Track market-moving stories before they get noisy

Aptiv PLC (APTV - Free Report) reported $3.27 billion in revenue for the quarter ended June 2026, representing a year-over-year decline of 37.1%. EPS of $1.63 for the same period compares to $2.12 a year ago.

The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.32 billion, representing a surprise of -1.37%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +14.79%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $1.42.

While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine their next move, some key metrics always offer a more accurate picture of a company's financial health.

Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.

Here is how APTIV PLC performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:

Net Sales- Intelligent Systems: $1.5 billion versus $1.58 billion estimated by two analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -0.4% change.Adjusted EBITDA - Intelligent Systems: $210 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $239.84 million.Adjusted EBITDA - Engineered Components: $403 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $346.36 million.View all Key Company Metrics for APTIV PLC here>>>

Shares of APTIV PLC have returned -4.2% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +1.7% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.

CoreWeave (CRWV - Free Report) is expected to deliver a year-over-year decline in earnings on higher revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended June 2026. This widely-known consensus outlook gives a good sense of the company's earnings picture, but how the actual results compare to these estimates is a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price.

The earnings report, which is expected to be released on August 11, might help the stock move higher if these key numbers are better than expectations. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower.

While management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call will mostly determine the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations, it's worth having a handicapping insight into the odds of a positive EPS surprise.

Zacks Consensus EstimateThis cloud computing company is expected to post quarterly loss of $1.17 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -333.3%.

Revenues are expected to be $2.53 billion, up 108.7% from the year-ago quarter.

Estimate Revisions TrendThe consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 18.64% lower over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period.

Investors should keep in mind that the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts may not always get reflected in the aggregate change.

Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Earnings WhisperEstimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. Our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) -- has this insight at its core.

The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.

Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only.

A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP.

Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell).

How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for CoreWeave?For CoreWeave, the Most Accurate Estimate is lower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bearish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of -12.45%.

On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #3.

So, this combination makes it difficult to conclusively predict that CoreWeave will beat the consensus EPS estimate.

Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue?While calculating estimates for a company's future earnings, analysts often consider to what extent it has been able to match past consensus estimates. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number.

For the last reported quarter, it was expected that CoreWeave would post a loss of$0.89 per share when it actually produced a loss of -$1.11, delivering a surprise of -24.72%.

Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates just once.

Bottom LineAn earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss.

That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.

CoreWeave doesn't appear a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release.

An Industry Player's Expected ResultsAnother stock from the Zacks Internet - Software industry, Datadog (DDOG - Free Report) , is soon expected to post earnings of $0.58 per share for the quarter ended June 2026. This estimate indicates a year-over-year change of +26.1%. Revenues for the quarter are expected to be $1.08 billion, up 30.6% from the year-ago quarter.

Over the last 30 days, the consensus EPS estimate for Datadog has been revised 0.7% up to the current level. Nevertheless, the company now has an Earnings ESP of +2.92%, reflecting a higher Most Accurate Estimate.

When combined with a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), this Earnings ESP indicates that Datadog will most likely beat the consensus EPS estimate. The company beat consensus EPS estimates in each of the trailing four quarters.

Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.

Key Takeaways PUMP generated $51 million of Q2 2026 free cash flow as its completions business stayed resilient.PUMP expanded contracted power-generation capacity to about 350 MW with positive monthly EBITDA.PUMP trades well above its five-year median EV/EBITDA, while capital spending and debt have increased. ProPetro Holding Corp. (PUMP - Free Report) combines a cash-generating Permian completions platform with an emerging power-generation business. That mix offers two earnings drivers, but it also raises the cost and execution burden.

PROPWR’s commercial progress is real, yet PUMP’s valuation already sits well above its own historical norm. Investors therefore have to weigh visible growth milestones against spending needs, rising debt and a still-developing earnings contribution.

PUMP's Core Business Is Producing CashProPetro’s completions business generated $51 million of free cash flow in the second quarter of 2026 despite severe Permian weather, upfront costs tied to activating a 12th fleet and unexpected downtime on a temporary out-of-basin project. Disciplined capital deployment, lower ongoing maintenance intensity and an upgraded fleet base helped preserve cash generation.

The company also benefits from long-standing relationships with large Permian customers and demand for natural gas-burning and electric fleets. Halliburton Company (HAL - Free Report) provides a useful industry reference. Its second-quarter 2026 Completion and Production revenues rose 6% sequentially, supported partly by increased stimulation activity in the Western Hemisphere, signaling firmer conditions across a market that remains cyclical.

PROPWR Gives PUMP a New Growth EnginePROPWR increased contracted power-generation capacity to approximately 350 megawatts. Assets are operating at a Midwest hyperscaler data-center site and meeting performance obligations, while advanced negotiations cover more than 100 megawatts for oil and gas projects and several hundred megawatts of data-center opportunities.

The segment generated positive EBITDA in each of the final two months of the quarter, an early sign that deployments can translate into earnings. Caterpillar Inc. (CAT - Free Report) is central to this expansion through a framework that gives PROPWR access to as much as 2.1 gigawatts of additional generation capacity by 2031.

PUMP's Valuation Leaves Limited Room for MisstepsPUMP trades at 8.75X trailing 12-month enterprise value to EBITDA. That is close to the sub-industry multiple of 8.86X but far above the stock’s five-year median of 4.33X.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The premium to PUMP’s own history suggests that investors are already assigning value to PROPWR’s expected growth. Delayed contracts, slower deployments or weaker profitability could pressure the multiple before power generation becomes a larger earnings contributor.

Capital Needs Temper PUMP's Upside CaseManagement expects 2026 incurred capital expenditures of $525-$595 million, including $400-$450 million for PROPWR.  Long-term debt surged to $765 million from $79 million in the prior quarter after the company issued convertible notes in May to finance its growth initiatives.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Liquidity of $905 million provides a sizable cushion. ProPetro also had $121 million of availability under its asset-based lending facility, while Caterpillar-related financing capacity was increased to $167 million. These resources ease near-term funding pressure but do not eliminate the need to convert negotiations into contracts with attractive pricing, duration and risk allocation.

PUMP's Scores Point to Patience, Not UrgencyThe investment case supports a hold-or-wait posture. The completions platform is producing cash and PROPWR has reached meaningful commercial milestones, but the current valuation offers less protection against execution setbacks.

PUMP currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), alongside a VGM Score of B and a Value Score of B. Its Momentum Score of A is constructive, but the Growth Score of C and the execution demands surrounding PROPWR argue against treating the favorable scores as a clear buying signal. The combination points to patience while investors wait for more consistent earnings progress. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

58% of organizations run 11 or more data security tools and only 7% describe their stack as fully unified. When an incident happens, 68% of security teams take days or longer to reconstruct where sensitive data went, and 8% can rarely reconstruct it at all. Just 8% enforce data security consistently in AI environments so only 7% are confident that sensitive data is not flowing uncontrolled into AI.
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Aug. 04, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Netskope (NASDAQ: NTSK), a leader in modern security and networking for the cloud and AI era, today announced Netskope One DataSec Command Center, a unified control plane that discovers, understands, tracks, and protects sensitive data wherever it lives and moves across AI environments, cloud, the network, on-premises, endpoint, email, and more. Netskope One DataSec Command Center gives security teams full visibility into their sensitive data and a seamless path from discovery to remediation across their entire data landscape.

Organizations face a widening data security gap driven by fragmented tooling, rapid AI adoption, and manual investigation workflows. According to the 2026 Netskope Data Security Report, more than half of organizations operate 11 or more separate tools for data security alone, and less than 10% describe their stack as fully unified.¹ The operational cost is significant: only 4% of organizations can reconstruct a sensitive data path in minutes, with 68% requiring days or longer.¹ Rapid AI adoption has accelerated this problem: 98% of organizations now use AI, yet only 8% enforce data protection policies consistently in AI environments.¹

Netskope One DataSec Command Center is the core of Netskope's unified data security strategy: the central control plane that orchestrates protection across all Netskope data security enforcement points. By ingesting signals from across Netskope services, it correlates relationships between users, devices, data stores, and AI assets, surfacing hidden risks and accelerating remediating them by facilitating direct actions, enabling triage or investigative workflows, and recommending policies that are enforced back at Netskope’s data security control points. Its benefits support:

Data security posture and risk discovery: An always-on discovery dashboard and risk prioritization engine correlates, normalizes, and analyzes signals from DLP, DSPM, SWG, CASB and more, to surface exposures and other risks across SaaS, IaaS, PaaS, on-premises, inline, and endpoint environments, with integrated workflows that move security teams from finding to fixing.Data lineage: Integration with Netskope One Data Lineage provides a unified interface to track data movement across connected systems, from the moment a file is created and wherever it travels.Intelligent adaptive security: Translates risk signals into recommended policy adjustments and remediation actions, closing the loop from insight to enforcement without manual intervention.Agentic operations: Operates in tandem with the Netskope DLP AISecOps Agent to detect, triage, prioritize, investigate, and resolve data security incidents at machine speed. With 56% of organizations currently only investigating half or fewer of the alerts they generate due to a lack of capacity1, DataSec Command Center and the agent bridge the gap at scale. Sanjay Beri, Co-Founder and CEO, Netskope commented, “Organizations have invested in more data security tools than ever, yet most teams still cannot answer basic questions such as where did the data go and what is its current state? The problem isn't a lack of tools — it's the massive volume of data, the signals it generates, and the lack of coordination between them. Netskope One DataSec Command Center digests all of that data and those signals, correlates and normalizes them, analyzes them, and surfaces human-understandable insights giving security teams the control plane they have been missing: a single place to see what is exposed, understand how it got there, and act on it to prevent and mitigate risks.”

Wayne Cross, Director, IT Cyber Security and Infrastructure Operations, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG) commented, “The biggest operational hurdle we face in data security isn't just the volume of data, it's the fragmentation of our security stack. Trying to stitch together disparate signals across cloud, SaaS, and AI environments creates massive visibility gaps and slows down response times. That's why we have a priority strategy to unify our data security. It is about breaking down silos, gaining a clear line of sight into our data, and finally getting ahead of the risks that actually matter.”

As the unified data security control plane, Netskope One DataSec Command Center covers any kind of data, anywhere it lives, in any state it’s in, including:

Real-time network data going to the internet, transacted through email, or in-motion on endpointsCloud service provider databases or object stores in AWS, GCP, and AzureSaaS environments like Microsoft OneDrive, SharePoint, Google DriveAI services such as ChatGPT and Anthropic ClaudeStructured data in PaaS like Databricks, Snowflake, and other vector database services
Netskope One DataSec Command Center will be generally available this quarter as part of the Netskope One platform. Netskope will also be demonstrating Netskope One DataSec Command Center and AI, security, and networking innovations during Black Hat USA this week in Las Vegas. Visit the Black Hat page on Netskope.com for details.

About Netskope
Netskope (NASDAQ: NTSK), a leader in modern security and networking for the cloud and AI era, addresses the needs of both security and networking teams by providing optimized access and real-time, context-based security for the AI ecosystem inclusive of agents, applications, tools, LLMs, people, devices, and data. Thousands of customers, including more than 30% of the Fortune 100, trust the Netskope One platform, its Zero Trust Engine, and its powerful NewEdge network to reduce risk and gain full visibility and control over cloud, AI, SaaS, web, and private applications — providing security and accelerating performance without trade-offs.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding the availability and functional capabilities of the upcoming release of Netskope One DataSec Command Center. These forward-looking statements remain subject to change. The above describes the current vision and direction for the release, however a significant number of factors could cause the availability and functionality to differ. The statements are not a commitment to deliver any release or functionality, should not be relied upon in making purchasing decisions, and may not be incorporated into any contract. The development and timing of the release and functionality described for Netskope’s platform and services remains at the sole discretion of Netskope.

Learn more at netskope.com, on LinkedIn, and on Instagram.

Media Relations Contacts:
[email protected]

Investor Relations Contacts:
[email protected]

1Unified Data Security Report 2026, based on a survey of 1,064 cybersecurity practitioners conducted by Cybersecurity Insiders.

Cathie Wood tends to buy when some of her favorite stocks pull back. On Monday -- with the market having its strongest first day of the month since late 2022 -- she was particularly busy, too. The co-founder and CEO of Ark Invest didn't let upticks get in the way of adding to some of her existing positions.

She was a buyer of CoreWeave (CRWV +5.85%), Amazon (AMZN -2.52%), and Rocket Lab (RKLB +5.79%), even as the shares rose 19%, 5%, and 8%, respectively, on Monday. Amazon did hit a new high during the day, but the same can't be said about the bookends. CoreWeave and Rocket Lab are trading 44% and 53% below their 52-week highs, respectively. Let's take a closer look at the three potentially opportunistic purchases by Ark in August.

Ark Investment Management CEO Cathie Wood. Image source: Getty Images.

1. CoreWeave CoreWeave stock rallied alongside other hyperscalers, but it would still have to more than double from here to revisit the all-time high it hit 14 months ago. The company, launched by a few hedge fund friends who initially bought a few GPUs to mine crypto -- before pivoting to the AI opportunity when the digital currency market sold off -- has been one of the market's more volatile investments since going public at $40 early last year.

Revenue rose 112% in its latest quarter, reported back in May. The top-line jump was better than expected, but the report wasn't well-received. A larger-than-projected loss disappointed investors, but it shouldn't have come as a surprise. CoreWeave had fallen short on the bottom line in two of the three previous reports. This is a top-line growth story, with revenue more than doubling in each quarter as a public company. It needs to invest in building out its empire at this stage, which introduces red ink on the other end of its red-hot revenue growth.

Today's Change

(

5.85

%) $

5.02

Current Price

$

90.78

CoreWeave was making positive waves even after the market closed on Monday. Analyst James Fish at Piper Sandler initiated coverage of the stock with a bullish overweight rating, praising CoreWeave's engineering team for its ability to achieve cost reductions as it continues to grow to meet the booming demand for AI infrastructure. His $151 price target offers 76% near-term upside even after Monday's jump.

CoreWeave also announced on Tuesday morning that it was expanding into Indonesia, marking its first push to establish a data center presence in the Asia-Pacific region. It will build out three facilities offering a total of 360 megawatts of contracted IT power. The data centers won't be available until 2028, but it's another bet that CoreWeave is making today that should keep growth booming tomorrow.

Investors won't have to wait long for the next day when CoreWeave shares may be on the move. It reports its second-quarter results next week, after the market closes on Tuesday.

Today's Change

(

-2.52

%) $

-7.16

Current Price

$

276.86

2. Amazon I'll start by saying that buying Amazon on the day its shares hit a new all-time high isn't technically bargain hunting. However, it was Wood's largest purchase. I couldn't leave the country's fifth-most-valuable company by market cap out of the mix. Ark Invest was a buyer of Amazon for all five of Wood's aggressive growth ETFs on Monday, and was her biggest buy in four of them.

Unlike CoreWeave, investors already know how Amazon fared in the second quarter. It reported last week. Net sales rose 20% to $200.6 billion for the quarter, fueled largely by a 37% jump in its thriving and high-margin Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud-hosting business. Its flagship e-commerce business still managed to grow in the mid-teens -- up 16% in North America and up 15% everywhere else -- but AWS is the reason Amazon just delivered its strongest top-line surge in five years.

Today's Change

(

5.79

%) $

4.08

Current Price

$

74.51

3. Rocket Lab Rockets go up. Rockets go down. In recent weeks, rocket stocks have largely gone down. This is often a dinner bell for Wood if she's a believer in the industry and certain players in that space. Speaking of space, Rocket Lab is no stranger to space. Unlike many upstarts, Rocket Lab has generated meaningful revenue for years as a leading provider of space systems and launch services.

It's not profitable yet, but analysts expect it to be on an adjusted basis next year and on a reported basis by 2028. Demand is booming, with an order backlog of $2.2 billion at the end of the first quarter. It reports second-quarter results next week. It was targeting $225 million to $240 million in revenue for the quarter in May, a 61% year-over-year increase at the midpoint. Investors may have turned their back on space stocks this summer, but reality offers a kinder level of stargazing.

Microsoft’s (NASDAQ: MSFT) upcoming quarterly dividend has been scheduled for Thursday, September 10, 2026, with the current estimates suggesting the company is going to reward investors as of August 20 with $0.91 per share. 

The September dividend represents no change from the previous three payouts, issued on June 11, 2026, March 12, 2026, and December 11, 2025, according to the official announcement.

Accordingly, investors holding 100 Microsoft shares by August 20 will earn a total of $91 in dividend income next month. If the tech giant does not increase the payout, the yearly Microsoft stock dividend for 2026 will total $364.

MSFT quarterly dividend. Source: Microsoft.com Microsoft Corp. dividend profile Microsoft continues to maintain one of the most consistent dividend records in the technology sector, with a forward dividend yield of 0.75% and an annualized dividend of $3.64 per share.

What’s more, the software leader has increased its dividend for 24 consecutive years, and with a relatively conservative forward payout ratio of 18.54%, it has significant room to continue funding dividend growth while investing in its core businesses.

Historically, Microsoft’s shares have recovered quickly after going ex-dividend, with an average price recovery time of 1.7 days. Although its 0.75% dividend yield sits below the broader technology sector average of 1.37%, the company has prioritized steady dividend increases and share price appreciation over offering a high yield.

Even in 2026, which has been one of Microsoft’sweakest years on record, the stock has managed to recover, now sitting up around 3% year-to-date as of press time. For context, a $10,000 investment in Microsoft at the start of 2026, with all dividends reinvested, would now be worth $10,415. 

In other words, the investment would have generated $38.19 in reinvested dividends and $376.82 in capital gains, for a total profit of $415, representing a 4.15% total return.

Featured image via Shutterstock

Best Crypto Exchange for Intermediate Traders and Investors

Invest in cryptocurrencies and 3,000+ other assets including stocks and precious metals.

0% commission on stocks - buy in bulk or just a fraction from as little as $10. Other fees apply. For more information, visit etoro.com/trading/fees.

Copy top-performing traders in real time, automatically.

eToro USA is registered with FINRA for securities trading.

30+ million Users worldwide

eToro is a multi-asset investment platform. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk. Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high-risk investment and you should not expect to be protected if something goes wrong. Take 2 mins to learn more.

Join Finbold's newsroom, become a Sales Executive today! Apply now to join Finbold as a crypto/finance news writer!

Posted by Defense World Staff on Aug 4th, 2026

Coronation Fund Managers Ltd. bought a new position in shares of NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA – Free Report) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 26,149 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock, valued at approximately $4,560,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of NVDA. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. purchased a new stake in NVIDIA in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Longview Financial Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in NVIDIA during the 1st quarter valued at $27,000. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC increased its position in NVIDIA by 47.9% during the second quarter. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC now owns 207 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 67 shares in the last quarter. Phillip James Consulting Co. purchased a new position in NVIDIA during the first quarter worth $40,000. Finally, Spurstone Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of NVIDIA in the second quarter worth $40,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.27% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several brokerages have recently issued reports on NVDA. Susquehanna restated a “positive” rating and issued a $275.00 price objective (up from $250.00) on shares of NVIDIA in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. DZ Bank reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of NVIDIA in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Raymond James Financial reissued a “strong-buy” rating and issued a $330.00 target price on shares of NVIDIA in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Barclays restated an “overweight” rating on shares of NVIDIA in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada set a $280.00 price target on shares of NVIDIA in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-eight have given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $304.26.

Get Our Latest Analysis on NVDA

NVIDIA Trading Up 2.9% Shares of NVDA stock opened at $206.64 on Tuesday. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $205.24 and its 200-day simple moving average is $196.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a current ratio of 3.44 and a quick ratio of 2.85. NVIDIA Corporation has a 1-year low of $164.07 and a 1-year high of $236.54. The firm has a market cap of $5.00 trillion, a P/E ratio of 31.64, a PEG ratio of 0.39 and a beta of 2.23.

NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, May 20th. The computer hardware maker reported $1.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.76 by $0.11. NVIDIA had a net margin of 62.97% and a return on equity of 96.94%. The firm had revenue of $81.61 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $78.42 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.81 earnings per share. NVIDIA’s revenue was up 85.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that NVIDIA Corporation will post 8.79 EPS for the current year.

NVIDIA Increases Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 26th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 4th were issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, June 4th. This is a positive change from NVIDIA’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.01. NVIDIA’s payout ratio is currently 15.31%.

NVIDIA declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase plan on Wednesday, May 20th that allows the company to buyback $80.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the computer hardware maker to purchase up to 1.5% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are usually an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Transactions at NVIDIA In related news, Director Stephen C. Neal sold 15,500 shares of NVIDIA stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $215.73, for a total value of $3,343,815.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 116,135 shares in the company, valued at approximately $25,053,803.55. This trade represents a 11.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director John Dabiri sold 625 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $214.00, for a total value of $133,750.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 14,163 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,030,882. This trade represents a 4.23% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 1,901,125 shares of company stock worth $410,583,015 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 3.94% of the company’s stock.

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

Positive Sentiment: Cloud providers are accelerating spending on AI infrastructure, particularly NVIDIA’s liquid-cooled Blackwell systems. This reinforced expectations that demand for NVIDIA’s data-center GPUs remains well ahead of supply ahead of the company’s next earnings report. Nvidia stock climbs as AI infrastructure demand boosts investor sentiment Positive Sentiment: Analyst and earnings-preview coverage remains bullish. NVIDIA has a strong history of beating estimates, while reported first-quarter revenue of $81.6 billion and data-center revenue of $75.2 billion showed exceptional year-over-year growth. Forecasts also point to continued momentum from the Blackwell and upcoming Vera Rubin platforms. Will Nvidia beat estimates again Positive Sentiment: A strong Nasdaq and semiconductor-sector rebound lifted sentiment across chip stocks, providing an additional market-wide catalyst for NVDA. Some analysts argue that NVIDIA’s valuation remains reasonable relative to its growth and potential future sales. Nvidia beats stock market upswing Neutral Sentiment: NVIDIA is using financial guarantees, equity investments, and revenue-sharing arrangements to help customers build AI data centers and secure demand for Vera Rubin. The strategy could strengthen its ecosystem and market share, but it also increases exposure to customer defaults, cash outflows, and weaker AI-investment returns. Nvidia financial engineering and Vera Rubin Negative Sentiment: Risk-focused coverage highlights concerns about circular financing, rising AI infrastructure costs, and whether hyperscaler spending can remain economically justified. NVIDIA has also traded sideways for several months, suggesting investors may require stronger earnings or guidance to sustain a breakout. Nvidia stock remains in a $200 rut Negative Sentiment: Longer-term competitive risks are emerging as custom AI chips gain traction and AI-generated software could weaken CUDA’s traditional competitive moat, particularly as workloads shift from training toward inference. AI threats to Nvidia CUDA About NVIDIA (Free Report)

NVIDIA Corporation, founded in 1993 and headquartered in Santa Clara, California, is a global technology company that designs and develops graphics processing units (GPUs) and system-on-chip (SoC) technologies. Co-founded by Jensen Huang, who serves as president and chief executive officer, along with Chris Malachowsky and Curtis Priem, NVIDIA has grown from a graphics-focused chipmaker into a broad provider of accelerated computing hardware and software for multiple industries.

The company’s product portfolio spans discrete GPUs for gaming and professional visualization (marketed under the GeForce and NVIDIA RTX lines), high-performance data center accelerators used for AI training and inference (including widely adopted platforms such as the A100 and H100 series), and Tegra SoCs for automotive and edge applications.

Further Reading Five stocks we like better than NVIDIA SpaceX’s First Earnings Report Could Decide Whether Shorts or Bulls Have Control Why Rare Earth Processing Could Be the Real 2027 Opportunity The S&P 493 Are Staging a Comeback—This Value ETF Offers Broad Exposure TSMC Insiders Are Buying the Pullback—But Is the Signal as Bullish as It Looks?

Receive News & Ratings for NVIDIA Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for NVIDIA and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.

« PREVIOUS HEADLINEClearwater Capital Advisors LLC Purchases 4,873 Shares of NVIDIA Corporation $NVDA

© Shutterstock / rafapress

CNBC’s Jim Cramer distilled the current NVIDIA setup into one sentence on X: “you get a couple of reports that Nvidia chips are holding their value and are scarce and the stock soars.” The post landed as NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA | NVDA Price Prediction) closed up 2.93% at $206.64 on August 3, 2026, extending a 6.7% one-week gain and pushing the stock 12.8% higher year to date. For a name with a roughly $5.094 trillion market capitalization, that is a meaningful daily move, and it maps directly onto the two supply-side narratives Cramer is pointing at.

The Reports Behind Cramer’s Take Two theories circulating this week gave the scarcity thesis fresh ammunition. An analysis by Beth Kindig, aka the “Queen of Nvidia,” flagged that TSMC’s N3 process wafer capacity is severely constrained, with the biggest AI chip designers, NVIDIA and Google, both leaning on the same node and rising prices reflecting the bottleneck. Separately, Bank of America is now modeling hyperscaler capital expenditures to exceed $1.2 trillion over the next year, with the sector’s bottleneck shifting from demand to supply.

Value retention in the secondary GPU market is the second leg. Hyperscalers describe cloud GPUs as sold out, and rental economics for prior-generation Hopper silicon have stayed firm even as Blackwell ramps. That behavior signals a market where installed hardware is still earning its keep, which is the opposite of what you would expect if the AI capex cycle were peaking.

NVIDIA’s Numbers Confirm the Scarcity Thesis NVIDIA’s most recent report, filed May 20, 2026, reads like a scarcity case study. Q1 FY2027 revenue came in at $81.615 billion, up 85.23% YoY, beating the consensus by 3.16% and setting a new company record. Non-GAAP diluted EPS of $1.87 topped the $1.7738 estimate. Data Center revenue reached $75.246 billion, growing 92% year over year, with networking (InfiniBand, NVLink, Spectrum-X) up 199%.

The margin picture is the tell. Non-GAAP gross margin held at 75.0%, up from 60.8% a year earlier. Sustaining that gross margin while revenue nearly doubles is the fingerprint of pricing power created by supply that trails demand. Free cash flow of $48.55 billion in the quarter funded a $80 billion repurchase authorization and a dividend increase from $0.01 to $0.25 per share.

Don't wait: the analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just revealed his top 10 AI stocks. See the full list FREE now.

The clearest scarcity signal sits in the balance sheet commentary. Total forward supply-related commitments jumped to $119.0 billion in Q1 FY2027, versus $95.2 billion in Q4 FY2026 and $50.3 billion in Q3 FY2026. NVIDIA is writing large checks to lock in wafer starts, HBM, and networking silicon well before customer purchase orders convert to revenue. Details are in the company’s Q1 FY2027 8-K filing.

What to Watch Next Nvidia management guided Q2 FY2027 revenue to $91.0 billion, give or take 2%, with 75.0% non-GAAP gross margin, and that figure excludes any China Data Center compute revenue. Named commitments underneath the guide include 10 gigawatts of systems for OpenAI, an initial 1 gigawatt for Anthropic, millions of Blackwell and Rubin GPUs for Meta over multiple years, and 5-plus gigawatts for CoreWeave by 2030.

Jensen Huang framed the backdrop in generational terms: “The buildout of AI factories, the largest infrastructure expansion in human history, is accelerating at extraordinary speed.”

Valuation is where the debate lives. NVIDIA trades at roughly 30.7 times trailing earnings and 22.8 times forward earnings, with an analyst consensus target of $302.83 and 58 buy or strong buy ratings against 2 holds and 1 sell. Reddit sentiment, meanwhile, has been predominantly bearish across r/wallstreetbets in early August, driven more by loss-focused posts than by any obvious crack in the fundamentals. Cramer’s read is that scarcity and value retention are the signals that matter most for the next leg. The Q2 report, due in late August, will test that thesis against the $91 billion guide and bring the scarcity debate full circle.

Don't wait: the analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just revealed his top 10 AI stocks. See the full list FREE now.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Key Takeaways Ford raised 2026 adjusted EBIT guidance to $10-$11B and free cash flow outlook to $6-$7B.Ford Blue gains from richer mix and cost cuts, while Model e losses narrowed for the third straight quarter.Ford Pro software growth, strong liquidity, a 4% yield and discounted valuation add to the appeal. Last week, Ford (F - Free Report) reported strong second-quarter 2026 results, with adjusted earnings of $3.57 per share rising 41.3% year over year as well as exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 14.06%. Backed by robust results and improving fundamentals, the company lifted its full-year outlook. Ford raised its full-year adjusted EBIT outlook to $10-$11 billion from $8.5-$10.5 billion. It also increased adjusted free cash flow guidance to $6-$7 billion from $5-$6 billion.

Wall Street analysts are getting optimistic on the stock after second-quarter results, as reflected by the upward revision of the company’s EPS estimates.

Over the past seven days, the consensus mark for Ford’s 2026 EPS has moved up 24 cents to $1.86, implying a year-over-year jump of 71%. Over the same timeframe, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2027 EPS has increased by 17 cents to $1.94, implying growth of more than 4% from projected 2026 levels.

Let's take a closer look at what has analysts feeling upbeat about the stock and whether it's the right time to buy.

Ford Blue Benefiting From Better Mix & Cost CutsFord Blue’s prospects are improving as the business shifts toward higher-margin trucks, utilities, off-road models and hybrids. Off-road trims represented nearly 25% of U.S. sales, and Explorer and Expedition retail sales rose more than 20%. F-Series demand remains firm, with disciplined incentives and favorable channel mix supporting pricing.

Management raised 2026 Ford Blue EBIT guidance to $5-$5.5 billion from $4.5-$5 billion. Continued quality gains, lower warranty costs and upcoming truck launches should further support margins. The company remains on track for $1 billion of material and warranty cost reductions in 2026.

Ford Model e Losses NarrowingFord Model e’s prospects are improving because losses are narrowing while the company redirects spending toward lower-cost electric vehicles and energy storage. The segment’s second-quarter 2026 EBIT loss narrowed to $919 million from $1.33 billion a year earlier, marking the third consecutive quarter of year-over-year improvement.

Management expects Gen-1 EV EBIT to improve about 40% in 2026 and now forecasts a full-year loss of roughly $4 billion. The Universal Electric Vehicle platform is designed for affordable models priced at around $30,000, with first deliveries expected in 2027.

Ford Pro Winning From Software StrengthCommercial vehicle leadership, recurring software revenues and added production capacity are set to boost the segment’s profits. Ford now expects an EBIT of $7-$7.5 billion for the full year from this unit, up from $6.5-$7.5 billion guided earlier.

Paid Ford Pro Intelligence subscriptions exceeded 900,000, supporting a higher-margin revenue stream. Early 2027 model-year customer contracting is running ahead of last year, indicating sustained fleet demand. Oakville is scheduled to add up to 100,000 units of Super Duty capacity from the fourth quarter of 2026, supporting volume recovery, service growth and earnings resilience.

Ford Energy Offers DiversificationFord Energy adds a new revenue stream beyond vehicle sales by applying Ford’s battery manufacturing, service and monitoring capabilities to energy storage. The company expects to reach 20 gigawatt-hours of annual capacity by late 2027 and is already producing prototype cells in Michigan.

Solid Liquidity & Dividend Yield Add to the AppealFord ended the second quarter of 2026 with $22.3 billion in cash and $43.4 billion in liquidity. It has returned more than $16 billion through dividends and repurchases over five years. The company has an attractive dividend yield of over 4%.

Ford’s Price Performance & ValuationYear to date, shares of F have risen 12.5%, outperforming the industry and peers like General Motors (GM - Free Report) and Tesla (TSLA - Free Report) . While General Motors shares moved up roughly 8%, Tesla shares declined 28% during the same timeframe.  

YTD Price Performance Comparison Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Ford also appears undervalued now, with a Value Score of A. The company is trading at a forward sales multiple of 0.32, lower than its closest peer, General Motors. Tesla, meanwhile, continues to trade at a significantly higher valuation, reflecting investor expectations for its AI and autonomous driving businesses rather than its core automotive operations.

F’s P/S F12M Vs. TSLA & GM Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Buy Ford Stock at Current Levels?Well, Ford faces volatile input and trade costs. Management expects 2026 commodity costs to be above $2 billion. While Model e losses are narrowing, Ford still expects a full-year 2026 loss of about $4 billion from the segment. Then there are geopolitical and macro uncertainties that can weigh on the stock.

But improving execution and a broader profit mix outweigh the risks. Ford’s richer product mix, recurring services, affordable electrification plans, energy storage and liquidity strength make us bullish on the stock. Add to that its dividend yield for income investors, discounted valuation and upbeat guidance, and Ford is definitely worth buying at current levels.

The stock carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here

DETROIT — Despite reporting a 10.2% decline in its July U.S. vehicle sales Tuesday, Ford Motor is touting the results as a "good sales month."

That's according to Rob Kaffl, Ford's director of U.S. sales, who said the steep decline from the previous year was "by design," as the Detroit automaker phases out two vehicles and lowered its daily rental fleet business.

"July was a good sales month for a number of reasons. Our July results reflect a strategy that is working exactly as planned: we've intentionally been sunsetting select models and pulled back on low-margin rental fleet volume to make room for an onslaught of new-product introductions by the end of the decade," Kaffl said in an emailed statement.

Many times, automakers do not cancel products — like Ford has done with its Ford Escape and Lincoln Corsair — until closer to production of newer models. Or they build up inventories to assist sales during the changeover in production for new vehicles.

Kaffl said the company prioritized retail sales of its F-Series pickup trucks as the automaker continues to recover production after two aluminum fires last year at a major aluminum supplier. The company said rental sales, which are typically at lower profits, were reduced by 96% compared to a year earlier.

Read more

Without such actions, Ford contends its sales would be down less than 1%, slightly better than an estimated 2% fall for the overall industry compared to July 2025.

Planned or not, the decline last month adds to a lackluster sales year for the automaker following the problematic F-Series production as well as a pullback in all-electric vehicle sales. Ford's sales year to date through July are down 9.7%.

Ford's U.S. sales through June were already off 9.6% from a year earlier. That compares to an estimated 2.4% sales decline for the overall industry through the first half of the year, which doesn't include July, according to the most recent data from Cox Automotive's Kelley Blue Book.

Higher prices and consumer economic concerns are weighing on the overall auto industry, which Cox and other forecasters expect to be off about 3% compared to last year to 15.8 million vehicles sold.

Key Takeaways Qualcomm's fiscal 2026 and 2027 EPS estimates fell 0.8% and 0.4% over the past seven days.Handset revenues slid 20% to $5.09B as OEMs cut chipset purchases and reduced inventory.Automotive and IoT revenues advanced 28%, lifting the fiscal 2026 automotive sales outlook to about $7B. Earnings estimates for Qualcomm Incorporated (QCOM - Free Report) for fiscal 2026 and fiscal 2027 have declined 0.8% and 0.4%, respectively, to $10.69 and $10.84 per share over the past seven days. The negative estimate revision depicts bearish sentiment toward the stock’s growth potential.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

QCOM Plagued by Soft DemandQualcomm reported lackluster third-quarter fiscal 2026 results with non-GAAP earnings of $2.21 per share, down 20% year over year, while revenues fell 4% to $9.95 billion. Higher input costs and handset weakness pressured profitability as QCT revenues declined 5% to $8.50 billion. Handset revenues plunged 20% to $5.09 billion as major OEMs reduced chipset purchases and worked down inventory amid memory supply constraints and higher memory prices.

The handset decline more than offset gains elsewhere in the product business. Management estimated that China OEM handset revenues reached a bottom in the quarter and expects double-digit sequential growth in the fourth quarter as channel inventory drawdowns ease.

Waning Margins Hurt QCOMQualcomm's margins have declined over the years due to high operating expenses and R&D (research & development) costs. QCT EBT declined 18% to $2.19 billion, while its EBT margin contracted 4 percentage points to 26%. Higher product costs and lower revenues outweighed higher average selling prices, reflecting industrywide increases across wafers, assembly, testing, advanced packaging, memory and other materials.

QTL revenues decreased 3% to $1.28 billion, and EBT fell 6% to $881 million. Its EBT margin slipped to 69% from 71%, as lower estimated cellular-product sales and fewer prior-period royalty adjustments offset a favorable revenue-per-unit mix.

The company expects softness in the handset market and a weaker overall device mix to continue in the near future. The shift in the share among original equipment manufacturers at the premium tier has reduced the near-term opportunity to sell integrated chipsets from the Snapdragon platform. In addition, aggressive competition from low-cost chip manufacturers and established players in the mobile phone chipset market is also likely to hurt Qualcomm's profits.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Price PerformanceQualcomm’s shares are up 3.3% over the past year compared with the industry’s growth of 48.3%. It has lagged peers like Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company (HPE - Free Report) and Broadcom Inc. (AVGO - Free Report) . While Hewlett Packard has jumped 152.9%, Broadcom surged 33.9% over this period. 

One-Year QCOM Stock Price Performance

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

QCOM’s Snapdragon & Automotive Business Hold FortAutomotive revenues rose $604 million year over year, driven by a $381 million increase in revenue per unit from favorable mix and higher average selling prices. Another $223 million came from higher shipments tied to new vehicle launches using Snapdragon digital cockpit and ADAS and automated-driving products.

IoT revenues climbed 9% to $1.83 billion, led by favorable mix and growth in industrial networking and robotics. Combined QCT automotive and IoT revenues advanced 28%, and Qualcomm raised its fiscal 2026 exit-rate outlook for annualized automotive sales to approximately $7 billion from $6 billion.

Qualcomm envisions solid growth opportunities within the mobile space, driven by the strength of its Snapdragon portfolio. Leveraging processors with multi-core CPUs with cutting-edge features, amazing graphics and worldwide network connectivity, Qualcomm Snapdragon mobile platforms are fast with superb power efficiency, brilliant camera capabilities and state-of-the-art security solutions.

End NoteQualcomm is likely to benefit from robust automotive and Snapdragon traction. A strong emphasis on quality, diligent execution of operational plans and continuous portfolio enhancements are driving more value for customers.

However, with declining earnings estimates, the stock is witnessing negative investor sentiment. Stiff competition and softness in key end markets are likely to put pressure on the bottom-line growth. High R&D costs erode its profitability to a large extent. Qualcomm is facing a tough operating environment in China, raising questions about its long-term viability plans in the country. It also faces reduced chip orders and near-term uncertainty in memory supply.

With a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), Qualcomm appears to be treading in the middle of the road, and new investors could be better off if they trade with caution. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Key Takeaways IBM and Sarvam will pilot sovereign AI tools for citizen services and administrative workflows in India.watsonx and hybrid cloud demand support IBM as enterprises manage more complex multi-cloud workloads.Rising earnings estimates lift sentiment, but competition, pricing pressure and Anthropic remain risks. International Business Machines Corporation (IBM - Free Report) has partnered with India-based artificial intelligence (AI) company Sarvam to develop and test sovereign AI technologies for government agencies and regulated industries in the subcontinent. The collaboration aims to build AI systems that give organizations greater control over data, governance and operations while supporting digital transformation across the public sector.

IBM and Sarvam will jointly pilot AI applications for citizen services, grievance redressal, document processing and administrative workflows. The companies expect the solutions to support multilingual and voice-enabled interactions, enabling government departments to engage with citizens in multiple Indian languages through existing digital platforms. By combining IBM's enterprise AI infrastructure with Sarvam's locally developed AI models, the partnership aims to evaluate how sovereign AI technologies can be deployed to meet the operational and regulatory needs of India's public sector.

IBM Bets Big on AIIBM’s watsonx platform is likely to be the core technology platform for its AI capabilities. watsonx delivers the value of foundational models to the enterprise, enabling them to be more productive. This enterprise-ready AI and data platform comprises three products to help organizations accelerate and scale AI: the watsonx.ai studio for new foundation models, generative AI and machine learning, the watsonx.data fit-for-purpose data store built on an open lake house architecture and the watsonx.governance toolkit to help enable AI workflows to be built with responsibility and transparency.

Solid Hybrid Cloud Demand Buoys IBMIn addition to AI, IBM is likely to benefit from solid demand trends for hybrid cloud. With a surge in traditional cloud-native workloads and associated applications, along with a rise in generative AI deployment, there is a radical expansion in the number of cloud workloads that enterprises are currently managing. This has resulted in heterogeneous, dynamic and complex infrastructure strategies, which have led firms to undertake a cloud-agnostic and interoperable approach to highly secure multi-cloud management, translating into a healthy demand for IBM hybrid cloud solutions.

The buyout of HashiCorp has significantly augmented IBM’s capabilities to assist enterprises in managing complex cloud environments. HashiCorp’s toolsets complement IBM RedHat’s portfolio, bringing additional functionalities for cloud infrastructure management and bolstering its hybrid multi-cloud approach.

Price PerformanceIBM has plummeted 9.7% over the past year against the industry’s growth of 182.8%, lagging peers like Microsoft Corporation (MSFT - Free Report) and Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN - Free Report) . While Amazon has inched up 32.9%, Microsoft declined 7.6% over this period.

One-Year IBM Stock Price Performance

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Estimate Revision TrendIBM is currently witnessing an uptrend in estimate revisions. Earnings estimates for IBM for 2026 have moved up 3.4% to $12.34 over the past year, while the same for 2027 has increased 4.3% to $13.23. The positive estimate revision portrays bullish sentiments about the stock’s growth potential.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Stiff Competition, Price Wars Dent IBM's GrowthDespite solid hybrid cloud and AI traction, IBM is facing stiff competition from Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure. Increasing pricing pressure is eroding margins, and profitability has trended down over the years, barring occasional spikes. Weaknesses in its traditional business and foreign exchange volatility remain a significant concern.

The company faces a potent threat from AI firm Anthropic as the latter’s Claude Code tool can modernize legacy COBOL systems — a foundational programming language deeply embedded in IBM’s mainframe ecosystem. With Claude Code proposing to substantially automate code exploration, documentation, refactoring and security analysis, it threatens to reduce enterprises’ reliance on specialized legacy service providers like IBM, bringing its sustenance at stake.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

End NoteWith solid fundamentals and healthy revenue-generating potential, IBM is likely to benefit from increasing client demands to modernize core systems, redesign workflows and extract more value from huge troves of data. A strong emphasis on hybrid cloud and an AI focus are driving value for customers. The stock is witnessing a positive investor perception on improving earnings estimates.

However, IBM’s growth is dented by high operating costs and stiff competition that reduce its profitability. The company faces a potent threat from Anthropic and needs to fine-tune its business model to remain competitive. With a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), IBM appears to be treading in the middle of the road, and new investors can be better off if they trade with caution. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Key Takeaways Slack accounted for nearly half of Salesforce's $1M-plus ACV deals, with bookings up 80% year over year.More than 1 million users adopted Slack MCP in six weeks, while Agentic Work Units jumped nearly 350%.Slack's links with Agentforce and Data 360 could lift cross-selling, retention and Salesforce's revenue mix. Slack is becoming a much bigger contributor to Salesforce, Inc.'s (CRM - Free Report) artificial intelligence (AI) strategy. Once known primarily as a workplace messaging platform, Slack is now evolving into an AI-powered collaboration hub that connects employees, applications and AI agents. This transformation could help Salesforce generate higher-value software revenues and deepen customer relationships.

The momentum is already visible. During the first quarter of fiscal 2027, Slack accounted for nearly half of Salesforce's deals worth more than $1 million in annual contract value. Slack bookings in this category increased 80% year over year, reflecting strong enterprise demand for AI-enabled workplace solutions.

Salesforce is also embedding AI capabilities directly into Slack. Slackbot now functions as a Model Context Protocol (“MCP”) client, enabling users to interact with enterprise applications using natural language. The company reported that more than 1 million users adopted Slack MCP within its first six weeks, while Slack Agentic Work Units surged nearly 350% sequentially. These metrics highlight growing customer engagement with AI-powered workflows.

The tighter integration between Slack, Agentforce and Data 360 creates additional cross-selling opportunities. Customers using Slack can more easily adopt Salesforce's broader AI platform, helping increase spending across multiple products. This ecosystem approach also improves customer retention by making Salesforce's offerings more deeply integrated into daily business operations.

Salesforce's first-quarter fiscal 2027 revenues rose 13% year over year to $11.13 billion, supported by strong AI demand. As Slack continues evolving into an enterprise AI platform rather than just a communication tool, it could contribute a larger share of Salesforce's revenue mix and support sustainable long-term growth. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for full-fiscal 2027 revenues is currently pegged at $46.09 billion, indicating a year-over-year increase of approximately 11%.

How Do Salesforce's Collaboration Rivals Compare?Two key competitors challenging Salesforce's AI-powered collaboration strategy are Microsoft Corporation (MSFT - Free Report) and Zoom Communications, Inc. (ZM - Free Report) . Both are embedding generative AI into workplace collaboration platforms to increase customer engagement and drive higher software spending.

Microsoft has integrated Copilot across Microsoft Teams and Microsoft 365, giving users AI-powered meeting summaries, content creation and workflow automation. This strategy is helping expand the value of its productivity suite.

In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, Microsoft reported revenues of $90 billion, up 18% year over year, while Microsoft 365 Commercial cloud revenues increased 14%. The company also reported Azure revenue growth of 43%, providing a strong foundation for continued AI investments that compete directly with Salesforce's Slack ecosystem.

Zoom is also expanding beyond video conferencing by embedding Zoom AI Companion across meetings, chat and contact center offerings. In the first quarter of fiscal 2027, Zoom's enterprise revenues increased 7% year over year to about $758 million, while enterprise customers generating more than $100,000 in annual revenues grew 8% to nearly 4,534.

Zoom is using AI to encourage customers to adopt multiple products, similar to Salesforce's strategy of linking Slack with Agentforce and Data 360.

Salesforce’s Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesShares of Salesforce have plunged 29.8% year to date, while the Zacks Internet – Software industry has fallen 11.3%.

Salesforce YTD Price Return Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, CRM trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 12.55, significantly below the industry’s average of 26.22.

Salesforce Forward 12-Month P/E Ratio
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Salesforce’s fiscal 2027 and 2028 earnings implies a year-over-year increase of approximately 13.1% and 9.3%, respectively. Estimates for fiscal 2027 earnings have been revised upward in the past seven days, while estimates have been revised downward for fiscal 2028 over the past seven days.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

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

In its upcoming report, American International Group (AIG - Free Report) is predicted by Wall Street analysts to post quarterly earnings of $1.89 per share, reflecting an increase of 4.4% compared to the same period last year. Revenues are forecasted to be $7.27 billion, representing a year-over-year increase of 6.3%.

The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 0.8% lower over the last 30 days to the current level. This reflects how the analysts covering the stock have collectively reevaluated their initial estimates during this timeframe.

Before a company announces its earnings, it is essential to take into account any changes made to earnings estimates. This is a valuable factor in predicting the potential reactions of investors toward the stock. Empirical research has consistently shown a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and the short-term price performance of a stock.

While it's common for investors to rely on consensus earnings and revenue estimates for assessing how the business may have performed during the quarter, exploring analysts' forecasts for key metrics can yield valuable insights.

With that in mind, let's delve into the average projections of some American International Group metrics that are commonly tracked and projected by analysts on Wall Street.

Based on the collective assessment of analysts, 'Revenues- Total net investment income' should arrive at $981.31 million. The estimate indicates a year-over-year change of -33.1%.

Analysts' assessment points toward 'General Insurance- North America Commercial- Net premiums earned' reaching $2.38 billion. The estimate indicates a year-over-year change of +11.8%.

The consensus among analysts is that 'General Insurance- International Commercial- Net premiums earned' will reach $2.32 billion. The estimate indicates a change of +9.2% from the prior-year quarter.

The average prediction of analysts places 'General Insurance- Global Personal- Net premiums earned' at $1.64 billion. The estimate indicates a change of +1.2% from the prior-year quarter.

Analysts forecast 'General Insurance - North America Commercial - Loss ratio' to reach 65.0%. The estimate compares to the year-ago value of 62.8%.

The combined assessment of analysts suggests that 'General Insurance - International Commercial - Combined ratio' will likely reach 87.6%. The estimate compares to the year-ago value of 85.9%.

Analysts expect 'General Insurance - North America Commercial - Combined ratio' to come in at 88.1%. Compared to the present estimate, the company reported 85.9% in the same quarter last year.

According to the collective judgment of analysts, 'General Insurance - International Commercial - Expense ratio' should come in at 30.3%. The estimate compares to the year-ago value of 30.8%.

Analysts predict that the 'General Insurance - Loss ratio' will reach 59.7%. Compared to the present estimate, the company reported 58.3% in the same quarter last year.

The consensus estimate for 'General Insurance - Expense ratio' stands at 30.4%. The estimate is in contrast to the year-ago figure of 31.0%.

It is projected by analysts that the 'General Insurance - Combined ratio' will reach 90.1%. Compared to the present estimate, the company reported 89.3% in the same quarter last year.

The collective assessment of analysts points to an estimated 'General Insurance - Acquisition ratio' of 17.7%. Compared to the present estimate, the company reported 17.8% in the same quarter last year.

View all Key Company Metrics for American International Group here>>>

Shares of American International Group have demonstrated returns of -2.4% over the past month compared to the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +1.7% change. With a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), AIG is expected to mirror the overall market performance in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>> .

Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:PLTR) chose a different path.

Rather than building its own AI model or investing heavily in data centers, the company built software designed to work with whichever AI model its customers choose. That means Palantir doesn’t necessarily need one AI company to win. As businesses adopt AI across their operations, the company can potentially benefit regardless of whether the underlying technology comes from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google or another provider.

The strategy is translating into remarkable growth.

Unlike Nvidia, however, Palantir isn’t selling chips that power AI. Nor is it building the massive computing infrastructure required to train increasingly powerful AI models.

Instead, its software helps enterprises connect AI with their own data, workflows and day-to-day operations, regardless of which underlying AI model they use.

Billions in Cash Flow, Millions in Capital SpendingPalantir’s business model also looks very different from much of the AI industry.

The company generated $2.1 billion in operating cash flow during the first half of 2026 while spending just $22 million on capital expenditures, or investments in long-term assets such as offices, equipment and infrastructure. That works out to well below 1% of revenue, illustrating how little physical infrastructure Palantir needs to grow compared with companies building AI data centers.

For perspective, that capex-to-revenue share stands at about 23% for Microsoft and Alphabet, 35% for Meta and 83% for Oracle Corp (NYSE:ORCL).

The contrast underscores a broader shift taking shape across the AI economy. While one group of companies is investing enormous sums to build the technology that powers AI, another is focused on helping businesses actually use it.

Why Investors Should WatchPalantir believes that second opportunity could prove just as important.

Shyam Sankar, Chief Technology Officer argued during the earnings call that the industry has become too focused on creating more powerful AI while paying less attention to turning that technology into measurable business results.

“The market has created far more intelligence than it has converted into value,” Sankar said.

For investors, that may be the bigger story. Rather than betting on a single AI winner, Palantir has positioned itself to benefit from the broader adoption of AI across enterprises—regardless of which company ultimately builds the dominant model.

Image via Shutterstock

Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs

© 2026 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

To add Benzinga News as your preferred source on Google, click here.

In its upcoming report, Lyft (LYFT - Free Report) is predicted by Wall Street analysts to post quarterly earnings of $0.39 per share, reflecting an increase of 56% compared to the same period last year. Revenues are forecasted to be $1.81 billion, representing a year-over-year increase of 13.7%.

Over the last 30 days, there has been no revision in the consensus EPS estimate for the quarter. This signifies the covering analysts' collective reconsideration of their initial forecasts over the course of this timeframe.

Prior to a company's earnings release, it is of utmost importance to factor in any revisions made to the earnings projections. These revisions serve as a critical gauge for predicting potential investor behaviors with respect to the stock. Empirical studies consistently reveal a strong link between trends in earnings estimate revisions and the short-term price performance of a stock.

While investors usually depend on consensus earnings and revenue estimates to assess the business performance for the quarter, delving into analysts' forecasts for certain key metrics often provides a more comprehensive understanding.

In light of this perspective, let's dive into the average estimates of certain Lyft metrics that are commonly tracked and forecasted by Wall Street analysts.

According to the collective judgment of analysts, 'Gross Bookings' should come in at $5.37 billion. The estimate compares to the year-ago value of $4.49 billion.

The consensus estimate for 'Active Riders' stands at 30.36 million. The estimate compares to the year-ago value of 26.10 million.

Analysts' assessment points toward 'Rides' reaching 259.20 million. The estimate is in contrast to the year-ago figure of 234.80 million.

View all Key Company Metrics for Lyft here>>>

Over the past month, Lyft shares have recorded returns of +6.4% versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +1.7% change. Based on its Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), LYFT will likely underperform the overall market in the upcoming period. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>> .

Key Takeaways ROKU expects about $1.3B in Q2 revenues, with Platform revenues up about 20% year over year.Roku's ads and subscription businesses likely benefited from platform upgrades and partner expansion.ROKU's Devices segment likely faced margin pressure from higher memory costs despite price increases. Roku (ROKU - Free Report) is scheduled to report its second-quarter 2026 results on Aug. 06, 2026.

For the second quarter, Roku expects total net revenues of approximately $1.3 billion. Platform revenues are expected to grow approximately 20% year over year. Device revenues are anticipated to be down in the high single digits year over year. Roku expects total gross profit of approximately $580 million and adjusted EBITDA of $170 million for the quarter.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter 2026 revenues is pegged at $1.3 billion, suggesting 16.98% year-over-year growth.

The consensus mark for earnings is pegged at 61 cents per share, unchanged over the past 30 days. This projection indicates a year-over-year increase of 771.43%.

Roku surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in each of the trailing four quarters, with an average surprise of 107.32%.

Let us see how things are shaping up for the upcoming announcement.

Key Factors to ConsiderRoku's second-quarter performance is expected to have been driven by its Platform segment. Advertising revenues are likely to have benefited from higher adoption of Ads Manager and deeper integrations with third-party demand-side platforms, including Amazon DSP, The Trade Desk and Google's Display & Video 360. Home screen advertising enhancements and expanding programmatic capabilities may have also supported monetization. However, advertising growth is likely to have moderated due to tougher year-over-year comparisons. The broader advertising spending environment also remained uncertain, which may have weighed on demand.

Subscription revenues are likely to have benefited from the continued rollout of Tier 1 partners, including Apple TV and Peacock. Expansion of premium subscriptions into additional international markets may have also supported growth. Continued investments in AI-powered content discovery and advertising tools likely improved the user experience and platform efficiency. However, the financial contribution from these initiatives may have remained modest. Growth may have also normalized as the Frndly acquisition anniversary passed, reducing the inorganic boost seen in earlier quarters.

The Devices segment is likely to have remained under pressure. Higher memory costs may have continued to weigh on device margins despite relatively stable unit demand. Recent price increases across Roku's streaming player portfolio may have provided some relief, though the benefit was likely to have been limited in the quarter.

The pending acquisition by Fox Corporation remained a key development during the quarter. While the transaction is unlikely to have materially affected second-quarter operating results, it may have remained an important consideration for investors as regulatory and shareholder approval processes continued. Overall, competitive pressures and macroeconomic uncertainty likely continued to influence Roku's second-quarter performance.

What Our Model Says About Roku StockOur proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for Roku this time around. Per the Zacks model, the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. However, this is not the case here, as you can see below.

Roku currently has an Earnings ESP of 0.00% and a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they are reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Stocks to ConsiderHere are some companies worth considering, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to beat on earnings in their upcoming releases:

Sandisk Corporation (SNDK - Free Report) is scheduled to report fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 results on Aug. 5. Currently, Sandisk has an Earnings ESP of +4.13% and sports a Zacks Rank #1. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Sandisk’s fiscal fourth-quarter earnings is pegged at $34.24 per share, indicating a year-over-year surge of 11,707%. Earnings estimates for the quarter have been revised upward by 5.7% over the past 60 days.

Western Digital Corporation (WDC - Free Report) is scheduled to report fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 results on Aug. 5. Currently, Western Digital has an Earnings ESP of +3.22% and flaunts a Zacks Rank #1.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Western Digital’s fiscal fourth-quarter earnings is pegged at $3.35 per share, calling for a year-over-year increase of 101.8%. Earnings estimates for the quarter have been revised upward by 3 cents in the past 30 days.

MKS Inc. (MKSI - Free Report) is scheduled to report second-quarter 2026 results on Aug. 5. Currently, MKS has an Earnings ESP of +2.64% and carries a Zacks Rank #2.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MKS’ second-quarter earnings is pegged at $2.93 per share, calling for a year-over-year jump of 65.5%. Earnings estimates for the quarter have been revised northward by a penny in the past 30 days.

The upcoming report from APA (APA - Free Report) is expected to reveal quarterly earnings of $1.85 per share, indicating an increase of 112.6% compared to the year-ago period. Analysts forecast revenues of $2.43 billion, representing a decline of 6.8% year over year.

Over the last 30 days, there has been a downward revision of 21.1% in the consensus EPS estimate for the quarter, leading to its current level. This signifies the covering analysts' collective reconsideration of their initial forecasts over the course of this timeframe.

Before a company announces its earnings, it is essential to take into account any changes made to earnings estimates. This is a valuable factor in predicting the potential reactions of investors toward the stock. Empirical research has consistently shown a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and the short-term price performance of a stock.

While investors typically rely on consensus earnings and revenue estimates to gauge how the business may have fared during the quarter, examining analysts' projections for some of the company's key metrics often helps gain a deeper insight.

Given this perspective, it's time to examine the average forecasts of specific APA metrics that are routinely monitored and predicted by Wall Street analysts.

Analysts predict that the 'Oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids production revenues- Oil revenues' will reach $1.76 billion. The estimate suggests a change of +27.6% year over year.

Analysts forecast 'Oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids production revenues' to reach $2.03 billion. The estimate points to a change of +18% from the year-ago quarter.

According to the collective judgment of analysts, 'Oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids production revenues- Natural gas liquids revenues' should come in at $168.19 million. The estimate suggests a change of +9.9% year over year.

Analysts expect 'Oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids production revenues- Natural gas revenues' to come in at $96.53 million. The estimate points to a change of -47.5% from the year-ago quarter.

It is projected by analysts that the 'Revenues- United States' will reach $1.20 billion. The estimate suggests a change of -12.8% year over year.

Analysts' assessment points toward 'Revenues- North Sea' reaching $191.08 million. The estimate indicates a change of +15.1% from the prior-year quarter.

The collective assessment of analysts points to an estimated 'Revenues- Egypt' of $799.78 million. The estimate points to a change of +27% from the year-ago quarter.

The combined assessment of analysts suggests that 'Production volume per day - Total' will likely reach 408 thousands of barrels of oil equivalent per day. Compared to the current estimate, the company reported 465 thousands of barrels of oil equivalent per day in the same quarter of the previous year.

Based on the collective assessment of analysts, 'Production volume per day - Oil - Total' should arrive at 213.61 thousands of barrels of oil. The estimate is in contrast to the year-ago figure of 235.24 thousands of barrels of oil.

The consensus estimate for 'Production volume per day - Natural gas - Total' stands at . The estimate is in contrast to the year-ago figure of .

The average prediction of analysts places 'Production volume per day - NGL - Total' at 69.33 thousands of barrels of oil. The estimate compares to the year-ago value of 80.82 thousands of barrels of oil.

The consensus among analysts is that 'Average price per barrel - NGL - Total' will reach $26.95 . The estimate compares to the year-ago value of $20.49 .

View all Key Company Metrics for APA here>>>

Over the past month, shares of APA have returned +13.6% versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +1.7% change. Currently, APA carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell), suggesting that it may underperform the overall market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>> .

Key Takeaways TXN fell 11.2% in a month, but the decline came amid a broader semiconductor sell-off.Data center revenues doubled year over year in Q2 2026 as AI infrastructure demand strengthened.TXN plans to make more than 95% of wafers internally by 2030, supporting costs, supply and margins. Texas Instruments Incorporated (TXN - Free Report) shares have dropped 11.2% over the past month, significantly lagging the Zacks Computer and Technology sector’s 4.5% gain. While such a sharp decline may worry investors, the weakness is not unique to Texas Instruments.

Several semiconductor stocks have also come under pressure during the same period. Companies such as Amtech Systems (ASYS - Free Report) , QUALCOMM (QCOM - Free Report) and STMicroelectronics (STM - Free Report) have also struggled during the same period. Amtech Systems, QUALCOMM and STMicroelectronics have fallen 16.6%, 18.8% and 27%, respectively. This broad-based sell-off suggests that investors are pulling back from semiconductor stocks as a whole rather than losing confidence in Texas Instruments specifically.

TXN One-Month Price Return Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The recent decline is largely due to two concerns. First, investors are questioning whether hyperscalers will generate sufficient returns from their massive artificial intelligence (AI) investments. Second, semiconductor stocks enjoyed a strong rally earlier in 2026, pushing valuations higher and encouraging investors to lock in profits.

Despite this negative sentiment, Texas Instruments' underlying business remains strong. The company continues to execute well, and its long-term growth drivers are intact. For long-term investors, the recent pullback could present an attractive buying opportunity rather than a reason to stay away.

TXN’s Strong Financial Results Reinforce the Bullish ThesisTexas Instruments continues to deliver impressive financial results. Second-quarter 2026 revenues increased 23% year over year, while non-GAAP earnings per share jumped 52%. These numbers indicate that demand is improving across multiple end markets.

Texas Instruments also expects the momentum to continue. For the third quarter, management projects revenues between $5.65 billion and $6.15 billion, representing roughly 25% year-over-year growth at the midpoint. Earnings are expected to be between $2.23 and $2.57 per share, implying nearly 62% growth at the midpoint. The guidance reflects healthy demand across several markets, particularly those tied to AI infrastructure.

Wall Street shares the same optimism. The Zacks Consensus Estimate calls for continued revenue and earnings growth in both 2026 and 2027, reinforcing confidence that the company's growth story is far from over.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

AI Chip Demand Continues to Power Texas Instruments' GrowthTexas Instruments is not competing with NVIDIA or AMD in AI accelerators, but it is quietly becoming an important beneficiary of the AI boom. The company supplies analog and embedded chips that perform critical functions inside AI infrastructure. These chips manage power, process signals, regulate cooling systems, control motors and enable connectivity across data centers, industrial equipment and automotive applications.

As AI servers become larger, faster and more power-intensive, demand for these components continues to rise. Every new AI data center requires significantly more power management and sensing chips than traditional computing systems, creating a growing opportunity for Texas Instruments.

Instead of competing in the crowded AI processor market, the company is benefiting from the broader AI infrastructure buildout. This positions Texas Instruments to capture AI spending regardless of which GPU maker ultimately dominates the data center market.

The numbers already reflect this trend. Texas Instruments' data center business reached an annual revenue run rate of approximately $1.2 billion in 2025, growing more than 50% year over year. During the second quarter of 2026, data center revenues doubled from the prior-year quarter and increased 20% sequentially. Such strong growth suggests AI infrastructure could become an increasingly important revenue driver over the coming years.

TXN Eyes Competitive Lead Through Internal ManufacturingTexas Instruments is also strengthening its long-term competitive position through its manufacturing strategy. Unlike many semiconductor companies that depend heavily on third-party foundries, Texas Instruments plans to produce more than 95% of its wafers internally by 2030.

Although this approach requires significant upfront investment, it offers meaningful long-term benefits. Greater control over manufacturing should improve supply-chain reliability, lower production costs over time and help protect margins during industry shortages.

Government support further strengthens this strategy. Texas Instruments expects to receive up to $1.6 billion in CHIPS Act funding, with total lifetime benefits estimated between $7.5 billion and $9.5 billion. These incentives should reduce expansion costs while boosting profitability over the long run.

TXN’s Strong Cash Generation Supports Shareholder ReturnsTexas Instruments' ability to generate cash remains one of its biggest strengths. Over the past 12 months, the company generated $8.67 billion in operating cash flow and $6.53 billion in free cash flow. It also finished the second quarter with $7 billion in cash and short-term investments, giving it ample financial flexibility.

This strong cash position allows the company to invest aggressively in manufacturing expansion while continuing to reward shareholders.

During the first half of 2026, Texas Instruments returned nearly $1.45 billion through dividends and share repurchases. Over the past year, total shareholder returns approached $6 billion. Few semiconductor companies are able to invest heavily for future growth while consistently returning such large amounts of cash to investors.

Solid Growth Projections Justify TXN’s Premium ValuationTexas Instruments is not a bargain stock. It currently carries a Value Score of D, reflecting its premium valuation.

TXN currently trades at a forward 12-month P/E ratio of 29.91, well above the sector average of 20.74. Compared with other semiconductor leaders, Texas Instruments also trades at a higher earnings multiple than STMicroelectronics, Amtech Systems and QUALCOMM. At present, STMicroelectronics, Amtech Systems and QUALCOMM are trading at P/E multiples of 24.04, 21.65 and 14.01, respectively.

Texas Instruments Forward 12-Month P/E Ratio
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

However, premium valuations are often justified when a company consistently delivers earnings growth, generates strong cash flow and maintains durable competitive advantages.

Texas Instruments fits that profile. The company continues to benefit from expanding AI infrastructure spending, generates substantial free cash flow, maintains a healthy balance sheet and has a long track record of rewarding shareholders through dividends and share buybacks. Those strengths make its premium valuation easier to justify.

Conclusion: Buy Texas Instruments SharesTexas Instruments appears well-positioned to benefit from the ongoing expansion of AI infrastructure, growing data center investments and its differentiated manufacturing strategy.

While the stock is not inexpensive, its premium valuation reflects the quality of the business. Strong earnings growth, rising AI-driven demand, healthy cash generation and consistent shareholder returns support a positive investment case.

Currently, Texas Instruments sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Key Takeaways Scotts Miracle-Gro's adjusted EPS rose 7.6% to $2.82, beating estimates by 11.5%.Higher freight and commodity costs cut adjusted gross margin by 100 basis points to 31.3%.Fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS guidance increased to $4.30-$4.45; free cash flow stayed at $275 million. The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company (SMG - Free Report) reported third-quarter fiscal 2026 (ended June 27, 2026) adjusted earnings of $2.82 per share, up 7.6% year over year. The figure beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.53 by 11.5%, aided by stronger results from the Bonnie Plants joint venture and a lower tax rate.

Net sales rose 1.1% year over year to $1.172 billion but marginally missed the consensus estimate of $1.174 billion by 0.2%. Adjusted gross margin contracted 100 basis points to 31.3% as higher freight and commodity costs tied to the Iran conflict weighed on profitability.

Segment DetailsU.S. Consumer sales were $1.03 billion, essentially flat compared with the year-ago quarter. It missed our estimate of $1.04 billion. Segment profit declined 2% to $229.8 million from $235.2 million, reflecting pressure from higher freight and commodity costs.

Hawthorne was classified as a discontinued operation after the company determined in the first quarter of fiscal 2026 that the business met the held-for-sale criteria. ScottsMiracle-Gro completed the divestiture of Hawthorne on April 8, 2026. Hawthorne was removed from reportable segment results, and prior-period continuing operations were reclassified.

Sales in the Other segment, which primarily includes the company’s Canadian consumer lawn-and-garden business, increased 8% to $139.2 million from $129.1 million. The figure beat our estimate of $131.5 million. Segment profit advanced 10% to $18.6 million.

FinancialsCash and cash equivalents were $27.7 million as of June 27, 2026. Long-term debt declined to $1.84 billion from $2.14 billion a year ago.

OutlookScotts Miracle-Gro raised its fiscal 2026 adjusted earnings guidance from continuing operations to $4.30-$4.45 per share from the previous range of $4.15-$4.35. Management linked the increase to disciplined execution, margin management, balance-sheet progress and strategic investments in the company’s brands and operations.

The company reaffirmed its expectation for low-single-digit growth in U.S. Consumer sales. It also maintained its forecast for an adjusted gross margin of at least 32% and mid-single-digit growth in adjusted EBITDA.

Management continues to expect free cash flow of $275 million, which is projected to reduce the leverage ratio to the high-3-times range. Supply-chain automation, expanded use of artificial intelligence, manufacturing capital expenditures and purchasing efficiencies are expected to support year-over-year margin expansion despite recent cost pressures.

SMG’s Price PerformanceSMG’s shares have gained 11.1% in the past year compared with a 5.3% rise in the industry. 

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

SMG’s Zacks Rank & Key PicksSMG currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Some better-ranked stocks in the basic materials space are Neo Performance Materials Inc. (NOPMF - Free Report) , Kronos Worldwide, Inc. (KRO - Free Report) and Avient Corporation (AVNT - Free Report) .

Neo Performance is slated to report second-quarter 2026 results on Aug. 11. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at $1.48 per share. NOPMF sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. 

Kronos is scheduled to report second-quarter 2026 results on Aug. 5. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for KRO’s second-quarter loss per share is pegged at 33 cents, indicating 65.63% year-over-year growth. KRO also flaunts a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present.

Avient is slated to report second-quarter 2026 results on Aug. 6. The consensus estimate for AVNT’s earnings per share is pegged at $3.08. AVNT presently carries a Zacks Rank #2.

Rockwell Automation (ROK - Free Report) came out with quarterly earnings of $3.49 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.39 per share. This compares to earnings of $2.82 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.

This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +2.95%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this industrial equipment and software maker would post earnings of $2.89 per share when it actually produced earnings of $3.3, delivering a surprise of +14.19%.

Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates four times.

Rockwell Automation, which belongs to the Zacks Electronics - Miscellaneous Products industry, posted revenues of $2.31 billion for the quarter ended June 2026, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.54%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $2.14 billion. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates four times over the last four quarters.

The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.

Rockwell Automation shares have added about 23.6% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 11%.

What's Next for Rockwell Automation?While Rockwell Automation has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock?

There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.

Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.

Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Rockwell Automation was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $3.64 on $2.38 billion in revenues for the coming quarter and $13.06 on $8.97 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year.

Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Electronics - Miscellaneous Products is currently in the top 19% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.

Dragonfly Energy Holdings Corp. (DFLI - Free Report) , another stock in the same industry, has yet to report results for the quarter ended June 2026. The results are expected to be released on August 6.

This company is expected to post quarterly loss of $0.34 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +94.1%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days.

Dragonfly Energy Holdings Corp.'s revenues are expected to be $13.18 million, down 18.9% from the year-ago quarter.

ServiceNow (NOW +0.88%), which is best known for software that helps automate workflows, spoke about its new cybersecurity vertical like a real competitor on its second-quarter call recently.

Its security and risk franchise crossed $1 billion in annual contract value last year, and CEO Bill McDermott claims it's growing faster than the top cybersecurity companies. After having its cyber solutions included in 80% of the company's biggest deals, McDermott stated, "we're in the party now."

The stock has been hit hard over the past year as investors soured on SaaS (software-as-a-service) stocks. If artificial intelligence (AI) can run enterprise workflows, it's natural for investors to lose faith in the terminal value of an expensive software stock. That's the value assigned by the market after a company's explicit growth period ends, and it's how a stock can be crushed despite still posting solid quarterly numbers.

Even so, there are reasons to be optimistic about ServiceNow. Here's why.

Image source: Getty Images.

Palo Alto owns the sensors One of the top industry players -- Palo Alto Networks (PANW +3.83%) -- recently proved that cybersecurity budgets are still expanding when it reported record results in June. Next-generation firewall bookings rose nearly 40%, the fastest pace for hardware in a decade, and its next-generation security annual recurring revenue grew 60% to $8.1 billion. 

CEO Nikesh Arora declared the SaaSpocalypse for cyber "dead." Palo Alto's answer is a platform with 125 million sensors worldwide, capturing 17 petabytes of daily telemetry. At the same time, he cited false positive rates often reaching 25% and claimed that AI models "always fail at the last mile of complexity."

The map above the sensors False alarm or not, someone still has to resolve the issue, and that's where ServiceNow's advantage lies. Palo Alto can contain the immediate threat. ServiceNow's "control tower" uses its diagram of how each enterprise runs to help the IT department patch the problem.

Companies and institutions expand over time, adding new business units that run on systems built years apart. This creates enough complexity for AI to become an agent of chaos without a reliable map. Trillions of transactions run on top of ServiceNow's proprietary configuration management database, connecting workflows.

Through recent acquisitions, the company has added device visibility and identity governance capabilities. While the two companies barely overlap today, and Palo Alto is a dominant incumbent, developing a risk and security business was a good move by ServiceNow's McDermott.

Today's Change

(

0.88

%) $

1.01

Current Price

$

115.20

At roughly 24 times forward earnings, down from its five-year historical average of 50, the stock has room to run if ServiceNow improves enterprise AI outcomes. I expect the SaaSpocalypse fears to fade for the company as the complexity of running AI in the workplace becomes harder to dismiss.

Bryan White has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends ServiceNow. The Motley Fool recommends Palo Alto Networks. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Montreal, Quebec--(Newsfile Corp. - August 4, 2026) - Nio Strategic Metals Inc. (TSXV: NIO) (OTCQB: NIOCF) ("Nio" or the "Corporation"), a critical mineral exploration company, is pleased to announce the results of the metallurgical study, The sustainable and optimized development of niobium and other critical and strategic minerals (CSM) of the Oka deposit, which was prepared by IGS Impact Global Solutions ("IGS"), for the Centre technologique des résidus industriels ("CTRI") as part of the Éléments08 initiative. CTRI is a Rouyn-Noranda based applied research and technology transfer centre on industrial tailings.

In addition to confirming and characterizing the strong presence of niobium, phosphate and other rare metals, IGS provides an innovative solution to process the concentrate from the deposit in a remote location, thereby reducing the local environmental impact.

The study investigates the opportunity to maximize the recovery value of the mined concentrate by using hydrometallurgical extraction of rare earth elements ("REE"), niobium, tantalum and zirconium. IGS also recommends further tests to assess the monetization of phosphate while producing the pyrochlore concentrate, as samples of the historical resource have tested 4.29% P2O5 (see Table 1).

IGS tested 95 samples taken from historical drill cores of the S60 and HWM2 zones to create a composite sample representative of the historical resource (see Table 1). The significant presence of REE was confirmed in the zone targeted for mining. The results, summarized in Table 2, demonstrate that the total rare earth oxide ("TREO"), content is 0.507% TREO for the composite simulating that of the 2011 feasibility study (FSG) and 0.935% TREO for the composite (HGG) designated as high-grade in Nb₂O₅.

A high-grade Nb composite sample (HGG), prepared at CTRI, was sent to SGS for a mineralogical study performed using TIMA (Tescan Integrated Mineral Analyzer) and electron microprobe analysis (EMPA). Flotation test work performed on the metallurgical test composite delivered, in open circuit, a pyrochlore concentrate grading 52.75% niobium pentoxide (Nb₂O₅) at a niobium recovery of 81.14% — a substantial improvement over the historical baseline of 44.5% Nb₂O₅ at 71.7% recovery established in the 2011 feasibility work. This was achieved with a markedly simpler flowsheet.

The concentrate additionally contained 11.75% TREO — of which approximately 83% is cerium oxide (CeO₂), 9% neodymium oxide (Nd₂O₃) and 3% praseodymium oxide (Pr₆O₁₁) — together with 1.5% zirconium (Zr), equivalent to 2.0% zirconium oxide (ZrO₂), and 0.4% tantalum (Ta), equivalent to 0.49% tantalum pentoxide (Ta₂O₅). The full rare earth distribution of the concentrate is detailed in Table 3.

Michel Bourassa, founder of Soutex, commented, "these results demonstrate once again how the rock of the Oka deposit is rich in niobium and rare earths and, moreover, is amenable to various metallurgical treatment processes."

Bruno Dumais, President and Chief Operator Officer suggested that "The study points to a potential increase in the project's value by enabling a better niobium recovery; recovery of phosphate as a by-product (historically sent to tailings); and the extraction of REE that would otherwise be disregarded and lost in the slag."

Importantly, the new approach would minimize the environmental impact of the residues as the tests demonstrated it was possible to significantly reduce the thorium and uranium contents from 2,000 and 1,000 parts per million (ppm) to 824 and 120 ppm, respectively (see Table 4). This solution innovates in its approach, as well as provides a de-risking plan to rehabilitate the tailings on the old mining site.

The Corporation looks forward to communicating on the results of the CTRI sponsored study on water management and other environmental aspects of the sustainable development of the Oka deposit.

The technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved on behalf of the Corporation by Pierre-Jean Lafleur, P.Eng., a geological consultant and a qualified person within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

Table 1. Composition of the individual drill-core samples used to produce the metallurgical test composite (IGS)

No.Drill holeLab no.ZoneMass (g)Nb2O5P2O5Fe2O3SiO2Al2O3MgOCaONa2OK2OTiO2MnOBaO

(wt %)1972280348HWM2374.70.5202.9502.6203.6700.2102.00049.1000.1700.2100.1000.7800.3302973381359S60314.30.5204.1304.06013.3003.7205.40035.4001.5401.3300.1701.0300.4403974481988S60335.50.5204.3904.2602.9000.0302.88045.8000.2700.1400.0801.5400.3804974882321S60391.90.5203.1102.5709.4302.0304.03044.1000.3600.9800.1500.7900.2405974882343S60360.20.5203.8101.6702.4800.0702.45050.4000.1000.1200.0600.6500.1006973881624S60260.90.5303.9706.5903.6500.0904.60042.3000.2400.2000.1502.1600.8807974181880S60312.40.5303.77015.6005.8900.2506.80033.7000.2500.3700.3102.8000.3608974181949S60372.80.5303.6904.6706.0101.2803.10044.6000.2000.7600.3401.1900.3409974482093S60327.50.5302.2004.69013.6004.1807.49035.6000.2602.6300.5900.9300.80010974882349S60386.60.5303.3402.2602.4100.0502.44050.3000.1100.1300.0700.6900.11011974882384S60412.80.5302.6601.1704.0100.6002.37049.1000.3300.4800.1200.6000.23012972981091S60334.30.5402.3803.6503.6000.3405.16041.2000.2300.4300.0703.0700.84013972981102S60299.20.5403.5009.9407.9900.2108.96037.0000.2000.2000.3202.2300.27014973381389S60255.20.5403.8502.7907.0301.4203.61045.1000.5800.5800.1200.8000.35015973881627S60281.60.5404.81011.3004.7200.0705.75039.5000.1800.2000.2702.0700.46016974181925S60270.50.5402.7608.54022.5006.63011.10018.2000.3704.4800.9001.8701.56017974482118S60178.10.5402.9904.63021.1007.8008.74028.0000.5303.1700.4900.9000.53018974882319S60384.10.5402.9101.5503.1600.3401.65051.0000.1000.2400.1000.5000.25019974982423HWM2440.60.5403.0802.0304.6700.4602.41049.6000.1500.4000.1300.4800.19020972380412HWM2384.30.5503.8604.5708.0601.0104.22044.3000.2700.7300.4001.0800.23021972480571HWM2362.90.5503.0802.8704.9700.6102.66048.0000.2100.3300.3400.7700.20022973081246HWM2349.20.5503.4407.9709.0301.2802.23042.9000.2500.4300.4300.9100.55023973881629S60310.70.5504.2007.0003.8900.1505.19041.3000.2300.1900.1701.8200.98024974181869S60336.40.5605.82011.8006.6000.1106.94034.8000.3200.2900.2202.7100.84025974482097S60433.70.5602.7206.97017.9005.7009.15029.5000.3503.2700.6800.9600.85026972981096S60338.40.5703.7203.6604.2400.1403.64046.4000.3600.2300.1201.0600.32027974181939S60415.20.5701.9906.68022.8007.00011.30024.6000.4703.6801.0101.1100.83028974482036S60336.30.5705.3105.7604.2100.0904.74043.4000.3600.1900.1301.4800.21029973381361S60327.30.5805.80011.1008.2800.6008.88034.2000.3900.5200.3402.2200.47030974181935S60370.10.5803.4103.0305.4401.3203.85045.5000.2600.9400.2000.7900.38031974181940S60350.70.5802.6802.4906.6101.7202.73045.8000.1600.5600.2800.5300.37032974882341S60435.40.5802.9404.7204.2100.5603.49043.9000.2000.4000.1102.3301.51033973781641S60265.20.5906.82013.80011.7001.22011.70027.2000.4401.0000.4702.6300.48034973781644S60110.90.5904.8504.4604.5700.7304.15040.9000.1800.5700.2002.4201.65035974482043S60328.60.5903.0506.3602.9400.1003.70044.4000.2000.1800.1401.8300.34036972280343HWM2392.10.6003.4103.23014.3003.0005.36039.2000.7701.2300.3400.6700.25037972981104S60367.60.6004.7003.7903.7900.2804.04044.8000.1800.2300.1501.0900.55038974682225S603670.6005.22023.0008.5600.27010.50020.7000.1700.3200.4504.3102.56039972480565HWM2302.30.6102.1304.61018.3004.5806.06033.6001.1102.3600.2900.8600.37040974982421HWM2343.60.6102.2801.6604.0000.3902.25050.5000.1000.3500.1100.5200.10041972380397HWM2356.30.6203.1804.5706.6600.7101.94047.2000.2800.2900.2600.7200.45042972880933HWM2406.20.6302.8702.5404.3500.2402.39049.8000.1700.2300.1500.7400.20043973881632S602610.6304.5609.9905.7000.0406.48039.5000.1900.1200.2201.9300.38044974181893S60322.10.6305.79015.0006.4900.2307.98031.7000.2400.3200.3102.9900.53045974882342S60379.80.6303.2001.7401.9300.0801.59050.8000.1000.1300.0700.5200.20046973381395S60256.90.6403.5802.2103.6700.8502.32047.4000.3200.5000.1000.8800.67047973881630S60279.30.6404.3405.9802.7100.0603.14046.0000.1800.1000.1401.2200.46048973881700S60323.90.6404.12036.20011.8000.5206.49018.0000.6900.6200.7704.1000.70049974882334S60416.30.6403.5501.3008.4801.7203.25045.1000.6100.8000.1200.5400.22050972780852S60354.10.6504.2604.8903.6700.0504.02044.3000.2800.1900.1201.4000.51051972280347HWM2432.80.6602.6901.7503.0600.1002.25050.6000.1400.1300.0900.7200.22052974982424HWM2410.80.6603.1403.1005.0100.4101.93050.0000.2100.3300.1500.5800.42053973781648S60207.10.6704.4704.2104.1300.1404.82043.3000.3400.2400.1201.8801.12054973881710S60226.90.6702.5407.5407.9401.4604.01038.2000.1600.9700.3301.3200.36055974181905S60259.90.6704.45025.10012.2000.27013.40014.9001.9400.4500.4903.9700.29056974181937S60332.30.6703.5201.3802.1900.0502.06051.0000.1500.1300.0600.6200.13057974982420HWM2367.50.6703.1002.4605.0400.3402.73049.9000.1000.3100.2000.8300.09058973881623S60259.60.6804.4105.2803.7600.0204.47044.1000.2600.1800.1401.6500.42059973881625S60306.30.6803.6309.9005.5000.1506.51039.1000.2000.1700.2702.0600.45060973881626S60261.90.6804.41015.7005.1900.2405.83033.0000.2300.4100.3902.7501.07061974181891S60331.60.6804.54049.3007.2200.5608.66013.2000.3500.5301.1004.3300.27062974882329S60345.60.6804.1204.8105.6000.3802.28047.2000.2000.2800.1900.6700.11063973381366S60319.10.6905.43012.00010.5000.45011.70031.9000.4600.3600.3902.5600.29064974181892S60340.80.6907.66013.5006.9000.1108.45032.3000.4100.2700.2803.1800.52065974682231S60373.20.6904.66022.30013.2000.6508.30020.2000.2200.5100.5604.0100.77066974181898S60392.10.7006.71012.2006.9500.2208.07033.0000.5000.3500.3102.7700.41067974481990S60430.20.7005.16017.3007.0300.2005.46035.0000.3800.3100.3802.4300.21068972280351HWM23870.7103.8603.0305.8100.3403.06048.7000.1900.3500.2000.9600.28069972981097S60305.20.7103.1406.5709.9302.1607.72036.5000.3801.6600.2601.3400.43070973881633S60286.70.7104.6804.0903.6600.0204.22045.9000.1000.0800.1201.3500.57071973881698S602860.7104.43038.40013.1000.2805.85019.6000.7600.4200.8203.2400.56072974181920S603510.7103.04011.2006.0600.1709.60023.8000.2800.1600.2405.3305.00073973881628S60269.10.7204.67015.4007.8500.1708.61033.1000.3100.2300.3302.8600.38074974181942S60305.70.7203.3905.6009.2802.8904.88039.5000.1101.5600.4300.8200.37075972380411HWM2331.90.7303.1001.9905.1800.2902.63048.9000.2500.2400.1600.8700.22076972880988S60348.50.7304.8102.8203.1400.1503.35046.9000.2000.2100.1001.6700.39077972780866S60365.50.7403.1204.8504.8400.7304.03041.0000.3700.6300.1502.9502.19078973781643S60224.60.7404.9905.00015.0003.7802.20036.3000.1301.1200.2501.2801.18079973381360S60326.80.7506.2004.6604.1300.3404.18044.4000.2800.3500.1801.2000.41080973781647S602510.7507.1905.8605.5000.2805.97039.2000.5000.2500.1801.6100.50081974482098S60401.50.7503.7802.7208.7002.0004.90043.1000.4101.0600.2100.8300.27082974682188S60392.50.7606.15035.00015.6000.5106.43021.0000.4800.4400.8202.8800.14083972380410HWM2390.20.7702.7602.5004.5000.4002.96048.0000.2300.3000.1500.7600.22084972880991S60331.60.7804.0304.0504.1900.1504.82044.8000.3000.3000.1401.1200.36085973381365S60355.40.7807.12012.2009.1000.44010.50032.8000.5000.3600.4202.2900.34086974982426HWM2330.40.7803.8204.3205.7200.5901.14049.2000.3000.1700.3000.6400.18087974181887S60314.50.7906.6108.9404.5000.0204.63042.6000.3000.1600.1601.6800.23088974181888S60354.70.7905.6908.7605.3700.1105.65039.0000.3800.2800.1602.1000.64089974882328S60357.10.7904.2505.08018.5005.4608.75030.8000.6603.1800.3100.9100.41090974682185S60484.30.8007.08039.90011.7000.3405.55018.7000.6800.3700.9103.3500.59091973681490S60340.80.8102.88012.9008.4200.2709.65031.7000.2400.3400.2502.6500.68092973581581S60277.10.81029.70011.3001.8800.5001.31042.5000.2800.0800.3501.7500.53093973881706S60321.30.8106.05039.80013.1000.2405.32021.3000.3900.2100.9103.0700.29094973981802S60457.10.8105.78023.5009.0600.3904.17032.5000.5000.4600.5302.1900.32095974982422HWM2234.70.8101.8803.46020.4005.3207.05033.7001.2302.4200.2500.7600.190Composite (IGS)CM7-A31,856.90.6464.2918.9917.4791.0055.13839.1760.3430.6350.2981.6690.533Reference test compositeFeed M7-A-0.6503.9709.4706.1000.6004.92038.8000.2300.4200.2601.9000.490Notes: Composite CM7-A (95 samples from 18 drill holes, zones S60 and HWM2; total mass 31,856.9 g) was assembled by IGS for the E08 metallurgical test program; assays are reported in weight percent (wt %). "Feed M7-A" is the head assay of the reference composite used in the 2011 feasibility-study test work, shown for comparison. Composite grades correspond to the mass-weighted average of the individual samples.
Source: IGS Impact Global Solutions Inc., report 'The sustainable and optimized development of niobium and other critical and strategic minerals (CSM) of the Oka deposit'

Table 2. Geochemical analysis of the FSG and HGG composite samples: Nb, Ta, Th, U, Zr, Sc and rare earth oxides (IGS)

Grade %
FSG
compositeHGG
compositeNb2O50.4891.165Ta2O50.0070.000ThO20.0210.001UO20.0030.000ZrO20.0350.002Ce2O30.2610.493Dy2O30.0030.005Er2O30.0010.002Eu2O30.0030.005Gd2O30.0050.010Ho2O30.0000.001La2O30.1080.177Lu2O30.0000.000Nd2O30.0790.154Pr2O30.0240.045Sc2O30.0010.002Sm2O30.0100.020Tb2O30.0010.001Tm2O30.0000.000Y2O30.0110.018Yb2O30.0010.001TREO0.5070.935Table 3: Rare earth element and oxide content of Oka niobium concentrate samples

Element (ppm)IGS-E08PNA15-11   Oxide (%)IGS-E08PNA15-11Y805781   Y2O30.1020.099La10,0219,404 La2O31.1771.103Ce79,40879,800 CeO29.7549.803Pr3,1043,174 Pr6O110.3750.383Nd9,2799,239 Nd2O31.0821.078Sm1,0771,130 Sm2O30.1250.131Eu294308 Eu2O30.0360.038Gd773808 Gd2O30.0890.093Tb5365 Tb4O70.0060.008Dy289291 Dy2O30.0330.033Ho3236 Ho2O30.0040.004Er8184 Er2O30.0090.010Tm912 Tm2O30.0010.001Yb70.472 Yb2O30.0080.008Lu36 Lu2O30.0000.001TREO12.80112.793LREO (La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu)12.54812.536HREO (Gd-Lu, Y)0.2530.257HREO/LREO2%2%Table 4: Mass balance of the concentrate leach test - significant lower Th and U values in the Residue

ProductMass
(g)Mass
(%)Concentration (ppm)ThULaCePrNdSmEuGdTbDyHoErTmYbLuAgVResidue18.7893.908241206,97041,0003,1409,8901,1102522973716821.2045.205.0826.202.480.5059Feed20.00100.002,0001,00013,30073,7005,37017,9002,32059183310950363.50136.0015.8088.208.452.30135Recovery by residue (%)38.6911.2749.2152.2454.9151.8844.9340.0433.4832.2231.3631.3531.2130.1927.8927.5620.4141.04Note: Recovery by residue (%) = (residue concentration × residue mass) ÷ (feed concentration × feed mass). Values below 100% indicate the proportion of each element retained in the leach residue; the balance reports to the leach solution.

About Nio Strategic Metals

Nio Strategic Metals is an exploration and development company, with a focus on becoming a ferroniobium producer. The Corporation holds niobium and critical metals properties located in Oka and near Mont-Laurier in the Province of Québec. Nio is committed to developing those deposits in an environmentally responsible manner — supplying strategic materials the world needs while driving innovation, creating high-quality jobs and strengthening the local economy.

For more information on the Corporation, please refer to the Corporation's public documents available on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca) or on the Corporation's website (https://niostratmet.com/) or contact:

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of any of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful, including any of the securities in the United States of America.

Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (together, "forward looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Statements, other than statements of historical facts, may be forward-looking statements. Generally, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of terminology such as "plans", "expects", "estimates", "intends", "anticipates", "believes" or variations of such words, or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved", the negative of these terms and similar terminology although not all forward-looking statements contain these terms and phrases. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the risk factors set out in Nio Strategic Metals' annual and/or quarterly management discussion and analysis and in other of its public disclosure documents filed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca, as well as all assumptions regarding the foregoing. Although Nio Strategic Metals believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on these statements, which only apply as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frame or at all. Except where required by applicable law, Nio Strategic Metals disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/307909

Source: Nio Strategic Metals Inc.

Ready to Announce with Confidence? Send us a message and a member of our TMX Newsfile team will contact you to discuss your needs.

Contact Us

Key Takeaways Riot Platforms is expected to report lower Q2 revenues and EPS year over year on Aug. 5.RIOT may face pressure from higher mining difficulty, Bitcoin volatility and elevated expenses.Riot Platforms may benefit from AMD lease revenues, tenant fit-outs and power-curtailment credits. Riot Platforms, Inc. (RIOT - Free Report) is slated to report second-quarter 2026 results on Aug. 5, before the market opens. The company’s quarterly results are likely to display a year-over-year decrease in revenues and earnings per share (EPS).

In the last reported quarter, this bitcoin miner reported a loss of $1.44 per share, wider than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 33 cents. The results were impacted by non-cash mark-to-market losses on RIOT’s Bitcoin holdings, and elevated depreciation and amortization expenses.

Over the preceding four quarters, RIOT’s EPS surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate twice and missed in the remaining period, the average miss being negative 130.56%. This is depicted in the graph below:

RIOT: Factors at Play and Q2 ProjectionsRiot Platforms’ second-quarter 2026 results are expected to reflect weaker Bitcoin-mining economics. Rising network difficulty, fewer Bitcoins mined and Bitcoin price volatility are likely to have pressured mining revenues and margins. Reported earnings may also have been affected by fair-value adjustments on Bitcoin holdings, as well as elevated depreciation and data-center development expenses.

The company’s use of Bitcoin sales to fund capital expenditures may have reduced its digital-asset holdings. Higher operating and maintenance costs related to the AMD capacity ramp-up, coupled with lower-margin tenant fit-out revenues, are also likely to have weighed on consolidated profitability. Engineering revenues may have remained under pressure as Riot reserved manufacturing capacity for its data-center projects.

On the positive side, the May delivery of the remaining 20 megawatts under the initial AMD lease is likely to have boosted high-margin operating lease revenues during the quarter. Ongoing tenant fit-out activity, power-curtailment credits and efficient electricity management may have provided additional support.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter revenues is pegged at $148.71 million, implying a 2.8% decrease from the prior-year quarter’s reported number.

RIOT’s activities in the to-be-reported quarter were inadequate in garnering analysts’ confidence. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter EPS has been revised southward to negative 39 cents over the past month. It suggests a significant downward change from the year-ago quarter’s tally.

What Our Quantitative Model Predicts for RIOTOur proven model does not conclusively predict a surprise in terms of EPS for RIOT this quarter. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the chances of an EPS beat, which is not the case here.

RIOT has an Earnings ESP of -101.27% and currently carries a Zacks Rank of 5 (Strong Sell). You can uncover the best stocks before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Stocks That Warrant a LookHere are two stocks from the broader finance sector — Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. (BAM - Free Report) and Ridgepost Capital, Inc. (RPC - Free Report) — you may want to consider, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to report an EPS beat this quarter.

Brookfield Asset Management is slated to report quarterly numbers on Aug. 5. BAM has an Earnings ESP of +1.14% and a Zacks Rank of 3 at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Ridgepost Capital is slated to report quarterly numbers on Aug. 5. RPC has an Earnings ESP of +7.14% and a Zacks Rank of 3 at present.

Expeditors International (EXPD - Free Report) came out with quarterly earnings of $2.03 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.68 per share. This compares to earnings of $1.34 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.

This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +20.83%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this logistics services provider would post earnings of $1.33 per share when it actually produced earnings of $1.71, delivering a surprise of +28.57%.

Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates four times.

Expeditors International, which belongs to the Zacks Transportation - Services industry, posted revenues of $3.5 billion for the quarter ended June 2026, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 20.67%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $2.65 billion. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates four times over the last four quarters.

The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.

Expeditors International shares have added about 14.5% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 11%.

What's Next for Expeditors International?While Expeditors International has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock?

There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.

Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.

Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Expeditors International was favorable. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to outperform the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $1.79 on $3.08 billion in revenues for the coming quarter and $6.74 on $11.67 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year.

Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Transportation - Services is currently in the bottom 35% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.

Proficient Auto Logistics, Inc. (PAL - Free Report) , another stock in the same industry, has yet to report results for the quarter ended June 2026. The results are expected to be released on August 10.

This company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.06 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -14.3%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 16.7% lower over the last 30 days to the current level.

Proficient Auto Logistics, Inc.'s revenues are expected to be $108.53 million, down 6.1% from the year-ago quarter.