Sarat Sethi, managing partner at DCLA, went on CNBC on June 22, 2026 and said the quiet part loud about memory stocks. “Micron is [up] 800, 800% last year. So definitely a little bit ahead of itself. And then when you do get that pullback that could be the opportunity.” That is the whole trade in two sentences, and it lined up almost too neatly with what happened the next morning, when shares opened sharply lower on profit-taking ahead of fiscal Q3 results.
Why Sethi thinks the next dip is the trade Sethi’s framework separates mechanical selling from fundamental damage. “If the case is, hey, we are hitting our numbers and we’re exceeding guidance and the stock pulls back 20, 25%. It’s just that the quick, fast money in the last month has kind of come out of it.” The corollary, in his words, “When it comes down you want to get out of the way. But the question is is a short term blip on the way to a higher high, which right now looks like it’s going to be.”
The price action backs up the “ahead of itself” part. Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU | MU Price Prediction) is up 713% over the trailing year and 16% in just the last month, with a 10.56% single-day drop on June 23 from $1,211.38. Prediction markets were already sniffing this out. The Polymarket contract on direction for June 23 was pricing in a 99% probability of a down day, even while assigning a 96% probability that Micron beats earnings on June 24. The crowd reads the same setup Sethi does. Call it a tactical flush inside an intact uptrend.
The numbers behind the multibagger move The fundamentals carry the move. Fiscal Q2 2026, filed March 18, 2026, delivered revenue of $23.86 billion, beating consensus by 22.28%, with non-GAAP EPS of $12.20 against an $8.73 consensus. GAAP gross margin reached 74.4%, up from 36.8% a year earlier. The Cloud Memory unit alone did $7.75 billion at a 66% operating margin.
Management guided for fiscal Q3 revenue of $33.50 billion plus or minus $750 million, EPS around $19.15, and gross margin near 81%. CEO Sanjay Mehrotra framed it bluntly. “In the AI era, memory has become a strategic asset for our customers, and we are investing in our global manufacturing footprint to support their growing demand.” The board paired that with a 30% dividend hike, signaling the company believes the cycle has legs.
SanDisk and the broader memory re-rating SanDisk (NASDAQ:SNDK) shows this is sector-wide. SNDK is up 3,942% over the past year off a low base, and its most recent quarter posted revenue of $5.95 billion, up 251% year over year, with the Datacenter segment growing 645%. CEO David Goeckeler called it “a fundamental inflection point for Sandisk”, and the company retired $650 million of debt to reach a zero long-term debt balance sheet. That is what supply-constrained pricing power looks like in financial form.
Sethi’s broader point is that memory chip demand is expected to remain strong for at least a couple more years, with Apple, hyperscale data centers, and AI infrastructure as the buying base. SK Hynix overtook Samsung as South Korea’s most valuable company, and SanDisk received major price-target hikes from Bernstein and Needham. Three independent data points, one direction.
What separates a healthy pullback from a regime change Using Sethi’s playbook, watch for two tells on the June 24 earnings release. One, does Micron clear the $33.50 billion revenue guide and lift the next quarter again. Two, does management talk about customer order books extending further into 2027, or do they hedge. A 20% to 25% pullback against a guide-up earnings report is the Sethi setup. A pullback against softening commentary on hyperscaler ordering is something else entirely, and it is the scenario where you want to get out of the way.
GameStop Corp (NYSE:GME)'s board has scrapped a proposed CEO performance award after a request from CEO Ryan Cohen, who said he wants leadership focused on the company's operating performance and its pursuit of online marketplace eBay.
The award, approved in January 2026, would have paid Cohen as much as $35 billion if GameStop reached a market capitalization of $100 billion.
Its removal comes as the video game retailer faces mounting investor backlash over its unsolicited $56 billion bid for eBay, a company roughly four times GameStop's size.
eBay's board has already rejected the offer as "neither credible nor attractive," citing concerns over financing and leadership.
GameStop said it plans to release additional details this week on the strategic rationale for the proposed acquisition, including how the two companies could fit together and what a combined business might look like. The company stressed the update does not constitute an offer or solicitation tied to the transaction.
Legal pressure is also building. The City of Pontiac General Employees' Retirement System has filed a proposed class-action lawsuit in Delaware, alleging the board manipulated voting rules to favor insiders ahead of a shareholder vote. A separate investor suit had sought to pause the bonus plan pending fuller shareholder disclosures.
GameStop has denied that the eBay bid was motivated by the performance award's $100 billion market cap threshold.
GameStop Corp (NYSE:GME)'s board has scrapped a proposed CEO performance award after a request from CEO Ryan Cohen, who said he wants leadership focused on the company's operating performance and its pursuit of online marketplace eBay.
The award, approved in January 2026, would have paid Cohen as much as $35 billion if GameStop reached a market capitalization of $100 billion.
Its removal comes as the video game retailer faces mounting investor backlash over its unsolicited $56 billion bid for eBay, a company roughly four times GameStop's size.
eBay's board has already rejected the offer as "neither credible nor attractive," citing concerns over financing and leadership.
GameStop said it plans to release additional details this week on the strategic rationale for the proposed acquisition, including how the two companies could fit together and what a combined business might look like. The company stressed the update does not constitute an offer or solicitation tied to the transaction.
Legal pressure is also building. The City of Pontiac General Employees' Retirement System has filed a proposed class-action lawsuit in Delaware, alleging the board manipulated voting rules to favor insiders ahead of a shareholder vote. A separate investor suit had sought to pause the bonus plan pending fuller shareholder disclosures.
GameStop has denied that the eBay bid was motivated by the performance award's $100 billion market cap threshold.
Ryan Cohen is doing two things at once that look contradictory until you stare at them long enough. He is walking away from a roughly $35 billion compensation package tied to GameStop (NYSE:GME | GME Price Prediction) stock performance, and he is using the very stock that would have minted that fortune as the currency to chase a target almost five times GameStop’s size. CNBC’s Dominic Chu reported that Cohen “is passing on a 30-billion pay package and will unveil more details soon about his bid to take over” eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY). The number is around $35 billion now.
What the $35 billion number is The figure traces back to a CEO Performance Award that vests only if GameStop’s share price climbs to extraordinary heights. GameStop’s own Q1 FY26 disclosure flags “CEO Performance Award dilution risk if stock options vest and are exercised” as a material risk factor. This is the polite SEC way of admitting Cohen could one day own a vastly larger share of the company.
Forgoing it now does two things. It removes a governance overhang at the exact moment a target board is calling his pitch unserious. And it lets Cohen tell eBay shareholders his interests sit alongside theirs, even as he pursues a deal that would dilute GME holders further. The optics matter because every proxy fight Cohen has involved himself into has leaned on the same argument that incumbent management’s performance was lackluster against their pay. Carrying a nine-figure incentive package into a hostile bid would have handed eBay’s board a ready-made counterattack.
The bid, the rejection, and the math problem Cohen surfaced the offer on May 4, 2026, at $125 per share, a $55.5 billion deal structured 50% cash and 50% stock, with $9.4 billion from GameStop’s cash reserves plus a $20 billion “highly confident letter” from TD Securities. A highly confident letter is a bank’s expression of belief that it could raise the money, well short of an actual commitment to deliver it. eBay’s board took eight days to respond and called the offer “neither credible nor attractive” on May 12.
The valuation gap is the part that won’t move. eBay’s market cap sits near $49.3 billion, against GameStop’s $9.6 billion. eBay’s trailing PE is 25x on real $11.6 billion in revenue and $4.33 of diluted earnings per share. The minnow is bidding for the whale and promising to make the whale faster afterward. Even granting Cohen full credit for GameStop’s $7.4 billion cash pile and the $4.2 billion convertible notes raised in FY25, the gap between available currency and required consideration runs into the tens of billions — a hole that only a richly valued GME stock can fill.
How GameStop’s own results complicate the story Cohen has a legitimate operating tailwind to point at. GameStop’s Q1 FY26 release showed revenue of $835.3 million, up 14% year over year, collectibles revenue up 65% to $348.9 million, and gross margin expanding to 40.7%. GAAP net income of $389.6 million included a $268.4 million unrealized gain on a derivative asset linked to eBay economic exposure, so the eBay trade is already showing up inside GameStop’s income statement before any deal closes.
The company is sitting on $7.4 billion in cash against $3.75 billion in convertible notes. Collectibles, now nearly 42% of sales after growing 65% year over year, are the operating story Cohen would prefer investors to focus on; the derivative gain is the financial-engineering story they cannot help but notice.
What the smart skeptics are saying Michael Burry exited his GameStop stake in early May, arguing the bid “shatters” his thesis of GameStop as a debt-free, Berkshire-style compounder. Steve Eisman aligned with him, telling reporters “the debt is the problem” and warning that the cash-and-stock structure is “highly improbable” given the size mismatch. Polymarket bettors agree. The market “Will GameStop acquire eBay?” trades at 13.5% Yes, expiring December 31, 2026.
Two of the most prominent short-side voices of the last decade lining up on the same side of a deal is not in itself a verdict, but it does narrow the audience Cohen has to convince.
What to watch from here Cohen has already pushed his stake in eBay to roughly 7.8% as of early June and signaled a proxy contest if the board keeps stonewalling. GameStop is asking shareholders to authorize 2.5 billion shares, a balance you only request when you plan to spend it. Meanwhile GME shares are down 19% since May 1, while EBAY is up 6.6% over the same window.
The market is pricing the dilution as real and the deal as fantasy. Cohen, by giving up the pay package, is betting that the next round of details changes that ratio. The next catalysts to watch are the proxy filing window, any movement on the Depop close that would shrink eBay’s float, and whether GameStop’s June repurchase authorization gets deployed to defend the stock currency Cohen needs.
GME stock is moving. See the chart and price action here. The decision, disclosed in an update to GameStop’s proxy materials, removes a CEO Performance Award that had been approved by the board earlier in 2026.
At the time, the company had not yet decided to explore acquiring eBay. Cohen’s request to eliminate the package now aligns leadership incentives with what could become one of the most transformative deals in the company’s history.
Cohen framed the move as a way to keep management fully focused on execution. The emphasis is not on compensation, but on operational performance and the integration strategy tied to the proposed eBay transaction.
GameStop leadership is prioritizing long-term value creation over near-term incentives.
Focused on eBay The potential acquisition of eBay marks a dramatic escalation in GameStop’s evolution from a legacy brick-and-mortar video game retailer into a broader e-commerce platform.
EBay brings a global marketplace, established seller networks and logistics infrastructure that GameStop currently lacks.
At the same time, the move raises critical questions about execution risk and capital allocation. Integrating a large, complex platform like eBay would require significant operational discipline. It would also test GameStop’s ability to manage a business far larger and more diversified than its current footprint.
Cohen’s decision to step back from performance-based pay may also serve a governance purpose.
By removing a potentially controversial compensation structure ahead of a major strategic shift, GameStop reduces a possible distraction for shareholders. The focus instead shifts squarely to the merits of the deal itself.
The TakeawayGameStop said it will release additional materials this week outlining the strategic rationale and operational plan for the combined company. The details are likely to be closely scrutinized, particularly around synergies, cost structure and long-term growth assumptions.
As it stands, the message from leadership is one of alignment and intent. Cohen is tying his leadership credibility directly to the success of the eBay strategy, rather than to a predefined incentive package.
Markets will ultimately judge whether this bold approach delivers the transformation GameStop has been seeking.
GME Stock Price Activity: GameStop stock was up 0.83% at $21.13 at the time of publication Wednesday, according to data from Benzinga Pro.
Over the past month, GME has declined about 3.7% versus a 2.3% decline in the S&P 500 and is up roughly 4% year-to-date compared to the index’s 6.9% gain. The stock is trading near its 52-week low of $19.93.
Photo: Shutterstock
This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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Zillow Group, Inc. (Z, ZG) Shareholders Who Lost Money Have Opportunity to Lead Securities Fraud Lawsuit PR Newswire
BENSALEM, Pa., June 24, 2026
, /PRNewswire/ -- The Law Offices of Howard G. Smith announces that investors with substantial losses have opportunity to lead the securities fraud class action lawsuit against Zillow Group, Inc. ("Zillow" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: Z, ZG).
IF YOU ARE AN INVESTOR WHO SUFFERED A LOSS IN ZILLOW GROUP, INC. (Z, ZG), CONTACT THE LAW OFFICES OF HOWARD G. SMITH BEFORE AUGUST 10, 2026 (LEAD PLAINTIFF DEADLINE) TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ONGOING SECURITIES FRAUD LAWSUIT.
Contact the Law Offices of Howard G. Smith to discuss your legal rights by email at [email protected], by telephone at (215) 638-4847 or visit our website at www.howardsmithlaw.com.
What Is The Lawsuit About?
The complaint filed alleges that, between February 11, 2025 and May 7, 2026, Defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) Zillow's agreement with Redfin was not a "partnership," but rather an acquisition of Redfin's business; (2) as a result of the Redfin Agreement, Zillow faced a materially heightened risk of regulatory scrutiny and liability under federal antitrust laws; (3) upon the filing of an antitrust lawsuit, Zillow continued to downplay its legal exposure; and (4) as a result, Defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.
Contact Us To Participate or Learn More:
If you wish to learn more about this class action, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to the pending class action lawsuit, please contact:
Howard G. Smith, Esq.,
Law Offices of Howard G. Smith,
3070 Bristol Pike, Suite 112,
Bensalem, Pennsylvania 19020,
Call us at: (215) 638-4847
Email us at: [email protected],
Visit our website at: www.howardsmithlaw.com.
To be a member of the class action you need not take any action at this time; you may retain counsel of your choice or take no action and remain an absent member of the class action.
This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.
Contact Us:
Law Offices of Howard G. Smith
Howard G. Smith, Esquire
215-638-4847 [email protected]
www.howardsmithlaw.com
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/zillow-group-inc-z-zg-shareholders-who-lost-money-have-opportunity-to-lead-securities-fraud-lawsuit-302808819.html
Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Securities Litigation Partner James (Josh) Wilson Encourages Investors Who Suffered Losses In Zillow To Contact Him Directly To Discuss Their Options
If you purchased or acquired Class A or Class C Zillow common stock between February 11, 2025 and May 7, 2026 and would like to discuss your legal rights, call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310).
[You may also click here for additional information]
New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - June 24, 2026) - Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a leading national securities law firm, is investigating potential claims against Zillow Group, Inc. ("Zillow" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: ZG) (NASDAQ: Z) and reminds investors of the August 10, 2026 deadline to seek the role of lead plaintiff in a federal securities class action that has been filed against the Company.
Faruqi & Faruqi is a leading national securities law firm with offices in New York, Pennsylvania, California and Georgia. The firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors since its founding in 1995. See www.faruqilaw.com.
As detailed below, the complaint alleges that the Company and its executives violated federal securities laws by making false and/or misleading statements and/or failing to disclose that: (1) Zillow's agreement with Redfin was not a "partnership," but rather an acquisition of Redfin's business; (2) as a result of the Redfin Agreement, Zillow faced a materially heightened risk of regulatory scrutiny and liability under federal antitrust laws; (3) upon the filing of an antitrust lawsuit, Zillow continued to downplay its legal exposure; and (4) as a result, Defendants' statements about Zillow's business, operations, and prospects, were materially false and misleading and or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.
The court-appointed lead plaintiff is the investor with the largest financial interest in the relief sought by the class who is adequate and typical of class members who directs and oversees the litigation on behalf of the putative class. Any member of the putative class may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision to serve as a lead plaintiff or not.
Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP also encourages anyone with information regarding Zillow's conduct to contact the firm, including whistleblowers, former employees, shareholders and others.
To learn more about the Zillow class action, go to www.faruqilaw.com/Z or call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310).
Follow us for updates on LinkedIn, on X, or on Facebook.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for Investors Regarding the Zillow Securities Class Action Lawsuit:
What is the Zillow securities fraud lawsuit about?
The lawsuit alleges Zillow misrepresented its agreement with Redfin as a partnership, understated antitrust and regulatory risks, and downplayed potential legal exposure, making statements about its business and prospects allegedly misleading.
Who may be eligible to participate in the lawsuit?
Investors who purchased or acquired Zillow Class A or Class C common stock (NASDAQ: Z, ZG) between February 11, 2025 and May 7, 2026 may be eligible to participate if they suffered losses related to the alleged misconduct.
What is a lead plaintiff, and how can I seek appointment?
A lead plaintiff represents the interests of the proposed class and helps oversee the litigation. Investors seeking appointment must file a motion with the court by August 10, 2026. Investors can share in any recovery without serving as lead plaintiff.
What should investors do if they purchased Zillow stock during the Class Period?
Investors should review their transaction records, preserve relevant documents, and evaluate their legal options. Those who suffered losses may wish to consult counsel regarding participation in the lawsuit or seeking lead plaintiff status before the deadline.
Why should investors contact Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP?
Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP has represented investors in securities litigation for decades and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for shareholders. Investors who purchased Zillow securities during the Class Period may contact the firm to discuss their legal rights, potential claims, and the lead plaintiff process at no cost or obligation.
Attorney Advertising. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP (www.faruqilaw.com). Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. We welcome the opportunity to discuss your particular case. All communications will be treated in a confidential manner.
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/302726
Source: Faruqi & Faruqi LLP
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Occidental Petroleum (OXY 2.49%), the oil and gas giant more commonly known as Oxy, hit a 52-week high of $67.45 per share on March 31. That year-to-date gain of nearly 60% was largely driven by the Middle East conflict's impact on oil prices.
But as of this writing, Oxy's stock trades at about $50. It pulled back as WTI crude oil prices retreated from a four-year high of $112.25 per barrel in mid-May to around $70. Let's see why Oxy's stock is tightly tethered to crude oil prices -- and if it's still worth buying today.
Image source: Getty Images.
Why is Oxy pinned to oil prices? Oxy is less diversified than integrated energy giants like ExxonMobil (XOM 2.50%) and Chevron (CVX 2.39%). While ExxonMobil and Chevron operate a diverse mix of upstream, midstream, and downstream businesses, Oxy generates most of its revenue from its upstream business -- which handles the exploration, drilling, and extraction of oil and natural gas.
A smaller percentage of Oxy's revenue comes from its midstream business, which operates oil and gas pipelines. A small but growing sliver of its top line comes from its low-carbon ventures business, which develops carbon capture and direct air capture technologies.
Today's Change
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50.93
Generally speaking, rising oil prices provide the strongest tailwinds for upstream companies, as their revenue growth will easily outpace operating expenses. But when oil prices decline, their expenses can rise faster than their revenues.
So when crude oil prices surged earlier this year, Oxy's stock outperformed ExxonMobil and Chevron. However, Oxy underperformed both energy giants over the past month after a ceasefire and peace talks between the U.S. and Iran reduced crude oil prices.
Why Oxy is still a safe oil stock (for now) To sustain its current capital expenditures and dividends, Oxy needs oil to remain above $40- $45 per barrel. Its free cash flow also significantly increases at above $60 per barrel.
WTI was below $60 per barrel throughout most of 2025 and early 2026, but it hasn't fallen below $45 since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Therefore, Oxy's profits should continue rising unless a global recession triggers another historical collapse in oil demand.
Oxy's stock still looks cheap at 10 times forward earnings, but that multiple could rise if analysts lower their near-term forecasts to reflect declining oil prices. That said, its business is broadly stable, and it's taken major steps to reduce its debt from its poorly timed $55 billion acquisition of Anadarko in 2019. It's a safe oil stock to hold right now, but I'd prefer to invest in more diversified energy plays like ExxonMobil and Chevron in this choppy market.
Leo Sun has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Chevron. The Motley Fool recommends Occidental Petroleum. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Key Takeaways MMED launched its 780G and Go systems with Abbott's Instinct sensors across European markets.The rollout broadens MiniMed's sensor portfolio and offers diabetes users more flexibility and choice.Clinical and real-world data showed MiniMed's algorithm delivered consistent glycemic outcomes. MiniMed (MMED - Free Report) recently announced the commercial launch of its MiniMed 780G automated insulin delivery system integrated with Abbott Laboratories' (ABT - Free Report) Instinct sensor and the MiniMed Go system integrated with the Instinct Go sensor across Europe. The rollout expands the company's sensor portfolio in the region and provides people with diabetes with greater flexibility and choice in managing their condition.
From an investor's perspective, the launch is likely to strengthen MiniMed's competitive position in the rapidly growing diabetes technology market by broadening its ecosystem and enhancing user choice without compromising clinical outcomes. The integration of Abbott's sensors with MiniMed's proven algorithms, supported by both clinical and real-world evidence, is expected to support customer adoption and retention.
Likely Trend of MMED Stock Following the NewsShares of MMED have traded flat since the announcement on Wednesday. In the year-to-date period, shares of the company lost 25.7% compared with the industry’s 7.8% decline. The S&P 500 increased 8.9% in the same time frame.
The launch is likely to strengthen MiniMed's long-term growth prospects by expanding access to its diabetes management ecosystem and enhancing the attractiveness of its product portfolio. By integrating Abbott's Instinct sensors with both the MiniMed 780G and MiniMed Go platforms, the company is offering users greater flexibility while maintaining the benefits of its proven insulin delivery algorithms.
This broader sensor compatibility is expected to support customer acquisition and retention, increase adoption of MiniMed's automated insulin delivery and smart MDI solutions and reinforce recurring revenue opportunities tied to its connected diabetes care ecosystem.
MMED currently has a market capitalization of $3.99 billion.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
More on the NewsMiniMed's flagship MiniMed 780G system is an advanced automated insulin delivery platform that automatically adjusts insulin delivery every five minutes based on real-time glucose readings. The system features proprietary Meal Detection technology, designed to help reduce post-meal glucose spikes when users occasionally miss a meal bolus or underestimate carbohydrate intake. With the latest launch, the MiniMed 780G system can now be paired with Abbott's Instinct sensor, a 15-day continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) sensor marketed as the world's smallest, thinnest and most discreet sensor. According to MiniMed, a recent randomized crossover study demonstrated that glycemic outcomes were virtually identical when the 780G system was used with either the Instinct sensor or the company's Simplera Sync sensor, highlighting the strength of the platform's underlying algorithm.
The company also expanded the capabilities of its MiniMed Go platform, which is designed for people managing diabetes through multiple daily insulin injections. The MiniMed Go system integrates the InPen smart insulin pen with the Instinct Go sensor through a single mobile application, enabling users to access real-time glucose readings, insulin dose tracking, missed-dose alerts and personalized insights in one place. By combining CGM data with smart insulin pen technology, the platform seeks to simplify diabetes management and reduce the burden of manually tracking insulin doses and glucose trends. This integrated approach addresses a significant unmet need among MDI users, who often rely on multiple disconnected tools to manage their therapy.
The launch also underscores the growing collaboration between MiniMed and Abbott in advancing connected diabetes care solutions. Following CE mark approval earlier this year, the Instinct and Instinct Go sensors are being rolled out across European markets, expanding MiniMed's sensor portfolio and providing users with greater flexibility in selecting CGM technology. The announcement was supported by both clinical and real-world evidence, including data from more than 20,000 MiniMed 780G users, which reinforced the role of the company's algorithm in delivering consistent glycemic outcomes.
Through this collaboration, MiniMed is broadening access to its diabetes ecosystem while leveraging Abbott's sensor technology, a strategy that is likely to enhance the value proposition of both companies' offerings in the competitive diabetes care market.
Favorable Industry Prospect for MMEDGoing by the data provided by Grand View Research, the CGM devices market was valued at $15.47 billion in 2026 and is expected to witness a CAGR of 15.1% through 2033.
Factors like the growing cases of diabetes, the increasing adoption of CGM devices, growing clinical needs, technological innovation and shifting care models are boosting the market’s growth.
A Recent Development by MMEDRecently, MMED announced results from a new randomized crossover study showing that glycemic outcomes remained nearly identical when patients used its MiniMed 780G automated insulin delivery system with either the Simplera Sync sensor or Abbott’s Instinct sensor. The findings, published in Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics, highlighted that the SmartGuard algorithm — rather than the sensor itself — serves as the primary driver of clinical performance.
Some better-ranked stocks from the broader medical space are Globus Medical (GMED - Free Report) and West Pharmaceutical (WST - Free Report)
Globus Medical, currently carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), reported a first-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.12 per share, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 22.1%. Revenues of $759.9 million beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 4.0%. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
GMED has an estimated long-term earnings growth rate of 10.2% compared with the industry’s 12.6% growth. The company’s earnings beat estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 26.3%.
West Pharmaceutical, currently flaunting a Zacks Rank #1, reported first-quarter 2026 EPS of $2.13, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 26.8%. Revenues of $844.9 million surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 8.5%.
WST has an estimated long-term earnings growth rate of 13.9% compared with the industry’s 9.5% growth. The company’s earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 19.4%.
Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT | ABT Price Prediction) is a stock with characteristics suited to multi-decade ownership, because its four-segment healthcare engine, 54 consecutive years of dividend increases, and recession-resistant end markets give a retirement-focused portfolio something rare: cash compounding that does not require monitoring.
Pillar One: Durability Built Into the Business Model Abbott’s revenue flows from four distinct segments spanning multiple geographies and therapeutic areas, and the latest quarter shows why that matters. In Q1 2026, Medical Devices delivered $5.54 billion (+13.2% YoY), Diagnostics added $2.18 billion (+6.1%), Established Pharmaceuticals grew +13.2% in emerging markets, and Nutrition shrank 6.0%. Three segments offset the weak one, and total revenue still grew 7.8% to $11.16 billion, exactly the four-headed structure that absorbs localized blows while sustaining cash flow.
The moat keeps widening. The $21 billion Exact Sciences acquisition closed March 23, 2026, adding Cologuard and Cancerguard to the diagnostics arsenal. FreeStyle Libre, the continuous glucose monitor franchise, generated $2.08 billion (+13.8% YoY) in the first quarter alone, a consumable razor-and-blade business that, as global diabetes rates climb, creates an exceptionally sticky customer relationship.
Pillar Two: Income You Can Set and Forget Abbott just paid its 409th consecutive quarterly dividend. The quarterly payout has climbed from $0.14 in 2013 to $0.63 in early 2026, with the most recent declaration set at $0.740243 per share, payable August 17, 2026. The trailing dividend currently yields 2.76%, modest at the surface, meaningful when paired with a multi-decade compounding curve. Backing the payout: trailing twelve-month revenue of $45.1 billion, a 13.9% profit margin, and a forward P/E of 16.
Pillar Three: Why It Survives Cycles Healthcare demand is largely non-discretionary. Glucose monitors, heart valves, lab diagnostics, and infant nutrition do not get postponed when GDP wobbles. The numbers reflect that defensive profile: a beta of 0.62, 82.67% institutional ownership, and operations across 160-plus countries. Management is guiding full-year 2026 to comparable sales growth of 6.5% to 7.5% and adjusted EPS of $5.38 to $5.58, even after absorbing $0.20 of Exact Sciences dilution.
Where It Underperforms In low-rate, high-growth bull markets, a defensive aristocrat with a beta of 0.62 will trail high-beta technology and small caps. Abbott is also down 30.67% over the past year as the market rotated toward speculative names. That lag does not change the forever thesis. Owners of a Dividend Aristocrat are paid in compounding payouts and capital preservation, not in narrative-driven rallies, and the same low-volatility profile that caps upside in bull runs is what protects capital when the rotation reverses.
At a price of $90.53, well below the analyst target of $116.54 and the 200-day moving average of $113.41, the current setup combines a meaningful yield, a 54-year dividend-growth track record, and exposure to chronic-disease secular growth. The setup favors long-duration ownership over short-term trading.
Danaher (DHR +5.58%) focuses on life sciences, diagnostics, and industrial solutions for healthcare and sells specialized equipment, software, consumables, and reagents used by pharmaceutical companies, scientific research labs, and hospitals.
The healthcare company's stock has fallen more than 22% so far this year. That's mostly due to the company's $9.9 billion acquisition of Masimo, which takes Danaher beyond its core competency in life sciences consumables and into clinical patient monitoring. The new deal raised concerns about a patent dispute with Apple (AAPL +0.26%) and led to significant debt.
Two reasons to like the stock and one not to:
Image source: Getty Images
The deal provides more potential growth Masimo is a leader in non-invasive patient monitoring, particularly SET pulse oximetry, which provides readings of pulse and oxygen levels, as well as sensing technologies equipped with artificial intelligence (AI). Using these as part of Danaher's existing acute care framework allows the company to capture data at the hospital bedside, where diagnostics and immediate clinical decision-making intersect.
In the first quarter, Danaher reported revenue of $5.95 billion, up 3% year over year, and earnings per share (EPS) of $1.45, up 9.8% year over year.
Danaher says the Masimo deal will add $0.15 to $0.20 to adjusted diluted EPS in the first full year of ownership, scaling to $0.70 per share by the fifth year. Danaher felt good enough about the deal and its own finances that it raised its 2026 guidance for adjusted EPS to a range of $8.35 to $8.55.
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The company is already in the midst of a comeback The company, in its first-quarter earnings call, said it was seeing 30% year-over-year growth in equipment orders, the first sign of a multiyear manufacturing investment cycle, helped along by reshoring trends. Part of that is due to renewed interest in the life sciences industry.
In the first quarter of 2026, U.S. pharma and life sciences mergers and acquisitions totaled more than $65 billion, nearly doubling the first-quarter 2025 total and marking the strongest single quarter for industry transactions since the pandemic highs of 2020. Large pharmaceutical companies, facing patent cliffs for some of their top therapies, are looking elsewhere to improve their pipelines. That means more life sciences companies can invest in equipment, benefiting Danaher.
The stock, after its tumble this year, is trading at a little more than 20 times forward earnings, well below its typical valuation over the past decade.
There are still questions Absorbing a company with a different product lineup poses a giant execution risk for Danaher. The company is known for its efficient management, but investors want to see how well it integrates Masimo before paying more for the stock. Masimo is also in a patent infringement fight with Apple over whether Apple used Masimo's blood-sensoring tech without permission.
The life sciences rally could be easily derailed for several reasons, including a decline in healthcare spending in China, potential disruption from AI, and higher interest rates.
Still, the stock is trading well below its potential, and if the company's management can absorb Masimo with the cost efficiencies it is known for, the stock may be a steal at its current price.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is moving from the training phase to the production phase, as enterprises, users, and governments that have spent hundreds of billions of dollars on this technology are looking to unlock its productivity gains.
This process of deploying trained AI models into production, where they execute tasks in the real-world by ingesting fresh inputs, is known as inference. Deloitte estimates that the shift from training AI models to using them at scale in real-world applications will drive a change in AI computing. The consulting firm points out that AI inference workloads will account for two-thirds of the computing power in AI data centers this year.
For comparison, inference workloads accounted for one-third of computing power in 2023 and half of the computing power in AI data centers last year. Now, this shift from training to inference is good news for Advanced Micro Devices (AMD 2.15%) and Broadcom (AVGO 0.35%). These semiconductor companies design inference-focused chips, which explains why they have been growing at a solid pace.
But they may not be the biggest winners of the AI inference era. Let's see why.
Image source: The Motley Fool.
Broadcom and AMD are reaping the benefits of the growing AI inference demand A big chunk of the massive investments in AI data centers has been directed toward purchasing Nvidia's (NVDA 1.46%) graphics processing units (GPUs). The massive parallel computational power of these chips has made them ideal for training AI models, a process that requires ingesting huge data sets and performing calculations on them simultaneously.
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Inference, meanwhile, is a process requiring fewer calculations. The specific nature of AI inference tasks means that they don't need as much computing power as GPUs provide. Instead, inference can be carried out using central processing units (CPUs) and application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). These chips can be programmed to perform specific tasks, which means hyperscalers and AI companies don't need to spend unnecessarily on the excess computing power provided by GPUs.
Broadcom and AMD are among the leading designers of ASICs and server CPUs. Counterpoint Research expects Broadcom to control 60% of the custom AI processor market in 2027. The company is already partnering with major hyperscalers and AI giants such as Google, Meta Platforms, and Anthropic. These partnerships, along with the rapid growth of the custom AI processor market, explain why Broadcom has been growing at a red-hot pace.
Broadcom's AI revenue in the second quarter of fiscal 2026 (which ended on May 3) increased by 143% year over year to $10.8 billion. Even better, Broadcom expects a 200% jump in AI revenue this quarter to $16 billion. More importantly, the company is forecasting $100 billion in AI revenue next year, which could supercharge its stock and send it soaring.
On the other hand, AMD's growth is accelerating due to inference-driven demand for its server CPUs. AMD CEO Lisa Su noted on the company's May earnings call:
Inferencing and Agentic AI are increasing the need for server CPU compute as these workloads require additional CPU processing for orchestration, data movement and parallel execution in addition to serving as the head nodes for GPUs and accelerators. As a result, we are seeing both stronger near-term demand and deeper engagement with customers on long-term capacity planning.
AMD notes that its Epyc server CPUs can run small to medium inference workloads. Not surprisingly, they are witnessing healthy customer adoption, with the company noting that its server CPU revenue will grow by 70% year over year in the second quarter. What's more, AMD now sees its server CPU addressable market growing to $120 billion by 2030, double the earlier forecast of $60 billion.
However, AMD and Broadcom are way behind their biggest rival in AI inference. Nvidia, whose GPUs have been instrumental in training some of the most popular large language models (LLMs), is the dominant player in this space.
Nvidia is the dominant AI inference chipmaker While the shift from AI training to inference should ideally have dented Nvidia's growth by reducing demand for its GPUs, the opposite is happening. As reported by The Information, a tech-focused business publication, Nvidia now controls 74% of the market for AI inference chips. The report points out that Nvidia sold $41 billion worth of AI inference processors in the first quarter of 2026, significantly higher than $18 billion in the year-ago period.
Importantly, Nvidia's share of AI inference chips has grown by eight percentage points from the prior-year period, suggesting that it is tightening its grip over this space. What's worth noting is that Nvidia's AI inference chip revenue in Q1 is higher than Broadcom's Q1 AI revenue and AMD's data center revenue of $5.8 billion last quarter, combined.
It won't be surprising to see Nvidia pulling ahead of AMD and Broadcom following its entry into the stand-alone server CPU market, where it is already poised to make a big dent this year. Also, Nvidia's latest generation Vera Rubin processors have been designed to substantially reduce inference costs. So, don't be surprised to see Nvidia dominating the AI inference market in the future, and that makes it a better buy than AMD and Broadcom, especially considering that it is the most attractively valued of the three.
Data by YCharts
So, Nvidia is likely to remain the top player in AI chips in the inference era, which is why investors should consider buying this AI stock while it trades at an attractive valuation.
OpenAI and Broadcom on Wednesday introduced Jalapeño, a custom-designed AI accelerator described as the company’s first “Intelligence Processor,” marking a step into in-house chip development aimed at powering large language model (LLM) inference at scale.
The companies said early testing indicates the first-generation accelerator delivers “substantially better” performance per watt compared with current state-of-the-art AI accelerators, though final performance metrics have not yet been released. A detailed technical report is expected in the coming months.
Jalapeño is designed specifically for LLM inference workloads, rather than as a general-purpose accelerator adapted from earlier AI applications. OpenAI said the chip was developed to optimize compute, memory, and networking balance in order to reduce data movement and improve utilization efficiency for modern AI workloads.
Engineering samples of the chip are already running machine learning workloads in lab settings at production target frequency and power levels, including workloads based on GPT-5.3-Codex-Spark, according to the companies.
The project represents a collaboration between OpenAI, Broadcom, and Celestica (TSX:CLS), with Broadcom contributing silicon implementation and networking technologies, including its Tomahawk networking chips, and Celestica supporting system integration and production scaling. The companies said the platform is intended to support deployment at gigawatt scale through data center partners over multiple future generations.
“This is part of our long-term full-stack infrastructure strategy to make compute more abundant,” OpenAI President Greg Brockman said in a statement.
“By designing more of the stack ourselves, we can serve more intelligence with greater efficiency.”
OpenAI hardware lead Richard Ho said Jalapeño was built using insights from internal model development and inference systems, with design choices informed by “kernels, memory movement, networking, and serving patterns” used in frontier AI workloads.
Broadcom CEO Hock Tan said the partnership reflects a “fundamental commitment” to scaling infrastructure for the next decade of AI development.
“This is just the beginning of a multi-generation roadmap. By co-developing our industry-leading silicon directly with OpenAI, we are enabling the deployment of gigawatt scale data centers with Microsoft and other partners beginning in 2026,” Tan said.
Broadcom shares were 1% higher following the announcement.
Four straight down sessions have erased more than $900 billion in equity value, with the proximate cause tracing to Seoul. The Kospi fell nearly 10% in its worst session in years, and SK Hynix and Samsung both plunging more than 12% the day after SK Hynix overtook Samsung as Korea’s most valuable company. Layered on top is record margin debt of roughly $25 billion (38.5 trillion won) by the end of May. Korean retail had leaned into the rally with both hands when the selling hit.
On CNBC’s Squawk on the Street, Carl Quintanilla walked the panel through whether this was an AI demand inflection or a positioning unwind. David Faber read it this way. “It’s not clear that we’re seeing anything that truly is reflective of that, of undermining the overall growth of the AI ecosystem in the sense of spending being cut back.” Sara Eisen agreed the capex picture is intact while acknowledging the tape, noting “the demand is there and the capex is still growing strong, but there’s a little bit more scrutiny… especially around the mag-7, which has lag now several days in a row.”
The memory mix-shift that lit the fuse Kristina Partsinevelos zeroed in on the trigger. “SK Hynix had just overtaken Samsung as Korea’s most valuable company just yesterday, and part of it also is a report that SK Hynix is slowing its next generation high bandwidth memory for chips to make more commoditized DRAM… where shortages have actually pushed prices up.” That translates plainly. The highest-margin, AI-coded product in the memory complex (HBM) is seeing a producer divert capacity to a cyclical commodity where pricing is ripping. Bulls read that as opportunistic. Bears read it as a tell on AI memory order books.
The cleanest read-through sits with Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU | MU Price Prediction), which reports tonight. Last quarter Micron printed $23.86 billion in revenue, up 196.3% year over year, with GAAP gross margin of 74.4% and EPS of $12.20. Guidance for the May quarter calls for $33.5 billion in revenue and gross margin near 81%. CEO Sanjay Mehrotra framed it as “memory has become a strategic asset for our customers” in the fiscal Q2 press release. Micron is down about 10.51% intraday today, even after running 61.3% in the last month and 882.46% over a year. Reddit’s r/wallstreetbets nailed the setup before the open: “Micron earnings Tuesday and the bar feels insanely high, anyone else nervous?”
What the hyperscaler order book actually says NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) last reported $81.6 billion in revenue, with Data Center at $75.2 billion (up 92%), and guided next quarter to $91 billion excluding China. Jensen Huang framed it this way. “the buildout of AI factories, the largest infrastructure expansion in human history, is accelerating at extraordinary speed.” Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO) printed $10.8 billion of AI semi revenue, up 143%, and guided AI semis to $16 billion next quarter, more than 200% growth.
Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD) guided $11.2 billion, up 46%, with Meta committing to up to 6GW of Instinct GPUs. Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) carries $638 billion in remaining performance obligations, up 363% year over year, and plans roughly $40 billion in additional debt and equity financing to fund the buildout. Those numbers describe a customer base still spending aggressively.
Alphabet is the exception worth watching Faber flagged the soft spot inside the mag-7. On Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL), he said, “The losses we’ve seen in alphabet shares over the last couple of days have been noticeable. Obviously, they’ve lost a couple of key executives. They have not come at the same pace with new models as their competitors at anthropic or open AI.” Google’s last quarter looked solid ($109.9 billion in revenue, Google Cloud up 63%, backlog above $460 billion), but the stock is down 9.5% over the past month as the talent and model-cadence narrative compounds.
Partsinevelos closed with the simplest framing. “Semis chips are up more than 100% over the past year. Fundamentals haven’t necessarily changed but are run up that steep invites a pullback.” Tonight’s print from Micron, plus Cerebras, will determine whether the Korean tape is signal or shakeout.
Bloomberg's Ed Ludlow takes a look at OpenAI's first custom AI chip, called Jalapeno, developed in partnership with Broadcom. Plus, SK Hynix is planning to raise $29 billion in a landmark US listing.
Space Exploration Technologies (SPCX 0.51%) -- otherwise known as SpaceX -- has caught investors' imagination after a hot initial public offering (IPO) and promises of huge revenue figures in a few years. While its internet satellite business, StarLink, is currently its biggest source of profit, SpaceX is trying to position itself as the artificial intelligence company of the future.
The company's reusable rocket launch business gives it a cost advantage in getting satellites and other payloads into space. When Elon Musk merged his xAI business, home to his Grok AI model and AI infrastructure business, with SpaceX, it was with the goal of using this platform to eventually develop data centers in space. With near-constant sunlight, solar-powered data centers orbiting Earth could help solve AI's power consumption problem -- making it an intriguing idea.
However, there are technical issues to work out, including developing a way to cool the system in the vacuum of space, designing chips that can withstand cosmic radiation, and creating robots that can assemble and maintain these data centers in space. While Musk has predicted SpaceX could generate $1 trillion in revenue by 2030, that appears to be a moonshot bet, and it will have to overcome a lot of obstacles to achieve that goal.
As such, let's look at two AI stocks with huge growth ahead that are grounded much more in reality.
Image source: Getty Images.
1. Broadcom: The custom chip and networking opportunity Broadcom (AVGO 0.35%) is riding two powerful market opportunities right now. The first is the desire of hyperscalers (owners of large data centers) to move some of their supply away from AI chip leader Nvidia to save money, especially for inference. One way they are looking to do this is by developing their own custom AI accelerators.
Because of this, hyperscalers have been increasingly turning to Broadcom, which is a leader in ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit) technology. Broadcom helps turn its customers' designs into hardwired, physical chips that can be produced at a mass scale.
It helped Alphabet develop its highly successful Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), which comprise a huge, fast-growing business as the search and cloud computing leader plows money into AI infrastructure and is even starting to let select customers, like Anthropic, order TPUs directly from Broadcom. This is also leading to an increasing number of new custom AI chip customers.
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Broadcom has projected it will generate more than $100 billion in ASIC revenue in fiscal 2027, well above the nearly $64 billion in total revenue it recorded in fiscal 2025. Its ASIC business also directly feeds into its leading data center networking business, which is becoming more important as chip cluster sizes grow. Between these two businesses, the company has a clear sight to explosive growth in the coming years.
2. AMD: The inference and agentic AI opportunity Another company with a clear line of sight to rapid growth over the coming years is Advanced Micro Devices (AMD 2.15%). Like Broadcom, the company is also riding the momentum in the inference market. While it ceded the AI model training market to Nvidia, its GPUs are much better suited for inference.
Inference tends to be much more memory-bound than power-constrained, and AMD's chiplet design can pack in more memory. In addition, its recent acquisition of memory optimization company MEXT will give it AI-based software that can essentially help systems increase their memory capacity while lowering costs. Through its prior ZT Systems acquisition, it can now also deliver end-to-end solutions designed specifically for inference. AMD already has two large $100 billion GPU deals in place, so this should be a big area of growth.
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At the same time, the company is set to ride the emerging trend of agentic AI. AMD has established itself as a leader in the data center central processing unit (CPU) market, and data centers will need significantly more of these chips to manage the rise of AI agents. AMD projects that this will become a $120 billion market over the next few years, giving it another strong growth driver.
Between its GPU and CPU opportunities, AMD has a clear, visible path to strong growth in the coming years.
OpenAI unveiled Jalapeño, its first custom AI accelerator, on Wednesday. The chip was designed specifically for large language model inference and is expected to power workloads behind ChatGPT, Codex, the API and future AI products.
• Broadcom shares are showing limited movement. What’s next for AVGO stock?
While OpenAI designed the chip around its own AI workloads, Broadcom helped bring the project to life, providing silicon implementation, networking technologies and production expertise. In fact, OpenAI described Jalapeño as the first accelerator in a multi-generation compute platform being developed alongside Broadcom.
The AI Chip Story Is Getting Bigger Than NvidiaFor much of the AI boom, the playbook was simple. Companies needed more computing power, and Nvidia supplied the hardware. That dynamic is beginning to evolve.
Now OpenAI has joined the list.
The shift suggests the industry’s largest AI companies increasingly want hardware optimized for their own models and workloads rather than relying entirely on off-the-shelf chips.
That trend may not be bad news for Nvidia, with its GPUs remaining critical for training frontier models. But it could create a significant opportunity for companies helping customers design and deploy custom silicon.
Why Broadcom Keeps Showing Up In The AI ConversationBroadcom has quietly emerged as one of the biggest beneficiaries of the custom chip movement.
Unlike Nvidia, which sells its own accelerators, Broadcom’s opportunity lies in helping customers build theirs. The company has become a key partner for hyperscalers and AI companies seeking specialized hardware tailored to specific workloads.
OpenAI’s announcement highlighted Broadcom’s role in networking, chip implementation and large-scale production systems. The release also referenced Broadcom’s Tomahawk networking technology and discussed plans for deployments at gigawatt-scale data centers beginning in 2026.
That matters because AI infrastructure is becoming about more than raw compute power. Networking, memory movement, energy efficiency and system-level optimization are increasingly important as companies look to scale AI services to hundreds of millions of users.
The Bigger Investor TakeawayThe most interesting part of OpenAI’s announcement may not be the chip itself. It may be what the launch says about the direction of the AI industry.
As companies move from training models to serving them at massive scale, custom silicon is becoming a larger part of the conversation. OpenAI’s Jalapeño joins a growing list of purpose-built AI accelerators designed to improve efficiency, reduce costs and optimize performance for specific workloads.
If that trend continues, Broadcom could find itself in an increasingly valuable position.
OpenAI may have launched the chip. But the announcement also reinforced a growing reality for investors: the more AI companies build their own silicon, the more important Broadcom’s role in the ecosystem could become.
Photo: Tada Images / Shutterstock
This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) is turning out to be a tailwind for the global cybersecurity industry. Cyberattacks are becoming more sophisticated, as bad actors now have access to advanced AI tools which help them find targets easily and scale up attacks rapidly.
This explains why companies and governments are poised to spend heavily on shoring up their cyber defenses. Market research firm IDC estimates that global cybersecurity spending could reach $308 billion in 2026 and $430 billion in 2029. Not surprisingly, the demand for AI-powered cybersecurity tools will play a central role in boosting this market's size.
Fortune Business Insights estimates that the AI-focused cybersecurity market could grow from $44 billion this year to $213 billion in 2034. Palo Alto Networks (PANW 1.66%) is already capitalizing on this terrific opportunity. The company released its fiscal 2026 third-quarter results (for the quarter ended April 30) on June 2, and its numbers and guidance clearly indicate that it is making the most of the AI-driven growth in the cybersecurity market.
Let's take a closer look at Palo Alto's performance and check why this cybersecurity stock can be a long-term winner.
Image source: Getty Images.
Palo Alto Networks' AI-focused cybersecurity tools will accelerate growth Palo Alto's fiscal Q3 revenue increased 31% year over year to $3 billion. This included $388 million in revenue from the acquisitions of Chronosphere and CyberArk, which were completed in January and February this year. However, the more important metric to note here is that the company's remaining performance obligations (RPO) increased by 36% year over year to $18.4 billion. Chronosphere and CyberArk contributed $1.8 billion to Palo Alto's RPO last quarter.
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RPO is the total value of a company's contracts that are yet to be fulfilled at the end of a quarter. As Palo Alto's RPO increased faster than its revenue, this suggests the company is getting more business than it can fulfill right now. One of the reasons this is happening is the terrific demand for Palo Alto's AI solutions.
More than 300 customers were using its Prisma AIRS platform in the previous quarter, a massive increase of 10x from the year-ago period. That's not surprising, as Prisma AIRS is designed to provide end-to-end security to an organization's AI assets, including AI apps, AI agents, AI models, data, endpoints, and browsers.
Palo Alto management notes that Prisma AIRS is the "fastest scaling product in our history." This platform is helping the company land sizable deals, such as a $20 million contract with a global consulting firm. Meanwhile, Palo Alto's network security business is also getting a big boost due to AI. This is the company's largest business segment, producing 70% of its top line.
Palo Alto points out that it witnessed a 40% year-over-year increase in bookings for its next-generation firewall hardware, which is experiencing healthy demand from AI data centers. Additionally, sales of firewall software to secure AI applications increased by 25% from the year-ago period.
Also, Palo Alto's platformization strategy is gaining favor among customers. The company has consolidated multiple cybersecurity tools and processes into a single platform to provide comprehensive security, greater efficiency, and reduced complexity in performing cybersecurity tasks. Palo Alto ended fiscal Q3 with 2,280 platformizations, up significantly from 1,250 platformization customers in the year-ago period.
The company aims to achieve more than 4,000 platformizations by fiscal 2030, helping it reach $20 billion in annual recurring revenue (ARR) from its next-generation security (NGS) solutions. Palo Alto's NGS ARR jumped by 60% year over year in the previous quarter to $8.1 billion, with 65% coming from platformized customers.
All this suggests that Palo Alto is growing faster than the cybersecurity market, which is why it won't be surprising to see it exceed Wall Street's growth expectations in the long run.
The stock is expensive, but the company's growth potential indicates more upside Palo Alto stock trades at 20 times sales, well above the tech-focused Nasdaq Composite's sales multiple of 5.3. However, the company's improving pipeline will give it a nice shot in the arm. Palo Alto has increased its fiscal 2026 revenue growth guidance to 24%, well above the 14% growth it was anticipating at the beginning of the fiscal year.
What's more, it anticipates a 32%-33% increase in its RPO in fiscal 2026, nearly double the 17%-18% growth it was forecasting when the fiscal year started. This is probably why analysts have increased their revenue growth expectations for Palo Alto.
Data by YCharts
However, the pace of growth in Palo Alto's RPO and the healthy jump in demand for its AI-focused offerings should ideally lead to a much stronger increase. This potential outperformance could pave the way for further upside in this AI stock, which currently has a 12-month median price target of $330, according to 56 analysts covering it.
That suggests a potential 13% jump, though there is a strong likelihood it will do much better over the long run. Also, 79% of analysts rate Palo Alto a buy, and it is easy to see why, given the points discussed above. In all, Palo Alto's position as one of the top cybersecurity companies makes it one of the best ways to capitalize on the AI boom in this niche.
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MicroStrategy (NASDAQ:MSTR | MSTR Price Prediction), now branded Strategy, is the most popular way retail traders own bitcoin without holding it directly. The pitch is simple: buying MSTR provides leveraged exposure to a balance sheet backed by 847,363 BTC as of June 2026. Holders pay no management fee, get equity-style liquidity, and ride the same coin the company keeps acquiring through ATM stock sales. The structural cost of that convenience is what most MSTR shareholders underestimate, and BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (NASDAQ:IBIT) prices that cost out in plain numbers.
The Premium You Are Actually Paying MicroStrategy’s bitcoin pile is valued on the balance sheet at $51.65 billion in intangible assets as of Q1 2026, against a market cap of roughly $36 billion at today’s $103.84 share price. The widely watched mNAV ratio, the multiple of share price to bitcoin per share, sits near 1.1x. Translated, MSTR buyers are paying about a 10% premium for each dollar of bitcoin the company holds. That premium has compressed sharply from the 2x-plus levels of the 2024 bull run, and management’s own capital framework treats 2.5x mNAV as the minimum threshold for accretive share issuance, an admission that the premium itself is the product being sold.
Premiums also move independently of Bitcoin as the coin can rally even as MSTR’s premium contracts leave shareholders with only a fraction of the move. That mechanic, plus leverage, is why MSTR is down 27.96% YTD and 70.39% over 1 year, while spot Bitcoin is down 27.05% YTD and 39.45% over the same period.
What IBIT Removes From the Trade The structure is straightforward, as IBIT is a spot bitcoin trust, with each share tied to actual coins held by a custodian, and the price stays within pennies of net asset value because authorized participants arbitrage any gap. The holdings disclosure makes that clear: 99.93% of the fund sits in the underlying bitcoin position, with only a sliver in cash. The U.S. listing carries a 0.25% expense ratio, now the lowest among major spot bitcoin ETFs after the introductory waiver expired.
That 0.25% is the full cost of ownership. There is no preferred dividend stack ahead of common holders, no 8.16 billion dollars in long-term debt to service, and no software segment generating 124.3 million dollars in quarterly revenue against a corporate cost base. IBIT’s net asset value moves with bitcoin. MSTR’s net asset value moves with bitcoin, the premium, the share count, and the cost of perpetual preferred capital, including the STRC, STRK, and STRF instruments that the company continues to issue, highlighting the difference between spot exposure and levered corporate wrappers.
When MSTR Still Wins, and When It Does Not Leverage inside this structure creates a powerful amplifier in both directions, turning strong bitcoin rallies into outsized gains when corporate debt and premium expansion stack on top of spot exposure. That same dynamic produced a 12.54‑billion‑dollar net loss in Q1 2026, driven by 14.46 billion dollars in unrealized bitcoin losses under fair value accounting and a 31.54% one‑month drawdown versus 17.08% for spot bitcoin, with thirty‑day historical volatility of 71% capturing the scale of that swing.
Share count pressure adds a second source of dilution, with outstanding shares rising from 192.5 million at year’s end 2024 to 333.9 million by Q1 2026. Each ATM raise adds more bitcoin to the balance sheet but also increases the claims against it, and bitcoin per share grows only when issuance occurs at a sufficiently high premium, which is why the premium itself becomes load‑bearing in a corporate wrapper built around spot exposure.
Making the Swap In a tax-advantaged account, switching between MSTR and IBIT carries no immediate tax consequence. In a taxable account, a long-held MSTR position may carry embedded gains for many holders despite the recent drawdown, and any reallocation interacts with available capital losses elsewhere in the portfolio. The two exposures can also coexist: a smaller MSTR position retains the leveraged optionality while an IBIT position provides spot exposure priced at the coin.
The Decision Point The case for MSTR rests on the premium holding or expansion and on Bitcoin rallying hard enough for leverage to cover corporate overhead. The case for IBIT rests on wanting bitcoin and nothing else, priced at the coin. If the goal that originally drove the MSTR purchase was simply bitcoin exposure, the 10% premium, preferred dividend obligations, and ongoing dilution are the bill for a feature set the holder may not need. If the goal was leveraged bitcoin, that argument still stands, but it is a different trade than most MSTR buyers think they are making.
Key Takeaways AON reported 5% organic revenue growth and 70 bps adjusted operating margin expansion in Q1 2026.Aon expanded analytics, client leadership and NFP integration, boosting middle-market reach.AON targets mid-single-digit revenue growth, 70-80 bps margin expansion and double-digit FCF growth in 2026. As Aon plc (AON - Free Report) enters the final year of its 3x3 Plan, the focus is shifting from strategy execution to measurable outcomes. Introduced in late 2023 with nearly $1 billion in investment, the three-year strategy was built around strengthening Risk Capital and Human Capital capabilities, expanding client relationships through Aon Client Leadership and enhancing efficiency through Aon Business Services (ABS) with advanced analytics and AI.
Aon expanded analytics-driven solutions, enhanced its enterprise client model and advanced NFP integration, which broadened its reach in the middle-market segment. These efforts helped drive 6% organic revenue growth, 90 basis points (bps) of margin expansion relative to its 2023 baseline with NFP and $2.8 billion of free cash flow in 2024. It also rolled out several risk-analyzer tools and streamlined operations through ABS, creating a platform for future growth. Momentum carried into 2025, with organic revenues increasing 6% and free cash flow rising 14% year over year. Meanwhile, AON generated $160 million in restructuring savings in 2025.
AON reported 5% organic revenue growth in the first quarter of 2026, supported by strong client retention and new business generation. Adjusted operating margin expanded by 70 bps in the quarter. Looking ahead, management expects mid-single-digit or higher organic revenue growth, 70-80 basis points of adjusted operating margin expansion and double-digit free cash flow growth in 2026. It expects total investment in talent and technology to reach about $1.3 billion by 2026-end.
By embedding AI into risk analysis, claims management and client advisory tools, AON is improving productivity, deepening client relationships and supporting margin expansion.
How Are Competitors Faring?Some of AON’s competitors adopting AI to improve operations include Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (AJG - Free Report) and Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company (WTW - Free Report) .
Arthur J. Gallagher is embedding AI across claims, reinsurance benefits and M&A workflows rather than treating it as a standalone product. AI is helping improve speed to market, client retention and win rates while enhancing advisory capabilities, giving AJG a practical, execution-focused approach to AI adoption.
Willis Towers Watson recently launched its AI Workforce Transformation solution, combining proprietary workforce data with AI-powered diagnostics to help clients identify automation opportunities and improve employee adoption. WTW’s total revenues rose 8% year over year in the first quarter of 2026.
AON’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesIn the year-to-date period, AON’s shares have fallen 9.1% compared with the industry’s decline of 17.4%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, AON trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 15.98, above the industry average of 14.50. AON carries a Value Score of C.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AON’s 2026 earnings implies 11.8% growth from the year-ago period.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
AON currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
NIO stock is trending lower. What’s pulling NIO shares down? What Is Driving NIO Stock Lower Today?Nio has been sliding into a local bear phase, down nearly 30% from its May peak, even as May deliveries jumped 62.3% to 37,705 vehicles and year-to-date deliveries rose 68.7% to 150,526.
Traders are also pricing in added uncertainty after the Trump administration labeled Nio a "Chinese military company," a designation the company said was "not justified" as it plans to engage the Department of Defense and may pursue legal action if needed.
Technically, the stock is still trying to stabilize around the $5 area that aligns with an ascending weekly trendline, a level that can attract dip-buyers but can also flip into a hard breakdown trigger if it gives way. That "support-or-snap" dynamic has been reinforced as an ascending trendline has become the market’s near-term reference point.
NIO Stock: Key Levels and Moving AveragesFrom a trend standpoint, Nio is still in a repair phase: at $4.97 it’s trading 7.5% below the 20-day SMA ($5.37) and 14.7% below the 50-day SMA ($5.83), which keeps rallies vulnerable to supply. The 20-day SMA sitting below the 50-day SMA reinforces that near-term bounces can fade quickly unless price can reclaim that moving-average band.
MACD is the cleaner momentum read right now: it’s below its signal line and the histogram is negative, which points to upside pressure cooling versus the prior upswing. In plain terms, when MACD is below its signal line, follow-through buying is usually weaker until momentum turns back up.
The longer-term picture is more mixed because the 50-day SMA remains above the 200-day SMA (the golden cross in April), but price hasn’t been able to hold above the longer-term trend gauges. That mismatch often translates into choppy rebounds unless the stock can build a base and start closing back above the 20-day/50-day area.
Key Resistance: $6.00 — a round-number ceiling that also lines up near the 50-day moving-average zone where rebounds can stall Key Support: $5.00 — a nearby round-number floor that’s acting as the current "line in the sand" area What Is NIO and How Does It Operate?Nio is a leading electric vehicle maker targeting the premium segment in China. Founded in November 2014, it designs, develops, jointly manufactures, and sells premium smart EVs, and it tries to stand out with tech like battery swapping and autonomous driving.
The company launched its first model, the ES8 seven-seater electric SUV, in December 2017 and began deliveries in June 2018, and its portfolio now spans midsize-to-large sedans and SUVs. It sold around 326,000 EVs in 2025—about 2% of China’s passenger new energy vehicle market—so the stock often trades at the intersection of delivery momentum, China consumer demand, and shifting U.S.-China policy headlines.
NIO Stock Price Movement on WednesdayNIO Stock Price Activity: Nio shares were down 2.55% at $4.96 at the time of publication on Wednesday, according to Benzinga Pro data.
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Key Takeaways Ecolab posted 4% organic sales growth in Q1 2026, driven by pricing and volume gains.ECL's Global High-Tech business grew more than 20% organically on semiconductor demand.Ecolab Digital topped $400M in annualized revenue with AI and automation-driven solutions. Ecolab Inc. (ECL - Free Report) has been gaining from its solid product portfolio. The optimism, led by a solid first-quarter 2026 performance and continued focus on research and development, is expected to contribute further. However, concerns regarding cost fluctuations persist.
This Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock has gained 2.3% in the year-to-date period compared with the industry’s 13% growth. The S&P 500 Composite has increased 8.9% during the same time frame.
The renowned water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services provider has a market capitalization of $75.8 billion. It projects 14.3% growth for the next five years and expects to maintain a strong performance in the future. Ecolab’s earnings surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in two of the trailing four quarters, missed once and met once, delivering an average surprise of 0.23%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Reasons Favoring Ecolab’s GrowthEcolab’s Global High-Tech Business & Digital Platform: Per management, Ecolab’s Global High-Tech business remains a key long-term growth driver, supported by rising semiconductor manufacturing and data-center infrastructure investments worldwide. In first-quarter 2026, the segment delivered more than 20% organic sales growth, driven by new business wins across microelectronics and data centers. Management also noted that the Ovivo Electronics acquisition strengthens Ecolab’s ultrapure water capabilities for semiconductor fabs and, together with the pending CoolIT Systems acquisition, is expected to create a roughly $1.5 billion Global High-Tech platform.
Meanwhile, Ecolab Digital continues to scale as another important growth engine, with annualized revenues surpassing $400 million. Management highlighted that the platform leverages AI, predictive analytics, remote monitoring and automation to enhance customer productivity and sustainability outcomes, while addressing a $13 billion market opportunity, including nearly $3 billion within the existing customer base.
Strong Product Portfolio With a Focus on R&D: In first-quarter 2026, Ecolab’s organic sales rose 4%, driven by 3% pricing and 1% volume growth, reflecting the strong value proposition of its portfolio. Per management, the company continues to benefit from a robust innovation pipeline, with increasing focus on digitally enabled solutions that enhance customer productivity and sustainability.
Platforms like 3D TRASAR and other connected monitoring solutions are gaining traction by helping customers optimize water usage, energy consumption and operational efficiency. Management noted that these technology-driven offerings deliver measurable savings, strengthen long-term customer relationships and support premium pricing, reinforcing Ecolab’s competitive position across its end markets.
Strong Q1 Results: ECL exited the first quarter of 2026 with in-line earnings and better-than-expected revenues. The company registered a robust year-over-year uptick in its top and bottom lines, along with solid performances across all segments. The expansion of the adjusted operating margin bodes well for the stock.
Per management, Ecolab’s performance in the first quarter was driven by strong value pricing, accelerated volume growth and improved productivity, demonstrating the strength of its technology- and service-led model. Its core businesses also delivered strong performance as Institutional and Specialty both improved, and Food & Beverage continued to significantly outperform market trends. These looked promising for the stock.
A Factor That May Offset ECL’s GainsCost Fluctuations: Ecolab faces risks from raw material cost volatility, inflationary pressures and supply-chain disruptions, which could weigh on margins and profitability. Management expects commodity costs to rise at a high single-digit rate beginning in second-quarter 2026, primarily driven by energy-related expenses.
The company remains exposed to fluctuations in raw material availability and pricing, as well as challenges in renewing supply agreements on favorable terms, which could adversely impact operating results, financial position and cash flows. Additionally, geopolitical tensions and broader economic slowdowns may disrupt global sourcing and supplier performance, limiting Ecolab’s ability to secure raw materials efficiently and at competitive prices.
Estimate TrendEcolab is witnessing a stable estimate revision trend for 2026. In the past 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its earnings has remained stable at $8.47 per share.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s second-quarter 2026 revenues is pegged at $4.4 billion, indicating a 9.4% improvement from the year-ago quarter’s reported number.
Key PicksSome better-ranked stocks from the broader medical space are Globus Medical (GMED - Free Report) , West Pharmaceutical (WST - Free Report) and Intuitive Surgical (ISRG - Free Report) .
Globus Medical, currently carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), reported a first-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.12 per share, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 22.1%. Revenues of $759.9 million beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 4.0%. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
GMED has an estimated long-term earnings growth rate of 10.2% compared with the industry’s 12.6% growth. The company’s earnings beat estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 26.3%.
West Pharmaceutical, currently flaunting a Zacks Rank #1, reported first-quarter 2026 EPS of $2.13, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 26.8%. Revenues of $844.9 million surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 8.5%.
WST has an estimated long-term earnings growth rate of 13.9% compared with the industry’s 9.5% growth. The company’s earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 19.4%.
Intuitive Surgical, carrying a Zacks Rank #2 at present, reported first-quarter 2026 adjusted EPS of $2.50, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 20.2%. Revenues of $2.77 billion surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 6.2%.
ISRG has a long-term estimated growth rate of 14.6% compared with the industry’s 12.6% growth. The company’s earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 16.8%.
Key Takeaways Cameco could benefit as DOE committed up to $17.5B in loans for U.S. nuclear reactor investment.The loans would help Westinghouse secure long-lead components for as many as 10 AP1000 reactors.CCJ owns 49% of Westinghouse, linking it to uranium demand growth and reactor construction activity. Cameco Corporation (CCJ - Free Report) could benefit from a major U.S. nuclear financing initiative after the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Dominance Financing (EDF) announced a conditional commitment of up to $17.5 billion in loan facilities to support investment in U.S. nuclear reactors. The funding initiative is expected to cover a substantial portion of the capital needed by Westinghouse Electric Company to secure long-lead components for as many as 10 AP1000 nuclear reactors.
The financing remains subject to several technical, legal, environmental and financial requirements. Westinghouse, along with its owners and project partners, must satisfy these conditions before the DOE can finalize financing agreements and disburse the loan proceeds.
The DOE financing is expected to be structured through a Westinghouse special purpose vehicle (SPV), which would oversee loan allocations for up to five project funding vehicles jointly owned by Westinghouse and its respective partners. It will fund the procurement of the long-lead items at a fixed price for two reactors per project. Before accessing DOE funds, both the SPV and the approved project partner must commit approximately $500 million each in equity, representing a total upfront investment of about $1 billion per project. Once project partners reach final investment decisions, the DOE loans are expected to be repaid through proceeds generated from the sale of the long-lead equipment.
Westinghouse Electric Company is a nuclear reactor technology original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and a leading provider of highly technical aftermarket products and services to commercial nuclear power utilities and government agencies globally. In 2023, Cameco acquired a 49% stake in Westinghouse through a strategic partnership with Brookfield Asset Management and its listed affiliate Brookfield Renewable Partners (BEP - Free Report) . The collaboration combined Cameco’s expertise in the nuclear fuel supply chain with Brookfield’s recognized position as one of the world’s largest investors in energy generation technologies.
With this move, Cameco positioned itself to benefit from both uranium demand growth and reactor construction activity through its ownership stake in one of the world's leading nuclear technology providers. The current DOE financing package, combined with previous U.S. government initiatives supporting nuclear power, could create substantial opportunities for both Westinghouse and Cameco as reactor deployment accelerates across North America and potentially other global markets.
The announcement highlights the growing momentum behind nuclear energy as governments seek reliable, carbon-free electricity sources capable of supporting rapidly increasing power demand from data centers and Artificial Intelligence infrastructure. Companies such as PG&E Corporation (PCG - Free Report) , Constellation Energy Corporation (CEG - Free Report) and NextEra Energy (NEE - Free Report) are expected to benefit from the broader expansion of the U.S. nuclear ecosystem.
CCJ’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesCameco shares have gained 46.7% in a year compared with the industry’s 24.8% growth.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
CCJ stock is trading at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 18.7 compared with the industry’s 5.24.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Cameco’s earnings for fiscal 2026 indicates year-over-year growth of 17.5%. The same for 2027 implies growth of 58.7%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
While the consensus estimate for 2026 earnings has moved up over the past 60 days, the same for 2027 has moved down, as shown in the chart below.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The company 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 BEN's arm acquired 250 Digital, adding a crypto investment team and CoinFund's liquid digital strategies.Franklin Templeton launched Franklin Crypto to offer active crypto strategies for institutional clients.The buyout aids BEN's broader push into blockchain finance alongside partnerships with MoonPay and Binance. Franklin Resources, Inc.'s (BEN - Free Report) asset management arm, Franklin Templeton, has completed its previously announced acquisition of 250 Digital, an active cryptocurrency investment management firm led by industry veterans Christopher Perkins and Seth Ginns. The transaction, announced in April 2026, includes the 250 Digital investment team and all liquid cryptocurrency strategies previously managed by CoinFund.
The acquisition marks another step in Franklin Templeton's efforts to strengthen its presence in digital assets and expand its active cryptocurrency investment capabilities. Following the closing of the transaction, the company formally launched Franklin Crypto, a dedicated active digital asset management division.
The move underscores Franklin Templeton’s long-term focus on building infrastructure across the digital asset ecosystem and expanding its institutional cryptocurrency investment offerings. As part of the agreement, the company will also invest in the acquired cryptocurrency strategies.
What Does BEN’s Franklin Crypto Offer?Franklin Crypto is Franklin Templeton’s newly established active digital asset division focused on delivering actively managed cryptocurrency strategies to institutional clients. The platform integrates the investment capabilities of the former 250 Digital team with Franklin Templeton’s established research, portfolio construction and risk management framework.
The division also builds on Franklin Templeton’s existing digital asset capabilities, including dedicated resources for digital asset research, active portfolio construction and institutional risk oversight. By combining crypto-native expertise with traditional asset management infrastructure, Franklin Crypto is designed to enhance the company’s ability to deliver regulated digital asset investment solutions.
How the 250 Digital Acquisition Benefits BENThe acquisition is expected to strengthen Franklin Templeton’s active digital asset management capabilities at a time when institutional demand for regulated crypto exposure continues to increase, positioning the company to scale its digital asset offerings more effectively.
The initiative also aligns with Franklin Templeton’s broader strategy of expanding beyond traditional asset management and increasing its presence in blockchain-enabled finance. Earlier this month, Franklin Templeton partnered with MoonPay to integrate its Benji Technology Platform with institutional trading infrastructure, enhancing access to its tokenized money market funds.
In February 2026, the company also collaborated with Binance to launch an off-exchange institutional collateral program designed to improve capital efficiency and reduce counterparty risk in digital asset trading. These initiatives strengthen Franklin Templeton’s digital asset ecosystem, spanning research, portfolio management and blockchain-based investment solutions.
With $1.78 trillion in assets under management as of May 31, 2026, and operations across more than 35 countries, Franklin Templeton is well-positioned to scale its digital asset offerings globally. Overall, the acquisition of 250 Digital is expected to expand its cryptocurrency investment capabilities and reinforce its position among traditional asset managers, building out blockchain-enabled financial market infrastructure.
BEN’s Price Performance & Zacks RankThe company’s shares have gained 39.7% in the past six months against the industry’s 12.1% decline.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Currently, Franklin sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
How Other Financial Firms Are Scaling Up in Crypto?Similar to BEN, the other financial firms, such as Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. (IBKR - Free Report) and Charles Schwab (SCHW - Free Report) are also actively expanding and enhancing their crypto offerings.
In April 2026, Interactive Brokers launched a unified crypto trading platform for European Economic Area clients through its Ireland-based unit, integrating digital assets into its brokerage ecosystem. Developed with Zerohash, it enables secure trading alongside traditional assets. Earlier, in March 2026, Interactive Brokers also introduced crypto transfer functionality, allowing clients to move assets into brokerage-linked accounts without liquidation, improving portfolio efficiency.
In April 2026, Charles Schwab also moved toward direct crypto exposure with the planned launch of Schwab Crypto, a spot trading service for Bitcoin and Ethereum. The rollout will follow a phased approach, starting with limited access before broader availability, supported by its research, education and advisory ecosystem. Until now, Charles Schwab has mainly relied on indirect exposure through ETFs and related products, but this marks a shift toward integrating crypto into its core brokerage platform.
Lucid Group, Inc. (LCID) Shareholders Who Lost Money Have Opportunity to Lead Securities Fraud Lawsuit PR Newswire
LOS ANGELES, June 24, 2026
, /PRNewswire/ -- The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz announces that investors with losses related to Lucid Group, Inc. ("Lucid" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: LCID) have opportunity to lead the securities fraud class action lawsuit.
IF YOU ARE AN INVESTOR WHO SUFFERED A LOSS IN LUCID GROUP, INC. (LCID), CLICK HERE BEFORE JULY 28, 2026 (THE LEAD PLAINTIFF DEADLINE) TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ONGOING SECURITIES FRAUD LAWSUIT.
What Is The Lawsuit About?
The complaint filed alleges that, between February 25, 2026 and April 13, 2026, Defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) a supplier quality issue had significantly disrupted deliveries of the Lucid Gravity; (2) the foregoing was likely to, and did, have a material negative impact on the Company's business and financial results; (3) accordingly, the Defendants had overstated the purported enhancements to Lucid's manufacturing and delivery capabilities and overall operations; and (4) as a result, Defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.
Contact Us To Participate or Learn More:
If you wish to learn more about this action, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact us.
The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz,
Email us at: [email protected]
Call us at: 310-914-5007
Visit our website at: www.frankcruzlaw.com
Follow us for updates on Twitter: twitter.com/FRC_LAW.
If you inquire by email, please include your mailing address, telephone number, and number of shares purchased.
To be a member of the class action you need not take any action at this time; you may retain counsel of your choice or take no action and remain an absent member of the class action.
This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lucid-group-inc-lcid-shareholders-who-lost-money-have-opportunity-to-lead-securities-fraud-lawsuit-302808826.html
SOURCE The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz, Los Angeles
Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Securities Litigation Partner James (Josh) Wilson Encourages Investors Who Suffered Losses In Lucid Group To Contact Him Directly To Discuss Their Options
If you purchased or acquired securities in Lucid Group between February 25, 2026 and April 13, 2026 and would like to discuss your legal rights, call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310).
[You may also click here for additional information]
New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - June 24, 2026) - Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a leading national securities law firm, is investigating potential claims against Lucid Group, Inc. ("Lucid Group" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: LCID) and reminds investors of the July 28, 2026 deadline to seek the role of lead plaintiff in a federal securities class action that has been filed against the Company.
Faruqi & Faruqi is a leading national securities law firm with offices in New York, Pennsylvania, California and Georgia. The firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors since its founding in 1995. See www.faruqilaw.com.
As detailed below, the complaint alleges that the Company and its executives violated federal securities laws by making false and/or misleading statements and/or failing to disclose that: (1) a supplier quality issue had significantly disrupted deliveries of the Lucid Gravity; (2) the foregoing was likely to, and did, have a material negative impact on the Company's business and financial results; (3) accordingly, the Defendants had overstated the purported enhancements to Lucid's manufacturing and delivery capabilities and overall operations; and (4) as a result, Defendants' public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.
The court-appointed lead plaintiff is the investor with the largest financial interest in the relief sought by the class who is adequate and typical of class members who directs and oversees the litigation on behalf of the putative class. Any member of the putative class may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision to serve as a lead plaintiff or not.
Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP also encourages anyone with information regarding Lucid Group's conduct to contact the firm, including whistleblowers, former employees, shareholders and others.
To learn more about the Lucid Group class action, go to www.faruqilaw.com/LCID or call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310).
Follow us for updates on LinkedIn, on X, or on Facebook.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for Investors Regarding the Lucid Group, Inc. Securities Class Action Lawsuit:
What is the Lucid Group securities fraud lawsuit about?
The Lucid Group securities fraud lawsuit is a federal securities class action alleging that Lucid Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: LCID) and its executives made false and misleading statements to investors by concealing that a supplier quality issue had significantly disrupted deliveries of the Lucid Gravity SUV and overstating the Company's manufacturing and delivery capabilities. As the truth emerged through a series of disclosures - including an April 3, 2026 announcement that only 3,093 vehicles were delivered in Q1 2026 due to a 29-day delivery disruption caused by a supplier seat defect, an April 14, 2026 filing revealing Q1 revenue of just $280-$284 million against a consensus estimate of $433.8 million and a $1.05 billion capital raise, and a May 5, 2026 earnings report showing a net loss of over $1 billion and GAAP EPS of -$3.46 - LCID's stock price fell sharply across multiple trading sessions, causing significant losses for investors.
Who may be eligible to participate in the Lucid Group class action lawsuit?
Investors who purchased or acquired Lucid Group, Inc. (LCID) stock between February 25, 2026 and April 13, 2026 - the Class Period - and suffered financial losses may be eligible to participate in the Lucid Group securities class action. Participation as a class member does not require taking any affirmative legal action; eligible investors may recover losses simply by remaining members of the class. Whistleblowers, former Lucid Group employees, and others with relevant information about the Company's conduct are also encouraged to come forward.
What is a lead plaintiff, and how can I seek appointment in the Lucid Group lawsuit?
A lead plaintiff in the Lucid Group class action is a court-appointed investor - typically the one with the largest financial interest in the case - who directs and oversees the litigation on behalf of all class members. Any Lucid Group investor who purchased LCID stock during the Class Period may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice. The deadline to seek lead plaintiff appointment is July 28, 2026. Importantly, choosing not to seek the lead plaintiff role does not affect an investor's ability to share in any recovery obtained for the class.
What should investors do if they purchased Lucid Group stock during the Class Period?
Investors who purchased Lucid Group, Inc. (LCID) stock between February 25, 2026 and April 13, 2026 and suffered losses should contact Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP immediately to discuss their legal rights. The deadline to seek appointment as lead plaintiff in the Lucid Group securities class action is July 28, 2026. To speak directly with securities litigation partner Josh Wilson, call 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310), or visit www.faruqilaw.com/LCID for more information.
Attorney Advertising. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP (www.faruqilaw.com). Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. We welcome the opportunity to discuss your particular case. All communications will be treated in a confidential manner.
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/302720
Source: Faruqi & Faruqi LLP
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Oil prices and Treasury yields are both lower today, giving stocks a boost. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) is back above 52,000 with a more than 500-point gain and on track for a record close. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq Composite Index (IXIC) and S&P 500 Index (SPX) are comfortably higher as tech rebounds from a two-day rout. Micron Technology (MU) earnings are in focus as well, with the chipmaker's report due out after the close.
Continue reading for more on today's market, including:
Take-Two Interactive takes the stage with GTA 6 update. Why analysts are lifting their price targets on ARM. Plus, WEN enjoys meme-stock rally; GLW hits record highs; and CASY falls after investor day presentation.
Wendy's Co (NASDAQ:WEN) is soaring today after hitting a 12-year low last session. The shares were up 30.9% at $8.19 at last check, after Reddit's WallStreetBets forum kickstarted a meme stock rally. WEN is the most popular stock in the options pits today, with 238,000 calls and 55,000 puts exchanged so far -- 39 times the stock's average daily options volume already. The weekly 6/26 8-strike call is the most active contract, with new positions being sold-to-open there.
One of the top stocks on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) today, Corning Inc (NYSE:GLW) was last seen up 11.5% at $216.33. Enjoying the broader tech rebound, the shares have blown past their previous June 22 record highs. GLW has been in the spotlight since a multi-billion dollar deal with Amazon (AMZN) to boost U.S. fiber optics manufacturing was announced earlier this month, while the company has similar partnerships with Nvidia (NVDA) and Meta Platforms (META). Enjoying support from the 60-day moving average, the equity is up 142% year to date.
Casey's General Stores Inc (NASDAQ:CASY) stock is down 7.5% at $769.38 after the company's investor day presentation outlining its growth strategy. Per Zacks, the stock outlook rests on whether inside sales, fuel profitability and unit growth can keep supporting earnings. The shares have fallen sharply from their June 11 record high of $927.85, though still up 43% year to date.
CORNING, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Corning Incorporated’s (NYSE: GLW) Board of Directors today declared a quarterly dividend of $0.28 per share. The dividend will be payable on September 29, 2026, to shareholders of record on August 31, 2026.
Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
The statements contained in this release and related comments by management that are not historical facts or information and contain words such as “will,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “seek,” “see,” “would,” “target,” “estimate,” “forecast” or similar expressions are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and include estimates and assumptions related to economic, competitive and legislative developments. Such statements relate to future events that by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. These forward-looking statements relate to, among other things, the Company’s Springboard plan, projected financial and operating performance, anticipated sales opportunities, long-term growth strategy, expected capital deployment, innovation and commercialization plans, and anticipated impacts of customer agreements.
Although the company believes that these forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions regarding, among other things, current estimates and forecasts, general economic conditions, its knowledge of its business and key performance indicators that impact the company, there can be no assurance that these forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management’s estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable securities laws.
Some of the risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: global economic trends, competition and geopolitical risks, or an escalation of sanctions, tariffs or other trade tensions between the U.S. and other countries, and related impacts on our businesses’ global supply chains and strategies; changes in macroeconomic and market conditions and market volatility, including developments and volatility arising from health crisis events, inflation, interest rates, the value of securities and other financial assets, precious metals, oil, natural gas, raw materials and other commodity prices and exchange rates (particularly between the U.S. dollar and the Japanese yen, South Korean won, Chinese yuan, New Taiwan dollar, Mexican peso and euro), decreases or sudden increases of consumer demand, and the impact of such changes and volatility on our financial position and businesses; the availability of or adverse changes relating to government grants, tax credits or other government incentives; the duration and severity of health crisis events, such as an epidemic or pandemic, and its impact across our businesses on demand, personnel, operations, our global supply chains and stock price; possible disruption in commercial activities or our supply chain due to terrorist activity, cyber-attack, armed conflict, political or financial instability, natural disasters, international trade disputes or major health concerns; loss of intellectual property due to theft, cyber-attack, or disruption to our information technology infrastructure; ability to enforce patents and protect intellectual property and trade secrets; disruption to Corning’s, our suppliers’ and manufacturers’ supply chain, equipment, facilities, IT systems or operations; product demand and industry capacity; competitive products and pricing; availability and costs of critical components, materials, equipment, natural resources and utilities; new product development and commercialization; our solar business development, including manufacturing facility construction, ramp, and operations, and the achievement of solar revenue and profitability targets; order activity and demand from major customers; the amount and timing of our cash flows and earnings and other conditions, which may affect our ability to pay our quarterly dividend at the planned level or to repurchase shares at planned levels; the amount and timing of any future dividends; the effects of acquisitions, dispositions and other similar transactions; the effect of regulatory and legal developments; ability to pace capital spending to anticipated levels of customer demand; our ability to increase margins through implementation of operational changes, pricing actions and cost reduction measures; rate of technology change; adverse litigation; product and component performance issues; retention of key personnel; customer ability to maintain profitable operations and obtain financing to fund ongoing operations and manufacturing expansions and pay receivables when due; loss of significant customers; changes in tax laws, regulations and international tax standards; the impacts of audits by taxing authorities; the potential impact of legislation, government regulations, and other government action and investigations; and other risks detailed in Corning’s SEC filings.
For a complete listing of risks and other factors, please reference the risk factors and forward-looking statements described in our annual reports on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q.
Web Disclosure
In accordance with guidance provided by the SEC regarding the use of company websites and social media channels to disclose material information, Corning Incorporated (“Corning”) wishes to notify investors, media, and other interested parties that it uses its website (https://www.corning.com/worldwide/en/about-us/news-events.html) to publish important information about the company, including information that may be deemed material to investors, or supplemental to information contained in this or other press releases. The list of websites and social media channels that the company uses may be updated on Corning’s media and website from time to time. Corning encourages investors, media, and other interested parties to review the information Corning may publish through its website and social media channels as described above, in addition to the company’s SEC filings, press releases, conference calls, and webcasts.
About Corning Incorporated
Corning (www.corning.com) is one of the world’s leading innovators in materials science, with a 175-year track record of life-changing inventions. Corning applies its unparalleled expertise in glass science, ceramic science, and optical physics, along with its deep manufacturing and engineering capabilities to develop category-defining products that transform industries and enhance people’s lives. Corning succeeds through sustained investment in RD&E, a unique combination of material and process innovation, and deep, trust-based relationships with customers who are global leaders in their industries. Corning’s capabilities are versatile and synergistic, which allows the company to evolve to meet changing market needs, while also helping its customers capture new opportunities in dynamic industries. Today, Corning’s markets include optical communications, mobile consumer electronics, display, automotive, solar, semiconductors, and life sciences.
Airline stocks are flying higher midday Wednesday as falling jet fuel costs spark a broad-based rally across the sector. American Airlines (NASDAQ:AAL | AAL Price Prediction) stock leads the move, with American Airlines shares up 7% to $17 and change in intraday trading. The gain extends an already powerful run for AAL stock.
United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) stock is rallying alongside it, with United shares climbing 6% to around $129. JetBlue Airways (NASDAQ:JBLU) stock is also higher, with JBLU shares up 5% to $5.78, a sharp move for a low-priced, more volatile name.
The catalyst is straightforward. Jet fuel is one of the largest line items on any airline income statement, and crude oil benchmarks have been sliding all week.
Falling Fuel Costs Propel the Rally The apparent driver for American Airlines, United Airlines, and JetBlue is declining fuel costs tied to lower oil prices amid easing Middle East tensions. Crude oil benchmarks have hit multi-month lows this week as markets price in a de-escalation in the Iran conflict and smoother oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz. WTI crude oil trades at $70.48 per barrel, down from a recent peak of $112.25 on May 18.
The leverage to airline carriers is significant. American Airlines management flagged more than $4 billion in incremental FY 2026 fuel expense, with Q2 2026 guidance assuming jet fuel near $4 per gallon. United Airlines guided Q2 fuel of around $4.30 per gallon, while JetBlue projected the steepest exposure at $4.13 to $4.28 per gallon.
Any sustained pullback in crude oil flows directly through to operating margins. That math is why American Airlines stock, United Airlines stock, and JetBlue stock are all moving in the same direction today.
Momentum Was Already Building Today’s surge extends a strong recent run. American Airlines stock has gained 25% over the past month, while United Airlines stock has climbed 29% in the same span. JetBlue stock, the smallest and most fuel-stressed of the trio, is up 15% over the past month.
Wall Street’s existing posture varies meaningfully. United Airlines carries an analyst target price of $132.50 with 19 Buy and 5 Strong Buy ratings, the most constructive view of the three. American Airlines has a target of $15.82, while JetBlue’s consensus target sits at $4.91, both below current prices after today’s pop.
The Bull Case Against the Caution The bullish view for American Airlines, United Airlines, and JetBlue is understandable. Lower jet fuel is a direct margin tailwind, and easing geopolitical tension reduces near-term oil-price risk. United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has noted his company’s “strong financial position and success in winning brand-loyal customers” as cushioning the carrier against fuel swings.
However, oil is famously volatile and can reverse just as fast as it fell. Airline profitability also hinges on travel demand, capacity discipline, and the broader economy, none of which are settled by a single week of crude weakness. JetBlue stock in particular remains down meaningfully over the past five years, a reminder that fuel relief alone doesn’t fix a business model.
Investors can weigh the immediate margin tailwind against the structural differences across the group. American Airlines carries the heaviest debt load, United Airlines has the strongest balance sheet, and JetBlue has the most operating leverage to any fuel move.
What to Watch Next The next data point to watch is whether crude holds at these lower levels into next week. A bounce in oil could quickly drain today’s enthusiasm out of AAL, UAL, and JBLU.
Investors can watch for whether American Airlines, United Airlines, and JetBlue shares close near their intraday highs and whether the sector momentum carries into Thursday’s open. Q2 2026 earnings season, which begins in mid-July, will be the real test of how much of the fuel benefit actually reaches the bottom line.
Key Takeaways ELV enhanced Health OS to streamline clinical reviews and utilization management workflows.ELV reported a 61% drop in denials tied to insufficient clinical information.ELV's platform cut holds, reduced follow-up reviews and saved about 15 minutes per case. Elevance Health, Inc. (ELV - Free Report) is strengthening its digital healthcare capabilities with new enhancements to Health OS, its secure data platform designed to simplify clinical reviews and utilization management. The platform connects information from electronic health records, laboratories and health information exchanges, enabling providers and health plans to access more complete patient data while reducing administrative burden. The initiative is aimed at supporting faster clinical decisions and a more seamless healthcare experience.
Health OS helps to replace fragmented manual processes with a more connected workflow. Through its integration with Epic's Payer Platform, Health OS is helping streamline inpatient concurrent reviews, where payers and providers evaluate treatment plans during a hospital stay. Traditionally, these reviews have required extensive documentation exchanges, often leading to delays and additional workload. Health OS streamlines this process by securely sharing relevant clinical information in real time.
Early results from participating health systems have been encouraging. Elevance Health reported a 61% decline in prior authorization denials related to insufficient clinical information and around 60% fewer cases placed on hold while awaiting additional information. The platform has also reduced follow-up reviews, appeals and peer-to-peer discussions while saving approximately 15 minutes of administrative work per case in participating systems. Providers have reported greater transparency and fewer documentation requests, allowing them to devote more time to patient care. Health OS is also expanding the use of electronic prior authorization for medical services.
This initiative reflects Elevance Health’s broader strategy of leveraging technology and data analytics to improve healthcare efficiency. As regulatory scrutiny around prior authorization grows across the industry, digital platforms that reduce administrative complexity and accelerate approvals could become a key competitive differentiator.
With approximately 45.4 million medical members as of March 31, 2026, the company has significant scale to benefit from greater administrative efficiency and improved care coordination. Continued adoption of Health OS may support stronger provider relationships, lower operating costs and improved member satisfaction, positioning ELV favorably in the evolving managed-care landscape.
ELV’s Price PerformanceOver the past year, ELV shares have risen 5.1% compared with the industry’s growth of 3.1%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
ELV’s Zacks Rank & Key PicksELV currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Some top-ranked stocks in the Medical space are LifeStance Health Group, Inc. (LFST - Free Report) , Electromed, Inc. (ELMD - Free Report) and BrightSpring Health Services, Inc. (BTSG - Free Report) , each currently sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for LifeStance Health Group’s current-year earnings of 12 cents per share has witnessed three upward revisions in the past 60 days, against no movement in the opposite direction. LifeStance Health Group beat earnings estimates in three of the trailing four quarters. The consensus estimate for current-year revenues is pegged at $1.7 billion, suggesting 16.1% year-over-year growth.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Electromed’s current-year earnings of $1.20 per share has witnessed one upward revision in the past 60 days, against no movement in the opposite direction. Electromed beat earnings estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, with an average surprise of 20.1%. The consensus estimate for current-year revenues is pegged at $74 million, suggesting 15.6% year-over-year growth.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BrightSpring Health Services’ current-year earnings of $1.67 per share has witnessed five upward revisions in the past 60 days, against no movement in the opposite direction. BrightSpring Health Services beat earnings estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed once, with an average surprise of 14.6%. The consensus estimate for current-year revenues is pegged at $15.1 billion, suggesting 16.6% year-over-year growth.
Wegweisende Übernahme eines schnell wachsenden Marktführers für groß angelegte, emissionsfreie stationäre Stromversorgungslösungen auf Wasserstoffbasis Erweitert das Geschäftsmodell von Ballard um eine „Energy-as-a-Service"-Lösung mit einem gebündelten Angebot, das Wasserstoffproduktion, -verteilung, -logistik, -betankung, Brennstoffzellen und stationäre Stromerzeugung kombiniert, um höhere Umsätze pro Megawatt und ein hohes Potenzial für wiederkehrende Umsätze zu erzielen Baut auf einer langjährigen und bewährten Partnerschaft mit GeoPura auf, in deren Rahmen Ballard Brennstoffzellenmotoren für die Wasserstoff-Kraftwerke von GeoPura liefert Erweitert den adressierbaren Markt auf wachstumsstarke Endmärkte auf kapitaleffiziente Weise, gestützt durch eine gesicherte Wasserstoffversorgung und die Unterstützung durch die Regierungspolitik Hält Ballards Kurs zur Rentabilität bis 2028 aufrecht und erschließt Synergien im Bereich des jährlichen EBITDA in Höhe von 25 Millionen US-Dollar , /PRNewswire/ -- Ballard Power Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: BLDP) (TSX: BLDP) („Ballard", das „Unternehmen"), ein weltweit führender Anbieter von Wasserstoff-Brennstoffzellentechnologie, gab heute bekannt, dass es eine endgültige Vereinbarung (die „Vereinbarung") über den Erwerb von GeoPura Limited („GeoPura"), einem Anbieter emissionsfreier, wasserstoffbasierter Energielösungen, geschlossen hat (die „Transaktion"). Die Transaktion umfasst einen Vorab-Kaufpreis in Höhe von 275,0 Millionen Pfund („Vorauszahlung"), der durch eine Kombination aus 82,5 Millionen Pfund aus den Barreserven von Ballard und der Ausgabe von ca. 50,8 Millionen Ballard-Stammaktien an die GeoPura-Aktionäre zu einem Preis von 5,02 US-Dollar pro Aktie finanziert wird, basierend auf dem volumengewichteten Durchschnittskurs der Ballard-Aktie der letzten 30 Tage. Zusätzlich zur Vorabzahlung wird Ballard eine bedingte Gegenleistung von bis zu 27,5 Millionen Pfund zahlen, sofern GeoPura nach Abschluss der Transaktion bestimmte festgelegte finanzielle Meilensteine erreicht. Der gesamte Unternehmenswert1 der Transaktion, einschließlich der Übernahme der Nettoverschuldung von GeoPura und ohne Berücksichtigung der bedingten Gegenleistung, beträgt 301,1 Millionen Pfund (~400 Millionen US-Dollar).
GeoPura CEO Andrew Cunningham (left) and CTO Theo Elmer (right) in front of an HPU-2 500kW system containing Ballard Fuel Cell Engines.
Ballard Power Systems Inc. Die Transaktion stellt eine transformative Übernahme dar, die Ballard als vertikal integrierten und kapitaleffizienten „Energy-as-a-Service" („EaaS")-Anbieter etabliert, dessen End-to-End-Kompetenzen die Bereiche Wasserstoffproduktion, -verteilung, -logistik, -betankung, Brennstoffzellen sowie stationäre Hochleistungsstromversorgungslösungen umfassen.
GeoPura wurde 2019 gegründet und hat seinen Hauptsitz im Vereinigten Königreich. Das Unternehmen hat ein schnell wachsendes Geschäft aufgebaut, dessen Schwerpunkt auf der Entwicklung, dem Leasing und dem Verkauf von Wasserstoff-Stromversorgungsanlagen („HPUs") sowie von Wasserstoff als Brennstoff liegt, der über seine drei Produktionsstandorte geliefert wird, darunter eine 50-prozentige Beteiligung an dem im Vereinigten Königreich ansässigen Unternehmen HyMarnham Power. Das kombinierte Angebot aus HPUs und Wasserstoff bietet eine wettbewerbsfähige, netzunabhängige Stromversorgungslösung mit hoher Zuverlässigkeit, sofortiger Reaktionsfähigkeit, geringem Geräuschpegel und null Emissionen für eine Vielzahl von Endmärkten. Zum breiten Kundenstamm von GeoPura zählen unter anderem Aggreko, Balfour Beatty, die BBC, Disney, Equinix, Microsoft, Netflix, Sunbelt Rentals sowie das britische Verteidigungsministerium.
Die Transaktion baut auf einer bewährten Partnerschaft zwischen Ballard und GeoPura sowie einer starken strategischen Ausrichtung auf. Die in Großbritannien entwickelte Technologie und die britische Fertigung von GeoPura ergänzen Ballards kanadisches Fachwissen im Bereich Brennstoffzellen und schaffen so eine Plattform, die auf gemeinsamen Werten, einer gemeinsamen Geschichte und dem Engagement für zuverlässige, emissionsfreie Energie basiert. Diese kanadisch-britische Kombination unterstützt die globale Expansion, indem sie das Wasserstoff-Ökosystem von GeoPura mit der erstklassigen Brennstoffzellenplattform von Ballard verbindet, um ein gebündeltes Kundenangebot bereitzustellen und erhebliche Effizienzsteigerungen für bestehende und zukünftige Kunden zu ermöglichen.
STELLUNGNAHME DER GESCHÄFTSFÜHRUNG
Marty Neese, Präsident und Chief Executive Officer von Ballard, kommentierte: „Dies ist eine wahrhaft transformative Übernahme, die Ballard als führenden, vollintegrierten Anbieter eines Wasserstoff-Ökosystems etabliert und uns in die Lage versetzt, von der sich beschleunigenden globalen Energiewende und der steigenden Nachfrage nach Energiesicherheit zu profitieren. Das außergewöhnliche Team von GeoPura hat ein erstklassiges Geschäft für Wasserstoff-Energieversorgungslösungen mit zuverlässiger Technologie, erstklassigen Kundenbeziehungen und einer attraktiven Wachstumskurve aufgebaut. Durch die Kombination der erstklassigen Brennstoffzellentechnologie von Ballard mit dem ‚Energy-as-a-Service'-Geschäftsmodell von GeoPura schaffen wir ein Unternehmen, das gut positioniert ist, um Endmärkte zu bedienen, die sichere, zuverlässige, geräuscharme und emissionsfreie Energie für ihre geschäftskritischen Anwendungen benötigen. Diese Übernahme beschleunigt unser Umsatzwachstum erheblich, verlagert unser Geschäft hin zu wiederkehrenden, margenstarken Umsätzen und stärkt unseren Weg zur Rentabilität bis 2028. Wir freuen uns sehr, das GeoPura-Team bei Ballard willkommen zu heißen und die vor uns liegenden bedeutenden Chancen zu nutzen."
Andrew Cunningham, Gründer und Chief Executive Officer von GeoPura, kommentierte: „Wenn Ihre Arbeit Film- und Live-Fernsehproduktionen, Krankenhäuser, den Verteidigungssektor, kritische Infrastruktur und das Bauwesen mit zuverlässigen netzunabhängigen und netzunterstützenden Systemen versorgt, ist Ihr Antriebslieferant entscheidend für Ihren Erfolg. Für GeoPura hat sich Ballard deutlich von der Konkurrenz abgehoben. Sie sind der einzige Partner, der die von uns benötigten Brennstoffzellen-Kompetenzen liefern kann, gestützt durch das fundierte technische Know-how, das erforderlich ist, um unübertroffene Produktqualität von Kilowatt bis Megawatt zu gewährleisten. Ich freue mich unglaublich darauf, die Hochleistungskompetenzen von GeoPura mit der Produktqualität von Ballard zu verbinden, um Kunden weltweit den größtmöglichen Nutzen aus unserem vollständig integrierten ‚Energy-as-a-Service'-Angebot zu bieten."
Der Vorsitzende von GeoPura, Lord Richard Harrington, ehemaliger Minister für Wirtschaft und Industrie und Vorsitzender von Make UK, sagte: „Die Investition von Ballard spiegelt das Vertrauen des Unternehmens in ein britisches Fertigungsunternehmen wider, das britische Technologie nutzt, die nun in die ganze Welt exportiert wird. Ich bin begeistert von den globalen Expansionsplänen des Unternehmens und freue mich darauf, es auf diesem Weg zu unterstützen."
ÜBERZEUGENDE STRATEGISCHE GRÜNDE
Aufbau eines Ökosystems mit einem gebündelten Angebot: Durch die Kombination der Brennstoffzellentechnologie von Ballard mit den integrierten Kompetenzen von GeoPura in den Bereichen Wasserstoffproduktion, Logistik und stationäre Stromversorgung maximiert das Unternehmen den Umsatz pro Megawatt über mehrere Kundenkontaktpunkte hinweg. Dies führt zu einer deutlichen Steigerung des über die gesamte Lebensdauer erzielten Werts pro eingesetztem Megawatt. Zugang zum Markt für stationäre Stromversorgung mit bewährtem Produktportfolio: Dies ebnet Ballards Einstieg in den wachstumsstarken Markt für stationäre Stromversorgung mit einer sofort einsetzbaren und bewährten Produktpalette an Wasserstoff-Stromaggregaten, die eine Zuverlässigkeit von „sechs Neunen" (99,9999 % Verfügbarkeit) bieten und über einen gut etablierten Kundenstamm verfügen. Die HPUs von GeoPura kommen in den Bereichen Bauwesen, Film und Fernsehen, Veranstaltungen, Transport, Gesundheitswesen, Verteidigung und potenziell auch in den schnell wachsenden Rechenzentrumsanwendungen zum Einsatz, wodurch Ballard in die Lage versetzt wird, diese wachsenden Märkte weltweit zu erschließen. Beschleunigung von Wachstum und Rentabilität: Das Geschäftsmodell von GeoPura generiert wiederkehrende Umsätze aus dem Leasing von HPUs inklusive Wasserstoffversorgung und Logistik sowie aus dem Verkauf von HPUs und Wasserstoff. GeoPura erwartet für 2026 einen Umsatz von etwa 38 Millionen Pfund. Zusammen mit Ballard formen der große adressierbare Gesamtmarkt und die langfristigen positiven Rahmenbedingungen das Finanzprofil von Ballard neu zu einem EaaS-Betreiber mit beschleunigtem Wachstum und einem klareren Weg zu Ballards Rentabilitätsziel für 2028. Erschließung des Wachstums des gesamten adressierbaren Marktes durch ein förderliches politisches Umfeld: Die stationäre Energieplattform von GeoPura erweitert den adressierbaren Markt von Ballard über den Mobilitätsbereich hinaus in wachstumsstarke Endmärkte, in denen HPUs als systemkritische Energieinfrastruktur dienen. GeoPura verfügt zudem über den ersten Vertrag der britischen Regierung im Rahmen der „Hydrogen Allocation Round 1" (HAR1), einem Fördermechanismus, der über einen Zeitraum von fünfzehn Jahren Einnahmen aus der Wasserstoffproduktion garantiert und somit eine erhebliche Umsatzvorhersehbarkeit bietet. Diese politische Unterstützung, kombiniert mit GeoPuras 50-prozentiger Beteiligung an der Wasserstoffproduktionsanlage HyMarnham und deren kapitaleffizienter Erweiterungskapazität, versetzt Ballard in die einzigartige Lage, seine Marktreichweite auszubauen und von den weltweit beschleunigten Dekarbonisierungsvorgaben sowie dem Bedarf an kritischer Energie zu profitieren. Starke Synergieeffekte: Die langjährige Technologiepartnerschaft zwischen Ballard und GeoPura bildet ein bewährtes Fundament für das weitere Wachstum des Unternehmens und die Integration der beiden sich hervorragend ergänzenden Teams. Ballard wird strukturelle Kostenvorteile erzielen, die die Wettbewerbsposition stärken und außerdem die Nachfrage in den HPU-Endmärkten ankurbeln. Es wurden EBITDA-Synergien in Höhe von rund 25 Millionen US-Dollar ermittelt, die mit hoher Sicherheit erzielt werden können und auf Umsatzwachstum sowie Kostenoptimierung beruhen. Das erfahrene Managementteam von GeoPura stärkt die Umsetzung und beschleunigt die Wertrealisierung. TRANSAKTIONSBEDINGUNGEN UND FINANZIERUNGSDETAILS
Gemäß den Bedingungen der Vereinbarung wird Ballard 100 % von GeoPura, einschließlich der 50-prozentigen Beteiligung von GeoPura an HyMarnham Power, für eine Gesamtvorauszahlung in Höhe von 275,0 Millionen Pfund erwerben. Die Vorauszahlung wird zu 82,5 Millionen £ aus den Barreserven von Ballard finanziert, der Restbetrag erfolgt durch die Ausgabe neuer Ballard-Stammaktien an die GeoPura-Aktionäre, wodurch die starke Bilanz von Ballard erhalten bleibt. Die Anzahl der an die GeoPura-Aktionäre auszugebenden Ballard-Aktien beläuft sich auf ca. 50,8 Millionen; diese Zahl wurde auf der Grundlage des volumengewichteten Durchschnittskurses der Ballard-Stammaktien in den 30 Tagen vor Bekanntgabe der Transaktion berechnet. Nach Abschluss der Transaktion werden die GeoPura-Aktionäre voraussichtlich auf Pro-forma-Basis ca. 14,4 % an Ballard halten. Die GeoPura-Aktionäre werden zudem übliche Lock-up-Vereinbarungen abschließen, die den Verkauf oder die Übertragung ihrer Ballard-Stammaktien für einen bestimmten Zeitraum nach Abschluss der Transaktion einschränken.
Zusätzlich zur Vorauszahlung wird Ballard eine bedingte Gegenleistung von bis zu 27,5 Millionen Pfund zahlen, sofern GeoPura nach Abschluss der Transaktion bestimmte finanzielle Meilensteine erreicht.
Der gesamte Unternehmenswert der Transaktion1, einschließlich der Übernahme der Nettoverschuldung von GeoPura und ohne Berücksichtigung der bedingten Gegenleistung, beträgt 301,1 Millionen £ (~400 Millionen US$).
WEITERE INFORMATIONEN UND ABSCHLUSS
Nach Abschluss der Transaktion wird Andrew Cunningham, Gründer und Chief Executive Officer von GeoPura, voraussichtlich die Rolle des Präsidenten von Ballard übernehmen und an Marty Neese, den Chief Executive Officer von Ballard, berichten. Darüber hinaus beabsichtigt Ballard, Andrew Cunningham und Lord Richard Harrington, den derzeitigen Vorsitzenden von GeoPura, als von den GeoPura-Aktionären benannte Kandidaten in den Vorstand aufzunehmen.
Die Transaktion wurde vom Vorstand sowohl von Ballard als auch von GeoPura einstimmig genehmigt und unterliegt den für eine Transaktion dieser Art üblichen Abschlussbedingungen, einschließlich der Anmeldung gemäß dem britischen „National Security and Investment Act" sowie der Genehmigung der TSX für die Ausgabe der Ballard-Stammaktien im Rahmen der Transaktion. Die Transaktion wird voraussichtlich in der zweiten Hälfte des Jahres 2026 abgeschlossen.
BERATER
RBC Capital Markets fungiert als exklusiver Finanzberater von Ballard. Ashurst LLP und Stikeman Elliott LLP fungieren als Rechtsberater von Ballard.
Barclays fungiert als exklusiver Finanzberater von GeoPura und Winston Taylor LLP fungiert als Rechtsberater von GeoPura.
TELEKONFERENZ UND WEBCAST
Ballard wird am 23. Juni 2026 um 11:00 Uhr ET einen Webcast veranstalten, um die Transaktion zu erörtern. Marty Neese, Präsident und Vorstandsvorsitzender von Ballard, Kate Igbalode, Senior Vice President und Finanzvorstand von Ballard, sowie Andrew Cunningham, Gründer und Vorstandsvorsitzender von GeoPura, werden im Rahmen des Webcasts eine Reded halten. Sie können an der Live-Telefonkonferenz teilnehmen, indem Sie die Nummer +1-833-821-2814 wählen (gebührenfrei in Kanada und den USA). Alternativ kann der Live-Webcast über einen Link auf der Homepage von Ballard (www.ballard.com) oder über den folgenden Link aufgerufen werden: Ankündigung einer Telefonkonferenz
Informationen zu Ballard Power Systems
Ballard Power Systems (NASDAQ: BLDP; TSX: BLDP) hat die Vision, Brennstoffzellenenergie für einen nachhaltigen Planeten zu liefern. Die emissionsfreien PEM-Brennstoffzellen von Ballard ermöglichen die Elektrifizierung der Mobilität, einschließlich Bussen, Lastkraftwagen, Zügen, Schiffen und stationärer Energieversorgung. Um mehr über Ballard zu erfahren, besuchen Sie bitte www.ballard.com.
Warnhinweise zu zukunftsgerichteten Informationen
Diese Pressemitteilung enthält bestimmte Informationen, die „zukunftsgerichtete Informationen" im Sinne der geltenden kanadischen Wertpapiergesetze und „zukunftsgerichtete Aussagen" im Sinne der geltenden US-amerikanischen Wertpapiergesetze darstellen können (zusammen „zukunftsgerichtete Aussagen"). Zukunftsgerichtete Aussagen lassen sich häufig, wenn auch nicht immer, an der Verwendung von Begriffen wie „könnte", „wird", „erwarten", „beabsichtigen", „planen", „schätzen", „voraussehen", „fortsetzen" und „Prognose" oder durch andere ähnliche Begriffe erkennen und können unter anderem Aussagen bezüglich der Transaktion, ihrer Bedingungen und ihres Abschlusses, der Vorteile der Transaktion für die Ballard-Aktionäre und andere Interessengruppen, der Pläne, Strategien und Ziele der Unternehmensleitung sowie der erwarteten Kosten oder Produktionsmengen umfassen. Es kann nicht garantiert werden, dass die Transaktion zu den in dieser Pressemitteilung dargelegten Bedingungen oder überhaupt abgeschlossen wird. Zukunftsgerichtete Aussagen beinhalten naturgemäß bekannte und unbekannte Risiken, Ungewissheiten und andere Faktoren, die dazu führen können, dass die tatsächlichen Ergebnisse, Leistungen und Erfolge des Unternehmens deutlich von künftigen Ergebnissen, Leistungen oder Erfolgen abweichen. Zu den relevanten Faktoren zählen unter anderem die Erteilung der erforderlichen behördlichen Genehmigungen für die Transaktion, Wechselkursschwankungen, die allgemeine Wirtschaftslage, gestiegene Kosten, politische und soziale Risiken, Änderungen des regulatorischen Rahmens, in dem das Unternehmen tätig ist oder künftig tätig sein könnte, Umweltbedingungen, die Gewinnung und Bindung von Personal sowie potenzielle Rechtsstreitigkeiten. Zukunftsgerichtete Aussagen basieren auf den nach bestem Wissen und Gewissen getroffenen Annahmen des Unternehmens und seiner Geschäftsführung hinsichtlich der finanziellen, marktbezogenen, regulatorischen und sonstigen relevanten Rahmenbedingungen, die in Zukunft bestehen und das Geschäft sowie den Betrieb des Unternehmens beeinflussen werden. Das Unternehmen gibt keine Gewähr dafür, dass sich die Annahmen, auf denen die zukunftsgerichteten Aussagen beruhen, als richtig erweisen werden oder dass die Geschäftstätigkeit oder der Betrieb des Unternehmens nicht in wesentlicher Weise durch diese oder andere Faktoren beeinträchtigt wird, die vom Unternehmen oder seiner Geschäftsführung nicht vorhergesehen wurden oder vorhersehbar sind oder die außerhalb der Kontrolle des Unternehmens liegen. Obwohl das Unternehmen versucht und versucht hat, Faktoren zu identifizieren, die dazu führen könnten, dass tatsächliche Handlungen, Ereignisse oder Ergebnisse wesentlich von den in den zukunftsgerichteten Aussagen offenbarten abweichen, kann es andere Faktoren geben, die dazu führen könnten, dass tatsächliche Ergebnisse, Leistungen, Erfolge oder Ereignisse nicht den Erwartungen, Schätzungen oder Absichten entsprechen, und viele Ereignisse liegen außerhalb der zumutbaren Kontrolle des Unternehmens. Dementsprechend werden die Leser darauf hingewiesen, sich nicht übermäßig auf zukunftsgerichtete Aussagen zu verlassen. Zukunftsgerichtete Aussagen in dieser Pressemitteilung gelten ausschließlich zum Zeitpunkt ihrer Veröffentlichung. Vorbehaltlich etwaiger fortbestehender Verpflichtungen gemäß geltendem Recht oder einschlägigen Börsenvorschriften übernimmt das Unternehmen mit der Bereitstellung dieser Informationen keine Verpflichtung, die zukunftsgerichteten Aussagen öffentlich zu aktualisieren oder zu revidieren oder über Änderungen von Ereignissen, Bedingungen oder Umständen zu informieren.
Kontaktdaten
Sumit Kundu – Investor Relations, +1.604.360.9714 oder [email protected]
1Einschließlich der Übernahme von 50 % der Verbindlichkeiten im Zusammenhang mit dem HyMarnham-Joint-Venture.
The billionaire founder of Robinhood shared his grueling journey to build the financial app with Gunjan Banerji in the latest episode of The WSJ Money Interview.
Key Takeaways SHO agreed to sell the 821-room Hyatt Regency San Francisco for $279 million to a Blackstone fund.Sunstone used about $70 million of expected proceeds to repurchase common and preferred shares.SHO expects the sale to close in late July or early August 2026 and update its outlook afterward. Sunstone Hotel Investors, Inc. (SHO - Free Report) has entered into a definitive agreement to sell the Hyatt Regency San Francisco, an 821-room hotel, to funds affiliated with Blackstone Real Estate. The transaction is valued at $279 million, equating to approximately $340,000 per key. This strategic move reflects the company's ongoing efforts to optimize its portfolio and enhance shareholder value.
The agreed sale price represents a strong valuation for the property, amounting to a 21.4-times multiple of Hotel Adjusted EBITDAre and a 3.5% capitalization rate based on Hotel Net Operating Income for the trailing 12 months ended May 31, 2026.
In anticipation of the sale, Sunstone proactively deployed approximately $70 million of the sales proceeds into the discounted repurchase of its common and preferred stock during 2026. The company repurchased 4.4 million shares of its common stock at an average price of $9.24 per share, representing a total investment of approximately $40.5 million. Additionally, it repurchased 1.4 million combined shares of Series H and Series I Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock at an average price of $20.37 per share, totaling approximately $27.8 million.
The company stated that it is currently evaluating further opportunities to deploy the remaining proceeds from the sale in ways that generate the best risk-adjusted returns for shareholders. Sunstone expects the sale to close in late July or early August 2026 and plans to provide additional details regarding the disposition, including the expected impact on the company’s full-year outlook, during its upcoming earnings release.
Management emphasized its commitment to maximizing shareholder value through disciplined capital allocation. By repurchasing shares at discounts to both net asset value and liquidation value, Sunstone's board and management team believe they have already created meaningful value for investors. They also remain focused on evaluating strategic alternatives that could result in further value creation.
ConclusionThis sale provides Sunstone with additional capital while supporting its broader strategy to optimize its portfolio. By using a portion of the proceeds to repurchase common and preferred shares at discounted prices, the company has already taken steps to create value for shareholders while evaluating further capital allocation opportunities.
In the past three months, shares of this Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) company have gained 26.8% compared with the industry's 10.4% growth.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Other Stocks to ConsiderSome other top-ranked stocks from the broader REIT sector are Pebblebrook Hotel Trust (PEB - Free Report) and Industrial Logistics Properties Trust (ILPT - Free Report) , each sporting a Zacks Rank of 1 at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for PEB’s 2026 FFO per share is pegged at $1.68, which indicates year-over-year growth of 6.33%.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ILPT’s full-year FFO per share is pinned at $1.34, which calls for an increase of 39.58% from the year-ago period.
Note: Anything related to earnings presented in this write-up represents FFO, a widely used metric to gauge the performance of REITs.
Growth stocks are attractive to many investors, as above-average financial growth helps these stocks easily grab the market's attention and produce exceptional returns. But finding a great growth stock is not easy at all.
By their very nature, these stocks carry above-average risk and volatility. Moreover, if a company's growth story is over or nearing its end, betting on it could lead to significant loss.
However, it's pretty easy to find cutting-edge growth stocks with the help of the Zacks Growth Style Score (part of the Zacks Style Scores system), which looks beyond the traditional growth attributes to analyze a company's real growth prospects.
Neurocrine Biosciences (NBIX - Free Report) is one such stock that our proprietary system currently recommends. The company not only has a favorable Growth Score, but also carries a top Zacks Rank.
Research shows that stocks carrying the best growth features consistently beat the market. And for stocks that have a combination of a Growth Score of A or B and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy), returns are even better.
Here are three of the most important factors that make the stock of this biopharmaceutical company a great growth pick right now.
Earnings GrowthEarnings growth is arguably the most important factor, as stocks exhibiting exceptionally surging profit levels tend to attract the attention of most investors. And for growth investors, double-digit earnings growth is definitely preferable, and often an indication of strong prospects (and stock price gains) for the company under consideration.
While the historical EPS growth rate for Neurocrine is 44%, investors should actually focus on the projected growth. The company's EPS is expected to grow 48.3% this year, crushing the industry average, which calls for EPS growth of 17.3%.
Impressive Asset Utilization RatioGrowth investors often overlook asset utilization ratio, also known as sales-to-total-assets (S/TA) ratio, but it is an important feature of a real growth stock. This metric exhibits how efficiently a firm is utilizing its assets to generate sales.
Right now, Neurocrine has an S/TA ratio of 0.7, which means that the company gets $0.7 in sales for each dollar in assets. Comparing this to the industry average of 0.48, it can be said that the company is more efficient.
In addition to efficiency in generating sales, sales growth plays an important role. And Neurocrine looks attractive from a sales growth perspective as well. The company's sales are expected to grow 31.1% this year versus the industry average of 0%.
Promising Earnings Estimate RevisionsSuperiority of a stock in terms of the metrics outlined above can be further validated by looking at the trend in earnings estimate revisions. A positive trend is of course favorable here. Empirical research shows that there is a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements.
There have been upward revisions in current-year earnings estimates for Neurocrine. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has surged 5% over the past month.
Bottom LineWhile the overall earnings estimate revisions have made Neurocrine a Zacks Rank #1 stock, it has earned itself a Growth Score of B based on a number of factors, including the ones discussed above.
You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
This combination positions Neurocrine well for outperformance, so growth investors may want to bet on it.
Warren Buffett is the most celebrated investor alive, but a fresh analysis from the Rational Reminder Podcast delivers an uncomfortable finding: across roughly the last 24 years, Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK-B | BRK-B Price Prediction) has lagged the total US stock market. The lesson buried inside that statistic is more important than the headline itself.
The Felix Finding: A Comparison Hostage to Dates On episode #414 of the Rational Reminder Podcast (“Answering Your Financial Questions”), portfolio manager Benjamin Felix revisited a claim he made on episode 335: that Berkshire had underperformed VTI for 22 years ending October 2024. A listener re-checked the math on March 10, 2025 and found the opposite result. Felix then ran the numbers again with data through May 22, 2026, and found Berkshire had again underperformed VTSAX by roughly 3 basis points annualized over about 24 years starting January 1999.
Three basis points is a rounding error, and that is the point. The result flips based on the day you measure it. Our own pull of the data illustrates how fragile these snapshots can be: BRK-B is up 1,080.67% since November 1, 1999, while VTI has returned 216.81% since its May 31, 2001 inception. Different starting points, different stories.
Buffett himself has acknowledged that cash has “hurt them while US stocks have gone on just an absolute tear”. And going forward, the comparison gets even more complicated: Buffett stepped down as CEO at the end of 2025, so any returns from here reflect Greg Abel’s leadership, not Buffett’s stock-picking.
The Crucial Mistake: Underestimating Cash Drag The structural force behind Berkshire’s recent lag is cash drag. When a portfolio holds large idle cash balances while equities compound, the cash mechanically pulls down the total return. Treasury bills are wonderful when the market crashes. They are a serious headwind when the market melts up.
Berkshire’s balance sheet shows just how much capital is sitting in short-duration instruments. As of Q1 2026, Berkshire held $58.12 billion in cash and cash equivalents plus $339.26 billion in short-term investments, for a combined liquidity pile of $397.38 billion. That is set against total assets of $1.25 trillion and total investments (short and long-term combined) of $1.00 trillion.
The trend is the story. The combined cash position has climbed from $146.7 billion at the end of 2021 to $373.3 billion at the end of 2025. And in 2025, Berkshire conducted zero equity repurchases despite generating $45.97 billion in operating cash flow. Investors can verify these figures directly via Berkshire’s filings on SEC.gov.
How to Apply the Lesson Felix’s recommendation: use rolling return periods, such as 5-year or 10-year rolling windows, rather than fixed start and end dates. Rolling windows smooth out the influence of any single market peak or trough and give a far more reliable picture of long-run performance.
Three practical takeaways for investors:
Be skeptical of cherry-picked windows. Any comparison anchored to one start date and one end date can be reverse-engineered to fit a thesis. Respect the math of scale. As Buffett has said repeatedly, beating the market gets structurally harder as a portfolio gets larger. There simply aren’t enough opportunities to move a trillion-dollar balance sheet meaningfully. Account for cash drag in any holding. A fund or company carrying tens of percent of assets in T-bills will lag a rising equity market by design. That is a feature when volatility hits, and a bug when it doesn’t. Buffett’s lifetime record remains “unquestionably market beating”. The narrower question, whether the last quarter-century alone proves active management still works at scale, is the one worth interrogating, with rolling windows rather than convenient endpoints.
Whether it's through stocks, bonds, ETFs, or other types of securities, all investors love seeing their portfolios score big returns. However, when you're an income investor, your primary focus is generating consistent cash flow from each of your liquid investments.
Cash flow can come from bond interest, interest from other types of investments, and, of course, dividends. A dividend is the distribution of a company's earnings paid out to shareholders; it's often viewed by its dividend yield, a metric that measures a dividend as a percent of the current stock price. Many academic studies show that dividends account for significant portions of long-term returns, with dividend contributions exceeding one-third of total returns in many cases.
Based in Toronto, Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS - Free Report) is in the Finance sector, and so far this year, shares have seen a price change of 17.23%. The bank is currently shelling out a dividend of $0.79 per share, with a dividend yield of 3.66%. This compares to the Banks - Foreign industry's yield of 2.73% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.44%.
Looking at dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $3.16 is up 2.9% from last year. Over the last 5 years, Bank of Nova Scotia has increased its dividend 3 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 2.35%. Looking ahead, future dividend growth will be dependent on earnings growth and payout ratio, which is the proportion of a company's annual earnings per share that it pays out as a dividend. Bank of Nova Scotia's current payout ratio is 55%, meaning it paid out 55% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.
Looking at this fiscal year, BNS expects solid earnings growth. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 is $6.01 per share, which represents a year-over-year growth rate of 18.77%.
Investors like dividends for many reasons; they greatly improve stock investing profits, decrease overall portfolio risk, and carry tax advantages, among others. However, not all companies offer a quarterly payout.
Big, established firms that have more secure profits are often seen as the best dividend options, but it's fairly uncommon to see high-growth businesses or tech start-ups offer their stockholders a dividend. During periods of rising interest rates, income investors must be mindful that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle. With that in mind, BNS is a compelling investment opportunity. Not only is it a strong dividend play, but the stock currently sits at a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).
The private credit market has been in the financial news a lot this year. Investors are worried that more borrowers will default on their loans following a string of high-profile bankruptcies in the sector. That's causing them to pull funds from private credit investments, including business development companies (BDCs).
Main Street Capital (MAIN 0.26%) hasn't been immune to these concerns. The BDC stock has lost about a quarter of its value from its 52-week high. Despite that, it still trades at a significant premium to its net asset value (NAV). Here's why investors continue to pay a premium for this BDC.
Image source: Getty Images.
A look at Main Street's portfolio Main Street Capital is an investment firm that provides capital (debt and equity) to lower-middle-market (LMM) companies ($10 million to $150 million in annual revenue). It aims to be a one-stop shop by providing customized debt and equity financing solutions to small private companies. Additionally, Main Street provides debt capital to companies (with $25 million to $500 million in revenue) owned by or being acquired by a private equity fund.
Main Street Capital has invested nearly $2.6 billion across 93 LMM companies as of the end of the first quarter and almost $2.1 billion across 85 private loans. However, its LMM investment portfolio had a fair value of over $3.2 billion, driven by gains in its equity investments (about 28% of the portfolio). Meanwhile, its private loan portfolio's value was under $2 billion due to changes in fair value. The portfolios currently have a weighted-average annual effective yield in the double digits, which helps support Main Street's dividends (it pays a monthly dividend and periodically pays supplemental quarterly dividends).
After subtracting its debt, Main Street Capital had about $3.1 billion in net assets at the end of the period, or $33.46 per share (up about 0.4% since the end of the fourth quarter). With its stock price currently above $50 a share, the company trades at a significant premium to its NAV.
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What's driving the premium? Main Street Capital differs from other BDCs in two ways. First, the company will also make equity investments in some of its LMM portfolio companies. These investments generate dividend income to support the BDC's dual dividend streams and provide capital appreciation. The company's equity investments have helped grow its NAV per share by 160% since its launch in 2007. The BDC has routinely harvested gains by selling its equity investments, providing additional capital to grow its portfolio. These value-enhancing equity investments are one reason why Main Street trades at a hefty premium to its NAV.
Additionally, Main Street Capital has a wholly owned asset manager, MSC Advisor. It manages investments for external parties, including MSC Income Fund, a public fund that invests in private loans and has $1.6 billion in capital. When including these managed assets, Main Street Capital has over $9.2 billion in investment capital under management. The company's asset management business generates additional investment income and shareholder returns, which also contribute to its premium value.
While private credit concerns have eroded some of the premium, Main Street Capital still trades well above its NAV. That's due to the potential for value appreciation in its equity portfolio and the value contributed by its growing asset management business. Those additional value drivers set the BDC apart in the sector, as it can deliver growth in addition to its two dividend streams.
, /PRNewswire/ -- CMS Energy announced today that Chris Shellberg has been named vice president of low-voltage electric distribution, effective July 1.
Shellberg will manage the company's low-voltage distribution (LVD) system that delivers electricity safely and reliably 24/7 to nearly 2 million homes and businesses through CMS Energy's chief subsidiary, Consumers Energy.
She has served most recently as Consumers Energy's senior executive director of LVD operations and holds a bachelor's degree in electrical and electronics engineering from Western Michigan University.
"Chris brings 30 years of experience at Consumers Energy and a strong record of operational leadership across LVD operations, fleet and facilities, meter operations and operations services," said Greg Salisbury, CMS Energy's senior vice president of electric distribution.
"She brings deep expertise in distribution, service restoration, metering, smart grid, contract negotiations and financial management. With her technical background, business knowledge and commitment to safe, reliable service, Chris is well positioned to lead our LVD team to keep the lights on for Michigan."
CMS Energy (NYSE: CMS) is a Michigan-based energy provider featuring Consumers Energy as its primary business. It also owns and operates independent power generation businesses.
United Rentals (URI - Free Report) could be a solid choice for investors given its recent upgrade to a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). An upward trend in earnings estimates -- one of the most powerful forces impacting stock prices -- has triggered this rating change.
The Zacks rating relies solely on a company's changing earnings picture. It tracks EPS estimates for the current and following years from the sell-side analysts covering the stock through a consensus measure -- the Zacks Consensus Estimate.
The power of a changing earnings picture in determining near-term stock price movements makes the Zacks rating system highly useful for individual investors, since it can be difficult to make decisions based on rating upgrades by Wall Street analysts. These are mostly driven by subjective factors that are hard to see and measure in real time.
Therefore, the Zacks rating upgrade for United Rentals basically reflects positivity about its earnings outlook that could translate into buying pressure and an increase in its stock price.
Most Powerful Force Impacting Stock PricesThe change in a company's future earnings potential, as reflected in earnings estimate revisions, and the near-term price movement of its stock are proven to be strongly correlated. The influence of institutional investors has a partial contribution to this relationship, as these big professionals use earnings and earnings estimates to calculate the fair value of a company's shares. An increase or decrease in earnings estimates in their valuation models simply results in higher or lower fair value for a stock, and institutional investors typically buy or sell it. Their bulk investment action then leads to price movement for the stock.
Fundamentally speaking, rising earnings estimates and the consequent rating upgrade for United Rentals imply an improvement in the company's underlying business. Investors should show their appreciation for this improving business trend by pushing the stock higher.
Harnessing the Power of Earnings Estimate RevisionsAs empirical research shows a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock movements, tracking such revisions for making an investment decision could be truly rewarding. Here is where the tried-and-tested Zacks Rank stock-rating system plays an important role, as it effectively harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions.
The Zacks Rank stock-rating system, which uses four factors related to earnings estimates to classify stocks into five groups, ranging from Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) to Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive externally-audited track record, with Zacks Rank #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>> .
Earnings Estimate Revisions for United RentalsThis equipment rental company is expected to earn $47.26 per share for the fiscal year ending December 2026, which represents no year-over-year change.
Analysts have been steadily raising their estimates for United Rentals. Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company has increased 1.4%.
Bottom LineUnlike the overly optimistic Wall Street analysts whose rating systems tend to be weighted toward favorable recommendations, the Zacks rating system maintains an equal proportion of "buy" and "sell" ratings for its entire universe of more than 4,000 stocks at any point in time. Irrespective of market conditions, only the top 5% of the Zacks-covered stocks get a "Strong Buy" rating and the next 15% get a "Buy" rating. So, the placement of a stock in the top 20% of the Zacks-covered stocks indicates its superior earnings estimate revision feature, making it a solid candidate for producing market-beating returns in the near term.
You can learn more about the Zacks Rank here >>>
The upgrade of United Rentals to a Zacks Rank #2 positions it in the top 20% of the Zacks-covered stocks in terms of estimate revisions, implying that the stock might move higher in the near term.
Momentum investing revolves around the idea of following a stock's recent trend in either direction. In "long context," investors will be essentially be "buying high, but hoping to sell even higher." With this methodology, taking advantage of trends in a stock's price is key; once a stock establishes a course, it is more than likely to continue moving that way. The goal is that once a stock heads down a fixed path, it will lead to timely and profitable trades.
Even though momentum is a popular stock characteristic, it can be tough to define. Debate surrounding which are the best and worst metrics to focus on is lengthy, but the Zacks Momentum Style Score, part of the Zacks Style Scores, helps address this issue for us.
Below, we take a look at United Rentals (URI - Free Report) , which currently has a Momentum Style Score of B. We also discuss some of the main drivers of the Momentum Style Score, like price change and earnings estimate revisions.
It's also important to note that Style Scores work as a complement to the Zacks Rank, our stock rating system that has an impressive track record of outperformance. United Rentals currently has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy). Our research shows that stocks rated Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and #2 (Buy) and Style Scores of "A or B" outperform the market over the following one-month period.
You can see the current list of Zacks #1 Rank Stocks here >>>
Set to Beat the Market?Let's discuss some of the components of the Momentum Style Score for URI that show why this equipment rental company shows promise as a solid momentum pick.
A good momentum benchmark for a stock is to look at its short-term price activity, as this can reflect both current interest and if buyers or sellers currently have the upper hand. It is also useful to compare a security to its industry, as this can help investors pinpoint the top companies in a particular area.
For URI, shares are up 0.24% over the past week while the Zacks Building Products - Miscellaneous industry is up 3.71% over the same time period. Shares are looking quite well from a longer time frame too, as the monthly price change of 10.41% compares favorably with the industry's 2.12% performance as well.
Considering longer term price metrics, like performance over the last three months or year, can be advantageous as well. Over the past quarter, shares of United Rentals have risen 45.92%, and are up 43.52% in the last year. In comparison, the S&P 500 has only moved 12.27% and 23.62%, respectively.
Investors should also take note of URI's average 20-day trading volume. Volume is a useful item in many ways, and the 20-day average establishes a good price-to-volume baseline; a rising stock with above average volume is generally a bullish sign, whereas a declining stock on above average volume is typically bearish. Right now URI is averaging 508,652 shares for the last 20 days..
Earnings OutlookThe Zacks Momentum Style Score also takes into account trends in estimate revisions, in addition to price changes. Please note that estimate revision trends remain at the core of Zacks Rank as well. A nice path here can help show promise, and we have recently been seeing that with URI.
Over the past two months, 3 earnings estimates moved higher compared to none lower for the full year. These revisions helped boost URI's consensus estimate, increasing from $46.99 to $47.26 in the past 60 days. Looking at the next fiscal year, 3 estimates have moved upwards while there have been no downward revisions in the same time period.
Bottom LineGiven these factors, it shouldn't be surprising that URI is a #2 (Buy) stock and boasts a Momentum Score of B. If you're looking for a fresh pick that's set to soar in the near-term, make sure to keep United Rentals on your short list.
The number jumped out at me the moment I saw it. Lennar's (LEN +6.15%) average sales price for homes delivered in the second quarter of 2026 was $371,000 -- a price the company hasn't seen since the first quarter of 2017, when it averaged $365,000.
That's not a small number to sit with here. It means that one of America's largest homebuilders just rolled back its prices by nearly a decade in nominal terms. In a country where the median existing home now sits above $412,000, let's get into the signal this is sending.
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How Lennar got here This didn't happen because the housing market collapsed. Lennar delivered 20,519 homes in Q2 2026 -- a 2% year-over-year increase -- and maintained full-year delivery guidance of 82,000 to 83,000 homes. It happened because Lennar deliberately chose to compete on price, rather than wait for conditions to improve.
CEO Stuart Miller was direct about the math in the earnings release: The $371,000 price reflected approximately 12.9% in incentives, along with base price adjustments to keep volume moving. That incentive level is high by historical standards -- the company's normalized range is 4% to 6% -- but Miller noted that it's narrowing for the first time in three years as the gaps between elevated mortgage rates, home prices, and household incomes start to close.
The goal is volume now, margin recovery later. It's a patient strategy, and the operational data supports it -- construction costs are down 13% over the past two years, and cycle times have hit a record low of 121 days.
Image source: Getty Images.
The rate cut problem Lower home prices are not, by themselves, a solution to the affordability crisis. They're one part of a much harder equation.
The 30-year fixed mortgage rate sits at roughly 6.47% as of this week. Qualifying for a mortgage on the median existing home at today's rates requires an annual household income of approximately $95,000 -- well above what most first-time buyers earn. First-time buyers now represent just 21% of the market, the lowest share in 44 years. The NAHB estimates a nationwide shortage of roughly 1.2 million housing units. There is no shortage of demand -- there is a shortage of buyers who can afford to act on it.
Here's where Lennar's price reduction becomes relevant in a way that a simple headline misses: a $371,000 home financed at 6.47% on a 30-year real estate mortgage carries a monthly principal and interest payment of roughly $2,340. The same home priced at $412,000 -- the median existing resale -- carries a payment closer to $2,600. That $260 monthly difference won't solve the affordability crisis, but it represents real purchasing power for buyers stretching to qualify. Think of it as a builder clearing a path through a thicket that policy alone can't cut through fast enough.
What Lennar expects next -- and the investor takeaway Lennar guided for third-quarter 2026 average home prices in the range of $375,000 to $380,000, with gross margin improving to approximately 16% as incentive levels moderate and cost discipline compounds. That modest price increase suggests that the company believes the floor is in -- that it has reached a price point where demand is sufficient, and margin recovery can begin without chasing buyers away.
The gap between today's builder prices and existing resale inventory is now wide enough that new construction is increasingly the most accessible entry point for buyers who want to own. That's an unusual dynamic -- new homes are traditionally priced at a premium to existing ones -- and it reflects how much builders have absorbed to keep the market moving.
For Lennar shareholders, the compressed margin cycle is painful, but the logic behind it is sound. Miller used the phrase "execute around the affordability challenge" on the earnings call, rather than "wait it out." That posture -- active adaptation rather than passive patience -- is what separates a resilient operator from one that just hopes conditions normalize.
For the broader housing market, Lennar's pricing is a pressure valve. The structural shortage won't be solved by incentives. However, a major national builder consistently delivering homes under $400,000 in a world where resale inventory sits well above that is a real, meaningful development for the buyers who need it most.
All investors love getting big returns from their portfolio, whether it's through stocks, bonds, ETFs, or other types of securities. But for income investors, generating consistent cash flow from each of your liquid investments is your primary focus.
While cash flow can come from bond interest or interest from other types of investments, income investors hone in on dividends. A dividend is the distribution of a company's earnings paid out to shareholders; it's often viewed by its dividend yield, a metric that measures a dividend as a percent of the current stock price. Many academic studies show that dividends account for significant portions of long-term returns, with dividend contributions exceeding one-third of total returns in many cases.
Based in Dover, Chesapeake Utilities (CPK - Free Report) is in the Utilities sector, and so far this year, shares have seen a price change of -2.58%. Currently paying a dividend of $0.74 per share, the company has a dividend yield of 2.42%. In comparison, the Utility - Gas Distribution industry's yield is 3.5%, while the S&P 500's yield is 1.44%.
Looking at dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $2.94 is up 9.1% from last year. Over the last 5 years, Chesapeake Utilities has increased its dividend 5 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 9.90%. Looking ahead, future dividend growth will be dependent on earnings growth and payout ratio, which is the proportion of a company's annual earnings per share that it pays out as a dividend. Chesapeake Utilities's current payout ratio is 44%, meaning it paid out 44% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.
Earnings growth looks solid for CPK for this fiscal year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 is $6.51 per share, representing a year-over-year earnings growth rate of 8.32%.
From greatly improving stock investing profits and reducing overall portfolio risk to providing tax advantages, investors like dividends for a variety of different reasons. But, not every company offers a quarterly payout.
For instance, it's a rare occurrence when a tech start-up or big growth business offers its shareholders a dividend. It's more common to see larger companies with more established profits give out dividends. Income investors must be conscious of the fact that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle during periods of rising interest rates. With that in mind, CPK is a compelling investment opportunity. Not only is it a strong dividend play, but the stock currently sits at a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).
Investors in Teleflex Incorporated (TFX - Free Report) need to pay close attention to the stock based on moves in the options market lately. That is because the July 17, 2026 $90.00 Call had some of the highest implied volatility of all equity options today.
What is Implied Volatility?
Implied volatility shows how much movement the market is expecting in the future. Options with high levels of implied volatility suggest that investors in the underlying stocks are expecting a big move in one direction or the other. It could also mean there is an event coming up soon that may cause a big rally or a huge sell-off. However, implied volatility is only one piece of the puzzle when putting together an options trading strategy.
What do the Analysts Think?Clearly, options traders are pricing in a big move for Teleflex, but what is the fundamental picture for the company? Currently, Teleflex is a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) in the Medical - Instruments Industry that ranks in the Bottom 36% of our Zacks Industry Rank. Over the last 60 days, three analysts have increased their earnings estimate for the current quarter, while six have dropped their estimates. The net effect has taken our Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current quarter to move from $1.69 per share to $1.28 per share in the same time period.
Given the way analysts feel about Teleflex right now, this huge implied volatility could mean there’s a trade developing. Oftentimes, options traders look for options with high levels of implied volatility to sell premium. This is a strategy many seasoned traders use because it captures decay. At expiration, the hope for these traders is that the underlying stock does not move as much as originally expected.
New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - June 24, 2026) - Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC, a nationally recognized investor-rights law firm, announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against ChampionX Corporation (NASDAQ: CHX) and certain of its officers.
This lawsuit seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws on behalf of all persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired ChampionX securities between February 29, 2024 and April 1, 2024, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"). Such investors are encouraged to join this case by visiting the firm's site: bgandg.com/CHX.
ChampionX Case Details
The Complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that:
while repurchasing millions of dollars' worth of ChampionX Corporation ("ChampionX" or the "Company") common stock, Defendants were in possession of material nonpublic information regarding offers made by Schlumberger Limited ("SLB") to acquire ChampionX at a premium to prevailing market prices; Defendants failed to either abstain from trading or disclose SLB's offer(s), which, if disclosed, would have signaled to investors that ChampionX's stock was worth significantly more than its trading price; Defendants further failed to disclose subsequent offers and negotiations involving ChampionX and SLB; and as a result, Defendants' statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.What's Next for ChampionX Investors?
A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to review a copy of the Complaint, you can visit the firm's site: bgandg.com/CHX, or you may contact Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or his Client Relations Manager, Nathan Miller, of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC at 917-590-0911. If you suffered a loss in ChampionX you have until July 14, 2026, to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as lead plaintiff.
No Cost to ChampionX Investors
We, Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman LLC, represent investors in class actions on a contingency fee basis. That means we will ask the court to reimburse us for out-of-pocket expenses and attorneys' fees, usually a percentage of the total recovery, only if we are successful.
Why Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC for ChampionX Securities Class Action?
Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a nationally recognized firm that represents investors in securities fraud class actions and shareholder derivative suits. Our firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors nationwide. More at www.bgandg.com
"Our practice centers on restoring investor capital and ensuring corporate accountability, which serves to uphold the essential integrity of the marketplace," said Peretz Bronstein, Founding Partner of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC.
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To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/297980
Source: Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC
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British Columbia, June 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Glancy Prongay Wolke & Rotter LLP reminds investors of the upcoming July 17, 2026 deadline to file a lead plaintiff motion in the class action filed on behalf of investors who purchased or otherwise acquired Commvault Systems Inc. (“Commvault” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: CVLT) securities between April 29, 2025 and January 26, 2026, inclusive (the “Class Period”).
IF YOU SUFFERED A LOSS ON YOUR COMMVAULT INVESTMENTS, CLICK HERE TO INQUIRE ABOUT POTENTIALLY PURSUING CLAIMS TO RECOVER YOUR LOSS UNDER THE FEDERAL SECURITIES LAWS.
What Happened?
On January 27, 2026, Commvault published third quarter 2026 fiscal results, including annualized recurring revenue (“ARR”) of 22% and a total net new ARR was $39 million, falling short of the prior quarter’s guidance for $45 million of net new ARR for the quarter. Management revealed in the accompanying earnings call that the variation was due to product mix, including increased SaaS deals in the quarter.
On this news, Commvault’s stock price fell $40.23, or 31.1%, to close at $89.13 per share on January 27, 2026, thereby injuring investors.
What Is The Lawsuit About?
The complaint filed in this class action alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) Commvault knew or recklessly disregarded the impact that different types of sales would have on its ARR growth; (2) the variation in net ARR growth is strongly based on the type of sale Commvault is making, thus, the Company’s projected net new ARR should not have been determined without properly factoring in sale type; and (3) as a result, Defendants’ positive statements about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.
If you purchased or otherwise acquired Commvault securities during the Class Period, you may move the Court no later than July 17, 2026 to request appointment as lead plaintiff in this putative class action lawsuit.
Contact Us To Participate or Learn More:
If you wish to learn more about this action, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact us:
Charles Linehan, Esq.,
Glancy Prongay Wolke & Rotter LLP,
1925 Century Park East, Suite 2100,
Los Angeles California 90067
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 310-201-9150,
Toll-Free: 888-773-9224
Visit our website at www.glancylaw.com.
Follow us for updates on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook.
If you inquire by email, please include your mailing address, telephone number and number of shares purchased.
To be a member of the class action you need not take any action at this time; you may retain counsel of your choice or take no action and remain an absent member of the class action.
This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.
Contact Us:
Glancy Prongay Wolke & Rotter LLP,
1925 Century Park East, Suite 2100
Los Angeles, CA 90067
Charles Linehan
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 310-201-9150
Toll-Free: 888-773-9224
Visit our website at: www.glancylaw.com.
NEW YORK, June 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC, a nationally recognized investor-rights law firm, announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against CommVault Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CVLT) and certain of its officers.
This lawsuit seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws on behalf of all persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired CommVault securities between April 29, 2025 and January 26, 2026, both dates inclusive (the “Class Period”). Such investors are encouraged to join this case by visiting the firm’s site: bgandg.com/CVLT.
CommVault Case Details
The Complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that:
(1)Defendants provided investors with misleading guidance and projections regarding CommVault's anticipated annual recurring revenue (“ARR”) growth for fiscal year 2026, including projections related to new net ARR growth;(2)Defendants simultaneously disseminated overly positive statements while concealing material adverse facts concerning the true state of the Company’s ARR growth environment;(3)Defendants knew or recklessly disregarded that the Company’s ARR growth guidance failed to properly account for critical variables, including the type of sales driving ARR performance; and(4)as a result, Defendants’ statements about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects lacked a reasonable basis and were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. What's Next for CommVault Investors?
A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to review a copy of the Complaint, you can visit the firm’s site: bgandg.com/CVLT. or you may contact Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or his Client Relations Manager, Nathan Miller, of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC at 917-590-0911. If you suffered a loss in CommVault you have until July 17, 2026, to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as lead plaintiff.
No Cost to CommVault Investors
We, Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman LLC, represent investors in class actions on a contingency fee basis. That means we will ask the court to reimburse us for out-of-pocket expenses and attorneys’ fees, usually a percentage of the total recovery, only if we are successful.
Why Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC for CommVault Securities Class Action?
Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a nationally recognized firm that represents investors in securities fraud class actions and shareholder derivative suits. Our firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors nationwide. More at www.bgandg.com
“Our practice centers on restoring investor capital and ensuring corporate accountability, which serves to uphold the essential integrity of the marketplace,” said Peretz Bronstein, Founding Partner of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC.
Follow us for updates on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, or Instagram.
Contact Info
Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or Nathan Miller
Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC
917-590-0911 | [email protected]
Attorney advertising.
Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
Investors interested in Medical - Biomedical and Genetics stocks are likely familiar with Sarepta Therapeutics (SRPT) and Prothena (PRTA). But which of these two stocks is more attractive to value investors?
Key Takeaways American Eagle launches a TikTok shop and creator community to strengthen digital engagement.AEO shifts marketing spend toward performance media and influencers to drive conversions.AEO boosts brand visibility through the Aerie Real campaign and strategic brand collaborations. American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (AEO - Free Report) is positioning its digital strategy for sustainable growth by shifting toward social commerce and performance-driven marketing. While the American Eagle (AE) brand's digital performance was flat earlier in the first quarter of fiscal 2026, management highlighted that the AE brand experienced a significant acceleration in digital channel performance and continues to be an important contributor to overall brand performance. In contrast, Aerie has maintained growth across all its digital and physical channels.
Digital innovation and social commerce are also central to AEO’s approach. The company recently launched a dedicated TikTok shop and the AE creator community to engage with its core demographic in a more immediate and relevant way. Additionally, AEO is recalibrating its marketing investments, shifting more spend toward digital media, performance marketing and influencer programs. This rebalancing is intended to drive traffic with a higher propensity to convert, specifically moving from broad brand awareness to active conversion.
Management indicated that marketing investments in the second half of the year will be more heavily focused on digital media, performance marketing, influencer partnerships and other day-to-day traffic-driving initiatives. The company believes this approach can support stronger conversion outcomes, as traffic generated through these channels tends to have a higher likelihood of converting into customers. The strategy reflects a greater emphasis on performance-oriented marketing and measurable customer acquisition efforts.
American Eagle strengthened brand visibility through its 100% Aerie Real campaign featuring Pamela Anderson and a series of strategic collaborations, including partnerships with Bubble Skincare and Prime Video’s Off Campus. These initiatives have increased brand awareness and consumer consideration, while the company remains focused on converting engagement into sales through social commerce, performance marketing and digital channels. Overall, AEO’s focus on social commerce, performance marketing and digital engagement should support stronger conversions and sustainable long-term growth.
The Zacks Rundown for AEOAEO’s shares have surged 83% in the past year compared with the industry’s growth of 11%. AEO carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, AEO trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 9.74X, lower than the industry’s average 15.10X.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AEO’s current and next fiscal year earnings implies a year-over-year growth of 18% and 7.5%, respectively.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Stocks to ConsiderSome better-ranked stocks have been discussed below:
Tapestry, Inc. (TPR - Free Report) provides accessories and lifestyle brand products in North America, Greater China, the rest of Asia, and internationally. At present, TPR flaunts a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for TPR’s current fiscal-year sales and earnings implies growth of 13.8% and 36.3%, respectively, from the year-ago figures. TPR has delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 15.6%, on average.
Levi Strauss & Co. (LEVI - Free Report) designs, markets, and sells apparel and related accessories for men, women, and children in the United States and internationally. At present, LEVI carries a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy).
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for LEVI’s current fiscal-year sales and earnings implies growth of 5.2% and 11.9%, respectively, from the year-ago figures. LEVI has delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 21.4%, on average.
Fossil Group, Inc. (FOSL - Free Report) designs, develops, markets, and distributes consumer fashion accessories in the United States, Europe, Asia, and internationally. At present, FOSL carries a Zacks Rank of 2.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for FOSL’s current fiscal-year sales indicates a decline of 4.9%, while the same for earnings indicates growth of 87.6% from the year-ago figures. FOSL delivered a trailing four-quarter negative earnings surprise of 381.8%, on average.
