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Verizon Communications (VZ) fell 0.36% premarket after reporting second-quarter adjusted earnings of $1.30 a share, ahead of the $1.28 analysts expected, while

Key Takeaways Verizon beat Q2 EPS estimates, delivered record adjusted EBITDA and raised 2026 guidance.VZ added 184,000 postpaid phone users and 348,000 broadband subscribers, led by wireless and fiber growth.VZ expanded adjusted EBITDA margin to 40.1% as stronger service revenues. Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ - Free Report) reported adjusted earnings of $1.30 per share for the second quarter of 2026, up 6.6% year over year and ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.27 by 2.4%. Revenues of $34.25 billion declined 0.7% year over year and missed the consensus estimate of $35.26 billion by 2.9%.

The quarter reflected continued strength in profitability and subscriber trends. Verizon delivered 184,000 retail postpaid phone net additions, 348,000 broadband net additions and record adjusted EBITDA while raising its full-year 2026 guidance for the second consecutive quarter.

VZ Revenue Mix Shows Service-Led GrowthMobility and broadband service revenues increased 2.8% year over year to approximately $23.4 billion, supported by continued wireless and broadband momentum. However, total operating revenues slipped to $34.25 billion as wireless equipment revenues declined sharply amid lower upgrade activity and the company's disciplined approach to promotional spending.

Management noted that equipment revenues fell nearly 20%, or more than $1.2 billion, primarily because customers are holding onto devices longer and Verizon is reducing device subsidy spending. The improvement in higher-quality service revenue continued to offset part of this pressure.

Verizon Expands Profitability Despite Revenue PressureAdjusted EBITDA climbed 7.2% year over year to a record $13.7 billion, while adjusted EPS increased 6.6% to $1.30. The adjusted EBITDA margin expanded to 40.1% from 37.1% a year ago, reflecting stronger operating leverage and disciplined execution.

Reported profitability, however, reflected sizable special items. Net income declined 22.9% year over year to $3.95 billion, while GAAP EPS fell to 92 cents from $1.18. The decline primarily stemmed from $1.8 billion of pretax special charges, including losses related to business dispositions, asset rationalization and severance expenses.

VZ Subscriber Trends Continue to ImproveVerizon posted 184,000 postpaid phone net additions during the quarter, marking its strongest consumer second-quarter performance in five years. Core prepaid net additions totaled 73,000, extending the company's streak of positive prepaid subscriber growth to eight consecutive quarters.

Broadband remained another bright spot. The company added 348,000 broadband subscribers, including 193,000 fixed wireless access customers and 155,000 fiber broadband customers. Verizon ended the quarter with approximately 17.1 million fixed wireless access and fiber broadband connections while generating more than 550,000 combined mobility and broadband net additions during the quarter.

Verizon Generates Strong Cash FlowCash generation remained robust during the first half of 2026. Cash flow from operations increased 9.9% year over year to $18.4 billion, while free cash flow rose 16.0% to $10.2 billion. Second-quarter cash flow from operations advanced 16.3%, and free cash flow climbed 24.4%, underscoring the company's improving earnings quality.

Capital expenditures totaled $8.2 billion through the first half as Verizon continued investing in network expansion. The company also completed $3.5 billion of share repurchases year to date and raised its full-year buyback target to as much as $4.5 billion. Net unsecured debt stood at $128.7 billion at quarter-end, with the net unsecured debt-to-adjusted EBITDA ratio at 2.5 times.

VZ Raises 2026 Earnings Outlook AgainEncouraged by strong second-quarter execution, Verizon raised its full-year adjusted EPS outlook to $4.99-$5.04, representing 6-7% annual growth compared with its prior expectation of approximately $4.90-$4.95. The company also increased its mobility and broadband service revenue growth outlook to 2.5-3% from the prior 2-3% range.

Management now expects total retail postpaid phone net additions to finish in the upper half of its 750,000 to 1 million range. Verizon reaffirmed its capital expenditure outlook of $16-$16.5 billion while projecting cash flow from operations growth of approximately 2-4% and free cash flow growth of 9-10% for 2026.

VZ’s Zacks RankVZ currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Upcoming ReleasesArista Networks Inc. (ANET - Free Report) is scheduled to release second-quarter 2026 earnings on Aug. 8. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at 89 cents per share, suggesting growth of 21.92% from the year-ago reported figure.

Arista has a long-term earnings growth expectation of 19.86%. The company delivered an average earnings surprise of 8.31% in the last four reported quarters.

Amphenol Corporation (APH - Free Report) is set to release second-quarter 2026 earnings on July 29. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at $1.19 per share, implying growth of 46.91% from the year-ago reported figure.

Amphenol has a long-term earnings growth expectation of 24.01%. The company delivered an average earnings surprise of 14.08% in the last four reported quarters.

Corning Incorporated (GLW - Free Report) is set to release second-quarter 2026 earnings on July 28. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at 76 cents per share, implying growth of 26.67% from the year-ago reported figure.

Corning has a long-term earnings growth expectation of 23.89%. The company delivered an average earnings surprise of 2.41% in the last four reported quarters.

Telecom Earnings Reveal a Sector That Finally Looks HealthierVerizon Communications NYSE: VZ raised its full-year 2026 outlook for mobility and broadband service revenue, adjusted earnings per share and free cash flow after reporting improved subscriber trends, lower churn and stronger operating leverage in the second quarter.

Chief Executive Officer Dan Schulman said the company’s customer-focused transformation was producing “a structural and meaningful inflection” in operating and financial performance. Verizon reported 184,000 postpaid phone net additions during the quarter, including its strongest consumer postpaid phone net-add result in five years. Total mobility and broadband net additions exceeded 550,000.

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No Space For Panic: T-Mobile Shrugs Off The Starlink ThreatThe company also reported 348,000 broadband net additions, comprising 193,000 fixed wireless access additions and 155,000 fiber additions. Verizon ended the quarter with more than 17.1 million broadband subscribers and said it remained on track to reach more than 32 million fiber passings by year-end.

Subscriber Growth and Churn Improvement Consumer postpaid phone churn was 0.84% in the second quarter, down from 0.90% in the first quarter and 0.95% in the fourth quarter of 2025. The result marked a six-basis-point improvement from a year earlier. Overall postpaid phone churn improved five basis points year over year.

SpaceX Achieves Escape Velocity With Nasdaq Fast-TrackSchulman said the company has begun growing both accounts and lines, with net new accounts positive for the past two months. During the question-and-answer session, he said Verizon expects positive new account growth in the third quarter as well.

Verizon also continued to grow its prepaid business. Prepaid net additions totaled 73,000, representing the company’s eighth consecutive quarter of positive prepaid additions. Prepaid revenue rose about $90 million, or nearly 5%, from the prior-year period.

The company attributed its improving customer economics partly to reduced promotional spending. Schulman said consumer promotional acquisition costs declined approximately 15% year over year, while promotional retention costs fell about 17%. Chief Financial Officer Tony Skiadas added that upgrade volumes declined nearly 27% from the prior year.

Financial Results and Higher Outlook Mobility and broadband service revenue totaled $23.4 billion in the second quarter, rising 2.8% year over year and improving from 1.6% growth in the first quarter. Wireless service revenue declined 0.7% to $20.8 billion, while total revenue fell 0.7% to $34.3 billion. Skiadas said lower equipment revenue, which declined by more than $1.2 billion, reflected the company’s lower upgrade volumes.

Adjusted EBITDA was $13.7 billion, up 7.2% year over year, and adjusted EBITDA margin reached 40.1%, which Skiadas said was Verizon’s highest reported level. Adjusted EPS increased 6.6% to $1.30.

Free cash flow was $6.4 billion in the quarter and $10.2 billion for the first half, up 16% from the prior-year period. Cash flow from operations for the first six months totaled $18.4 billion, up nearly 10%, while capital expenditures were $8.2 billion.

Verizon now expects:

Full-year mobility and broadband service revenue growth of 2.5% to 3%, the upper half of its prior 2% to 3% range. Third-quarter mobility and broadband service revenue growth approaching 3% year over year. Fourth-quarter mobility and broadband service revenue growth of approximately 4%. Full-year adjusted EPS growth of 6% to 7%. Free cash flow growth of 9% to 10%, up from its prior outlook of about 7% or more. Share repurchases of up to $4.5 billion for 2026, compared with its previous commitment of at least $3 billion. The company repurchased $1 billion of shares in the quarter, bringing year-to-date buybacks to $3.5 billion. It also paid $5.9 billion in dividends during the first half, for total year-to-date shareholder returns of $9.4 billion, according to Skiadas.

New Consumer Offers and Convergence Strategy In mid-June, Verizon introduced a loyalty program available to all customers, along with new Simplicity and Verizon One offerings. Simplicity is a $45 wireless plan that separates device subsidies from wireless pricing. Verizon One combines mobility and broadband for $70, including taxes and fees, on one bill.

Schulman said the new offers are designed to reduce complexity, improve customer retention and lower customer-acquisition costs. He said gross additions since the launch were about 16% above Verizon’s forecasts, while net new accounts were 31% above forecast. He also said migration from the existing base has been about one-third of what the company expected and that Simplicity has been average-revenue-per-account accretive.

Skiadas said app traffic grew by double digits after the launches, which he described as a potential leading indicator of improved churn. Verizon said its loyalty program is funded within its existing operating budget.

Fiber, AI Infrastructure and International Wireline Verizon said it sees an additional growth opportunity in AI infrastructure connectivity. The company recently signed an agreement valued at more than $1 billion with Google to use Verizon dark fiber to connect data centers. Schulman said other expected agreements could collectively represent multiple billions of dollars of revenue over the coming years.

The company said the contracts may involve either dark or lit fiber, depending on customer requirements, and that associated margins are expected to be equal to or greater than Verizon’s existing margin structure. Schulman said the AI infrastructure initiative is expected to begin contributing noticeably to revenue in 2027.

Verizon is also retrofitting certain central offices for inference edge computing. Schulman said a small initial trial of that capability sold out within 24 hours.

Separately, Verizon previously announced an agreement to form a 50-50 joint venture with BT Group plc combining their international wireline operations. The venture is expected to serve more than 3,000 joint enterprise customers and have roughly $4 billion in combined revenue at formation. Verizon expects the transaction to close in the second half of 2027 and generate approximately $200 million in annualized savings versus its current course and speed.

Verizon acquired 82 AWS-3 spectrum licenses for approximately $3.2 billion in FCC Auction 113. Skiadas said the spectrum complements Verizon’s existing holdings and can be deployed without additional capital investment once licenses are issued. The company also said it had paid off substantially all of Frontier’s debt six months ahead of schedule and ended the quarter with net unsecured debt-to-consolidated adjusted EBITDA of 2.5 times.

Finally, Verizon said its board extended Schulman’s employment contract through Dec. 31, 2028.

About Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ)Verizon Communications Inc NYSE: VZ is a major U.S.-based telecommunications company that provides a broad range of communications and information services. Its operations span consumer and business markets, with core offerings that include wireless voice and data services, fixed-line broadband and fiber-optic services, and enterprise networking solutions. Verizon is headquartered in New York City and operates a nationwide wireless network that supports consumer subscribers as well as business and government customers.

The company's consumer products include mobile phone plans, unlimited data services, and Fios, its branded fiber-optic internet, television and voice service for homes and small businesses.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected].

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As of 11:31 AM ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI +0.32%) is up 0.72% to 52,082, the S&P 500 (^GSPC -0.02%) has gained 0.59% to 7,452, and the Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC -0.58%) is rising 0.09% to 25,161 as blue-chip stocks rebound from yesterday's heavy selling.

Gold is up 0.74% to $4,080.10 as of 11:31 AM ET and the 10-Year Treasury yield is up 0.04% to 4.71%.

Today's biggest movesIntel (INTC -6.14%) shares are falling 4% today as investors weigh heavy capital spending against an earnings beat, while Alphabet (GOOGL +0.42%) is seeing a modest recovery attempt. Space Exploration Technologies (SPCX -3.49%) is under pressure as space industry valuations soften today.

What this means for investorsSpaceX stock dropped to an all-time low today as investors continue to rerate the company’s valuation after its massive initial public offering (IPO) last month. Investors are focusing on buying blue-chip names today, as reports say Pakistan is considering a path to new peace negotiations between the U.S. and Iran.

Intel and Tesla are both slumping after recent earnings reports, leading to underperformance of the tech-heavy Nasdaq. Investors are growing increasingly concerned about the massive increase in capital expenditures among tech companies.

Oil prices and the conflict in the Middle East will likely continue to drive market sentiment into next week, but investors with a long-term outlook should consider using weakness to add to their favorite names.

Bank of America is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Howard Smith has positions in Alphabet and Tesla. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Intel, and Tesla. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Intel Corp (NASDAQ:INTC, XETRA:INL) shares reversed sharply on Friday, falling more than 4% after an initial surge after Thursday’s bell as investors weighed a mixed picture from Wall Street analysts following the chipmaker's second-quarter results.

Intel beat expectations with $0.42 in pro-forma earnings per share, nearly double consensus estimates, on revenue that topped forecasts by 12%. Data center sales jumped 59% year-over-year, marking the company's best growth rate in 15 years, according to Bank of America. Third-quarter guidance of $16.3 billion also came in well above Street estimates.

Despite the beat, analysts were split on what it means for the stock.

Wedbush raised its price target by more than 50% to $98 but maintained a Neutral rating, citing valuation concerns. "We still struggle to justify Intel's valuation, particularly relative to its peers, and thus remain on the sidelines with regard to the stock," the firm wrote, noting that gross margins remain closer to historical lows despite favorable demand conditions.

Bank of America reiterated its Buy rating, raising 2026 through 2028 earnings estimates by 20% to 40%. The firm pointed to progress in Intel's foundry business and strength in server CPUs tied to the broader AI buildout as reasons for optimism, calling Intel's US-based manufacturing capacity and government backing "long-term competitive moats."

BofA flagged the need to fund rising capital expenditures as a risk, though it noted Intel has other levers available, including asset sales and customer prepayments.

Jefferies described the quarter as a "seventh consecutive beat and raise," driven by better pricing and record server revenue growth. The firm raised its 2026 EPS estimate by 34%. Jefferies said an increase in planned 2027 capital spending, layered on top of this year's raised $20 billion-plus budget, signals that external foundry customers are moving from evaluation toward firmer commitments.

Still, the firm cautioned that the outlook was "not thesis-changing" and pointed to a Q3 guide showing data center sales roughly flat quarter-over-quarter due to ongoing supply constraints.

All three firms highlighted supply as a limiting factor, with Wedbush noting that Intel compute remains among the hardest components to source in the server supply chain.

Management also pointed to progress on its 14A manufacturing process, telling analysts the company has hit milestones needed to deliver a key design kit in October and is stepping up investment ahead of planned production in 2027 and 2028.

Key Takeaways Intel is expanding beyond PCs with AI, enterprise, edge computing, foundry and autonomous driving businesses.Intel's foundry utilization, yields and factory output improved, with narrower operating losses.INTC's growing AI adoption through Xeon, AI PCs, networking, packaging and cloud and enterprise partnerships. Intel Corporation (INTC - Free Report) is reshaping its business around artificial intelligence, enterprise infrastructure and advanced manufacturing as it reduces its reliance on the traditional PC market. The company's long-term investment case increasingly depends on its ability to execute across these strategic priorities while strengthening its manufacturing leadership.

Recent results suggest Intel is making progress. Stronger demand for AI infrastructure, improving foundry execution and expanding customer adoption across multiple product categories are helping reinforce confidence in its turnaround strategy.

Intel Expands Beyond the PC MarketIntel has steadily diversified beyond its legacy PC business by focusing on data-centric markets that include AI infrastructure, enterprise computing, edge computing and autonomous driving. Its operating structure now reflects this transition, with dedicated businesses serving client computing, data center and AI, manufacturing, networking and Mobileye's autonomous driving platform.

A major strategic shift has been the adoption of Intel's internal foundry operating model. By separating product development from manufacturing operations, the company aims to improve transparency, accountability and cost discipline while increasing manufacturing efficiency. The structure also supports Intel's broader ambition to become a leading foundry serving both internal products and third-party customers.

INTC Builds Momentum Across AI PlatformsArtificial intelligence has become a key growth driver across Intel's portfolio. Demand for Xeon processors continues to strengthen as enterprises and hyperscale customers expand AI infrastructure beyond graphics processors into CPUs, networking and purpose-built silicon. The company has also broadened its AI offerings with AI PCs, Arc Pro graphics solutions, networking products and advanced packaging technologies.

Intel is expanding customer adoption through partnerships spanning cloud providers, enterprise customers and industry-specific AI deployments. Continued investment in purpose-built silicon, physical AI and advanced packaging should further strengthen its position across data center, edge and enterprise workloads.

Competition remains intense from Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD - Free Report) , which continues expanding its presence in data center processors and AI accelerators. NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA - Free Report) also remains a dominant force in AI infrastructure through its GPU ecosystem, underscoring the importance of Intel's differentiated CPU, networking and manufacturing strategy.

Intel Foundry Becomes a Strategic Growth EngineIntel Foundry has become one of the company's most important long-term growth initiatives. The business reported improving factory utilization, better manufacturing yields and significantly higher factory output, while operating losses narrowed as production efficiency improved.

Management also highlighted meaningful reductions in Panther Lake wafer costs, continued progress on Intel 18A manufacturing and development milestones for Intel 14A. External customer engagement continues to expand alongside growing demand for advanced packaging services, reinforcing Intel's effort to establish foundry services as a meaningful long-term revenue driver.

INTC Faces Execution and Competitive RisksDespite encouraging progress, Intel still faces significant execution challenges. Manufacturing leadership depends on successfully ramping advanced process technologies while maintaining cost discipline and meeting customer commitments.

The competitive landscape also remains challenging across CPUs, GPUs, application-specific integrated circuits, networking and custom silicon. Elevated capital expenditures, ongoing industry supply constraints and geopolitical uncertainty could continue creating operational and financial headwinds as Intel scales its manufacturing investments.

How Intel's Rating Fits the Current ThesisIntel's long-term outlook increasingly depends on consistent execution across AI products, manufacturing and foundry services. Continued progress in these areas could strengthen its competitive positioning as enterprise AI adoption expands.

The stock currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), reflecting improving earnings momentum. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. However, its VGM Score of D suggests its overall combination of value, growth and momentum characteristics remains relatively weak. That weaker composite score largely reflects a Value Score of F and Growth Score of C, although the Momentum Score of B indicates comparatively stronger price and earnings momentum. Together, these measures suggest that while earnings expectations have improved, investors may still want to balance Intel's improving momentum against its more modest value and growth characteristics before making investment decisions.

Brent closed at $100.69, the Mag 7 lost $938.7 billion, and Intel just flipped the after-hours script.

Two facts that should not feel comfortable together: oil crossed $100 while the market’s most expensive growth stocks absorbed nearly $1 trillion in lost value. That is what happens when an inflation shock collides with an AI spending bill that investors finally want explained.

The tape was not indiscriminately weak. Defense, industrials, health care, and utilities found buyers. Big Tech did not. Two markets in one, and the split is getting harder to ignore.

The Inflation Shock Met The AI Bill. The Tape Picked Sides.AI › The Capex Revolt Arrives

Alphabet fell 7.13% after lifting 2026 capital spending guidance to $195 billion to $205 billion. Cloud revenue grew 82%, but free cash flow was negative $5.9 billion. Investors did the math, then punished the entire complex: the Magnificent Seven lost roughly $938.7 billion in market value. AI demand is not the question anymore. The bill, the payback period, and the financing cost are.

Macro › Strong Labor Complicates The Fed

Initial jobless claims came in at just 187,000, another sign the labor market is not cracking. Pair that with $100 oil and a 4.706% 10-year yield, and the Fed enters next week with less room to sound relaxed. Rate expectations are shifting because the inflation and growth signals refuse to cooperate.

Defense › Backlogs Become The Signal

Lockheed Martin rose 10.54% after reporting $20.1 billion in sales and a backlog near $230 billion. RTX gained 7.33% with a $289 billion backlog. The geopolitical risk premium is now landing in signed demand, not just headlines.

Chips › Intel Flips The After-Hours Tape
Intel reported $16.13 billion in revenue and adjusted earnings of $0.42 per share, then guided third-quarter revenue above the Street’s midpoint. Shares jumped after hours. Big Tech sold off all day, but Intel reminded the market that expectations matter as much as the headline.

This Is A Rotation. Not A Liquidation.

A 2.15% Nasdaq drop feels broad until you look beneath it. Industrials gained 1.73%, health care added 1.24%, and utilities finished higher. Communication services and consumer discretionary took the hit.

Capital did not leave the market. It moved toward cash flow visibility, pricing power, and backlogs.

01 · The Tape Kept Picking
Lockheed and RTX rallied because multiyear backlogs convert uncertainty into revenue visibility. Utilities held because their cash flows look durable when growth multiples compress. This was not fear without discrimination. It was a repricing of what investors are willing to pay for distant earnings.

02 · The Discount Rate Moved
$100 oil feeds inflation risk. A 4.706% 10-year yield raises the hurdle rate. Heavy AI spending pushes more value into the future. Put those together and even excellent revenue growth can lose to a higher discount rate. A bounce is not a bottom when the math keeps getting harder.

03 · Next Week Is The Confirmation
The Federal Reserve meets while Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, and Apple report. That creates one clean test for the rotation. If yields stay elevated while megacap guidance fails to justify the spending, the market will keep rewarding current cash flow over distant promises. The tell is the 10-year yield. Watch it next week.

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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"The Intel (INTC) story is largely over," argues Michael Robinson, pointing to the stock's stellar surge over recent months as a sign that "easy money" has already been made. Sean O'Hara adds that the AI spending story is real but would not put a big position on Intel due to its growth story taking time.

American Express (AXP) shares declined despite reporting a Q2 earnings per share (EPS) that exceeded expectations. Investors are concerned that the company main

American Express Company (AXP) Q2 2026 Earnings Call July 24, 2026 8:30 AM EDT

Company Participants

Kartik Ramachandran - Senior VP & Head of Investor Relations
Stephen Squeri - Chairman & CEO
Christophe Le Caillec - Chief Financial Officer

Conference Call Participants

Sanjay Sakhrani - Keefe, Bruyette, & Woods, Inc., Research Division
Ryan Nash - Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., Research Division
Donald Fandetti - Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, Research Division
Craig Maurer - Financial Technology Partners LP
Richard Shane - JPMorgan Chase & Co, Research Division
Mark DeVries - Deutsche Bank AG, Research Division
Terry Ma - Barclays Bank PLC, Research Division
Robert Wildhack - Autonomous Research US LP
Darrin Peller - Wolfe Research, LLC
Bill Carcache - Piper Sandler & Co., Research Division
Mihir Bhatia - BofA Securities, Research Division

Presentation

Operator

Welcome to the American Express Q2 2026 Earnings Call. [Operator Instructions] As a reminder, today's call is being recorded.

I will now turn the call over to Kartik Ramachandran, Head of Investor Relations. Please go ahead.

Kartik Ramachandran
Senior VP & Head of Investor Relations

Thank you, Dana, and thank you all for joining today's call. Today's discussion contains forward-looking statements about the company's future business and financial performance. These are based on management's current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these statements are included in today's presentation slides and in our reports on file with the SEC.

Today's discussion also contains non-GAAP financial measures. Comparable GAAP financial measures are included in this quarter's earnings materials as well as the prior period earnings materials discussed today. All of these are posted on our website at ir.americanexpress.com. We will begin today with Stephen Squeri, Chairman and CEO; followed by Christophe Le Caillec, Chief Financial Officer. After their remarks, we'll move to Q&A.

With that, I'll turn it

Momentum investing revolves around the idea of following a stock's recent trend in either direction. In "long context," investors will be essentially be "buying high, but hoping to sell even higher." With this methodology, taking advantage of trends in a stock's price is key; once a stock establishes a course, it is more than likely to continue moving that way. The goal is that once a stock heads down a fixed path, it will lead to timely and profitable trades.

Even though momentum is a popular stock characteristic, it can be tough to define. Debate surrounding which are the best and worst metrics to focus on is lengthy, but the Zacks Momentum Style Score, part of the Zacks Style Scores, helps address this issue for us.

Below, we take a look at Phillips 66 (PSX - Free Report) , which currently has a Momentum Style Score of A. We also discuss some of the main drivers of the Momentum Style Score, like price change and earnings estimate revisions.

It's also important to note that Style Scores work as a complement to the Zacks Rank, our stock rating system that has an impressive track record of outperformance. Phillips 66 currently has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy). Our research shows that stocks rated Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and #2 (Buy) and Style Scores of "A or B" outperform the market over the following one-month period.

You can see the current list of Zacks #1 Rank Stocks here >>>

Set to Beat the Market?Let's discuss some of the components of the Momentum Style Score for PSX that show why this oil refiner shows promise as a solid momentum pick.

Looking at a stock's short-term price activity is a great way to gauge if it has momentum, since this can reflect both the current interest in a stock and if buyers or sellers have the upper hand at the moment. It is also useful to compare a security to its industry, as this can help investors pinpoint the top companies in a particular area.

For PSX, shares are up 9.82% over the past week while the Zacks Oil and Gas - Refining and Marketing industry is up 9.82% over the same time period. Shares are looking quite well from a longer time frame too, as the monthly price change of 20.5% compares favorably with the industry's 20.2% performance as well.

Considering longer term price metrics, like performance over the last three months or year, can be advantageous as well. Over the past quarter, shares of Phillips 66 have risen 15.53%, and are up 66.49% in the last year. In comparison, the S&P 500 has only moved 4.48% and 17.65%, respectively.

Investors should also pay attention to PSX's average 20-day trading volume. Volume is a useful item in many ways, and the 20-day average establishes a good price-to-volume baseline; a rising stock with above average volume is generally a bullish sign, whereas a declining stock on above average volume is typically bearish. PSX is currently averaging 2,574,860 shares for the last 20 days.

Earnings OutlookThe Zacks Momentum Style Score encompasses many things, including estimate revisions and a stock's price movement. Investors should note that earnings estimates are also significant to the Zacks Rank, and a nice path here can be promising. We have recently been noticing this with PSX.

Over the past two months, 5 earnings estimates moved higher compared to 1 lower for the full year. These revisions helped boost PSX's consensus estimate, increasing from $18.26 to $21.96 in the past 60 days. Looking at the next fiscal year, 5 estimates have moved upwards while there have been 1 downward revision in the same time period.

Bottom LineTaking into account all of these elements, it should come as no surprise that PSX is a #2 (Buy) stock with a Momentum Score of A. If you've been searching for a fresh pick that's set to rise in the near-term, make sure to keep Phillips 66 on your short list.

Salesforce (CRM) rose 1.48% intraday after announcing that US Department of Veterans Affairs awarded it a $1.6 billion, three-year agreement to modernize care a

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Three dividend-paying blue chips reported Q2 2026 earnings on the same morning, all beating EPS estimates: Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ | VZ Price Prediction) at $45.03 looks attractive, American Express (NYSE:AXP) at $321.72 appears fairly valued, and NextEra Energy (NYSE:NEE) at $89.24 screens favorably.

Each revealed a different story beneath the headline beat, with sharply divergent market reactions.

Verizon: The Cheap Yield Story Just Got Cheaper Verizon posted adjusted EPS of $1.30 vs. $1.27 estimated, its sixth consecutive beat, and raised full-year guidance to $4.99 to $5.04 with free cash flow growth of 9% to 10%. Postpaid phone net adds swung from a loss of 9,000 to a gain of 184,000, and fiber connections jumped 43.3% to 10.9 million. Shares gained 2.76% on the report.

VZ trades at a forward P/E of 9 with a 6.24% dividend yield backed by 25+ years of uninterrupted payments and a hike to $0.7075 quarterly. The analyst target of $51.12, from 26 covering analysts with 11 Buys and 15 Holds, implies roughly 13% upside.

Bears cite $136.5 billion of unsecured debt and net debt/EBITDA of 2.5x, up from 2.2x. Free cash flow of $6.43B, up 27.12% YoY comfortably covers the payout.

At $45.03, Verizon looks attractive on valuation and yield. The stock has returned 13% YTD, ahead of the S&P 500’s 10% gain, and raised guidance plus expanded $4.5B buyback offer defensive yield and a credible growth path from emerging AI infrastructure revenue.

American Express: A Great Business at an Uncomfortable Moment AmEx beat EPS at $4.53 vs. $4.40 estimated on 9% Card Member spending growth, the fastest in three years. Revenue of $19.64B missed the $19.70B estimate grew while expenses rose 12% against 10% revenue growth, and the effective tax rate jumped to 23.6% from 18.7%. Management held EPS guidance at $17.30 to $17.90 and reinvested outperformance. Shares fell 5.61% on the earnings report.

Bulls note Platinum refresh is driving the fastest-growing portfolio in U.S. Consumer, accelerating Millennial and Gen-Z acquisition, and provisions dropped to $1.10B from $1.40B.

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The analyst target of $374.94, from 30 analysts with 14 Buys, 15 Holds, and 1 Sell, implies about 17% upside. AXP trades at a forward P/E of 20, a premium to its long-term average, and has lagged the S&P 500 with a 7.12% YTD decline.

At $321.72, American Express appears fairly valued. The franchise is intact and 11.61% one-year return shows the long-term compounder still works, but expenses outpacing revenue in a decelerating consumer environment is the wrong setup for fresh capital. Wait for a reset toward $285.29 52-week low or proof that reinvestment produces incremental revenue.

NextEra Energy: Power Demand and a Merger Catalyst NEE delivered adjusted EPS of $1.15 vs. $1.10 estimated, its fifth straight beat, with net income up 55% to $3.14B. FPL added 90,000+ customers, and NEER added 3.6 GW to a 35.1 GW backlog. Revenue of $7.53B missed the $8.15B estimate grew 12.45% YoY.

Management reaffirmed $3.92 to $4.02 adjusted EPS, targeting the high end, plus 8%+ compound EPS growth through 2032. The proposed Dominion Energy combination, expected to close H2 2027, would support 11% annual regulatory capital growth through 2032.

Shares are up 13.41% YTD and 26.86% over one year, both ahead of the S&P 500. Coverage runs 22 analysts, with 14 Buys, 7 Holds, and 1 Sell.

At $89.24, NextEra Energy screens favorably on growth and yield. Utilities rarely offer a 2.64% yield compounding near 10% annually alongside an accelerating regulatory capital base and a rerating catalyst. The analyst target of $98.80 implies roughly 11% upside and does not yet fully price the Dominion deal. Watch state and FERC approvals into 2027.

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Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

@LikeFolio's Landon Swan talks about Oracle (ORCL) and web trends surrounding the company. He points out that web visits for the firm are down 11% year-over-year while the stock has fallen 50% over that same time.

NEW YORK, July 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of securities of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) between February 26, 2025 and February 24, 2026, inclusive (the “Class Period”), of the important August 24, 2026 lead plaintiff deadline.

It has been about a month since the last earnings report for Micron (MU - Free Report) . Shares have lost about 18.4% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500.

But investors have to be wondering, will the recent negative trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Micron due for a breakout? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at the latest earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important drivers.

Micron Q3 Earnings Beat Estimates, Revenues Rise on AI Memory StrengthMicron reported third-quarter fiscal 2026 non-GAAP earnings of $25.11 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 17.39%. The company reported earnings of $1.91 per share in the year-ago quarter.

Revenues soared 345.7% year over year to $41.46 billion and surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 12.91%. Revenues jumped 73.7% sequentially. The upside was driven by robust AI-led memory demand, with data center revenues exceeding $25 billion, an annualized run rate of more than $100 billion.

Micron announced 16 strategic customer agreements (SCAs) across data center, consumer and auto markets in the reported quarter. These agreements represent roughly 20% of DRAM volume and one-third of NAND volume over the covered period.

The company expects approximately half or more of its revenues to eventually be under SCAs. Under the agreements signed so far, Micron projects $22 billion in cash deposits and related financial commitments, supporting longer-term supply visibility and financial predictability.

MU’s Q3 Top-Line DetailsMicron’s top-line growth benefited from tight DRAM and NAND supply, stronger pricing and accelerating demand tied to AI infrastructure. MU noted that industry demand for both DRAM and NAND continues to significantly exceed supply.

DRAM revenues were $31.3 billion, accounting for 76% of total revenues in the fiscal third quarter. DRAM revenues increased 67% sequentially, helped by low-single-digit bit shipment growth and a low-60s percentage increase in average selling price (ASP).

NAND revenues were $9.9 billion, representing 24% of total revenues. NAND revenues increased 99% sequentially, driven by a mid-single-digit increase in bit shipments and a mid-80s percentage rise in ASP.

MU’s Business Units Set RecordsCloud Memory Business Unit’s revenues were a record $13.77 billion, up 77.7% sequentially and 306.6% year over year.

Core Data Center Business Unit’s revenues were a record $11.52 billion, up 103% sequentially and 653.2% year over year.

Mobile and Client Business Unit’s revenues were a record $11.52 billion, up 49.4% sequentially and 254% year over year. The sequential revenue growth was driven by higher pricing.

Automotive and Embedded Business Unit’s revenues were a record $4.63 billion, up 71.1% sequentially and 311.2% year over year. The improvement reflected higher pricing and higher bit shipments.

MU’s Q3 Margins ExpandNon-GAAP gross margin was 84.9% in the reported quarter, up from 74.9% in the fiscal second quarter and 39% in the year-ago quarter.

Cloud Memory Business Unit’s gross margin expanded to 83% from 74% reported in the prior quarter, driven by higher pricing. The company reported Cloud Memory’s gross margin of 58% in the year-ago quarter. On a sequential basis, the core Data Center Business Unit’s gross margin improved to 87% from 74%, aided by higher pricing and a favorable mix. The company reported a Data Center gross margin of 38% in the year-ago quarter.

Mobile and Client Business Unit gross margin reached 87% compared with 79% in the prior quarter and 24% in the year-ago quarter. Automotive and Embedded Business Unit gross margin surged to 79% compared with 68% in the prior quarter and 26% in the year-ago quarter.

Non-GAAP operating expenses were $1.52 billion, up 6.8% year over year and 34% sequentially.

In the third quarter of fiscal 2026, non-GAAP operating income came in at $33.68 billion, a significant rise from $2.49 billion reported in the year-ago quarter and $16.46 billion reported in the previous quarter.

Micron’s Balance Sheet Shows Strong Liquidity LevelMU exited the quarter with $30.2 billion in cash, marketable investments and restricted cash. Liquidity was $32.2 billion at the end of the fiscal third quarter.

Micron generated $25.39 billion in operating cash flow in the quarter. Capital expenditures, net of proceeds from government incentives and asset sales, were $7.1 billion, resulting in adjusted free cash flow of $18.3 billion.

The company declared a quarterly dividend of 15 cents per share, payable on July 21, 2026 to shareholders of record as of July 6. Micron did not repurchase shares during the fiscal third quarter.

MU’s Guidance Points to More StrengthFor the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, Micron expects revenues of $50 billion, plus or minus $1 billion. The company projects a non-GAAP gross margin of approximately 86%.

Non-GAAP operating expenses are expected to be approximately $1.65 billion. Adjusted earnings are projected at $31 per share, plus or minus $1, based on roughly 1.15 billion diluted shares.

Micron now expects supply-demand conditions for both DRAM and NAND to remain tight beyond calendar 2027. In DRAM, the company expects industry DRAM bit shipments in calendar 2026 to grow in the low to mid-20s percentage range, slightly above MU’s prior outlook. In NAND, Micron expects industry NAND bit shipments in calendar 2026 to grow approximately 20%, unchanged from its prior expectations.

How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?In the past month, investors have witnessed a upward trend in estimates review.

The consensus estimate has shifted 24.94% due to these changes.

VGM ScoresCurrently, Micron has a strong Growth Score of A, though it is lagging a lot on the Momentum Score front with a C. However, the stock was allocated a score of F on the value side, putting it in the bottom 20% quintile for value investors.

Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of C. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.

OutlookEstimates have been broadly trending upward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions looks promising. It comes with little surprise Micron has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). We expect an above average return from the stock in the next few months.

There isn't one “smoking gun” catalyst — but investors could be reacting to Chinese memory developments, Korean stock-market weakness and Intel's inability to sustain postearnings gains

NEW YORK, July 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Gross Law Firm issues the following notice to shareholders of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: REGN).

Shares of ServiceNow (NYSE:NOW | NOW Price Prediction) are up 6% in Friday midday trading, changing hands at $97.36. Meanwhile, Salesforce (NYSE:CRM) stock is climbing 4% to $162.56 as a wave of federal AI deal flow lifts enterprise software after months of pain.

The bounce comes off a brutal run. ServiceNow stock is down 40% year to date (YTD), and Salesforce shares have shed 40.5% over the same span. Today’s session reads as an oversold rebound with two fresh, name-specific catalysts underneath it.

Both companies sit at the center of a rotation from AI infrastructure names back into application-layer software, where AI is finally translating into recurring revenue rather than raw capex.

ServiceNow’s Q2 Beat and Raise Lights the Fuse ServiceNow reported Q2 FY2026 results Wednesday after the close. The company’s subscription revenue climbed 24.5% to $3.88 billion year over year (YoY), and current remaining performance obligations (cRPO) rose 21% to $13.2 billion. AI annual contract value crossed $1 billion ahead of schedule, with agentic-AI production customers up ninefold in nine months.

CEO Bill McDermott stated in the release, “ServiceNow’s exceptional Q2 results solidify our position as the fastest-growing major enterprise software and cybersecurity company.” ServiceNow’s management raised its FY26 subscription revenue guide to at least $15.755 billion, and security products landed in 16 of the 20 largest deals thanks to Armis, Veza, and the AI Control Tower stack.

Analysts’ reactions have been aggressive overall. Research reports from Bernstein (Outperform, $248), Evercore ISI ($160), JPMorgan (Overweight, $150), Cantor ($141), and Jefferies ($140) all lifted their ServiceNow stock price targets. Moreover, a fresh Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) research note flagged an “overlooked AI advantage” at a $130 Buy rating.

The bear case has weight, too. UBS cut ServiceNow stock to $110 and Neutral, noting that “demand remains mixed.” Notably, ServiceNow’s Q2 also benefited from federal on-premise revenue pulled forward from Q3, and the Q3 subscription guide of $3.975 to $3.98 billion sits below the $4 billion Street view. Additionally, ServiceNow’s gross margin slipped to 77.9% from 81%.

Salesforce Lands $1.6 Billion Veterans Affairs Deal Salesforce won a $1.6 billion, three-year Department of Veterans Affairs Agentic Enterprise License Agreement, deploying Missionforce, Agentforce Public Sector, and Agentforce Health across the agency. The stated goal is cutting veteran appointment scheduling from 28 days to minutes.

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The award builds on Q1 FY2027 momentum for Salesforce. Agentforce ARR reached $1.2 billion, up 205% YoY, combined Agentforce and Data 360 ARR hit $3.4 billion, and Public Sector Industry Cloud ARR surpassed $2 billion, up 23% YoY. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff emphasized, “Agentic AI is the biggest growth opportunity for our customers, and for Salesforce.”

The bears may counter that Salesforce stock still trades at a trailing 12-month P/E ratio of 18.85x with decelerating headline growth, and that the Informatica integration adds execution risk. Salesforce’s $25 billion accelerated share repurchase program has cushioned EPS, but organic acceleration in H2 FY27 is now the show-me story.

Software Sector Rides the Government Spending Wave The rally lifts the broader group. The iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF (NYSEARCA:IGV) holds both ServiceNow and Salesforce among its top positions, giving the fund concentrated exposure to today’s tape. Concentration cuts both ways, amplifying gains on days like this and losses on drawdowns.

Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) recently secured an up-to-$6.99 billion Pentagon software deal, reinforcing the government-AI-spend theme running through the sector. Federal budget priorities are flowing directly into enterprise software order books, and today’s action suggests that investors are willing to pay for exposure again.

What to Watch Now Investors can watch for whether today’s midday gains hold into the Friday close and whether follow-through research notes extend the target-hike wave into next week. Volume and breadth across software names will signal whether this is a durable rotation or a one-day squeeze.

Salesforce’s Q2 FY2027 earnings report is expected in late August, and ServiceNow’s Q3 setup carries a pull-forward overhang that management will need to address. For beaten-down holders, today offers relief, but position sizing should reflect that both names are still deep in the red for the year.

Act now: the analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and Salesforce didn't make the cut. Grab the names FREE today.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

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I keep buying Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO | AVGO Price Prediction) and I am not embarrassed to say it out loud. Every paycheck window that opens, I add. The post-earnings selloff in June only reinforced my conviction, confirming that the market keeps handing long-term holders a discount on the one AI infrastructure name that also pays me to wait.

The core of my thesis is simple. Hock Tan built a company that sells the picks and shovels the hyperscalers cannot buy anywhere else, and he pairs that with software cash flows from VMware and a dividend I can plan a retirement around. That combination is why I keep clicking buy.

The Numbers That Keep Me Coming Back Start with the AI engine. Q2 FY2026 AI semiconductor revenue hit $10.80 billion, up 143% year-over-year, and management guided Q3 AI revenue to $16.0 billion, growth of over 200%. CEO Hock Tan told shareholders: “The momentum continues and in Q3 we expect semiconductor revenue from AI to grow over 200 percent year-over-year to $16.0 billion.” Total Q2 revenue landed at $22.19 billion, up 47.9%, with non-GAAP EPS of $2.44, the eighth consecutive quarter of beating expectations.

Next comes the cash. Q2 free cash flow was $10.26 billion, or 46% of revenue, with an adjusted EBITDA margin of 69%. Full-year FY2025 free cash flow reached $26.91 billion. Cash generation at that scale speaks for itself.

Then the dividend. Broadcom has raised its payout 15 consecutive years since fiscal 2011, with the last hike lifting the quarterly to $0.65, a 10% increase. That is the kind of streak I plan a retirement withdrawal schedule around.

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Why This One, Not NVIDIA or AMD Every reader lands first on NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) or Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD) when they think AI chips. I keep landing here instead because Broadcom sells something distinct from NVIDIA’s lineup: custom ASICs designed to spec for individual hyperscalers, plus the networking silicon that stitches those clusters together. The Apple relationship, reported by retail as a $30B+ custom AI chip deal through 2031, is the template. Add a Semiconductor Solutions segment growing 79% year-over-year and an Infrastructure Software segment producing $7.18 billion of high-margin recurring revenue, and I own a business model neither pure GPU maker offers, with a dividend streak neither matches.

The Risk I Refuse to Wave Off Customer concentration is real. Broadcom itself flags dependence on a limited number of large customers and significant indebtedness. If one hyperscaler cuts its custom ASIC roadmap, a quarter gets ugly fast. I stay because free cash flow of $10.26 billion in a single quarter services the debt with room to spare, and cash on the balance sheet grew to $19.63 billion, up 107.22% year-over-year. That is defense I can live with.

The Line in the Sand Shares closed at $386.50 on July 21, roughly 6% off the 52-week high of $494.18. The Wall Street consensus target sits at $524.51 with 44 buys against 4 holds and zero sells. The base-case fair value modeled at $404.96 is my accumulation ceiling. Under that number, my finger stays on the buy button. Above it, I let the dividend do the work.

The pivot back in is back on because Broadcom is compounding cash at hyperscaler speed while paying me a raise every year. I will keep buying until the price catches up to the business, and then I will keep holding while the business keeps running ahead.

Act now: the analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and Broadcom didn't make the cut. Grab the names FREE today.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

All investors love getting big returns from their portfolio, whether it's through stocks, bonds, ETFs, or other types of securities. However, when you're an income investor, your primary focus is generating consistent cash flow from each of your liquid investments.

While cash flow can come from bond interest or interest from other types of investments, income investors hone in on dividends. A dividend is that coveted distribution of a company's earnings paid out to shareholders, and investors often view it by its dividend yield, a metric that measures the dividend as a percent of the current stock price. Many academic studies show that dividends make up large portions of long-term returns, and in many cases, dividend contributions surpass one-third of total returns.

Headquartered in Nashville, Ryman Hospitality Properties (RHP - Free Report) is a Finance stock that has seen a price change of 36.22% so far this year. Currently paying a dividend of $1.20 per share, the company has a dividend yield of 3.72%. In comparison, the REIT and Equity Trust - Other industry's yield is 3.86%, while the S&P 500's yield is 1.33%.

Looking at dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $4.80 is up 3.2% from last year. Over the last 5 years, Ryman Hospitality Properties has increased its dividend 3 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 85.96%. Looking ahead, future dividend growth will be dependent on earnings growth and payout ratio, which is the proportion of a company's annual earnings per share that it pays out as a dividend. Ryman Hospitality Properties's current payout ratio is 55%, meaning it paid out 55% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.

Looking at this fiscal year, RHP expects solid earnings growth. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 is $9.04 per share, with earnings expected to increase 6.86% from the year ago period.

Investors like dividends for a variety of different reasons, from tax advantages and decreasing overall portfolio risk to considerably improving stock investing profits. It's important to keep in mind that not all companies provide a quarterly payout.

Big, established firms that have more secure profits are often seen as the best dividend options, but it's fairly uncommon to see high-growth businesses or tech start-ups offer their stockholders a dividend. During periods of rising interest rates, income investors must be mindful that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle. That said, they can take comfort from the fact that RHP is not only an attractive dividend play, but also represents a compelling investment opportunity with a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

NEW YORK, July 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Gross Law Firm issues the following notice to shareholders of Roblox Corporation (NYSE: RBLX).

Key Takeaways NXP Semiconductors expects revenues of $3.35-$3.55 billion in the second-quarter of 2026.NXPI is benefiting from demand in automotive, Industrial & IoT, mobile and communications markets.Higher input costs, supply chain constraints and China exposure remain key near-term risks. NXP Semiconductors (NXPI - Free Report) is scheduled to report second-quarter 2026 results on July 28, after market close.

NXPI expects second-quarter revenues between $3.35 billion and $3.55 billion. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pegged at $3.47 billion, indicating an increase of 18.5% year over year.

For the second quarter, NXP Semiconductors anticipates non-GAAP earnings per share between $3.29 and $3.72. The consensus mark for earnings is pinned at $3.54 per share, unchanged over the past 60 days, suggesting an increase of 30.2% year over year.

In the trailing four quarters, NXPI’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters, while matching once, with the average surprise being 1.5%.

Let’s see how things are shaping up for the upcoming quarterly results.

Factors to Consider for NXPINXP Semiconductors' second-quarter performance is expected to have benefited from continued strength in its Automotive business. Growth is likely to have been driven by increasing adoption of software-defined vehicle platforms, supported by strong demand for NXPI's S32N and S32K5 processors, as well as continued momentum in vehicle electrification, imaging radar and 10-gigabit automotive Ethernet solutions.

The company expects revenues from the Automotive end market to be up in the low-double-digit percent range on a year-over-year basis. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Automotive revenues is currently pegged at $1.93 billion, indicating an increase of 11.9% from the year-ago quarter.

Recovery in the Industrial & Internet of Things (IoT) market is expected to have remained a key growth driver during the second quarter. Demand is likely to have been supported by industrial processing solutions, including the i.MX, RT and MCX product families, along with strength in factory automation, energy storage and data center applications. The company expects revenues from Industrial & IoT end markets to be up in the high-30% range year over year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NXPI’s Industrial & IoT revenues is pegged at $742.3 million, indicating a year-over-year increase of 35.9%.

Continued strength in secure mobile transaction products is expected to have benefited NXPI’s performance in the second quarter. NXPI expects revenues from the Mobile end market to be up in the low single-digit percent range on a year-over-year basis. The Zacks Consensus Estimate of $348.7 million for the Mobile end market implies an increase of 5.4% from the year-ago quarter.

The Communications Infrastructure & Other segment’s second-quarter prospects are expected to have benefited from growing exposure to data center infrastructure, digital networking products and continued strength in RFID solutions. NXPI expects revenues from Communications Infrastructure & Other end markets to be up in the mid-30% range on a year-over-year basis. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the Communications Infrastructure & Others segment revenues is pegged at $436.98 million, indicating an increase of 36.6% on a year-over-year basis.

However, NXPI's second-quarter performance is anticipated to have been hurt due to higher input costs and supply chain bottlenecks. Management noted that certain parts of the supply chain remain tight, leading to inflationary cost pressures. Further, NXPI’s prospects in the second quarter are anticipated to have been hurt by macroeconomic headwinds and escalating geopolitical tensions, as NXPI is a major player in China, accounting for 39% of its annual revenues in 2025.

What Our Proven Model Says for NXPI’s Q2 EarningsOur proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for NXP Semiconductors this time. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat, which is not the case here.

NXP Semiconductors has an Earnings ESP of 0.00% and carries a Zacks Rank #2 at present. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they are reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Stocks to ConsiderHere are some stocks worth considering, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to beat on earnings this reporting cycle.

Amphenol (APH - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +1.12% and sports a Zacks Rank #1 at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Amphenol is set to report second-quarter 2026 results on July 29. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Amphenol’s second-quarter 2026 earnings is pegged at $1.19 per share, up by 2 cents over the past seven days, indicating a rise of 46.9% from the year-ago quarter’s reported figure.

ASE Technology (ASX - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +21.21% and a Zacks Rank #2 at present.

ASE Technology is slated to report second-quarter 2026 results on July 30. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ASE Technology’s second-quarter 2026 earnings is pegged at 17 cents per share, up by 5 cents over the past 30 days, indicating a rise of 54.6% from the year-ago quarter’s reported figure.

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +1.49% and carries a Zacks Rank #2 at present.

Advanced Micro Devices is set to report second-quarter 2026 results on Aug. 4. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Advanced Micro Devices’ second-quarter earnings is pegged at $1.60 per share, unchanged over the past 30 days, indicating a rise of 233.3% from the year-ago quarter’s reported figure.

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A $45,000 income stream is roughly what a Social Security check plus a modest pension covers for many retirees, and it is also the annual draw many investors target from a taxable brokerage or IRA. Doubling that to $90,000 without adding new capital is possible, but only if the reader understands what shifting up the yield curve actually costs.

The math is simple: income target divided by yield equals capital required. Producing $45,000 at a 3.5% yield takes roughly $1,285,714. Producing $90,000 from the same portfolio requires either doubling the capital or doubling the yield. This piece walks through what that trade looks like at three yield tiers, with the current rate backdrop of a 3.75%-range federal funds upper bound and a 10-year Treasury yield near 4.6% as the risk-free anchor.

Conservative Tier: 3% to 4% Yield At 3.5%, hitting $45,000 requires about $1,285,714. Hitting $90,000 from that same base is not possible without adding capital, so this tier is the “keep it and grow it” anchor rather than the doubling engine. The category includes regulated utilities, dividend-growth consumer names, and best-in-class regional banks.

Alliant Energy (NASDAQ:LNT | LNT Price Prediction) pays a $0.535 quarterly dividend against a share price near $74, with 2026 EPS guidance of $3.36 to $3.46 and a data-center pipeline of 3.4 GW contracted across five agreements. Casey’s General Stores (NASDAQ:CASY) just delivered its 27th consecutive annual dividend increase, raising the quarterly payout from $0.57 to $0.65. East West Bancorp pays $0.80 quarterly and posted $9.87 in trailing EPS with a 13x P/E.

Moderate Tier: 5% to 7% Yield Here is where the doubling story begins. At 7%, $90,000 requires roughly $1,285,714, the same capital that produced $45,000 at 3.5%. The trade is dividend growth and multiple expansion for current cash flow, with no new capital required. The tier holds preferred shares, covered-call equity funds, higher-yielding REITs, and dividend-heavy regional banks.

Peoples Bancorp (NASDAQ:PEBO) pays a $0.42 quarterly dividend with a 4.2% yield and a forward P/E near 10x. Home Bancorp recently raised its quarterly payout to $0.32 and reported Q2 2026 EPS of $1.48 against a $1.46 estimate. Stacked with covered-call ETFs and preferred baskets, a blended 6% to 7% yield is achievable, but dividend growth typically slows and total return leans on the coupon rather than capital appreciation.

Aggressive Tier: 8% to 14% Yield At 12%, $90,000 requires only $750,000, and $45,000 requires just $375,000. The lever is enormous. The cost is principal.

AGNC Investment (NASDAQ:AGNC) pays $0.12 monthly, or $1.44 annualized, against a share price near almost $11, a yield above 13%. The dividend has been held flat at $0.12 for more than six years after a 25% cut in March 2020 from $0.16. Tangible book value sits at roughly $8.60 per share. Business development companies, leveraged covered-call funds, and high-yield bond funds behave similarly: heavy current income, weak or negative growth in the distribution, and principal that often drifts lower.

The Compounding Trap Most Income Investors Fall Into Consider two portfolios both starting at $1,285,714. Portfolio A yields 3.5% and grows the payout 8% annually, roughly the pace at which Casey’s raised its dividend when it moved from $0.57 to $0.65 quarterly. In nine years the income doubles from $45,000 to $90,000 without a single dollar added. Portfolio B yields 7% today, pays $90,000, and never grows. A decade later, after inflation running near the Fed’s 2% target, the second portfolio’s real income has quietly shrunk while the first has caught and passed it.

That is why doubling a $45,000 stream to $90,000 “without new capital” is often better executed by time than by yield reach.

What To Do Next Map your current portfolio yield against the three tiers above and calculate what percentage of your $45,000 already comes from names growing the dividend versus names paying a static coupon. Compare a decade of total return between a 3.5% dividend-growth compounder and a 10%-plus mortgage REIT or leveraged covered-call fund; the AGNC price chart and Casey’s dividend ladder are two ends of that spectrum. If you are within five years of drawing income, model the tax hit tier by tier. Qualified dividends from names like LNT and regional banks are taxed differently than the ordinary-income distributions from AGNC-style mREITs, and that gap can be worth more than a full percentage point of yield. Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Investors with an interest in REIT and Equity Trust - Other stocks have likely encountered both Ryman Hospitality Properties (RHP - Free Report) and Public Storage (PSA - Free Report) . But which of these two stocks presents investors with the better value opportunity right now? Let's take a closer look.

There are plenty of strategies for discovering value stocks, but we have found that pairing a strong Zacks Rank with an impressive grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system produces the best returns. The Zacks Rank favors stocks with strong earnings estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight companies with specific traits.

Ryman Hospitality Properties has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Public Storage has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold) right now. This means that RHP's earnings estimate revision activity has been more impressive, so investors should feel comfortable with its improving analyst outlook. But this is just one factor that value investors are interested in.

Value investors are also interested in a number of tried-and-true valuation metrics that help show when a company is undervalued at its current share price levels.

Our Value category highlights undervalued companies by looking at a variety of key metrics, including the popular P/E ratio, as well as the P/S ratio, earnings yield, cash flow per share, and a variety of other fundamentals that have been used by value investors for years.

RHP currently has a forward P/E ratio of 14.26, while PSA has a forward P/E of 18.60. We also note that RHP has a PEG ratio of 2.32. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. PSA currently has a PEG ratio of 4.24.

Another notable valuation metric for RHP is its P/B ratio of 10.55. Investors use the P/B ratio to look at a stock's market value versus its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. By comparison, PSA has a P/B of 11.13.

Based on these metrics and many more, RHP holds a Value grade of B, while PSA has a Value grade of D.

RHP stands above PSA thanks to its solid earnings outlook, and based on these valuation figures, we also feel that RHP is the superior value option right now.