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As the software market shifts toward products driven by artificial intelligence (AI), investors comparing enterprise software names may find themselves choosing between Salesforce (CRM -1.01%) and Palantir Technologies (PLTR -0.05%). This comparison looks at which company offers the better balance of value and growth.

Salesforce describes itself as a global leader in customer relationship management (CRM) technology and is now focused on Agentforce, its line of autonomous AI agents. Palantir sells software platforms that governments and companies use to integrate their data and apply AI to daily operations. For investors researching AI stocks to buy, the two companies present very different financial profiles.

The case for SalesforceSalesforce sells cloud-based software that helps businesses manage customer relationships and sales pipelines. Its annual report for fiscal 2026, which ended on Jan. 31, 2026, lists 83,334 employees and states that the company sells to businesses across almost every industry. On Aug. 26, 2026, Salesforce said annual recurring revenue from Agentforce had passed $1.5 billion. It completed its acquisition of Fin, an AI customer agent company formerly known as Intercom, on Sept. 10, 2026.

In fiscal 2026, revenue reached approximately $41.5 billion, up 9.6% from the prior fiscal year. Net income was nearly $7.5 billion, and net margin rose to 18% from 16.4%. About $1.0 billion in net gains from strategic investments contributed to that improvement, compared with a small net loss on those investments a year earlier.

As of Jan. 31, 2026, Salesforce had about $14.4 billion in total debt and $59.1 billion in shareholder equity, a debt-to-equity ratio of about 0.2x. Its current ratio, which compares current assets with liabilities due within a year, was roughly 0.8x.

The debt picture has changed since then. Salesforce issued about $25 billion in debt in the quarter that ended April 30, 2026, to fund an accelerated share repurchase, and its July 31, 2026, balance sheet shows $39.3 billion in debt against $38.4 billion in equity, a ratio of about 1.0x.

Free cash flow, defined as operating cash flow minus capital expenditures, was about $14.4 billion in fiscal 2026. Stock-based compensation (SBC) equaled roughly 23.4% of operating cash flow, which is worth noting because SBC is a non-cash expense that is added back in the cash flow statement.

The case for Palantir TechnologiesPalantir develops software platforms that help organizations integrate their data and operations, and it sells them to government agencies and commercial customers.

Government customers supplied 54% of its 2025 revenue. Palantir also works with other companies that investors follow as tech stocks, including a collaboration with Nvidia (NVDA +1.69%) announced on Sept. 10, 2026, and a global partnership with Fujitsu (FJTSF +2.38%). Its commercial customer count reached 870 for the 12 months ended June 30, 2026, up 26% from a year earlier.

In the fiscal year ended Dec. 31, 2025, revenue reached roughly $4.5 billion, a 56.2% year-over-year increase. Palantir reported net income of about $1.6 billion. Net margin was about 36.3%, up from 16.1% in 2024.

Palantir had no debt outstanding as of Dec. 31, 2025, resulting in a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.0x. Its current ratio at that date was approximately 7.1x, indicating ample liquid assets to cover short-term liabilities. Free cash flow, calculated the same way as for Salesforce (operating cash flow minus capital expenditures), was about $2.1 billion.

Palantir's own adjusted free cash flow, which adds back employer payroll taxes tied to stock-based compensation, was about $2.3 billion. SBC equaled roughly 32% of operating cash flow.

Risk profile comparisonSalesforce competes with established enterprise software vendors and AI-native start-ups in a market that its annual report calls highly competitive. Salesforce and its Slack unit sued Microsoft (MSFT +0.42%) in London's High Court in April 2026, alleging that the tying and bundling of Teams harmed competition.

Microsoft has said the case lacks merit, and the outcome is uncertain. Salesforce must also integrate large acquisitions such as Informatica, which closed in fiscal 2026, and Fin, and it now carries far more debt than it did at the start of the fiscal year. On Sept. 29, 2026, it also agreed to acquire Listen Labs, an AI customer research company, in a deal it expects to close in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2027.

Palantir's annual report flags a limited number of customers that account for a substantial portion of its revenue, with the top three supplying 16% of 2025 revenue, and a sales cycle it calls long and unpredictable.

The company depends on third-party computing infrastructure. It also warns that news coverage or other outside scrutiny of the company or its leadership could harm its reputation. A shareholder lawsuit that a federal court dismissed in April 2025 was still on appeal as of June 30, 2026.

Valuation comparisonSalesforce trades at a much lower forward P/E, which compares the stock price to future earnings estimates, and a much lower P/S ratio, which measures price relative to sales over the past 12 months.

MetricSalesforcePalantir TechnologiesForward P/E14.4x85.5xP/S ratio4.5x71.4xValuation metrics include sourcing from Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) and may differ from other data providers.

Salesforce looks like the better buy to me, with the caveat that it's a slower-growing and more indebted company than the fiscal 2026 figures above suggest. On Aug. 26, 2026, management guided for revenue growth of 11% to 12% in fiscal 2027, which ends in January 2027.

By its own math, more than a quarter of that growth comes from the Informatica acquisition. Salesforce also borrowed heavily earlier this year to fund its accelerated share repurchase. Its debt has more than doubled since January and roughly equaled shareholder equity at the end of July. The appeal is the price.

A business that turns about a third of its revenue into free cash flow, at a forward P/E in the mid-teens, leaves room for Agentforce to grow slowly without the investment case falling apart.

Palantir is growing far faster. Its revenue nearly doubled in the second quarter, and on Aug. 3, 2026, management raised its full-year outlook. The catch is a forward P/E ratio more than five times Salesforce's, which leaves the stock with little cushion if growth cools.

Growth rates this high are also hard to sustain as a company gets bigger. I'd rather hold Palantir as a small position in a diversified portfolio than pay that premium for a large one. Even so, a company expanding this quickly with no debt has earned a spot on a growth investor's watch list.

It turned into a relatively busy week, with several key market developments potentially providing fresh fuel for the bull market.

This morning, the latest employment data showed a slowdown in hiring, which the market welcomed as it reduced expectations for further rate hikes. On Wednesday evening, Micron delivered another outstanding earnings report, reinforcing the strength of the AI infrastructure boom. And finally, Bitcoin and the broader crypto market have continued to gain momentum, signaling a notable improvement in risk appetite.

Taken together, these developments have helped support increasingly constructive price action across risk assets. The Nasdaq is printing fresh all-time highs this morning, while the S&P 500 is knocking on the door of record highs.

Micron Technology Crushes Earnings and the Stock Points HigherMicron Technology ((MU - Free Report) ) delivered another outstanding earnings report Wednesday evening, reinforcing the strength of the AI-driven memory boom. Revenue, earnings and margins all surged, while management offered another strong outlook as demand continues to overwhelm available supply.

More important than any single quarter, however, is memory’s rapidly growing importance within the AI infrastructure buildout. According to UBS estimates, memory represented roughly 14% of total AI capital spending in 2025, but that share is expected to jump to 37% in 2026 and 64% by 2027.

That is an extraordinary shift and helps explain the dramatic acceleration in Micron’s business. As increasingly memory-intensive AI systems are deployed, demand for DRAM, HBM and NAND continues to rise while new supply remains difficult to bring online quickly.

Micron is sitting directly in the middle of that supply-demand imbalance, and its latest results suggest the cycle still has considerable momentum.

The price action is also encouraging. After peaking at the start of the summer following a manic year-long rally, Micron spent several months building a broad sideways consolidation and digesting those gains.

Over the last few weeks, shares broke decisively above that range before forming another bullish continuation pattern. Now, Micron appears to be breaking out from that bull flag as well, potentially setting the stage for another leg higher in the near term.

Image Source: TradingView

Jobs Report: Weaker, But Not Necessarily WeakThis morning’s employment report was undeniably soft. The U.S. economy added just 29,000 jobs in September, while July was revised down to a 10,000-job loss and August was revised lower to 133,000. Altogether, July and August payroll growth was reduced by another 60,000 jobs.

For markets, however, there may be a silver lining. The weakening labor data reduces pressure on the Fed to raise rates again and has helped pull Treasury yields lower.

More importantly, today’s payroll numbers may not be quite as alarming as they would have been several years ago. The number of new jobs needed each month simply to keep unemployment stable has fallen considerably as population and labor-force growth have slowed. St. Louis Fed estimates put that breakeven rate somewhere around 15,000 to 87,000 jobs per month.

So there are really two messages in today’s report. Hiring has clearly cooled, and the downward revisions reinforce that trend. But 29,000 jobs today does not necessarily carry the same recessionary implications it once would have.

For investors, that could prove to be a favorable combination: enough labor-market cooling to ease pressure on interest rates, without yet signaling a major deterioration in the economy.

For investors, that combination could be constructive: enough cooling to take pressure off interest rates, without clear evidence that the economy is rolling over.

Bitcoin Goes from Laggard to Market LeaderOne of the more interesting developments over the last three months has been the dramatic change in Bitcoin’s relative performance.

Earlier in the summer, Bitcoin ((IBIT - Free Report) ) was a notable laggard even as technology stocks continued to advance. That divergence raised questions about risk appetite and liquidity beneath the surface of the market. Since then, however, the picture has changed sharply.

As the chart shows, Bitcoin has gone from severe underperformance to major outperformance, gaining roughly 35% over the period compared with about 10% for the Nasdaq 100. Just as importantly, Bitcoin has repeatedly consolidated those gains in bullish continuation patterns before breaking higher again.

That matters beyond crypto itself. Bitcoin tends to be one of the more liquidity- and risk-sensitive assets in financial markets, so renewed leadership can be viewed as evidence that investors are becoming increasingly willing to take risk.

It is not a perfect market-timing signal, but alongside new highs in technology stocks, easing pressure from interest rates, and continued strength in AI spending, Bitcoin’s breakout adds another piece of evidence that the broader risk-on environment is improving.

Image Source: TradingView

The Bull Market Gets More Support

Taken together, this week’s developments strengthen the broader bull case. Micron’s results confirm that the AI infrastructure boom remains firmly intact, softer labor data is taking pressure off interest rates, and Bitcoin’s resurgence points to improving liquidity and risk appetite.

There are still risks, particularly if the labor market weakens more sharply from here. But for now, the combination of strong earnings, easing rate pressure and improving participation across risk assets continues to favor further upside.

Four oil giants all pay dividends, but when crude prices drop, their balance sheets tell very different stories about which payouts survive and which ones get cut to the bone.

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Energy dividends are paid out of oil and gas sales, and the companies don’t control the price of either. When crude is high, every payout looks safe. When crude falls, a weak balance sheet shows up fast. Right now prices are working in shareholders’ favor: Brent averaged $103.85 per barrel in the second quarter, and the big producers are using that cash to pay down debt, buy back stock and raise dividends. For an income investor, the real question is which payouts would still hold when oil falls. Below, Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM | XOM Price Prediction), Chevron (NYSE:CVX), BP (NYSE:BP) and Occidental Petroleum (NYSE:OXY) are compared on coverage, free cash flow, debt and dividend history, starting with the safest.

Exxon Mobil: 43 Straight Years of Raises Backed by a Fortress Balance Sheet Exxon yields 2.56%. It is a fully integrated major. It pumps oil and gas in the Permian Basin, Guyana and its LNG projects, then processes that output and turns it into chemicals. Those best assets made up 59% of 2025 production, and total output reached a new high of 4.7M boe/d. Having refining and chemicals helps when crude prices fall, because cheaper oil brings down the cost of their raw material.

Dividend safety: This is the strongest income profile in the group. The forward annual dividend is $4.12 per share, compared with trailing diluted EPS of $7.81. The free cash flow yield of 3.50% is higher than the dividend yield, so the payout is covered by cash the business actually brings in. Exxon generated $26.13B of free cash flow in 2025. Debt is low: the debt-equity ratio is 0.168, net debt to EBITDA is 0.548, and earnings cover interest costs 56.3x. Exxon says it has grown annual dividend per share for 43 consecutive years. The quarterly payout went from $0.95 in 2024 to $0.99 in 2025 and is now $1.03.

Bull case: Exxon has cut $15.6B in structural costs since 2019 and is aiming for $20B by 2030. It also plans $20B of share repurchases this year. Fewer shares outstanding makes each future raise cheaper to fund. The stock trades at 21 and 15 times trailing and forward earnings, respectively. The CEO, Darren Woods, said “ExxonMobil is a fundamentally stronger company than it was just a few years ago,” and called it a “durable platform to grow earnings, cash flow, and shareholder value through 2030 and beyond.”

Risk: Reported earnings can swing a lot. In the first quarter, net income fell to $4.18B after a $3.88B mark-to-market timing charge and $706M in losses from Middle East supply disruptions. The effective tax rate also rose to 40%.

Chevron: Bigger After Hess and Generating Cash Fast Chevron yields 3.14%, which is the most income of the two US majors. It is also integrated, with production, processes, chemicals and now power generation. After buying Hess, it is much larger: worldwide production grew 20% from a year earlier to 4,070 MBOED in the second quarter, and US refineries ran at 97% utilization.

Dividend safety: The forward annual dividend is $7.12, compared with trailing diluted EPS of $10.38. The free cash flow yield of 4.08% is above the dividend yield. Second-quarter operating cash flow was $22.63B against capex of $4.54B, leaving $18.10B of free cash flow. Chevron used part of that to repay $8.41B of debt. The debt-equity ratio is 0.251 and interest coverage is 13.7x. The dividend has gone up in every year of the recent record: from $1.12 a quarter in 2018 to $1.29 in 2020, $1.71 in 2025 and $1.78 now. That includes a raise during 2020, when oil prices fell.

Bull case: The Hess deal is already paying off. Chevron reached a $3B annual run rate of cost savings six months ahead of plan and captured $1.5B in Hess synergies within a year. It has now returned over $5 billion to shareholders for the 16th consecutive quarter. It also signed a 20-year power deal for a 2.67 GW West Texas AI data center project, which adds a source of income that doesn’t depend on oil prices. The forward P/E is 15.

Risk: Hess added debt. Net debt to EBITDA is 1.08, compared with Exxon’s 0.548. That gives Chevron less of a cushion if a long oil downturn hits while it is still integrating the deal.

BP: The Biggest Yield, With a Turnaround Attached BP yields 4.59%, the highest in this group. US investors own it through an American Depositary Share (ADS), which trades on the NYSE in dollars and represents a set number of BP’s London-listed ordinary shares. BP announces its dividend in cents per ordinary share and then converts it to a per-ADS amount. The latest payout was 8.660 cents per ordinary share, or $0.5196 per ADS. BP is an integrated major with a large processes business, which helped this year: its refining margin indicator was $29.6/bbl versus $11.9/bbl a year earlier.

Dividend safety: Coverage is fine at current oil prices. Second-quarter operating cash flow was $10.86B against capex of $3.09B. Its finances are weaker. Net debt was $25.3B at the end of the first quarter, up from $22.2B at year end. The dividend history includes a cut: the ADR payout fell from $0.63 to $0.315 in 2020. It has been raised steadily since then and recently went from $0.4992 to $0.5196.

Bull case: On forward earnings, BP is the cheapest stock here at 10 times. Management expects $8 to $9B in divestment proceeds this year, including the roughly $6B Castrol sale, and has raised its cost-cutting target to $6.5 to $7.5B by 2027. The CEO, Meg O’Neill, has been direct about BP’s problems: “Our performance over the past few years has not met our own expectations… we have written off too much value; and our costs and liabilities are not resilient enough in a low price environment.”

Risk: BP carries liabilities its US peers don’t. It still has $6.9B in Gulf of America oil spill provisions on the books, it expects about $1.6B in settlement payments this year, and its UK operations pay an Energy Profits Levy with a 78% headline rate through March 2030.

Occidental Petroleum: A Fast-Growing Dividend Tied Directly to Crude Occidental yields 1.82%, and it is a different kind of company from the other three. It is classified as an Oil & Gas E&P company, meaning exploration and production. It has no large refining business to absorb a drop in crude, and it has sold its OxyChem chemicals unit. Its cash flow therefore rises and falls almost directly with the price of oil. Its realized crude price was $96.78/bbl in the second quarter.

Dividend safety: The current payout is easy to cover. The forward annual dividend is $1.12, compared with trailing diluted EPS of $3.39, and second-quarter free cash flow was $3.02B. The company is still paying down debt. Principal debt fell to $13.3B in the first quarter and to $11.8B in the second, and the next target is $10.0B. Its dividend record is the weakest of the four. In 2020 the quarterly payout went from $0.79 to $0.01. It has since been rebuilt to $0.28.

Bull case: Dividend growth is the main appeal here. The payout has been increased 8% this year, and the next payment is on October 15. Operations are improving: production of 1,433 Mboed beat guidance, and operating costs fell to $8.70/BOE. Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) is getting more positive, with Barron’s reporting a Goldman upgrade this week.

Risk: Occidental has the most to lose if oil prices fall. In its May outlook, the EIA forecast OPEC output recovering from 20.90 million barrels per day in the second quarter of 2026 to 28.28 million in the fourth quarter. More supply would brings down the prices that are currently funding Occidental’s debt paydown.

Where Big Oil Income Lands Now Exxon Mobil and Chevron are the most reliable income in this group: both cover their dividends with free cash flow, both carry little debt, and both kept raising the payout through the 2020 oil crash. BP offers the highest yield, but that yield depends on its recovery and on paying down debt. Occidental cut its dividend in 2020 and is now growing it quickly, which makes it a payout to keep an eye on in a downturn more than a foundation for an income portfolio. When oil prices fall, the dividends with strong balance sheets behind them are the ones most likely to hold.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Shares of Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:PANW – Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday. The company traded as high as $399.95 and last traded at $399.1930, with a volume of 952607 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $388.41.

Key Headlines Impacting Palo Alto Networks Here are the key news stories impacting Palo Alto Networks this week:

Positive Sentiment: Strong earnings and AI-security demand support the rally. Recent coverage highlights Palo Alto Networks’ better-than-expected quarterly results, 34.5% year-over-year revenue growth and growing demand for AI-powered cybersecurity. Investors appear encouraged that AI is expanding cybersecurity budgets and could support future growth. Why Is Palo Alto PANW Up 21% Since Last Earnings Report? Positive Sentiment: An analyst upgrade and a favorable interest-rate backdrop have helped sentiment. PANW shares jumped following an analyst upgrade, while cooler inflation data eased concerns about additional Federal Reserve rate hikes. Lower-rate expectations generally benefit high-growth software and cybersecurity stocks by supporting their valuations. Palo Alto Networks Stock Jumps Following Analyst Upgrade Palo Alto Stock Rises on Cool Inflation, Easing Fed Fears Neutral Sentiment: Investor debate centers on whether to hold after the sharp advance. Commentary remains broadly bullish on Palo Alto Networks and CrowdStrike, but investors are weighing continued AI-driven growth against the possibility that much of the good news is already reflected in PANW’s price. All In On Cybersecurity: Palo Alto Networks or CrowdStrike Negative Sentiment: Valuation and cost concerns could encourage profit-taking. Analysts note PANW’s premium valuation and rising costs, while two insiders reported selling shares. These factors may limit near-term upside after the recent rally, despite the company’s longer-term growth prospects. PANW Stock Rises 21% in a Month Insider Aparna Bawa Sells Shares Insider Dipak Golechha Sells Shares Analysts Set New Price Targets Several analysts recently weighed in on PANW shares. Truist Financial set a $400.00 price target on Palo Alto Networks in a report on Wednesday, September 2nd. Phillip Securities downgraded shares of Palo Alto Networks from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $320.00 to $346.00 in a research report on Monday, September 7th. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $390.00 price target (up from $300.00) on shares of Palo Alto Networks in a research note on Wednesday, August 19th. Robert W. Baird set a $420.00 target price on Palo Alto Networks and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 2nd. Finally, Rosenblatt Securities raised their price target on shares of Palo Alto Networks from $355.00 to $415.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 2nd. Thirty-eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $390.47.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Palo Alto Networks Palo Alto Networks Stock Performance The firm has a market capitalization of $324.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 776.98, a P/E/G ratio of 11.44 and a beta of 0.93. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $360.46 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $283.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a current ratio of 0.87 and a quick ratio of 0.87.

Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, September 1st. The network technology company reported $1.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.98 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $3.41 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.35 billion. Palo Alto Networks had a return on equity of 8.50% and a net margin of 2.67%.The company’s revenue was up 34.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.95 earnings per share. Palo Alto Networks has set its FY 2027 guidance at 4.160-4.190 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.960-0.980 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Palo Alto Networks, Inc. will post 2.31 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Palo Alto Networks In other Palo Alto Networks news, EVP Dipak Golechha sold 27,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $391.60, for a total value of $10,769,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 117,750 shares in the company, valued at approximately $46,110,900. This trade represents a 18.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director John P. Key sold 2,500 shares of Palo Alto Networks stock in a transaction on Monday, September 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $376.03, for a total transaction of $940,075.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 10,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,760,300. This trade represents a 20.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 54,260 shares of company stock valued at $20,804,474 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in Palo Alto Networks during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $218,000. Greenwich Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Palo Alto Networks in the second quarter valued at approximately $405,000. QRG Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in Palo Alto Networks by 20.9% in the second quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 103,822 shares of the network technology company’s stock valued at $35,405,000 after acquiring an additional 17,982 shares during the period. State Street Corp increased its holdings in shares of Palo Alto Networks by 4.2% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 36,979,497 shares of the network technology company’s stock valued at $12,610,748,000 after acquiring an additional 1,493,179 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wellington Altus USA Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Palo Alto Networks by 17.8% during the second quarter. Wellington Altus USA Inc. now owns 993 shares of the network technology company’s stock valued at $339,000 after acquiring an additional 150 shares in the last quarter. 79.82% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Palo Alto Networks Company Profile (Get Free Report)

Palo Alto Networks, Inc is a cybersecurity company that provides solutions designed to help organizations protect networks, endpoints, cloud environments, applications and users from cyber threats. Its offerings include next-generation firewalls, cloud-delivered security services, secure access service edge (SASE) solutions, endpoint protection and security operations tools.

The company also provides platforms and services for cloud security, threat intelligence, incident response, vulnerability management and the automation of security operations.

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Continued improvement: An increased response was seen in participants on litifilimab from week 24 through week 52, with more individuals achieving clear or almost clear skin (27.2%; CLA IGA 0-1) and improvements in disease activity (28.8%; CLASI-70) than at week 24 (19.0% and 21.7%, respectively)Rapid onset: Participants that switched from placebo to litifilimab experienced improvements in skin disease activity in as early as four weeks -- consistent with results seen in participants who started on litifilimab reported earlier this yearConsistent safety: Litifilimab's safety profile remained consistent with previous studies, with no new safety signals identifiedResults from the Phase 3 part of AMETHYST are expected in the first half of 2027; in January 2026 the FDA granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation to litifilimab in CLE CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Oct. 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Biogen Inc. (Nasdaq: BIIB) today announced 52-week results from the Phase 2 part of the ongoing AMETHYST Phase 2/3 study (Part A) of litifilimab in people living with cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE). The updated results, presented at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) 2026 Congress in Vienna, Austria, represent the longest dataset reported for litifilimab in CLE and further support its potential to achieve rapid and durable improvements in skin disease activity. In the study, participants treated with litifilimab in the double-blind, placebo-controlled period showed continued clinical improvements in skin disease activity through Week 52. Notably, participants who switched from placebo to litifilimab treatment at Week 24 experienced a rapid onset of treatment effect as early as four weeks.  

“Access to 52-week data is critical when evaluating a treatment for a lifelong, chronic disease like cutaneous lupus erythematosus, which can cause permanent scarring and disfigurement that many patients will carry with them forever. That is why achieving clear or almost clear skin, which is rarely seen in CLE, is a truly transformative treatment goal for this disease,” said Joseph F Merola, MD, MMSc, dermatologist, rheumatologist and President of the Rheumatologic Dermatology Society, Lupus Foundation Medical and Scientific Board. “It is highly encouraging to see continued improvement in skin clearance with litifilimab treatment – with over a quarter of participants reaching clear or almost clear skin – and data supporting litifilimab's long-term safety profile.”

Litifilimab is being evaluated as a potential once-monthly, first-in-class treatment designed to reduce inflammation at its source by selectively targeting blood dendritic cell antigen 2 (BDCA2) receptors on plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs), which play a central role early in the inflammatory process in CLE. In January 2026, litifilimab was granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of CLE. 

The Phase 2 portion of the ongoing Phase 2/3 AMETHYST study evaluated 93 adults with active skin symptoms for whom standard antimalarial medications were not effective or not tolerable. Over the course of a full year, the study tracked key measures of skin redness, scaling and disease activity to assess how well litifilimab helped participants achieve healthier skin. By Week 52, more than a quarter (27.2%) of participants who received litifilimab from the beginning of the study achieved the clinical endpoint of clear or almost clear skin, as measured by a Cutaneous Lupus Activity Investigators' Global Assessment Revised (CLA-IGA-R) erythema score of 0 or 1, up from 19.0% at Week 24. Similar improvements were seen on the Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus Disease Area and Severity Index Activity-70 (CLASI-70) measurement with 28.8% of participants receiving litifilimab from the beginning of the study achieving a 70% or greater reduction in CLASI A at Week 52, compared to 21.7% at Week 24. For participants who started the study on placebo and transitioned to litifilimab halfway through the study, the onset of benefit was rapid – as early as four weeks – when skin symptoms began to improve. By Week 52, approximately one in three (33.7%) of these crossover participants reported clear or almost clear skin.

“Living with cutaneous lupus erythematosus carries a heavy physical toll, including dyspigmentation, pain, and scarring, which can be associated with comorbidities like depression and anxiety that can have a profound impact on daily life. These 52-week data reinforce litifilimab's potential to deliver rapid improvement and demonstrate its durable skin clearance effects,” said Daniel Quirk, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at Biogen. “We are encouraged by these results that build on findings in earlier studies as we anticipate the upcoming Phase 3 study results that reflect our commitment to advancing targeted therapies for serious autoimmune conditions.”

Over the course of the 52-week treatment period, litifilimab was generally well tolerated with a safety profile consistent with previously reported Phase 2 studies and no new safety signals identified. The majority of adverse events (AEs) reported were mild or moderate in severity, and serious AEs occurred in 3.4% (3/88) of participants during the extended treatment period. The most common AEs (≥5% during the extended treatment period) were nasopharyngitis, influenza and arthralgia.  

“People living with cutaneous lupus erythematosus face debilitating symptoms, including scarring, hair loss, and extreme sensitivity to light, yet they have long relied on treatments not specifically developed or studied for CLE,” said Albert T Roy, President and CEO of the Lupus Research Alliance. “The new data on litifilimab are encouraging because they point to the potential for both rapid symptom relief and durable improvement for people living with this condition. We look forward to seeing additional data from the Phase 3 study.”

About AMETHYST

AMETHYST is a two-part, Phase 2/3 multicenter, double-blind, placebo controlled, randomized study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of litifilimab compared to placebo. The study aims to assess the efficacy of litifilimab in participants with active subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (SCLE) and/or chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CCLE) who are refractory or intolerant to antimalarial therapy. The Phase 2 and Phase 3 parts of the study are each 52 weeks in duration. Participants will be randomized to receive subcutaneous treatment with litifilimab or placebo every four weeks for 20 weeks with an additional dose at Week 2. All participants will receive litifilimab during the 28-week extended treatment period from Weeks 24 to 48. The Phase 3 part of the AMETHYST study remains blinded and is expected to read out in the first half of 2027. More information on the AMETHYST study (NCT05531565) is available at clinicaltrials.gov.

About Litifilimab (BIIB059)

Litifilimab (known as BIIB059) is an investigational first-in-class monoclonal antibody that is the first potential treatment developed by Biogen for lupus and is being evaluated in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE). Its targeted mechanism of action acts early in the disease pathway to address the immune dysregulation that drives lupus. Litifilimab selectively targets BDCA2 receptors on plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) to reduce inflammation. Biogen developed litifilimab over two decades as part of a dedicated lupus discovery and development program.

Litifilimab is an investigational therapeutic candidate that has not yet been approved by any regulatory authority, and its safety and effectiveness have not been established.

Positive results from the CLE portion of the two-part Phase 2 LILAC study were previously published in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) showing litifilimab met the study's primary endpoint by demonstrating superior efficacy to placebo in reducing skin disease activity. In LILAC, litifilimab was generally well tolerated. The AMETHYST (NCT05531565) Phase 3 trial of litifilimab in CLE is currently ongoing.

About Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus (CLE)

CLE, a type of lupus, is a serious autoimmune skin disease that impacts the daily lives of patients, including their emotional and mental health. It can lead to disfigurement in the form of hair loss, permanent scarring and abnormal skin color. In CLE, the immune system attacks healthy skin, causing rashes, pain, itching and sensitivity to sunlight. Currently, there are no approved targeted therapies for CLE and the last drug was approved in the 1950s.

About Biogen

Founded in 1978, Biogen is a leading biotechnology company that pioneers innovative science to deliver new medicines to transform patients' lives and to create value for shareholders and our communities. We apply deep understanding of human biology and leverage different modalities to advance first-in-class treatments or therapies that deliver superior outcomes. Our approach is to take bold risks, balanced with return on investment to deliver long-term growth.

We routinely post information that may be important to investors on our website at www.biogen.com. Follow us on social media – Facebook, LinkedIn, X, YouTube.

Biogen Safe Harbor

This news release contains forward-looking statements relating to, among others, the potential clinical effects of litifilimab; the potential of litifilimab to make a clinically meaningful improvement for patients living with cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE); the potential benefits, safety and efficacy of litifilimab; potential regulatory discussions, submissions and approvals and the timing thereof; the expected timing of trial results; the anticipation of Phase 3 trial results; the potential of Biogen's commercial business and pipeline programs, including litifilimab; and risks and uncertainties associated with drug development and commercialization. These forward-looking statements may be accompanied by such words as “aim,” “anticipate,” “assume,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “goal,” “guidance,” “hope,” “intend,” “may,” “objective,” “outlook,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “prospect,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would” or the negative of these words or other words and terms of similar meaning. Drug development and commercialization involve a high degree of risk, and only a small number of research and development programs result in commercialization of a product. Results in early-stage clinical trials may not be indicative of full results or results from later stage or larger scale clinical trials and do not ensure regulatory approval. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Given their forward-looking nature, these statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties that may be based on inaccurate assumptions and could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in such statements.

These forward-looking statements are based on management's current beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to management. Given their nature, we cannot assure that any outcome expressed in these forward-looking statements will be realized in whole or in part. We caution that these statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside of our control and could cause future events or results to differ materially from those stated or implied in this document, including, among others, uncertainty of our long-term success in developing, licensing, or acquiring other product candidates or additional indications for existing products; expectations, plans, prospects and timing of actions relating to product approvals, approvals of additional indications for our existing products, sales, pricing, growth, reimbursement and launch of our marketed and pipeline products; the potential impact of increased product competition in the biopharmaceutical and healthcare industry, as well as any other markets in which we compete, including increased competition from new originator therapies, generics, prodrugs and biosimilars of existing products and products approved under abbreviated regulatory pathways; our ability to effectively implement our corporate strategy; difficulties in obtaining and maintaining adequate coverage, pricing, and reimbursement for our products; the drivers for growing our business, including our dependence on collaborators and other third parties for the development, regulatory approval, and commercialization of products and other aspects of our business, which are outside of our full control; risks related to commercialization of biosimilars, which is subject to such risks related to our reliance on third-parties, intellectual property, competitive and market challenges and regulatory compliance; the risk that positive results in a clinical trial may not be replicated in subsequent or confirmatory trials or success in early stage clinical trials may not be predictive of results in later stage or large scale clinical trials or trials in other potential indications; risks associated with clinical trials, including our ability to adequately manage clinical activities, unexpected concerns that may arise from additional data or analysis obtained during clinical trials, regulatory authorities may require additional information or further studies, or may fail to approve or may delay approval of our drug candidates; and the occurrence of adverse safety events, restrictions on use with our products, or product liability claims; and any other risks and uncertainties that are described in other reports we have filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.

These statements speak only as of the date of this press release and are based on information and estimates available to us at this time. Should known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize or should underlying assumptions prove inaccurate, actual results could vary materially from past results and those anticipated, estimated or projected. Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements. A further list and description of risks, uncertainties and other matters can be found in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 and in our subsequent reports on Form 10-Q. Except as required by law, we do not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements whether as a result of any new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise.

Digital Media Disclosure
From time to time we have used, or expect in the future to use, our investor relations website (investors.biogen.com), the Biogen LinkedIn account (linkedin.com/company/biogen-) and the Biogen X account (https://x.com/biogen) as a means of disclosing information to the public in a broad, non-exclusionary manner, including for purposes of the SECÕs Regulation Fair Disclosure (Reg FD). Accordingly, investors should monitor our investor relations website and this social media channel in addition to our press releases, SEC filings, public conference calls and webcasts, as the information posted on them could be material to investors.

Key Takeaways Franklin Templeton's AUM reached a record $1.79T, with long-term net inflows of $18.4B.Investment management fees rose 13.7% as AUM growth boosted revenues and alternatives expanded.Stoneshield deal could add $9B in AUM and strengthen European real estate and infrastructure capabilities. Franklin Templeton (BEN - Free Report) continues to benefit from solid assets under management (AUM) growth, aided by improving net flows, favorable market performance and expansion across private markets and alternative investments. With AUM reaching record levels, the growing asset base could remain an important driver of fee revenues and earnings. However, elevated expenses and sensitivity to market movements may limit the extent of bottom-line growth.

At the end of the fiscal third quarter on June 30, 2026, Franklin Templeton’s AUM reached a record $1.79 trillion, up 11.2% year over year. Average AUM climbed 11.8% to $1.75 trillion. More importantly, the company recorded $18.4 billion in long-term net inflows, a notable turnaround from long-term net outflows of $9.3 billion in the year-ago quarter.

AUM growth is particularly important for Franklin Templeton because investment management fees represent its largest revenue source. In the fiscal third quarter, investment management fees increased 13.7% year over year to $1.87 billion, while total operating revenues advanced 14.3% to $2.36 billion. The increasing contribution from alternative assets could further support the revenue mix. Alternative AUM reached $301.6 billion in August, up 1.8% from July.

Franklin Templeton has been expanding in private credit, infrastructure and real estate, areas that continue to attract client demand. Its planned acquisition of a majority stake in Stoneshield Capital should further strengthen this business. The transaction is expected to add $9 billion in AUM and expand Franklin Templeton’s European real estate and infrastructure capabilities. The deal is also expected to support fee-earning AUM growth across institutional and wealth-management channels.

Overall, Franklin Templeton’s improving net flows, record AUM and growing alternatives franchise provide support for continued earnings growth. For the next 3-5 years, BEN’s earnings are expected to rise 30.4%.

AUM Performance of BEN’s PeersApollo Global Management’s (APO - Free Report) AUM witnessed a CAGR of 19.6% over the past three years (2022-2025), with the rising trend continuing in the first half of 2026. The increase in Apollo’s AUM is primarily driven by growth in its retirement services client assets, subscriptions across the platform and new financing facilities.

By 2029, Apollo Global Management expects its total AUM to reach $1.5 trillion by scaling its private equity business.

Similarly, Blackstone Inc. (BX - Free Report) has been witnessing a rise in its AUM balance. Over the past five years (2020-2025), total AUM and fee-earning AUM have recorded a CAGR of 15.6% and 14.4%, respectively. The total AUM rose 12% year over year in the first half of 2026.

Blackstone’s robust AUM base supports its long-term earnings growth by providing a larger pool of fee-generating capital across its private equity, real estate, credit and infrastructure platforms.

Dell's AI server order book just hit a record, yet management keeps repeating one word to explain why they cannot ship fast enough to meet it. That bottleneck could decide whether today's rally holds or reverses.

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Server hardware is drawing a concentrated bid, with two enterprise infrastructure makers rising together on artificial intelligence demand. Shares of Dell Technologies (NYSE:DELL | DELL Price Prediction) and Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE:HPE) are both climbing, and the size of Dell’s order book makes the rally in Dell stock the more revealing one to analyze.

Dell stock is at $566.05, up 4% in afternoon trading. Meanwhile, HPE shares are at $69.54, up 8% and running ahead of the gain in Dell stock.

The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSEARCA:SPY) trades at $769.19, up 0.7%, a far smaller advance than either hardware stock. Checking in on the tech sector, the Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ:QQQ) is rising 1% to $749.82.

Dell’s Record Backlog Frames the Move Dell raised its revenue forecast for the current fiscal year on September 1, lifting the midpoint to $192 billion and pointing to artificial intelligence server demand as the reason. Management at Dell stated that the company closed its most recent quarter with a record artificial intelligence order backlog of $95 billion. A backlog of that scale shifts the debate around Dell from whether demand exists to whether the company can build fast enough to meet it.

Customer breadth adds weight to that order book, as Dell’s leadership stated plainly that “The acceleration is enterprise.” The comment signals that demand for Dell systems is spreading into traditional corporate buyers, a deeper and potentially steadier base than a handful of giant cloud builders.

Memory Supply Sets Dell’s Pace Memory chip supply is the constraint Dell management itself named as the main obstacle to converting that backlog into revenue. When Dell raised its outlook on September 1, leadership put it bluntly: “The constraints remain the same… DRAM, DRAM, DRAM, followed by NAND, NAND, NAND.” Those terms refer to the memory and flash storage chips every server needs, which makes component availability the factor that decides whether Dell meets its raised forecast.

Dell’s leadership also stated, “Demand outstrips supply,” and added, “We are supply constrained.” That framing cuts both ways for Dell stock. Customer appetite for Dell systems looks secure, yet any shortfall in memory deliveries could delay the company’s revenue and test the patience of shareholders who’ve lifted the shares to this level.

What HPE and the Fund Figures Show On September 30, HPE announced a large artificial intelligence systems order from the cloud provider Vultr and raised its networking growth outlook alongside it, according to Hewlett Packard Enterprise. This announcement precedes the latest gain, and HPE shares are advancing in step with Dell stock. HPE’s Vultr order feeds the same artificial intelligence expansion that sits behind Dell’s backlog.

Supply is a shared theme, and HPE management has described the same bottleneck: “Supply will continue to be constrained, which means we’re going to continue to run into high backlogs as we go forward.” The company also stated, “We booked more orders than any prior quarter in our history, resulting in a record-breaking backlog for the company.” Both HPE and Dell, in other words, face orders arriving faster than components.

Against that backdrop, the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust’s modest gain shows how narrow the buying is. With the fund up 0.7%, the outsized moves in Dell stock and HPE shares reflect a bid for server hardware specifically, concentrated in the companies tied most directly to artificial intelligence infrastructure (we covered seven of the suppliers driving this expansion, beyond the chipmakers, in a free report you can grab here).

What to Watch Next Dell’s next test is execution, because its raised forecast depends on securing enough memory to convert a record backlog into revenue. Traders can watch for updates on memory supply when Dell next reports, since component availability determines how quickly orders become sales.

Investors weighing their exposure should adjust their holdings carefully given that memory chip supply, a constraint Dell management named itself, could decide how fast Dell and HPE turn orders into revenue. Strong demand supports the bull case, while component shortages and the wide gap over the broad market keep the risk to their positions elevated.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Chimera Investment Corporation (NYSE:CIM – Get Free Report) gapped down prior to trading on Wednesday. The stock had previously closed at $10.20, but opened at $9.84. Chimera Investment shares last traded at $9.8550, with a volume of 164,202 shares trading hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several research analysts have commented on the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded Chimera Investment from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, June 28th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their target price on Chimera Investment from $15.00 to $14.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded Chimera Investment from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a research report on Friday, September 18th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $14.50.

View Our Latest Analysis on CIM

Chimera Investment Stock Performance The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.34, a quick ratio of 0.07 and a current ratio of 0.07. The firm has a market cap of $782.94 million, a P/E ratio of -9.17 and a beta of 1.72. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $11.48 and its 200 day moving average price is $12.61. Chimera Investment (NYSE:CIM – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.46 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.54 by ($0.08). The business had revenue of $94.77 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $95.30 million. Chimera Investment had a return on equity of 9.82% and a net margin of 0.14%.

Chimera Investment Announces Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 30th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, September 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.45 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 30th. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 19.2%. Chimera Investment’s dividend payout ratio is currently -176.47%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Nykredit A S bought a new stake in Chimera Investment during the second quarter valued at about $29,000. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC purchased a new position in Chimera Investment in the second quarter valued at about $46,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new position in Chimera Investment in the second quarter worth about $60,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC bought a new position in Chimera Investment in the second quarter worth about $79,000. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc lifted its position in shares of Chimera Investment by 52.5% during the second quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 10,412 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $139,000 after buying an additional 3,586 shares during the last quarter. 48.44% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

(Get Free Report)

Chimera Investment Corporation is a real estate investment trust that invests in residential mortgage assets. The company’s portfolio has historically included residential mortgage-backed securities, residential mortgage loans and other mortgage-related investments, including both agency and non-agency assets.

Chimera seeks to generate income from the interest and cash flows associated with its investments. Its activities are primarily focused on the U.S. residential housing and mortgage markets, and the company may invest in assets with different levels of credit and prepayment risk.

Founded in 2007, Chimera is externally managed and has operated as a mortgage-focused REIT.

See Also Five stocks we like better than Chimera Investment Everyone in AI Is Quietly Copying Palantir’s Playbook Advanced Micro Devices Is Spending $8.2 Billion to Learn What AI Needs Next JPMorgan Bets on Genius Sports as the Market Loses Patience Apple’s $5.7 Billion Patent Verdict Raises a Bigger Royalty Question Receive News & Ratings for Chimera Investment Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Chimera Investment and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.

It has been about a month since the last earnings report for NetApp (NTAP - Free Report) . Shares have added about 16% in that time frame, outperforming the S&P 500.

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

NetApp Q1 Earnings Beat Estimates

NetApp delivered a record first quarter of fiscal 2027, with non-GAAP earnings of $2.58 per share, up 66.5% year over year. The figure beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.13 by 21.1%.

Net revenues rose 29.9% to $2,025 million and surpassed the $1,843 million consensus mark by 9.9%. Strong AI and modernization spending, accelerated purchases and pricing benefits supported growth. Billings increased 36.1% to $2,057 million.

Hybrid Cloud Business Leads Growth

Hybrid Cloud revenues advanced 30.1% year over year to $1,819 million. Product revenues climbed 50.9% to $987 million, while support revenues increased 11.3% to $720 million. Professional and Other Services revenues rose 15.5% to $112 million, mainly on continued Keystone growth.

The quarter included an additional week, which contributed approximately $65 million to revenues, mainly from support and Public Cloud. Excluding that benefit, total revenues increased 26% year over year. Management also cited a healthier demand environment as customers invested in AI and infrastructure modernization.

Flash and Public Cloud Momentum Accelerates

All-flash array revenues reached a record $1,309 million, up 46.6% from the prior-year quarter. Hybrid-flash and other revenues were $510 million versus $505 million a year ago. Together, all-flash and Public Cloud represented 75% of quarterly net revenues.

Public Cloud revenues grew 28% to a record $206 million, reflecting strong first-party and marketplace storage demand. Adjusted for the extra week, Public Cloud growth was 19%. NetApp won approximately 350 AI and data lake modernization deals, with management noting larger deal sizes as customers moved from pilots to production. The company also acquired DataPelago to expand its AI data infrastructure capabilities.

Margin Details

Non-GAAP gross margin was 70.6%, down 50 basis points year over year. The decline reflected a larger product mix, with product revenues accounting for 49% of sales versus 42% a year earlier. Product gross margin was 54.6%, pressured sequentially by higher component costs but partly offset by better pricing.

Hybrid Cloud gross margin was 68.8%, while Public Cloud gross margin reached 86.4%. Support gross margin totaled 93.2%, and Professional Services gross margin was 36.6%. Year-over-year margin expansion across product, support, Professional Services and Public Cloud partly offset the product-mix headwind.

Non-GAAP operating expenses rose 10.9% year over year to $784 million, driven primarily by variable compensation and the additional week, which added approximately $22 million. Even so, non-GAAP operating income increased 60.8% to $645 million.

The non-GAAP operating margin expanded to 31.9% from 25.7%. Non-GAAP net income increased 64% to $515 million. On a GAAP basis, net income rose 60.9% to $375 million, while earnings increased 63.5% to $1.88 per share.

Cash Flow Details

Cash from operations fell 25.3% year over year to $503 million, while free cash flow declined 35.3% to $401 million. Free cash flow margin was 19.8% compared with 39.8% a year ago. Capital expenditures increased to $102 million from $53 million.

NTAP ended the quarter with $3.58 billion in cash, cash equivalents and investments and $2.49 billion in gross debt, leaving net cash of $1.09 billion. Inventory increased to $375 million from $198 million at fiscal year-end as the company managed supply levels to support growing demand. NetApp returned $302 million through $200 million of repurchases and $102 million of dividends.

Fiscal 2027 Outlook

For the second quarter of fiscal 2027, NetApp expects revenues of $2.025-$2.175 billion. Non-GAAP gross margin is projected at 67-68%, operating margin at 30.9-31.9% and earnings at $2.54-$2.64 per share. Management expects the sequential gross-margin decline mainly from a higher product revenue mix.

For fiscal 2027, revenues are now forecast at $7.975-$8.225 billion, with the $8.10 billion midpoint representing 17% growth and a $650 million increase from prior guidance. Non-GAAP gross margin is expected at 68.1-69.1%, operating margin at 30.3-31.3% and earnings at $9.73-$10.03 per share. The $9.88 earnings midpoint represents 22% year-over-year growth.

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

The consensus estimate has shifted 21.27% due to these changes.

VGM ScoresCurrently, NetApp has a subpar Growth Score of D, a grade with the same score on the momentum front. Charting a somewhat similar path, 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 F. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.

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

Key Takeaways JEF's Japan JV will combine SMBC's domestic reach with Jefferies' global equities platform and client network.JEF's M&A and ECM market share rose more than fourfold among selected jointly covered sponsor clients. SMBC's 20% stake and the planned 2027 JV deepen the alliance and expand cross-border growth opportunities. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. (JEF - Free Report) is expanding its partnership with Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) with a Japan-based joint venture (JV), which is expected to begin serving clients in January 2027. As part of the broader strategic alliance, SMBC has increased its equity ownership in Jefferies to almost 20%, making it the company’s largest shareholder.

The venture will combine SMBC and SMBC Nikko’s domestic client coverage, equities, Equity Capital Markets (ECM), research and corporate access capabilities with Jefferies’ global client network, sector expertise, trading technology and capital-markets capabilities. The shared goal is to build a leading institutional Japanese equities and ECM franchise.

The partnership will strengthen Jefferies’ access to Japanese equities and ECM opportunities while helping Japanese clients tap into its global investment banking network. The venture will also jointly source and execute Japan-related cross-border mergers & acquisitions (M&A) and ECM transactions, leveraging the complementary strengths of both firms. The planned JV is also intended to scale a leading wholesale equities and equity capital markets business in Japan.

JEF’s Early Alliance Gains Support for Further ExpansionThe broader SMBC alliance is already showing commercial traction. Jefferies said joint coverage of selected large sponsor clients began in 2024, and its M&A and ECM market share for those jointly covered clients increased more than fourfold. The partners are now expanding joint coverage to larger sponsors globally, while SMBC-provided credit facilities are supporting Jefferies’ growth in targeted areas.

These early gains highlight the potential of combining SMBC’s Japanese investment banking presence and lending capabilities with Jefferies’ global advisory and capital-markets expertise. Management expects the collaboration to deepen as the partners expand their client coverage and capabilities.

JEF’s Global Platform Could Amplify Japan OpportunitiesThe JV will leverage Jefferies’ global reach and sector expertise to support Japanese companies pursuing international opportunities, while SMBC’s domestic relationships can broaden Jefferies’ access to Japanese clients. Management highlighted the overlap between the companies’ client networks as an opportunity to expand M&A, ECM and leveraged-finance activity.

The planned JV therefore provides Jefferies with a stronger local platform while extending the reach of its existing global investment banking capabilities. Management also expects the Japan JV to provide a template for other ways Jefferies and SMBC can work together globally.

Our Take on JEFThe planned Japan JV gives Jefferies a more established local platform to pursue Japanese equities, ECM and cross-border investment banking opportunities. SMBC’s increased ownership and position as Jefferies’ largest shareholder further underscore the strategic depth of the alliance. However, the venture is not expected to be launched until January 2027, making execution and the ability to convert the expanded platform into sustained transaction activity key factors to monitor.

JEF’s Peers Tap New Growth Opportunities Through ExpansionCitigroup Inc. (C - Free Report) is expanding its collaboration with Coinbase Global (COIN) to strengthen its role in stablecoin-based payments. The expanded partnership combines Coinbase’s digital-asset infrastructure with Citigroup’s virtual-account, payment, and fiat-settlement capabilities, enabling businesses to accept, hold, and pay funds while converting incoming fiat into stablecoins. Citigroup will also support institutional clients accepting stablecoin payments through Spring by Citi, with Coinbase Payments converting stablecoins into fiat and Citigroup handling settlement as the bank of record.

The expanded relationship could help Citigroup capture growth in the stablecoin payments market by extending its payments infrastructure to blockchain-based transactions without requiring merchants to directly hold or manage digital assets. With Citigroup already banking 90% of the top e-commerce companies and 15 of the world’s 20 largest fintechs, its institutional client base provides a broad potential distribution channel.

Likewise, JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM - Free Report) is expanding its cross-border payments capabilities through a partnership with Thunes, integrating Thunes’ Direct Global Network with J.P. Morgan Payments’ Xpedite Remit solutions. The collaboration will enable faster and simpler international payouts across more than 100 corridors, connecting businesses to local bank accounts and mobile wallets while providing foreign-exchange conversion and end-to-end payment traceability.

JPMorgan’s expanded payment reach could boost cross-border volumes and deepen client relationships, leveraging Thunes’ access to 12 billion accounts and wallets across 140 countries.  As businesses increasingly adopt faster, digital cross-border payment channels, the partnership could expand JPMorgan’s payment volumes, client reach, and fee-based revenue opportunities.

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC – Get Free Report) gapped down before the market opened on Wednesday. The stock had previously closed at $504.61, but opened at $483.00. Northrop Grumman shares last traded at $484.5310, with a volume of 245,732 shares trading hands.

Trending Headlines about Northrop Grumman Here are the key news stories impacting Northrop Grumman this week:

Positive Sentiment: Northrop Grumman opened a new Arizona facility to support in-space systems, reinforcing its position in the growing space-defense market and potentially expanding future production capacity. Northrop Grumman continues in-space industry leadership with new facility opening in Arizona Positive Sentiment: The company is accelerating extended-range counter-drone missile technology for the U.S. Army, supporting its missile-defense pipeline and adding potential follow-on revenue opportunities. Northrop Grumman to accelerate extended-range C-UAS missile technology Positive Sentiment: UBS issued a Buy rating, while separate analysis suggested NOC could be undervalued by roughly 24% following new space prototype work. These views may limit downside if execution remains solid. Northrop Grumman receives a Buy from UBS Neutral Sentiment: Northrop’s backlog remains approximately $105 billion, supported by the B-21 Raider and Sentinel programs. The loss of F/A-XX does not reduce existing contracted revenue, although investors will monitor how effectively the company ramps production and manages costs. Negative Sentiment: Boeing won the Navy’s F/A-XX development contract, potentially positioning it to capture decades of future fighter production and sustainment revenue. Northrop’s shares decreased as investors reassessed its growth prospects outside its current backlog. Boeing beats Northrop for a $20 billion Navy fighter contract Negative Sentiment: Analysts expect a single-digit year-over-year decline in third-quarter earnings, creating another near-term catalyst for caution ahead of the October results. Northrop Grumman’s third-quarter 2026 earnings outlook Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of research firms have weighed in on NOC. TD Cowen upped their target price on Northrop Grumman from $550.00 to $590.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 19th. Citigroup boosted their price objective on Northrop Grumman from $617.00 to $667.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price objective on Northrop Grumman from $620.00 to $580.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Friday, June 26th. Morgan Stanley set a $745.00 target price on Northrop Grumman in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $620.00 target price on shares of Northrop Grumman in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Northrop Grumman has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $647.57.

Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Northrop Grumman Northrop Grumman Stock Performance The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81. The stock has a market cap of $68.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.83 and a beta of -0.11. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $538.98 and its 200-day simple moving average is $568.95.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The aerospace company reported $7.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.82 by $0.86. The company had revenue of $10.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $10.80 billion. Northrop Grumman had a return on equity of 24.25% and a net margin of 10.48%.The firm’s revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $8.15 earnings per share. Northrop Grumman has set its FY 2026 guidance at 28.600-29.100 EPS. Analysts predict that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 28.97 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Northrop Grumman Dividend Announcement The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 31st were issued a dividend of $2.47 per share. This represents a $9.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 31st. Northrop Grumman’s dividend payout ratio is currently 31.39%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Northrop Grumman In related news, Director Mark Welsh, III sold 95 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $547.53, for a total value of $52,015.35. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 4,393 shares in the company, valued at $2,405,299.29. This trade represents a 2.12% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.21% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Northrop Grumman A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in Northrop Grumman during the second quarter valued at $6,001,616,000. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new stake in Northrop Grumman during the 2nd quarter worth about $1,298,141,000. Capital World Investors boosted its position in Northrop Grumman by 39.4% during the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 3,434,041 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $1,958,151,000 after acquiring an additional 970,029 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new position in Northrop Grumman during the 2nd quarter valued at about $376,135,000. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LP purchased a new position in Northrop Grumman during the 2nd quarter valued at about $44,039,000. 83.40% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Northrop Grumman Company Profile (Get Free Report)

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) is a global aerospace and defense company that develops and produces systems for government and commercial customers, with the U.S. Department of Defense and other government agencies representing its primary markets. Its work spans advanced aircraft, autonomous systems, space systems, missile defense, command and control, cybersecurity, and other mission-critical technologies.

The company’s offerings include strategic and tactical aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, aircraft systems, satellites, spacecraft, launch vehicles, missile-warning and missile-defense systems, secure communications, and cyber and information systems.

Further Reading Five stocks we like better than Northrop Grumman Everyone in AI Is Quietly Copying Palantir’s Playbook Advanced Micro Devices Is Spending $8.2 Billion to Learn What AI Needs Next JPMorgan Bets on Genius Sports as the Market Loses Patience Apple’s $5.7 Billion Patent Verdict Raises a Bigger Royalty Question Receive News & Ratings for Northrop Grumman Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Northrop Grumman and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.

Key Takeaways VAC's Premier Vacations program aims to bring customers back for more vacations and sales opportunities.VAC's second-quarter contract sales rose 22%, while VPG climbed 23% to $4,477.Premier Vacations and expanded hotel partnerships are designed to support VAC's raised 2026 outlook. Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation (VAC - Free Report) is expanding its Premier Vacations program to strengthen customer engagement and create a more consistent stream of future sales. Introduced in June, the initiative offers a vacation incentive at the point of sale, with the goal of bringing customers back to VAC properties for additional vacation experiences and sales opportunities.

The program comes at an important time for VAC, which is rebuilding sales momentum through several commercial initiatives. Second-quarter contract sales increased 22% year over year, while VPG climbed 23% to $4,477. Management said early results from Premier Vacations were better than expected and identified the program as a potential catalyst for the second half of 2026.

Premier Vacations is designed to support growth beyond the initial transaction. Management expects customers who use the incentive vacation to return to VAC's existing resorts, creating additional tour opportunities and a pipeline for future sales.

VAC is also expanding other channels, including partnerships with Marriott Bonvoy and World of Hyatt databases, hotel-lobby marketing and partnership marketing. These efforts are intended to broaden its reach among potential vacation-ownership buyers.

The strategy supports VAC's raised 2026 outlook, which calls for 18-20% contract-sales growth and adjusted EBITDA of $805-$830 million.

The key test will be whether Premier Vacations can convert its growing customer pipeline into sustained tour flow and sales growth over the coming quarters.

VAC Faces Competition From HGV and TNL in Vacation OwnershipThe key competitors to Marriott Vacations Worldwide in the vacation-ownership market are Hilton Grand Vacations (HGV - Free Report) and Travel + Leisure Co. (TNL - Free Report) . Hilton Grand Vacations reported $810 million in second-quarter 2026 contract sales, supported by healthy tour growth and expanded HGV Max membership, while its Club platform has more than 720,000 members.

Meanwhile, Travel + Leisure generated $693 million in gross VOI sales in the quarter, up 6% year over year, with VPG rising 2% to $3,318. The company also continues to use marketing channels and owner upgrade opportunities to generate tour flow and sales.

Against this backdrop, VAC’s Premier Vacations initiative is aimed at strengthening its own pipeline by bringing customers back to the resorts and creating additional sales opportunities. VAC is also expanding hotel partnerships and leveraging Marriott Bonvoy and World of Hyatt databases to attract prospective buyers.

Vail Resorts is paying shareholders a 6.47% dividend while borrowing money to do it, and management is betting everything on normal snowfall to avoid a repeat of what the CEO called the worst weather the company has ever faced.

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Vail Resorts (NYSE:MTN | MTN Price Prediction) declared a quarterly dividend of $2.22 per share, payable October 27, 2026. The annualized payout of $8.88 yields 6.47% at $140.50 per share. The problem: free cash flow did not cover the dividend.

How Season Passes Turn Snowfall Risk Into Prepaid Cash Vail sells Epic Passes months before the ski lifts open, collecting cash before snow conditions are known. Pass revenue rose 3.9% despite visitation falling 13.4%. In the third quarter, ski lifts revenue dropped 5.3% while visits declined 15.5%.

“Our advance commitment model provided considerable stability and strong cost discipline kept us on track to exceed our resource efficiency transformation plan savings for the year.”

CEO Rob Katz also described the weather the company faced:

“Conditions were particularly severe in the Rockies, where snowfall and snowpack were at or near historic lows and significantly below prior record-low seasons, resulting in the most difficult weather environment we have ever experienced.”

A Record-Bad Winter Opened a Coverage Gap Operating cash flow was $479.6 million. Capital spending amounted $231.6 million, leaving roughly $248.0 million in free cash flow to cover $317.1 million in dividends, a payout of roughly 128% of free cash flow. Fiscal 2025 coverage was about 103%. The dividend was also about 216% of GAAP EPS of $4.12.

The balance sheet covered the shortfall. Cash fell from $440M to $231M. Net leverage rose to 3.9x from 3.0x in the first quarter, and interest expense went up to $205.6 million.

Management Says Even the Low End Covers the Payout CFO Angela Korch spoke directly to coverage:

“Even at the low end of our fiscal 2027 guidance range, we expect to generate positive free cash flow after continuing to fund our capital program and dividend.”

Guidance calls for Resort EBITDA of $805M to $865M assuming normal weather conditions. Early demand is weaker: pass units are down about 12% and pass dollars down about 6%. Katz acknowledged the risk: “Last season was a true anomaly and it certainly creates risk heading into next season.”

How Six Flags and Host Hotels Show What Is at Stake Six Flags (NYSE:FUN) also runs a weather-exposed season-pass business. It carries roughly $4.9 billion in net debt, and its CEO, John Reilly, has made reducing that debt the priority:

“Reducing leverage and restoring financial flexibility are essential to creating sustainable shareholder value.”

Host Hotels & Resorts (NASDAQ:HST) serves the same wealthy travelers but has no snow risk. It pays a $0.20 regular quarterly dividend, has an investment-grade balance sheet and added a $0.72 special payout after selling assets. Vail sits between the two. Its business model is stronger than Six Flags’, but its balance sheet gives it much less buffer than Host’s.

Verdict: Safe Through One More Bad Winter, Broken by a Second The dividend is safe for fiscal 2027. Katz bought nearly $5 million of stock this year, and management expects leverage to fall to about 3.5 times. History shows the board will act under pressure, though. Payments stopped between March 2020 and October 2021. One condition would break this payout: a second straight below-normal snow season that drives Resort EBITDA below $805M. With only $231M of cash left, another year of borrowing to pay the dividend would not hold up.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

A month has gone by since the last earnings report for PVH (PVH - Free Report) . Shares have added about 4.7% in that time frame, outperforming the S&P 500.

Will the recent positive trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is PVH due for a pullback? 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.

PVH Q2 Earnings Beat on Tariff Refunds, Revenues in LinePVH Corp. posted second-quarter fiscal 2026 adjusted earnings of $3.70 per share, up 46.8% from $2.52 a year earlier and above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.08. The result included an approximately $1.80-per-share benefit from tariff refunds.

Revenues fell 3.2% year over year to $2.097 billion and were in line with the consensus mark. Owned and operated digital commerce revenues rose 4% year over year, while gross margin benefited from tariff refunds and lower product costs.

PVH’s Regional Sales Show Mixed TrendsEurope, the Middle East and Africa revenues declined 6% year over year to $986.3 million, with weakness primarily stemming from the wholesale channel. The region continued to face soft consumer demand related to the prolonged effects of the Middle East conflict and broader macroeconomic pressures. Direct-to-consumer digital growth was more than offset by lower store revenues.

Americas revenues slipped 1% year over year to $680.1 million as a slight DTC increase was outweighed by lower wholesale sales. Asia-Pacific revenues rose 3% year over year to $343.7 million, or 1% at constant currency, on DTC growth. Licensing revenues fell 13% to $86.9 million due to planned North America license transitions.

PVH Corp. Builds DTC and Digital MomentumTommy Hilfiger revenues were approximately flat year over year at $1.132 billion, including an approximately 3% lift from bringing previously licensed women’s categories in-house in the Americas. Calvin Klein revenues fell 7% to $913.3 million, including an approximately 4% drag from wholesale shipment timing in the Americas.

By channel, DTC revenues were approximately flat year over year. Owned and operated store revenues fell 1%, while digital commerce advanced 4%, or 3% at constant currency. Wholesale revenues declined 6% across all regions.

PVH Margins Get a Lift From Tariff RefundsGross margin increased 530 basis points to 63% from 57.7%. The expansion included about 510 basis points from $107 million of tariff refunds. The remaining improvement reflected lower product costs, including favorable foreign exchange and a better mix, partly offset by promotions in EMEA, higher net tariff costs and North America license transitions.

Adjusted EBIT rose 30.5% to $232.6 million from $178.2 million, lifting adjusted operating margin by 290 basis points year over year to 11.1% from 8.2%. Adjusted SG&A expenses increased 1.7% to $1.1 billion. PVH continued targeted marketing and brand-building investments while maintaining cost discipline.

PVH Ends Q2 With Higher Cash and Lower InventoryInventory decreased 3% year over year to $1.7 billion. PVH ended the quarter with $965.9 million in cash and cash equivalents, up from $248.8 million a year earlier. Long-term debt totaled $2.2 billion, while stockholders’ equity was $4.8 billion.

Net cash provided by operating activities reached $336.4 million in the first six months of fiscal 2026, up from $141.7 million a year earlier. Capital expenditures totaled $76 million. The company made no common stock repurchases under its repurchase program in the first six months and expects at least $300 million of repurchases for fiscal 2026.

PVH Reaffirms Fiscal 2026 OutlookFor fiscal 2026, PVH continues to expect revenues to be approximately flat on a reported basis and down slightly at constant currency. Adjusted operating margin is still projected at approximately 8.8%, while adjusted earnings are forecast at $11.80-$12.10 per share compared with $11.40 a year ago. The outlook includes an estimated 40-cent favorable foreign-currency impact.

For the fiscal third quarter, revenues are projected to decline in the low single digits, with an adjusted operating margin of about 7.5%. Adjusted earnings are expected at $2.50-$2.65 per share, down from $2.83 recorded in the prior-year period. Management also plans higher year-over-year marketing investment in the fiscal third quarter to aid growth.

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

The consensus estimate has shifted -17.14% due to these changes.

VGM ScoresCurrently, PVH 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 grade of A on the value side, putting it in the top quintile for value investors.

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

OutlookEstimates have been broadly trending downward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions indicates a downward shift. Interestingly, PVH has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We expect an in-line return from the stock in the next few months.

Lululemon Athletica Inc. (NASDAQ:LULU) shares touched a fresh 52-week low near $94 Friday, extending a decline that’s left the stock down 54% so far this year.

Lululemon Athletica stock is at significant support. What’s behind LULU weakness? Lululemon’s Q2 Miss and Steep Guidance Cut Continue Weighing On SharesLululemon’s stock has been under pressure since its second-quarter report on September 3. Revenue came in at $2.42 billion, short of the $2.46 billion analysts had penciled in. Sales overall slipped 4% from a year earlier.

The Americas business took the bigger hit, down 8%, while international sales grew 4%. Same-store sales dropped 9% across the board. The company ended the quarter running 825 stores after adding nine new company-operated locations, with inventory levels down 1% year-over-year to $1.7 billion.

Guidance for the months ahead landed even worse. Lululemon pointed to third-quarter sales of just $2.29 billion to $2.32 billion, a steep drop from the $2.53 billion Wall Street wanted. Profit guidance told a similar story, with the company eyeing 93 cents to 98 cents per share against a $2.43 consensus.

Full-year numbers took an even bigger hit. Revenue guidance dropped to a range of $10.35 billion to $10.50 billion, down from an earlier $11 billion to $11.15 billion target and well under the $11.04 billion analysts expected. Profit guidance fell similarly, now pegged at $9.48 to $9.73 per share versus a prior $10.95 to $11.15 range and a $10.96 estimate.

Shares Break Below Their Prior 52-Week LowToday’s dip to around $94 pushed Lululemon past its previous 52-week floor of $95.35. The stock’s high over that same stretch sat at $225.98, a gap that shows just how much ground shares have lost over the past year.

With the stock now down 54% year-to-date, the continued slide points to lingering doubt among investors following the steep cuts to growth and profit expectations the company laid out earlier this month.

LULU Shares Are FallingLULU Price Action: Lululemon shares were down 0.15% at $95.72 at the time of publication on Friday. The stock is trading at a new 52-week low, according to Benzinga Pro.

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Jabil, Inc. (NYSE:JBL – Get Free Report) gapped down before the market opened on Wednesday. The stock had previously closed at $318.84, but opened at $306.00. Jabil shares last traded at $300.8260, with a volume of 699,841 shares.

Key Stories Impacting Jabil Here are the key news stories impacting Jabil this week:

Positive Sentiment: Strong quarterly results: Jabil reported fiscal Q4 adjusted EPS of $4.40, $0.35 above consensus, while revenue reached $10.62 billion versus expectations of $9.69 billion. Revenue rose 28.6% year over year, and EPS increased from $3.29 in the prior-year quarter. Jabil Posts Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2026 Results Positive Sentiment: AI-led growth outlook: Management projects fiscal 2027 revenue of $44.5 billion and adjusted EPS of $17.55, above analyst expectations of approximately $42.6 billion and $16.58, respectively. First-quarter fiscal 2027 guidance also exceeds consensus. Demand from AI data centers, expanded production capacity and broader customer relationships are expected to support approximately 24% revenue growth. Jabil forecasts full-year results above estimates on AI data center demand Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: JPMorgan raised its price target to $430 and maintained an Overweight rating, while Argus reaffirmed its Buy rating with a $475 target. These targets indicate substantial potential upside from the current trading level. Positive Sentiment: Capital returns and execution: Jabil finished fiscal 2026 with more than $1.5 billion in adjusted free cash flow, improved core operating margin and a new $1.5 billion share-repurchase authorization. Investors are also watching for a possible ninth consecutive quarterly EPS beat. Jabil Eyes a Ninth Straight EPS Beat With $4.07 Consensus Neutral Sentiment: Valuation and volatility: Despite strong fundamentals, Jabil’s relatively high valuation, leverage and exposure to fast-moving AI infrastructure spending could make the stock sensitive to profit-taking and changes in growth expectations. Negative Sentiment: Initial guidance reaction: The stock briefly retreated after the earnings release despite the results beat, suggesting that some investors viewed the outlook as insufficient relative to elevated expectations or used the announcement to lock in gains. Jabil retreats amid fiscal 2027 outlook Analyst Ratings Changes JBL has been the subject of several research reports. Robert W. Baird raised their price target on Jabil from $355.00 to $440.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, June 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Jabil from $425.00 to $430.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday. UBS Group raised shares of Jabil from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $430.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Raymond James Financial raised their target price on shares of Jabil from $425.00 to $450.00 and gave the stock a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. Finally, Barclays reduced their target price on shares of Jabil from $426.00 to $378.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Jabil currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $434.22.

Read Our Latest Stock Report on Jabil Jabil Price Performance The company has a 50 day moving average of $317.04 and a 200-day moving average of $325.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $31.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.66, a P/E/G ratio of 0.64 and a beta of 1.30. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.78.

Jabil (NYSE:JBL – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, September 30th. The technology company reported $4.40 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.05 by $0.35. Jabil had a return on equity of 89.50% and a net margin of 2.90%.The firm had revenue of $10.62 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.69 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $3.29 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 28.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Jabil has set its Q1 2027 guidance at 3.800-4.200 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 17.550-17.550 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Jabil, Inc. will post 15.69 EPS for the current year.

Jabil Dividend Announcement The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 2nd. Investors of record on Friday, August 14th were given a dividend of $0.08 per share. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 14th. Jabil’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 4.00%.

Insiders Place Their Bets In other Jabil news, EVP Matthew Crowley sold 94 shares of Jabil stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $345.00, for a total value of $32,430.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 57,536 shares in the company, valued at $19,849,920. The trade was a 0.16% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 1.35% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Jabil in the second quarter valued at approximately $3,905,704,000. Primecap Management Co. CA bought a new position in Jabil during the 2nd quarter worth $1,220,861,000. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new position in Jabil during the 2nd quarter worth $447,882,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its holdings in Jabil by 45.7% in the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,884,545 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $429,714,000 after acquiring an additional 591,364 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new position in Jabil in the 2nd quarter valued at $411,079,000. 93.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Jabil (Get Free Report)

Jabil Inc is a global manufacturing services and technology company that helps brands design, manufacture, and manage products and supply chains. Its capabilities include product design and engineering, prototyping, production, assembly, testing, packaging, logistics, and aftermarket services.

The company serves customers across a range of industries, including healthcare, automotive, cloud and data infrastructure, communications, connected devices, industrial equipment, energy, and consumer products.

Further Reading Five stocks we like better than Jabil Everyone in AI Is Quietly Copying Palantir’s Playbook Advanced Micro Devices Is Spending $8.2 Billion to Learn What AI Needs Next JPMorgan Bets on Genius Sports as the Market Loses Patience Apple’s $5.7 Billion Patent Verdict Raises a Bigger Royalty Question Receive News & Ratings for Jabil Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Jabil and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.

CarMax, Inc. (NYSE:KMX – Get Free Report)’s stock price was down 4.2% during trading on Wednesday. The company traded as low as $56.25 and last traded at $56.7640. 720,608 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 77% from the average session volume of 3,151,084 shares. The stock had previously closed at $59.23.

Key Headlines Impacting CarMax Here are the key news stories impacting CarMax this week:

Positive Sentiment: CarMax reported fiscal Q2 revenue of $7.88 billion, up 19.5% year over year, while adjusted earnings of $1.16 per share exceeded the $0.73 consensus estimate. Used-vehicle unit sales rose sharply, indicating that competitive pricing is driving demand. CarMax Q2 Earnings Beat Estimates Positive Sentiment: Several analysts raised their price targets following the earnings beat. Robert W. Baird lifted its target to $70 and maintained an outperform rating, while RBC raised its target to $56 with a sector-perform rating. CarMax Analysts Boost Their Forecasts Positive Sentiment: Management signaled a potential resumption of share repurchases and is targeting approximately $200 million in fiscal 2027 exit-rate cost savings, supporting the company’s broader “Shift into GEAR” turnaround plan. CarMax will provide a strategic update on November 3. CarMax Signals Resumption of Share Repurchases Neutral Sentiment: Zacks characterized KMX as a strong value stock, which may attract valuation-focused investors, although the stock remains subject to broader consumer-spending and used-car-market conditions. Why CarMax Is a Strong Value Stock Negative Sentiment: Investors are also focusing on weaker margins: retail gross profit per used vehicle fell $111 to $2,105, and wholesale gross profit per unit declined $135 to $858. Management expects CarMax Auto Finance income to be slightly lower in fiscal 2027, raising questions about earnings durability. CarMax Margin Pressure Analysis Negative Sentiment: Analyst opinion remains divided. BNP Paribas Exane reaffirmed a strong-sell rating with a $48 target, while other estimates remain below the current trading level, indicating continued concerns about valuation and profitability. Analysts Set New Price Targets KMX has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Stephens increased their target price on CarMax from $66.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, September 25th. UBS Group boosted their price target on CarMax from $57.00 to $62.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday. Truist Financial upped their price target on CarMax from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Wall Street Zen raised shares of CarMax from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, June 13th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane reiterated a “strong sell” rating and set a $48.00 price objective (up from $33.00) on shares of CarMax in a research report on Wednesday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $56.71.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on CarMax CarMax Stock Up 1.5% The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $59.47 and its 200 day simple moving average is $50.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66, a current ratio of 2.33 and a quick ratio of 0.82. The firm has a market cap of $7.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 1.23.

CarMax (NYSE:KMX – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, September 29th. The company reported $1.16 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.43. The company had revenue of $7.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.09 billion. CarMax had a return on equity of 7.76% and a net margin of 1.06%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 19.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.64 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that CarMax, Inc. will post 2.74 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of KMX. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in shares of CarMax by 5.6% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 5,156,276 shares of the company’s stock worth $272,715,000 after buying an additional 271,216 shares during the period. Jupiter Topco LLC purchased a new position in shares of CarMax during the second quarter valued at $245,676,000. Janus Henderson Group PLC raised its holdings in shares of CarMax by 1.1% in the first quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 4,580,807 shares of the company’s stock valued at $190,471,000 after acquiring an additional 49,987 shares in the last quarter. Primecap Management Co. CA bought a new stake in shares of CarMax in the second quarter valued at about $230,548,000. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its stake in CarMax by 7.3% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 4,275,663 shares of the company’s stock worth $177,767,000 after acquiring an additional 289,768 shares during the period.

CarMax Company Profile (Get Free Report)

CarMax, Inc is a retailer of used vehicles operating in the United States. The company sells a broad selection of used cars, trucks and SUVs through its dealership network and online platform, offering customers the ability to research, purchase and arrange delivery for vehicles through an omnichannel shopping experience.

In addition to retail vehicle sales, CarMax provides vehicle financing through CarMax Auto Finance and offers customers access to extended protection products and related services.

Further Reading Five stocks we like better than CarMax Everyone in AI Is Quietly Copying Palantir’s Playbook Advanced Micro Devices Is Spending $8.2 Billion to Learn What AI Needs Next JPMorgan Bets on Genius Sports as the Market Loses Patience Apple’s $5.7 Billion Patent Verdict Raises a Bigger Royalty Question Receive News & Ratings for CarMax Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CarMax and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.

MongoDB, Inc. (NASDAQ:MDB – Get Free Report) rose 6% during trading on Wednesday. The company traded as high as $370.43 and last traded at $357.5260. Approximately 1,907,032 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 4% from the average session volume of 1,992,845 shares. The stock had previously closed at $337.19.

MongoDB News Summary Here are the key news stories impacting MongoDB this week:

Positive Sentiment: At Investor Day, MongoDB raised its long-term outlook, targeting total revenue growth of at least 20% for fiscal 2028–2030, compared with its previous high-teens expectation. Management also expects Atlas growth of roughly 25% annually over the next three years and continued margin expansion. MongoDB has AI momentum on its side, BofA says following investor day Positive Sentiment: New offerings—including MongoDB 9.0, Atlas Infinite, and Atlas Agent Engine—strengthen the company’s artificial-intelligence platform positioning. Bank of America called the event a net positive and maintained its Buy rating. Positive Sentiment: Analysts largely remain constructive: Needham, RBC, Citizens JMP, and others reaffirmed bullish ratings, with published price targets ranging from $385 to $519. Increased call-option activity also signals speculative bullish interest, though it is not a fundamental catalyst. Neutral Sentiment: MongoDB’s latest quarterly results exceeded expectations, with adjusted earnings of $1.90 per share versus a $1.62 consensus and revenue of $771.8 million versus $735.0 million expected. However, the stock remains about 7.1% below its level immediately after that report, as investors seek evidence that the longer-term targets can be delivered. Why Is MongoDB Down Since Last Earnings Report? Negative Sentiment: Desai’s sudden departure to lead Meta Platforms’ Enterprise Platform unit has raised concerns about execution, succession, and the loss of leadership during MongoDB’s AI expansion. The company must now conduct a CEO search, leaving investors focused on whether its strategy can continue without disruption. Do CEOs Matter? MongoDB Shareholders Are About to Find Out Negative Sentiment: Some firms reduced their targets despite retaining positive ratings, including Stifel at $385, Stephens at $372, and BMO at $420. MongoDB also trades at a demanding valuation, increasing sensitivity to any slowdown or disappointment in its ambitious growth plans. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of MongoDB from $375.00 to $475.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 25th. Mizuho set a $460.00 target price on shares of MongoDB in a research note on Tuesday. Scotiabank reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of MongoDB in a research report on Wednesday, September 2nd. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on shares of MongoDB from $453.00 to $520.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 2nd. Finally, Rosenblatt Securities raised their price target on shares of MongoDB from $395.00 to $445.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 2nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-eight have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $462.59.

View Our Latest Analysis on MongoDB MongoDB Trading Up 0.9% The firm has a fifty day moving average of $389.89 and a two-hundred day moving average of $333.01. The company has a market cap of $28.34 billion, a PE ratio of 495.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 37.45 and a beta of 1.75.

MongoDB (NASDAQ:MDB – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, September 1st. The company reported $1.90 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.62 by $0.28. The business had revenue of $771.77 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $735.01 million. MongoDB had a net margin of 2.12% and a return on equity of 1.06%. The company’s revenue was up 30.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.00 earnings per share. MongoDB has set its Q3 2027 guidance at 1.570-1.610 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 6.390-6.580 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that MongoDB, Inc. will post 0.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at MongoDB In related news, Director Dwight A. Merriman sold 6,000 shares of MongoDB stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $451.75, for a total value of $2,710,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 452,896 shares in the company, valued at approximately $204,595,768. The trade was a 1.31% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Hope F. Cochran sold 1,000 shares of MongoDB stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $375.92, for a total transaction of $375,920.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 28,326 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,648,309.92. This represents a 3.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders sold 17,000 shares of company stock worth $7,792,320. Insiders own 2.60% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MongoDB A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in MDB. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of MongoDB during the 1st quarter valued at $34,000. Smallwood Wealth Investment Management LLC bought a new position in MongoDB in the 2nd quarter worth about $34,000. NBH Bank purchased a new position in MongoDB during the 2nd quarter valued at about $34,000. CX Institutional grew its holdings in MongoDB by 94.3% during the 2nd quarter. CX Institutional now owns 103 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Root Financial Partners LLC grew its holdings in MongoDB by 58.2% during the 4th quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 87 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 32 shares in the last quarter. 89.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About MongoDB (Get Free Report)

MongoDB, Inc develops and provides a general-purpose, document-oriented database platform. Its technology is designed to help organizations store, manage and analyze structured and unstructured data for applications such as artificial intelligence, analytics, mobile services, e-commerce and enterprise software.

The company’s principal offering is MongoDB Atlas, a fully managed cloud database service available across major cloud infrastructure providers. MongoDB also offers Enterprise Advanced, which provides commercial database software, security, operational controls and support for organizations running databases in their own environments or across hybrid and multicloud infrastructures.

Further Reading Five stocks we like better than MongoDB Everyone in AI Is Quietly Copying Palantir’s Playbook Advanced Micro Devices Is Spending $8.2 Billion to Learn What AI Needs Next JPMorgan Bets on Genius Sports as the Market Loses Patience Apple’s $5.7 Billion Patent Verdict Raises a Bigger Royalty Question Receive News & Ratings for MongoDB Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for MongoDB and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.

H. B. Fuller Company (NYSE:FUL – Get Free Report) Director Celine Martin purchased 465 shares of H. B. Fuller stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 30th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $49.50 per share, for a total transaction of $23,017.50. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 465 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $23,017.50. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.

H. B. Fuller Price Performance FUL opened at $50.18 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.82, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95. The company has a market cap of $2.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.61 and a beta of 0.99. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $55.24 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $58.18. H. B. Fuller Company has a 12-month low of $46.70 and a 12-month high of $68.63.

H. B. Fuller (NYSE:FUL – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.47 by $0.05. H. B. Fuller had a net margin of 5.56% and a return on equity of 12.65%. The company had revenue of $938.17 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $945.59 million. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.26 EPS. H. B. Fuller’s revenue was up 5.2% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that H. B. Fuller Company will post 4.88 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

H. B. Fuller Announces Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 29th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.2450 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 15th. This represents a $0.98 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.0%. H. B. Fuller’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 27.30%. Institutional Trading of H. B. Fuller Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its stake in shares of H. B. Fuller by 5.4% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,608,006 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $160,854,000 after purchasing an additional 132,558 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of H. B. Fuller in the fourth quarter worth $44,203,000. Royal Bank of Canada increased its position in H. B. Fuller by 2,694.7% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 675,765 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $41,681,000 after acquiring an additional 651,585 shares during the last quarter. Kennedy Capital Management LLC increased its position in H. B. Fuller by 43.4% during the fourth quarter. Kennedy Capital Management LLC now owns 630,194 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $37,471,000 after acquiring an additional 190,750 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE lifted its holdings in H. B. Fuller by 36.3% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 513,163 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $31,652,000 after acquiring an additional 136,666 shares during the period. 95.93% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about H. B. Fuller Here are the key news stories impacting H. B. Fuller this week:

Positive Sentiment: Activist investor Ancora raised its offer for H. B. Fuller’s building adhesives unit to as much as $1.4 billion in cash. A higher bid, reportedly backed by Fortress, improves the prospects of a sale that could unlock value and increases pressure on H. B. Fuller’s board to consider strategic alternatives. Ancora raises bid for H.B. Fuller building unit Positive Sentiment: Multiple directors purchased approximately $620,000 of FUL shares. Recent buyers included Celine Martin, Michael Happe, Srilata Zaheer, Charles T. Lauber, Teresa Rasmussen, Daniel L. Florness and Thomas W. Handley, with purchases generally priced near $49 to $50 per share. The transactions substantially increased several directors’ holdings and may signal confidence in the company’s valuation. H. B. Fuller insider purchase filing Neutral Sentiment: Recent quarterly results offered some fundamental support. H. B. Fuller reported adjusted EPS of $1.52, ahead of the $1.47 consensus, while revenue rose 5.2% year over year to roughly $938 million. However, revenue fell modestly short of expectations, limiting the positive impact of the earnings report. Negative Sentiment: Analyst caution could restrain the stock. JPMorgan and Deutsche Bank issued less optimistic outlooks, while Deutsche Bank reportedly reduced its price target, highlighting concerns about valuation and the company’s operating outlook despite continued expectations for potential upside. Analyst outlook for H. B. Fuller Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several research firms recently weighed in on FUL. Citigroup cut their price target on H. B. Fuller from $75.00 to $63.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday. Raymond James Financial set a $67.00 price objective on H. B. Fuller in a research note on Friday, June 26th. UBS Group set a $69.00 target price on H. B. Fuller in a report on Friday, June 26th. Wall Street Zen cut H. B. Fuller from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, July 25th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group set a $67.00 price target on H. B. Fuller in a report on Friday, June 26th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, H. B. Fuller presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $64.62.

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on H. B. Fuller

About H. B. Fuller (Get Free Report)

H.B. Fuller Company is a global manufacturer of adhesives, sealants and specialty chemical products. Its solutions are used to bond, seal, protect and assemble materials in commercial and industrial applications, including packaging, hygiene products, construction, transportation, electronics and durable goods.

The company offers products such as hot-melt, water-based and reactive adhesives, construction adhesives, sealants, coatings and specialty formulations. H.B. Fuller serves manufacturers, contractors and other commercial customers that require bonding and sealing solutions for products, components and building materials.

Founded in 1887 by Harvey Benjamin Fuller, the company has grown from a regional adhesive producer into an international supplier serving customers across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Latin America.

See Also Five stocks we like better than H. B. Fuller Everyone in AI Is Quietly Copying Palantir’s Playbook Advanced Micro Devices Is Spending $8.2 Billion to Learn What AI Needs Next JPMorgan Bets on Genius Sports as the Market Loses Patience Apple’s $5.7 Billion Patent Verdict Raises a Bigger Royalty Question

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House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) sent letters on September 29 to Hyperliquid Labs, Crypto.com and Aristotle Exchange, the company behind PredictIt, requesting documents on how each platform verifies users and detects trades placed on nonpublic information. The three companies have until October 13 to respond, widening a probe that began in May with Polymarket and Kalshi.

What the committee wants The letters seek know-your-customer and geographic-restriction policies, procedures for flagging and reporting suspicious trades, and records tied to event contracts on Federal Reserve decisions, elections and geopolitical outcomes. Comer framed the requests as a question of legal obligation, saying that “some bad actors have exploited the platforms to make thousands of dollars by placing bets based on nonpublic information,” and that the committee is examining whether the platforms are doing enough to prevent insider trading before it happens.

The $1.1 billion short The Hyperliquid letter centers on a trade Comer described as “precisely timed to a nonpublic government decision.” Citing an Investing.com analysis, the committee points to a leveraged short of about $1.1 billion across Bitcoin and Ether perpetual contracts opened roughly 30 hours before President Donald Trump announced China tariffs in October 2025, then closed shortly after for more than $150 million in profit. Comer wrote that the position was executed on a platform with “apparently no identity verification or mechanism to refer the responsible party to U.S. law enforcement,” and that it “mirrors a pattern of insider trading the Committee is investigating,” stopping short of alleging the trader held nonpublic information. Hyperliquid, which added HYPE staking earlier this year, had not publicly responded to the request.

A widening inquiry The expansion follows the committee’s May 22 letters to Polymarket and Kalshi, which have so far yielded nearly 1,000 documents and five briefings. The investigation gained urgency after the April indictment of Army Master Sergeant Gannon Ken Van Dyke, who prosecutors say used classified information about Operation Absolute Resolve, the U.S. operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, to place Polymarket bets that returned more than $409,000. Comer’s letter to Crypto.com separately asks about trading by employees with access to confidential information and about the company’s North American derivatives business.

The requests do not allege wrongdoing by any platform. They mark the broadest congressional demand to date for prediction markets and crypto derivatives exchanges to document how they police traders who may act on inside knowledge, with the October 13 deadline giving the three companies roughly two weeks to respond.

AUTHOR

Blockchain analyst specializing in the regulatory impact of government policies on the crypto industry. Known for his thorough research and clear, engaging writing, Emmanuel provides insightful analysis on the latest trends, market shifts, and emerging crypto innovations. His work aims to educate and inform both novice and experienced readers, offering expert perspectives on the fast-evolving world of digital assets. With a passion for staying ahead of the curve, Ogwu is a trusted voice in the cryptocurrency and blockchain space.

Bitcoin buyers have removed a major sell wall at $85,000, reducing near-term resistance as the market’s attention increasingly shifts toward the next halving and institutional flows. According to recent order book data, the absorption of sell orders on Binance marks an important shift in short-term market structure.

Bitcoin’s Halving Cycle Shapes Market NarrativeThe fifth Bitcoin halving is estimated to occur around April 2028 at block 1,050,000, halving the block subsidy from 3.125 BTC to 1.5625 BTC. This event will slow the introduction of new Bitcoin into circulation. Historical cycles show that buying 500 days before and selling 500 days after each halving has produced strong returns in previous eras, although outcomes have varied.

Bitcoin completed four halvings since 2012, with the next event’s date largely dependent on the pace of block production. Analysts such as CryptoGoos continue to monitor performance data from these 1,000-day windows, while platforms like Bitbo offer detailed tracking of similar models. However, analysts caution that historical patterns do not guarantee future results, especially as new market participants drive changes in supply and demand.

The rising influence of spot Bitcoin ETFs represents a new dynamic in this cycle. These products open participation to a wider range of investors and could amplify the market impact of the programmed reduction in BTC supply during the next halving.

BTC’s on-chain performance between halving cycles has generated considerable interest, with variations in returns reflecting changing market and liquidity conditions from one era to the next.

Institutional Flows Boost Demand via BlackRock ETFInstitutional interest in Bitcoin remains strong, highlighted by single-day inflows of $195.57 million into BlackRock’s ETF, as reported by Whale Insider. BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust, known as IBIT, has provided traditional investors with new ways to access Bitcoin exposure, further diversifying market demand.

Glassnode research indicates that US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded approximately $1 billion in net inflows on two consecutive days in late September, before inflows slowed as the market moved sideways. The firm noted the importance of consistent inflows across several sessions to assess the durability of institutional demand.

The emergence of ETFs as a major market entry point for large investors means that both programmatic supply reductions and regulated product flows are likely to influence Bitcoin price trajectories.

Short-Term Resistance Clears as $85K Sell Wall FadesBuyers on Binance have effectively absorbed a significant sell wall between $85,000 and $85,500, an area identified as one of the market’s notable resistance levels according to Glassnode analytics. With these sell orders removed, less resting supply sits immediately above the spot market, altering the dynamic for future advances.

Glassnode’s latest market report states that Bitcoin’s True Market Mean remains near $77,200, and the short-term holder cost basis stands close to $73,300. Bitcoin continues to trade above both metrics, setting these values as reference points in the event of another pullback.

The firm observed that while overhead resistance has eased, trading volumes are subdued, suggesting that any sustained move upward would require greater market participation beyond the recent thinning of sell-side liquidity.

Recent buy-side activity above $85,000 reduces resistance and changes the order book dynamic, but broader volume will be essential for more significant upward movement.

Meme Token Activity and Technical Market MonitoringAs technical analysts monitor price consolidation between $84,000 and $86,000 and potential breakout formations, parallels emerge in other volatile corners of crypto. In the meme token sector, rapid internet-driven trends can drive multi-million-dollar trades virtually overnight.

Fomo App data highlights a notable case where a “Niu Lai” token trade turned a $99 investment into $370,000. This underscores the importance of tracking not only price levels but also investor behavior and timing. Fomo App aggregates token discovery, trading tools, social features, investor rankings, and trade notifications in a single service, allowing for closer observation of meme token momentum and investor strategies.

BTC’s Position Relative to Equities and On-Chain IndicatorsBitcoin has regained strength relative to the S&P 500, with Glassnode reporting that daily sessions where BTC outperforms the index rose above 50% in late September. This marks a recovery from June, when that figure fell to its lowest level in six years. The move signals renewed asset-specific demand, but analysts note that a persistent trend will be needed to confirm BTC’s independent momentum.

On-chain valuation metrics remain in focus as well. CryptoQuant analyst TraderGemin notes that Bitcoin’s MVRV Z-Score stands above its 365-day moving average. This indicator compares current market value to realized value and, when above the yearly average, suggests long-term support for the market structure. A drop below this threshold could challenge current trends, so it remains an important reference for technical outlooks.

Outlook: What’s Next for Bitcoin’s Price?Bitcoin’s outlook hinges on interactions between enduring narratives—such as the 2028 halving and ETF adoption—and nearer-term shifts like the recent clearing of the $85K sell wall. Analysts and traders continue to watch whether increased spot-market volumes or further institutional inflows will provide momentum for a durable advance toward higher ranges, especially as technical signals around $90,000 attract attention.

If institutional flows strengthen and volumes increase, Bitcoin could resume its uptrend. Conversely, a loss of on-chain support or weakening participation from large buyers could curtail recent gains. With the next halving approaching and market structure evolving, a combination of liquidity trends, investor behavior, and technical milestones will shape Bitcoin’s price path in the coming months.

XRP has started off October on a strong note as its ETFs have recorded a decent influx of fresh capital on October 1, after their performances fell flat at the close of the last month.

While momentum appears to be building again in the XRP ecosystem, latest data from SosoValue shows that XRP saw a fresh influx of capital while Ethereum only saw investors withdraw their funds as the new month began.

XRP flips Ethereum According to the data, XRP ETFs attracted about $4.07 million in net inflow during their daily trading session on October 1, while Ethereum ETFs posted a net outflow of $55.37 million on the same day.

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As such, the data shows a major divergence between the performances of both assets, revealing that XRP ETFs outperformed Ethereum ETFs by about $59.44 million in daily flows at the start of the new month.

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While XRP ETFs also recorded $25.87 million in total trading volume on the same day, it signals renewed interest in the asset after their performance slowed in the past week, drawing attention from market analysts.

Franklin takes dominance from Bitwise Although XRP performed better than Ethereum during their latest trading session, the amount of capital pulled in by XRP funds was pretty low.

While Bitwise and Franklin Templeton attracted about $3.18 million and $4.06 million in new capital respectively, the inflows were partly offset by a $3.18 million outflow from Canary's XRP ETF.

Ethereum, on the other hand, was significantly subdued as it saw investors pull a higher amount of capital from its spot ETFs as October began.

Notably, the asset recorded a $55.37 million net outflow, pushing its cumulative net inflows to $13.84 billion.

Fraudsters drained more than 766 ETH—valued by the community at roughly $2 million—by launching a counterfeit Ethereum Layer 2 that posed as GIWA before the real network ever went live. GIWA is an OP Stack project from Dunamu, the operator of South Korea’s Upbit exchange.

Official accounts have been clear that mainnet is still unfinished and that only Sepolia testnet infrastructure exists.

Scammers filled that vacuum with a look-alike chain that reused chain ID 9134, published unofficial RPC endpoints, and offered a bridge that accepted real ETH from Ethereum.

The fake network was not a simple phishing site.

It included OP Stack-style components, among them a bridge and a batcher that posted batches back to Ethereum, so wallets and explorers treated it as a functioning L2.

https://t.co/u5MCU96ilE

— DYORSWAP (@DYORSWAPDEX) September 27, 2026

DYORSWAP, a multi-chain DEX, listed the impostor as GIWA mainnet after the matching chain ID passed an initial check.

Once the listing went live, users treated the bridge as official infrastructure and began depositing.

DYORSWAP later published on-chain reconstruction.

The fraudulent bridge at 0xbA9938C0b96A70E6479661B915e7E481fE435ab2 was deployed from 0x119e68B59C44291F76324c76377B776D0b4Dd38c at 02:10:59 UTC+8 on 27 September 2026.

About 8.5 hours earlier the deployer received a small ETH transfer from an address linked to ChangeHero.

Shortly after the bridge went live, several small test deposits arrived in the same second from wallets that looked like internal probes.

In total, 1,335 addresses sent about 767.65 ETH across the bridge.

Attackers then withdrew about 766.25 ETH.

The DEX has said this was not a vulnerability in its own contracts.

It and its users were both caught by an impersonation of an unreleased chain.

The platform preserved chat logs, RPC data, bridge addresses, and transaction records, contacted security researchers including SlowMist, and began paying victims from its treasury.

More than 200 ETH has already been distributed.

Addresses that bridged under 5 ETH were offered 40 percent reimbursement; larger deposits are being reviewed separately because some may be tied to the operators.

GIWA’s official account warned the same day that mainnet is not running and that any claimed mainnet RPC is false.

The incident shows how little is required to manufacture a believable L2: a reserved chain ID, public OP Stack tooling, and a listing that other traders treat as confirmation. Until a project publishes official endpoints and contracts, a DEX listing is not proof that a chain is real.

Ripple has reported that its RLUSD (Ripple Liquidity USD) stablecoin now has a circulating supply surpassing $2.4 billion, according to updated figures published on the company’s official transparency page. The latest disclosure, dated September 24, indicates that RLUSD reserves are higher than the circulating supply by approximately $122.5 million, or about 5%.

RLUSD reserve management and transparencyRipple stated that the reserves backing RLUSD are maintained in segregated accounts and consist of a mix of US dollars and highly liquid cash equivalents. The company also collaborates with Standard Custody & Trust Company, the regulated entity responsible for issuing RLUSD. This custodian operates under supervision from the New York Department of Financial Services.

To support transparency, Ripple publishes monthly, independently conducted CPA attestations that detail circulating supply figures and reserve assets. These reports are available for public review and are intended to provide assurance regarding RLUSD’s full backing and regulatory compliance.

RLUSD’s reserve surplus reportedly places it among the most conservatively managed stablecoins in the regulated dollar token sector.

Mini dictionary: Standard Custody & Trust Company, a regulated digital asset custodian, provides institution-grade storage, transfer, and settlement of digital assets, operating under New York state financial regulations to enhance client asset security.

Growth milestones and market positioningRLUSD crossed the $2 billion mark in late August, and its growth has continued at a brisk pace. The total supply has expanded by more than $400 million within roughly one month, solidifying RLUSD’s position as one of the fastest-growing regulated stablecoins in the sector. Ripple aims to elevate RLUSD’s role within its broader institutional finance services, viewing it as an anchor for liquidity products and infrastructure.

Recent developments have positioned RLUSD at the center of new Ripple initiatives involving institutional payments, tokenized assets, and participation in credit markets. Efforts to integrate RLUSD with related technologies, such as FXRP (a synthetic XRP token) and lending infrastructure, reflect Ripple’s strategy to embed RLUSD more deeply in institutional liquidity operations.

RLUSD now functions as a foundational element across multiple blockchain environments, which Ripple has described as key to its evolving financial and payment products.

Multichain expansion and liquidity strategyDistribution of RLUSD is becoming increasingly multichain. On Ethereum, RLUSD holdings recently stood at about $1.38 billion, while XRPL accounted for roughly $1.03 billion. This shift extends Ethereum’s lead, with each network having swapped the top spot during several periods earlier in the year. Ripple’s approach deliberately aims to build liquidity for RLUSD across multiple ecosystems rather than centralizing the token on a single ledger.

BlockchainRLUSD SupplyEthereum$1.38 billionXRPL$1.03 billionRipple has emphasized that operating RLUSD on several blockchain networks enhances both liquidity and accessibility, moving the token beyond its original payment-focused use case. This multichain strategy is expected to play a central role as RLUSD’s adoption continues to broaden within institutional marketplaces.

Integration with diverse lending, payments, and asset tokenization infrastructures suggests RLUSD is expanding from a simple stablecoin into a core piece of Ripple’s institutional liquidity ecosystem.

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Tether CTO Paolo Ardoino at Paris Blockchain Week on April 14, 2022. (Twitter/Bitfinex, modified by CoinDesk)Summary

Tether’s USDT, the world’s largest stablecoin, is expected to return to Bitcoin this month through infrastructure developed by the Tether-backed project Utexo.Utexo plans to support private USDT transfers, direct swaps between native bitcoin and USDT, and loans backed by native bitcoin, while keeping most transaction data off Bitcoin’s public ledger.Utexo would blacklist UTXOs linked to sanctioned or illicit activity rather than freeze addresses, and it plans to expand USDT to Bitcoin’s Lightning Network after the initial launch.“It’s coming home,” Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino proclaimed on X last week, referring to the return of his company’s stablecoin, USDT, to the Bitcoin network.

Tether’s USDT, the world’s largest stablecoin with a market cap of nearly $190 billion, began life on Bitcoin in 2014 on its Omi protocol, before Ethereum and later Tron became its primary venues.

USDT is now set to return to the world’s oldest blockchain through Tether-backed infrastructure project Utexo, which is expected to begin issuing the world's largest stablecoin on the Bitcoin network this month.

Utexo, which was founded in 2025 and raised $7.5 million in funding earlier this year, has been granted the commercial license to issue USDT on Bitcoin, using the stablecoin’s trademark to bring it to exchanges, wallets and payment providers, Utexo co-founder Viktor Ihnatiuk told CoinDesk in a Telegram message.

“Tether has always been a Bitcoin company,” Ihnatiuk told CoinDesk in a recent interview. “Bitcoin for them is a stability haven, along with gold. That’s why Tether kept buying BTC and supporting the Bitcoin community.”

Tether holds around 100,000 BTC ($8.4 billion) as of mid-August this year, according to Bitcoin Treasuries.

“I can’t speak for Tether directly, but my personal observation is that Bitcoin is a big priority for them, and it’s our job to make USDT as accessible on Bitcoin as it is everywhere else,” Ihnatiuk added.

Privacy twistUtexo’s aims to accomplish this by creating an architecture for the stablecoin that is more confidential than its equivalent on Ethereum or Tron.

Its RGB protocol will employ client-site validation to keep transaction data largely off Bitcoin’s public ledger, with ownership anchored in unspent transaction outputs (UTXOs), the chunks of bitcoin left over from transactions, similar to change from a cash purchase.

While networks like Ethereum and Tron rely on account-based models that share balance updates and transactions on public ledgers, Utexo’s architecture takes a different approach. Combining RGB’s client-side validation with Bitcoin’s UTXO model means transaction details stay entirely off-chain between the counterparties involved, using Bitcoin’s ledger solely to cryptographically demonstrate proof of ownership.

Utexo will issue USDT on Bitcoin, providing the infrastructure for exchanges, wallet providers and payment companies to offer services through APIs, SDKs and cloud.

There are three primary use cases, according to Utexo: private USDT transfers; direct swaps between native BTC and USDT without routing through an exchange; and lending, in which borrowers can use native bitcoin as collateral without wrapping it on another blockchain (as is the case with tokens like WBTC).

The privacy use case comes with an important qualification.

RGB assets ultimately sit against Bitcoin UTXOs, meaning Utexo cannot technically freeze one in the same manner that Tether can freeze an Ethereum address. Instead, Utexo would maintain a blacklist of UTXOs associated with sanctioned or illicit activity and distribute that information to exchanges and other providers.

“The UTXO will just become unredeemable, so nobody would be able to send it back to a bridge or minting tool or withdraw it to Ethereum or Tron,” Ihnatiuk said.

Once USDT issuance is live on Bitcoin next month, Utexo’s next step will be to extend to Lightning, the layer-2 network designed to enable faster, cheaper payments on Bitcoin.

The goal there may be to make USDT a token for paying fees (or gas) on Lightning, similar to how USDC, the second-largest stablecoin, is being used on Arc, the new blockchain network developed by USDC issuer Circle.

AI Disclaimer: Parts of this article were generated with the assistance from AI tools and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and adherence to our standards. For more information, see CoinDesk's full AI Policy.

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As stablecoins move into regulated finance, APAC is becoming a key proving ground. This report maps the region’s rules, use cases, and RLUSD’s role.