PagSeguro Digital Ltd. (NYSE:PAGS – Get Free Report) was the target of unusually large options trading activity on Monday. Stock investors purchased 5,014 call options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 280% compared to the typical daily volume of 1,321 call options.
Insider Activity In other news, insider Silva Dutra sold 25,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $9.24, for a total value of $231,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 25,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $231,000. This trade represents a 50.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.
Institutional Trading of PagSeguro Digital Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. DGS Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of PagSeguro Digital by 8.7% during the fourth quarter. DGS Capital Management LLC now owns 15,814 shares of the company’s stock worth $152,000 after purchasing an additional 1,271 shares in the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd boosted its position in shares of PagSeguro Digital by 77.0% in the 4th quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 4,185 shares of the company’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 1,821 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its position in shares of PagSeguro Digital by 10.9% in the 1st quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 18,678 shares of the company’s stock valued at $187,000 after purchasing an additional 1,835 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada grew its stake in PagSeguro Digital by 3.7% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 56,092 shares of the company’s stock worth $562,000 after buying an additional 1,998 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Amundi grew its stake in PagSeguro Digital by 6.0% during the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 54,586 shares of the company’s stock worth $547,000 after buying an additional 3,067 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 45.88% of the company’s stock.
Analyst Ratings Changes PAGS has been the topic of several recent research reports. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of PagSeguro Digital in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. They set a “hold” rating and a $10.40 target price on the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of PagSeguro Digital in a research report on Friday, September 18th. UBS Group dropped their price target on shares of PagSeguro Digital from $12.50 to $11.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, September 29th. Finally, Bank of America lowered PagSeguro Digital from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $10.00 price objective on the stock. in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, PagSeguro Digital has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $10.73. Read Our Latest Stock Report on PagSeguro Digital
PagSeguro Digital Stock Performance NYSE PAGS traded up $2.08 during trading on Monday, reaching $11.10. 7,398,305 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,545,548. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $9.24 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $9.46. The stock has a market cap of $3.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.36 and a beta of 1.27. PagSeguro Digital has a 1 year low of $8.42 and a 1 year high of $12.32.
PagSeguro Digital (NYSE:PAGS – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 11th. The company reported $0.41 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.39 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $942.97 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1 billion. PagSeguro Digital had a return on equity of 16.36% and a net margin of 10.46%. Research analysts forecast that PagSeguro Digital will post 1.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.
PagSeguro Digital Increases Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, September 16th were paid a $0.28 dividend. This is an increase from PagSeguro Digital’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.26. This represents a $1.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 10.1%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, September 16th. PagSeguro Digital’s payout ratio is currently 78.32%.
PagSeguro Digital Company Profile (Get Free Report)
PagSeguro Digital Ltd. is a Brazilian financial technology company that operates the PagBank ecosystem. The company provides payment acceptance and digital banking services primarily to micro, small and medium-sized businesses, self-employed professionals and individual consumers in Brazil.
Its products and services include point-of-sale payment terminals, online payment processing, digital accounts, payment cards, money transfers, bill payment and other financial services. PagSeguro also offers tools designed to help merchants manage transactions and business finances through digital platforms and mobile applications.
PagSeguro was developed as part of Brazil’s UOL group and became a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange in 2018.
Further Reading Five stocks we like better than PagSeguro Digital 5 Oversold Corners of the Market That Could Bounce If Breadth Finally Improves 3 Small-Cap Stocks With Catalysts That Could Put Them in the Spotlight Follow the Money: 5 AI Stocks Buying Back Shares by the Billions First Citizens BancShares vs MP Materials: A Tale of 2 Regulation Bets Receive News & Ratings for PagSeguro Digital Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for PagSeguro Digital and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Akcie PagBank během pondělního dopoledne vzrostly o 21,7 % poté, co Flávio Bolsonaro získal v prvním kole brazilských prezidentských voleb 47,3 % hlasů.
Pagbank (PAGS +23.00%), the Brazilian fintech stock and digital bank, flew higher Monday morning, soaring 21.7% through 11:50 a.m. ET.
You can thank the voters of Brazil for that.
Election Brazil 2026Brazil wrapped up its first round of voting for a new President Sunday night. With 98% of votes counted, conservative candidate Flávio Bolsonaro -- son of the former President Jair Bolsonaro and a Brazilian senator in his own right -- won 47.3% of the vote to incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's 44.8%.
Bolsonaro the younger didn't win the election outright; he'd have needed more than 50% of the vote for that. He does seem well-positioned to win the presidency, however, when a second round of voting concludes on Oct. 25. As The Wall Street Journal reports, "other right-wing candidates" won about 5% of the votes in the first round. Those voters are more likely to shift their votes to Bolsonaro than to Lula. If even half of them do so, it's likely to put Bolsonaro over the top.
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What does any of this have to do with PagSeguro?The Journal says voters are upset about high taxes and Lula's "stewardship of the economy." Investors seem to think that change is needed, and that a Bolsonaro presidency will be good news for Brazilian business. And since PagSeguro conducts 99.1% of its business in the country, investors also assume that what's good for Brazil will be good for PagSeguro stock.
It wouldn't take much to prove them right.
Valued at just 6.2 times trailing earnings, PagSeguro stock is priced to move. Analysts already forecast the company will grow earnings by more than 10% annually over the next five years. At its current price, this stock could perform well... whoever wins the election.
Rich Smith has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends PagSeguro Digital. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
TeraWulf zdvojnásobil smluvně zajištěnou kapacitu odběru elektřiny pro kampus Muskie v Kentucky na 1 GW, změna však ještě podléhá schválení regulátorem. Akcie v ranním obchodování klesly o 5 %.
A power contract that doubles available capacity at a Kentucky AI campus sounds like a win, yet TeraWulf shareholders are selling hard this morning while the rest of the market drifts higher. The reason comes down to a gap between…
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A bigger power contract usually reads as good news for a company selling artificial intelligence (AI) data center capacity, yet TeraWulf (NASDAQ:WULF) is heading the other way after doubling the electric supply at its Muskie campus in Kentucky. TeraWulf stock is down 5% to $14.77 in morning trading, even after Kentucky Power agreed to lift contracted demand at Muskie to 1 gigawatt. The reaction offers a read on how the market is pricing the entire AI hosting group.
Meanwhile, Core Scientific (NASDAQ:CORZ) stock is down 3%, sliding alongside TeraWulf as another former crypto miner that now leases capacity to AI customers. Riot Platforms (NASDAQ:RIOT | RIOT Price Prediction) stock is down 2%, the mildest decline among the three companies making that same pivot.
At the same time, the Global X Data Center & Digital Infrastructure ETF (NASDAQ:DTCR), a gauge of the broader data center trade, is down 0.3%. The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSEARCA:SPY) is up 0.2%, which places the selling squarely in this corner of the market. That divergence keeps the focus on former miners now selling power and space to AI developers.
Kentucky Power Doubles Muskie to 1 Gigawatt Kentucky Power and TeraWulf finalized an amended agreement that doubles contracted electric demand at the Muskie data campus in Grayson, Kentucky, to 1 gigawatt. The new terms also pull delivery of the campus’s second phase forward by a year. Paul Prager, TeraWulf’s chairman and chief executive officer, stated that expanding contracted power and bringing the second phase forward positions the company to meet strong customer demand.
TeraWulf’s bull case rests on contracted power being the scarce input in the AI buildout, so doubling it at Muskie directly expands what the company has to sell. Muskie also sits in the same state as TeraWulf’s Justified campus, where the company signed a long-term lease with Anthropic. A Colorado legislative staff report notes that a single operating data center can draw over a gigawatt, and it cites Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory projections that data centers could account for between 6.7% and 12% of U.S. electricity use by 2028.
Regulatory Approval and Long Timelines Weigh on TeraWulf The complication for TeraWulf is timing. Both changes in the amended agreement depend on approval from the Kentucky Public Service Commission, so the added capacity exists on paper until regulators sign off. TeraWulf had previously targeted initial service at Muskie for the fourth quarter of 2028, which puts the revenue years away while the cost of building toward it arrives much sooner.
Even with the pullback, TeraWulf shares remain up 28% year to date, a gain built on enthusiasm for the company’s AI infrastructure push. That cushion leaves room for profit-taking whenever the payoff from new capacity sits years out. With a beta of 4.25, TeraWulf stock has historically moved far more sharply than the broad market, which magnifies swings in both directions.
Core Scientific and Riot Slide With the Group Core Scientific runs a similar playbook, converting former crypto mining sites into colocation space, meaning powered data center floor rented to AI and cloud customers (we profiled seven of these picks-and-shovels suppliers to the AI buildout, from power to cooling, in a free report you can grab here). The parallel decline in Core Scientific and TeraWulf points to pressure on the cohort as a whole, since both companies sell the same scarce commodity of energized capacity.
Riot has made the same pivot, signing a 20-year data center lease with a leading frontier AI lab while still operating its mining business. With the smallest drop of the three, Riot shows the selling reaching the group with varying force. That pattern, paired with a softer data center fund and a firmer S&P 500 fund, frames the TeraWulf stock decline as part of a sector-wide pullback.
What to Watch Next The next clear marker for TeraWulf is the Kentucky Public Service Commission’s decision on the amended agreement, which would lock in both the doubled capacity and the earlier second phase. Traders can watch for that ruling, along with signs that selling in Core Scientific and Riot is easing. Any construction update from TeraWulf on Muskie’s timeline could also shape how quickly the market credits the added capacity.
TeraWulf stock offers real upside potential if contracted power keeps commanding a premium, but the Muskie expansion still needs a regulator’s approval and is likely years from producing revenue. Investors weighing their exposure should calibrate their holdings carefully given that gap between contract and delivery. For TeraWulf’s shareholders, keeping their stakes moderately sized makes sense until the commission rules and the group selling settles.
Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
Starwood Property Trust, Inc. (NYSE:STWD – Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week low during trading on Monday. The stock traded as low as $12.90 and last traded at $13.0290, with a volume of 10246125 shares. The stock had previously closed at $13.05.
Analysts Set New Price Targets Several brokerages have issued reports on STWD. Citigroup reissued a “market outperform” rating on shares of Starwood Property Trust in a research note on Thursday, September 24th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Starwood Property Trust in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Starwood Property Trust from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Starwood Property Trust from $19.00 to $18.50 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, August 18th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company set a $20.00 price objective on shares of Starwood Property Trust in a research report on Monday, August 17th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Starwood Property Trust has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $19.20.
View Our Latest Report on STWD
Starwood Property Trust Stock Down 0.6% The company has a market cap of $4.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.47, a quick ratio of 1.46 and a current ratio of 1.46. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $15.66 and its two-hundred day moving average is $16.67. Starwood Property Trust (NYSE:STWD – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.40. The business had revenue of $201.42 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $521.67 million. Starwood Property Trust had a return on equity of 7.85% and a net margin of 11.35%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 15.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.43 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Starwood Property Trust, Inc. will post 1.4 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Starwood Property Trust Announces Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, September 30th will be given a dividend of $0.48 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, September 30th. This represents a $1.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 14.8%. Starwood Property Trust’s payout ratio is presently 325.42%.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Starwood Property Trust A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of STWD. Quantum Portfolio Management LLC boosted its holdings in Starwood Property Trust by 882,760.9% during the 1st quarter. Quantum Portfolio Management LLC now owns 112,176,302 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $1,931,676,000 after acquiring an additional 112,163,596 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Starwood Property Trust in the second quarter valued at about $589,366,000. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Starwood Property Trust in the fourth quarter valued at about $75,177,000. Advisors Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Starwood Property Trust during the second quarter valued at about $70,121,000. Finally, HighTower Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Starwood Property Trust by 8.8% during the second quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 3,046,542 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $49,902,000 after purchasing an additional 246,741 shares in the last quarter. 49.82% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
(Get Free Report)
Starwood Property Trust, Inc (NYSE: STWD) is a real estate investment trust focused on commercial real estate finance. The company originates, acquires, finances and manages a range of real estate debt investments, including senior and subordinate mortgages, mezzanine loans, and other credit investments secured by commercial properties.
Its business also includes commercial real estate lending and servicing, residential lending, and infrastructure lending. Through these activities, Starwood Property Trust provides financing to property owners, developers and other real estate participants across multiple property types, including office, multifamily, industrial, hospitality and other commercial assets.
Founded in 2009, the company operates primarily in the United States and has also pursued lending and investment opportunities in Europe and other select international markets.
See Also Five stocks we like better than Starwood Property Trust First Citizens BancShares vs MP Materials: A Tale of 2 Regulation Bets These 3 Short-Squeeze Candidates Have Catalysts, But Their Risks Are Just as Large 3 High-Yield Dividend Stocks That May Be Safer Than They Seem Insider Trades: Dell Sees Over $1 Billion in Sales, Berkshire Buys a Top Homebuilder Receive News & Ratings for Starwood Property Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Starwood Property Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Hyperliquid poprvé získal přibližně 14,58 milionu USDC z výnosů rezervního fondu určených na budoucí zpětné odkupy tokenů HYPE. Prostředky zatím nebyly převedeny do Assistance Fund ani použity k nákupu či spálení tokenů HYPE.
5 October 2026 | 11:59 Hyperliquid’s buyback model has received its first reported contribution from a source other than trading fees: yield earned on USDC reserves held in its ecosystem. The payment, worth about $14.58 million in USDC, is the first test of whether the protocol can turn stablecoin balances into recurring funding for HYPE purchases.
The reported payment shows that Hyperliquid’s AQAv2 reserve-income arrangement has started producing funds but it does not, by itself, show that $14.58 million of HYPE has already been bought or burned.
Crypto Briefing reported on October 3 that the first payment was awaiting transfer to Hyperliquid’s Assistance Fund. The next stages remain important: the USDC must reach that fund, be used through the protocol’s buyback process, and result in HYPE being removed from circulation.
Reserve income is paid in USDC. The Assistance Fund receives the funds under the AQAv2 schedule. HYPE purchases and burns are separate on-chain events. AQAv2 gives Hyperliquid a second source of funding Hyperliquid’s established buyback engine is tied to trading activity. Its fee documentation says the Assistance Fund automatically converts trading fees into HYPE, which is then burned. Higher trading volume can therefore produce more buyback funding, while quieter markets can reduce it.
AQAv2 changes the mix by adding income connected to USDC balances rather than trading volume. Under the Aligned Quote Asset v2 framework, the treasury deployer for a qualifying stablecoin shares approximately 90% of cost-adjusted reserve-yield revenue with the protocol.
That wording is narrower than it first appears having in mind that the 90% share applies after the costs defined by the arrangement have been taken into account; it does not mean Hyperliquid receives 90 cents from every gross dollar generated by USDC reserves.
The protocol documentation also sets a 30-day payment cycle. Revenue is sent to the Assistance Fund eight days after an interval ends, giving the system a defined route from reserve yield to the fund that supports HYPE buybacks.
Circle’s role is technical, not the same as the treasury role Circle has described itself as the technical deployer for USDC on Hyperliquid. That role covers infrastructure for minting, redemption and cross-chain transfers, helping USDC move between the relevant parts of the Hyperliquid ecosystem.
It should not be confused with the separate treasury-deployer role that shares reserve-yield income under AQAv2. The distinction affects how the arrangement should be read: a technical provider keeps the stablecoin rails operating, while the treasury arrangement governs how reserve income is allocated.
The new income source has different strengths, and different dependencies Reserve income can keep accruing when trading cools, provided users continue holding USDC in the ecosystem and the underlying reserves continue earning yield. That gives Hyperliquid a funding route that is not entirely dependent on traders opening and closing positions.
It is not fixed revenue, however. The amount can change with USDC balances, the applicable reserve yield and the terms of the AQAv2 framework. A decline in stablecoin deposits or interest rates could reduce future payments even if Hyperliquid’s trading activity remains steady.
The arrangement therefore diversifies the buyback model rather than replacing the fee-based one. Trading fees remain tied to market activity; reserve income depends more heavily on the scale of USDC held within the platform and the yield available on those reserves.
Why the first payment should not be annualized too quickly The reported $14.58 million figure has prompted estimates of a much larger annual contribution. A simple annualization can be useful as a rough illustration, but it assumes that the USDC balance, interest-rate environment and AQAv2 terms remain broadly unchanged for a full year.
Those assumptions may not hold because Hyperliquid can gain or lose USDC balances, reserve yields can move with market rates, and the payment cycle itself needs to operate consistently over more than one interval before it can be treated as a durable revenue pattern.
The better question is not whether the first payment produces an eye-catching annual figure. It is whether subsequent intervals continue to produce funds that reach the Assistance Fund and become observable HYPE purchases and burns.
What confirms the model from here The first payment establishes the starting point. Its significance will depend on what follows: the transfer of USDC into the Assistance Fund, the size and timing of HYPE purchases, and whether future payments arrive under different market conditions.
Follow the flow of funds, not the headline estimate A reserve-yield payment can support HYPE buybacks, but it is only the first part of the process. Completed transfers and completed burns will show how much of that potential has become actual token demand and supply reduction.
For now, AQAv2 gives Hyperliquid a second potential route to funding HYPE buybacks. The first reported payment shows the route has begun operating; repeated payments and completed purchases will show whether it becomes a meaningful part of the protocol’s long-term model.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Reported payments, protocol rules and market conditions may change.
Author
Alexander Zdravkov is a market analyst and crypto journalist with interests in economics, broader financial markets and digital assets. His journey into crypto began more than four years ago, driven by a fascination with the rapid evolution of blockchain technology and the transformative potential of decentralized finance. He began analyzing market cycles and identifying emerging trends before they reach the mainstream. He holds a degree in International Relations - a background that helped shape his broader perspective on global economics, geopolitics, and the interconnected nature of modern financial markets. Whether covering the latest developments in the crypto sector or exploring broader macroeconomic themes, Alexander focuses on giving readers context rather than simply repeating headlines. During his career, he has authored more than 5,000 articles covering cryptocurrencies, traditional finance, and global market developments. His work spans everything from Bitcoin and altcoins to macroeconomic trends influencing risk assets worldwide.
ZachXBT infiltroval skupinu podezřelou z praní peněz pro Lazarus Group a vystopoval více než 12 milionů USD z útoku na Bybit; Tether zmrazil přibližně 442 000 USDT.
PANews, October 5 — "On-chain detective" ZachXBT posted that he had posed as a client to infiltrate a criminal group suspected of laundering money for the North Korea-linked hacker organization Lazarus Group, and helped freeze funds related to the 2025 Bybit hack.
ZachXBT said that after Bybit suffered a $1.5 billion hack in February 2025, he found more than 15 accounts in public Telegram and Discord groups seeking help processing transactions related to the stolen funds. He then contacted one Telegram user using the alias "Jimmy Green" and built trust through multiple transactions. According to his disclosure, on March 6, 2025, he transferred $3.497 million in USDC to an Ethereum address to conduct a USDC-to-TRON USDT swap with the other party. The gas funds for that address can be traced back to the Bybit hack funds, and it has been publicly flagged as a Bybit hack blacklist address.
ZachXBT said that in subsequent exchanges, the other party revealed that their team had been involved in processing the stolen Bybit funds, and tipped off in advance that the funds would be moved on chains such as Solana. By matching transaction times, amounts and on-chain data, he discovered a wallet cluster involving more than $12 million in Bybit hack funds, with fund paths spanning multiple networks including BTC→ETH→SOL→TRON. Of these, about 442,000 USDT had been frozen by Tether, and the group also attempted to launder money through Uniswap liquidity pools and low-liquidity tokens. In addition, the other party revealed that they had helped other clients process about $3 million in fraud proceeds, and ZachXBT traced the related funds to wallets associated with the sanctioned Huione Guarantee.
ZachXBT disclosed that in this investigation he first put in $3.497 million of his own funds and bore a loss risk of about 5% per transaction, and that the intelligence ultimately obtained was provided to relevant investigative agencies and law enforcement at the earliest opportunity. Since 2022, he has helped freeze more than $75 million in funds related to North Korea-linked incidents.
PTC (NASDAQ:PTC – Get Free Report) was downgraded by Loop Capital from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. They currently have a $205.00 price objective on the technology company’s stock, up from their prior price objective of $200.00. Loop Capital’s price objective would indicate a potential upside of 5.70% from the stock’s previous close.
Several other brokerages have also commented on PTC. BNP Paribas Exane started coverage on shares of PTC in a report on Thursday, June 18th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $130.00 price objective on the stock. Rosenblatt Securities restated a “buy” rating and issued a $190.00 price objective on shares of PTC in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of PTC from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, June 27th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on shares of PTC from $155.00 to $164.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Barclays upped their price objective on shares of PTC from $150.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $172.47.
View Our Latest Analysis on PTC
PTC Trading Up 34.6% PTC stock traded up $49.91 during trading on Monday, reaching $193.94. 8,693,519 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,455,609. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $142.72 and a 200-day moving average price of $136.94. PTC has a 1 year low of $108.50 and a 1 year high of $206.82. The firm has a market capitalization of $21.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.77, a P/E/G ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 0.99. PTC (NASDAQ:PTC – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The technology company reported $1.58 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.57 by $0.01. PTC had a net margin of 41.67% and a return on equity of 25.31%. The company had revenue of $600.05 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $611.62 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.64 earnings per share. PTC’s quarterly revenue was down 6.8% compared to the same quarter last year. PTC has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.870-8.420 EPS and its Q4 2026 guidance at 1.630-2.210 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that PTC will post 6.56 earnings per share for the current year.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On PTC A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of PTC. Renaissance Technologies LLC lifted its position in PTC by 89.3% during the first quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 389,100 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $55,443,000 after buying an additional 183,600 shares in the last quarter. SCS Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in PTC during the second quarter valued at approximately $37,912,000. Amundi lifted its position in PTC by 151.9% during the first quarter. Amundi now owns 1,725,555 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $245,885,000 after buying an additional 1,040,656 shares in the last quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lifted its position in PTC by 104.5% during the second quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 224,989 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $25,561,000 after buying an additional 114,961 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC lifted its position in PTC by 65.0% during the second quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 587,782 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $66,753,000 after buying an additional 231,563 shares in the last quarter. 95.14% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
PTC News Summary Here are the key news stories impacting PTC this week:
Positive Sentiment: Schneider Electric will pay $205 per PTC share in cash, valuing the transaction at approximately $22.6 billion to $23.7 billion and representing about a 42% premium to PTC’s prior closing price. The offer is the primary reason PTC shares have surged toward the proposed deal price. PTC agrees to Schneider Electric buyout at $205 a share Positive Sentiment: The acquisition would combine PTC’s industrial design, product lifecycle management and service-management software with Schneider’s energy-management and automation businesses. Schneider said the deal will create one of the largest industrial-software portfolios and strengthen its position in industrial artificial intelligence. Schneider Electric to Buy Software Maker PTC Neutral Sentiment: For PTC shareholders, the cash offer limits further upside largely to the difference between the market price and $205, while the transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory and shareholder approvals. Schneider Electric’s shares fell sharply on concerns about the size and financing of its largest-ever acquisition, highlighting execution and integration risks. Schneider Electric shares plunge after PTC deal Negative Sentiment: Investor-rights law firm Halper Sadeh said it is investigating whether PTC’s board obtained the best price and adequately protected shareholders. Such inquiries could create delays or add uncertainty, although they do not currently change the announced offer terms. Halper Sadeh PTC investigation PTC Company Profile (Get Free Report)
PTC Inc (NASDAQ: PTC) develops software designed to help manufacturers and other industrial companies create, manage, operate and service physical products. Its portfolio supports product lifecycle management, computer-aided design, application lifecycle management, service lifecycle management, industrial Internet of Things applications and augmented reality.
PTC’s primary products include Creo for 3D computer-aided design and engineering, Windchill for product lifecycle management, Codebeamer for application lifecycle management, and Servigistics for service parts and service operations management.
See Also Five stocks we like better than PTC Follow the Money: 5 AI Stocks Buying Back Shares by the Billions First Citizens BancShares vs MP Materials: A Tale of 2 Regulation Bets These 3 Short-Squeeze Candidates Have Catalysts, But Their Risks Are Just as Large 3 High-Yield Dividend Stocks That May Be Safer Than They Seem
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Shares of Cerebras Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:CBRS – Get Free Report) shot up 8.8% during trading on Monday after Jefferies Financial Group upgraded the stock to an outperform rating. The stock traded as high as $184.79 and last traded at $181.0320. 4,795,897 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 33% from the average session volume of 7,127,809 shares. The stock had previously closed at $166.43.
A number of other equities analysts have also issued reports on CBRS. Mizuho reduced their target price on shares of Cerebras Systems from $310.00 to $300.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, August 13th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on Cerebras Systems from $273.00 to $279.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Cerebras Systems from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, August 15th. TD Cowen began coverage on shares of Cerebras Systems in a report on Monday, June 8th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $275.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Cerebras Systems from $340.00 to $320.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 13th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $299.90.
Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on CBRS
Insiders Place Their Bets In other Cerebras Systems news, CAO Yagnesh Patel sold 1,320 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $204.50, for a total value of $269,940.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 15,356 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,140,302. The trade was a 7.92% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Steven Vassallo sold 50,000 shares of Cerebras Systems stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $210.30, for a total transaction of $10,515,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 171,977 shares in the company, valued at $36,166,763.10. This trade represents a 22.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 1,864,452 shares of company stock worth $387,680,754 in the last 90 days. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Cerebras Systems A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of CBRS. State Street Corp acquired a new position in Cerebras Systems during the second quarter valued at approximately $105,343,000. Situational Awareness LP acquired a new position in shares of Cerebras Systems during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $2,210,000. Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Cerebras Systems during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,383,000. Ratan Capital Management LP bought a new stake in shares of Cerebras Systems during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $4,641,000. Finally, UNC Management Company Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Cerebras Systems in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $4,439,000.
Cerebras Systems Price Performance The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a current ratio of 5.82 and a quick ratio of 5.80. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $201.27. The stock has a market capitalization of $43.11 billion and a price-to-earnings ratio of -2,262.50.
Cerebras Systems (NASDAQ:CBRS – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 12th. The company reported ($2.98) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.21) by ($2.77). The business had revenue of $209.87 million for the quarter. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 74.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that Cerebras Systems Inc. will post -0.52 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Cerebras Systems Company Profile (Get Free Report)
Cerebras Systems is an artificial intelligence computing company that develops specialized hardware and software for training and deploying large AI models. The company’s technology is designed to address the computational demands of generative AI, deep learning and other data-intensive workloads.
Its core products include the Wafer-Scale Engine, a purpose-built AI processor produced on a single silicon wafer, and the CS-3 AI supercomputer, which incorporates that processor into an integrated computing system.
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Cerebras Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:CBRS) shares are soaring Monday after a social media post from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman appeared to boost investor sentiment.
Cerebras Systems stock is charging ahead with explosive momentum. Why is CBRS stock up today? Altman Addresses Speculation About OpenAI’s Cerebras PartnershipAltman took to social media to respond to chatter about OpenAI’s ties to Cerebras. He said that “Cerebras is a close partner,” and that the two companies “have a deep engagement pushing on the frontiers of speed.”
The post landed after reports last week that OpenAI’s newly unveiled GPT-6.1 Sol Ultrafast model doesn’t run on Cerebras chips. Those reports had weighed on the stock.
A Bounce After a Rough StretchToday’s gain comes after a rough month for Cerebras. The stock is down roughly 14.6% over that period. That makes the move look more like a positive correction than a fresh breakout. Shares also still sit below the $185 IPO price.
Last Wednesday’s decline came as a new wave of shares hit the market. Cerebras structured its post-IPO lockup as 11 separate releases rather than one 180-day freeze. Three smaller unlocks of 14.6 million shares each began in August. Last week’s release added about 19.4 million shares and was the first of three larger waves.
What Cerebras Brings to the AI MarketBehind those share-supply headlines is a company focused on large-scale AI computing. Cerebras builds very large systems for training and running AI models. The company says it makes the world’s fastest AI infrastructure, including the world’s largest semiconductor and the hardware that powers, cools and feeds data to it.
Cerebras also writes software that ties those systems together into supercomputers. That software is built to work with common machine learning frameworks like PyTorch. Customers rely on the systems to train large models and run inference at speeds the company says rival approaches have trouble matching.
CBRS Shares Are FlyingCBRS Price Action: Cerebras shares were up 9.73% at $182.63 at the time of publication on Monday, according to Benzinga Pro.
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Americká vláda plánuje poskytnout společnosti Vistra úvěr ve výši 4,2 mld. USD na zvýšení výkonu jaderných elektráren; Meta již uzavřela smlouvu na odběr více než 2,6 GW na 20 let.
The U.S. government plans to lend Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) about $4.2 billion to increase output from its nuclear fleet. Much of that new output already has a buyer.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright is expected to appear at Vistra’s nuclear plant on Lake Erie in Ohio on Monday afternoon. The money would pay for upgrades at three or more of Vistra’s four nuclear stations.
"By getting more power out of the nuclear plants we already have, we can deliver more affordable, reliable, around the-clock energy for American families and businesses,” Wright said in a prepared statement.
Vistra shares were up 4.1% at $145.81 late Monday morning, per Benzinga Pro data.
Meta Came FirstIn January, Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META) signed 20-year agreements to buy power from Vistra’s Perry and Davis-Besse plants in Ohio and its Beaver Valley plant in Pennsylvania.
The deal sends more than 2.6 GW to Meta’s AI data centers in the PJM region. Of that, Reuters reported 433 MW will come from uprates. Those megawatts don’t exist yet.
On its fourth-quarter call, Vistra said the Meta agreements cover 2,176 MW of operating capacity. The uprates make up the rest.
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The TradeThe loan puts federal money behind megawatts with a signed buyer. A 20-year hyperscaler contract largely removes demand risk, and cheaper government debt cuts the cost of building the extra capacity.
Execution risk is lower, too. Vistra can do the uprates without new licenses from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Reuters noted. Operators usually use slightly more enriched fuel or install bigger equipment, such as new main turbines.
The Energy Department’s lending office can cover up to 80% of a project’s cost, CNBC reported. Its UPRISE program aims to add 2.5 GW from existing reactors by 2027 and 5 GW by 2029.
Joining Constellation and SouthernVistra joins a growing list of borrowers. Constellation Energy Corp. (NASDAQ:CEG) got a $1 billion loan last November to restart Three Mile Island. In February, Southern Co. (NYSE:SO) was offered $26.54 billion, the largest loan in the office’s history.
Still Far Below the HighVST Stock Price Activity: Vistra shares were up 4.09% at $145.74 at the time of publication on Monday, according to data from Benzinga Pro. Even with Monday’s gain, Vistra stock is about 33% below its 52-week high of $217.10. The 52-week low is $132.66.
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Reality Labs snížila provozní ztrátu v 1. čtvrtletí na 4,03 mld. USD, zatímco tržby vzrostly o 16 % na 431 mil. USD díky prodeji brýlí s umělou inteligencí.
Meta spent years burning billions on a metaverse nobody wanted, but something quiet is happening inside Reality Labs that could force the market to rethink the entire company's valuation.
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Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META | META Price Prediction) trades at $728.08. Reality Labs lost about $19.2 billion in 2025. Meta is quietly rebuilding that unit around AI glasses, and the shift could change how the market values the whole company.
Meta owns Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger, which reach 3.60 billion daily active people. The stock was trading at $597.37 when Meta reported a second-quarter earnings miss. It then gained 22.9% over the past month before falling 3.14% last week on AI spending concerns.
AI Glasses and a Growing Ad Engine Make the Math Work Ad revenue rose 27% to $59.36 billion. Ad impressions grew 14%, and the average price per ad climbed 12%. Advantage+ hit an annual run rate above $75 billion. Even so, Meta trades at a forward P/E of 22 and a PEG ratio of 0.985.
Reality Labs is changing direction. Its revenue rose 16% to $431 million as AI glasses sales more than made up for lower Quest sales. The unit’s loss narrowed to $4.03 billion in Q1, and Meta cut about 8,000 jobs in May. Excluding legal and severance charges, operating income would have grown 9%.
Capex Could Become Meta’s Next Metaverse Diluted EPS of $6.18 missed the $7.22 estimate by 14.42%. That ended a six-quarter run of beats. Operating margin fell to 31% from 43%. Free cash flow dropped to $784 million from $8.55 billion as capex rose 82%.
Management raised 2026 expense guidance to $165 billion to $169 billion and expects $130 billion to $145 billion in capex. Legal charges reached $2.40 billion in the quarter. Youth-safety cases and EU ad rules add risk. Debt now stands at $83.7 billion.
Reality Labs Is Shrinking, but the AI Bill Keeps Growing Management expects 2026 operating income to top 2025’s, which supports the outlook. The bull case requires proof that the AI build-out will lift free cash flow. Q3 revenue guidance of $61 billion to $64 billion is the first test. Over the next two quarters, investors should track Reality Labs losses and whether cash flow rebuilds.
Meta Lags the S&P 500 but Has Room to Rerate Meta trades at $728.08. The average analyst target is $794.96, which means 9.2% upside. Price targets are estimates and can change. Here is how the 63 covering analysts rate the stock:
Strong Buy: 8 Buy: 47 Hold: 7 Sell: 1 The stock trades at 27 times trailing earnings. It is up 10.57% this year, while the S&P 500 is up 12.86%. Over one year, Meta returned 0.47% and the index returned 14.6%.
Meta’s Outlook Brightens as the Metaverse Drag Fades At $728.08, Meta’s setup rests on a shifting cost base.
Reality Labs was a drag with no clear return. Meta is turning it into an AI glasses business that management calls “one of the fastest growing consumer electronics of all time.” Lower Quest spending could support margins.
The bigger expense, AI infrastructure, already drives revenue. Meta says it is demand constrained and has been offered a significant premium for its compute capacity. WhatsApp-driven other revenue grew 73%.
Watch Q3 margins and the Reality Labs loss figure. Another quarter of shrinking free cash flow without faster growth would break this argument.
Meta is shrinking its largest loss-making unit while the core business grows 28%, and a forward P/E of 22 leaves room for the market to reward the turnaround.
Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
Microsoft Corp. (MSFT, Financials), the software and cloud computing company, is confronting a familiar challenge for CEO Satya Nadella: changing its business model before the technology market changes around it.
Microsoft moved early in generative AI through OpenAI, but the company has yet to produce a dominant AI model or application. Copilot adoption also remains modest relative to Microsoft's enormous installed base.
The company has 30 million Copilot seats, while commercial Office 365 has more than 450 million users. Copilot currently costs an additional $30 per user each month.
AI agents are making that pricing model harder to sustain because complex tasks can consume dramatically different amounts of computing power.
Microsoft is responding with usage-based billing. Copilot Cowork, which handles larger productivity assignments, is an early example, with thousands of customers already paying based on consumption.
GitHub Copilot offers evidence the approach can work. Users reached 50 million by July from 26 million last October, while sales growth accelerated 60% sequentially after a pricing change tied more closely to computing demand.
For investors, the opportunity is larger AI consumption across Microsoft's customer base. The risk is that unpredictable usage costs slow adoption while competitors capture more workloads.
The next catalyst is Microsoft's Windows and Surface event, where the company plans to outline how local AI could shape the next generation of PCs.
Jim Cramer says Copilot will push Microsoft to a big move, but the stock already lagged every other megacap over the past year and the upcoming earnings report carries targets that management must hit to prove him right.
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At 9:16 a.m. ET on October 5, 2026, Jim Cramer posted on X: “It’s Co-Pilot’s time! MSFT going higher. Big move coming”. He noted the company is a big CNBC Investing Club stock and his charitable trust owns shares. Shares of Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT | MSFT Price Prediction) traded at $526.25 as of 10:59 a.m. ET, up 1.68% on the session.
From October 6, 2025 through October 2, 2026, Microsoft returned -1.28%. It was the only one of six megacaps with a negative return over that period. Shares of Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) gained 37.5%, Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) 30.5% and NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) 26.4%.
What Cramer’s Post Actually Promises The post has no price target, timeframe, or catalyst beyond Copilot. On September 30 Cramer said “Copilot has 30 million users and growing. They’re paying.” On October 1 he added that “Microsoft’s rally is just beginning.”
The company disclosed the seat count itself. On its July 29, 2026 earnings call, management reported over 30 million paid Microsoft 365 Copilot seats. Net seat additions more than doubled quarter over quarter. The seat count is a company figure, while the “big move” is Cramer’s opinion.
What Copilot Is Worth to a $3.91 Trillion Company Microsoft does not report Copilot revenue separately, so its share is unknown. Copilot sits inside Productivity and Business Processes, which brought in $37.85 billion (+14%) in fiscal Q4. Intelligent Cloud grew faster: $39.31 billion (+32%). Quarterly capex rose 109.63% to $35.80 billion, and free cash flow fell 23.19%. Copilot must help recover that spending.
Reasons to Discount the Post Cramer owns the stock and held it through a fall from $553 to $349. The same morning, Barron’s reported an analyst upgraded the stock to Buy, so the post cannot claim sole credit for the gain. Microsoft redesigned Copilot on September 25 to compete with Claude and ChatGPT.
Much of the recovery is already in the price. The stock rose 37.5% in the third quarter and is up 9.51% year to date. It trades at about 29 times trailing earnings and 25 times forward earnings (price divided by the past year’s and next year’s expected profit per share). The consensus price target is $578.82. Analysts are nearly all bullish, with 53 Buy or Strong Buy ratings and 2 Holds.
Will Copilot Close Microsoft’s Megacap Gap? The post itself adds nothing new. The next move depends on the fiscal first-quarter earnings report. Data providers list it for November 4, 2026, but Microsoft has not confirmed that date. Management has already set the targets: Azure growth of approximately 45% in constant currency and Intelligent Cloud revenue of $40.95 to $41.25 billion.
If Azure growth reaches 45%, Copilot seats exceed 30 million, and the stock closes above its 52-week high of $549.20, Cramer was right. If it falls below its 50-day moving average of $487.72, Microsoft’s gap with other megacaps grows.
Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
Melius Research zvýšila doporučení pro Microsoft na „kupovat“ a cílovou cenu na 665 USD; očekává více než 26% potenciál díky poptávce po bezpečnosti a správě AI.
Microsoft shares MSFT rose more than 1.6% on Monday after Melius Research upgraded the software giant to Buy from Hold and lifted its price target to $665.
The research firm argued that growing corporate concerns about artificial intelligence could itself become a powerful driver of demand for Microsoft's security and governance products.
The new target implies more than 26% upside from Monday's trading levels.
Microsoft shares have already gained over 40% from their June low of $353.
The stock has gained 11% this year.
Melius analyst Ben Reitzes said enterprises are increasingly looking for ways to deploy AI without exposing themselves to the security and governance risks associated with relying directly on frontier AI labs.
“Enterprises are electing to spend on a secure wrapper that can route models to the right task and secure agents rather than put their trust in the labs.”
Melius said Microsoft is increasingly becoming the “adults in charge” for enterprise AI security and governance as companies seek greater control over how AI models and agents are deployed.
The brokerage expects Azure growth to accelerate beyond 50% by the fourth quarter of fiscal 2027, reflecting stronger enterprise adoption and spending on Microsoft's broader cloud and AI infrastructure.
The upgrade follows recent comments from AI executives that have heightened concerns about the risks associated with increasingly capable AI systems.
Melius said those concerns have already prompted enterprise resellers to show greater interest in Microsoft's security offerings.
The brokerage also raised its earnings estimates, increasing its fiscal 2027 forecast by 2% and fiscal 2028 estimate by 4%.
It initiated a fiscal 2029 earnings estimate of $30.77 a share, about 7% above consensus.
Its $665 price target represents roughly 22 times its fiscal 2029 earnings estimate.
Melius' bullish view comes after Piper Sandler last week raised its price target on Microsoft to $610 from $550 while maintaining an Overweight rating.
Piper Sandler developed a new framework for evaluating Microsoft's M365 Commercial Cloud business following the company's “Super App” announcement, the introduction of its E7 tier, and growing adoption of consumption-based pricing for Copilot and Cowork.
The brokerage estimates that every 10% shift in customer seats from the existing E5 tier to E7 could generate about $2 billion in annualized revenue.
The impact is expected to build gradually as customers move between subscription tiers.
Piper Sandler also sees significant potential in consumption-based revenue from Copilot and Cowork, estimating the businesses could reach a $2 billion annualized revenue run rate by the end of fiscal 2028.
The firm said part of their appeal comes from Microsoft's enterprise technology “harness” and auto-routing capabilities, which can direct tasks to appropriate models at lower costs than relying exclusively on frontier AI systems.
That could allow Microsoft to monetize AI consumption more quickly than under the traditional seat-based Copilot model.
The bullish forecasts come as investors increasingly scrutinize whether the enormous sums being spent on AI infrastructure can translate into durable revenue and cash flow.
For Microsoft, the opportunity extends beyond selling access to AI models.
Its position across cloud infrastructure, enterprise software and security could allow it to benefit as companies seek to deploy AI while keeping tighter control over costs, data and governance.
Melius' upgrade suggests those concerns may ultimately reinforce Microsoft's position rather than weaken it, as enterprises turn to established technology providers to manage the risks of the AI transition.
NIKE očekává, že program Pace přinese do fiskálního roku 2031 kumulativní úspory přibližně 2,5 mld. USD, přesto ve fiskálním roce 2027 čeká pokles tržeb o vysoké jednociferné procento.
Key Takeaways NIKE expects Pace to deliver about $2.5B in cumulative savings through fiscal 2031.NKE is cutting less productive spending while increasing investments in demand creation.NIKE expects fiscal 2027 revenues to fall in high single digits as it adjusts key businesses. NIKE, Inc. (NKE - Free Report) is focused on streamlining its cost structure while safeguarding investments in product innovation, marketing and brand development to boost sales and strengthen market position. The company’s newly announced Pace program is central to this strategy.
NIKE expects the Pace initiative to generate approximately $2.5 billion in cumulative savings through fiscal 2031, primarily by streamlining its organization, modernizing the supply chain, simplifying decision-making and improving productivity. The program is expected to incur about $1 billion in pre-tax charges, in addition to roughly $300 million of severance costs recorded in fiscal 2026.
Simultaneously, NIKE continues to prioritize growth-oriented investments rather than broadly cutting spending. During the first quarter of fiscal 2027, selling and administrative expenses declined 3% year over year, while demand-creation spending increased 5%, reflecting higher investments around major sporting events. This indicates that NIKE is taking a more targeted approach to cost management, reducing spending in less productive areas while redirecting resources toward initiatives that can enhance consumer engagement, strengthen brand momentum and support sustainable long-term growth.
However, the company faces a difficult near-term tradeoff. NIKE expects fiscal 2027 revenues to decline in high single digits. NKE is making deliberate portfolio adjustments, particularly across NIKE Sportswear, the Jordan Brand and Greater China, to strengthen the health of these businesses over the long term. The company also plans to reduce excess supply in key areas of the marketplace, with the aim of creating a healthy marketplace and supporting stronger full-price sales.
Overall, NIKE’s strategy appears sound, but successful execution will be crucial. The company must reduce structural costs without undermining its innovation and marketing capabilities, allowing more resources to be directed toward products, athletes, sports and consumer experiences that can support sustainable long-term growth.
NKE’s Peerslululemon athletica inc. (LULU - Free Report) is refocusing its growth strategy on product creation, product activation and enterprise enablement, with a near-term focus on restoring full-price sales growth while strengthening the brand for sustainable long-term growth. LULU is putting greater emphasis on product newness, technical performance and innovation. lululemon is leveraging its innovation platform and expanding beyond traditional yoga and core categories.
adidas AG’s (ADDYY - Free Report) innovation strategy is centered on athlete-led product development, advanced technologies, local consumer insights and a combination of performance innovation with lifestyle appeal. adidas also remains focused on cost discipline and operating efficiency, managing its overall cost base while leveraging sales growth. ADDYY is pursuing a broad-based growth strategy centered on product innovation, performance and lifestyle relevance.
NKE’S Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesShares of NIKE have lost 21.6% in the past six months against the industry’s decline of 16.9%.
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From a valuation standpoint, NKE trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 20.09X compared with the industry’s average of 17.31X.
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The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NKE’s fiscal 2027 and fiscal 2028 earnings implies year-over-year growth of 1.3% and 32.6%, respectively. The company’s EPS estimate for fiscal 2027 and fiscal 2028 has moved south in the past 30 days.
Cerebras uzavřela s OpenAI víceletou dohodu o dodání 750 MW kapacity pro AI inferenci do roku 2028; Altman potvrdil jejich úzké partnerství zaměřené na rychlost.
The next big AI chip battle may not be about who trains the biggest model. It could be about who can make AI respond fastest once the model is already built. That is putting Cerebras Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:CBRS) and Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ:NVDA) on opposite sides of an increasingly valuable fight over AI inference.
Altman Reassures Cerebras InvestorsCerebras shares climbed more than 7% in early trading Monday after OpenAI CEO Sam Altman pushed back against speculation that the chipmaker had lost a key role at OpenAI.
"Cerebras is a close partner, and we have a deep engagement pushing on the frontiers of speed," Altman said in a post on X.
The comments came days after Cerebras shares fell nearly 20% after a SemiAnalysis report said OpenAI’s GPT-6.1 Sol Ultrafast tier ran on Nvidia GPUs rather than Cerebras hardware. The report raised an obvious question for investors: If OpenAI is turning to Nvidia for its fastest AI experience, where does that leave Cerebras?
The answer may be more nuanced than a single model or a single customer deployment.
OpenAI and Cerebras announced a multiyear agreement in January for 750 megawatts of Cerebras inference capacity through 2028. OpenAI said at the time that Cerebras would add a dedicated low-latency solution to its compute portfolio, with the goal of delivering faster responses across workloads.
Speed Is Becoming a MarketThat distinction matters because inference is what happens after an AI model has been trained: It is the computing required every time a user asks a question, generates code or interacts with an AI agent.
Cerebras has built its investment case around making that process faster. The company said in August that its cloud business grew 281% year over year, while data-center capacity live or under contract surpassed 600 megawatts. It also said manufacturing capacity was set to increase more than 10 times in 2026.
Now Wall Street is putting a number behind that opportunity.
Mizuho analyst Vijay Rakesh estimates the fast-inference market could reach $550 billion by 2030, representing roughly 20% of AI workloads. He reiterated an Outperform rating and $300 price target on CBRS Monday.
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Nvidia Still Has the ScaleThat does not make Cerebras a replacement for Nvidia.
Nvidia’s advantage is the breadth of its ecosystem and its ability to serve everything from model training to inference. Cerebras is taking a narrower approach, betting that workloads where milliseconds matter can justify specialized hardware.
That is why the OpenAI situation is important for both stocks. If AI applications increasingly require real-time responses, inference could become a market large enough for multiple architectures to thrive.
For investors, the question is no longer simply whether Cerebras can take share from Nvidia. The question is whether fast inference becomes a sufficiently large and valuable category for Cerebras to build a durable business within it.
The next proof points are capacity deployment, new customers beyond OpenAI and whether the company’s speed advantage translates into improving margins—not just faster benchmarks
CBRS Stock Price Activity: Cerebras Systems shares are trading higher by 7.37% at $178.70 at the time of publication on Monday, according to Benzinga Pro data.
Bývalí inženýři společnosti Groq žalují firmu kvůli licenční dohodě s Nvidia v hodnotě 20 mld. USD; tvrdí, že údajně připravila akcionáře o miliardy dolarů bez požadovaného hlasování.
Nvidia's $20 billion deal to acquire assets from Groq, an AI chip designer, "squeezed out" stockholders, a lawsuit brought by ex-engineers at the startup alleges.
Joshua Rubin and Benjamin Serebrin alleged that the deal offered stockholders a "lowball" price, in documents filed on Oct. 2 at the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware.
Rubin and Serebrin both left Groq before its Nvidia deal was announced, per their LinkedIn profiles, but held stock in the company, per their lawsuit.
In December, Groq announced it had entered into a licensing agreement with Nvidia for the company's inference technology. Groq founder and CEO Jonathan Ross and its president, Sunny Madra, joined the $5 trillion chip giant as part of the deal, along with other senior leaders.
Groq said it would continue as an "independent company" and has raised around $1 billion since June, from investors including Nvidia.
Rubin and Serebrin's case alleges that Groq's board of directors "sold the company to Nvidia without the stockholder vote Delaware law requires and without any process designed to test or maximize the value of what Nvidia bought."
"Our licensing agreement with NVIDIA delivered exceptional value for Groq, our investors, and our employees," a Groq spokesperson told CNBC.
"This lawsuit is meritless and we will vigorously defend ourselves against it," they added. "We remain focused on serving our customers and building the world's leading AI inference cloud."
Nvidia has been approached for comment.
The $20 billion dealThe case alleges that Nvidia allocated "$17 billion to a license it labeled "non-exclusive," set aside an additional $3 billion of NVIDIA restricted stock units ("RSUs") for the Groq employees who moved with the technology, and positioned the investment funds that designated Groq Board members to enjoy windfall returns from the later squeeze-out."
It also alleges that "A Board majority was conflicted as a result." It adds: "The Board's conflicted choice cost Groq's stockholders billions of dollars."
Approximately 150 to 200 Groq engineers became Nvidia employees as part of the deal, according to the case.
In an email to employees from around the time the deal was announced, obtained by CNBC, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said the agreement would expand Nvidia's capabilities.
"We plan to integrate Groq's low-latency processors into the NVIDIA AI factory architecture, extending the platform to serve an even broader range of AI inference and real-time workloads," Huang wrote.
Huang added: "While we are adding talented employees to our ranks and licensing Groq's IP, we are not acquiring Groq as a company."
NVIDIA vykázala čistý zisk na zaměstnance ve výši 4,6 milionu USD, což je 11,6krát více než před třemi lety; ve druhém čtvrtletí fiskálního roku 2027 dosáhla čistého zisku 59,688 miliardy USD.
Nvidia generates more revenue per employee than almost any company on earth, yet revenue is not even the most jaw-dropping number on its books. One other figure reveals just how efficiently 42,000 people are running a business that most corporations…
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One Number: $7.2 Million in Revenue Per Employee NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA | NVDA Price Prediction) now brings in about $7.2 million in revenue for each person on its payroll. That figure comes from $302.97 billion in trailing 12-month revenue across roughly 42,000 employees, and it is 5.8x higher than it was three years ago. The revenue figure gets the attention, but profit per employee is the number that sets NVIDIA apart from almost every other large company in the market.
What It Means for NVIDIA’s Business On revenue per employee alone, NVIDIA ranks behind two high-volume, low-margin businesses: Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) at $12.5 million and McKesson (NYSE:MCK) at $9.7 million. Refiners and drug distributors count the full sale price of fuel and pharmaceuticals as revenue, but buying those products uses up most of that money. McKesson posted $403.43 billion in fiscal 2026 revenue and kept $4.762 billion as net income. Valero turned $122.687 billion in 2025 revenue into $2.348 billion of net income.
Profit per employee removes that distortion. NVIDIA generates $4.6 million in profit per employee. Only AppLovin (NASDAQ:APP) ranks higher, at $4.9 million. Three years ago, NVIDIA made just $394,000 in profit per employee. That works out to 11.6x growth in three years, well ahead of the 5.8x gain in revenue per employee.
NVIDIA made $4.368 billion in net income in the fiscal year ending January 2023. In the fiscal year ending January 2026, it made $120.067 billion, with total operating expenses of only $23.076 billion against $215.938 billion of revenue. The latest quarter pushed further. Revenue for the second quarter of fiscal 2027 came in at $96.221 billion, up 105.85% from a year earlier. Net income rose 125.9% to $59.688 billion, and the operating margin now is at 60.4%.
Management says part of the efficiency comes from its own products. On the earnings call, the company cited a “further increase in the usage of AI tools, which is already and will continue to enhance engineering productivity.”
How the Market Has Reacted NVIDIA reported second-quarter results on August 26, 2026, when shares traded at $213.67. As of October 5, 2026, the stock trades at $237.04, close to its 52-week high of $237.88. Shares are up 27.4% year to date and 25.79% over the past year, and gained 1.32% in Monday’s session.
Bull Case: NVIDIA’s Profit Engine Keeps Getting Leaner Demand is still running ahead of what NVIDIA can supply. The chief financial officer said on the call, “Customers’ forecasts point to our growth doubling next year. However, as I mentioned earlier, we expect to grow approximately 70% as we are supply constrained.” That leaves room for revenue to keep rising without a matching increase in headcount.
Each new product generation also brings in more money for the same amount of data center capacity. Management put revenue per gigawatt at roughly $18 billion for Hopper, $25 billion for Blackwell and $40 billion for Vera Rubin. Non-GAAP gross margin reached 75.0%, up from 72.5% a year earlier.
AppLovin leads on profit per employee with trailing revenue of $6.829 billion, while NVIDIA delivers nearly the same per-employee profit on more than $300 billion in sales. The cash is going back to shareholders: NVIDIA returned $26.0 billion in the quarter and has $99.0 billion left under its buyback authorization. The stock trades at about 25 times forward earnings.
Bottom Line for Long-Term Investors Profit per employee shows investors that NVIDIA’s growth is turning into earnings as well as sales. The focus moves to guidance: management expects third-quarter revenue of $108.0 billion, plus or minus 2%, with gross margin near 74.0%. Margins are expected to bottom at 71% to 72% in the fourth quarter because memory costs are rising. If profit per employee holds up through that pressure, NVIDIA will have shown that its 42,000 employees run one of the most profitable businesses in the market. The features that marked NVIDIA early, before the headlines caught up, are the same ones we cataloged in a free playbook on spotting the next one.
Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
GE Aerospace ve druhém čtvrtletí 2026 meziročně zvýšila dodávky motorů o 26 %, tržby segmentu Commercial Engines & Services (komerční motory a služby) o 27 % a objednávky o 18 %.
Key Takeaways GE's Commercial Engines & Services segment is gaining from strong engine and services demand.GE secured major GEnx and LEAP orders from airlines including United, Delta, American and Copa.GE's Q2 engine deliveries rose 26%, while segment revenues and orders climbed 27% and 18% GE Aerospace (GE - Free Report) is gaining from continued momentum in the Commercial Engines & Services segment. A growing installed base and higher utilization of engine platforms, driven by strong momentum and growth across commercial & defense sectors, are aiding GE. Solid demand for LEAP, GEnx & GE9X engines and services, supported by growth in air traffic, fleet renewal and expansion activities, is proving beneficial for the Commercial Engines & Services segment.
In the first half of 2026, GE Aerospace secured several major engine orders and service agreements. GE Aerospace secured GEnx engine orders from United Airlines and Delta Air Lines for their Boeing 787 Dreamliners, while it secured LEAP engine orders from American Airlines and Copa Airlines for their narrowbody fleet. The company also secured an order from Copa Airlines for up to 120 LEAP-1B engines to power the airline's expanding Boeing 737 MAX fleet. GE signed a long-term materials agreement to support Ryanair's fleet of approximately 2,000 CFM56 and LEAP engines.
During 2025, it secured more than 500 engine wins at the Dubai Airshow, including deals from flydubai for GEnx engines and Riyadh Air for LEAP-1A engines. It received an order from Cathay Pacific to power its latest Boeing 777 9 aircraft with GE9X engines. GE Aerospace inked a deal with Qatar Airways to supply more than 400 GE9X and GEnx engines. It represents the largest widebody engine deal in GE Aerospace’s history. The company also secured a deal from International Airlines Group to provide GEnx engines for British Airways’ 32 new Boeing 787 aircraft.
The company is advancing its FLIGHT DECK lean model, with supplier improvements supporting revenue growth in the Commercial Engines & Services segment. In the second quarter of 2026, engine deliveries rose 26% year over year, reflecting improved throughput amid strong customer demand. Segment revenues and orders increased 27% and 18%, respectively, year over year in the second quarter. The Commercial Engines & Services segment is expected to remain a key growth driver, supported by strong engine demand, a growing installed base and higher aircraft utilization.
GE's Peers in the Aerospace MarketAmong its major peers, RTX Corporation (RTX - Free Report) is also witnessing solid momentum in the commercial aerospace market, with growth in aftermarket and OEM verticals. RTX reported 16% organic sales growth in the second quarter, driven by solid momentum in the Collins Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney segments. Rising aircraft utilization and demand for sustainable technologies bode well for RTX Corp.’s growth.
Howmet Aerospace Inc. (HWM - Free Report) is benefiting from persistent strength in the commercial aerospace market. Revenues from Howmet’s commercial aerospace market increased 28% year over year in the second quarter of 2026, constituting 53% of its business. Also, in 2025, revenues from the market increased 12% year over year.
GE's Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesShares of GE Aerospace have gained 7.2% in the past six months against the industry’s 15.7% decline.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, GE is trading at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 35.32X, above the industry’s average of 27.81X. GE Aerospace carries a Value Score of D.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for GE’s 2026 earnings has gone up 0.6% over the past 60 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The company currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Samson Mow ze společnosti JAN3 zpochybnil více než 1 000% růst Zcash od začátku roku a označil tržní kapitalizaci přesahující 22 miliard USD za uměle nafouknutou.
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Bitcoin maximalist and JAN3 head Samson Mow has publicly challenged the sustainability of Zcash's current parabolic rally. Commenting on the ZEC/USDT chart, where the coin corrected to $1,300 after recently surging to a peak near $1,600, Mow focused on the asset's year-to-date performance.
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He said the privacy coin's market capitalization had been artificially inflated and that the market faced an inevitable return to the mean.
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What Bitcoin maximalists think is wrong with ZcashIn Mow's view, there simply isn't enough speculative capital in the market to keep Zcash among the top 10 cryptocurrencies at a valuation above $22 billion after its rise of more than 1,000% since the start of the year.
JAN3's head and other Bitcoin proponents traditionally view projects like this as redundant. They argue that Bitcoin layer-2 solutions, such as the Lightning Network, already provide the necessary level of privacy.
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Among ZEC's main fundamental flaws, maximalists point to the historical "dev tax," high fund fees (2.5% at Grayscale) and the overall centralization of its governance. They also cite past staffing crises at Electric Coin Company. The criticism comes amid Mow's own ambitious forecast: drawing on its internal OMEGA60 model and algorithms such as Power Law, his company expects Bitcoin to reach $1 million around 2028–2033.
From this perspective, diverting liquidity to altcoins is considered strategically unwise, since sovereign adoption could push BTC to that level significantly faster than the models predict.
Zcash (ZEC) perpetual contract weekly price chart on TradingView showing the late 2026 rally and recent pullback, Source: TradingViewZcash supporters, however, attribute the coin's current 1,077% gain over the past 12 months to real infrastructure changes that run counter to their critics' skepticism. On October 4–5, developers activated the NU7 upgrade on testnet, which is expected to make block generation three times faster.
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ZEC's liquidity has also been supported by the recent launch of pools on THORChain and a $306 million inflow into Grayscale's spot ETF, although the fund recorded its first major outflow this week, at $93 million.
This technological optimism is now clashing with regulatory pressure. The coming weeks will show whether the coin can hold in the $1,280–$1,330 range or whether the market will prove the maximalists right and trigger a major correction in the rally.
Anyone can point AI agents at SHA-256, SHA-3, BLAKE3 and Poseidon on Yukon, with every result published and reviewed by cryptographers. The open competition hosted on Yukon will test how far it can advance attacks on the hash functions that underpin cryptography across the internet.
, /PRNewswire/ -- Eigen Labs and Shielded Labs, a leading Zcash organization, today launched HashSmash, an open competition that tests how far AI agents can advance attacks on four widely used hash functions, SHA-256, SHA-3, BLAKE3 and Poseidon. AI systems have already found thousands of previously unknown vulnerabilities in widely used software, including operating systems and web browsers. Those were flaws in code. Whether AI can find weaknesses in the mathematics of cryptography itself is an open question, and HashSmash is designed to test it in public. To better understand what that means for the cryptography those systems depend on, Shielded Labs and Eigen Labs today announced HashSmash, an open competition that will deliberately point AI agents at some of the world's most widely used cryptographic hash functions to see if they can be exploited.
The launch comes as Shielded Labs begins Epoch, a new research and engineering project to future-proof Zcash against emerging threats from quantum computing, increasingly capable AI, sophisticated hackers, and adversarial governments. Alongside other post-quantum efforts underway across the Zcash ecosystem, Epoch will develop cryptography designed to keep Zcash secure for generations to come. HashSmash will help test and strengthen some of the fundamental cryptographic building blocks underlying that effort, while making the resulting research available to researchers and cryptographers.
The competition will run on Yukon, Eigen Labs' open frontier research platform, where humans and AI agents work collaboratively on scientific problems, publicly track submissions and results, and build on one another's discoveries. Zcash is a privacy-focused digital currency and longtime pioneer in zero-knowledge cryptography, which brings cryptographic expertise and a real-world security perspective to the challenge.
HashSmash will initially target SHA-256, SHA-3, BLAKE3, and Poseidon, hash functions that act as digital fingerprints, help verify data, and secure everything from blockchains and zero-knowledge systems to software and the very foundation of the internet. The goal is straightforward: find out how much increasingly capable AI can advance cryptanalysis, or codebreaking, where weaknesses may emerge, and which cryptographic approaches hold up best under pressure.
"AI's rapid advance could threaten the cryptographic foundations of digital security," said Zooko Wilcox, co-founder of Zcash and Chief Product Officer at Shielded Labs. "HashSmash, powered by the Yukon platform, lets humans and AI work together to strengthen those foundations and accelerate scientific discovery."
Anyone can participate by directing an AI agent at the challenge and using whatever tools or techniques they choose, including SAT solvers, automated differential search, formal methods, or combinations of those approaches. Every proposed attack must clearly show what it can defeat and how much computing power it requires. An AI verifier first reviews submissions, then a committee of expert cryptographers takes the next pass. All results are public, allowing researchers and agents to build on earlier discoveries and create a shared, continuously advancing frontier for AI-assisted cryptanalysis.
"Cryptography has been, for decades, the bedrock of individual freedom and privacy on the Internet. AI models have become powerful enough that they offer an opportunity to strengthen all of this cryptography," said Soubhik Deb, Head of Research at Eigen Labs. "With HashSmash on Yukon, we are bringing an open multiplayer competition to battle-test the frontier of cryptography."
Yukon challenges have already produced measurable results, with ECDSA.fail beating a Google Quantum AI benchmark by more than 60%, Lighter.fast cryptography competition led to more than 10x improvement in the throughput and MLX.fast making Google's Gemma model roughly 2.6x faster on Apple Silicon. Most recently, Eigen Labs and the Ethereum Foundation also launched sig.golf, a Yukon challenge focused on post-quantum security for Ethereum.
HashSmash is open now at Yukon.org. Point your agent at the competition and help prepare cryptography for what AI finds next.
About Eigen Labs
Eigen Labs is an AI research lab building tools for human and agent coordination that preserve and maximize individual agency in the PostAGI era.
We're building the open stack for open intelligence, coordination systems and infrastructure that help individuals and open networks operate at the speed of machine intelligence.
Learn more at www.eigenlabs.org.
About Shielded Labs
Shielded Labs is a leading Zcash organization focused on advancing the security and sustainability of the network. Its mission is to build unstoppable private money that empowers human freedom and self-sovereignty.
About Zcash
Launched in 2016, Zcash is a decentralized digital currency and payment network designed to provide users with greater control over the privacy of their financial transactions.
PepsiCo (PEP) dostala investiční doporučení „prodat“ kvůli vysokému ocenění, makroekonomickým tlakům a očekávaně náročným hospodářským výsledkům ve 3. a 4. čtvrtletí.
SummaryPepsiCo (PEP) is downgraded to 'sell' as valuation remains stretched and macro headwinds persist.PEP faces consumer pressure, trade-down risk, and fierce yield competition from rising Treasury rates.Q3 and Q4 earnings are expected to be challenging, with guidance and dividend coverage under scrutiny.Despite a 4.70% yield and Dividend King status, limited growth and high debt constrain upside potential.Looking for a helping hand in the market? Members of iREIT®+HOYA Capital get exclusive ideas and guidance to navigate any climate. Learn More » Fotoatelie/iStock Editorial via Getty Images
Introduction Six months ago, PepsiCo (PEP) stock rallied and quickly moved toward $175. At that time, I downgraded the stock because the rally was not driven by improving fundamentals but by pure multiple expansion. At 20x fwd earnings, PEP was
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Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.
Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.
American Express se obchoduje za forwardové P/E 17,15, mírně pod historickým průměrem; analytici do roku 2028 očekávají průměrný roční růst zisku na akcii (EPS) o 14 %.
SummaryAmerican Express presents a compelling buy after a pullback, trading at a forward P/E of 17.15, just below its historical norm.AXP’s closed-loop model, premium customer base, and expanding global merchant acceptance drive robust fundamentals and durable long-term growth.Platinum card adoption, traction among Millennials and Gen Z, and agentic commerce initiatives underpin growth catalysts and high expected EPS growth.With a solid balance sheet, strong capital returns, and analysts projecting 14% annual EPS growth through 2028, I maintain a 'Buy' rating on AXP.Looking for a portfolio of ideas like this one? Members of iREIT®+HOYA Capital get exclusive access to our subscriber-only portfolios. Learn More »Guido Mieth/DigitalVision via Getty Images
As a value investor, I get more excited when a quality stock's price goes down rather than up. That's why the recent rout in financial stocks have me intrigued. It's important to separate the wheat from the chaff, as
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Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, but may initiate a beneficial Long position through a purchase of the stock, or the purchase of call options or similar derivatives in AXP over the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.
I am not an investment advisor. This article is for informational purposes and does not constitute as financial advice. Readers are encouraged and expected to perform due diligence and draw their own conclusions prior to making any investment decisions.
Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.
Phillips 66 se obchoduje za 11,75násobek ukazatele EV/EBITDA, tedy výrazně nad průměrem odvětví ve výši 5,94násobku, zatímco vyšší rafinérské marže by měly podpořit zisky.
Phillips 66 (PSX - Free Report) is currently considered expensive on a relative basis, with the stock trading at an 11.75x trailing 12-month Enterprise Value to Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (EV/EBITDA), which is a premium compared with the broader industry average of 5.94x. Such a premium valuation often signals strong market confidence in the company’s prospects. Valero Energy Corporation (VLO - Free Report) and Par Pacific Holdings (PARR - Free Report) , belonging to the same space, are valued at 8.55x and 3.52x, respectively.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
However, this elevated price necessitates a thorough assessment of the company’s fundamentals, growth potential and prevailing market conditions to check if it is justified.
Will PSX’s Refining Margins Remain Strong?
On its second-quarter 2026 earnings call, PSX noted that there aren’t enough refineries or products globally right now because much refining capacity is offline and fuel inventories are low. China is also exporting less fuel than usual. This shortage helps keep refining margins, also called crack spreads, high. Management believes these shortages may take longer to resolve than in 2022, which is expected to boost the energy major’s refining profits in the September quarter and in 2027. The broader scenario is also likely to favor other refiners like VLO and PARR.
PSX’s Resilient Business Model & Debt Reduction Focus
Although a leading refiner, PSX, unlike most of its refining peers, has diversified its business across midstream and chemicals. Along with investing in refining operations, Phillips 66 is allocating significant capital to midstream.
Midstream business, by its very definition, is stable since the company generates stable cash flows as the assets are being utilized for the long term and is less vulnerable to commodity price volatility. Hence, having a diversified business model, PSX is insulated from commodity price volatility to a great extent.
Moreover, debt reduction remains on track, with PSX targeting roughly $17 billion of total debt by 2026-end versus almost $21 billion in the second quarter, while net debt is expected to improve from $16.5 billion to less than $16 billion.
Is the Stock Worth Buying?
In the past year, PSX has jumped 99.1%, underperforming the industry’s 115.7% growth. PARR and VLO have surged 138.4% and 148.6%, respectively, over the same time frame.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Although PSX underperformed the industry, the stock remains overvalued, reflecting investors' strong preference for the company, supported by solid fundamentals. Earnings estimates for 2026 have been revised higher over the past seven days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Hence, investors can bet on the stock, which currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Carnival má pro fiskální rok 2027 rezervovánu zhruba polovinu kapacity při rekordní obsazenosti a cenách; vklady zákazníků dosáhly 7,6 mld. USD, meziročně o 7 % více.
Key Takeaways Carnival has about half of fiscal 2027 booked, with advance occupancy and pricing at record levels.Customer deposits reached a fiscal third-quarter record of about $7.6B, up roughly 7% year over year.Carnival's commercial execution, technology and differentiated vacation experiences support pricing momentum. Carnival Corporation Ltd. (CCL - Free Report) has approximately half of fiscal 2027 already booked, with advance occupancy and pricing at record levels. Strong reservations during the fiscal third quarter reinforced this position, while customer deposits reached a third-quarter record of approximately $7.6 billion, increasing about 7% year over year. Customer deposits increased even as passenger capacity is expected to remain broadly flat over the next 12 months.
Carnival’s advance booking momentum extends beyond fiscal 2027. Demand remains broad based, including healthy reservations for peak summer European itineraries. For fiscal 2028 sailings, Carnival has booked a higher proportion of capacity at higher prices than it had for fiscal 2027 sailings at the same point last year. Reservations are also being secured further ahead of departure, consistent with the company’s focus on managing bookings to support pricing.
However, the strength in Carnival’s fiscal 2027 booked position is concentrated in the second through fourth quarters. The spring booking disruption carried into first-quarter fiscal 2027 reservations, and the company continues to expect residual effects on those sailings.
Recent booking trends nevertheless show improvement. June marked an inflection point, followed by further acceleration in July and August. First-quarter fiscal 2027 bookings rebounded meaningfully over the past three months.
Carnival’s strategy to sustain pricing momentum combines sharper commercial execution, technology that improves decision-making and investments in differentiated vacation experiences. Its European, Alaskan and Caribbean deployments also remain central to its plans for continued yield growth.
CCL’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesShares of Carnival have dropped 6.4% in the past three months compared with the industry’s decline of 2.9%. In the same time frame, other industry players like Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCL - Free Report) have declined 3.5%, while Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NCLH - Free Report) has lost 21.4%.
CCL Stock’s Three-Month Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
CCL stock is currently trading at a discount. It is currently trading at a forward 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple of 10.27, well below the industry average of 15.81. Then again, other industry players, such as Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise, have P/E ratios of 14.20 and 10.56, respectively.
CCL’s P/E Ratio (Forward 12-Month) vs. Industry
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Carnival’s fiscal 2026 earnings per share has declined from $2.23 to $2.26 over the past 30 days.
EPS Trend of CCL Stock
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The company’s fiscal 2026 earnings are likely to increase by 0.4% year over year. Conversely, industry players like Royal Caribbean are likely to witness growth of 13.8% year over year in 2026 earnings. NCLH is likely to project a fall of 26.1% year over year in 2026 earnings.
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.
THORWallet přidal nativní podporu Monera, včetně odesílání a přijímání XMR a správy více účtů. Nativní cross-chain swapy XMR se chystají po dokončení testování a auditu THORChain.
October 5, 2026 – Users can now access the Monero network through the THORWallet app, with support for core functionality including sending and receiving XMR.
The integration goes beyond basic wallet functionality. Users can create and manage multiple Monero accounts derived from the same wallet seed, providing greater flexibility when managing their activity across the network.
THORWallet also gives users the ability to configure their own Monero node. Users who prefer to interact with a specific node can configure it directly within the wallet, ensuring their Monero activity is routed through that node. For everyone else, THORWallet provides a default node for communicating with the Monero blockchain. THORWallet runs a light weight implementation: your keys, balances and transaction history are computed and stored on your device and never leave it.
Cross-chain Monero swaps are comingThe next major step for the integration is native cross-chain swapping.
Monero support on THORChain is currently being tested and audited. Once it goes live, THORWallet’s Monero integration will be production ready for native XMR cross-chain swaps directly within the app.
This will allow users to swap between Monero and assets such as Bitcoin, Ethereum and others without relying on centralized exchanges or custodial intermediaries.
For example, a user will be able to swap XMR directly to BTC, or BTC to XMR, stablecoins, SOL, ZEC and more through decentralized cross-chain infrastructure while remaining in control of their assets throughout the process.
With the Monero integration now underway and cross-chain swaps approaching production, THORWallet moves another step closer to its goal of becoming a one-stop shop for DeFi.
App linkWebsite: https://www.thorwallet.org/
About THORWallet
THORWallet is a self-custody, multi-chain DeFi superapp—featuring native cross-chain swap routes across 20,000+ tokens, a Swiss account with a global Mastercard, yield opportunities, and multisig vaults. All chains. All yield. One app. Your keys never leave your device.
This publication is provided by the client. The text below is a paid press release that is not part of Cointelegraph independent editorial content. The text has undergone editorial review to ensure quality and relevance, it may not reflect the views and opinions of Cointelegraph. Readers are encouraged to conduct their own research before taking any actions related to the company. Disclosure.
Following outstanding fiscal fourth-quarter earnings, Micron Technology Inc. (MU, Financials), a memory-chip manufacturer profiting from growing demand for AI infrastructure, has won over almost all of Wall Street. The exception is still Goldman Sachs.
Micron announced adjusted earnings of $33.42 per share and revenue of $54.23 billion, up from $41.46 billion in the prior quarter. At the halfway point of the fiscal first quarter, management directed revenue to $61.5 billion.
James Schneider, a Goldman analyst, increased his price target from $1,100 to $1,250 while keeping a neutral rating.
Current demand is not his concern. Micron's short-term performance and price may be supported by a restricted supply of DRAM and NAND into 2027 and 2028. What comes next is the question.
Manufacturers are motivated to increase capacity by strong memory prices. Schneider thinks that significant oversupply would not materialize until at least 2028, but ultimately increased output might put pressure on profitability and pricing.
Micron is attempting to increase the predictability of that cycle. Up from 16, it currently has 26 key client agreements, which account for around 35% of projected revenue through fiscal 2030. Structured price clauses are included in around 75% of cases.
Expectations are exceptionally optimistic, with 25 Buy ratings and only one Hold rating. The next challenge is whether memory manufacturers can sustain supply discipline long enough for Micron's profits growth to support those projections.
Akcie GameStop za poslední měsíc vzrostly o 35 % na 25,63 USD, zatímco Ryan Cohen a čtyři členové představenstva akcie nakupovali, aniž by došlo k jedinému prodeji.
Ryan Cohen and four GameStop directors spent a month buying shares at steadily higher prices, which sounds bullish until you see what that signal actually costs a buyer trying to follow them in now.
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Insiders at GameStop (NYSE:GME | GME Price Prediction) spent the past month buying the company’s shares on the open market, and the filings recorded no sales at all. GameStop stock trades at $25.63, up 35% over that stretch, a run that left the rest of the video game industry well behind.
Meanwhile, Take-Two Interactive (NASDAQ:TTWO) stock fell 6% over the month, heading the opposite way from GameStop stock. Roblox (NYSE:RBLX) shares rose 7%, a modest advance by comparison.
Also, the VanEck Video Gaming and eSports ETF (NASDAQ:ESPO), which counts GameStop, Take-Two and Roblox among its holdings, rose 2% over the month. The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSEARCA:SPY) gained less than 1%. With both the gaming fund and the broad market barely moving, the rally in GameStop shares rested on the company’s own story.
Cohen and Four Directors Bought Into Strength Securities and Exchange Commission Form 4 filings showed that every insider transaction recorded at GameStop over the past month was an open-market purchase. Ryan Cohen, the company’s chairman, president and chief executive officer, was the largest buyer, and his biggest single purchase in the window was 700,000 shares in early October. Directors Nat Turner, Alain Attal, James Grube and Lawrence Cheng bought alongside him over the same stretch.
Cohen and the directors paid steadily higher prices as the month went on, from below $19 per share in the earliest GameStop trades to above $24 on Cohen’s early October buy. That pattern showed the insiders repeatedly buying into strength as GameStop stock rose. Each purchase locked in a costlier entry than the last, a choice that reflected conviction about the company.
Why Cohen’s Purchases Earn a Qualified No Cohen’s purchases offer only a qualified signal about GameStop. Cluster insider buying with no matching sales was a genuine signal, because Cohen and the directors faced no obligation to act and committed their own money at rising prices.
What the signal leaves out is timing and a price. Form 4 filings disclose insider trades after they happen, and by the time the GameStop filings were public, the move they accompanied had already run a long way. A buyer following the insiders into GameStop stock at $25.63 would spend more per share than Cohen paid on his 700,000-share purchase in early October.
What to Watch Next Shareholders can watch for whether GameStop’s next reported results follow the insider buying, since purchases establish belief and only reported numbers can confirm value, so the company’s own figures may carry more weight than any further Form 4 filing. Strong figures would back the insiders’ read on GameStop, while soft ones could leave the month’s gain exposed.
Investors should adjust their holdings carefully, given that GME stock has already climbed 35% in a single month and traded above the prices insiders paid. Because GameStop stock moved apart from Take-Two, Roblox and the gaming fund, your exposure to the name carries company-specific risk that your broader gaming holdings may not offset.
The insider record gave GameStop a real show of confidence from the people closest to the business. The filings came out after much of the run. Your share positions in GME stock should reflect that the next move will likely depend on what the company reports.
Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
FDA schválila přípravek Jaypirca od Eli Lilly jako léčbu v první linii pro vybrané dosud neléčené dospělé pacienty s CLL/SLL, kteří nemají známou deleci 17p. Ve studii snížil riziko progrese onemocnění nebo úmrtí o 80 % ve srovnání s chemoimunoterapií.
Key Takeaways Lilly's Jaypirca wins FDA approval as a first-line treatment for eligible CLL/SLL patients.Jaypirca cut the risk of disease progression or death by 80% versus chemoimmunotherapy.Jaypirca sales rose 66% to $357 million in the first half of 2026. Eli Lilly (LLY - Free Report) announced that the FDA has expanded the label of its oral cancer drug Jaypirca (pirtobrutinib) to include a new indication in chronic lymphocytic leukemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL).
Jaypirca has been approved to treat adults with previously untreated CLL/SLL who do not have a known 17p deletion. With this green light, the drug can now be used as a first-line treatment for eligible patients.
The approval is supported by data from the phase III BRUIN CLL-313 study, which showed that Jaypirca reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 80% compared to chemoimmunotherapy.
Before the FDA’s latest approval, Jaypirca was already approved to treat adults with relapsed or refractory (R/R) CLL/SLL who have been previously treated with a covalent BTK inhibitor. The drug is also approved to treat adults with R/R mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) following two lines of systemic therapy, including a BTK inhibitor.
Jaypirca is already generating meaningful sales for Lilly, with revenues rising 66% year over year to $357 million in the first half of 2026. While the strong growth underscores the drug’s potential as an expanding oncology asset, its sales remain relatively small compared with Lilly’s much larger obesity and diabetes portfolio.
LLY Stock PerformanceYear to date, shares of Lilly have risen about 8% compared with the industry’s 9% growth.
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What Separates Jaypirca From the CompetitionIn the CLL/SLL market, Jaypirca competes with other established BTK inhibitor therapies, including Brukinsa, Calquence and Imbruvica. While Brukinsa is marketed by BeOne Medicines (formerly BeiGene), Calquence is sold by AstraZeneca (AZN - Free Report) . Imbruvica is marketed by Johnson & Johnson (JNJ - Free Report) in partnership with AbbVie (ABBV - Free Report) . Like Lilly’s drug, all these products are available as oral therapies.
However, Jaypirca stands out because of its differentiated mechanism of action. Per Lilly, it is the first and only FDA-approved non-covalent BTK inhibitor. In simple terms, covalent BTK inhibitors like Brukinsa, Calquence and Imbruvica bind irreversibly to a specific part of the BTK protein called C481, thereby blocking its activity. Jaypirca works differently by binding reversibly to BTK without depending on C481. As a result, it can continue to bind to BTK even when C481 mutations develop, potentially making covalent BTK inhibitors less effective. This makes Jaypirca particularly relevant for patients whose disease has progressed following treatment with a covalent BTK inhibitor.
LLY Zacks RankEli Lilly currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Texas Instruments ve 2. čtvrtletí 2026 zvýšil hrubou marži o 350 bazických bodů na 61,4 % díky levnější výrobě na 300mm waferových deskách; náklady na jeden čip jsou podle firmy o 40 % nižší.
Key Takeaways Texas Instruments says 300mm production costs about 40% less per chip than 200mm wafers.TXN's Q2'26 gross margin rose 350 basis points to 61.4% as gross profit climbed 30% year over year.TXN expects 2026 capex of $2-$3B, down from $4.55B in 2025, as its elevated fab spending cycle ends. Texas Instruments Incorporated (TXN - Free Report) is nearing the payoff phase of its long-term 300mm manufacturing investment, which could provide a structural lift to margins as factory utilization improves. The company claims 300mm production costs about 40% less per chip than production on 200mm wafers. This will give TXN a meaningful cost advantage as more output shifts to larger wafers. Texas Instruments’ six-year elevated capital expenditure cycle for its 300mm wafer fabs will conclude in 2026.
The strategy is already supporting financial performance. In the second quarter of 2026, Texas Instruments reported $5.46 billion in revenues, up 23% year over year, while gross profit increased 30% to $3.35 billion. Gross margin reached 61.4%, up 350 basis points from 57.9% in the year-ago quarter.
Management also credited the benefits of 300mm production as a factor supporting its strong cash generation. The company generated free cash flow of $2.74 billion in the second quarter, up from $1.33 billion in the year-ago quarter. Trailing 12-month free cash flow reached $6.53 billion in the second quarter of 2026, up 271% from $1.76 billion in the year-ago period.
Higher factory utilization could provide another margin boost. As much of TXN’s manufacturing cost is fixed, stronger production spreads those costs over more chips. Management expects to equip its existing clean-room capacity based on customer demand, allowing it to increase output without immediately taking on the full cost of building new facilities.
TXN is entering this phase with lower capital spending requirements. The company expects 2026 capital expenditures of $2-$3 billion, down from $4.55 billion in 2025.
As 300mm capacity ramps up and utilization rises, TXN could benefit from lower unit costs, better operating leverage and stronger free cash flow. However, the pace of margin expansion will depend on demand and how quickly the new facilities reach efficient utilization.
What TXN’s Rivals Are Doing to Improve Manufacturing MarginsTexas Instruments’ major competitors, Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI - Free Report) and ON Semiconductor Corporation (ON - Free Report) , have different strategies to improve manufacturing margins.
Analog Devices is enhancing its manufacturing margins by executing a multi-pronged strategy centered around a hybrid manufacturing model, strategic price increases and optimized asset utilization. With the hybrid manufacturing model, ADI can swiftly pivot production based on demand without incurring heavy capital expenditures. The strategy helps the company protect margins from the fixed-cost burdens of overbuilding factories and supports high free cash flow conversion.
In the third quarter of fiscal 2026, Analog Devices’ revenues increased 40% year-over-year to $4.02 billion, while non-GAAP gross profit jumped 46% to $2.92 billion. Non-GAAP gross margin reached 72.5%, up 330 basis points from 69.2% in the year-ago quarter. Its trailing 12-month free cash flow reached $4.94 billion in the third quarter, up 34% from $3.68 billion in the year-ago period.
ON Semiconductor is taking a more direct approach to manufacturing efficiency through its Fab Right strategy. The company is consolidating its manufacturing footprint and expanding 300mm capacity while exiting less efficient facilities. ON claims that its streamlined fabrication footprint could operate at about 17% lower cost at full utilization.
ON Semiconductor’s non-GAAP gross margin improved 80 basis points sequentially to 39.3% in second-quarter 2026, while manufacturing utilization rose to 83% from 77%. Management expects sequential gross margin expansion through 2026 and guided third-quarter non-GAAP gross margin to 40%-42% on revenues of $1.65-$1.75 billion. The planned Mountain Top and Philippines facility divestitures are expected to generate about $35 million of annualized savings, with benefits beginning in 2027 and fully realized in 2028. Management forecasts these actions represent roughly 50 basis points of the planned 200 basis points of gross margin improvement from Fab Right initiatives.
TXN’s Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesShares of Texas Instruments have surged 69.4% year to date compared with the Zacks Semiconductor - General industry’s 34.6% growth.
From a valuation standpoint, TXN trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 30.88, significantly higher than the industry’s average of 19.07.
Texas Instruments Forward 12-Month P/E Ratio
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The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Texas Instruments’ 2026 and 2027 earnings implies a year-over-year increase of 55.1% and 16.5%, respectively. Estimates for 2026 and 2027 have been revised upward over the past 60 days.
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Texas Instruments currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Intuit cílí na trh v hodnotě přes 300 mld. USD, na němž dosahuje jen 7 % proniknutí; umělá inteligence má automatizovat finanční práci pro 82 milionů spotřebitelů a 10 milionů firem.
Key Takeaways Intuit targets a $300B-plus TAM across business and consumer financial markets, with just 7% penetration.AI is driving automation and engagement across Intuit's platform, serving 82M consumers and 10M businesses.Mid-market revenue rose 39% in FY26, but 3% online user growth underscores acquisition needs. Intuit Inc. (INTU - Free Report) is targeting a massive opportunity as it expands across business and consumer financial markets. At Investor Day, the company estimated its total addressable market (TAM) at more than $300 billion, with only about 7% penetration. The opportunity includes $186 billion in business markets and $142 billion in consumer markets, providing significant room for expansion.
AI is central to Intuit’s strategy. The company is building an AI-driven expert platform that combines proprietary data, domain expertise, AI models and human experts to automate financial work. Its scale provides a strong foundation, with 82 million consumers and 10 million businesses on its platform. AI experiences are already improving engagement, helping customers get paid faster and reducing manual work.
The mid-market is another major growth opportunity. Intuit estimates nearly $90 billion of TAM in this segment, where customer growth reached 28%, and revenues increased 39% in fiscal 2026. Intuit Enterprise Suite is gaining traction, while vertical-specific offerings and lower-friction products such as QuickBooks Free and Lite could support customer acquisition.
However, customer growth remains a challenge. Online paying customers increased just 3% at the end of fiscal 2026, while Online Ecosystem average revenue per customer rose 15%. Expanding payments, financing, payroll and other services can increase customer value, but Intuit also needs to broaden its customer base. Balancing customer acquisition, monetization and AI investments will remain important as the company works to capture more of its $300 billion-plus TAM across its broader business and consumer financial ecosystem.
How Are INTU’s Competitors Faring?Block, Inc.’s (XYZ - Free Report) second-quarter 2026 gross profit rose 25% to $3.17 billion, with Square gross profit up 13% and Cash App up 31%. Square gross payment volume increased 13%, while AI is increasingly embedded across operations and merchant services.
PayPal's (PYPL - Free Report) second-quarter 2026 revenues increased 5% to $8.7 billion, while total payment volume rose 10% to $486.4 billion. Active accounts were 439 million, giving PayPal substantial consumer and merchant scale as it expands checkout, Venmo, Braintree and financial services.
INTU’s Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesShares of Intuit have gained 3.3% over the past three months, underperforming the broader industry and outperforming the S&P 500 composite.
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In terms of forward 12-month Price/Sales (P/S), Intuit is currently trading at 3.16X, which is at a discount to the industry average of 6.24X.
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Intuit’s estimate revisions reflect a negative trend. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2027 EPS has been revised downward 15.8% to $23.49 over the past two months. The consensus estimate for 2027 calls for negative 3.2% growth year over year.
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Currently, Intuit carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Lockheed Martin investuje 8 až 9 miliard USD do rozšíření výroby munice ve více než 20 amerických závodech, aby uspokojil rostoucí poptávku v oblasti obrany.
Key Takeaways Lockheed Martin is expanding Black Hawk production and munitions capacity to meet rising defense demand.LMT is investing $8-9 billion across more than 20 U.S. sites to scale munitions production.LMT faces program execution risks, while its 70.08% debt-to-capital ratio remains above the industry average. Lockheed Martin’s (LMT - Free Report) shares have lost 3.8% in the past three months compared with the Zacks Aerospace-Defense industry’s decline of 7.7%. The company’s record backlog, expanding munitions capacity and alignment with U.S. and allied defense priorities support durable growth.
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Shares of other defense stocks, such as RTX Corporation (RTX - Free Report) and Boeing (BA - Free Report) , have also underperformed the industry during the three-month period. RTX and Boeing have declined 8% and 8.8%, respectively. The outlook for Boeing’s defense and space business remains encouraging, as it is one of the largest defense contractors globally and a prominent integrator in the International Space Station. Meanwhile, RTX’s defense business remains well-positioned, backed by strong bookings from the Pentagon and foreign allies. It expects defense sales to grow at a high-single-digit rate in 2026, supported by backlog conversion, higher output and favorable program mix.
Considering Lockheed Martin’s current price performance, investors might be left wondering what the next step would be. Let's examine the factors and assess the stock's investment prospects to make an informed decision.
Tailwinds for LMT StockOn Sept. 30, 2026, Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, reached a Novel Production Agreement with the U.S. Army for Black Hawk helicopters. The agreement initially covers 16 Black Hawk aircraft, with deliveries beginning in 2028, and is designed to give the Army flexibility to add aircraft as U.S. requirements and allied Foreign Military Sales demand develop. The Black Hawk already has a large installed base, with more than 5,000 helicopters delivered to over 36 allied nations, making the agreement particularly important for sustaining and expanding the platform's global presence.
On Sept. 29, 2026, Avio USA broke ground on its first U.S. solid rocket motor manufacturing facility in Hurt, Virginia. The approximately 900,000-square-foot facility is expected to produce thousands of solid rocket motors annually for U.S. tactical missile programs. For Lockheed Martin, the facility could strengthen the company's ability to secure a reliable supply of solid rocket motors as demand for missiles and munitions increases.
In September 2026, Lockheed Martin highlighted a new approach to strengthening its defense supply chain as it works to rapidly expand munitions production. The company said it is investing $8-9 billion to scale munitions production across more than 20 U.S. sites, including expanded manufacturing capacity, new facilities, advanced technologies and workforce growth.
Lockheed Martin is also using longer-term, commercial-style agreements with the Department of War for programs including PAC-3 MSE, THAAD, PrSM and JATM, giving the company and its suppliers greater visibility into future demand. The company said these partnerships are already producing measurable improvements, including a more than 130% increase in thermal-battery production capacity over the next six months, a 21% reduction in the cost of scaling that capacity, faster missile-canister sealant curing and the removal of production bottlenecks.
Challenges for LMT StockLockheed remains exposed to cost-estimate and schedule risks on complex programs, especially under fixed-price arrangements. While second-quarter 2026 benefited from the absence of $1.6 billion of prior-year reach-forward losses, execution challenges persisted. In Aeronautics, F-16 and C-130 production issues, lower initial profit booking rates on new contracts and $160 million of lower net favorable profit adjustments weighed on profitability. RMS recognized unfavorable adjustments of $65 million on Heavy Lift and $50 million on Seahawk programs.
Estimates for LMT StockThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 earnings per share (EPS) indicates year-over-year growth of 31.7%. LMT’s long-term (three to five years) earnings growth rate is 15.13%.
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The Zacks Consensus Estimate for RTX’s 2026 EPS indicates year-over-year growth of 14.8%. RTX’s long-term earnings growth rate is 10.76%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Boeing’s 2026 EPS indicates year-over-year growth of 91.5%. BA’s long-term earnings growth rate is 12%.
LMT’s Earnings Surprise HistoryThe company beat on earnings in three of the trailing four quarters and missed in one, delivering an average surprise of 8.85%.
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LMT’s Debt PositionCurrently, the company’s total debt to capital is 70.08%, higher than the industry’s average of 46.7%.
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LMT Stock Trades at a DiscountIn terms of valuation, LMT’s forward 12-month price-to-sales (P/S) is 1.39X, a discount to the industry’s average of 2.16X. This suggests that the stock is trading at a lower valuation relative to its projected sales growth than its peer group.
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What Should an Investor Do Now?Lockheed Martin is strengthening its defense portfolio through new Black Hawk production agreements, expanded solid rocket motor capacity and a more resilient munitions supply chain. These initiatives are designed to support growing U.S. and allied demand, improve production efficiency, reduce supply-chain bottlenecks and accelerate delivery of key defense systems.
Considering its financial pressures and current debt levels, new investors should wait and watch for a better entry point. Investors who already own this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock may consider retaining it, given the company’s earnings growth outlook.
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Honda plánuje od konce roku 2026 testovat technologii bezdrátového nabíjení elektromobilů za jízdy v zařízení skupiny Taisei, včetně nákladních vozů o hmotnosti kolem 20 tun. Demonstrace na veřejné silnici má začít ve fiskálním roce 2027.
Honda Motor is preparing to test technology on a highway that can wirelessly charge electric vehicles, including large commercial trucks, while they are moving.
Honda R&D, the automaker's research and development subsidiary, developed the underlying technology with construction companies Taisei Corporation and Taisei Rotec Corporation, according to a Honda announcement Monday.
The system uses power-transmitting units embedded in the road and a receiver installed on the vehicle, allowing electricity to be transferred wirelessly while the vehicle is in motion.
Honda said the technology could reduce how frequently EV drivers need to stop at charging stations or charge at home. The automaker initially plans to focus on putting the technology to practical use in the logistics and transportation sectors.
TESLA POSTS STRONGER-THAN-EXPECTED QUARTERLY DELIVERIES
A Honda Motor Co. vehicle is displayed outside the company's headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. (Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images)
The three companies have been jointly researching the wireless road system since 2025 and have already conducted testing on a private test roadway.
Their work has included developing pavement and embedded charging equipment capable of handling large commercial vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of approximately 20 tons.
A flag with the Honda logo is displayed on brand new Honda car. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Additional testing is expected to begin in late 2026 at a Taisei Group facility. Honda said the companies will evaluate durability, wireless power-transfer performance and measures designed to address electromagnetic field leakage.
Ticker Security Last Change Change % HMC HONDA MOTOR CO. LTD. 31.84 +0.48 +1.55% Future testing will also examine power output of up to 150 kilowatts for potential use with large commercial vehicles and the reliability of wireless power transfer to vehicles traveling at high speeds.
Honda, Taisei and Taisei Rotec then plan to participate in a public-road demonstration beginning in Japan's 2027 fiscal year, which starts April 1, 2027.
The logo of Honda seen at a dealership store. Honda is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturing company. (Photo by Igor Golovniov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The test will be part of the "Tateyama Project," an initiative by East Nippon Expressway Company on the Tateyama Expressway in Chiba, Japan.
Honda has been developing dynamic wireless power-transfer technology since 2021 as part of its broader effort to expand EV charging infrastructure.
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The potential economics of installing wireless charging equipment in roads remain an open question. A Honda engineer declined to tell Reuters how its cost could compare with a conventional high-speed charging network, saying the economic viability of the technology would need to be assessed.
Key Takeaways Pan American Silver plans phased development of Timmins resources to drive production growth.Timmins targets 105,500-115,000 ounces of gold in 2026, with AISC of $2,575-$2,675 per ounce.PAAS is investing $146M in the Timmins Camp Project to advance infrastructure and mine growth. Pan American Silver Corp. (PAAS - Free Report) estimates 2026 project capital of $40-$43 million for its Timmins operation in Ontario.
The company’s current Timmins operations consist of the Timmins West and Bell Creek underground gold mines. These mines supply ore to the Bell Creek processing plant, which has a design capacity of 5,600 tons per day and a current throughput of 4,400 tons per day. By advancing the Timmins Camp Project, Pan American Silver intends to boost infrastructure utilization to drive sustained production from the Timmins operations.
PAAS expects Timmins to produce 105.5-115 thousand ounces of gold for 2026 at an estimated AISC of $2,575-$2,675 per ounce. Timmins produced 103.6 thousand ounces of gold in 2025 at an AISC of $2,443 per ounce. The company plans to drill 118,000 meters at Timmins in 2026.
In June 2026, Pan American Silver identified mineral resources at the Bell Creek mine and satellite deposits as a result of a comprehensive exploration program at its Timmins operation. PAAS is currently proceeding with a conceptual plan for a phased development of these new mineral resources. This initiative aims to boost production growth and extension of mine life at Timmins. With significant processing capacity and infrastructure already in place, these projects position Timmins for growth. Pan American Silver has commenced the first phase of the Timmins Camp Project following the board approval and a total investment of $146 million.
Growth Drivers for Pan American Silver’s PeersHecla Mining Company’s (HL - Free Report) growth profile remains anchored by Greens Creek's low-cost position and by-product credits. In second-quarter 2026, Greens Creek produced 2.1 million ounces of silver at cash costs of negative $17.11 per ounce and AISC of negative $10.71 per ounce, both after by-product credits.
For fiscal 2026, Hecla Mining guides Greens Creek cash costs to negative $12.50-$12 per ounce and all-in sustaining cost (AISC) of negative $4.25-$3.75, both representing an improvement from the prior outlook. In the second-quarter of 2026, Hecla Mining’s silver production rose 8% sequentially to 4.2 million ounces, including 2.1 million ounces at Greens Creek.
Buenaventura Mining (BVN - Free Report) is gaining from strong performance at its Uchucchacua mine. Buenaventura Mining produced 7,520,650 ounces of silver in the first half of 2026, up 2% year over year. Buenaventura Mining’s Uchucchacua mine produced 1,122,003 ounces of silver during the time frame. The mine gained from higher-than-anticipated ore grades.
PAAS’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesIn a year, PAAS shares have gained 13.7% compared with the industry's 15.3% growth. In comparison, the Basic Materials sector has risen 12.5%, whereas the S&P 500 has moved up 15.4%.
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PAAS is currently trading at a forward 12-month price-to-earnings multiple of 9.52X compared with the industry average of 13.04X.
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The consensus mark for 2026 earnings is pegged at $3.81 per share, indicating a year-over-year jump of 50%. The estimate for 2027 of $5.00 suggests an increase of 31%.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Pan American Silver’s earnings for 2026 and 2027 has moved down over the past 60 days.
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PAAS currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Kanada označila projekt ropovodu Pacific Link za projekt národního zájmu; ropovod by měl přepravovat až 1 milion barelů ropy denně z Alberty na světové trhy.
Key Takeaways Pacific Link could transport up to 1 million barrels of crude daily from Alberta to global markets.Pembina will contribute development expertise while retaining discretion over its final investment decision.The project could generate over $20 billion in annual GDP and create up to 140,000 jobs. Pembina Pipeline Corporation (PBA - Free Report) has reached a key milestone with the Pacific Link pipeline, which represents a major opportunity to contribute to Canada’s energy infrastructure and expand access to global markets. Formerly known as the West Coast Oil Pipeline, the proposed project has been designated a Project of National Interest (PONI) by the Government of Canada under the Building Canada Act. The designation is expected to provide greater certainty through a clearer and more predictable federal review process while maintaining environmental standards and indigenous consultation.
Pacific Link is being advanced by the governments of Canada and Alberta, Trans Mountain Corporation and Pembina. Trans Mountain will lead the regulatory process, stakeholder and indigenous engagement, construction and eventual operation of the pipeline, while Pembina is contributing its development and execution expertise and an independent industry perspective.
Expanding Canadian Crude Market AccessPacific Link is designed to transport up to 1 million barrels of crude oil per day from Alberta to the southern coast of British Columbia and onward to Asia-Pacific and other global markets. The proposed route would follow, as much as possible, the existing Trans Mountain right-of-way, leveraging existing corridor knowledge and infrastructure.
For Pembina, the project could play an important role in diversifying Canada's energy trade. With a large share of Alberta's oil currently flowing to the United States, Pacific Link could provide producers with greater access to international customers, potentially helping improve price realizations and reducing reliance on a single market.
The project is also expected to support Canada's economic resilience. According to the proponents, Pacific Link could generate more than $20 billion annually in GDP and create up to 140,000 jobs across Alberta, British Columbia and Canada. Alberta crude could also help meet international demand for diesel, gasoline, jet and marine fuels, as well as petrochemical feedstock.
Disciplined Development Supports Pembina’s ApproachPembina brings more than 70 years of experience in energy transportation and midstream infrastructure to Pacific Link. The company views its development and execution capabilities as important strengths as the project advances its environmental, regulatory, engineering and community-engagement work streams.
Pembina's economic interest through construction is expected to be 10%, with an opportunity to acquire some additional interest once the project enters commercial operation. Importantly, Pembina retains full discretion over its final investment decision and will have no at-risk development capital prior to FID. The company will assess the opportunity against its capital allocation priorities and broader development portfolio.
The project will also place significant emphasis on indigenous consultation, participation and potential equity partnerships. Following the PONI designation, the Major Projects Office will work with the Canada Energy Regulator on a streamlined review process, with a conditions document after which construction could begin.
For Pembina, Pacific Link therefore represents more than a pipeline opportunity. It is a chance to apply its infrastructure expertise to a project that could strengthen Canada's energy security, diversify crude exports and connect Canadian resources with growing international markets while maintaining a disciplined approach to capital allocation and long-term shareholder value.
PBA’s Zacks Rank & Key PicksPembina is a Canada-based vertically integrated operator of energy infrastructure assets. Currently, PBA has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Investors interested in the energy sector may consider some top-ranked stocks like Drilling Tools International Corporation (DTI - Free Report) , Forum Energy Technologies, Inc. (FET - Free Report) and Montauk Renewables, Inc. (MNTK - Free Report) , each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Drilling Tools International is a global oilfield services provider focused on supplying downhole tools used in horizontal and directional drilling. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for DTI’s 2026 revenues indicates 1.6% year-over-year growth.
Forum Energy is a global oilfield products company, serving the subsea, drilling, completion, production and infrastructure sectors of the oil and natural gas industry. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for FET’s 2026 earnings indicates 536.5% year-over-year growth.
Montauk Renewables is a fully integrated renewable energy company that specializes in the management, recovery and conversion of biogas into renewable energy. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MNTK’s 2026 earnings indicates 1100% year-over-year growth.
Provozní zisk divize Agricultural Services společnosti ADM ve 2. čtvrtletí 2026 meziročně vzrostl o 159 %, k čemuž mimo jiné přispěly čínské nákupy přibližně 1 milionu tun amerických sójových bobů týdně.
Key Takeaways ADM's Ag Services operating profit surged 159% year over year in the second quarter of 2026.China is buying about 1 million tons of U.S. soybeans weekly toward a 25-million-ton 2026 commitment.ADM says fourth-quarter Ag Services results will partly hinge on U.S. exports and corn and sorghum programs. Archer Daniels Midland Company’s (ADM - Free Report) Ag Services business could benefit from continued Chinese purchases of U.S. soybeans, as stronger export activity would support grain merchandising, origination and transportation volumes. Ag Services benefits from sourcing, transporting, storing, trading and exporting agricultural commodities, making higher U.S. soybean exports supportive of volumes and margins.
ADM’s second-quarter 2026 performance highlights the potential benefit. Ag Services operating profit surged 159% year over year, driven by strong commercial execution and the company’s ability to leverage its global asset network. Improved South American operations, including the return of ADM’s Barcarena, Brazil, export terminal to full operations, also contributed to results.
Importantly, management expects China’s soybean purchases to remain a contributor to the company’s 2026 outlook. ADM said China is well underway in fulfilling its commitment to purchase 25 million tons of U.S. soybeans in 2026 and has been buying roughly 1 million tons per week. Continued soybean purchases, along with potential exports of corn and sorghum, could support Ag Services activity later in the year.
However, management expects Ag Services results in the third quarter to be slightly lower than the second quarter, while fourth-quarter performance will depend partly on the pace of U.S. exports and whether additional corn and sorghum programs develop alongside soybean shipments. Nevertheless, sustained Chinese demand for U.S. soybeans could strengthen ADM’s Ag Services volumes and help support ADM’s overall performance.
ADM’s PeersDole plc (DOLE - Free Report) is pursuing a growth strategy centered on expanding its presence in attractive fresh-produce categories, strengthening sourcing capabilities, and investing in logistics and automation. DOLE is increasing its exposure to higher-growth categories such as organic produce, avocados, cherries and other value-added products. Dole is also investing in automation, Artificial Intelligence and warehouse infrastructure to improve efficiency and better serve customers.
Mission Produce, Inc. (AVO - Free Report) benefits from a vertically integrated model spanning sourcing, farming, packing, distribution and ripening, providing greater supply flexibility and supporting margins. AVO is also leveraging the Calavo acquisition to expand customer reach, enhance sourcing flexibility and increase North American packing capacity. Integration efforts are generating robust SG&A savings and network efficiencies, while the combined platform provides opportunities to optimize its distribution network and improve operational efficiency. These initiatives are strengthening AVO’s competitive position and creating a broader platform for sustainable growth.
ADM’s Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesArcher Daniels shares have gained 11% in the past six months against the industry’s 3.9% drop.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, ADM trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 14.30X compared with the industry’s average of 7.89X.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ADM’s 2026 and 2027 earnings per share (EPS) indicates year-over-year growth of 59.2% and 3.9%, respectively. The company’s EPS estimate for 2026 and 2027 has been stable in the past 30 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Archer Daniels currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Key Takeaways Chubb launches an online platform offering Personal Accident and Leisure Travel insurance to UK employees.Chubb Benefits grew 17% in 2025 and generated $1.2 billion in premiums, providing a base for expansion.CB has not disclosed premium or revenue targets, leaving the platform's near-term contribution uncertain. Chubb Limited (CB - Free Report) is expanding its employee-benefits business in the UK with the launch of Flexible Benefits Direct, an online platform that allows employers to offer Chubb’s Personal Accident and Leisure Travel insurance directly to employees.
The move strengthens Chubb’s distribution capabilities and could help the company reach more employers and employees through a simpler online channel. It also aligns with Chubb’s broader focus on expanding digital distribution and making insurance products easier for customers to access and purchase.
Chubb’s employee-benefits business provides a meaningful base for further expansion. Chubb Benefits grew 17% in 2025 and generated $1.2 billion in premiums, highlighting the business’s scale. The new platform could support further growth by improving access to employers, increasing policy adoption and creating another channel for premium generation.
The initiative could also help Chubb reach smaller and mid-sized employers that may be less accessible through traditional distribution channels. If successful, the digital model could be expanded to other markets and insurance products.
However, Chubb has not disclosed a specific premium or revenue target for Flexible Benefits Direct, so its near-term financial contribution remains uncertain. Overall, the launch strengthens Chubb’s digital insurance strategy and could support employee-benefits premium growth as insurance distribution becomes increasingly digital.
What About Its Peers?Aflac Incorporated (AFL - Free Report) has a strong presence in supplemental and worksite insurance. In 2026, it became a strategic Workday Wellness partner, integrating its supplemental health products with Workday’s AI-driven benefits platform to simplify access and benefits administration.
MetLife, Inc. (MET - Free Report) offers a broad range of employee benefits, including accident, disability and life insurance. In July 2026, it joined Rippling’s Preferred Carrier Program, enabling direct integration of eligibility, enrollment and coverage data and supporting more efficient benefits administration.
Chubb's Price PerformanceChubb shares have gained 15.5% in the past year, outperforming the industry’s 1.3% decline.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
CB’s ValuationShares of CB are trading at a premium compared with the industry. Its trailing 12-month price-to-book value of 1.58X is higher than the industry average of 1.37X.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
CB’s Growth ProjectionThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for Chubb’s 2026 earnings per share (EPS) indicates a year-over-year increase of 10.5%.
The consensus estimate for revenues is pegged at $64.33 billion, implying a 7.3% year-over-year improvement.
The consensus estimate for 2027 EPS and revenues indicates an increase of 5.7% and 4.1%, respectively, from the corresponding 2026 estimates.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 and 2027 earnings has moved up 0.1%, respectively, over the past 30 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
CB stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Objem obchodů na decentralizovaných burzách (DEX) v síti Hedera za posledních sedm dní vzrostl o 55 % na 49,32 milionu USD; celková uzamčená hodnota (TVL) se za 24 hodin zvýšila téměř o 5 %.
DEX Volume Surges 55% in Seven DaysThe @Hedera network is posting some of its strongest on-chain numbers in recent memory. According to DefiLlama data, Hedera's DEX volume climbed 55% over the past week, reaching $49.32 million in total trading volume processed across the network. That comes alongside a nearly 5% increase in total value locked (TVL) in the past 24 hours, adding further weight to the broader activity pickup.
The busiest single day during the stretch was September 29, when Hedera recorded more than $17 million in DEX trading volume. DefiLlama data confirms the weekly volume figure of $49.32 million and a 55% weekly change for the chain.
SaucerSwap Leads the Pack@SaucerSwapLabs was the standout performer driving much of that volume. SaucerSwap is the largest DEX on Hedera by trading volume, with over $6 billion in all-time volume and more than 19 million trades as of mid-2026. The protocol combines an automated market maker, concentrated liquidity pools, and a central limit order book, along with yield farming and single-sided staking.
SaucerSwap chose to build on Hedera for its ability to support fast, high-volume transactions at lower fees than alternative networks, and also leverages Hedera Consensus Service for its governance structure.
The surge in DEX activity on Hedera fits into a broader pattern of growing network engagement. In Q1 2026, Hedera saw a 140% year-over-year increase in daily active wallets, reaching an average of 18,000. Earlier in 2026, the network also crossed the milestone of 50 billion total transactions since mainnet launch. For $HBAR watchers, sustained on-chain volume growth is one of the cleaner signals of genuine network demand, making this week's data worth monitoring closely.
Společnost Pentair dokončila akvizici společnosti Taco za 1,4 mld. USD, čímž rozšířila segment Water Solutions o čerpadla, ventily a regulátory pro systémy HVAC a datová centra.
Key Takeaways Pentair completed its $1.4B acquisition of Taco, adding hydronic and water-based HVAC solutions.Taco adds pumps, valves and controls, expanding Pentair's reach across commercial end-markets.The deal is expected to add 10-15 cents to adjusted EPS in FY27 and yield $30M in synergies. Pentair plc (PNR - Free Report) announced the completion of its previously announced acquisition of Taco Group Holdings. This deal is expected to boost Pentair’s portfolio of smart, sustainable water solutions to support increased exposure to key high-growth end markets, primarily in North America.
Details of Pentair’s Strategic Acquisition of TacoPentair inked a deal to acquire Taco in July 2026 for $1.4 billion. The purchase price is 10.5X of the company's 2026 estimated EBITDA. Taco, a manufacturer of innovative, sustainable and high-performance hydronic and water-based HVAC and data center solutions,
will become part of Pentair’s Water Solutions segment.
PNR will gain from the addition of Taco’s portfolio of pumps, valves and controls, which will boost the company’s position across commercial end-markets, including data centers, schools, hospitals, universities and multi-family residential. Taco expects to yield revenues of $540 million in 2026. It anticipates the adjusted EBITDA margin to be above 20% when including expected run-rate cost synergies.
The acquisition is expected to be 10-15 cents accretive to the adjusted EPS in fiscal 2027. Pentair expects to generate $30 million in run-rate cost synergies related to supply-chain and operational efficiencies, and $165 million in tax benefits.
PNR’s Q2 PerformancePentair reported adjusted earnings of $1.14 per share for the second quarter of 2026, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.12 and also coming in above the company’s expectation for the quarter. However, earnings declined 18% from $1.39 in the year-ago quarter.
Revenues fell 17% year over year to $932.6 million and missed the consensus estimate of $1.01 billion. The figure also came in higher than Pentair’s expectation of $930 million for the quarter.
Water Solutions sales declined 5% to $422 million, with core sales down 3%. Segment income advanced 17% to $126.4 million, while return on sales improved 560 basis points to 30%, supported by productivity and price exceeding inflation.
Pentair Stock’s Price PerformancePentair’s stock has plummeted 52.7% over the past year compared with the industry’s 15.4% decline.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
PNR’s Zacks Rank & Stocks to ConsiderThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for Zurn Elkay Water Solutions’ 2026 earnings is pegged at $1.82 per share, indicating a year-over-year increase of 19.7%. It delivered an average trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 7.6%. Zurn Elkay Water Solutions’ shares have inched up 0.8% in a year.
Ralliant delivered an average trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 7.1%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Ralliant’s 2026 earnings is pinned at $2.88 per share, which indicates a year-over-year rise of 7.1%. RAL shares have skyrocketed 66.4% in a year.
Ingram Micro Holding delivered an average trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 8.4%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Ingram Micro Holding’s 2026 earnings is pinned at $3.40 per share, which indicates year-over-year growth of 17%. The company’s shares have gained 32.3% in a year.
MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB ve 3. čtvrtletí zvýšil svůj podíl ve společnosti Cardinal Health o 6 447,7 % na 108 364 akcií v hodnotě 24,111 milionu USD.
MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB increased its stake in Cardinal Health, Inc. (NYSE:CAH – Free Report) by 6,447.7% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 108,364 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 106,709 shares during the period. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB’s holdings in Cardinal Health were worth $24,111,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in CAH. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Cardinal Health during the second quarter valued at $6,293,115,000. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its holdings in shares of Cardinal Health by 247.5% in the 2nd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 14,860,271 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,530,206,000 after acquiring an additional 10,584,119 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new stake in Cardinal Health in the 2nd quarter valued at about $689,066,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in Cardinal Health by 18.1% in the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,698,189 shares of the company’s stock valued at $554,478,000 after purchasing an additional 414,074 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new position in Cardinal Health during the 2nd quarter valued at about $438,870,000. 87.17% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several research analysts have commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Cardinal Health from $215.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 13th. Zacks Research cut Cardinal Health from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, June 12th. TD Cowen lifted their target price on Cardinal Health from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Weiss Ratings cut Cardinal Health from a “buy (b+)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 19th. Finally, Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $270.00 price objective on shares of Cardinal Health in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $266.56.
Check Out Our Latest Report on Cardinal Health Cardinal Health Trading Up 0.2% Shares of CAH stock opened at $228.78 on Monday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $233.02 and its 200 day simple moving average is $220.11. The firm has a market capitalization of $52.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 0.50. Cardinal Health, Inc. has a 1 year low of $150.77 and a 1 year high of $258.30.
Cardinal Health (NYSE:CAH – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 11th. The company reported $2.91 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.42 by $0.49. The business had revenue of $63.67 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $65.15 billion. Cardinal Health had a negative return on equity of 98.53% and a net margin of 0.67%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.08 earnings per share. Cardinal Health has set its FY 2027 guidance at 12.400-12.600 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Cardinal Health, Inc. will post 12.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Cardinal Health Announces Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, October 1st will be paid a $0.5158 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 1st. This represents a $2.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.9%. Cardinal Health’s payout ratio is presently 28.49%.
Insider Buying and Selling In related news, CAO Mary C. Scherer sold 2,302 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $237.39, for a total transaction of $546,471.78. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 2,811 shares in the company, valued at $667,303.29. This trade represents a 45.02% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Jessica Mayer sold 29,436 shares of Cardinal Health stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $236.19, for a total value of $6,952,488.84. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 33,076 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,812,220.44. The trade was a 47.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 210,271 shares of company stock worth $49,626,657. Insiders own 0.12% of the company’s stock.
Key Headlines Impacting Cardinal Health Here are the key news stories impacting Cardinal Health this week:
Positive Sentiment: Cardinal Health signed a binding letter of intent to continue its existing distribution services for CVS Health through 2032. The extension provides longer-term revenue visibility without requiring a change to the current scope of services. Cardinal Health CVS distribution agreement Positive Sentiment: CVS Health was identified as Cardinal Health’s only customer representing at least 10% of fiscal 2026 revenue or gross trade receivables, making the renewal particularly important for protecting future sales and earnings visibility. Cardinal Health CVS deal and outlook Positive Sentiment: Management reaffirmed fiscal 2027 adjusted EPS guidance of $12.40 to $12.60, broadly in line with the approximately $12.56 analyst consensus, as well as its long-term adjusted EPS growth target of 12% to 14%. The absence of a guidance cut supports confidence in the outlook. Cardinal Health and McKesson CVS agreements Neutral Sentiment: Cardinal Health plans to report fiscal 2027 first-quarter results before the market opens on November 5, giving investors a forthcoming catalyst to assess prescription volumes, margins and the impact of the renewed CVS relationship. Cardinal Health first-quarter earnings date Negative Sentiment: Separate tracking data shows substantial insider selling over the past six months, with no reported insider purchases. While these transactions may reflect planned diversification rather than a change in fundamentals, they could temper enthusiasm around the shares. Cardinal Health Company Profile (Free Report)
Cardinal Health, Inc is a healthcare services and products company that supports pharmacies, hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, physician offices and other healthcare providers. Its operations are primarily organized into Pharmaceutical and Medical segments.
The Pharmaceutical segment distributes branded, generic, specialty and over-the-counter medicines, as well as consumer health products. It also provides services related to specialty pharmaceuticals, pharmaceutical sourcing, nuclear and precision health products, and data and analytics for pharmaceutical manufacturers and healthcare organizations.
The Medical segment distributes medical and surgical products, including gloves, apparel, incontinence supplies, laboratory products and other essential items.
Further Reading Five stocks we like better than Cardinal Health Could Nike’s Brutal Sell-Off Finally Be Running Out of Steam? The AI Buildout Needs Power It Cannot Get: 4 Energy Stocks Already Have It McDonald’s Is Undergoing a Massive New Growth Strategy. Can It Win Back Consumers? MGM Resorts Stock Sinks After Diller Deal Collapse: Overreaction or Warning? Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CAH? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Cardinal Health, Inc. (NYSE:CAH – Free Report).
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Lam Research očekává, že s přechodem NAND ze 128 vrstev na více než 500 vrstev se její obsluhovaný trh na jeden wafer zdvojnásobí; tržby z NAND se ve čtvrtém fiskálním čtvrtletí mezikvartálně zdvojnásobily.
Key Takeaways Lam Research sees AI-driven storage demand expanding its NAND opportunity as layer counts rise.LRCX expects NAND SAM per wafer to double from 128-layer to 500-plus-layer devices.Lam Research's NAND revenues doubled sequentially in Q4, helping drive record overall results. Lam Research Corporation (LRCX - Free Report) sees a major opportunity in NAND as AI workloads increase demand for high-capacity and fast-access storage. The company expects its served available market (SAM) per wafer in NAND to double from 128-layer technology to 500-plus-layer devices. This potential expansion could create a significant growth opportunity for Lam Research as memory makers move toward more complex architectures.
AI is an important factor behind this shift. Larger AI models and longer context windows require more persistent storage, increasing the need for high-density NAND. During its fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 earnings call, Lam Research revealed that customers are already increasing bit supply while converting existing equipment to 200-plus-layer NAND production. As layer counts rise, manufacturing becomes more difficult, requiring more advanced etch and deposition processes.
Lam Research is well-positioned to benefit from this rising equipment intensity. The company expects deposition and etch requirements to increase by roughly two times as semiconductor architectures become more three-dimensional. In NAND, LRCX has technologies such as Akara conductor etch and ALTUS deposition systems that address the challenges of deeper and more complex structures.
The near-term momentum is also encouraging. In the fourth quarter, Lam Research’s NAND revenues doubled sequentially, helping drive record overall results. The company’s total revenues increased 15% sequentially to a record $6.72 billion, while non-GAAP earnings per share jumped 24% to $1.82.
AI appears to be a key catalyst for NAND demand. If layer counts continue rising, Lam Research could capture greater equipment spending as its NAND SAM expands. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2027 is currently pegged at $34.41 billion, indicating 48.1% year-over-year growth.
LRCX’s Rivals Also Benefit From AI-Driven Memory SpendingLam Research’s competitors, Applied Materials, Inc. (AMAT - Free Report) and KLA Corporation (KLAC - Free Report) , are also benefiting from increasing demand for chip-making tools as AI increases demand for high-capacity storage and advanced memory.
Though Applied Materials has a modest exposure in the NAND memory market, it is a key competitor to Lam Research in deposition and etch equipment used in DRAM and high-bandwidth memory (HBM) manufacturing. In the third quarter of fiscal 2026, AMAT’s DRAM revenues (including HBM packaging) rose 52% year over year.
Applied Materials’ newly introduced enhanced Centura Prime epitaxy and Producer Avila 2 PECVD improve DRAM performance and enable higher-layer-count HBM. During its last earnings call, the company expected a sizeable increase in DRAM revenues during the second half of 2026, indicating memory-related process spending to be the major tailwind for the company’s growth.
KLA offers process-control equipment that helps memory manufacturers detect defects and improve yields as NAND structures become more complex. KLA expects memory to represent about 27% of its semiconductor process-control systems revenues in the first quarter of fiscal 2027, with NAND accounting for roughly 10% of its memory business.
KLA expects the broader wafer equipment market to reach the low-$150 billion range in 2026, supported by AI, HBM and greater process complexity.
LRCX’s Share Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesLam Research shares have surged 103% year to date compared with the Zacks Electronics – Semiconductors industry’s 39.1% rise.
Lam Research YTD Price Return Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, Lam Research trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 35.25, significantly higher than the industry’s average of 14.21.
Lam Research Forward 12-Month P/E Ratio
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Lam Research’s fiscal 2027 and 2028 earnings implies year-over-year increases of approximately 60.4% and 21.5%, respectively. Estimates for fiscal 2027 have been revised upward over the past 60 days, while fiscal 2028 estimates have been revised northward in the past 30 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Lam Research currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Společný podnik OKX ICE chystá nepřetržité obchodování s tokenizovanými akciemi více než 60 společností na síti XLayer prostřednictvím povolených poolů Uniswap v4.
OKX and New York Stock Exchange parent Intercontinental Exchange are preparing to launch a 24/7 venue for trading tokenized US stocks, according to a regulatory notice filed by their joint venture.
OKXICE, a 50-50 joint venture between ICE and OKX’s US parent, submitted a public notice dated October 4 detailing plans to operate a Tokenized Securities Venue under the Securities and Exchange Commission’s recently introduced innovation exemption.
The venue plans to make tokenized shares of more than 60 companies available around the clock, including Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Tesla, Coinbase, Robinhood, Circle, Strategy, JPMorgan and SpaceX.
Trading will take place through permissioned Uniswap v4 automated market maker pools deployed on OKX’s XLayer blockchain. Each stock will trade against USDC, USDG or USDT rather than through a traditional order book.
The system will remain permissioned despite running on a public blockchain. Investors must complete identity verification, anti-money laundering and sanctions screening before receiving a non-transferable soulbound token that authorizes their wallet to interact with the venue. That authorization is checked before trades, transfers and liquidity actions.
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OKXICE will not custody customer assets or extend credit. Investors instead trade through self-custodial wallets, while transactions settle atomically on XLayer without a clearing agency, central counterparty or netting process.
Where a stock is tokenized by a third party rather than the issuer, a registered broker-dealer must hold the underlying shares one-for-one against the outstanding tokens.
The tokens must provide holders with the same economic rights as the underlying stock, including dividends, voting rights and a claim on residual assets in a liquidation.
The structure was made possible by an SEC order issued September 17 that grants qualifying Tokenized Securities Venues a five-year conditional exemption from registration as an exchange.
The regulator also provided conditional dealer exemptions for certain firms supplying liquidity to the AMM pools.
The exemption does not amount to the SEC individually approving OKXICE. The venue must comply with conditions covering shareholder rights, trading volumes, public smart contracts, issuer objections and trading halts, and the SEC can take enforcement action if it operates outside those conditions.
Companies also retain the ability to prevent unaffiliated third parties from tokenizing their shares for trading on a TSV. Cerebras Systems has already submitted an issuer objection to OKXICE, according to the filing. okice The SEC’s exemption requires issuers to receive advance notice and an opportunity to object before third-party-tokenized shares begin trading.
The filing builds on a partnership between OKX and ICE announced earlier this year. ICE invested in OKX in March at a $25 billion valuation, with the companies outlining plans to connect OKX customers with ICE futures and NYSE tokenized equity markets. They subsequently created the 50-50 joint venture in June to develop regulated blockchain-based financial infrastructure. Intercontinental Exchange
The move also puts OKXICE into a broader race among established exchanges and crypto companies to extend US equity trading beyond traditional market hours. Reuters reported that the NYSE, Nasdaq and London Stock Exchange are all working on initiatives aimed at expanding round-the-clock trading.
Disclosure: This article was edited by John Chen. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Dne 4. října 2026 dosáhl Internet Computer rekordních měsíčních příjmů on-chain ve výši přes 360 000 USD, podpořených rostoucí spotřebou cyklů pro chytré kontrakty.
Revenue Climbs to New High as Network Activity GrowsThe Internet Computer Protocol, developed by @dfinity, recorded a new all-time high in monthly onchain revenue on October 4, 2026, with figures surpassing $360,000. Live data at the time showed a consistent 1.10% daily increase, pointing to sustained and growing demand for the network's computational resources.
The milestone is closely tied to rising consumption of "cycles," the fuel that powers smart contract execution on the Internet Computer. Cycles act as the computational resource used to execute actions on the network, with canister smart contracts consuming resources in the form of CPU cycles for execution, bandwidth for routing messages, and memory for persisted data. ICP tokens are converted into cycles, which are then used by developers to pay for installing smart contracts and for the resources those contracts consume, including storage, CPU, and bandwidth.
The revenue uptick follows a broader period of network growth. In the week ending September 29, 2026, the network generated over $85,000 in protocol revenue, a metric tied directly to computation and storage consumed by applications. The jump to more than $360,000 in monthly revenue suggests that pace accelerated materially through early October.
How the Cycles Model Drives RevenueUnlike most blockchains, where end users pay gas fees directly, the Internet Computer uses a reverse gas model in which developers pre-pay costs by loading canisters with computation cycles, meaning users can interact with a decentralized application without needing tokens or dealing with seed phrases. The ICP token is the only token that can be used to purchase cycles and fuel smart contracts for computation. When ICP is used to purchase cycles, it is burned and removed from circulating supply, creating a deflationary mechanism for the token.
The network has been building momentum across multiple metrics in 2026. The network reached one billion transactions in Q1 2026 and supports roughly 980,000 deployed canister smart contracts with 1.24 million active wallets. A record onchain revenue figure adds a key financial dimension to that broader activity picture, signalling that usage is not just growing in volume but also translating into real economic output for the protocol.
For $ICP holders and ecosystem participants, the revenue record reinforces the network's argument that onchain computation at scale is a viable and expanding business, even as the token itself continues to trade well below its 2021 all-time high.
Sources:
DFINITY Support: What are cycles on the Internet Computer?
Internet Computer: Tokenomics and the Cycles Model
Crypto News Navigator: Internet Computer Hits 1 Billion Transactions in Q1 2026
The attacker sent the money back less than a day after NEAR Intents’ general manager posted “We have identified you, sir” along with addresses to return it to.
NEAR Intents recovers $3.8 million and closes hack probe
Posted October 5, 2026 at 5:42 am ET.
NEAR Intents, the cross-chain trading protocol hit by a $3.8 million exploit on Oct. 1, got all of the money back from the attacker on Friday and closed its investigation.
“The funds from the $3.8M NEAR Intents hack were sent back in full,” general manager Alex Shevchenko wrote on X. “We are stopping the investigation.”
The return came roughly 14 hours after Shevchenko called out the attacker in public and posted Bitcoin, BNB/Ethereum and Solana addresses for the funds. “We have identified you, sir,” he wrote, telling the attacker they knew “better than most how responsible disclosure works” and had 48 hours to use it.
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Funds Came Back Onchain The Bitcoin address Shevchenko listed took in about 34.6 BTC over several transfers between 14:31 and 15:05 UTC on Friday, according to blockchain data. That did not cover the whole loss. An onchain researcher who goes by Kuncoro estimated the bitcoin was worth about 78% of the $3.8 million and asked whether the rest came back another way. “You are right. It did indeed,” Shevchenko replied, without saying how.
About an hour after the bitcoin arrived, a transaction to the BNB/Ethereum address carried a note in its data field: “We’ve returned all the funds, we were in the wrong.”
NEAR co-founder Illia Polosukhin said the team identified “the party responsible less than 24h after the hack, established communication, and got the funds back in full” at 14:30 UTC. He credited SHIELD, the AI security layer on Intents, “along with some aggressive detective work.” Asked who did the tracing, Shevchenko answered “Internal team.” Neither executive detailed how the attacker was found.
A Bug in Omni Deposits and Withdrawals NEAR Intents halted its services on Oct. 1, blaming “a bug in the Omni deposit and withdrawal infrastructure interaction with NEAR Intents smart contract.” It pledged to make affected users whole and said a detailed report would follow.
Polosukhin wrote that day that the flaw was confined to USDT on BSC and was patched in under an hour, and that the NEAR blockchain and its token were unaffected. He said Intents handles more than $4 billion a month in trading and payments, and called this its first major exploit.
The hack hit days after NEAR Intents blocked stolen Bitget funds from moving through the protocol.
Shevchenko asked hackers to “use bug bounties instead of disrupting the services,” and Polosukhin echoed him. “They exist for a reason,” he wrote.
Related Listen: How Bitget Is Chasing $388 Million in Stolen Funds After a Zero-Day Hack
AI-assisted content: This article was produced with the assistance of AI tools and was reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by a member of the Unchained editorial team before publication.
Akcie společnosti Robinhood Markets za poslední měsíc klesly o 7,7 %, přesto Zacks zvýšil odhad EPS pro aktuální rok o 1 % a udělil akcii rating č. 1 (Strong Buy).
Robinhood Markets, Inc. (HOOD - Free Report) is one of the stocks most watched by Zacks.com visitors lately. So, it might be a good idea to review some of the factors that might affect the near-term performance of the stock.
Over the past month, shares of this company have returned -7.7%, compared to the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.6% change. During this period, the Zacks Financial - Investment Bank industry, which Robinhood Markets falls in, has lost 7.8%. The key question now is: What could be the stock's future direction?
Although media reports or rumors about a significant change in a company's business prospects usually cause its stock to trend and lead to an immediate price change, there are always certain fundamental factors that ultimately drive the buy-and-hold decision.
Revisions to Earnings EstimatesHere at Zacks, we prioritize appraising the change in the projection of a company's future earnings over anything else. That's because we believe the present value of its future stream of earnings is what determines the fair value for its stock.
We essentially look at how sell-side analysts covering the stock are revising their earnings estimates to reflect the impact of the latest business trends. And if earnings estimates go up for a company, the fair value for its stock goes up. A higher fair value than the current market price drives investors' interest in buying the stock, leading to its price moving higher. This is why empirical research shows a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements.
For the current quarter, Robinhood Markets is expected to post earnings of $0.52 per share, indicating a change of -14.8% from the year-ago quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has changed +1% over the last 30 days.
The consensus earnings estimate of $2.13 for the current fiscal year indicates a year-over-year change of +3.9%. This estimate has changed +1% over the last 30 days.
For the next fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $2.82 indicates a change of +32.5% from what Robinhood Markets is expected to report a year ago. Over the past month, the estimate has changed +0.8%.
Having a strong externally audited track record, our proprietary stock rating tool, the Zacks Rank, offers a more conclusive picture of a stock's price direction in the near term, since it effectively harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions. Due to the size of the recent change in the consensus estimate, along with three other factors related to earnings estimates, Robinhood Markets is rated Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
The chart below shows the evolution of the company's forward 12-month consensus EPS estimate:
12 Month EPS
Projected Revenue GrowthWhile earnings growth is arguably the most superior indicator of a company's financial health, nothing happens as such if a business isn't able to grow its revenues. After all, it's nearly impossible for a company to increase its earnings for an extended period without increasing its revenues. So, it's important to know a company's potential revenue growth.
For Robinhood Markets, the consensus sales estimate for the current quarter of $1.38 billion indicates a year-over-year change of +8.2%. For the current and next fiscal years, $5.23 billion and $6.63 billion estimates indicate +17% and +26.7% changes, respectively.
Last Reported Results and Surprise HistoryRobinhood Markets reported revenues of $1.31 billion in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +32.3%. EPS of $0.62 for the same period compares with $0.42 a year ago.
Compared to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.26 billion, the reported revenues represent a surprise of +3.49%. The EPS surprise was +40.91%.
Over the last four quarters, Robinhood Markets surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times. The company topped consensus revenue estimates two times over this period.
ValuationWithout considering a stock's valuation, no investment decision can be efficient. In predicting a stock's future price performance, it's crucial to determine whether its current price correctly reflects the intrinsic value of the underlying business and the company's growth prospects.
While comparing the current values of a company's valuation multiples, such as price-to-earnings (P/E), price-to-sales (P/S), and price-to-cash flow (P/CF), with its own historical values helps determine whether its stock is fairly valued, overvalued, or undervalued, comparing the company relative to its peers on these parameters gives a good sense of the reasonability of the stock's price.
The Zacks Value Style Score (part of the Zacks Style Scores system), which pays close attention to both traditional and unconventional valuation metrics to grade stocks from A to F (an A is better than a B; a B is better than a C; and so on), is pretty helpful in identifying whether a stock is overvalued, rightly valued, or temporarily undervalued.
Robinhood Markets is graded F on this front, indicating that it is trading at a premium to its peers. Click here to see the values of some of the valuation metrics that have driven this grade.
Bottom LineThe facts discussed here and much other information on Zacks.com might help determine whether or not it's worthwhile paying attention to the market buzz about Robinhood Markets. However, its Zacks Rank #1 does suggest that it may outperform the broader market in the near term.
Key Takeaways Robinhood is rolling out U.S. crypto perpetual futures using Bitstamp infrastructure with leverage up to 10x.Bitstamp generated 55% of Robinhood's $40 billion in total crypto notional volume in Q2 2026.Low fees, crypto volatility and regulatory uncertainty could make revenue growth from perpetuals gradual. Robinhood Markets’ (HOOD - Free Report) U.S. crypto perpetual futures rollout is putting greater focus on Bitstamp’s role within the company’s expanding digital asset ecosystem. While it initially said at its Sept. 29 HOOD Summit that eligible U.S. customers would gain access to perpetuals “in the coming months,” its latest product status page says the offering is beginning to roll out, signaling faster progress toward commercialization.
Bitstamp is central to that strategy because Robinhood’s perpetual futures are offered through Robinhood Derivatives using Bitstamp infrastructure. The contracts offer leverage of up to 10x on Bitcoin and Ethereum and up to 3x on other supported cryptocurrencies. Through Dec. 31, 2026, Robinhood charges a 0.005% commission, and the venue fee is another 0.005%, bringing total trading costs to 1 basis point.
Bitstamp already brings meaningful scale to Robinhood’s crypto platform. In the second quarter of 2026, it accounted for 55% of Robinhood’s $40 billion in total crypto notional volume. However, Bitstamp’s high volume does not necessarily translate into proportionately high revenues because its institutional-oriented business generally carries lower transaction economics than Robinhood’s retail crypto activity. Robinhood has said its crypto revenues benefited from the Bitstamp acquisition but does not separately report Bitstamp’s complete standalone revenue contribution.
The perpetual futures rollout is expected to enhance Robinhood’s monetization of Bitstamp’s established trading infrastructure and support another leg of growth in its crypto franchise. If adoption gains traction, higher-frequency derivatives trading could boost customer engagement and expand transaction-based revenues.
However, the magnitude of the benefit will depend on trading volumes, customer uptake and Robinhood’s ability to improve pricing economics over time. Low introductory fees, volatile crypto activity and regulatory uncertainty remain key near-term headwinds, suggesting that the revenue contribution may build gradually rather than emerge as an immediate earnings driver.
How are HOOD’s Peers Faring in Terms of Product DiversificationTwo close peers of HOOD are Charles Schwab (SCHW - Free Report) and Interactive Brokers Group (IBKR - Free Report) .
Schwab is broadening its offerings across ETFs, direct indexing, thematic investing, alternative assets, managed portfolios, banking and digital assets. Expanded crypto access in 2026, alongside personalized investing and advisor solutions, is expected to attract younger and wealthier clients, deepen engagement and help Schwab capture a larger share of client assets.
Interactive Brokers is expanding beyond traditional stocks and options into crypto, perpetual-style futures, prediction markets, AI-enabled trading and broader global-market access. Interactive Brokers’ unified platform now spans more than 170 markets, helping attract active traders, international investors and digital-asset clients while deepening engagement and supporting market share gains.
Robinhood’s Price Performance, Valuation & Estimate AnalysisOver the past six months, Robinhood’s shares have jumped 61.6%, outperforming the industry’s 9.9% growth.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
HOOD’s shares are currently trading at a premium to the industry. The company has a 12-month trailing price-to-tangible book (P/TB) of 11.71X compared with the industry average of 3.04X.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Robinhood’s 2026 earnings suggests a year-over-year increase of 3.9%. The trend is likely to continue next year, with earnings expected to jump 32.5%. In the past 30 days, earnings estimates for 2026 and 2027 have been revised higher to $2.13 and $2.82 per share, respectively.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
HOOD currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB ve třetím čtvrtletí zvýšila svůj podíl ve společnosti Chipotle Mexican Grill o 7 051,6 % na 243 726 akcií v hodnotě 7,787 mil. USD.
MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB boosted its stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG – Free Report) by 7,051.6% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 243,726 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 240,318 shares during the period. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB’s holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill were worth $7,787,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. MV Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Osbon Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill in the 2nd quarter worth $27,000. Kelleher Financial Advisors purchased a new position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in the second quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in the first quarter valued at about $28,000. Institutional investors own 91.30% of the company’s stock.
Insider Buying and Selling In other news, insider Matthew R. Bush sold 2,675 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.75, for a total value of $95,631.25. Following the transaction, the insider owned 21,415 shares in the company, valued at approximately $765,586.25. This represents a 11.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.45% of the company’s stock.
Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Bank of America reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $53.00 target price (up from $50.00) on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a report on Tuesday, September 1st. Mizuho restated an “outperform” rating and set a $43.00 price target on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a report on Tuesday, September 1st. Robert W. Baird reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $40.00 price target (down from $44.00) on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research report on Monday, August 24th. DA Davidson increased their price objective on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $45.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $47.00 price objective on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Twenty-three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $43.91. View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Chipotle Mexican Grill
Chipotle Mexican Grill Price Performance NYSE:CMG opened at $32.44 on Monday. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $34.79 and its 200 day simple moving average is $33.61. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. has a one year low of $28.03 and a one year high of $42.81. The firm has a market capitalization of $41.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.76, a PEG ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 0.96.
Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The restaurant operator reported $0.33 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.32 by $0.01. Chipotle Mexican Grill had a return on equity of 54.65% and a net margin of 11.43%.The company had revenue of $3.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.33 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.33 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. will post 1.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
(Free Report)
Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc is a fast-casual restaurant company that specializes in Mexican-inspired food made with a limited number of core ingredients. Its menu includes burritos, burrito bowls, tacos, quesadillas, salads and sides, with options such as chicken, steak, barbacoa, carnitas, sofritas and vegetables. The company also offers beverages, including soft drinks and other drinks, and allows customers to customize meals.
Founded by Steve Ells in 1993, Chipotle operates company-owned restaurants under the Chipotle Mexican Grill brand.
See Also Five stocks we like better than Chipotle Mexican Grill Could Nike’s Brutal Sell-Off Finally Be Running Out of Steam? The AI Buildout Needs Power It Cannot Get: 4 Energy Stocks Already Have It McDonald’s Is Undergoing a Massive New Growth Strategy. Can It Win Back Consumers? MGM Resorts Stock Sinks After Diller Deal Collapse: Overreaction or Warning? Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CMG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG – Free Report).
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Chipotle stock is falling several times harder than McDonald's and Starbucks combined, and the options market is flashing a defensive signal that suggests traders see more pain ahead.
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Selling in Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG | CMG Price Prediction) stock is running far ahead of the rest of the restaurant group, and the gap between CMG stock and shares of its larger rivals is the clearest signal in the sector. Chipotle stock has fallen 4%, recently trading at $31.10, extending a slide that was already well under way.
The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSEARCA:SPY) is up 0.4%, so equities overall are moving in the opposite direction from Chipotle. Food and beverage stocks are steady as well, with the Invesco Food & Beverage ETF (NYSEARCA:PBJ) down 0.1%.
Meanwhile, McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) shares are down 0.7%, a far softer decline than Chipotle stock is posting. Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) stock is slipping 0.5%, leaving it in step with McDonald’s shares. The selling is clearly aimed at Chipotle stock, which is falling several times harder than either larger rival.
Chipotle Extends a Month-Long Slide The past month has been punishing for Chipotle stock, which is down 19% over that stretch. Chipotle shares now trade closer to their 52-week low of $28.04 than to their 52-week high of $42.82, so the latest drop deepens an established downtrend.
Options activity around Chipotle stock leans defensive, with a full-chain put/call ratio of 3.46. That reading above 1 means put contracts on Chipotle stock (which gain value when shares fall) outnumber calls, signaling demand for downside protection.
Late-September takeover speculation briefly lifted Chipotle shares, though no offer or discussions were ever confirmed and the talk remains unsubstantiated. That lift has since vanished.
Starbucks carried a 5.2% weight in the Invesco Food & Beverage ETF as of July 31, while Chipotle and McDonald’s didn’t appear among the fund’s holdings. Read together, the flat fund and the gain in SPY leave Chipotle stock isolated on the downside.
Margin Pressure Frames the Debate Results for Q2 2026 showed Chipotle rebuilding traffic while costs squeezed its profitability. Chipotle’s revenue rose 9.3% year over year, with its comparable sales up 2.2%. However, the company’s restaurant-level operating margin contracted to 25.2% from 27.4% on beef and freight inflation.
Cost pressure at Chipotle has remained for several quarters, as the company’s operating margin fell to 12.9% from 16.7% in Q1 2026. From Q4 2026 forward, management at Chipotle expects its pricing to match cost inflation, a shift that could ease the margin squeeze.
On Chipotle’s second-quarter call, the company’s finance chief stated that “trends have been softer in recent weeks amid heightened consumer caution around the broader restaurant industry.” Buybacks continued, with Chipotle buying back $630.7 million in shares during Q2 at an average of $32.55 each, above the $31.10 share price. The company had $1.7 billion left under its repurchase authorizations at quarter-end.
What to Watch Next Management at Chipotle expected Q3 2026 comparable sales of “somewhere around a plus 1% in Q3,” calling that quarter “the toughest lap that we have this year.” Chipotle’s next quarterly report may show whether the consumer caution flagged on the summer call has eased.
The bull case rests on Chipotle’s improving transactions and its “Recipe for Growth” strategy. Wall Street’s average price target on Chipotle stock is $43.76, well above the $31.10 share price. On the bear side, Chipotle’s margins remain contracted, and Chipotle stock keeps sliding while McDonald’s and Starbucks shares hold steady.
Traders could look for signs that selling eases as Chipotle stock approaches its 52-week low. Given the 19% one-month decline in Chipotle stock and its isolation from the restaurant group, investors weighing their exposure should adjust their holdings carefully.
Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB increased its stake in shares of ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP – Free Report) by 83.9% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 114,337 shares of the energy producer’s stock after purchasing an additional 52,175 shares during the quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB’s holdings in ConocoPhillips were worth $14,309,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. State Street Corp raised its stake in ConocoPhillips by 73.2% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 118,591,447 shares of the energy producer’s stock valued at $12,328,767,000 after buying an additional 50,116,727 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. boosted its position in shares of ConocoPhillips by 3.0% during the 2nd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 93,886,457 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $9,760,436,000 after acquiring an additional 2,712,703 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors increased its holdings in shares of ConocoPhillips by 5.9% in the 4th quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 48,360,060 shares of the energy producer’s stock valued at $4,527,230,000 after acquiring an additional 2,714,663 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its holdings in shares of ConocoPhillips by 12.0% in the 2nd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 15,072,154 shares of the energy producer’s stock valued at $1,566,901,000 after acquiring an additional 1,609,759 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. raised its position in shares of ConocoPhillips by 4.5% during the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 15,038,675 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $1,407,770,000 after acquiring an additional 648,432 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.36% of the company’s stock.
Analyst Ratings Changes Several research firms recently weighed in on COP. Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on ConocoPhillips in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. They set a “hold” rating and a $148.00 target price for the company. Freedom Capital upgraded shares of ConocoPhillips from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Truist Financial lifted their target price on ConocoPhillips from $115.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, August 10th. Wall Street Zen raised ConocoPhillips from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, August 8th. Finally, UBS Group raised their price target on ConocoPhillips from $153.00 to $169.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, September 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $141.24.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on ConocoPhillips ConocoPhillips Stock Performance Shares of COP stock opened at $126.78 on Monday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $128.29 and its 200 day moving average price is $121.80. The company has a quick ratio of 1.39, a current ratio of 1.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The stock has a market capitalization of $152.31 billion, a PE ratio of 16.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 0.24. ConocoPhillips has a 52-week low of $85.57 and a 52-week high of $141.62.
ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The energy producer reported $3.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.90 by $0.34. ConocoPhillips had a return on equity of 14.72% and a net margin of 14.22%.The business had revenue of $19.52 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.79 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.42 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 32.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that ConocoPhillips will post 10.54 EPS for the current year.
ConocoPhillips Dividend Announcement The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 17th were issued a dividend of $0.84 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 17th. This represents a $3.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.7%. ConocoPhillips’s payout ratio is presently 44.44%.
Insider Transactions at ConocoPhillips In other ConocoPhillips news, SVP Andrew Lundquist sold 9,487 shares of ConocoPhillips stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $135.15, for a total transaction of $1,282,168.05. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 9,593 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,296,493.95. The trade was a 49.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.
ConocoPhillips News Roundup Here are the key news stories impacting ConocoPhillips this week:
Positive Sentiment: ConocoPhillips agreed to purchase 1 million tonnes per annum of LNG from Venture Global for 20 years beginning in 2030. The deal secures long-term supply and expands COP’s LNG exposure, although the financial impact is several years away. ConocoPhillips signs 20-year LNG deal with Venture Global Positive Sentiment: ConocoPhillips is reviewing an unsolicited offer for its Norway business and U.K. Teesside asset. A potential sale could generate cash, simplify the portfolio and allow the company to focus on higher-return assets, though no transaction has been announced. ConocoPhillips explores sale of Norway business and UK Teesside asset Neutral Sentiment: Reports identify potential contenders for ConocoPhillips’ Norway assets, suggesting that the review may attract buyer interest. However, the value, timing and use of proceeds remain uncertain. Who are the contenders for ConocoPhillips’ Norway assets? Neutral Sentiment: Potential U.S. energy investment tied to an Alaska natural-gas pipeline and nuclear projects could create future opportunities for ConocoPhillips, but the projects are prospective and provide no immediate earnings benefit. South Korea set to invest $200 billion in the U.S. Negative Sentiment: Energy stocks came under broader market pressure, which likely weighed on COP independently of its company-specific announcements. Sector Update: Energy Stocks Fall Premarket Thursday ConocoPhillips Profile (Free Report)
ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) is an independent exploration and production company engaged in finding, developing and producing crude oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids and liquefied natural gas. Unlike integrated energy companies, ConocoPhillips focuses primarily on upstream activities rather than refining and retail fuel operations.
The company has a diversified portfolio of assets in major producing regions, including the United States, Canada, Australia, Norway and Qatar. Its U.S. operations include oil and gas developments in Alaska and the Lower 48 states, while its international portfolio includes conventional and offshore projects.
Featured Articles Five stocks we like better than ConocoPhillips Could Nike’s Brutal Sell-Off Finally Be Running Out of Steam? The AI Buildout Needs Power It Cannot Get: 4 Energy Stocks Already Have It McDonald’s Is Undergoing a Massive New Growth Strategy. Can It Win Back Consumers? MGM Resorts Stock Sinks After Diller Deal Collapse: Overreaction or Warning? Want to see what other hedge funds are holding COP? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP – Free Report).
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In mid- to late-2025, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) was quite bearish on oil, forecasting that a barrel of Brent crude would hit $50 by early 2026.
Not only did that not come to fruition, as we all know, but oil may not get that low for a very long time, if ever, according to ConocoPhillips (COP +1.26%) Chairman Ryan Lance.
At a forum in London, Lance said he sees the floor on oil prices at around $70, according to Reuters. He also expects the mid-cycle price to be around $65-$70 per barrel for West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil, the benchmark for U.S. oil.
Here's what this means for oil stocks.
Image source: Getty Images.
It will take time for the oil supply chain and demand to normalizeLance said that while the Iran war certainly pressured the global oil system, it didn't break it. However, it could take until 2028 or 2029 for global demand to rebound.
"The real strategic question for companies like mine is where is the conventional (production) going to come from to satisfy that growing demand," Lance said, according to Reuters.
Additionally, Lance said ConocoPhillips is currently more focused on upstream exploration than on midstream oil investments.
Upstream involves finding and producing oil, while midstream transports and stores it, connecting upstream producers to downstream companies, which refine crude oil into products like gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel.
While the Iran war may not have broken the global oil system -- at least not yet -- it has left it vulnerable.
For instance, in the U.S., where oil tends to be cheaper than in Europe, the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) fell below 284 million barrels for the week ending Sept. 25, according to the EIA.
That's near the lowest levels seen since the SPR began in the early 1980s. The SPR requires 250-300 million barrels of oil to function properly.
Saudi Aramco's CEO, Amin Nasser, also said at the same forum where Lance spoke that it will likely take up to two years to rebuild global oil inventories.
He noted that global oil inventories were at about 10 billion barrels heading into the conflict. Roughly 3 billion barrels of supply were lost, roughly half of what would normally have moved through the Strait of Hormuz since the conflict began.
The short answer is that it's good news for most, if not all, major oil stocks, because higher oil prices mean they can sell oil at higher prices and make more money.
ConocoPhillips reported second-quarter adjusted earnings per share up 128% year over year. ExxonMobil tells a similar tale, with adjusted earnings per share up more than double year over year.
COP data by YCharts
These companies are also significantly increasing free cash flow, which gives them more money to pay down debt, strengthen their balance sheets, and return capital to shareholders, making their stocks more attractive. So, higher oil prices are a big positive.
However, one thing investors should keep their eye on is how the world continues to view oil from a geopolitical perspective following this conflict.
Given that Iran has been able to leverage the Strait of Hormuz as a major strategic advantage in the war, many experts say it makes sense for the U.S. to build new oil routes and focus on domestically produced renewable energy, due to national security concerns.
Long term, that could lead to lower oil prices, although given the demand for power right now, whether due to the rise of artificial intelligence or other factors, I think it's likely the world will need as much power as it can get from many different energy sources, including oil and renewables.
Still, it's something for oil investors to monitor.
