A $50,000 dividend income stream looks unimpressive next to a $100,000 high-yield payout. Twenty years later, the comparison may look very different. That is the entire case for dividend growth investing. The goal is not to maximize income in year one. It is to build an income stream that can keep growing long after a flat payout has been overtaken by inflation.
Consider two retirees. Investor A buys covered-call ETFs, mortgage REITs, and BDCs yielding roughly 10%, pocketing $100,000 a year on $1 million. Investor B buys Dividend Aristocrats yielding closer to 3.5%, collecting $50,000 on the same $1 million. Investor A wins year one by a mile. The question is what happens by year fifteen.
The Core Math: When $50,000 Becomes $125,000 Run a starting income of $50,000 forward at four realistic dividend growth rates. The compounding does the work.
Growth Rate Year 5 Year 10 Year 15 Year 20 5% $63,814 $81,445 $103,946 $132,665 6% $66,911 $89,542 $119,828 $160,357 7% $70,128 $98,358 $137,952 $193,484 8% $73,466 $107,946 $158,608 $233,048 At a 7% blended growth rate, the dividend stream catches Investor A’s flat $100,000 around year ten and crosses $125,000 by year fourteen. At 8% (roughly what Coca-Cola and Lowe’s have delivered over the last decade), the catch-up happens by year nine. By year twenty, the “smaller” portfolio is paying double.
The Inflation Problem Most People Ignore A flat $100,000 income stream is not really flat. Inflation steadily erodes purchasing power, even when the dollar amount never changes. At 3% annual inflation, $100,000 today buys only about $74,000 worth of goods and services in ten years and roughly $55,000 in twenty years. At 4% inflation, the twenty-year purchasing power falls to less than $46,000.
That is one reason dividend-growth investors focus so heavily on rising income. Financial commentator Wes Moss summarized the appeal on the Clark Howard Podcast: “Dividends have grown at twice the rate on average of inflation.” If inflation averages 3% and income grows 6%, the investor is not merely maintaining purchasing power. They are gradually increasing it. For retirees facing decades of rising prices, that difference can be enormous.
What the Aristocrats Actually Deliver The growth assumptions above are not theoretical. Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ | JNJ Price Prediction) just raised its dividend for the 64th consecutive year to $1.34 quarterly, a yield near 2.3%. Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) is on its 70th consecutive annual increase, yielding 3%. Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) at 2.7% has compounded its payout from $0.16 quarterly in 1999 to $0.53 today. PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) yields 4% after its 54th straight raise. Lowe’s (NYSE:LOW) yields 2.3%, with Lowe’s growing its quarterly dividend from $0.03 in 1999 to $1.20 today.
The Three Yield Tiers, Translated Into Capital Replacing $50,000 of income looks very different depending on the yield tier you choose:
Conservative (3-4%): Dividend Aristocrats, broad dividend-growth ETFs, blue-chip equity. $50,000 divided by 0.035 equals roughly $1,428,571. The most capital, the most growth, the least risk of a distribution cut. Moderate (5-7%): Preferred shares, REITs, covered-call equity funds, high-dividend funds. $50,000 divided by 0.06 equals about $833,333. Income arrives faster; growth slows or flatlines. Aggressive (8-14%): Leveraged covered-call funds, BDCs, mortgage REITs, high-yield bond funds. $50,000 divided by 0.10 equals $500,000. Lowest capital required, highest principal-erosion risk, and the distribution often shrinks during downturns. When High Yield Actually Wins Dividend growth is not always the right answer. An 80-year-old investor with a 10-year planning horizon may never live long enough to enjoy the full benefits of compounding. Likewise, someone facing an immediate income shortfall, a reduced life expectancy, or a need to delay Social Security until age 70 may reasonably prioritize larger payouts today over potentially larger payouts tomorrow. In those situations, maximizing current income can be the rational choice. The right strategy depends less on yield and growth rates than on how much time the investor has for those growth rates to work.
What to Do This Week Calculate your actual spending, not your salary. Most pre-retirees overestimate replacement needs by 20-30%. A real $50,000 gap is very different from a guessed $100,000 one. Compare 10-year total returns side by side. Pull the trailing decade on a 3.5% dividend-growth fund versus a 10% covered-call fund. JNJ delivered 164% over ten years and KO 140%. Most high-yield funds have negative ten-year price returns. Set a dividend growth floor. If a holding’s payout grows slower than the 10-year Treasury yield (currently 4.5%), you are losing ground to risk-free cash on a forward basis. The right portfolio is the one still paying you a raise when you are 85.
Key Takeaways Travelers' net investment income complements underwriting and supports earnings stability. TRV's investment income increased at a 12.19% CAGR from 2020 to 2025 on higher yields. Travelers expects fixed income net investment income to rise through Q4 2026. The Travelers Companies, Inc.’s (TRV - Free Report) net investment income is a material contributor to the company’s results of operations, consistently providing a reliable source of earnings that complements its underwriting activities.
The majority of the Travelers' investments is comprised of a widely diversified portfolio of high-quality, liquid, taxable U.S. government, tax-exempt and taxable U.S. municipal, taxable corporate and U.S. agency mortgage-backed bonds. The insurer also invests smaller amounts in equity securities, real estate, private equity, hedge funds, and real estate partnerships and joint ventures, which pose the potential for higher returns.
Net investment income acts as a second earnings engine for this property and casualty insurer after underwriting profit. Thus, even if underwriting profit weakens because of higher catastrophe losses, solid net investment income can help offset earnings pressure. The metric is most significantly influenced by interest rates, portfolio size, asset mix, market performance and underwriting-generated cash flow.
The insurer’s investment income has shown continuous improvement. The metric has delivered a five-year (2020-2025) CAGR of 12.19%, driven by higher long-term average yields and higher average levels of fixed-maturity investments.
Travelers’ guidance for fixed income net investment income by quarter, which includes earnings from short-term securities, is around $810 million after tax in the second quarter of 2026. The figure is projected to grow to nearly $840 million in the third quarter and approximately $870 million in the fourth quarter. For 2026, Travelers should continue to benefit from a growing investment portfolio that strengthens its overall financial performance.
Net investment income significantly boosts top-line growth for Travelers, one of the leading writers of auto and homeowners’ insurance, by generating steady earnings from investing policyholder premiums in bonds and other income-producing assets. Travelers has also consistently returned capital to shareholders through buybacks and dividend increases, supported partly by stronger investment earnings and operating cash flow. Therefore, this additional income stream not only improves profitability and provides financial stability but also supports shareholder returns and long-term growth.
What About Other Insurers?Chubb Limited's (CB - Free Report) net investment income is an important earnings contributor. The metric benefits from higher interest rates and stronger portfolio yields, providing a steady source of earnings beyond underwriting profits. This helps improve profitability, offset claim volatility and strengthen overall financial performance.
Cincinnati Financial Corporation (CINF - Free Report) has been witnessing net investment income growth over the past few years. Investment income, net of expenses, is driven by higher interest income and solid cash flow, in addition to higher bond yields. The company expects its investment philosophy and initiatives to drive investment income growth and generate a total return on equity investment portfolio over a five-year period that exceeds the five-year return of the S&P 500 Index. Cincinnati Financial believes that its investment portfolio mix provides an appropriate balance of income stability and growth, with capital appreciation potential.
TRV’s Price PerformanceShares of TRV have gained 13.5% in the past year, outperforming the industry.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
TRV’s OvervaluationThe stock is overvalued compared with its industry. It is currently trading at a price-to-book value multiple of 1.98, higher than the industry average of 1.32. It carries a Value Score of A.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Estimate Movement for TRVThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for TRV’s first-quarter 2026 and second-quarter 2026 EPS has moved up 0.6% and 0.1%, respectively, in the past 30 days. The same for full-year 2026 and 2027 EPS has moved up 2.6% and 0.8%, respectively, in the past 30 days.
The consensus estimate for TRV’s 2026 and 2027 EPS and revenues indicates a year-over-year increase.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
TRV stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
HARTFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In recognition of Contractor Fraud Awareness Week (May 18-22), The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE: TRV) is providing guidance to help homeowners protect themselves from potential fraud when recovering from a storm.
“In the aftermath of a storm, the desire to return to normalcy can drive homeowners toward rushed decisions about which contractors to trust,” said Pranay Mittal, Vice President of Travelers Investigative Services. “Knowing how to identify fraudulent behavior isn’t just helpful – it can mean the difference between a seamless recovery and an expensive mistake.”
Travelers Investigative Services brings deep expertise to the fight against insurance fraud, delivering exceptional support to customers at every stage of the claim process. By partnering with leading industry organizations – including the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) and the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud – Travelers continuously advances its fraud detection capabilities and stays ahead of evolving schemes.
“Fraudulent contractors act as business enterprises, using high-pressure sales tactics and promising quick fixes to take advantage of people in their most vulnerable state,” said David J. Glawe, President and Chief Executive Officer of the NICB. “The financial toll of contractor fraud extends far beyond the homeowner who gets scammed. These crimes also inflate costs for every policyholder. Awareness is the key to protecting homeowners from falling victim to fraud.”
To help protect against contractor fraud, Travelers recommends that property owners:
Contact insurers or independent agents to review policies. Before signing any contract or agreement, engage your insurance carrier or agent. They can explain your coverage options and help ensure you don’t unknowingly waive your rights. Many insurers, including Travelers, maintain networks of pre-vetted contractors they can recommend. Insist on a written contract. This is a standard industry practice, so be wary of any contractor who pressures you to skip this step. Never pay in full upfront. Large advance payments are a hallmark of fraudulent contractors. A reasonable deposit may be appropriate, but full payment should only follow completed, verified work. Watch for red flags. High-pressure sales tactics, vague answers, reluctance to provide references and allegations of government endorsement are all warning signs. Research contractors before they’re needed. Check licenses, look up reviews and consult the Better Business Bureau before hiring anyone. Create a list of insured and well-reviewed local contractors and keep their contact information accessible. For additional guidance on identifying and avoiding fraudulent contractors, visit Travelers’ vendor tool kit and contractor hiring checklist.
About Travelers
The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE: TRV) is a leading provider of property casualty insurance for auto, home and business. A component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Travelers has more than 30,000 employees and generated revenues of nearly $49 billion in 2025. For more information, visit Travelers.com.
It doesn't matter your age or experience: taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals for all investors. Luckily, Zacks Premium offers several different ways to do both.
Featuring daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, full access to the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens, the research service can help you become a smarter, more self-assured investor.
Zacks Premium includes access to the Zacks Style Scores as well.
What are the Zacks Style Scores? The Zacks Style Scores, developed alongside the Zacks Rank, are complementary indicators that rate stocks based on three widely-followed investing methodologies; they also help investors pick stocks with the best chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.
Based on their value, growth, and momentum characteristics, each stock is assigned a rating of A, B, C, D, or F. The better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform; an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on.
The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:
Value ScoreFor value investors, it's all about finding good stocks at good prices, and discovering which companies are trading under their true value before the broader market catches on. The Value Style Score utilizes ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and a host of other multiples to help pick out the most attractive and discounted stocks.
Growth ScoreWhile good value is important, growth investors are more focused on a company's financial strength and health, and its future outlook. The Growth Style Score takes projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow into account to uncover stocks that will see long-term, sustainable growth.
Momentum ScoreMomentum traders and investors live by the saying "the trend is your friend." This investing style is all about taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook. Employing factors like one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates, the Momentum Style Score can indicate favorable times to build a position in high-momentum stocks.
VGM ScoreIf you want a combination of all three Style Scores, then the VGM Score will be your friend. It rates each stock on their combined weighted styles, helping you find the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum. It's also one of the best indicators to use with the Zacks Rank.
How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank A proprietary stock-rating model, the Zacks Rank utilizes the power of earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings outlook, to help investors create a successful portfolio.
#1 (Strong Buy) stocks have produced an unmatched +23.7% average annual return since 1988, which is more than double the S&P 500's performance over the same time frame. However, the Zacks Rank examines a ton of stocks, and there can be more than 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, and another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.
But it can feel overwhelming to pick the right stocks for you and your investing goals with over 800 top-rated stocks to choose from.
That's where the Style Scores come in.
You want to make sure you're buying stocks with the highest likelihood of success, and to do that, you'll need to pick stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B. If you like a stock that only has a #3 (Hold) rank, it should also have Scores of A or B to guarantee as much upside potential as possible.
As mentioned above, the Scores are designed to work with the Zacks Rank, so any change to a company's earnings outlook should be a deciding factor when picking which stocks to buy.
A stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, for instance, even one with Scores of A and B, will still have a declining earnings forecast, and a greater chance its share price will fall too.
Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.
Stock to Watch: Travelers (TRV - Free Report) Established in 1853 and is based in New York, NY, The Travelers Companies Inc., a holding company, is principally engaged, through its subsidiaries, in providing a wide variety of property and casualty insurance and surety products and services to businesses, organizations and individuals in the United States. and select international markets.
TRV is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of A.
Additionally, the company could be a top pick for growth investors. TRV has a Growth Style Score of B, forecasting year-over-year earnings growth of 1.6% for the current fiscal year.
For fiscal 2026, 12 analysts revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days, and the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.77 to $28.03 per share. TRV boasts an average earnings surprise of +40.4%.
With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Growth and VGM Style Scores, TRV should be on investors' short list.
For new and old investors, taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals. Zacks Premium provides lots of different ways to do both.
The popular research service can help you become a smarter, more self-assured investor, giving you access to daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens.
Zacks Premium also includes the Zacks Style Scores.
What are the Zacks Style Scores? The Zacks Style Scores, developed alongside the Zacks Rank, are complementary indicators that rate stocks based on three widely-followed investing methodologies; they also help investors pick stocks with the best chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.
Each stock is given an alphabetic rating of A, B, C, D or F based on their value, growth, and momentum qualities. With this system, an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on, meaning the better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform.
The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:
Value ScoreFinding good stocks at good prices, and discovering which companies are trading under their true value, are what value investors like to focus on. So, the Value Style Score takes into account ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and a host of other multiples to highlight the most attractive and discounted stocks.
Growth ScoreGrowth investors are more concerned with a stock's future prospects, and the overall financial health and strength of a company. Thus, the Growth Style Score analyzes characteristics like projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow to find stocks that will see sustainable growth over time.
Momentum ScoreMomentum trading is all about taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook, and these investors live by the saying "the trend is your friend." The Momentum Style Score can pinpoint good times to build a position in a stock, using factors like one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates.
VGM ScoreWhat if you like to use all three types of investing? The VGM Score is a combination of all Style Scores, making it one of the most comprehensive indicators to use with the Zacks Rank. It rates each stock on their combined weighted styles, which helps narrow down the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum.
How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank The Zacks Rank, which is a proprietary stock-rating model, employs earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings expectations, to make building a winning portfolio easier.
Investors can count on the Zacks Rank's success, with #1 (Strong Buy) stocks producing an unmatched +23.7% average annual return since 1988, more than double the S&P 500's performance. But the model rates a large number of stocks, and there are over 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, plus another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.
With more than 800 top-rated stocks to choose from, it can certainly feel overwhelming to pick the ones that are right for you and your investing journey.
That's where the Style Scores come in.
To have the best chance of big returns, you'll want to always consider stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B, which will give you the highest probability of success. If you're looking at stocks with a #3 (Hold) rank, it's important they have Scores of A or B as well to ensure as much upside potential as possible.
As mentioned above, the Scores are designed to work with the Zacks Rank, so any change to a company's earnings outlook should be a deciding factor when picking which stocks to buy.
Here's an example: a stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, even one with Style Scores of A and B, still has a downward-trending earnings outlook, and a bigger chance its share price will decrease too.
Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.
Stock to Watch: Travelers (TRV - Free Report) Established in 1853 and is based in New York, NY, The Travelers Companies Inc., a holding company, is principally engaged, through its subsidiaries, in providing a wide variety of property and casualty insurance and surety products and services to businesses, organizations and individuals in the United States. and select international markets.
TRV is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of A.
It also boasts a Value Style Score of A thanks to attractive valuation metrics like a forward P/E ratio of 10.9; value investors should take notice.
12 analysts revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days for fiscal 2026. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.78 to $28.03 per share. TRV boasts an average earnings surprise of +40.4%.
With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Value and VGM Style Scores, TRV should be on investors' short list.
Key Takeaways First American is using AI and automation to improve efficiency and security in real estate deals. FAF launched AgentNet Assist in 2025 to boost underwriting research and title agent workflows. First American expanded title automation, surpassing 1,800 title plants and adding 100 new ones. First American Financial Corporation (FAF - Free Report) has increasingly embedded technology into its business model to improve efficiency, reduce fraud risk, accelerate real estate closings and enhance customer experience across title insurance, settlement and mortgage services.
Innovation and technology are reshaping the process of buying and selling property in the United States. First American is at the forefront of this digitization, driving innovation to improve the customer experience, enhance security, accelerate transactions and make First American the preferred choice for title insurance and settlement services.
First American uses technology to digitize, automate and secure the real estate settlement and title insurance process. By leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and advanced data assets, the company accelerates transaction timelines, minimizes risk and provides digital platforms for real estate professionals and consumers.
First American has strengthened its technology-led business model through AgentNet Assist, a generative AI-powered tool launched in 2025, designed to improve productivity, underwriting research and workflow efficiency for title agents.
First American’s subsidiary, First American Title, has developed a proprietary end-to-end digital platform, ClarityFirst, to streamline commercial real estate (CRE) title insurance and closing transactions. It helps commercial clients manage complex real estate deals with greater efficiency, transparency and security.
First American's integrations with the industry's leading loan origination systems ensure a seamless, uninterrupted flow of data, products and services to and from customers.
First American has enhanced productivity through its proprietary map-based underwriting tool that helps First American underwriters reach faster and better coverage decisions. Additionally, the company has deployed proprietary AI and automation technology to further broaden its title data leadership with the addition of 100 new title plants, bringing its total title plant count to over 1,800 and boosting efforts to automate title production.
Being a premier provider of title, settlement and risk solutions for real estate transactions and the leader in the digital transformation of its industry, First American was recognized as a 'Most Innovative Company of the Year' by the American Business Awards in 2025. This marks the second time the title insurer has received this prestigious recognition, having earlier won in 2022.
First American remains focused on providing its customers and employees with digital tools designed to enhance efficiency and streamline operations. Combined with its ongoing efforts to further deploy AI, machine learning, and other technologies, has enabled the company to stand out from competitors.
What About Other Players? The Travelers Companies, Inc. (TRV - Free Report) uses technology extensively to improve claims efficiency, catastrophe risk management and pricing discipline. Technology is a key reason Travelers has remained one of the strongest performers in commercial insurance. Travelers uses AI, predictive analytics and big data to improve underwriting decisions, maintain pricing discipline and Lower claims costs. Travelers is considered one of the most technology-advanced commercial insurers, especially in analytics and catastrophe modeling.
The Progressive Corporation (PGR - Free Report) is one of the most technology-driven insurers in the United States, and technology is a major reason for its strong underwriting performance and market-share gains. Unlike many insurers, Progressive uses technology directly as a competitive advantage in pricing, claims, customer acquisition and risk selection. Among large U.S. insurers, Progressive is often viewed as the best example of technology translating directly into underwriting advantage and shareholder returns. Its combination of telematics, AI pricing and massive proprietary data creates a strong competitive moat.
FAF’s Price PerformanceShares of FAF have gained 21% in the past year, outperforming the industry.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
FAF’s UndervaluationThe stock is undervalued compared with its industry. It is currently trading at a price-to-book value multiple of 1.25, lower than the industry average of 1.39. It carries a Value Score of A.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Estimate Movement for FAFThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for FAF’s second-quarter 2026 moved up 3.5% in the past 30 days. The same for full-year 2026 and 2027 EPS has moved up 7.2% and 4.8%, respectively, in the past 30 days.
The consensus estimate for FAF’s 2026 and 2027 EPS and revenues indicates a year-over-year increase.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
FAF stock currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Key Takeaways Global commercial insurance rates declined 5% in Q1 2026, marking a seventh straight quarterly drop. Higher bond yields, investment income and underwriting discipline likely supported insurer profitability. Technology spending and strong capital levels are aiding efficiency, M&A and shareholder payouts. The Zacks Property and Casualty Insurance industry is placed within the top 29% of the 245 Zacks industries. It currently carries Zack Industry Rank #72. The insurers remain well-poised for growth, riding on better pricing, prudent underwriting, increased exposure, an improving rate environment, a solid capital position and ongoing economic expansion.
The property and casualty (P&C) insurance industry has lost 4.1% in the past year compared with the Zacks S&P 500 composite and the Finance sector’s growth of 31% and 12.9%, respectively.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Driving ForcesGlobal commercial insurance rates declined, on average, by 5% in the first quarter of 2026, following a 4% decline in the fourth quarter of 2025. This marked the seventh consecutive quarter of rate decreases, per the Marsh Global Insurance Market Index. The downward rate movement continues to be driven by abundant capacity and intense insurer competition across most major product lines, per the Marsh Global Insurance Market Index.
Price hikes, operational strength, higher retention, strong renewal, and the appointment of retail agents should help write higher premiums. Per Deloitte Insights, gross premiums are estimated to exceed $722 billion by 2030.
Aon has estimated that global insured catastrophe losses amounted to at least $20 billion in the first quarter of 2026, 6% above the 21st-century average. Aon’s report also noted that natural catastrophes in the United States accounted for more than 75% of global insured losses in the first quarter of 2026, reaching around $16 billion.
Per Gallagher Re, global natural catastrophe events in the first quarter of 2026 resulted in an estimated $58 billion in direct economic losses. Per Gallagher Re, in the first quarter of 2026, global and regional natural catastrophe activity and loss totals were comparatively lower than the first three months of previous years.
Underwriting profit is likely to have benefited from better pricing, reinsurance arrangements, portfolio repositioning, reinsurance covers and favorable reserve development.
The Fed left the federal funds rate steady at the 3.5-3.75% target range for a second consecutive meeting in March 2026, in line with expectations. The Fed still projects a single rate cut in 2026, but also expects inflation and economic growth to rise from its previous projections.
A larger investment asset base, strong cash flow from operating activities, higher bond yields, and an increase in interest income from fixed-maturity securities are expected to have aided net investment income.
The insurance industry’s increased use of technology like blockchain, artificial intelligence, advanced analytics, telematics, cloud computing and robotic process automation expedites business operations. Insurers continue to invest heavily in technology to improve basis points, scale and efficiencies. These investments are likely to have curbed costs and aided the margins of insurers in the first quarter.
A solid capital position is likely to have aided insurers in strategic mergers and acquisitions to sharpen their competitive edge, expand geographically and diversify their portfolio. Sustained wealth distribution to shareholders via dividend hikes, special dividends and share repurchases instill confidence in the insurers.
Given the bright prospects of the industry, growth stocks like Mercury General Corporation (MCY - Free Report) , Cincinnati Financial Corporation (CINF - Free Report) and The Travelers Companies, Inc. (TRV - Free Report) , driven by their solid fundamentals, should generate better returns.
3 Growth PicksGiven the prospects of the industry, let’s look at a few stocks that have the potential to generate better returns. Our proprietary Growth Score makes the daunting task easier.
The Growth Score analyzes the growth prospects for a company. Studies have shown that stocks exhibiting the best growth characteristics consistently outperform the market. Back-tested results have shown that for stocks with a solid Growth Score and a favorable Zacks Rank, the returns are even better.
With the help of the Zacks Stock Screener, we have selected three P&C insurance stocks with an impressive Growth Score of A or B. MCY sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), while CINF and TRV carry a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) each at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, Mercury General is a leading provider of personal automobile insurance and is engaged primarily in writing all risk classifications of automobile insurance in a number of states. MCY offers automobile policyholders the following types of coverage: bodily injury liability, underinsured and uninsured motorist, property damage liability, comprehensive, collision and other hazards specified in the policy.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MCY’s 2026 and 2027 earnings suggests 48.7% and 2.1% year-over-year growth, respectively. The consensus estimate for 2026 and 2027 has moved up 30.5% and 50%, respectively, in the past 30 days. The company delivered a four-quarter average earnings surprise of 61.76%. MCY also has an impressive Value Score of A. The earnings of Mercury General grew 16.4% in the last five years.
Based in New York, NY, Travelers Companies is one of the leading writers of auto and homeowners’ insurance, plus commercial U.S. property-casualty insurance. High levels of retention, improved pricing, increased new business and a positive renewal premium change, banking on the strength of a compelling product portfolio of coverages across nine lines of business, position it well for growth. Travelers’ commercial businesses should continue to perform well on the back of stability in the markets where it operates, as well as the execution of its strategies.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for TRV’s 2026 and 2027 earnings suggests 1.6% and 1.18% year-over-year growth, respectively. The consensus estimate for 2026 and 2027 has moved up 0.7% and 0.1%, respectively, in the past 30 days. The company delivered a four-quarter average earnings surprise of 40.38%. TRV also has an impressive Value Score of A. The earnings of Travelers Companies grew 16.4% in the last five years.
Headquarters in Fairfield, OH, Cincinnati Financial markets property and casualty insurance. Cincinnati Financial continues to grow on better pricing, strong renewal, solid retention, exposure growth and a disciplined expansion of Cincinnati Re, which is making a nice contribution to its overall earnings. The company intends to grow the commercial lines segment through additional agency appointments, expansion of local field presence, enhanced expertise and a robust product catalog.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CINF’s 2026 and 2027 earnings suggests 8.3% and 4.1% year-over-year growth, respectively. The consensus estimate for 2026 has moved up 2.6% in the past 30 days. The company delivered a four-quarter average earnings surprise of 27.54%. CINF also has an impressive Value Score of B. The earnings of Cincinnati Financial grew 11.3% in the last five years.
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HARTFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE: TRV) today released its wedding insurance claims data for 2025, offering a closer look at the unexpected events that can derail even the most carefully planned celebrations. The data highlights the top wedding vulnerabilities – including vendor failures and extreme weather – and underscores the importance of having a financial safety net in place.
“People invest so much time, energy and money into making their wedding day perfect,” said Deidre LeBlanc, Vice President of Specialty Lines for Personal Insurance at Travelers. “Knowing what has gone wrong for others is one of the best ways to prepare, and having the right protection in place can provide peace of mind when the unforeseeable occurs.”
For the fifth consecutive year, vendor-related issues (55%) were the leading cause of paid wedding insurance claims in 2025. Others included:
Illness or injury (16%). Extreme weather (10%). Accidental damage or injury (6%). Military deployment (3%). To help avoid wedding-day disruptions, Travelers recommends:
Vetting vendors. Research reviews and get referrals before placing any deposits. Planning for weather disruptions. Severe and unpredictable weather conditions can affect travel and venues. It is essential to secure a wedding insurance policy before any named storm. Accounting for liability. Careful planning doesn’t eliminate the risk of accidental damage or injury. The right policy can account for that. Buying insurance coverage early. Many scenarios are only covered if a policy is secured well in advance. It’s best to lock in a special events policy as soon as a deposit is placed. The Travelers Wedding Protector Plan, subject to policy terms and conditions, provides coverage with no deductible for a variety of potential challenges, from the rehearsal dinner through the main event and brunch the following day. To learn more, visit Travelers.com/event-insurance.
About Travelers
The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE: TRV) is a leading provider of property casualty insurance for auto, home and business. A component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Travelers has more than 30,000 employees and generated revenues of nearly $49 billion in 2025. For more information, visit Travelers.com.
The Travelers Companies, Inc.(NYSE: TRV) today released its wedding insurance claims data for 2025, offering a closer look at the unexpected events that can derail even the most carefully planned celebrations. The data highlights the top wedding vulnerabilities – including vendor failures and extreme weather – and underscores the importance of having a financial safety net in place.
“People invest so much time, energy and money into making their wedding day perfect,” said Deidre LeBlanc, Vice President of Specialty Lines for Personal Insurance at Travelers. “Knowing what has gone wrong for others is one of the best ways to prepare, and having the right protection in place can provide peace of mind when the unforeseeable occurs.”
For the fifth consecutive year, vendor-related issues (55%) were the leading cause of paid wedding insurance claims in 2025. Others included:
Illness or injury (16%). Extreme weather (10%). Accidental damage or injury (6%). Military deployment (3%). To help avoid wedding-day disruptions, Travelers recommends:
Vetting vendors. Research reviews and get referrals before placing any deposits. Planning for weather disruptions. Severe and unpredictable weather conditions can affect travel and venues. It is essential to secure a wedding insurance policy before any named storm. Accounting for liability. Careful planning doesn’t eliminate the risk of accidental damage or injury. The right policy can account for that. Buying insurance coverage early. Many scenarios are only covered if a policy is secured well in advance. It’s best to lock in a special events policy as soon as a deposit is placed. The Travelers Wedding Protector Plan, subject to policy terms and conditions, provides coverage with no deductible for a variety of potential challenges, from the rehearsal dinner through the main event and brunch the following day. To learn more, visit Travelers.com/event-insurance.
About Travelers
The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE: TRV) is a leading provider of property casualty insurance for auto, home and business. A component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Travelers has more than 30,000 employees and generated revenues of nearly $49 billion in 2025. For more information, visit Travelers.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260601027484/en/
Taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals for new and old investors, and Zacks Premium offers many different ways to do both.
The popular research service can help you become a smarter, more self-assured investor, giving you access to daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens.
Zacks Premium includes access to the Zacks Style Scores as well.
What are the Zacks Style Scores? Developed alongside the Zacks Rank, the Zacks Style Scores are a group of complementary indicators that help investors pick stocks with the best chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.
Each stock is assigned a rating of A, B, C, D, or F based on their value, growth, and momentum characteristics. Just like in school, an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on -- that means the better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform.
The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:
Value ScoreFinding good stocks at good prices, and discovering which companies are trading under their true value, are what value investors like to focus on. So, the Value Style Score takes into account ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and a host of other multiples to highlight the most attractive and discounted stocks.
Growth ScoreGrowth investors are more concerned with a stock's future prospects, and the overall financial health and strength of a company. Thus, the Growth Style Score analyzes characteristics like projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow to find stocks that will see sustainable growth over time.
Momentum ScoreMomentum traders and investors live by the saying "the trend is your friend." This investing style is all about taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook. Employing factors like one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates, the Momentum Style Score can indicate favorable times to build a position in high-momentum stocks.
VGM ScoreIf you want a combination of all three Style Scores, then the VGM Score will be your friend. It rates each stock on their combined weighted styles, helping you find the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum. It's also one of the best indicators to use with the Zacks Rank.
How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank A proprietary stock-rating model, the Zacks Rank utilizes the power of earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings outlook, to help investors create a successful portfolio.
#1 (Strong Buy) stocks have produced an unmatched +23.7% average annual return since 1988, which is more than double the S&P 500's performance over the same time frame. However, the Zacks Rank examines a ton of stocks, and there can be more than 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, and another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.
This totals more than 800 top-rated stocks, and it can be overwhelming to try and pick the best stocks for you and your portfolio.
That's where the Style Scores come in.
You want to make sure you're buying stocks with the highest likelihood of success, and to do that, you'll need to pick stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B. If you like a stock that only has a #3 (Hold) rank, it should also have Scores of A or B to guarantee as much upside potential as possible.
As mentioned above, the Scores are designed to work with the Zacks Rank, so any change to a company's earnings outlook should be a deciding factor when picking which stocks to buy.
A stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, for instance, even one with Scores of A and B, will still have a declining earnings forecast, and a greater chance its share price will fall too.
Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.
Stock to Watch: Travelers (TRV - Free Report) Established in 1853 and is based in New York, NY, The Travelers Companies Inc., a holding company, is principally engaged, through its subsidiaries, in providing a wide variety of property and casualty insurance and surety products and services to businesses, organizations and individuals in the United States. and select international markets.
TRV is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of A.
Additionally, the company could be a top pick for growth investors. TRV has a Growth Style Score of B, forecasting year-over-year earnings growth of 1.5% for the current fiscal year.
12 analysts revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days for fiscal 2026. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.75 to $28.00 per share. TRV boasts an average earnings surprise of +40.4%.
With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Growth and VGM Style Scores, TRV should be on investors' short list.
Mystic Seaport Museum to host collaborative workshop exploring resilience strategies for communities facing extreme weather risks; historic museum receives funding for new climate-resilient docks
HARTFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE: TRV) and the National Trust for Historic Preservation today celebrated the third signature stop of their Travelers Across America initiative, a yearlong campaign to restore and protect historic landmarks in honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary. As part of this effort, Travelers and the National Trust are hosting a daylong innovation lab in Mystic, Connecticut, at Mystic Seaport Museum, bringing together experts from across sectors to discuss and develop resilience strategies for communities facing extreme weather risks.
The collaborative workshop will feature community leaders, architects, planners, scientists, academics, insurers and other subject matter experts working together to focus on scalable solutions for communities facing climate challenges. During the event, Travelers and the National Trust will spotlight three Travelers Across America-funded projects that address various extreme weather challenges, including fortifying historic homes against hurricanes in New Orleans, mitigating the impact of wildfires in Los Angeles and adapting to sea level rise in Mystic.
Participants will work in small, specialized teams to tackle design challenges, examining how resilience solutions pioneered at historic properties can overcome technical and financial hurdles to wider adoption. Travelers will also host a Community Day at Mystic Seaport Museum for the broader Travelers community. Employees, agents and brokers will have an opportunity to take in the findings of the innovation lab, explore the historic museum and participate in hands-on volunteer projects.
Travelers and the National Trust are also providing a grant to the museum, which was founded in 1929 to gather and preserve the artifacts of America’s seafaring past, to replace 125 feet of aging docks along its north basin with modern floating docks. The project is part of an ongoing effort to protect the 19-acre campus from the impacts of sea level rise.
“Resilient communities aren’t built by any one discipline – they emerge when people with varied strengths and expertise come together around a shared challenge,” said Janice Brunner, Head of Civic Engagement and Corporate Affairs at Travelers. “The innovation lab is where we put that into practice, and our goal is for the insights we gain in Mystic to have value well beyond Connecticut.”
“Restoring and reviving vulnerable landmarks through the Travelers Across America initiative invites us all to take pride in our heritage as we celebrate America’s semiquincentennial – and reminds us that our future is something we build together,” said Carol Quillen, President and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “We’re grateful to Mystic Seaport Museum for hosting this signature stop on our yearlong journey and honored that Travelers and the National Trust are able to invest in the future of the nation’s leading maritime museum.”
“The sea has always shaped our physical and cultural world, connecting people, communities and ideas across generations,” said Christopher Freeman, President and CEO of Mystic Seaport Museum. “As sea level rise accelerates, that relationship is becoming an increasingly dynamic reality, making it more important than ever to understand, preserve and adapt our maritime heritage. This funding will help Mystic Seaport Museum protect its historic resources while preparing for the future of our changing coast. We’re extremely grateful for the generous support from Travelers and the National Trust.”
Travelers and the National Trust are funding resilience projects in four historic locations around the country through Travelers Across America. In addition to installing floating docks at Mystic Seaport Museum, the partners are helping to fortify historic homes for low- and moderate-income homeowners in New Orleans, provide fire-adapted landscaping at the Eames House in Los Angeles, and replace a hail-damaged roof with a historically appropriate, weather-resilient design at Oliver Kelley Farm in Elk River, Minnesota.
About Travelers
The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE: TRV) is a leading provider of property casualty insurance for auto, home and business. A component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Travelers has more than 30,000 employees and generated revenues of nearly $49 billion in 2025. For more information, visit Travelers.com.
About the National Trust for Historic Preservation
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a privately funded nonprofit organization dedicated to helping communities maintain and enhance the power of historic places. Chartered by Congress in 1949 and supported by partners, friends and champions nationwide, the organization helps preserve the places and stories that make communities unique. Through the stewardship and revitalization of historic sites, the National Trust for Historic Preservation helps communities foster economic growth, create healthier environments and build a stronger, shared sense of civic duty and belonging. For more information, visit Savingplaces.org.
For new and old investors, taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals. Zacks Premium provides lots of different ways to do both.
Featuring daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, full access to the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens, the research service can help you become a smarter, more self-assured investor.
Zacks Premium includes access to the Zacks Style Scores as well.
What are the Zacks Style Scores? Developed alongside the Zacks Rank, the Zacks Style Scores are a group of complementary indicators that help investors pick stocks with the best chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.
Based on their value, growth, and momentum characteristics, each stock is assigned a rating of A, B, C, D, or F. The better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform; an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on.
The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:
Value ScoreValue investors love finding good stocks at good prices, especially before the broader market catches on to a stock's true value. Utilizing ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and many other multiples, the Value Style Score identifies the most attractive and most discounted stocks.
Growth ScoreGrowth investors are more concerned with a stock's future prospects, and the overall financial health and strength of a company. Thus, the Growth Style Score analyzes characteristics like projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow to find stocks that will see sustainable growth over time.
Momentum ScoreMomentum investors, who live by the saying "the trend is your friend," are most interested in taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook. Utilizing one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates, among other factors, the Momentum Style Score can help determine favorable times to buy high-momentum stocks.
VGM ScoreIf you want a combination of all three Style Scores, then the VGM Score will be your friend. It rates each stock on their combined weighted styles, helping you find the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum. It's also one of the best indicators to use with the Zacks Rank.
How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank The Zacks Rank, which is a proprietary stock-rating model, employs earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings expectations, to make building a winning portfolio easier.
Investors can count on the Zacks Rank's success, with #1 (Strong Buy) stocks producing an unmatched +23.7% average annual return since 1988, more than double the S&P 500's performance. But the model rates a large number of stocks, and there are over 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, plus another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.
But it can feel overwhelming to pick the right stocks for you and your investing goals with over 800 top-rated stocks to choose from.
That's where the Style Scores come in.
You want to make sure you're buying stocks with the highest likelihood of success, and to do that, you'll need to pick stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B. If you like a stock that only has a #3 (Hold) rank, it should also have Scores of A or B to guarantee as much upside potential as possible.
Since the Scores were created to work together with the Zacks Rank, the direction of a stock's earnings estimate revisions should be a key factor when choosing which stocks to buy.
Here's an example: a stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, even one with Style Scores of A and B, still has a downward-trending earnings outlook, and a bigger chance its share price will decrease too.
Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.
Stock to Watch: Travelers (TRV - Free Report) Established in 1853 and is based in New York, NY, The Travelers Companies Inc., a holding company, is principally engaged, through its subsidiaries, in providing a wide variety of property and casualty insurance and surety products and services to businesses, organizations and individuals in the United States. and select international markets.
TRV is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of A.
It also boasts a Value Style Score of A thanks to attractive valuation metrics like a forward P/E ratio of 10.83; value investors should take notice.
For fiscal 2026, 12 analysts revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days, and the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.75 to $28.00 per share. TRV boasts an average earnings surprise of +40.4%.
With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Value and VGM Style Scores, TRV should be on investors' short list.
Key Takeaways TRV gains from strong pricing, record new business and solid underwriting performance in Business Insurance. Investment income is aided by a fixed-income portfolio, with higher investment income expected through 2026. Technology investments are enhancing underwriting, claims capabilities and distribution relationships. Shares of The Travelers Companies, Inc. (TRV - Free Report) have gained 16.2% in the past year, outperforming its industry’s decline of 1.3% and the Finance sector’s growth of 12.4%.
The insurer has a market capitalization of $64.50 billion. The average volume of shares traded in the last three months was 1.4 million.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
TRV Trading Above 50-Day and 200-Day Moving AveragesShares of Travelers closed at $303.36 on Wednesday and are trading above the 50-day and 200-day simple moving averages (SMA) of $299.56 and $288.54, respectively, indicating solid upward momentum. SMA is a widely used technical analysis tool to predict future price trends by analyzing historical price data.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
TRV Shares are ExpensiveIts shares are trading at a premium to the Zacks Property and Casualty Insurance industry. Its price-to-book value of 2.02X is higher than the industry average of 1.38X.
The company has a Value Score of A. This style score helps find the most attractive value stocks.
Shares of other insurers like The Allstate Corporation (ALL - Free Report) , W.R. Berkley Corporation (WRB - Free Report) and The Progressive Corporation (PGR - Free Report) are also trading at a multiple higher than the industry average.
TRV’s Growth Projection EncouragesThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for Travelers’ 2026 earnings per share indicates a year-over-year increase of 1.5%. The consensus estimate for revenues is pegged at $48.93 billion, implying a year-over-year improvement of 0.1%.
The consensus estimate for 2027 earnings per share and revenues indicates an increase of 1.2% and 3.1%, respectively, from the corresponding 2026 estimates.
TRV has an impressive Growth Score of B. This style score helps analyze the growth prospects of a company. Travelers beat earnings estimates in each of the past four quarters, with an average surprise of 40.38%.
Optimist Analyst Sentiment on TRV12 of the 16 analysts covering the stock have raised estimates for 2025, and seven of the 14 analysts have raised the same for 2026 over the past 60 days. Thus, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 and 2027 earnings has moved up 2.5% and 0.6%, respectively, in the past 60 days.
Average Target Price for TRV Suggests UpsideBased on short-term price targets offered by 22 analysts, the Zacks average price target is $318.95 per share. The average suggests a potential 6.2% upside from the last closing price.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Travelers’ Favorable Return on CapitalReturn on equity (ROE) for the trailing 12 months was 24%, which compared favorably with the industry’s 7.4%. This reflects its efficiency in utilizing shareholders’ funds. Sustained operational excellence helped generate double-digit core ROE in nine out of the last 10 years. Travelers aims to generate mid-teens core ROE over time.
Also, return on invested capital (ROIC) has been increasing over the last few quarters as the company raised its capital investment over the same time frame. This reflects TRV’s efficiency in utilizing funds to generate income. ROIC in the trailing 12 months was 14.6%, better than the industry average of 5.7%.
Factors Favoring TravelersTravelers is benefiting from strong underwriting discipline and healthy performance in its Business Insurance segment, which remains a key long-term growth driver. Renewal premium change remained solid, while record new business and double-digit pricing in key commercial lines reflect strong execution and market share gains. Strong underwriting profitability, disciplined risk management and improving Personal Insurance margins continue to support earnings growth and margin stability for TRV.
Travelers’ investment results continue to be primarily driven by strong, reliable returns from its growing fixed-income portfolio and higher returns from its non-fixed-income portfolio. Management reaffirmed its fixed income net investment income outlook by quarter for 2026, expecting roughly $810 million after tax in the second quarter, growing to about $840 million in the third quarter, and around $870 million in the fourth quarter. Travelers has 94% of its investments in fixed maturities and short-term investments, with equity securities, real estate investments and other investments accounting for the remaining 6%.
Travelers continues to invest heavily in technology to improve underwriting, claims and distribution partner experience. Management indicated that it invests more than $1.5 billion annually in technology, including an AI strategy, while pursuing ongoing upgrades to pricing models and field tools. New product enhancements and digital platforms such as TRAVIS and TCAP are helping drive market share gains and stronger distribution relationships.
Risks for TRVExposure to catastrophe events, primarily from severe wind and hail storms and winter storms across multiple states, remains a recurring source of underwriting variability for property and casualty insurers. Management continues to describe weather-related severity as an ongoing feature of the loss environment, which can drive quarter-over-quarter earnings swings and complicate near-term margin expectations.
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Rising reinsurance costs can reduce earnings and constrain underwriting flexibility, particularly after periods of elevated global catastrophe activity.
Higher repair costs and other inflation-linked inputs can lift claims severity in both auto and homeowners lines and challenge pricing and retention.
ConclusionStrong underwriting, healthy premium growth, rising investment income and sustained pricing strength bode well for future earnings growth. However, catastrophe losses, rising reinsurance costs and inflation-driven claims severity remain the key concerns.
TRV has a track record of 22 consecutive years of dividend increases, with a compound annual growth rate of 8% over that period. Its current dividend yield of nearly 2% is much better than the industry average of 0.3%, making it an attractive pick for yield-seeking investors.
TRV also has a VGM Score of A. Stocks with a favorable VGM Score are those with the most attractive value, best growth and most promising momentum compared with peers.
Higher return on capital, favorable growth estimates and impressive dividend history should continue to benefit Travelers over the long term. Given the premium valuation, it is wise to adopt a wait-and-see approach on this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE: TRV) will review its second quarter 2026 results at 9 a.m. ET on Friday, July 17, following the release of results earlier that morning.
Investors can access the call via webcast at investor.travelers.com and by dialing 888-440-6281 within the United States or 646-960-0218 outside the United States. A slide presentation, statistical supplement and live audio broadcast will be available on the same website.
Following the event, replays will be available via webcast for one year at investor.travelers.com and by telephone for seven days by dialing 800-770-2030 within the United States or 647-362-9199 outside the United States. All callers should use conference ID 5449478.
About Travelers
The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE: TRV) is a leading provider of property casualty insurance for auto, home and business. A component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Travelers has more than 30,000 employees and generated revenues of nearly $49 billion in 2025. For more information, visit Travelers.com.
Most surveyed technology leaders are accountable for systems they don't fully control Only 11% of respondents say they're completely prepared for the scale of AI agent deployment Organizations that design control into their AI systems achieve significantly stronger performance outcomes. , /PRNewswire/ -- A new IBM (NYSE: IBM) Institute for Business Value study reveals that as AI moves from experimentation to enterprise-wide deployment, two-thirds of surveyed CIOs and CTOs report being held accountable for AI systems they do not fully control, while governance struggles to keep pace at scale.
The global study* of 2,000 C-level technology executives (tech CxOs) finds that the lack of visibility is widespread. The majority of surveyed executives (70%) say teams across the business are deploying technology faster than IT can track.
C-level technology executives study. At the same time, technology leaders face growing pressure to scale AI faster, even as many lack the structures to support it. By 2027, surveyed tech CxOs anticipate a 38% increase in the number of AI agents deployed. While 80% of respondents report CEO-driven AI transformation mandates, only 11% believe they are fully ready for the scale of AI agent deployment expected in the next year. Governance is also falling behind, with 77% of organizations surveyed reporting AI adoption is already outpacing current governance capabilities.
"For CIOs and CTOs, the challenge now is scaling AI systems that operate continuously and autonomously, often within governance models and architectures designed for a far slower, more predictable environment," said Matt Lyteson, CIO, IBM. "It is no longer just about deploying AI faster. It's redesigning how organizations control, govern and invest in it and embedding control and visibility from the start, so they can scale with confidence."
As AI scales, operational and security risks are growing
Analysis shows that in organizations relying on manual governance, incident risk increases as AI adoption scales, whereas those that embed control directly into their AI systems experience 25% fewer incidents. Most (59%) of tech CxOs surveyed cite security and compliance concerns as top barriers to scaling AI agents. Surveyed organizations experienced an average of 54 AI agent incidents last year, in which an unintended and/or harmful occurrence required human correction. According to respondents, 17% of those AI agent incidents reported were high severity, requiring more than four hours to contain: 37% resulted in data exposure or security breaches 33% caused cascading system failures 17% triggered compliance issues Organizations that redesign AI control and investment see stronger outcomes
AI spend is projected to grow from just under 15% of IT budgets in 2025 to nearly 25% by 2027 – a 71% increase in two years, raising the stakes for CIOs and CTOs. Yet, 84% of tech CxOs have not fully operationalized AI financial management, and 85% still lack full visibility into real-time AI spend. Analysis finds that organizations that build control into their AI systems: deploy 16x more AI agents than those relying on manual governance deliver 18% higher operating margins spend 4x less of their AI budget Analysis shows organizations with strong financial discipline: deploy 2.4x more AI agents with no higher AI/IT budget are 3x more likely to say they are fully prepared for AI scale Surveyed organizations that designed for adaptability early – keeping workloads portable and models replaceable rather than locked into hard dependencies – reported a 10% higher return on AI investment in 2025. The full study, including recommendations for technology leaders on redesigning structures that govern speed, control and investment, can be found at: https://www.ibm.com/thought-leadership/institute-business-value/en-us/c-suite-study/cxo
The study also features executive perspectives on how technology leaders are adapting to the complexities of scaling AI across the enterprise. See quote addendum below.
*Study Methodology
The IBM Institute for Business Value, in cooperation with Oxford Economics, surveyed 2,000 senior executives responsible for their organization's IT, technology, or AI-related decision-making across 33 geographies and 19 industries from January to April 2026. The survey was designed to gather insights on how organizations are managing the financial, operational, and governance challenges associated with scaling AI. Additional analysis was conducted to identify organizations that have built the structural capabilities to scale AI effectively by segmenting organizations based on preparedness and efficiency and assessing governance maturity.
The IBM Institute for Business Value, IBM's thought leadership think tank, combines
global research and performance data with expertise from industry thinkers and leading academics to deliver insights that make business leaders smarter. For more world-class thought leadership, visit: www.ibm.com/ibv. To receive more insights, subscribe to the IdeaWatch newsletter: https://ibm.co/ibv-ideawatch.
About IBM
IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Thousands of government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM's hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM's breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM's long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity, and service. Visit www.ibm.com for more information.
Media Contact
Marisa Conway
IBM Corporate Communications
[email protected]
Executive Perspectives:
"AI has both a light side and a dark side. While most focus on the opportunities, it also introduces new vulnerabilities, and many organizations are more exposed than they realize." – Victoria Medina, Chief Technology and Data Officer, Allianz Spain, Spain
"We design modular architectures so components can evolve as technology advances, without breaking the overall system. That approach allows us to absorb rapid innovation while supporting products with decades-long lifecycles." – Boris Alexandre, Head of ARP Programme, Airbus, Canada
"It's like flying a plane at 10,000 feet, being told to climb to 12,000, replace both engines mid-flight and ensure zero turbulence. No one would choose to pilot that plane – but that's exactly what companies are doing today." – Afonso Eça, Executive Board Member, Banco BPI, Spain
"My role isn't to generate every transformative idea. It's to build the foundation that allows smarter people across the organization to bring those ideas to life." – Chad Jones, CIO, Baylor Scott & White Health, United States
"The goal isn't to eliminate shadow IT—it's to create visibility and a partnership, so teams can get help when they need it without slowing down." – Chris Pesola, CIO, Roush, United States
"We don't know who's going to win or lose over the next five years. So we're keeping AI models plug-and-play, ready to adapt if the landscape shifts." – Dalton Gouws, Group IT Director and Board Member, VWG UK Ltd, United Kingdom
The largest wave of new stock listings in history is about to reach ordinary investors, and it starts with one name.
SpaceX is set to price its shares on June 11 and begin trading June 12, with OpenAI and Anthropic expected to follow later in the year. Together, the three could raise about $200 billion.
At a targeted $1.75 trillion valuation, SpaceX would be the biggest initial public offering ever.
Most coverage keeps asking the same thing: is SpaceX too expensive? The more useful question is how you judge any hyped listing.
David Holtzman, who has served as a technological advisor to the White House under three presidential terms, has a framework for that.
He served as an IBM chief scientist, ran core internet infrastructure during Y2K, and watched the dot-com boom inflate and collapse up close.
In a recent interview, he laid out three filters that still work long after the debut leaves the headlines.
David Holtzman’s 15-second test for the SpaceX IPOHoltzman’s first filter comes from Steve Jobs.
His rule: explain what a company does, to someone outside finance, in 15 seconds.
“If you want to invest in a company, sit down with your mother and try to explain to them in 15 seconds what that company does. And if you can’t do it, don’t put any money into the company.”
By that measure, SpaceX (SPCX) clears the bar. It commercialized the space program and runs Starlink, the satellite internet service.
In summary, confusion is a red flag. If you cannot describe a business plainly, the people running it may not understand it either.
Why real demand separates SpaceX from the next pets.comHoltzman’s second filter is a warning: no amount of money can create demand if there isn’t any.
He frames this through Clayton Christensen’s Innovator’s Dilemma: new technology fails when sold to the wrong customers.
For SpaceX, the demand signal is real.
Starlink has crossed 10 million subscribers and its connectivity unit turned a quarterly profit. The open question is xAI’s Grok, which still remains unproven.
Filter 3 tells you how much to risk on SpaceX stockHoltzman splits buyers into two groups, and the split decides how much you should commit.
Buy and hold if you believe in the industry’s future, he says. Trying to flip the stock day to day is closer to gambling.
Above all, only use money you can afford to lose. He would never put a pension or a child’s college fund into a single IPO.
For those who don’t have the risk appetite for the industry’s present conditions, there’s no need to force an entry. Besides, some skepticism around the IPO’s price calls for caution.
SpaceX is targeting $135 a share, yet Morningstar pegged fair value near $780 billion, roughly 55% below the deal price. The research firm told investors the listing is not the best entry point and that cheaper prices are likely after the debut.
SpaceX also lost $4.9 billion last year.
The index fund route may hand you SpaceX anywayFor cautious investors, Holtzman points to a low-cost, aggressive-growth index fund at Vanguard or Fidelity, which spreads a bet across many companies at once.
There is a twist worth knowing before you act.
SpaceX will not join the S&P 500 at launch because it loses money. But Nasdaq’s new fast-entry rule and FTSE Russell have cut their waiting windows to as little as 15 and five trading days, which forces their index funds to buy the stock.
So a Nasdaq-100 fund or a total-market fund could give you diversified SpaceX exposure without single-name risk. Goldman Sachs estimated forced buying of $15 billion to $30 billion.
If you want to skip SpaceX entirely, a plain S&P 500 fund will not hold it when the company first goes public.
A 4-point checklist before you buy SpaceX stockWhat David Holtzman says to tune out before the SpaceX debutHis final filter borrows from Nassim Taleb’s Black Swan. Pundits explain crashes after they happen, rarely predict them, and almost never get scored on their record.
The takeaway is to ignore confident forecasts from anyone who cannot first explain the business.
Three things still need to happen before SpaceX earns its price: its first public earnings report around early November, the insider lockup expiry near December, and proof that xAI has paying demand.
Run all three filters, size the position to what you can lose, and treat the index-fund route as the calmer way to own a piece of this cycle.
image credit: Author
Disclosure: David Holtzman is executive chairman of Naoris, a decentralized cybersecurity firm. His comments here are general market commentary and not financial advice.
Benzinga Disclaimer: This article is from an unpaid external contributor. It does not represent Benzinga’s reporting and has not been edited for content or accuracy.
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Key Takeaways IBM launches a new consulting practice to speed AI adoption and modernize enterprise technology systems.IBM will deploy thousands of certified consultants to roll out AI and modernize hybrid clouds.IBM links Gemini AI with watsonx and Red Hat OpenShift to boost automation and efficiency. International Business Machines Corporation (IBM - Free Report) has partnered with Google Cloud to help businesses adopt artificial Intelligence (AI) faster and modernize their technology systems. The deal creates a new Google Cloud Practice within IBM Consulting, combining IBM’s industry expertise and AI-powered IBM Consulting Advantage platform with Google Cloud’s Gemini Enterprise AI platform.
IBM will utilize thousands of Google Cloud-certified consultants and engineers to help businesses deploy AI, modernize legacy systems and manage hybrid cloud environments. It is also developing industry-specific AI agents for sectors such as banking, telecommunications, government, retail, insurance, energy and life sciences, helping organizations automate tasks, improve decision-making and accelerate digital transformation while creating new growth opportunities for IBM’s consulting and software businesses.
The collaboration further strengthens the company’s expertise in cybersecurity, data management and cloud infrastructure. By integrating Google Cloud’s Gemini AI capabilities with its watsonx platform and using technologies such as Red Hat OpenShift, HashiCorp, Apptio, BigQuery and Confluent, IBM aims to help businesses improve automation, gain deeper data insights and enhance operational efficiency.
The agreement reinforces IBM's strategy of expanding its consulting, cloud and AI capabilities to support enterprise technology transformation. This initiative is likely to support stronger customer engagement and contribute to the company’s long-term growth prospects.
How Are Competitors Advancing in the AI Space?IBM faces competition from Microsoft Corporation (MSFT - Free Report) and Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN - Free Report) . Microsoft is expanding its AI offerings by adding new tools and models across its products and cloud services. The company is enhancing its Copilot assistant to help businesses and developers improve productivity. Microsoft is investing in infrastructure to support the growing demand for intelligent applications.
Amazon is strengthening its AI business through Amazon Web Services by offering advanced tools and services to customers. The company is improving Amazon Q, its AI assistant, to help organizations work more efficiently. Amazon is expanding its product portfolio to support the growing adoption of intelligent technologies across industries.
IBM’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesIBM shares have gained 4.7% over the past year compared with the industry’s growth of 218.9%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, IBM trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 3.67, below the industry average of 6.18.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Earnings estimates for 2026 have declined 0.3% to $12.40 over the past 60 days, while the same for 2027 have remained static at $13.36.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
IBM currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Casey’s General Stores, Inc. (Nasdaq: CASY), the third largest convenience retailer and fifth largest pizza chain in the United States, today announced the appointment of Stanley J. Sutula III to its Board of Directors (the “Board”).
Mr. Sutula brings to the Board over 35 years of experience in corporate finance, financial planning and operations, tax, strategic planning and risk management. Since 2020, he has served as Chief Financial Officer at Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE: CL), where he oversees its global finance, global IT and mergers and acquisitions teams. He was previously at Pitney Bowes Inc. (NYSE: PBI), where he served as Executive VP and Chief Financial Officer, and spent 28 years at IBM Corporation (NYSE: IBM) in various financial management roles, including as its Vice President and Controller.
“We are excited to welcome Stan to the Board as he adds deep financial and strategic expertise to our already expansive board capabilities. His leadership in these areas will benefit Casey’s, the Board and its shareholders immensely,” said Darren Rebelez, Casey’s Board Chair, President and CEO.
Mr. Sutula graduated from Northeastern University with a degree in Finance & Management and holds an MBA in Finance from Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business.
Mr. Sutula’s addition to the Board will temporarily bring the number of directors from eleven to twelve, as director Cara Heiden has decided to retire from the Board effective September 2, 2026. “On behalf of the Board and the entire Casey’s team, I want to extend a sincere thank you to Cara for nearly a decade of distinguished service and leadership on the Board and its Audit Committee. She helped build Casey’s into the great organization it is today and we wish her nothing but the best in her retirement from the Board in September,” said Rebelez.
About Casey’s
Casey’s is a Fortune 500 company (Nasdaq: CASY) operating over 2,900 convenience stores. Founded more than 50 years ago, the company has grown to become the third-largest convenience store retailer and the fifth-largest pizza chain in the United States. Casey’s provides freshly prepared foods, quality fuel and friendly service at its locations. Guests can enjoy pizza, donuts, other assorted bakery items, and a wide selection of beverages and snacks. Learn more and order online at www.caseys.com, or in the mobile app.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260608193579/en/
In the latest close session, IBM (IBM - Free Report) was down 1.41% at $280.82. The stock fell short of the S&P 500, which registered a gain of 0.3% for the day. Elsewhere, the Dow saw a downswing of 0.16%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq appreciated by 0.86%.
Shares of the technology and consulting company have appreciated by 23.97% over the course of the past month, outperforming the Computer and Technology sector's gain of 3.7%, and the S&P 500's gain of 1.92%.
The upcoming earnings release of IBM will be of great interest to investors. On that day, IBM is projected to report earnings of $2.95 per share, which would represent year-over-year growth of 5.36%. Alongside, our most recent consensus estimate is anticipating revenue of $17.86 billion, indicating a 5.2% upward movement from the same quarter last year.
For the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $12.4 per share and revenue of $71.56 billion, which would represent changes of +6.99% and +5.97%, respectively, from the prior year.
Investors should also pay attention to any latest changes in analyst estimates for IBM. These revisions help to show the ever-changing nature of near-term business trends. Consequently, upward revisions in estimates express analysts' positivity towards the business operations and its ability to generate profits.
Our research shows that these estimate changes are directly correlated with near-term stock prices. To exploit this, we've formed the Zacks Rank, a quantitative model that includes these estimate changes and presents a viable rating system.
The Zacks Rank system, stretching from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has a noteworthy track record of outperforming, validated by third-party audits, with stocks rated #1 producing an average annual return of +25% since the year 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has witnessed an unchanged state. Right now, IBM possesses a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).
With respect to valuation, IBM is currently being traded at a Forward P/E ratio of 22.98. Its industry sports an average Forward P/E of 26.94, so one might conclude that IBM is trading at a discount comparatively.
Also, we should mention that IBM has a PEG ratio of 2.95. The PEG ratio bears resemblance to the frequently used P/E ratio, but this parameter also includes the company's expected earnings growth trajectory. The Computer - Integrated Systems industry currently had an average PEG ratio of 0.9 as of yesterday's close.
The Computer - Integrated Systems industry is part of the Computer and Technology sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 22, putting it in the top 10% of all 250+ industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Keep in mind to rely on Zacks.com to watch all these stock-impacting metrics, and more, in the succeeding trading sessions.
According to recent news, Xanadu Quantum Technologies announced on May 21 a synthetic at-the-market equity facility for up to $300 million.
BP announced on May 26 that it had appointed Albert Manifold as chair and director with immediate effect.
On Friday, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management and Galaxy Digital announced a new referral capability. Under this arrangement, eligible clients can lend cryptocurrency directly to Galaxy. In return, they receive shares of spot crypto exchange-traded products (ETPs), including the Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust (MSBT).
Cramer said he can't recommend Tractor Supply Co. (NASDAQ:TSCO) as the numbers are bad.
On June 5, Guggenheim analyst Steven Forbes maintained Tractor Supply at Buy and lowered the price target from $60 to $50.
Price Action:
Xanadu Quantum Technologies shares rose 1.3% to settle at $13.07 on Monday. BP shares rose 1.8% to close at $43.72. Galaxy Digital shares jumped 21.4% to close at $30.51 on Monday. CBOE Global Markets shares slipped 0.6% to settle at $280.32. Tractor Supply shares gained 1.2% to settle at $30.14. Photo created using images from Shutterstock.
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At $280.82, IBM (NYSE:IBM | IBM Price Prediction) is a Hold, with patient buyers waiting for a pullback toward $245. IBM just committed over $10 billion to quantum computing over the next five years, a bet large enough to reshape both the bull and bear case.
IBM operates across four segments: Software (Red Hat, Automation, Data), Consulting, Infrastructure (IBM Z mainframes), and Financing. The mainframe and software franchises powered a quiet renaissance, with IBM Z revenue surging 51% year over year in Q1 2026 and Software up 11.3%. Shares rallied 22.22% in the past month on the quantum narrative, then dropped 5.61% when investors saw the price tag.
The AI and Mainframe Engine Already Working Q1 marked the fourth consecutive EPS beat, with non-GAAP EPS of $1.91 against $1.81 expected and revenue of $15.92 billion, up 9.46%. Operating pretax margin expanded 140 basis points, and Infrastructure margin jumped to 15.8% from 8.6%.
The Google Cloud partnership opens what Wedbush calls a multi-billion-dollar agentic AI opportunity, prompting an Outperform reiteration with a $350 price target. The GenAI book of business sits above $12.5 billion inception-to-date. CEO Arvind Krishna reaffirmed guidance for more than 5% constant currency revenue growth and roughly $1 billion in incremental free cash flow for 2026. Forward earnings sit at 23x, reasonable for a company posting 35.8% return on equity alongside a 31st consecutive year of dividend hikes.
The Capex Cliff Behind the Quantum Halo Shares are down 12.36% over the past week following the quantum announcement. Total debt climbed to $61.3 billion by year-end 2025, with the Confluent deal still digesting.
The $1 billion cash layout for the new Anderon wafer foundry is only the opening chapter. Free cash flow already fell 44.15% year over year in Q1, and quantum monetization sits behind a 2029 fault-tolerant delivery target. Consulting growth remains stuck at 1% constant currency. Add the whistleblower lawsuit alleging IBM covered up foreign hacks from 2013 to 2016, plus a quantum sector chilled by Quantinuum’s lukewarm IPO, and the risk-reward at $281 looks unfavorable.
Why Patience Wins This Round Fundamentals are too strong to sell, yet the price reflects most of the AI optimism. The 50-day moving average sits at $243.52, suggesting technicals support a retracement toward the $245 target.
A pullback to that zone, or evidence GenAI bookings re-accelerate, tips the verdict to Buy. A Q2 miss, a guide-down on free cash flow, or quantum capex blowing past the $10B envelope tips it to Sell.
What the Numbers Show IBM trades at $280.82 against an analyst consensus target of $290.17, implying roughly 3.3% upside. The 22 analysts covering the stock break down as follows:
Strong Buy: 1 Buy: 11 Hold: 7 Strong Sell: 2 IBM has slipped 3.95% year to date, trailing the broader market, though since the Q1 earnings report on April 22 the stock has returned 8.92% versus the S&P 500’s 4.35%. Valuation sits at 25x trailing earnings, with a 2.23% dividend yield.
At $281, IBM Is a Hold The stock has absorbed optimism around mainframe momentum, the Google Cloud agentic AI deal, and the quantum narrative, leaving only single-digit upside to consensus. The capex cycle to fund quantum infrastructure is just beginning, and free cash flow has already taken a hit.
The path to Buy runs through $245, where forward earnings would compress closer to 20x and the dividend yield would push above 2.5%. The path to Sell requires a Q2 stumble on guidance, or evidence the Anderon foundry is the first of several surprise capex layouts. Watch Software ARR (currently $24.6 billion, up 10% YoY), Z mainframe order intake, and the free cash flow guide.
The cost of patience is one dividend cycle and the chance of missing a 5% to 10% squeeze higher. The cost of chasing here is paying full price for a thesis that will not validate until 2029. Holding into a deeper margin of safety beats overpaying for a multi-year R&D bet that has not yet started compounding.
IBM CEO Arvind Krishna says he's excited about the potential uses for quantum computing. Speaking with Romaine Bostick at the Mizuho Technology Conference in New York, Krishna also comments on the Trump administration's investment in the company, the utilization of AI and IBM's profit strategy.
International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM | IBM Price Prediction) is a stock worth owning for decades because it pairs a 110-year operating history with a recurring-revenue software and infrastructure engine that is now compounding cash at an accelerating pace. IBM is built for retirement portfolios that need durability, income, and survivability across every market cycle, not narrative-driven upside.
Pillar One: A Business Built to Outlast Cycles IBM has quietly become a software-led company. In Q1 2026, Software revenue reached $7.05 billion, up 11.3%, with Red Hat growing 13%, Data growing 19%, and Automation growing 10%. Infrastructure, often dismissed as legacy, posted 15.3% growth, while IBM Z mainframe revenue surged 51% year over year as enterprises modernized mission-critical workloads. Hybrid cloud architecture and Watsonx integrations are embedded directly into the systems run by financial services firms, healthcare providers, and government agencies, producing the kind of ecosystem lock-in that does not evaporate in a recession. CEO Arvind Krishna told investors, “As clients scale use cases, AI continues to be a tailwind for our global business.”
Pillar Two: Income You Can Actually Plan Around For an investor who needs predictable cash, IBM is one of the most reliable payers in the market. The board declared its 31st consecutive annual dividend increase on April 22, 2026, lifting the quarterly payout to $1.69 per share. The company has paid consecutive quarterly dividends every year since 1916, a streak that survived the Great Depression, the 1970s stagnation, the dot-com bust, the 2008 financial crisis, and the pandemic. The dividend is well covered: FY2025 free cash flow was $14.73 billion, up 25.29%, and management guided to roughly another $1 billion of free cash flow growth in 2026. The current yield of 2.23% is paired with a forward earnings multiple of 23, modest for a company generating 35.8% return on equity.
Pillar Three: Cycle Survival IBM’s beta of 0.665 reflects a business insulated from speculative swings. Its customer base, mainframe-anchored enterprises and governments, signs multi-year contracts and rarely rips them out. The generative AI book of business has surpassed $12.5 billion inception-to-date, embedding IBM deeper into client roadmaps. With shareholders’ equity of $32.97 billion, up 22.67%, and an Infrastructure segment profit margin that expanded from 8.6% to 15.8%, the balance sheet and margin structure are strengthening, not weakening.
The One Scenario Where IBM Lags In a risk-on tech rally led by high-beta semiconductor and pure-play AI names, IBM will look slow. Consulting growth of 4.0% will not match a chipmaker doubling revenue. That is acceptable. A forever holding is designed to compound through the inevitable drawdown that follows a speculation peak. The same low-beta profile that mutes IBM’s upside in a melt-up is what protects capital when leveraged AI trades unwind, and the dividend keeps paying regardless of which narrative the market is chasing that month.
For investors building a long-duration income sleeve, IBM screens as a compounder where reinvested dividends and recurring software cash flow do the heavy lifting over time.
BOSTON, June 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- JA Worldwide and IBM today announced the expansion of their global collaboration through IBM SkillsBuild, IBM’s free education program aimed at increasing access to technology education. The organizations have set a goal to deliver practical digital learning experiences to help one million high-school student learners build AI and technology skills needed for the future of work.
The expanded initiative builds on successful pilot programs implemented across the JA network and will scale to more than two dozen countries. Participating countries will span Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and North America.
As one of the world’s largest and most impactful youth-serving NGOs, JA Worldwide delivers hands-on, immersive learning in entrepreneurship, work readiness, and financial capability. Through this expanded global collaboration with IBM SkillsBuild, JA learners will gain access to industry-relevant digital and AI courses and credentials designed to help them build the skillset and mindset to thrive in an AI-driven economy.
“Artificial intelligence and digital technologies are transforming nearly every industry, creating extraordinary opportunity while also accelerating the need for new skills,” said Asheesh Advani, CEO of JA Worldwide. “Through our expanded collaboration with IBM SkillsBuild, we’re helping young people around the world gain access to future-focused learning experiences that increase confidence, expand opportunity, and prepare them to build thriving communities.”
“Through JA Worldwide, we are helping students around the world build the technical and professional skills they need to participate confidently and responsibly in an AI-driven workforce,” said Lydia Logan, Vice President, Global Education and Workforce Development, IBM.
The collaboration will combine IBM SkillsBuild content with JA’s global implementation capabilities, educator networks, and localized delivery model. The first phase of implementation will reach 185,000 high-school students across participating countries, with projected growth to 600,000 learners in 2027 and a goal of reaching one million students by the end of 2028. The initiative will include courses focused on AI, professional skills, and career readiness, with content available in 15 languages.
In addition to digital learning experiences, the collaboration offers opportunities for learners to engage IBM employees as volunteer mentors, speakers, and career guides across participating countries, creating additional opportunities for young people to connect classroom learning to real-world careers and technology applications.
The three-year collaboration reflects a shared commitment to expanding economic opportunity and preparing the next generation for success in an increasingly digital world.
About JA Worldwide
As one of the world’s largest and most-impactful youth-serving NGOs, JA provides hands-on, immersive learning in entrepreneurship, work readiness, and financial capability.
Delivering more than 23 million student experiences each year through 750,000+ teachers and business volunteers, JA Worldwide is one of few organizations with the scale, experience, and passion to build a brighter future for the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs, and leaders. Visit us at jaworldwide.org.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/52b5b7ca-e606-4b22-908b-2ba286f72791
JA Worldwide and IBM Expand Global Collaboration The expanded initiative builds on successful pilot programs implemented across the JA network and wi...
Key Takeaways CLS is seeing AI infrastructure demand lift routers, switches, servers and storage products.IBM's hybrid cloud push is boosted by HashiCorp buyout, complementing Red Hat tools.Celestica's 2026 sales 53.8% and EPS 67.9% estimates outpace IBM, despite margin woes. Celestica Inc. (CLS - Free Report) and International Business Machines Corporation (IBM - Free Report) are two major players in the AI infrastructure arena within the technology sector, with key expertise in their respective domains. Celestica is one of the largest firms in the electronics manufacturing services (EMS) industry, primarily serving original equipment manufacturers, cloud-based and other service providers and business enterprises across several industries. It offers a comprehensive range of manufacturing and supply-chain solutions that support various customer requirements, from low-volume, high-complexity custom products to high-volume commodity products.
IBM offers cloud and data solutions that aid enterprises in digital transformation. In addition to hybrid cloud services, the company provides advanced information technology solutions, computer systems, quantum computing and supercomputing solutions, enterprise software, storage systems and microelectronics.
Let us delve a little deeper into the companies’ competitive dynamics to understand which of the two is relatively better placed in the industry.
The Case for CelesticaWith more than two decades of experience in manufacturing, backed by a simplified and optimized global network, Celestica is committed to delivering next-generation, cloud-optimized data storage and industry-leading networking solutions to help customers balance performance, power efficiency and space as technologies evolve. The growing proliferation of AI-based applications and generative AI tools is fueling solid AI investments across the technology ecosystem. This, in turn, is driving demand for Celestica’s enterprise-level data communications and information processing infrastructure products, such as routers, switches, data center interconnects, edge solutions and servers and storage-related products.
Celestica’s focus on product diversification and increasing its presence in high-value markets is positive. Its strong research and development foundations allow it to produce high-volume electronic goods and highly complex technology infrastructure products for a wide range of industries, including communication, healthcare, aerospace and defense, energy, semiconductor and various cloud-based and other service providers. Such a diverse customer base enhances business resilience by reducing dependence on a single industry and minimizing the effects on financial results from an economic downturn in a specific sector.
However, the company remains plagued by margin woes. Celestica’s products are highly sophisticated and typically based on the latest technological innovations, which have historically led to high research and development costs. High operating expenses have contracted margins. Moreover, Celestica faces stiff competition from industry giants like Foxconn, Flex and Sanmina Corporation (SANM - Free Report) . The highly cyclical nature of the semiconductor industry remains an overhang, particularly in the aftermath of the tariff war.
The Case for IBMIBM is poised to benefit from healthy demand trends for hybrid cloud and AI, which drive the Software and Consulting segments. The company’s growth is expected to be aided by analytics, cloud computing and security in the long term. With a surge in traditional cloud-native workloads and associated applications, along with a rise in generative AI deployment, there is a radical expansion in the number of cloud workloads that enterprises are currently managing. This has resulted in heterogeneous, dynamic and complex infrastructure strategies, which have led firms to undertake a cloud-agnostic and interoperable approach to highly secure multi-cloud management, translating into a healthy demand for IBM hybrid cloud solutions.
In addition, the buyout of HashiCorp has significantly augmented IBM’s capabilities to assist enterprises in managing complex cloud environments. HashiCorp’s tool sets complement IBM Red Hat’s portfolio, bringing additional functionalities for cloud infrastructure management and bolstering its hybrid multi-cloud approach.
Despite solid hybrid cloud and AI traction, IBM is facing stiff competition from Amazon.com, Inc.’s (AMZN - Free Report) AWS and Microsoft Corporation’s (MSFT - Free Report) Azure. Increasing pricing pressure is eroding margins, and profitability has trended down over the years, barring occasional spikes. The company faces a potent threat from AI firm Anthropic as the latter’s Claude Code tool can modernize legacy COBOL systems — a foundational programming language deeply embedded in IBM’s mainframe ecosystem. With Claude Code proposing to substantially automate code exploration, documentation, refactoring and security analysis, it threatened to reduce enterprises’ reliance on specialized legacy service providers like IBM, bringing its sustenance at stake.
How Do Zacks Estimates Compare for CLS & IBM?The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Celestica’s 2026 sales and EPS implies year-over-year growth of 53.8% and 67.9%, respectively. The EPS estimates have been trending up 15.1% over the past 60 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for IBM’s 2026 sales and EPS indicates year-over-year growth of 6% and 7%, respectively. The EPS estimates have trended down 0.2% over the past 60 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Price Performance & Valuation of CLS & IBMOver the past year, Celestica has gained 191.2% compared with the industry’s growth of 147.2%. IBM has declined 1.5% over the same period.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Celestica looks more attractive than IBM from a valuation standpoint. Going by the price/sales ratio, IBM’s shares currently trade at 3.58 forward sales, higher than 1.9 for Celestica.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
CLS or IBM: Which is a Better Pick?While Celestica carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), IBM has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Both Celestica and IBM expect sales and earnings to improve in 2025. Celestica has shown sharp revenue and EPS growth over the years, while IBM has exhibited linear growth. It boasts a better price performance with comparatively more attractive valuation metrics. With a superior Zacks Rank and better operating metrics, Celestica seems to be a better investment option at the moment.
For years, enterprise IT strategy followed a simple script: Move workloads to the public cloud. Amazon (AMZN 1.24%) Web Services, Microsoft (MSFT +0.11%) Azure, and Alphabet's (GOOG +0.45%) (GOOGL +0.53%) Google Cloud built massive businesses on that assumption.
But the AI era is throwing a spanner in the cloud computing works.
Image source: Getty Images.
The gravitational pull of stubborn data "Hybrid cloud and AI are two sides of the same coin," said Dr. Hillery Hunter, CTO and general manager of innovation for IBM (IBM 1.13%) Infrastructure. "Where your data is, is becoming very much a grounding factor, because where your data is, is then where you naturally want to build out your AI."
That makes sense, right? It's the concept of data gravity in action.
Once enterprise data settles somewhere, it tends to stay put. It accumulates. It gets comfortable. And moving it becomes a difficult production. Taking a large company's data out of its natural habitat incurs egress fees, data transfer latency, security reviews, and the need to explain to regulators why sensitive information is taking a field trip, perhaps across international borders.
For some organizations, AI accelerates the move to public cloud; they've already committed to that architecture and will consolidate further. But Hunter sees an equally strong motion in the opposite direction: enterprises with significant on-premises data gravity that need to bring AI capabilities to where the data already lives.
"I see both motions equally developing," Hunter said in a recent interview with The Fool. "People are taking different decisions across that spectrum."
IBM has receipts for the hybrid cloud thesis Research from the IBM Institute for Business Value supports this split. Nearly three-quarters of executives surveyed are backing away from cloud-first defaults and deeper into their corporation's data centers. And 72% of organizations said that cloud costs in production exceeded expectations by an average of 1.5 times. IBM's hybrid computing model supports both sides of this equation, pairing the centralized IBM Cloud services with mainframes and Power servers in the data center.
IBM isn't the only company leveraging the data gravity idea.
Oracle (ORCL 0.05%) is making a similar bet from a different starting point. The database giant has positioned itself as a "data vault" provider, optimizing for enterprises whose mission-critical data already lives in Oracle systems and databases. CrowdStrike (CRWD 1.27%) argues that its Falcon security system creates useful data gravity wherever it goes. "This integration means data doesn't just accumulate; it's immediately actionable, contributing to threat detection and response," the company stated in a company blog post. Seagate (STX +7.25%) highlights how large data sets tend to attract smaller data collections to the same storage system, simply because it's easier to move the smaller ones. Enterprises should account for the data gravity effect when planning their large-scale storage setups, breaking up huge data buckets before they grow too large to manage. The investment case for stubborn data Different tech veterans are reaching the same observation from different angles: Data doesn't like to move, and pretending otherwise gets expensive.
IBM's infrastructure business is built around this premise. The company's Power servers and Z mainframes are designed for enterprises that need AI capabilities without relocating mission-critical data to third-party clouds.
Hunter emphasized that IBM's systems deliver "six nines of resilience" (meaning 99.9999% uptime, or just a few seconds of downtime per year) and twice the power efficiency of competing server architectures.
The hyperscalers aren't going anywhere; Amazon, Microsoft, and Alphabet have the scale and momentum to keep growing cloud revenues for years. But IBM is betting that "move everything to the cloud" was never the right answer for every workload. The company will help if you insist on cloud computing, but some data is just too heavy to lift.
Today's Change
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For IBM investors, the hybrid cloud model is the thesis. If enterprises keep pulling AI-related workloads back from the cloud to their data centers, IBM's infrastructure business has a huge growth opportunity in that shift.
If cloud-first comes back in style over the years, IBM is swimming against the tide.
Place your bets accordingly. I, for one, see the value of local data collections rising as the datasets grow larger.
Anders Bylund has positions in Alphabet, Amazon, and International Business Machines. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, CrowdStrike, International Business Machines, Microsoft, and Oracle. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
IBM (IBM - Free Report) has been one of the most searched-for stocks on Zacks.com lately. So, you might want to look at some of the facts that could shape the stock's performance in the near term.
Over the past month, shares of this technology and consulting company have returned +25.9%, compared to the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -0.2% change. During this period, the Zacks Computer - Integrated Systems industry, which IBM falls in, has gained 16.6%. The key question now is: What could be the stock's future direction?
While media releases or rumors about a substantial change in a company's business prospects usually make its stock 'trending' and lead to an immediate price change, there are always some fundamental facts that eventually dominate the buy-and-hold decision-making.
Revisions to Earnings EstimatesRather than focusing on anything else, we at Zacks prioritize evaluating the change in a company's earnings projection. This is because we believe the fair value for its stock is determined by the present value of its future stream of earnings.
Our analysis is essentially based on how sell-side analysts covering the stock are revising their earnings estimates to take the latest business trends into account. When earnings estimates for a company go up, the fair value for its stock goes up as well. And when a stock's fair value is higher than its current market price, investors tend to buy the stock, resulting in its price moving upward. Because of this, empirical studies indicate a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and short-term stock price movements.
IBM is expected to post earnings of $2.95 per share for the current quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +5.4%. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate remained unchanged.
For the current fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $12.38 points to a change of +6.8% from the prior year. Over the last 30 days, this estimate has changed -0.1%.
For the next fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $13.42 indicates a change of +8.4% from what IBM is expected to report a year ago. Over the past month, the estimate has changed +0.5%.
With an impressive externally audited track record, our proprietary stock rating tool -- the Zacks Rank -- is a more conclusive indicator of a stock's near-term price performance, as it effectively harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions. The size of the recent change in the consensus estimate, along with three other factors related to earnings estimates, has resulted in a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for IBM.
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 IBM, the consensus sales estimate for the current quarter of $17.86 billion indicates a year-over-year change of +5.2%. For the current and next fiscal years, $71.53 billion and $74.87 billion estimates indicate +5.9% and +4.7% changes, respectively.
Last Reported Results and Surprise HistoryIBM reported revenues of $15.92 billion in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +9.5%. EPS of $1.91 for the same period compares with $1.6 a year ago.
Compared to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $15.68 billion, the reported revenues represent a surprise of +1.49%. The EPS surprise was +5.52%.
The company beat consensus EPS estimates in each of the trailing four quarters. The company topped consensus revenue estimates each time 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.
Comparing the current value of a company's valuation multiples, such as its price-to-earnings (P/E), price-to-sales (P/S), and price-to-cash flow (P/CF), to its own historical values helps ascertain whether its stock is fairly valued, overvalued, or undervalued, whereas comparing the company relative to its peers on these parameters gives a good sense of how reasonable its stock price is.
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.
IBM is graded D 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.
ConclusionThe 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 IBM. However, its Zacks Rank #3 does suggest that it may perform in line with the broader market in the near term.
UNH weekly chart shows completion of bearish correction and bottom reversal During the pullback, a relatively tight bull flag pattern formed, and a breakout triggered on Thursday, which also reclaimed the 20-day moving average after a brief undercut of the line. The formation of this bullish continuation pattern during the first pullback following a significant breakout adds evidence that buyers remain in control. This suggests that another leg up for UNH may now be underway.
Recovery Trend Builds Momentum UNH completed an 88.6% Fibonacci retracement of the prior decline, reaching a low of $234.60 in July 2025, following a peak of $630.73 in November 2024. An 88.6% retracement represents the deepest Fibonacci retracement level from which a sustainable recovery can still emerge. UNH was down approximately 63% from its peak at the low.
The subsequent bullish recovery developed gradually, with the stock spending considerable time below its 200-day moving average before establishing higher swing low at $255.97 at the end of March and a rally and reclaim of the 200-day average in April. By the May high, the stock was up more than 57% from that low in only 32 trading days.
Higher Targets Come into Focus An initial upside target zone begins around the prior swing low of $436.38, which previously marked the lower boundary of a 41-month topping pattern that triggered a bearish breakdown in April 2025. The 61.8% Fibonacci retracement of the prior decline is slightly higher at $464.35. It is followed by the 78.6% Fibonacci retracement target zone at $526.80. Those higher price levels provide upside potential objectives if the recent breakout and subsequent bull flag continuation pattern lead to the next stage of the recovery, reinforcing the bullish reversal signal that first emerged in May.
Key Takeaways UnitedHealth's medical care ratio is improving as margin recovery efforts gain traction.UNH's earnings estimates for 2026 and 2027 are moving higher on improving sentiment.Regulatory probes and a richer valuation may limit UNH's near-term upside potential. Shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UNH - Free Report) have gained 20.1% year to date, beating the industry’s 13.8% gain and the S&P 500’s 10.2% rise. The rebound is notable given the challenges hanging over the company. Regulatory investigations, policy uncertainty, elevated healthcare costs and higher utilization continue to create pressure. Yet investors appear increasingly focused on execution rather than headlines. Since Stephen J. Hemsley returned as CEO, the company has worked toward delivering a steadier operating performance, helping restore confidence in the turnaround story.
Among major peers, Elevance Health, Inc. (ELV - Free Report) is up 16.8%, while Humana Inc. (HUM - Free Report) has surged 36.6%.
YTD Price Performance – UNH, ELV, HUM, Industry & S&P 500 Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Early Signs of ImprovementA key piece of the investment case remains Optum Health’s value-based care expansion. If the company can improve care coordination and manage patient outcomes more effectively, it could reduce utilization and strengthen profitability over time.
Recent results suggest some progress is already taking shape. In the first quarter of 2026, the adjusted medical care ratio improved 90 basis points year over year to 83.9%. That improvement points to better cost management and favorable reserve development, offering tangible evidence that margins are beginning to recover. Premium revenues increased to $87.6 billion from $86.5 billion in the prior-year quarter, showing that UnitedHealth continues to maintain pricing discipline despite a competitive environment.
Medicare Advantage and Medicaid membership are declining, which is not ideal considering the importance of government-sponsored programs to the company’s scale. However, commercial fee-based membership increased 3.5% year over year in the first quarter, highlighting continued demand from employer-sponsored plans and helping offset some of the pressure elsewhere.
Wall Street has also remained constructive. Several analysts have raised price targets and upgraded ratings in recent times. Even after the stock’s rally, shares remain below the average analyst price target of $403.92, implying roughly 7.1% upside. At the same time, the wide target range of $287 to $492 shows that opinions remain sharply divided on the company’s risk profile.
Earnings Expectations Are Moving HigherThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 EPS is pegged at $18.29, indicating 11.9% year-over-year growth. The earnings estimate has seen three upward revisions over the past month against no downward movement. The consensus estimate for revenues is pegged at $443.69 billion, implying a 0.9% decline from a year ago.
For 2027, EPS is projected to grow to $20.73, marking a 13.4% improvement. It has seen four upward estimate revisions in the past month, against no downward movements. Revenues are pegged at $454.93 billion, indicating 2.5% growth from a year ago.
Over the past four quarters, the company beat estimates three times and missed once, with an average earnings surprise of 0.8%.
Valuation Not CheapThe rally has pushed valuation above historical levels. UnitedHealth currently trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 20.51X. That sits above its five-year median multiple of 19.20X and comfortably above the industry average of 16.64X, suggesting investors are already pricing in a meaningful recovery. For comparison, Elevance trades at 14.77X forward earnings, while Humana trades at 30.34X.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Risks Haven’t DisappearedDespite the improving outlook, investors still face several important risks.
Regulatory scrutiny remains the largest overhang. The Department of Justice continues to investigate UnitedHealth’s Medicare billing practices, including Medicare Advantage diagnosis coding. Authorities are also reviewing physician reimbursement practices and certain operations within Optum Rx’s pharmacy benefit management business. These investigations could eventually lead to penalties, operational changes or higher compliance costs.
On the other hand, the company is attempting to reshape the PBM model through a transparent, fee-based pharmacy care approach that moves away from pricing tied to drug list prices and prescription volume. If successful, the initiative could become a meaningful competitive advantage.
Questions surrounding the 2024 Change Healthcare cyberattack have not fully faded either, particularly regarding the handling of emergency financial assistance provided to organizations affected by the disruption.
Another headline that drew attention was Berkshire Hathaway’s decision to exit its position. Under new CEO Greg Abel, Berkshire reported no UnitedHealth holdings as of March 31, 2026. The move surprised some investors because Berkshire had disclosed ownership of more than 5 million shares less than a year earlier. Still, many market participants viewed the sale as portfolio rebalancing rather than a direct judgment on UnitedHealth’s long-term prospects.
While management continues to expect overall medical membership to decline in 2026, previously forecasting a range of 46.945 million to 47.495 million members compared with nearly 49.760 million in 2025, growth in commercial membership should help offset part of that decline. But the transition bears watching.
The Long-Term Story Still MattersUnitedHealth's scale, diversified business model and extensive healthcare data capabilities create advantages that few competitors can replicate. The company also continues to benefit from powerful industry tailwinds, including an aging population, rising rates of chronic disease and growing healthcare demand.
Shareholder returns add another layer of support. UnitedHealth returned more than $13 billion through dividends and share repurchases during 2025. In the first quarter of 2026 alone, it paid roughly $2 billion in dividends and plans to repurchase at least $2 billion of stock by the end of the second quarter. As of March 31, 2026, authorization remained to buy back up to 19.3 million shares. The company also recently increased its quarterly dividend by 5%, raising the payout from $2.21 per share to $2.32.
ConclusionUnitedHealth's turnaround efforts are beginning to show results, with improving medical cost trends and rising earnings expectations supporting investor confidence. Continued shareholder returns point to a business that is moving in the right direction. The company’s unmatched scale, diversified healthcare platform and long-term exposure to favorable industry trends remain key strengths.
However, the stock's recovery has already pushed valuation above historical levels, leaving less room for error. At the same time, ongoing DoJ investigations, membership declines in government programs, and lingering fallout from the cyberattack continue to create uncertainty. As such, investors may want to wait for additional evidence of sustained margin improvement and membership stabilization before committing. UnitedHealth currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
UnitedHealth Group (UNH, Financials) and Eli Lilly (LLY, Financials) are emerging as leaders in a renewed healthcare sector rally as investors increasingly rotate into defensive stocks amid volatility across high-growth technology and AI names.
The Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) gained 3% on Thursday and recently moved above a key short-term resistance level, signaling improving momentum for a sector that has largely underperformed the broader market in recent years.
Market participants also pointed to stronger trading volumes in managed care stocks, suggesting institutional investors may be increasing exposure to healthcare as concerns about stretched valuations in parts of the technology sector persist.
Among the largest holdings in the S&P Health Care Index, UnitedHealth currently holds the highest Seeking Alpha Quant Rating at 3.47, followed closely by Eli Lilly at 3.44. Both stocks advanced in recent trading, with Lilly rising 1.56% and UnitedHealth gaining 0.89%.
Other highly ranked healthcare names include Johnson & Johnson, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Intuitive Surgical, Amgen and Merck. While most companies currently carry Hold-rated Quant scores, their relatively stable fundamentals have helped attract investor interest during the recent market rotation.
Investors will continue watching whether healthcare's improving momentum can be sustained as market leadership broadens beyond AI-driven growth stocks.
Taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals for new and old investors, and Zacks Premium offers many different ways to do both.
Featuring daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, full access to the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens, the research service can help you become a smarter, more self-assured investor.
Zacks Premium also includes the Zacks Style Scores.
What are the Zacks Style Scores? Developed alongside the Zacks Rank, the Zacks Style Scores are a group of complementary indicators that help investors pick stocks with the best chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.
Each stock is assigned a rating of A, B, C, D, or F based on their value, growth, and momentum characteristics. Just like in school, an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on -- that means the better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform.
The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:
Value ScoreValue investors love finding good stocks at good prices, especially before the broader market catches on to a stock's true value. Utilizing ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and many other multiples, the Value Style Score identifies the most attractive and most discounted stocks.
Growth ScoreWhile good value is important, growth investors are more focused on a company's financial strength and health, and its future outlook. The Growth Style Score takes projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow into account to uncover stocks that will see long-term, sustainable growth.
Momentum ScoreMomentum traders and investors live by the saying "the trend is your friend." This investing style is all about taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook. Employing factors like one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates, the Momentum Style Score can indicate favorable times to build a position in high-momentum stocks.
VGM ScoreIf you like to use all three kinds of investing, then the VGM Score is for you. It's a combination of all Style Scores, and is an important indicator to use with the Zacks Rank. The VGM Score rates each stock on their shared weighted styles, narrowing down the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum.
How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank The Zacks Rank is a proprietary stock-rating model that harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings expectations, to help investors build a successful portfolio.
It's highly successful, with #1 (Strong Buy) stocks producing an unmatched +23.7% average annual return since 1988. That's more than double the S&P 500. But because of the large number of stocks we rate, there are over 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, plus another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.
This totals more than 800 top-rated stocks, and it can be overwhelming to try and pick the best stocks for you and your portfolio.
That's where the Style Scores come in.
You want to make sure you're buying stocks with the highest likelihood of success, and to do that, you'll need to pick stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B. If you like a stock that only has a #3 (Hold) rank, it should also have Scores of A or B to guarantee as much upside potential as possible.
As mentioned above, the Scores are designed to work with the Zacks Rank, so any change to a company's earnings outlook should be a deciding factor when picking which stocks to buy.
For instance, a stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, even one that boasts Scores of A and B, still has a downward-trending earnings forecast, and a much greater likelihood its share price will decline as well.
Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.
Stock to Watch: UnitedHealth Group (UNH - Free Report) UnitedHealth Group, Inc. provides a wide range of health care products and services, such as health maintenance organizations (HMOs), point of service plans (POS), preferred provider organizations (PPOs), and managed fee-for-service programs.
UNH is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of A.
It also boasts a Value Style Score of B thanks to attractive valuation metrics like a forward P/E ratio of 21.81; value investors should take notice.
14 analysts revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days for fiscal 2026. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.67 to $18.32 per share. UNH boasts an average earnings surprise of +0.8%.
With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Value and VGM Style Scores, UNH should be on investors' short list.
For new and old investors, taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals. Zacks Premium provides lots of different ways to do both.
The popular research service can help you become a smarter, more self-assured investor, giving you access to daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens.
Zacks Premium also includes the Zacks Style Scores.
What are the Zacks Style Scores? Developed alongside the Zacks Rank, the Zacks Style Scores are a group of complementary indicators that help investors pick stocks with the best chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.
Each stock is assigned a rating of A, B, C, D, or F based on their value, growth, and momentum characteristics. Just like in school, an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on -- that means the better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform.
The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:
Value ScoreValue investors love finding good stocks at good prices, especially before the broader market catches on to a stock's true value. Utilizing ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and many other multiples, the Value Style Score identifies the most attractive and most discounted stocks.
Growth ScoreWhile good value is important, growth investors are more focused on a company's financial strength and health, and its future outlook. The Growth Style Score takes projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow into account to uncover stocks that will see long-term, sustainable growth.
Momentum ScoreMomentum trading is all about taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook, and these investors live by the saying "the trend is your friend." The Momentum Style Score can pinpoint good times to build a position in a stock, using factors like one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates.
VGM ScoreWhat if you like to use all three types of investing? The VGM Score is a combination of all Style Scores, making it one of the most comprehensive indicators to use with the Zacks Rank. It rates each stock on their combined weighted styles, which helps narrow down the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum.
How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank A proprietary stock-rating model, the Zacks Rank utilizes the power of earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings outlook, to help investors create a successful portfolio.
Investors can count on the Zacks Rank's success, with #1 (Strong Buy) stocks producing an unmatched +23.7% average annual return since 1988, more than double the S&P 500's performance. But the model rates a large number of stocks, and there are over 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, plus another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.
With more than 800 top-rated stocks to choose from, it can certainly feel overwhelming to pick the ones that are right for you and your investing journey.
That's where the Style Scores come in.
You want to make sure you're buying stocks with the highest likelihood of success, and to do that, you'll need to pick stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B. If you like a stock that only has a #3 (Hold) rank, it should also have Scores of A or B to guarantee as much upside potential as possible.
As mentioned above, the Scores are designed to work with the Zacks Rank, so any change to a company's earnings outlook should be a deciding factor when picking which stocks to buy.
For instance, a stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, even one that boasts Scores of A and B, still has a downward-trending earnings forecast, and a much greater likelihood its share price will decline as well.
Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.
Stock to Watch: UnitedHealth Group (UNH - Free Report) UnitedHealth Group, Inc. provides a wide range of health care products and services, such as health maintenance organizations (HMOs), point of service plans (POS), preferred provider organizations (PPOs), and managed fee-for-service programs.
UNH is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of A.
Momentum investors should take note of this Medical stock. UNH has a Momentum Style Score of B, and shares are up 4.2% over the past four weeks.
14 analysts revised their earnings estimate higher in the last 60 days for fiscal 2026, while the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.66 to $18.32 per share. UNH also boasts an average earnings surprise of +0.8%.
With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Momentum and VGM Style Scores, UNH should be on investors' short list.
--(BUSINESS WIRE)--UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) will release its second quarter 2026 financial results on Thursday, July 16, 2026, before the market opens, and will host a teleconference at 8:00 a.m. ET with analysts and investors. This call will be webcast on the Investor Relations page of the company’s website (www.unitedhealthgroup.com). The replay will be available through July 30, 2026, on the website.
About UnitedHealth Group
UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) is a healthcare and well-being company with a mission to help people live healthier lives and help make the health system work better for everyone through two distinct and complementary businesses. Optum delivers care aided by technology and data, empowering people, partners and providers with the guidance and tools they need to achieve better health. UnitedHealthcare offers a full range of health benefits, enabling affordable coverage, simplifying the healthcare experience and delivering access to high-quality care. Visit UnitedHealth Group at www.unitedhealthgroup.com and follow UnitedHealth Group on LinkedIn.
A year ago, UnitedHealth Group (UNH +0.67%) stock was a disaster. It had fallen sharply after the company encountered higher-than-anticipated costs from its members, causing it to miss analysts' estimates for the first time since the 2008-09 financial crisis.
But today, UnitedHealth Group is trading near a 52-week high. The federal government has announced better-than-expected reimbursement rates for Medicare Advantage, margins have improved, and the stock has jumped 23% since the beginning of the year.
But despite the rally, UnitedHealth Group stock remains down more than 34% from where it traded just two years ago. Does the stock have more room to run higher, or is this a good time for investors to take profits?
Image source: Getty Images.
What's happening with UnitedHealth Group stock? The company's failure to meet expectations in the first quarter of 2025 triggered the company's downturn, so a look at its recent performance is important.
Revenue was $111.72 billion, up 2% from a year ago -- but more importantly, it was better than the $109.57 billion analysts projected. Adjusted earnings per share came in at $7.23, versus analysts' expectations of $6.57.
The company announced its medical benefit ratio, which reflects the percentage of revenue spent on healthcare costs, dropped 90 basis points to 83.9%. UnitedHealth Group also scaled back its Medicare Advantage plans in several states to improve its financial position.
UnitedHealth reported serving 7.55 million Medicare Advantage patients in the first quarter, down from 8.45 million a year ago. Even with those cuts, the UnitedHealthcare Medicare and Retirement division, which includes Medicare Advantage, saw revenue grow 1% year over year.
The company's government business is a huge part of UnitedHealth Group. About 44% of its revenue comes from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
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"We continue to expect membership attrition and negative margins in 2026 in light of continuing high trends and insufficient funding, with modest margin improvements beginning in 2027," said UnitedHealthcare CEO Tim Noel.
I see two primary tailwinds for UnitedHealth Group right now -- but I think only one is really within the company's control. UnitedHealth Group launched a new generative artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, Avery, that coordinates healthcare experiences for members and learns from their interactions. Avery was available to 6.5 million members this spring, and the company plans to expand it to serve more than 20 million by the end of the year.
The second tailwind is entirely contingent on the federal government. In April, the government announced better-than-expected payment rates for Medicare Advantage plans, increasing payments by 2.48% in 2027. That is a significant jump, considering the government had been considering a paltry 0.09% increase.
The improved payments will help UnitedHealth Group's bottom line, particularly in 2027. That's why investors are so bullish. But this could be a short-lived victory, and the Medicare Advantage rate could slow again in subsequent years.
I think the AI initiatives are important to UnitedHealth Group's future, but I'm less enthusiastic about its reliance on Medicare and Medicaid. I'm always uncomfortable when a company can't directly control its fate.
As long as the government continues to raise payment rates, UnitedHealth Group should maintain acceptable margins and remain a top health insurance stock. But if the government lowers payments again, as in its initial 2027 rate proposal, UnitedHealth Group's margins will come under pressure.
DEERFIELD, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As millions of fans travel to FIFA World Cup 2026™ matches in the U.S. this summer, Walgreens is making it easier to stay prepared, energized and healthy with convenient access to game-day essentials and trusted pharmacy services.
Whether heading to the stadium or wrapping up a late match, Walgreens offers fans in Miami a one-stop destination for official licensed products of the FIFA World Cup 26™ and necessities like water, snacks, sunscreen, over-the-counter remedies, plus pharmacist support for customers managing their health while away from home.
Walgreens pharmacists can help travelers stay on track with their medications by transferring or refilling eligible prescriptions. Pharmacy patients can also access multilingual support, including oral translation services and prescription labels available in multiple languages, to help ensure medication instructions are clear and easy to follow. For those who may need a clinical evaluation, Walgreens Virtual Healthcare offers on-demand urgent care with licensed clinicians, available seven days a week from 8 a.m.–midnight ET—no subscription or insurance required.
With locations throughout the Miami area, including several stores open for extended hours during the tournament, Walgreens helps fans get what they need before kickoff or after the final whistle. Customers can also take advantage of 1-hour Delivery and 30-minute Pickup for added convenience on busy game days.*
Store and pharmacy hours may vary by location and are subject to change. Customers are encouraged to visit the Walgreens store locator at Walgreens.com for the most up-to-date information.
Walgreens stores offering extended hours from June 11–July 22, 2026 include:
8001 Miramar Pkwy
Miramar, FL 33025
7 a.m.–midnight ET
801 SW 8th St
Miami, FL 33130
7 a.m.–midnight ET
202 S Federal Hwy
Dania, FL 33004
7 a.m.–midnight ET
About Walgreens
Founded in 1901, Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) proudly serves more than 9 million customers and patients each day across its nearly 8,000 stores throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Walgreens has approximately 211,000 team members, including roughly 85,000 healthcare service providers, and is committed to being the first choice for pharmacy, retail and health services, building trusted relationships that create healthier futures for customers, patients, team members and communities.
*Delivery in as little as 1 hour based on national averages, actual times may vary. Exclusions and restrictions apply. Orders $35 or more (after promo codes and paperless coupons are applied and before taxes) qualify for free delivery. 1-hour Delivery is available daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and, during extended hours, 30 minutes after opening until one hour prior to closing, for eligible items. However, delivery hours and order cut-off times may vary by store location. Some deliveries may not be eligible for 1-hour Delivery or Delivery in as little as 1 hour due to delivery address, holidays, weather or other delivery constraints. Prescriptions are not eligible for 1-hour Delivery but may be eligible for delivery through Walgreens Express®. At this time, delivery of orders containing alcohol is limited to select IL and FL stores. Available delivery hours for select age-restricted items may vary by store location. Deliveries must either be entirely accepted or rejected. No partial order acceptance is permitted. Most deliveries do not require an individual's presence or signature. However, if your order contains an age-restricted item, you will be required to show a valid government ID to verify age. A signature may also be required to accept orders containing alcohol.
Pickup in as little as 30 minutes based on national averages, actual times may vary. Exclusions and restrictions apply. Pickup or 30-minute Pickup is available for eligible items when your order is $10 or more (after promo codes and paperless coupons are applied and before taxes). There is no additional fee for pickup. For Walgreens store locations that are not open 24 hours, orders must be placed at least one hour prior to store closing to be eligible for same-day pickup. Otherwise, the order will be ready the next business day. You will receive an email or text (if opted in) when your order is ready for pickup. Orders are not guaranteed to be ready within the 30-minute time window. We will notify you if there is a delay and will hold your order for 72 hours before canceling. Depending on your selected pickup store, you may have up to three options for pickup: curbside, drive-thru or in-store pickup. Orders containing prescriptions may be picked up at the pharmacy counter or drive-thru. Select items (e.g., liquids, perishables, bulky items) are not compatible with drive-thru pickup. If your order contains such an item, you may be asked to pick it up curbside or in store. Orders containing age-restricted items are not eligible for curbside pickup. If your order contains age-restricted items, you will need to pick up your order in store or at the drive-thru and provide a valid government ID to verify your age. Available pickup hours for select age-restricted items may vary by store location.
DEERFIELD, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As millions of fans travel to FIFA World Cup 2026™ matches in the U.S. this summer, Walgreens is making it easier to stay prepared, energized and healthy with convenient access to game-day essentials and trusted pharmacy services.
Whether heading to the stadium or wrapping up a late match, Walgreens offers fans in the New York area a one-stop destination for official licensed products of the FIFA World Cup 26™ and necessities like water, snacks, sunscreen, over-the-counter remedies, plus pharmacist support for customers managing their health while away from home.
Walgreens pharmacists can help travelers stay on track with their medications by transferring or refilling eligible prescriptions. Pharmacy patients can also access multilingual support, including oral translation services and prescription labels available in multiple languages, to help ensure medication instructions are clear and easy to follow. For those who may need a clinical evaluation, Walgreens Virtual Healthcare offers on-demand urgent care with licensed clinicians, available seven days a week from 8 a.m.–midnight ET—no subscription or insurance required.
With locations throughout the Tri-State area, including select stores open for extended hours during the tournament, Walgreens helps fans get what they need before kickoff or after the final whistle. Customers can also take advantage of 1-hour Delivery and 30-minute Pickup for added convenience on busy game days.*
Store and pharmacy hours may vary by location and are subject to change. Customers are encouraged to visit the Walgreens store locator at Walgreens.com for the most up-to-date information.
Walgreens stores offering extended hours from June 11–July 22, 2026 include:
185 Greenwich St
New York, NY 10007
6 a.m.–midnight ET
208 Park Ave
Rutherford, NJ 07070
7 a.m.–midnight ET
441 Valley Brook Ave
Lyndhurst, NJ 07071
7 a.m.–midnight ET
About Walgreens
Founded in 1901, Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) proudly serves more than 9 million customers and patients each day across its nearly 8,000 stores throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Walgreens has approximately 211,000 team members, including roughly 85,000 healthcare service providers, and is committed to being the first choice for pharmacy, retail and health services, building trusted relationships that create healthier futures for customers, patients, team members and communities.
*Delivery in as little as 1 hour based on national averages, actual times may vary. Exclusions and restrictions apply. Orders $35 or more (after promo codes and paperless coupons are applied and before taxes) qualify for free delivery. 1-hour Delivery is available daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and, during extended hours, 30 minutes after opening until one hour prior to closing, for eligible items. However, delivery hours and order cut-off times may vary by store location. Some deliveries may not be eligible for 1-hour Delivery or Delivery in as little as 1 hour due to delivery address, holidays, weather or other delivery constraints. Prescriptions are not eligible for 1-hour Delivery but may be eligible for delivery through Walgreens Express®. At this time, delivery of orders containing alcohol is limited to select IL and FL stores. Available delivery hours for select age-restricted items may vary by store location. Deliveries must either be entirely accepted or rejected. No partial order acceptance is permitted. Most deliveries do not require an individual's presence or signature. However, if your order contains an age-restricted item, you will be required to show a valid government ID to verify age. A signature may also be required to accept orders containing alcohol.
Pickup in as little as 30 minutes based on national averages, actual times may vary. Exclusions and restrictions apply. Pickup or 30-minute Pickup is available for eligible items when your order is $10 or more (after promo codes and paperless coupons are applied and before taxes). There is no additional fee for pickup. For Walgreens store locations that are not open 24 hours, orders must be placed at least one hour prior to store closing to be eligible for same-day pickup. Otherwise, the order will be ready the next business day. You will receive an email or text (if opted in) when your order is ready for pickup. Orders are not guaranteed to be ready within the 30-minute time window. We will notify you if there is a delay and will hold your order for 72 hours before canceling. Depending on your selected pickup store, you may have up to three options for pickup: curbside, drive-thru or in-store pickup. Orders containing prescriptions may be picked up at the pharmacy counter or drive-thru. Select items (e.g., liquids, perishables, bulky items) are not compatible with drive-thru pickup. If your order contains such an item, you may be asked to pick it up curbside or in store. Orders containing age-restricted items are not eligible for curbside pickup. If your order contains age-restricted items, you will need to pick up your order in store or at the drive-thru and provide a valid government ID to verify your age. Available pickup hours for select age-restricted items may vary by store location.
DEERFIELD, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As millions of fans travel to FIFA World Cup 2026™ matches in the U.S. this summer, Walgreens is making it easier to stay prepared, energized and healthy with convenient access to game-day essentials and trusted pharmacy services.
Whether heading to the stadium or wrapping up a late match, Walgreens offers fans in Philadelphia a one-stop destination for official licensed products of the FIFA World Cup 26™ and necessities like water, snacks, sunscreen, over-the-counter remedies, plus pharmacist support for customers managing their health while away from home.
Walgreens pharmacists can help travelers stay on track with their medications by transferring or refilling eligible prescriptions. Pharmacy patients can also access multilingual support, including oral translation services and prescription labels available in multiple languages, to help ensure medication instructions are clear and easy to follow. For those who may need a clinical evaluation, Walgreens Virtual Healthcare offers on-demand urgent care with licensed clinicians, available seven days a week from 8 a.m.–midnight ET—no subscription or insurance required.
With locations throughout the Philadelphia area, Walgreens helps fans get what they need before kickoff or after the final whistle. Customers can also take advantage of 1-hour Delivery and 30-minute Pickup for added convenience on busy game days.*
Store and pharmacy hours may vary by location and are subject to change. Customers are encouraged to visit the Walgreens store locator at Walgreens.com for the most up-to-date information.
About Walgreens
Founded in 1901, Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) proudly serves more than 9 million customers and patients each day across its nearly 8,000 stores throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Walgreens has approximately 211,000 team members, including roughly 85,000 healthcare service providers, and is committed to being the first choice for pharmacy, retail and health services, building trusted relationships that create healthier futures for customers, patients, team members and communities.
*Delivery in as little as 1 hour based on national averages, actual times may vary. Exclusions and restrictions apply. Orders $35 or more (after promo codes and paperless coupons are applied and before taxes) qualify for free delivery. 1-hour Delivery is available daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and, during extended hours, 30 minutes after opening until one hour prior to closing, for eligible items. However, delivery hours and order cut-off times may vary by store location. Some deliveries may not be eligible for 1-hour Delivery or Delivery in as little as 1 hour due to delivery address, holidays, weather or other delivery constraints. Prescriptions are not eligible for 1-hour Delivery but may be eligible for delivery through Walgreens Express®. At this time, delivery of orders containing alcohol is limited to select IL and FL stores. Available delivery hours for select age-restricted items may vary by store location. Deliveries must either be entirely accepted or rejected. No partial order acceptance is permitted. Most deliveries do not require an individual's presence or signature. However, if your order contains an age-restricted item, you will be required to show a valid government ID to verify age. A signature may also be required to accept orders containing alcohol.
Pickup in as little as 30 minutes based on national averages, actual times may vary. Exclusions and restrictions apply. Pickup or 30-minute Pickup is available for eligible items when your order is $10 or more (after promo codes and paperless coupons are applied and before taxes). There is no additional fee for pickup. For Walgreens store locations that are not open 24 hours, orders must be placed at least one hour prior to store closing to be eligible for same-day pickup. Otherwise, the order will be ready the next business day. You will receive an email or text (if opted in) when your order is ready for pickup. Orders are not guaranteed to be ready within the 30-minute time window. We will notify you if there is a delay and will hold your order for 72 hours before canceling. Depending on your selected pickup store, you may have up to three options for pickup: curbside, drive-thru or in-store pickup. Orders containing prescriptions may be picked up at the pharmacy counter or drive-thru. Select items (e.g., liquids, perishables, bulky items) are not compatible with drive-thru pickup. If your order contains such an item, you may be asked to pick it up curbside or in store. Orders containing age-restricted items are not eligible for curbside pickup. If your order contains age-restricted items, you will need to pick up your order in store or at the drive-thru and provide a valid government ID to verify your age. Available pickup hours for select age-restricted items may vary by store location.
DEERFIELD, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As millions of fans travel to FIFA World Cup 2026™ matches in the U.S. this summer, Walgreens is making it easier to stay prepared, energized and healthy with convenient access to game-day essentials and trusted pharmacy services.
Whether heading to the stadium or wrapping up a late match, Walgreens offers fans in Los Angeles a one-stop destination for official licensed products of the FIFA World Cup 26™ and necessities like water, snacks, sunscreen, over-the-counter remedies, plus pharmacist support for customers managing their health while away from home.
Walgreens pharmacists can help travelers stay on track with their medications by transferring or refilling eligible prescriptions. Pharmacy patients can also access multilingual support, including oral translation services and prescription labels available in multiple languages, to help ensure medication instructions are clear and easy to follow. For those who may need a clinical evaluation, Walgreens Virtual Healthcare offers on-demand urgent care with licensed clinicians, available seven days a week from 5 a.m.–9 p.m. PT—no subscription or insurance required.
With locations throughout the LA area, including select stores open for extended hours during the tournament, Walgreens helps fans get what they need before kickoff or after the final whistle. Customers can also take advantage of 1-hour Delivery and 30-minute Pickup for added convenience on busy game days.*
Store and pharmacy hours may vary by location and are subject to change. Customers are encouraged to visit the Walgreens store locator at Walgreens.com for the most up-to-date information.
Walgreens stores offering extended hours include:
June 11–July 10, 2026
3331 W Century Blvd
Inglewood, CA 90303
7 a.m.–midnight PT
230 N La Brea Ave
Inglewood, CA 90301
8 a.m.–midnight PT
June 11–July 22, 2026
11983 Hawthorne Blvd
Hawthorne, CA 90250
7 a.m.–midnight PT
About Walgreens
Founded in 1901, Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) proudly serves more than 9 million customers and patients each day across its nearly 8,000 stores throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Walgreens has approximately 211,000 team members, including roughly 85,000 healthcare service providers, and is committed to being the first choice for pharmacy, retail and health services, building trusted relationships that create healthier futures for customers, patients, team members and communities.
*Delivery in as little as 1 hour based on national averages, actual times may vary. Exclusions and restrictions apply. Orders $35 or more (after promo codes and paperless coupons are applied and before taxes) qualify for free delivery. 1-hour Delivery is available daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and, during extended hours, 30 minutes after opening until one hour prior to closing, for eligible items. However, delivery hours and order cut-off times may vary by store location. Some deliveries may not be eligible for 1-hour Delivery or Delivery in as little as 1 hour due to delivery address, holidays, weather or other delivery constraints. Prescriptions are not eligible for 1-hour Delivery but may be eligible for delivery through Walgreens Express®. At this time, delivery of orders containing alcohol is limited to select IL and FL stores. Available delivery hours for select age-restricted items may vary by store location. Deliveries must either be entirely accepted or rejected. No partial order acceptance is permitted. Most deliveries do not require an individual's presence or signature. However, if your order contains an age-restricted item, you will be required to show a valid government ID to verify age. A signature may also be required to accept orders containing alcohol.
Pickup in as little as 30 minutes based on national averages, actual times may vary. Exclusions and restrictions apply. Pickup or 30-minute Pickup is available for eligible items when your order is $10 or more (after promo codes and paperless coupons are applied and before taxes). There is no additional fee for pickup. For Walgreens store locations that are not open 24 hours, orders must be placed at least one hour prior to store closing to be eligible for same-day pickup. Otherwise, the order will be ready the next business day. You will receive an email or text (if opted in) when your order is ready for pickup. Orders are not guaranteed to be ready within the 30-minute time window. We will notify you if there is a delay and will hold your order for 72 hours before canceling. Depending on your selected pickup store, you may have up to three options for pickup: curbside, drive-thru or in-store pickup. Orders containing prescriptions may be picked up at the pharmacy counter or drive-thru. Select items (e.g., liquids, perishables, bulky items) are not compatible with drive-thru pickup. If your order contains such an item, you may be asked to pick it up curbside or in store. Orders containing age-restricted items are not eligible for curbside pickup. If your order contains age-restricted items, you will need to pick up your order in store or at the drive-thru and provide a valid government ID to verify your age. Available pickup hours for select age-restricted items may vary by store location.
DEERFIELD, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As millions of fans travel to FIFA World Cup 2026™ matches in the U.S. this summer, Walgreens is making it easier to stay prepared, energized and healthy with convenient access to game-day essentials and trusted pharmacy services.
Whether heading to the stadium or wrapping up a late match, Walgreens offers fans in Seattle a one-stop destination for official licensed products of the FIFA World Cup 26™ and necessities like water, snacks, sunscreen, over-the-counter remedies, plus pharmacist support for customers managing their health while away from home.
Walgreens pharmacists can help travelers stay on track with their medications by transferring or refilling eligible prescriptions. Pharmacy patients can also access multilingual support, including oral translation services and prescription labels available in multiple languages, to help ensure medication instructions are clear and easy to follow. For those who may need a clinical evaluation, Walgreens Virtual Healthcare offers on-demand urgent care with licensed clinicians, available seven days a week from 5 a.m.–9 p.m. PT—no subscription or insurance required.
With locations throughout the Seattle area, including multiple stores open for extended hours during the tournament, Walgreens helps fans get what they need before kickoff or after the final whistle. Customers can also take advantage of 1-hour Delivery and 30-minute Pickup for added convenience on busy game days.*
Store and pharmacy hours may vary by location and are subject to change. Customers are encouraged to visit the Walgreens store locator at Walgreens.com for the most up-to-date information.
Walgreens stores offering extended hours from June 11–July 22, 2026 include:
222 Pike St
Seattle, WA 98101
Mon–Fri 7 a.m.–midnight PT
Sat–Sun 7 a.m.–8 p.m. PT
566 Denny Way
Seattle, WA 98109
Mon–Fri 7 a.m.–midnight PT
Sat–Sun 7 a.m.–9 p.m. PT
951 Mercer St
Seattle, WA 98109
Mon–Fri 8 a.m.–midnight PT
Sat–Sun 8 a.m.–9 p.m. PT
About Walgreens
Founded in 1901, Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) proudly serves more than 9 million customers and patients each day across its nearly 8,000 stores throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Walgreens has approximately 211,000 team members, including roughly 85,000 healthcare service providers, and is committed to being the first choice for pharmacy, retail and health services, building trusted relationships that create healthier futures for customers, patients, team members and communities.
*Delivery in as little as 1 hour based on national averages, actual times may vary. Exclusions and restrictions apply. Orders $35 or more (after promo codes and paperless coupons are applied and before taxes) qualify for free delivery. 1-hour Delivery is available daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and, during extended hours, 30 minutes after opening until one hour prior to closing, for eligible items. However, delivery hours and order cut-off times may vary by store location. Some deliveries may not be eligible for 1-hour Delivery or Delivery in as little as 1 hour due to delivery address, holidays, weather or other delivery constraints. Prescriptions are not eligible for 1-hour Delivery but may be eligible for delivery through Walgreens Express®. At this time, delivery of orders containing alcohol is limited to select IL and FL stores. Available delivery hours for select age-restricted items may vary by store location. Deliveries must either be entirely accepted or rejected. No partial order acceptance is permitted. Most deliveries do not require an individual's presence or signature. However, if your order contains an age-restricted item, you will be required to show a valid government ID to verify age. A signature may also be required to accept orders containing alcohol.
Pickup in as little as 30 minutes based on national averages, actual times may vary. Exclusions and restrictions apply. Pickup or 30-minute Pickup is available for eligible items when your order is $10 or more (after promo codes and paperless coupons are applied and before taxes). There is no additional fee for pickup. For Walgreens store locations that are not open 24 hours, orders must be placed at least one hour prior to store closing to be eligible for same-day pickup. Otherwise, the order will be ready the next business day. You will receive an email or text (if opted in) when your order is ready for pickup. Orders are not guaranteed to be ready within the 30-minute time window. We will notify you if there is a delay and will hold your order for 72 hours before canceling. Depending on your selected pickup store, you may have up to three options for pickup: curbside, drive-thru or in-store pickup. Orders containing prescriptions may be picked up at the pharmacy counter or drive-thru. Select items (e.g., liquids, perishables, bulky items) are not compatible with drive-thru pickup. If your order contains such an item, you may be asked to pick it up curbside or in store. Orders containing age-restricted items are not eligible for curbside pickup. If your order contains age-restricted items, you will need to pick up your order in store or at the drive-thru and provide a valid government ID to verify your age. Available pickup hours for select age-restricted items may vary by store location.
DEERFIELD, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As millions of fans travel to FIFA World Cup 2026™ matches in the U.S. this summer, Walgreens is making it easier to stay prepared, energized and healthy with convenient access to game-day essentials and trusted pharmacy services.
Whether heading to the stadium or wrapping up a late match, Walgreens offers fans in Atlanta a one-stop destination for official licensed products of the FIFA World Cup 26™ and necessities like water, snacks, sunscreen, over-the-counter remedies, plus pharmacist support for customers managing their health while away from home.
Walgreens pharmacists can help travelers stay on track with their medications by transferring or refilling eligible prescriptions. Pharmacy patients can also access multilingual support, including oral translation services and prescription labels available in multiple languages, to help ensure medication instructions are clear and easy to follow. For those who may need a clinical evaluation, Walgreens Virtual Healthcare offers on-demand urgent care with licensed clinicians, available seven days a week from 8 a.m.–midnight ET—no subscription or insurance required.
With locations throughout the Atlanta area, including stores open for extended hours during the tournament, Walgreens helps fans get what they need before kickoff or after the final whistle. Customers can also take advantage of 1-hour Delivery and 30-minute Pickup for added convenience on busy game days.*
Store and pharmacy hours may vary by location and are subject to change. Customers are encouraged to visit the Walgreens store locator at Walgreens.com for the most up-to-date information.
Walgreens stores offering extended hours from June 11–July 22, 2026 include:
2711 Metropolitan Pkwy SW
Atlanta, GA 30315
7 a.m.–midnight ET
3658 Roswell Rd NW
Atlanta, GA 30342
7 a.m.–midnight ET
1100 Hammond Dr
Atlanta, GA 30328
7 a.m.–midnight ET
585 Dekalb Industrial Way
Decatur, GA 30033
7 a.m.–midnight ET
5201 Lavista Rd
Tucker, GA 30084
8 a.m.–midnight ET
2975 Delk Rd SE
Marietta, GA 30067
7 a.m.–midnight ET
590 Thornton Rd
Lithia Springs, GA 30122
8 a.m.–midnight ET
About Walgreens
Founded in 1901, Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) proudly serves more than 9 million customers and patients each day across its nearly 8,000 stores throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Walgreens has approximately 211,000 team members, including roughly 85,000 healthcare service providers, and is committed to being the first choice for pharmacy, retail and health services, building trusted relationships that create healthier futures for customers, patients, team members and communities.
*Delivery in as little as 1 hour based on national averages, actual times may vary. Exclusions and restrictions apply. Orders $35 or more (after promo codes and paperless coupons are applied and before taxes) qualify for free delivery. 1-hour Delivery is available daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and, during extended hours, 30 minutes after opening until one hour prior to closing, for eligible items. However, delivery hours and order cut-off times may vary by store location. Some deliveries may not be eligible for 1-hour Delivery or Delivery in as little as 1 hour due to delivery address, holidays, weather or other delivery constraints. Prescriptions are not eligible for 1-hour Delivery but may be eligible for delivery through Walgreens Express®. At this time, delivery of orders containing alcohol is limited to select IL and FL stores. Available delivery hours for select age-restricted items may vary by store location. Deliveries must either be entirely accepted or rejected. No partial order acceptance is permitted. Most deliveries do not require an individual's presence or signature. However, if your order contains an age-restricted item, you will be required to show a valid government ID to verify age. A signature may also be required to accept orders containing alcohol.
Pickup in as little as 30 minutes based on national averages, actual times may vary. Exclusions and restrictions apply. Pickup or 30-minute Pickup is available for eligible items when your order is $10 or more (after promo codes and paperless coupons are applied and before taxes). There is no additional fee for pickup. For Walgreens store locations that are not open 24 hours, orders must be placed at least one hour prior to store closing to be eligible for same-day pickup. Otherwise, the order will be ready the next business day. You will receive an email or text (if opted in) when your order is ready for pickup. Orders are not guaranteed to be ready within the 30-minute time window. We will notify you if there is a delay and will hold your order for 72 hours before canceling. Depending on your selected pickup store, you may have up to three options for pickup: curbside, drive-thru or in-store pickup. Orders containing prescriptions may be picked up at the pharmacy counter or drive-thru. Select items (e.g., liquids, perishables, bulky items) are not compatible with drive-thru pickup. If your order contains such an item, you may be asked to pick it up curbside or in store. Orders containing age-restricted items are not eligible for curbside pickup. If your order contains age-restricted items, you will need to pick up your order in store or at the drive-thru and provide a valid government ID to verify your age. Available pickup hours for select age-restricted items may vary by store location.
DEERFIELD, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As millions of fans travel to FIFA World Cup 2026™ matches in the U.S. this summer, Walgreens is making it easier to stay prepared, energized and healthy with convenient access to game-day essentials and trusted pharmacy services.
Whether heading to the stadium or wrapping up a late match, Walgreens offers fans in Massachusetts a one-stop destination for official licensed products of the FIFA World Cup 26™ and necessities like water, snacks, sunscreen, over-the-counter remedies, plus pharmacist support for customers managing their health while away from home.
Walgreens pharmacists can help travelers stay on track with their medications by transferring or refilling eligible prescriptions. Pharmacy patients can also access multilingual support, including oral translation services and prescription labels available in multiple languages, to help ensure medication instructions are clear and easy to follow. For those who may need a clinical evaluation, Walgreens Virtual Healthcare offers on-demand urgent care with licensed clinicians, available seven days a week from 8 a.m.–midnight ET—no subscription or insurance required.
With locations across the greater Boston area, including select stores open for extended hours throughout the tournament, Walgreens helps fans get what they need before kickoff or after the final whistle. Customers can also take advantage of 1-hour Delivery and 30-minute Pickup for added convenience on busy game days.*
Store and pharmacy hours may vary by location and are subject to change. Customers are encouraged to visit the Walgreens store locator at Walgreens.com for the most up-to-date information.
Walgreens stores offering extended hours from June 11–July 22, 2026 include:
24 School St
Boston, MA 02108
7 a.m.–midnight ET
841 Boylston St
Boston, MA 02116
7 a.m.–midnight ET
About Walgreens
Founded in 1901, Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) proudly serves more than 9 million customers and patients each day across its nearly 8,000 stores throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Walgreens has approximately 211,000 team members, including roughly 85,000 healthcare service providers, and is committed to being the first choice for pharmacy, retail and health services, building trusted relationships that create healthier futures for customers, patients, team members and communities.
*Delivery in as little as 1 hour based on national averages, actual times may vary. Exclusions and restrictions apply. Orders $35 or more (after promo codes and paperless coupons are applied and before taxes) qualify for free delivery. 1-hour Delivery is available daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and, during extended hours, 30 minutes after opening until one hour prior to closing, for eligible items. However, delivery hours and order cut-off times may vary by store location. Some deliveries may not be eligible for 1-hour Delivery or Delivery in as little as 1 hour due to delivery address, holidays, weather or other delivery constraints. Prescriptions are not eligible for 1-hour Delivery but may be eligible for delivery through Walgreens Express®. At this time, delivery of orders containing alcohol is limited to select IL and FL stores. Available delivery hours for select age-restricted items may vary by store location. Deliveries must either be entirely accepted or rejected. No partial order acceptance is permitted. Most deliveries do not require an individual's presence or signature. However, if your order contains an age-restricted item, you will be required to show a valid government ID to verify age. A signature may also be required to accept orders containing alcohol.
Pickup in as little as 30 minutes based on national averages, actual times may vary. Exclusions and restrictions apply. Pickup or 30-minute Pickup is available for eligible items when your order is $10 or more (after promo codes and paperless coupons are applied and before taxes). There is no additional fee for pickup. For Walgreens store locations that are not open 24 hours, orders must be placed at least one hour prior to store closing to be eligible for same-day pickup. Otherwise, the order will be ready the next business day. You will receive an email or text (if opted in) when your order is ready for pickup. Orders are not guaranteed to be ready within the 30-minute time window. We will notify you if there is a delay and will hold your order for 72 hours before canceling. Depending on your selected pickup store, you may have up to three options for pickup: curbside, drive-thru or in-store pickup. Orders containing prescriptions may be picked up at the pharmacy counter or drive-thru. Select items (e.g., liquids, perishables, bulky items) are not compatible with drive-thru pickup. If your order contains such an item, you may be asked to pick it up curbside or in store. Orders containing age-restricted items are not eligible for curbside pickup. If your order contains age-restricted items, you will need to pick up your order in store or at the drive-thru and provide a valid government ID to verify your age. Available pickup hours for select age-restricted items may vary by store location.
DEERFIELD, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As millions of fans travel to FIFA World Cup 2026™ matches in the U.S. this summer, Walgreens is making it easier to stay prepared, energized and healthy with convenient access to game-day essentials and trusted pharmacy services.
Whether heading to the stadium or wrapping up a late match, Walgreens offers fans in Kansas City a one-stop destination for official licensed products of the FIFA World Cup 26™ and necessities like water, snacks, sunscreen, over-the-counter remedies, plus pharmacist support for customers managing their health while away from home.
Walgreens pharmacists can help travelers stay on track with their medications by transferring or refilling eligible prescriptions. Pharmacy patients can also access multilingual support, including oral translation services and prescription labels available in multiple languages, to help ensure medication instructions are clear and easy to follow. For those who may need a clinical evaluation, Walgreens Virtual Healthcare offers on-demand urgent care with licensed clinicians, available seven days a week from 7 a.m.–11 p.m. CT—no subscription or insurance required.
With locations throughout the Kansas City area, Walgreens helps fans get what they need before kickoff or after the final whistle. Customers can also take advantage of 1-hour Delivery and 30-minute Pickup for added convenience on busy game days.*
Store and pharmacy hours may vary by location and are subject to change. Customers are encouraged to visit the Walgreens store locator at Walgreens.com for the most up-to-date information.
To support game-day demand, Walgreens is extending hours at the following Kansas City store from June 11–July 22, 2026:
2501 E Linwood Blvd
Kansas City, MO 64128
Mon–Fri 8 a.m.–midnight CT
Sat–Sun 8 a.m.–8 p.m. CT
About Walgreens
Founded in 1901, Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) proudly serves more than 9 million customers and patients each day across its nearly 8,000 stores throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Walgreens has approximately 211,000 team members, including roughly 85,000 healthcare service providers, and is committed to being the first choice for pharmacy, retail and health services, building trusted relationships that create healthier futures for customers, patients, team members and communities.
*Delivery in as little as 1 hour based on national averages, actual times may vary. Exclusions and restrictions apply. Orders $35 or more (after promo codes and paperless coupons are applied and before taxes) qualify for free delivery. 1-hour Delivery is available daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and, during extended hours, 30 minutes after opening until one hour prior to closing, for eligible items. However, delivery hours and order cut-off times may vary by store location. Some deliveries may not be eligible for 1-hour Delivery or Delivery in as little as 1 hour due to delivery address, holidays, weather or other delivery constraints. Prescriptions are not eligible for 1-hour Delivery but may be eligible for delivery through Walgreens Express®. At this time, delivery of orders containing alcohol is limited to select IL and FL stores. Available delivery hours for select age-restricted items may vary by store location. Deliveries must either be entirely accepted or rejected. No partial order acceptance is permitted. Most deliveries do not require an individual's presence or signature. However, if your order contains an age-restricted item, you will be required to show a valid government ID to verify age. A signature may also be required to accept orders containing alcohol.
Pickup in as little as 30 minutes based on national averages, actual times may vary. Exclusions and restrictions apply. Pickup or 30-minute Pickup is available for eligible items when your order is $10 or more (after promo codes and paperless coupons are applied and before taxes). There is no additional fee for pickup. For Walgreens store locations that are not open 24 hours, orders must be placed at least one hour prior to store closing to be eligible for same-day pickup. Otherwise, the order will be ready the next business day. You will receive an email or text (if opted in) when your order is ready for pickup. Orders are not guaranteed to be ready within the 30-minute time window. We will notify you if there is a delay and will hold your order for 72 hours before canceling. Depending on your selected pickup store, you may have up to three options for pickup: curbside, drive-thru or in-store pickup. Orders containing prescriptions may be picked up at the pharmacy counter or drive-thru. Select items (e.g., liquids, perishables, bulky items) are not compatible with drive-thru pickup. If your order contains such an item, you may be asked to pick it up curbside or in store. Orders containing age-restricted items are not eligible for curbside pickup. If your order contains age-restricted items, you will need to pick up your order in store or at the drive-thru and provide a valid government ID to verify your age. Available pickup hours for select age-restricted items may vary by store location.
DEERFIELD, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As millions of fans travel to FIFA World Cup 2026™ matches in the U.S. this summer, Walgreens is making it easier to stay prepared, energized and healthy with convenient access to game-day essentials and trusted pharmacy services.
Whether heading to the stadium or wrapping up a late match, Walgreens offers fans in the Bay Area a one-stop destination for official licensed products of the FIFA World Cup 26™ and necessities like water, snacks, sunscreen, over-the-counter remedies, plus pharmacist support for customers managing their health while away from home.
Walgreens pharmacists can help travelers stay on track with their medications by transferring or refilling eligible prescriptions. Pharmacy patients can also access multilingual support, including oral translation services and prescription labels available in multiple languages, to help ensure medication instructions are clear and easy to follow. For those who may need a clinical evaluation, Walgreens Virtual Healthcare offers on-demand urgent care with licensed clinicians, available seven days a week from 5 a.m.–9 p.m. PT—no subscription or insurance required.
With locations throughout the Bay Area, including many open for extended hours during the tournament, Walgreens helps fans get what they need before kickoff or after the final whistle. Customers can also take advantage of 1-hour Delivery and 30-minute Pickup for added convenience on busy game days.*
Store and pharmacy hours may vary by location and are subject to change. Customers are encouraged to visit the Walgreens store locator at Walgreens.com for the most up-to-date information.
Walgreens stores offering extended hours from June 11–July 22, 2026 include:
2140 El Camino Real
Santa Clara, CA 95050
7 a.m.–midnight PT
3460 El Camino Real
Santa Clara, CA 95051
7 a.m.–midnight PT
105 E El Camino Real
Sunnyvale, CA 94087
7 a.m.–midnight PT
1399 W San Carlos St
San Jose, CA 95126
7 a.m.–midnight PT
780 E Santa Clara St
San Jose, CA 95112
7 a.m.–midnight PT
1130 Bird Ave
San Jose, CA 95125
7 a.m.–midnight PT
342 W Calaveras Blvd
Milpitas, CA 95035
7 a.m.–midnight PT
670 4th St
San Francisco, CA 94107
Mon–Fri 7 a.m.–midnight PT
Sat–Sun 8 a.m.–midnight PT
1301 Market St
San Francisco, CA 94103
Mon–Fri 8 a.m.–midnight PT
Sat–Sun 8 a.m.–8 p.m. PT
459 Powell St
San Francisco, CA 94102
7 a.m.–midnight PT
2690 Mission St
San Francisco, CA 94110
7 a.m.–midnight PT
2145 Market St
San Francisco, CA 94114
7 a.m.–midnight PT
1899 Fillmore St
San Francisco, CA 94115
Mon–Fri 7 a.m.–midnight PT
Saturday 7 a.m.–midnight PT
Sunday 8 a.m.–midnight PT
2120 Polk St
San Francisco, CA 94109
7 a.m.–midnight PT
1524 Polk St
San Francisco, CA 94109
7 a.m.–midnight PT
1175 Columbus Ave
San Francisco, CA 94133
7 a.m.–midnight PT
2141 Chestnut St
San Francisco, CA 94123
7 a.m.–midnight PT
3250 Lakeshore Ave
Oakland, CA 94610
7 a.m.–midnight PT
1916 Webster St
Alameda, CA 94501
7 a.m.–midnight PT
About Walgreens
Founded in 1901, Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) proudly serves more than 9 million customers and patients each day across its nearly 8,000 stores throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Walgreens has approximately 211,000 team members, including roughly 85,000 healthcare service providers, and is committed to being the first choice for pharmacy, retail and health services, building trusted relationships that create healthier futures for customers, patients, team members and communities.
*Delivery in as little as 1 hour based on national averages, actual times may vary. Exclusions and restrictions apply. Orders $35 or more (after promo codes and paperless coupons are applied and before taxes) qualify for free delivery. 1-hour Delivery is available daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and, during extended hours, 30 minutes after opening until one hour prior to closing, for eligible items. However, delivery hours and order cut-off times may vary by store location. Some deliveries may not be eligible for 1-hour Delivery or Delivery in as little as 1 hour due to delivery address, holidays, weather or other delivery constraints. Prescriptions are not eligible for 1-hour Delivery but may be eligible for delivery through Walgreens Express®. At this time, delivery of orders containing alcohol is limited to select IL and FL stores. Available delivery hours for select age-restricted items may vary by store location. Deliveries must either be entirely accepted or rejected. No partial order acceptance is permitted. Most deliveries do not require an individual's presence or signature. However, if your order contains an age-restricted item, you will be required to show a valid government ID to verify age. A signature may also be required to accept orders containing alcohol.
DEERFIELD, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As millions of fans travel to FIFA World Cup 2026™ matches in the U.S. this summer, Walgreens is making it easier to stay prepared, energized and healthy with convenient access to game-day essentials and trusted pharmacy services.
Whether heading to the stadium or wrapping up a late match, Walgreens offers fans in Houston a one-stop destination for official licensed products of the FIFA World Cup 26™ and necessities like water, snacks, sunscreen, over-the-counter remedies, plus pharmacist support for customers managing their health while away from home.
Walgreens pharmacists can help travelers stay on track with their medications by transferring or refilling eligible prescriptions. Pharmacy patients can also access multilingual support, including oral translation services and prescription labels available in multiple languages, to help ensure medication instructions are clear and easy to follow. For those who may need a clinical evaluation, Walgreens Virtual Healthcare offers on-demand urgent care with licensed clinicians, available seven days a week from 7 a.m.–11 p.m. CT—no subscription or insurance required.
With locations throughout the Houston area, including multiple stores open for extended hours during the tournament, Walgreens helps fans get what they need before kickoff or after the final whistle. Customers can also take advantage of 1-hour Delivery and 30-minute Pickup for added convenience on busy game days.*
Store and pharmacy hours may vary by location and are subject to change. Customers are encouraged to visit the Walgreens store locator at Walgreens.com for the most up-to-date information.
Walgreens stores offering extended hours from June 11–July 22, 2026 include:
7929 Kirby Dr
Houston, TX 77054
7 a.m.–midnight CT
2605 W Holcombe Blvd
Houston, TX 77025
7 a.m.–midnight CT
8413 Stella Link Rd
Houston, TX 77025
7 a.m.–midnight CT
2612 Smith St
Houston, TX 77006
Mon–Fri 8 a.m.–midnight CT
Saturday 8 a.m.–10 p.m. CT
Sunday 9 a.m.–9 p.m. CT
Founded in 1901, Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) proudly serves more than 9 million customers and patients each day across its nearly 8,000 stores throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Walgreens has approximately 211,000 team members, including roughly 85,000 healthcare service providers, and is committed to being the first choice for pharmacy, retail and health services, building trusted relationships that create healthier futures for customers, patients, team members and communities.
*Delivery in as little as 1 hour based on national averages, actual times may vary. Exclusions and restrictions apply. Orders $35 or more (after promo codes and paperless coupons are applied and before taxes) qualify for free delivery. 1-hour Delivery is available daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and, during extended hours, 30 minutes after opening until one hour prior to closing, for eligible items. However, delivery hours and order cut-off times may vary by store location. Some deliveries may not be eligible for 1-hour Delivery or Delivery in as little as 1 hour due to delivery address, holidays, weather or other delivery constraints. Prescriptions are not eligible for 1-hour Delivery but may be eligible for delivery through Walgreens Express®. At this time, delivery of orders containing alcohol is limited to select IL and FL stores. Available delivery hours for select age-restricted items may vary by store location. Deliveries must either be entirely accepted or rejected. No partial order acceptance is permitted. Most deliveries do not require an individual's presence or signature. However, if your order contains an age-restricted item, you will be required to show a valid government ID to verify age. A signature may also be required to accept orders containing alcohol.
Pickup in as little as 30 minutes based on national averages, actual times may vary. Exclusions and restrictions apply. Pickup or 30-minute Pickup is available for eligible items when your order is $10 or more (after promo codes and paperless coupons are applied and before taxes). There is no additional fee for pickup. For Walgreens store locations that are not open 24 hours, orders must be placed at least one hour prior to store closing to be eligible for same-day pickup. Otherwise, the order will be ready the next business day. You will receive an email or text (if opted in) when your order is ready for pickup. Orders are not guaranteed to be ready within the 30-minute time window. We will notify you if there is a delay and will hold your order for 72 hours before canceling. Depending on your selected pickup store, you may have up to three options for pickup: curbside, drive-thru or in-store pickup. Orders containing prescriptions may be picked up at the pharmacy counter or drive-thru. Select items (e.g., liquids, perishables, bulky items) are not compatible with drive-thru pickup. If your order contains such an item, you may be asked to pick it up curbside or in store. Orders containing age-restricted items are not eligible for curbside pickup. If your order contains age-restricted items, you will need to pick up your order in store or at the drive-thru and provide a valid government ID to verify your age. Available pickup hours for select age-restricted items may vary by store location.
DEERFIELD, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As millions of fans travel to FIFA World Cup 2026™ matches in the U.S. this summer, Walgreens is making it easier to stay prepared, energized and healthy with convenient access to game-day essentials and trusted pharmacy services.
Whether heading to the stadium or wrapping up a late match, Walgreens offers fans in Dallas a one-stop destination for official licensed products of the FIFA World Cup 26™ and necessities like water, snacks, sunscreen, over-the-counter remedies, plus pharmacist support for customers managing their health while away from home.
Walgreens pharmacists can help travelers stay on track with their medications by transferring or refilling eligible prescriptions. Pharmacy patients can also access multilingual support, including oral translation services and prescription labels available in multiple languages, to help ensure medication instructions are clear and easy to follow. For those who may need a clinical evaluation, Walgreens Virtual Healthcare offers on-demand urgent care with licensed clinicians, available seven days a week from 7 a.m.–11 p.m. CT—no subscription or insurance required.
With locations across the Dallas-Fort Worth area, including several stores open for extended hours throughout the tournament, Walgreens helps fans get what they need before kickoff or after the final whistle. Customers can also take advantage of 1-hour Delivery and 30-minute Pickup for added convenience on busy game days.*
Store and pharmacy hours may vary by location and are subject to change. Customers are encouraged to visit the Walgreens store locator at Walgreens.com for the most up-to-date information.
Walgreens stores offering extended hours from June 11–July 22, 2026 include:
1020 N Collins St
Arlington, TX 76011
Mon–Fri 8 a.m.–midnight CT
Sat–Sun 8 a.m.–9 p.m. CT
1116 W Lamar Blvd
Arlington, TX 76012
8 a.m.–midnight CT
2200 E Pioneer Pkwy
Arlington, TX 76010
7 a.m.–midnight CT
921 Henderson St
Fort Worth, TX 76102
Mon–Fri 7 a.m.–midnight CT
Sat–Sun 8 a.m.–midnight CT
1461 Robert B Cullum Blvd
Dallas, TX 75210
7 a.m.–midnight CT
2901 E Broad St
Mansfield, TX 76063
7 a.m.–midnight CT
About Walgreens
Founded in 1901, Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) proudly serves more than 9 million customers and patients each day across its nearly 8,000 stores throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Walgreens has approximately 211,000 team members, including roughly 85,000 healthcare service providers, and is committed to being the first choice for pharmacy, retail and health services, building trusted relationships that create healthier futures for customers, patients, team members and communities.
*Delivery in as little as 1 hour based on national averages, actual times may vary. Exclusions and restrictions apply. Orders $35 or more (after promo codes and paperless coupons are applied and before taxes) qualify for free delivery. 1-hour Delivery is available daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and, during extended hours, 30 minutes after opening until one hour prior to closing, for eligible items. However, delivery hours and order cut-off times may vary by store location. Some deliveries may not be eligible for 1-hour Delivery or Delivery in as little as 1 hour due to delivery address, holidays, weather or other delivery constraints. Prescriptions are not eligible for 1-hour Delivery but may be eligible for delivery through Walgreens Express®. At this time, delivery of orders containing alcohol is limited to select IL and FL stores. Available delivery hours for select age-restricted items may vary by store location. Deliveries must either be entirely accepted or rejected. No partial order acceptance is permitted. Most deliveries do not require an individual's presence or signature. However, if your order contains an age-restricted item, you will be required to show a valid government ID to verify age. A signature may also be required to accept orders containing alcohol.
Pickup in as little as 30 minutes based on national averages, actual times may vary. Exclusions and restrictions apply. Pickup or 30-minute Pickup is available for eligible items when your order is $10 or more (after promo codes and paperless coupons are applied and before taxes). There is no additional fee for pickup. For Walgreens store locations that are not open 24 hours, orders must be placed at least one hour prior to store closing to be eligible for same-day pickup. Otherwise, the order will be ready the next business day. You will receive an email or text (if opted in) when your order is ready for pickup. Orders are not guaranteed to be ready within the 30-minute time window. We will notify you if there is a delay and will hold your order for 72 hours before canceling. Depending on your selected pickup store, you may have up to three options for pickup: curbside, drive-thru or in-store pickup. Orders containing prescriptions may be picked up at the pharmacy counter or drive-thru. Select items (e.g., liquids, perishables, bulky items) are not compatible with drive-thru pickup. If your order contains such an item, you may be asked to pick it up curbside or in store. Orders containing age-restricted items are not eligible for curbside pickup. If your order contains age-restricted items, you will need to pick up your order in store or at the drive-thru and provide a valid government ID to verify your age. Available pickup hours for select age-restricted items may vary by store location.
There's an old rhythm to markets that seasoned investors learn to respect, even if they can't always explain it.
One of the more durable patterns is the tendency for health care stocks to find their footing as spring turns to summer — a stretch when the rest of the market often grows skittish.
This year, that seasonal tailwind is arriving alongside a fundamental backdrop that makes the case for the sector unusually persuasive. For investors looking to add ballast without abandoning growth, health care deserves a long, serious look right now.
Health Care Stocks Appear Primed to Outperform Start with the seasonality itself, because it's more than folklore. The period of seasonal strength for the health care sector has historically run from late spring into the fall, a window that lines up with the major medical and scientific conferences that cluster during these seasons.
Those gatherings — where companies unveil clinical data, pipeline updates, and regulatory milestones — tend to generate a steady drumbeat of positive catalysts through the warmer months. Layered on top is the sector's defensive character: its relatively low correlation to broader equity swings makes it appealing precisely when summer volatility tends to pick up.
When investors get nervous, they reach for businesses whose demand doesn't evaporate when the economy wobbles, and few things are more recession-resistant than the prescriptions people fill regardless of what the GDP print says.
What makes 2026 different is the convergence of that seasonal pattern with a genuine rotation case. Several of the classic signals that push capital toward defensive sectors are flashing at once. Skepticism about the durability of technology capex has crept back into the conversation, and rate hikes are now a real possibility. Neither of these individually guarantees health care outperformance, but together they describe an environment in which defensives don't need a recession to shine.
It's also worth noting that 2026 is a midterm election year, and health care has historically tended to perform well in midterm years, partly because the policy overhangs that haunted the sector — drug-pricing reform, Affordable Care Act uncertainty, tariff worries — have largely been digested and clarified. With those clouds thinner than they've been in years, and with valuations across much of the group still reasonable relative to the earnings on offer, the setup is about as clean as defensive investors could hope for.
Stocks to WatchWithin the sector, two large-cap pharmaceutical names stand out as potential leaders, each for very different reasons. The first is Eli Lilly (LLY - Free Report) , which has become the closest thing the drug industry has to a hypergrowth story.
The numbers almost defy belief for a company of its size: Lilly delivered first-quarter 2026 revenue of $19.80 billion, up 56% year over year, with adjusted EPS of $8.55 crushing the roughly $7.06 the Street expected.
The engine, of course, is its incretin franchise — Mounjaro and Zepbound — which has propelled the company to a commanding position. Lilly held roughly 60% of the U.S. obesity and diabetes drug market in the first quarter, comfortably ahead of Novo Nordisk's 39%. Management was confident enough to raise full-year guidance, lifting the 2026 revenue outlook to a range of $82 billion to $85 billion and adjusted EPS to $35.50–$37.00.
For those who follow estimate momentum, the Zacks Consensus mark for Lilly's 2026 earnings has been revised sharply higher — currently at $35.67 — with 2027 estimates climbing in tandem.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The second potential leader, Merck (MRK - Free Report) , offers the value-and-stability counterweight to Lilly's growth profile — a reminder that "health care leadership" doesn't have to mean chasing the hottest theme.
Merck's first quarter was quietly solid: worldwide sales rose 5% to $16.29 billion, comfortably topping the $15.90 billion Zacks Consensus Estimate, with flagship oncology drug Keytruda generating nearly $8.0 billion, up 10%.
The company's Phase III pipeline has nearly tripled since 2021, it plans to launch 20 new drugs by 2030, and it has identified more than $70 billion in commercial opportunities beyond Keytruda. New products are already contributing. And when we pair that with a healthy dividend, Merck becomes the kind of name that can anchor a defensive sleeve while you wait for the pipeline to prove itself.
Image Source: StockCharts
Bottom LineOf course, seasonality is a tendency, not a promise — a sharp risk-on rally could leave defensives behind, as they sometimes do in roaring bull markets.
For Lilly, the estimate-revision trend has been decidedly positive, and a reasonable valuation for Merck cushions the downside. For investors thinking in seasons rather than days, the combination of a favorable calendar, a defensive rotation gathering momentum, cleared policy skies, and two well-positioned blue-chip leaders makes health care one of the more sensible places to lean as summer arrives.
Disclosure: LLY is a current holding in the Zacks Income Investor portfolio.
Funding will support advancement of gene therapy programs in animal health and longevity science
SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rejuvenate Bio, a biotechnology company developing gene therapies for age-related and chronic diseases, today announced the closing of a $6 million financing round led by VCapital, with participation from Merck Animal Health, Kendall Capital Partners, Connecticut Innovations and Digitalis.
In addition to the financing, Rejuvenate Bio and Merck Animal Health have entered into a strategic research and development collaboration focused on advancing a novel gene therapy program in animal health.
The funding will support continued development of Rejuvenate Bio’s platform and pipeline, including therapies designed to address chronic and age-associated diseases in companion animals.
“We believe gene therapy has the potential to fundamentally transform the treatment of chronic disease and age-related conditions,” said Daniel Oliver, CEO & Co-Founder, Rejuvenate Bio. “This financing and strategic collaboration with Merck Animal Health validates both the strength of our platform and the growing interest in innovative approaches to animal health. We are excited to work alongside leading investors and industry partners to accelerate the development of transformative therapies for veterinary medicine.”
The collaboration with Merck Animal Health will focus on advancing a targeted gene therapy program leveraging Rejuvenate Bio’s platform technologies and translational expertise.
“This investment reflects our ongoing commitment to partner with leading innovators to advance new capabilities in animal health,” said Jim McIntyre, head of business development, Merck Animal Health. “We are eager to partner with Rejuvenate Bio to explore potentially transformative technologies and therapeutics to market that address important unmet needs in veterinary medicine.”
Rejuvenate Bio is developing gene therapies aimed at extending healthy lifespan and treating chronic disease through targeted biological interventions. The company’s platform combines advances in gene delivery, translational biology, and longevity science to develop therapies for companion animals and, ultimately, human health applications.
About Rejuvenate Bio
Rejuvenate Bio is a biotechnology company dedicated to developing novel gene therapies for chronic age-related diseases. Rejuvenate Bio has built a gene therapy pipeline with huge potential in chronic disease by utilizing clinically validated gene targets and a delivery approach that ensures well tolerated, durable expression. Founded on scientific research developed at the Wyss Institute at Harvard Medical School, Rejuvenate Bio has developed groundbreaking therapies to treat chronic age-related disease in both humans and animals. The company is headquartered in San Diego, CA. For more information, visit www.rejuvenatebio.com.
