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Brookfield Infrastructure Corporation (BIPC) Shareholder/Analyst Call Transcript

Telefónica Deutschland and Blue Planet, a division of Ciena (NYSE: CIEN), have successfully completed a joint proof of concept (PoC) exploring the use of AI agents to accelerate the design and fulfillment of advanced 5G network slicing services. The initiative demonstrates how agentic AI can help communications service providers address the growing operational complexity of next‑generation services while significantly reducing service design time.

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As part of Telefónica Deutschland’s ongoing transformation of its operations support systems (OSS) and its journey toward higher levels of network autonomy, the company is focused on industrializing service and network deployment through its Service & Network Factory. A key enabler of this transformation is Telefónica Deutschland’s Multi‑Domain Service Orchestration (MDSO) program, which provides end‑to‑end orchestration across network domains and underpins the introduction of new, complex services.

Within this context, 5G network slicing represents a critical use case: a high‑value B2B service characterized by complex specifications, evolving standards, and a strong dependence on expert knowledge. Designing and deploying slicing services efficiently is essential to reducing time to market while maintaining service quality and consistency across domains.

To address these challenges, Telefónica Deutschland collaborated with Blue Planet to test how AI agents could support engineers throughout the service lifecycle—from intent‑based design to catalog creation and fulfillment. The PoC leveraged Blue Planet AI Studio, an OSS‑native platform for building and running AI agents, integrated directly with Telefónica Deutschland’s existing MDSO environment. This ensured that AI‑driven automation was embedded into real operational workflows rather than operating as a standalone experiment.

The results of the PoC were significant. Tasks that previously required highly specialized expertise and manual effort—such as defining slice specifications and generating standards‑compliant service payloads—were completed in minutes instead of weeks. By abstracting complex standards and parameters into AI agents and reusing catalog elements managed through MDSO, the solution improved design speed, consistency, and quality, while reducing errors through guided, repeatable processes.

“Designing and delivering 5G network slicing services at scale is inherently complex and places significant demands on engineering teams,” said Eva Ulicevic, Director of Architecture, Strategy and Technology Enablement at Telefónica Deutschland. “This proof of concept has shown that AI agents, when integrated with our MDSO framework, can meaningfully simplify service design, reduce lead times, and help democratize expert knowledge. It is an important validation of how intent‑based, AI‑driven approaches can support our evolution toward more autonomous operations, allowing us to provide additional and enhanced customer services.”

The PoC also reflects Telefónica’s broader vision for AI-native operations and increasing network autonomy. “This proof of concept supports Telefónica’s ambition to advance towards higher levels of network autonomy, reinforcing the role of AI in transforming service and network operations. Moving beyond traditional automation requires evolving operational systems into AI-native platforms that can progressively increase autonomy,” said Javier García, Head of Core IT at Telefónica Global CTIO.

From Blue Planet’s perspective, the collaboration highlights the value of combining agentic AI with a mature orchestration foundation. “Telefónica Deutschland brought a clear operational vision and a robust MDSO program to this collaboration,” said Joe Cumello, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Blue Planet. “By building AI agents directly into their orchestration workflows using Blue Planet AI Studio, this PoC demonstrates how service providers can accelerate innovation while maintaining control, standards compliance, and operational rigor.”

Beyond the immediate outcomes, the PoC provides valuable insight into how AI‑driven automation can complement multi‑domain orchestration to support the future evolution of network and service operations. By validating the role of AI agents within the MDSO framework, Telefónica Deutschland and Blue Planet have established a foundation for scaling this approach to additional use cases and enabling more dynamic, intent‑based services.

About Telefónica Deutschland

Telefónica Deutschland is a leading full-service provider of telecommunications services for residential and business customers. The portfolio of the core brand O2 and various secondary and partner brands includes not only traditional telephone and Internet connections, but also innovative digital services in the areas of the Internet of Things, security, entertainment, and data analysis. In mobile communications, Telefónica Germany serves over 35 million mobile connections (as of December 31, 2025). The company is a leading mobile communications provider in the consumer market and in the market for innovative partner offerings, as well as a rapidly growing provider in the solutions business for corporate customers. The company's powerful and award-winning mobile network reaches more than 99 percent of the population. In the fixed-line network, Telefónica Germany offers its customers leading technological diversity and geographical availability in Germany. In fiscal year 2025, the company generated revenue of €8.2 billion and employed 7,650 people at the end of 2025. The company is majority-owned by the Spanish telecommunications group Telefónica S.A., based in Madrid, one of the world's largest telecommunications groups.

About Blue Planet

Blue Planet empowers communications service providers (CSPs) to be more software-driven, digital businesses with the industry’s first truly cloud-native operations support systems (OSS) platform. The Blue Planet intelligent automation portfolio helps CSPs automate network and service operations to speed the introduction of new services across any network domain or vendor. A division of Ciena and a key provider for many of the world’s leading CSPs, Blue Planet brings unparalleled expertise in accelerating digital transformation. For updates on Blue Planet, visit http://www.blueplanet.com/.

Note to Ciena Investors

You are encouraged to review the Investors section of our website, where we routinely post press releases, SEC filings, recent news, financial results, and other announcements. From time to time we exclusively post material information to this website along with other disclosure channels that we use. This press release contains certain forward-looking statements that are based on our current expectations, forecasts, information and assumptions. These statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results or outcomes may differ materially from those stated or implied, because of risks and uncertainties, including those detailed in our most recent annual and quarterly reports filed with the SEC. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding our expectations, beliefs, intentions or strategies and can be identified by words such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "should," "will," and "would" or similar words. Ciena assumes no obligation to update the information included in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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Seneca Resources Company, LLC (Seneca), the exploration and production segment of National Fuel Gas Company (NYSE: NFG), and Evolution Well Services (Evolution) today announced a strategic alignment to deploy advanced electric fracturing technology across Seneca’s Appalachian basin footprint.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260622340922/en/

Seneca and Evolution today announced a strategic alignment to deploy advanced electric fracturing technology across Seneca’s Appalachian basin footprint.

The partnership reflects strong alignment between two organizations committed to the responsible and transparent development of natural gas. By combining Evolution’s patent-protected electric fracturing technology, in-house power generation, and advanced field gas conditioning services with Seneca’s responsibly sourced natural gas production, the collaboration is designed to improve operational efficiency while reducing the environmental footprint of completions.

Together, the companies bring a shared focus on safety, performance, and disciplined execution. Evolution’s technology-driven approach and Seneca’s operational leadership will allow both teams to leverage real-time data and engineered solutions to drive efficiency during high-intensity completions.

“This initiative reflects Seneca’s focus on disciplined capital allocation and operational execution,” said Justin Loweth, President of Seneca Resources and NFG Midstream. “By leveraging our responsibly produced and gathered field gas to power electric fracturing operations, we can reduce fuel and logistics costs, improve reliability and uptime, and lower overall cost of ownership. Our partnership with Evolution demonstrates how thoughtfully integrated technology can drive meaningful operating efficiencies, enhance capital productivity, and deliver durable returns while maintaining strong environmental performance.”

“This alignment exemplifies how innovation and disciplined execution can work together to advance natural gas development,” said Steven W. Anderson, President and CEO of Evolution Well Services. “By integrating our fully electric fracturing technology, in-house power generation, and field gas conditioning with Seneca’s responsibly sourced natural gas, we are delivering a completion solution that prioritizes safety, reliability, and efficiency while reducing operational complexity. We’re proud to partner with Seneca to help set a higher standard for sustainable, high-performance completions in Appalachia.”

About Seneca Resources

Seneca Resources Company, LLC, headquartered in Houston, Texas, explores for, develops, and produces natural gas in the Appalachian Region including the Marcellus and Utica Shales. We have been providing energy and jobs for more than 100 years and remain committed to our core values of safety, environmental stewardship, community, professionalism, teamwork, and technical excellence.

Learn more at http://www.natfuel.com/seneca/default.aspx.

About Evolution Well Services

Evolution Well Services’ mission is to set the standard for electric fracturing by delivering consistent, best-in-class operational excellence through safety, innovation, and teamwork. The company leverages fully integrated, patent-protected electric frac operations, in-house power generation, and advanced field gas conditioning services to deliver reliable engineered solutions. Together, We Innovate to enhance performance, maximize efficiency, and create lasting value for partners across the oil and gas industry.

Learn more at www.evolutionws.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260622340922/en/

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How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank The Zacks Rank, which is a proprietary stock-rating model, employs earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings expectations, to make building a winning portfolio easier.

#1 (Strong Buy) stocks have produced an unmatched +24% average annual return since 1988, which is more than double the S&P 500's performance over the same time frame. However, the Zacks Rank examines a ton of stocks, and there can be more than 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, and another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.

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To have the best chance of big returns, you'll want to always consider stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B, which will give you the highest probability of success. If you're looking at stocks with a #3 (Hold) rank, it's important they have Scores of A or B as well to ensure as much upside potential as possible.

As mentioned above, the Scores are designed to work with the Zacks Rank, so any change to a company's earnings outlook should be a deciding factor when picking which stocks to buy.

A stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, for instance, even one with Scores of A and B, will still have a declining earnings forecast, and a greater chance its share price will fall too.

Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.

Stock to Watch: Alcon (ALC - Free Report) Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland Alcon Inc. researches, develops, manufactures, distributes, and sells a full suite of eye care products. Founded in 1945, Alcon was first acquired by a Swiss subsidiary of Nestlé S.A. and operated as a wholly owned subsidiary of Nestlé until 2002. From March 20, 2002 until its 2011 merger into Novartis, Alcon was publicly listed and traded on the NYSE. In 2011, Novartis completed the acquisition of a full stake in Alcon.

ALC is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of B.

It also boasts a Value Style Score of B thanks to attractive valuation metrics like a forward P/E ratio of 18.59; value investors should take notice.

Three analysts revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days for fiscal 2026. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.02 to $3.48 per share. ALC boasts an average earnings surprise of +3.7%.

With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Value and VGM Style Scores, ALC should be on investors' short list.

FAIR LAWN, N.J., June 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Columbia Financial, Inc. (“Columbia”) (NASDAQ: CLBK), a Delaware corporation and the mid-tier holding company for Columbia Bank, announced today, on a preliminary basis, that Columbia Financial, Inc., a Maryland corporation and the proposed successor to Columbia, received over 5,000 orders representing approximately $925 million in the subscription offering that expired on June 16, 2026 in connection with the “second-step” conversion of Columbia Bank MHC from mutual to stock form.

In addition, Columbia also announced an increase in the maximum purchase limits in the stock offering being conducted by Columbia Financial, Inc. The maximum individual purchase limit in the offering has been increased from 300,000 shares ($3.0 million) to 800,000 shares ($8.0 million) and the maximum group purchase limit has been increased from 1,000,000 shares ($10.0 million) to 5,000,000 shares ($50.0 million).

Consistent with the prospectus dated May 11, 2026, as supplemented by the prospectus supplement dated June 23, 2026, only those persons who subscribed for the maximum number of shares in the subscription offering will be resolicited and given the opportunity to order additional shares up to the new purchase limits. Supplemental stock order forms will be distributed to those subscribers. A properly completed original supplemental stock order form for any increased stock order, together with full payment of immediately available funds, must be received by Columbia Financial, Inc. (not postmarked) by 2:00 p.m., Eastern time, on June 30, 2026. All other eligible subscribers who submitted valid stock order forms in the subscription offering will have their stock orders filled in full.

Columbia Financial, Inc. currently does not intend to conduct a community offering and will be offering shares not subscribed for in the subscription offering for sale at the same price of $10.00 per share in a firm commitment underwritten offering. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc., A Stifel Company, will serve as the lead-left book running manager, Piper Sandler & Co. will act as co-book running manager and Brean Capital, LLC will act as co-manager for the firm commitment underwritten offering. Anyone purchasing stock in the firm commitment underwritten offering is subject to the new purchase limitations set forth above.  

Completion of the offering remains subject to (1) approval of the plan of conversion and reorganization by the current stockholders of Columbia and the members (who are eligible depositors and borrowers of Columbia Bank) of Columbia Bank MHC, (2) the receipt of all required final regulatory approvals, including an update of the independent appraisal, and (3) the sale of at least 142,375,000 shares of common stock, including up to 61,390,681 shares that may be issued as merger consideration to stockholders of Northfield Bancorp, Inc. (“Northfield”), at the adjusted minimum of the offering range.

About Columbia 

Columbia is a Delaware corporation organized as Columbia Bank’s mid-tier stock holding company. Columbia is a majority-owned subsidiary of Columbia Bank MHC. Columbia Bank is a federally chartered savings bank headquartered in Fair Lawn, New Jersey that operates 70 full-service banking offices and offers traditional financial services to consumers and businesses in its market area. For more information about Columbia Bank, please visit www.columbiabankonline.com.

Disclaimer and Caution About Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, which statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Examples of forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the outlook and expectations of Columbia and Northfield, respectively, with respect to the proposed transaction, the strategic benefits and financial benefits of the proposed transaction, including the expected impact of the proposed transaction on the combined company’s future financial performance (including anticipated accretion to earnings per share, the tangible book value earn-back period and other operating and return metrics), the timing of the closing of the proposed transaction, and the ability to successfully integrate the combined businesses. Such statements are often characterized by the use of qualified words (and their derivatives) such as “may,” “will,” “anticipate,” “could,” “should,” “would,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “expect,” “estimate,” “continue,” “plan,” “project” and “intend,” as well as words of similar meaning or other statements concerning opinions or judgment of Columbia or Northfield or their respective management about future events.

Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions as of the time they are made and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that are difficult to predict with regard to timing, extent, likelihood and degree of occurrence, which could cause actual results to differ materially from anticipated results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks, uncertainties and assumptions, include, among others, the following: (i) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the right of one or both of the parties to terminate the merger agreement; (ii) the possibility that the proposed transaction does not close when expected or at all because the required approval by Columbia’s and/or Northfield’s stockholders, or other approvals and the other conditions to closing, are not received or satisfied on a timely basis or at all; (iii) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Columbia or Northfield; (iv) the possibility that the anticipated benefits of the proposed transaction, including anticipated cost savings and strategic gains, are not realized when expected or at all, including as a result of changes in, or problems arising from, general economic and market conditions, interest and exchange rates, monetary policy, laws and regulations and their enforcement, and the degree of competition in the geographic and business areas in which Columbia and Northfield operate; (v) the possibility that the integration of the two companies may be more difficult, time-consuming or costly than expected; (vi) Columbia’s ability to successfully complete its second-step conversion; (vi) the possibility that the final independent appraisal of Columbia will differ from the preliminary independent appraisal of Columbia; (viii) the impact of purchase accounting with respect to the proposed transaction, or any change in the assumptions used regarding the assets acquired and liabilities assumed to determine their fair value and credit marks; (ix) the possibility that the proposed transaction may be more expensive or take longer to complete than anticipated, including as a result of unexpected factors or events; (x) the diversion of management’s attention from ongoing business operations and opportunities; (xi) potential adverse reactions of Columbia’s or Northfield’s customers or changes to business or employee relationships, including those resulting from the announcement or completion of the proposed transaction; (xii) a material adverse change in the financial condition of Columbia or Northfield; (xiii) changes in Columbia’s or Northfield’s share price before closing; (xiv) risks relating to the potential dilutive effect of shares of Columbia’s common stock to be issued in the proposed transaction; (xv) general competitive, economic, political and market conditions, including the impact of any potential government shutdown; (xvi) major catastrophes such as earthquakes, floods or other natural or human disasters, including infectious disease outbreaks; and (xvii) other factors that may affect future results of Columbia or Northfield, including, among others, changes in asset quality and credit risk; the imposition of tariffs and any retaliatory responses; the inability to sustain revenue and earnings growth; changes in interest rates; deposit flows; inflation; customer borrowing, repayment, investment and deposit practices; the impact, extent and timing of technological changes; capital management activities; and other actions of the Federal Reserve Board and legislative and regulatory actions and reforms.

These factors are not necessarily all of the factors that could cause Columbia’s, Northfield’s or the combined company’s actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by any of the forward-looking statements. Other factors, including unknown or unpredictable factors, also could harm Columbia’s, Northfield’s or the combined company’s results.

Although each of Columbia and Northfield believes that its expectations with respect to forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions based on its existing knowledge of its business and operations, there can be no assurance that actual results of Columbia or Northfield will not differ materially from any projected future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described above can be found in Columbia’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and other documents subsequently filed by Columbia with the Securities Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), and in Northfield’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, and its other filings with the SEC and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and other documents subsequently filed by Northfield with the SEC. The actual results anticipated may not be realized or, even if substantially realized, they may not have the expected consequences to or effects on Columbia, Northfield or each of their respective businesses or operations. Investors are cautioned not to rely too heavily on any such forward-looking statements. Columbia and Northfield urge you to consider all of these risks, uncertainties and other factors carefully in evaluating all such forward-looking statements made by Columbia and Northfield. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and Columbia and/or Northfield undertake no obligation to update or clarify these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by applicable law.   For purposes of this section, references to Columbia include both Columbia Financial, Inc., a Delaware corporation and the current mid-tier holding company for Columbia Bank, and Columbia Financial, Inc., a Maryland corporation and the proposed successor holding company of Columbia Bank.

Important Additional Information About the Transaction and Where to Find It

Columbia Financial, Inc. has filed with the SEC a Registration Statement on Form S-1 (the “Form S-1 Registration Statement”) that includes a prospectus of Columbia Financial, Inc. and other relevant documents concerning the proposed second-step conversion. In addition, Columbia Financial, Inc. has also filed with the SEC a Registration Statement on Form S-4 (the “Form S-4 Registration Statement”) that includes a joint proxy statement/prospectus concerning the proposed second-step conversion and the merger.

BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING OR INVESTMENT DECISION, INVESTORS AND STOCKHOLDERS OF COLUMBIA AND NORTHFIELD ARE URGED TO READ THE FORM S-1 REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND THE FORM S-4 REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND THE JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS REGARDING THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THOSE DOCUMENTS, BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION AND RELATED MATTERS.

This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or the solicitation of any vote or approval with respect to the proposed second-step conversion or the proposed merger between Columbia Financial, Inc. and Northfield. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and no offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy shall be made in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such jurisdiction.

A copy of the Form S-1 Registration Statement and the Form S-4 Registration Statement, Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus, as well as other filings containing information about Columbia and Northfield may be obtained, free of charge, at the SEC’s website (http://www.sec.gov). You may also obtain these documents, free of charge, by directing a request to Columbia Investor Relations, 19-01 Route 208 North, Fair Lawn, New Jersey 07410, or by calling (833) 550-0717, or to Northfield by directing a request to Northfield Investor Relations, 581 Main Street, Suite 810, Woodbridge, New Jersey 07095 or by calling (732) 499-7200 x2519. The information on Columbia’s or Northfield’s respective websites is not, and shall not be deemed to be, a part of this communication or incorporated into other filings either company makes with the SEC.

Participants in the Solicitation

Columbia, Northfield and certain of their respective directors, executive officers and employees may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the stockholders of Columbia and Northfield in connection with the proposed transaction. Information about the interests of the directors and executive officers of Columbia and Northfield and other persons who may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of stockholders of Columbia and Northfield in connection with the proposed transaction and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, is included in the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus related to the proposed transaction.

Columbia Financial, Inc.
Investor Relations Department
(833) 550-0717

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Focus List Spotlight: Virtu Financial (VIRT - Free Report) Headquartered in New York, NY, Virtu Financial is a market-leading financial services firm that leverages cutting-edge technology to provide execution services and data, analytics and connectivity products to its clients and deliver liquidity to the global markets. It provides a wide array of offerings in execution, liquidity sourcing, analytics and broker-neutral, multi-dealer platforms in workflow technology. The company was founded in 2008.

Since being added to the Focus List on July 31, 2023 at $18.9 per share, shares of VIRT have increased 233.7% to $63.07. The stock is currently a #1 (Strong Buy) on the Zacks Rank.

For fiscal 2026, five analysts revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days, and the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $1.3 to $6.51. VIRT boasts an average earnings surprise of 25.1%.

Earnings for VIRT are forecasted to see growth of 13.6% for the current fiscal year as well.

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DeLoye sold 14,299 shares for a transaction value of ~$404,000 on May 26, 2026. This sale represented 40.1% of his direct holdings, reducing his direct position from 35,684 to 21,385 shares.

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)---- $PD--Eric Prengel joins PagerDuty as Chief Financial Officer.

, /PRNewswire/ -- Today, June 24, 2026, the board of directors of CMC (NYSE: CMC) declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.20 per share of CMC common stock. CMC's 247th consecutive quarterly dividend will be paid on July 15, 2026, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on July 6, 2026. 

About CMC

CMC is a Fortune 500 company headquartered in Irving, Texas, and a leading provider of early-stage construction solutions that support the foundational phases of modern infrastructure and building projects. Founded in 1915, CMC has grown from a single-site recycling operation to one of the largest U.S. manufacturers of steel reinforcing bar ("rebar"), a leading producer of subgrade soil stabilization and foundation enhancement solutions and a major supplier of concrete pipe and precast products.

Through an extensive manufacturing network primarily located in the United States and Central Europe, with strategic operations in the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia, CMC serves infrastructure, non-residential, residential, industrial and energy markets. While often unseen, CMC's products are essential to highways, bridges, airports, commercial buildings and other critical structures that support everyday life.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws with respect to CMC's cash flow capabilities, financial position, fundamental business outlook and capital allocation strategy. The statements in this release that are not historical statements, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements can generally be identified by phrases such as we or our management "expects," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "intends," "may," "plans to," "ought," "could," "will," "should," "likely," "appears," "projects," "forecasts," "outlook" or other similar words or phrases, as well as by discussions of strategy, plans or intentions.

CMC's forward-looking statements are based on management's expectations and beliefs as of the time this news release was prepared. Although we believe that our expectations are reasonable, we can give no assurance that these expectations will prove to have been correct, and actual results may vary materially. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update, amend or clarify any forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events, new information or circumstances or any other changes. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations include those described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, in Part I, Item 1A, "Risk Factors" of our annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2025, as well as the following: changes in economic conditions which affect demand for our products or construction activity generally, and the impact of such changes on the highly cyclical steel industry; rapid and significant changes in the price of metals, potentially impairing our inventory values due to declines in commodity prices or reducing the profitability of downstream contracts within our vertically integrated steel operations due to rising commodity pricing; excess capacity in our industry, particularly in China, and product availability from competing steel mills and other steel suppliers including import quantities and pricing; the impact of additional steelmaking capacity expected to come online from a number of ongoing electric arc furnace projects in the U.S.; the impact of geopolitical conditions, including political turmoil and volatility, regional conflicts, terrorism and war on the global economy, inflation, energy supplies and raw materials; increased attention to environmental, social and governance ("ESG") matters, including any targets or other ESG, environmental justice or regulatory initiatives; operating and startup risks, as well as market risks associated with the commissioning of new projects could prevent us from realizing anticipated benefits and could result in a loss of all or a substantial part of our investments; impacts from global public health crises on the economy, demand for our products, global supply chain and on our operations; compliance with and changes in existing and future laws, regulations and other legal requirements and judicial decisions that govern our business, including increased environmental regulations associated with climate change and greenhouse gas emissions; involvement in various environmental matters that may result in fines, penalties or judgments; evolving remediation technology, changing regulations, possible third-party contributions, the inherent uncertainties of the estimation process and other factors that may impact amounts accrued for environmental liabilities; potential limitations in our or our customers' abilities to access credit and non-compliance with their contractual obligations, including payment obligations; activity in repurchasing shares of our common stock under our share repurchase program; financial and non-financial covenants and restrictions on the operation of our business contained in agreements governing our debt; our ability to successfully identify, consummate and integrate acquisitions and realize any or all of the anticipated synergies or other benefits of acquisitions; the effects that acquisitions may have on our financial leverage; risks associated with acquisitions generally, such as the inability to obtain, or delays in obtaining, required approvals under applicable antitrust legislation and other regulatory and third-party consents and approvals; lower than expected future levels of revenues and higher than expected future costs; failure or inability to implement growth strategies in a timely manner; the impact of goodwill or other indefinite-lived intangible asset impairment charges; the impact of long-lived asset impairment charges; currency fluctuations; global factors, such as trade measures, military conflicts and political uncertainties, including changes to current trade regulations, such as Section 232 trade tariffs and quotas, tax legislation and other regulations which might adversely impact our business; availability and pricing of electricity, electrodes and natural gas for mill operations; our ability to hire and retain key executives and other employees; competition from other materials or from competitors that have a lower cost structure or access to greater financial resources; information technology interruptions and breaches in security; our ability to make necessary capital expenditures; availability and pricing of raw materials and other items over which we exert little influence, including scrap metal, energy and insurance; unexpected equipment failures; losses or limited potential gains due to hedging transactions; litigation claims and settlements, court decisions, regulatory rulings and legal compliance risks, including those related to the Pacific Steel Group litigation and other legal proceedings; risk of injury or death to employees, customers or other visitors to our operations; and civil unrest, protests and riots.

SOURCE CMC

Taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals for new and old investors, and Zacks Premium offers many different ways to do both.

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Momentum ScoreMomentum traders and investors live by the saying "the trend is your friend." This investing style is all about taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook. Employing factors like one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates, the Momentum Style Score can indicate favorable times to build a position in high-momentum stocks.

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How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank The Zacks Rank, which is a proprietary stock-rating model, employs earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings expectations, to make building a winning portfolio easier.

It's highly successful, with #1 (Strong Buy) stocks producing an unmatched +24% average annual return since 1988. That's more than double the S&P 500. But because of the large number of stocks we rate, there are over 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, plus another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.

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The direction of a stock's earnings estimate revisions should always be a key factor when choosing which stocks to buy, since the Scores were created to work together with the Zacks Rank.

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Stock to Watch: First American Financial (FAF - Free Report) Headquartered in Santa Ana, CA., First American Financial serves homebuyers and sellers, real estate professionals, loan originators and servicers, commercial property professionals, homebuilders and others involved in residential and commercial property transactions with products and services specific to their needs. The company was founded in the state of Delaware in January 2008. On Jun 1, 2010, the company’s common stock was listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

FAF is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of A.

Momentum investors should take note of this Finance stock. FAF has a Momentum Style Score of B, and shares are up 1.9% over the past four weeks.

For fiscal 2026, one analyst revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days, and the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.09 to $6.81 per share. FAF boasts an average earnings surprise of +22%.

With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Momentum and VGM Style Scores, FAF should be on investors' short list.

The settlement resolves the federal government's claims relating to discharge of PFAS compounds across three current operating sites, as well as certain environmental claims by the State of West Virginia.   Chemours is expected to pay EPA and WVDEP a $22.5 million civil penalty over a three-year period, and fund $90 million in additional mitigation projects over the next 15 years to further reduce PFAS emissions and enhance certain existing off-site drinking water programs. The settlement recognizes that Chemours has already begun planning and implementing operational improvements and remedial measures at its facilities, and contains further actions the Company will take to mitigate future emissions and enhance existing programs. This settlement provides Chemours with greater clarity on future compliance requirements and actions to support long-term responsible manufacturing. , /PRNewswire/ -- The Chemours Company (NYSE: CC) (the "Company") today announced a settlement to resolve claims asserted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") relating to PFAS discharges and other alleged non-compliance actions, primarily at the Company's Washington Works, Fayetteville Works, and Chambers Works facilities. The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection ("WVDEP") is also a party to the settlement and joins in these releases.

The settlement agreement is the latest progress delivered under the Strengthening the Long Term pillar of Chemours' Pathway to Thrive strategy, which includes the Company's sustained efforts to address legacy PFAS and other environmental claims. The settlement also recognizes the significant work already completed or underway across Chemours' sites to reduce emissions and strengthen processes.

Under the settlement, Chemours has agreed to pay EPA and WVDEP a $22.5 million civil penalty, of which $15 million was previously accrued. This civil penalty is expected to be paid in three annual installments in 2026, 2027 and 2028, beginning within 30 days of the court's approval of the Consent Decree containing the settlement. In addition, over the next 15 years, Chemours will fund $90 million in additional mitigation projects to further reduce PFAS emissions from the operating sites or drinking water projects. Such projects support Chemours responsible manufacturing practices and will help advance the Company's Corporate Responsibility Commitment goal to reduce process emissions of fluorinated organic chemicals by 99% or more by 2030.

Further, the Company has also agreed to perform certain program and site-related actions as part of the settlement. This includes an expansion of the Company's existing off-site drinking water programs in West Virginia, Ohio, and New Jersey to incorporate learnings from Chemours' other off-site programs. The Company expects the expansion of the off-site drinking water programs will result in an increase to its existing environmental reserves.

Aligned with the Company's Pathway to Thrive strategy, Chemours continues to focus on responsibly resolving outstanding environmental and regulatory matters with terms that improve site operating certainty and include payment and remediation commitments that are structured over time. The terms of the settlement, including a further description of claims released and not released, are set forth in a proposed Consent Decree, which remains subject to final court approval.

In connection with the settlement, Chemours has also reached a resolution with the West Virginia Rivers Coalition for less than $1 million to resolve its litigation that was commenced in 2024 under the Clean Water Act alleging exceedances of certain permitted discharge limits at the Company's Washington Works facility.

About The Chemours Company
The Chemours Company (NYSE: CC) is a global leader in providing industrial and specialty chemicals products for markets, including coatings, plastics, refrigeration and air conditioning, transportation, semiconductor and advanced electronics, general industrial, and oil and gas. Through our three businesses – Thermal & Specialized Solutions, Titanium Technologies, and Advanced Performance Materials – we deliver application expertise and chemistry-based innovations that solve customers' biggest challenges. Our flagship products are sold under prominent brands such as Opteon™, Freon™, Ti-Pure™, Nafion™, Teflon™, Viton™, and Krytox™. Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware and listed on the NYSE under the symbol CC, Chemours has approximately 5,700 employees and 28 manufacturing sites and serves approximately 2,400 customers in approximately 110 countries. For more information, visit chemours.com or follow us on LinkedIn. 

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements, within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements provide current expectations of future events based on certain assumptions and include any statement that does not directly relate to a historical or current fact. The words "believe," "expect," "will," "anticipate," "plan," "estimate," "target," "project" and similar expressions, among others, generally identify "forward-looking statements," which speak only as of the date such statements were made. These forward-looking statements may address, among other things, the expected performance and impact of the cost-sharing arrangements by and between Chemours, Corteva and DuPont related to future eligible PFAS liabilities. Forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions and expectations of future events that may not be accurate or realized, such as guidance relying on models based upon management assumptions regarding future events that are inherently uncertain. These statements are not guarantees of future performance. Forward-looking statements also involve risks and uncertainties including the outcome of the final court approval process for the Consent Decree, including any appeals, the outcome of any pending or future litigation related to PFAS or PFOA, including personal injury claims and natural resource damages claims, the extent and cost of ongoing remediation obligations and potential future remediation obligations, including performance of injunctive actions and mitigation projects under the Consent Decree, changes in laws and regulations applicable to PFAS chemicals, the performance by each of the parties of their respective obligations under the cost-sharing arrangement, the outcome or resolution of any pending or future environmental liabilities, the commencement, outcome or resolution of any regulatory inquiry, investigation or proceeding, the initiation, outcome or settlement of any litigation, Chemours' ability to maintain an effective internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures, changes in environmental regulations in the United States or other jurisdictions that affect demand for or adoption of the Company's products, changes in regulations in the United States or other jurisdictions that could impose tariffs or additional costs on products we either sell or need to purchase, anticipated future operating and financial performance for the Company's segments individually and the Company as a whole, business plans, prospects, targets, goals and commitments, capital investments and projects and target capital expenditures, efforts to resolve outstanding or potential litigation, including claims related to legacy PFAS liabilities, plans for dividends, sufficiency or longevity of intellectual property protection, cost reductions or savings targets, plans to increase profitability and growth, the Company's ability to develop and commercialize new products or technologies and obtain necessary regulatory approvals, the Company's ability to make acquisitions, integrate acquired businesses or assets into the Company's operations, and achieve anticipated synergies or cost savings, all of which are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. These statements also may involve risks and uncertainties that are beyond the Chemours' control. Matters outside our control, including general economic conditions, geopolitical conditions, global conflicts, changes in laws and regulations in the United States or other jurisdictions in which we operate, and global health events and weather events, have affected or may affect the Company's business and operations and may or may continue to hinder the Company's ability to provide goods and services to customers, cause disruptions in the Company's supply chains such as through strikes, labor disruptions or other events, adversely affect the Company's business partners, significantly reduce the demand for the Company's products, adversely affect the health and welfare of the Company's personnel or cause other unpredictable events. Additionally, there may be other risks and uncertainties that the Company is unable to identify at this time or that the Company does not currently expect to have a material impact on its business. Factors that could cause or contribute to these differences include the risks, uncertainties and other factors discussed in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 and the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025.

CONTACTS:

INVESTORS
Brandon Ontjes
Vice President, Head of Strategy & Investor Relations
+1.302.773.3309
[email protected]

NEWS MEDIA 
Cassie Olszewski
Media Relations & Reputation Leader 
+1.302.219.7140
[email protected]

SOURCE The Chemours Company

JERSEY CITY, N.J., June 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Year-over-year, the U.S. property/casualty (P&C) insurance industry’s financial performance improved through the first three months of 2026, according to Verisk (Nasdaq: VRSK), a leading strategic data analytics and technology partner to the global insurance industry, and the American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA), the primary national trade association for home, auto and business insurers.

According to key financial indicators for private U.S. P&C insurers, the industry posted an estimated net underwriting gain of approximately $15.8 billion in Q1 2026, a strong rebound from the $864 million underwriting loss in Q1 2025, which was heavily impacted by large-scale catastrophe activity, including the Palisades and Eaton wildfires. Year-over-year industry financial volatility was similar in the first quarters of 2023 and 2024, swinging from a $7.8 billion loss to a $9.5 billion gain, respectively.

First-quarter results improved largely due to continued momentum in personal auto underwriting, alongside a more stable catastrophe experience relative to the prior year. Some carriers have returned personal auto premiums through elevated policyholder dividends, marking a shift from recent periods of auto rate increases. At the same time, broader market conditions are mixed and other lines of insurance continue to face pressure.

“Industry profitability improved in 2025 and the first quarter of 2026, driven largely by moderating inflation and an unusual respite from natural catastrophes over the past 12 months,” said Robert Gordon, senior vice president, policy, research and international, APCIA. “In good news for policyholders, premium increases continued to slow. Net written premium growth slowed sharply to 2.9 percent in Q1 2026, down from 9.6 percent in Q1 2024 and 6.8 percent in Q1 2025. When factoring in inflation and $6.2 billion returned to policyholders through dividends, written premiums have effectively declined in 2026.”

“Net income bounced back in Q1 2026 following a 50 percent decline in Q1 2025. At the same time, legal system abuse and rising claims severity continue to be among the industry’s most significant headwinds. States such as Florida that have enacted meaningful legal system abuse reforms are beginning to see progress, including stabilization and reductions in auto and homeowners’ insurance rates,” Gordon concluded.

Underwriting Industry Financial Results Through Q1 2026, Post-Policyholder Dividends

Written premiums: Net written premium growth slowed to 2.9 percent, compared to 6.8 percent during the same period in 2025.Earned premiums: Net earned premiums rose 3.8 percent, compared to 7.8 percent during the same period in 2025.Underwriting gain: The U.S. P&C insurance industry posted an estimated net underwriting gain of $15.8 billion, an improvement from the $864 million underwriting loss through the first three months of 2025.Incurred losses and loss adjustment expenses: Incurred losses and loss adjustment expenses decreased by 9.6 percent, compared to a 15.5 percent increase in Q1 2025. The combined ratio improved to 92.4 percent, down from 99.2 percent in the same period last year.Surplus: Policyholders’ surplus increased to $1.24 trillion from $1.09 trillion during the same period in 2025.Realized capital gains: Realized capital gains increased to $8.8 billion, compared to $3.7 billion in Q1 2025.Net income: Net income after taxes increased to $40.9 billion from $19.4 billion in Q1 2025. “First-quarter results reflected meaningful improvements, most notably in personal auto, but slower premium growth and continued pressure in casualty underscore an uneven recovery across the market,” said Saurabh Khemka, president of Verisk Underwriting Solutions. “Heading into the 2026 hurricane season, a critical focus for the industry is the potential for catastrophic activity to impact full-year performance. Profitability will need to hold through historically more active second and third quarters, as even in otherwise calm El Niño years, a single event can materially shift outcomes.”

Khemka added, “In today’s market, underwriting performance is increasingly defined by the quality and consistency of individual decisions. Carriers are using more granular data and AI to improve insight into how specific risks are selected, priced and managed across their portfolios, bringing greater discipline to underwriting at scale. That level of precision is critical not only for protecting margins, but for sustaining performance in the year ahead as conditions evolve.”

Note: The results above are based on quarterly statements filed with insurance regulators by private property/casualty insurers domiciled in the United States, including reinsurers, excess and surplus insurers, and domestic insurers owned by foreign parents, and excluding state funds for workers' compensation and other residual market insurers, the National Flood Insurance Program, and foreign insurers. The figures are consolidated estimates based on reports accounting for about 98 percent of all business written by U.S. property/casualty insurers. All figures are net of reinsurance unless otherwise noted and occasionally may not balance due to rounding. Net investment results displayed are post-tax.

About Verisk
Verisk (Nasdaq: VRSK) is a leading strategic data analytics and technology partner to the global insurance industry. It empowers clients to strengthen operating efficiency, improve underwriting and claims outcomes, combat fraud and make informed decisions about global risks, including climate change, catastrophic events, sustainability and political issues. Through advanced data analytics, software, scientific research and deep industry knowledge, Verisk helps build global resilience for individuals, communities and businesses. With teams across more than 20 countries, Verisk consistently earns certification by Great Place to Work. For more, visit Verisk.com and the Verisk Newsroom.

Multi-year engagement reinforces Infosys' leadership in AI-led managed services for complex, mission-critical IT operations

, /PRNewswire/ -- Infosys (NYSE: INFY), a global leader in AI–first business consulting and technology services, today announced an expanded multi-year collaboration with GlobalFoundries (NASDAQ: GFS) (GF), a leading semiconductor manufacturer, to deliver AI-led managed services across GF's  enterprise IT landscape.

Through this collaboration, Infosys will manage GF's end-to-end application, infrastructure, data and service desk operations. GF selected Infosys based on its proven track record as an incumbent technology provider and its deep semiconductor domain expertise. The engagement is designed to elevate GF's IT operations by transitioning from externally supported operations to a true managed services model driven by AI, automation, and continuous optimization.

Vishal Mehra, Chief Information Officer, GF, said, "The renewed collaboration marks a significant step forward in GF's journey to modernize IT operations and achieve higher levels of efficiency, resilience and user experience. As a leading global semiconductor manufacturer, we are committed to advancing our digital transformation to drive greater reliability and value. Collaborating with Infosys will help us equip our teams with next–generation capabilities to accelerate this transformation journey."

Anand Swaminathan, EVP & Global Industry Leader, Communications, Media & Technology, Infosys, said, "By combining our deep domain expertise, AI capabilities and an outcome-based operating model, we will help GF reduce incidents, improve end-user experiences and sustainably lower TCO over the long term. Infosys will unlock AI value at scale to play a central role in driving intelligent operations, helping GF transition from reactive IT management to predictive and autonomous service delivery."

About Infosys

Infosys (NSE: INFY) (BSE: INFY) (NYSE: INFY) is a global leader in AI first business consulting and technology services. Over 325,000 of our people work to amplify human potential and create the next opportunity for people, businesses, and communities. As navigators of enterprise transformation, we enable businesses in 63 countries to unlock AI value at scale. With over four decades of experience in managing the systems and workings of global enterprises, we accelerate business transformation through our AI-first value framework, deep domain expertise, and our unique ability to orchestrate innovations from our AI-native partner ecosystem. Infosys is recognised as the fastest growing IT services brand globally, committed to being a well-governed, environmentally sustainable partner for our clients where deep talent expertise, in an inclusive workplace, help them navigate their next.

Visit www.infosys.com to see how Infosys (NSE, BSE, NYSE: INFY) can help your enterprise navigate your next.

Safe Harbor

Certain statements in this release concerning our future growth prospects, or our future financial or operating performance, are forward-looking statements intended to qualify for the 'safe harbor' under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding the execution of our business strategy, increased competition for talent, our ability to attract and retain personnel, increase in wages, investments to reskill our employees, our ability to effectively implement a hybrid work model, economic uncertainties and geo-political situations, technological disruptions and innovations such as artificial intelligence ("AI"), generative AI, the complex and evolving regulatory landscape including immigration regulation changes, our ESG vision, our capital allocation policy and expectations concerning our market position, future operations, margins, profitability, liquidity, capital resources, our corporate actions including acquisitions, and cybersecurity matters. Important factors that may cause actual results or outcomes to differ from those implied by the forward-looking statements are discussed in more detail in our US Securities and Exchange Commission filings including our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025. These filings are available at www.sec.gov. Infosys may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the Company unless it is required by law.

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/633365/5460444/Infosys_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Infosys

Key Takeaways COLM, OSW, UNFI, COCO and LTH are highlighted as health and fitness stocks for 2H 2026.OSW offers wellness, beauty, fitness and medi-spa services on cruise ships and on land.COCO and LTH project strong revenue and earnings growth, with estimates moving higher. Health and fitness companies benefit from consistent demand due to growing global awareness of health issues and the importance of physical fitness. This trend is supported by the rising rate of lifestyle-related diseases and a growing emphasis on preventive healthcare. 

Health and fitness companies focus on improving and maintaining physical well-being through products and services, including gym memberships, fitness equipment, nutritional supplements and wellness programs. 

Here, we recommend five Health and Fitness stocks with a favorable Zacks Rank that have flourished in the first half of 2026. Their favorable Zacks Rank indicates more price upside in the near term.

These stocks are: Columbia Sportswear Co. (COLM - Free Report) , OneSpaWorld Holdings Ltd. (OSW - Free Report) , United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI - Free Report) , The Vita Coco Co. Inc. (COCO - Free Report) and Life Time Group Holdings Inc. (LTH - Free Report) . Each of our picks currently carries either a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The chart below shows the price performance of our five picks year to date.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Columbia Sportswear Co.Zacks Rank #1 Columbia Sportswear shows momentum driven by its ACCELERATE strategy, which targets younger consumers through refreshed branding and strong digital marketing. COLM’s product innovation and brand elevation, alongside contributions from the prAna brand, support healthier demand and long-term growth potential. 

COLM’s Profit Improvement Program is focused on improving operational efficiency and cost discipline while sustaining investment in brand building. COLM’s financial health remains solid with no debt, strong cash levels, share repurchases and dividends.

Columbia Sportswear has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 2.6% and 4.6%, respectively, for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year’s earnings has improved 3.8% over the last 30 days.

OneSpaWorld Holdings Ltd.Zacks Rank #2 OneSpaWorld Holdings is a provider and innovator in the fields of wellness, beauty, rejuvenation and transformation on cruise ships and on land in the United States and internationally. 

OSW’s service includes traditional and alternative massage, body and skincare treatment options, ayurvedic treatments, comprehensive hair and nail services, fitness, acupuncture, herbal medicine, pain management and medi-spa.

In addition, OSW offers products under the ELEMIS, Grown Alchemist, Kerastase, Keratin Complex, Thermage, Dysport, GoodFeet arch supports, Hyperice, and Megawhite teeth whitening brands.

OneSpaWorld Holdings has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 7.3% and 17.2%, respectively, for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year’s earnings has improved 3.6% over the last 60 days.

United Natural Foods Inc.Zacks Rank #2 United Natural Foods has continued to deliver solid operational performance, supported by disciplined execution, efficiency initiatives and healthy demand for natural and specialty products. 

Ongoing efforts in network optimization, lean management and technology-driven supply-chain enhancements have improved UNFI’s productivity, margins and cash generation, while strengthening customer service and long-term competitiveness. 

UNFI’s private-brand innovation and demand for organic and fresh products continue to support growth. Improved cash flow and disciplined capital allocation have enhanced UNFI’s financial flexibility.

United Natural Foods has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 2.6% and 21.4%, respectively, for the next year (ending July 2027). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for next year’s earnings has improved 10.9% over the last 30 days.

The Vita Coco Co. Inc.Zacks Rank #1 The Vita Coco develops, manufactures, markets, and distributes coconut water products under the Vita Coco brand name in the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific.

COCO’s brands include coconut water, Vita Coco, clean energy drink Runa, sustainable enhanced water, Ever & Ever and protein-infused water, PWR LIFT. COCO distributes its products through club, food, drug, mass, convenience, e-commerce, and foodservice channels.

The Vita Coco has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 21.4% and 47.9%, respectively, for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year’s earnings has improved 11.4% over the last 60 days.

Life Time Group Holdings Inc.Zacks Rank #2 Life Time Group provides health, fitness, and wellness experiences to a community of individual members in the United States and Canada. LTH reshaped the way consumers approach their health through omnichannel, healthy way of life communities that address all aspects of healthy living, healthy aging and healthy entertainment.

LTH has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 11.2% and 16%, respectively, for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year’s earnings has improved 5% over the last 60 days.

Key Takeaways Valero's refining network spans the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.Valero's complex Gulf Coast refining system and flexible operations support profitability amid volatility.Constrained refining capacity and low inventories are expected to support refining margins in the near term. Valero Energy (VLO - Free Report) is a well-known name in the refining space, with an extensive refining network across the United States, Canada and the UK. The company is also involved in the production of renewable fuels and ethanol. Valero’s strongest investment case lies in its highly complex refining system concentrated along the U.S. Gulf Coast and the operational flexibility of its refineries, as these factors enable it to sustain profitability across volatile market conditions.

Geopolitical conditions worldwide have caused significant volatility in global oil markets since the beginning of this year. Following recent talks between the United States and Iran in Switzerland, efforts are underway to facilitate the safe passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. While this marks a positive step toward stabilizing energy markets, the conflict has already caused severe damage to several energy facilities across the Middle East, including refineries and LNG infrastructure. The global refining market was already operating under tight conditions before the conflict, with demand growth outpacing new refining capacity additions. The disruptions caused by the Middle East conflict have further amplified this trend.

Against this macroeconomic backdrop, VLO remains well positioned to generate sustained profits, backed by a favorable refining environment. The company’s coastal refinery network enables it to benefit from export access and exposure to global product markets. Moreover, constrained global refining capacity and low product inventories in key markets are expected to support refining fundamentals and keep margins steady in the near-term. Its Gulf Coast refining network benefits from growing product exports to high-demand growth markets, enabling the company to capture attractive margins and support long-term earnings growth.

Refining Players Expects to Benefit From Favorable Refining FundamentalsPar Pacific Holdings (PARR - Free Report) is a Houston-based refining player with a combined refining capacity of 219,000 barrels per day and operations spread across Hawaii and the Pacific Northwest. The company also operates 76 branded fuel retail sites, along with a logistics business segment. PARR owns extensive energy infrastructure, including storage and transportation assets.

PBF Energy (PBF - Free Report) has a geographically diverse refining network with large-scale processing capacity and a highly complex refining system. It operates six refineries — Delaware City Refinery, Paulsboro Refinery, Toledo Refinery, Chalmette Refinery, Torrance Refinery and Martinez Refinery — with a combined throughput capacity of 1 million barrels per day and the ability to process a wide range of feedstocks.

VLO’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesValero Energy’s shares have jumped 78.1% over the past year compared with the 40.1% improvement of the composite stocks belonging to the industry.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, VLO trades at a trailing 12-month enterprise value to EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) of 7.38X. This is above the broader industry average of 5.42X.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for VLO’s 2026 earnings hasn’t seen any revisions over the past seven days.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

VLO, PARR and PBF each currently carry a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Key Takeaways Five Below leverages social listening to identify trends across beauty, candy and toy categories.FIVE posts 23% comparable sales growth, driven by higher transactions and average ticket size.FIVE expands its email database to enhance personalized marketing and deepen customer engagement. Five Below, Inc. (FIVE - Free Report) is driving customer acquisition and loyalty through a customer-centric strategy that blends strong digital engagement with an evolving in-store experience. The company is increasingly leveraging social listening to better understand customer preferences and capitalize on emerging trends. Management highlighted opportunities across several categories, including squishy products, candy, beauty programs and beauty dupes, where customer conversations are helping shape merchandising and engagement strategies.

The company is benefiting from improved customer acquisition through connected TV initiatives and greater marketing agility enabled by AI-generated content. These efforts are helping Five Below engage younger audiences more effectively through the channels they increasingly use. In the first quarter of fiscal 2026, comparable sales increased 22.7%, driven by a 19% rise in transactions and a 4% increase in average ticket size, reflecting strong customer traffic and engagement.

Five Below remains focused on introducing products that deliver meaningful value while satisfying customers’ desire for novelty and fun, rather than simply expanding its assortment. Supported by a new cross-functional go-to-market process, teams are creating impactful launch moments around key seasonal events. The company also strengthened customer engagement through in-store activations, including celebrations of the 30th anniversary of Pokémon on National Pokémon Day across its store network.

Additionally, Five Below made significant progress in expanding its email database during the quarter. This enhanced customer data foundation is expected to improve the precision of social and digital marketing efforts, deepen customer engagement and foster more personalized relationships with consumers. Overall, management believes its investments in customer engagement, social listening and personalized marketing capabilities position the company to deepen customer relationships and support continued traffic growth over time.

The Zacks Rundown for FIVEThe company’s shares have gained 55.7% in the past year against the industry’s 5.7% decline. FIVE currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, FIVE trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 20.91, higher than the industry’s average of 14.67.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for FIVE’s current and next fiscal year earnings implies a year-over-year rise of 31.8% and 10.4%, respectively.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Other Stocks to ConsiderSome other top-ranked stocks have been discussed below:

Victoria’s Secret & Co. (VSXY - Free Report) operates as a specialty retailer of women's intimate apparel and other apparel and beauty products worldwide. At present, VSXY flaunts a Zacks Rank of 1. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Victoria's Secret’s current fiscal-year sales and earnings suggests growth of 8.8% and 53.7%, respectively, from the year-ago reported numbers. VSXY delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 55.1%, on average.

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.

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.

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 (Buy).

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.

On June 23, 2026, Alcoa Corp AA shares fell 5.6% to $55.08, continuing a downward trend that has seen the stock decline by 12.4% over the past week and 22.8% over the past month. The stock has traded between a 52-week high of $84.38 and a low of $27.72 over the past year.

GF Value™ verdict: Current price of $55.08 vs GF Value™ of $30.36, indicating a 81.4% overvaluation.GF Score™ of 59/100, suggesting average performance across key metrics.Notable signal: No insider transactions in the last 3 months. Is AA Overvalued or Undervalued? The current price of Alcoa Corp AA at $55.08 is significantly above the GF Value™ of $30.36, which suggests that the stock is overvalued by approximately 81.4%. This overvaluation indicates a lack of margin of safety for potential investors, as the price is not supported by underlying fundamentals. The GF Valuation label categorizes the stock as significantly overvalued, which raises risks for investors, especially in a volatile market.

GF Value™ is GuruFocus' proprietary measure of intrinsic value, calculated from historical trading multiples, past business growth, and future performance estimates. With the stock trading well above its intrinsic value, the risk of a price correction increases, especially if market sentiments shift or if Alcoa fails to meet future performance expectations.

How Does AA's Valuation Compare to Its History? Metric Current Historical P/E (TTM) 13.9x 12.8x Forward P/E 7.8x N/A The current P/E ratio of 13.9x is 9% above its 5-year median P/E of 12.8x, indicating that Alcoa is trading above its historical valuation levels. This P/E analysis aligns with the GF Value™ verdict, reinforcing the conclusion that the stock is overvalued at its current price.

What Does AA's GF Score™ Tell Us? Metric Rating GF Score™ 59/100 Financial Strength 6/10 Profitability 5/10 Growth 4/10 Valuation 1/10 Momentum 6/10 The GF Score™ of 59/100 indicates an average performance across the board, with the strongest area being Financial Strength at 6/10. However, the Valuation rank of 1/10 is particularly concerning, highlighting that the stock is significantly overvalued. The scores suggest that while Alcoa has some strengths, it faces challenges in terms of growth and valuation.

What Are Insiders Doing with AA Stock? There have been no insider transactions in Alcoa Corp AA stock over the last three months. This lack of activity could suggest that insiders are not confident in the current valuation or future performance of the company, as typically, insider buying can be viewed as a positive signal regarding the company's prospects.

What This Means for Investors Based on the GF Value™ assessment, Alcoa Corp AA is currently overvalued. The significant difference between the current price and the intrinsic value suggests that the stock may face potential downside risks in the near future.

For the complete analysis, visit the Alcoa Corp AA stock page. You can also explore the GF Value™ page for detailed valuation methodology, or use the GuruFocus Stock Screener to find similar opportunities.

Frequently Asked Questions What is AA's GF Score™?

AA's GF Score™ is 59/100, indicating average performance across key financial metrics.

Is AA overvalued or undervalued?

AA is currently overvalued, with a GF Value™ of $30.36 compared to its current price of $55.08.

What is AA's P/E ratio?

AA's P/E ratio is 13.9x, which is 9% above its 5-year median P/E of 12.8x, indicating it is trading above its historical valuation levels.

This stock alert was generated using automated technology and GuruFocus financial data to provide readers with timely and accurate market reporting. This content was reviewed by GuruFocus editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected].

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Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of YOU either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

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

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EAGLE, Idaho--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: LW) announced today it will report fourth quarter and full fiscal year 2026 financial results on July 24, 2026. The news release will be issued at approximately 8:00 a.m. ET, followed by a conference call at 9:00 a.m. ET.

The webcast and accompanying materials will be available on Lamb Weston’s Investor Relations page at https://investors.lambweston.com/news-events/events-and-presentations.

Alternatively, participants in the U.S. and Canada may access the conference call by dialing 1-800-330-6710; participants outside the U.S. and Canada should dial +1 213-279-1505. The conference ID is 9814300.

A rebroadcast of the conference call will be available later in the day at the same location.

About Lamb Weston

Lamb Weston is a leading supplier of frozen potato products to restaurants and retailers around the world. For more than 75 years, Lamb Weston has led the industry in innovation, introducing inventive products that simplify back-of-house management for its customers and make things more delicious for their customers. From the fields where Lamb Weston potatoes are grown to proactive customer partnerships, Lamb Weston always strives for more and never settles. Because, when we look at a potato, we see possibilities. Learn more about us at lambweston.com.

More News From Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc.

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Leidos (LDOS - Free Report) ended the recent trading session at $104.84, demonstrating a -2.13% change from the preceding day's closing price. This move lagged the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.37%. Elsewhere, the Dow saw an upswing of 0.29%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq depreciated by 1.33%.

Prior to today's trading, shares of the security and engineering company had lost 14.99% lagged the Computer and Technology sector's gain of 4.52% and the S&P 500's gain of 2.02%.

The investment community will be closely monitoring the performance of Leidos in its forthcoming earnings report. The company's earnings per share (EPS) are projected to be $2.94, reflecting a 8.41% decrease from the same quarter last year. Meanwhile, our latest consensus estimate is calling for revenue of $4.36 billion, up 2.62% from the prior-year quarter.

In terms of the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates predict earnings of $12.25 per share and a revenue of $17.98 billion, indicating changes of +2.17% and +4.7%, respectively, from the former year.

Investors should also take note of any recent adjustments to analyst estimates for Leidos. These recent revisions tend to reflect the evolving nature of short-term business trends. With this in mind, we can consider positive estimate revisions a sign of optimism about the business outlook.

Our research reveals that these estimate alterations are directly linked with the stock price performance in the near future. We developed the Zacks Rank to capitalize on this phenomenon. Our system takes these estimate changes into account and delivers a clear, actionable rating model.

The Zacks Rank system, which ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has witnessed an unchanged state. Leidos is holding a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold) right now.

Looking at its valuation, Leidos is holding a Forward P/E ratio of 8.74. Its industry sports an average Forward P/E of 12.73, so one might conclude that Leidos is trading at a discount comparatively.

One should further note that LDOS currently holds a PEG ratio of 1.58. The PEG ratio is akin to the commonly utilized P/E ratio, but this measure also incorporates the company's anticipated earnings growth rate. LDOS's industry had an average PEG ratio of 1.11 as of yesterday's close.

The Computers - IT Services industry is part of the Computer and Technology sector. With its current Zacks Industry Rank of 165, this industry ranks in the bottom 33% of all industries, numbering over 250.

The Zacks Industry Rank evaluates the power of our distinct industry groups by determining the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks forming the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Be sure to use Zacks.com to monitor all these stock-influencing metrics, and more, throughout the forthcoming trading sessions.

Hercules Capital is trading at a 30% premium to NAV, down from 72% in 2024, reflecting compressed sentiment around technology-focused BDCs. HTGC is paying out a 12.1% dividend yield, with a $0.40 base and a $0.07 supplemental quarterly dividend. The base dividend was 120% covered by first-quarter net investment income. Portfolio credit quality remains robust, with nonaccruals at fair value at just 0.1% of the total investment portfolio as of the end of the first quarter.

When deciding whether to buy, sell, or hold a stock, investors often rely on analyst recommendations. Media reports about rating changes by these brokerage-firm-employed (or sell-side) analysts often influence a stock's price, but are they really important?

Before we discuss the reliability of brokerage recommendations and how to use them to your advantage, let's see what these Wall Street heavyweights think about Hercules Capital (HTGC - Free Report) .

Hercules Capital currently has an average brokerage recommendation (ABR) of 1.70, on a scale of 1 to 5 (Strong Buy to Strong Sell), calculated based on the actual recommendations (Buy, Hold, Sell, etc.) made by 10 brokerage firms. An ABR of 1.70 approximates between Strong Buy and Buy.

Of the 10 recommendations that derive the current ABR, six are Strong Buy and one is Buy. Strong Buy and Buy respectively account for 60% and 10% of all recommendations.

Brokerage Recommendation Trends for HTGC

Check price target & stock forecast for Hercules Capital here>>>

While the ABR calls for buying Hercules Capital, it may not be wise to make an investment decision solely based on this information. Several studies have shown limited to no success of brokerage recommendations in guiding investors to pick stocks with the best price increase potential.

Are you wondering why? The vested interest of brokerage firms in a stock they cover often results in a strong positive bias of their analysts in rating it. Our research shows that for every "Strong Sell" recommendation, brokerage firms assign five "Strong Buy" recommendations.

This means that the interests of these institutions are not always aligned with those of retail investors, giving little insight into the direction of a stock's future price movement. It would therefore be best to use this information to validate your own analysis or a tool that has proven to be highly effective at predicting stock price movements.

Zacks Rank, our proprietary stock rating tool with an impressive externally audited track record, categorizes stocks into five groups, ranging from Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) to Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), and is an effective indicator of a stock's price performance in the near future. Therefore, using the ABR to validate the Zacks Rank could be an efficient way of making a profitable investment decision.

Zacks Rank Should Not Be Confused With ABRIn spite of the fact that Zacks Rank and ABR both appear on a scale from 1 to 5, they are two completely different measures.

Broker recommendations are the sole basis for calculating the ABR, which is typically displayed in decimals (such as 1.28). The Zacks Rank, on the other hand, is a quantitative model designed to harness the power of earnings estimate revisions. It is displayed in whole numbers -- 1 to 5.

Analysts employed by brokerage firms have been and continue to be overly optimistic with their recommendations. Since the ratings issued by these analysts are more favorable than their research would support because of the vested interest of their employers, they mislead investors far more often than they guide.

In contrast, the Zacks Rank is driven by earnings estimate revisions. And near-term stock price movements are strongly correlated with trends in earnings estimate revisions, according to empirical research.

In addition, the different Zacks Rank grades are applied proportionately to all stocks for which brokerage analysts provide current-year earnings estimates. In other words, this tool always maintains a balance among its five ranks.

Another key difference between the ABR and Zacks Rank is freshness. The ABR is not necessarily up-to-date when you look at it. But, since brokerage analysts keep revising their earnings estimates to account for a company's changing business trends, and their actions get reflected in the Zacks Rank quickly enough, it is always timely in indicating future price movements.

Should You Invest in HTGC?In terms of earnings estimate revisions for Hercules Capital, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has remained unchanged over the past month at $1.93.

Analysts' steady views regarding the company's earnings prospects, as indicated by an unchanged consensus estimate, could be a legitimate reason for the stock to perform in line with the broader market in the near term.

The size of the recent change in the consensus estimate, along with three other factors related to earnings estimates, has resulted in a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for Hercules Capital. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>>

It may therefore be prudent to be a little cautious with the Buy-equivalent ABR for Hercules Capital.

Two factors often determine stock prices in the long run: earnings and interest rates. Investors can't control the latter, but they can focus on a company's earnings results every quarter.

Life and the stock market are both about expectations, and rising above what is expected is often rewarded, while falling short can come with negative consequences. Investors might want to try to capture stronger returns by finding positive earnings surprises.

Now that we know how important earnings and earnings surprises are, it's time to show investors how to take advantage of these events to boost their returns by utilizing the Zacks Earnings ESP filter.

The Zacks Earnings ESP, ExplainedThe Zacks Earnings ESP is more formally known as the Expected Surprise Prediction, and it aims to grab the inside track on the latest analyst estimate revisions ahead of a company's report. The idea is relatively intuitive as a newer projection might be based on more complete information.

With this in mind, the Expected Surprise Prediction compares the Most Accurate Estimate (being the most recent) against the overall Zacks Consensus Estimate. The percentage difference provides the ESP figure. The system also utilizes our core Zacks Rank to provide a stronger system for identifying stocks that might beat their next quarterly earnings estimate and possibly see the stock price climb.

When we join a positive earnings ESP with a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or stronger, stocks posted a positive bottom-line surprise 70% of the time. Plus, this system saw investors produce roughly 28% annual returns on average, according to our 10 year backtest.

Most stocks, about 60%, fall into the #3 (Hold) category, and they are expected to perform in-line with the broader market. Stocks with a #2 (Buy) and #1 (Strong Buy) rating, or the top 15% and top 5% of stocks, respectively, should outperform the market, with Strong Buy stocks outperforming more than any other rank.

Should You Consider Alphabet?Now that we understand what the ESP is and how beneficial it can be, let's dive into a stock that currently fits the bill. Alphabet (GOOGL - Free Report) earns a #3 (Hold) right now and its Most Accurate Estimate sits at $2.92 a share, just 30 days from its upcoming earnings release on July 22, 2026.

GOOGL has an Earnings ESP figure of +2.13%, which, as explained above, is calculated by taking the percentage difference between the $2.92 Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.86. Alphabet is one of a large database of stocks with positive ESPs. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.

GOOGL is one of just a large database of Computer and Technology stocks with positive ESPs. Another solid-looking stock is Dropbox (DBX - Free Report) .

Dropbox, which is readying to report earnings on August 6, 2026, sits at a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) right now. Its Most Accurate Estimate is currently $0.77 a share, and DBX is 45 days out from its next earnings report.

For Dropbox, the percentage difference between its Most Accurate Estimate and its Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.74 is +4.52%.

GOOGL and DBX's positive ESP metrics may signal that a positive earnings surprise for both stocks is on the horizon.

Find Stocks to Buy or Sell Before They're ReportedUse the Zacks Earnings ESP Filter to turn up stocks with the highest probability of positively, or negatively, surprising to buy or sell before they're reported for profitable earnings season trading. Check it out here >>

AppFolio (APPF - Free Report) closed the most recent trading day at $146.56, moving +1.51% from the previous trading session. The stock's change was more than the S&P 500's daily loss of 1.44%. Meanwhile, the Dow lost 0.09%, and the Nasdaq, a tech-heavy index, lost 2.22%.

Shares of the property management software maker witnessed a loss of 12.46% over the previous month, trailing the performance of the Computer and Technology sector with its gain of 0.98%, and the S&P 500's gain of 0.08%.

The upcoming earnings release of AppFolio will be of great interest to investors. On that day, AppFolio is projected to report earnings of $1.67 per share, which would represent year-over-year growth of 21.01%. Simultaneously, our latest consensus estimate expects the revenue to be $276.98 million, showing a 17.58% escalation compared to the year-ago quarter.

APPF's full-year Zacks Consensus Estimates are calling for earnings of $6.75 per share and revenue of $1.12 billion. These results would represent year-over-year changes of +27.6% and +17.47%, respectively.

Investors should also note any recent changes to analyst estimates for AppFolio. These revisions typically reflect the latest short-term business trends, which can change frequently. Therefore, positive revisions in estimates convey analysts' confidence in the business performance and profit potential.

Our research suggests that these changes in estimates have a direct relationship with upcoming stock price performance. To exploit this, we've formed the Zacks Rank, a quantitative model that includes these estimate changes and presents a viable rating system.

The Zacks Rank system ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell). It has a remarkable, outside-audited track record of success, with #1 stocks delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, there's been no change in the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. AppFolio currently has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Digging into valuation, AppFolio currently has a Forward P/E ratio of 21.39. This expresses a premium compared to the average Forward P/E of 18 of its industry.

The Internet - Software industry is part of the Computer and Technology sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 84, putting it in the top 35% of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our individual industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

To follow APPF in the coming trading sessions, be sure to utilize Zacks.com.

Progressive (PGR - Free Report) ended the recent trading session at $207.38, demonstrating a +1.23% change from the preceding day's closing price. The stock outpaced the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.37%. At the same time, the Dow added 0.29%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 1.33%.

Coming into today, shares of the insurer had gained 2.69% in the past month. In that same time, the Finance sector gained 4.79%, while the S&P 500 gained 2.02%.

The upcoming earnings release of Progressive will be of great interest to investors. In that report, analysts expect Progressive to post earnings of $4.47 per share. This would mark a year-over-year decline of 8.4%. Our most recent consensus estimate is calling for quarterly revenue of $23.03 billion, up 6.55% from the year-ago period.

For the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $16.82 per share and revenue of $92.97 billion, which would represent changes of -7.84% and +6.94%, respectively, from the prior year.

Investors should also pay attention to any latest changes in analyst estimates for Progressive. Recent revisions tend to reflect the latest near-term business trends. Consequently, upward revisions in estimates express analysts' positivity towards the business operations and its ability to generate profits.

Our research reveals that these estimate alterations are directly linked with the stock price performance in the near future. To capitalize on this, we've crafted the Zacks Rank, a unique model that incorporates these estimate changes and offers a practical rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, stretching from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has a noteworthy track record of outperforming, validated by third-party audits, with stocks rated #1 producing an average annual return of +25% since the year 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has shifted 2.68% upward. Progressive presently features a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

Looking at its valuation, Progressive is holding a Forward P/E ratio of 12.18. This expresses a premium compared to the average Forward P/E of 10.99 of its industry.

We can also see that PGR currently has a PEG ratio of 6.31. The PEG ratio bears resemblance to the frequently used P/E ratio, but this parameter also includes the company's expected earnings growth trajectory. The average PEG ratio for the Insurance - Property and Casualty industry stood at 2.33 at the close of the market yesterday.

The Insurance - Property and Casualty industry is part of the Finance sector. This industry currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 67, which puts it in the top 28% of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank assesses the vigor of our specific industry groups by computing the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks incorporated in the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Make sure to utilize Zacks.com to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and more, in the coming trading sessions.