Retirees living off a portfolio care about one thing above all: when the checks show up. The five names below all pay monthly, and the anchor of the group, Realty Income (NYSE:O | O Price Prediction), has now declared unbroken monthly payments documented back to at least 1999, an income streak few dividend stocks on any US exchange can match. Yields here range from mid-single digits to double digits, but yield is only half the story. What follows is a safety-first read on each name, with the coverage math, balance sheet, and track record that determine whether that monthly deposit keeps landing.
Realty Income (O) Realty Income trades near $65.53 with a monthly dividend of $0.271 per share and an annualized forward payout of $3.252 per share. That puts the current yield in high-yield territory rather than ultra-high-yield, and for most retirees that is the point: you are buying the most durable monthly check in the group.
Safety leads the case. First-quarter AFFO of $1.13 per share, up 6.6% year over year, easily covers the current run-rate dividend, and management raised 2026 AFFO guidance to $4.41 to $4.44 per share. Portfolio occupancy sits at 98.9% with lease recapture of 103.4%, and net debt to adjusted EBITDAre improved to 5.2x from 5.4x. Behind the numbers is the record: 670 consecutive monthly dividends and, per the company, 114 consecutive quarterly increases.
The bull case for income investors is boring in the best way. Realty Income deployed $2.8 billion at a 7.1% initial cash yield in Q1, and 2026 investment guidance was raised to $9.5 billion, which supports continued small monthly dividend bumps. The risk to watch: client concentration, with the top 20 tenants representing 35.8% of annualized base rent, plus impairments of $129.3 million in the quarter tied to weaker credits.
Main Street Capital (MAIN) Main Street Capital (NYSE:MAIN) is an internally managed business development company yielding 5.73% at a recent price of $55.49. The regular monthly dividend was recently raised to $0.265 per share, layered on top of a $0.30 supplemental paid roughly every quarter.
On safety, distributable net investment income of $1.00 per share in Q1 2026 lines up with the monthly dividends paid, and management describes DNII as significantly exceeding the regular monthly payout. Net asset value per share ticked up to $33.46, non-accruals sit at just 1.2% of the portfolio at fair value, and the operating expense ratio is an industry-lean 1.3% of assets. Full-year 2025 ROE ran at 17.1%. On track record: MAIN has paid monthly dividends without interruption for 17+ years with no cuts, and the base has climbed from $0.24 in 2024 to $0.26 in 2026.
The bull case is a rare combination of monthly base, quarterly supplementals, and a trailing 12-month dividend total of $4.30 per share. Risk to acknowledge: falling benchmark rates compress floating-rate income, and shares trade at 1.605 times book value, so premium-to-NAV compression is a real drawdown risk if credit sours.
AGNC Investment (AGNC) AGNC Investment (NASDAQ:AGNC) is the ultra-high-yield of the group. At a recent $11.18 and an annualized dividend of $1.44 per share, the mortgage REIT’s yield sits comfortably above the 6% ultra-high-yield line. The $0.12 monthly dividend has now been held steady since March 2020.
On coverage, net spread plus dollar roll income was $0.42 per share in Q1 2026, versus roughly $0.36 in quarterly dividends, and net interest spread widened to 2.06%. For 2025, AGNC posted an economic return on tangible common equity of 22.7% and a total stock return of 34.8% with dividends reinvested. Balance sheet: $94.7 billion portfolio, 7.4x leverage, 83% hedge coverage. Track record is not spotless (the 2020 cut from $0.16 to $0.12 is a matter of record), but the current payout has been durable for six years.
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The bull case for income investors is that AGNC funds a genuine double-digit yield out of net spread income while managing hedges actively. The risk: book value volatility. Tangible book fell 5.6% to $8.38 in Q1 2026, and the economic return was -1.6% as Agency MBS spreads widened. When spreads move against the book, principal takes the hit.
Gladstone Investment (GAIN) Gladstone Investment (NASDAQ:GAIN) is a smaller buyout-focused BDC yielding 5.79% on the regular monthly, with a recent price of $16.49. The $0.08 monthly distribution has been in place since 2023, and the model layers in periodic supplementals sourced from realized buyout gains, including a $0.9375 supplemental with a July 15, 2026 ex-date.
The safety read is nuanced. Regular monthly coverage runs tight: adjusted NII of $0.20 per share in fiscal Q4 supports the $0.24 quarterly regular, and supplementals from exits have historically filled any gap. Portfolio fair value stands at 124.4% of cost, the weighted-average yield on interest-bearing investments is 12.9%, and NAV per share climbed to $16.78, up 23.8% year over year. Shares trade near 0.988 times book.
Bull case: you effectively own a monthly-paying private equity vehicle. Realized gains from exits like the KBK Industries sale ($17.3 million realized gain) get returned to shareholders as special distributions. Risk to weigh: 52.5% of debt investments sit at a rate floor, so a lower SOFR trims income, and the J.R. Hobbs restructuring caused a $29.9 million realized loss, a reminder that lower-middle-market credit can gap down.
Gladstone Land (LAND) Gladstone Land (NASDAQ:LAND) is the ultra-high-yield of the REIT group, yielding 6.47% at a recent price of $8.68. The farmland REIT owns 98,688 acres concentrated in fresh produce, almonds, and pistachios, and pays a $0.0467 monthly distribution with a $0.5604 annualized forward rate. Monthly payments have been maintained with an unbroken cadence through the entire tracked period.
Coverage is where the caveat leads. FY 2025 AFFO of $0.39 per share did not cover the annualized common distribution of $0.5604, though revenue is Q4-concentrated because of participation-rent structures. Q1 2026 AFFO grew to $0.08 per share, up 35.1% year over year. The balance sheet is a real strength: nearly 100% of debt is fixed rate, with more than $145 million of available capital and over $110 million in unencumbered properties. Shares trade at 0.543 times book.
Bull case: a hard-asset monthly payer with almost no floating-rate debt exposure at a time when the 10-year Treasury sits at 4.55%. Risk: occupancy has slipped to 94.9%, management is considering additional property sales, and until AFFO catches up to the distribution rate, the ultra-high-yield here demands the closest monitoring in this group.
Building the Monthly Paycheck Together, these five names give a retiree twelve deposits a year across triple-net retail, lower-middle-market credit and equity, Agency mortgages, buyout gains, and US farmland. Realty Income anchors the group on safety, MAIN offers the strongest coverage and growth combination, AGNC delivers the biggest headline yield with the biggest book-value swings, GAIN sweetens the base with realized-gain supplementals, and LAND is the highest-yielding hard-asset piece with the tightest coverage. Weighting them by safety rather than by yield is how a nest egg turns into a paycheck that keeps arriving.
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RPM International vykázala rekordní čtvrtletí a tržby ve 4. fiskálním čtvrtletí vzrostly o 7,2 % na rekord, tažené stavební divizí a nátěrovými hmotami. Akcie po výsledcích vyskočily o 15 %.
RPM International's Blowout Quarter Sparks a 15% Rally RPM International NYSE: RPM reported record fiscal fourth-quarter results, with management saying each of its three segments increased sales and adjusted EBIT despite inflation, supply chain disruption and continued softness in do-it-yourself consumer markets.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Frank Sullivan said the company’s Construction Products Group and Performance Coatings Group continued to lead growth by focusing on maintenance and restoration, higher-growth end markets and “system selling,” an approach that combines multiple RPM products into broader engineered solutions. Sullivan said the quarter marked the 16th time in the past 18 quarters that RPM achieved record adjusted EBIT results.
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RPM International Thrives in Rate-Cut Driven Construction Rally“Our associates demonstrated their ability to adapt to increased global uncertainty, procure raw materials, continue implementing operational efficiency improvements, and serve customers with high-quality products and services,” Sullivan said.
Construction and coatings businesses lead growth Michael Laroche, vice president, controller and chief accounting officer, said consolidated sales rose 7.2% to a record, driven by engineered solutions for high-performance buildings and infrastructure projects, acquisitions and pricing actions intended to offset inflation. Adjusted EBIT and adjusted EPS also reached records, according to Laroche.
RPM International Pulls Back Critical Levels; Is It Time To Buy?Laroche said all international regions posted double-digit growth, led by emerging markets, while North American sales rose 5% on strength in turnkey and system solutions for high-performance buildings. Growth in Europe was driven by mergers and acquisitions, and foreign currency translation also helped sales in most countries outside the United States.
Within the Construction Products Group, Laroche said sales reached a record on broad-based strength, led by the concrete admixtures business. Demand was strongest in roofing and wall systems for high-performance buildings, including data centers and infrastructure projects. Volume growth and operational efficiencies helped lift adjusted EBIT to a record.
The Performance Coatings Group also posted record sales, with growth led by infrastructure project solutions, food coatings and ingredients, emerging markets, and fireproofing systems for high-performance buildings. Adjusted EBIT reached a record, though results were partly offset by a $3.2 million bad debt expense tied to a customer bankruptcy.
Consumer segment improves despite weak DIY demand RPM’s Consumer Group delivered record sales and higher adjusted EBIT, with results helped by acquisitions and pricing. Laroche said DIY end markets remained soft, while MAP operational improvements, including SG&A-focused optimization actions, more than offset lower fixed-cost absorption from reduced volumes and inflation. Adjusted EBIT excluded a $9.7 million non-cash impairment charge related to the Color Group.
During the question-and-answer portion of the call, Sullivan said Consumer unit volume in the quarter was down about 2% to 3%, while Construction Products and Performance Coatings saw low- to mid-single-digit unit volume growth. He said the Consumer segment benefited from The Pink Stuff and Ready Seal acquisitions, but DIY takeaway has been weak for roughly two years.
“It does feel like after two years of a pretty steady single-digit negative declines in consumer takeaway and volume impact, that we’re hitting bottom,” Sullivan said. He added that he did not yet see evidence of a “robust rebound.”
Raw material inflation remains a focus Management said raw material inflation and supply availability remain key considerations for fiscal 2027. Sullivan said RPM’s center-led procurement team helped the company secure supply and limit exposure to spot-price volatility. He said price-cost mix was slightly favorable in the fourth quarter, with businesses implementing price increases where needed.
For the first quarter of fiscal 2027, RPM expects raw material inflation of 5% to 6%, with pricing up by a similar dollar amount. For the second quarter, inflation could reach 6% to 8%, Sullivan said. The company expects price increases, including in Consumer, to recover gross margin percentage lost in the first quarter as the year progresses.
Sullivan said supply availability improved overall, but a fire at a supplier’s plant has caused tightness in propylene oxide-derived raw materials in North America. He also noted tight MDI supplies due to supplier issues. In response to an analyst question, Sullivan said the supplier fire would have some negative cost impact and could affect first-quarter sales growth in Tremco Roofing, but he described the issue as temporary.
Cash flow, buybacks and acquisitions Matt Schlarb, vice president of investor relations and sustainability, said RPM generated $899 million of operating cash flow in fiscal 2026, the second-highest amount in company history. The company returned $349 million to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases, up more than 7% from the prior year.
Schlarb said RPM’s board authorized a $700 million increase to its share repurchase program, in addition to $115 million remaining under a prior authorization. Sullivan said during the Q&A that the company’s stronger balance sheet and improved cash generation give it more capital to deploy, including for acquisitions and potentially more opportunistic repurchases.
Capital expenditures totaled about $224 million for the year, slightly below the prior year. Schlarb cited investments including a shared European distribution center and a new operating facility in India. RPM also spent $202 million on acquisitions, including Kalzip, a metal roofing and facades company acquired by the Construction Products Group in the fourth quarter. Schlarb said RPM expects Kalzip to be margin accretive once fully integrated over the next couple of years.
Fiscal 2027 outlook calls for growth amid volatility Chief Financial Officer Russell Gordon said RPM expects first-quarter sales to rise in the mid-single-digit range, with all segments expected to grow at a similar pace. Adjusted EBITDA is also expected to increase in the mid-single-digit range.
For full-year fiscal 2027, RPM forecast sales growth of 3% to 7% and adjusted EBITDA growth of 5% to 10%. Gordon said the company expects Consumer end markets to stabilize, though he noted RPM has the least visibility in that segment. He said price-cost is expected to be somewhat negative in the first half of the year before becoming more neutral in the second half as additional pricing takes effect and inflation moderates.
RPM also expects previously announced SG&A optimization actions to generate about $75 million in benefits during fiscal 2027, partly offset by higher healthcare and benefits expenses. Sullivan said RPM has trained 620 associates through its Green Belt efficiency program, which has developed a pipeline of more than $30 million of additional savings. The company plans to provide more detail on its MAP 3.0 strategic plan at an investor day on Nov. 9.
Asked whether the fiscal 2027 outlook represented a new growth algorithm for RPM, Sullivan said the company could generate mid-single-digit revenue growth and double-digit earnings growth “in a period of stability.” However, he said the current environment remains volatile due to geopolitical developments, oil prices, trade flows, transportation costs and tariffs.
About RPM International (NYSE:RPM)RPM International Inc is a global holding company whose subsidiaries specialize in the manufacture and marketing of high-performance coatings, sealants, building materials, and specialty chemicals. Through its two principal operating segments—Performance Coatings and Industrial Coatings—RPM serves a diverse range of end markets, including construction, consumer products, industrial maintenance, and specialty applications.
The company's Performance Coatings segment offers a broad portfolio of architectural coatings, waterproofing systems, and specialty building products used by contractors, builders, and homeowners.
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Key Takeaways Dycom's backlog reached $11.9 billion, up 46.5%, with a strong 2.2x book-to-bill ratio.Fiber projects and Power Solutions are expanding DY's role across the data center infrastructure ecosystem.Dycom raised fiscal 2027 revenue guidance to $7.38-$7.65 billion as AI infrastructure demand accelerates. Dycom Industries, Inc. (DY - Free Report) appears increasingly well-positioned to benefit from the convergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI), data center expansion and fiber infrastructure spending. The rapid growth of AI workloads is intensifying demand for data center capacity, while hyperscalers and other customers continue investing in the networks needed to connect these facilities with businesses and homes.
Dycom's latest results highlight the strength of this opportunity. Fiscal 2027 first-quarter contract revenues jumped 56.1% year over year to $1.96 billion, while organic growth was 24.7%. Total backlog reached a record $11.9 billion, up 46.5%, with a 2.2x book-to-bill ratio. Customers are also extending contract durations to secure Dycom's skilled workforce, providing greater visibility into future growth.
The Communications segment remains a key beneficiary of fiber-to-the-home, long-haul and middle-mile infrastructure projects. Meanwhile, Building Systems is expanding its role in the data center ecosystem. Power Solutions delivered strong first-quarter performance, and DY’s pending $275 million acquisition of National Technology Integrators is expected to add structured cabling, security and advanced audiovisual capabilities.
The strategy could create a more comprehensive offering spanning data center racks, electrical systems, fiber networks and connections to businesses and homes. Management's raised fiscal 2027 revenue outlook of $7.38-$7.65 billion further reflects confidence in the demand environment.
With AI and data center investment accelerating alongside fiber deployments, Dycom's expanding capabilities, record backlog and strategic M&A could position it to capture a larger share of America's digital infrastructure buildout.
Dycom, Quanta and Sterling: Is AI Fueling a Backlog Bonanza?Dycom is well-positioned to benefit from surging demand for AI-driven data centers, power infrastructure and fiber connectivity, alongside other market peers like Quanta Services, Inc. (PWR - Free Report) and Sterling Infrastructure, Inc. (STRL - Free Report) .
Quanta offers broader exposure to the power grid and energy infrastructure needed to support data center growth, while its diversified platform benefits from rising electricity demand. Sterling, meanwhile, is positioned to capitalize on data center site development and digital infrastructure construction, with backlog growth providing visibility into future projects.
Dycom stands out for its record $11.9 billion backlog and 2.2x book-to-bill ratio, supported by robust fiber-to-the-home, long-haul and middle-mile demand. Its expansion into data center electrical work through Power Solutions and the pending National Technology Integrators acquisition strengthens its end-to-end digital infrastructure capabilities. While all three companies have strong secular tailwinds, DY’s combination of fiber exposure, expanding data center capabilities and record backlog gives it a compelling growth profile as AI infrastructure investment accelerates.
DY Stock’s Price Performance & Valuation TrendShares of this specialty contracting firm have gained 15% in the past six months, outperforming the Zacks Building Products - Heavy Construction industry, the broader Zacks Construction sector and the S&P 500 index.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
DY stock is currently trading at a premium compared with its industry peers, with a forward 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 23.45, as shown in the chart below.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Earnings Estimate Trend Favors DycomDycom’s earnings estimates for fiscal 2027 and fiscal 2028 have trended upward over the past 60 days to $16.35 per share and $19.95 per share, respectively. The estimated figures for fiscal 2027 and fiscal 2028 imply year-over-year growth of 36.6% and 22%, respectively.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Dycom stock currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Post Holdings přestavuje pet food portfolio, protože slabá poptávka po suchém krmivu pro psy tlačí na výsledky. Relaunch značky Nutrish má být během většiny 3. čtvrtletí fiskálního roku 2026 plně promítnut do trhu a do 4. čtvrtletí fiskálního roku 2026 podpořit zlepšení trendů.
Key Takeaways Post Holdings is rebuilding its pet food portfolio as weak dry dog food demand weighs on results.POST expects the Nutrish relaunch to support improving category trends by the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026.POST is refining pricing on key brands to stabilize volumes and strengthen pet food performance. Post Holdings, Inc. (POST - Free Report) is rebuilding its pet food business through the Nutrish relaunch alongside targeted pricing actions across selected brands. The company indicated that category demand has been weaker than anticipated, with dry dog food experiencing particular softness. As dry dog food accounts for approximately 60% of its portfolio, weakness in that category has weighed on pet food performance.
The Nutrish relaunch is expected to take most of the third quarter of fiscal 2026 to be fully reflected across the market, particularly in the food channel. The relaunch features updated positioning, packaging and price points as part of the brand's refresh. Management reported encouraging sequential improvement at a major retailer where the rollout is complete, indicating a positive early response. The company expects Nutrish's performance to improve to roughly flat or slight year-over-year growth by the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026.
Post Holdings noted that price increases on roughly one-third of the 9Lives brand resulted in higher-than-expected price elasticity and the loss of placement at a couple of retailers. The company believes the issue can be addressed using the same approach applied to Gravy Train, combining short-term price rollbacks with longer-term price-pack architecture adjustments. The company noted that Gravy Train is now growing about 40% in pounds at one of its largest retailers following those changes.
Overall, Post Holdings is rebuilding its pet food portfolio through disciplined brand repositioning and pricing adjustments. The company expects these initiatives to strengthen brand performance and support improving category trends as the Nutrish relaunch reaches broader distribution.
The Zacks Rundown for POSTShares of this Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) company have lost 10% in the past six months compared with the industry’s 3.2% decline.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, POST trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 10.66, lower than the industry’s average of 14.55.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for POST’s current and next fiscal year earnings implies a year-over-year increase of 4.7% and 11.8%, respectively.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Stocks to ConsiderSome better-ranked stocks have been discussed below:
United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI - Free Report) distributes natural, organic, specialty, produce, and conventional grocery and non-food products in the United States and Canada. It presently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for UNFI’s current fiscal-year sales indicates a decline of 2.1%, and the same for earnings indicates growth of 254.9% from the prior-year reported levels. UNFI delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of nearly 30%, on average.
Medifast, Inc. (MED - Free Report) operates as a health and wellness company that provides habit-based and coach-guided lifestyle solutions to address obesity and support a healthy life in the United States. MED currently carries a Zacks Rank of 1.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MED's current fiscal-year sales and earnings implies a decline of 25.9% and 140.2%, respectively, from the year-ago actuals. MED delivered a trailing four-quarter negative earnings surprise of 635%, on average.
Mama’s Creations, Inc. (MAMA - Free Report) , together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and markets fresh deli-prepared foods in the United States. MAMA currently carries a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy).
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MAMA's current fiscal-year sales & earnings implies growth of 30% and 73.3%, respectively, from the year-ago actuals. MAMA delivered a trailing four-quarter negative earnings surprise of 129.2%, on average.
Hartford čeká ve 2. čtvrtletí růst výnosů o 6 %, ale EPS má meziročně klesnout o 8,2 % na 3,13 USD na akcii. Tlak vytvářejí vyšší náklady a horší combined ratio.
Key Takeaways Hartford is expected to report revenue growth in Q2, but EPS is projected to decline year over year.HIG may benefit from higher premiums, fee income and investment income across key business segments.Hartford faces pressure from higher costs, weaker combined ratios and fewer policies in force. The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc. (HIG - Free Report) is set to report second-quarter 2026 results on July 23, after the closing bell. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the to-be-reported quarter’s earnings is currently pegged at $3.13 per share on revenues of $5.2 billion.
The second-quarter earnings estimate has witnessed no upward estimate revisions against one downward movement over the past seven days. Meanwhile, the bottom-line projection indicates a year-over-year decline of 8.2%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for quarterly revenues suggests year-over-year growth of 6%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
For the current year, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Hartford’s revenues is pegged at $21 billion, implying a rise of 4.8% year over year. However, the consensus mark for current-year EPS is pegged at $12.74, implying a fall of around 5.1% on a year-over-year basis.
HIG beat the consensus estimate for earnings in three of the last four quarters and missed once, with the average surprise being 16.5%.
Q2 Earnings Whispers for HIGOur proven model does not predict an earnings beat for Hartford Insurance this time. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat, which is not the case here.
HIG has an Earnings ESP of -3.95% and currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
What’s Shaping HIG’s Q2 Results?The Zacks Consensus Estimate for net premiums earned for the second quarter indicates 4.5% growth year over year. Also, the consensus estimate indicates an 8.2% increase in fee income in the quarter under review.
The consensus estimate for Business Insurance’s net investment income is $507.7 million, indicating 13.1% growth from the year-ago quarter’s figure. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for net investment income in the Personal Insurance business is pegged at $66.3 million, which indicates a 9.2% increase from the prior-year quarter’s reported figure.
The consensus mark for the Employee Benefits business’ revenues is pegged at $1.8 billion, indicating a 3.8% rise from the prior-year quarter's figure.
However, the bottom line is expected to have been pressured by higher insurance operating costs and other expenses. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Hartford’s Personal Insurance combined ratio for the quarter under review is pegged at 96.5%, indicating deterioration from the prior-year reported figure of 94.1%. Also, the same for the Business Insurance combined ratio is pegged at 91.9%, up from 87% a year ago.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Hartford’s homeowners’ policies in force for the quarter under review indicates a decline of 0.6% year over year. Also, the consensus estimate indicates a 10.8% year-over-year decline in automobile policies in force.
Stocks That Warrant a LookWhile an earnings beat looks uncertain for HIG, here are some companies from the broader Finance space that you may want to consider, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this time around:
Skyward Specialty Insurance Group, Inc. (SKWD - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +1.39% and carries a Zacks Rank #3 at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Skyward Specialty Insurance Group’s earnings for the to-be-reported quarter is pegged at $1.15 per share, indicating 29.2% year-over-year growth. The consensus estimate for revenues is pegged at $459.6 million. SKWD beat earnings estimates in each of the past four quarters, with the average surprise being 17%.
American Express Company (AXP - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +1.15% and a Zacks Rank #3.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for American Express’ bottom line for the to-be-reported quarter is pegged at $4.41 per share, indicating 8.1% year-over-year growth. It beat earnings estimates in three of the past four quarters and missed once, with the average surprise being 4%. The consensus estimate for AXP’s revenues is pegged at $19.6 billion.
Aon plc (AON - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +0.24% and carries a Zacks Rank #3 at present.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Aon’s bottom line for the to-be-reported quarter is pegged at $3.77 per share, indicating 8% year-over-year growth. It beat earnings estimates in each of the past four quarters, with the average surprise being 3.1%. The consensus estimate for AON’s revenues is pegged at $4.3 billion.
Voya Financial za poslední rok vzrostla o 35,7 % a obchoduje se poblíž 52týdenního maxima 103,85 USD. Firma těží ze silných tržeb, vysoké retence a odkupu akcií.
Key Takeaways Retirement growth is supported by strong sales, high retention and the successful OneAmerica acquisitionInvestment Management benefits from fee-based revenue growth and the Allianz Global Investors partnership.VOYA continues returning capital through buybacks and dividends, backed by strong excess capital generation. Shares of Voya Financial, Inc. (VOYA - Free Report) have gained 35.7% in the past year, outperforming the industry’s growth of 10.8%. The stock closed at $98.25 on Tuesday, near its 52-week high of $103.85, reflecting investor confidence.
Growth in the Retirement and Investment Management businesses, improved Employee Benefits segments' performance, strategic acquisitions and partnerships, record net flows and strong excess capital generation are driving the stock. The momentum is likely to continue, supported by sustained strength in its core businesses, strategic acquisitions and ongoing share repurchases.
Shares of Voya Financial have outperformed its peers, including Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated (RGA - Free Report) , Primerica, Inc. (PRI - Free Report) and Brighthouse Financial, Inc (BHF - Free Report) , which have gained 21.4%, 15.7% and 25.7%, respectively, in the past year.
VOYA’s Attractive ValuationVoya Financial shares are trading at a price-to-book value of 1.38X, lower than the industry average of 2.33X.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
VOYA’s Growth ProjectionThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for Voya Financial’s 2026 earnings per share (EPS) indicates a year-over-year increase of 6.2%. The consensus estimate for revenues is pegged at $1.33 billion, implying a year-over-year decline of 2.5%. The consensus estimate for 2027 EPS and revenues indicates an increase of 19.3% and 9.1%, respectively, from the corresponding 2026 estimates.
Earnings have grown 8.8% in the past five years, better than the industry average of 5.9%. The expected long-term earnings growth rate is 11.6%.
Mixed Analyst Sentiment on VOYAThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 has moved south 2.1%, while 2027 earnings have moved north 1.7%, in the past 30 days.
Factors Acting in Favor of VOYAVOYA’s earnings are driven by its solid segmental performances across Retirement, Investment Management and Employee Benefits segments. These businesses represent higher-growth, capital-light and higher-return units, bolstering the company’s solid presence in the market.
The Retirement segment is experiencing significant growth, driven by higher revenues, favorable market impacts, higher alternative investment income, active portfolio management, positive defined contribution flows and disciplined management of spend. Management expects strong commercial momentum in retirement, driven by robust sales, more than 95% retention and new plan implementations.
Management described the OneAmerica retirement acquisition as highly successful, generating returns above 30%. It has meaningfully strengthened the scale and earnings power of the Retirement business, which now serves nearly 10 million Retirement accounts.
The Investment Management segment should benefit from higher investment capital returns, primarily driven by overall market performance, higher fee-based revenues, strong commercial momentum and disciplined management of spend. Voya Financial remains confident of sustaining more than 2% organic growth. Management also highlighted continued strength in retail income and growth strategies. VOYA is constantly taking strategic steps to ramp up growth in its Investment Management segment. Voya Financial’s long-term strategic partnership with Allianz Global Investors has added scale and diversification to Voya Investment Management.
The Employee Benefits segment of the insurer is likely to gain from improving Stop Loss underwriting and pricing, reserve releases, margin recovery, a smaller block of business, lower premium-driven expenses, favorable Group Life claims experience, higher alternative investment income and active portfolio management.
The company’s capital levels remain strong. In the first quarter of 2026, VOYA generated approximately $200 million of excess capital and returned that amount to shareholders through share repurchases and dividends. It also executed an additional $150 million of share repurchases in the second quarter, with $413 million remaining under its authorization. Supported by strong free cash flow generation, ROE above 18% and disciplined capital deployment, the company remains well positioned to enhance shareholder value.
Risks for VOYAThe company plans to invest up to $75 million of excess capital in 2026 to strengthen its wealth management platform. These investments are expected to create a near-term earnings drag and reduce Retirement segment margins by about 200 basis points.
VOYA faces intense competition from broker-dealers, financial advisors, diversified financial institutions and start-up financial services providers, which could result in increased pricing pressure on certain products and services.
Voya Financial's long-term debt rose to $1.9 billion in the first quarter of 2026, up 26% from year-end 2025, causing the financial leverage ratio to deteriorate 220 basis points year over year to 29.7%. Higher leverage could weigh on future earnings and returns.
ConclusionVoya Financial is well-positioned for strong earnings growth across all three business segments, positive net flows, favorable retention and strategic partnerships. It should continue to benefit from financial flexibility and effective capital deployment. However, high competition and rising debt remain concerns.
Given the mixed analyst sentiment, it is wise to retain this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Wendy’s potvrdila výhled upravené EBITDA na 460–480 mil. USD pro rok 2026, i když ve 1. čtvrtletí klesla upravená EBITDA o 13,2 mil. USD na 111,3 mil. USD. Spoléhá na Project Fresh, který má ve druhé polovině roku vrátit globální systémové tržby k růstu.
Key Takeaways WEN maintained its 2026 adjusted EBITDA outlook of $460-$480 million despite a $13.2 million Q1 decline.Wendy's company-operated restaurants outperformed the broader U.S. system by 310 basis points in Q1.WEN expects global systemwide sales to return to growth in the second half as Project Fresh gains traction. The Wendy's Company (WEN - Free Report) is advancing its Project Fresh turnaround strategy amid persistent traffic pressure, intense value competition and elevated restaurant costs. U.S. same-restaurant sales declined 7.8% in the first quarter of 2026, primarily because of lower traffic, severe weather and adjustments to restaurant operating hours. Wendy’s nevertheless maintained its full-year outlook and expects sequential quarterly improvement, with global systemwide sales returning to growth in the second half as its turnaround initiatives gain traction.
Project Fresh focuses on strengthening brand relevance, restaurant execution and franchisee economics. Wendy’s introduced its Biggie Deals platform at $4, $6 and $8 price points to provide consistent everyday value while reinforcing product quality. The company also upgraded its core hamburger offerings, completed a significant enhancement to its spicy chicken sandwich and strengthened its innovation process. Customer-segmentation insights and a more audience-based marketing approach are expected to improve advertising effectiveness and strengthen customer engagement as the year progresses.
Early operational indicators support the strategy’s potential. Company-operated restaurants, which have fully implemented the operating playbook, outperformed the broader U.S. system by 310 basis points during the first quarter. Restaurants with the highest customer-satisfaction scores also generated same-restaurant sales that were approximately 400-500 basis points stronger than those of the lowest-performing locations. Wendy’s is expanding training, performance-management programs, order-accuracy technology and restaurant-cleanliness initiatives to extend these operational gains across the franchise system.
The path to EBITDA stabilization, however, remains dependent on a meaningful improvement in restaurant-level performance. First-quarter adjusted EBITDA declined $13.2 million year over year to $111.3 million, reflecting weaker company-operated restaurant margins, lower franchise royalty revenues and higher spending on brand revitalization, field support and international expansion. Wendy’s maintained its full-year adjusted EBITDA outlook of $460-$480 million and expects a U.S. company-operated restaurant margin of 13%, plus or minus 50 basis points. Lower-income consumer pressure, beef inflation and labor-rate increases remain headwinds, while system optimization is expected to create a $15-$20 million adjusted revenue headwind in 2026.
Wendy’s ability to generate EBITDA progress amid weak traffic will likely depend on whether Project Fresh can sustain stronger restaurant execution, improve customer engagement and translate better service levels into a sustained improvement in same-restaurant sales. These factors can support restaurant margins, franchise royalty revenues and operating leverage, making disciplined execution central to the company’s turnaround in a challenging QSR environment.
WEN’s Competitor LandscapeStarbucks Corporation (SBUX - Free Report) provides a relevant turnaround benchmark for Wendy’s because it is using service execution, menu innovation and loyalty engagement to rebuild transactions while navigating continued investment pressure. Under its Back to Starbucks strategy, the company is strengthening staffing, scheduling, technology and coffeehouse leadership through Green Apron Service, while its Grow reporting system is reinforcing more consistent store-level execution. Starbucks is also using a redesigned Rewards program, faster menu innovation and coffeehouse upgrades to increase engagement across morning and afternoon occasions. These efforts helped drive U.S. comparable sales growth of 7.1%, led by transaction growth of more than 4%, while consolidated operating margin expanded 110 basis points to 9.4% in the second quarter of fiscal 2026.
McDonald’s Corporation (MCD - Free Report) provides a closer operating comparison because it competes directly in the burger QSR category and is using value, marketing and menu innovation to protect traffic in a pressured consumer environment. Its “3 for 3” strategy combines McValue’s under-$3 items and meal deals across dayparts with culturally relevant campaigns and full-margin beef and chicken limited-time offerings. McDonald’s is also expanding its beverage platform through McCafé refreshers and crafted sodas. This approach supported U.S. comparable sales growth of 3.9%, favorable comparable sales and guest-count performance relative to close competitors and continued market-share strength during the first quarter of 2026.
Against this backdrop, Wendy’s faces a more demanding recovery than its larger peers. Starbucks is already translating stronger service execution and loyalty engagement into transaction-led growth, while McDonald’s is using its scale, value architecture and marketing reach to protect traffic and market share. Wendy’s competitive position will depend on whether Biggie Deals and its upgraded core menu can narrow the traffic gap while broader adoption of the Project Fresh operating playbook strengthens franchisee economics.
WEN’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesShares of Wendy’s have gained 10.1% in the past three months against the industry’s 5% drop.
WEN Three-Month Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, WEN trades at a forward price-to-sales (P/S) multiple of 0.65, below the industry’s average of 3.28.
WEN’s P/S Ratio (Forward 12-Month) vs. Industry
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for WEN’s 2026 earnings per share (EPS) implies a year-over-year decline of 34.1%. The EPS estimates for 2026 have remained unchanged in the past 30 days.
EPS Trend of WEN Stock
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
WEN’s Zacks RankWEN stock currently has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
PulteGroup ve 2. čtvrtletí zvýšila čisté nové objednávky o 6 % na 7 536 domů a potvrdila celoroční výhled dodávek i marže. Tržby klesly na 3,8 miliardy USD a zisk na akcii činil 2,48 USD.
The Lock-In Effect Is Real—These 3 Homebuilders Are Betting on ItPulteGroup NYSE: PHM reported higher second-quarter orders and reaffirmed its full-year delivery and margin outlook, even as revenue and earnings declined from a year earlier amid fewer closings and a lower average sales price.
On the company’s earnings call for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, President and CEO Ryan Marshall said he was “extremely pleased” with PulteGroup’s operating and financial results for both the quarter and the first half of the year. He pointed to order growth across all buyer groups, reduced incentives from the first quarter and continued progress shifting the business back toward build-to-order sales.
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Netflix, Pulte, and Mobileye Are Buying Their Own Dips—Should You?Second-quarter net new orders rose 6% year over year to 7,536 homes, while the value of orders increased 5% to $4.1 billion, according to Executive Vice President and CFO Jim Ossowski. Orders increased across first-time, move-up and active adult buyer segments, rising 5%, 4% and 12%, respectively.
Orders Rise, While Revenue and EPS Decline PulteGroup generated home sale revenue of $3.8 billion in the second quarter, down from $4.3 billion in the prior-year period. Ossowski said the decline reflected an 8% decrease in closings to 6,997 homes and a 3% decrease in average sales price to $544,000.
Homebuilder Earnings: D.R. Horton Sticks Out as Pulte & NVR Sales TankOssowski said mix was a meaningful factor in the lower average selling price, as the company had fewer closings from its Northeast and West operations, which he described as PulteGroup’s two highest-priced operating geographies.
The company reported pretax income of $622 million and net income of $472 million, or $2.48 per share. That compared with net income of $608 million, or $3.03 per share, in the second quarter of 2025. Diluted shares outstanding fell by 10 million shares, or 5%, from the prior year to 191 million, and the company repurchased 3.1 million shares for $373 million during the quarter.
PulteGroup’s financial services operations generated pretax income of $37 million, compared with $43 million a year earlier. Ossowski said the year-over-year decline was primarily due to lower closing volumes in the homebuilding business. The company’s mortgage capture rate was 85%, comparable to the second quarter of 2025.
Margins Hold Near 25% as Incentives Ease Sequentially PulteGroup reported a homebuilding gross margin of 25% for the quarter, up 60 basis points from the first quarter. For the first half of the year, homebuilding gross margin was 24.7%.
Marshall said the company’s margins reflect a disciplined land underwriting process, diversification across markets and buyer groups, and a balanced approach to price and pace. He said PulteGroup’s gross margins are “in some instances” several hundred basis points higher than those of peers.
Ossowski said second-quarter incentives were 10.4%, down 50 basis points from the first quarter. He attributed the sequential margin improvement to a greater mix of closings from higher-margin Florida markets, lower-than-anticipated discounts on homes sold and closed in the quarter, and lower build costs.
House costs were just under $75 per square foot in the quarter, down 5% from a year earlier and about 1% from the first quarter. Ossowski said the company expects to lose the tailwind from lower lumber costs as the year progresses, though it still expects year-over-year house costs to be slightly lower than in 2025.
In response to analyst questions, Marshall said incentives remain elevated because of affordability challenges and a competitive market. He said the company had previously identified the first quarter as the “high watermark” for incentives, but cautioned that the company is not expecting a sharp improvement from current levels.
Build-to-Order Shift Continues Marshall said PulteGroup continued to execute its transition back to build-to-order homes, with build-to-order sales representing 45% of new orders in the second quarter. Year to date, build-to-order sign-ups rose 500 basis points as a share of total orders compared with the first six months of 2025.
Ossowski said the company’s long-term goal is for orders to be about 60% build-to-order and 40% spec. Marshall said during the question-and-answer session that PulteGroup likely reaches that 60% target sometime next year.
The company ended the quarter with 14,980 homes in production, of which 6,638, or 44%, were spec homes. PulteGroup also had about 1,400 finished spec homes, equal to 1.3 finished specs per community, down from 1.9 a year earlier. Marshall said the company has effectively reached the spec inventory level it wants, though some work remains in select communities.
Marshall said build cycles have recovered from the supply chain disruptions that followed COVID, with cycle times down to 100 working days or fewer in some markets. He said that gives PulteGroup the ability to manage starts while still meeting production goals.
Regional Trends and Buyer Mix Management described overall demand as following typical seasonal patterns during the quarter, with sales and absorption paces easing month to month. Marshall said consumer activity was affected at times by global tensions, macroeconomic uncertainty and movements in interest rates.
Ossowski said net new orders increased in every region except the West, where consumer demand has been slower to recover. Florida remained a standout, with second-quarter orders up 19% year over year. Marshall also cited strength in Midwest markets such as Columbus, Cleveland and Chicago, as well as Greenville and Coastal Carolina. He said Dallas and Houston showed year-over-year order improvement, though he said it was too early to “declare victory” in Texas.
Second-quarter net new orders were 39% first-time buyers, 36% move-up buyers and 25% active adult buyers. Ossowski said active adult orders benefited from the opening of new Explore by Del Webb communities in Tampa and Columbus. Marshall said the company now has Explore by Del Webb communities open in Southern California, Columbus and Tampa, with another planned east of Park City, Utah.
Guidance Reaffirmed, Land Investment Continues PulteGroup expects to close between 7,000 and 7,400 homes in the third quarter and reaffirmed its full-year 2026 closing guidance of 28,500 to 29,000 homes. The company expects average selling prices of $550,000 to $560,000 in both the third and fourth quarters.
Ossowski said PulteGroup expects third-quarter gross margin of 24.5% to 25.0% and reaffirmed the same range for the full year. The company also maintained full-year SG&A guidance of 9.5% to 9.7% of home sale revenue and an expected tax rate of 24.5%, excluding discrete tax events.
PulteGroup invested $1.4 billion in land acquisition and development during the quarter, bringing year-to-date land spend to $2.7 billion. Ossowski said the company remains on track to invest about $5.4 billion in land in 2026. It ended the quarter with 228,000 lots under control, 55% of which were controlled by option.
The company ended the quarter with $1.4 billion in cash and a debt-to-capital ratio of 12.3%. Ossowski said PulteGroup continues to expect operating cash flow of about $1 billion for 2026.
Marshall also addressed industry consolidation, saying PulteGroup’s first question on any acquisition is whether it would make the company “better, not just bigger.” He said the company prefers smaller tuck-in acquisitions that build local market scale and views M&A primarily as another way to acquire land.
About PulteGroup (NYSE:PHM)PulteGroup, Inc NYSE: PHM is a U.S.-based residential homebuilder that designs, constructs and sells single-family homes and develops master-planned communities. The company operates multiple national and regional brands that target different buyer segments, including first-time buyers, move-up buyers and active-adult customers. Its operations encompass land acquisition and development, home design and construction, community amenities and ongoing customer service and warranty programs.
PulteGroup markets homes under several well-known brands, such as Pulte Homes, Centex and Del Webb, among others, offering a range of product types from entry-level detached homes to larger, higher-end residences and age-restricted active-adult communities.
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Arista Networks spustila AI-řízené ETM pro VeloCloud SD-WAN a přidala zero trust bezpečnost, firewall, prevenci hrozeb i filtrování Geo-IP a DNS. Novinka má zjednodušit správu poboček a snížit chyby při konfiguraci.
Key Takeaways Arista launched AI-driven ETM for VeloCloud SD-WAN with integrated zero trust security.ANET adds firewall, threat prevention, segmentation, Geo-IP and DNS filtering in one platform.Arista integrates AVA to explain policies and simulate traffic before deployment to reduce errors. Arista Networks, Inc. (ANET - Free Report) is strengthening its enterprise networking portfolio with the launch of artificial intelligence (AI)-driven Edge Threat Management (ETM) for its VeloCloud SD-WAN platform. The new offering integrates zero trust security directly into the SD-WAN edge, enabling enterprises to combine networking and security on a single unified platform while simplifying branch deployments.
Arista's software-based ETM upgrade adds advanced firewall protection, leading to threat prevention, zone-based segmentation, Geo-IP filtering and DNS filtering to the VeloCloud SD-WAN solution. Managed through the VeloCloud Orchestrator, the solution provides centralized visibility and a common policy engine, allowing businesses to simplify security management and enforce consistent policies across branch locations.
The company's new platform also integrates Arista Autonomous Virtual Assist (AVA) to enhance security operations with AI-powered intelligence. Through Ask AVA features such as Policy Explainer and Traffic Simulation, it helps administrators understand complex security rules in simple language and evaluate the impact of policy changes before deployment, reducing configuration errors and improving operational efficiency.
As enterprises increasingly prioritize unified networking and security, the latest launch expands Arista's VeloCloud capabilities while reinforcing its strategy of delivering AI-driven networking solutions for enterprise branch environments.
How Are Competitors Advancing in Enterprise Networking?Arista faces competition from Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO - Free Report) and NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA - Free Report) . Cisco has expanded its enterprise networking portfolio to meet the growing demand for AI and cloud infrastructure. The company offers advanced switches, routers, wireless networking and security solutions that improve network performance and reliability. Cisco's focus on software-defined and cloud-managed networking helps enterprises modernize their IT infrastructure.
NVIDIA has strengthened its enterprise AI business with new AI hardware, software and networking solutions. The company is helping businesses build and run AI applications through its AI platforms and computing systems. NVIDIA is working with cloud providers and enterprise customers to support the growing adoption of AI across industries.
ANET’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesShares of Arista have gained 54.5% over the past year against the industry’s decline of 14.7%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, Arista trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 16.98, above the industry average of 3.96.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Earnings estimates for 2026 have increased 0.8% to $3.64 over the past 60 days, while the same for 2027 has also increased 0.2% to $4.39.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Arista currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Avnet ve 3. čtvrtletí fiskálního roku 2026 zvýšil upravenou provozní marži na 3,1 % a rozšířil ji už třetí kvartál po sobě. Hrubá marže ale meziročně klesla na 10,4 % kvůli mixu prodejů a cenám pamětí.
Key Takeaways AVT expanded operating margin for a third straight quarter despite lower gross margins from sales mix changes.AVT expects further margin gains from SG&A discipline, improving demand and stronger book-to-bill trends.Avnet targets higher margins in EC and Farnell while maintaining its niche against Arrow and TD SYNNEX. Avnet's (AVT - Free Report) profitability continued to improve in the third quarter of fiscal 2026, even as gross margins remained under pressure, highlighting the benefits of disciplined cost management and operating leverage. The company reported an adjusted operating margin of 3.1%, up 38 basis points (bps) sequentially, marking its third consecutive quarter of expansion. Operating income grew more than twice as fast as sales, reflecting stronger execution across the business.
However, Avnet’s gross margin declined 68 bps year over year to 10.4%, primarily due to a greater mix of lower-margin Asia sales and memory price pass-throughs. Management noted that approximately half of sequential sales growth and one-quarter of year-over-year sales growth came from higher memory prices.
The company's largest Electronic Components (EC) segment expanded its operating margin to 3.5% from 3.2% in the previous quarter, driven by improving business conditions in Europe. Management expects EC operating margins to reach its 4% near-term target within the next fiscal year. Meanwhile, Farnell's operating margin improved to 5.2%, its sixth consecutive quarter of expansion, with management targeting a return to double-digit margins by the second half of 2027.
Looking ahead, rising book-to-bill ratios, improving lead times, stronger demand creation activity and continued SG&A discipline should support further operating margin expansion, even if gross margin remains constrained by product and geographic mix. Alongside this, AVT should also monitor how competitors are adapting to market dynamics and stay ahead of any new advancements.
How Competitors Fare Against AvnetAvnet operates in a competitive technology distribution market where it competes with global component distributors as well as broader IT distributors, including Arrow Electronics (ARW - Free Report) and TD SYNNEX (SNX - Free Report) . However, Avnet benefits from the niche it has created for itself, which helps to protect its margins.
Arrow Electronics competes directly with Avnet in electronic component distribution, semiconductor supply, embedded computing and engineering services. Both Arrow Electronics and Avnet serve OEMs, industrial manufacturers, automotive suppliers, communications equipment vendors and data center customers.
Avnet comes into crossroads with TD SYNNEX in the broader AI infrastructure value chain. AVT plays its role much earlier in the technology value chain by supplying electronic components directly to equipment manufacturers, making the overlap minimal with TD SYNNEX. Given these dynamics, Avnet has little to worry right now.
AVT’s Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesAvnet shares have soared 86.9% in the year-to-date period, outperforming the Zacks Electronics - Parts Distribution industry’s 60.2% growth.
Avnet YTD Performance Chart
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Despite this outperformance, AVT stock is trading at a price-to-sales multiple of 0.26X, which is below the P/S multiple of industry’s P/S multiple of 0.39X. The undervaluation is further substantiated by Zacks Value Score of B.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AVT’s fiscal 2026 earnings is pegged at $5.12, implying year-over-year growth of 49%. The estimate has remained unchanged for the past 60 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
AVT currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
PNW čeká v roce 2026 růst výnosů očištěných o počasí o 4–6 % díky datovým centrům a výrobě. Firma také potvrdila ziskový výhled na rok 2026 na 4,55–4,75 USD na akcii.
Key Takeaways PNW expects 4-6% weather-normalized sales growth in 2026, led by manufacturing and data centers. PNW secured nearly 4.5 GW of committed high-load demand, mainly from data centers and manufacturers. PNW plans to invest $7.95B from 2026 to 2028 in generation, transmission and distribution assets. Pinnacle West Capital (PNW - Free Report) benefits from robust economic growth across its service territory, driven by population growth and rising investments in semiconductor manufacturing, data centers and other industrial facilities. These trends support customer growth, boost electricity demand, drive infrastructure investments and expand the regulated rate base.
PNW projects 1.5-2.5% retail customer growth and 4-6% weather-normalized sales growth in 2026. Demand from new manufacturing facilities and several large data centers is expected to contribute 3-5% in 2026 and support 5-7% annual sales growth through 2030. The company has secured nearly 4.5 gigawatts of committed extra high-load customer demand, primarily from data centers and large manufacturers.
The expansion of TSMC's fabrication facilities and increasing investments from semiconductor suppliers across Arizona are driving higher industrial power demand. Rising industrial activity should boost electricity demand and support PNW's long-term earnings growth.
To meet rising electricity demand, PNW continues to expand its infrastructure. Pinnacle West Capital plans to invest $7.95 billion between 2026 and 2028 in generation, transmission and distribution assets to improve reliability and cater to rising demand across its service region. PNW also maintains its 2026 earnings guidance of $4.55-$4.75 per share, indicating confidence in continued demand growth. Construction has started on the Redhawk expansion, which will add approximately 400 megawatts of natural gas capacity, while the company advances the Desert Sun project and evaluates additional generation resources for 2029-2031.
Strong economic expansion, rising industrial electricity demand and disciplined capital investments position PNW to deliver sustainable earnings growth and create long-term value for shareholders.
Economic Expansion Fuels Long-Term Utility GrowthUtilities benefit from economic growth as expanding businesses, industries, data centers and electric vehicle adoption increase electricity demand. This supports utility investments, generates fresh demand for utility services, drives earnings growth and creates long-term shareholder value.
Evergy (EVRG - Free Report) is benefiting from expanding economic activity across Kansas and Missouri. Rising investments in data centers, advanced manufacturing and commercial projects support long-term rate-base and earnings growth.
PPL Corporation (PPL - Free Report) benefits from growing economic activity across Pennsylvania and Kentucky. Expanding data center and industrial investments are driving electricity demand, supporting rate-base expansion and long-term earnings growth.
The Zacks Rundown on PNWPNW’s Earnings EstimatesThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 and 2027 EPS indicates a decrease of 6.34% and an increase of 17.60%, respectively, year over year.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
PNW’s Dividend YieldPNW currently offers a 3.45% dividend yield, exceeding the Zacks Utility - Electric Power industry's 3.02% average over the past year.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
PNW’s Stock Price PerformanceIn the past six months, Pinnacle West Capital shares have risen 14.1% compared with the industry’s 4.6% growth.
Axon Enterprise v 1. čtvrtletí čelila tlaku na marže kvůli vyšším nákladům, clům a výdajům na výzkum a vývoj. Firma přesto v roce 2026 čeká upravenou EBITDA marži kolem 25,5 %.
Key Takeaways Axon Enterprise faced margin pressure in Q1 as higher costs, tariffs and R&D spending weighed on results.AXON expects a roughly 25.5% adjusted EBITDA margin in 2026 through cost management and efficiency gains.Axon Enterprise reorganized its business segments to improve cost control and operational efficiency. Axon Enterprise, Inc. (AXON - Free Report) has been subject to rising operating costs and expenses over time. The company’s cost of sales increased 38.8% in the first quarter of 2026, on a year-over-year basis. Also, its selling, general and administrative expenses surged 15.9% in the first quarter.
Although AXON’s adjusted EBITDA in the quarter increased 29.9% year over year to $201.6 million, the adjusted EBITDA margin declined 70 basis points (bps) to 25%. AXON’s adjusted gross margin in the quarter also fell 200 bps to 61.6%. The decline was attributable to the adverse impacts of higher costs and expenses, global tariffs and increased investment in R&D.
Nevertheless, the company’s focus on effective cost management, revenue growth and manufacturing efficiency is anticipated to boost its margin performance. For 2026, AXON currently expects an adjusted EBITDA margin of approximately 25.5%, relatively flat year over year. The company has set a long-term financial target to achieve about 28% of adjusted EBITDA margin by 2028, supported by annual revenues of $6 billion.
In first-quarter 2025, Axon Enterprise realigned its business segments to enhance its visibility into segment-specific performance and effectively manage costs. This strategic move is expected to continue supporting its margin performance and operational efficiency.
Peer’s Margin performanceIn first-quarter 2026, Tyler Technologies’ (TYL - Free Report) cost of sales and selling & marketing expenses both increased 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. Despite higher costs, Tyler Technologies’ gross margin improved 90 bps to 51.3% in the quarter, supported by revenue mix improvement and cloud efficiency gains.
Woodward, Inc.’s (WWD - Free Report) total costs and expenses rose 23% year over year in second-quarter fiscal 2026 (ended March 2026). Woodward’s selling, general and administrative expenses also rose 22.1% year over year. Despite the rise in costs, Woodward’s segmental margins expanded, which was supported by sales growth, improved mix of commercial services activity and solid defense OEM demand.
AXON’s Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesShares of Axon Enterprise have gained 30.1% in the past three months against the industry’s decline of 0.3%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, AXON is trading at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 54.41X, above the industry’s average of 39.83X. Axon Enterprise carries a Value Score of F.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AXON’s 2026 earnings has been stable over the past 60 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Revvity spustí v USA a EMEA na konci července 2026 program Signals for Startups pro rané biotechnologické firmy. Nabídne škálovatelný software, onboarding a licence pro startupy.
Key Takeaways Revvity will launch Signals for Startups in the United States and EMEA in late July 2026.The program offers scalable software, guided onboarding and startup-friendly licensing.It unifies research data, reduces rework and supports investor readiness and long-term growth. Revvity, Inc. (RVTY - Free Report) recently announced the launch of Signals for Startups, a new program to help early-stage biotechnology companies establish scalable digital informatics capabilities from the earliest stages of research. It is scheduled to launch across the United States, Europe, the Middle East and the Africa region in late July 2026.
The program provides startup biotechs with enterprise-grade Signals software, guided onboarding, startup-friendly licensing and best-practice configurations tailored to their needs. By enabling startups to adopt robust informatics capabilities from day one, the program aims to accelerate scientific innovation and research productivity, and reduce the time required to generate value from R&D investments.
Per management, Signals for Startups is built to help emerging biotech companies to grow fast without being held back by fragmented data or workflow challenges that limit their ability to scale. The combination of startup-friendly access, guided onboarding and scalable Signals workflows enables early-stage teams to establish a solid digital foundation, accelerate discovery and prepare for investor readiness and future growth.
Likely Trend of RVTY Stock Following the NewsShares of RVTY have risen 3.8% since the announcement on Monday. Year to date, the stock has gained 14.2% against the industry’s 2.2% fall. However, the S&P 500 has risen 9.5% in the same timeframe.
Revvity’s Signals for Startups program is expected to strengthen its software business by capturing emerging biotech companies early in their lifecycle. As these startups expand, the company can benefit from higher customer retention and increased adoption of its broader Signals portfolio. The initiative also enhances its competitive position in scientific informatics, broadens its presence in the fast-growing biotech sector and creates opportunities for sustained revenue growth through long-term customer relationships.
RVTY currently has a market capitalization of $11.87 billion.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
More on the NewsEmerging biotech companies often face the challenge of managing complex research data while operating with limited IT, informatics and operational resources. Signals for Startups addresses these challenges by offering a ready-to-use, scalable informatics environment that allows scientists to focus on innovation rather than system setup. With built-in workflows for both small- and large-molecule research, the platform helps standardize data management, streamline collaboration and create a strong digital foundation from the outset.
The program also provides startups with an easy entry into the Revvity Signals ecosystem through bundled software licenses suited to early-stage organizations, while offering the flexibility to expand as the business grows through funding rounds and commercialization. By replacing disconnected tools and fragmented data management with a unified informatics platform, Signals for Startups helps companies reduce inefficiencies, minimize rework and support long-term research scalability.
The program builds on the broader capabilities of Revvity Signals Software, a comprehensive cloud-based scientific informatics platform that supports research from early discovery through later-stage development. Designed to promote multidisciplinary collaboration, Signals helps research teams centralize scientific data, optimize R&D workflows and accelerate innovation across pharmaceutical, biotechnology, clinical and specialty chemical applications. Trusted by over one million users worldwide, with a 97% renewal rate and used by all of the world's top 20 biopharma companies, Revvity Signals has established itself as a trusted scientific software platform.
Industry Prospects Favoring the MarketGoing by the data provided by Precedence Research, the life science software market is predicted to be valued at $19.65 billion in 2026 and is expected to witness a CAGR of 10.7% through 2035.
Factors like the high investment in drug development and R&D by biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies to manage complex data, the need for integrated and compliant digital solutions, and urgent demand for AI-based automation in drug discovery and clinical trials to decrease time-to-market and R&D costs are boosting the market’s growth.
Other NewsRevvity recently announced that its Signals Software business has been added to Anthropic’s directory for Model Context Protocol connectors, extending the capabilities of Signals AI beyond the Signals One platform. Through the integration, scientists can access Signals AI and connected R&D knowledge using Claude, including Claude Science, Anthropic’s AI workbench for scientific research.
RVTY’s Zacks Rank & Key PicksRevvity currently carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).
Some better-ranked stocks from the broader medical space are West Pharmaceutical (WST - Free Report) , Intuitive Surgical (ISRG - Free Report) and Cardinal Health (CAH - Free Report) .
West Pharmaceutical, currently sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), reported first-quarter 2026 earnings per share (EPS) of $2.13, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 26.8%. Revenues of $844.9 million surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 8.5%. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
West Pharmaceutical has an estimated long-term earnings growth rate of 14.4%. WST’s earnings surpassed estimates in the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 19.4%.
Intuitive Surgical, currently carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted EPS of $2.80, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 12.9%. Revenues of $2.89 billion surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.1%.
Intuitive Surgical has an estimated long-term earnings growth rate of 14.3%. ISRG’s earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 16.5%.
Cardinal Health, currently carrying a Zacks Rank #2, reported a third-quarter fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS of $3.17, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 13.2%. Revenues of $60.94 billion missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.3%.
Cardinal Health has an estimated long-term earnings growth rate of 17%. CAH’s earnings surpassed estimates in the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 10.3%.
Howmet v 1. čtvrtletí 2026 zvýšil výnosy z komerčního letectví o 20 % na více než 1,2 miliardy USD a z obranného letectví o 10 % meziročně. L3Harris sice hlásí rekordní backlog ve výši 40,7 miliardy USD, ale trápí ho vyšší dluh a slabší trend odhadů EPS.
Key Takeaways HWM's commercial aerospace and defense markets fueled strong first-quarter 2026 revenue growth. HWM benefits from aircraft production, defense demand and rising 2026 sales and EPS estimates. LHX posted record backlog and orders, but debt levels and weaker EPS estimate trends remain concerns. Geopolitical instability across the globe has fueled demand for defense equipment and technologies, providing a significant growth tailwind for companies like Howmet Aerospace Inc. (HWM - Free Report) and L3Harris Technologies, Inc. (LHX - Free Report) . These are two familiar names operating in the aerospace and defense industry.
Howmet is a leading manufacturer of components and systems for jet engines and airframes, while L3Harris provides integrated aerospace and defense technologies, including avionics, electronic systems, and command-and-control solutions, to customers in the United States and internationally.
Rising global defense spending and the continued recovery in commercial aviation have boosted investor interest in aerospace companies with defense exposure. But which of these two stocks is better positioned to capitalize on these trends? Let’s compare their fundamentals to find out.
The Case for HowmetHowmet’s strongest growth driver remains the sustained momentum in the commercial aerospace market. In the first quarter of 2026, revenues from this market increased 20% year over year to more than $1.2 billion, accounting for 53% of the company’s total quarterly sales. Healthy global air travel has boosted aircraft utilization, driving demand for replacement parts and components supplied by Howmet.
The favorable market environment benefited Howmet’s Engine Products segment, which reported a 29% year-over-year revenue increase in the first quarter. The continued strength was driven by solid momentum in the commercial aerospace, defense aerospace and gas turbine markets. The Fastening Systems segment recorded 14% revenue growth, benefiting from solid demand in both the commercial and defense aerospace markets.
Also, Boeing is witnessing a gradual production increase, particularly in the 737 MAX widebody aircraft, which is boosting demand for Howmet’s products in the market. Healthy build rates at Airbus for A320 (narrowbody) and A350 (widebody) aircraft also hold promise for HWM’s engine spares demand.
The company is also benefiting from strength in the defense aerospace market. In the first quarter, revenues from this market rose 10% year over year, fueled by higher demand for engine spares related to the F-35 program and increased orders for legacy fighter jet replacement parts.
It's worth noting that the fiscal year 2026 Defense Appropriations Act was signed into law in February 2026, providing a strong budgetary allocation for defense. Such robust provisions set the stage for Howmet, which remains focused on its defense business.
HWM’s measures to reward shareholders are encouraging. In the first three months of 2026, the company paid dividends of $48 million and repurchased shares worth $300 million. In August 2025, the company hiked its dividend by 20% to 12 cents per share (annually: 48 cents), marking its second dividend hike in 2025. Also, in July 2024, its board approved an increase in the share repurchase program by $2 billion to $2.487 billion of its common stock.
The Case for LHXL3Harris is well-positioned to benefit from robust U.S. defense spending, supported by favorable budgetary priorities and rising investments in advanced defense technologies. The fiscal 2027 President's Budget Request, introduced in April 2026, proposed roughly $1.5 trillion in funding for national defense programs, creating a favorable demand environment for the company's Space & Mission Systems, Communications & Spectrum Dominance, and Missile Solutions portfolios.
LHX also remains well aligned with key U.S. defense priorities, including the Golden Dome, missile defense and hypersonic tracking. In the first quarter of 2026, L3Harris generated $7.8 billion in orders, resulting in a robust 1.4x book-to-bill ratio, while its backlog reached a record $40.7 billion, providing strong revenue visibility for future program execution. Strengthening its position further, the company secured a Space Development Agency contract worth up to $843 million to build 18 infrared satellites for the Tranche 3 Tracking Layer, designed to detect and track advanced missile threats.
Also, its Aerojet Rocketdyne subsidiary entered into definitive agreements in April 2026 for a $1.0 billion investment from the U.S. Department of War to expand manufacturing facilities, accelerate research and development, and increase production capacity for critical propulsion and missile technologies.
Beyond the United States, L3Harris continues to benefit from rising defense spending among allied nations. The company is witnessing healthy demand across Europe, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region as governments strengthen their defense capabilities. In the first quarter of 2026, the company’s international revenues totaled $1.29 billion, led by the Communications & Spectrum Dominance and Space & Mission Systems.
L3Harris is also sharpening its portfolio while investing in future growth. The company is progressing with the sale of its Space Technology business to AE Industrial Partners for a net enterprise value of $825 million, with the transaction expected to close in the second half of 2026.
Despite these strengths, the company's leveraged balance sheet remains a concern. As of April 3, 2026, L3Harris had $0.59 billion in cash and cash equivalents compared with $9.19 billion in long-term debt.
Also, persistent labor shortages and supply-chain constraints across the aerospace and defense industry continue to pose execution risks, potentially affecting production schedules and timely program deliveries.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for HWM & LHXThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for HWM’s 2026 sales and earnings per share (EPS) implies year-over-year growth of 18% and 32%, respectively. HWM’s EPS estimates for 2026 have increased over the past 60 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The consensus estimate for LHX’s 2026 sales and EPS indicates year-over-year growth of 7.7% and 7.6%, respectively. LHX’s EPS estimates have been trending southward over the past 60 days for 2026.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Price Performance and ValuationIn the past year, Howmet shares have soared 49.6%, while L3Harris stock has gained 3%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
HWM is trading at a forward 12-month price-to-earnings ratio of 50.33X, above its median of 26.43X over the last five years. LHX’s forward earnings multiple sits at 21.98X, above its median of 16.70X over the same time frame.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Final Take on HWM & LHXHowmet is benefiting from sustained strength in both commercial and defense aerospace markets, driven by the recovery in air travel, healthy demand for engine spares and higher defense spending. Backed by solid revenue growth and a strong order pipeline, the company continues to enhance shareholder value through dividends and share repurchases.
L3Harris is well-positioned for long-term growth, supported by its strong presence in both domestic and international defense markets, a record backlog and a robust pipeline of programs. However, ongoing supply-chain constraints, labor shortages and a highly leveraged balance sheet continue to pose challenges to its growth outlook.
Given these factors, HWM seems a better pick for investors than LHX currently. While Howmet currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), LHX carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 (Strong Buy) Rank stocks here.
Range Resources uvedla, že ve 2. čtvrtletí dosáhla rekordní efektivity vrtání a dokončování a zůstává na cestě k růstu produkce na 2,5 Bcfe denně do konce roku. Zároveň zvýšila výhled cen NGL na prémii 2,50 USD za barel vůči Mont Belvieu.
3 Energy Stocks to Watch Now as LNG Demand SurgesRange Resources NYSE: RRC said its second-quarter 2026 operations kept the company on track with a multi-year growth plan, as executives pointed to record drilling and completion efficiency, rising production and higher pricing expectations for natural gas liquids and natural gas.
Chief Executive Officer Dennis Degner said the quarter marked “a unique milestone” as Range reached the midpoint of the growth plan it announced early last year. He said the company’s cost structure, well performance and marketing portfolio are supporting free cash flow while Range grows production.
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These energy stocks are most-upgraded amid falling oil pricesSecond-quarter production averaged 2.3 billion cubic feet equivalent per day, Degner said. Range expects production to rise ratably through the rest of the year, reaching 2.5 Bcfe per day by year-end as gas processing and related infrastructure move through commissioning. Executives said that outlook remains consistent with prior guidance and positions the company for 2027.
Operational efficiency drives record activity Range reported second-quarter capital spending of $222 million. Degner said the company added a second completion crew to work through part of its drilled-but-uncompleted inventory that had accumulated over the prior 24 months. The quarter also included a spot horizontal rig for a single pad development expected to turn to sales later this year.
10 Best Natural Gas Stocks to Buy NowDegner said Range expects to return to a single horizontal rig and single frac crew in the fourth quarter, keeping capital plans aligned with prior guidance. The company drilled about 190,000 lateral feet during the quarter.
Range highlighted several operational records and efficiency gains during the call:
Drilling crews recorded 19 days in which they drilled more than one mile horizontally, including one 24-hour period above 10,500 feet. Two completion crews completed nearly 1,900 frac stages during the quarter, including downtime for moves between pad sites. The two crews averaged more than 10 stages per day per crew, while the company’s contracted electric frac fleet approached 14 stages per day. The company set records for most frac stages in one day by a single crew, at 20, and highest pumping hours in one day, at 22 hours. Degner said the stronger completion efficiency allowed Range to move a portion of second-half 2026 drilling activity into 2027 while remaining aligned with its 2026 and 2027 capital and development plans. In response to an analyst question, he said Range had planned to use about 400,000 lateral feet of DUC inventory over 2026 and 2027 and remains on track, though it is “a few wells ahead.”
Capital returns and balance sheet remain priorities Chief Financial Officer Mark Scucchi said Range repurchased $78 million of shares in the second quarter, bringing first-half repurchases to $105 million. The company also paid $24 million in dividends during the quarter, for a year-to-date total of $47 million, and reduced debt by $337 million in the first half.
Scucchi said the combined effect represented $489 million of year-to-date enterprise value returned to equity holders, or roughly 5.5% of Range’s market capitalization over six months. Since launching its repurchase program, Range has bought back 35.9 million shares, reducing its share count by nearly 10%, he said.
Scucchi described Range’s balance sheet as “roughly half a turn levered” and said the company is not delaying capital returns or business investments because of balance sheet needs. He also said Range’s balance sheet metrics are stronger than investment-grade peers, though the company remains rated below investment grade. In commercial discussions, Scucchi said, the credit rating has “never been a topic of discussion.”
Marketing outlook improves for NGLs and natural gas Range raised its full-year NGL pricing guidance to a premium of $2.50 per barrel over the Mont Belvieu index, citing strong international pricing and the structure of its physical sales agreements. Degner said Range captured an NGL premium of $3.49 per barrel over Mont Belvieu in the second quarter.
The company also improved its full-year natural gas guidance to a discount of $0.35 to $0.40 per Mcf versus Henry Hub, reflecting what Degner called a strong start to the year.
Degner said U.S. exports of LNG, ethane and LPG grew sharply from year-earlier levels during the second quarter. He said LNG feed gas averaged more than 17 Bcf per day, up 17% from the same period in 2025. U.S. waterborne ethane exports were estimated at 658,000 barrels per day, up 40% year over year, and waterborne propane and butane exports exceeded 2.6 million barrels per day, up 30% year over year.
Degner said Range expects export growth to support domestic fundamentals and pricing across its products. He also pointed to additional LPG export capacity expected in early 2027 and Repauno dock capacity that Range expects to enter service in 2027 as factors supporting continued access to international markets.
Management discusses growth beyond 2027 Executives repeatedly emphasized that Range’s current plan remains on track. Scucchi said the company previously laid out a three-year plan to grow production 20% to about 2.6 Bcfe per day in 2027. He said Range estimates it can maintain that level for less than $600 million of annual drilling and completion capital, or about $0.60 per Mcfe.
In analyst questions, management said growth beyond 2027 will depend on securing a “home” for incremental production. Degner said Range could potentially continue growing at a similar rate after 2027 with similar capital investment, provided demand materializes. He cited in-basin power and data center demand, takeaway capacity and Range’s inventory depth as key factors.
Scucchi said Range has more than 30 years of Marcellus inventory and described growth as a matter of “when and how much,” depending on customer demand and margins. He said the company would not simply grow volumes and sell into the basin without confidence that production has an end market.
Range also discussed potential longer-term flexibility in midstream investments. Degner said the company could evaluate investments in gathering and compression tied to incremental supply deals, depending on the economics of those molecules compared with traditional fee-based arrangements.
Degner said Range’s 2026 capital outlook is unchanged despite some resequencing of drilling activity. He said 2027 capital should be similar to what the company has communicated, unless a larger growth opportunity requires additional investment.
About Range Resources (NYSE:RRC)Range Resources Corporation, headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, is an independent energy company engaged in the exploration, development and production of natural gas, oil and natural gas liquids. The company focuses its core operations on the Appalachian Basin, with a significant presence in Pennsylvania's Marcellus Shale. Through its drilling and completion activities, Range Resources seeks to optimize production efficiency while maintaining a disciplined approach to capital allocation and cost management.
The company's technical expertise centers on advanced horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing techniques, which it applies to unlock unconventional resources.
This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected].
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TE Connectivity oznámila hospodářské výsledky za 3. čtvrtletí fiskálního roku 2026 a výhled hospodaření na 4. čtvrtletí. Na konferenčním hovoru vedení představilo také komentář k výsledkům a výhledu.
TE Connectivity plc (TEL) Q3 2026 Earnings Call July 22, 2026 8:30 AM EDT
Company Participants
Sujal Shah - Vice President of Investor Relations
Terrence Curtin - CEO & Executive Director
Heath Mitts - CFO, Executive VP & Executive Director
Conference Call Participants
Scott Davis - Melius Research LLC
Mark Delaney - Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., Research Division
Ruplu Bhattacharya - BofA Securities, Research Division
Christopher Glynn - Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., Research Division
Amit Daryanani - Evercore ISI Institutional Equities, Research Division
Joseph Giordano - TD Cowen, Research Division
Asiya Merchant - Citigroup Inc., Research Division
Steven Fox - Fox Advisors LLC
Manmohanpreet Singh - JPMorgan Chase & Co, Research Division
Joseph Spak - UBS Investment Bank, Research Division
Colin Langan - Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, Research Division
William Stein - Truist Securities, Inc., Research Division
Shreyas Patil - Wolfe Research, LLC
Presentation
Operator
Everyone, thank you for standing by, and welcome to the TE Connectivity Third Quarter Earnings Call for Fiscal Year 2026. [Operator Instructions] As a reminder, today's call is being recorded.
I would now like to turn the conference over to our host, Vice President of Investor Relations, Sujal Shah. Please go ahead.
Sujal Shah
Vice President of Investor Relations
Good morning, and thank you for joining our conference call to discuss TE Connectivity's third quarter results and outlook for our fourth quarter of fiscal 2026. With me today are Chief Executive Officer, Terrence Curtin; and Chief Financial Officer, Heath Mitts.
During this call, we'll be providing certain forward-looking information, and we ask you to review the forward-looking cautionary statements included in today's press release. In addition, we will use certain non-GAAP measures in our discussion this morning, and we ask you to review the sections of our press release and the accompanying slide presentation that address the use of these items. The press release and related tables, along with the slide presentation, can be found
Sterling rozšiřuje vertikálně integrované služby o elektrické a mechanické práce na mission-critical projektech. Tato strategie podporuje růst marží i díky backlogu 5,15 miliardy USD.
Key Takeaways Sterling is expanding from site development into electrical and mechanical work on mission-critical projects.Mission-critical projects made up more than 90% of E-Infrastructure backlog at the end of Q1 2026.A $5.15 billion backlog and cross-selling on data center campuses could support further margin gains. Sterling Infrastructure, Inc. (STRL - Free Report) has already delivered one of the strongest margin expansion stories in the engineering and construction industry. But the next phase of the company's profitability may depend less on project volume and more on how effectively it expands its vertically integrated service model.
That strategy became more evident following Sterling's $561.6 million acquisition of CEC Facilities Group. Traditionally recognized for large-scale site development, STRL can now provide specialty electrical and mechanical services, extending its capabilities further into mission-critical projects such as data centers, semiconductor fabrication facilities and advanced manufacturing plants. Rather than handing projects off to another specialty contractor after site preparation, Sterling is increasingly participating across multiple stages of the project lifecycle.
Early results suggest that the strategy is gaining traction. Mission-critical projects accounted for more than 90% of E-Infrastructure backlog at the end of first-quarter 2026. Segment revenues rose 174% year over year to $597.7 million, while operating income increased 187% to $133.8 million. CEC contributed $156.1 million in quarterly revenues, and Sterling is actively cross-selling its electrical capabilities with the company's legacy civil site-development services. STRL is already executing two major data center campuses under this integrated civil-and-electrical delivery model.
Vertical integration also strengthens the company's competitive position. Large customers increasingly prefer contractors capable of managing multiple phases of complex projects because it reduces coordination risk, streamlines execution and simplifies project oversight. For Sterling, providing a broader range of services increases the opportunity to capture a larger share of project spending, strengthens customer relationships and supports greater revenue visibility through its $5.15 billion combined backlog, particularly across fast-growing AI-driven data center and semiconductor markets.
Disciplined project selection, favorable mix and strong execution have already lifted profitability, while deeper integration across mission-critical projects could provide another avenue for margin expansion.
Integrated Capabilities Are Reshaping Industry CompetitionSterling's vertically integrated strategy reflects a broader industry shift, with contractors expanding their capabilities to capture a larger share of complex infrastructure projects. Companies like Comfort Systems USA, Inc. (FIX - Free Report) and MasTec, Inc. (MTZ - Free Report) are pursuing similar strategies to capitalize on growing demand from AI-driven data centers and other mission-critical facilities.
Comfort Systems continues to deepen its integrated mechanical and electrical capabilities as demand for technology infrastructure accelerates. The company reported a record backlog of $12.5 billion, with advanced technology projects accounting for 56% of revenues and remaining the largest driver of pipeline and backlog. Management also highlighted increased collaboration between its mechanical and electrical businesses, continued investments in modular manufacturing capacity and automation, and acquisitions that expand its electrical capabilities, enabling FIX to deliver more comprehensive solutions for large mission-critical projects.
MasTec is pursuing a similar strategy by broadening its turnkey infrastructure capabilities. Management emphasized that combining civil, power, telecom and construction-management expertise positions the company to capture a larger share of data center and critical infrastructure spending. MTZ continues to expand its self-perform capabilities to improve margins while customers increasingly seek deeper partnerships, alliance agreements and turnkey solutions that provide greater execution certainty for large, complex projects.
STRL Stock’s Price Performance & Valuation TrendShares of this Texas-based infrastructure services provider have surged 126.7% year to date, outperforming the Zacks Engineering - R and D Services industry, the broader Construction sector and the S&P 500 Index.
STRL's YTD Share Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
STRL stock is currently trading at a premium compared with its industry peers, with a forward 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 31.5, as shown in the chart below.
STRL’s P/E Ratio (Forward 12-Month) vs. Industry
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Earnings Estimate Revision of STRLSTRL’s earnings estimates for 2026 and 2027 have moved upward in the past 60 days to $19.12 and $25.83 per share, respectively. The revised estimates for 2026 and 2027 imply year-over-year growth of 74.7% and 32.9%, respectively.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
STRL's Zacks RankSterling stock currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Comstock Resources (CRK) má za čtvrtletí končící v červnu 2026 vykázat zisk 0,02 USD na akcii, což je meziročně o 84,6 % méně. Tržby mají klesnout na 415,15 milionu USD, tedy o 11,7 %.
The market expects Comstock Resources (CRK - Free Report) to deliver a year-over-year decline in earnings on lower revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended June 2026. This widely-known consensus outlook is important in assessing the company's earnings picture, but a powerful factor that might influence its near-term stock price is how the actual results compare to these estimates.
The earnings report, which is expected to be released on July 29, might help the stock move higher if these key numbers are better than expectations. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower.
While management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call will mostly determine the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations, it's worth having a handicapping insight into the odds of a positive EPS surprise.
Zacks Consensus EstimateThis oil and gas company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.02 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -84.6%.
Revenues are expected to be $415.15 million, down 11.7% from the year-ago quarter.
Estimate Revisions TrendThe consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 6.98% lower over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period.
Investors should keep in mind that the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts may not always get reflected in the aggregate change.
Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Earnings WhisperEstimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. This insight is at the core of our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction).
The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.
Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only.
A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP.
Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell).
How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for Comstock?For Comstock, the Most Accurate Estimate is lower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bearish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of -11.11%.
On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #5.
So, this combination makes it difficult to conclusively predict that Comstock will beat the consensus EPS estimate.
Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue?Analysts often consider to what extent a company has been able to match consensus estimates in the past while calculating their estimates for its future earnings. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number.
For the last reported quarter, it was expected that Comstock would post earnings of $0.23 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.15, delivering a surprise of -34.78%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates three times.
Bottom LineAn earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss.
That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.
Comstock doesn't appear a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release.
Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.
The market expects PennyMac Financial (PFSI - Free Report) to deliver a year-over-year increase in earnings on higher revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended June 2026. This widely-known consensus outlook is important in assessing the company's earnings picture, but a powerful factor that might influence its near-term stock price is how the actual results compare to these estimates.
The stock might move higher if these key numbers top expectations in the upcoming earnings report, which is expected to be released on July 29. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower.
While management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call will mostly determine the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations, it's worth having a handicapping insight into the odds of a positive EPS surprise.
Zacks Consensus EstimateThis mortgage banking and investment management company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $2.08 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +103.9%.
Revenues are expected to be $535.43 million, up 20.4% from the year-ago quarter.
Estimate Revisions TrendThe consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 11.9% lower over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period.
Investors should keep in mind that the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts may not always get reflected in the aggregate change.
Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Earnings WhisperEstimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. Our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) -- has this insight at its core.
The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.
Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only.
A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP.
Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell).
How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for PennyMac?For PennyMac, the Most Accurate Estimate is the same as the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that there are no recent analyst views which differ from what have been considered to derive the consensus estimate. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of 0%.
On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #5.
So, this combination makes it difficult to conclusively predict that PennyMac will beat the consensus EPS estimate.
Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue?While calculating estimates for a company's future earnings, analysts often consider to what extent it has been able to match past consensus estimates. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number.
For the last reported quarter, it was expected that PennyMac would post earnings of $2.22 per share when it actually produced earnings of $2.19, delivering a surprise of -1.35%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates just once.
Bottom LineAn earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss.
That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.
PennyMac doesn't appear a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release.
Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.
Wall Street expects a year-over-year increase in earnings on higher revenues when Clean Harbors (CLH - Free Report) reports results for the quarter ended June 2026. While this widely-known consensus outlook is important in gauging the company's earnings picture, a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price is how the actual results compare to these estimates.
The stock might move higher if these key numbers top expectations in the upcoming earnings report, which is expected to be released on July 29. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower.
While management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call will mostly determine the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations, it's worth having a handicapping insight into the odds of a positive EPS surprise.
Zacks Consensus EstimateThis environmental services company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $2.73 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +15.7%.
Revenues are expected to be $1.62 billion, up 4.8% from the year-ago quarter.
Estimate Revisions TrendThe consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 1.73% higher over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period.
Investors should keep in mind that an aggregate change may not always reflect the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts.
Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Earnings WhisperEstimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. Our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) -- has this insight at its core.
The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.
Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only.
A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP.
Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell).
How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for Clean Harbors?For Clean Harbors, the Most Accurate Estimate is higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bullish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of +3.82%.
On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #2.
So, this combination indicates that Clean Harbors will most likely beat the consensus EPS estimate.
Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue?Analysts often consider to what extent a company has been able to match consensus estimates in the past while calculating their estimates for its future earnings. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number.
For the last reported quarter, it was expected that Clean Harbors would post earnings of $1.15 per share when it actually produced earnings of $1.19, delivering a surprise of +3.48%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates three times.
Bottom LineAn earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss.
That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.
Clean Harbors appears a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release.
An Industry Player's Expected ResultsAnother stock from the Zacks Waste Removal Services industry, Clean Harbors (CLH - Free Report) , is soon expected to post earnings of $2.73 per share for the quarter ended June 2026. This estimate indicates a year-over-year change of +15.7%. Revenues for the quarter are expected to be $1.62 billion, up 4.8% from the year-ago quarter.
The consensus EPS estimate for Clean Harbors has been revised 1.7% higher over the last 30 days to the current level. However, a higher Most Accurate Estimate has resulted in an Earnings ESP of +3.82%.
When combined with a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), this Earnings ESP indicates that Clean Harbors will most likely beat the consensus EPS estimate. Over the last four quarters, the company surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times.
Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.
e.l.f. Beauty posiluje péči o pleť: ve fiskálním roce 2026 tvořila 23 % globálních tržeb oproti 9 % v roce 2023. e.l.f. SKIN přinesla přibližně 200 milionů USD v globálních maloobchodních tržbách.
Key Takeaways Skin care reached 23% of e.l.f. Beauty's global consumption in fiscal 2026, up from 9% in fiscal 2023. e.l.f. SKIN generated about $200 million in retail sales and rose to No. 11 in U.S. mass skin care.Naturium nearly doubled pre-acquisition sales, while rhode's net sales grew more than 80% year over year. e.l.f. Beauty, Inc. (ELF - Free Report) is building a larger presence in skin care through e.l.f. SKIN, Naturium and rhode. The category accounted for 23% of the company’s global consumption in fiscal 2026, up from 9% in fiscal 2023, showing that skin care has become a more meaningful part of its brand portfolio.
e.l.f. SKIN provides the foundation of this expansion. The brand generated approximately $200 million in global retail sales in fiscal 2026. Its strategy centers on offering products inspired by prestige beauty at accessible prices. Over the past five years, e.l.f. SKIN has advanced from the No. 25 mass skin care brand in the United States to No. 11.
Despite that progress, the brand held only about 2% of the mass skin care category compared with 13% for the leading brand. This gap highlights the available share opportunity, although further gains will depend on continued product innovation and consumer adoption.
Naturium adds another established growth platform. The brand delivered nearly $250 million in global retail sales in fiscal 2026, roughly double its pre-acquisition level. It was also the fastest-growing brand among the top 50 skin care brands during the fourth quarter. Rhode brings additional scale and momentum. On a pro forma annualized basis, the brand generated more than $500 million in global retail sales and approximately $390 million in net sales in fiscal 2026, with net sales increasing more than 80% year over year.
Together, the three brands give e.l.f. Beauty exposure across different skin care segments. The next leg of growth will depend on whether e.l.f. SKIN can keep gaining share while Naturium and rhode maintain their current pace.
ELF Stock Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesShares of this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company have jumped 20.6% over the past three months compared with the industry’s growth of 10.9%.
ELF Price Performance Versus Industry
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, e.l.f. Beauty trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 23.46, above the industry’s average of 19.48.
ELF Valuation Compared to Industry
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ELF’s current and next fiscal-year earnings per share implies year-over-year growth of 5.8% and 9.9%, respectively.
Stocks to ConsiderUnited Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI - Free Report) , a major food wholesaler serving grocery retailers, currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for United Natural’s current and next fiscal-year earnings per share suggests a year-over-year increase of 254.9% and 21.4%, respectively. UNFI delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 29.9%, on average.
The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. (EL - Free Report) , a leading global prestige beauty company with a diversified portfolio of skin care, makeup, fragrance and hair care brands, carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for The Estee Lauder Companies’ current and next fiscal-year EPS calls for a year-over-year jump of 59.6% and 31.7%, respectively. EL delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 39.1%, on average.
Mama's Creations, Inc. (MAMA - Free Report) , a maker of refrigerated prepared foods for retail and foodservice, carries a Zacks Rank #2 at present.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Mama's Creations’ current and next fiscal-year EPS suggests growth of 73.3% and 46.2%, respectively, from the prior-year reported levels. MAMA delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 129.2%, on average.
Injective spustil Injective Mint, platformu pro vydávání tokenizovaných aktiv s vestavěnými regulačními kontrolami a bez nutnosti kódování. Současně podal žádost u SEC o registraci jako transfer agent.
Injective Mint Opens for Private Alpha@Injective has officially unveiled Injective Mint, a unified platform for issuing institutional-grade tokenized assets with built-in regulatory controls. The platform allows issuers to generate compliance-ready digital assets without writing code, consolidating asset creation and compliance configuration into a single interface.
Unlike traditional tokenization processes, which often require bespoke smart contracts and technical expertise, Injective Mint consolidates asset creation, compliance configuration, and management into one place. Issuers can customize permissions, set jurisdictional restrictions, and enforce compliance rules directly on-chain through Injective's native Tokenfactory and Permissions modules. The platform supports compliant issuance of equities, bonds, ETFs, and FX instruments, and is open to institutions, retail participants, and AI agents alike.
The architecture provides native blockchain-level controls for permissions, allowing issuers to manage address freezes and transfer rules without relying on third-party intermediaries. Injective Mint is currently live in private beta.
SEC Filing and a Broader Regulatory PushThe Mint launch is part of a wider regulatory strategy. Injective has filed an application with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to register as a transfer agent, with the announcement coinciding with the unveiling of Injective Mint at the Injective Summit in Washington, D.C.
Rather than pursuing a new regulatory framework tailored to cryptocurrencies, Injective is seeking approval to perform one of the financial industry's most established administrative functions. Transfer agents are responsible for maintaining official ownership records for securities, recording ownership changes, issuing and canceling certificates, and processing dividend distributions.
Injective wants to bring this function on-chain, allowing the ownership record to exist on the same blockchain as the tokenized security rather than relying on a separate off-chain database. According to Injective, moving the transfer agent function on-chain could allow market participants to record and transfer ownership of tokenized securities within seconds while reducing the need for multiple intermediaries. It is worth noting that the filing begins the registration process and should not be interpreted as SEC approval or confirmation that Injective is already operating as a registered transfer agent.
These moves come after Injective's reported settlement of $6.8B in RWA volume and against a broader market backdrop where, the tokenized RWA market has expanded 256.7% from $5.42 billion at the start of 2025 to $19.32 billion by March 2026, according to CoinGecko.
Alongside the SEC filing, Injective has also published a Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) whitepaper in Europe, signaling ambitions to build compliant infrastructure across two of the world's largest financial markets.
Sources:
CoinTrust: Injective Seeks SEC Transfer Agent Status, Launches RWA Platform
Crypto Times: Injective Files SEC Registration to Bring Securities Ownership Onchain
Blockchain.News: Injective Launches Mint Platform for Compliance-Ready RWA Tokenization
Reddit klesl o 9 % poté, co Wall Street Journal uvedl, že zvažuje zablokování Googlu v přístupu k obsahu pro trénink AI modelů. Spor souvisí s obnovou datové licenční dohody za zhruba 60 milionů USD ročně.
Shares of Reddit (NYSE:RDDT | RDDT Price Prediction) are down 9% to $169.48 in Wednesday afternoon trading following a Wall Street Journal report that the company is weighing whether to cut off Alphabet‘s (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google from using Reddit content to train artificial intelligence models.
The move leaves Reddit stock 26% lower year to date (YTD), and extends a rough stretch that included a 15% pullback over the past week. Reddit’s market capitalization sits near $32.3 billion.
WSJ Report on Google Renewal Sparks Selling According to the Wall Street Journal, Reddit is considering whether to block Google’s access to its content as the two sides negotiate a renewal of their 2024 data-licensing agreement, estimated at about $60 million per year. No final decision has been made.
The core issue is traffic cannibalization. Google’s AI Overviews answer user queries directly on the search page, reducing the referral clicks Reddit relies on to sell ads. Reddit executives reportedly want usage-based fees on the next deal.
The bullish read is that Reddit’s human-conversation data is among the most-cited sources feeding AI answers, and the company also licenses data to OpenAI, giving it real pricing leverage in a renewal. The bearish take is that if AI Overviews keep siphoning clicks, other publishers including USA Today, Politico, Reuters, The Economist, and People Inc. are also reassessing their Google relationships, and Reddit’s ad engine could weaken over time.
Peers, the ETF Wrapper, and Insider Noise The read-through to social-media advertising rivals is muted so far. Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) stock is trading at $629.44, while Snap (NYSE:SNAP) shares sit at $4.51 and are down 43% YTD. If Reddit’s referral base erodes, Meta Platforms and Snap could benefit competitively for the same digital ad dollars, though that is a potential risk rather than a reported outcome.
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Alphabet stock is little changed, up less than 1%, as its sheer scale absorbs the headline. The Global X Social Media ETF (NASDAQ:SOCL) holds Reddit, Meta Platforms, Snap, and Alphabet, but the fund is heavily weighted toward international names and Reddit is only 7% of net assets, so a Reddit-specific stumble barely moves the ETF. That said, the fund is a narrow, volatile, single-theme vehicle with real concentration risk.
On the ownership side, Allspring Global Investments Holdings disclosed a reduction in its Reddit stake, and COO Jennifer Wong recently sold Reddit stock. The Wong sale was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan, which is routine and not a directional signal.
Fundamentals and Sentiment Still Look Strong Reddit’s underlying business remains healthy. The company’s Q1 FY2026 revenue grew 69% year over year (YoY) to $663.41 million, EPS came in at $1.01 versus a $0.56 consensus, and management guided Q2 revenue to $715 million to $725 million. CEO Steve Huffman has called the platform “fuel” for AI.
Reddit-community sentiment on RDDT stock is actually running bullish, with a sentiment score of 67, and one top post argued the threat is “extremely bullish” as a negotiating posture. The RDDT analyst target price still sits at $227.30, well above today’s level.
What to Watch Next Alphabet reports its Q2 results after Wednesday’s close, and any management commentary on content and licensing costs could move both Reddit stock and Alphabet stock. Investors can watch for whether either company confirms or denies the WSJ report, and whether the standoff surfaces on Reddit’s own Q2 call. If a richer renewal lands, today’s selloff may look like an overreaction; if Google’s AI Overviews keep draining clicks, the ad thesis needs a rethink.
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Ichor těží z investic do AI a silnější poptávky po zařízení pro výrobu waferů, zejména v leptání a depozici. Tržby mezikvartálně vzrostly o 15 % na 256,1 mil. USD a non-GAAP EPS činil 15 centů, oproti 1 centu v předchozím čtvrtletí.
Key Takeaways Ichor is entering a stronger demand phase as AI investment boosts wafer fab equipment activity.Etch and deposition exposure benefits from advanced logic, HBM and gate-all-around process intensity.Higher proprietary content, automation and lower-cost plants are supporting margin expansion. Ichor Holdings, Ltd. (ICHR - Free Report) is moving into a stronger demand phase as semiconductor equipment spending improves and AI-related chip investment lifts activity in wafer fabrication.
The investment case now centers on two issues: whether Ichor can benefit from its exposure to etch and deposition tools, and whether operational changes can translate that demand into better margins.
How ICHR Fits Into Chip EquipmentIchor designs, engineers and manufactures critical fluid delivery subsystems and precision-engineered components used mainly in semiconductor capital equipment. Its gas and chemical delivery systems help control specialty gases and chemicals used in etch, deposition, chemical-mechanical planarization and cleaning.
That niche matters because chipmaking tools depend on precise delivery of materials during highly complex manufacturing steps. Ichor’s relationships with major equipment makers, including Lam Research (LRCX - Free Report) , Applied Materials (AMAT - Free Report) and ASML Holding, give it relevance across the wafer fab equipment supply chain.
Lam Research is especially important to the etch and deposition ecosystem, making it a useful reference point for investors tracking Ichor’s end-market exposure. Applied Materials also sits at the center of semiconductor equipment spending, reinforcing why Ichor’s customer base is closely tied to industry capital investment trends.
Ichor’s AI and Etch TailwindThe core upside argument is that AI infrastructure, advanced logic and high-bandwidth memory are driving a more favorable wafer fab equipment cycle. These areas require more complex chip architectures and more process intensity.
That matters for Ichor because the current cycle favors etch and deposition, where the company has significant exposure. Gate-all-around architectures require roughly 30% more process steps, supporting demand for the types of tools and subsystems tied to Ichor’s business.
Why ICHR Margins Could ImproveIchor’s margin story is not just about higher volume. The company is pursuing vertical integration, expanding proprietary product content and optimizing manufacturing to improve profitability as revenues rise.
Management has been shifting manufacturing activity to lower-cost facilities in Mexico and Malaysia, increasing automation and improving production efficiency. Ichor entered 2026 with its branded components representing 25% of content in the systems it builds, up from 15% in 2024, and targets 35% by the end of 2026.
First-quarter 2026 results showed early operating leverage. Revenues rose 15% sequentially to $256.1 million, while non-GAAP gross margin improved to 12.8% and non-GAAP EPS reached 15 cents, up from one cent in the prior quarter.
Where Ichor Still Looks VulnerableThe risks remain meaningful. Ichor depends heavily on a small number of large semiconductor equipment customers, with Lam Research and Applied Materials accounting for 76% of 2025 revenues.
That concentration can amplify swings when customers adjust orders, delay capacity additions or change sourcing strategies. The company also remains tied to the cyclical wafer fab equipment market, where spending can shift quickly with memory conditions, macro weakness or geopolitical uncertainty.
Execution risk is another key issue. Margin expansion depends on customer qualifications, smooth manufacturing transfers, higher proprietary content and efficient production ramps. Delays or disruptions could limit the earnings leverage investors expect.
What ICHR’s Ratings Say NowThe bottom line is that Ichor’s business setup is improving, but the stock’s near-term signal set remains uneven. AI-related demand and margin initiatives provide a stronger fundamental story, yet valuation, execution and cyclicality still matter.
ICHR currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). That rank points to weak near-term positioning over the one-to-three-month horizon, even as the longer-term business narrative has improved. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
The Style Scores also show a mixed profile. ICHR has a Value Score of F, Growth Score of C, Momentum Score of B and VGM Score of D. The Momentum Score is the strongest part of the setup, but the weak Value Score and VGM Score suggest investors may want more evidence that growth and margin execution can keep pace with the stock’s expectations.
Summit Therapeutics uvedla, že delší sledování studie HARMONi u pacientů s EGFR-mutovaným, lokálně pokročilým nebo metastatickým neskvamózním NSCLC ukazuje lepší trend celkového přežití u ivonescimabu ve spojení s chemoterapií. Data už poslala FDA jako podporu žádosti o schválení.
The study is evaluating ivonescimab combined with chemotherapy compared to placebo plus chemotherapy for endothelial growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutated, locally advanced or metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who were previously treated with a third-generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI).
The latest analysis continues to demonstrate a favorable overall survival trend and a consistent safety profile across diverse patient populations.
Prolonged Follow-Up Enhances Efficacy TrendsThe HARMONi trial investigates ivonescimab paired with chemotherapy against a placebo and chemotherapy regimen.
The study focuses on patients battling advanced or metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring EGFR mutations, following prior treatment with third-generation therapies.
In the primary analysis from April 2025, patients receiving the ivonescimab combination exhibited a median overall survival of 16.8 months, compared to 14.0 months for the placebo group.
While initially showing a positive trend without reaching statistical significance, subsequent evaluations highlighted improving outcomes.
By September 2025, extended monitoring of Western participants yielded a hazard ratio of 0.78.
The most recent data cut in June 2026, featuring a 23.2-month median follow-up for Western patients, showcased an even stronger hazard ratio of 0.76.
Safety Profile And Regulatory Next StepsWith longer observation periods, the magnitude of survival benefits for Western participants now aligns with the results seen in Asian patients, who had longer follow-up times during earlier assessments.
Furthermore, ivonescimab maintained a manageable safety profile with no new adverse signals detected.
Summit has provided these updated findings to the FDA to support its Biologics License Application. The regulatory agency has set a target action date of November 14, 2026, to decide on the drug’s approval.
SMMT Price Action: Summit Therapeutics shares were up 2.26% at $14.96 at the time of publication on Wednesday, according to Benzinga Pro data.
Photo by Piotr Swat via Shutterstock
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Smurfit Westrock (SW - Free Report) is expected to deliver a year-over-year decline in earnings on higher revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended June 2026. This widely-known consensus outlook gives a good sense of the company's earnings picture, but how the actual results compare to these estimates is a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price.
The stock might move higher if these key numbers top expectations in the upcoming earnings report, which is expected to be released on July 29. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower.
While the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call, it's worth handicapping the probability of a positive EPS surprise.
Zacks Consensus EstimateThis paper and packaging company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.42 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -6.7%.
Revenues are expected to be $7.99 billion, up 0.6% from the year-ago quarter.
Estimate Revisions TrendThe consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 4.98% lower over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period.
Investors should keep in mind that the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts may not always get reflected in the aggregate change.
Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Earnings WhisperEstimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. This insight is at the core of our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction).
The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.
Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only.
A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP.
Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell).
How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for Smurfit Westrock?For Smurfit Westrock, the Most Accurate Estimate is the same as the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that there are no recent analyst views which differ from what have been considered to derive the consensus estimate. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of 0%.
On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #3.
So, this combination makes it difficult to conclusively predict that Smurfit Westrock will beat the consensus EPS estimate.
Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue?While calculating estimates for a company's future earnings, analysts often consider to what extent it has been able to match past consensus estimates. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number.
For the last reported quarter, it was expected that Smurfit Westrock would post earnings of $0.36 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.33, delivering a surprise of -8.33%.
The company has not been able to beat consensus EPS estimates in any of the last four quarters.
Bottom LineAn earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss.
That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.
Smurfit Westrock doesn't appear a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release.
Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.
It has been an up-and-down year for Iren (IREN +2.86%), but the stock of the neocloud operator surged 20% on July 20 after it announced $2.8 billion in new contracts. The stock has more than doubled over the past year, but has also been cut nearly in half from its highs.
The average weighted length of Iren's new contracts is four years and includes deals with hyperscalers, frontier labs, artificial intelligence (AI) developers, and enterprises. It also said that its recent arrangements include prepayments covering approximately 45% of the cost of the graphics processing units (GPUs) to be used in the deployments.
In addition to its new contract announcements, Iren also increased its year-end AI cloud computing annual revenue run rate outlook to more than $4 billion, up from a prior target of $3.7 billion. The company is expanding aggressively. A year ago, it had a capacity of 3 megawatts, and it's expected to bring that total to 480 megawatts in 2026 and 1.2 gigawatts in 2027. Despite its growth, it said demand continues to exceed its planned capacity additions.
Image source: The Motley Fool.
Iren is one of a handful of former Bitcoin miners that have shifted their focus toward AI data centers. While at first this shift may seem like a red flag, it actually does make a lot of strategic sense.
Cryptocurrency miners built their business around securing land for large campuses and securing power from utilities at attractive prices. After the AI boom, both of these became valuable assets, with access to cheap energy becoming a major AI data center bottleneck. Historically, Iren and others have been beholden to the price of Bitcoin, but moving to AI data centers gives them a more predictable and profitable business model.
And Iren hasn't been standing still. It acquired software and infrastructure companies, such as Mirantis, to create a fully integrated software layer and offer a full end-to-end cloud platform. And with permitted sites and power locked up in Texas and Australia, the company has a clear pathway for expansion.
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Iren has also partnered with other large players in the space, including Nvidia and Microsoft. It secured a massive five-year, $3.4 billion cloud services contract directly with Nvidia to host its internal AI and research workloads. It also has a $9.7 billion, five-year deal with Microsoft, with it dedicating 200 megawatts of power to the cloud giant.
While building massive data centers is a capital-intensive business, Iren has structured its deals to secure upfront cash payments to help fund GPUs. This helps somewhat de-risk the business and makes it a speculative, but intriguing, stock to add given its momentum.
Modine čeká za 1. fiskální čtvrtletí roku 2027 růst tržeb o 31,2 % a EPS o 30,2 %. Datová centra a rekordní objednávky mohou výsledky podpořit, ale nedostatek komponent brzdí výrobu.
Key Takeaways Modine is expected to report 31.2% revenue growth and 30.2% EPS growth in fiscal Q1 2027.Record data center orders & 80/20 gains could boost results, while component shortages may disrupt production.Modine expects 20-35% fiscal 2027 sales growth, but higher capex and working capital needs pressure cash flow. Modine Manufacturing Company (MOD - Free Report) is slated to release first-quarter fiscal 2027 results on July 29, after the closing bell. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the to-be-reported quarter’s earnings per share (EPS) and revenues is pegged at $1.38 and $895.51 million, respectively.
For the fiscal first quarter, the consensus estimate for Modine’s earnings has moved down 5 cents over the past 30 days. Its bottom-line estimates imply growth of 30.2% from the year-ago reported numbers.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MOD's quarterly revenues implies a year-over-year rise of 31.2%. The company's earnings beat estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average surprise of 14.18%. This is depicted in the graph below:
Q4 HighlightsModine posted adjusted earnings of $1.71 per share for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, which increased 53% from the year-ago quarter and came above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.51 by 13.2%. Net sales were $954.4 million, which rose 47% year over year and topped the consensus mark of $907 million by 5.2%.
Things to NoteModine’s data center business is supported by record order intake and roughly five years of pipeline visibility, underpinned by strong exposure to hyperscale customers. The new long-term capacity agreement also improves visibility, with Modine set to supply more than $4 billion of Airedale chiller products to a strategic customer during calendar years 2027 through 2029 and supported by a $165 million upfront payment.
The company continues to apply 80/20 principles to simplify operations, improve capacity use and direct resources toward products and markets with the best return profiles. The framework supported Modine’s fourth consecutive year of record revenues and adjusted EBITDA in fiscal 2026. For fiscal 2027, the company expects total sales growth of 20-35% and adjusted EBITDA growth of 38-44%, with at least 100-200 basis points of consolidated margin expansion.
Strength in the data center business and benefits from the application of 80/20 principles are likely to have bolstered Modine’s performance in the to-be-reported quarter.
However, the shortages of critical components that emerged late in the quarter are affecting production schedules and efficiency. The company is qualifying new suppliers and implementing corrective actions, but these issues are expected to have temporarily negatively impacted fiscal first-quarter production. Also, Modine’s free cash flow is currently under pressure due to heavy investment and working capital needs. For fiscal 2027, the company expects capital expenditure of $150 million to $200 million, up from $143.3 million in fiscal 2026.
Expected production disruption and rising capital requirements are likely to have weighed on Modine’s fiscal first-quarter results.
Let’s have a look at the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Modine’s segmental performance.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Climate Solutions’ fiscal first-quarter revenues is pegged at $634 million, which suggests a rise of 59.7% year over year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Performance Technologies’ revenues is pegged at $289 million, which is in line with the revenues reported in the year-ago period.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Climate Solutions’ fiscal first-quarter adjusted EBITDA is pegged at $112 million, suggesting a year-over-year rise of 41.8%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Performance Technologies’ adjusted EBITDA is pegged at $37.5 million, which is the same as year-ago adjusted EBITDA.
Earnings WhispersOur proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for Modine for the quarter to be reported, as it does not have the right combination of the two key ingredients. A positive Earnings ESP, combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold), increases the odds of an earnings beat. This is not the case here.
Earnings ESP: MOD has an Earnings ESP of -10.15%. This is because the Most Accurate Estimate is pegged lower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
Zacks Rank: It currently carries a Zacks Rank #2.
Stocks With the Favorable CombinationHere are a few players from the auto space that, per our model, have the correct ingredients to post an earnings beat this time.
Cummins Inc. (CMI - Free Report) is slated to release second-quarter 2026 results on Aug. 4. The company has an Earnings ESP of +0.78% and a Zacks Rank #2 at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CMI’s to-be-reported quarter’s earnings and revenues is pegged at $7.33 per share and $9.33 billion, respectively.
BorgWarner Inc. (BWA - Free Report) is scheduled to release second-quarter 2026 results on Aug. 5. The company has an Earnings ESP of +0.62% and a Zacks Rank #3 at present. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BWA’s to-be-reported quarter’s earnings and revenues is pegged at $1.26 per share and $3.58 billion, respectively.
ProPetro Holding očekává za čtvrtletí ztrátu 0,01 USD na akcii při výnosech 300,51 mil. USD. Analytici mu dávají vysokou šanci na překonání odhadu EPS.
ProPetro Holding (PUMP - Free Report) is expected to deliver a year-over-year increase in earnings on lower revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended June 2026. This widely-known consensus outlook gives a good sense of the company's earnings picture, but how the actual results compare to these estimates is a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price.
The stock might move higher if these key numbers top expectations in the upcoming earnings report, which is expected to be released on July 29. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower.
While management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call will mostly determine the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations, it's worth having a handicapping insight into the odds of a positive EPS surprise.
Zacks Consensus EstimateThis oilfield services company is expected to post quarterly loss of $0.01 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +85.7%.
Revenues are expected to be $300.51 million, down 7.9% from the year-ago quarter.
Estimate Revisions TrendThe consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 60% higher over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period.
Investors should keep in mind that the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts may not always get reflected in the aggregate change.
Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Earnings WhisperEstimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. This insight is at the core of our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction).
The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.
Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only.
A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP.
Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell).
How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for ProPetro?For ProPetro, the Most Accurate Estimate is higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bullish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of +52.38%.
On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #2.
So, this combination indicates that ProPetro will most likely beat the consensus EPS estimate.
Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue?Analysts often consider to what extent a company has been able to match consensus estimates in the past while calculating their estimates for its future earnings. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number.
For the last reported quarter, it was expected that ProPetro would post a loss of$0.12 per share when it actually produced a loss of -$0.03, delivering a surprise of +75.00%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates three times.
Bottom LineAn earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss.
That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.
ProPetro appears a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release.
Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.
Meta Platforms má za čtvrtletí vykázat zisk 7,13 USD na akcii, meziročně o 0,1 % méně, při tržbách 60,17 miliardy USD, což představuje meziroční růst o 26,6 %.
Wall Street expects a year-over-year decline in earnings on higher revenues when Meta Platforms (META - Free Report) reports results for the quarter ended June 2026. While this widely-known consensus outlook is important in gauging the company's earnings picture, a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price is how the actual results compare to these estimates.
The earnings report, which is expected to be released on July 29, might help the stock move higher if these key numbers are better than expectations. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower.
While management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call will mostly determine the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations, it's worth having a handicapping insight into the odds of a positive EPS surprise.
Zacks Consensus EstimateThis social media company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $7.13 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -0.1%.
Revenues are expected to be $60.17 billion, up 26.6% from the year-ago quarter.
Estimate Revisions TrendThe consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 0.49% higher over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period.
Investors should keep in mind that the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts may not always get reflected in the aggregate change.
Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Earnings WhisperEstimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. This insight is at the core of our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction).
The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.
Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only.
A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP.
Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell).
How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for Meta Platforms?For Meta Platforms, the Most Accurate Estimate is lower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bearish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of -2.19%.
On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #3.
So, this combination makes it difficult to conclusively predict that Meta Platforms will beat the consensus EPS estimate.
Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue?While calculating estimates for a company's future earnings, analysts often consider to what extent it has been able to match past consensus estimates. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number.
For the last reported quarter, it was expected that Meta Platforms would post earnings of $6.71 per share when it actually produced earnings of $7.31, delivering a surprise of +8.94%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates four times.
Bottom LineAn earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss.
That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.
Meta Platforms doesn't appear a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release.
Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.
Meta Platforms má podle Nikkei Asia dalších 420 miliard USD mimoúčetního dluhu mimo rozvahu, který od roku 2022 výrazně vzrostl. Firma dál masivně investuje do AI infrastruktury.
Artificial intelligence provides some great opportunities for many companies today. But it’s also a very expensive proposition that’s weighing down some of the biggest companies in the stock market. Meta Platforms (META -2.31%) is down 3% so far this year on fears that the company is taking on too much debt as it invests in AI infrastructure.
Meta’s balance sheet shows that the company has about $58.7 billion in long-term debt. But a new report indicates that the company’s debt load is much greater. Nikkei Asia reports that Meta Platforms has another $420 billion in off-balance-sheet debt. That number has grown substantially since 2022, the outlet reported.
Should investors be concerned about Meta Platforms’ stock?
Image source: The Motley Fool.
What is off-balance-sheet debt?Publicly traded companies are required to report the amount of debt they are incurring. But under accounting rules, equipment such as graphics processing units and servers that are under long-term contracts but not yet delivered is treated as an off-balance-sheet item. Meta and other companies disclose future debt in annotations on their financial statements.
When Meta’s GPUs are delivered and the data centers become operational, this hidden debt will begin to appear on the quarterly balance sheet.
Meta is one of five companies -- the others being Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, and Oracle -- analyzed in the Nikkei Asia report. The five companies, all of which are making significant investments in AI infrastructure, have a collective $1.65 trillion in debt that is not reflected on the companies' balance sheets.
Meta is accelerating its spending on AIMeta Platforms shows no appetite to slow its spending. The company spent $72 billion on capital expenditures in 2025 -- most of it related to AI -- and said in its first-quarter report that it would spend between $125 billion and $145 billion this year.
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Its $50 billion Hyperion data center planned for Louisiana is getting a lot of attention. The center was first announced as a $27 billion project funded by Meta’s joint venture with Blue Owl Capital. But in June, Meta announced it was expanding the project from a 2-gigawatt center to 5 gigawatts of capacity as it seeks to build out enough AI infrastructure to meet demand.
Blue Owl and its partners are funding the construction, allowing the project to remain off Meta’s balance sheet. Blue Owl will own 80% of Hyperion, with Meta owning the remaining 20%.
Should investors be concerned about Meta’s debt?On the one hand, $420 billion is a big number. There are only 30 companies in the world with an entire valuation of more than $420 billion, so when Meta takes on that much debt that hasn’t even made it to its balance sheet yet, it can seem pretty scary.
Meta is making huge, long-term commitments based on the idea that AI demand will justify the infrastructure. It appears to be transitioning its business away from the so-called metaverse toward hyperscaler services. That means investors should be prepared for lower margins, perhaps as early as when the company reports second-quarter earnings after the market closes on July 29.
Evercore analyst Mark Mahaney recently told CNBC that he doubts that Meta will attempt to compete head-to-head with Amazon, Microsoft, and Alphabet -- the three largest hyperscalers by market share. Instead, he sees Meta attempting to challenge neocloud providers such as CoreWeave and Nebius Group in offering AI-specific computing products, including AI chips and systems.
Either way, I expect Meta to shed more light on the picture when it reports earnings next week.
NHTSA žádá Teslu o vysvětlení příspěvků Elona Muska, v nichž naznačoval, že FSD umožní psát SMS nebo dělat espresso za jízdy. Regulátor zkoumá, zda to odpovídá schopnostem systému.
"Make your espresso on the road while your Tesla drives itself," wrote Musk in one post. Johannes Neudecker/picture alliance via Getty Images Elon Musk's posting habits are putting Tesla under the microscope — again.
Regulators looking into Tesla's Full Self-Driving have asked the company for more information about a series of X posts in which CEO Elon Musk said drivers could text and make an espresso while using the automated driving assist technology.
In a request for information sent to Tesla on July 2, officials at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) asked the company to clarify posts made on Musk and Tesla's accounts.
These include a post from December 2025 in which Musk said FSD users could text and drive "depending on [the] context of surrounding traffic."
"This is so cool. Make your espresso on the road while your Tesla drives itself," Musk wrote in another post cited by the document. The billionaire was responding to a video showing a Tesla owner using an espresso machine and reclining his seat while FSD was engaged.
The NHTSA also cited posts from Musk saying that FSD can "operate in all conditions" and that an FSD update will "substantially reduce" the need for driver attention, as well as posts from Tesla promoting the technology.
The regulator asked Tesla to clarify whether these examples were "accurate and consistent" with FSD's capabilities, and if the company has done anything to reduce the potential for "misunderstanding or misuse."
On its website and in owner manuals, Tesla makes it clear that drivers using Full Self-Driving (Supervised) should pay attention to the road and be ready to take over at all times.
It's not the first time Tesla has faced legal and regulatory scrutiny over the way it promotes FSD.
The Model Y maker was ordered to pay $242 million in damages last year over a wrongful-death lawsuit that alleged Tesla's advertising exaggerated the capabilities of Autopilot, FSD's predecessor, and the company struck a deal to avoid a ban in California in February after a judge ruled that its "Autopilot" and "Full Self-Driving" branding was misleading.
The NHTSA investigation, which was opened in October 2024 and upgraded to an engineering analysis in March, is looking into FSD's ability to alert the driver in low-visibility conditions. The probe was opened following several reports of Tesla's crashing in areas where visibility was reduced by "sun glare, fog, or airborne dust."
Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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EVs, AI, Robots and RobotaxisTesla reports their second-quarter financial results Wednesday after market close and similar to recent quarterly reports, the information and management commentary could be less about consumer electric vehicles and more about AI, robots and autonomous vehicles.
Benzinga asked viewers about Tesla’s future growth plans.
The results are:
Humanoid Robots (Optimus Bot): 32% Robotaxis: 30% New electric vehicle models: 26% FSD Monthly subscriptions: 12% While the Optimus Bot won, the poll divided Benzinga readers on humanoid robots, robotaxis and new EV models. FSD monthly subscriptions finished last in the poll with only 12%.
The fact that humanoid robots and robotaxis got 62% of the votes in the poll signals a major shift for Tesla and one that CEO Elon Musk is betting on.
Musk has said that FSD and Optimus are "the biggest factors" in Tesla achieving its Master Plan Part 4.
"80% of Tesla’s value will be Optimus," Musk tweeted previously.
“I think that’s probably correct if we execute well on autonomous transport and Optimus,” Musk said.
In June 2024, Musk also said Optimus could help Tesla hit a $25 trillion market capitalization.
Tesla is expected to begin third-party sales and high-volume production of Optimus in 2027.
Tesla Q2 EarningsTesla has beaten analyst estimates for revenue and earnings per share in two straight quarters, but the stock price has fallen after three of the last four earnings reports with an average loss of 5% over that time.
The revenue and earnings per share continue to matter less for Tesla investors and analysts than the commentary from Musk and the future timeline for items like FSD, new vehicles, robotaxis and the Optimus Bot.
Tesla gave updates on robotaxi paid miles, robotaxi city rollouts, FSD subscriptions and a timeline on its vehicle releases during its first-quarter earnings report and conference call.
“We are excited about Tesla’s positioning in 2026 with tailwinds persisting for the auto business, our continued progress on FSD 4, the ramp of Robotaxi, progress on Optimus ahead of mass production and the growth of our energy production capacity,” the company said after first-quarter results.
The previous timeline was for the Cybercab to enter volume production "this year."
Investors will be closely watching to see the update numbers on these growth initiatives and an updated timeline on releases.
Price ActionTesla stock is down 0.3% to $377.98 on Wednesday versus a 52-week trading range of $297.82 to $498.83. The company’s shares are down 13.8% year-to-date in 2026.
Photo courtesy: Rokas Tenys on Shutterstock.com
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Alphabet před výsledky po středečním uzavření trhu řeší, zda její obří cash flow stačí na rostoucí investice. Tržby z cloudu a výhled rozhodnou, zda převáží býci, nebo skeptici.
GOOGL stock is moving ahead of earnings. See the chart and price action here. When the Google parent reports second-quarter results after Wednesday’s close, investors will be studying a company that occupies a strange position: fabulously cash-rich, and yet visibly stretched by the scale of its own ambitions.
The financial newsletter Swiss Transparent Portfolio, in a preview published this week, put the paradox at the center of the moment.
“The most self-funding company on earth passed the hat,” the publication wrote. “That is the tension the market brings to Wednesday’s print.”
The tension is worth sitting with, because the raw numbers are staggering. By the newsletter’s calculation, “Alphabet generated $174 billion of operating cash flow over the last twelve months. It is, by that measure, the greatest cash machine in corporate history.”
Companies that generate cash on that scale are not supposed to feel constrained by anything. Alphabet, right now, does — and that gap between what it earns and what it wants to spend is precisely what has investors on edge heading into the print.
What Would Validate the BullsThe disagreement about what it all means is unusually sharp. On one side sit the optimists, who read the heavy spending as a rational response to demand the company simply cannot satisfy fast enough.
As Swiss Transparent Portfolio framed the bull case, “Bulls see a $460+ billion Cloud backlog, six years of current Cloud revenue already contracted, and a management team told by its own customers that demand is constrained only by capacity.”
In that telling, the spending is not a warning sign at all. It is a company sprinting to keep up with orders already on the books.
What Would Empower the BearsThe skeptics see the same picture and flinch. The newsletter summarized their concerns bluntly: “Bears see $750+ billion of combined Big Tech capex this year, a depreciation bill rising ~$13 billion, fresh dilution, and a Gemini 3.5 Pro delay that just knocked 3% off the stock.”
Each item on that list chips away at the bull story — a mounting cost base, shares that no longer feel quite as scarce, and a reminder, in the Gemini stumble, that even the most lavishly funded ambitions can slip.
What makes today so uncomfortable is that both readings are credible, and the print could tip the balance either way.
Strong cloud growth and disciplined guidance would hand the bulls their proof. Any softness — in cloud, in margins, in the tone around future spending — would let the bears press their case.
The newsletter captured the resulting paralysis well: “This is exactly the kind of moment where most investors freeze: a wonderful business, a staggering bet, and no consensus on which chart matters.”
That is the real source of the jitters. Alphabet’s earnings power has never been in doubt. Whether that power is finally big enough to cover its appetite is the question the market cannot answer until the numbers land — and it is exactly the question tonight is built to settle.
GOOGL Stock Price Activity: Alphabet shares were up 0.35% at $348.35 at the time of publication Wednesday, according to data from Benzinga Pro.
Over the past month, GOOGL has declined about 2.7% versus a 0.1% rise in the S&P 500 and is up roughly 10% year-to-date compared to the index’s 9.2% gain.
Photo: Shutterstock
This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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Item 1 of 2 The logo of Amazon is pictured at a company logistics center in Carquefou near Nantes, westren France, May 6, 2026. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe
[1/2]The logo of Amazon is pictured at a company logistics center in Carquefou near Nantes, westren France, May 6, 2026. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
SAN FRANCISCO, July 22 (Reuters) - Amazon (AMZN.O), opens new tab on Wednesday cut jobs in its artificial general intelligence group, marking the latest in a series of smaller reductions across the company since a much larger one in January.
Artificial general intelligence is a hypothetical AI system that surpasses human intelligence and can learn, grow and operate autonomously. Many of the top AI companies are working to develop similar systems, with the hope of deploying them to solve difficult problems.
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"We've been building large AI models for several years, and it remains one of the most important things we're working on," said an Amazon spokesman following a Reuters inquiry. "We’re sharpening our focus on the initiatives that matter most for customers, so we can move faster on what counts. That focus means some difficult decisions, including eliminating some roles within parts of our AGI organization."
Rohit Prasad, a top Amazon executive overseeing AGI, left the company at the end of last year and the head of its AGI Lab, David Luan, left in February. AGI work was consolidated under senior vice president Peter DeSantis in December as part of a larger group that also includes silicon development and quantum computing.
Employees under Adeeb Shanaa, vice president of artificial general intelligence data services, and Vishal Sharma, vice president of AGI information, reported being impacted by the cuts on online forums on Wednesday. However, the full scope of the cuts could not immediately be learned.
Amazon cut 16,000 jobs across the company in January.
Reporting by Greg Bensinger; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Kirsten Donovan
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab
Greg Bensinger joined Reuters as a technology correspondent in 2022 focusing on the world's largest technology companies. He was previously a member of The New York Times editorial board and a technology beat reporter for The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. He also worked for Bloomberg News writing about the auto and telecommunications industries. He studied English literature at The University of Virginia and graduate journalism at Columbia University. Greg lives in San Francisco with his wife and two children.
Amazon uzavřel s italskými odbory první celostátní kolektivní dohodu v zemi, která upravuje dovolenou, pracovní podmínky a video dohled na 57 pracovištích. Zahrnuje i rodičovskou dovolenou po hodinách.
Amazon logo outside an Amazon warehouse in Manchester, Britain, October 28, 2025. REUTERS/Phil Noble/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
CompaniesMILAN, July 22 (Reuters) - Italian unions have signed an agreement with Amazon.com (AMZN.O), opens new tab covering leave, employee rights and video surveillance, the unions and the U.S. e-commerce giant said on Wednesday.
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The Filt CGIL, Fit CISL and Uiltrasporti unions said 57 sites operating in Italy were covered in the deal struck with Amazon Italia Transport and Amazon Italia Logistica and hailed it as the first such national collective agreement reached with Amazon in any country.
Regarding video surveillance, the unions said it has been agreed that images cannot be used for disciplinary purposes.
Employees have been granted the right to take parental leave in increments as small as a single hour, the unions added.
"We welcome the agreement reached with trade unions, which introduces new flexibility and work-life balance tools and enhances existing ones, bringing them into a shared framework for the benefit of our employees and their families," Amazon said in a statement.
The agreement builds on an initial protocol signed with Amazon in 2021.
Amazon has 19,000 permanent employees in Italy.
Writing by Keith Weir, editing by Alvise Armellini
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab
Microsoft vloží 60 milionů USD do programu Genesis Mission amerického ministerstva energetiky na urychlení výzkumu v oblasti AI ve 17 národních laboratořích. Z toho 40 milionů USD půjde na kredity Azure a 20 milionů USD na inženýrskou podporu.
by Kurt Schlosser on Jul 22, 2026 at 8:22 amJuly 22, 2026 at 8:22 am
(GeekWire File Photo / Todd Bishop) Microsoft is putting $60 million behind the U.S. Department of Energy’s Genesis Mission, a push to use artificial intelligence to speed up scientific research across the government’s 17 national labs.
The company’s investment is split into two pieces: $40 million in Azure cloud computing and AI credits over three years, and $20 million for engineering and deployment help to get DOE researchers actually using the tools, Microsoft said in a blog post Wednesday.
Microsoft is also launching a new internal group called SPARK — Scientific Partnership Advancing Research & Knowledge — to serve as the single point of contact between the company and DOE on Genesis Mission work. It’s meant to combine Microsoft’s program management, engineering, security and research teams into one coordinated effort, instead of leaving individual labs to navigate Microsoft on their own.
President Trump created the Genesis Mission through an executive order in November 2025, directing DOE to build a unified computing and data platform — since named the American Science and Security Platform — that connects the national labs’ supercomputers, AI tools and scientific datasets.
The order likened the effort’s urgency and ambition to the Manhattan Project, and the White House said it’s expanded into a whole-of-government initiative involving more than 15 federal agencies, backed by more than $5 billion in commitments.
Microsoft named four initial projects taking shape under the partnership, including work with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Wash., to speed up the discovery of new energy storage materials — cutting analysis that used to take years down to weeks — and autonomous lab work with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory aimed at detecting biological threats earlier.
“We move faster together,” Chris Barry, president of Microsoft’s U.S. Public Sector business, wrote in the blog post announcing the commitment, framing the investment as both a “national security imperative” and economic opportunity for the U.S.
Microsoft isn’t the only Seattle-area cloud giant courting the Genesis Mission. Amazon Web Services was recognized by DOE as a Genesis Mission supporter in December, highlighting its work with Idaho National Laboratory on AI tools for nuclear reactor design, and the company launched its own Genesis Accelerator Initiative in February, offering up to $50 million in cloud credits for DOE-related research over three years.
Previous StoryNew Markdown rival: Open-source DGML format aims to turn docs into data that AI (and humans) can trust
This has been an amazing year for Advanced Micro Devices (AMD +2.13%) investors so far, as shares of the semiconductor specialist have jumped by an impressive 144%.
This incredible rally in AMD stock is well deserved, as the company is gradually becoming more influential in the artificial intelligence (AI) chip market. The good news for investors is that AMD's rally could get a nice shot in the arm when the company releases its second-quarter results after the market closes on Aug. 4, following a new development.
Image source: The Motley Fool.
AMD has just scored a big customer for its rack-scale AI server platform It has been just over a year since AMD announced that it will offer a next-generation AI server rack, known as Helios, to hyperscalers and AI companies. This rack-scale system integrates the chip designer's data center graphics processing units (GPUs), Epyc server processors, Pensando networking chips, and enormous amounts of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) to quickly process AI workloads in data centers.
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AMD has already landed a major hyperscaler in the form of Meta Platforms to deploy Helios. And now, the chip designer has just announced that Microsoft will also deploy the Helios rack-scale servers in its Azure data centers "to power frontier model AI inference for Microsoft, its AI customers and support Azure AI services."
Additionally, Microsoft will use two additional Epyc server processors from AMD and increase adoption of Pensando chips to enhance its Azure networking services. AMD notes that it will start shipping Helios to Microsoft and other customers in the second half of 2026.
This is great news for AMD investors ahead of its Q2 earnings report next month. The AI server market is anticipated to grow by nearly 6x between 2024 and 2030, generating $838 billion in revenue by the end of the decade. AMD can capture a larger share of this lucrative space by offering rack-scale systems that leading server manufacturers can deploy.
Moreover, AMD's partnership with Microsoft could help it deliver stronger-than-expected results on Aug. 4.
AMD's guidance could exceed expectations AMD expects a 46% year-over-year increase in Q2 revenue to $11.2 billion. Analysts, however, expect slower year-over-year revenue growth of 35% in Q3 to $12.45 billion. The company could easily exceed that estimate since it is poised to begin sales of the Helios rack-scale systems in the second half of 2026.
This also explains why analysts are estimating AMD's top-line growth to accelerate to 57% in 2027 from an estimated 43% this year. Even better, the company's growth rate is poised to remain robust even in 2028.
Data by YCharts
If AMD's revenue reaches $106.5 billion in 2028 and it trades at even 15 times sales at that time, a discount to its current sales multiple of 22, its market cap could increase to $1.6 billion. That's 80% higher than AMD's current market cap, giving investors a solid reason to buy this AI stock ahead of its quarterly report.
Harsh Chauhan has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Advanced Micro Devices, Meta Platforms, and Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
For the quarter ended June 2026, AT&T (T - Free Report) reported revenue of $31.56 billion, up 2.3% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $0.65, compared to $0.54 in the year-ago quarter.
The reported revenue represents a surprise of -1.49% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $32.04 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $0.59, the EPS surprise was +10.17%.
While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance.
Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.
Here is how AT&T performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:
Internet Connections - Fiber: 12.87 million versus 12.81 million estimated by three analysts on average.Internet Connections- AT&T Business Fiber: 724 thousand versus the three-analyst average estimate of 722.67 thousand.Internet Net Adds- AT&T Business Fiber: 23 thousand compared to the 21.67 thousand average estimate based on three analysts.Internet Net Adds- AT&T Fiber: 344 thousand compared to the 290 thousand average estimate based on three analysts.Operating Revenues- Corporate and Other: $87 million versus the five-analyst average estimate of $90.93 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -7.5%.Operating Revenues- Latin America: $1.22 billion versus $1.13 billion estimated by five analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +16.1% change.Operating Revenues- Legacy: $1.63 billion versus $1.67 billion estimated by five analysts on average.Operating Revenues- Advanced Connectivity: $28.62 billion compared to the $29.05 billion average estimate based on five analysts.Operating Revenues- Advanced Connectivity- Other service: $151 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $155.96 million.Operating Revenues- Advanced Connectivity- Advanced home internet: $2.93 billion versus the three-analyst average estimate of $3.01 billion.Revenues- Latin America- Wireless equipment: $444 million compared to the $427.92 million average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of +13.3% year over year.Revenues- Latin America- Wireless service: $780 million compared to the $678.12 million average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of +17.8% year over year.View all Key Company Metrics for AT&T here>>>
Shares of AT&T have returned -2.4% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.3% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.
AT&T oznámila za 2. čtvrtletí výnosy 31,56 mld. USD a zisk 0,65 USD na akcii, oba výsledky nad odhady. Šéf John Stankey odmítl obavy ze Starlinku a řekl, že firma je v silné pozici.
Dallas-headquartered AT&T Inc (T) is extending gains on Wednesday morning after reporting Q2 earnings that came in handily above Street estimates.
The company posted $31.56 billion in revenue – up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis – on $0.65 per share of earnings (EPS), representing an exciting 20.4% increase from last year.
More importantly, responding to rising fears of Starlink competition in a CNBC interview, AT&T’s chief executive John Stankey said: “We can compete with anybody that comes in; we’re in a very strong position with the best product out there.”
That said, AT&T stock remains down over 20% versus its year-to-date high.
According to Stankey, new entrants like Starlink face severe structural hurdles trying to “replicate” ground-based connectivity.
While low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites grab headlines, he pointed out that new rivals are “coming to the game very late after this industry has already been established.”
Crucially, satellite networks can’t really replace the tens of billions of dollars invested over decades to bring high-speed fiber and 5G connectivity into “dense environments” like hospitals, university campuses, stadiums, and high-rise office buildings.
AT&T currently handles more than 98% of the data traffic generated by its converged customers, leaving satellite coverage to fill only the coverage gaps when users walk entirely off the terrestrial grid, he added.
While there’ve been concerns that legacy carriers might repeat past missteps by signing wholesale network agreements that empower new competitors, Stankey dismissed the notion entirely.
According to him, AT&T does not need a wholesale partnership with Starlink to defend its market position, adding that the company pursues wholesale arrangements only when a segment of the market cannot be reached through its own brand, distribution, or fiber footprint.
In primary metropolitan and suburban US markets, AT&T’s combination of fiber buildouts and 5G spectrum allows it to “acquire and retain” both consumer and business accounts directly – making satellite-based distribution unnecessary for core market coverage.
Rather than surrendering distribution to a single satellite giant, AT&T Inc is leveraging an industry joint venture alongside T-Mobile and Verizon to manage off-grid coverage efficiently.
Stankey highlighted that the consortium allows carriers to aggregate consumer traffic volumes and contract across the entire satellite ecosystem – whether sourcing capacity from SpaceX, Amazon’s Kuiper, or AST SpaceMobile.
By maintaining flexibility across multiple satellite constellations, AT&T can handle the remaining fraction of off-network traffic at economical rates without undermining its primary connectivity offerings.
This pragmatic approach reinforces AT&T Inc’s core “fiber and wireless strategy” while offering seamless, affordable backup connectivity for subscribers wherever they travel.
Wall Street currently has a consensus Overweight rating on AT&T stock, with the mean price target of $29 indicating significant further upside from here.
Wall Street expects a year-over-year decline in earnings on higher revenues when Procter & Gamble (PG - Free Report) reports results for the quarter ended June 2026. While this widely-known consensus outlook is important in gauging the company's earnings picture, a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price is how the actual results compare to these estimates.
The stock might move higher if these key numbers top expectations in the upcoming earnings report, which is expected to be released on July 29. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower.
While the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call, it's worth handicapping the probability of a positive EPS surprise.
Zacks Consensus EstimateThis world's largest consumer products maker is expected to post quarterly earnings of $1.41 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -4.7%.
Revenues are expected to be $21.36 billion, up 2.3% from the year-ago quarter.
Estimate Revisions TrendThe consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 0.85% lower over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period.
Investors should keep in mind that the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts may not always get reflected in the aggregate change.
Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Earnings WhisperEstimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. This insight is at the core of our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction).
The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.
Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only.
A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP.
Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell).
How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for P&G?For P&G, the Most Accurate Estimate is lower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bearish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of -0.23%.
On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #4.
So, this combination makes it difficult to conclusively predict that P&G will beat the consensus EPS estimate.
Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue?Analysts often consider to what extent a company has been able to match consensus estimates in the past while calculating their estimates for its future earnings. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number.
For the last reported quarter, it was expected that P&G would post earnings of $1.56 per share when it actually produced earnings of $1.59, delivering a surprise of +1.92%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates four times.
Bottom LineAn earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss.
That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.
P&G doesn't appear a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release.
Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.
Disney oznámil několik stovek propouštění včetně Pixaru, který podle zdroje přišel zhruba o 116 lidí. Škrty přicházejí i přes silný start „Toy Story 5“.
The Walt Disney Company has unleashed a fresh bloodbath across its entertainment empire, with Pixar taking a major hit despite the blockbuster success of “Toy Story 5.”
The “Mouse House” announced several hundred layoffs Tuesday in its third round of cuts this year, affecting Disney Entertainment Television, ESPN, corporate divisions and Disney Studios, according to SFist.
Pixar’s Emeryville animation studio was hit hardest within the film division. Disney has not confirmed how many Pixar workers lost their jobs, but a source told TheWrap that roughly 116 employees were laid off.
Disney has unleashed a fresh bloodbath across its entertainment empire, with Pixar taking a major hit. GC Images
Disney has not confirmed how many Pixar workers lost their jobs, but a source said around 116 employees were laid off. AFP via Getty Images Many of the Pixar cuts were concentrated in production and operations and reflected the studio’s current slate of projects rather than any single movie’s performance.
“These changes are part of our continual evaluation of how we manage resources and reinvest across the company as our industry continues to evolve,” a Disney spokesperson told the outlet.
The latest cuts come despite “Toy Story 5” delivering a massive box office debut after hitting theaters June 19.
The recent installment in the animated franchise raked in an estimated $312 million worldwide during its opening weekend, including a franchise-record $160 million domestically.
“We’re building a company that’s more agile,” Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro told employees in April. Getty Images for SXSW Pixar’s recent original movies, however, have produced more mixed results at the box office.
“Elio” posted the weakest opening weekend in the studio’s history, while “Hoppers” earned stronger reviews and better ticket sales but still fell short of Pixar’s established franchises’ commercial success.
The Emeryville studio has already endured repeated rounds of job cuts.
Disney then eliminated roughly 1,000 more positions in April across marketing, television, ESPN, technology, studio operations and corporate teams as it continued reshaping its workforce.
“We’re building a company that’s more agile and better equipped for how the entertainment business is changing,” Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro told employees in April.
Many of the eliminated ESPN positions were behind-the-scenes roles tied to the company’s integration of the NFL Network.
Employees were notified of the layoffs Tuesday morning. As of late 2025, Disney reportedly employed about 230,000 people worldwide.
Despite the latest cuts, Pixar’s upcoming slate still includes the original feature “Gatto,” directed by “Luca” filmmaker Enrico Casarosa, along with “Incredibles 3.”
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Wall Street expects a year-over-year decline in earnings on lower revenues when Qualcomm (QCOM - Free Report) reports results for the quarter ended June 2026. While this widely-known consensus outlook is important in gauging the company's earnings picture, a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price is how the actual results compare to these estimates.
The stock might move higher if these key numbers top expectations in the upcoming earnings report, which is expected to be released on July 29. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower.
While the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call, it's worth handicapping the probability of a positive EPS surprise.
Zacks Consensus EstimateThis chipmaker is expected to post quarterly earnings of $2.22 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -19.9%.
Revenues are expected to be $9.71 billion, down 6.3% from the year-ago quarter.
Estimate Revisions TrendThe consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 0.98% lower over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period.
Investors should keep in mind that the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts may not always get reflected in the aggregate change.
Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Earnings WhisperEstimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. Our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) -- has this insight at its core.
The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.
Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only.
A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP.
Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell).
How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for Qualcomm?For Qualcomm, the Most Accurate Estimate is lower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bearish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of -0.58%.
On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #3.
So, this combination makes it difficult to conclusively predict that Qualcomm will beat the consensus EPS estimate.
Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue?Analysts often consider to what extent a company has been able to match consensus estimates in the past while calculating their estimates for its future earnings. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number.
For the last reported quarter, it was expected that Qualcomm would post earnings of $2.57 per share when it actually produced earnings of $2.65, delivering a surprise of +3.11%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates four times.
Bottom LineAn earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss.
That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.
Qualcomm doesn't appear a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release.
Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.
Charter Communications čeká ve 2. čtvrtletí tržby 13,52 miliardy USD, tedy meziroční pokles o 1,77 %. Zisk na akcii má činit 10,17 USD, ale firma čelí slabšímu růstu mobilních služeb a broadbandu.
Key Takeaways The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CHTR's Q2 revenues is $13.52 billion, down 1.77% year over year.CHTR is expected to see slower mobile growth, broadband weakness and wider video customer losses.Charter Communications' profitability may face pressure from network investment and Cox transition costs. Charter Communications (CHTR - Free Report) is scheduled to report its second-quarter 2026 results on July 24.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter 2026 revenues is pegged at $13.52 billion, indicating a decline of 1.77% from the figure reported in the year-ago quarter.
The consensus mark for earnings is pinned at $10.17 per share, which has been revised downward by 2.21% over the past 30 days. The figure suggests a 10.78% increase from the year-ago reported figure.
CHTR missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in all the trailing four quarters, with an average negative surprise of 6.95%.
Let us see how things are shaping up for the upcoming announcement.
Factors to ConsiderCharter Communications is expected to have delivered a soft second-quarter 2026 performance, with mobile growth losing steam and broadband weakness persisting. Mobile line additions are expected to have remained positive but are likely to have decelerated further, as intensified device subsidy activity from AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile, including aggressive iPhone promotions, is expected to have pressured gross adds and elevated disconnects despite Spectrum Mobile's converged pricing advantage. Video customer losses, which had narrowed sharply in the first quarter, are expected to have widened again as the benefit of late 2024 pricing and packaging changes continues to fade, leaving the segment exposed to structural decline.
Elevated network investment is expected to have remained a drag on free cash flow during the quarter, with 2026 capital expenditures still guided at approximately $11.4 billion as Charter continues funding DOCSIS 4.0 upgrades, symmetrical speed rollouts and the Invincible WiFi expansion, offering limited near-term financial payoff.
Broadband is expected to have remained the central weak point in the quarter, with continued fiber overbuild and fixed wireless substitution weighing on Internet net additions, a top-of-funnel issue management has yet to show it can reverse. Transition expenses tied to the pending Cox acquisition, which was still awaiting final California regulatory clearance heading into the quarter, are expected to have further weighed on reported profitability.
EBITDA is expected to have faced renewed pressure, given difficult year-over-year comparisons, the absence of a meaningful political advertising benefit and rising integration-related costs, extending Charter's recent pattern of falling short of Wall Street estimates.
What Our Model SaysAccording to the Zacks model, the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy), or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. But that is not the case here.
Charter currently has an Earnings ESP of -5.22% and a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell). You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they are reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
Stocks to ConsiderHere are some stocks worth considering, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to beat on earnings this reporting cycle.
Amphenol (APH - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +1.12% and a Zacks Rank #1 at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Amphenol shares have gained 16.8% year to date. Amphenol is scheduled to report its second-quarter 2026 results on July 29.
ASE Technology (ASX - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +21.21% and a Zacks Rank #2.
ASE Technology shares have surged 148.5% year to date. ASE Technology is set to report its second-quarter 2026 results on July 30.
Fortive (FTV - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +2.82% and a Zacks Rank #2 at present.
Fortive shares have gained 9.9% in the year-to-date period. Fortive is set to report second-quarter 2026 results on July 29.
Carnival vykázal rekordní tržby, EBITDA i zákaznické zálohy za 2. čtvrtletí 2026. Má už prodáno 93 % kapacity pro rok 2026 a rezervace i ceny pro rok 2027 jsou nad loňskou úrovní.
Key Takeaways CCL delivered record Q2 revenues, yields, EBITDA and customer deposits despite geopolitical headwinds.Carnival plans measured fleet expansion while investing in ship upgrades and exclusive destinations.CCL has 93% of 2026 booked, with 2027 pricing and booking volumes already ahead of last year. Carnival Corporation (CCL - Free Report) is refining its growth strategy by combining measured capacity additions with greater investment in fleet modernization and destination-led differentiation. Second-quarter 2026 results underscored the progress of this strategy, as the company delivered record revenues, yields, EBITDA and customer deposits, while net income exceeded its March guidance by $100 million. Stronger commercial execution and cost discipline supported the outperformance despite geopolitical pressure on European demand.
Disciplined Growth Strategy Is Taking ShapeRather than accelerating new ship deliveries, Carnival plans to maintain a measured cadence of one to two vessels annually. The company ordered three Princess Cruises ships for delivery in 2035, 2038 and 2039 while expanding modernization programs across AIDA and Holland America Line. These upgrades are designed to enhance guest experiences, create additional onboard revenue opportunities and improve operating efficiency.
Controlled destinations are also becoming a more important growth lever. Carnival completed infrastructure improvements at Celebration Key and RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay, increasing capacity and itinerary flexibility. The broader Paradise Collection is expected to receive more than 9 million guest visits next year. Approximately 85% of Carnival’s Caribbean itineraries are projected to include at least one exclusive destination, with nearly half including two or more.
Carnival’s financial flexibility continues to improve alongside these investments. The company has repurchased more than $450 million of shares and reduced its net debt-to-adjusted EBITDA ratio to 3.1 times. Although the Middle East conflict prompted an approximately one-percentage-point reduction in normalized yield-growth guidance, Carnival views the pressure as temporary. With 93% of 2026 already booked and booking volumes and pricing for 2027 and beyond running ahead of last year, the longer-term demand outlook remains constructive.
How Does Carnival Compare With Cruise Industry Rivals?Carnival competes with Royal Caribbean Group (RCL - Free Report) and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH - Free Report) , which are also investing in ships, destinations and commercial capabilities.
Royal Caribbean is pursuing an ecosystem-led growth model centered on Icon-class ships, Royal Beach Clubs, Perfect Day destinations, technology and loyalty. RCL continues to expect double-digit revenue and earnings growth, supported by strong demand, record pricing and disciplined cost control.
Norwegian Cruise, meanwhile, is focused on an operational turnaround after entering 2026 behind its targeted booking curve. NCLH is improving revenue management, marketing effectiveness and organizational efficiency while targeting $125 million of annualized SG&A savings. However, internal execution challenges and softer European demand could make its revenue recovery more gradual.
Carnival’s strategy stands out through its emphasis on measured fleet growth, high-return modernization and exclusive destinations. The model does not abandon traditional capacity expansion, but it broadens the industry playbook by seeking to generate greater earnings from existing assets while preserving capital flexibility.
CCL’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesShares of Carnival have dropped 1.9% in the past three months against the industry’s 0.4% growth.
CCL Stock’s Three-Month Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, CCL trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 10.64, significantly below the industry’s average of 16.65.
CCL’s P/E Ratio (Forward 12-Month) vs. Industry
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CCL’s fiscal 2026 earnings implies a year-over-year decline of 1.8%. The EPS estimates for fiscal 2026 have declined in the past 30 days.
EPS Trend of CCL Stock
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
CCL stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Stanley Black & Decker (SWK - Free Report) is expected to deliver a year-over-year increase in earnings on lower revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended June 2026. This widely-known consensus outlook gives a good sense of the company's earnings picture, but how the actual results compare to these estimates is a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price.
The stock might move higher if these key numbers top expectations in the upcoming earnings report, which is expected to be released on July 29. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower.
While management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call will mostly determine the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations, it's worth having a handicapping insight into the odds of a positive EPS surprise.
Zacks Consensus EstimateThis tool company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $1.20 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +11.1%.
Revenues are expected to be $3.93 billion, down 0.3% from the year-ago quarter.
Estimate Revisions TrendThe consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 0.36% lower over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period.
Investors should keep in mind that an aggregate change may not always reflect the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts.
Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Earnings WhisperEstimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. Our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) -- has this insight at its core.
The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.
Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only.
A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP.
Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell).
How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for Stanley Black & Decker?For Stanley Black & Decker, the Most Accurate Estimate is lower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bearish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of -0.18%.
On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #2.
So, this combination makes it difficult to conclusively predict that Stanley Black & Decker will beat the consensus EPS estimate.
Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue?While calculating estimates for a company's future earnings, analysts often consider to what extent it has been able to match past consensus estimates. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number.
For the last reported quarter, it was expected that Stanley Black & Decker would post earnings of $0.61 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.80, delivering a surprise of +31.15%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates four times.
Bottom LineAn earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss.
That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.
Stanley Black & Decker doesn't appear a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release.
Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.
Jefferies věří, že detailní data k plicnímu léku tozorakimab mohou vyvážit neúspěch srdeční studie AstraZeneca. Banka potvrdila doporučení koupit a cílovou cenu 17 500 p.
Jefferies believes detailed data on AstraZeneca PLC's (LSE:AZN, NASDAQ:AZN) experimental lung drug tozorakimab could more than compensate investors for the recent failure of a separate heart trial.
The bank has reiterated its buy rating and 17,500p price target, implying 41% upside from the current 12,380p, and flagged the 8 September presentation at the European Respiratory Society congress as the key catalyst.
The collapse of the CARDIO-TTRansform study stripped $4 billion from Jefferies' longer-term forecasts and cut roughly 30 basis points from its estimated growth rate for 2027 to 2030.
Analyst Michael Leuchten argues that loss is recoverable and that the market is underappreciating what tozorakimab could add.
The drug targets IL-33, an inflammatory signalling protein released when lung tissue is damaged by smoke or infection, and would be the first medicine of its kind approved for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a progressive condition that narrows the airways.
Three trials have already reported positive headline results, but the underlying numbers have not been published.
What matters commercially is breadth of label.
Existing biologic treatments such as Sanofi and Regeneron's Dupixent work mainly in patients with high eosinophil counts, a type of white blood cell, which restricts them to somewhere between 10% and 40% of the patient population.
Because IL-33 acts further upstream, tozorakimab could work regardless of eosinophil levels, opening the door to current smokers and patients with low counts who have no approved biologic option.
Jefferies' statistical modelling suggests the drug is likely delivering at least a 30% reduction in flare-ups among former smokers, comfortably competitive with Dupixent, with a signal in other subgroups.
On that basis, the bank puts peak sales at more than $5 billion beyond 2030, against consensus of $2.9 billion for 2032.
It also cautions that AstraZeneca will need more than one drug in the category, with roughly half the rival pipeline of dual-target antibodies originating in China and progressing quickly.
Federální soud v New Yorku zablokoval zákon, který nutil Uber a Lyft dávat řidičům 14denní oznámení před deaktivací účtu. Soudce uvedl, že pravidlo je protiústavní.
Uber logo is seen in this illustration taken July 16, 2026. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
CompaniesJuly 22 (Reuters) - A federal judge has ruled that New York City cannot prohibit Uber Technologies (UBER.N), opens new tab and Lyft (LYFT.O), opens new tab from deactivating drivers from their apps without advance notice, ruling that the novel law is unconstitutional.
U.S. District Judge Gregory Woods in Manhattan said in a written ruling on Tuesday that the city's law adopted earlier this year benefits a small fraction of drivers while interfering with the ride-hailing companies' right to police the safety of their platforms.
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"Uber and Lyft are likely to succeed in showing that the law protects a narrow class of drivers and does not advance the broader social or economic interest which the U.S. Constitution requires to permit the severe impairment of their contracts," Woods wrote.
The judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking the city from enforcing the law, which was set to take effect July 28, pending the outcome of consolidated lawsuits filed by the companies last month.
Lyft said in a statement provided by a spokesperson that "we're pleased the court recognized the serious safety concerns at the heart of this challenge."
Separately, Uber spokesman Josh Gold said: "The opinion underscores that driver fairness and rider safety can and must go hand in hand.”
The New York City Law Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The law, one of the first of its kind inthe U.S., was passed in January after the New York City Council overwhelmingly overrode a veto by former Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat. Adams had said, opens new tab that the law would create an expensive and unwieldy new bureaucracy to handle wrongful deactivation claims.
The law requires that ride-hailing services give drivers 14 days' notice before deactivating them from apps, with an exception for "egregious misconduct," and potentially rehire drivers deactivated since 2019 solely because they did not receive such notice.
Uber and Lyft in lawsuits filed a day apart in June said that the law violated their due process and free speech rights under the U.S. Constitution. They said the law threatened to undermine their reputation and goodwill while keeping unsafe drivers, including those accused of sexual misconduct, on the road.
Reporting by Daniel Wiessner in Albany, New York; Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Mark Porter
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab
Dan Wiessner (@danwiessner) reports on labor and employment and immigration law, including litigation and policy making. He can be reached at [email protected].
Intuitive Surgical zachovala celoroční výhled růstu procedur na 13,5–15,5 % i přes zpomalení růstu da Vinci v USA. Zároveň zvýšila výhled hrubé marže na 68–69 %.
Key Takeaways Intuitive Surgical kept full-year procedure growth guidance despite slower U.S. da Vinci procedures.ISRG expanded operating margin and raised gross margin outlook on cost cuts and manufacturing efficiencies.Intuitive Surgical's advanced AI software, robotics and international expansion will support long-term growth. Intuitive Surgical (ISRG - Free Report) continues to command a valuation premium over the medical technology industry, though that premium has narrowed significantly. The stock currently trades at 9.89X forward 12-month sales, its lowest level in the past 18 months compared with a historical median of 15.89X, while the industry trades at 3.77X. The compressed multiple reflects investor concerns over moderating U.S. procedure growth, but the company's latest results suggest its long-term competitive advantages remain intact.
The key overhang is slowing procedure growth. U.S. da Vinci procedures rose 12% in the second quarter, below recent trends, as management cited deferred benign surgeries due to changes in ACA premium subsidies and the law of large numbers. However, the company maintained its full-year procedure growth guidance of 13.5-15.5%, expecting results near the midpoint, indicating confidence that deferred demand will eventually return.
Meanwhile, profitability continues to strengthen. Second-quarter adjusted gross margin expanded 30 basis points (bps) to 70% and adjusted operating margin expanded 330 bps to 42%, supported by product cost reductions, operating leverage and robust adoption of da Vinci 5. Management also raised its full-year gross margin outlook by 50 bps to 68-69%, highlighting the ability of the business to offset inflationary pressures through scale and manufacturing efficiencies.
Beyond procedures, Intuitive Surgical is widening its competitive moat through software and ecosystem expansion. The company rolled out the first wave of more than 100 planned da Vinci 5 software updates, renewed its My Intuitive+ AI-enabled digital platform without customer opt-outs and continues to invest heavily in AI and workflow automation. Product innovation remains robust with continued momentum in SP and Ion, expansion of XiR into cost-sensitive markets, development of a next-generation GI robotic platform and new cardiac-specific technologies.
Geographic diversification also provides an important growth lever. While China remains challenging, strong momentum in Europe, India, Japan and other international markets, coupled with favorable reimbursement changes and broader robotic adoption, supports long-term expansion. Investments in new indications, higher-value software offerings and next-generation robotics reinforce Intuitive Surgical's durable growth profile. Although near-term procedure moderation may keep valuation multiples below historical peaks, the company's innovation engine, recurring revenue model and expanding global footprint justify its continued premium over industry peers.
Peer UpdatesGlaukos (GKOS - Free Report) continues to command a premium valuation, trading at 12.54X forward sales, well above its five-year median of 9.9X and the industry's 3.77X, reflecting investors' confidence in its ability to create entirely new ophthalmology markets. The first quarter reinforced this narrative with 41% revenue growth, driven by rapid adoption of iDose TR, a raised full-year revenue outlook and the commercial launch of Epioxa. Management believes Epioxa can become another transformational growth platform. Beyond these launches, an expanding clinical pipeline, growing reimbursement support, international glaucoma expansion and a disciplined focus on operating leverage strengthen the long-term investment case. While execution risks around Epioxa reimbursement and competitive pressures remain, sustained innovation, multiple growth drivers and a diversified ophthalmology portfolio support Glaukos' ability to justify its premium valuation over time.
IDEXX Laboratories (IDXX - Free Report) trades at 8.81x forward sales, below its five-year median of 10.14x but still well above the industry's 3.77x, reflecting its durable competitive advantages in veterinary diagnostics. The first quarter demonstrated why investors continue to assign a premium, as the company delivered 14% reported revenue growth, expanded operating margins and raised full-year guidance despite declining clinic visits. Growth continues to be driven by higher diagnostics utilization, premium instrument placements, expanding recurring revenues, cloud-based software adoption and AI-enabled innovations such as inVue Dx and Cancer Dx. High customer retention, increasing international penetration and continued software integration further reinforce recurring revenue visibility. Although softer wellness visits remain a near-term headwind, IDEXX's innovation-led ecosystem, pricing power and expanding diagnostics penetration position the company to sustain a premium valuation relative to peers over the long run.
ISRG’s Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesShares of ISRG have lost 38.2% so far this year compared with a 16.3% decline for the industry.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, Intuitive Surgical trades at a forward price-to-sales of 9.89X, above the industry average. It is trading close to its five-year low of 9.66X. ISRG carries a Value Score of D.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Intuitive Surgical’s 2026 earnings implies a 17.3% rise from the year-ago period’s level.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
MercadoLibre rozšířila síť fulfillmentu na více než 50 zařízení a v prvním čtvrtletí 2026 odbavila 55 % všech zásilek. Doručení ve stejný den a následující den vzrostlo meziročně o 39 % na 199 milionů.
Key Takeaways MercadoLibre's network topped 50 facilities and handled 55% of first-quarter 2026 shipments.Same- and next-day shipments rose 39% to 199 million, while network penetration reached 95.5%.Brazil shipping costs fell 17% as density, utilization, routing and technology improved efficiency. MercadoLibre, Inc.’s (MELI - Free Report) continues to fortify its competitive position in Latin America through strategic investments in its logistics infrastructure. The company’s managed fulfillment network has emerged as a primary engine driving operational efficiency and customer retention across key regional markets. Management described fulfillment as central to its competitive position because it enables end-to-end control of the shopping experience while improving service quality, customer satisfaction and conversion.
The network has expanded to more than 50 facilities and handled 55% of total shipments in the first quarter of 2026, while same- and next-day shipments climbed 39% year over year to 199 million, reflecting the company’s ability to process rapidly growing order volumes. The acceleration has been particularly notable in Brazil, where logistics investments continue to support marketplace expansion. Overall managed network penetration expanded to 95.5%, illustrating deep integration across seller channels.
The significance extends beyond speed. MercadoLibre emphasized that greater shipment density is steadily lowering unit shipping costs even as volumes continue to surge. Management highlighted a 17% year-over-year reduction in shipping costs in Brazil (in local currency), driven by better facility utilization, route optimization, technology improvements and greater use of its slow-shipping network.
These efficiency gains are helping offset the economics of expanded free-shipping initiatives while maintaining high service standards. Rather than viewing fulfillment as a cost center, MercadoLibre increasingly treats it as a structural advantage that strengthens buyer retention, improves seller competitiveness and expands e-commerce adoption across Latin America.
What the Latest Metrics Say About MercadoLibreMercadoLibre, which competes with Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN - Free Report) and Sea Limited (SE - Free Report) , has seen its shares tumble 14.8% over the past six months compared with the industry’s 2.3% decline. While Amazon shares have jumped 3.5%, Sea Limited has fallen 14.9% in the aforementioned period.
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From a valuation standpoint, MercadoLibre's forward 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio is 35.66, higher than the industry average of 22.07. The stock is also trading above its 12-month median level of 34.46.
MercadoLibre is trading at a premium to Amazon (forward 12-month P/E of 25.82) and Sea Limited (21.26).
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The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MercadoLibre’s current financial-year sales and earnings per share implies year-over-year growth of 39.7% and 4.1%, respectively. For the next fiscal year, the consensus estimate indicates a 26.6% rise in sales and 44.4% growth in earnings.
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MELI currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
