secure Encryption by clicking here

A Strategy of Localizing, Not Just Selling

The Malaysia agreement is a window into how QSE is trying to grow. Rather than pushing a single, one-size-fits-all product into every market, the company says it is adapting its technology to local regulatory requirements, local data-residency needs, and real customer workflows, scaling its existing platform through regional partners. For QSE, the memorandum supports a broader strategy of moving QPrime from a general post-quantum assessment platform toward a local, compliance-focused solution built around the specific needs of Malaysian NCII organizations.

It is a sensible approach for a smaller company in a market increasingly crowded with large incumbents. Competing head-to-head on scale against global security giants is difficult; embedding into specific national compliance regimes, alongside a local partner who understands the regulatory terrain and carries existing relationships, is a way to win business the incumbents may overlook or reach more slowly. The company describes its Malaysian partner as part of a global digital trust ecosystem, which suggests the relationship could open doors beyond a single market if the model works.

QSE describes itself as a Canadian technology company specializing in post-quantum data security, encryption, and secure data infrastructure, built around quantum-delivered entropy and a zero-knowledge architecture, serving commercial, enterprise, and public-sector organizations that need long-term data confidentiality. The Malaysia move is a test of whether that technology can be packaged to meet a specific national law, and whether the regional-partner playbook can be repeated elsewhere.

Why the Timing Matters

The backdrop to all of this is a global regulatory push that has turned post-quantum migration from optional to mandatory. In the United States, an executive order has accelerated the federal government's migration to post-quantum cryptography, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology has finalized quantum-resistant algorithm standards that are now being implemented. Canada has directed its federal departments to submit migration plans, and national-security agencies have set deadlines for full quantum-resistance of sensitive systems. Malaysia's Act 854 is part of that same global wave, and it is the specific mandate QSE is now aligning itself with.

The market that results is sizable and growing quickly. Industry estimates put the post-quantum cryptography market in the low billions of dollars in 2025 and project rapid compound growth through the rest of the decade, driven precisely by the government mandates and enterprise compliance obligations now taking effect. For a company positioned as a pure-play in that space, the challenge is less about whether demand will materialize and more about capturing a share of it against far larger competitors, which is exactly what the regional-localization strategy is designed to address.

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The Companies Riding the Same Security Wave

QSE is a micro-cap operating in a sector that also contains some of the best-performing large-cap technology stocks of 2026. The four companies below span the post-quantum and broader cybersecurity landscape, and while they differ enormously from QSE in size and stage, they show why capital has been flowing toward security names all year. They are referenced for market and sector context only and are not peers, competitors, or financial comparables to QSE.

SEALSQ (NASDAQ: LAES)

SEALSQ is the closest pure-play post-quantum comparison in the public market. The company builds post-quantum secure microcontrollers and digital-certificate technology, positioning itself at the silicon layer of the quantum-safe transition. It reported roughly 66% revenue growth for its 2025 fiscal year to about US$18.3 million, with a commercial pipeline it has described as exceeding US$200 million and a large cash position, and its shares have been an active trading vehicle for the post-quantum theme. Because SEALSQ's certificate and secure-chip focus overlaps conceptually with the digital-trust and certificate-management angle of QSE's Malaysia partnership, it is the most thematically relevant name here, even though it operates at a different layer of the stack and a far larger scale.

CrowdStrike (NASDAQ: CRWD)

CrowdStrike is one of the defining cybersecurity franchises of the era, and one of the few large-cap security names to keep compounding through the 2026 software correction. Its shares have risen roughly 75% year to date, trading near a 52-week high, and the company recently completed a four-for-one stock split that broadened retail access. Its Falcon platform is increasingly positioned as the layer through which enterprise crypto-agility and post-quantum policy enforcement will eventually be delivered, giving it structural exposure to the same regulatory tailwind driving pure-play post-quantum vendors. CrowdStrike illustrates the scale and market enthusiasm at the top of the security sector that QSE sits far below but shares a tailwind with.

Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ: PANW)

Palo Alto Networks is integrating post-quantum cryptography capabilities directly into what is one of the largest security platforms in the industry. It is repeatedly named among the handful of companies leading enterprise-grade quantum-safe adoption, and its shares climbed in mid-July 2026 alongside the broader security group on read-throughs about elevated cyber demand. After a very strong run, the stock has also drawn analyst caution on valuation, a reminder that even the leaders in this theme carry risk. Palo Alto shows how the largest platform vendors are absorbing post-quantum capability into their existing suites, which is both the opportunity and the competitive pressure that shapes the environment smaller specialists like QSE operate in.

Fortinet (NASDAQ: FTNT)

Fortinet has quietly been one of the best-performing large-cap stocks in the entire market in 2026, up roughly 100% year to date and trading near its 52-week high, and it pairs that with elite profitability, including net margins above 27% and a very high return on equity. Known for its FortiGate firewalls and broader Security Fabric platform, Fortinet is among the firewall and network-security vendors most often cited as beneficiaries of the migration cycle and of rising AI-driven security demand. It rounds out the picture of a cybersecurity sector where capital has rewarded scale, profitability, and exposure to structural security spending, the same secular forces QSE is attempting to tap at the specialist end.

A Small Company Aligned With a Large Trend

QSE is a micro-cap with the risks that come with that profile: it is small, it competes against vastly larger and better-capitalized companies, and a memorandum of agreement is an intention to build, not a guarantee of revenue. The Malaysia platform still has to be developed, adopted, and paid for before it contributes materially to the business. Those are real caveats, and the gap in scale between QSE and the large-cap names sharing its sector is enormous.

What QSE has done is align itself precisely with the force reshaping its industry: government mandates that turn post-quantum migration from a choice into a requirement. By localizing its platform to a specific national law, keeping data in-country, and partnering with a provider that already understands the market, the company has laid out a repeatable template for turning regulation into revenue. Whether it can execute on that template is the open question, but the strategy is aimed squarely at where the demand is being created.

Read more on Quantum Secure Encryption here

Article Source:

 Quantum Secure Encryption Corp., "QSE Expands Global Post-Quantum Cybersecurity Footprint Through Malaysia Partnership," July 23, 2026. USA News Group | [email protected]

DISCLAIMER

Nothing in this publication should be considered personalized financial advice. We are not licensed under securities laws to address your particular financial situation, and no communication from us should be deemed personalized financial advice. Please consult a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decision. This publication is neither an offer nor a recommendation to buy or sell any security. We hold no investment licenses and are neither licensed nor qualified to provide investment advice. The content in this report or email is not provided to any individual with a view toward their individual circumstances.

This article is being distributed by USA News Group, which is wholly owned and operated by Market Equities Limited ("MEL"), a company incorporated under the laws of Ireland. MEL was previously paid a fee directly by Quantum Secure Encryption Corp. for advertising and digital media services under an agreement that has since expired, and MEL has not been paid any fee for this article. MEL expects to receive compensation in the future in connection with Quantum Secure Encryption Corp. as part of an anticipated ongoing digital media effort to increase visibility for the company. The content of this article was prepared independently by MEL. This present and expected future compensation, together with the share ownership described below, constitutes a conflict of interest as to our ability to remain objective in our communication regarding the profiled company. Because of this conflict, individuals are strongly encouraged not to use this publication as the basis for any investment decision.

Market Equities and its owners, operators, directors, and affiliates own shares of Quantum Secure Encryption Corp., which were acquired through private placement and in the open market, and reserve the right to buy and sell shares of Quantum Secure Encryption Corp. at any time without further notice, commencing immediately and ongoing, in the open market, through private placements, and/or through other investment vehicles. There may also be third parties who hold shares of Quantum Secure Encryption Corp. and may liquidate their shares, which could have a negative effect on the price of the stock.

While all information is believed to be reliable, it is not guaranteed by us to be accurate. Individuals should assume that all information contained in this publication is not trustworthy unless verified by their own independent research. Because events and circumstances frequently do not occur as expected, there will likely be differences between any predictions and actual results. Always consult a licensed investment professional before making any investment decision. Be extremely careful, investing in securities carries a high degree of risk; you may lose some or all of your investment.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements. This article contains, and references a company news release that contains, forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Statements regarding the memorandum of agreement, the development of a Malaysia-specific QPrime platform, intended data-residency and sovereign-hosting arrangements, Act 854 readiness, the company's regional-partner strategy, and future demand for post-quantum cryptography are forward-looking and are not guarantees of future performance or results. A memorandum of agreement represents an intention and is subject to further development, definitive agreements, adoption, and execution risk; there is no assurance it will generate revenue. References to SEALSQ, CrowdStrike, Palo Alto Networks, and Fortinet are for market and sector context only; those companies are not peers, competitors, or comparables of Quantum Secure Encryption Corp., differ substantially in size, stage, and business, and their performance is not indicative of QSE's prospects. All third-party figures are approximate and subject to change. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and should refer to the company's continuous-disclosure filings available under its profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. This disclaimer, together with your access to and use of this content, shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Ireland.

Eagle Eye Disclosure. Eagle Eye is an investor signal-intelligence platform affiliated with the publisher of this article, and this reference constitutes promotion of an affiliated product. Eagle Eye is not a broker-dealer, and nothing in the platform or in this article is financial, investment, tax, or legal advice. Data provided in the platform is for informational purposes only and may be delayed. Always do your own research before making any investment decision.

SOURCE USA News Group

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I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of APA, DVN, WDS, NE, RIG, PTEN, CNQ, SU, OILSF, TNEYF, SLB, HAL 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. Please do your own due diligence before investing. Nothing in this report is intended as investment advice.

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Insurance underwriters and asset managers rarely dominate the headlines, and that is exactly the point for income investors. These businesses generate float or fee streams, return capital consistently, and tend to raise payouts through cycles. The shared hook across the four names below: each has now been paying, and in most cases growing, quarterly dividends for well over two decades, with Aflac’s dividend history alone stretching back through 110 payment records and a verified multi-decade streak of annual increases.

Chubb Chubb (NYSE:CB | CB Price Prediction) is the world’s largest publicly traded property and casualty insurer, and the payout profile reads like a textbook compounder. The Board pushed the quarterly dividend from $0.97 to $1.02 in Q2 2026, keeping intact a growth pattern that has taken the payout from 86 cents in 2023 to $1.02 today. Shares traded around $341 on July 22, the forward yield sits at roughly 1.2% against an annualized forward dividend of $4.08.

Dividend safety here is essentially bulletproof. Trailing EPS of $27.59 versus a $3.88 per-share dividend leaves the payout deeply covered, and Q1 2026 alone produced operating cash flow of $3.95 billion, up 152% year over year, on $73.79 billion in shareholders’ equity. The combined ratio improved to 84.0% from 95.7%, indicating underwriting profit remains excellent. Buybacks of $1.143 billion in the quarter underline the cash return capacity.

The bull case: a globally diversified insurer trading at roughly 13 times trailing earnings with a beta of 0.406 and management guiding to double-digit EPS and tangible book value growth. Income investors get consistent raises, aggressive buybacks, and a fortress balance sheet backing every dividend check.

The caveat: yield is modest. If you want current income today, Chubb rewards patience through dividend growth rather than headline yield. Property and financial-lines pricing has also begun softening, which could compress underwriting margins if that continues.

Aflac Aflac (NYSE:AFL) is the supplemental insurance heavyweight and one of the most reliable dividend growers in the S&P 500. The current quarterly dividend of 61 cents represents a 5.2% step up from the 58-cent rate paid throughout 2025. Management has publicly cited 43 consecutive years of dividend increases, and the dividend data confirms an unbroken pattern of annual raises across the full record. At $121.01 per share, the forward yield lands near 1.91%, based on the $2.44 annualized forward dividend.

Coverage is comfortable. Aflac earned $8.75 in trailing EPS against a $2.35 per-share dividend, and Q1 2026 alone produced $1.02 billion in net income on $4.35 billion in revenue, up 25.86% year over year. Shareholders’ equity of $29.49 billion and $3.5 billion in FY2025 buybacks underscore capital-return firepower. Recent hikes have accelerated: 40 cents in 2022 to 42 cent in 2023, 50 cents in 2024, 58 cents in 2025 and 61 cents in 2026.

The bull case: a low-beta (0.603) supplemental insurer with dominant U.S. and Japan franchises, a decades-long dividend-growth track record, and quarterly earnings growth of 38.6% year over year. It is, quite literally, one of the more boring compounders on the tape, and boring works.

The caveat: Japan yen exposure remains a genuine headwind, and Aflac has flagged pressure from variable investment income alongside a June 2025 cybersecurity incident. Currency and translation dynamics can create quarterly noise even when the underlying business is fine.

Cincinnati Financial Cincinnati Financial (NASDAQ:CINF) is arguably the most under-the-radar name in the group and has one of the longest dividend-growth records in American finance. Management raised the quarterly payout 8% to 94 cents per share in Q1 2026, from 87 cents. The dividend data confirms year-over-year quarterly increases at least back to 1999, a multi-decade run of unbroken raises. On a $178.77 share price as of July 22, the yield is roughly 2.1%.

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The safety math is arguably the best in this bundle. Trailing EPS of $17.25 against a $3.55 dividend per share gives massive coverage. FY2025 delivered $2.39 billion in net income on $12.63 billion in revenue, and the parent holds more than $5 billion in cash and marketable securities with $8 billion-plus in unrealized equity portfolio gains. Underwriting has posted 14 consecutive years of profits through 2025, and book value per share hit $102.35 at year-end 2025, up 15% year over year. Combined ratio of 95.6% in Q1 2026, improved from 113.3%, points to a recovering underwriting cycle.

The bull case: an old-school Midwest insurer trading at roughly 10 times trailing earnings, backed by an enormous equity portfolio, a multi-decade dividend-raise streak, and shrinking catastrophe drag. Investors looking for reliable income growth in a defensive sleeve of the market fit the profile. If a dedicated income playbook is your thing, our team’s research on long-streak payers is captured in a report we’ve been circulating on 10 Dividend Kings worth watching.

The caveat: catastrophe concentration is real. California wildfires drove the Q1 2025 combined ratio to 113.3%, and a bad cat quarter can bruise reported earnings even when the long-term thesis holds.

T. Rowe Price T. Rowe Price (NASDAQ:TROW) is the highest-yielding name in the bundle and the only true high-yield entry. At $116.29 per share, the yield stands near 4.47% on a $1.30 quarterly payout and a $5.20 annualized forward dividend. The Board bumped the payout from $1.27 to $1.30 for Q1 2026, extending a growth ladder that has taken annual dividends from $4.88 in 2023 to $5.20 annualized in 2026.

Coverage remains solid. Trailing EPS of $9.52 comfortably clears the $5.11 dividend per share. Q1 2026 alone generated $966.3 million of operating cash flow, up 52.68% year over year, and the firm ended the quarter with $3.73 billion in cash and equivalents plus $1.71 trillion in ending AUM. Management returned $629 million to shareholders in Q1 2026 alone via dividends and buybacks. Prior special dividends in 2021 ($3.00) and 2015 ($2.00) highlight the firm’s willingness to top up ordinary returns when capital allows.

The bull case: a debt-free asset manager throwing off huge free cash flow, a 12 times trailing PE, and a yield well above the broader market’s. Buyers today get paid handsomely while they wait for flows to stabilize.

The caveat: persistent net client outflows continue. Q1 2026 net outflows totaled $13.7 billion, following FY2025 outflows of $56.9 billion, and fee rate compression to 38.4 basis points remains a live pressure on revenue mix.

The Takeaway These four names share the traits income investors quietly prize: long dividend histories, well-covered payouts, and boring business models that generate cash through cycles. Chubb and Cincinnati Financial deliver defensive property and casualty underwriting with fortress balance sheets, Aflac layers on a verified multi-decade streak of raises, and T. Rowe Price offers the most current income at a mid-single-digit yield. Together, they cover the full spectrum of financial-sector income, from steady growth compounders to a genuine high-yield fee-based cash machine.

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Roper Technologies (ROP - Free Report) came out with quarterly earnings of $5.38 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $5.29 per share. This compares to earnings of $4.87 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.

This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +1.70%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this industrial equipment maker would post earnings of $4.97 per share when it actually produced earnings of $5.16, delivering a surprise of +3.82%.

Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates four times.

Roper Technologies, which belongs to the Zacks Computers - IT Services industry, posted revenues of $2.11 billion for the quarter ended June 2026, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.50%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $1.94 billion. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates two times over the last four quarters.

The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.

Roper Technologies shares have lost about 24.4% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 9.6%.

What's Next for Roper Technologies?While Roper Technologies has underperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock?

There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.

Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.

Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Roper Technologies was favorable. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to outperform the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $5.63 on $2.16 billion in revenues for the coming quarter and $21.86 on $8.54 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year.

Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Computers - IT Services is currently in the top 27% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.

Dynatrace (DT - Free Report) , another stock in the same industry, has yet to report results for the quarter ended June 2026. The results are expected to be released on August 5.

This software intellegence company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.45 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +7.1%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 0.4% lower over the last 30 days to the current level.

Dynatrace's revenues are expected to be $549.3 million, up 15.1% from the year-ago quarter.

Cloud-native building automation strengthens Carrier's digital ecosystem to enable increasingly intelligent and autonomous buildings 

, /PRNewswire/ -- Carrier Global Corporation (NYSE: CARR), global leader in intelligent climate and energy solutions, today announced it has acquired 75F, a leading innovator in cloud-native, wireless, AI-enabled building automation systems. The acquisition strengthens Carrier's intelligent building capabilities across applications — from complex applied systems and high-growth data centers to light commercial and retrofits.

"Buildings are becoming intelligent and autonomous systems that continuously learn, adapt and optimize performance," said David Gitlin, Chairman & CEO, Carrier. "Through Carrier ClimaVision™, we have already seen firsthand the power of 75F's cloud-native, AI-enabled platform. This acquisition accelerates our strategy to create increasingly autonomous and self-optimizing buildings by bringing together connected equipment, intelligent controls and digital solutions in a unified platform that simplifies deployment, connects building data and enables agentic AI."

The combination of Carrier's WebCTRL® building controls install base, Abound™ predictive analytics capability and the Nlyte® operational intelligence platform with 75F's unified data layer and AI capabilities will create a differentiated end-to-end offering spanning equipment, controls, analytics and outcomes for buildings globally. Together, these integrated capabilities enable building operators to transition from traditional building management to fully autonomous operations that proactively identify maintenance opportunities, optimize energy consumption, intelligently manage assets and improve occupant comfort.

"75F was founded to fundamentally rethink building automation using cloud-native software, AI and wireless technologies," said Deepinder Singh, founder and CEO, 75F. "Joining Carrier enables us to accelerate that vision on a global scale. Together, we can help make intelligent buildings simpler to deploy, easier to operate and more accessible to customers everywhere."

75F's platform combines wireless sensors, intuitive controls, cloud software and AI-enabled automation designed to reduce installation time and simplify commissioning while optimizing energy efficiency and indoor air quality. Carrier plans to integrate 75F's generative and agentic AI as well as auto-commissioning capabilities into its large commercial platforms, including its Carrier QuantumLeap™ thermal management suite, improving deployment and real-time thermal performance for the rapidly growing data center market.

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP acted as external legal counsel to Carrier in connection with the transaction. Avisen Legal, PA acted as external legal counsel to 75F in connection with the transaction.

About Carrier
Carrier Global Corporation, global leader in intelligent climate and energy solutions, is committed to creating innovations that bring comfort, safety and sustainability to life. Through cutting-edge advancements in climate solutions such as temperature control, air quality and transportation, we improve lives, empower critical industries and ensure the safe transport of food, life-saving medicines and more. Since inventing modern air conditioning in 1902, we lead with purpose: enhancing the lives we live and the world we share. We continue to lead because of our world-class, inclusive workforce that puts the customer at the center of everything we do. For more information, visit carrier.com or follow Carrier on social media at @Carrier.

Carrier. For the World We Share.

Cautionary Statement
This communication contains statements which, to the extent they are not statements of historical or present fact, constitute "forward-looking statements" under the securities laws. These forward-looking statements are intended to provide management's current expectations or plans for Carrier's future operating and financial performance, based on assumptions currently believed to be valid. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "believe," "expect," "expectations," "plans," "strategy," "prospects," "estimate," "project," "target," "anticipate," "will," "should," "see," "guidance," "outlook," "confident," "scenario" and other words of similar meaning in connection with a discussion of future operating or financial performance. Forward-looking statements may include, among other things, statements relating to the acquisition of the 75F business, the integration of such business into Carrier's existing operations, strategies or transactions of Carrier, Carrier's plans with respect to its indebtedness and other statements that are not historical facts. All forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. For additional information on identifying factors that may cause actual results to vary materially from those stated in forward-looking statements, see Carrier's reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K filed with or furnished to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and Carrier assumes no obligation to update or revise such statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. 

CARR-IR 

Contact:

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SOURCE Carrier Global Corporation

NEW YORK, July 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bernstein Liebhard LLP announces that a shareholder has filed a securities class action lawsuit on behalf of investors (the “Class”) who purchased or acquired the securities of Lucid Group, Inc. (“Lucid” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: LCID) between February 25, 2026 and April 13, 2026, inclusive.

Should You Join The Lucid Class Action Lawsuit:

Do you, or did you, own shares of Lucid Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: LCID)?Did you purchase your shares between February 25, 2026 and April 13, 2026, inclusive?Did you lose money in your investment in Lucid Group, Inc.?
What To Do Next:

Investors are encouraged to act promptly and submit a form at Lucid Group, Inc. Shareholder Class Action Lawsuit or contact Investor Relations Manager Peter Allocco at (212) 951-2030 or [email protected].

If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff for the Class, you must file papers by July 28, 2026. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on other class members’ behalf in directing the litigation. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn’t require that you serve as lead plaintiff. If you choose to take no action, you may remain an absent class member.

All representation is on a contingency fee basis. Shareholders pay no fees or expenses.

About The Lawsuit:

The lawsuit alleges that defendants made materially false and misleading statements and omissions regarding the Company’s business operations, growth prospects, and financial stability. As a result of these alleged misrepresentations, Lucid securities traded at artificially inflated prices during the Class Period. When the truth was disclosed, investors allegedly suffered significant losses.

About Bernstein Liebhard:

Since 1993, Bernstein Liebhard LLP has recovered over $3.5 billion for its clients. In addition to representing individual investors, the Firm has been retained by some of the largest public and private pension funds in the country to monitor their assets and pursue litigation on their behalf. As a result of its success litigating hundreds of class actions, the Firm has been named to The National Law Journal’s “Plaintiffs’ Hot List” thirteen times and listed in The Legal 500 for sixteen consecutive years.

ATTORNEY ADVERTISING. © 2026 Bernstein Liebhard LLP. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Bernstein Liebhard LLP, 10 East 40th Street, New York, New York 10016, (212) 779-1414. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.

Contact Information:

Peter Allocco
Investor Relations Manager
Bernstein Liebhard LLP
https://www.bernlieb.com
(212) 951-2030
[email protected]

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- #globalpayments--Global Payments Inc. (NYSE: GPN), a leading payment technology and software company that powers commerce for businesses of all sizes worldwide, will release second-quarter financial results before the market opens on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, followed by a live audio webcast to discuss them at 8:00 a.m. ET.All interested parties may access the audio webcast via the investor relations page of the company's website at investors.globalpayments.com. A replay of the audio w.

CSX Corporation delivered in-line Q2 results, with revenue up 10% and EPS up 23%, signaling operational strength and robust market demand. Management shifted guidance from low to high single-digit revenue growth, with margin expansion solidified at 350 bps and free cash flow growth over 80%. Truck-to-rail conversion and intermodal growth are central to CSX's strategy, leveraging infrastructure investments amid a tight trucking market.

July 23, 2026 07:30 ET  | Source: Applied Materials, Inc.

SANTA CLARA, Calif., July 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Applied Materials, Inc. today announced that it will hold its fiscal third quarter 2026 earnings conference call on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, at 4:30 p.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. PT.

The call will be webcast live at: https://ir.appliedmaterials.com. A replay will be available on the same day by 8:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. PT.

About Applied Materials
Applied Materials, Inc. (Nasdaq: AMAT) is the leader in materials engineering solutions that are at the foundation of virtually every new semiconductor and advanced display in the world. The technology we create is essential to advancing AI and accelerating the commercialization of next-generation chips. At Applied, we push the boundaries of science and engineering to deliver material innovation that changes the world. Learn more at www.appliedmaterials.com.

Contact:
Ricky Gradwohl (editorial/media) 408.235.4676
Mike Sullivan (financial community) 408.986.7977

An updated edition of the June 3, 2026 article.

A wide moat refers to companies with lasting competitive advantages that protect them from rivals, similar to how a moat defends a castle. Made famous by Warren Buffett, this strategy targets businesses that can sustain strong long-term profitability due to factors like distinct market positions, strong brand loyalty, cost advantages, network effects and regulatory barriers.

Among the companies that are recognized for their wide moats, some are Applied Materials, Inc. (AMAT - Free Report) , Texas Instruments Incorporated (TXN - Free Report) , Moody's Corporation (MCO - Free Report) , Visa Inc. (V - Free Report) and Walmart Inc. (WMT - Free Report) . These companies compete in industries with significant barriers to entry, which safeguard their market positions and promote consistent revenue growth by reducing the risk of new competitors.

Wide-moat companies generally benefit from several key factors such as brand strength, network effects, high customer switching costs, regulatory protections and economies of scale. These characteristics make it challenging for new entrants or existing competitors to erode their market share. Companies with wide moats typically benefit from strong pricing power, stable profit margins and the capacity to reinvest in their businesses, further reinforcing their competitive advantages.

The case for investing in wide-moat businesses is rooted in their ability to deliver steady, long-term returns. In contrast to companies operating in fiercely competitive industries, where profits can be highly volatile due to pricing pressures and rivalry, wide-moat businesses tend to show greater resilience during economic downturns and market turbulence. Their solid market positions and robust balance sheets enable them to endure challenges that might seriously impact less competitive firms.

Investing in wide-moat companies can be an effective strategy for building long-term wealth, as these businesses typically produce steady cash flows, navigate market volatility with resilience, and deliver value to shareholders through dividends and stock price growth. While no investment is entirely risk-free, companies with strong economic moats provide a level of durability that many investors seek in an ever-changing market. Our Wide Moat Screen makes it easy to identify high-potential stocks at any given time — just like the ones mentioned above.

Ready to uncover more transformative thematic investment ideas? Explore 39 cutting-edge investment themes with Zacks Thematic Investing Screens and discover your next big opportunity.

Applied Materials’ moat is supported by a strong position in semiconductor equipment, efficient operational scale and a broad portfolio. It is a dominant name in the semiconductor equipment sales domain. AMAT is one of the world’s largest suppliers of equipment for the fabrication of semiconductors, flat panel liquid crystal displays, and solar photovoltaic cells and modules. AMAT has the broadest and most diversified offerings as it provides solutions across multiple fabrication steps, such as deposition, materials engineering, etch, metrology and packaging.

Applied Materials expects to strengthen its position even further in wafer fabrication equipment (“WFE”) thanks to an expanding product portfolio. Furthermore, the emergence of data centers will continue to be a major contributor to the company's top-line growth with the growing demand for dynamic random access memory (“DRAM”) by the cloud service providers.

Applied Materials is seeing artificial intelligence (AI) adoption broaden and diversify, which is pushing wafer fab equipment spending toward leading-edge foundry-logic, DRAM and advanced packaging. Management expects these three areas to drive more than 80% of year-on-year total WFE growth in calendar 2026, with a similar profile in 2027. The company also expects its semiconductor equipment business to grow more than 30% in calendar 2026 as customers expand cleanroom capacity and accelerate equipment pull-ins.

Applied Materials’ semiconductor business continues to be on a growth trajectory with significant design wins. Moreover, the company's AI Design Forum bodes well for its strong focus on the development of new computing materials and designs. The industry's transition to 3D NAND is also helping the company to further expand the served available market. Applied Materials is a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) stock. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Texas Instruments has a strong position in the foundational analog and embedded processing semiconductor markets, which are critical for long-term growth in key industries like industrial, automotive, personal electronics and data center. It serves diverse end markets that balance individual ups and downs in multiple ways. For instance, the seasonality in the personal electronics business is balanced out by the industrial, communications, automotive and data center segments.

The company serves individuals and corporations, industrial customers and infrastructure providers. The emergence of 5G technology is aiding the performance of the company's analog products in the communication equipment market. All these are making its revenue stream relatively steady despite the dynamism in each of the markets served. This is very important for a company like Texas Instruments because it has huge facilities of its own that come along with high fixed costs.

Texas Instruments is focusing more on making chips under its internal manufacturing facilities instead of relying on outside foundries. The company aims to manufacture more than 95% of its wafers internally by 2030, with a significant portion of those on 300-millimeter wafers. By building its internal manufacturing, the company will gain better control over production, quality and costs. This will also reduce risks from supply-chain issues and global trade tensions. It also makes Texas Instruments more flexible in responding to customer needs. Over time, this approach can improve profit margins and strengthen the company’s position in the market as demand for reliable chip supply grows.

Texas Instruments, a Zacks Rank #2 stock, is one of the largest suppliers of analog and digital signal processing integrated circuits. The company’s compelling product lineup and efficient manufacturing strategies are anticipated to drive long-term earnings. Also, Texas Instruments is nearing the completion of a six-year elevated capital expenditure cycle, investing in 300-millimeter wafer fabs to secure low-cost manufacturing capacity at scale. This initiative positions the company to meet customer demand while enhancing margins and free cash flow. Further, its focus on innovation of the product portfolio across both the Analog and Embedded Processing segments remains a major positive.

Moody’s is a leader in credit ratings and analytics. Its position is fortified by regulatory reliance on its ratings and a reputation built over decades, creating high barriers for new entrants. Its dominant position in the credit rating industry, along with opportunistic acquisitions and restructuring efforts to diversify revenues and footprint, supports top-line expansion. A strong balance sheet position and earnings strength also keep the company’s capital distributions sustainable.

Moody’s has been meaningfully growing through strategic acquisitions, increasing scale and cross-selling opportunities across products and vertical markets. In August 2025, it announced its plans to secure a majority equity ownership in Middle East Rating & Investors Service. In June 2025, it fully acquired ICR Chile, strengthening its presence in Latin America’s domestic credit markets. In 2024, it announced the acquisition of Numerated Growth Technologies and a 100% stake in Global Credit Rating Company Limited (GCR) to deepen its presence in Africa’s credit market. These deals, along with several other strategic buyouts, will continue helping the company diversify revenues and be accretive to earnings. Moody's will continue to pursue opportunistic deals that are strategic fits and complement its existing operations.

Moody’s continues to pursue growth in areas outside the core credit ratings service. This Zacks Rank #2 company has increased its exposure to the banking and insurance industries and is diversifying into fast-growing professional services and enterprise risk solutions businesses. The rising share of the analytics business, which is not correlated with the volatility of interest rates, has added stability to top-line growth.

Visa, the global leader in digital payments, benefits from an extensive payment network that connects millions of merchants, banks and consumers worldwide. Its economic moat stems from the network effect, where the value of its services increases as more users and businesses participate. With a near-monopoly in card transactions, Visa generates significant revenues through transaction fees while facing minimal competition due to high regulatory and technological barriers in the payment processing industry.

Visa consistently achieves growth in payments volume and processed transactions. The company's robust market position, strategic acquisitions and digital payment trends contribute to revenue expansion. Visa's strategic emphasis on inorganic growth through mergers, acquisitions, and partnerships has solidified its dominance. The company's partnerships and investments underscore its ongoing efforts to extend its network and maintain a leading position in the payment industry. These strategic moves have expanded its global network, resulting in continuous growth in cross-border volumes.

Visa continues to drive product and platform innovation through solutions like Visa Token Service, Visa Checkout, and In-App Provisioning, reinforcing its leadership in secure digital payments. The company keeps pushing emerging form factors such as contactless, tap-to-pay, and secure remote commerce, while expanding partnerships across fintech and crypto-linked use cases. Visa has also moved quickly into agentic commerce. In April 2026, it unveiled Intelligent Commerce Connect, an ‘on ramp’ that lets businesses connect AI agents to payments and acceptance through a single integration. It is also expanding its Agentic Ready testing program from Europe into Asia Pacific and Latin America to validate enrollment, tokenization, authentication and authorization flows before broader rollout. Visa currently carries a Zacks Rank #2.

Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, operates more than 10,900 stores in 19 countries, serving roughly 270 million customers weekly through its vast network of supercenters, discount stores and e-commerce platforms. It thrives on everyday low prices and digital accessibility.

Walmart’s diverse business model is a major advantage. The company generates growth not only from stores but also through digital advertising, memberships and marketplace operations. These areas provide new profit streams that are less dependent on traditional retail sales. Advertising through Walmart Connect and international platforms like Flipkart Ads is growing quickly, while membership income from Walmart+ and Sam’s Club is also rising at a rapid pace.

Walmart’s progress in digital and logistics capabilities has also been impressive. The company uses its massive store network as fulfillment hubs, allowing it to deliver faster and more efficiently. Marketplace growth and greater use of Walmart Fulfillment Services are strengthening both customer convenience and profitability.

 This Zacks Rank #2 company is also investing heavily in automation and AI to improve productivity and simplify shopping experiences. Its international operations add another source of growth. Markets like China, Mexico and India (Flipkart) continue to post strong gains, driven by strong e-commerce demand and expansion in quick delivery services.

Yum! Brands, the owner of Taco Bell, will release its Q2 on Thursday, July 30. Ahead of the release, YUM shares have come under pressure following news that Taco Bell was linked to the recent Cyclospora outbreak. The reversal in sentiment marks an unfortunate speed bump in the restaurant operator's previous momentum that was due in large part to a resurgence in revenue growth from Taco Bell.

© Win McNamee / Getty Images News via Getty Images

Shares of Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA | TSLA Price Prediction) are down 10% Thursday morning to $336.28 after the electric-vehicle maker’s Q2 2026 earnings landed with a sharp profit miss. Fellow EV names are lower too, with Rivian (NASDAQ:RIVN) stock down 1% to $16.93 and Lucid Group (NASDAQ:LCID) stock down 2% to $6.65.

The broader tape is soft as well, with the NASDAQ 100 lower by 1.39%. Tesla stock had already been under pressure, sitting down 17% year to date (YTD) heading into the print.

Profit Miss Overshadows Record Deliveries Tesla reported adjusted EPS of $0.33, missing the $0.50 consensus. Adjusted EBITDA of $3.2 billion came up short of the $4 billion expected. Revenue of $28.24 billion was a beat for Tesla, rising 26% year over year (YoY) on a record Q2 delivery haul of 480,126 vehicles.

Tesla’s operating income collapsed 57% YoY to $398 million, with the operating margin compressing to 1%. Free cash flow swung to negative $1.09 billion, a burn, but this was meaningfully better than the negative $3.64 billion the Street had feared.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk called 2026 a “massive capex year,” and CFO Vaibhav Taneja confirmed the full-year capital budget at “more than $25 billion.” Tesla’s Robotaxi service now spans seven metro areas, and active FSD subscriptions reached 1.48 million, up 56%.

Analysts Trim Targets but Hold Ratings Wall Street responded with a coordinated target trim while ratings held, a “show-me” stance around Tesla’s AI and robotics pivot. Canaccord lowered its Tesla stock price target to $410 from $450 with a Buy, citing stagnant margins and breakthrough promises on hard-to-model timelines.

Cantor Fitzgerald trimmed its TSLA stock price target to $485 from $510 and kept Overweight, framing FY2026 as transformational for autonomy, AI, robotics, and chips. JPMorgan cut its Tesla stock target to $445 from $475, staying Neutral, and flagged softer gross margins from lower regulatory credits, rising interest-rate subvention costs, and warranty headwinds.

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Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley moved its Tesla stock price target to $400 from $417, holding Equal Weight, and described the accelerating capex as “a necessary investment” to secure autonomy and robotics leadership, even as it pushes Tesla’s free cash flow further negative.

EV Peers and the DRIV ETF Feel the Ripple Rivian shares and Lucid shares are slipping in mild sympathy on Tesla contagion rather than company-specific news. The Global X Autonomous & Electric Vehicles ETF (NASDAQ:DRIV) is under pressure given Tesla’s outsized weight; the fund is a narrow, volatile thematic vehicle with meaningful concentration in a handful of EV and autonomy names.

On merger chatter, Musk stated that there is “overlap” between Tesla and SpaceX (NASDAQ:SPCX) but said, “[W]e can’t talk about combining companies on an earnings call. It’s got to be done with the appropriate process.” Traders can treat that as speculation, not a plan.

What to Watch Now Tesla remains a high-expectations, richly valued name whose bull case rests on autonomy, robotaxi, and Optimus milestones that are hard to time. Cox Automotive sees U.S. EV sales down 20% after the federal EV tax credit expired, a headwind partially offset by strong Europe demand.

Investors can watch for whether Tesla stock holds $340 into the close and whether follow-on analyst notes shift the tone through the session. Given the volatility around this AI and robotics transition, investors should consider keeping their position sizes modest as the narrative moves from deliveries to autonomy execution.

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Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Blackstone Inc (BX) released its 8-K filing on July 23, 2026, presenting its second-quarter earnings results. The world's largest alternative asset manager repo

Blackstone Inc. (BX - Free Report) came out with quarterly earnings of $1.52 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.33 per share. This compares to earnings of $1.21 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.

This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +14.29%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this investment manager would post earnings of $1.35 per share when it actually produced earnings of $1.36, delivering a surprise of +0.74%.

Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates four times.

Blackstone Inc., which belongs to the Zacks Financial - Miscellaneous Services industry, posted revenues of $3.8 billion for the quarter ended June 2026, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 12.70%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $3.07 billion. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates four times over the last four quarters.

The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.

Blackstone Inc. shares have lost about 20.3% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 9.6%.

What's Next for Blackstone Inc.?While Blackstone Inc. has underperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock?

There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.

Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.

Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Blackstone Inc. was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $1.45 on $3.64 billion in revenues for the coming quarter and $5.85 on $14.68 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year.

Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Financial - Miscellaneous Services is currently in the bottom 25% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.

Another stock from the same industry, PRA Group (PRAA - Free Report) , has yet to report results for the quarter ended June 2026.

This debt collector is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.52 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -51.9%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days.

PRA Group's revenues are expected to be $313.07 million, up 8.8% from the year-ago quarter.

Nasdaq (NDAQ - Free Report) came out with quarterly earnings of $1.07 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.98 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.85 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.

This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +9.18%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this exchange operator would post earnings of $0.93 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.96, delivering a surprise of +3.23%.

Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates four times.

Nasdaq, which belongs to the Zacks Securities and Exchanges industry, posted revenues of $1.5 billion for the quarter ended June 2026, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.87%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $1.31 billion. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates four times over the last four quarters.

The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.

Nasdaq shares have lost about 6.4% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 9.6%.

What's Next for Nasdaq?While Nasdaq has underperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock?

There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.

Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.

Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Nasdaq was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $1.00 on $1.44 billion in revenues for the coming quarter and $3.93 on $5.79 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year.

Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Securities and Exchanges is currently in the bottom 10% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.

One other stock from the same industry, S&P Global (SPGI - Free Report) , is yet to report results for the quarter ended June 2026. The results are expected to be released on July 28.

This independent ratings and analytics provider is expected to post quarterly earnings of $4.49 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +1.4%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 8.3% lower over the last 30 days to the current level.

S&P Global's revenues are expected to be $3.65 billion, down 2.9% from the year-ago quarter.

CME Group maintains strong core performance, posting record Q2 revenue and robust margins, yet the stock remains range-bound and fully valued. Q2 2026 highlights include $2.99 non-GAAP EPS, $1.71B revenue, 69.5% adjusted operating margin, and resilient trading volumes across key product lines. Capital return remains aggressive with $1.2B distributed via dividends and buybacks, backed by a strong balance sheet and disciplined expense management.

BELLEVUE, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Terreno Realty Corporation Announces Lease in Carson, CA.

SAN DIEGO, July 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: KTOS), a Technology Company in the Defense, National Security and Global Markets, announced today that it will publish financial results for the second quarter 2026 after the close of market on Tuesday, August 4th. Management will discuss the Company's operations and financial results in a conference call beginning at 2:00 p.m.

SAN ANTONIO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--XPEL, Inc. (Nasdaq: XPEL) a global provider of protective films and coatings, today announced it will host a conference call and webcast on Wednesday, August 5, 2026 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss the Company's second quarter 2026 results. To access the live webcast, please visit the XPEL, Inc. website at https://investor.xpel.com/events-and-presentations. To participate in the call by phone, dial (888) 506-0062 approximately five minutes prior to the schedul.

The logo of TotalEnergies at the 10th edition of the VivaTech technology startups and innovation fair in Paris, France, June 18, 2026. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

SummaryCompaniesTotal to cede 10% stake to Novatek subsidiaryCEO says it is in ​company's interestNo mention of sale pricePARIS, July 23 - French oil major TotalEnergies (TTEF.PA), opens new tab will exit its stake in the Arctic LNG 2 plant in Russia, CEO Patrick Pouyanne said on Thursday.

The transfer of Total's 10% stake ​to Nordline, a subsidiary of the plant's majority owner Novatek, ​has been approved by Russian authorities and will be ⁠completed in the short term, he told analysts on a second-quarter ​results call.

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Following Western sanctions on Russia in the wake of the ​invasion of Ukraine, Total maintained ownership in key Russian plants exporting LNG — but has considered selling the stakes after European Union sanctions will ban companies from importing ​that gas in 2027 or selling it in other jurisdictions.

"Soon ​after Arctic LNG 2 became subject to U.S. sanctions in November 2023, Novatek approached ‌us ⁠about a potential transfer," Pouyanne said.

Noting that Total had already taken a $4.1 billion impairment on the project in 2022 and declared force majeure the following year, Pouyanne said he considered the proposal to be in ​the company's interest.

The ​CEO did ⁠not use the word 'sale'. A press officer for TotalEnergies did not immediately respond to a request on ​whether Total expected to be compensated for its stake ​and ⁠at what valuation.

In the wake of the war many foreign firms have sold Russian assets or seen them seized.

In 2024, Kremlin-controlled energy giant Gazprom acquired a 27.5% ⁠stake ​in Russian LNG project Sakhalin II by ​decree, previously held by British oil major BP, which took a $1.6 billion impairment.

(This story has been corrected to fix the hyperlinks in paragraphs 7 and 8, with no change to the text)

Reporting by ​America Hernandez in Paris, Editing by Charlotte Van Campenhout and Louise Heavens

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

July 23, 2026 Wednesday's MarketsS&P 500
7,499 (-0.14%)Nasdaq
25,691 (-0.57%)Dow
52,219 (-0.01%)Bitcoin
$65,834 (-0.84%)

Source: Image created by Jester AI.

1. Alphabet Drops on Higher Capex Target Alphabet (GOOG -1.20%) fell around 3% in pre-market trading despite better-than-expected quarterly revenue, as the business increased its full-year AI capex forecast to as high as $205 billion.

"We're still in a supply constrained environment": CFO Anat Ashkenazi justified the extra spend, previously expected in the $180 billion to $190 billion range, because "we are seeing very strong demand both from external cloud customers as well as across the business." "Clearly Alphabet is spending big for big results. And Q2 delivered in both ways": TMF chief investment officer Andy Cross acknowledged the high spend, but took a longer-term viewpoint, saying "Alphabet is spending like the AI opportunity is generational. And signs are pointing that if any company is going to make a good return on its AI investments, it's Alphabet." 2. Notable After-Hours Movers and Shakers Tesla (TSLA -1.29%) dropped over 4% as quarterly results revealed a 17% fall in adjusted net income, partly due to increasing discounts to boost car sales and lower revenue from regulatory credit sales. Higher capex also weighed on sentiment. ServiceNow (NOW -6.39%) jumped over 4% as a 24.5% increase in subscription sales helped to boost overall revenue for the quarter. The Team Hidden Gems recommendation also impressed as its AI annual contract value (ACV) crossed the $1 billion mark. Crown Castle (CCI +2.01%) was little changed after posting a mixed bag of quarterly results. Revenue fell by 4.9% for the Dividend Investor rec, but management raised the full-year adjusted funds from operations (AFFO) midpoint by $5 million. IBM (IBM -2.25%) was close to flat despite cutting its growth forecast for the rest of the year, with a 42% drop in quarterly mainframe business sales. The Hidden Gems rec did assure investors this is only a temporary downturn for the company overall.

3. Intel, AMD Aim to Lock Down Long-Term Deals

Reuters reports Intel (INTC -2.47%) and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD +1.48%) are committing to longer-term contracts with clients for data-center processors, as tight supply and rising prices continue to worry buyers.

News marks a shift for server CPUs: So far, central processing units (CPUs) hadn't experienced the same acute shortage as memory chips of AI accelerators, but this appears to be changing as lead times get longer. AMD is outperforming the S&P 500 by 172% since the January 2024 Stock Advisor rec by Team Rule Breakers. More detail likely with Intel results due after the closing bell: Aside from CPU guidance, investors will be watching the profitability of the foundry business and the extent of any gross margin expansion after a strong previous quarter.

4. Next Up: TSCO & DGX Report Ahead of KNSL

Tractor Supply (TSCO -0.81%) fell around 1% after releasing earnings ahead of the market open, as it couldn't put the disappointing previous quarter to bed. The stock, recommended by Team Rule Breakers and Team Hidden Gems, saw comparable store sales fall by 1.5%, with average transaction count down by 1.7%. Quest Diagnostics (DGX +1.45%) rose over 5% before the opening bell, with the Team Rule Breakers and Team Hidden Gems rec increasing its full-year guidance as part of strong quarterly results where both revenue and earnings beat expectations. Kinsale Capital (KNSL -4.16%) reports after the closing bell. The Hidden Gems rec will be hoping the 28.3% drop in premiums last quarter from commercial property eases, as well as more progress on AI initiatives. 5. Today's Take: The Customer Is Always Right

CrowdStrike (CRWD -1.23%)'s gross retention held above 97% the very quarter after the 2024 outage. Loyalty that survives a mistake beats loyalty never tested.-- Yasser El-Shimy Team Rule Breakers

6. Your Take What stocks have you added to your portfolio in the last few weeks, and why?

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This image and article was created using Large Language Models (LLMs) based on The Motley Fool's insights and investing approach. It has been reviewed by our AI quality control systems. Since LLMs cannot (currently) own stocks, it has no positions in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Advanced Micro Devices, Alphabet, CrowdStrike, Crown Castle, Intel, International Business Machines, Kinsale Capital Group, Quest Diagnostics, ServiceNow, Tesla, and Tractor Supply. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.